I'm not sure what upgrade did it but at one point, Spotlight became totally unusable for me. I think it was a major update that enabled web-searches as part of Spotlight.
Now I've been using Spotlight for years to launch applications. There's nothing easier when you're typing along and need to launch an application than hitting 'command - space' and continuing to work, or to do a quick bit of math, or a to take a quick note... the possibilities are endless (okay, not endless but it's a lot!). At some point, that quick little shortcut became a long, long pause.
Now recently I decided to tackle this issue as it became just too frustrating. I messed with the Spotlight preferences, I re-indexed, I searched, but eventually gave up until I launched activity monitor to see what was going on behind the scenes. I saw that 'suggestd' was pegging the CPU during that time. A quick search brought up this link which seems to have solved the problem.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7264893?start=0&tstart=0
Basically you need to delete the ~/Library/Suggestions folder and relogin. I'm sure there is some kind of cache in there that was corrupted somewhere along the way. Anyway, this was a great find for me and I'm happily back to using Spotlight on a regular basis.
Showing posts with label Mac. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mac. Show all posts
Mar 17, 2016
Feb 28, 2013
OS X Screenshot Key Combinations
How many times have I looked these up?!?
From MacRumors.com
From MacRumors.com
- Command-Shift-3: Take a screenshot of the screen, and save it as a file on the desktop
- Command-Shift-4, then select an area: Take a screenshot of an area and save it as a file on the desktop
- Command-Shift-4, then space, then click a window: Take a screenshot of a window and save it as a file on the desktop
- Command-Control-Shift-3: Take a screenshot of the screen, and save it to the clipboard
- Command-Control-Shift-4, then select an area: Take a screenshot of an area and save it to the clipboard
- Command-Control-Shift-4, then space, then click a window: Take a screenshot of a window and save it to the clipboard
May 16, 2012
OS X Versions
For those of us with older Macs...
10.0.x Cheetah March 24, 2001
10.1.x Puma September 25, 2001
10.2.x Jaguar August 24, 2002
10.3.x Panther October 24, 2003
10.4.x Tiger April 29, 2005
10.5.x Leopard October 26, 2007
10.6.x Snow Leopard August 28, 2009
10.7.x Lion July 10, 2011
10.8.x Mountain Lion ?? (summer, 2012)
Feb 19, 2012
An Early Look At Mac OS X 10.8
An Early Look At Mac OS X 10.8: adeelarshad82 writes "Earlier today Apple announced their next OS, Mountain Lion. According to an early look, OS X 10.8 does more to integrate social networking and file-synching into a personal computer than any other OS. It tightly integrates with the whole Apple ecosystem that includes iOS devices and the free iCloud sharing service. Moreover Mountain Lion adds a powerful new line of defense against future threats where a malware app is prevented from running even if it is deliberately downloaded to a computer. Even though Apple's clearly got a lot of fine-tuning to do—and possibly a few features to add, there's no doubt that Mountain Lion already looks very fine." Update: 02/16 15:04 GMT by T : New submitter StephenBrannen writes with some more details culled from CNET. The newest OS X has now been released to developers, with an official release date planned for this summer. "Mountain Lion, as it is called, will further blur the lines between iOS and its Mac OS. iOS features that are being ported include: Messages (replacing iChat), Notification Center, Game Center, Notes, and AirPlay mirroring. Also new to Mac OS is the addition of Gatekeeper, which should help prevent malware attacks on Apple products. Not announced is whether Siri will be ported to the Mac."
Sep 27, 2011
Geektool and Todotxt Desktop
I recently started using Geektool on my Mac for my background. I can't say enough about it. It really makes my desktop look nice. Apple should really look at incorporating this into the operating system if they haven't already.
One thing I have done that I haven't seen on many other examples is using the Todotxt todo list application for displaying my Todo list right on my desktop. I have it set to update every 30 seconds so it keeps things up to date and lets me know what to do next.
Just create a shell tool and have it run todo.sh. It is very simple and easy with no custom scripts or tools. Using custom shell scripts you could create many lists that display different projects, locations and priorities.
Here are a couple examples.
