I have been frustrated for years by the way shell commands that should be instantaneous sometimes take multiple seconds because Gatekeeper decides to peg a CPU for no good reason. It turns out there's a fix. Go to "System Settings > Privacy & Security > Developer Tools," and add Terminal, Emacs, or whatever is running shell commands to the list of applications that can "run software locally that does not meet the system's security policy." Rejoice in the lack of arbitrary pauses.
Miscellaneous stupid Mac tricks, cool Mac tricks, and stupid cool Mac tricks Thread
- Thread starter xoa
- Start date
I have learned to perversely depend on the independent Ctrl-K and Cmd-X clipboards. As an Emacs user, I enjoy the keybindings, and am regularly irritated by the way iMessage breaks them.
Taking us for a blast back to 2021 (sorry Hap!):
The title bar proxy icon trick was always quite useful on occasion, but at some point (Monterey maybe?) unfortunately Apple decided to start hiding it by default. There was a
defaults setting to use which I'd been meaning to post itt, but I was just hunting through the Accessibility panel and noticed that under Display there's a "Show window title icons" toggle which in fact controls it via the GUI. Nice to have an easy way to get that functionality back, and also the fact that it made it into the GUI makes it more likely it's not going to go away any time soon.I've long since stopped pludging on macOS major updates until at least x.y.2 and more typically .3 or even .4, so I dislike Apple having opted in the last few years for continuous badgering with no GUI to disable it even if automatic updates are turned off. The OS can still be told to shut up though from the command line via remaining preferences. One approach is to simply change the Software Update notification dates to something arbitrarily far in the future, which should then change back when you do a manual check. If you run a quick
The date doesn't matter just sometime well into the future. It should also alternatively be possible to directly tell notifications not to happen for for the software update bundle ID via IIRC
Altering user preferences doesn't carry any risk with this stuff honestly, trivial to undo, but it's still always good habit to keep at least a simple text file of tweaks you make to your system like this. Some folks go all the way to automating their system setup, the fairly well known Jeff Geerling for example uses an Ansible playbook as part of his process. A huge amount can also be done with configuration profiles as well, though Apple's documentation here (or in general, sadly) is haphazard and sometimes out of date so some experimentation may be required. Like, there's a lot in their Configuration Profile Reference manual {PDF} but it's 6 years old now. Still it's a powerful tool and makes it ultra easy to do a ton of otherwise tedious work. I use profiles to bring Macs and iDevices up with all my email accounts and network settings amongst other things.
defaults read com.apple.SoftwareUpdate it'll give you a list of existing automatically set values including notification count and product code, but importantly two on dates. These can then be altered:
Code:
% defaults write com.apple.SoftwareUpdate MajorOSUserNotificationDate -date "2030-02-01 20:00:00 +0000"
% defaults write com.apple.SoftwareUpdate UserNotificationDate -date "2030-02-01 20:00:00 +0000"defaults write com.apple.systempreferences AttentionPrefBundleIDs '{ "com.apple.preferences.softwareupdate" = 0; }', which I think still works but would need to test.Altering user preferences doesn't carry any risk with this stuff honestly, trivial to undo, but it's still always good habit to keep at least a simple text file of tweaks you make to your system like this. Some folks go all the way to automating their system setup, the fairly well known Jeff Geerling for example uses an Ansible playbook as part of his process. A huge amount can also be done with configuration profiles as well, though Apple's documentation here (or in general, sadly) is haphazard and sometimes out of date so some experimentation may be required. Like, there's a lot in their Configuration Profile Reference manual {PDF} but it's 6 years old now. Still it's a powerful tool and makes it ultra easy to do a ton of otherwise tedious work. I use profiles to bring Macs and iDevices up with all my email accounts and network settings amongst other things.
Oh shit this is awesome. I'm already partially doing that for my dotfiles (and using Ansible for it specifically) but installing all the applications is a bit of a pain.
