All About ScreenCastsOnline


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ScreenCastsOnline is your one stop shop for Mac video tutorials to help you get the most out of your Mac.

With a brand new video tutorial published every week, ScreenCastsOnline covers many aspects of using your Mac with tutorials covering OSX, tutorials for switchers and those new to the Mac, the latest applications, Web 2.0 services and much much more

You can download free versions of the tutorials directly to your Mac or PC via iTunes, simply by clicking the buttons in the side bar or you can just browse the list of available free shows below or via the category list and view them directly in your browser.

Don't forget to check out all the additional benefits of becoming a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! member and accessing over 150+ HD tutorials, just by clicking here!
Thanks for visiting ScreenCastsOnline and I hope you enjoy the shows!

Don McAllister


SCO0158 - iChat AV

ichaticon
Have we really not covered iChat before? iChat AV is the latest version of Apples instant messaging client included as part of OSX Leopard. It allows you to send and receive text, audio and video directly to your OSX desktop.

Updated in Leopard, iChat AV also has some new advanced features enabling you to share your screen or even deliver remote video presentations via iChat Theatre.

In this weeks show I cover:
  • iChat Basics
  • iChat Accounts
  • Using iChat on a Bonjour Network
  • Text messaging with iChat
  • Audio messaging with iChat
  • Setting up and Using an iChat Room
  • Sharing a Keynote with iChat Theatre
  • Screen Sharing with iChat
Something different this week is that I'm joined by a couple of other well know podcasters to help me out on the chat side of things, so you hear an appearance by Chris Marshall as we audio chat between the UK and Spain, along with Allison Sheridan from the NosillaCast podcast as we video conference all the way from the US. As well as a quick text chat with Klaus Lovgreen all the way over in the United Arab Emirates - truly a global show this week!

As promised, here are the links to some of the topics and people:

Chris Marshall - Blog
Klaus Lovgreen/Geoff Smith - RingtoneFeeder and Digital Album
Allison Sheriden - NosillaCast and Podcast on Podcasting

Thanks also to Justin and Danny for popping along to the Chat room!

Discussions: Forum

Extra! Members Version formats 1280x720 - Full HD Resolution
1280x720 - Full HD Resolution with overscan
960x540 - HD Resolution
640x480 - iPod and iPhone Resolution

All versions with embedded chapter markings and available via iTunes, Miro or by direct download from the Extra! members site
Free Version Formats 960x540 - HD with overscan
640x480 - iPod and iPhone Resolution

No embedded chapters and only available via iTunes or Miro.

Become a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! Member
Extra members get access to full versions of the show in AppleTV (HD), ED and iPod resolutions.
Click here for more details on becoming a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! member

To View the Full Free Show
Subscribe to either the free versions of the shows in iTunes, and have this show plus subsequent free shows delivered to your computer each week by clicking the links below!
Free High Definition version of the show in iTunes or Free iPod version of the show in iTunes

Watch a low resolution version of this show from this web page by clicking on the video below.





SCO0157 - MobileMe Setup and iTunes 7.7 [Extra! Only]

mobileme logo
What a week for Apple! First iTunes 7.7, then the App Store, then MobileMe and finally the iPhone 3G. All in three days!

In the spirit of such an ambitious program, I thought I’d cover the rollout of MobileMe and what you needed to do to setup your Mac and iPhone using the MobileMe installer.

Leaving the show for the very last minute, I waited until Apple started the 6 hour migration task and then proceeded to cover the installer based on a pre-release of the utility. Little did I know that the 6 hour migration window scheduled by Apple would turn out to be so much longer. In fact over 24 hours later it still hadn’t finished or stabilised.

So this weeks show is really the first part of using MobileMe, and I’ve had to leave the web applications until they are generally available. I also took some time to look at the new iTunes release and the brand new App store in iTunes.

So a relatively short show this week but enough to help you out with your MobileMe migration.

