July 2010 - Posts

How to Batch Change All Permissions in Mac OS X
Monday, July 19, 2010 10:58 AM

I recently had a problem with my computer that required me to create a new profile and move all my stuff to it. The only problem was all my music was owned by my other username. The Mac OS allows you to apply permissions to all sub items of a particular folder but this does not work for sub folders only individual files in that sub folder. In order to change the permissions on all the music in my itunes folder, which has a folder for each artist and every album of that artist, I would have to go to each folder and apply the correct permissions manually. This of course I was not willing to do, so I went to google looking for a solution.   

I found a little piece of software called Batchmod that will allow you to change all permissions to all sub items as well as folders and their sub items. This, of course, is exactly want I needed to change the permissions on the entire iTunes Music folder and sub folders and items. I launched it and and selected my root iTunes folder and set the permissions I wanted and POOF everything was fixed. It worked like a charm.

If for some reason you need to batch change permissions, BatCHmod is the program for you. It's free and can be downloaded here.

Versiontracker – BatCHmod Via Will Burns

by willburns1 | with no comments

Filed under: Mac, OS X, batchmod, batch change permissions

Firefox Home Now Available for Free Download in the App Store
Friday, July 16, 2010 4:21 PM

Firefox Home is an iPhone application that gives you access to all your firefox data right on your iphone. I have written about Firefox Home before it had been approved, but now it has been approved and is available in the iTunes store for free.

How to Use Firefox Home

1.Download the Firefox Sync plugin here
2.Follow the instruction to create a firefox sync account.
3.Download the Firefox Home App from the App Store Here
4.Launch Firefox Home on your device and use the login information that you created in step 2.

Firefox home is great for accessing your bookmarks and tabs from your device. You can also access your passwords and browser history as well. I think this is going to be a must have for firefox iphone users check it out.

by willburns1 | with no comments

Filed under: iPhone, FireFox, sync, home, bookmarks

Shake to Recharge Batteries - Charges Using Vibrations
Friday, July 16, 2010 4:01 PM

Don't you just hate it when the batteries in the TV remote go dead and you can't, for the life of you, find any replacements? Well the people over at Brother Industries are working on a battery that you can recharge just by shaking it! Wouldn't that be nice all you would have to do it shake the controller for a minute and you could have power again.

I think this is a great idea especially for items that you only need for a short period of time like flashlights and remotes. Items that require a lot of power for long periods of time these batteries might not be ideal. If they can be recharged in a more conventional way as well that might help them become a little more practical. The real question is how long do you have to shake them to get enough power to use your device.

VIA Ubergizmo

by willburns1 | 1 comment(s)

Filed under: battery, recharge, shake, vibration

Google Working on Multiple-account sign-in!
Thursday, July 15, 2010 11:10 AM

You know the one thing about Google that really bugs me is that I have like 4 accounts and have to keep signing in and out to gain access to my different content. What made it worse was that you have to create a Gmail address to have a Youtube account. So for every Youtube account you need another Gmail address, making it even more annoying.

It seems, according to a post on the Google Operating System blog, that Google is testing Multiple account sign ins. This would allow you to login to more than one account at once for the following google services: Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Reader, Google Docs, Google Sites and Google Code. According to the post, other Google services will be added in the future.

This would be super handy if you have multiple accounts and want to be signed into all of them at the same time. I can't wait for this feature to go public, it's going to make my life easier for sure. No news yet as to when the feature will be ready and made public.

Google Operating System

by willburns1 | with no comments

Apple Calls a Special Press Conference to Talk about iPhone 4
Thursday, July 15, 2010 10:51 AM

I'm sure everyone, by now, has heard that the iPhone 4 has an antenna problem. Apple is saying that it has been blown way out of proportion and that it was mostly the software used to display the reception.  Other people disagree and everyone is talking about it.

 So it seems Apple is holding a special press conference today at 10 AM to talk about the iPhone 4. That is all they are telling people at this point and they only gave a one day notice of the press conference, which is unlike them. Of course the conference has something to do with the iPhone 4's antenna problem it's just a matter of debate as to what Apple is going to say.

For the most part people think it's highly unlikely Apple will announce a recall of the iPhone 4. Blogs from all over are saying that they think Apple is simply going to try and stop and domino effect caused by press and of course Consumer Reports. Techcrunch writter MG Siegler thinks Apple is going to present data that the antenna is still better that previous iphones and perhaps even have “wireless industry experts to offer their insights as well.”

