Change Up Your Icons

Do you know it is possible to customize the icon of (almost) any file, folder, application, etc? In this article we will discuss the easy, fun way to personalize your dock and desktop in the Mac OS environment. Let's get started.

1)
First things first:
Find out what you want to change. As previously stated, this could be the icon for a file, folder, application or even a drive. For example, I recently began to use the Terminal utility rather heavily, so I decided to give the icon a more personal touch.

2)
If you're going to replace something, you should know what you want to replace it with. Perhaps you have something in mind already, but sometimes we all need a little inspiration. To see some good examples of possible icon choices, direct your browser to iconspedia.com. This site has plenty of icon packs to choose from. If you desire a specific image as an icon, try a Google Image search.

3)
Once you have the icon you want, locate the application you want to change in a Finder window. Then right click and select "Get Info". You'll notice the current icon displays in the upper left corner of the new window. Keeping this window open, go through Finder and open the "Get Info" window for the icon file as well.

4)
Now that you have both of those windows open, here's the trick. Click once on the image displayed in the top left of the "Get Info" window of the icon you want to use. It should now have a blue shadow around it. Use your keyboard shortcut keys of +C to copy the image. Then go to the "Get Info" window of the icon you want to change. Click on the image in the top left corner and press +P to paste the image. This should properly copy your icon file to the new image. If this doesn't work and your Mac honks at you, it may be because the file or program you are attempting to change is protected. Perhaps you could change the permissions from the "Get Info" window while you are there.

More about Dvorak Simplified Keyboard Layout

     After using the Dvorak keyboard layout on a regular basis for just more than a year now, I have become well adjusted not only to the new layout, but to switching between Dvorak and QWERTY.  I find Dvorak very simple to use and easy to become fluent with.

Logitech K360 White
(before modification)

     Late last summer, I ordered a Logitech K360 wireless keyboard online. As soon as it arrived, I modified it into a Dvorak layout. It was a rather simple task. Most of the keys could be switched simply by popping them out with a blade and then snapping them into the new spot. On two of the keys (H and J) there are grooves that do not line up the same as all the other keys. The reason behind this is yet unknown to me, but nevertheless, it is easily remedied. Simply by taking a knife blade to the intrusive section of plastic, I was able to make all the pieces fit in their new places. There is no damage to the keys, and aside from the letters having different positions, the keyboard looks exactly the same as before.
     I truly enjoy using this keyboard for all sorts of purposes. When I'm using my MacBook at my desk, I usually have it closed, in a drawer and connected to my 22" Acer monitor. This wireless keyboard, when combined with a wireless mouse, provides me the ability to use my MacBook just as if it were a desktop computer. When I go to work or to computer science lab sessions, sometimes I bring my keyboard with me just to have the familiarity and comfort of my own keyboard (not to mention the hygienic benefits). It conveniently has a slot to keep the nano-sized USB adapter and fits easily in my backpack. I've quickly become accustomed to going into the "Regional and Language Options" in the Windows Control Panel and adding the Dvorak layout as the default input.
     During one of my more recent Windows installations on a project computer, I was pleased to find the option to use an input layout other than QWERTY. I immediately jumped at the opportunity (it had one of those countdown timers) and continued my installation with the use of my very own Dvorak keyboard.
     To someone considering the switch to Dvorak, I would say that it's a fairly seamless transition. Existing computer setups easily accommodate the alternative layout and you can easily convert a QWERTY keyboard into a Dvorak layout. Also, beware that you may get funny looks from anyone who attempts to use your keyboard or even happens to notice your "strange" layout. You may want to prepare a sort of elevator pitch about your keyboard for the sake of saving time and effort explaining your divergent ways to the whole of humankind. My only complaint regarding the integration of the Dvorak keyboard is that iOS devices do not offer this layout as a software input option. Otherwise, I find Dvorak to be a perfectly compatible, easy to learn and more efficient replacement for the classic QWERTY layout.

