Mac OS X Hints published the following new tips:

- 10.6: Whitelist websites for a Mac web kiosk
- Get SPSS working again after the latest Java release
- Optimize images for Desktop Background display
- Use the new MobileMe calendar with older iOS devices
- Another way to view a Pages file in Windows
- Autocomplete in TextEdit
- iPhoto 11: Avoid possible data loss
- Keep the Lock Screen lit longer
- Move folders that are expected in specific locations
- Automate sending attachment in Thunderbird
- 10.6: Adjust trackpad navigation swipe



10.6: Whitelist websites for a Mac web kiosk

I needed to allow users of kiosk machine to only browse a list of permitted websites. This 'whitelist-only' functionality is available via OpenDNS, but it's expensive, with even the highest-end paid option allowing a miserly 50 domains. I have over 300. You can also use commercial software like wKiosk, but I found version 6's URL control to be unreliable.

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Get SPSS working again after the latest Java release

This hint tells how to get PAWS Statistics (SPSS 16,17,18) working again in Snow Leopard after the lastest Java 1.6 update from Apple.

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Optimize images for Desktop Background display

I have a large number of irregularly shaped images that I use as Desktop Backgrounds. In Desktop & Screen Saver preferences, 'Fill Screen' or 'Fit to Screen' makes small images ugly, and 'Center' crops large images quite badly -- and I'd rather keep all the images in one folder, and displayed properly.

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Use the new MobileMe calendar with older iOS devices

One of the requirements for upgrading to the new MobileMe Calendar is to have iOS 4.1 for your iPhone. If you have a first gen iPhone like I do, this is rather hard to do. If you would like to keep syncing your old iOS device and would like to use the new MobileMe Calendar you can without much trouble.

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Another way to view a Pages file in Windows

There are plenty of export options in Pages for crossplatform compatibility (.pdf, .doc, .rtf and .txt are all obvious choices). If you happen to find yourself on a PC and have to open a .pages file, you might think that you're stuck. There is a simple workaround, however.

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Autocomplete in TextEdit

While getting some work done far too late at night, my fingers accidentally pressed some buttons on the keyboard and up popped a dialog I've never seen before: an autocomplete window for TextEdit.

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iPhoto 11: Avoid possible data loss

A possible bug in the upgrade process by iLife 11 causes a loss in one's library. Even more, some of the 'successful' upgraders are not even aware that they, might too, lost some files!

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Keep the Lock Screen lit longer

I've found that using the normal backlight of my phone is sufficient for a flashlight. But waking the iPhone (before unlocking it) only keeps it lit for roughly 6 seconds and having to fully unlock it with a passcode takes too much time -- not to mention it requires looking at the phone.

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Move folders that are expected in specific locations

Quite a few badly written apps like to create folders in specific locations, and expect them to be there and nowhere else. For example, my ~/Documents folder contains items such as 'Microsoft User Data', 'Steam Content', 'TomTom', etc. Some even create folders in your home directory or worse, at the root level of the hard disk!

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Automate sending attachment in Thunderbird

As I prefer Thunderbird over Apple Mail, due to it's better handling of things like status-notifications and the like, it has always bothered me that I could not select a file in the Finder and have it being used as an attachment for Thunderbird.

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10.6: Adjust trackpad navigation swipe

Some people would prefer to retain navigation swipe functionality when enabling the new 3-finger drag. This hidden preference will remap navigation swipes from 3 to 4 fingers, displacing the Application Switcher and Exposé gestures instead of navigation swipes.

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