Links:

Apples MobileMe Site


Discussions: Forum

Become a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! Member
Extra members get access to full versions of the show in AppleTV (HD), ED and iPod resolutions.
Click here for more details on becoming a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! member

This weeks full show is only available to ScreenCastsOnline Extra! members.

To View the Trailer
Subscribe to either the free versions of the shows in iTunes, and have this show plus subsequent free shows delivered to your computer each week by clicking the links below!
Free High Definition version of the show in iTunes or Free iPod version of the show in iTunes

Watch a low resolution version of the trailer for this show from this web page by clicking on the video below.







SCO0156 - Leech Download Manager

Leech LArge Icon
Peter Maurer is a name familiar to many Mac users, as the original creator of Textpander (re-launched as TextExpander by Smile on my Mac) as well as many other excellent Mac utilities we've touched on in previous episodes of ScreenCastsOnline (ServiceScrubber and Displaperture to name but a few!)

Peter has now turned his considerable talents to develop a brand new lightweight download manager - Leech

Leech was designed to be small yet powerful, with all the features you need to efficiently and quickly download files using full integration with the top OS X browsers - Safari, Camino, OmniWeb and FireFox (using the Flashgot plugin for FireFox).

With a simple yet elegant user interface, Leech was built from the ground up to be a great example of an OS X application.

In this weeks show, I take you through:
  • Leech Features
  • Installation and Configuration
  • Using Leech to download files
  • Creating and Using Leech Rules
  • Using Leech History
  • Camino and FireFox Integration
In addition, I also include details of a special ScreenCastsOnline discount code to get a 20% discount off the usual price of Leech, kindly supplied by Many Tricks, the sponsors of this weeks episode.

There is an additional discount available for users of other download managers who might want to purchase Leech. Just send proof of purchase of the other download manager to info@manytricks.com for futher information on obtaining the additional discount.

Discussions: Forum

Extra! Members Version formats 1280x720 - Full HD Resolution
1280x720 - Full HD Resolution with overscan
960x540 - HD Resolution
640x480 - iPod and iPhone Resolution

All versions with embedded chapter markings and available via iTunes, Miro or by direct download from the Extra! members site
Free Version Formats 960x540 - HD with overscan
640x480 - iPod and iPhone Resolution

No embedded chapters and only available via iTunes or Miro.

Become a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! Member
Extra members get access to full versions of the show in AppleTV (HD), ED and iPod resolutions.
Click here for more details on becoming a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! member

To View the Full Free Show
Subscribe to either the free versions of the shows in iTunes, and have this show plus subsequent free shows delivered to your computer each week by clicking the links below!
Free High Definition version of the show in iTunes or Free iPod version of the show in iTunes

Watch a low resolution version of this show from this web page by clicking on the video below.







SCO0155 - Preparing for MobileMe [Extra! Only]

mobileme logo
Following on from several requests, this weeks show is all about preparing for MobileMe, the new .Mac replacement service due to be launched in early July 2008.

The show covers the basics of MobileMe and gives you some useful tips on how you can prepare for MobileMe if you're an existing .Mac user, or even if you're considering signing up for .Mac in advance of MobileMe. Topics cover:
  • Not a .Mac User?
  • .Mac Services Being Withdrawn
  • Preparing for MobileMe
  • Preparing for MobileMe Mail
  • Preparing for MobileMe Calendar
  • Preparing for MobileMe Contacts
  • Preparing for MobileMe Web Gallery
  • Preparing for MobileMe iDisk
  • Other MobileMe Considerations
  • Signing up for .Mac
evernoteicon
Also included in this weeks show is an update to the Evernote service, recently feature on ScreenCastsOnline (SCO0151 and 152). Fresh out of closed beta, Evernote has now launched its premium services and some new changes to the services it provides.

Links:

Apples MobileMe Site
Evernote Site

Discussions: Forum

Become a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! Member
Extra members get access to full versions of the show in AppleTV (HD), ED and iPod resolutions.
Click here for more details on becoming a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! member

This weeks full show is only available to ScreenCastsOnline Extra! members.

