Macbook, Netgear and the WEP Key

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There has been a very common issue with new Macbook users and wireless internet. If the user has a Netgear router (in my case a DG834G wireless router) and uses a WEP key, when setting up a new connection they simply cannot connect to the internet as their WEP key isn't accepted, no matter how many unsuccessful tries.

What's amazing is that the "fix" is actually quite simple, but something almost no-one could figure out on their own. All the user needs to do, is just put a $ in front of the WEP key when they type it. No hacks, no drivers, just a simple $.

iClip 4

If you constantly copy and paste files, you'll find it annoying when you constantly need to refer to certain file, website or text and think that it's annoying going back and forth copying every single thing you need. Enter iClip. iClip is a fantastic little program that allows you to store things that you copied into the program for further reference without having to go back and find the source.

For example, you're searching for a present and find a lot of little websites that you want to save for future reference. Just copy each url and input it into iClip. Easy as pie. Then when you want the url again, either copy it back from iClip or double click on where it's stored and it will automatically open up in your browser.

For those of you who don't like having a program sitting on your desktop, there's iClip Lite which is a dashboard version of iCip. This works pretty much in the same way, except it hides neatly on your dashboard, ready to be called up when needed.

Both iClip and iClip Lite are available for download and purchase (iClip Lite is free) from http://inventive.us/

Yojimbo and Journler

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I mainly use two apps to organise my personal and school life. These are Yojimbo from BareBones software and Journler. They are both programs which store information and are often compared against each other about which program to use. Yojimbo is around $53 AUD and Journler is donationware.

But which to use over the other? I tried for a while to figure out which is better to use for school and to organise my life. Journler is probably the better one if you could only use one, but if you can, I say get both. I use Yojimbo to organise my personal information, and Journler for school work. (Taking notes, writing essays) Journler is so good that it's even replaced Microsoft Word and Pages! Yojimbo has the nice F8 feature and docktab which are both quick ways of inputing data into Yojimbo without having to directly open up the Yojimbo interface, which is very minimalistic and simple. Fits in great with the Mac GUI. Yojimbo also has the option of storing Serials, Bookmarks and Websites very simply which makes it great for organising any little snippets that you may want to refer to later on.

Journler is currently in BETA 2.5 but the developers reccomend that you download the BETA since it's basically a finished product (there has been 2 updates in a few days) and with the final 2.5 due around mid-March, so not too far around the corner. Get it here.

Yojimbo just released version 1.4.2 which had a very minor update, but it's the latest release none the less. You can check it our and grab a 30 day trial from the website here.

My Mighty Mouse is back!

After sending my Mighty Mouse off to MYER a few weeks ago, it's finally back. Everything seems to be in order, but I must say, if you're ever going to exchange something on warranty, then bring it straight to the source, not to a third party dealer. MYER ended up sending the mouse to an Apple Store anyway AND it took two weeks to get it there and back. But I'm just happy to have my mouse back and will report back if there's any trouble. (None so far)

Also, I've decided that I'm going to update this blog on a regular weekly basis (every Sunday) unless I'm super busy, or there's some breaking news (Like this).

Fixing my Macbook Touchpad

Recently, my Macbook's touchpad button has become a little unresponsive and not as strong as it used to be. This bugged me a lot and I thought I had some dirt underneath that was hindering it's movement. That is until I found this link.

Turns out I'm not the only one having the problem and I don't think it's dirt at all. The best part is, there is a very easy fix. Just place some origami in the bottom of your Macbook and you're all set to go. This is one of the most creative thing and useful things I have found.

Mac Software

If you just bought a Mac or you're wondering what's some good software that you can use on your existing Mac, then I suggest this site - http://osx.iusethis.com/

Basically it's a site that stores the info of any program people publish on the site and then other people who use the program can click the "I Use This" button. It's a great way to find great new software, see how many other people use the software that you use and maybe even find a better alternative.