mac os x

Apr 27 2009

Revert to an Older Mac OS X Version

Brought to you by: James

Is the latest 10.3.9 update causing you some problems? More than likely, it’s because you haven’t been keeping up with your routine maintenance. Of course, it could just be a bad update too. Either way, reverting back to an older version of Mac OS X is easy, but time consuming.

1. Make a backup copy of your current system (IOW, everything). (Time: 1-3 hours)

2. Boot from your most recent Mac OS X Install CD by restarting while holding down the ‘C’ key. (Time: 10-20 minutes)

3. Proceed through the installation menus, but after the license agreement, click “Options,” select “Archive and Install,” and select “Preserve User and Network Settings.” Proceed with the installation. (Time: 1-3 hours)

4. Now, you’ll probably want to bring your system back to the version it was just before your failed update. To do this, proceed to Apple Support Downloads and grab the appropriate Combo Updater. (Time: 30-60 minutes)

5. You will now have to restore your system settings and any third-party system add-ons. Your old system files can be found in the “Previous Systems” folder on your hard drive.

Hopefully, this short article will help you get back on track. And, remember to keep up with your routine maintenance!

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Apr 27 2009

Menu Bar Madness!

Digital Bill from the Wizards
of Technology fills in for Brian

Ever since we’ve moved up to Mac OS X we’ve had a lot more stuff that we can
do up there in the menubar. There was always the Clock, Volume, Displays, and
iChat Status. And sure, Panther added Fast User Switching, and Tiger ads the
Spotlight search bar. And what mobile user doesn’t have the Airport Signal
Meter and Battery gauges? But, thanks to the hard work of shareware authors,
you can add functions to the menu bar you never dreamed of, from email notification,
to processor and memory use, to text shortcuts and even desktop cleanup.

1 Menubar All Menu Bar Madness!

Read on for some of my daily favorites.

mu Menu Bar Madness!DeskTopple

2 Desktopple Menu Menu Bar Madness!Ever
needed to take a screenshot and had to remove all of those icons from your
Desktop before you do? Or maybe you needed to make a presentation and had to
tidy up before hooking into the projector? With Desktopple,
you can quickly and easily hide all of your Desktop clutter. A quick trip to
your menu bar is all it takes. With Desktopple, you can quickly and easily
hide all of your Desktop clutter. Desktopple is a deceptively simple idea -
cover all your desktop clutter. Yep. Just sweep it under the rug. It can even
use your desktop picture to hide the mess.

mu Menu Bar Madness!Textpander

3 Textpander Menu Menu Bar Madness! Textpander is
a utility that helps you type more efficiently and more accurately (thank goodness!).
Textpander ‘listens’ to what you type and inserts predefined text snippets
on the fly whenever you enter their corresponding abbreviations.

Here are a few examples for what you can do with Textpander:

  • Insert standard greetings, text fragments, and signatures – including formatted
    text and pictures.
  • Insert the current date and time in any format you prefer.
  • Use editor-independent code templates and have Textpander position the
    cursor just where it needs to be.
  • Type special characters without having to launch any special characters
    palette.
  • Have Textpander correct typos automatically.
  • Import text snippets from other typing utilities.

Textpander quickly becomes one of those things you miss when it’s not there.
I certainly wouldn’t finish posting nightly podcasts as fast without it!

mu Menu Bar Madness!Gmail
Notifier

4 Gmail Notifier Menu Bar Madness!The Gmail
Notifier is
an application that alerts you when you have new Gmail messages (You *do* have
a Gmail account, right?). It displays an icon in your Menu bar to let you
know if you have unread Gmail messages, and shows you their subjects, senders
and snippets, all without your having to open a web browser. Then you can go
straight to the message, or the inbox, or to compose a new message (all of
which require a web browser of course).

The Notifier is in beta, like everything from Google. Before you download
it, we encourage you to review the system requirements and privacy information.

mu Menu Bar Madness!MenuMeters

5 Menubar Memory Menu Bar Madness!6 Menubar Process Menu Bar Madness!MenuMeters is
a set of CPU, memory, disk, and network monitoring tools for Mac OS X. Although
there are numerous other programs which do the same thing, they always were
either crouching or hidden. Some were even odd pulsing things on the desktop.
MenuMeters takes up precious little space on the menu bar, and gives me quick-click
access to stuff like how much hard disk is used up with swapfiles (sometimes
2GB!), or what my uptime is, or if there are more than 1000 pageswaps when
I’m playing WoW – good signs that a restart will make the game play with less
lag!.