I think there is no way Apple is going to recall the iPhone 4. I think they are going to present some hard facts to what is actually going on and try and put everyone's mind at ease on the issue. Some blogs have  speculated that Apple might give out free bumper cases, which will help prevent the issue all together, to everyone who will purchase and have purchased an iPhone 4.

Fankly I could care less about the antenna issue. I have never used an iphone without a case so if I had an iPhone 4 I would have a case on it.Therefor, I wouldn't have any iPhone antenna problems to speak of. So for me it wouldn't be a problem, but I can see how that's really not the point. I just want to go on record for saying I don't think it's a problem and I will be glad when everyone stops talking about it.

Read More at TechCrunch

by willburns1 | with no comments

Filed under: Apple, conferance, iphone 4, press, antenna

AppleJack - Troubleshooting Assistant for your Mac
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 12:33 PM

AppleJack is a troubleshooting assistant for the Mac OS X. You can even use the tools if you can't load the GUI. Applejack has a couple cool trips up it's sleeve. It can repair your disk, repair permissions, validate the system's preference files, and get rid of possibly corrupted cache files.

AppleJack should only be used in Single User Mode or SUM. If you use it in terminal while you are logged in it could cause a system failure, which is bad. To boot into SUM you simply restart the machine while holding down Command + s. You simply type applejack and hit return and you will be presented with a menu of options. If you want applejack to execute all commands just type applejack auto or applejack auto restart to restart the system after the processes are finished.

AppleJack is a great little script that can save your computer from what might seem as a full system failure. If you are having problems with your user account and programs I would give AppleJack a try. Remember to use it in Single User mode only i can't stress that enough.

Give it a try it's free Applejack website here

by willburns1 | with no comments

Filed under: mac osx, appplication, mac fix, troubleshoot

Reprogram your key fob to work with more than one car!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010 11:26 AM

With a little button pushing combination you can reprogram your one key fob to work with more
than one car if they are by the same manufacturer. So if you have a two GM cars you would have to have both key fobs to lock and unlock both cars, but with a little know how you can sync one fey fob to both cars to lighten your key load. You can do this with GM, Ford, Dodge, Dodge Ram, Dodge Dakota and Durango, Dodge Neonm, Toyota , and Nissan,

If you go here you can find the instructions for syncing your key fob with the make and model car.

Via Hackaday

by willburns1 | with no comments

MP3Tunes – Music Locker lets you listen to your music anywhere!
Monday, July 12, 2010 12:22 PM

MP3Tunes launched in late 2005 and has progressed into a pretty robust website with 500,000 members. MP3Tunes backups your music over a period of days to what they call your music locker. You can then stream your music from any web browser and sync your music to your other computers and devices, like the iphone, android, iPad, and iPod Touch.

MP3Tunes can even grab your iTunes playlists so you won't be without your dance mix in the cloud. This means if you buy a song on one computer it will automatically be added to your other iTunes library on the remote computer and can also be played on your mobile device.

Companies like Logitech have already added support for MP3Tunes in select Wi-Fi radios allowing you to play your music from your locker using the radio interface. Other third party companies has also added support for MP3Tunes in their software and devices via their very well structured API.

You can get a free account that gives you 2GB of free storage, but you can also upgrade to the paid account which gives you 50BG for 39.95 a year or $4.95 a month. MP3Tunes will soon go to free 10GB accounts in the future, but you can get in line to receive one early here.

I think this is a great idea and exactly what Apple needs to do with iTunes. If they did something like MP3Tunes I think people would love it, and if it's as feature rich as MP3Tunes is it will be a big success.

MP3Tunes Website

Update: I forget to mention that they have a iPhone version that it web based. You can view it here.

by willburns1 | with no comments

Filed under: music, cloud, mp3tunes, music anywhere, ituness

Keep Track of the Web in Real Time with Netvibes
Friday, July 09, 2010 11:20 AM

There is simply too much information floating around the web everyday. We all have our favorite websites and blogs that we enjoy, but we simply don't have time for all of them. Do you find yourself struggling to keep up with all the news from your favorite websites? Well I found the solution with the help of NetVibes. It's by far the best place to track the web in real time I have used so far.

