Automatically close Safari's download window

As a long-time Mac user, I'm also a fan of Safari. I think it works much better with the OS X interface on a visual basis than alternative browsers such as Firefox, although I do like the customisation options that Firefox supports.

One of the annoying niggles of Safari that I find, however, is that whenever you download a file, you then have to manually close the download window. It's just a little thing, but it's a pain in the ass.

So, when I read about a program called Glims, I thought I'd give it a go. And you know what? It works perfectly on Safari 3.1 OS X 10.5. A brilliant little tool; there's a bunch of other features that I haven't checked out yet, but the fact that the download window auto closes was enough for me. You can even specify how many seconds after downloading ends to close the window.

Free iPhone ringtones for iTunes 7 and 8

I found this method of creating iPhone ringtones elsewhere on the web, but the way it's described to do it isn't exactly ... clear. So, here's a crystal clear explantion of how to use iTunes to create free ringtones for your iPhone (2G or 3G, it makes no difference).

I use a Mac, but the same method will work on Windows XP or Vista. There are seven very simple steps.

1. Choose your song

2. Right-click on the song in the iTunes 'Music' window, select 'Get Info', then 'Options' and choose the period of time you'd like to use as your ringtone. The maximum period is 40 seconds. Tick the 'start time' and 'end time' boxes, and you must use the number format 0:00.

3. Close the 'info' box, right-click on the song again and choose 'Create AAC version'. iTunes will duplicate the song and put it in the playlist immediately above the original version.

4. Go back to the original and de-select the start and end time boxes. 

5. Right-click on the AAC version you just created and delete it; NOTE that you should only delete it from the library, and not the machine - do not put it in the trash.

6. Navigate to the song manually in the /Users/Music/ iTunes/ folder (or My Docs/My Music/iTunes if you're using Windoze), find the song you just created and change the file extension from .m4a to .m4r. Ignore any warnings about changing the extension, just do it (in Windows you might have to go into Folder/File options and select 'show file extensions for known file types').

7. Double-click on the new .m4r file to add in back into the iTunes library. 

If you now check your 'ringtones' you'll see the file in there, and it can be synced to your iPhone.

iPhone 2.0 with Vodafone UK

After a few months using ZiPhone (brilliant app!) on my 2.5G iPhone, I've upgraded it to v2.0 using the iPhone Dev Team pwn tool. So, how does it work?

Well, the first thing to do is download the 2.0 software from Apple's servers - download only though. 

With all the right files from iPhone Dev Team, I ran the program and followed the prompts, backing up my shiny new 2.0 software before hacking it with the pwn tool. 

The whole process took about 10 minutes and I find myself with the new software installed and working perfectly; although, having said that, it does seem a little slower to respond than 1.1.4 did - longer to open certain apps, longer to open my contacts list - things like that. Not major niggles but I wonder if that's just 2.0 or if that's pwnage that's done it. Either way, there's no going back now.

I still intend to replace the 2.5G with a 3G when the Vodafone contract is up in January '09, and sell the 2.5G on the Bay of E. Some minor scratches have appeared on the shiny silver surround which I expect have come from dropping it into the dock cradle - they were certainly never there when I just used the cable connection. No matter - the way I see it you either spend £25 on a case or you get £25 less for it when you sell it because it's got a few marks - and let's face it, those marks are pretty unavoidable if you actually use the phone and don't cradle it all day in cotton wool.

Anyway, glad to report that generally speaking, all is well with the Phone of I.

Outlook sending message 1 of ...

If you've come across this bloody infuriating mildly irritating Outlook error, you'll know the kinds of problems it causes.

Outlook appears not to be sending the email you want to send, yet is sending X amount of 'ghost' messages that just aren't there.

The problem? People who are sending you emails are requesting read receipts, and Outlook is struggling to send them.

The solution? Download this program called Outlook Spy. 

Once downloaded, close Outlook and install Outlook Spy. Then, re-open Outlook and you'll see a new toolbar at the top. Follow the steps below to resolve:

1. Select the folder you need to delete a read receipt from - this will be the top folder in Outlook Today or the Folder Menu on the left, normally titled something like 'Mailbox' or 'Inbox'.

2. Once highlighted, click the IMsgStore button that is on the new Outlook toolbar.

3. In the window that opens, clicks the Open Root Container button at the top left.

4. In the (new) new window, click the GetContents Table tab. The receipts will be listed on the left side, and the number shown underneath should correspond with the number of false messages Outlook is trying to send. Highlight one of the receipts, and choose Open Entry or double-click it to open (another!) new window.

5. Click on IMsgStore::Abort Submit. Then click OK in the pop-up box to confirm. Close the window.

6. With the same message highlighted, click Delete to remove the receipt.

7. Repeat as required, and when you're all done you can close all the windows and run the Outlook Spy installer again if you want to remove the application.

Computer Repairs in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

Friendly and affordable Computer PC and Apple Mac repairs in Cambridge and the surrounding villages; 30 mile radius of CB23 3NY. Typical 24 hour turnaround on most jobs, and a fully mobile PC and Mac Repair service for Cambridge, Huntingdon, Royston, St.Ives, St.Neots and local towns and villages.

For a friendly and professional service, contact me using the details you'll find here: http://www.aardvarktechnology.net, or call on 01480 831 581 (9-5 Mon-Fri, 9-12 Saturdays. Sundays by appointment only.)

The best laptop for Vista? A MacBook.

After my fracas this morning, I just ditched XP and loaded Vista onto the MacBook.

Now, in the last few weeks I've supplied quite a few Vista laptops, various specs. Mostly I'll power them up, install SP1 and any other bits and pieces, then put them back in the box and ship them to my clients; so, I know a thing or two about Vista setup.

Anyhow, as I sat there doing some work on my iMac, the MacBook leapt into life, a mere 22 minutes after slinging the Vista DVD in. 

Yes, 22 minutes from installer setup to looking at the Vista desktop. Stunning. Most PC laptops take 20 mins to run the 'assesment' after Vista preload, so for it to be installed and assessed within 22 is amazing. Bootcamp then installed within 5 minutes off the OS X DVD and there it was - half an hour gone and Vista installed on my MacBook.

Due to the relatively poor graphics ability it only scores 3.8 on the Windows 'Experience' Index (who cares!) but it's the fastest-booting, fastest-running machine I've seen on Windows ever.

So, want Vista? Buy a Mac.

Boot Camp Woes - XP and Vista on OS X

Whilst 'fiddling' with my MacBook this morning, I thought I'd have a go at getting a dual-boot installation of both XP and Vista going. 

Figured I'd install XP first to a 30-gig partition, split that into a 10GB and a 20GB partition using the XP installer and then roll XP into the 10GB; then reboot off the Vista DVD, slide that baby into the 20GB and using VistaBootPro, set XP as the default OS startup. Plus, set XP as FAT32 and Vista as NTFS, and XP can be the 'swap' partition to allow me to copy data onto Vista from OSX, using the FAT partition as temporary storage.

Anyway, it was a great plan. Until, that is, the Boot Camp partitioner fell over, leaving me with a 120GB hard disk reporting as 80GB - 30GB missing. 

I tried everything - disk utility, repair permissions, verify disk - all lucked out. Even the OSX installer on the Leopard DVD wouldn't have any of it.

In the end I've had to trash the whole damn disk using the XP utility on the XP disc, boot into the OSX DVD installer, erase the disc as Mac OS Journaled and then reinstall Leopard.

So, if you're thinking about doing it - my advice would be ... don't!