Apple « David's tech blog

Posts Tagged: Apple

Apple / How To / Mac OS X — No Comments
25
Jul 11

Mac OS X Lion tip: Log into other users in the background with Screen Sharing

In Mac OS X v. 10.7 (Lion) you can log into other users, with a full GUI, via Screen Sharing without disturbing the current user.

Enable Screen Sharing and set a VNC password.
Take note of your computer’s IP address.
Fire up a VNC client on another machine.
Connect to your computer’s IP address along with the password you set earlier.
You will see the Mac OS X login screen that appears when you first start the computer. If you log into the currently active user you will be controlling the computer’s screen. If you select a different user, you will be logged into that user’s desktop in the background. It will not affect what what is seen on the physical computer screen.

A few interesting uses include:

Connect fom an iPad using an app such as Screens for a full desktop environment.
Connect from an older Mac or PC to run software that requires a current Mac OS version.
Remotely perform administration tasks that require a GUI without affecting the end user.

Apple / iOS / iPhone / iPod — 5 Comments
26
Jun 10

How To: Lock screen orientation in iOS 4

While the new iPhone doesn’t have a screen orientation lock button (like iPad), iOS 4 does allow you to prevent auto-rotation of the screen using a software switch. This is handy in case you want to read a web page or iBook publication while laying sideways on your couch.

Double-click the home button beneath your iPhone or iPod’s screen.
In the task manager strip at the bottom of the screen, swipe your finger to the right until you see audio controls and circular arrow pointing clockwise.
Touch the circular arrow to lock the screen. A lock icon will appear in the middle.

Repeat steps 1-3 to disable orientation locking.

iOS / iPhone — No Comments
26
Jun 10

iOS 4 integrates with third-party music apps

I discovered a nice surprise by playing with multitasking when Pandora was running. Not only does it keep streaming music in the background, it actually hooks into some of the same system services that control the iPod app.

For example, double-click the home button while Pandora is running in the background. (If the device is unlocked, it will bring up the task manager which includes audio controls. If it’s locked, it will bring up the audio HUD on top of the lock screen.) In both cases the audio controls connect to Pandora rather than the built-in iPod app. Similarly play/pause and other buttons on external keyboards will now control Pandora if it’s running.

Out of curiosity I hooked the iPhone up to my car stereo’s iPod integration cable. In this case the steering wheel buttons did not control Pandora.

Uncategorized — No Comments
16
Apr 10

iPad keyboard dock

My iPad keyboard dock arrived today. As expected it’s almost identical to the standard Apple keyboard. It’s great so far!

The “f” function keys have been replaced by a set of shortcuts for common iPad functions. From left to right:
• Shows home screen (exits current application)
• Search (exits current application)
• Brightness down
• Brightness up
• Photos slideshow
• Show/hide on-screen keyboard
• (blank)
• Previous track
• Play/pause
• Next track
• Mute
• Decrease volume
• Increase volume
• Lock/unlock screen

The “fn” key has been removed, and the control key is wide again like a traditional keyboard.

Apple / iPad / iPhone / iPod — No Comments
5
Apr 10

“iPod” vs. “Videos” vs. “Music” apps

The iPhone has one media player app: “iPod.” This makes sense because it plays music and videos – which is what all modern iPods do, excepting the screenless iPod shuffle.

The iPod touch has two media player apps: “Music” and “Videos.” This also makes sense because the two primary functions of a traditional iPod are to play music and videos.

The iPad has two media player apps: “iPod” and “Videos.” This makes sense because?…

Apple / iPad — No Comments
5
Apr 10

Etch A Sketch Mode

Want to undo a mistake while typing on your iPad? A good shake works, just like on the iPhone and iPod. Just be careful not to toss it across the room.

Apple / iPad — 2 Comments
5
Apr 10

iPad Tip: Keyboard Shortcuts

It’s already possible to type pretty quickly on the on-screen iPad keyboard, but shortcuts and key combos remain absent – unless you use an external keyboard. The following is based on my observations using an Apple aluminum Bluetooth keyboard, sans numeric keypad.

