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Ways to Find It

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(If you missed PMUG meeting on 3-20 this is one of the handouts)

Trying to find something you wrote or something you filed? Several simple solutions are at your side, just see which applies for your particular needs.

When you click on Finder in your Dock notice that under Devices and Places there’s a triangle next to Search For. Click under Today, Yesterday, or Past Week.

When the window comes up notice that the tool bar gives 4 choices for View. First is by Icons.

The second choice is List view. Here you can click Date Modified and things arrange from first to last, or last to first date. Click on Name and they come up in alphabetical order, either A to Z or Z to A.

The third view shows Columns and expands to the right side as you open something from one folder to another. Note the two short lines. Double click to expand the width of the open column.

The fourth choice of View opens Cover Flow. Try it out and see what comes up!

Then click on Action and note your options here. Could be useful, yes?

Go to the menu bar at the top of your screen. Under File find Label. There are 7 colors and X which reverts back to no color at all. You could assign a certain color for documents or a folders. Here you invent a system to help find things.

You can also do Command + space bar to quickly open the Spotlight for Search. A few key words will help you automatically find that document, email, or folder you want.

To find a word inside a document do Command + F and type in the word. It will be highlighted throughout the document you have open.

With your Mac you can find things!

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VirtualBox vs Parallels

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At the last regular meeting John Carter said that running Windows in VirtualBox does not access thumbdrives. Here he goes into more detail: "It is true in only one aspect. Plugging in a thumbdrive won't show up in My Computer as an available device. Two things have to be done to access any device plugged into a USB port.

"First step. Go into the VirtualBox Settings for the Windows OS and click on the Shared Folders tab. Click on the plus sign on the far left to add a new shared folder. In the Add Share pop-up, click on the down arrow for the Folder Path: field, then click on Other... . In the browser window that pops up, select the drive associated with the USB port you want to access. Give it any name you want in the Folder Name: field. Optionally, make the shared folder permanent (this is useful if you are using an external hard drive that is always plugged in). Click OK.

"Second step. Start Windows. Open My Computer. In the menu bar, click on Tools. Click on Map Network Drive... . Select a drive letter. Click on the Browse... button. In the pop-up window, click on the plus sign for 'VirtualBox Shared Folders.' Click on the folder that corresponds to the drive you want to access. If the OK button doesn't highlight right away, double click on the folder name to open the folder and wait for the folder to show the contents. At this point, you may have to double click on any subfolder to get the machine to respond (make a connection). Click back on the name of the drive you want to access. The OK button should now be active. Click on OK.

"You are now connected to the device plugged in to that USB port.

"You do not have to go through all this if you are using Parallels. With Parallels, when you plug in a device in a USB port you get a prompt that asks whether you want to access that device with the Mac or with Windows. Always choose to use with the Mac. Parallels will make it available to the Windows OS."

Fraud, Scams, Phishing, Spoofing

An email purporting to be from CableOne, asking David Passell to provide his address, password, and other ID wasn't going to fool David.  He emailed this alert to us, a reminder to be vigilant.  A look at CableOne site emphasized that warning.  Do not open a .ZIP file unless you know what it is and who it came from.  Additional resources on their site include links with info about Citibank - fraud, eBay, Monster.com, Nigerian Bank, etc.

Little-Known Feature of Mail

Exploring features of Mail, David Passell passes along some information.  He tells us that he's found, "the ability to copy text (e.g. from Jumpcut), previous emails, images into a single email to be sent. It doesn't have to be an email; you can also use the Notes feature which doesn't ask you for all the header information. The first line you type into the note is the subject."  He volunteers to show and tell some specifics for a PMUG meeting or a SIG.  He comments, "This is even handier than a Screen Movie."

Pico Projectors Coming for Mac, Too?

De Prez Allen Laudenslager brings to our attention an article at Fastcompany.com which describes a patent that Apple has applied for pico projectors built into various devices. He explains, "Pico projectors are the latest in projecting what's on your computer for general viewing, That is what we do with our presentations at the meetings and during SIG classes.

"While the main thrust seems to be toward iPhone and iPad, the patents do include the MacBooks and that would be really cool for us. It means that I could prepare my presentation and then present it without connecting to a separate projector, just point my MacBook at the wall and go!

"The article also includes some ideas about the ways it might apply to Apple TV. How about a 'big screen' TV with no screen?"

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A Helpful App for Helping Others

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Now, we hear from John Carter,  "I keep finding applications that allow me to 'see' a client's computer screen and assist them with their problems. The latest one that I have tried out (and Jackie is right now using it to assist one of her clients) is CrossLoop. It is a program you have to download and install on your computer. Creating a login is optional. You can either share your screen with another user or view their screen. It is all free.