Tasks to do around the house:
todo ls @home
Stuff to do at work:
todo ls -@home
Buddhist task list:
todo ls @monastery + renunciation +harmlessness +goodwill
One thing I have done that I haven't seen on many other examples is using the Todotxt todo list application for displaying my Todo list right on my desktop. I have it set to update every 30 seconds so it keeps things up to date and lets me know what to do next.
Just create a shell tool and have it run todo.sh. It is very simple and easy with no custom scripts or tools. Using custom shell scripts you could create many lists that display different projects, locations and priorities.
Here are a couple examples.
Tasks to do around the house:
todo ls @home
Stuff to do at work:
todo ls -@home
Buddhist task list:
todo ls @monastery + renunciation +harmlessness +goodwill
May 3, 2011
Google Chrome Canary Now Available for Mac [Downloads]
Google Chrome Canary Now Available for Mac [Downloads]: "OS X: Google's released the 'Canary' version of their popular Chrome browser for OS X, giving Mac users earlier access to advanced features. More »"
Jan 25, 2011
Best Terminal App, EVAR!
Cathode - Vintage Terminal Emulator
Dec 19, 2010
OS X Boot Key Combinations
I'm not sure where I got this but here it is for my reference.
Boot key combinations:
Everybody knows about some of these boot key combinations, but some of the more obscure combinations have been long forgotten (like how many of us have a Quadra AV and use a TV as a monitor!) – Check these out, you may need one of them someday!
- C : Forces most Macs to boot from the CD-Rom drive instead of the internal hard drive. Only works with Apple ROM drives and with bootable CD discs.
- D : Forces the first internal hard drive to be the startup disk.
- N : Netboot (New World ROM machines only) – Looks for BOOTP or TFTP Server on the network to boot from.
- R : Forces PowerBooks to reset their screen to default size (helpful if you’ve been hooked up to an external montior or projector!)
- T : Target Disk Mode (FireWire) – Puts machines with built-in FireWire into target Disk mode so a system attached with a FireWire cable will have that device show up as a hard drive on their system. Very useful for PowerBooks!
- Mouse Button Held Down : Ejects any mounted removable media.
- Shift : Disables all extensions (Mac OS 7-9), or disables Login items when using Mac OS X 10.1.3 or later. Also works when booting Classic mode up just like you were using the OS natively.
- Option : When using an Open Firmware "New World ROM" capable system, the System Picker will appear and query all mounted devices for bootable systems, returning a list of drives & what OS they have on them. On "Old World" systems the machine will simply boot into it’s default OS without any Finder windows open.
- Space bar : Brings up Apple’s Extension Manager (or Casady & Greene’s Conflict Catcher, if installed) up at startup to allow you to modify your extension set.
- Command-V : Boots Mac OS X into "Verbose Mode", reporting every console message generated during startup. Really shows what’s going on behind the scenes with your machine on startup!
- Command-S : Boots Mac OS X into "Single User Mode" – helpful to fix problems with Mac OS X, if necessary.
- Command-Option : Rebuilds the Desktop (Mac OS 7-9).
- Command-Option-P-R : Erases PRAM if held down immediately after startup tone. Your machine will chime when it’s erased the PRAM, most people will hold this combination for a total of 3 chimes to really flush the PRAM out.
- Command-Option-N-V : Erases NVRAM (Non-Volatile RAM). Used with later Power Macintosh systems mostly.
- Command-Option-O-F : Boots the machine into Open Firmware (New World ROM systems only).
- Command-Option-Shift-Delete : Forces your Mac to startup from its internal CD-ROM drive or an external hard drive. Very helpful if you have a 3rd party CD-ROM drive that is not an Apple ROM device.
- Command-Option-Shift-Delete-#(where #= a SCSI DEVICE ID) : Boot from a specific SCSI device, if you have your 3rd party CD-ROM drive set to SCSI ID 3, you would press "3" as the # in the combination.
- Command-Option-I : Forces the Mac to read the disc as an ISO-9000 formatted disk
- Command : Boots with Virtual Memory turned off.
- Command-Option-T-V : Forces Quadra AV machines to use TV as a monitor.
- Command-Option-X-O : Forces the Mac Classic to boot from ROM.