That Little Green Button

You know those three buttons in the top corner of almost every window you use (whether in Mac OS or Microsoft Windows)? The red one is the same for both. Everyone know that clicking this button will close the window. The one with the minus sign (yellow in Mac OS X) is pretty straightforward. You click this one and the window minimizes into the dock. It is the third one (green plus sign in Mac OS X, rectangle shape in Windows) however, which causes most problems. In Windows, this button is a toggle, setting the window to either your screen size or a user-defined window size. In Mac OS X, this is not so simple. In general, this button resizes the window to a 'reasonable' size. This usually means cutting out whitespace on the sides of a window (in a browser or document editing program, for example). In iTunes however, this button changes the window to a "Mini Player". Because this button has so many different conditions and possibilities, it almost seems unpredictable.

As a big fan of screen real estate, I like for my windows to be as large as possible. Because the green button isn't reliable for a full-size toggle, I end up doing a lot of manual clicking-and-dragging from the edge of a window. One day in my Internet travels, I encountered a little tool called Right Zoom (downloadable here) that allows you to mandate the action of the green button.

Using this program allows you to have the green button behave similarly to the maximize button in Windows. You can also set a hot key which, when pressed, allows you to have the green button behave in a specific way. You can also set the green button to perform different ways with different applications.

As soon as I started using Right Zoom, resizing windows was a breeze. The beauty is that you don't even have to worry about the program itself. It's not even like it's a utility. I'd describe it as more like an extension of a system preference pane. All you need to do is download it, set it up how you want and forget about it.

I would recommend this tool for anyone who likes to use as much screen space as possible and likes to keep things simple in the process.

A Domesticated Lion

This review is designed to bring to light some of the less promoted features of Apple's newest operating system, OS X Lion. After using Lion for about two days, these are changes that I noticed most evidently. Included are screenshots of some of the new changes. The differences will be discussed in order of how I noticed them. First, we'll start with autocorrect.

01) Autocorrect:

       After downloading and installing Lion on my machine, I checked Facebook to see what I'd missed in the past half-hour. Upon leaving a comment about a game of hackey sack, I reread the comment after it was posted and found it to say "hacker sack". Immediately I opened System Preferences in search of disabling this so called 'improvement'. Under Language & Text > Text, there is a check box to allow the automatic correction of spelling (see image). I don't understand the need for autocorrect in a desktop operating system. If I have a full keyboard, I'm more likely to type exactly what I mean to type. Also, the red dashed underlines are enough to bring a potential error to my attention without changing what I typed.

02) Scrolling:

     By now, everyone is accustomed to the two-finger scrolling. You pull down on the trackpad to go down the page and you push up on the trackpad to go up the page. Well, now things are different. Now you pull on the trackpad in the direction you want the page to go, as if the trackpad is a continuation of the screen. This too can be disabled in the System Preferences menu under Trackpad (see image). By now, I am used to the inversion of scrolling, but I was confused at first. 

     

     Also included in scrolling changes is the scroll bar itself. The scroll bar bares a new, humble look and can be set to hide when not in use. I especially like this feature because it leaves more room on the screen for content and cleans up the window a bit. 

03) Bye Bye Rosetta: 

     I went to finish an image project that I had been working on when much to my surprise, Microsoft Word 2004 refused to open. The error message read: "You can't open the application Word because PowerPC applications are no longer supported." Okay... So I guess I won't be using Office '04 anymore. I was in a hurry to finish this project so I went to my school's website and downloaded my free license of Office 2008 and the subsequent updates. When I went to open Word this time, I was informed that Microsoft Office did not install correctly. In my research (and after three failed attempts at installation), I learned that whereas Office 2008 itself does not require Rosetta, its installer application does. I will have to wait until August, when my school will make Office 2011 available for download. Between TextEdit and OpenOffice.org, I think I will be able to manage until then.

04) Dictionary:


     Now those of us who are not versed in the ways of British English have the tools necessary to comprehend this cryptic language. Dictionary is complete with a British Dictionary and Thesaurus, along with an Apple dictionary. Also in the new version of Dictionary, there is a side bar which provides suggestions related to the query. Rest assured, you can still click on any word it the content as a hyperlink. Alternate-clicking on any word in any text field within the entire OS provides the option of looking up that word with a brief pop-up including the dictionary definition and synonyms.