To View the Trailer
Subscribe to either the free versions of the shows in iTunes, and have this show plus subsequent free shows delivered to your computer each week by clicking the links below!
Free High Definition version of the show in iTunes or Free iPod version of the show in iTunes

Watch a low resolution version of the trailer for this show from this web page by clicking on the video below.







SCO0154 - Fluid - Managing Your WebApps

Fluid Blog
As we start to spend more and more time using Web based applications (or WebApps), the standard web browser is becoming more and more critical. The problem is that with the advent of tabbed browsing, individual WebApps become harder to manage and locate on your desktop. Add in the fact that a single bad website can sometimes crash your browser or make it unstable, you can end up losing all of your browser sessions in one fell swoop!

Fluid comes to the rescue!

Fluid is a Leopard only application that allows you to simply and easily create "Site Specific Browsers" or SSBs.

A "Site Specific Browser" is a completely separate desktop application just for one single WebApp. In effect, it turns the WebApp into a manageble service with a dedicated desktop application that's configured just for that WebApp. Each SSB you create will have its own Menu Bar, Dock Icon and runs completely independently from other SSBs or browser sessions. So now you can launch SSBs at login, switch to them using CMD TAB, basically treat it as a desktop application.

In addition to these features, Fluid also gives you the ability to convert your SSBs into MenuExtra SSBs which reside in your menubar and are accessible at the click of a mouse. If you'd like your SSB permanently displayed as your OS X Desktop, it even supports Embedded SSBs to allow you to do just that!

Along with window customisation, an extendible plugin architecture, support for GreaseKit based Userscripting and most importantly, supported by 1Password, Fluid is a simply must have application.

In this weeks show I cover:
  • Installation
  • Creating Simple SSBs (Examples: Gmail and Google Docs)
  • Window Customisation
  • Creating MenuExtra SSBs (Example: Using Hahlo for Twitter access)
  • Installing Userscripts
  • Creating Embedded SSBs (Example: Using Google Calendars as your OSX Desktop)
  • Fluid Plugins
  • Finding Fluid Icons via flickr
  • Updating Fluid Icons to High Res versions
Fluid is completely free and available to download from www.fluidapp.com

LInks:
Flickr Fluid Icon Group
Fluid Icons From Chris Ivarson
Hahlo Userscript by YungSang

Discussions: Forum

Extra! Members Version formats 1280x720 - Full HD Resolution
1280x720 - Full HD Resolution with overscan
960x540 - HD Resolution
640x480 - iPod and iPhone Resolution

All versions with embedded chapter markings and available via iTunes, Miro or by direct download from the Extra! members site
Free Version Formats 960x540 - HD with overscan
640x480 - iPod and iPhone Resolution

No embedded chapters and only available via iTunes or Miro.

Become a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! Member
Extra members get access to full versions of the show in AppleTV (HD), ED and iPod resolutions.
Get a 15% discount if signing up between the 20th and 30th June 2008 by using the Coupon Code SCOJUNE
Click here for more details on becoming a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! member

To View the Full Free Show
Subscribe to either the free versions of the shows in iTunes, and have this show plus subsequent free shows delivered to your computer each week by clicking the links below!
Free High Definition version of the show in iTunes or Free iPod version of the show in iTunes

Watch a low resolution version of this show from this web page by clicking on the video below.







SCO0153 - aTV Flash for Apple TV [Extra! Only]

http___www.applecorellc.com_SelfInstallGuide.pdf
Time for a show with a hardware bent!

Lots of buzz around the internet about a product that enables you to "hack" your Apple TV simply and easily. All without opening the case and potentially voiding your warranty.

The product is aTV Flash v3.0 from Applecore LLC.

