MacTips

Setting up email accounts and calendars

2011-08-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

In Macs of the past, you'd have to set up accounts in each one of your productivity apps like Mail and iCal.
Now, with a brand new System Preferences pane called "Mail, Contacts, And Calendars," you only need to set it up once, just like on your iPhone.
If you click "Other," there's also the option to centrally add CalDAV, CardDAV, and LDAP accounts to sync.
Unfortunately, support for multiple Google Calendars is still omitted, and Google Contacts have to be set up through the Address Book app. But, in exchange, Apple gives you native Google Chat capabilities in iChat.

Create workspaces and swipe between !

2011-08-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

We like Spaces in Lion a lot more than spaces in previous versions of OS X.
Why? Because it's easier to move between them. Despite mostly confusing gestures in Lion, the three-finger swipe between Spaces works.
Open up Mission Control, then drag one of the open windows to the top right corner of your screen. You'll notice that a new square appears. Drop the window you're dragging into that square, and you've created a new space.
Go back to what you were doing, then swipe three fingers left or right move between spaces fluidly. Another tip is that whenever you take an app full screen, it creates a new space. It's a nice way to keep iTunes (or another app) separate from everything else but accessible.
To kill a space, enter Mission Control, hover your mouse over the left corner of the space (up top), and click the black X.

Glitchy Full Screen Apps

2011-08-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

Many cool apps like Mail and iPhoto have been optimized for Lion's brand new full screen mode. To disable full screen mode, you put your cursor in the top right corner of the screen and click the blue minimize button.
But in some apps, like Google Chrome, the minimize button does not appear, for whatever reason. So you're stuck.
If you're stuck in any full screen app, or want to enter full screen using a keyboard shortcut, try pressing Command + Shift + F all at the same time.

Natural Scrolling

2011-08-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

Natural scrolling has been a controversial topic since Lion's launch.
Many people choose to trust Apple and try to adapt, while others (especially those who alternate between Windows and Mac) need to put the scrolling back to the way it's been [for the past decade].
Go to System Preferences, then Trackpad, then the Scroll And Zoom tab. Uncheck "natural scrolling," and you'll be back to normal. Normal enough, at least. This also inverts horizontal scrolling, so moving between spaces might now feel backwards.

Clean up System Preferences menu

2011-08-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

In Lion, you can customize which settings panels show up in your System Preferences.
While you're in System Preferences, click View, then Customize, and then uncheck anything you'd rather not see.

Search using file types

2011-08-12T11:18:00.001-07:00

Looking for a document, but not exactly sure what it's called? Narrow down your search using this useful new Finder tool.
Type kind: pdf or kind: doc, etc into Finder's search bar to get started. Pick a file type from the dropdown menu, and now your search is only limited to files of that type on your computer.
If you aren't sure what the exact file name of something is, this new tool is invaluable

Resize windows from any side of a window !

2011-08-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

Forget about limiting yourself to window corners for resizing.
Now, hover your cursor over any window edge or corner to resize it.

Lion's gorgeous new desktop wallpapers !

2011-08-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

Apple has always chosen carefully which wallpapers to pack into each new operating system, and they didn't slack off with Lion.
Several eye-popping new wallpapers can be found in the Desktop Pictures folder of the Apple group inside the "Desktop & Screensaver" section of your system preferences.
Another tip is that if you want to set a different wallpaper for each of your Spaces, just open up this same screen and pick a new wallpaper while you're in any space. Until you get rid of the space, each space will keep the wallpaper you assign to it.

Making accented characters in Lion !

2011-08-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

If you hold down a letter on an iPhone or iPad virtual keyboard, a list pops of of accents to put above the letter.
Now in Lion, it's the same. Hold down any letter while you're typing, and a list pops up of accent options. Type the corresponding number to select which accent you want, or just click it.
It doesn't work in every app just yet (like Chrome), but it already works in many apps (like Adium, and apps that ship with Lion).

Like the old Dashboard ?

2011-08-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

Go to System Preferences, then Mission Control, then uncheck "Show Dashboard as a space."
Now, Dashboard will overlay your desktop, just like it used to. Activate it by pressing the Dashboard button your Mac keyboard or by using a Hot Corner.

QuickTime has some nice new features !

2011-08-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

If you click the Action arrow in Quicktime, you'll see a bunch of cool new features you can use.
If you want to upload a video to Flickr, YouTube, Vimeo or Facebook, now you can. Also, if you go to File then Export, you can strip the audio from a movie and create a separate file.

Search the WWW and Wikipedia straight from Spotlight

2011-08-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

Enter in your query, and check the bottom of the Spotlight drop-down menu to see "Search web for" and "Search Wikipedia for."

MobileMe + iCloud Transition

2011-07-02T15:16:00.000-07:00

iCloud is Apple’s new cloud service, which stores your music, photos, apps, calendars, and documents and wirelessly pushes them to all your devices. iCloud integrates seamlessly with your apps, so everything happens automatically. iCloud will be free for iOS 5 and OS X Lion users. More information is available at www.apple.com/icloud.

MobileMe Services

What’s happening to MobileMe?
The core services provided by MobileMe have been rewritten to work seamlessly with iCloud. MobileMe will no longer be available as a paid sync service. If you had an active MobileMe account as of June 6, 2011, your service has been extended through June 30, 2012, at no additional charge. After that date, the MobileMe service will no longer be available.

Following is a list of MobileMe services and whether they will be available or not in iCloud this fall:

MobileMe Service Available in iCloud
Mail
Contacts
Calendar
Bookmarks
Find My iPhone
Back to My Mac

Unavailable

iWeb publishing
Gallery
iDisk

In addition, the following new services will be available in iCloud:

iTunes in the Cloud
Photo Stream
Documents in the Cloud
Automatic downloads and purchase history for apps and books
Backup and restore

Will I be able to keep my MobileMe email address when I move to iCloud?
Yes. If you have an active MobileMe account when you sign up for iCloud, you’ll be able to keep your me.com or mac.com email address and move your MobileMe mail, contacts, and calendars, as well as your bookmarks, to the new service. When iCloud becomes available this fall, Apple will provide details and instructions on how to make the move.

Will I be able to access iCloud services on the web?
Yes. Web access to iCloud Mail, Contacts, Calendar, and Find My iPhone will be available at icloud.com this fall.

What happens to the iWeb sites that I’ve published to MobileMe?
You will be able to continue publishing iWeb sites to MobileMe through June 30, 2012, even after moving to iCloud. With iWeb you can easily move a site published to MobileMe to another web hosting service and you should do so before that date. Please read this article for details.

What happens to the pictures that I’ve posted to my MobileMe Gallery?
You will be able to continue using MobileMe Gallery through June 30, 2012, even after moving to iCloud. You should save copies of all photos published to your Gallery before that date. If you have a Mac, it is likely that most of your Gallery photos are already in iPhoto. If not, you can sync the Gallery photos to your iPhoto library. You can also download your photos and movies from the web. Please read this article for details.

What happens to the files on my MobileMe iDisk?
You will be able to continue using MobileMe iDisk through June 30, 2012, even after moving to iCloud. You should save copies of all files stored on iDisk before that date. Please read this article for details.

What happens to the other sync services I use for my Mac?
Syncing of Mac Dashboard widgets, keychains, Dock items, and System Preferences will not be part of iCloud, but will continue to be available for you to use until you move to iCloud. After you move to iCloud or after June 30, 2012, whichever comes first, those sync services will no longer be available. Other MobileMe services that are not transitioning to iCloud (iWeb publishing, Gallery, and iDisk) will continue to be available through June 30, 2012, even after you move to iCloud.

MobileMe Accounts

If I use different accounts for iTunes and MobileMe, can I merge them into a single account and use it with iCloud?
No. You cannot merge two accounts into one. However, you will be able to move your MobileMe account (yourname@me.com) to iCloud and, if you choose, you can continue to use a different iTunes account for store purchases and iTunes in the Cloud.

I currently use more than 5GB of storage in MobileMe. Will I be able to buy more storage for iCloud?
Yes. iCloud includes 5GB of free storage for mail, documents, and backup, which should be enough for most users. Purchased music, apps, and books do not count against this 5GB of storage, nor do the photos in your Photo Stream. If you still need more storage, you will be able to buy it. Details will be provided when iCloud is available this fall.

Can I upgrade my MobileMe account to a Family Pack or buy more MobileMe storage?
You can no longer upgrade your individual account to a Family Pack account or buy additional MobileMe storage. However, if you already have a Family Pack subscription, you can still create new family member accounts.

Can Family Pack members move their MobileMe accounts separately to iCloud?
Yes. The master account holder and each family member can move their individual accounts whenever they like, as long as they do so before June 30, 2012.

I purchased a MobileMe box and have not used the activation code inside.
How do I get a refund for it?
If you have an unused activation code from a MobileMe box, you can submit a refund request.

Can I cancel my MobileMe subscription and receive a refund?
You can cancel your service at any time and receive a prorated refund for the unused portion of your paid subscription. The free extension will not be included in the proration. When you cancel, all MobileMe services, including mail and syncing of contacts and calendars, will stop working, and your data will be removed from MobileMe.

Mac Help Forums

2011-06-22T07:35:00.001-07:00

App Store Help

2011-06-08T06:04:00.000-07:00

Before using App Store

To use App Store, you need:

An Internet connection: You can use Ethernet or Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet.
An Apple ID: To make purchases, you need to sign in to App Store using an Apple ID.

If you already have an iTunes Store account, a MobileMe account, or another Apple account, you can use that Apple ID. If you don’t have an Apple ID, you can create one.

Although anybody who logs in to your Mac can browse available applications, only an administrator can purchase, download, and install applications.

Sign in and out

When you’re ready to buy an application, you need to sign in to App Store using an Apple ID.

If you already have an iTunes Store account, a MobileMe account, or another Apple account, you can use that Apple ID. If you don’t already have an Apple ID, you can create one in App Store.

To sign in if you have an Apple ID:

Choose Store > Sign In, or click Sign In in the Quick Links section.
Enter your Apple ID and password, and then click Sign In.

To sign in if you don’t have an Apple ID:

Choose Store > Create Account.
Choose Store > Sign In or click Sign In in the Quick Links section, and then click Create Apple ID.
Follow the onscreen instructions to create a new Apple ID.
Choose Store > Sign In or click Sign In in the Quick Links section.
Enter the new Apple ID and password, and then click Sign In.

To sign out:
When you are finished using App Store, you can sign out to prevent anyone who can access your computer from making purchases using your Apple ID.

Choose Store > Sign Out.
Choose Store > View Account, and then click Sign Out.

To determine the currently active Apple ID:

Choose Store > View My Account, or click Welcome in the Quick Links section.

Accessibility

The following App Store features provide solutions for people with disabilities:

VoiceOver: You can use VoiceOver, a screen reader included with Mac OS X.
Keyboard shortcuts: You can use the keyboard to perform many tasks.

Search and browse

If you want to explore the applications you can download, there are several ways to browse. But if you’re looking for a specific application or kind of application, use search to find it quickly.

To browse:
Click a button in the toolbar.

Featured: Browse new and noteworthy applications.
Top Charts: Browse the most popular applications.
Categories: Browse applications in specific categories, such as photography. (You can browse applications in a particular category by choosing an item from the All Categories pop-up menu in the Quick Links section.)
Purchases: Browse applications you’ve purchased.
Updates: Browse updates to applications you’ve installed on your Mac.

To search:

Type text in the search field at the top right of the App Store window, and then choose an item from the pop-up list or press Return to display results.

Learn about applications

App Store helps you learn about an application’s features and requirements, and shows you customer ratings and reviews.