05) TextEdit:


     The TextEdit menubar has been revised and now includes easier options for changing the typeface and other such settings.

06) Volume Adjustment Image:


     As trivial as it may seem, even the volume adjustment image has been given a facelift. I suppose thinner sound wave lines and an elongated speaker body make this indicator seem more Lion-esque. What bothers me is that while the volume image is changed, the brightness image remains the same.

07) Safari:

     Safari got a little touch-up here and there. Now users can compile a Reading List for future moments of boredom. The brushed aluminum title frame has a slightly altered pattern. Most notably, the Downloads window is no longer a window. It is instead a drop-down list of recent downloads.

08) Window Titles:


     It may (or may not) be of note that the red, yellow and green buttons are slightly different in appearance. Less notable, the title text is no longer black, but rather a light gray. I see this as if the aluminum frame were merely stamped or engraved, without the engraving being filled in. Finally, windows can be resized by placing the cursor on any edge or corner (even on the top of the window) and causing it to become one of a slew of arrows, allowing the user to click and drag to the desired size.


09) The Voices:


     Perhaps the most exciting new feature of Lion is the plethora of new, multilingual voices. Don't worry, you can still listen to Bubbles or Junior to quench your thirst for OS 9 nostalgia, however, I much prefer to hear the reassuring voice of my Indian guide, Sangeeta whenever I get an error message. There are seemingly hundreds of new voices available for download right in the Speech menu of System Preferences.

10) About This Mac:


     The changes to the About This Mac cause the informative program to be significantly simpler to understand. The program System Information still works the same way, but About This Mac simplifies the basic features of the system. 

     Under Storage in About This Mac, there is a summary of the disks. This much resembles the summary of an iPod's content when viewed through iTunes. The new feature may prove helpful for someone who needs to determine how to provide for more space on their main drive.

11) Application Return to Previous State:


     Similar to the iOS, when an application is closed and re-opened, it is restored to its most recent state. This feature can be useful, but can also be undesirable. It can be disabled in System Preferences under General by the check box for "Restore windows when quitting and re-opening apps".


12) Minimize Windows into Application Icon:


     Now it is available to have minimized windows store under the application icon in the dock instead of staying on the far right side. This may be useful to maintain a less cluttered dock, but I find it difficult to manage when minimizing multiple windows from the same application.

Over all, I think Lion has many little improvements, few useful major improvements and depending on how often you use PowerPC applications, one major disadvantage to Snow Leopard.

Also of note: The term Wi-Fi is often used in place of the term AirPort and the 

term App is often found in place of the word Application.

Dvorak Simplified Keyboard Layout

Although it is the most common keyboard layout, QWERTY is by far not the most efficient. Many people are unfamiliar with the highly efficient Dvorak keyboard design. Developed in the 1930s, the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard Layout is designed as an alternative to the sluggish QWERTY setup. Whereas it may prove difficult to learn a different keyboard layout in a QWERTY-dominated world, there are ways to adapt one's typing habits. Primarily, the input for a computer system may be adjusted rather easily in the settings menu. Both Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows operating systems, along with most Linux distributions allow for easy changing of the keyboard layout. Secondly, if so desired by the user, various physical keyboards are available for purchase. For Apple users, websites such as this one offer keyboard overlays, including a Dvorak layout. These are advantageous because they allow the user to use the same keyboard as before, but see the letters in their new positions. The Dvorak Simplified Keyboard Layout is highly suggested for anyone who finds difficulty in using the QWERTY layout or who just seeks new challenges and wants to learn a different way to type.

