tag:www.accelmac.com,2008:mephisto/ Mephisto Drax 2008-04-08T20:43:41Z Ryan tag:www.accelmac.com,2008-04-05:8 2008-04-05T18:11:00Z 2008-04-08T20:43:41Z

<p><img src="http://media.accelmac.com/images/screencasts/0007_XBMC/xbmc.gif" height="98" alt="XBMC" width="128" />One thing I love about my Mac is the ability to quickly go into Front Row and watch a movie all from my bed or couch with my handy Apple remote. Well when it comes to the whole "Media Center" experience Front Row gets a B- in my grade book. The seemingly difficult task of making sure you have all of the codecs installed to play all of the movies that you ripped from your DVDs can be quite annoying. Well lets take a look of an Xbox application ported to Intel Macs. </p>

<p><img src="http://media.accelmac.com/images/screencasts/0007_XBMC/xbmc.gif" height="98" alt="XBMC" width="128" />One thing I love about my Mac is the ability to quickly go into Front Row and watch a movie all from my bed or couch with my handy Apple remote. Well when it comes to the whole "Media Center" experience Front Row gets a B- in my grade book. The seemingly difficult task of making sure you have all of the codecs installed to play all of the movies that you ripped from your DVDs can be quite annoying. Well lets take a look of an Xbox application ported to Intel Macs. </p> <p><img src="http://media.accelmac.com/images/screencasts/0007_XBMC/xbmc.gif" height="98" alt="XBMC" width="128" />One thing I love about my Mac is the ability to quickly go into Front Row and watch a movie all from my bed or couch with my handy Apple remote. Well when it comes to the whole "Media Center" experience Front Row gets a B- in my grade book. The seemingly difficult task of making sure you have all of the codecs installed to play all of the movies that you ripped from your DVDs can be quite annoying. Well lets take a look of an Xbox application ported to Intel Macs. </p> <p> This is where a seemingly odd port of an application designed to run on a Pentium III processor and a hacked console comes in. Xbox Media Center otherwise known as "XBMC" has been the go-to application for serving up video, photos, and music for console hackers everywhere. If you weren't in this small fraction of hackers (I say small but check out www.xboxscene.com and have a look at the user count in their forums) then you probably haven't heard of this application. </p> <p> &lt;embed src="http://media.accelmac.com/screencasts/0007_XBMC/XBMC.mp4" height="400" width="640">&lt;/embed> </p> <p> This screencast just touches the surface of how XBMC is going to make Front Row second best on my Mac. </p> <p> One thing I did not mention in my screencast is that XBMC for Macs requires BOTH an Intel Mac as well as Leopard. Currently it will only run on that hardware sadly. </p> <p> You can download XBMC for OSX <a href="http://www.osxbmc.com">here.</a> </p> <p>Because this is the first official screencast on the new and improved AccelMac we are going to offer this video in full 1280x800 HD which you can download <a href="http://media.accelmac.com/screencasts/0007_XBMC/XBMC.mov">here!</a>(right click to download please)</p> Ryan tag:www.accelmac.com,2008-04-02:7 2008-04-02T20:14:00Z 2008-04-08T20:45:49Z <p> Over here at AccelMac, we have been diligently working on updating the site and decided now is the time to release our laundry list of updates to come. </p> <p> Here is what has changed so far... </p> <ul> <li>New Server on Slicehost</li> <li>New Application framework (Ruby on Rails)</li> <li>New Blogging engine (Mephisto)</li> <li>New Media Server (Amazon S3)</li> </ul> <p> And what we having coming up... </p> <ul> <li>More screencasts, up to 4 screencasts a week</li> <li>RSS feeds to track new screencasts</li> <li>A calendar of upcoming screencasts</li> <li>Forums!</li> <li>Completely new web design</li> <li>Free access to web-viewable content</li> <li>Mobile version of AccelMac for screencasts on-the-go</li> <li>Guest screencasters</li> <li>Much, much more...</li> </ul> <p> A few of these options will be for paid members only. This is because we have a dedicated server and all of that bandwidth isn't free. </p> <p> We are thankful to all of you who have supported the site and especially to those who have donated! We will be offering a special membership deal just for you in the coming weeks. </p> <p> Again, we thank our faithful followers and sincerely hope you'll stick around for the newer, better AccelMac.com! </p> <p> -Ryan and Chris </p> Chris tag:www.accelmac.com,2008-03-27:5 2008-03-27T12:06:00Z 2008-04-08T20:46:17Z

