Earlier this week, we described several ways to create screenshots with your Mac. Using the keyboard shortcuts in the Finder is great, but you may have noticed that the results aren't very sharp. Ivan at creativebits noticed that, too, and figured out how you can correct the problem.
He explains that a basic screenshot creates a JPEG with a resolution of 60 by default. As is often the case, the solution is just a couple of Terminal commands away. Set the default format to png, pdf or tiff for much better results.
If you're not the Terminal type, check out Skitch, which takes simple, great-looking screen captures.
Apple opened a new retail store in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada this weekend, number six for The Great White North. As usual, we asked any TUAW readers who may have attended to share their reports and/or pictures. So, did you go, and if you did, how was it? Let us know in the comments. Here's hoping you scored a T-shirt!
If you haven't gone down to the store yet, grab your camera and add anything especially interesting to our Flickr pool!
This is another entry in our continuing Mac 101 series, aimed at new Mac users. These tips are old hat for veteran Mac users, but will save some people a lot of grief.
I know several people who have switched from Windows to the Mac over the past year. While they're happy with their decision, they all tell me the same thing: "I don't know where to find anything."
Typically, the topic arises when they're looking for the "control panel" to change a system setting. Since Apple's System Preference panel looks different that the Windows Control Panel, it isn't immediately helpful.
Until they ask it what they're looking for.
There's a small search box in the upper right-hand corner of the System Preferences window. Typing a keyword or two into that field reveals just where that function lives with a "spotlight" effect. For example, if I want to adjust my alert volume, typing "volume" highlights the Sound panel.
This method also provides helpful text. For example, typing "email" produces this list
Email faxes
Email and chat restrictions (parental controls)
Limiting email and instant messages
Sending permission emails
Each is accompanied by a link in the preference pane. The search results aren't flawless, of course, but they're better than staring at a field of unfamiliar icons, and have brightened the Mac experience for many a switcher.
Yesterday, we asked iPhone owners who intend to upgrade just what they'll do with their 1st generation iPhones. Thousands of you answered, with Ebay drawing the top score.
Of course, Ebay will be flooded with iPhones soon, so consider alternatives like Flipswap. They offer cash for iPhones (and other model phones) and even pay for shipping. Once they've gotten your phone, they put it back in use.
If you're the environmentally consicous type, you'll appreciate this. Phones that cannot be put back into use are disposed of, piece by piece, in "...the greenest methods available today." Also, in lieu of cash, you can trade in your dead phone for a tree as part of their reLeaf Program. Flipswaps estimates they'll plant up to 25,000 trees this year (they take old iPods, too!).
It's free, easy and definitely worth the consideration.
Optus has released information on iPhone plan pricing for Australia. There are two options: post-paid and pre-paid.
The post-paid option includes what they're calling a "Cap Plan" and a "Yes Plan." The Cap Plan (all prices are Australian dollars) starts at $19 and offers 100MB of mobile internet data and $50 of calls and text, and maxes out at 1GB of data and $1500 of calls for $179.
All Cap Plans include free 20-minute voice calls to other Optus GSM mobiles in Australia (within hourly restrictions), and free 5-minute voice calls to phones on the same account, 24/7.
The Yes Plans start at $19 for 100MB of data and $14 of calls, and maxes out at 1GB of data and $144 of calls for $149. There are several text and rollover options for both.
The pre-paid options offer an 8GB iPhone for $729 and a 16GB phone for $849. These phones can be unlocked free of charge after six months, or for a $60 fee any time before then (including the time of purchase). So, totally unlocked iPhone 3G will be sold in Australia for $789 (the 8GB model) or $929 (16GB).
Recently, my iPhone was having issues. Specifically, it thought headphones were inserted when they weren't. I first noticed the problem as I was typing and didn't hear that familiar "click" that normally accompanies a key press.
I thought I had accidentally toggled the ringer mute button (which I seem to do often), but no, it was set to ring. I inserted some headphones and heard everything - the clicks, music, etc.
I placed a call and tried turning the speaker on and off to no avail. Next, I rebooted the phone. No dice. I connected it to my Mac and performed a sync with iTunes and still, there was no sound.
I reset the phone by holding down the power button and the home button. Still, there was no sound without headphones. At last, I got a can of compressed air and gave a couple of short blasts into the headphone port. That did it! The phone must have been interpreting the junk that had collected in there over the past year as headphones.
A simple solution that, hopefully, will save you some time.
Sharing screen grabs and screencasts is a great way to show someone exactly how to do something with their Macs. You've got several choices for screencast software (here's a list of posts in our screencast category), but snapping a simple screen grab is much simpler.
Using Apple's Grab application you have a few options:
Shift + Command + 3 produces a snapshot of the whole screen
Shift + Command + 4 produces a crosshair that you can drag over a specific area of your screen
Shift + Command + 4 followed by the space bar turns the crosshair into a camera
Number three will let you grab a single window. The problem is that it includes that window's shadow, which you might not want. Fortunately, MacOSXHints has described how to exclude the shadow. A single line typed in the Terminal will get the job done.
That's great and all, but for some real fun, take a screenshot of a collegue's desktop, move all his desktop icons onto his hard drive, set your screenshot as the desktop image and feign ignorace while he clicks furiously on his "icons." You're welcome.