App Store displays a special rating that helps you understand whether an application may be inappropriate for children of a certain age. For example, “Rated 17+” tells you that the application may not be suitable for children under the age of 17. You can use ratings to set up parental controls to limit the App Store applications your children can use.

Buy, download, and install applications

You use an Apple ID to purchase applications and download them to your Mac.

After downloading, applications are automatically installed in the Applications folder, and application icons appear in your Dock.

To buy, download, and install an application:

If you want to make a purchase using an iTunes gift card or other iTunes credit, click Redeem in the Quick Links section.
Find the application in App Store.
Click the application’s icon or name, and then click Buy (click Free for free applications).
If you’re not logged in to the computer as an administrator, enter an administrator’s name and password.
If you’re not signed in to App Store, enter your Apple ID and password, and then click Sign In.
If requested, click Billing Info to enter or verify your billing information.
Click Done to download and install the application.

After downloading begins, the application’s icon and a progress indicator appear in the Dock.

To pause, resume, or cancel an application download:

Control-click the application icon in the Dock, and then pause, resume, or cancel the download by choosing an item in the pop-up menu.
Click the Purchases button in the toolbar, find the application in the list, and then pause, resume, or cancel the download.

If a download is interrupted because you lose your Internet connection or quit App Store, App Store starts the download again when the Internet connection is restored or the next time you open App Store.

View and manage your purchases

You can display a list of applications purchased using App Store. The list tells you the date of an application’s purchase, and lets you manage an application’s download status.

To learn about applications purchased using App Store:

Click the Purchases button in the toolbar.

For any application in the list, you can:

Pause, resume, or cancel a download.
Download and install an update to an installed application.
Download and install an App Store application purchased on another Mac using the Apple ID currently signed in.

Use applications on multiple Mac

After you purchase an application, you can install it free of charge on every Mac you use.

Here are ways to install a purchased application on another Mac:

On the other Mac, find the application in App Store, click Buy or Free, and then provide the Apple ID you used to purchase the application.
Copy the application from one Mac to another Mac. When you open the copied application on the other Mac, enter the Apple ID used to purchase it.
Open App Store on the other Mac, and then log in using the Apple ID used to make the purchase.

Click Purchases in the toolbar to list applications purchased. Any application that has an INSTALL option was purchased using the Apple ID, but not installed on the Mac you’re using. You can download and install the application on the Mac.

Update applications

App Store keeps track of updates for the applications you’ve purchased. The Updates button in the toolbar shows the total number of application updates available for downloading.

The number of updates is also displayed on the App Store icon in the Dock.

To manage application updates:

Click Updates in the toolbar.

For updates in the list, you can:

Download and install all of the updates at once, or download and install a specific update.
Pause, resume, or cancel a download.

Provide feedback for an application

You can review any application you’ve downloaded. You can also post a concern about another person’s review.

To provide feedback for a downloaded application:

Click the application’s icon or name to display information about it.

Do any of the following:

Rate the application by clicking one of the stars next to “Rate this application.”
Submit a review of the application by clicking “Write a Review.”

To report a concern about an existing review:

Click “Report a Concern” next to the review you’re concerned about.

Review and change your Apple ID settings

You can review and change billing information, the password, and other settings associated with an Apple ID at any time.

To access your Apple ID settings:

Click Account in the Quick Links section.
Enter the Apple ID and password for the settings you want to work with.
Click View Account, and then use the links to review and edit your settings.

Use parental controls

Use the Parental Controls pane of system preferences to control access to App store or to installed App Store applications. This is helpful if you are a parent and you want to ensure that your children use only applications that are simple or appropriate to their age.

To limit a user’s access to App Store or to installed App Store applications, you must first turn on parental controls for the user’s account.

To turn on parental controls for a user:

If the user account already exists, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Parental Controls, click the lock if it’s not unlocked, and then enter an administrator’s name and password.

Select the account, and then click Enable Parental Controls.

If the user account needs to be created, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Accounts, click the lock if it’s not unlocked, and then enter an administrator name and password.

Click the Add button (+) below the list of users, choose “Managed with Parental Controls” from the New Account pop-up menu, enter name and password information, and then click Create Account.

To restrict the installed App Store applications a user can open:

Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, and then click Parental Controls.
Click the lock if it’s not unlocked, enter an administrator name and password, select an account in the list of accounts, and then click Apps.

Select Limit Applications, and then choose an option from the Allow App Store Apps pop-up menu:

Don’t allow: Choose this option to prevent opening of any applications purchased from the App Store.
Numerical ratings: Choose “up to 4+” or another numerical option to restrict application access based on App Store application ratings. For example, an application rated 4+ contains nonobjectionable material, but an application rated 9+ may not be suitable for children under the age of 9. If you choose “up to 9+,” the user can open applications rated 9+ and lower.

All: Choose this option to allow opening all applications purchased using App Store.

To control a user’s access to App Store:

Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, and then click Parental Controls.
Click the lock if it’s not unlocked, enter an administrator name and password, select an account in the list of accounts, and then click Apps.
Select Limit Applications.

In the Allowed Apps list, click the Other Apps arrow to display a list of applications, and then do one of the following:

Select App Store to let the user open App Store.
Deselect App Store to prevent the user from opening App Store.

If you have trouble

If you’re having trouble using App Store, try these solutions:

If you see a message that your computer can’t connect to App Store, make sure your Internet connection is working. If you can open a web browser and view a website, there may be a problem with the store. Try using App Store again later.
Make sure your computer’s date, time, and time zone are set correctly in Date & Time preferences. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, and then click Date & Time.
Make sure your Apple ID information is accurate and that you don’t need to correct a problem with a previous purchase. To verify your Apple ID information and review your purchase history, choose Store > View My Account or click Account in the Quick Links section.

Keyboard shortcuts

You can use keyboard shortcuts to quickly accomplish many actions in App Store. To find shortcuts for common commands, look in the menus or use the table below as a reference.

App Store menu shortcuts
Hide the App Store window - Command+H
Hide all other applications - Option-Command+H
Quit App Store - Command+Q

Edit menu shortcuts
Undo your last typing change - Command+Z
Redo your last undo operation - Command+Shift+Z
Cut the selected items - Command+X
Copy the selected items - Command+C
Paste the selected items - Command+V
Select everything - Command+A
Enter special characters - Option+Command+T

Store menu shortcuts
Go to the previous page - Command-Left bracket ([)
Go to the next page - Command-Right bracket (])
Refresh the current page - Command+R
Search for an application - Command+F

Window menu shortcuts
Close the App Store window - Command+W
Put the App Store window in the Dock - Command+M

OS X Lion

2011-06-07T02:26:00.000-07:00

See what’s new.
With over 250 new features including Multi-Touch gestures, Mission Control, full-screen apps, and Launchpad, OS X Lion takes the Mac further than ever.
Learn more...

Apple Introduces iCloud

Apple today introduced iCloud, a set of free new cloud services that work seamlessly with applications on your iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Mac, or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content and push it to all your devices. iCloud services include new versions of Contact, Calendar, and Mail; iCloud Backup and Storage; Photo Stream; and iTunes in the Cloud. And for just $24.99 a year, iTunes Match will give you all of the benefits of iTunes in the Cloud for music you haven’t purchased from iTunes. iCloud will be available this fall, along with iOS 5. A free beta version of iTunes in the Cloud is available today in the U.S. and requires iTunes 10.3 and iOS 4.3.3.
Read more: apple.com/icloud

Apple Previews iOS 5

Apple today previewed iOS 5, the latest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, with over 200 new features that will be available as a free software update to iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch users this fall. New iOS 5 features include: Notification Center, an innovative way to easily view and manage notifications in one place without interruption; iMessage, a new messaging service that lets you send text messages, photos, and videos between all iOS 5 devices; and Newsstand, a new way to purchase and organize your newspaper and magazine subscriptions. And with iOS 5, iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch users can activate and set up new iOS devices right out of the box and get software updates over the air — no computer required.
Read more: apple.com/ios

Mac OS X Lion Available in July from Mac App Store

Apple today announced that Mac OS X Lion — the eighth major release of the world’s most advanced desktop operating system — will be available to customers in July as a download from the Mac App Store for $29.99. OS X Lion offers more than 250 new features, including Multi-Touch gestures; systemwide support for full-screen apps; Mission Control, a bird’s-eye view of everything running on your Mac; Launchpad, a new home for all your apps; and a completely redesigned Mail app.
Read more: apple.com/macosx

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MacInsider

2011-04-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

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Apple - Affiliate Resource

2011-04-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

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Terminal

2011-02-15T17:11:00.000-08:00

You'll find the Terminal in the Utilities folder within the Applications folder. To carry out any of the following commands you will need to copy/paste or type in the line of text then hit enter. For the most part, applications will need restarting before changes take place. For most applications you can just quit and open them again, but for the Finder and the Dock it is easiest to just type “killall Finder” or “killall Dock” into Terminal after the command.

To reverse any of them, just repeat the command with NO at the end instead of YES, or vice versa.

1. Make hidden applications' dock icons translucent.

defaults write com.apple.Dock showhidden -bool YES

2. Normally the arrows next to artists and albums in your iTunes library search the iTunes store when you click them.
This command changes them so that clicking will search your iTunes library instead.

defaults write com.apple.iTunes invertStoreLinks -bool YES

3. This allows you to drag widgets out of Dashboard onto the desktop.
Requires the dock to be relaunched to take effect, so type "killall Dock" and press enter. Now, if you click and hold onto a widget in the dashboard and press F12 to return to the desktop, the widget won't disappear with the rest.

defaults write com.apple.dashboard devmode YES

4. Force all mail to be displayed as plain text.

defaults write com.apple.mail PreferPlainText -bool YES

5. Set expanded save dialogs as default
(showing column/list view of folders rather than a drop down menu). Replace TRUE with FALSE to reverse.

defaults write -g NSNavPanelExpandedStateForSaveMode -bool YES

6. Display the currently chosen screen saver to be shown as the desktop background.
Press Control-C or Command-. to stop.

/System/Library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework/Resources/ ScreenSaverEngine.app/Contents/MacOS/ScreenSaverEngine -background

7. Display useful system stats in the login window.

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow AdminHostInfo SystemVersion

Replace "SystemVersion" with one of the following for different stats:

SystemBuild 
SerialNumber 
IPAddress 
DSStatus 
Time
HostName

8. To remove accounts from the login window
Type this command with the short name of each account you wish to remove.

sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow HiddenUsersList -array-add shortname1 shortname2 shortname3

9. Skip disk image verification. Potentially risky, use with disk images from trusted sources.

defaults write com.apple.frameworks.diskimages skip-verify -bool YES

10. Put double scroll arrows at both ends of scroll bar.
Use Appearance pane in system preferences to reset.

defaults write "Apple Global Domain" AppleScrollBarVariant DoubleBoth

11. Disable the unexpectedly quit dialog that normally appears when an application crashes.
Replace "none" with "prompt" to enable again.

defaults write com.apple.CrashReporter DialogType none

12. Set the history limit in Safari to a certain number of items and and/or a certain age.

defaults write com.apple.Safari WebKitHistoryItemLimit 2000

and/or

defaults write com.apple.Safari WebKitHistoryAgeInDaysLimit 30

13. Show hidden files in the Finder.

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool YES

14. Enable the debug menu in Safari.

defaults write com.apple.safari IncludeDebugMenu -bool YES

15. Deactivate Dashboard.
Requires the dock to be relaunched to take effect, so type "killall Dock" and press enter.

defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -bool YES

Ask Different

2011-02-15T02:33:00.000-08:00

MacintoshOS.com

2011-02-11T14:13:00.000-08:00

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OS X Mac Tips & Tricks

2011-02-11T14:04:00.000-08:00

Mac OS X Tips

2011-02-11T13:57:00.000-08:00

Switch To A Mac !