<p> <img src="http://media.accelmac.com/images/screencasts/0006_app_launchers/app_launchers.png" height="128" alt="App Launchers Image" width="128" />What do we do on our computers? We browse the web, read email, and check our RSS feeds. We read and write blogs, listen to and create music and all sorts of other stuff. When we do these things, we tend to launch a couple of apps at a time. If I were browsing the web, I may have Safari, Mail, Adium, and Vienna open. If I were making a few layout changes to AccelMac, I'd have Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Safari, and CSSEdit open. In this post I'll run you through creating your own set of app launchers using a few simple lines of AppleScript. Oh, and I'll throw in a little video just to make it all a lot more fun. </p>

<p> <img src="http://media.accelmac.com/images/screencasts/0006_app_launchers/app_launchers.png" height="128" alt="App Launchers Image" width="128" />What do we do on our computers? We browse the web, read email, and check our RSS feeds. We read and write blogs, listen to and create music and all sorts of other stuff. When we do these things, we tend to launch a couple of apps at a time. If I were browsing the web, I may have Safari, Mail, Adium, and Vienna open. If I were making a few layout changes to AccelMac, I'd have Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Safari, and CSSEdit open. In this post I'll run you through creating your own set of app launchers using a few simple lines of AppleScript. Oh, and I'll throw in a little video just to make it all a lot more fun. </p> <p> &lt;embed src="http://media.accelmac.com/screencasts/0006_app_launchers/app_launchers_sd.mov" height="400" width="480">&lt;/embed> </p> <p> Our first task is to launch the AppleScript Editor. This should be on your Mac already. In Script Editor, write this: <p><code>tell application "Safari" to activate</code></p> Pretty self explanatory. Hit the Run button in the toolbar and Safari will pop up. Note that if Safari is already running nothing will happen. Close down Safari and add some more lines: <p><code>tell application "Mail" to activate<br />tell application "Vienna" to activate</code></p> Hit Run and the three apps launch (if they aren't already open). See where I'm going with this?In the menu, go to File, Save As, and type a name for your launcher. Select Application as the file format and disable Startup Screen - important! To launch the apps referenced in the program just run the file you saved.Even though you have saved your script as an Application, you can still edit it as normal. Open Script Editor and open your app like you would open a file. </p> <p> <strong>Extra Bonus Tip!</strong>Make a folder of several launchers then add them to the Dock as a stack. Set some nice icons on your launcher apps and enjoy. <p><img src="http://media.accelmac.com/images/screencasts/0006_app_launchers/app_launcher_stack.png" height="216" alt="App Launchers Stack Image" width="224" /> </p> </p> Chris tag:www.accelmac.com,2008-03-27:4 2008-03-27T11:57:00Z 2008-04-08T20:46:46Z

<p> <img src="http://media.accelmac.com/images/screencasts/0002_proximity/proximity.png" height="128" alt="proximity" width="128" />How many times have you left your Mac unattended, wishing there was a seamless way to quickly secure it from harms way? It could be to grab a coffee at work, or maybe get a drink of water before class starts. Whatever the reason, being able to control your Mac just by your presence or lack thereof can be a powerful tool to help your work flow or keep cube warfare from affecting your Mac. With Proximity, I am going to show you how you can lock your Mac just by walking out of the room. </p>

<p> <img src="http://media.accelmac.com/images/screencasts/0002_proximity/proximity.png" height="128" alt="proximity" width="128" />How many times have you left your Mac unattended, wishing there was a seamless way to quickly secure it from harms way? It could be to grab a coffee at work, or maybe get a drink of water before class starts. Whatever the reason, being able to control your Mac just by your presence or lack thereof can be a powerful tool to help your work flow or keep cube warfare from affecting your Mac. With Proximity, I am going to show you how you can lock your Mac just by walking out of the room. </p> <p>Let's get this started...</p> <p> You will need a Bluetooth-enabled phone and a Mac with Bluetooth and you'll need to connect your phone to your Mac using the Bluetooth preference pane (within System Preferences). You will not need to send any data between the two devices. Proximity works by checking on an interval see if it can "see" your phone. It will then execute AppleScripts based on that information. Bluetooth is the perfect protocol to use due to its short range being roughly 20-30 feet. </p> <p> &lt;embed src="http://media.accelmac.com/screencasts/0002_proximity/proximity_sd.mov" height="424" width="672">&lt;/embed> </p> <p> You can download Proximity <a href="http://reduxcomputing.com/proximity.php">here</a> and the developer requests that you make a donation if you really like this application. </p> Chris tag:www.accelmac.com,2008-03-27:3 2008-03-27T11:49:00Z 2008-04-08T20:47:16Z

