Inactivity!
I'll be inactive for a while due to exams looming up ahead. Expect no updates for a while.
Kill ACTA and TPP!
Migrating from a MacBook Pro to a MacBook Air
You know you're a masochist when instead of using Migration Assistant or just starting again, you go through every folder you can think of that was changed (not necessarily directly by you) in the course of owning your computer.
I've just finished migrating to my new MacBook Air (new for me) from my Pro. I had a lot of files, such as certain preferences, etc. that were important to me, but wouldn't have been migrated with Migration Assistant. I also didn't just want to clone the HD, since
- The MBA SSD capacity is smaller than the MBP capacity and I needed more space. I managed to solve this by not transferring my whole iTunes library, which was 110 GB, mostly podcasts, followed by a few movies and TV shows.
- I didn't want to transfer a MBP-specific installation of OS X onto a MBA. This would probably just have caused problems in the future.
I didn't migrate perfectly. There were a few things I forgot, but not much and they weren't very important (just the position of Dashboard widgets, as well as the notes that were saved in the Stickies widget, plus some other stuff). All in all though, I'm enjoying the speed of the SSD and the light-weight. Plus, the higher resolution display is awesome for fitting more apps in my menu bar.
One tip for migrating without Migration Assistant is to not. Try a Dropbox 100 GB account.
For people who like to mess with system files or install command line apps like me, learn from my mistake. Make a note of any changes you make/apps you install, or install something which does that for you automatically. You'll need that list when you upgrade to a new computer and you want to start without moving all your cruft across, but also need important files in hidden folders. For example, I installed a bunch of command line apps in the '/usr/local/bin' directory. When it came time to migrate my stuff, I just copied them over to my new computer. This means I miss the man pages and documentation for them. Easier just to list them all, then reinstall the first chance you get, that way you'll get the binaries, plus the other stuff that comes with them.
Bastet for Mac OS X
GAH! Sorry guys, this update'll have to come later, I'm in the middle of a long process here.
3 Seldom Used Tools/Apps in OS X Installed by Default
If you're a new Mac user, check out this list of cool Mac apps installed by default.
- Automator - an awesome application to automate repetitive tasks. The icon is of a robot, which I don't understand why people don't click this awesome looking icon. It's surprising how little this is used, considering how awesome it is. Use this! It can save so much time.
- Emacs games - this is quite hidden, but if you thought Chess was the only game available in OS X, you're wrong. Just open Terminal (in /Applications/Utilities/Terminal) and type in "emacs" without quotes. Then, press enter, then Esc and X at the same time. Yes, Esc. Type "tetris", press enter and enjoy. There are loads of other games included in the Emacs program.
- Archives.prefPane - just a simple prefPane to change settings of Archive Utility.app in the System Preferences. You can change this by navigating to /System/Library/CoreServices, then opening Archive Utility.app, but this prefPane should really be included in the System Preferences app. But just navigate to /System/Library/CoreServices, right click Archive Utility.app and select "Show Package Contents". Navigate into Contents/Resources and double click Archives.prefpane.
Enjoy!
Some cool freeware and open source apps for OS X
This was originally meant to be a YouTube video, but when I had finished recording it and imported it into iMove for editing, I realised I didn't record the sound. I then made it again on another occasion. I made the same mistake. I made it a third time, again with the same mistake (my microphone works, I just keep forgetting to set it to record sound as well. It's not the default, but I set it to record no sound for some other movies and the setting just stuck). Anyway, I'm not going to make it a fourth time, I will just give you the material.
Burn - an application to burn data, audio or video onto optical media, or you can copy disk images.
Caffeine - App Store - a menu application to prevent your Mac from going to sleep or initiating a screensaver while you do a task that the Mac doesn't consider as user-activity, e.g. watching a movie.
Mactracker - App Store - an application that lists all models of Apple computers/devices from 1984 to the present day.
Paparazzi! - a useful tool to capture webpages
Transmission - an open source, cross-platform, yet platform-native (in terms of looks) torrent client which consumes less resources than some CLI torrent clients.