2011-02-11T13:36:00.000-08:00

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iHackintosh

2011-02-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

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Hackint0sh

2011-02-11T07:29:00.000-08:00

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Mac OS X Things

2011-01-27T20:09:00.000-08:00

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BindApple

2011-01-27T20:04:00.000-08:00

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MacLinks

2011-01-27T14:51:00.000-08:00

Apple

Mac

iPod

iPhone

iPad

iTunes

Downloads

Support

Apple Keynotes

2011-01-27T04:53:00.000-08:00

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MacOSXAudio.com

2011-01-27T03:45:00.000-08:00

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Mac App Store - News

2011-01-22T11:18:00.000-08:00

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ZDNet - The Apple Core

2011-01-21T13:51:00.000-08:00

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ModMyi.com

2011-01-19T09:28:00.000-08:00

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AppleNews! - Videos

2011-01-19T09:10:00.000-08:00

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Simple Desks

2011-01-19T09:04:00.000-08:00

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Hongkiat

2011-01-13T20:06:00.000-08:00

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Maciverse

2011-01-13T05:55:00.000-08:00

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MacFixIt

2011-01-12T00:11:00.000-08:00

Mac App Store: FAQ

2011-01-07T16:41:00.000-08:00

Can I use apps from the Mac App Store on more than one computer?
Apps from the Mac App Store may be used on any Macs that you own or control for your personal use.

Do I need to sign in to use an app?
You may be asked for your Apple ID and password the first time you use an app. You won't have to provide them again unless you use the app on a different computer.

If I have already downloaded an app from the Mac App Store, can I redownload it for free?
Yes. You can redownload apps from the Mac App Store as long as the app remains available. You may be asked to enter the Apple ID and password you initially used to download the app.

What is the Mac App Store refund policy?
If you experience a technical issue with an app, first contact the developer of the app for assistance. Their support contact information can be found on the app's page in the Mac App Store. If that does not resolve the issue, contact Mac App Store Customer Support.

How do I back up my purchases?
We recommend backing up the contents of your Mac regularly, including photos, purchased movies, TV shows, and apps, to ensure that you can easily recover them in the event of a loss. If you need to recover a previously purchased app from the Mac App Store, you can redownload it if it is still available.

Do apps from the Mac App Store require activation keys, serial numbers, or registration numbers?
No, but you may be asked for your Apple ID and password the first time you use an app.

Where can I get technical support for an app from the Mac App Store?
If you experience a technical issue with an app, first contact the developer of the app for assistance. Their support contact information may be found on the app's page in the Mac App Store.

Can I use an iTunes Gift Card or Apple Store Gift Card to make purchases on the Mac App Store?
iTunes Gift Cards can be used to make purchases from the Mac App Store. Apple Store Gift Cards are redeemable in Apple retail stores, and may not be used on the Mac App Store.

Can I use my iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to purchase from the Mac App Store?
No, the Mac App Store can only be used on a Mac.

Where can I find an app once I've downloaded it?
New apps are downloaded to the Applications folder on your Mac, and the app's icon will be placed in the Dock.

How do I remove an app from the Dock?
To remove an app from the Dock, drag it out of the Dock. This does not remove the app from your Applications folder. To re-add it to the Doc, drag is from the Applications folder back to the Doc.

Are app updates free?
Updates for apps from the Mac App Store are free. Updates will appear in the Updates tab of the Mac App Store when they are available.

How will my personal information be used?
Apple values your privacy. To learn how Apple may use your information, see Apple's Privacy Policy, which can be found at www.apple.com/privacy.

AppleNews! - Get The Latest.

2011-01-03T10:55:00.000-08:00

Get the latest Worldwide Apple News in one Dashboard Widget !
↓ Download

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AppShopper

2011-01-03T10:52:00.000-08:00

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Snow Leopard Tips !

2010-11-09T20:15:00.000-08:00

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iLife ’11

2010-10-21T04:39:00.000-07:00

Stunning new full-screen views.
Completely immerse yourself in your photos onscreen and in print. Browse, edit, and share them with new full-screen views. Then take your best shots and turn them into gorgeous photo books.

Starring Hollywood-style movie trailers.
Turn your home videos into epic movie trailers. Create TV-like sports highlights and news segments. Add special effects. And edit sound, too. iMovie makes you an indie filmmaker instantly.

Suddenly, everyone can have rhythm.
Now you have everything you need to make great-sounding songs — including perfect rhythm, a good groove, and guitar and piano lessons. Are you ready to rock?

iLife ’11 also includes iWeb and iDVD for creating instant websites or your own straight-to-DVD classic.

InsanelyMac

2010-10-17T11:55:00.000-07:00

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thinkmac.net

2010-10-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

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The Apple Blog

2010-10-06T01:27:00.000-07:00

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Some iTunes Tips !

2010-10-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

1. Get the horizontal traffic lights back
Although it was an admirable attempt at better utilizing the available space, Apple’s decision to vertically stack the close, minimize, and zoom buttons is just too radical a change for many people to accept. The argument is that it’s completely inconsistent with the user interface guidelines Apple themselves created. So, if you’d like the horizontal traffic lights to return, simply run this command in Terminal (Applications > Utilities) and restart iTunes:

defaults write com.apple.iTunes full-window -1

To go back to the vertical traffic lights, replace the -1 with -0 and run the command again.

2. Play media from any iPod, iPhone, or iPad

Let’s say a friend came over and you wanted to listen to his iPod’s music on your computer. When it was connected you used to have to disable automatic syncing. Even then, an iPhone or iPad wouldn’t play its content when plugged into iTunes. iTunes 10 opens this feature up to all iDevices and doesn’t require turning off syncing. It just works – with movies, TV shows, & podcasts too!

3. Artwork music player

You know how you can click on an album’s cover art in the lower-left corner of iTunes to enlarge it? In iTunes 10, it’s not just for show – they’ve built playback controls into it. You can even close the main iTunes window and use the artwork viewer as a mini player.

4. Get the old Album view back
One of the features highlighted by Steve Jobs when he introduced iTunes 10 was the new Album view, which only shows cover art when an album has 5 or more songs. If the album has less songs, it doesn’t waste the space with extra vertical rows. Don’t worry, though! If you’re longing for the old Album view, you can still get it back. Go to View > Always show artwork and it’ll be like nothing ever changed.

5. Sync specific albums and genres

iTunes 10 offers more advanced music syncing choices, allowing users to sync selected albums and genres in addition to the existing artist and playlist options.

6. Remove checkboxes
If you’re one of those people who never utilized the checkboxes in your iTunes library, you now have the option to remove them. It’s a nice way of taking back horizontal space. Just go to iTunes > Preferences in the menu bar and uncheck “Show list checkboxes” under the General tab.

7. Remove source icons
Do you hate the monochrome icons in iTunes 10′s sidebar? While some have resorted to hacking the old colored icons back into the software, there is another option. Under the General tab in iTunes Preferences, you can uncheck “Show source icons” and get rid of them entirely.

iLife Support

2010-10-05T03:14:00.000-07:00

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iLife Discussions - iWeb

2010-10-05T03:07:00.000-07:00

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iLife Discussions - iDVD

2010-10-05T03:05:00.000-07:00

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iLife Discussions - GarageBand

2010-10-05T03:03:00.000-07:00

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iLife Discussions - iPhoto

2010-10-05T02:58:00.000-07:00

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iLife Discussions - iMovie

2010-10-05T00:52:00.000-07:00

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iLife Discussions - iTunes

2010-10-05T00:45:00.000-07:00

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iLife News - Google News

2010-10-05T00:20:00.000-07:00

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iLife News - IT Industry Today

2010-10-05T00:18:00.000-07:00

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iLife News - Mac|Life

2010-10-05T00:15:00.000-07:00

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iLife News - MacNN

2010-10-05T00:09:00.000-07:00

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Welcome to OSX !

2010-10-04T23:13:00.000-07:00

"OSX is the world’s most advanced operating system..."

Built on a rock-solid UNIX foundation and designed to be simple and intuitive, it’s what makes the Mac innovative, highly secure, compatible, and easy to use.
Quite simply, there is nothing else like it.

Power of UNIX. Simplicity of the Mac.

Mac OS X is both easy to use and incredibly powerful. Everything — from the desktop you see when you start up your Mac to the applications you use every day — is designed with simplicity and elegance in mind. So whether you’re browsing the web, checking your email, or video chatting with a friend on another continent,* getting things done is at once easy to learn, simple to perform, and fun to do. Of course, making amazing things simple takes seriously advanced technologies, and Mac OS X is loaded with them. Not only is it built on a rock-solid, time-tested UNIX foundation that provides unparalleled stability, it also delivers incredible performance, stunning graphics, and industry-leading support for Internet standards.

Perfect integration of hardware and software.

Since the software on every Mac is created by the same company that makes the Mac itself, you get an integrated system in which everything works together perfectly. The advanced technologies in the operating system take full advantage of the 64-bit, multicore processors and GPUs to deliver the greatest possible performance. The built-in iSight camera works seamlessly with the iChat software so you can start a video chat with a click. Your Mac notebook includes a Multi-Touch trackpad that supports pinching, swiping, and other gestures.
And the OS communicates with the hardware to deliver incredible battery life by spinning down the hard drive when it’s inactive, by intelligently deciding whether the CPU or GPU is best for a task, and by automatically dimming the screen in low-light conditions.

Elegant interface and stunning graphics.

The most striking feature of a Mac is its elegant user interface, made possible by graphics technologies that are built to leverage the advanced graphics processor in your Mac. These technologies provide the power for things like multiway chatting, real-time reflections, and smooth animations. Fonts on the screen look beautiful and extremely readable. A soft drop shadow makes it clear at a glance which window is active and which ones are in the background. You can preview just about any type of file using Quick Look, and because the previews are high resolution, you can actually read the text. Built-in support for the PDF format means you can view or create PDFs from almost any application in the system.

Highly secure by design.

Mac OS X doesn’t get PC viruses. And with virtually no effort on your part, Mac OS X protects itself from other malicious applications. It was built for the Internet in the Internet age, offering a variety of sophisticated technologies that help keep you safe from online threats. Because every Mac ships with a secure configuration, you don’t have to worry about understanding complex settings. Even better, it won’t slow you down with constant security alerts and sweeps. And Apple responds quickly to online threats and automatically delivers security updates directly to your Mac.

Built for compatibility.

The versatility and power of Mac OS X make it compatible in almost any environment, including Windows networks. It works with virtually all of today’s digital cameras, printers, and other peripherals without the need to manually download separate drivers. It opens popular file types such as JPG, MP3, and Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. In addition, Mac OS X includes built-in support for the industry-standard PDF format, so you can read and create PDFs from almost any application in the system — perfect for sharing work with colleagues whether they use a Mac or a PC. If you want to run Windows on your Mac, you can do that, too. And Mac OS X Snow Leopard is the only operating system with built-in support for the latest version of Microsoft Exchange Server, so you can use your Mac at home and at work and have all your messages, meetings, and contacts in one place.

Innovation for everyone.

Mac OS X comes standard with a wide range of assistive technologies that help people with disabilities experience what the Mac has to offer — including many features you won’t find in other operating systems at any price. For example, the built-in VoiceOver screen-reading technology makes it possible for those who are blind or have low vision to control their computer using key commands or gestures on a Multi-Touch trackpad. Mac OS X also offers out-of-the-box support for over 40 braille displays, including Bluetooth displays, and many other accessibility features, such as dynamic full-screen magnification, playback of closed captions, and a scalable screen.

