SCO0226 - Mac mini Server & Snow Leopard Server [Members]

mac mini and disc
This week, I take a look at a new edition to the Mac family - The new Mac mini Server with Snow Leopard Server.

Apple surprised everyone with the recent introduction of a refreshed Mac mini, optimised for duties as a full blown server.

With an increase to 500GB disk capacity, the addition of a second 500GB drive and the removal of the superdrive, the Mac mini turns out to be a surprisingly fully featured server platform, intended for small businesses or workgroups. Along with the hardware changes, Apple also supplies a full copy of the latest version of its flagship server operating system - Snow Leopard Server. Not only that, Snow Leopard Server is supplied with unlimited client licences!

All for just $999 or £799 - altogether an incredible package and amazing value!

But is the Mac mini Server for you? Do I need Snow Leopard Server for my home network? What advantages does Snow Leopard Server bring over the desktop version of Snow Leopard?

In this overview show I reveal all, answering all these questions and more. As well as providing some background information, I demonstrate a standard installation of SL Server onto the Mac mini, using the very smart built in remote capabilities. Once installed, I explore some of the server tools and features of Snow Leopard Server.

The full 40 minute show covers:
  • The Physical Differences Between The Mac Mini Range
  • Comparative Server Supporting Up To 100 Users
  • Snow Leopard Server For Home Use?
  • Installation Options
  • Installing Server Admin Tools On An Administrative Computer
  • Remote Server Installation Via Server Admin Utility
  • Drive Configuration Considerations
  • Server Utilities Overview
  • Server Admin
  • Server Monitor
  • Server Preferences
  • Web Technologies Quick Peek
Hopefully by the end of the show, you'll have a full appreciation of the capabilities of the new Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server.

Discussions: Forum

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SCO0194 - Numbers ’09 Update [Extra! Members Show]

200904-April
Another great update to iWork 09 and that's the brand new version of Numbers, Apples very own spreadsheet.

Following on from an extremely impressive debut with Numbers 08, Apple has made some significant improvements to the new version of Numbers, making it a viable alternative to Excel for most people.
Numbers iconiwork


In this weeks show, I focus in on some of the new and improved features of Numbers '09, along with some not so new features thrown in for good measure. The full Extra! members show covers:
  • In Cell Editing
  • Absolute and Relative Cell References
  • Headers & Cell Names
  • Reorganising Data
  • Categories in Numbers
  • Conditional Formatting
  • Linking Charts & Excel Integration
As I mention in the show, I don't think I've needed to open Excel once since installing this latest version, Apple have done a tremendous job on improving an already great product.

Discussions: Forum

Extra! Members Version formats 1280x720 - Full HD Resolution
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All versions with embedded chapter markings and available via iTunes, Miro or by direct download from the Extra! members site
Free Version Formats This show is only available to ScreenCastsOnline Extra! members

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To View the Trailer for the Full Free Show
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SCO0189 - Archiving Mail with MailSteward

feb2009
If you're like me, you'll have a significant number of emails gathered over the years from multiple email accounts, usually from multiple service providers. You'll have some on your local machine, some in the cloud, some languishing on CD or DVD backups of machines past, well, you get the picture!

Are you using an IMAP account with thousands of emails needing to be synchronised every time you access that account on another machine? Is your email client struggling with the number of emails in your archived mailboxes?

Wouldn't it be great to collect all these emails into a separate application, designed to archive your email, and make search and retrieval a breeze.

Perhaps you're a big Gmail or MobileMe email user but feel slightly nervous about having all your important and sensitive emails held in the cloud? Wouldn't it be nice to gather all these emails up, place them in an optimised database locally and then delete all those copies hanging around in the cloud.

What about backups? Do you know the current state of your email backups? Can you even access you old backups or are your old emails locked in some proprietary email format?

Well the answer to all these issues and more is provided by the subject of this weeks show and that's MailSteward

mailsteward logo
MailSteward is a Mac application that allows you to archive all your email and email attachments into an optimised relational database, giving you full control of how you store, search and retrieve your email. Available in three versions, MailSteward, MailSteward Lite and MailSteward Pro, this unique application allows you to archive your emails into a SQLite (MailSteward & MailSteward Lite) database or for power users with more than 100, 000 emails to archive, into a MYSQL database (MailSteward Pro). Once safely archived in the database, MailSteward gives you incredibly powerful search tools to easily find any emails or attachments in your personal database. Once you've found your information, MaiSteward allows you to print, save or export in many different ways including text, csv and tab delimited files, PDFS, email lists, MailSteward databases, SQL databases, mbox format and more. In addition, you can reply and forward to emails held within your archive database with just the click of a button.

