Blog - Zero One Media Center

You’ve Got Options!

July 1st, 2010

Ever wonder what that Option key was for, tucked between your Command key* and the Control key**? It has several hidden tricks up its sleeve!

1. Diacritical marks. As I discussed in last month’s Tip and Trick, hold down the Option key, type a vowel to get a diacritical mark, let go, then type the letter you want that mark above. For example, “Option – e – let go – a” gives you an “á”.

2. iPhoto’s Rotate. By default, the Rotate button turns your picture 90° counter-clockwise. Hold down the Option key and it will change to clockwise.

3. Degrees and other special characters. Notice that degree symbol in #2 above? I held down the Option key when typing the asterisk. “Option-Shift-8” gave me an “°”. This will work on several keyboard combinations. ¡E??e®îmeñ†! (Experiment!)

4. Switch your speakers or microphone. Hold down your Option key and click on the Speaker icon in the upper right corner of your screen. If you have speakers, a microphone, or headphones plugged in, you’ll be able to choose them off a list. So if you want to switch back to your computer’s internal speakers, you can do so in a flash.

5. Open System Preferences. Hold down your Option key and tap on any of your F keys, the top row on your keyboard. You can immediately open up System Preferences directly to Brightness, Expose, Keyboard, or Sound.

6. Jump down a page. Right now, if you click in your scrollbar above or below the blue bubble, it will either jump you up/down a page, or to that place in the document. Hold down the Option key and it will reverse the setting. Find a long page in Safari or Word and give it a try! Very handy!

7. Open up new Inspectors. This trick works in Keynote or Pages. Open your Inspector, the panel that contains all the commands. Option-click on one of the buttons across its top, and you can have your Text pane open at the same time as your Object pane!

*for keyboard commands
**for right-click shortcut menus

Tags: macintosh, option key
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Zero One Media Center now renting iPads!

June 30th, 2010

Zero One Media Center is happy to offer the Apple iPad for rental. If you would like to try this amazing device for yourself please call for details and availability right away, as a limited number of iPads are currently available.

Reservations can be made at (310) 651-8488.

If you would like to try the Apple iPad before you buy, be sure to consider our iPad rental starting at just $99. If you are interested in experiencing the iPad for yourself or have a trip overseas and need a cost effective way to access the web and stay on top of your emails, this is the rental opportunity for you.? Our new iPad evaluation program allows you to rent an iPad for a fraction of the purchase price. For just $99, you can have 7 days to see why the iPad has been called the next giant leap forward in mobile communication. ?Many companies looking for ways to increase productivity have already started evaluating the iPad as a potential laptop alternative and are renting iPads to see how they could use this technology. This short-term trial has no long-term contract so you don’t have to deal with the potential headaches.? Many customers have already tried the iPad before purchase. Here are some reasons to rent an iPad from Zero One Media Center:? The iPad combines three products — a widescreen iPod with touch controls and a breakthrough portability with desktop-class email, web browsing, maps and searching into one small and lightweight handheld device.? The iPad also introduces an entirely new user interface based on a large multi-touch screen and pioneering new software that lets you control everything via a multi-touch screen with virtual keyboard and buttons. Experience for yourself how the iPad provides a higher level of power and sophistication never before seen in a mobile device, completely redefining what you can do on a mobile phone.

iPad Rental Rates: ?$99 per week $249 per month $25 for 250MB minimum data usage required per week for 3G version. Additional 250mb blocks billed at $25 per block.?**Minimum usage requirements may apply please call for details Your iPad will arrive all set up and ready to use via Overnight (or 2 Day) FedEx. Please be sure to order as far in advance as possible as these rentals have been extremely popular. Orders to be shipped the same day must be received by 10am EST unless other arrangements have been made. Your mobile number for short-term usage is already assigned, all you have to do is experience it, enjoy it and return it. This is your chance to find out what all the buzz is about. ?Let us spend the time and expense of doing the set up, registration and subscriptions. You can just concentrate on using the iPad and experience for yourself how it performs in your daily work life, geographic area, and company setting. Only Zero One Media Center will allow you to decide if it’s time to buy.