Reliable to the core.

The core of Mac OS X is built on the same ultrareliable UNIX foundation that powers industrial-strength servers, helping to ensure that your computing experience remains free from system crashes and compromised performance. Even upgrading your Mac to the next version of Mac OS X is reliable and easy. It checks your applications to make sure they’re compatible and sets aside any programs known to be incompatible. If a power outage interrupts your installation, it can start again without losing any data. Best of all, upgrading doesn’t require reformatting your drive; you can keep all your compatible applications, files, and settings. And if something goes wrong when you’re using your Mac, Time Machine is there to keep automatic backups of everything on your drive.

Fully featured, fully loaded.

Mac OS X comes in a single, full-featured version that includes a large collection of beautifully designed applications. They not only let you surf the web, conduct video and text chats, manage your contacts, and accomplish other day-to-day tasks — they also work together to make you more productive and let you have more fun.

Mac A-Z Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Z

Proud Member of ScreenCastsOnline

FAQ

2010-10-04T23:12:00.000-07:00

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Can a Mac run Windows and Microsoft Office?
Yes. Microsoft Office is available for the Mac, and Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files created on a Mac are fully compatible with Windows. Most other popular applications are available for the Mac, too. But if you need to use a particular Windows-only application, you have a few options: Boot Camp comes with every new Mac, and it lets you run Windows natively — as if your Mac were a PC. If you want to run Mac OS X and Windows side by side, you can purchase Parallels Desktop for Mac or VMware Fusion. Install one of these applications, along with the Windows Installation CDs, and you can run the occasional Windows program right next to your Mac applications, without having to restart.

Is a Mac safe from PC viruses?
Yes, a Mac is 100 percent safe from viruses designed to attack PCs. And although no computer connected to the Internet is completely immune to all viruses and spyware, the Mac is built on a solid UNIX foundation and designed with security in mind. The Mac web browser, Safari, alerts you whenever you’re downloading an application — even if it’s disguised as a picture or movie file. And Apple continually makes free security updates available for Mac owners. You can even have them download automatically.

Will my PC devices (cameras, printers, hard drives) work with a Mac?
A Mac has hundreds of drivers for peripherals preinstalled. Just connect your device and, in most cases, you’re good to go. And a Mac is smart enough to know what to do when you plug in your digital camera: It opens iPhoto and asks if you want to import your recent photos.

Can I join Windows networks?
Yes. If you have a network at home or at work, whether wired or wireless, a Mac will fit right in. You can share files with any computer on your network, browse the web, and get your work or home email.

What about Wi-Fi?
All new Mac computers are Wi-Fi capable. Available wireless networks automatically show up. Just select the network you want to join, enter a password if necessary, and you’re connected.

Is a Mac reliable?
When you buy a PC, you’re buying hardware from one company and an operating system and software from other companies. Not so with a Mac. Because Apple builds both the computer and the software that comes with it, they’re literally made for each other. This means that a Mac rarely freezes or crashes. Occasionally an application might quit, but it won’t affect the rest of your system. And Mac OS X resists most viruses, so you can do anything — without worrying about losing everything.

What kind of support can I expect?
Every Mac comes with service and support that’s consistently voted the best in the business. If you have a problem in the first year of owning your new Mac, you can take it to an Apple Retail Store to get it fixed or figured out. And if you purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan, you extend your service and support to up to three years. The Apple Retail Store also offers services like ProCare, which gives you priority support, and One to One, which provides personal training on your Mac. Each service costs $99 a year.

Is it easy to learn how to use a Mac?
Every Mac is created with the guiding principle that computers should be easy to use, so you can spend more time doing what you love and less time figuring out how your computer works. If you’ve never owned a Mac, you may need a little time to get used to it. But within a week or two, chances are you’ll get along like old friends. And because all Mac applications are designed to work in the same, intuitive way, once you learn one application — iTunes, for example — you’ll quickly pick up iPhoto, Mail, or any of the other software that comes with your Mac.

Why should I spend more money on a Mac?
When you compare the cost of a PC and factor in the additional software, memory, and other extras you have to buy to go along with it, the difference in price between a Mac and PC isn’t as great as most people believe. And because the Mac comes with so many built-in applications that you’ll enjoy using for both work and play (rather than useless freebies you’ll want to uninstall), a Mac makes good financial sense. Finally, a Mac is built with the most cutting-edge technology by some of the smartest hardware engineers, software developers, and product designers on the planet. So you’re getting the latest technological advances and a computer that isn’t in danger of becoming obsolete anytime soon.

How do I move my files to a Mac?
If you buy a Mac at an Apple Retail or Online Store along with One to One you'll get Personal Setup where we'll transfer your files, install any new Apple software you've purchased, and put it in all the right places.

Mac

2010-10-04T23:08:00.002-07:00

MacBook

Apple's most affordable notebook.

MacBook has something for everyone. With a durable polycarbonate unibody enclosure that’s 1.08 inches thin and now only 4.7 pounds, it fits easily into your backpack or briefcase. The built-in battery lasts up to 7 hours on a single charge. Your photos, videos, games, and websites come alive on the new power-efficient, 13-inch LED-backlit widescreen display. And its spacious new trackpad supports two-finger scroll, right-click, and Multi-Touch gestures.

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MacBook Pro

Apple's most advanced notebooks yet.

It’s all about performance. If you want enhanced pro features, a breakthrough built-in battery, and a brilliant display, you want the all-new MacBook Pro, now available in 13-, 15-, and 17-inch models. With advanced NVIDIA graphics processors, MacBook Pro is fast enough to run the most graphics-intensive games and professional applications, but portable enough to come along for the ride.

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MacBook Air

The thinnest and lightest Mac notebook.

MacBook Air travels light. At just 3 pounds, it sets a new standard for mobile computing — without scrimping on the keyboard or display.

With a faster architecture, advanced NVIDIA integrated graphics, a 13.3-inch screen, a full-size keyboard, and breakthrough wireless innovations, MacBook Air is engineered to take on the wireless world.

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iMac

The ultimate all-in-one.

iMac puts everything you need — display, processor, graphics, hard drive, optical drive, and more — inside one simple aluminum enclosure. Big LED-backlit displays are perfect for HD video. Fast dual-core Intel processors start at 3.06GHz. Available quad-core Intel “Nehalem” processors boost performance even more. And the included wireless keyboard and Multi-Touch Magic Mouse completely declutter the desktop.

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Mac Pro

The fastest Mac ever.

The Mac Pro is a force to be reckoned with. With the Quad-Core Intel Xeon “Nehalem” processor and powerful AMD and NVIDIA graphics, it’s nearly two times faster than the previous generation.

Designed for easier expansion, every system supports up to two 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Displays, along with millions of configuration possibilities.

Mac OS X is engineered to get the most out of the advanced architecture in the new Mac Pro. Built on a rock-solid UNIX foundation, Mac OS X delivers true 64-bit performance and incorporates industry-leading developer tools.

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Mac mini

The smallest, most affordable Mac.

Mac mini packs the complete Mac experience into a 6.5-inch-square computer. Just bring your own display, keyboard, and mouse. Mac mini brings the rest, including an Intel Core 2 Duo processor up to 2.66GHz, up to 4GB of memory, and high-performance NVIDIA graphics. All in an energy-efficient design that uses less than 14 watts of power when idle — something no other desktop computer can do.

iPod

2010-10-04T23:08:00.001-07:00

iPhone

2010-10-04T23:08:00.000-07:00

iPad

2010-10-04T23:07:00.002-07:00

iTunes

2010-10-04T23:07:00.001-07:00

iLife - News

2010-10-04T23:07:00.000-07:00

iWork

2010-10-04T23:06:00.001-07:00

MobileMe

2010-10-04T23:06:00.000-07:00

Apple Matters

2010-10-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

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The Mac Observer Tips !

2010-10-01T15:39:00.000-07:00

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Developer Courses + Tutorials !

2010-09-30T18:25:00.000-07:00

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that the iPhone is a big deal and it’s one of the most popular subjects of development these days. Lots of developers are creating their own iPhone apps, and with the right know-how, you can too. Check out our list of courses and tutorials to learn everything that’s important about developing for the iPhone.

University
Here you’ll find iPhone development courses offered by top universities.

iPhone Application Programming: Learn about programming for the iPhone from Stanford on iTunes. [Stanford]
Introduction to iPhone Application Development: Use this course’s posted slides to get a crash course in iPhone application development. [MIT]

Apple Resources
You can learn about iPhone development straight from the source with these Apple documents.

Getting Started with iPhone: Here you’ll find a general introduction to iPhone development. [Apple]
Object-Oriented Programming with Objective-C: This document offers an excellent guide for object oriented programming. [Apple]
Networking & Internet Coding How-Tos: In this resource, you will find lots of great advice for networking and Internet development on the iPhone. [Apple]
Getting Started with Audio & Video: Use this document to get started with audio and video features in iPhone applications. [Apple]
Your First iPhone Application: This introductory tutorial offers a step by step description of getting started with an iPhone application. [Apple]
Getting Started with Performance: This guide offers an introduction to improving the performance on iPhone apps. [Apple]
iPhone Application Programming Guide: Get an introduction to the iPhone OS and development process. [Apple]
iPhone OS Technology Overview: Learn about the iPhone OS and its technologies from this guide. [Apple]
Getting Started with Data Management: Here you’ll find a reference that will help you with data management. [Apple]
Security Overview: Get an understanding of the security concepts on the iPhone from this resource. [Apple]
Performance Overview: Get a look at the factors that determine performance through this guide. [Apple]
Resource Programming Guide: Check out this resource to learn how to work with nib and bundle resources.
Getting Started with User Experience: This document offers an introduction to constructing iPhone application user interfaces. [Apple]
iPhone Human Interface Guidelines: Follow these guidelines to make sure your iPhone app has a good human interface. [Apple]
iPhone Development Guide: Use this development guide to get an introduction to creating web apps on the iPhone. [Apple]
Data Formatting Programming Guide for Cocoa: This guide will teach you how to use Cocoa formatters for data. [Apple]
Getting Started with Tools: You will find a guided introduction to the Xcode toolset from this document. [Apple]
Data Management Coding How-tos: Get answers to common data management coding questions. [Apple]
Introduction to Cocoa Application Tutorial: You’ll need at least a base level understanding of Cocoa for iPhone development, which you can check out in this tutorial. [Apple]
Core Animation Programming Guide: Follow this guide to get the main components and services of Core Animation. [Apple]
Coding Guidelines for Cocoa: In this guide, you’ll learn about naming guidelines for the Cocoa API as well as design advice. [Apple]
Getting Started with Graphics and Animation: Follow this guide for an introduction to 2D and 3D graphics and animation. [Apple]
Learning Objective-C: A Primer: Check out this document once you’ve worked through object oriented programming and Cocoa. [Apple]
Cocoa Fundamentals Guide: You’ll learn about the basic concepts, terminology, and more in Cocoa from this guide. [Apple]
Graphics and Animation Coding How-Tos: In this resource, you’ll find lots of great tips and advice for graphics and animation on the iPhone. [Apple]

Getting Started
Get an introduction to iPhone development through these tutorials.