Organise and search your emails using tags, including support for emails previoulsy tagged with MailTags by Indev software.

This show takes a look at all the major features of MailSteward including:
  • MailSteward Introduction
  • Preparing For Email Archiving
  • MailSteward Settings
  • Running an Archive Process
  • Using MailSteward
  • Printing, Saving & Exporting
  • Using Tags
  • Searching in MailSteward
As this weeks show has been sponsored by MailSteward, they have kindly provided a special 20% discount coupon code for ScreenCastsOnline viewers for all versions of MailSteward. The code is SC156 and runs up to the 10th April 2009.

Discussions: Forum

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Free Version Formats This show is only available to ScreenCastsOnline Extra! members

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SCO0184 - Project: How I Create the SCO DVDs [Extra! Members Only]

2009Jan

Something different this week in that I've created another tutorial based on a project rather than a single application.
2008 DVD Label - small2


It's a peek behind the scenes to see how I create the ScreenCastsOnline DVD Archives. These are data DVDs I create each year as a service for ScreenCastsOnline Extra! members. Each DVD contains all the HD versions of the shows for the previous year, allowing members to clear down iTunes and keep a copy of the shows for future reference.

rw
Rather than just copy all the Quicktime movies over to the DVD (well that wouldn't be much of a show would it!), each DVD archive has a mini version of the main ScreenCastsOnline website installed right on the DVD. The mini website is based on the full version of the site complete with show notes and a direct link to each HD version of the show available on the DVD.



This weeks show takes you through how I use Rapidweaver to create the main ScreenCastsOnline website and then the multi-stage process to create the mini website from the very same RapidWeaver project.

Along the way, I also touch on:
Discussions: Forum

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To View the Trailer for the Full Free Show
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SCO0184-510

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SCO0183 - Keynote 09 Update

2009Jan
Keynote
keynote
- One of my absolute favourite applications! Well, Apple have just released the latest update as part of the iWork '09 suite and now we have Keynote '09.

Even though the application has only been out for a week, I thought I'd abandon my plans for this weeks and do a new tutorial on this amazing piece of software.

Keynote is Apples beautiful presentation software, packed with state of the art animation and other features allowing you to create truly cinematic presentations. With its comprehensive export features including full quality Quicktime movie, Keynote is also gaining ground as a fantastic tool for creating graphics and animations for movies and videos.

This weeks show focuses on the new and enhanced features introduced in Keynote '09 including:
  • Launchbar Tip
  • Updated Theme Chooser
  • Alignment & Spacing Guides
  • Organising Slides
  • Transitions
  • Text Effects
  • Object Effects
  • Magic Move
  • New Builds
The Extra! members show is extended this week with an additional section only available to ScreenCastsOnline Extra! members. This special section includes information on:
  • 3D Charts
  • Advanced Builds
Discussions: Forum

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SCO0183-keynote09-free-640x360-h264-Free-ipod

Back to other Apple tutorials


SCO0180 - Adv. OmniFocus & iPhone Client

dec2008
Part 2 of the OmniFocus series as promised and there is so much to cover, it’s a double length show!
omnifocus


OmniFocus is a professional-grade personal task management solution which allows you to capture, organise and do all the many different personal and work related tasks and goals we pick up every day. OmniFocus becomes your "trusted" system allowing you to offload all the things you need to keep track of in a powerful, yet flexible application. Although inspired by the David Allen "Getting Things Done" methodology, OmniFocus is flexible enough to be used to fit in with many different types of productivity methodologies.

OmniFocus also includes comprehensive syncing capabilities using a variety of technologies including MobileMe, Bonjour and WebDav services allowing you to sync your tasks and goals across multiple macs. There is even a full iPhone/iPod touch OmniFocus client allowing you both sync and create new tasks and goals on the move.

If you've not had a chance to see part 1 yet, you really do need to! Part 1 covers a lot of the fundamental principles needed to understand some of the basic principles of using OmniFocus.

Once, you're familiar with the basics, this weeks show tells you all about some of the advanced features of OmniFocus enabling you to take your productivity to the next level!

