If you saw our Air Display review you’ll know it’s a pretty awesome app that lets you turn an iPad into an external display for a Mac or PC ($10 on the App Store). If you bought it and haven’t figured out what to do with it yet, here are eight of our favorite ways to use Air Display as an auxiliary screen.

1. Dedicated Music Player – Listening to music while you work is a must for many of us. If your favorite music client is in OS X than why not offload the app to the external iPad display? iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Rdio, whatever you use, you’ll save valuable screen real estate and have an easier time switching through songs



2. App Launcher, Tool Panel, & Dock Holder – Move the OS X Dock and apps tool panels over to the iPad screen and you can save some screen real estate, this is especially helpful for smaller laptop screens
3. Dedicated RSS Reader – News junkies can never miss a beat by throwing their favorite RSS reader onto the Air Display screen, this lets you keep a constant eye on the latest posts from your favorite publications without cluttering up your main screen or having to switch windows on the Mac
4. Twitter Monitoring – Twitter has a myriad of uses beyond tweeting that Instagrammed picture of your breakfast. It’s one of the best ways to monitor brands, sports, news, sentiment, pop culture, your favorite people, and a million other things. Follow some worthwhile Twitterers (starting with @OSXDaily of course) and throw your Twitter client on the Air Display to stay in the loop.



5. Dedicated Chat Screen – Whether it’s Messages, iChat, FaceBook Messenger, or IRC, if you spend a lot of time talking online, pushing that window to another screen is a great way to free up your main display real estate while still keeping active in chat
6. System & Resource Monitoring – GUI utilities like Activity Monitor and command line tools like htop, iotop, and top are excellent ways to keep an eye on system resources. This is most useful for advanced users, but it also just looks cool to have a screen full of crazy terminal stuff flying around



7. Watching Logs – Open Console app and watch local system logs, or use the Terminal with tail -f to follow other logs and files as they update live. This is probably most useful to advanced users, but you can also pretend to be very busy while daydreaming at work or school by having a screen full of active system logs
8. All of the Above – Mix and match a few of the options up top to get the best of everything. Throw an htop window at the top and a slim iTunes window at the bottom, or whatever other combination of auxiliary screens you can come up with

You’ll notice anything graphics intensive isn’t mentioned in this list because Air Display has to transmit all data through wi-fi. That connection doesn’t provide for precision tracking or smooth playback of video, so we chose things that work perfectly given the apps limitations. If you have any other ideas or uses for Air Display and the iPad, let us know in the comments.

Spilling coffee on something is generally considered a bad thing, but not if you have a brown leather iPad Smart Cover. TwoLivesLeft accidentally got some coffee on their iPad case, and then had the hilarious epiphany “I had a wonderful, horrible idea: I’d stain the cover with coffee“. The result? A surprisingly attractive appearance that looks like beautifully refined leather, akin to something dug out of an old dusty library.

You can see how to make your very own coffee stained Smart Cover at TwoLivesLeft, it involves painting the smart cover with coffee and then rubbing crushed beans all over it.

Speaking from my own experience of spilling coffee on porous things, the Smart Cover will undoubtedly smell like liquid crack for a very long time. Whether that’s a bad thing is your call, but I won’t be trying this myself. if you’re brave enough to give it a go we’d love to hear about it.

Fascinating discovery by CultOfMac, best of luck to anyone who tries this.

When it’s not in use, do you shut down your Mac, put it to sleep, or just keep it turned on? Is one choice better than the others? Why and why not? These are great questions, so let us review the choices and why you may want to choose one over the other.

Sleeping a Mac

This is my preferred choice because it provides for the easiest and fastest way to resume work while still maintaining hardware. It’s practically instantaneous to sleep a Mac and when you wake it up all of your open apps, documents, window arrangements, and web pages, are exactly where you left off with practically no delay. For the average Mac user who wants to quickly get back to what they were doing, sleeping is perfect.

• Pros: Quickly resume exactly where you left off; sleep and wake can be scheduled or even done remotely
• Cons: Minor power consumption; system temp, swap, and cache files don’t get cleared out during reboot process; system updates requiring reboots don’t install automatically without a manual reboot; performance is best for Macs with 4GB RAM or more

If you use the Mac every day, simply putting it to sleep when it’s not in use or overnight is probably the best choice. Just be sure to remember to reboot every once in a while to allow system software updates to install as part of a general maintenance routine, though waiting for an OS X Update or Security Update is generally a sufficient time between reboots. You can also gather some gigantic uptimes with this approach which is pretty much a useless statistic other than the nerdy bragging rights, (I’m currently at 35 days, weeeee!) but hey it’s fun to check anyway.

Shutting the Mac Down

I basically never shut down a Mac unless it’s going into a longer term state of inactivity or storage. Shutting down a Mac is slower since all open applications and documents have to quit, and then when you turn the machine back on everything has to re-open again to get back to where you were prior to shutdown. OS X Lion made resuming past application states much simpler with the automatic window restore feature (which some dislike and choose to disable), but I still find it too slow to be usable for my instant-on demands.

• Pros: Saves power, doesn’t strain hardware; system temp, memory, swap, and cache files get cleared out during boot; allows for major system updates to install
• Cons: Takes a while to boot up and resume previous activity, no geeky uptime bragging rights

For the power conscious or for those trying to squeeze the absolute longest lifespan out of hardware and hard disks, shutting down when not in use is the best choice. This is also what you’ll want to do if you’re going to put a Mac in longterm storage, won’t be using it for a longer than a few days, or if you’re going to be traveling with a Mac that isn’t in use during the travel period.