Wireless Bluetooth Audio Receiver

In my never-ending quest for a cable-free world, I stumbled upon this nifty wireless receiver. Essentially, it gives any iPod speaker system Bluetooth capability. This device simply plugs into the 30-pin dock connector of your speakers, allowing any Bluetooth audio device within range to send an audio signal. Previously, if I desired to play music from my MacBook, I would have to plug it into my iHome with a 3.5mm male to male audio cable. Now, I merely plug this device into my iHome and tell my computer to "Use as Audio Device". The range is limited to 33 feet, but that's much longer than my audio cable. This comes in very handy when I want to sit somewhere else in my room without having to move my iHome or worry about a cable. I can see other uses for this device as well. Because the iPod touch and iPad are each Bluetooth equipped, it would be convenient to use this rather than docking the hand-held itself. Imagine sitting across the room, reading the news, playing YouTube videos, streaming Pandora Radio and listening to all of it through your speaker system. Maybe you have a non-Apple product that won't dock with your iPod docking stereo. As long as it has Bluetooth capability, you can use the two seamlessly. I would highly suggest this Bluetooth audio receiver to anyone who wants to cut the cord and still enjoy the beauty of their iPod speaker system.

Glyde.com: The Future of Yard Sales?

Glyde.com is a new website devoted solely to the exchange of new and used games, music, DVDs and books. Their main attraction is that selling a game on Glyde is as easy as throwing it away. After making an account, a user can compile a virtual catalog of his or her personal media library. At this point the user may choose to list particular items for sale. The website will assign a market value to each item depending on its condition and the market demand. The user may determine a price within proximity of the market value. When another user chooses to purchase the media, the seller is alerted and a shipping envelope will be sent to them. The cost of shipping is split between the buyer and the seller and the proceeds go to the seller after Glyde takes a 10% transaction fee.

iPod Car Solutions

     This is a comparative analysis of solutions for playing iPod music through a car stereo.
     There are three primary way of transferring the audio from an iPod to the speakers. These methods are dependent upon factors such as: iPod model and compatibility, the car's audio head unit capability and the budget and preferences of the listener.
     The first, most cost effective solution is use of a cassette tape adapter. These usually sell for $15-20 and plug into the headphone jack of the iPod.
     The second is by way of FM radio transmission. Depending on the features involved, these units generally sell starting at $40 and don't go for much more than $90. These units plug into the 30-pin dock connector at the bottom of the iPod and send a radio signal to your car's antenna. The downside to using these is that it tends to take a while to find an empty frequency. Also, when traveling from city to city, some re-tuning may be required. There is no wire between the iPod and the car, unless the unit also offers charging capability. If there is no charging feature on the transmitter, this method will drain the iPod's battery fastest.
     The third way of playing iPod music through a car stereo is by USB connection. Unless the car is of a newer model and already includes a USB capable head unit, an aftermarket head unit is required. These range in price from about $70 to over $1000. Most often, the iPod is controlled by the head unit, so changing songs and other operations would be done through the head unit's interface, not that of the iPod. The iPod would be charged by the car.

Steam for Mac, Finally.

Ever since 2004, Steam, the popular game management software was available solely to Windows users. Playing VALVE's world-class games was a joy when using a 22 inch screen backed by an NVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT 512MB graphics card, however, if I ever wanted to use my MacBook, I would have to either reboot into Windows with Boot Camp or run VMware Fusion or some other virtual machine software. Such a maneuver proved quite incapacitating and processor-consuming. Even sporting 4 GB of RAM and a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, my MacBook would display the atypical beach-ball and tense up for spells of time never before experienced. In spite of having completed the first level of Portal on scores of occasions natively on a PC, it had taken upwards of 20 minutes to finish while running on my MacBook. I could try to play Team Fortress 2, but it would eventually crash, and after my first try, I scarcely even considered running Half Life 2 or any of its pantheon of trailing episodes.

Much to my surprise, Steam released an edition of their program specifically for Macintosh users. This is quite a relief for me (and many other gamers who happen to fancy the Mac operating system) in that I can now run Steam natively on my MacBook without the aid of a virtual machine software. Granted, my graphics processor is the Intel GMA X3100 chipset, so the image quality is tainted, but playing Portal is such a breeze, it compensates for any lack of definition. I'm excited about Steam for Mac and I am eager to play more games as they are released for the platform. Thank you Steam for broadening your horizons and allowing a greater audience to join the gaming community.