This episode is split into two parts, the first covering some of the more advanced topics in OmniFocus including:

OmniFocus Desktop Client - Advanced Tips
  • Using Inspectors
  • Action Inspector
  • Growl Integration
  • Group Inspector
  • Project Inspector
  • Reviewing Projects
  • Context Inspector
  • Using Perspectives
  • Integration with other Apps
  • Clipping from a Web Page
  • Clipping from the Finder
  • Mail Integration
  • iCal Integration
  • Sync & Other Preferences

iphonesmall
The second part of the show is all about the amazing OmniFocus iPhone and iPod touch client. Winner of the 2008 Apple Design Award for best iPhone Productivity Application, the iPhone client brings the power of OmniFocus from the Desktop to your iPhone, and then enhances OmniFocus with some fantastic location aware capabilities. The show also covers:

iPhone & iPod Touch Client

  • Installing in the iPhone Dock
  • Sync with MobileMe
  • Creating Actions on the iPhone
  • Location Aware Contexts
  • Viewing Attachments
  • Creating Audio and Image Attachments

Discussions: Forum

Extra! Members Version formats 1280x720 - Full HD Resolution
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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 - Download
640x480 - iPod and iPhone Resolution - Download.

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

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SCO0178 - OmniFocus Basics

dec2008
One of the most requested apps this week, the premier personal productivity application - OmniFocus.
omnifocus


OmniFocus is a professional-grade personal task management solution which allows you to capture, organise and do all the many different personal and work related tasks and goals we pick up every day. OmniFocus becomes your "trusted" system allowing you to offload all the things you need to keep track of in a powerful, yet flexible application. Although inspired by the David Allen "Getting Things Done" methodology, OmniFocus is flexible enough to be used to fit in with many different types of productivity methodologies.

OmniFocus also includes comprehensive syncing capabilities using a variety of technologies including MobileMe, Bonjour and WebDav services allowing you to sync your tasks and goals across multiple macs. There is even a full iPhone/iPod touch OmniFocus client allowing you both sync and create new tasks and goals on the move.

This episode is all about OmniFocus Basics and covers:
  • OmniFocus Principles
  • Installation and UI
  • Capturing Information
  • Evaluating Tasks and Goals
  • Creating Projects
  • Smart Match
  • Single Action Lists
  • Quick Input Panel
  • Understanding Contexts
  • Task Availability & Project Folders
  • Working with Dates
  • Using Focus & the View Bar
  • Completing Actions & Projects
of
As there is so much to cover in OmniFocus, I'll be covering some advanced topics and the iPhone/iPod touch client in the next free episode of ScreenCastsOnline.

Discussions: Forum

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

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

Big White iPhone Free

Watch a low resolution version of this show from this web page - Click on the video below







SCO0176 - Organise Your Email - Mail Act-On v2

nov2008
Slight change of plan this week - Following the recent MailTags episode [SCO0174] I mentioned the availability of a new version of Mail Act-On. As the original show was recorded in advance of my trip on MacMania8, I didn't have time to check on the new version of Mail Act-On until after the first show was published. As soon as I did try it however, it became immediately obvious that I really needed to cover Mail Act-On in a new show as the package had been dramatically enhanced and was the perfect partner for MailTags.
actOnIcon


So this week I've put together a tutorial all about Mail Act-On v2

Mail Act-On allows you to assign keystrokes that allow you to tag and move your emails, all from the keyboard, dramatically reducing the amount of time it takes to manage and organise your mail.

In this weeks show I cover:
  • Introduction to Mail Act-On
  • Using the Pop Up menu
  • Mail Act-On Rules
  • Setting up Mail Act-On Keystroke Rules
  • Setting up Mail Act-On OutBox Rules
  • Mail Act-On Preferences
I also include a special bonus section for any OmniFocus users who wish to use the MailTags integration with OmniFocus to move emails seamlessly into OmniFocus pre-propulated with Project and Due Date information. There will be full OmniFocus show in the next month or so.

You can find out more about Mail Act-On by visiting the Mail Act-On website or take advantage of the 10% discount (please note - only available up to December 31st 2008) by visiting the special webstore for ScreenCastsOnline viewers.

