Update: As requested, it is the Speck Black Satin cover.  Very nice fit and available in the online Apple store.

Setting up iCloud sync has caused events to be unexpectedly wiped from Google Calendar for some of our users who were syncing information between iCal and Google Calendar. In response, we’ve stopped deleting the information if the delete request comes from iCal. Until further notice, deleting any event in iCal on MacOS will not remove this event from Google Calendar, but all other requests like creating events or changing existing events will be synced properly. We’ve contacted Apple and we are actively working on this – thanks for bringing this to our attention, we’ll keep you posted. As a workaround, we suggest you remove events in the Web version of Google Calendar (calendar.google.com) – all changes made in Web Calendar are properly synced to your iCal.

Statement here.  Support thread here.

I document a lot.  I actually *like* documentation.  Why?  Years of having my ass kicked by not having documenting trained me into enjoying the self satisfaction of being a smug git when someone asks me for details on a project long since finished.  I take a lot of screenshots.

A while ago, I asked the LazyWeb how to automate the resizing of multiple screenshots or images on a Mac, while keeping the the correct size ratio.  I know there are some image tools that are out there (e.g. photoshop) but I really did not want to go to the expense.  I also prefer to keep my Mac as “clean” as possible.  Enter Automator.

The Mac Automator should be considered a Macro tool.  It can be used to create actions that repeat jobs you frequently do.  I rarely have use for it, but this time it was a good fit.  In my Automator, I have set the “ResizeImage” application to complete the following:

• Prompt you to select the file(s)
• Copy the files to a target directory.  I have it set to default as “ImageDump” on my desktop
• Resize the file to 450 pixels wide using the preview tool.

Not only that, I have saved it as an .app file, so I can easily active this resize application whenever I need.  If it is of any use to people, I have made the file available for download here.  I’m sure there are a billion improvements you can make and another billion alternatives, but this seems to work for me.

Although it is big, I do like my MX870 printer/scanner. But recently I experienced numerous communication errors when trying to print over the network. Re-setup did not help and actually finding the scanner from my Mac was a headache. A bit of cursing and googling gave me the answer (credit to the solution provider here).

With the latest driver updates, there is no listing of the mx870 in NetworkDevice.plist file.

Navigate to Library/Image Capture/Support/LegacyDeviceDiscoveryHelper
Right click on CHScannerRegister and click on show package contents.
Navigate to /Resources/NetworkDevice.plist and edit the file.
Add the following string

<string>MX870 series</string>

..under the list of all other printers.  Now you can see the scanner when adding.  So far, no communication errors either although that may be unrelated to this fix.

I’m just a bit too old fashioned to trust the cloud fully.  Creating a recovery disk for OSX Lion using the  recovery assistant.  It requires a 1GB USB Stick that you will not use again unless bad things have happened.  Luckily my ILUG2007 usb stick was lying on my memorabilia shelf.

Mac users will be delighted. Windows users will wonder what the fuss is about.

A colleague just switched to Mac, and I have been asked what software would I recommend.  In 2008, this post was my “list” after receiving my beloved blackbook.  It’s quite dated at this stage.  So if you had to list “must-haves” and great software for the Mac that you use, what would it be in 2011?

Mine is now:

• Facetime (rarely used but cool)
• Skype (brilliant but I have not upgraded past 2.8 as newer versions look like pure bloat)
• Adium (rarely used)
• MS office 2011 (not by choice.  I deem it necessary)
• Apple twitter client
• Logmein Himachi
• Evernote
• Firefox
• Dropbox
• x-lite4 (VoIP phone)
• Keynote
• iPhoto
• Mac VNC
• MS RDP for Mac

Yesterday, a grumpy man had a nice delivery.

My other MBP is 2 1/2 years old, and even though it is still plenty fast, I wanted the extra memory and a Solid State Drive to run multiple heavy VMs.

Although very expensive, I don’t guilt over this particular purchase.  Like many readers here, my laptop is the tool of my trade.  Used for many many hours per day, 365 or so days per year.  I want to enjoy using it, and I get plenty of mileage out of it.  We constantly push them hard, running many applications or virtual machines.  They get scratched, dropped, mistreated more then most and still are totally relied upon.  This time, considering the cost and the fact it is my first laptop with a non-removable battery, I went with applecare for the three years.  I have no experience of applecare, so here is hoping that if I do need to use it, it is a good move.

Setup was easy to the point of disappointing.

• Turn on Macbook.
• Tell Macbook where my time machine backup is (My ReadyNAS NV+).
• Go away for 2 hours.
• Come back.
• Done

It is now completely configured and setup as per my last backup on my other Macbook Pro.  Only hiccups were related to bluetooth devices and re-registering MSOffice license.  It is identical to the machine I was using the day before.  Just faster.  A lot faster.

The SSD makes a serious difference.  Cold start (from the beep to login page) is 18 seconds.  After you login, it is fully loaded in 3 seconds.  Here is a quick video of Lotus Notes loading after a cold start (by far the heaviest product on my machine), followed by firefox and mail.app.



Compare it to my last Mac below:

In our world, there is nothing more annoying then having to rebuild your machine from the OS up.  It is a task I complete about once every 12 months, regardless of operating system (I have been a Windows, Linux and Mac user).  I do not buy into the ideology that certain operating systems will never slow down because they are superior.  We fill our computers with crap, and eventually it needs to be cleaned out.

My 2008 Macbook Pro has had one rebuild already (when I returned from Asia in late 2009).  Recently it has slowed a great deal, and occasional crashes (to which I completely blame the shitpile that is MSOffice2008 for Mac) were starting to cut into work.  So, at 4.30pm on Wednesday, I started three separate backups of may laptop.  One update backup to my ReadyNAS NV+ using Time Machine.  Another to my external 1TB drive using Time machine again, and then a full OS level copy of everything to another drive.

Yes…I’m paranoid.

Once complete, I swapped out the 320GB 7200 drive for a Seagate Momentus XT hybrid drive (500GB) and started a full re-installation.  OSX offers you the ability to restore everything from the time machine, but that just copies the crap back in.  So the laborious task of reinstalling all software begun, followed by copying back my 130GB of personal data onto the machine.  All in all, getting your machine back to where you want it takes at least a full day, as you always forget software or configuration settings.  I still find myself missing software I need, and installing as needed.  I will try to keep this build as clean as possible, so when the new MacBook Pro is released I can purchase and do a simple OS restore.  So far, the rebuild lead to recovery of 40GB of disk space.  I have no idea what that 40GB was used on.  OSX to disk is the cookie monster to .. em.. cookies.

I had a few requests for thoughts on the Hybrid drive and performance.  Installation of the new drive is a breeze and although Kerr Rainey experienced some issues (resolved by a firmware update) my drive has so far been just fine.    So far I have not felt the “80%” performance improvement, but the machine is most definitely substantially quicker.  Cold boot to login prompt now takes  45 seconds.  The machine is fully loaded with startup routines completed 15 seconds later.  Lotus Notes loads in 13.4 seconds.  This, compared to a time of 38 seconds taken from an earlier post is very impressive.  However I would attribute some of this to a fresh OS build too.

My grand plan is to replace this Mac in a few months but I may just keep the drive and put back in the 320GB one.