The MenuMeters monitors are true Menu
Extras. This means they can be reordered using command-drag and remember their
positions in the menubar across logins and restarts.

Downloads from MacUpdate.com

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Apr 27 2009

AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine

I’m sure most of you have seen or been pranked by the Remote Control Fart Machine. It’s a two piece toy that consists of a transmitter about the size of a car alarm key fob and a receiver unit that you turn on and hide somewhere in the vicinity of your intended victim. Then you simply wait for the right moment, press the button on the transmitter and the speaker plays a pre-recorded fart sound effect. Juvenile and amusing. I’m sure if Apple made a fart machine, it would be something to behold…

reinvented AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine

Here’s how to make your own overpriced and overproduced, Apple-styled remote control fart machine. The tools you will need are as follows:

category 01 AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine category 02 AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine category 03 AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine
category 04 AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine 1 AirPort Express Base Station with AirTunes (USD$129)

1 Macally PodWave (IP-A111) Portable Stereo Speakers (USD$39.99)

Mac OS X v10.3 or later (USD$129)

1 AirPort or AirPort Extreme-enabled computer (

iTunes version 4.6 or later (FREE)

category 06 AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine
category 07 AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine category 08 AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine category 09 AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine
airpoot AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine

All totaled, this almost entirely Apple produced remote control fart machine will set you back at least USD$896.99. That’s almost as competitive in the fart machine market as the Apple Leather Case for iPod is in the iPod accessory market!!

Before you use the AirPOOT to toot your own flatulent horn, you will also need at least one “fart” sound effect in an audio format compatible with iTunes. There are many ways you might go about acquiring such sounds:

  • You could visit CreateFarts.com and tailor-make an air brick for the occasion and have it emailed to you.
  • There are sound effects CDs available AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine with high quality, lowbrow effects on them. Get some and rip one off into iTunes.
  • You could employ the use of iFart… yes, there is actually already a freeware application in release for the sole purpose of composing fart-like noises.
  • Or, if you have no shame and nowhere else to turn, you could record your own “bottom blast” using Garage Band and a microphone you will never use again …ever.

In any case, you will need at least one such sound effect. More is better, as it will afford you the option of choosing the right sound for the right occasion and will also allow the sounds to vary from poot to poot.

The Set-Up:

  1. airtunes AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart MachineLoad the AA battery into the Macally PodWave.
  2. Connect the Macally PodWave to the AirPort Express using the stereo mini-jack on the base station.
  3. Turn on the Macally PodWave.
  4. Plug the AirPort Express into an appropriate wall outlet that is concealed, near your intended victim and within wireless signal range of the Mac you will be using to trigger the “sound effects”.
  5. Use the AirPort Admin Utility to create a new network. (consult your manual for details)
  6. Open iTunes on your computer and choose your AirPOOT from the speakers pop-up menu in the lower right of the iTunes window.

Now, you need only wait until your victim is near the AirPOOT and the focus of attention, and then simply play one of your “fart” sound effects from iTunes. Don’t be in too much of a rush though. The element of surprise is as important as any other part of a prank like this. You don’t want to come crawling out from behind the filing cabinet where you’ve hidden the AirPOOT, then run to your MacBook Pro across the office and then cut the digital cheese all at once–it’s too suspicious–you have to be subtle. Set up the AirPOOT and let it lie in wait for a while. Then spring the trap later in the day.

TIPS:

Set up the AirPOOT in the Airport Admin Utility at home, in private, and then unplug the unit and bring it to the prank location and plug it in. It will remember its settings.

You might want to set up the Airport Express with Password protection on just to prevent anyone else using the “AirPOOT” before its time has come to make itself known. It is also wise to note that once the prank is played, this USD$300 Fart Machine receiver unit may easily fall into the hands of your victim. Putting password protection in place may not ensure its return to you, it may not even prevent the unit from being used against you in the same manner, but it may just delay the retaliation, giving you opportunity to snatch the unit back.

As the PodWave was designed for use with the iPod, it was assumed that one would adjust the audio volume via the iPod’s click wheel. So, for use with the AirPOOT, you will control the loudness of the flatulence via the volume control in iTunes. You may want to practice at home to establish the perfect volume setting for your prank.

You don’t have to plug it directly into a wall outlet, you can use an extension cord if that helps the subterfuge.

 adminut AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine
 

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