MacMost: Archives

“I don’t feel I’m communicating with my wife as much anymore.”
“Are you two drifting apart?”
“Yes. I’m still on Facebook and she’s moved to Google+.”

QR Codes are barcode-like boxes of dots that you can find in magazines, posters, signs and business cards. They usually represent web page addresses. You can use free apps on your iPhone to easily scan these codes and see where they lead. You can also make your own QR Codes using free web services.

In Final Cut Pro X you can switch back and forth between videos using a variety of methods. The video can shift from one viewpoint to another while the audio stays constant. Learn about mixing multiple video tracks and going back and forth between them.

Learn the basic steps to start backing up your Mac with Time Machine. Every computer user should back up his or her data on a regular basis, and using Time Machine on your Mac makes that easy. Find out how to get started.

With the release of iOS 5 growing closer and the current line of iPods and iPhones growing older, many sites report that new models are imminent. The second week of September is usually when Apple unveils new iPods, but they may be looking to come out with a new iPod Touch and iPhone at the same time, for the first time.
Reports from Apple’s Chinese manufacturer, Foxconn, say that iPhone 5s are being built by the millions right now, which would point to a late September or early October release. A German mobile carrier has gone as far as accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 5, even though it lists no specifications or release date.
Rumors speculate that the next iPhone will have a better camera, faster processor and perhaps a larger display. There are some rumors that the iPod touch will get 3G capability, allowing for a mobile data connection like some iPad models.

“Do you know that I’m the mayor of this place on Foursquare?”
“Well, in that case I’d like to talk to you about the working conditions.”

You can perform a variety of text transformations and substitutions using standard menu commands. For instance, you can change all of the characters in a selection to upper or lower case. You can also change straight quotes to curly quotes, two dashes to long dashes, and have segments of text automatically change as you type.

It is difficult to change the tempo of an individual track in GarageBand because all tracks will match the tempo of the song by default. But if you copy tracks into new loops, you can hold the speed of those tracks steady as you adjust the tempo of the song.

Learn where to go if your Apple product breaks, or you have a problem you can't figure out. You can use Apple's Genius Bar or call their support line. You can also join a local user group or take your Mac to a local repair shop.

Reports this week show Apple getting closer to releasing a new OS for the iPhone and iPad, and new features for Mac OS X Lion. Rumor sites are reporting on a new developer release of iOS 5 with only bug fixes, showing that Apple is almost finished with development. In addition, a new version of Mac OS X Lion, version 10.7.2, with iCloud support has been seen, and a new developer version of iTunes with iTunes Match enabled has also been reported. There are also rumors floating around that some of the new iCloud features may be supported in Snow Leopard with an update to that OS.
It is expected that iOS 5 and Lion 10.7.2 will be released simultaneously because both will hook into iCloud, Apple’s network syncing service that replaces MobileMe. The expected release date for iOS 5 and iCloud is “the fall” which could be any time starting at the end of this month.

“Do you know when the new iPhone will be out?”
“My guess is October.”
“I just got confirmation from a credible source!”

Learn how to use transitions in Final Cut Pro X. There are several ways to apply transitions between clips, and many ways to adjust the end and start points of the two clips. You can also customize each transition.

iMovie limits you to one picture-in-picture effect at a time. But you can cheat by placing multiple pictures in a single image using an image editing tool.

The Resume feature in Lion allows you to quit applications and then run them again with your windows intact. Any documents or windows you had open before will open again the next time you use the application. This can be disorienting at first, but it can also be useful. Find out how to quit applications and have them start fresh next time. Find out how to disable the Resume feature if it is not for you.

Steve Jobs, the driving force behind Apple at its start and also for the last decade, resigned as CEO yesterday. In a letter to Apple employees he said he could no longer meet his duties and expectations as CEO, but would like to remain as Chairman of the Board. He recommended COO Tim Cook as his successor, and the Apple board agreed.
Jobs has left the post of CEO several times before on temporary medical leave, each time putting Cook in charge. He has been running the day-to-day at Apple since January. Apple’s site already features Cook’s bio at http://www.apple.com/pr/bios/tim-cook.html.

1984: You can now run programs in windows instead of taking up the whole screen.
2011: New feature! You can now run programs that fill the whole screen!

The function keys, also called the F-keys, serve two purposes on your Mac. Found at the top of all Apple keyboards, these keys can be used for special functions like volume control, iTunes playback or accessing Mission Control. But they can also be used as F1, F2, F3, etc., keys. Find out how to switch between the two modes.

Performing quick by complex searches in the Finder and in Mail is easier in Lion because of the new search tokens feature. You can build queries using text, dates and file types right in the search field.

Learn about the four Mac keyboard modifier keys: command, option, control and shift. Find out what functions each perform and the printed representations of each. See how they differ from Windows modification keys. Modifier keys allow you to issue commands, type special characters and bring up contextual menus.

Lion was updated to version 10.7.1 through Software Update this week. Most of the changes involved fixing bugs and improving reliability. The update was specific to several versions of Mac hardware and whether you had Lion Server installed as well.
You can get 10.7.1 by simply running Software Update from the Apple menu on any Mac with Lion. Details about the update are at http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4764.