<p> <img src="http://media.accelmac.com/images/screencasts/0001_change_icons/img2icns.png" alt="img2icn" /> I have seen some ugly icons on amazing applications and changing them can be a bit daunting if you have no idea how to change them. With this QuickTip, I'm going to show you how to quickly and easily change the icon of almost any application, folder, or drive using a simple method with img2icns and a little Finder tweak. </p>

<p> <img src="http://media.accelmac.com/images/screencasts/0001_change_icons/img2icns.png" alt="img2icn" /> I have seen some ugly icons on amazing applications and changing them can be a bit daunting if you have no idea how to change them. With this QuickTip, I'm going to show you how to quickly and easily change the icon of almost any application, folder, or drive using a simple method with img2icns and a little Finder tweak. </p> <p> &lt;embed src="http://media.accelmac.com/screencasts/0001_change_icons/changeicons_sd.mov" height="414" width="650">&lt;/embed> </p> <p> You can download img2icns free at the developers website <a href="http://www.shinyfrog.net/en/software/img2icns/">here</a>. We also have this screen cast in HD which you can download for free <a href="http://media.accelmac.com/screencasts/0001_change_icons/changeicons_hd.mov">here</a>. If you have any problems switching your icons out let us know in the comments or feel free to email us at <a href="mailto:support@accelmac.com">support@accelmac.com</a> </p> Chris tag:www.accelmac.com,2008-03-27:2 2008-03-27T11:44:00Z 2008-04-08T20:47:50Z

<p> <img src="http://media.accelmac.com/images/screencasts/0005_expandrive/expandrive.png" height="76" alt="ExpanDrive Icon" width="76" /> Remote access is all the rage these days. From Amazon’s S3 to .Mac, it seems like everyone is in on the backup bandwagon. This QuickTip will show you how you can easily turn one of those shared hosting accounts into your own personal backup site within Finder. </p>

<p> <img src="http://media.accelmac.com/images/screencasts/0005_expandrive/expandrive.png" height="76" alt="ExpanDrive Icon" width="76" /> Remote access is all the rage these days. From Amazon’s S3 to .Mac, it seems like everyone is in on the backup bandwagon. This QuickTip will show you how you can easily turn one of those shared hosting accounts into your own personal backup site within Finder. </p> <p> &lt;embed src="http://media.accelmac.com/screencasts/0005_expandrive/expandrive_sd.mov" height="414" width="652">&lt;/embed> </p> <p> ExpanDrive costs $29 and you can download it from their website <a href="http://www.magnetk.com/expandrive/">here</a> </p> Chris tag:www.accelmac.com,2008-03-27:1 2008-03-27T11:37:00Z 2008-04-08T20:48:23Z

<p> <img src="http://media.accelmac.com/images/screencasts/0004_quicklook/macosx_index_icon_quicklook.png" height="72" alt="QuickLook Icon" width="82" />Here's the first screencast in our QuickTips series. This is a 90-second look into what QuickLook is and how you can use it everyday! </p>

<p> <img src="http://media.accelmac.com/images/screencasts/0004_quicklook/macosx_index_icon_quicklook.png" height="72" alt="QuickLook Icon" width="82" />Here's the first screencast in our QuickTips series. This is a 90-second look into what QuickLook is and how you can use it everyday! </p> <p> &lt;embed src="http://media.accelmac.com/screencasts/0004_quicklook/quicklook_sd.mov" height="414" width="652">&lt;/embed> </p> <p> Download the full, HD-quality version <a href="http://media.accelmac.com/screencasts/0004_quicklook/quicklook_hd.mov">here</a>! </p>