Discussions: Forum

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

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

Big White iPhone Free

Watch a low resolution version of this show from this web page - Click on the video below





SCO0174 - Organise Your Email - MailTags v2

nov2008
If you're like me, email is an essential part of my day to day activity and I really need to keep on top of the vast volume of email that flows in every day from friends, colleagues and business associates.

If you're an organised person, you may already have a system in place that handles your email effectively along with all the other sources of information that we need to manage each day. If you're a productivity ninja, you may already have a fully blown "Getting Things Done" or GTD system in place allowing you to be the master of all your information and live in a perment state of nirvana!

More than likely, you may still be looking for the best solution to fit your needs!

Over the next couple of months, I'll be covering some of the top GTD applications for the Mac, but it's possible that you may not need an extra layer of complexity if you can just get on top of using your email. That's where this weeks show comes in, and introduces you to MailTags, a great plugin for Apples Mail application.
logo150


Mailtags allows you to tag your individual emails with additional information such as as keywords, project, reminders, colours and notes. It also allows you to directly integrate your emails with iCal using to dos and events. Once you've tagged and classified your emails, Mailtags then allows you to organise and retrieve your emails in many different ways such as enhanced mailbox list views, smart mailboxes and spotlight searches.

This show takes you through:
  • Introduction to MailTags
  • Installation & Setup
  • MailTags Configuratiom
  • Tagging Using MailTags
  • Keywords & Project Tags
  • Tickler Dates & Priority
  • Message Colour
  • To Dos & Events
  • MailTag Notes
  • Accessing Your Mail Using MailTags
  • MailTags List View
  • Searching Using MailTags
  • MailTags and Smart Mailboxes
  • Example Smart Maiboxes
  • Tagging using Rules
You can find out more about MailTags by visiting the MailTags website or take advantage of the 10% discount (please note - only available up to December 31st 2008) by visiting the special webstore for ScreenCastsOnline viewers.

Discussions: Forum

Extra! Members Version formats 1280x720 - Full HD Resolution
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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 - Download
640x480 - iPod and iPhone Resolution - Download.

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

Big White iPhone Free

Watch a low resolution version of this show from this web page - Click on the video below







SCO0161 - MobileMe Web Services [Extra! members only]

mobileme logo
Finally, MobileMe has stayed up long enough to complete my short series of MobileMe related shows. Despite lots of moaning and groaning (including from me and the rest of the guys over on the MacRoundtable podcast!), it looks like MobileMe is finally starting to stabilise and is now a usable service, despite some holes still waiting to be filled.

This week I take a look at some of the Web services and components that make up Apple new cloud computing platform and look at some tips on using them and some “workarounds” that may help you out if you use subscribed calendars. This weeks show covers:
  • Using Fluid to create a MobileMe Site Specific Browser (SSB)
  • MobileMe Web Email & Contacts
  • MobileMe Web Calendar
  • Syncronisng "Subscribed" Calendars with MobileMe
  • Google Calendar and BusySync
  • MobileMe Web Galleries
  • MobileMe iDisk
  • MobileMe Settings
That probably finishes off MobileMe for a while!

Discussions: Forum
Extra! Members Version formats 1280x720 - Full HD Resolution
1280x720 - Full HD Resolution with overscan
960x540 - HD Resolution
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All versions with embedded chapter markings and available via iTunes, Miro or by direct download from the Extra! members site
Free Version Formats THis show is only available to ScreenCastsOnline Extra! members

Become a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! Member
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Click here for more details on becoming a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! member

To View the Trailer for the Full Free Show
Subscribe to either the free versions of the shows in iTunes, and have this trailer plus subsequent free shows delivered to your computer each week by clicking the links below!
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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.







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

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

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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

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








SCO0142 - Pages 08

iWork 08 icon
Finishing off the trio of shows all about iWork '08, this weeks show brings you up to date with the newly revised Pages'08, Apples flexible, yet powerful, word processor and page layout application.

Addressing the major complaints about Pages'06, mainly that it wasn't a "proper" word processor, Apple have completely revised Pages '08 to include a brand new "word processor" mode, in addition to its original page layout mode. To make it even easier to use, Apple have also introduced the context sensitive format bar in line with the other iWork applications to allow for less reliance on the inspector panels and give you control of the common elements right within the application window itself.

Following on from the previous show I did on Pages '06 (nearly two years ago!), this show will bring you up to speed on lots of the new functions and capabilities of this outstanding package!

