Wii Remote for Mac

Just got a Wii console and tried to use Wii Remote to control my iMac computer. The free program is called as DarwiiRemote and it is available from SourceForge.net (popular open source web page).

The program is very easy to install but not so easy to use for starters. However, I tried for about 1 hour to figure it out. Basically, I think you have to start it each time when you turn on your computer. Then from WiiRmote Event Log window, click on "Find Wiimote" button to search for it (you have to press 1 and 2 buttons simultaneously). After it is detected, you can use it.

By default, there is only one profile available, "Apple Remote", which is for Apple remote to control Font Row. You can configure your Wii remote buttons there for Apple remote. To use Wii remote controller as a mouse for iMac, you have to create one. I created one "Mouse" from DarWiiRemote's Preference, and do the same thing to configure buttons.

I find out it is not a good idea to use Wii remote controler to simulate mouse movement, which could be set in WiiRemote Event Log window. If you do that, your real mouse will compete with the Wii remote controler and it is not easy to control mouse movement. I lose it all the time. It keeps sliding down and moving out of my screen. However, you can use Wii remote to simulate mouse buttons, but it is very basic simulation. For example, Down button could move your FireFox window's content down, but you have to keep press and release it if you want keeping down. It does not simulate down continuously.

All in all, it is fun to play it. If you don't have Font Row or Apple Remote control, Wii may be good alternative to browse your movie, music and photos. I am going to get a MacBook Pro and do not have to pay $50.oo for Apple Remote.

Fluid and Mac Icons

Fluid is a very interesting and good web browser based program. I like it very much. Basically, you can create a Site Specific Browser application just like a desktop application. Then you can launch it to access the SSB in one browser for that site.

One trick about this is that in most cases, you would have to set its preference to Allowing browsing any URL. Otherwise, if you click on one link to another location, the default browser, Safari in iMac, would be opened. Of course, you can add URLs to matching pattern list. However, that's too much work to figure out what URLs in the SSB you will be interested.

By default, the icon for the SSB application is in low resolution. It is recommended to update icons for it. You can google "Fluid Icons". The first one is Flickr Icons. There are some good icons there, but they are mostly image files. You have to copy the image and paste it to SSB's icon (through General Info or Command + I key). There are also some free Mac icons available. The following are some links:

• Flickr Fluid Icons. Most are tif/jpeg image files.


• iconahhoic.com. Some are cool icons.


• Pixelgirl Presents Free Mac and PC icons, Desktops, iPhone Wllpapers and more!

Icons are important part of OS. Mac Icons are really cool and fun to have. They are also very important for developers. By using good icons, your application will shine,

By the way, I realize that Fluid SSB applications do take considerable HD spaces. Each app takes about 10MB. Fluid itself is very small, about 3.5MB to download. I think that Fluid is using the default browser actually. The SSB may be a light weighted of the default browser. If I change my default browser to Firefox, I would image the SSB is Firefox like. I don't think I'll create too many SSBs. You just cannot manager more than 10 or 20 applications. Just a few for my blogger and emails is good enough.

However, SSBs are really convenient to use. For example, I created a SSB for my blogger. So I don't need to open my Firefox browser to view or to create a blog any more. I can launch it by Spotlight key (Command+Space) and type in f_davidChuBlogger.app (only first few words). Then the SSB is specific for my blogger. In Firefox, I have to tab back and forth to get some site information. With Fluid SSB, I can open my browser and blogger SSB at the same time overlapped.

As recommended by ScreenCastsOnLine (one podcast video show on Fluid), all Fluid SSBs are prefixed with f_ for easy access and distinguish them from other applications.

Uninstall Application and Set Default Application for Certain Files

I installed OpenOffice when I got my iMac. However, soon I found out that NeoOffice is based on OpenOffice but specially for Mac. I was hesitated to make a switch. I could not find uninstallation package for OpenOffice and worried about clean removing if I simply remove it. For example, I realized that there is Open with choice for OpenOffice and how it would be cleared if I just delete it.

