Selecting just the text if the entire text block is also a link
~MacOSXHints
Sometimes but increasingly often, a text link isn’t just one simple clickable word within a larger text passage but instead an entire block of text inside a table or frame. Although it is convenient that you can click just anywhere in a text area to open the associated link, it is very frustrating that selecting the text to copy it may be very difficult.
Drag Albums out of iTunes
~MacOSXHints
It’s probably a well documented feature of iTunes since 8.1 but in Cover Flow mode, you can drag the image of an album to, say, the Desktop (or whatever folder) and it will copy the tracks in that location. Neat!
[crarko adds: I tested this, and it works as described. You may want to first create a folder on your desktop to drag these into, since this process does not. ]
Trim Music Files in iTunes
~MacOSXHints
If you’re like me, you hate paying for software that does things that you think your computer should be able to do for free.
One day after I got Snow Leopard, I really need to trim a music file for my phone, to create a ringtone. Turns out, this can be accomplished, right in iTunes.
In iTunes, do “Get Info (Command-I)” on the file you want to trim, then on the Options tab set the Start Time and Stop Time to where you want to trim the file. Click “OK” to save the options. Then on the Advanced menu, choose “Create MP3 Version”. A new file is created that is trimmed to what you set in Start Time and Stop Time.
Quick View Presentation Mode
~Mac Hints & Tips
Here’s a cool trick. When in Finder, you can quick view a file without opening it’s associated application. Great for text files, pdf, html, php, doc, xls, and so on.
Did you know you can open the file in full screen (presentation mode) by holding down the Option key before clicking the quick view eye button?
Speed display of installed Apps in iTunes, and see more info
~MacOSXHints
One thing that has always annoyed me about looking at the Apps section of iTunes — where I can see the collection of programs installed on my iPhone (and now iPad) — is that it took forever to load and display the icons for 500+ apps.
Then, while exploring iTunes 9.1 for new features, I noticed that the View menu works when in the Apps category. To solve the speed issue, just select the Apps category, then choose View » As List (or just press Command-Option-3). No more delays, and there’s even a bonus to using this method: you can add additional columns to the display (by Control-clicking on the header area of the display). I added Purchase Date, Kind, and Version. (Kind is very useful, as it’s the only way I know of to find the iPad-only apps in your collection.)
I will admit I have no idea if this is new in 9.1 or not — I just know that I’ve not seen it before, nor had a number of fellow Mac authors and Twitter followers. Hence, it’s now a hint.
Get Instant Maps
~Mac Hints & Tips
In Leopard, your Address Book doesn’t just tell you where to go — it shows you!
To get an instant map to any address, just Control/click on the address field of a contact card (or right-click if you have a two-button mouse). Then select “Map Of.”
This command opens Safari (if it’s not already open) and reveals the address in Google Maps.
This trick isn’t just confined to Address Book: Leopard can detect street addresses within Mail as well. When your cursor hovers over a street address in an email, a dotted rectangle surrounds it and a small gray triangle appears. Click on the triangle and select “Show Map…” to see the address in Google Maps.