In order to play virtually any video format on your Apple TV, the steps to update are these:
  • Buy the aTV Flash software and download to your Mac.
  • Download a free disk image file from Apple.
  • Insert a Flash USB drive on your Mac and run a script
  • Restore your Apple TV to factory settings
  • Insert the Flash USB drive into the Apple TVs USB port and reboot
And that's it!

This weeks show takes you through all these stages in detail and even shows you how to setup and transfer media to your Apple TV via FTP plus how to use some of the Applications installed as part of the aTV flash upgrade.

As well as being able to play virtually any video format, some added benefits of upgrading your Apple TV which I cover in the show are:
  • Decouple your Apple TV from iTunes and just drag and drop media files to your Apple TV via FTP
  • Access and update metadata from the Internet Movie Database and other Internet sources for Movie and TV Show information
  • Browse the Internet from your couch with a Webkit based browser
But there is still more I wasn’t able to cover in this weeks show including:
  • Viewing Video_TS folders and accessing DVD menus
  • Accessing Independant Movies via Jaman
  • Even Ordering Pizza online!
Please note that this show has not been sponsored or endorsed by Applecore LLC.

Discussions: Forum

Become a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! Member
Extra members get access to full versions of the show in AppleTV (HD), ED and iPod resolutions.
Click here for more details on becoming a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! member

This weeks full show is only available to ScreenCastsOnline Extra! members.

To View the Trailer
Subscribe to either the free versions of the shows in iTunes, and have this show plus subsequent free shows delivered to your computer each week by clicking the links below!
Free High Definition version of the show in iTunes or Free iPod version of the show in iTunes

Watch a low resolution version of the trailer for this show from this web page by clicking on the video below.







SCO0152 - Evernote for Mac - Part 2

Applications
Following on from last weeks Extra! members only show, this week is a free show and completes the tutorial on using Evernote - the cross platform and web based information management tool.

This week I finish off by looking at some additional features of Evernote including:
  • Drag and Drop Support
  • Using iSight Notes to catalogue and search your business cards
  • Evernote Client Views
  • Creating And Organising Tags
  • Using Attributes
  • Creating Saved Searches
  • Accessing the Evernote Web Client
  • Using Emails to Send Data to Evernote
I also include a really handy tip on using your iPhone to capture images and have them appear in Evernote as searchable items - very, very handy!

Evernote Invites? Share yours here or see if there are some spares!

Discussions: Forum

As from this weeks show, there are some changes to the free versions of the show.
  • The free version of the show will be released a few days after the members versions of the show - I'll not be releasing the free version of the show (still every other week) until the following Monday. This will mean that Extra! members will still get each show on the Friday, but non-members will have to wait a couple of days to receive the show.
  • Changes to the format of the free version of the show - As from this week, I'm going to change the available resolutions from 1280x720 overscan to 960x540 overscan plus iPod resolution for all future free versions of the show
Extra! Members Version formats 1280x720 - Full HD Resolution
1280x720 - Full HD Resolution with overscan
960x540 - HD Resolution
640x480 - iPod and iPhone Resolution

All versions with embedded chapter markings and available via iTunes, Miro or by direct download from the Extra! members site
Free Version Formats 960x540 - HD with overscan
640x480 - iPod and iPhone Resolution

No embedded chapters and only available via iTunes or Miro.

Become a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! Member
Extra members get access to full versions of the show in AppleTV (HD), ED and iPod resolutions.
Click here for more details on becoming a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! member

To View the Full Free Show
Subscribe to either the free versions of the shows in iTunes, and have this show plus subsequent free shows delivered to your computer each week by clicking the links below!
Free High Definition version of the show in iTunes or Free iPod version of the show in iTunes

Watch a low resolution version of this show from this web page by clicking on the video below.







SCO0151 - Evernote for Mac - Part 1 [Extra! Only]

Applications
I think I may have found the answer to my perpetual quest for an efficient and effective way to keep all the bits of information I accumulate everyday. You know the problem - lots of bits of texts, web pages, ideas, thoughts, images, reminders, notes, etc,. So much "stuff" but nowhere sensible to store them so that I have access from any computer or any device.

