Default location of screen dumps

Using the Terminal, enter the following command to change the location:

defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Pictures

This snippet will change the default location of saving the screenshot to the Pictures folder. You can also set this location to any folder or volume on your Mac, just substitute~/Pictures in this command to whatever you want. Once you've run this command, you'll need to restart the SystemUIServer (used to control certain interface elements in Mac OS X), by entering killall SystemUIServer in the Terminal.

From macosxhints.com

Backgrounding Apps

MacRumors has heard that Apple are still thinking of allowing the user to run a small number of background apps on the phone.

This is something that I think we still need to see. The Push notification service is a good solution for apps that aren't accessing the environment around. But apps such as a tracker for following your position really do need to be on all the time, as do internet radio apps.

The main marketing thrust of the Pre is surely going to be around the multi-tasking. We all know by now, by experience or education that background apps drain the battery in no time at all, but this won't be mentioned in press blurb. If Apple want to close that angle of attack, allowing a limited form of BackApps would seem necessary.

When I first considered the problem, the solution that formulated in my head, was that apps should be written as 2 parts; the main app and a background app process that could be called on a regular interval say 5 seconds. The background process app could be restricted to no UI and a very limited API to throttle how much cpu and power it used. BackApps could be terminated if they took more than n seconds to return control.

The idea that certain locations in the dock or springboard would be for BackApps since a neat one. Trying to juggle apps with WinMobile task manager was always a nightmare on my TyTnII and they really ate the battery.

Perhaps they should make it that apps in the dock can be backgrounded, and that to cancel the process you simply slide your finger as if to pull the app off the dock, to terminate any bg processes.

Whatever their solution I do hope that some form of BG app even in a very limited form is on the cards, it would transform the device and apps.

Tonights Spicy Stir Fry

This weeks left overs recombobulated into something delish.

Cook rice... 1 ladle per person. add to salted boiling water, 1 ladle scoop per person. boil 8 mins and strain.. forget the absorbtion method, too easy to burn if you get coding hard...

put lid on, to conserve heat.

Place 2 big pasta bowls in microwave with water between and heat for 3 mins... to get em hot.

3 box method ( and sauce)

Sauce.

Soy Sauce, oyster sauce, honey, ginger, chilli oil, garlic chopped, dash of sherry.

(box1)Meat

Roast beef, marinate in garlic, oil, and chopped chilli

(box 2) To cook a bit.. Veg ( left overs )

carrots, baby sweet corns ( chopped ) , mushrooms chopped. old pepper.

(box 3)To keep crunchy...

Sugar snap peas(chopped ), baby sweet corns ( chopped ) , mushrooms chopped. old pepper, old leek ends and old spring onion.

cashew nuts.

Chop meat, garlic ( 1 clove), 1 chili pepper, mix up. and marinate

Chop mushrooms, peppers and other ingredients... separate into boxes, some divide for fresh and cooked.

Sauce, chop and mix. should be sweet, tangy, and wacky and slightly hot.

Heat rice. 8 mins boil.

Heat oil, add beef + stuff... til hot. ( box1)

Add sauce, should be sticky, and the sugar in the honey will make it hotter on domestic cookers. it will bubble... great! ( 20 secs sort of ).Once meat is hawt! and sizzly...

Throw in box 2... the stuff u want super hot and a little cooked..

1 min... bubble, shake, 2 mins'ish ( your trying to get it hot and a tincy bit cooked ).

Add the 3rd ( you want it crunchy, so adding last min )

Quickly stir in and cover with sauce.

Throw drained rice into heated bowls*, spoon in generous amount, sprinkle with sesame seeds on meat mixture. and wolf down with chopsticks.

*if u have them ( couldnt find them tonight )

Colour your shell prompt taken from Lifehacker

Using the tip is relatively simple—just edit the /root/.bashrc file and add in the following, preferably commenting out the existing lines that set the color, though you can simply add this line to the end of the file.

PS1='${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\[\033[01;31m\]\u@\h\[\033[00m\]:\[\033[01;34m\]\w\[\033[00m\]\$ '

Once you've added this line, anytime you switch to using the root shell you will see the prompt in red with white text for the command line. Chris takes it further, with a line that turns the prompt green for regular users, which you can enable by adding the following to your ~/.bashrc file:

PS1='${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\[\033[01;32m\]\u@\h\[\033[00m\]:\[\033[01;34m\]\w\[\033[00m\]\

Kraftwerk - Autobahn.

Quick Drunken Thoughts... as usual... ( on ripping my cd copy )

Its years since I listened to this album and it just took me back 30+ years instantly. That wonderment that machines could make imitate the sound of cars flying past on a road.

Cortinas were still curvey, as were escorts. We had just been to the continent for the first time, it seemed so exotic. My brothers musical tastes merged with my love of gadgets and science fiction.

I must have been about 10 or so. Getting ready for my first computer. Practicing learning how to touch type from the cover of brochure for a Sinclair Spectrum. (It worked ).

Also roughly the time of Xray Specs, Blondie, Donna Summer, Abba ( VV ), Oxygene. The world seemed so visceral and the electronics so alien but exciting. Walkmen were just coming in.

Will pipe more thoughts about this time soon. Loved it. Love the original blue ( vertigo ) sleeve

Of course, kraftwerk The Model? was used for the BBC computer program.