iPhone App Development-Where to Start: This tutorial will teach you how to get started in iPhone app development. [The Daleisphere]
Bootstrap: Learn a few pointers for iPhone development from this resource. [furbo]
Learn How to Develop for the iPhone: This tutorial will show you how to build an alternate page and style sheet for the iPhone. [NETTUTS]
iPhone Application Development, Step By Step: In this tutorial, you will find a step by step guide to creating a simple iPhone game. [Open Laszlo]
First iPhone Application: Get a brief introduction to creating your first iPhone application. [iPhone SDK Articles]
iPhone Dev: Check out this PDF to get a tutorial for iPhone development. [Lucas Newman]
iPhone App Development for Web Hackers: Use this tutorial to learn about geo-location features and beginner development tips. [How to Iphone Application]
How to Write an iPhone App: This tutorial gives you a basic look at what it takes to write an iPhone application. [Webmonkey]
iPhone App Development for Web Hackers: In this article, you’ll learn about web hacking development for the iPhone. [Dominiek]
Writing Your First iPhone Application: Bill Dudney will walk you through all of the tools and pieces of knowledge you’ll need to write your first iPhone application. [The Pragmatic Bookshelf]
Cocoa Touch Tutorial: iPhone Application Example: This tutorial will show you how to make a very basic Cocoa Touch application with Interface Builder. [Cocoa Is My Girlfriend]
Building an iPhone app in a day: Check out this tutorial to see how you can build a useful app quickly. [The Bakery]
Seven Things All iPhone Apps Need: Check out this list to see what’s essential when creating an iPhone app. [APCmag]
Put Your Content in My Pocket: Learn how to use the iPhone web browser to your advantage from this article. [A List Apart]
iPhone Training Course: Become a master at writing iPhone applications through this course. [Rose India]
So you’re going to write an iPhone app…: Learn about code reuse, memory, and more from this tutorial. [furbo]
Learn How to Develop for the iPhone: Check out this tutorial to see how to build an alternative page and style sheet for the iPhone. [Net Tuts]
Developing for the iPhone: This resource will show you how to develop ASP.NET applications for the iPhone. [Dot Net Slackers]
Getting Started with iPhone Development: Ed Burnette offers a basic introduction to iPhone development. [ZDnet]

Tools
These tutorials will teach you how to use specific tools in order to create iPhone apps.

Make an iPhone App Using the Envato API: Make your own iPhone app with the Envato API with the help of this tutorial. [Net Tuts]
Developing iPhone Applications using Ruby on Rails and Eclipse: Learn how to detect mobile Safari from a Ruby on Rails application through this tutorial. [IBM]
14 Essential Xcode Tips, Tricks and Resources for iPhone Devs: Learn how to make sense of xcode with this helpful resource. [Mobile Orchard]
Develop iPhone Web Applications with Eclipse: This tutorial will help you learn how to create iPhone applications with Aptana’s iPhone development plug-in. [IMB]
Build an iPhone Webapp in Minutes with Ruby, Sinatra, and iUI: You can learn how to quickly put together an iPhone app with these tools. [Mobile Orchard]
iPhone Development with PHP and XML: In this tutorial, you’ll get a look at developing custom applications for the iPhone. [IBM]

Details
These tutorials cover all of the important details in iPhone app development.

Avoiding iPhone App Rejection from Apple: This tutorial holds the secrets to making sure your iPhone app makes the cut. [Mobile Orchard]
Landscape Tab Bar Application for the iPhone: Follow this tutorial to learn about making the tab bar application support landscape orientation. [Cocoa Is My Girlfriend]
iPhone Programming Tutorial-Using openURL to Send Email from Your App: This tutorial explains how you can send email through applications, and even pre-fill fields. [iCode]
Multi Touch Tutorial: This tutorial will show you how you can respond to a tap event. [iPhone SDK Articles]
Create a Navigation-Based Application: This tutorial will teach you how to create and run a navigation-based application from XCode.
Advanced iPhone Development: Go beyond the basics with this iPhone development tutorial. [Dot Net Slackers]
Here’s a Quick Way to Deal with Dates in Objective C: Get information on dealing with date fetching through this tutorial. [Howtomakeiphoneapps]
Navigation Controller + UIToolbar: Through this tutorial, you can learn how to add a UIToolbar to an app. [iPhone SDK Articles]
iPhone Asynchonous Table Image: Follow this thorough article to learn about loading multiple images in your iPhone app in an asynchonous manner. [Markj]
Localizing iPhone Apps-Internationalization: You can use resource files to display text in a user’s language-learn how in this tutorial. [iPhone SDK Articles]
Tutorial: JSON Over HTTP on the iPhone: With this tutorial, you’ll get a step by step how-to for JSON web services through an iPhone app. [Mobile Orchard]
Parsing xml on the iPhone: This tutorial will show you how to parse XML using the iPhone SDK. [Craig Giles]
Reading data from a SQLite Database: Here you’ll find a quick tutorial for reading data from a SQLite database. [dBlog]
How to Make an Orientation-Aware Clock: Through this tutorial, you’ll learn about building a simple, orientation-aware clock. [The Apple Blog]
Finding iPhone Memory Leaks: Carefully find iPhone memory leaks by using this tutorial. [Mobile Orchard]
Localizing iPhone Apps: MAke sure that your iPhone app is properly formatted according to a user’s native country or region with the help of this tutorial. [iPhone SDK Articles]
OpenAL Audio Programming on iPhone: Here you’ll get code snippets, learning, and more. [Gehaktes]
9 iPhone Memory Management Links and Resources: Here you’ll find a variety of iPhone memory management resources that can help you get things under control. [Mobile Orchard]
Parsing XML Files: Get an understanding of how you can parse XML files with this tutorial. [iPhone SDK Articles]

User Interface
These tutorials are all about the user interface and interaction.

UITableView-Drill down table view tutorial: Check out this tutorial to learn how to make a drill down table view. [iPhone SDK Articles]
iPhone Coding-Learning About UIWebViews by Creating a Web Browser: In this tutorial, you’ll learn about UIWebViews through the creation of a browser. [iCode]
Design Patterns on the iPhone: Check out David Choi’s guest lecture on user interface design for the iPhone. [New Jersey Institute of Technology]
UITableView-Adding subviews to a cell’s content view: This tutorial will show you how to customize the UITableViewCell. [iPhone SDK Articles]
Drill down table view with a detail view: Learn how to load a different detail view on the UITabBarController. [iPhone SDK Articles]
Extending the iPhone’s SDK’s UIColor Class: Learn how to extend the iPhone SDK UIColor class, and get code samples from this article. [Ars Technica]
UITableView: Learn how to make a simple index for the table view with this tutorial. [iPhone SDK Articles]

Building Tutorials
Check out these tutorials where you’ll build a specific app, and learn more about iPhone development along the way.

Build a Simple RSS Reader for the iPhone: Get walked through the creation of an RSS reader for a simple feed on the iPhone. [The Apple Blog]
iPhone Gaming Framework: This article offers a look at writing code for iPhone game developers. [Craig Giles]
Build a Simple RSS Reader for the iPhone: Follow this tutorial, and you’ll learn about building a simple iPhone RSS reader.
iPhone Game Programming Tutorial: This multipart tutorial offers a way to learn OpenGL and Quartz for iPhone development. [iCode]
Build your very own Web browser!: Follow this tutorial to learn about the process of building your own iPhone web browser. [dBlog]
iPhone application development, step by step: Find out how to build the iPhone application NEWSMATCH using OpenLaszlo. [OpenLaszlo]
Building an Advanced RSS Reader using TouchXML: Get step by step information for creating an advanced iPhone RSS reader from this tutorial. [DBlog]
iPhone SDK Tutorial: Building an Advanced RSS Reader Using TouchXML: This tutorial will help you learn more about iPhone development by building an advanced RSS reader with TouchXML. [dBlog]

Videos
Watch these videos for a visual guide to iPhone app development.

Basic iPhone Programming: Check out this video to get started with iPhone programming. [iPhone Dev Central]
First Step Towards the App Store: Work towards getting your app in the app store with the help of this tutorial. [You Tube]
Hello World: This tutorial will help you learn the basics of iPhone programming. [iPhone Dev Central]
UITableView iPhone Programming Tutorial: Watch this video to learn how to populate a UITableView. [YouTube]
iPhone App Tutorial 1: Check out this video to quickly learn about Interface Builder. [YouTube]
iPhone IB-Your First App: Watch this tutorial to learn how to use the Interface Builder. [iPhone Dev Central]
Understanding Source Code: Learn how to get started with development on the iPhone through this video tutorial. [YouTube]
How to Make an iPhone App: Create an iPhone app using Jiggy and this tutorial. [YouTube]
iPhone Development with Dashcode: Find out how to develop iPhone applications with Dashcode through this tutorial. [YouTube]

Development Resources
These resources are not courses or tutorials, but they are incredibly valuable resources for beginner iPhone app developers.

iPhone Open Application Development: This book will teach you how to create software for the iPhone environment. [Safari Books Online]
iPhone GUI PSD File: Use this set to get a comprehensive, editable library of iPhone UI assets. [Teehanlax]
31 iPhone Applications with Source Code: Teach yourself how to create iPhone apps by taking a look at the code in these. [Mobile Orchard]
iPhoney: Using iPhoney, you’ll be able to see how your creation will look on the iPhone. [Market Circle]
35 Free iPhone Icon Sets: Check out this resource to find a great variety of iPhone icons.

Dashboard Widget Tutorial

2010-09-30T18:18:00.000-07:00

This tutorial walks you through using Dashcode to create a Dashboard widget. As you follow the steps, you learn how to choose a widget template, customize your widget’s appearance and code, and share your widget with others. Completing this tutorial is a quick and easy way to get started building Dashboard widgets in Dashcode.

This document includes two additional tutorials, “Mobile Safari Web Application Tutorial” and “Dual-Product Web Application Tutorial,” which follow this one. The remainder of the document delves more deeply into the Dashcode development environment, describing how it supports both widget and web application development. If you don’t want to learn how to create a web application, you can continue learning more about Dashcode by reading “Starting a Project.”

Before You Begin !

In this tutorial, you build a Dashboard widget that counts down to your birthday, similar to the widget shown in Figure 1-1.

Figure 1-1 The Birthday widget

Before continuing, make sure that you have Dashcode installed on your Mac (the location is /Developer/Applications/). If you don’t have Dashcode installed, read “Getting and Running Dashcode” to learn how to get and install Dashcode.

Choose a Template

To start, double-click the Dashcode icon to open it. A new project window opens and displays a dialog in which you first select the type of project you’re interested in—in this case, Dashboard—and then, the kind of widget you want to create from an assortment of templates. Templates are handy starting points for creating common types of widgets. Select a template’s icon to show a short description of what that template does.

To make the Birthday widget, this tutorial uses the Countdown template. Select its icon and click Choose. A project window opens with a new widget based on the Countdown template, as shown in Figure 1-2.

Figure 1-2 A project window showing a new Dashboard widget

Along the left side of the project window is the navigator, which you use to switch between the various tools available when you’re designing a widget. The main portion of the window is the canvas, which you use to design your widget’s interface.

At the bottom of the navigator in Figure 1-2 you can see the Workflow Steps list, which guides you through the widget development process. Each step is a milestone in creating a widget, telling you what to do and where to do it. When you complete a step, mark it as done and move on to the next step.

Note: If you don’t want to see the Workflow Steps list, you can hide it by choosing View > Steps or by clicking the button that looks like a checkbox at the bottom edge of the project window (this button is highlighted in Figure 1-2).
Alternatively, you can view a list of the widget’s files in place of the Workflow Steps list. If you want to see the Files list, choose View > Files or click the list button in the bottom edge of the project window (it’s the button that looks like a bulleted list).
Set the Target Date

The Countdown template gives you a Dashboard widget with all the elements and code needed to count down to an event. All you need to do is tell the widget the target date. To set the target date, select Widget Attributes in the navigator. The canvas is replaced by the widget attributes pane, in which you specify important values that your widget needs.