And then as for thinking up ways to organise and label things so that you can find it again - nightmare!

This weeks show is all about Evernote - a personal information manager which seems to address all the requirements I have for my information store.

There's so much to cover, I've had to split this show into two parts, the second part will be released next week.

Evernote is many things!
  • Firstly, at its core is a web based service that allows you to access your information via any industry standard web browser.
  • Secondly, Evernote has local client applications for both the Mac and Windows that allow you to capture and store information locally and syncronise with the Evernote Web service.
  • Thirdly, Evernote has mobile clients, plus an iPhone optimised web interface, so you can access all your information on the move.
Not only that, but Evernote includes some amazing character recognition technology so that any photos or digital images with text (even handwritten text) that you capture in Evernote, become searchable!! You really have to see it to appreciate it and of course this weeks show will show you!

Next weeks show will look at some additional features of Evernote including some pretty handy tips on using Evernote with your iPhone.

Evernote Invites? Share yours here or see if there are some spares!

Discussions: Forum

Become a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! Member
Extra members get access to full versions of the show in AppleTV (HD), ED and iPod resolutions.
Click here for more details on becoming a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! member

This weeks full show is only available to ScreenCastsOnline Extra! members. A trailer for the full show is in preparation.

To View the Trailer
Subscribe to either the free versions of the shows in iTunes, and have this show plus subsequent free shows delivered to your computer each week by clicking the links below!
Free High Definition version of the show in iTunes or Free iPod version of the show in iTunes

Watch a low resolution version of this show from this web page by clicking on the video below.







SCO0150 - TextExpander

TextExpanderlogo
An invaluable utility this week, one that I seriously could not function without!

It's TextExpander from Smile On My Mac.

On first glance, it looks like a very simple utility to help you save time. It allows you to create small textual abbreviations that, when typed, will expand into words, sentences, paragraphs or even images. It can even trigger AppleScripts, just by typing a few characters or even a single character!

What's really special is that it's a system wide utility so you're not restricted to just your email or word processor, TextExpander works with all the applications on your Mac.

Speed up your typing, use it to auto-correct commonly misspelt words, respond to emails in a flash, generate tons of CSS or HTML code, TextExpander really does give your productivity a boost.

In this weeks show I cover:
  • Some common uses of TextExpander
  • Creating your own Snippets
  • Using Date and Time Variables
  • Positioning the cursor in Snippets
  • Using text selections to create Snippets
  • TextExpander Groups including
  • Adding from a File and URL
  • Predefined Snippet Groups
  • AppleScript Support
The free version of this weeks show is sponsored by Smile On My Mac and they have kindly offered a 20% discount to ScreenCastsOnline viewers up to July 31st 2008. To purchase TextExpander using this discount, just visit the special ScreenCastsOnline landing page at

http://www.smileonmymac.com/sco

Discussions: Forum

Become a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! Member
Extra members get access to full versions of the show in AppleTV (HD), ED and iPod resolutions.
Click here for more details on becoming a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! member

To View the Free Show
Subscribe to either the free versions of the shows in iTunes, and have this show plus subsequent free shows delivered to your computer each week by clicking the links below!
Free High Definition version of the show in iTunes or Free iPod version of the show in iTunes

Download a High Definition version of this weeks show directly to your computer,
by right clicking or CTRL clicking on this link Download Show
and select "Download Linked File" in Safari or "Save Link As..." in Firefox.

Watch a low resolution version of this show from this web page by clicking on the video below.








SCO0149 - Making Music with GarageBand '08 [Extra! Only]

GBicon150
Time for some creativity & fun. GarageBand '08 is the latest version of the amazing music creation software included in the iLife '08 suite - free with all new Macs.

Can't play an instrument? Never had the time to learn? Well don't be disheartened as GarageBand '08 is suitable for all levels of musicians, from complete novices to accomplished players. What's even better is that you don't need an instrument or even any musical skills to create polished music tracks.

