Mac Hacks – Top 10 Snow Leopard Hidden Features!
All our readers who are closeted or opened Apple aficionados will appreciate this write up. Many of you would be aware about Apples love affair with feline creatures and how it names operating systems after them. So be it Panthers, Tigers or Leopards, Apple fans have seen it all. The latest operating system goes by the name of Snow Leopard and I personally recommend an upgrade. Not only does it free some space in your HD and makes your Mac run faster, but it also has some great features. But the best features are the ones, which are hidden. So instead of sending you on a quest to unearth them, we decided to list them here.
I See You – Folder Previews in Quick Look
Save some precious time by seeing all the content of a folder. Hit the space bar and you can view all the files via a translucent folder icon. You need to type the following command:
defaults write com.apple.finder QLEnableXRayFolders 1
Auto Action – Autoplay Movies in QuickTime X
Apple sometimes messes up and QuickTime is a great example. If you want to play your movies automatically and surely miss the preferences option then use this command:
defaults write com.apple.QuickTimePlayerX MGPlayMovieOnOpen 1
Full Screen Action – QuickTime In Full Screen When Switching Applications
Sometimes you want a sneak peek at all the action and when you do that, QuickTime will automatically exit full screen. To rectify this, use the following magical words:
defaults write com.apple.QuickTimePlayerX MGFullScreenExitOnAppSwitch 0
Always Use Protection – Snow Leopard’s Hidden Malware Protection
Bet you didn’t know this one. Apple has quietly incorporated malware support that detects malicious software and its quite effective too. Read all the details here.
Test Your Text – Enable Text Substitutions
If you want to globally enable text substitutions, use the three commands one after the other.
defaults write -g WebAutomaticTextReplacementEnabled -bool truedefaults write -g WebAutomaticDashSubstitutionEnabled -bool truedefaults write -g WebContinuousSpellCheckingEnabled -bool true
Shortcut To Success – Access iTunes
Access iTunes by just hitting the “Play” button which is above the 8 and 9 keys.
Round It Of – Get Rid of Rounded Corners in QuickTime
If you don’t care for the rounded corners when playing movies in QuickTime, then don’t fret as you can get rid of them in seconds. Just type:
defaults write com.apple.QuickTimePlayerX MGCinematicWindowDebugForceNoRoundedCorners 1
Go To China Town – Draw Chinese Characters On The Trackpad
I can’t speak Mandarin but I just find this a super cool feature. In Snow Leopard you can draw the actual characters on your trackpad!
Just Shoot Me- Record Videos Via QuickTime X
You don’t need to invest in some fancy software to shoot yourself as now you can record from your iSight camera.
Stick Them Up – Keyboard Shortcut For Sticky Notes
Assign a a keyboard shortcut (System Preferences > Keyboard) so that you create a sticky note automatically when you select some text.
Hope you enjoyed this article and more importantly enjoying your Mac with Snow Leopard. Do tell us if you know more tricks or tips and don’t forget to write them in the comments section.
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ok . im new to the game .please tell me where to defaults and so on because i cant figure it out . defaults write blahblah. just piont me inthe correct direction thats all thanks.