osx applications
Computer Display Calibration 101
12:13PM Sarah Stokely | The Coding Horror blog has written up “Computer Display Calibration 101″.
“If you’ve invested in a quality monitor for your computer, you owe it to yourself– and your eyes– to spend 15 minutes setting it up properly for your viewing environment.”
It also points out that Microsoft Media Center has a decent display calibration wizard built in. That I did not know.
Unfortunately since the DVI input on my monitor went south for no reason that I can discern, I’m back in VGA hell, but reading this post has given me a boot up the bum to actually get that fixed.
Computer Display Calibration 101 [Coding Horror] More » 
Organize Your Start Menu with SMOz
8:00AM Adam Pash | Windows only: Clean up and organise your Windows Start menu with free, open source application SMOz (Start Menu Organizer). With SMOz you can arrange your Start menu content by category through a simple, Windows Explorer-like interface. If you’re not sure where to get started, try using one of the automated templates, which will move recognised applications (like iTunes) into pre-defined categories (like Multimedia). Granted, fewer and fewer of us still rely on the Start menu since the proliferation of application launchers like Launchy, but if you still prefer the old point and click of the Start menu, SMOz is an excellent tool to clean up the mess. SMOz is a free application, Windows only. SMOz [SourceForge via Inspect My Gadget] More »
Title Bar Browser Timer
10:30PM Gina Trapani | Wanna limit the time you spend goofing off online? Ask MetaFilter user myrrh created a timer that counts down a certain number of minutes in your browser title bar (or background tab) and pops up a browser alert dialog when it’s done. Run a timed work dash or limit your Facebook break without installing any extra software—the magic all happens in this page’s Javascript. Hit the link to give the timer a try. Thanks, Iron! Title bar timer [via Ask MetaFilter] More »
Cover Your Butt At Work with Thorough Notes
2:30AM Gina Trapani | You may not be a troublemaker, or someone who raises hell in the workplace. But sometimes trouble has a way of finding even the best employee. Workplace miscommunication and conflict can add stress to every day and make your life miserable. But there’s an easy way to protect yourself from accusations, blame and disrespect at the office: by keeping great notes. More »
Do You Sign The Back Of Your Credit Cards?
3:00AM Wendy Boswell | One of the most common ways to guard yourself against credit card misuse is to sign the back of your card, so that merchants can check the signature on your card with that on your ID. Right? Well, maybe not. According to financial blog The Tao of Making Money, the best practice is not to sign it. Here’s our official advice on signing the strip on the back: Don’t sign it. It’s useless as a deterrent, as anyone who takes your card then has a sample of your signature which they can not only use on any charge slip, but on your cheques as well. However, do not leave the white strip blank. In that space, write: “Ask For Picture ID,” and be prepared to back that up someday when you’re in a hurry and the clerk wants to see a driver’s licence as well as the card. It makes the charge transaction a little longer, but a lot safer. I’ve been doing this for years and while it’s not a perfect solution, it certainly is better than nothing. Let’s hear your thoughts on this: signing, or not signing? You know what to do. Sign The Back Of Your Credit Cards – Useless Fraud Prevention Advice? [The Tao of Making Money] More »
We Want to See Your Menu Bar
8:00AM Adam Pash | Yesterday the Windows folks had their chance to show off their favourite system tray apps, so now it’s the Mac users’ turn. That means it’s time to give us a closer look at your menu bar—the applications you regularly run on the top right of your Mac next to your clock and Spotlight. Hit the jump for more details and the detailed submission guidelines. More »
Change Firefox’s Ctrl+Enter Behaviour
1:00AM Gina Trapani | You already know that you can auto-complete web site addresses in Firefox’s location bar using keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+Enter and Ctrl+Shift+Enter. (Oh, you didn’t? Here’s how to never type http://, www, .com or .org again.) The How-To Geek explains how to tweak Firefox’s about:config settings to alter the behaviour of those keystrokes to your liking. So if you visit more .co.uk’s more than .com’s, Ctrl+Enter can fill in .co.uk instead. Just change the browser.fixup.alternate.suffix value to your desired suffix. Change Ctrl+Enter Behavior in Firefox [the How-To Geek] More »
Use a Digital Timer to Get Things Done
12:30AM Gina Trapani | A self-made millionaire mum describes how she uses a digital timer to keep herself focused on getting work done during certain times of the day. As a “work”-from-home mum of a two-year-old, I find it necessary to structure my writing and blogging time according to her schedule and push to GET IT DONE. I write when she’s sleeping in, napping, or enjoying one-on-one time with her daddy. More »
Find an Available Merchant Fast with FastCall411
7:00AM Adam Pash | US-centric: Find a local merchant fast with web application FastCall411, a tool that calls multiple businesses at one time and then connects you to the first business to pick up. FastCall411’s goal is to put an end to the days of flipping through your Yellow Pages calling one business at a time until you finally get ahold of someone. Right now the app only supports limited areas and services (I can only quickly get ahold of a plumber in Los Angeles), but in time it should have a pretty robust list of service offerings. If you happen to see a merchant you like in the search, you can also tell FastCall411 to dial only that merchant. Right now FastCall411 has a little way to go, but in time it could be an interesting and useful service. Alternately—if you’re feeling lonely—you could just use the demo on the front page to call up three of your friends and talk to the first one that answers. FastCall411 [via Webware] More »
