Sending a file from bluetooth device to Mac

In Leopard, sending a file from your mobile phone over a bluetooth connection is not a default setting. You have to activate it in System Preference.

Here is how:
1. Open System Preference
2. Click Sharing
3. Enable ‘Bluetooth sharing’
4. If you haven’t activated your bluetooth, open System Preference > Bluetooth and check ‘On’.

On the other hand, if you want to send a file from your Mac to your bluetooth enabled devices, just click a bluetooth icon on your status bar (near the time and date), and choose ‘Send a file’. Or if the bluetooth icon is not there, just pres Command + Spacebar and type Bluetooth File Exchange and follow the screen instruction.

Happy bluetoothing

Printing list of files

Here is how to print a list of file names in Finder for printing. By the way, this is very handy if you want to print song names for your CD cover or something

Open Finder and folder that has files that you want to print.
Press Command + A (To select all contents)
Press Command + C (To copy the selected files)
Open your favorite text editor such as Textedit, Word, Smultron, etc.
Press Command + V (To paste the copied content)

Reveal all names in column view Finder

Here is a quick tip how to reveal all names in column view Finder.
Double clicks on the right side handle to make the column precisely as wide as necessary to reveal all the names of its content.

Or if you want to adjust all the column as equally wide/narrow, press Option + Drag one of the handles. You can also try Option + Double clicks on the handle and see what happen.

Setting default application

When you double clicks a certain file, it will open a corresponding application for this type of file. For example, you have Microsoft Excel application installed on your Mac, and everytime you double clicks the *.xls file, the Microsoft Excel application launched. But you want the Number application that opens this *.xls everytime you double click (or Command O) it.

First, you have to go to Finder, and look for any file that has an extension of xls. Click once and press Command + i (or right click and select Get info).

Second, select the ‘Open with’ drop down menu and choose the application that you wish to open this xls file. In this case, we choose Number application. Then under ‘Use this application to open all documents like this’ press ‘Change All’ button.

So now you have a default application for certain type of file.

Activating screen saver, expose or spaces

Here is my current setting for managing my desktop. First, since I work on public place (where all my employees can pass by my desk), I need to secure my desktop whenever I am not around it. So,

1. I go to System Preference > Security > [checked] Require password to wake this computer from sleep or screen saver.
2. Go to System Preference > Expose & Spaces. On the lower left handside I pick ‘Start Screen Saver’, on the upper right handside I pick ‘All Windows’ and on the lower right handside I pick ‘Spaces’

So, when I need to secure my desktop, I just move my cursor to the lower left handside of the screen, and the screen saver starts. The password will be armed in 2 seconds. Move your cursor to the upper right corner and it shows all windows, move the cursor to the lower right corner, the spaces is activated.

Now, you can work faster

Dictionary when you need it

I used to use Google dictionary to check some words and their meaning. In Google search I type ‘define word’, but now whenever you are on Mac native application like Safari, what you need to do is just put the curson on the word that you wish to see its meaning on the dictionary (you don’t have to highlighted, though. Just put the curson on it), then press Control + Command + d.

You could also do Control + Command and press D, then release the D button but hold the Control and Command keys down and start move around your cursor to different word. Cool, huh?