Taxing the Mx Mac Mini regularly and too skint to buy a Studio? Have a nice horizontally ribbed big flat heatsink lying around, like from an old passive GPU? A variable voltage power supply and some big PC case fan? Why not add them together?
Every bit helps and if it keeps the tiny Mini fan spinning up to full 4,500 RPM, you lose a few dB right there.
(place the heatsink to the back of the Mini's top, that's where it gets most warm – the alu case it pretty good at transferring heat, even just in rough contact with the heatsink without any ungainly thermal paste blemishing the surface finish forever)
Every bit helps and if it keeps the tiny Mini fan spinning up to full 4,500 RPM, you lose a few dB right there.
(place the heatsink to the back of the Mini's top, that's where it gets most warm – the alu case it pretty good at transferring heat, even just in rough contact with the heatsink without any ungainly thermal paste blemishing the surface finish forever)
Shit, where did I see this recently... someone with access to an array of massive finned coolers for ultra spicy PC processors tried adhering them to the top of a Mac Mini using thermal paste, trying different sizes and metals, some with fans, some without, etc. I think someone in the MacRumors forums also did this, but they just literally set the cooler on top without any sort of medium between the plate and the top of the Mini, and it still helped—Other than creating a total Frankenstein's monster of a contraption, this apparently works to reduce temperatures of the Mini under load.
"Liberating" heatsinks from obsolete PC parts is a nice way to get some quite hefty bits of metal with fins, I think I have around ten of them or so dating back to Pentium III CPUs and very old GPUs. Some repurposed just sitting on top of the router and such.
For the Mac Mini, thermal paste or thermal pad would be ideal, but I am afraid it would mar the brushed aluminium finish and no amount of IPA would ever get it off entirely.
But even just metal on metal it does help a bit! Though I don't have any numbers, just anecdotal experience. Anything that helps to keep the RPMs below 4,000 or so is a massive boost, as at 4,500 RPM the fan – while comparatively still quite quiet compared to some GPU fans – does increase quite a few decibels in noise.
I also tried forcing more air underside the Mini into its circular intake by putting a fan in front and angling it downwards a bit, but that's a pretty hard choice between the two fans trying to outperform (and thus hinder) each other. Without any proper fluid dynamics simulation, I guess I'll just stick with one on top blowing over a simple heatsink.
I'd love to see a FrankenMini with a big brass heatsink on top of it, machined to the exact dimensions and curves
I was even thinking about getting a custom curved alu one cut, but it's just too expensive at these sizes and in single unit numbers for me. Should have thought of that earlier, before a relative retired and sold off their plasma metal cutting company, lol!
Alas, no exactly matched curved heatsinks on AliExpress either so far, just the usual rectangular stuff...
Yeah putting a big old cpu heat sink on top of my new mini definitely helped reduce the fans a lot, for some reason before that it would just occasionally start to get very hot and extra comfy at random...?
Given that Alan Turing themselves had a tabby cat and apparently loved it, up to the point that it might have helped him formulate his famous mechanism how spotty animals' colouration appears out of a very simple system, I'd just say that any computer with a cat on it is inherently 1,000% faster and much less error‑prone ;-)Yeah putting a big old cpu heat sink on top of my new mini definitely helped reduce the fans a lot, for some reason before that it would just occasionally start to get very hot and extra comfy at random...?
A cat‑puter means one happy kernel, after all!
(also, how did you steal my ginger cat?!?)
If you copy cells from a spreadsheet, open Preview, and click Command+N to create a new document from the clipboard, it will create a new scaled image with the cells from the spreadsheet.
(Caveat: I’ve only tested this with Numbers)
(Caveat: I’ve only tested this with Numbers)
Related, if you have any image data on the clipboard, and open a new document in Preview it will contain the clipboard content.
Currently on an M4 Pro, but …, if'n I'm not mistaken it's been that way for a looooooonng time!
This is iPhone but fuck if I’m making a whole thread just for this.