This weeks show is a free show, but there is an extended show available for ScreenCastsOnline Extra! members with an additional 10 minutes of content and chapter marks. Extra! members will receive the extended show automatically as usual.

The show covers:
  • Introduction to Pages '08
  • Using the Format Bar
  • Paragraph, Character & List Styles
  • Page & Section Breaks
  • Tracking Changes in Documents
The Extra! members extended show also covers:
  • Working with Images in Pages
  • Instant Alpha
  • Wrapping Text around images
  • Masking Images and Picture Frames
  • Text Flow in Page Layout Mode
  • Exporting
Discussions: Forum

Extra members get access to full versions of the show in AppleTV (HD), ED and iPod resolutions.
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SCO0140 - ScreenSteps and ScreenSteps Live

Screensteps icon
ScreenSteps is a great application from Blue Mango Learning Systems that makes creating, annotating and publishing instructions or task based documentation a breeze. Now although ScreenCasts are a brilliant way to get across complex information, sometimes there's no substitute for step by step instruction manuals with clear screenshots and good, consise instructions. The problem with creating "printed" documentation is that it can be difficult to assemble and can go out of date very easily requiring Herculean effort to update. And as for trying to keep on top of changes to videos - forget it!

Screensteps is cross platform application for both the Mac and Windows, which allows you to create libraries of "lessons", each lesson being a step by step process covering whatever tasks you want to document. Available in both a free version and a pay for version, the application has comprehensive tools built right in for screen capture and image annotation to easily and quickly build up step based documentation. Once you've created your lessons, ScreenSteps also has some powerful export functions that allow you export your lessons in either customised PDF or HTML format (in the pay for version) or even directly to a hosted ScreenSteps Live web service (included in the free version as well as the paid for version).

As well as exporting individual lessons, ScreenSteps allows you to organise your lessons into topics and sections, allowing you to create individual PDF files or HTML output containing an entire Library of lessons complete with a table of contents and easy navigation. The PDF version collates all your lessons into a multi page PDF whilst the HTML output provides all the code you need to upload to your website for online documentation.

If you're not sure about uploading HTML files to your website (or if you don't have a website) be sure to check out Part 2 of this ScreenSteps show where I'll be taking a look at ScreenSteps Live, a free service to host your ScreenSteps lessons. ScreenSteps Free and ScreenSteps Live are tightly integrated and it's really easy to export your lessons directly and automatically to ScreenSteps Live from within ScreenSteps.

As well as the free options, there are Standard and Pro versions of ScreenSteps which allow you to export locally to PDF and HTML so once you've tried the package, you can upgrade to get the full features.

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

Part 1 - ScreenSteps Desktop Application



Part 2 - ScreenSteps Live



SCO0137 - Bento - Database Application - Part 2 [Extra Only]

bentobox
[Extra Only Show] As promised, this week concludes the two part show all about Bento, the personal database from Filemaker.

As mentioned in the previous show, Bento is a very powerful application that harnesses the power of database creation and sophisticated data manipulation in a very stylish and easy to use package - the epitome of a mac application!

As well as allowing you to create your own databases (or libraries in Bento terminology) from scratch or via imported data, Bento also gives you direct access to your Address book data, along with your iCal tasks and events to design your own forms to view and manipulate your data. Eye candy is plentiful with the use of pre designed themes and the ability to create your own special views of your data via easily customisable forms. Even if you don't feel the need to dabble with a database, Bento allows you to access, view and amend your Address Book and iCal data with a great new interface, straight out of the box.

In this final show I take you through some of the more advanced aspects of using Bento to manage your personal data including:
  • iCal Event and Task Integration
  • How you might use iCal integration
  • Additional Bento Fields
  • Printing Tables and Forms
  • Creating Mailing Labels
  • How to import Data into Bento
  • Backing up Your Data
Hopefully parts 1 and 2 of this tutorial will have you well on the way to managing your data more effectively and give you a fresh outlook on address book and iCal.

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 This show is only available to ScreenCastsOnline Extra! members

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 Trailer for the Full Free Show
Subscribe to either the free versions of the shows in iTunes, and have this trailer 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

Big White iPhone Trailer

Watch the free trailer of this show from this web page by clicking on the videos below

Play Low Res

Watch Now



SCO0135 - Bento - Database Application - Part 1 [Extra Only]

bentobox
By popular demand, this weeks show is all about Bento by FileMaker. Bento is a very flexible and elegant database package that many people consider to be the application that was missing from iWork.