Netvibes is essentially an RSS reader, but it's far more than that. They have integrated all kinds of widgets that allow you to do productive things like view your mail or keep track of your stock portfolio, and much more. Netvibes has included social networking widgets for sites like Facebook and Twitter, so you can even keep tabs on those sites without having login. It's kind of like iGoogle but with a lot more features and Netvibes is a lot more useful.

There are two main views to display your content in, the widget view or the reader view. In the widget view each of your widgets or RSS feeds show up as a box with its content inside. You can change how the content appears in each box by clicking the edit button in the top right of the box. You can of course move and rearrange the order of the widgets if you like.

The other view is called reader mode and it looks and feels much like email. The stories are presented horizontally much like emails commonly are. You can click a story to read more about it and when you're done you click to collapse the story so you can continue reading. It's organized by the time of the post so the most recent are at the top and so on toward the bottom.

With Netvibes you don't have to fit everything onto one page either. You can have several tabs or groups of pages. I have one group for tech blogs, another for Gadget sites, and still another for Mac news. I also have a social networking tab to keep track of my social sites. All of the groups or tabs can be used in both the widget and reader view.

Another cool feature is that Netvibes allows you to do google searches right on their website. It will open another tab and allow you to use that tab for searches in Google. You can also change the look and feel of your Netvibes dashboard with custom backgrounds and images.

I believe Netvibes is the best way to stay informed of what is going on the web at any given time. It allows you to simply read the stories and know what is going on without having to visit a dozen websites at once. So go to the Netvibes website, get an account, and start filling it with websites you view daily. It's going to save you time I'm sure. 

by willburns1 | with no comments

Filed under: reader, netvibes, Rss

Super Mario Leftovers - The Characters that didn't quite make the cut!
Thursday, July 08, 2010 10:51 AM

A little while back there was a flash game called Super Mario Crossover. It was a flash version of the original Mario game that let you play as several other NES characters. This little video is of the leftovers the ones that didn't quite make the cut when considering who to include in the game. It's all in good fun.

VIA GoNintendo - Super Mario Leftovers

by willburns1 | with no comments

Filed under: Super Mario crossover, super mario leftovers

Auto-lacing Back to the Future II Shoes - Just like the Movie
Wednesday, July 07, 2010 11:05 AM

Back to the Future was released July 3, 1985 and was a hit sitting in the number one spot in the box office for 11 weeks straight. My favorite back to the future was the second one where Marty goes to the future to fix a problem with his family.

This is the movie that inspired Nike to recreated this futuristic shoe, but they didn't include one important feature. The auto-lacing feature that tightened the laces when you put your foot in. Never fear however, Blake Bevin made a version with micro-controllers and motors that do just that.

when you put your foot in the shoe a little pressure plate in the heel of the shoe will turn on the motors causing the laces to tighten. When you are ready to take them off just hit the switch on the back of the shoes and the motors reverse, loosening the shoe.

Pretty cool, but totally impractical. We can only hope that something like this will come out one day, not for me but would be awesome for kids. Wouldn't it be nice to just push a shoe on a kid and let it self tighten? HAHA one day!

 

by willburns1 | 1 comment(s)

Filed under: back to the future, nike, lace, auto-lacing, shoes, lacing, marty, auto

5 Cheap Gadget Sites – Get your Gadgets on the Cheap
Tuesday, July 06, 2010 4:12 PM

There are a lot of gadget retailers out there. I happen to be a big fan of ThinkGeek, but there gadgets are expensive. Websites like ThinkGeek will have gadgets that will at least meet if not exceed your expectations. There are times when you don't need high quality, but cheap items that often are pretty good deals for how much you paid for them. This is what I am investigating today, my top 5 cheap gadget sites in no particular order.

