Clamshell Mode Performance Issues: A Myth?

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Background A while back, I remember hearing a theory floating around that running a Mac in clamshell mode forced OS X to throttle the processor to save on heat. There is a tiny bit of anecdotal evidence to support such a claim (here) which ultimately suggests that something about clamshell mode might be slowing down the performance of the machine. As someone who runs his machine in clamshell mode quite frequently (the compulsive neat freak in me loves that it saves me space on my desk), I decided to put this …

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iOS and The State of Innovation

The first version of iOS (nee iPhone OS).

Quite a few people have been commenting on an ostensible lack of innovation on the part of Apple when it comes to iOS. Search the word “stale” in relation to iOS and you’ll find yourself with enough content for a leisurely Saturday afternoon. Is this critique warranted in light of the mobile landscape that iOS competes in? Preface and a Confession Before I begin this conversation, let me put this out there – I use iOS but I use multiple Android devices and I tend to prefer Google’s Linux based …

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The Mysterious File:/// Bug

Recently, there has been a rather silent but important story floating around about an odd bug built into Cocoa (OS X’s application programming interface that, in part, includes the user interface elements of OS X including things like buttons and text boxes). Although not generating a lot of news, this is an interesting bug that’s worth exploring. Triggering the Bug The bug manifests itself simply by typing File:/// into any native Cocoa widget. Open up any application that uses Cocoa for its text boxes and enter that string. Press space …

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VEHO’s Muvi X-Lapse…thing.

Lapse It Pro Adjustments

I’m going to get the really boring and technical stuff out of the way first, so that I have room for my personal thoughts and… stuff. What is the Muvi X-Lapse? “The MUVI™ X-Lapse is the must have accessory for every film maker who wants to add something different to their movie edits. The MUVI™ X-Lapse enables a film maker to take up to 360° degree sweeping time-lapse images that when edited together create an amazing movie effect. It has both male and female standard 1/4 -20 UNC tripod screw …

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OS X Lion Server Part 01 – What Type of Server R2

File Sharing

Preamble This is a guide to OS X Lion and Mountain Lion Server. There are a few differences but they are not major. Some people will want to run a server on an older Mac, one that doesn’t qualify for Mountain Lion. You won’t be able to find Lion Server on the Apple store, but I can confirm that Apple will still sell you Lion and Lion Server if you call Apple sales. So let’s get started. OS X Server, the server for everyone. Well, nearly right because it is and …

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Review: CoolerMaster Gear

2012-08-28 19.01.13

Jas Pro – Stretch  Using a laptop flat on your desk isn’t the best for your posture, unless you have a secondary monitor. Using a stand can bring the screen up to a proper eye level. I’ve recently started using the Cooler Master’s Jas Pro for my MacBook Pro, and it makes a big difference. Made out of aluminum to match current Apple products, the stand is lined with soft rubber along the important edges that will touch your MacBook. The front tab holds the computer, and is plenty big to accommodate even an ancient …

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Back It Up Part 2

In part one of this series, I discussed what files to backup and what types of backups were possible. Whether you choose to archive, backup, or clone data, if you haven’t started a backup regimen, you’ll want to start one. This isn’t a review of the backup programs available for Macs. Instead, we’ll learn from mistakes I’ve made backing up data. Hopefully, you will avoid similar mistakes. Cloning Issues As you can see from the reviews, there are various options available for cloning your Mac. In fact, you can use recent versions of Disk …

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IMAP Email and Notifications: How-To

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Introduction In this article we’ll look at how you can use Mountain Lion’s notification system to notify you of unread emails for any IMAP account. More specifically, we’ll look at how you can leverage Python and cron to check any email account at a specified interval, notifying you of any unread emails. Target I’m not one to limit the audience for an article since of the main purposes of this blog is to encourage you to try new things. However, this article might be better suited to those who are comfortable with the command …

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OS X Mountain Lion: The Mac-Forums Guide

mountain-lion

Contents Preamble Upgrading through the Up-to-Date Program Prepping for the Upgrade How to Create Your Own OS X Mountain Lion Install DVD or USB Drive Good News, There’s an App That Will do it For You Do it Yourself Step by Step Create a Bootable USB Installer Create a bootable DVD Using the USB drive or DVD Upgrade/Install Process Itself Post-Install/Finishing Touches Conclusion Preamble Welcome to OS X 10.8, the ninth iteration in Apple’s OS X operating system line. Codenamed “Mountain Lion”, OS X 10.8 continues the convergence of OS …

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While the MF ML Guide is Under Construction…

As we continue our work on the official Mac-Forums Mountain Lion guide, we provide the following set of links to get you started while you wait. Did you recently buy a new Mac? You many qualify for a free copy of ML. You can find more info about it here. Can you Mac handle Mountain Lion? Make sure it can by checking the system requirements here. Not sure you want to upgrade? Here’s Engadget’s comprehensive review. If that’s not comprehensive enough, the Ars Technica review will certainly be. Feel like creating …

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