In the Properties section of the widget attributes pane, choose Date and Time in the Target Kind pop-up menu and enter the date of your next birthday, as shown in Figure 1-3.

Figure 1-3 The Countdown template’s properties

Test the Countdown

Your new Dashboard widget is already fully functional. To prove this, choose Debug > Run to run the widget. Dashcode can run a widget without opening it in Dashboard, making it a handy place to test your widget and fix any problems you encounter. After the widget loads, it starts counting down towards your next birthday.

When you’re satisfied that your widget is working as you expect, choose Debug > Stop to stop it.

Now is a good time to save your widget project. Choose File > Save to save the project. Give your project a name and select a location to save it in. Your widget is saved in a widget project that encapsulates the widget and information Dashcode needs to create the widget for you.

Customize the Widget’s Appearance

Although you now have a fully functioning Dashboard widget that’s ready to share, you might want to personalize it to make it unique. Dashcode’s design tools make it easy to customize your widget’s interface. Select the widget item in the navigator (it should display the name you gave it when you saved the project). The widget attributes pane is replaced with the canvas.

First, change your widget’s body color. Select the widget body (also called the front image or frontImg) on the canvas and then choose Window > Show Inspector. The inspector window allows you to modify a selected element’s properties, such as its appearance and behavior. Click the Fill & Stroke button at the top of the inspector window (it’s the second from the left). If it’s not already selected, click the Style tab to reveal fill, stroke, corner roundness, and opacity values. Click the color well and choose a new color in the Colors window that appears. Try different fill styles until you find a combination that you like. If you want to try changing other effects, such as the glass appearance, click the Effects tab to reveal these values, as shown in Figure 1-4.

Figure 1-4 Tweaking the front image using the Fill & Stroke inspector

When you’re finished customizing your widget’s body, add a photo of yourself from iPhoto to the widget. Your iPhoto library is available from the Library window. To show your iPhoto library, choose Window > Show Library; then click the Photos button. Find a photo and drag it to your widget on the canvas. Resize it by dragging any of the resize handles on the photo.

Finally, change the Event Label text to something like “...days until my birthday.“ You can do this by selecting the Event Label text, clicking the Attributes button in the inspector window (it’s the leftmost button), and entering the text in the Value field, or by double-clicking the text in the widget body itself and entering the new text.

Add Functionality Using Parts

Now that you have a personalized Dashboard widget that counts down to your birthday, add a button that, when clicked, shows the Apple Store (so your friends and family can buy you a birthday present!). To add a button to your widget, use a button part. Parts are controls and views used on a widget’s interface.

To find a button part, choose Window > Show Library and click Parts. You can use the search field at the bottom of the window to help you find a particular part or type of part. From the list of parts, drag the Lozenge Button part from the Library window to your widget’s body. Double-click the button to select its label text, enter the text “Buy me a gift” and press Return. You'll probably need to resize the button to fit the new label.

Write Code to Show the Apple Store

To make the button take the user to the Apple Store when it’s clicked, you need to add a behavior to the button. In the inspector window, click the Behaviors button (it’s the rightmost button). This shows the Behaviors pane, in which you assign handler functions to events on an object. Select the button on the canvas and double-click in the Handlers column next to the onclick event name. Enter the name of a new function, such as showAppleStore, and press Return. Click the arrow next to the function name you entered to reveal the source code editor below the canvas. Here you write code to add functionality to your widget. Clicking the arrow reveals the showAppleStore function Dashcode inserted in your widget’s code. Between the braces ({ .. }) enter the following line of code:

widget.openURL("http://store.apple.com/");

The code in the source code editor should look like that in Figure 1-5.

Figure 1-5 A function in the source code editor

Test your widget again by choosing Debug > Run. Click the button you added and make sure a new Safari window opens with the Apple Store website displayed. Be sure you save your project often to preserve the changes you make.

Deploy Your Widget

Congratulations! You’ve created your first complete Dashboard widget using Dashcode.

To open your widget in Dashboard, choose File > Deploy Widget. Click Install in the dialog that appears to view your widget in Dashboard.

To share your widget with the world, select Run & Share in the navigator. The pane that appears displays the widget project name you chose in “Test the Countdown,” but you can replace this with a different name if you want. You can also set the minimum version of Mac OS X your widget should run in. Click Save to Disk to save your widget. You can now email it to friends or post it on your webpage. You can use the File > Compress command in the Finder to archive it.

Developer Forum

2010-09-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

iOS Developer News

2010-09-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

RSS Feed Reader Widget !

2010-09-30T11:19:00.000-07:00

Build Web Apps with Dashcode !

2010-09-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

When you first launch Dashcode (the easiest way to launch it is through Spotlight), you will see that Dashcode has already created some templates for you to build your Web applications quickly (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: The various templates provided by Dashcode

The best way to learn is to select each template (other than the Custom template) and examine the content of each application. When you have selected a template, examine their contents and press Command-r to test the application on the iPhone Simulator. Go ahead and have fun with each template. When you have enough fun and get yourself acquainted with the environment, come back and we shall create an iPhone Web application from scratch and you will see how each part is built.

Building the UI
Alright, now that you are back, create a new Custom project In Dashcode. Notice that by default, Dashcode created a content and a footer parts for you (see Figure 2). Parts are the various views that you seen on your Web applications, such as buttons, text, etc. For this section, you will create a simple currency convertor Web application for the iPhone.

Figure 2: The parts in the Custom template

Select each of these parts and press the delete key. We shall delete these two parts and add our own parts manually.

Using the Library (Window'Show Library), drag-and-drop a Stack Layout part to the design surface (see Figure 3).

Figure 3: Using the Library to drag and drop parts onto your application

Expand the stackLayout part and you should see that it contains two subviews - view1 and view2. Select view1 and change its size to 320px by 356px (see Figure 4) via the Inspector window (Window'Show Inspector). Do the same for view2.

Figure 4: Changing the size for view1 and view2 via the Inspector window

Double-click on view1 and rename it as mainScreen. Do the same for view2 and rename it as settings (see Figure 5).

Figure 5: Renaming the two subviews

In the Library, drag-and-drop the Rounded Rectangle Shape part onto the mainScreen view (see Figure 6).

Figure 6: Adding the Rounded Rectangle Shape part to the subview

It its Inspector window, select the Fill & Stroke tab and in the Style tab select Gradient fill (see Figure 7) and select two colors.

Figure 7: Using the gradient fill to fill the part

Select the Effects tab and check the Glass and Recess checkboxes (see Figure 8).

Figure 8: Adding glass effect to the part

Select the Metrics tab and select the Absolute layout (see Figure 9).

Figure 9: Using absolute layout for parts positioning

Add the following parts to the Rounded Rectangle Shape part (see Figure 10) and name them as:

Text
TextField
Pop-up Menu
Push Button

Figure 10: Adding additional parts to the subview

Select the settings subview and repeat the same steps you have performed above. Figure 11 shows the parts added to the settings subview.

Figure 11: Populating the settings subview

You are now ready to view the application on the iPhone Simulator. Press Command-r to view the application on the iPhone Simulator (see Figure 12). Notice that the application is hosted by mobile Safari on the iPhone.

Figure 12: Click 'Run' toView the application on the iPhone Simulator

Notice that you can only see the mainScreen subview. To see the settings subview, you need to write some code to navigate to it from the mainScreen subview.

Coding the Application
So you are now ready to write some code. With the mainScreen subview selected, right-click on the Settings button and select Events'onclick (see Figure 13).

Figure 13: Creating an event handler for the onclick event

You will be asked to name the event handler for this event. Name it as shown in Figure 14.

Figure 14: Naming the handler for the event

Notice that the code editor now appears at the bottom of the designer (see Figure 15).

Figure 15: The code editor where you can add your code

Enter the following code:

function btnSettings_ClickHandler(event)

{

var views = document.getElementById('stackLayout');

var settings = document.getElementById('settings');

if (views && views.object && settings) {

views.object.setCurrentView(settings);

}

Select the settings subview and right-click on the Save Settings button and select Events'onclick. Name the handler as btnSave_ClickHandler. Enter the following code:

function btnSave_ClickHandler(event)

{

var views = document.getElementById('stackLayout');

var front = document.getElementById('mainScreen');

if (views && views.object && front) {

views.object.setCurrentView(front, true);

}

Test the application again by pressing Command-r. This time, you will be able to navigate to the settings view by tapping on the Settings button in the mainScreen subview (see Figure 16).

Figure 16: Tapping on the Settings button navigates to the settings subview

Database Access
So far, your application displays two screens where you can perform some currency conversion as well as set the exchange rates for the different currencies. For simplicity, I am going to assume that you are converting the currencies into Singapore Dollars (SGD). All the exchange rates would be based on the SGD as the base currency.

To allow the users to store their own exchange rates, you will make use of the local database feature as defined in HTML 5 (which is supported by Mobile Safari). Doing so allows users of your application to store the exchange rate locally on their iPhones.

In the main.js file, add the following lines of code for performing database operations:

var database = null; // The client-side database

var DB_tableName = "CurrencyKeyValueTable"; // database name

// Function: initDB() - Init and create the local database, if possible

function initDB()

{

try {

if (window.openDatabase) {

database = openDatabase("ExchangeRatesDB", "1.0",

"Exchange Rates Database", 1000);

if (database) {

database.transaction(function(tx) {

tx.executeSql("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM " + DB_tableName, [],

function(tx, result) {

loadRates();

function(tx, error) {

// Database doesn't exist. Let's create one.

tx.executeSql("CREATE TABLE " + DB_tableName +

" (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY," +

" key TEXT," +

" value TEXT)", [], function(tx, result) {

initRates();

loadRates ();

});

}

} catch(e) {

database = null;

}

// Function: initRates() - Initialize the default exchange rates

function initRates()

{

if (database) {

database.transaction(function (tx) {

tx.executeSql("INSERT INTO " + DB_tableName +

" (id, key, value) VALUES (?, ?, ?)", [0, 'USD', 1.44]);

tx.executeSql("INSERT INTO " + DB_tableName +

" (id, key, value) VALUES (?, ?, ?)", [1, 'EUR', 2.05]);

tx.executeSql("INSERT INTO " + DB_tableName +

" (id, key, value) VALUES (?, ?, ?)", [2, 'AUS', 1.19]);

});

}

// Function: loadRates() - Load the currency exchange rates from DB

function loadRates()

{

var element;

var popUpElement = document.getElementById('popupConvertTo');

if (database) {

database.transaction(function(tx) {

tx.executeSql("SELECT key, value FROM " + DB_tableName, [],

function(tx, result) {

for (var i = 0; i < result.rows.length; ++i) {

var row = result.rows.item(i);

var key = row['key'];

var value = row['value'];

//---populate the pop-up menu part---

popUpElement.options[i].text = key;

popUpElement.options[i].value = value;

if (key == 'USD') {

element = document.getElementById('txtUSD');

}

else {

if (key == 'EUR') {

element = document.getElementById('txtEUR');

}

else if (key == 'AUS') {

element = document.getElementById('txtAUS');

}

element.value = value;

}

function(tx, error) {

showError('Failed to retrieve stored information from database - ' +

error.message);

});

}

else {

loadDefaultRates();

}

// Function: saveRates() - Save the currency exchange rates into DB

function saveRates()

{

if (database) {

var elementUSD = document.getElementById('txtUSD');

var elementEUR = document.getElementById('txtEUR');

var elementAUS = document.getElementById('txtAUS');

database.transaction(function (tx) {

tx.executeSql("UPDATE " + DB_tableName + " SET key = 'USD',

value = ? WHERE id = 0", [elementUSD.value]);

tx.executeSql("UPDATE " + DB_tableName + " SET key = 'EUR',

value = ? WHERE id = 1", [elementEUR.value]);

tx.executeSql("UPDATE " + DB_tableName + " SET key = 'AUS',

value = ? WHERE id = 2", [elementAUS.value]);

});

}

loadRates();

}

// Function: deleteTable() - Delete currency exchange table from DB

function deleteTable()

{

try {

if (window.openDatabase) {

database = openDatabase("ExchangeRatesDB", "1.0",

"Exchange Rates Database");

if (database) {

database.transaction(function(tx) {

tx.executeSql("DROP TABLE " + DB_tableName, []);

});

}

} catch(e) {

}

// Function: loadDefaultRates() - Load the default exchange rates

function loadDefaultRates()

{

var popUpElement = document.getElementById('popupConvertTo');

var element = document.getElementById('txtUSD');

element.value = "1.44";

popUpElement.options[0].text = "USD";

popUpElement.options[0].value = element.value;

element = document.getElementById('txtEUR');

element.value = "2.05";

popUpElement.options[1].text = "EUR";

popUpElement.options[1].value = element.value;

element = document.getElementById('txtAUS');

element.value = "1.19";

popUpElement.options[2].text = "AUS";

popUpElement.options[2].value = element.value;

}

The database code above is pretty straightforward - store the exchange rates inside the database and populate the pop-up menu part when the rates are retrieved.