- Command-Option-A-V : Forces an AV monitor to be recognized correctly.
Nov 8, 2010
Sophos offers Free Anti-Virus Home Edition for Mac
Sophos offers Free Anti-Virus Home Edition for Mac: "World's first free business-strength security solution for Macs."
IPhone DST Alarm Bug
Epic Failure! You would like to think a company like Apple would learn from mistakes of the past. Apparently not.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3542
Oct 27, 2010
Custom Sound Set for Mac Outlook 2011
I managed to create a custom sound set for Outlook 2011 by dragging the custom sound set from my Entourage Sound Sets folder to the Outlook Sound Sets folder in my Microsoft User Data folder.
I'll update this with more precise directions later.
*** Updated ***
Make a custom folder under:
User/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Outlook Sound Sets/
Something like "Custom.eragesoundset"
Put your wav files in there and refer to them in a soundset.plist file in the same folder. That file should look like this...
soundset.plist
I'll update this with more precise directions later.
*** Updated ***
Make a custom folder under:
User/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Outlook Sound Sets/
Something like "Custom.eragesoundset"
Put your wav files in there and refer to them in a soundset.plist file in the same folder. That file should look like this...
soundset.plist
Aug 24, 2010
Scary Apple Privacy Patent
This is getting a bit scary...
Steve Jobs Is Watching You: Apple Seeking to Patent Spyware: "It looks like Apple, Inc., is exploring a new business opportunity: spyware and what we're calling "traitorware." While users were celebrating the new jailbreaking and unlocking exemptions, Apple was quietly preparing to apply for a patent on technology that, among other things, would allow Apple to identify and punish users who take advantage of those exemptions or otherwise tinker with their devices. This patent application does nothing short of providing a roadmap for how Apple can — and presumably will — spy on its customers and control the way its customers use Apple products. As Sony-BMG learned, spying on your customers is bad for business. And the kind of spying enabled here is especially creepy — it's not just spyware, it's "traitorware," since it is designed to allow Apple to retaliate against you if you do something Apple doesn't like.
Essentially, Apple's patent provides for a device to investigate a user's identity, ostensibly to determine if and when that user is "unauthorized," or, in other words, stolen. More specifically, the technology would allow Apple to record the voice of the device's user, take a photo of the device's user's current location or even detect and record the heartbeat of the device's user."
Steve Jobs Is Watching You: Apple Seeking to Patent Spyware: "It looks like Apple, Inc., is exploring a new business opportunity: spyware and what we're calling "traitorware." While users were celebrating the new jailbreaking and unlocking exemptions, Apple was quietly preparing to apply for a patent on technology that, among other things, would allow Apple to identify and punish users who take advantage of those exemptions or otherwise tinker with their devices. This patent application does nothing short of providing a roadmap for how Apple can — and presumably will — spy on its customers and control the way its customers use Apple products. As Sony-BMG learned, spying on your customers is bad for business. And the kind of spying enabled here is especially creepy — it's not just spyware, it's "traitorware," since it is designed to allow Apple to retaliate against you if you do something Apple doesn't like.
Essentially, Apple's patent provides for a device to investigate a user's identity, ostensibly to determine if and when that user is "unauthorized," or, in other words, stolen. More specifically, the technology would allow Apple to record the voice of the device's user, take a photo of the device's user's current location or even detect and record the heartbeat of the device's user."
Five awesome Automator tips
Five awesome Automator tips: "Think Apple’s built-in automation tool, Automator, is more trouble than it's worth? Think again. Not only can Automator perform wondrous feats, but with these tips it's also easy to make it happen.
"
"
Jul 8, 2010
Phone Disk Mounts iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad as USB Disks in Finder [Downloads]
Phone Disk Mounts iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad as USB Disks in Finder [Downloads]:Mac only: iPhone users have been able to browse the contents of their device using apps like previously mentioned iPhone Explorer for awhile, but Phone Disk integrates it with OS X, mounting your iPhone in the Finder instead of a separate app. More »
Jun 23, 2010
iOS To Make Its Desktop Debut With Next iMac Revision?
iOS To Make Its Desktop Debut With Next iMac Revision?: "iOS To Make Its Desktop Debut With Next iMac Revision?: '
IOS on the next iMac? That’s the rumor going around this morning. The deal is that Apple wants to bring touch controls to its desktop offerings, and will use the next iMac revision to test the waters a bit. So, you’ll have your standard Mac OS X installation, but then when you activate “touch screen mode,” you’ll switch over to iOS.