Perian - a QuickTime component and prefPane which allows QuickTime to play many more formats, while also extending QuickLook (so I guess it's also a QLGenerator).
Bean - a free, light word processor which has just the right features and doesn't overload on features, yet doesn't skimp either.
There are loads of websites which list more apps like this. If you're a switcher and you're left with a budget of 0 for downloading apps for your new platform, this list can be so helpful. I consider these to be unmatched in their beauty and functionality too, so there are no paid apps which offer the same functionality with a better experience. These are apps you will keep, not free alternatives to tide you over while you save up for superior apps.
I hope you enjoy this list of free and open source software for OS X!
SOPA
Usually for links to posts, I'd post to Twitter, but this is too important for just one medium.
Don't understand SOPA? Check out the infographic: http://americancensorship.org/infographic.html
Or check out this video: http://vimeo.com/31100268
Steve Jobs is dead!
R.I.P. Steve. I really don't know what to say. Steve has been an inspiration and more to so many people. He changed the world for the better. The world owes a lot to him, not just the tech industry. Like everyone, I knew it was coming, yet in my head, I sometimes had thoughts of him pulling through many times and unveiling many great products. I even imagined him eventually unveiling the fliCar, Apple's late, but revolutionary entry to the market. Steve Jobs is a much better wordsmith than I, one of his many qualities, so I will end with a quote from him.
"No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet, death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it, and that is how it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It's life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new." - Steve Jobs
3 – TotalTerminal (formerly Visor)
Another episode of Terminal Hacks. This time, I talk about TotalTerminal (formerly Visor), a Terminal plugin with a few features, key being a Quake-style Terminal.
Download this app at: http://totalterminal.binaryage.com/
Awesome Super Talent Flash Drive
I'm getting a 32GB USB memory stick, from a company I've not heard of before called Super Talent. While I was showing it on Amazon to my brother, I noticed they made some pretty impressive drives, including this beast:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004645B0U/
They claim it is an SSD RAID. 2 SSDs packed in a USB 3.0 enclosure for speeds of up to 300MB/s. All I'm waiting for now are Thunderbolt memory sticks to catch on. Imagine a Thunderbolt RAID of 2 or more SSDs in a tiny, rugged, waterproof, anything-proof enclosure. Now that would be awesome!
Speaking of waterproof, there was a waterproof USB drive that looked like the one I was getting, except silver. When I was looking for it to show in this post, I found this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pretec-i-Disk-Bulletproof-Flash-Drive/dp/B002RB689C/
Pages
Recent Posts
- Inactivity!
- Kill ACTA and TPP!
- Migrating from a MacBook Pro to a MacBook Air
- Bastet for Mac OS X
- 3 Seldom Used Tools/Apps in OS X Installed by Default
Cool Stuff
Categories
Tags
- RT @MyLifeIsMurphy: Whenever I try to just check my email I end up spending hours on the computer. 3 weeks ago
- @SharifIrum @halimaaa__ @MohammedHafiz14 Holy shit! 3 weeks ago
- RT @sickipediabot: I feel so sorry for shit, imagine being compared to Liverpool all the time. 3 weeks ago
- RT @TeamSamirB: @SamirBihmoutine please RT help @moggypower raising awareness for her 4yr grandson fighting cancer & needs treatment in ... 4 weeks ago
- @WChaudhrey @halimaaa__ You're both being really mean and I'd like you to stop. :"( 4 weeks ago
- @WChaudhrey Fuck you! 4 weeks ago
- @halimaaa__ @WChaudhrey Alternatively, you could teach them all about morality and ethics and explain why what they're doing is bad. 4 weeks ago
Archives
- May 2012 (1)
- February 2012 (1)
- January 2012 (5)
- October 2011 (1)
- September 2011 (1)
- August 2011 (3)
- July 2011 (1)
- June 2011 (1)
- May 2011 (7)
- February 2010 (1)
- January 2010 (1)