Modify the load() function as follows:

// Function: load()

// Called by HTML body element's onload event when the Web application is ready to

// start

function load()

{

dashcode.setupParts();

initDB();

if (!database) {

loadDefaultRates();

}

Press Command-r to test the application. When the application is loaded, the pop-up menu will now display the three different currencies (see Figure 17).

Figure 17: The pop-up menu part displaying the different currencies

When you tap on the Settings button, the exchange rates would also be displayed in the settings subview (see Figure 18).

Figure 18: The exchange rates displayed in the settings subview

Performing the Conversion
You are now ready to perform the actual conversion of the currencies. In Dashcode, select the mainScreen subview and right-click on the Convert! Button and select Events'onclick (see Figure 19).

Figure 19: Handling the onclick event for the Convert! button

Name the event handler as btnConvert_ClickHandler and code it as follows:

function btnConvert_ClickHandler(event)

{

var amount = document.getElementById("txtAmount").value;

var rates = document.getElementById("popupConvertTo").value;

var result = amount * rates;

alert(result);

}

Press Command-r to test the application. Enter an amount and select the currency to convert. Tapping on the Convert! button will now display the amount converted (see Figure 20).

Figure 20: Try converting some currencies!

Converting your Web Application into an iPhone Native Application
Now that your application is completed, you may deploy your application onto a Web server so that users can access your application through the Safari browser on their iPhones. However, since this is a Web application, the user must have access to the Internet, or else there is no way to access your application. And since our application does not make use of any server-based data, it is a good candidate to convert into a native iPhone application. The easiest way would be to host the Web application within the Safari browser, which is represented by the WebView view in the iPhone SDK.

In this section, I will show you how you can convert an iPhone Web application into a native iPhone application.

First, deploy your Web application by clicking the Share item in Dashcode (see Figure 21). Click the Deploy button so that all the files of the application will be saved to a Web publishing directory. Take note of the Web publishing directory shown in Dashcode. It is saved in /Users//Sites/CurrencyConvertor/. You will make use of the files contained within this folder shortly.

Figure 21: Deploying a Web application in Dashcode

Launch Xcode and create a new View-based Application project. Name the project as CurrencyConvertor.
In Finder, navigate to the /Users//Sites/CurrencyConvertor/ folder and select the files shown in Figure 22.

Figure 22: All the project files created by Dashcode

Drag-and-drop all the selected files onto the Resources folder in Xcode. Xcode will prompt you with a dialog (see Figure 23). Check the Copy items into destination group's folder (if needed) checkbox and click Add.

Figure 23: Adding all the Dashcode files into the Resource folder in Xcode

Perform a global Find-and-Replace (by pressing Shift-Command-F). Search and replace the following strings with an empty string (see Figure 24):

Parts/
Images/

Figure 24: Replacing all instances of "Parts/" and "Images/" with an empty string

This will update the various HTML and JavaScript files that reference other files using the Parts/ and Images/ folder. Files stored in the Resources folder of your Xcode application have no directory structure when they are deployed; hence all the files are in a flat directory.

Select the files shown in Figure 25 and drag-and-drop them onto the Copy Bundle Resources (16) folder. This will ensure that all the HTML, JavaScript, CSS, and images files will be deployed together with your application.

Figure 25: Copying all the Web files into the targets folder so that they are deployed together with your application

In the CurrencyConvertorViewController.h file, add the following statements to define an outlet:

    #import

    @interface CurrencyConvertorViewController : UIViewController {
        IBOutlet UIWebView *webView;
    }

    @property (nonatomic, retain) UIWebView *webView;

    @end

Double-click on the CurrencyConvertorViewController.xib file to open it in Interface Builder.
Add a WebView view to the View window and control-click and drag the File's Owner item to the WebView view (see Figure 26). Select webView.

Figure 26: Connecting an outlet to a view

In the CurrencyConvertorViewController.m file, add the following statements:

    #import "CurrencyConvertorViewController.h"

    @implementation CurrencyConvertorViewController

    @synthesize webView;

    - (void)viewDidLoad {
        NSString *path = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:@"index"
                            ofType:@"html"];
        [webView loadRequest:[NSURLRequest requestWithURL:[NSURL fileURLWithPath: path
                                isDirectory:NO] ]];
        [super viewDidLoad];
    }

That's it! Press Command-r to test the application on the iPhone Simulator. The Web application is now hosted within the WebView view (see Figure 27). What you have just done is convert a Web application into a native application!

Figure 27: Running the Web application as a native iPhone application

Easy Mac Tips !

2010-09-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

Cursor Hide & Seek
☞ When renting a movie from iTunes, you can watch the entire movie even if you only have only one minute left on your rental before it expires
☞ You can hide your cursor while browsing in Safari or Firefox simply by pressing the 'esc' key. If you want to get it back? Wiggle the mouse.

Setech Astronomy
Keep your secrets. Choose 'Secure Empty Trash...' from the Finder menu so that your files will not be able to be restored by recovery tools.

Skip, skip to the end of the line.
Command+Arrows will move you as far as possible in that direction when editing text. Up: Top of doc. Down: bottom. Left: Start of line. etc.

Make a Business Card iPod Stand
Got an business card? Need an iPod stand? Make one with some scissors & folding skills. Use the instructions here http://tinyurl.com/3apsr2.

Might as well jump.
At the bottom of a page in Mobile Safari on your iPhone? Simply tap the title bar near the clock to quickly scroll up to the top of the page

Stay in place in your space
Use Spaces? Want to open a new Safari window but stay in the Space you're in? Just CTRL click the Safari icon in your dock then 'New Window'

Get you PC Game On!
Want to play PC games on your Mac without installing Boot Camp, Windows, Parallels or VMWare? Try CrossOver Games: http://tinyurl.com/2qbyof

Finder Uninterrupted
When you are absolutely sure, hold down option when selecting restart, shut down, or log out to avoid the "are you sure you want to" message

Extra Quartz Composer Screen Savers
Nav to /System/Library/Compositions and drag the .qtz files that you can see in Quick Look into the preview of a screen saver in System Pref.

Multiple iTunes Libraries
Holding down the option key while iTunes launches will allow you to choose/create iTunes libraries, good for local vs. external collections.

OS X Defined
Holding Command+Control+D and hovering over any word gives you the dictionary definition. Click 'more' to launch the dictionary application.

Helpful Safari Shortcuts
To get a list of useful Safari shortcuts. Paste this local URL into Safari file:///Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Resources/Shortcuts.html

Snow Leopard Application Menu
Drag the Applications folder to the right side of the Dock. Control+click and choose list. Now you have your very own Apps menu when clicked

Quick Spotlight Search
Spotlight. One of the best features of a Mac and best and easiest way to find files on your Mac. Shortcut "Command+Space Bar" and type away.

Print Screen for Mac
Hold down ctrl with command, shift and 4 or 3 to copy screen print image to clipboard, then it's ready to paste in an email or any document.

Spotlight Adds Up
If you want to do a simple mathematical equation, type it in the spotlight search field. For example if you type 2+2 you get 4 as the result

Where are you going
When browsing in Safari if you want to see where a link is going to take you before you click, Cmd + / opens the status bar for you to check

Windows in Spaces
Using Spaces, click & hold on to a window. Now press control+arrow to go to a different space. The held window will follow to the new space.

Selective Screen Grab
Press the command-shift-four buttons to take a screen shot of a selected area of the screen, works great if you don't want the whole screen.

Free Office Suite
Want a great free alternative to Microsoft Office for Mac? Try http://neooffice.org The free office suite OpenOffice has been ported to Mac!

High Contrast Display
Command+Option+Control+8 inverts the screen. Helpful on laptops for better contrast outdoors and also creeping out people that shoulder surf

Fine tune your volume
If you use Option + Shift while pressing on the Mac's volume function keys, your volume adjusts by smaller increments than usually possible.

Shortcuts in Open & Save
Command+Shift+D jumps to the desktop in the open and save dialog box. Use different combos, Command+Shift+H will take you home for instance.

Proud Member of ScreenCastsOnline

Developer Tips

2010-09-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

Tip of the Day !

2010-09-28T01:27:00.000-07:00



Some Snow Leopard Tips !

2010-09-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

There are a huge amount of hidden settings for Mac OS X and its applications that aren't accessible from preferences dialog boxes or the System Preferences. Applications such as Tinkertool and Mac Pilot allow you to access some of these, but the real flexibility is from the Terminal. From here it is possible to edit any preferences file for any application on your Mac.
You'll find the Terminal in the Utilities folder within the Applications folder.
To carry out any of the following commands you will need to copy/paste or type in the line of text then hit enter.

See You – Folder Previews in Quick Look
Save some precious time by seeing all the content of a folder. Hit the space bar and you can view all the files via a translucent folder icon.

You need to type the following command:

defaults write com.apple.finder QLEnableXRayFolders 1



Auto Action – Autoplay Movies in QuickTime X
Apple sometimes messes up and QuickTime is a great example.

If you want to play your movies automatically and surely miss the preferences option then use this command:

defaults write com.apple.QuickTimePlayerX MGPlayMovieOnOpen 1



Full Screen Action – QuickTime In Full Screen When Switching Applications
Sometimes you want a sneak peek at all the action and when you do that, QuickTime will automatically exit full screen.

To rectify this, use the following magical words:

defaults write com.apple.QuickTimePlayerX MGFullScreenExitOnAppSwitch 0



Always Use Protection – Snow Leopard’s Hidden Malware Protection

Bet you didn’t know this one. Apple has quietly incorporated malware support that detects malicious software and its quite effective too. Read all the details here.



Test Your Text – Enable Text Substitutions

If you want to globally enable text substitutions, use the three commands one after the other:

defaults write -g WebAutomaticTextReplacementEnabled -bool true

defaults write -g WebAutomaticDashSubstitutionEnabled -bool true

defaults write -g WebContinuousSpellCheckingEnabled -bool true



Shortcut To Success – Access iTunes
Access iTunes by just hitting the (F8) “Play” button which is above the 8 and 9 keys.



Round It Of – Get Rid of Rounded Corners in QuickTime
If you don’t care for the rounded corners when playing movies in QuickTime, then don’t fret as you can get rid of them in seconds.

Just type:

defaults write com.apple.QuickTimePlayerX MGCinematicWindowDebugForceNoRoundedCorners 1



Go To China Town – Draw Chinese Characters On The Trackpad
I can’t speak Mandarin but I just find this a super cool feature.
In Snow Leopard you can draw the actual characters on your trackpad!