IOS on the next iMac? That’s the rumor going around this morning. The deal is that Apple wants to bring touch controls to its desktop offerings, and will use the next iMac revision to test the waters a bit. So, you’ll have your standard Mac OS X installation, but then when you activate “touch screen mode,” you’ll switch over to iOS.
Jun 12, 2010
Ipad Classic
iPad Gets Encased in a Macintosh Classic:
There are plenty of iPad stands to choose from, but none quite like this gutted Macintosh Classic that houses the futuristic iPad in its vintage case. Although the Mac's display area is almost the same size as the iPad's, the tablet's resolution totally clobbers that of the old computer from 1990. 1990 doesn't seem like that long ago, but look how far we've come! Obviously, this modded case is not the best idea for travel, but it is perfect for watching movies, or TV shows at home, since you can sit back, relax, and not have to hold the iPad yourself.
However, this isn't the only amazing iPad case mod that we've seen. Check out a few other notables - including a few DIY iBook and Macintosh Plus mods, a healthy kitchen cabinet project, and of course, the April Fool's joke heard 'round the world - in the gallery below!
There are plenty of iPad stands to choose from, but none quite like this gutted Macintosh Classic that houses the futuristic iPad in its vintage case. Although the Mac's display area is almost the same size as the iPad's, the tablet's resolution totally clobbers that of the old computer from 1990. 1990 doesn't seem like that long ago, but look how far we've come! Obviously, this modded case is not the best idea for travel, but it is perfect for watching movies, or TV shows at home, since you can sit back, relax, and not have to hold the iPad yourself.
However, this isn't the only amazing iPad case mod that we've seen. Check out a few other notables - including a few DIY iBook and Macintosh Plus mods, a healthy kitchen cabinet project, and of course, the April Fool's joke heard 'round the world - in the gallery below!
Mar 11, 2010
Save Disk Space in OS X: Monolingual
I am always amazed at how much space the Multi-Lingual files take up when installing OS X (let's not mention the print drivers). So why should I be surprised when I save so much space using this application? It managed to trim off 2.3GB in just a few minutes. That's not a lot in this era of 500GB drives but every little bit helps. That's a whole movie burned to disk!
I know I should be ashamed for using the default install in the first place. Like everyone who gets a new MacBookPro I was a little eager to start using it. The last thing I wanted to do was wait for a new install. Now if it was a new Dell it would be a different story. I have no qualms about booting right from a DVD when a new Dell shows up.
http://monolingual.sourceforge.net/
Thanks Tyler!
I know I should be ashamed for using the default install in the first place. Like everyone who gets a new MacBookPro I was a little eager to start using it. The last thing I wanted to do was wait for a new install. Now if it was a new Dell it would be a different story. I have no qualms about booting right from a DVD when a new Dell shows up.
http://monolingual.sourceforge.net/
Thanks Tyler!
Aug 20, 2009
Vulnerability in Pidgin, patch!, (Thu, Aug 20th)
I've recently moved back to iChat but I'll certainly be patching, just in case.
Vulnerability in Pidgin, patch!, (Thu, Aug 20th): "Time for your daily patch.
CORE security technologies published a vulnerability in libpurple ...(more)..."
Vulnerability in Pidgin, patch!, (Thu, Aug 20th): "Time for your daily patch.
CORE security technologies published a vulnerability in libpurple ...(more)..."
Aug 19, 2009
Five favorite Entourage tips
I found #4 particularly helpful. I've always wondered how to work with the database for Entourage.
Five favorite Entourage tipsReady to stop doing things the slow way in Microsoft Entourage? Joe Kissell shows his five favorite ways to boost your productivity in this popular e-mail program.
Five favorite Entourage tipsReady to stop doing things the slow way in Microsoft Entourage? Joe Kissell shows his five favorite ways to boost your productivity in this popular e-mail program.
Feb 13, 2009
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