MacMost: Patreon Video

Here's a handy technique. You can use a terminal command to launch a second instance of the same app. So, for instance, you can have the calculator app running twice. Or, three times. This could help with simple apps that only have one window. But it is dangerous to use for complex apps as the instances will trip over themselves in setting preferences and remembering settings and such. Still, it saved me a few days ago when an app crashed in a weird way and I couldn't save my work.

I was looking for a way to batch convert image files that didn't require an app. I found the Sips command in the Terminal, which seems to have a lot of interesting options.

A lot of people think I am using a green screen or some technical trick to have a black void as my background. But it is much simpler than that.

You can set a script, either AppleScript or JavaScript (JXA) to handle incoming messages in the Messages app. In fact, there are a few default scripts already there, including one that will speak incoming messages. In this video I'll show you how to make a really simple script that gives and extra alert when you get a message from a specific person.

Did you know Apple makes an iPhone and iPad simulator for the Mac? It is part of the Xcode tools that are available to all for free. This can be very useful for web developers or anyone with a website. You can check out how your site looks on various devices. And it is fun to play around with.

I've been enjoying the Juiced.GS magazine for a while now. Even though I don't have an Apple II anymore, I still occasionally fire up an emulator for fun. If you want to check out the most recent issue of Juiced.GS, you can get 20% off by going to <a href="https://juiced.gs/store/volume-22-2017/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://juiced.gs/store/volume-22-2017/</a> and using the coupon code MACMOST at checkout.

I finally got AirPods. Excellent earphones. But I was hoping they would also make a good microphone for recording video. You'll hear right away that this isn't the case. The mic is clearly meant for phone calls. Oh well.

In addition to the small collection of backgrounds you can find in System Preferences, there is also another collection of beautiful backgrounds hidden in the system library folder in High Sierra. Not sure why they are hidden away there, but they are easy to access and use as your desktop wallpaper.

So I'm working on a video for next week about how to install fonts on iPhones and iPads. It turns out that everyone uses a third-party app for this. And there is just this one app and everyone likes it. So OK. I'll do a tutorial on the third-party app. It is a fairly convoluted procedure, but doable for typical users. At least typical users that work with fonts already. Here's me walking through it all. I'm going to condense this into a regular MacMost video later on.

I've been playing around with the accessibility keyboard in High Sierra and it is very interesting how much you can do with it. Even if you don't have a disability, it can be useful to be able to type when your keyboard isn't available.As I play around with it, I discover more and more it can do. I even made a big discovery while making is video!

I think this is kind of cool. You can use Alexa on your iPhone through the Amazon shopping app (but strangely, not the Alexa app). So you can use Siri, Alexa through the Amazon app, and Google and Microsoft's Cortana through their apps. Four assistants, one iPhone.

Stumbled upon dict:// links which open the Dictionary app right to a specific word. Doesn't work too well from Safari, but can be made to work as hyperlinks in documents. This could be potentially useful as a teaching aid.

Let's see what Apple recommends as gifts this year. I comment on each item.

A new feature of the Apple Clips app lets you use a virtual reality background to make video, quickly and easily. Hopefully in the future they will let you use your own VR background scene. Still, it is pretty fun and could be useful too.

I bought a cheap wireless charger to go with my iPhone X. I was skeptical of wireless charging and whether it would be worth it. But it turns out I really like it.

So I got my iPhone X today, and decided to film opening the box for those interested. It took about 30 minutes to set up, most of which was the update to iOS 11.1.I'm very embarrassed by how bad this video looks. I don't do videos like this very often, and I swear the scene looked great in the iPhone 6 Plus screen that I was using to do the recording. But the contrast is just horrible, even after adjusting in Final Cut. Oh well. At least we can use this as a springboard for questions you may have about the iPhone X.

I played around with a JXA (JavaScript for Automation instead of AppleScript) script that searches for duplicate photos in your Photos library and marks them with a keyword. It turned out to be pretty simple. But it could be dangerous if you plan to use it to permanently deleted photos.Here is the script text: var Photos = Application("Photos"); Photos.includeStandardAdditions = true; var currentSelection = Photos.selection(); var photoDataList = []; for (var item of currentSelection) { var photoInfo = String(item.date())+" "+String(item.size())+" "+String(item.name()); var isDup = false; for(var i=0;i&lt;photoDataList.length;i++) { if (photoDataList[i] == photoInfo) { isDup = true; break; } } if (isDup) { var keys = item.keywords(); if (keys == null) keys = []; item.keywords = keys.concat(["duplicate"]); } else { photoDataList.push(photoInfo); } }

Have a look at my menu bar icons. I'll explain where each one comes from and perhaps you'll find something you can use as well.

I've had people ask me about viewing and editing photo metadata on the iPhone or iPad. It takes a third-party app to do that. This one called MetaPho will allow you to view, change and delete metadata.

Sometimes when I try to make a MacMost video, it just doesn't happen. I was trying to make a video on the new Siri Personal DJ functionality this week, and I couldn't get it to work reliably. Check out the frustrating results. Have you tried Siri Personal DJ? Any luck?