Tag: OSX

Getting started with Applescript

AppleScriptI’ve started writing quite a bit more lately. My tools of choice are OmmWriter for short pieces or parts of larger projects, a specific playlist in iTunes, Apimac Timer (to timebox myself), and Scrivener for larger projects. Me being lazy in a productive way, I was looking for a way to just lauch and setup all of the above for writing with a short couple QuickSilver keystrokes. Enter Applescript. In order to make it all work, I had to first LEARN enough Applescript to pull it all together. That is where this site came in handy for learning the basics of Applescript. I’ll grab a quick video later that shows how it all works, but for now, enjoy learning how to automate a lot of the repetitive things you do everyday.

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Two Mail.app plug-ins all Exchange users need

Mail.app
Mail.app

If you are using Mail.app with with MS Exchange, you know the frustration of sending attachments and opening those dreaded winmail.dat files (the sender sent a MS Exchange email file as an attachment). Grr.

To get around dealing with Microsoft’s refusal to comply with email standards, I recommend two mail.app plug-ins:
Lokiware’s Attachment Tamer and Christopher Atlan’s Letter Opener Pro. Both programs will end the your MS Exchange email attachment problems. Here’s what they do:

Attachment Tamer (from the Lokiware product description):

  • Display (and print) images, PDFs, audio and video as icons with an optional file size limit and exceptions;
  • Send messages compatible with Microsoft Outlook, Exchange and other software, preventing the superfluous “ATT0001” attachments;
  • Send images as regular attachments, making it easier for the recipient to manipulate the image files;
  • Send images embedded in HTML layout and safely mix embedded images with other attachments;
  • Display full attachment names regardless of length instead of truncated names;
  • Automatically display attachments at the top of messages;
  • Prevent unwanted image resizing or set a default size for automatic image resizing.

Letter Opener Pro:

  • Allows Browser addachment of a winmail.dat file
  • Adds the capability to add appointments contained in winmail.dat files directly to iCal
  • Adds the capability to create contacts contained in winmail.dat files directly in Address Book
  • Adds the capability to display those dreaded nested messages
  • Allows you to convert attached winmail.dat Outlook Notes to plain text
  • And reads and delivers MS Exchange receipts (for those nutbags that subscribe to Level 3 Leadership)

Powered by ScribeFire.

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IRC Client for OS X

ircI’m looking for an IRC client for OS X. I’ve run acros several but I’m not sure which will fit my needs.

Here are the current candidates:

I’m leaning toward X-Chat Aqua, but would like to hear other suggestions.

Thoughts?

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Disable infrared receiver on Apple computers

I’ve had this annoyance for a while now and was too lazy to Google it. I have an iPhone docking station, an iPod docking station and my Apple MacBook. All three devices accept signals from the Apple Remote.The only device I wanted to accept signals from the remote control is my iPod since it is powering my speakers.

The solution was easier to fix than I wanted to admit. First, I switched out my iPhone dock for a Griffin Simplifi Dock for iPod and iPhone, Media Card Reader, and USB Hub in One Device (Aluminum).

Griffin Simplifi Dock for iPod and iPhone, Media Card Reader, and USB Hub in One Device

Next I used this article on TUAW to disable my IR receiver on my MacBook.

Easy as Pie.