Tagged: OS X

Free Automator scripts for Apple’s new Photos app

Photos + Automator

This Automator Action collection for Apple’s new Photos app in Mac OS X Yosemite makes your photography workflow a much more efficient and smoother process. In particular, I love the Import image into a specific Album action file. This allows me to quickly add desktop wallpapers and other images I’ve acquired online to a specific Photos album without actually going through the process manually.

There are a ton of other fantastic Automator Actions available at MacOSXAutomation. Be sure to check them all out to see if there’s something else you can use.

30% discount on Airy 2.0 upgrade

Airy 2

I’ve written about Airy in the past. Eltima Software has upgraded their awesome little YouTube video downloader to 2.0, and brought with it a few handy features.

Airy 2.0 continues to make downloading YouTube videos even easier by adding the ability to download an entire YouTube playlist with a single click. I was able to download several playlists of music videos numbering from 15 to 40 videos with no problem at all. Downloading is the same as previous versions: you paste a YouTube video address into the Airy app URL bar, or use the included browser bookmarklet (my preferred method).

Airy 2 Playlist

The update also adds the ability to pause downloads, so the next time you open Airy, the downloads resume automatically. Given that Airy downloads videos so quickly, this may seem unnecessary, but when you consider downloading a playlist with dozens upon dozens of videos, it can come in handy.

Airy hasn’t added any new formats that I can see. But you can already save videos as MP4, FLV and 3GP formats, as well as save only the audio as an MP3, so I see little room for improvement here anyway.

Airy 2.0 is a little faster, and a little more stable—though I never had problems with the older version to begin with. This is one of those little gems that I’m glad I have around. For years there have been plenty of YouTube video downloaders that were a pain to use, and usually stopped working after a few months. Airy has been around for a while, is not free, and is provided by a stable developer. That means it’s likely to be supported for the foreseeable future.

The latest upgrade runs on Mac OS X 10.7 and later. Previous Airy users can upgrade to the new version for 50% off, and new users can use the coupon code THGM-DSC at checkout time to receive 30% off the regular $19.95 price.

OS X Yosemite font management advice

Font Book
If you’ve upgraded to Mac OS X Yosemite (10.10), there is one important piece of advice I can give you as it pertains to fonts: Don’t ever, ever, EVER move or delete HelveticaNeueDeskInterface.ttc. You will completely hose your system, requiring a re-install of the system, or some work with a recent backup. Either way, it’s just not worth messing around with.

Unlike Mavericks (10.9), Yosemite does not have a fall-back option when it comes to the main system font. Desktop icons will use Helvetica, but menus, dialog boxes and the rest of the interface will simply be blank and unusable.

The following are the require fonts for Yosemite, and should not be moved or deleted from the System/Library/Fonts folder:

• Apple Color Emoji.ttf
• AppleSDGothicNeo-Bold.otf
• AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular.otf
• Courier.dfont
• Geneva.dfont
• Helvetica.dfont
• HelveticaNeue.dfont
• HelveticaNeueDeskInterface.ttc
• Keyboard.ttf
• LastResort.ttf
• LucidaGrande.ttc
• Menlo.ttc
• Monaco.dfont
• Symbol.ttf
• Times.dfont

All other fonts can be safely moved or deleted if you wish, though some may be required by other app such as Pages, Keynote, etc. But in general, those fonts are found in the main Library folder, not the System folder.

How to Flush DNS Cache in OS X Yosemite

TerminalSome Mac users may encounter situations where they need to flush DNS cache in OS X for a name server to resolve properly, or for some DNS address change to become noticed by their individual computer. Longtime Mac users will know that resetting DNS cache has changed in nearly every version of Mac OS X, and OS X Yosemite is no different. Thankfully, Paul over at OSXDaily has a great write-up on how to flush all your DNS Cache.

To flush and reset all DNS caches in Yosemite, launch Terminal app and type the following command:
sudo discoveryutil mdnsflushcache;sudo discoveryutil udnsflushcaches;say flushed

Be sure to check out the article linked above for more Terminal commands regarding DNS Cache.

Change OS X Yosemite’s default System font

Fira System Font Replacement

Though you can’t choose any font you wish, you can use these modified Fira Sans fonts to replace Mac OS X Yosemite’s default System Font. Best of all, it’s easy to do and involves absolutely no hacking of system files.

  1. First, download Fira System Font Replacement.
  2. Next, drop the fonts into your /Library/Fonts folder. Note that this is not your User Library folder, but the one you see at the root level of your storage drive.
  3. Now simply relaunch the Finder. To do that, Option+Click the Finder icon in the Dock and choose “Relaunch” from the menu.

