RockMelt browser review - I'll probably be off this "social web browser" kick soon, but at the moment, it's a very intriguing playing field. As I wrote in my earlier Mac social web browsers review, even in a beta status, I think the new RockMelt browser is the current king of social web browsers.
If you're interested in going down the social web browser road, here's what's good about RockMelt:
Best Mac Twitter app: Over the last several weeks I've been looking for the best Mac Twitter app I can find (along with the best Mac Facebook app I can find), and I have to say, I'm pretty much sold on the combination of Mac, the RockMelt browser, and Growl (a Mac notification app). Not only is this a good Mac Twitter app, it's also a good Mac Facebook app, and, well, a good general Mac social app approach.
Apple TV vs MacMini: I just had an interesting conversation with a friend interested in buying an Apple TV. I told her I'd never buy one, not in its current state. With few exceptions, everything you do on the AppleTV is just going to cost you more money.
Want to watch a movie on Apple TV? Pay up.
Want to watch a tv show on Apple TV? Pay up.
Want to put a DVD you already own (or just rented) in an Apple TV? Sorry, no DVD slot.
A Mac social browsers review: For the last two weeks I've been bouncing back and forth between using different "social browsers" on Mac Mac OS X systems, including Mac browsers like Flock, RockMelt, and related apps like YooNo. Here's what I've learned about Mac social browser browsers, apps, and widgets.
Mac Dropbox news: Dropbox.com has announced a new release of their Dropbox backup and syncing software, bringing them up to Dropbox 1.0. The new version offers "hundreds of bug fixes, vastly reduced resource usage, selective sync, and a new installation wizard."
Here's a quick look at the new Dropbox.com features, with a little focus on Mac Dropbox features:
Hundreds of bug fixes: Okay, nothing sexy there, but glad they're fixed.
CakePHP Auth user login FAQ: Help, how do I get access to the CakePHP user object (user information) after using the CakePHP Auth component for the recommended CakePHP user login process?
Git shortcuts FAQ: Can I create Git shortcuts (aliases) so I don't have to type out full Git commands like "git commit..."?
I've been reading the Pro Git book a lot lately, and the short answer is yes, you can create Git shortcuts so you don't have to type out the long Git commands. Here are several Git shortcut commands (referred to as "git aliases") from the Pro Git book:
CakePHP user registration FAQ: The cookbook covers the topic of CakePHP user login forms, but the CakePHP Auth module uses SHA1 for passwords, and the cookbook doesn't cover user registration (creating users, and SHA1 passwords); how do I set up a CakePHP user registration form, including all necessary CakePHP model, view, and controller classes?
Setting up a basic CakePHP registration form isn't too hard, er, well, once you know how to do it. Here's how.
CakePHP FAQ: Help, I'm getting a CakePHP error message like "Cannot modify header information - headers already sent"; what's going on? (Oh, and I may have just added some "redirect" functionality to my application.)
A brief commercial interruption that you might actually like: ThinkGeek is having a clearance sale, including giving away a free Rubik's Mirror Block Cube with a $40 purchase. Here's a collection of clearance sale ads they just sent me. Happy geeky shopping.
Git empty directories FAQ: How do I add an empty directory to a Git repository?
Short answer - you can't. (See below for the workaround.) The design of the Git staging area only accounts for files, as described in the Git FAQ, and other books like Pro Git.
Here's the text from the Git FAQ section, "Can I add empty directories to a Git repository":
A2 Hosting Review 2010, Day 4: After four years of using GoDaddy web hosting services, four days ago (December, 2010) I started an experiment to use the A2 Hosting web hosting services. A2's specs -- including the ability to access my web server and also use an A2 Hosting server as a private Git server -- looked impressive, so I set up a new domain and website with them.
CakePHP MAMP MySQL FAQ: I'm using the "cake bake" command in a CakePHP application I'm developing using MAMP, and I get a MySQL socket connection error, specifically:
MySQL timestamp FAQ: How can I update a MySQL TIMESTAMP field when I issue an update for a MySQL database table?
MySQL has some crazy rules about how timestamp fields can be created, but one nice "timestamp update" syntax you can use looks like this, assuming that you're declaring a timestamp field named last_updated:
Taking a break from my regularly scheduled technical writing, if you ever wondered what the weather was like in Alaska in the winter, I just wrote a short post about an 80-mph winter wind storm that hit Wasilla, Alaska yesterday.
Mac Safari shortcuts FAQ: What are the most common Mac Safari shortcuts (Mac Safari keyboard shortcuts)?
Here's a quick list of the most common Mac Safari shortcuts (Mac Safari keyboard shortcuts):
Mac Dock size FAQ: How do I change the Mac Dock size (increase/decrease the Mac Dock size), including the Mac Dock icon size, and how large the Dock icons get when I roll over them?
There are several ways to change the Mac Dock size, but they all involve getting to the Mac Dock Preferences window. The way I normally do it is:
Mac Finder font size FAQ: How do I adjust the Mac Finder font size (also known as the Mac Finder folder font size)?
You can adjust the Mac Finder font size by right-clicking on an open area of a Mac Finder folder, then selecting the Show View Options menu item. From the dialog that is displayed you can adjust the Finder folder grid size, font size, and a couple of other things there, including:
Mac Desktop font size FAQ: How do I adjust the Mac Desktop font size? (Related: How do I adjust the Mac Desktop icon size?)
You can adjust the Mac Desktop font size (and Mac Desktop icon size) by right-clicking on an open area of your Mac Desktop, then selecting Show View Options.
From that dialog you can adjust the Desktop icon size, Desktop font size, and a couple of other things there:
Mac Spaces minimized windows FAQ: How do I open a minimized Mac window in the current Mac Space?
I love the Mac Spaces feature, but it has nearly driven me insane that when I click a minimized Mac application window (a window minimized to the Mac Dock), it changes the current Mac Space to whatever Space that window was opened in before, and then opens the window. 98% of the time I want that minimized Mac window to open in the current Mac Space, not whatever the old application Space was.