Apple iPad Rental Terms and Conditions: ?By renting the iPad from Zero One Media Center, Customer agrees that they are responsible for all malfunctions, failures, damage to or loss of the iPad, except those due to manufacturing defects and normal wear and tear. In the event of damage or loss to the rental iPad for which Customer is responsible, Customer will promptly notify Zero One Media Center and either pay (i) an amount equal to the Equipment Replacement Value, or (ii) the cost of repairing the iPad, if Zero One Media Center or Apple determines that the iPad is repairable. Zero One Media Center determines that iPad is not repairable, then option (i) above will apply.? Customer agrees to pay the published rates for the use of the services and acknowledges receipt of a copy of said rates. Customer agrees to abide by the acceptable and published rules concerning use of the iPad. Customer understands Zero One Media Center has no control over quality of coverage and network conditions. It is further understood that not all iPad features can be used in all areas. Customer must return the iPad in the exact same condition in which it was received including removing all personal data (including all pictures, music, videos and contacts). If any music or video content is added to the iPad customer agrees to use iTunes versions below 7.4. If any personal information is left on the iPad, a minimum $39 cleaning fee will apply.? Customer understands that all of the information, material and software on the iPad is the property of Zero One Media Center. Customer agrees not to perform any over the air firmware updates or load any third party software without first obtaining permission in writing from Zero One Media Center. ?Rental Charges and Security Deposit/Reserve. Customer will prepay Zero One Media Center $99 for 7 days (“Rental Charges”), pay the prepaid data fee for any domestic data usage. International data usage billed separately. In addition, a reserve against the Customer’s credit card equal to the equipment replacement value of $600, plus applicable taxes (“Equipment Replacement Value”) will be charged to the customer’s credit card before the customer receives the device. This reserve will be maintained by Zero One Media Center and will be applied against any damage to or loss of the device or other payments due. If the iPad is not received by Zero One Media Center by the end of the Rental Period, Customer’s credit card will be charged with the full Equipment Replacement Value, but if Customer later returns the iPad and it is received within seven (7) days after the end of the Rental Period, Zero One Media Center will retain $99 per week as additional rental, plus applicable minimum usage requirements, taxes and the cost of repair for any damage for which Customer is responsible, and the remainder of the Equipment Replacement Value will be credited to Customer’s credit card. In no event will the Customer be entitled to a refund if the iPad is returned to Zero One Media Center before the end of the Rental Period.

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How to type accented characters

June 7th, 2010

If you want to spell café correctly, how do you get that accent over the e? Or get that tilde over the n when you write niño in Spanish? There are a few ways to do it.

First, holding down the Option key (on the bottom row of your keyboard) gives you common diacritical marks: e=´, i=ˆ, u=¨, n=˜, ~=`. To accent a letter, hold down the Option key, type the character representing that accent mark, then type the letter you want underneath it. For example, Option-i then e makes ê.

If you go to System Preferences > Language & Text > Input Sources and put a checkmark in front of “Keyboard & Character Viewer,” it puts up a little box at the top right of your screen. Click on that new icon in the upper right corner of your screen, and choose “Show Keyboard Viewer,” and a little keyboard will appear.

Hold down the Option key, and you can see all the special characters you get when using that key as a modifier. Try holding down the Shift key, and Shift-Option as well. You’ll see all kinds of characters you can type. The ones highlighted in orange are the ones that follow the tip above.

