Over the past two weeks, we installed brand new Mac Pros in the Computer Lab on my college campus. These Mac Pros are running OS X 10.5.1 Leopard. Things went unusually smooth in the transition from PowerMac G5. That is, until we let the Mac Pros loose into the wild.
The purpose of using Parental Controls in a Lab Setting would be to limit Administration of Printers, changing of the User Password, modification of the Dock. Limiting website access doesn’t seem worthwhile in a lab. But to our dismay, even with Parental Controls set to Allow unrestricted access to websites, Firefox and Safari both tripped the censors and blocked certain websites. This is probably a bug in Parental Controls that Apple, Inc. will hopefully address in OS X 10.5.2 Leopard. With Parental Controls going haywire, we were forced to shut it off completely.
But now students have the ability to change the Dock, even modify the password. So I wanted to turn to a few third party applications that do the same job. I found that an Application called Deeper by Titanium Software will Lock the Dock. I hid Deeper, so students won’t mess with it. But I have not found a solution for disallowing the User to change the Password. I suppose if anyone gets to that point, I could easily change the password back using the Leopard Install Disk. But for now the Dock can stay like it is…
Any other Lab Managers experiencing the same problems and have some solutions? Anyone else having problems with Parental Controls in OS X Leopard? Post a comment below.
Want to impress your Mac Addict buddies or surprise the typical Mac user? I stumbled upon an Application called BootXChanger that will let you change the normal Apple boot logo.
There are a few restrictions: you must keep the background color the same grey (#BFBFBF in hexadecimal) and the image can only contain less than 100 colors. Save your image as a GIF or PNG-8 in Photoshop and you’ll be set. Further instructions are at the Official Site for BootXChanger. Did I mention this Application is free?
Since I started getting into applications that take up a lot of video processing power, I’ve found methods to cut out the little effects OS X does to show off. One of those effects I wanted to kill is the shadow behind the frontmost window.
Anyone running Apps like Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, or even iMovie should think about downloading the freeware Application called ShadowKiller.
This is a small tweak, but when working with live video, any processing you can squeeze out is worth it. I have ShadowKiller set up to open at Login and activate. It then disappears, killing shadows in it’s wake.
Download ShadowKiller and Start Optimizing Your Video Performance Today!
“AppleJack is a user friendly troubleshooting assistant for Mac OS X. With AppleJack you can troubleshoot a computer even if you can’t load the GUI, or don’t have a startup CD handy. AppleJack runs in Single User Mode and is menu-based for ease of use.”
Recently my Macs have been acting up. Maybe its the change of season, all the pollen in the air. Perhaps my anxieties rub off on these machines. My MacBook Pro won’t burn discs. OS X is showing a MEDIUM WRITE ERROR when writing the lead-in. I’ve boiled it down to a problem inside of my User preferences.
Then today all hell broke loose on my Power Mac G5, when suddenly a Capture Now in Final Cut Pro froze OS X and the screen. It rebooted fine, to find the same error again. Then, weird video glitches appeared freezing the computer every time. Looked like it was the video card acting up, so I ran Disk Utility to verify and repair broken Permissions. Disk Utility found wrong permissions in files having to do with my video card. Everything seemed repaired, then suddenly theres the video freeze again when the Dock popped up and froze. Disk Utility never seems to work for me, even when it says it does.
It’s times like these that I am thankful to have installed AppleJack. I completed all five steps in the AppleJack diagnostic tool set and my G5 purred on the next Restart.
Most times a broken Mac will boot up into Single User Mode (hold down Cmd+S when turning on the computer), which is where I can troubleshoot problems associated with Start Up. AppleJack installs right into Single User Mode, allowing me to perform actions like Repair Disks, Repair Permissions, Clean Caches, Validate Preference Files, and Remove Swap Files. A cocktail of all five can be performed automatically! Most Start Up and System Issues can be fixed with this simple utility!
AppleJack is a must have for anyone who owns a Mac with an expired warranty. Did I mention AppleJack is free?
Buying RAM for an APPLE can be tricky but installing it is a piece of cake! Some RAM may have the correct specification but simply won’t work. Make sure when buying RAM it is certified for running on an Apple.
Where do I find out what RAM I need?
The online method below tells me the exact specification of memory I will need to purchase and give me a tutorial about installing the RAM as well. Instructions for installing RAM should be in the user manual that came with the computer too. The specification will be listed there as well.
Surf to www.apple.com and click the Support Tab.
On the left hand side of the Support Page, choose the model and the support page for that Mac will appear.
Click the How-To tab in the middle of the page. Click the How to install memory link.
Specifications for the RAM and an Installation tutorial will appear. Print these out.
What RAM is already in my Computer?
I can check this in System Profiler. Click the Apple in the top left of the screen. Select About this Mac. In the window that pops up, Click More info… Select Memory from the list of devices in the System Profiler window. A list of available memory will appear.
Each list item = a module of RAM. My MacBook Pro can only hold 2 DIMMS of memory, meaning two modules. Turns out my MacBook Pro holds 2 DIMMS of 512 MB each. So, if I wanted to upgrade to 3 GB I would have to buy a 1 GB DIMM and 2GB DIMM, since I only have two slots available. It is never a good idea to exceed the manufacturer’s recommended amount of RAM.
Where can I buy RAM?
I usually search for good prices for RAM on Pricewatch.com. Look for the correct specification found in the User Manual or on Apple’s support site. The specifications for RAM should look similar to these:
- 1.25 inch or smaller
- 512 MB or 1 gigabyte (GB)
- 200-pin
- PC2-5300 DDR2 667 MHz Type RAM
This is the specification for RAM in a 15 inch Intel MacBook Pro.
If you are nervous, pay the extra and by it direct from Apple. RAM purchased direct from Apple will work. Everything else is a gamble. It may seem like it works for a time, then when you try to install OS X the system just can’t handle it and CRASH! Buy the RAM that meet the specs and seems like a good deal. Double check it meets all the specifications listed. Make sure the website says it works with Apple.
Follow the instructions for Installation from the Apple support site or the user manual that came with the computer. Make sure you are grounded! It is really easy to do.
Growl is a system notification application that resides in System Preferences. “Notifications are a way for your applications to provide you with new information, without you having to switch from the application you’re already in.” More and more developers are adding support for Growl. Applications such as Adium, Transmission, Max, and Transmit use Growl.
Growl is extremely customizable. When installed, take a gander in System Preferences and a new icon for Growl will appear at the bottom. Here, I can choose from a variety of display styles, enable specific notifications from different Applications, and even stylize the notifications.
Download Growl Here.
Deeper is an application that taps into hidden options in Finder, Dock, Dashboard, Exposé, Safari, and Login window. Notice above, how I can put the Dock on the Top and Align Left with Deeper? Deeper is one of three similar applications for OS X by Titanium Software.
Deeper also solved a problem I was having with Finder, where the Finder Preferences were not available in the menu.
Look Deeper.
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.