It’s a little thing, but i like how Forza Football uses the dynamic island to show the score of your team.
(Foxes won 2-1 in the end,
)
It’s a little thing, but i like how Forza Football uses the dynamic island to show the score of your team.
(Foxes won 2-1 in the end,
)
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Totally OK for this thread. All stupid tricks and hidden gem capabilities or options are welcome here.
Another iPhone tip - get to the current app's settings, straight from Control Centre. This is neat AF! (the whole video is informative; one of those where you know most of it, but there’s things that make you go “ooh, didn’t know that”)
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oURXZpC6zZc&t=230s
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oURXZpC6zZc&t=230s
Good video. I always forget how useful Shortcuts can be - mainly because I'm just not creative enough. I did, however, actually take the time to create a right click shortcut on my Mac to resize images to 2K in width (height stays proportional) for posting on Ars. Otherwise if posting something from my Library I have to open an app and resize (export is defaulted to full size/jpeg).
EDIT: It was an Automater WorkFlow that I created - not a Shortcut.
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I use this AppleScript folder action to center the Finder window of my user folder whenever it is opened.
I have Command-N set to open my user folder.
This can be attached to any folder.
I have Command-N set to open my user folder.
This can be attached to any folder.
AppleScript:
on opening folder xFolder
tell application "Finder"
activate
set the w to the container window of xFolder
-- Get screen dimensions and window dimensions
set screen_bounds to bounds of window of desktop
set screen_width to item 3 of screen_bounds
set screen_height to item 4 of screen_bounds
-- The Finder window opens automatically. We need to reference it.
-- We assume it's the frontmost window (Finder window 1).
-- A small delay might be necessary to ensure the window is fully opened and recognized.
--delay 0.1
-- Get the current bounds of the new window
set window_bounds to bounds of w
set window_width to (item 3 of window_bounds) - (item 1 of window_bounds)
set window_height to (item 4 of window_bounds) - (item 2 of window_bounds)
-- Calculate the centered position
set x_pos to (screen_width / 2) - (window_width / 2)
set y_pos to (screen_height / 2) - (window_height / 2)
-- Set the window's position. Position is top-left corner coordinates.
set position of w to {x_pos, y_pos}
end tell
end opening folderNew day, new mysterious AirPods firmware update I cannot for the life of me figure out how to trigger. Anyhoo, seems like there’s some neato features (iPad screenshots, because that’s what I was using when I got the notification). I’ll be trying out the “pause media on sleep” thing this weekend!
In my experience, pause on sleep works shockingly well. I’ve opened shows that fell asleep watching and have found them saved at exactly the last thing I remember.
IIRC, to trigger an airpods firmware update you must have them near an updated phone or ipad (they're connected to) and have them in the charging case with the case plugged in to a power supply via cable.
Thanks - but negative on the cable part. My APP2 charge exclusively wirelessly, and have done since I got them.
I've had a succession of Mac Minis, and placed them on top of a 7-inch IKEA trivet ("LÄMPLIG"). Anecdotally, it seems to improve cooling. I'm still on the M2 Pro old
Maybe it was common knowledge but I just realized you can drag and drop section separators in the Finder sidebar. For instance, I you want to put iCloud at the top, Favorites at the bottom, etc., you can.
Same for Mail.
Same for Mail.
I need some new ear tips for my APP2. Before I just buy them off Apple for the low low price of just one kidney, tell me alternatives. Are there better materials? Are the off-brand ones any good?
Also worth trying. The SpinFit is more comfortable for me, but the Comply was pretty good too. (Note that foam is shorter-lived than silcone in case of a tie.)
APP3 is out so APP2 should be lower?
I think last year it got down to $169 at Amazon a couple of times.
I think last year it got down to $169 at Amazon a couple of times.
Apple's tips are $10 for two pairs-- cheaper than most of the good aftermarket options AFIACT. (Comply are $30 for three pairs; Spinfit runs about $15ish for one pair.)