As we know, the Finder offers four ways to display your files. Namely icon view, list view, column view, and Cover Flow. Perhaps you prefer one over the others (let's say column view), but your windows open to icon view by default. That can be annoying but here's how to fix it.
First, open a new Finder window. Next, select your preferred display method and then close the window without doing anything else. Don't open a folder, drag an icon, nothing. Now subsequent Finder windows will default to your preferred setting.
Clear your calendars for Saturday, Edmonton Apple fans. Apple Store West Edmonton is set to open its doors at 10:00 AM. The store is located in the West Edmonton Mall, at 8882 - 170th Street, next to The Disney Store. You can get full travel directions here, but since the WEM is the largest shopping center in North America you shouldn't have too much trouble finding it.
If you visit the store on opening weekend, please send us your stories and photos. This will be Canada's sixth Apple Store.
AppleMatters has published a great list of their top ten ways photographers can benefit from the iPhone. From sharing your portfolio on-the-go to note taking, it's a good list. My favorite is the example of a wedding photographer who keeps a sort of "check list" of shots to get (grouped shots, individual shots, etc.) as a reference on his phone.
We've seen people use the iPhone's camera to create to-do lists, share instructional videos and more. On a recent car shopping expedition, I made a gallery of all the vehicles I test drove for reference and comparison at home.
Have you been enjoying the 200 free, monthly text messages that accompany your 1st generation iPhone? Then don't upgrade to iPhone 3G, because those same messages will cost you $5US per month, unless you know this trick.
Dave Merten at Macsimum News has posted a simple, four-step process that will allow you to get free texting out of your 3G iPhone that you should really check out.
Kudos for Macsimum News for posting the trick. Sure, you're only saving $5 a month -- the cost of one Venti latte from you-know-where or approximately 1 gallon of gas -- but it all adds up, my friends.
Last February, we forwarded a report on China's first Apple Store. At the time, it seemed the store would open on August 8th to coincide with the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics.
This week, The Shanghai Daily is reporting that the Sanlitun-based store will open on July 19, with a second store also scheduled to open during the Olympic Games (in the Qianmen area). China is the world's largest mobile phone market and second largest computer market.
No official opening dates have been released, so please send us any specifics or spy shots you take. Thanks!
In an interview with Financial Times [registration required], Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg shared his company's answer to the iPhone's popularity "...As handsets become banking tools and games controllers, he argues, mobile operators can up-end other companies' business models. 'It's very cool. And Steve Jobs will eventually get old ... I like our chances.'"
Seidenberg, who is nine years Jobs' senior, has decided to wait for his rival to "age out" of his position. This reminds me of the skinny 7th grader who laments, "Someday my bully will notice girls and lose interest in stealing my lunch money."
Or, perhaps by "old" he meant "out-of-favor" as Daring Fireball suggests. Like Jelly Shoes and Jarts, the appeal of Apple with Jobs at the wheel will eventually fade. All Verizon must do is ride out the trend, like a lobster boat in a Nor'easter.
Forget innovation and hard work. The sit-and-wait method is a good one, too. It worked for Estragon and Vladimir.
According to Apple Support documents, personal domains will be kept intact with MobileMe. Blogger Sean Sperte noticed a "personal domain" option while watching the MobileMe quick tour. That prompted some investigation which led to this support document. Sure enough, it confirms that .Mac personal domains will remain untouched by the change:
"...If you have a personal domain setup for your iWeb site, it will continue to work without changing any settings at your registrar."
Yesterday, we asked you, dear readers, to identify the forthcoming Apple goody that you're anticipating the most. Thousands of you answered, and here are the results.
First and foremost, you're looking forward to the 3G iPhone. A full 1,802 (29.4%) respondents put the new phone at the top of the list. Close behind is the iPhone 2.0 software (26.8% of votes) and the App Store (22.6%).
More than 700 of you (12.1%) are most interested the online whining that will certainly follow each release, and only 9.2% of respondents are eagerly anticipating MobileMe.
We were certain that MobileMe would at least beat out whining. What do we know?
Earlier this week, we described several ways to create screenshots with your Mac. Using the keyboard shortcuts in the Finder is great, but you may have noticed that the results aren't very sharp. Ivan at creativebits noticed that, too, and figured out how you can correct the problem.
Apple opened 
This is another entry in our continuing 
Yesterday, 
Recently, my iPhone was having issues. Specifically, it thought headphones were inserted when they weren't. I first noticed the problem as I was typing and didn't hear that familiar "click" that normally accompanies a key press.
Sharing screen grabs and screencasts is a great way to show someone exactly how to do something with their Macs. You've got several choices for screencast software (
As we know, the Finder offers four ways to display your files. Namely icon view, list view, column view, and Cover Flow. Perhaps you prefer one over the others (let's say column view), but your windows open to icon view by default. That can be annoying but here's how to fix it.
Clear your calendars for Saturday, Edmonton Apple fans. 
AppleMatters has published 
Have you been enjoying the 200 free, monthly text messages that accompany your 1st generation iPhone? Then don't upgrade to iPhone 3G, because those same messages will cost you $5US per month, unless you know this trick. 
Last February, we forwarded 
In an 
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Yesterday, we 