Western Digital Scorpio Black: 320GB, 7200 RPM, 2.5" Internal HDD

The Good: Faster, more capacity, allegedly less energy usage than Hitachi 160GB 5400RPM. It loads Snow Leopard significantly faster than the previous disk. The yellow piece of plastic at the lower-right of the disk is essentially a parking spot for the read/write head. It prevents scratching of the disk and maintains the integrity of the head and arm by storing the head off to the side while not in use.


The Not-so-Good: Sounds like another fan. Vibration under the right palm rest. It may be considered annoying, but will become less noticeable over time.

     This drive was installed in an Early 2008, 13" White MacBook 2.4GHz with 4GB RAM. It was easy to insert and remove, but the silver cover must be transferred from the old HDD to the new one. It may be difficult to find a proper bit for the screws, but careful improvisation of needle-nosed pliers may be considered. 
     After replacing the disk, the old hard drive (Hitachi) must be used to boot the system externally (through USB or FireWire 400) using an external enclosure. Upon restart, the Erase feature of Disk Utility can be used to format the WD as an OS X Journaled. Then unplug the Hitachi, reboot again, insert the OS X Install Disk, and use a Time Machine backup disk for a System Restore. This will take nearly 3 hours to transfer 147GB through FireWire 400.

iHome iP9

The iHome iP9 is a speaker/alarm system designed especially for iPod and iPhone and works with all iPod and iPhone models. The spacious display allows the user to view the time, activated alarms, and the current input channel; whether it be iPod/iPhone, Line In, AM, or FM radio. There are eight backlight dimmer settings, allowing the user to select the appropriate brightness for the room. The speakers have high quality sound even at higher volumes, and the bass really kicks when it is turned up. The remote features full access to the iPod controls and even has quick buttons for shuffle and repeat features. Song selection can be made by either the remote or the iPod itself. The remote can have somewhat sketchy reception and must be pointed directly at the device to work. Some not-so-pleasing features of this product include the cumbersome AM antenna. For docking of the iPod, adapters are provided, however these only include iPod touch and 3rd and 4th generation Nano inserts. A non-supplied audio cable could be used to connect other audio devices such as a non-docking iPod, a CD player or a computer.

UPDATE: Logitech Pure-Fi Express Plus

The Pure-Fi Express Plus failed to continue to operate properly after two days of use. It was promptly returned and exchanged for the iHome iP9, which will be analyzed in the next review.

Logitech Pure-Fi Express Plus

The Logitech Pure-Fi Express Plus is a speaker system designed for iPod and iPhone. It sports omnidirectional sound that really fills the room. The included remote is rather small and has the potential of being lost, however it contains all the controls necessary to command the system and skip songs. One downside is that the song selection must be made from the iPod itself, not the speakers. Once the selection is made, volume can be adjusted and pause or play can be toggled via the remote. The Pure-Fi features an elegant spin wheel to adjust volume and time, as well as set the alarm. The system can be powered either by six AA type batteries or from an AC wall adapter. Much unlike the XBox 360, the red ring around the wheel provides a soft, ambient glow when the system is operational. Other features include an alarm clock setting and buttons allowing the user to set shuffle and repeat options without referencing the iPod's Settings. For quality sound and a graceful appearance at an $80 price tag, this is a worthwhile system to own.

Snow Leopard Release

With Apple's latest Operating System, you get a fancier looking QuickTime with screen capture ability, and the network drop-down menu shows the strength of each network. Other user-interface features include a black menu that appears when you alternate (right) click something in the dock instead of white. Also, the stacks allow you to do a little bit more viewing. Some behind-the-scenes improvements such as Grand Central Dispatch are imbedded deep in the code to take full advantage of your processor and even use your graphics card for computing power. If that's worth 30 bucks to you, then gopher it, otherwise, it's just a new name.