It's a very powerful application that harnesses the power of database creation and sophisticated data manipulation in a very stylish and easy to use package - the epitome of a mac application!

As well as allowing you to create your own databases (or libraries in Bento terminology) from scratch or via imported data, Bento also gives you direct access to your Address book data, along with your iCal tasks and events to design your own forms to view and manipulate your data. Eye candy is plentiful with the use of pre designed themes and the ability to create your own special views of your data via easily customisable forms.

This weeks show takes you through the basics of Bento and even if you've no database experience, should give you enough information to start creating your own databases with ease. The show is an Extra members show and covers:
testimonialpaper

  • Introduction to Bento
  • The Bento Interface
  • Core Concepts - Libraries and Collections
  • Address Book Integration
  • Records & Table View
  • Form Views
  • Creating a Library
  • Adding Fields
  • Form Customisation
  • Themes
  • Advanced Find
  • Smart Collections

More than enough to get you started! This is the first of a two part show on Bento and we'll look at some of the more advanced features in part two.

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 This show is only available to ScreenCastsOnline Extra! members

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 Trailer for the Full Free Show
Subscribe to either the free versions of the shows in iTunes, and have this trailer 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

Big White iPhone Trailer

Watch the free trailer of this show from this web page by clicking on the videos below

Play Low Res

Watch Now



SCO0118 - iWork '08 - Keynote Update [Extra! Only]

keynote
More iWork 08 goodness this week as I take a look at some of the new features in Keynote 08, Apples fantastic presentation application.

Keynote 3 was great but Apple have added in some additional features that really take Keynote to the next level. It's one of those applications that make you thankful you're a Mac user and might even just make those business users sitting on the fence make the final leap!

There is already a full ScreenCastsOnline tutorial on Keynote 3 covering some of the basic functionality so this week's show focusses on the new and improved elements within Keynote 08. The show also takes a more advanced approach on how you can configure the new features to create even more sophisticated and impressive effects!

This weeks show includes:

  • Introduction & New Effects
  • Smart Builds
  • Integrating Smart Builds with Bullet Points
  • Instant Alpha
  • Creating Animations
  • Presenters Display Setup & Usage
  • Adding an Audio Narration
  • Exporting & Printing

This weeks show is an Extra Members show and is available in Apple TV HD format (1280x720), Enhanced Desktop ED Format (960x540) and iPhone/iPod resolution (640x360). For full details on how easy it is to become an Extra! member and get this show along with the next six months worth of weekly shows PLUS access to the entire back catalogue of Mac based tutorials, just follow this link.

Discussions: Forum

Extra members get access to full versions of the show in AppleTV (HD), ED and iPod resolutions.
The free show (or trailer) is at a much lower resolution.
Click
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Back to other Apple tutorials


SCO0112 - iWork'08 - Numbers [Extra! Only]

numbers icon
Straight into the good stuff this week with an in-depth look at all the major features of Numbers, the spectacular new spreadsheet application included in Apples iWork '08 suite.

This weeks show covers all the bases including:
  • Introduction to Numbers
  • Data Entry and Formatting
  • Charts, Text and Shapes
  • Images, Masking & Instant Alpha
  • Printing
  • Exporting to iWeb
I'm really pleased how this weeks show turned out and judging by some of the comments on the ScreenCastsOnline forum, I'm not the only one....

"I just don't know how you do this; it is brilliant.  I probably got my iLife a day earlier than yours (I have a son who is a director in Apple!!) and I have spent a couple of hours with it but your skill in absorbing a brand new product and communicating its essence is really something special.  You have just saved me 'hours' of work!! .....
 
Again Don, just a wonderful show and an abolute eye-opener in Numbers.....
 
Great app, great show!! many thanks."

Ron -
A ScreenCastsOnline Extra! Member

This weeks show is an Extra Members show and is available in Apple TV HD format (1280x720), Enhanced Desktop ED Format (960x540) and iPhone/iPod resolution (640x360). For full details on how easy it is to become an Extra! member and get this show along with the next six months worth of weekly shows PLUS access to the entire back catalogue of Mac based tutorials, just follow this link.

