Mac Power Users, episode 8, published over the weekend. This one is all about backup. Get it before it’s too late.
Continue readingMac Power Users 8: Backup!
Text Expander E-Mail Signature Mojo
I love hearing from readers and listeners with interesting questions. Recently, reader Teri wrote asking about how to make clickable links using TextExpander for an e-mail signature. I have been doing this for some time by using the entire link. For instance up until very recently, part of my e-mail signature looked like this:
Teri’s question was whether, using TextExpander, she could put a link in without spelling out the link specifically. Turns out you can.
The trick is:
1. Enable Formatted Text and Pictures with the snippet:
2. Type out the entire Link:
3. Context Click and Create URL
4. Go Into the Created Link and Edit the Text
5. Customize the Text
Set your fonts and colors. Here is my final product.
Thanks to the gang at SmileOnMyMac for helping me sort this out and for their continuing effort on TextExpander.
Continue readingMacSparky Shop
I’m getting ready to pay for another year of hosting fees and related expenses and finally got around to setting up an Amazon associate account.
I’ve installed a widget that allows you to purchase Snow Leopard upgrade on the sidebar and a separate page, appropriately called “Shop” with some of my favorite software and hardware. If people show interest, I will begin adding other products. Please don’t feel compelled to shop here. If you do want any of these products, however, buying them through my link does help support the site. Thanks.
Pixelmator Giveaway
The nice folks at Pixelmator, the fantastic photo and graphics app I reviewed a few weeks ago, have agreed to give away two licenses to MacSparky readers. If you are interested, send me an e-mail with the words “Pixelmator Contest” in the title. Please only one entry per person. I’ll announce the contest winners in a week. In the meantime, go download the Pixelmator demo and make something beautiful.
Continue readingApple Scores High Marks in Tech Support
Another reason to switch. The next time someone complains to you about Apple prices, have them spec out a system with the same components on Dell. Then have them add the price of Apple’s built in software. If there is a price difference at that point (there may not be) ask them how much they like spending hours on the phone with tech support.
Continue readingPhil Explains
Since I wrote about the Ninjawords hubub yesterday, I thought it worth pointing to the Daring Fireball post today where Apple senior vice president, Phil Schiller explained what happened.
I think perhaps the most significant part of Phil’s statement is the fact that he made it at all. Apple is the most tight lipped company on the planet. That they are weighing in on this with an actual explanation (as opposed to a two sentence soundbite) is significant. Let’s hope this means they are fixing the App store problems.
Another Reason to Switch to a Mac
Some Old Fashioned Censorship
I haven’t commented much on the developing App Store fiasco. In case you’ve been living under a rock, I’m talking about Apple’s baffling system of denying and withdrawing application approvals in what appears to be completely random fashion. John Gruber wrote today about the most asinine decision yet. Apple, after approving numerous dictionary applications, decided that one particular dictionary, Ninjawords, isn’t allowed to have naughty words. That is right, they censored a dictionary.
Not only did Apple force the developer to remove objectionable words, it also made them resubmit the application and start over. Enough is enough. It is nonsense like this that could allow Apple to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with the touch platform. I know there are explanations for some of the shenanigans that have taken place but for Ninjawords, there is no possible excuse.
Path Finder Update
My favorite Finder replacement, Path Finder, just got updated to version 5.1.4.
The latest version of Path Finder adds a handful of new user-requested features:
* Back to my Mac support
* The option to remove the Finder icon from the Dock
* Desktop grid spacing adjustments
* Trackpad swipe gestures to move back and forward
* Display of local WebDAV volumes
Microsoft Word RIP
Another Scrivener convert.
I especially like the pie chart showing feature bloat in Word. I already knew, but this visualizes how Microsoft went wrong after Word 95.