Tag Archives: Mouse

Teleport

Posted on by
1

Many people I know have multiple Macs. The most standard multi-mac setup would be one desktop (usually a Mac Mini) and a laptop (Macbook, Pro, or Air). This is usually so that one can have power and still be mobile. But when it comes time to sit down and do some work, it might be useful to have two screens (studies show a dramatic increase in productivity with more screen real estate). But one problem faced is that with multiple computers comes multiple mice/keyboards. Well, if you’re all macs, then there’s a solution.

Teleport is a free and easy way so that you can use one keyboard/mouse and have it span across multiple computers (so you don’t have to move your hands to control a different computer). It’s extremely simple to use.

To get it all working, all you have to do is download teleport. Teleport is a Mac Preference pane (.prefpane) so to configure teleport you open system preferences and click on teleport (under other). Here you can configure settings and arrange the screens. NOTE: Make sure that both Enable Teleport and share this computer are both checked.

In the preference pane you can configure things like pasteboard sync and choose if you want to only switch to the other computer when you are holding a specific key down.

the rest is pretty simple. Just move your mouse across the edge of the screen and it should show up on the screen of the other computer. Whichever computer your mouse is on will be the computer that the keyboard affects. However, the volume keys don’t work across Teleport (neither does multitouch except for scrolling).

Teleport is a great free app that works and does what it should quite nicely. There are some problems when your mouse is on a client computer screen and the client computer loses internet connection. It takes quite a while for your mouse to reappear on your main computer. But the convenience of this application overcomes this setback.

Teleport main site

Teleport direct download

Le Trackpad de Mágico! (Magic Trackpad)

Posted on by
1

I have no idea why but this has been requested by numerous people.

Along with the launch of the new and improved iMac, Apple released the Magic Trackpad. It’s basically a larger bluetooth MacBook Pro trackpad. Their tagline is “why do notebooks have all the fun?”

I find it useful even tough I already have a MacBook Pro, because when I need gestures like exposé It is right there, not a reach across the desk to get to my MacBook.

Setup

The setup is very simple. First step is to update your software. Do that by going to the apple menu and clicking Software Update. This will then download the drivers for the Magic Trackpad.

Once you have downloaded the update and restarted, press and hold the power button on your trackpad until the green light starts flashing.

Once that is working, go into System Preferences and click on Trackpad.

Once in the pane, click on Set Up Bluetooth Trackpad in the bottom right corner.

Make sure the light on the trackpad is still blinking (if it isn’t just press the power button once) and you should see a window appear. After a few seconds it should look like this.

Once it looks like that^^^ click continue and your wireless trackpad will be setup! In the pane that follows you can configure a bunch of cool options.

Review

The Magic Trackpad is a good addition or replacement for a mouse. The large surface is convenient because you will rarely have to pick up your finger, however having it so large does make it feel a little bit awkward.

I think that if you are getting (or have) an iMac or other Mac desktop then you may prefer this over the Magic Mouse for it’s multitouch gestures. For MacBook and PacBook Pro users I find this only useful if you are already using an external keyboard and mouse because you can get the gestures right where you need them without reaching out across your desk to get to your MacBook’s Trackpad. It’s aluminum design fits in perfectly with the Wireless Keyboard and is even the exact same height. I’m thinking that apple should create a Magic Keyboard that has a Magic Trackpad on the side of it.

The Magic Trackpad is currently available at your Local Apple store for $69.

[ad code=1]

Bluetooth not available? Here’s a 10-step fix!

Posted on by
2

I’ve had this happen a few times where suddenly for no reason it appears, my bluetoth magic mouse stops working. I go to my bluetooth icon to see if it is connected and it is greyed out with a squiggly on it. Clicking it shows this text:

Bluetooth: Not Available

Usually when this happens I end up wiping out my computer and reinstalling snow leopard. but instead, I tried a little harder this time.

By instinct, I just restart. I go up into the menu and hit restart. The sad truth about this is that it never shuts down the computer, it never stops running. (If it did, how would it know to boot back up again?)

However this didn’t work. So I thought that maybe something on startup was consuming the bluetooth card, making it unavailable for the little menubar to see. To fix this, I just went into System Preferences under Accounts, Login Items, and deleted every single item there. I then shut down, unplugged the power cord, took out the battery, put back in the battery, plugged in the power cord again, turned off bluetooth in every other device I had laying around, and turned it on again. Tada! I had bluetooth again. So here’s an easier guide:

  1. Open System Preferences.
  2. Click on Accounts
  3. Click on Login Items under your username
  4. Select the top item and click the – until there are none left in the box
  5. Go to  in the menubar and click Shut Down…
  6. After it shuts down, remove the power cord
  7. Remove the battery (If possible)
  8. Reinsert the battery
  9. Reinsert the power cord
  10. Turn off bluetooth on all surrounding devices

Start back up and your bluetooth should be available again!

    Review: Wireless Mighty Mouse

    Posted on by
    3


    I have always been interested in Apple’s buttonless mouse. But I used to be so aggravated by the lack of scroll capabilities and right-click. That was an an Apple Pro Mouse, which was the standard for the old tinted dome iMac. But now, all of that has changed.

    Pros: Sleek buttonless feeling, wireless, right and left click, 360º scrolling, amazing laser precision, side buttons, and every one is completely customizable.
    Cons: Side buttons a little hard to squeeze.
    It is amazing how responsive the click is. It’s actually a, click!, loud, but you barely have to press on the mouse itself. It is also an amazing shape to the hand, for all sizes. It can run on 1 AA battery, but for longer life put in two. Also, If you have a mac, the Mighty Mouse works riot out of the box. It even comes with 2 Energizer Lithium Non-rechargeable batteries! All you need to do is pair it with your mac, and then you can start using it! I think that the default tracking speed is too slow, and I have it one notch away from fast. I also turned up the scrolling speed. The default is a little different from what you hear it is. Even the scroll ball isn’t set to 360º scrolling. I think that the best configuration is this:
    Also, the precision of the mouse is amazing. I have never seen the kind of laser technology they use before. The light from the laser is completely invisible. The only indicator is a small green light above the laser. Also, the mouse turns off, by moving a slider over the laser. Reverse that to turn it on. But it doesn’t auto-connect, so to connect it, I need to use my trackpad and go to the little bluetooth symbol in the menu bar, hover over my mouse, and click connect, like below. The keyboard shortcut I assigned myself in system preferences, and that is not by default.
    Also under the mouse preferences, you can rename the mouse, and see the battery level. If you have a bluetooth keyboard, you can do the same, but as you can see, I don’t have one (yet).