"CrossLoop is different from Skype screen sharing in that you can optionally control the mouse of the accessed computer and take over control of that computer, if they so allow it. It is also different in that you have to use a phone line to talk to the other user while using this application. So for those people who don't use Skype, this is by far the best alternative to screen sharing.

"Jackie and I really like this app. It's simple. It's clean. It works! And it's FREE!"

"CrossLoop is VNC without the admin panel and all the hassles that go with trying to make VNC work between two computers. CrossLoop works in the most simple fashion possible. I got CrossLoop working between my Mac and the Windows XP OS on my Mac under Parallels with no feedback loop issues and absolutely no hassles in getting it to work.

"If you haven't tried CrossLoop as a replacement for VNC, you don't know what you're missing."

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Strategy & Need for Backup

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Here's that reminder we need. De Prez Allen Laudenslager explores the serious need for backing up, and explains his strategy. "This article at Daring Fireball is just about the best description of backup strategy and the critical need to stay of top of the latest software and techniques.

"While most of us don't make our living from what's on our computers, as John Gruber does, what's on our hard drives is critical to each of us. My personal back up strategy is a monthly back up with Super Duper that clones my hard drive including the OS, all applications and all files. I also run Super Duper every time I add an application.

"As things change I run Time Machine. If I write something I'm worried about, I just run a special back up, but I run Time Machine at least once a week.

"His point about multiple external drives may be over kill for most of us but with a 750 gig external drive at $125 (Costco) and Super Duper for $40 (direct on line) it's cheap insurance. I saw 100 gig drives for under 50 bucks at both Best Buy and Costco, and that will back up most of our computers unless you're really loading up on pictures or music."

(Your eyes might thank you if you use Command and + to bring up Daring Fireballs small white print to a larger size.  You might also try Control and Option and Command keys in unison with the number 8 key to toggle to black print.)

Copy & Paste Program

          Can a simple copy and paste operation be improved and made easier? David Passell thinks so.  He recommends a small, free program called Jumpcut.  As he describes it, "It can be useful when gathering subjects from a number of different sources, (e.g. googling a lot of related subjects).  Unlike Clipboard it will save selections through a shutdown and restart.  Experiment with it and see how you like it."
          Curiosity picking up here?  Take a look at the program in action on this YouTube video. And, here's the place to download Jumpcut.

David sends us a few precautions:
1. If you have a lot of extra items in the menu bar the scissors may not show up. Increase the screen resolution or remove the items. Or, better, just use its CTRL-OPT-V hot key to display the list transparently over a target document.
2. It will not cut/paste images. You will just see a blank space in the dropdown under the scissors.
3. You can only select one item at a time to paste.
4. The most recent item is at the top of the list.
5. The menu bar of an application in use (such as Word or Pages) may obscure the scissors icon. You will need to return to finder. Just click outside the application's window, then select the item to paste, then return to the application. Better still use the CTRL-OPT-V hot key to select the items you want to paste. It even provides reference numbers. The lowest is the last saved (Use the "sticky bezel" preference so it stays put.)
6. You can quit (only through the menu dropdown which also lets you set preferences ) if you want to cut and paste images or screen shots, then restart Jumpcut to continue with saving text items. For that reason you should put it in the dock. You will not see it anywhere else except the applications folder.
          David's word of encouragement, "This should interest a lot of members. Experiment with it and see how you like it."

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Find Spyware, etc.

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This just in from David Passell, "Look what the regularly scheduled MacScan found this morning after yesterday's Google Chrome testing. Coincidence? Maybe not since the file path leads to Firefox/Profiles. Needless to say I will isolate (remove) it. (I'll look at that file first)." See http://macscan.securemac.com/ for Free trial.
And this from Apple, "will find, isolate, and remove spyware, keystroke loggers, and trojan horses as well as detect whether remote administration applications have been installed on a computer." Free download of MacScan 2.7 here. (Double click to enlarge screen shot.)

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Curious About Cookies?

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Remember when cookies were those yummy ones that Mama made?  Cookies for the computer are something else!

Corresponding with John Carter I mentioned that "Never" doesn't seem to mean Never.  Going to a website for a look before mentioning it on PMUG blog seems to have stirred up their Cookies.  Deleting seemed to have taken the Cookies off,  clicking Delete All, and then Allow Cookies Never didn't cancel their return.  Later the Cookies were back.

Here's John's take: "This is very surprising. I haven't gone to the trouble to check if cookies come back on me - ever. So I have not experienced this problem, but it may be there nontheless. I am using Chrome as my default browser now, and you'll see my report on that in another email.  I'm going to start checking for cookies on sites that I have deleted cookies on and don't revisit (pingtest.net being one) to see if those cookies return."