ChinaBuye

ChinaBuye sells items like Cell Phone items, Computer Gadgets, Video Game items, LED lit gadgets, and other random electronics. They have things like a Binary LED watch for $12.75, something I have always secretly wanted. They have a bunch of those USB gadgets that no one really needs, but are fun all the same.
Free Shipping: YES
Accept Paypal: YES

DealExtreme

DealExtreme sells a large arrange of products like USB gadgets, ipod accessories, video game accessories, and much more. The website has a good interface and they even have a $2 gadget section which features some pretty cool stuff. Must the gadgets you will see on this site are all going to be under $20. It's a pretty cool site and plays host to a bunch of different products.
Free Shipping: YES
Accept Paypal: YES

DealToWorld

DealToWorld sells in interesting assortment of items like flashlights, lasers, hobbies and toys, apparel, camera equipment, and more. They have a pretty good looking website that offers easy browsing of products. They have a $4.99 gadget section thats home to sever cool looking gadgets.
Free Shipping: YES
Accept Paypal: YES

9mart

9Mart has an interesting concept. Everything on the website is $9. It's kind of like the dollar store except they sell it for $9 and it might actually be something you might want. They well cellphone gear, ipod accessories, networking gear, USB gadgets, video game stuff, and more. They have a pretty cool bargain section so make sure to check that out.
Free Shipping: YES
Accept Paypal: YES

BudgetGadgets

Budget Gadgets I have actually written about before and have bought items from they sell things like RC Toys, Computer and networking gear, home and garden items, camera and photo gear, and more. Their website isn't much to look at but it's functional and has some pretty cool stuff on it. They also offer free shipping and will accept Paypal.
Free Shipping: YES
Accept Paypal: YES

by willburns1 | 1 comment(s)

Filed under: cheap gadgets, gadget sites, cheap geek gadget sites, top 5

Posterous now Imports from Blogger
Tuesday, July 06, 2010 1:42 PM

Posterous, one of the fastest growing blog platforms, can now import your Blogger blog. Posterous is a free web based blogging platform that has grown more than 700% in the last year. It'a ability to autopost to several popular websites and platforms as well as its email posting capability is what make it a great blog engine that is growing fast.

I have been using Posterous for a while now, using it to post iphone pics that are autoposted to my Facebook page. It's as simple as sending the image in an email and Posterous takes care of the rest.  

There have been several sites not happy about Posterous allowing users to import their posts from their sites. Though I don't think Google, who owns blogger, is going to put up much of a fuss. They are such a large community that they will see little to no effect in the long run.

This is a great feature for Posterous to have, because the major thing preventing someone from switching from a blog site is that all their content is stored on their other blog. This is for sure going to drive up the number of users on Posterous and we are sure to see good things from them in the future.

Posterous Importer
 

by willburns1 | 1 comment(s)

Filed under: blog, posterous switch, blogger importer, blogging, posterous

New Apple iTunes Cloud Rumors – Coming Soon with Wireless Syncing!
Friday, July 02, 2010 12:25 PM

  According to BGR, and their “reliable Apple source”, there is going to be some pretty exciting new features to iTunes and its rumored cloud capabilities. There are three main features that BGR outlines. First is that the streaming service will stream music and movies from Apple's servers to your computer and mobile devices. Second is that you will be able to stream music and movies from your home computer to another computer or mobile device. The last feature is wireless iTunes syncing with devices.

The first feature will work just as you might expect it would. It will allow you to stream purchased music and movie to your computer and devices. This allows you to listen to content without the need for a lot of local storage. The second feature will allow you to turn your home computer into the content provider, allowing you to stream your own content to your other devices. Last but not least, the one everyone wants wireless syncing. According the BGR the syncing feature will be seamless. Allowing you sync iPhone apps, changes to your calendar, notes, and contacts.

All this is well and good, but what about wireless syncing of music and other content on your phone? How nice would it be to have your pictures and videos wirelessly synced to your computer? I assume it would take up too much bandwidth and just take too long to make it a practical choice.

I have a .mac account so my contacts, notes, and calenders already sync wirelessly to my computer, so that isn't anything new for me. I think the feature I am most interested about is the ability to stream your own content to other device! It will come in handy if you want listen to music not synced with your device or watch a movie that you don't have space for.

Via BGR

by willburns1 | with no comments

Filed under: itunes, service, cloud

SecondBar – Put OS X Menubar on Both of your Monitors
Friday, July 02, 2010 11:43 AM

If you have more than one monitor you might be interested in a little piece of free software called SecondBar. It replicates the OS X menubar on your second monitor, so the active application's menu options are accessible without having to move your mouse curser to the other screen.

It does have some weaknesses however, it only works on Snow Leopard and doesn't have your extra menubar applications. It does however, have the Apple Menu and the options for the active window, which is pretty handy to have.

Like I said the application is free and can be downloaded here

by willburns1 | with no comments

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