You should immediately see the new font appear in all your windows and menus. If you don’t like Fira Sans as the system font, you can simply remove the fonts from the Fonts folder and relaunch the Finder again.

As I stated at the start, this won’t work with just any font. This version of Fira Sans has been altered to supersede Apple’s default system font. The original system fonts haven’t been touched, which is why you can switch back simply by removing the Fira Sans.

These fonts are intended as a system font replacement on Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite. They are based on the Fira Sans font family by Erik Spiekermann and Ralph du Carrois, and are licensed under the Open Font License version 1.1 or later. The System font replacement package has been prepared by Jens Kutilek.

Yoink updated with Yosemite compatibility and new features

Yoink 3

Eternal Storms Software recently released Yoink 3, an upgrade to their incredibly useful drag and drop utility.

Yoink 3 makes drag and drop of files and app content between windows, (fullscreen) apps and Spaces easier by providing a “shelf” where file drags can be temporarily placed—allowing the mouse to be free to move and navigate to the destination of the drag. This is especially helpful when it comes to windows in different spaces, apps or fullscreen windows. You can view the demo video on the Eternal Storms website to give you a better idea of what it does, but I assure you that if you use OS X’s Full Screen feature, it’s almost a must have!

Yoink 3 Features

  • Yoink’s window can now be resized or automatically adjusted in height based on the number of files in it
  • Quickly view files in a file-stack in Yoink by right-clicking onto it
  • A fresh, new look that fits in perfectly with Yosemite
  • A new, hand-crafted App-Icon and interface elements throughout the app
  • Improvements and bug fixes, like better QuickLook Previews, cleaned-up preferences and better localization of filenames and paths

Yoink 3 is available on the Mac App Store for $4.99. If you’re already a Yoink user, the upgrade is free! Yoink is designed for and requires OS X Lion or newer – OS X Yosemite is recommended.

I absolutely love this little utility, it’s one of the few I’ve come across that has had staying power on my Macs.

Suitcase Fusion 6: Another fontspirational update

Suitcase Fusion 6

There are two utilities I install on every new Mac I use, the same two I’ve been installing before anything else since the mid-to-late 90s. Default Folder, and Extensis Suitcase.

Upgrades over the years have added new features, but their core functionality hasn’t changed much—other than they just keep working better with age. And that’s why I like them so much.

Extensis Suitcase Fusion started out as a simple font activation tool, but over the years it has grown into a complete font management system. While competing font managers struggle to add “me-too” features, Suitcase Fusion has built upon its core font activation tools with features that professionals with large font collections and a love for typography can truly use and appreciate. And rather than just throw frivolous features against the wall to see what sticks, Extensis has worked hard to only add the best ones, the most useful ones—and make sure they work as advertised.

Suitcase Fusion 6 continues down the path of slow-and-steady wins the race. At first glance, existing users will likely only see a slight interface update to look more at home with Mac OS X Yosemite. But there is a little more than meets the eye. (more…)

The most in-depth review of OS X Yosemite you’ll find

The most in-depth review of OS X Yosemite you'll find

OS X Yosemite
OS X Yosemite has been out for a while now, and I’m enjoying the heck out of using it. It’s probably the most full-featured OS release Apple has offered us in quite a while. While you’ve probably read plenty about the hero features, it’s still worth reading John Siracusa’s full review. At 25 pages in length, it’s about as in-depth as you can get.

Apps & Utilities for Mac OS X I can’t live without: Part 1

Mac apps I can't live without

“When it comes to utilities and applications for my Mac, I must admit I’m a bit of a whore.”

I’ll date lots of them, and toss them aside just as quickly as I come across them. But there are some that just seem to stick around. I absolutely love them, and can’t imagine my Mac-using life without them. Here is part one of my list of OS X apps I love: (more…)

Getting control of your Mac’s volume settings

Volume controls

If you’re using an Apple keyboard (or many third-party keyboards with a dedicated audio volume button), you can adjust the volume up and down with the push of a key. For many people, that’s enough.

For those who need a little more control, you can adjust the volume in quarter increments (rather than whole increments) simply by holding Option + Shift keys while pushing the Volume Up or Down keys. You’ll notice on the Volume bezel that appears on screen that the volume is adjusting a quarter box at a time, rather than a whole.

And for those of you who are annoyed by the quacking/beeping/burping sound with every press of the volume key, you can temporarily mute that sound by using Shift+Volume Up or Down keys. Unfortunately, you can combine the two to make silent adjustments in small increments.

About The Graphic Mac

The Graphic Mac
Connect with me on:
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Pinterest