One of the things I miss having on my Windows workstation is Float’s Mobile Agent which I use to access my Sony Ericsson T630 mobile phone.
I’ve found a replacement for use on my Mac and I’m now a happy camper. It’s called BluePhoneElite.
Looking for an RSS client for Mac OS X and don’t like using Safari? Check out NetNewsWire Lite. It’s the freeware version of NetNewsWire which costs USD$24.95. You can use it first, then upgrade later.
(Click to enlarge)
NetNewsWire is compatible with the Automator. You can also generate custom RSS feeds through scripting language like Ruby and AppleScript. You can also style your HTML RSS feeds from a variety of built in CSS stylesheets or just create your own.
Check it out: NetNewsWire
Being a keyboard type of person, I personally prefer using the Spotlight to launch my applications. But for someone who wants a better launcher application than the Dock, I recommend using Quicksilver.
What’s great is configured launcher buttons can not only just launch applications but actions as well. Frequently used applications or commands can be bound to hotkey triggers or they can be triggered by moving your mouse to a corner of the screen.
Quicksilver also has plugin support and there are already a few plugins written for it. For example, one of the plugins allows it to interface with the popular IM chat program Adium.
Download: Quicksilver
Google has recently released a Gmail Notifier for Mac OS X. It requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 and above. This means Panther onwards.
One nifty feature about the Gmail Notifier is it has full support for Applescript and Cocoa Bundles in Objective-C, which means you can write plugins for it.
What’s great is someone has released a plugin that makes the GMail Notifier work with Growl.
In case you don’t know what Growl is, do you remember the grey overlay icons which appear on your screen whenever you adjust your volume or monitor brightness? Growl is a tool that allows any program to display such notifications. Of course it isn’t just limited to that kind of look. It can be customised too.
Check them out today!
The Mighty Mouse is a unique mouse by Apple and it’s the first mouse to come with more than a single button. Looks can be deceiving though, it looks like it has no buttons at all! All you can see on the mouse is a single scrollball device. Apple has implemented “buttons” via the use of touch pressure sensors. You can activate virtual buttons via touching the usual left and right mouse button areas and also activate the side buttons by squeezing the mouse. Unique huh?
Azul Adnan has posted a review of the Mighty Mouse over at myMUG. He gives it 4 out of 5. The Apple Mighty Mouse retails for RM200 here in Malaysia.
What exactly is the difference between sleep and shutdown on an Apple Mac?
Sleep
In this mode, your computer takes a nap in a low power mode. This means that your Mac uses less electricity while remaining powered on. The sleep option is great if you want to leave your Mac for a limited time. Like taking a dump. Or driving out to pick up your kid from tuition.
Shutdown
If you are to leave your Mac unused for an extended period (8 hours or more), putting it to sleep is a bad idea. Shut it down. Especially in the compact space of an iBook or PowerBook, it needs to cool down every once in a while.
Anything else?
The exception to this is the “deep sleep” mode, which some newer Macs have. The processor will rest, the fans will stop spinning, the hard disk drive will turn off, and the monitor will turn off. If your Mac has this feature, use it. It boots up faster from a deep sleep than a shut-down. The only visible difference between this “deep sleep” and a shutdown is the power light which fades in and out, or blinks. There is no audible difference.
Welcome to Apple Newbie. This blog was created by Apple users for Apple users. More specifically, switchers who are new to the world of Mac OS X. Stay tuned for helpful tips and tricks!
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