Saturday Secrets

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Here Comes iPhone Firmware 1.1.3!
Expected at any time, the new iPhone update offers several new items. Now iPhone users will be able to send SMS messages to multiple groups of people, the Google Map includes a new "Locate Me" button that works like GPS (Google Maps application can now pinpoint your location using cell tower triangulation), you'll be able to edit your Home screen buttons by dragging and dropping them to arrange their order and Safari will include a new feature that allows you to "Add Bookmark to Home Screen" for iPhone bookmarking. There are more new features too - and - Apple has again plugged some holes which will stop iPhone hacking and those with hacked iPhones will find, if they update, their iPhones turn to bricks - again!

Netscape Navigator Buried
AOL, owner of Netscape, has pulled the plug on further development of Netscape Navigator (all versions) saying "“…we feel it’s the right time to end development of Netscape branded browsers, hand the reins fully to Mozilla and encourage Netscape users to adopt Firefox”. Although FireFox is becoming the norm it is only a browser and does not include built-in chatting, mail or the ability to create web pages (Composer). OTOH, SeaMonkey, which is Mozilla in suite form, does include all of the suite features and is still be developed. Get it here.

Command H - What Is It?
One of the biggest advantages Mac users have is the Command [Apple key] H feature. I can understand new Mac users not knowing about or utilizing the command but am at a loss when it comes to seasoned Mac users who don't use this amazing advantage.

When invoked, Command H hides the current application out of sight. It still runs and does what it should do but it doesn't appear as a second active icon in your Dock. Instead, it hides in the background of your computer. To bring it back to the forefront you simply click on the application's dock icon.

Why would you use it? Primarily to keep the size of your dock to a manageable size. The biggest complaint I hear from new Mac users is that "my dock gets too big when I minimize my applications". You would also invoke the Command H function when you don't need to continually monitor the application. Here is a good example:

You buzz off to The Pirate Bay and download a torrent. You drag the torrent into Transmission and the download begins. You see that it is going to be two hours before it is finished downloading. You can minimize Transmission but you've already got six applications running and their active minimized icons have stretched your dock to the edge of your screen. You don't really need Transmission to be minimized, you just need it to run and complete the job without your constant attention. The answer is to "Command H" Transmission. Left click on Transmission to give it the main focus then press down the Command key (aka Apple key) and hit the H key. Transmissions disappears. Did you close it? No, you simply "hid" it from view. It remains running in the background and when your download completes, Transmission will beep and bounce once up and down in your dock. When that happens just click the bouncing Transmission icon and Transmission comes back on the screen.

As a seasoned Mac user I don't minimize too many applications any more. I hide them because I know they can come right back into view by clicking on their dock icon.

Start using Command H today and soon you'll be using it all the time.