Mac Software
Over the weekend, I came across two ‘must-have’ pieces of software for Mac users, so I thought I’d let you all in on the secret.
The first is Typinator, a little program that allows you to automate repetitive key strokes. For instance if, like me, you visit a lot of websites where you have to put in your email address to log-in, you could use Typinator to create a keyboard abbreviation to save you having to type it every time. Or you can use it to insert an image of your signature at the bottom of letters. It also acts as a correction service, too, with built in sets of commonly mis-typed words.
Basically, it’s the Auto Correct function from Microsoft Office, but applied on a system-wide scale. So far, I haven’t found any applications where it doesn’t work.
You can buy Typinator from their website or you can do what I did and get it free from MacHeist.
If you’ve spent a lot of time using Windows systems – like I have – you’ll have got used to your Home and End keys working in a certain way. And you’ll probably be quite annoyed by the fact that they don’t work like that in OS X. Previously, I’ve used KeyFixer to solve this issue, but it’s not perfect and doesn’t seem to work with every application. Which is why I’m so happy to have found Double Command, a donation-ware utility, that does.
I’ve been using Double Command for the last couple of hours and so far haven’t found any application where the remapping doesn’t work. As well as remapping Home and End, it also gives you freedom to make other changes, too.
If you’ve got any tips for ‘must-have’ Mac software, drop me a comment.
Brief Notes
1. Possible taxes have been in the news just recently. First, there was the Scottish GP who wanted to tax chocolate to tackle obesity. The basis for his reasoning seems to be that fat people eat a lot of chocolate, therefore if you tax it so that it’s more expensive then they won’t eat as much of it, and they’ll lose weight.
Of course, that’s a load of bollocks. And it’s worrying that a GP would think that the problem of obesity is caused by chocolate alone and can be solved by making chocolate too expensive to buy.
2. The other tax being proposed – by none other than the Chief Medical Officer – is another tax on drinking. Well, to be fair, not a tax as such – a minimum price per unit. Again, this is intended as something that will be good for us and stop us all drinking so much. And, again, it’s complete bollocks. The problem isn’t – and never has been – the price of the alcohol; it’s the minority who can’t drink responsibly. You know who I’m talking about, you’ve seen them on a Friday and Saturday night puking up in the street or kicking the crap out of some poor passer-by.
Both of these misguided attempts at restricting our personal freedoms ignore one small but important fact – the majority of people are not obese and are not irresponsible drinkers. So why should they have to pay extra to try and solve the problems of the minority?
3. A recent survey found that six out of seven dwarves are not Happy.
4. Congratulations to Robert Webb for winning Comic Relief’s dancing contest. His interpretation of ‘Flashdance’ was just hilarious.
5. Oh no! They’re going to make a film version of Stephen King’s It. Well, at least it can’t be any worse than the TV version, which had John Boy Walton as the lead good guy and a totally unrecognisbale – and miscast – Tim Curry as Pennywise.
For me, this is one of those books that’s just not filmable; too much has to be sacrificed to make it fit the time scale demanded by a film audience. All you end up with is the fight against the (rather lame) alien, and the book isn’t really about that. It’s about the nature of friendship and how it changes as we get older, and how you can’t ever regain what you had, however much you try. The alien bashing is really secondary.
SOTD #184
Today’s song is Wrote A Song For Everyone by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Met myself a comin’ county welfare line.
I was feelin’ strung out, Hung out on the line.
Saw myself a goin’, down to war in June.
All I want, All I want is to write myself a tune.
Wrote a song for everyone,
Wrote a song for truth.
Wrote a song for everyone,
When I couldn’t even talk to you.
Got myself arrested, Wound me up in jail.
Richmond ’bout to blow up, Communication failed.
If you see the answer, now’s the time to say.
All I want, All I want is to get you down to pray.
Wrote a song for everyone,
Wrote a song for truth.
Wrote a song for everyone,
When I couldn’t even talk to you.
Saw the people standin’ thousand years in chains.
Somebody said it’s diff’rent now, look, it’s just the same.
Pharoahs spin the message, round and round the truth.
They could have saved a million people, How can I tell you?
Wrote a song for everyone,
Wrote a song for truth.
Wrote a song for everyone,
When I couldn’t even talk to you.
The wonderful CCR, and yet another classic song from John Fogarty and co.
Wolfs Helpers