If the old ones were comfortable, buy a new set of Apple tips in the same size. If they weren't, I'd probably give Comply a try first, rather than Spinfit's slightly different silicone tips. Foam has different isolation characteristics and a different feel than silicone, and Comply's been around for quite a while (they predate AirPods) and they're generally well-regarded.
Yeah, I posted before I investigated pricing, and assumed I was in for a “polishing cloth” style rinsing by Tim.
Apple’s UK pricing is slightly higher at £15, but yeah. Spinfit is £15 for a single pair, and Comply is £25ish for a set of 3 (assorted sizes). If the rumours come true and M5 Pro and Max chips come out today, I’ll just bung a set of Apple tips on the order.
I am not smart enough to use Shortcuts or Automator that creatively, but I did come up with a couple of good use cases for them on my iPhone:
1) iOS lets you selectively deny cellular access to an app by flipping a setting in the Control Panel, but surprisingly, you can’t do the same for WiFi access. This sucks, but you can kind of get around it by attaching an automation to the app so that the WiFi is turned off when the said app is brought to the front, and is turned back on when it is sent to the background. I use it mainly to discipline some older games that show me ads way too often. You just have to remember not to play the games in question after sending a big download job into the background!
2) I like the Dark theme, but LINE (a messaging app which you kind of have to use if you live in Japan) doesn’t work well with it—in particular, older cartoon stamps that predate the Dark theme tend to be rendered unreadable. So I’ve wrapped an automation around LINE to switch to Light mode only while LINE is the front app. This works surprisingly smoothly: I often forget it’s even there.
This also works for VPNs and can be super useful. I have it set to turn on my Mullvad VPN when I open data-hungry apps like NYT Games (and it’s 300 trackers), but disable it when I open banking apps.
In mid January, the FBI raided the home of Hannah Natanson, a Washington Post reporter and seized her devices, to pull information about sources. The Post sued, saying that those devices contained information on sources which go well beyond the scope of the case for which the DOJ presumably had the FBI confiscate the reporter's devices.
A judge later ordered the FBI not to review any of the data seized.
But the FBI had only limited access to the data on her devices.
She put her iPhone 13 in Lockdown mode and the FBI CART forensics team was unable to extract anything by the time the court order stopped them.
She had a personal MacBook Pro which was powered off.
But she also had a work-issued MacBook Pro which was powered on.
The FBI agents couldn't make sure give up the passcodes and passwords to her devices. However, they could use biometric authentication to unlock devices as a result of a court case.
https://meincmagazine.com/tech-policy...ckdown-mode-after-seizing-journalists-iphone/
They "assisted" her in unlocking the work MBP with her right-index finger. But did she tell him which finger she used for TouchID? She told them that she didn't use biometric authentication so did they try different fingers and found the right one before too many failed TouchID attempts would make the MBP require a password again?
In any event presumably Android mobile devices and Windows laptops have biometric authentication as well so robust passwords seem to be in order.
They also seized an external HD, which probably wasn't encrypted.
Didn't know about Lockdown Mode but good to know about it.
A judge later ordered the FBI not to review any of the data seized.
But the FBI had only limited access to the data on her devices.
She put her iPhone 13 in Lockdown mode and the FBI CART forensics team was unable to extract anything by the time the court order stopped them.
She had a personal MacBook Pro which was powered off.
But she also had a work-issued MacBook Pro which was powered on.
The FBI agents couldn't make sure give up the passcodes and passwords to her devices. However, they could use biometric authentication to unlock devices as a result of a court case.
https://meincmagazine.com/tech-policy...ckdown-mode-after-seizing-journalists-iphone/
They "assisted" her in unlocking the work MBP with her right-index finger. But did she tell him which finger she used for TouchID? She told them that she didn't use biometric authentication so did they try different fingers and found the right one before too many failed TouchID attempts would make the MBP require a password again?