..

my brother and I would sit in his bed. turn off the lights and pretend we were still driving through Germany after our holiday/adventure there that year. The music seemed to fit perfectly. I think we only saw a few UK people the whole time we were abroad. How it changes.

wow, last track did it all over again. such an influence on me musically. i loved the melancholy hopefulness of the track, wistful. it always meant that i would have to go back to my room and go to bed as by now I'd be in trouble for staying up too late.

iTunes select album of current song

option click the arrow on the current song album name, opens the whole album.

iPhone 3.0 wishlist

What would I like to see in 3.0

1. Copy / Paste - like duh!

2. Background threads - ( maybe not apps )

3. Access to itunes library NSTunesPicker ?

4. Better mp3 decoding support.

5. AudioUnit registration

I don't think full back ground apps are required. I think apps could have a

-(void)didReceiveBackground notification

a bit like the one you do for closing. and you could spawn a tiny version or something. But the full app must close. That would be fine. Restricted stuff, no user interface etc

Widgets on your desktop

In terminal
defaults write com.apple.dashboard devmode YES <---- this makes it possible

killall Dock <--- this restarts dashboard

Then pull up dashboard ( mine is command-F12 )

click and hold widget whilst dismissing dashboard with same key.

Dolphins

iKea

Cable Management
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/50035115

Grasmere Gingerbread

This is Jamie Olivers version of the Classic Gingerbread biscuit/cookie you get in Grasmere, Cumbria.
I write these down so I dont forget.

400g	shortbread fingers
170g	Demerara Sugar
3tsp	Ginger
40g	Mixed Peel
40g	Stem ginger
Pinch	Baking Powder
70g	Plain Flour
1 tablespoon	Golden Syrup
1 tablespoon	Treacle
70g	Butter

Whizz Shortbread + 2 tsp ginger + sugar in blender til crumbs, then remove 100g of mixture

Mix in Peel, Ginger, 1stp ginger,baking powder, + flour

Melt ( not boil ) butter, syrup and treacle in

Mix in main crumb mix, till you got a just moist cheesecake base style mix.

Press into 8" pan to about .75cm and flatten with potatoe masher etc.



Cook in oven at 170 for 10 mins. will look a bit uncooked, a hot moist mess.

Pour remaining crumbs evenly over the top of the mix and press flat again.

It should look like light crumbly on top with a darker base.

Leave to cool. Cut into pieces about 3cm x 7cm.


I often wondered how to make this recipe, and its pretty close but not quite perfect. I might add a little more treacle and syrup. I believe the butter is the setting agent.If you put too much flour, it turns horrible as it should be like a cheesecake base with a crumbly dry top. Flour binds but makes it more like a dough. So careful not to overwork the mixing in to fat/syrup mix.

Hiding a file

Joe always leaves a DEADJOE file around.

on os x hide it with

Launch Terminal.
Open the /Developer/Tools folder in the Finder. Locate SetFile and drag its icon to the terminal window. The Directory path for SetFile (/Developer/Tools/SetFile) should appear in the Unix command line prompt.
Type: -a V . Leave a space after the upper case V.
Locate the file that you want to make invisible. Drag its icon to the Terminal window. Its path should now be added to the same command line prompt.
Thus, for our aforementioned MyDoc file on the Desktop, when you are done doing all of the above, the command line should look like this:

/Developer/Tools/SetFile -a V /Users/homedirectoryname/Desktop/MyDoc

Getting Color LS Bash terminal in leopard

export CLICOLOR=1

put this in /etc/bashrc

In case I forget

http://swedishcampground.com/safari-4-hidden-preferences

defaults write com.apple.Safari DebugSafari4TabBarIsOnTop -bool NO

$ defaults write com.apple.Safari DebugSafari4IncludeToolbarRedesign -bool NO
$ defaults write com.apple.Safari DebugSafari4LoadProgressStyle -bool NO

Ruby Applescripting Bridge

Didn't realise you could do this already..
Some fun to be had for sure.
http://www.apple.com/applescript/features/scriptingbridge.html

Monsta's chilli Salmon, 3 pans

pan 1 - penne - cook in boiling water 10 mins ( el dente )

after 5 mins of pasta cooking

pan 2 - fry garlic, chilli, red pepper. some oregano, add tin of tomato, simmer v lightly
also
pan 3 - microwave salmon til opaque.


stir salmon pieces into pasta pan, sort of a kegeriee, add a drizzle of balsamic
add capers to tomato/peppers sauce ( teaspoon or more )

put pasta in heated bowl, spoon sauce on top, serve with parmesan +/ garlic bread ( if you're allowed )

Sauce

1/2 oyster
1/2 soy

ginger
sherry
chilli oil

dont put sesame oil in

more animals

My recipe for gingerbread biscuits. still experimenting

4 tablespoons treacle
4 tablespoons syrup
4 oz dark brown sugar. ( might use demerara next time )
1 tablespoon ginger preserve / stem ginger chopped ( still experimenting here ) or maybe candied peel
24 oz plain flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinammon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt

1 large egg.

Whisk the egg.
Melt the butter in a pan, add the syrup and the treacle. Dont boil, and cool it so u can add the egg without it cooking,
Pour dry ingredients into a bowl and mix together. ( you might want to hold some flour back in case its too dry )

Add the syrup mixture,and the ginger preserve and stir until you get a dough, ie something that will roll out flat.


roll fist sized balls flat on a floured surface, and cut out shapes

cook in the preheated oven at 190c for 10 mins. if you want them softer, make them a bit thicker or cook for 9 mins.

leave to cool for a few mins and use a flat knife to get them onto a cooling tray. Decorate with icing etc.

If the biscuits are too hard, you could put a piece of bread in a sealed tin with them, and this will soften them over night.