Viewing EXIF Data in iPhoto '09

I was tearing my hair out, trying to find where I could see the EXIF Information (Shooting Data) about pictures in iPhoto - thanks to this blog post by Kevin Carter on the MacCreate website, i found it (http://iphoto.maccreate.com/2009/10/24/how-to-reveal-exif-data-in-iphoto-09/)

1. Choose a photo in iPhoto
2. Go to Photos -> Show Extended Photo Info

I had been rummaging in the get info menu with no luck but it is available - just not where I expected it :)

Getting Apple Magic mouse scrolling to work in Windows 7 via Bootcamp

After three years, my Apple Mighty Mouse finally gave out on me so I took the opportunity to buy myself a new multi-touch Apple Magic Mouse - while it was a doddle to set up in OS X (assuming you're running OS X 10.6.2), I had some problems with it in Windows. I was able to set it up to let me use the basic moving and clicking but i could get it to scroll. Some digging on the internet found that Apple have recently released an update to the bluetooth drivers for Windows XP and Vista:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL952

However, on trying to install these drivers on my 64-bit Windows machine, I got the following error:

'This update is not intended for this computer and will not be installed'

Fortunately, Rich G at wedigital.com has found a solution. He extracted the appropriate drivers from the install and conveniently put togther a 32 bit and 64 installation which seems to work pretty well for me:

Link to Rich G's blogpost about this

64-bit Windows 7 Compatible Apple Magic Mouse Driver

Thanks Rich G!

Hash key on an Apple a UK Mac Keyboard when using Bootcamp

The most successful post I've ever posted on a technical subject concerned where the heck to find the hash (#) key on a UK Mac keyboard - for some reason, Apple UK must have thought us Mac users in Blighty don't code or use Twitter ^_^

I worked it out in the end but encountered a similar problem when I started using my Mac via Bootcamp - the keystroke proved not to be the same, doh! So, having done some digging, I found that to create a # sign on a UK Mac keyboard that is running Windows via bootcamp, use the following keystroke:

Ctrl+Alt+3

Hope that helps!

Taking screenshots using a Mac running Windows via Bootcamp

I've recently switched jobs and now find that i need to use Windows 7 regularly via a Bootcamp partition on my shiny '09 Macbook Pro – it is a great little setup but i did find a small snag when trying to take screenshots using a Mac keyboard via Bootcamp. Mac keyboards don't' have a print screen key but i have learned that you can get the same effect by using the following key combinations:

Take a screenshot of the entire screen:

FN+SHIFT+F11

Take a screenshot of the active Window:

FN+ALT+SHIFT+F11

Hope that helps make y'all happy 'campers ^_^

Tethering your iPhone via Bluetooth using Windows 7

I seemed to be getting complaints from my iPhone when I tried tethering it to my Windows 7 Boot Camp partition on my MacBook Pro - the issue was that the system was looking for a driver for the Bluetooth Peripheral Device and couldn't find one. Luckily, some clever devil at the CoNetrix website found the solution to the problem - once the initial pairing has been set up, go to go to the properties of the phone in the Devices and Printers screen and click on Services tab. Uncheck “Wireless iAP” - don't worry! This doesn't stop it working as an Access Point, it just stops it asking for an inappropriate driver. Then right click on the Phone, choose 'Connect Using' and then choose 'Access Point' and voila! You have a happy, working tethered connection between your iPhone and your Windows 7 machine.

Upgrading RAM in a Intel Mac Mini

Just a very quick post (it's been too long!!!). I recently upgraded the RAM in my Mac Mini to 2gb thanks to the very reasonable pricing of RAM at crucial.com at the moment. They now have a cool little scanner app that shows you the exact memory for your machine and their prices are very reasonable (£30 for 2gb of RAM!!!!). With the ram in hand, i went to http://www.methodshop.net/gadgets/tutorials/macmini-ram/ which provides a comprehensive explanation of how to change the ram in the Intel Mac Mini (note that the process for changing RAM in the Power PC model is quite different...substancially easier in fact!)

After the intial insanity of taking the case apart (which is a truly terrifying task), the walkthru made the task fairly straight-forward. By the nature of the machine's size, it is fiddly work and not advised for a complete newbie but it isn't rocket science either - a moderately experienced hardware geek should have no trouble.

The difference in performance is immense. If you have the cash and the nerves to take this little beastie apart - i highly recommend it!

Parallels with Coherance

Just a quick post about the success I've had with the new Coherance technology built into the PC Emulation program, Parallels. When I heard about Coherance I thought it was a bit of a gimmick: Why do I really need to be able to treat Windows apps as native Mac progs? However, I have found that since I have started using it that it has made a big difference to the way I interact with Windows on my Mac. I have started working on a porject in the last couple of weeks that has required that I use TOAD and a couple of Orcale Forms apps that just don't work properly in Safari and Firefox on my Mac. With Coherance, I now have my Windows start bar fitting snuggly on top of my Dock bar and, while it is just an aesthetic change, I find myself using the Windows side of my Mac a lot more. While I'm not a huge Windows fan anymore I would say that Coherance has improved the convenience of the Windows-side of modern Mac life and that can only be a good thing.