Just Shoot Me- Record Videos Via QuickTime X
You don’t need to invest in some fancy software to shoot yourself as now you can record from your iSight camera.



Stick Them Up – Keyboard Shortcut For Sticky Notes
Assign a a keyboard shortcut (System Preferences > Keyboard) so that you create a sticky note automatically when you select some text.

Hope you enjoyed this article and more importantly enjoying your Mac with Snow Leopard. Do tell us if you know more tricks or tips and don’t forget to write them in the comments section.

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Mac essentials !

2010-09-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

New to the Mac? Then start with this lesson to learn the basics.

If you're brand new to the world of computers and are just starting to get up and running, relax—using a Mac is simple. This lesson introduces you to the basic principles of interacting with your computer's interface, and teaches you how to do basic tasks on your Mac.

Products Affected
Mac OS X 10.4, Mac OS X 10.3, Mac OS X 10.2, Mac OS X 10.1, Mac OS X 10.0, Mac OS X 10.5, Mac OS X 10.6

Pointing, clicking, and getting around
If you haven't quite got the hang of getting around the Mac desktop and Finder windows, start here; otherwise feel free to skip ahead to "Setting Up Accounts." Let's talk about the basic principles of using your computer.

When you move your mouse or finger on a trackpad, it controls a pointer (also known as a cursor) that moves across your screen. The pointer allows you to select and interact with the various items on your screen, including selecting files, clicking buttons, dragging sliders, and so on. Sometimes the pointer may look like a hand, a crosshair, an I-beam, or some other icon, depending on what you're doing and the application you're using.

For example, if you're using Safari to view this webpage and move the pointer across it, notice that it turns into an I-beam when you move it over text or a text field. When you see this, you can usually interact with the text or field below it. When you move the pointer over a button or link, the pointer turns into a hand, letting you know that you can click on the item. Sometimes when your Mac is hard at work, your pointer may temporarily turn into a colorful spinning disc, which generally indicates that a task is in progress.

Depending on what you're doing and what application you're using,
your pointer (far left) may take on a new appearance

Clicking your mouse button or trackpad button once allows you to select the item that your pointer is on. In other words, if your pointer is on a file's icon, clicking once will select it. If the pointer is on a button or link, clicking once will activate it. If your pointer is on a text field, clicking once highlights the field and allows you to start typing text in it. If you see a blue button in a dialog, such as in a Print or Save dialog, you can press the Return key to select it instead of using your mouse.

If you want to open a file, folder, or application, click your mouse button twice. This is known as double-clicking. In general, you'll need to double-click items if you want to open them from a Finder window or the desktop. The exception to this is opening stuff from the Dock—just click once on an icon in the Dock to open it.

Move your mouse to move the pointer over a file, folder, or application icon
and click once to select it, or double-click to open it.

Working with applications
You don't have to quit an application before opening a new one. In fact, you can open and use several applications at the same time, depending on how much memory you have installed in your computer. For example, when you open Mail, you can have it run in the background (meaning, it's not the current active application) to check email as you work in, say, iPhoto. And while you're editing your pictures, you might also want to open iTunes to listen to some music.

Most applications share common menu commands and keyboard shortcuts, key combinations (such as Command-C) that are pressed together to perform a certain menu command. For example, in any application's File menu, you'll find commands to Open (Command-O) and Save (Command-S) files. Likewise, you'll find Copy (Command-C), Paste (Command-V), and Undo (Command-Z) commands in the Edit menu in most applications. Whenever you use an application, be sure to scope out its preferences from the application menu, choose Preferences) to set it up to your liking.

When you open an application, closing the window doesn't necessarily quit the application, if you see a blue light below the application icon in the Dock, the application is still running. To quit an application, either choose Quit Application Name from the application menu, or press Command-Q.

About user accounts
When you get a brand new Mac, the first thing you do when you start it up for the first time is create a user account. Maybe you did this on your Mac or someone did the deed for you. Regardless, your Mac currently has a user account set up on it. If your Mac only has one user account, that account is an administrator account.

An administrator account allows you to have access to all areas of the computer, install and update software, create and maintain other user accounts, and more. If a Mac-savvy friend set up your computer, he or she may have created a non-administrative account for you. If you set up your computer, you are the administrator. If you're unsure of what type of account you have, do this:

Open Accounts preferences to determine the types of accounts for each user on your computer.

From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences to open the window.
Click Accounts to display the Accounts preferences.
Your account is listed under the My Account header in the left pane.

Below your account name, if you see the word "Admin," you have an administrator account and all the privileges that go with it. If you see the word "Standard" or "Managed," someone else who either shares or set up your computer has administrative access. You will not be able to install software or create user accounts. If you want this power, you will need to convince the person who has administrator access to your computer, but before you do, you might want to read through all the Mac 101 lessons first.

If you have a "standard" account, you have limitless access to all the applications on your Mac, and can configure them for your user account. If you have a "managed" account, the person who has administrative access has put limitations on what you can and can't access. If this is the case, talk with your administrator to find out the scope of your access.

No matter how many accounts your computer has, each user's files, media libraries, preferences, and other information is kept separate from other users, so you don't have to worry about your housemates ransacking your private files—unless they figure out your password.

Changing account passwords
Speaking of passwords, make sure that you use a good one. Don't choose your name (or someone else's), your birthday, a pet's name, or any other easy-to-guess word. Choose something that uses a combination of letters, numbers, and punctuation characters for better security.

Here's how to change your user account password:

If you need help creating a good password, click the key button to open the
Password Assistant window and let your Mac generate password candidates for you.

From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
Click Accounts to display its preferences.
Click the Password tab to display its pane, then click Change Password.
In the resulting dialog, type your current password in the Old Password field.
Type a new, hard-to-guess password in the New Password and Verify fields, then click Change Password.

So what happens when you forget your user account password? You can workaround this issue quite easily. Just insert the Mac OS X Software Install disc that came with your Mac, then restart the computer while holding down the C key to start up from the disc. When the Installer appears, choose Reset Password from the Installer menu, and follow the onscreen instructions to change your password.

For added security, don't have your Mac automatically log you in when you start up your computer; this function is enabled by default. To disable it, click Login Options in Accounts preferences, and deselect the "Automatically log in as..." checkbox. Please note that each time you start up your computer, you'll need to log in with your user account password.

Creating and managing user accounts
If you have administrative access, here's how to create a new user account.

In Accounts preferences, if the lock icon in the bottom-left corner is locked, click it and type your administrator password in the resulting dialog to unlock it.
Click the plus sign (+) button at the bottom to create a new account.
In the resulting dialog, type the person's name in the Name field, type a one-word name in the Short Name field this is the name that gets attached to a user's files—don't use spaces or punctuation marks, and type a password in the Password and Verify fields.
Click Create Account or press Return.
If you want this person to have administrator access (think hard about this), click the Security tab and select the "Allow user to administer this computer" checkbox.

If you don't make this user an administrator, he or she can access all applications on the computer as a Standard account. If you want to enforce stricter access control, select the user account, select the Enable Parental Controls checkbox and then click the Open Parental Controls button. You've now created a Managed account with various options, such as what applications can open, content filters, mail and chat limitations, logs of sites visited or applications opened and even time limits.

If you have administrative access, you can create user accounts to allow friends and family
to use your computer with parental control.

Many kids would sit at the computer for days if you let them. Fortunately, Leopard makes it easier to set the rules. Just enter bedtime and time limits for using the Mac, specifying different times for weekdays and weekends if you wish. Parents happy, kids happy (relatively).

Storing passwords in Keychain
Getting email, visiting certain websites, accessing servers, and opening password-protected files and applications on your Mac require passwords. But you don't have to keep track of every password you have; instead, keep your passwords in Keychain, a utility that lets you create one or more keychains to store your sensitive passwords.

Your Mac starts you out with a single keychain that gets created when you first log in to your user account. By default, it has the same password as your user account, and automatically unlocks whenever you log in to your account.

When you access a site, application, or other item that asks for your password, a dialog may open after you type it, asking if you want to add the password to your keychain. Click Add to add it. The next time you access that item, Keychain fills in the password for you.

You can also add passwords manually:

Open Keychain Access in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder.
choose New Password Item from the File menu.
enter the information and password for the item.

Keychain Access allows you to see all the password items that are currently stored on the selected keychain.

If you ever forget a password that's stored in Keychain, do this:

Open Keychain Access.
From the list, double-click the item whose password you can't remember.
In the resulting window, click the Attributes tab, then select the "Show password" checkbox.
In the resulting dialog, type your keychain password. If you're using the default keychain, the password is the same as your user account. Click Allow Once to display your password once, or click Always Allow to always display your password in Keychain.

For added protection, you may want to create another "more personal" keychain that doesn't automatically unlock each time you log in to your user account.

To create a keychain:

Open Keychain Access
From the File menu, choose New Keychain.
In the resulting dialog, type a name for your keychain in the Save As field, choose where you want to store it from the Where pop-up menu, and click Create.
In the resulting dialog, type a good password for this keychain in the Password and Verify fields, then click OK. Click the key button if you need help choosing a good password.

Tip: For more information on using Keychain, choose Mac Help from the Help menu and type "keychain" in the Search field.

Working with discs and volumes
Many Apple computers come with an optical drive that allows it to read and play CDs and DVDs. If your Mac has a combo drive, you can burn CDs too. If you have a SuperDrive, you can burn CDs and DVDs. If you have a slot-loading optical drive, just insert a CD or DVD into the slot and your Mac will suck the rest in. If you have a drive that has a door, press the Eject key on your keyboard (the triangle with the line underneath) to open the disc tray, insert your disc, and press the Eject key again to close the tray.

To eject a disc or volume, drag its icon to the Eject icon in the Dock, or click its Eject button in a Finder window.

Your disc will appear on your desktop in icon form. Depending on what type of disc it is (audio CD, picture CD, blank recordable CD, DVD-Video, etc.), your Mac may automatically open an application that can be used with the disc. When you are done with a disc, you can either drag the disc icon to the Trash to eject it or click the Eject icon next to the disc in any Finder window.

These same principles apply to volumes, including external FireWire or USB hard drives, iPods, digital cameras, USB flash drives, and servers on a network. When you connect these types of devices to your Mac or connect to a server from your Mac, an icon for the volume appears on your desktop. When you're done with it, drag the icon to the Trash or eject it in a Finder window.

Update and install software
Your Mac has a built-in feature called Software Update that allows it to automatically check for available updates from Apple daily, weekly, or monthly when your computer is connected to the Internet. It takes into account the software you have installed on your computer, and new updates released by Apple so that it only shows you the relevant updates.

You can also download software from Apple Downloads and install the software yourself. To install software, just double-click the installer file and follow the onscreen instructions. Here's how to have Software Update update software for you.

Software Update can automatically check the Apple website for updates that are relevant to your installed software.

From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences, then click Software Update to display its preferences.
To enable automatic checking, select the "Check for updates" checkbox, then choose Daily, Weekly, or Monthly from the pop-up menu to set the frequency.
To have Software Update automatically download important updates in the background, meaning, it does this while you work on other things on your Mac, select the "Download important updates in the background" checkbox.
Click Check Now to have Software Update check for updates. If it finds any, it'll display the available software in the Software Update window.
To install the software it finds, select only the items you want by selecting the checkboxes, then click Install Items to download and install all selected items.
Next time, Software Update will automatically launch at your set frequency to show you the latest updates.

Mac A-Z Glossary

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2010-09-20T03:50:00.000-07:00

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2010-09-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

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2010-09-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

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