Soon John wrote back with more info on Cookies. "Ah-ha! I think I just discovered why you are getting those cookies. Safari has loaded the sites you visited in Top Sites. Every time you delete a cookie from a site, close Safari, and reopen (and maybe you don't even have to reopen), Top Sites might be reloading the cookies when it refreshes the list in Top Sites.

"Maybe if you clear all browsing data and your browser history from Safari after deleting cookies this will also clean out Top Sites and the problem will go away.

"But like I said, you should not choose Never for saving cookies because that will prevent you from visiting sites that require cookies to be set unless you have entered those sites in your cookie allowed list. It can be more of an inconvenience to update that list than it is to allow cookies only for sites that you visit.

"The only logical reason (logic and reason being at odds with each other) to block cookies is the fear that one of them will pass personal data to the outside world."

John continues, "Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia:
'A cookie can be used for authentication, session tracking (state maintenance), storing site preferences, shopping cart contents, the identifier for a server-based session, or anything else that can be accomplished through storing textual data.
As text, cookies are not executable. Because they are not executed, they cannot replicate themselves and are not viruses. Due to the browser mechanism to set and read cookies, they can be used as spyware. Anti-spyware products may warn users about some cookies because cookies can be used to track people or violate privacy concerns.

"Cookies act as spyware simply because they can report personal information that you enter at a site such as your name, address, phone, login name, and literally anything you enter into a field except a password. That information stored by a cookie is only readable by the site that put the cookie there. That's what makes doing online banking and online purchasing safe. Such personal information is used by the site to confirm you as a returning customer. This is why you should not allow cookies to be stored on a public computer (at the library). When you connect your computer to a public LAN (at the library), your computer is protected from prying eyes simply by the fact that the server (at the library) prevents crosstalk between computers even though you are able to see all the other computers connected to that same LAN.' This needs to be confirmed by one of our Internet gurus in the club, but I believe it to be correct.

"I take serious issue with the claim that cookies can be used to track people or violate privacy concerns. Information about what kind of computer you have, what kind of operating system you use, and what kind of browser you use is not considered private information. No other information can be collected from your computer by a cookie.

"Cookies cannot infect your computer in any way."

John's conclusion is reassuring, "That being said, nothing is impossible. Just keep your operating system and your browser updated when updates are available and you'll be protected in the best possible way."
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Save Money on Ink and Refurbished Printer

Ink for that printer can be expensive, as David Passell reports here. "I was going broke paying $51.00 every two months or so for new ink cartridges for my Canon MP 470 printer. Think4Inc has Brother 1960C Refurbished printers for $89.00 (with tax it comes to $97.00). It uses separate ink tanks for each color and, according to Think4Inc's comparative rating, costs pennies per ML of ink used, as against dollars for the Canon. The ink comes in four cartridge tanks: black, yellow, magenta, and cyan.

"I bought one and have set it up. There is a free driver for Snow Leopard at brother.com which I downloaded. It didn't set up quite like the instructions said (what else is new), but I have it working and it is quite good for printing tasks. It prints/copies cleanly in color or black.

"In addition to being a printer, it is also a sheet feed copier, and is a FAX receive/transmit unit. I've never done Faxing, but I guess I can learn. For now I have the automatic receive function shut down.

"It comes with a 5.8 gb wireless telephone/speakerphone/intercom handset which I now have working nicely. It also contains an answering machine. In all, it looks like a good purchase.

"Paper is loaded into a print tray and will hold up to 100 sheets of 20# paper. It prints 4x6, letter, A4, and legal. To make a copy of anything from 4x6 up you just drop the original into a slot. I think it will copy/fax a stack of originals.

"It has a lot of functions that are selectable via a menu and an LCD screen.

"Jeff said he bought a pallet of them. If anyone is looking for a general purpose machine like this, check it out.

"I will use my MP470 mainly for when I need a flat bed scanner, or to scan things into my computer (which isn't often)."

A Ping Test

Internet connection running slow?  David Passell alerts us to a test you can perform to determine the quality of your current broadband Internet connection.

First, he describes the problem, "Currently my ISP, commspeed, is having difficulty with their system which is resulting in slow download speeds and some other problems like video clips not running smoothly. I checked the speed to verify that, and also called their technician who acknowledged the difficulty and said it would be fixed shortly. I get my link from Badger (P) Mountain, but it gets a link from Mingus Mountain where the trouble lies.

"In addition to the speed test there is another test that you can perform. I'm not sure it is limited to commspeed; anybody may be able to use it. You will find it here.

"When you select a server and run the test, you will get a result (hopefully not quite) like this. Double click to enlarge these illustration.

Now, more from David.  "So as not to make commspeed seem like such a bad guy, here is the same test this morning.  Not outstanding but usable." 

"I also ran a speed test and got a more typical result."