You have another option as well. In that same System Preferences window, scroll down and put a checkmark in front of US International – PC. Click the keyboard icon in the upper right corner of your screen again, and make sure it’s set to this new keyboard configuration. Now, just like in Windows, you can use these keyboard combos:

For á, é, í, ó, ú: press ‘ and directly after that, the vowel.
For à, è, ì, ò, ù: press ` and directly after that, the vowel. (Note that ` is slightly different slightly different from ‘ … on my keyboard, it is located right of the left-side Shift key.)
For ä, ë, ï, ö, ü: press ” and directly after that, the vowel.
For ã, ñ, õ: press ˜ and directly after that, the letter.

Tags: accent, diacritical marks, keyboard
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Great Deal for your Graduate!

June 4th, 2010

Save $100 and get an iPod touch for FREE! Perfect for your graduate, this 13″ MacBook Pro has 4GB of memory, a 250GB hard drive for tons of storage, iLife ’09, Wi-Fi, web camera, USB, Firewire, Bluetooth – it’s loaded!! MSRP $1,499.
Graduate special – $1,399 + FREE iPod Touch

Stop in and check out this great deal. (while supplies last)

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Creating PDFs from almost any application

April 28th, 2010

PDF stands for “Portable Document Format”, and what makes a PDF document practical is that it is universal – anyone on any computer, Mac or PC, can open it, without having the software originally used to create it. It can’t be modified by anyone; it’s essentially a picture of the page.

That means you can save a Pages document in a format your friend on a PC can read. It also means you can send a contract created in Word, and the recipient can’t change it and claim that’s how it was originally.

PDFs are saved like any other file, and can also be organized in iPhoto or Aperture.

To convert a document to PDF format, simply go to the Print dialog box.* In the lower right-hand corner, there will be a PDF button. Click on it, and you’ll have a variety of options, not just for the conversion, but for the action you want to do with it as well.

Choose “Save as PDF…” to convert to PDF and save it on your hard drive for archiving, or future use.

“Open in Preview” will immediately let you see what it looks like.

“Mail PDF” will open up Apple Mail and instantly attach the file, so all you have to do is address it and send it!

“Save as Adobe PDF” gets it ready to be modified in Adobe Acrobat, if you’ll be using it as the basis for an interactive form.

“Save PDF to Aperture” and “Save PDF to iPhoto” will instantly add the file to your photo library. You can then assign it keywords, ratings, and move it into albums. These choices are a great way of creating an archive of important records.

“Save PDF to folder as JPG (or TIFF)” turns the document into a graphic image.

“Save PDF to Web Receipts Folder” from either Mail or Safari allows to create digital receipts to track online purchases.

Once your document is saved as a PDF, its universal file format will allow you to use it in any way you’d like!

*If your print dialog box is very small, click the blue arrow to the right of the printer name to expand it out.

Tags: save as pdf
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The fastest, most powerful MacBook Pro ever. Times three.

April 21st, 2010

The new MacBook Pro, available in 13-, 15-, and 17-inch models, sets all-new benchmarks for Mac notebooks. The 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro feature Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors, which boost performance up to 50 percent and reach Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.33GHz. Next-generation NVIDIA graphics bring high performance to everything from 3D games to photos and videos. And the built-in battery lasts up to 10 hours (8 to 9 hours on the 15- and 17-inch models). Starting at $1199.

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Safari Bookmark Groups

March 25th, 2010

Do you visit the same websites every day? Do you open them one at a time, or open a half-dozen windows at a time? This tip will save you a ton of time and effort. Create a button on your Bookmark Bar that opens a group of tabs at once!

This works particularly well for opening all your bank accounts at once, all your news pages, or your email account and Google at the same time.

To create a Bookmark Group, first open each website in its own tab. To create a new tab, press Command-T, or File>New Tab. Navigate to the page you want. Create another tab, and open up the next page in the series. Do this until you have all the pages open in different tabs.

Be sure to go to the login page where you enter your password, not just the landing page, otherwise you’ll still have to click to it every time!

