iUseApple

Max will rip CDs and convert audio files using many different available formats for free! Max is easy to use and has every modern convenience for the avid music enthusiast.

I used Max to convert a bunch of MP3s to a lower bit rate. Max can batch encode in multiple formats fast and even handles ID3 tags nicely. I recommend it over iTunes, since iTunes likes to handle the sorting of MP3s on it’s own. With Max, I can specify a specific folder I want the converted MP3s to go.

I bought a new cell phone after deliberating for a month on which one to buy from Verizon Wireless. I finally decided that the The LG VX8600 suit my fancy. It’s the flip version of the Chocolate and is ultra-slim, has bluetooth, can hold up to 2GB of mp3s, pictures, games and videos. I wanted to sync Address Book, iCal, and various media to my new cellphone via USB or Bluetooth.

My research into how compatible the LG VX8600 was with my MacBook Pro was a bumpy road indeed. I had two different Verizon representatives tell me the phone could not communicate with a Mac via Bluetooth, LG announced that they would no longer support OS X.

I managed to find a fledgling beta of an Application called BitPim. BitPim is an ugly looking application for Windows, Linux, and OS X that allows communication between a computer and CDMA cell phone. I can browse and edit most of the features of the phone, including the “PhoneBook, Calendar, WallPapers, RingTones (functionality varies by phone) and the Filesystem.” BitPim has great potential though.

I check BitPim’s phone list for compatibility and the VX8600 made the cut! So, naturally I downloaded the newest version v0.9.13 that came in a .dmg called bitpim0_9_13_TIGER_PPC.dmg. This worried me, since I am running OS X on an Intel Mac, not PowerPC. The icon for BitPim is a pretty pink flower. The program crashed a lot. I think BitPim is having some problems making Mac installations lately. So, I had this moment of horror thinking I may have to wait it out for another release of BitPim for a fix.

Appleology.com has a wonderful Step by Step Tutorial about how to establish a connection between a bluetooth phone and BitPim. Follow these instructions and read the comments on this site for guidance.

Appleology.com also has a build of BitPim v0.9.11 which is the stablest version on my 2 GHz MacBook Pro Core Duo. It looks nicer too.

Changing my desktop background is easy to do. Ctrl + Click the desktop and select Change Desktop Background… This will open System Preferences.

My current Desktop Picture is displayed in the image well. I can drag any image into the well to set it as my Desktop Picture. I can also browse through all the images on my Mac by selecting a folder on the left of the Preference Pane. I can select an image from one of Apple’s preloaded image folders, a solid color (a neutral color a great background for image editing), my Pictures folder, Photo Booth images, or even my iPhoto Library and albums. Once I select a folder, the images contained in that folder will appear in a gallery on the right of the preference pane. Select an image’s thumbnail to set it as the Desktop Background.

I can tell Desktop Preferences to change the Desktop Background randomly. Select the folder of images, check Change picture:, select the time I want the change to happen, and check whether or not I want the change to be random.

Sometimes I got over to a friends house and have to keep hounding them every time for the password for their wireless. This gets annoying, so I found a way to set my location via Network Preferences. I can now tell my MacBook Pro where I am and it will automatically connect me to the correct Wireless router!

My MacBook Pro is set to automatic in it’s location settings out of the box. This means the computer is always looking for an airport, firewire, bluetooth, and ethernet connection simultaneously. When I am at home, I like to sync my bluetooth phone, connect to the wireless, and hookup my firewire drive. If the location is automatic, the MacBook will do this fine. Sometimes I am sitting in a coffee house and I only need the airport connection. I figure maybe I can save a little battery power if these connections are not always on when they are not necessary. Think of it like turning off the lights to conserve energy in the home.

OS X allows me to assign a location for my network communications. A location is a set of network preferences.

Location can be found in the Apple Menu. When I first use the Location selection, it will be set to Automatic. Click Network Preferences to make a new location in the Apple Menu.

The Network Preferences Pane opens. The first drop down menu says Location. Here I can make a new location, or even edit existing locations. Select New Location like in the example image above.

A new pane appears, one that may look daunting with a bunch of network settings. Contact the network administrator to figure out how to connect to a network using these settings. But first we must choose the connections we want to use in our new location. In the example, I am sitting in a coffee house called the Daily Grind that has a Wifi Hotspot. All I need is the airport to be working. In the Show menu, Select Network Port Configurations to choose which connections I want to be active. Click Apply Now when I am finished.

Now I can select the new location in the Apple Menu.

I can even edit my locations in the Location drop down menu. Select Edit Locations…

Regarding airport communications, I can actually set the preferred network for the specific location I am in. This is nice when there are many wireless networks. I can just choose my location and it will single out my preferred network. Otherwise, when location is set to Automatic, my computer will ask me which network I want to join. In Network Preferences, Select the Location and Show Airport settings. In the By default, join: menu select Preferred networks and Select the wireless router from the list. Click Apply Now.

This article shows how to set up network locations using OS X 10.4 Tiger. Documentation on Apple’s website covers information for earlier versions of OS X.

Sometimes I close an Application and a Document and want to to get back to it quickly. Maybe I frequently use an Application that is not in my Dock. I can access recently used Applications and Documents via the Recent Items Selection in the Apple Menu.

Find the Apple Menu and Select Recent Items from the drop down menu. I can open any recently used Application. If I select a document, the Finder will open it in the application it is assigned to. Select the item I want to open. I can change the amount of listed items in the Finder Preferences.