Text Editing:
• Command A – Select All
• Command C – Copy
• Command V – Paste
• Command X – Cut
• Command Z – Undo (supports multiple undos)

Accents & Special Characters
• Work same as on a Mac, mostly using the Option key
• Example: Option E followed by the letter e produces accented “é”
• Example: Option Semicolon produces ellipses (…)

Function Keys:
• F1, F2 Increase and Decrease Brightness
• Currently F3 through F6 currently do nothing
• F7, F8, F9 are Previous, Play/Pause and Next for audio tracks
• F10, F11 and F12 are Mute/Un-Mute, Decrease Volume, and Increase Volume
• Eject shows and hides the on-screen keyboard

Other
• Caps Lock works as expected
• Fn key is inactive and/or does not modify key behavior
• Tab moves between email header fields
• Tab moves the cursor between form fields in Safari – and probably works other places I haven’t yet found
• Pressing any key while the iPad is locked or “asleep” will revive it

Apple / iPad — No Comments
5
Apr 10

iPad Tip: Share a Bluetooth Keyboard

As a new iPad owner I am eager to find out everything I can do with it – including how to make best use of an external keyboard.

Sadly the keyboard dock isn’t out just yet, and I’d rather not buy a separate Bluetooth keyboard as well as a dock in order to type and have a charging stand at the same time.

It turns out it’s possible to “share” a Bluetooth keyboard!

Pairing
1. On your Mac (where the keyboard is already paired), click the Bluetooth menu and select the name of your keyboard, then Disconnect.
3. Tun the keyboard off by holding the power button, then switch it back on. (This step may not be strictly necessary, but it didn’t work for me until I did this.)
4. On your iPad open the Settings app, then select General, then Bluetooth.
5. After a few seconds your Bluetooth keyboard should appear. Touch its name.
6. You will be prompted to enter a numeric code on your keyboard, followed by the Return key.
7. Your keyboard should now be connected.

Switching
• To connect your keyboard to your computer, switch off Bluetooth on the iPad. Then go to your Mac’s Bluetooth menu, select the name of your keyboard, then Connect.
• To connect your keyboard to your iPad: Go to the Mac’s Bluetooth menu, select the name of your keyboard, then disconnect. Open the iPad’s settings app, then Bluetooth, and touch the name of your keyboard to connect.

Caveat
No, it’s not ideal to do this frequently. But if you’re waiting on the release of the keyboard dock, or just reeling from the purchase price of your iPad, it will save you from un-pairing and re-pairing repeatedly.

Note On White Apple Keyboards
So far I have tried two of the older white Apple keyboards and neither one would pair successfully. If anyone has info on this, please share it!

Apple / iPad — No Comments
4
Apr 10

Hello iPad

When the iPad was first announced I was determined to get one. But Apple didn’t start taking pre-orders for quite a while, and some of the excitement wore off. I still wanted one, yet by the time the order date came I wasn’t ready to spend the money anymore.

As the actual ship date drew near I ended up wishing I had ordered so I could have it on day one after all. So the day before the launch, my friend Louie and I decided we’d get in line early at Best Buy.

The next morning we arrived at 5am to wait the five hours until the store opened. We were the second and third people in line. It was a long, cold wait. And we passed most of that time drinking coffee and talking to the other devotees.

I managed to get a free iPhone case from a Speck company representative. He was handing out products as rewards for those of us who had stood out in the cold all morning.

From time to time Best Buy employees would come out for a smoke break while setting up the display. They initially informed us that they had only ten units, but more should arrive by the time the store opened.

Sure enough, around 9:30 the manager came out and announced that the rest of their iPads had just hit the airport. They would be delivered to the store shortly.

A few minutes later they handed out slips to the people in line to ensure that those who had been waiting would be entitled to an iPad. The doors opened and we rushed in to collect our loot.

They ended up receiving a total of 100 with the last-minute shipment, but I suspect they sold out shortly after opening.

One day later, it’s safe to say I am thrilled with my iPad.

There’s a lot more to say, and that will come later. Until then, suffice it to say that this device represents a new — and better — direction for personal computing.

I can’t wait to see what’s next…

More iPad launch photos are available as a set on Flickr…

David's tech blogTech tips focusing on Mac OS X and iOS