In any event presumably Android mobile devices and Windows laptops have biometric authentication as well so robust passwords seem to be in order.
They also seized an external HD, which probably wasn't encrypted.
Didn't know about Lockdown Mode but good to know about it.
Biometrics were always suspect. Anything where the secret is in plain sight and is on you can be abused that way, however lawfully or not.
Still, given a fascist‑enough regime, not even a lengthy password will save you.
After all, it takes only a few waterboarding sessions for you to divulge all of your passwords and everything.
The only problem with it is that you tend to tell everything, including whatever the interrogators want even if not true, just to save yourself of more of it. Which is why torture is really bad evidence and not quite admissible in democratic courts, because apart from all of its depravity, it's so fucking unreliable at getting the truth. But it still works for the passwords.
My take? Not having any suspicious content at your phone at all. Just like the Soviet dissidents in my family line did (only it wasn't phones, but flats back then, when hiding samizdat activities). Your phone should be clear of anything you want to hide and look perfectly normal with a few plain Facebook photos in it. Or at least hide any of it in plain sight.
There's an inherent tension in security measures specifically because our ------ courts (in the USA) decided that biometric unlock can be compelled. At issue is that normally biometrics are "safer" for the average person. You can't shoulder-surf a FaceID. (Thumbprints can be lifted, but it's not trivial. Some face ID systems can be fooled by photos, but Apple's usually cannot.) So usually biometrics is both safer and faster.
That said, they can be compelled. Typing your passcode in public is dangerous for the reason listed above. Also, if you're in a place with cameras and a camera records footage of you entering your passcode, that's fair game too. So the tension between what's "safer" in a given context varies, and can vary very quickly in today's climate.
Enough preamble, fun trick: If you hold your lock button and either volume button for a few seconds, the phone will lock and disable biometrics. You don't even have to look at it as it will vibrate. So you can put your hand in your pocket or purse, hold the button until your phone vibrates, and then it is locked with a passcode.
I don't know if macOS has a quick-lock mechanism like that, but it should. (It should also offer the ability to re-lock from the watch when it's unlocked from the watch, but that's a slightly different issue.)
That said, they can be compelled. Typing your passcode in public is dangerous for the reason listed above. Also, if you're in a place with cameras and a camera records footage of you entering your passcode, that's fair game too. So the tension between what's "safer" in a given context varies, and can vary very quickly in today's climate.
Enough preamble, fun trick: If you hold your lock button and either volume button for a few seconds, the phone will lock and disable biometrics. You don't even have to look at it as it will vibrate. So you can put your hand in your pocket or purse, hold the button until your phone vibrates, and then it is locked with a passcode.
I don't know if macOS has a quick-lock mechanism like that, but it should. (It should also offer the ability to re-lock from the watch when it's unlocked from the watch, but that's a slightly different issue.)
There's the QL thing for mobile devices but generally, it's safer to power down your devices before potentially having your devices inspected.
This Locked Down sounds great but it might arouse suspicions at ports of entry if they see "Locked Down" on the screen of your device.
This Locked Down sounds great but it might arouse suspicions at ports of entry if they see "Locked Down" on the screen of your device.
The lock state after you hold the power and volume button shows the same screen that you get
That said, powering down your phone (even if you power it back on immediately after) is still safer than leaving it on and locking it (as long as you don't type in your passcode). Data in iOS can be encrypted in one of three* modes: unencrypted, encrypted until first unlock, and encrypted unless the device is unlocked. If the device hasn't been unlocked since the last reboot, that minimizes the surface area for forensic tools to work against since "encrypted until first unlock" files remain secure (sensitive applications like Mail or Messages use this class, since they need to sync in the background while the device is locked).
* Technically four, but one is kind of halfway in between encrypted until first unlock and encrypted unless unlocked.
At least iOS does. Five presses of the power button. Calls up 112 (911), locks it or both, depending on your settings. Either locks up your phone requiring the password.