Once you have the tabs set up, go up to the Bookmarks menu and choose “Add Bookmark for these X tabs.” A window will pop up that says “Saved Tabs”. Change that to something short yet descriptive, like “Banking” or “News” or “My Tabs”. Be sure that the dropdown says “Bookmark Bar” (if it says something else, change it to this). Click Add.

Look on the left of your Bookmarks Bar. You’ll now see the name you typed, with a little square to the right. Click on it anytime, and it will reset the window to your tab set instantly.

Click here to see a video demonstration!

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Tips and Tricks: Easy Access to Your Favorite Files

March 2nd, 2010

I see far too many people keeping their most important files on their desktop. I know what they’re thinking: “I can get to it so easily from here!”

But that’s like owning a file cabinet, and keeping your most essential documents piled in a stack on top of it!

You can accidentally throw them in the trash…save over them…forget to back them up…. You have to look at the clutter all the time. Plus, it actually requires your computer to work a little harder because it has to keep drawing their icons!

The first step in cleaning up the clutter is to put the files away where they belong. Put your files in the Documents folder, and your photos in iPhoto or the Pictures folder. After you’ve straightened up your desktop, here are five ways of accessing your files just as easily:

Drag the file to the right side of the Dock. One-click access!
Open a Finder window and drag the file to the sidebar.
Open a Finder window and drag the file to the title bar at the top.
Search for the first few letters of the filename in Spotlight.
Use the Recent Items flyout under the Apple Menu.

Click here to see a video demonstrating all 5 methods!

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Adding Application and Documents Folders to the Dock

December 23rd, 2009

Dock Access One of the best ways to get easy access to every program and every file on your computer is to put shortcuts to their folders in your Dock.

Drag the Document Folder and Applications folder from the Finder to the right side of the dotted line, make sure a space opens up, and drop them there.

Then, click your mouse on one of the folders and hold the button down (or Right-click, or Ctrl-Click). A list of options will appear. Under “View Content As”, select “List”.

If you select “Display As…”, then “Folder”, the icon won’t keep changing every time you open up a document or program.

The folder contents will appear in an alphabetical list. If you have subfolders, point at them and their contents will fly out. Click on the file you want to open it.

Now, you can get to any file or program in just one click!

Click here to watch a video explaining how!

Tags: Macintosh Dock Documents folder
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The Double-click Blues

November 21st, 2009

changing creator type Up until now, if you double-clicked on a file from the Finder, it would open up automatically in the application that created it.

Several calls from AppleWorks 6.0 users after they updated to OSX 10.6 Snow Leopard alerted me to a problem: double-clicking on a AppleWorks file brought up a message that the file could not be opened. But if they first opened up AppleWorks, the file would open.

Something else was happening for people who created files that were saved with extensions that identified the file type instead of the application that created it. For example, hand-coded HTML files with the extension .html might open up in Safari instead of BBEdit or DreamWeaver!

The reason for this type of error stems from a technical change in how 10.6 Snow Leopard manages files. Up through OSX 10.5 Leopard, the Finder would look at file metadata called a Creator Code to identify the source application. Now, your computer simply looks at the file extension, the part of the filename after the period (for example, resume.doc is a Word document, and resume.cwk was made in AppleWorks).

To solve any similar errors, here’s what you can do:

View the file in your Finder.
Click on it one time to select it.
Press ?-I or File?Get Info.
Look for a section called Open With. Click on the flippy triangle to its left if you can’t see the details in the section.
Click the blue arrows to drop down the file type.
If your desired application is on the list, choose it. Then, click the “Change All…” button.
If your desired application is NOT on the list, click “Other…”, then navigate to the application you need the file to open in. Put a checkmark in front of “Always Open With.”
From now on, when you double-click on a file with that file type, it should open just fine.

This trick is also good for always opening Word documents with Pages. Or, if you’re upgrading from AppleWorks to iWorks, you can use this to open your AppleWorks word processing files to Pages and your spreadsheets in Numbers!

Tags: Apple Macintosh OSX 10.6 Snow Leopard Double-click error
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