After googling for a while, I found it is just as simple as just delete the application! There is another place I could check: /Library/Application Suppport to see if there any OpenOffice folder there. I tried to delete the application. It is gone. So simple to clean an application on Mac, not liking Windows where you might left some registry settings or dll files in <Windows> or <Windows/Systems> or some where in "Program Files" folder. Of course, I have to remove some aliases I places in other use accounts.

Then I installed NeoOffice.app. Its UI is much better than OpenOffice, and it's a complete package with document editing, spreed sheet, presentations, and database. I used the first two in most cases.

The next problem is that my default Open option for documentation or excel files are back to Apple's TextEdit.app and Numbers.app. To change the default Open With is quite simple:

1. Select a file in Finder,
2. Press Command+I key to open File Information window
3. Change to an option in Open with option list.
4. Click on button Change All... will change the default for all files like this.

Command+I is a generic Apple Key for information. For file information, you can also change file icon there. Just select the icon of a file, use either menu Edit|Copy or Command+C to make a copy to get the source icon. Then open another file's information window, select its icon then past the source icon (Eidt|Paste or Command+V). To undo it, just press Command+Z.

After several month practice, I am getting used to Mac interface and really like my iMac. It is very stable, fast, easy to use and many more!

Time Machine

Recently, my Windows computer has lost its boot section twice this month. Finally, the HD is dead. Fortunately, I used Norton's Ghost to back up my C: driver. Therefore, I replaced my HD and restored the image.

My Mac does not have any backup yet. This is warning for me. Then I purchased a 500GB external HD and tried to use Mac's Time Machine to back up my HD. The installation is very simple. I don't need to install any driver. However, when I plugged in the USB cable, the HD did not show up. I had to restart my Mac to get the USB HD available for use.

As most people mentioned, the first time back up took a while to complete. I let it run last night. It took about 100GB space and the TM doing hourly incremental back for today. I tried to browse TM. The UI is very cool.

I also realized that the back up was done for my whole HD, including other users I have defined. I cannot see their files in TM, but other users can see their back ups when they log in.

I am not sure how long my 500GB will run out of space. In case that happens, I'll see if I have option to remove the oldest backup to free some space for the next.

Preview with Some PDF Editing Features

I just realized that Preview has some PDF editing features. javascript:void(0)For example, you can move pages to a new location. You can also add pages from another PDF file by dragging, or just drag a PDF file to a location.

A blank page can be added. It may be helpful it you want to print two-sides in right order or sequence.

Other features are to add Note, Link, Oval, Rectangle, and Bookmark. However, the Bookmark applies to all PDF files, which means bookmarks are saved outside PDF file. I use Notes to add comments to replace TOC (see next). Preview provides Annotation view these items. By clicking on a note, I can see the page right away. When a note is selected or outlined with a frame, you cannot see the note content. Make sure there is not frame displayed. The selection is used to delete a note.

One thing that is missing, at least I cannot find out how, is to add Table of Contents (TOC). I am not sure if there is any add-on with this function or not.

Anyway, it is very cool! I was wondering if I have to buy Acrobat full version for these needed features. This free offer is very sweet!.

"Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish", Steve Job's Speech

I found the following Steve Jobs Speech from Using Mac web page. It is very motivational one. I read stories about Mac and Steve Jobs. This speech is a very brief all about them.


Watch it and enjoy it.

Text of Steve Jobs' Commencement address, June 14, 2005

Create Alias & Quick Move to Trash

To create an Alias in Mac is very easy. Normally, you just right click on a file or application (or hold Control and click if you disable the secondary mouse button), select Make Alias. Then an Alias is created in the same folder.

An Alias in Mac can be distinguished by an icon with an arraw on the left bottom of its icon.

However, sometime, you cannot see the Make Alias in the context menu. Here is another way to create an Alias: hold and drag a file/applicaiton icon to another location, then hold Option and Command key. You will see an Alias icon. Drop the icon, then it is the Alias you want.

I like to use keyboard most of time. It is very convenient and quick. To delete a file or folder, you can select the item, then hold Command key and press delete key.