This weeks' show focuses on the music creation side of GarageBand '08. If you want to checkout how to create and enhanced podcast, have a look at SCO0042. The show covers:

  • Software Instrument Tracks
  • Using The OnScreen keyboard
  • Using your Mac keyboard
  • Interfacing Midi Keyboards
  • Real Instrument Tracks
  • Connecting Musical Instruments via USB & Firewire
  • Recording in GarageBand
  • All About Apple Loops
  • Creating Songs using Apple Loops
  • Master Track Automation
  • Special Effects Automation
  • Magic GarageBand
  • Exporting Tracks

And to create entire songs in one of nine different genres, I also looks at Magic GarageBand, a great new mode that does all the heavy lifting for you, enabling you to create a multitrack song completely from scratch, automatically.

Discussions: Forum

Extra members get access to full versions of the show in AppleTV (HD), ED and iPod resolutions.
Click
here for more details on becoming a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! member









SCO0148 - OmniGraffle 5

OGicon
Time for an update on an application I last looked at over 12 months ago. Acknowledged as the premier diagramming, charting and visualisation tool for OSX, OmniGraffle has recently been relaunched with a mojor upgrade - OmniGraffle 5.

Available in both Standard and Pro versions, OmniGraffle is the tool that Mac users rely on to produce diagrams, process charts, UI mock ups and much more. Recognised as a perfect Visio replacement for switchers coming across to the Mac, OmniGraffle is a delight to use (see this recent blog post - "OmniGraffle makes it easy to leave Visio behind") combining simplicity with ease of use to deliver outstanding results.

This weeks show revisits some of the functionality I examined in the last show but focuses more on the new features in OmniGraffle 5 including:

  • User Interface Update
  • New Toolbar
  • Configuring Drawing Tools
  • Mini Inspector
  • Style Tray
  • Tools Basics including:
  • New Bezier Line Tool
  • Diagram Tool
  • New Layout Engine
  • New Stencil Palette
  • Graffletopia Integration
  • New OmniGraffle Pro features including:
  • Subgraphs
  • Presentation Mode
  • Visio Compatability

This weeks free show is sponsored by the Omni Group and they have kindly offered a special discount to ScreenCastsOnline viewers. You can get 10% off any purchase of OmniGraffle 5 (upgrades or new purchases) by using the promo code:

SCO_OG5

when making your purchase.

Discussions: Forum

Extra members get access to full versions of the show in AppleTV (HD), ED and iPod resolutions.
Click
here for more details on becoming a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! member









SCO0147 - JumpCut, DejaMenu & SoundSource [Extra Only]

Something different this week, not one but three really useful utilities.

What's even better is that they are all free!
JumpCut - A great clipboard buffering application which takes a minimilistic approach to give you access to your recent clipboard entries. Go back in time and select from a list of recent clips from either your menu bar or via a hot key and bezel - Website Link Jumpcut_ Minimalist Clipboard Buffering for OS X
DejaMenu - Large or multiscreen setup? Fed up of having to travel all the way to the top of the screen to access your applications menu? Or even worse, having to traverse monitors to get access? DejaMenu allows you configure every applications menu to pop up right where your cursor is, saving you effort and time. You can even assign your menus to popup with a click of your mouse! - Website Link DejaMenu 1.2.2 for MacOS X
SoundSource - Constantly juggling different audio outputs and inputs on your Mac? SoundSource gives you access to all your audio devices quickly and easily through a single icon in your menu bar as well as a volume control for each device - Website Link Rogue Amoeba - Freebies
In addition, the members version of this weeks show has a special section just for members which explains the renewal process and what to do to prevent your membership expiring, and what to do if it does!

Discussions: Forum

Extra members get access to full versions of the show in AppleTV (HD), ED and iPod resolutions.
Click
here for more details on becoming a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! member