Discussions: Forum
Extra members get access to full versions of the show in AppleTV (HD), ED and iPod resolutions.
The free show (or trailer) is at a much lower resolution.
Click
here for more details on becoming a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! member

Back to other Apple tutorials



SCO0100 - The 100th Show - Elgato turbo.264 & OmniPlan

Applications-3
Yes, the 100th show!

Thanks for all the support and good wishes from everyone which has made reaching this milestone possible!

This week is a double episode covering two very distinctly different product areas.

Elgato turbo.264 Video Encoder - The first is the new hardware based H.264 video encoder from Elgato. This innocuous and inexpensive piece of kit plugs into a spare USB 2 port on your Mac and turbocharges your H.264 video encoding with amazing results. If you do any amount of video encoding for your iPod or Apple TV you must watch this screencast!

You'll be amazed at how cheaply you can double, treble or even quadruple your video encoding speed, even on an older Mac!

Product Link

omniplan
OmniPlan - The second part of the screencast is all about the Project Management application OnmniPlan from Omni Group. I don't usually cover business based applications in ScreenCastsOnline, so this is a bit of an experiment. If you like it, let me know and I'll cover some more business applications.

OmniPlan is another of those Omni Group applications that just works and make planning on the Mac a pleasure!

The screencast covers the basic UI and functions of OmniPlan and leads you through making a simple project plan. I also cover some of the exporting features on OmniPlan.

As mentioned in the screencast, you can get a 10% discount of the usual price of OmniPlan by using the coupon code SCREENCASTPLAN when buying via the online store (valid up to 15th July 2007.

Product Link

As mentioned in the show, as a celebration of the 100th episode, I'm releasing both the Hi Definition version (1280x720) and the Enhanced Definition (960x540) for freedownload together with a time limited offer of a discounted Extra! membership offer. Please follow this link to download the HD shows and check out the details of the discounted membership offer.

Discussions: Forum


SCO0097 - Using Wordpress - Free Blogging Software

WordPress › About » Buttons
Following on from an earlier show (a much earlier show - SCO0057), this week I take you through some of the common features and new functionality in Wordpress, the free blogging software. The previous episode covered installtion and configuration so this time we get to look at how to actually use Wordpress.

However, this weeks show is an Extra! members only show (there is one every month) so if you're not an Extra! member you'll only get edited highlights of the full 30 minute show. Extra! members get the full show in a choice of three super resolutions including HD (1280x70 - perfect for the Apple TV), Enhanced Definition (960x540) and iPod (640x360). Extra! members also get access to over 100+ screencasts on all sorts of subjects as soon as they sign up for a 6 month, low cost membership. Check out the details here to get immediate access to this and all the other shows.

This weeks full show includes sections on:

Installation Recap
Using the Administration Panel
Downloading and Installing Templates
Downloading and Installing Plugins
Wordpress Widgets
Installing and Configuring Wordpress Widgets
Tiger Administration Plugin for Wordpress
Wordpress Options

Once you've mastered Wordpress, you're on your way to creating your very own blog with this amazing free software.

Some links mentioned in this weeks show:

SCO0055 - Wordpress Part 1
SCO0071 - Using an Internet Hosting Provider - SiteGround
SiteGround Affiliate Link
SCO0085 - Speed Download - Part 1
SCO0086 - Speed Download - Part 2
Anaconda Theme
WordPress
WordPress Widgets Blog
MarsEdit
My Own Reality - My Personal WordPress Blog

Discussions: Forum


SCO0052 - Keynote 3 - Extra! Only Show

keynote

Following on from the recent Pages 2 screencast, this weeks screencast covers the other application included in the iWork 06 suite from Apple.

Yes, it's the amazing presentation package
Keynote 3

In this screencast I'll show you the basics of setting up a Keynote presentation and demonstrate some of the fantastic templates and effects available. You'll be suprised at just how powerful this package really is, just ask
Al Gore! Please note - This episode is intended for ScreenCastsOnline Extra! members or for purchase. The free version is a glorified advertisement for the full show so please don't be too disappointed if you download it!

ScreenCast Covers:
KeyNote Themes
Slide Creation
Slide Transitions
Slide Animations
Importing Photos, Movies and Music
Creating a Music Theme in GarageBand
Exporting in Quicktime

And as a first, I even get to show up onscreen!

This show is available to ScreenCastsOnline Extra! members as part of the 6 monthly membership -
See here for details

Some good Keynote related links - Les Posens CyberPsych Blog KeynotePro