Keeping a Mac Always Turned On

Leaving a Mac constantly turned on is another viable option, though I think it’s best reserved for Macs that function as servers. This approach also carries the most polar advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, you don’t have to bother resuming anything since it’s already on, you can schedule all maintenance and backup tasks to occur in the wee hours of system inactivity, and it allows for something like a constantly available SSH server or media center to be running on the machine. The downsides are basically the constant power consumption and the constantly active hardware, which can limit overall lifespans of the computer components.

• Pros: No waiting for use; instantly resume all apps and tasks exactly where you left off; allows for servers to run with constant accessibility; backup and system maintenance tasks can be scheduled for off hours
• Cons: Constant power consumption; more wear and tear on hard drives, fans, and physical hardware due to possible heat

If you’re running a server or media center, leaving a Mac turned on constantly is a no brainer. For the casual Mac user, it’s probably best to put a Mac to sleep when it’s not in use though, it gives hard drives and fans a rest, and will generally lead to a longer lifespan of the computer.

What do you do and why? Let us know your thoughts and habits in the comments.

The iPad picture frame app is a nice way to put a stale iPad to use as it sits on a desk. That resulting live picture frame is made even better when a custom album is created for the purpose, but if you use photos of people you’ll find that Picture Frame automatically zooms in their faces. Great if the album is intended to showcase people, not so great if you’re trying to show the wider scene.

If you don’t want the picture frame to focus on faces, you can toggle the feature off quickly.

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TextWrangler is a very powerful general purpose text editor with a heavy emphasis on development and programming. We’ve long been big fans of TextWrangler around here as it is unequivocally the best free text editor out there for Mac OS X, and now that title is cemented even further with the release of TextWrangler 4.0.

The first thing you’ll notice with TextWrangler 4 is the redesigned UI, which ditches the right-side drawer and brings the documents window to the left a la iTunes and BBEdit. Of course there are feature improvements too, including new find and multi-file search capabilities, the ability to search through compressed files, a much improved built-in S/FTP browser, better syntax highlighting and color scheme support, OS X Lion+ full screen support, improved preferences, a beautified retina icon, and much more.

All in all an excellent update to an already excellent application. If you’re looking for a high quality free text editor for Mac, TextWrangler is it, it’s fast, lightweight, powerful, and freakishly good for a free app, though don’t be shy to shell out for it’s bigger brother BBEdit, which is even more powerful and includes hoards of web and development tools.

• Download TextWrangler 4 from BareBones Software (free)

You’ll need Mac OS X 10.6 or later to run TextWrangler 4, though the Full Screen support obviously requires OS X 10.7 or 10.8.

Random TextWrangler tip: If you’d rather use a third party S/FTP client like CyberDuck or Transmit, set TextWrangler as the default associated text editor for the filetypes in OS X. Now you can use TextWrangler to open remote items, and anytime you save a file through TextWrangler it will automatically upload the new revision to the remove server via your preferred SFTP client.

Update: Apple has released an official update that removes Flashback with a Software Update. Download the latest Java updates from the OS X Software Update panel to automatically remove Flashback trojan malware.

A new application has been released which makes checking a Mac for the Flashback malware infection as simple as clicking a button. This is a huge help for assisting less tech savvy people for checking their Macs, though if you follow us you probably already checked for the Flashback trojan using the manual Terminal method. This new app-based detection method is very nontechnical and is just a two step process:

1. Download FlashbackChekcer from Github
2. Unzip and run the FlashbackChecker application, and click the giant “Check for Flashback Infection” button

If the “No Signs of infection were found” message appears you are safe, and the chances are extraordinarily good that you will not have the infection. If you see a “Potential Issue found” message, you may have the malware, though this is exceedingly rare and we haven’t heard of a single confirmed case in our sizable readership.

Just because you don’t have the infection doesn’t mean you should become complacent though. Be sure to update to the latest versions of Java for OS X, and don’t miss our post on eight simple tips to protect a Mac from viruses, trojans, and malware, a little prevention goes a long way.

Thanks for the tip Scott

iTunes allows users to rate songs on a 1 star to 5 star basis, song rating data can then be used for a variety of purposes, either for your own reference or for creating custom play lists that only include songs rated over a certain star value. But what if a song is somewhere in the middle of the rating scale, not quite worthy of 4 stars but not a 3 star song either? For more precise personal ratings, enable the half-star rating option in iTunes.

Launch the Terminal, found within the /Applications/Utilities/ directory, and enter the following defaults write command:

defaults write com.apple.iTunes allow-half-stars -bool TRUE

Quit and relaunch iTunes for changes to take effect. To give something a half star, click and slide the star rating scale until the 1/2 value shows.

To remove the half-star rating option use the following defaults command and then relaunch iTunes again:

defaults delete com.apple.iTunes allow-half-stars

Removing the half stars moves the song rating to the star below it, so a 3 1/2 star song would turn into a 3 star song, and so on.

As expected, you can now unlock an iPhone that is out of contract with AT&T. The process is very straight forward and simple assuming you meet the basic requirements.

Requirements:

• iPhone not in contract with AT&T, either having completed a contract or purchased without contract
• AT&T account in good standing
• iPhone IMEI number

If you meet those requirements, proceed:
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The recent outbreak of the Flashback trojan (Apple released an update and fix, get it!) has brought a lot of attention to potential viruses and trojans hitting the Mac platform. Most of what you’ll read is overblown fear mongering hype, and practically all Mac malware has come through third party utilities and applications. What that means for the average user is that it’s very easy to completely prevent infections and attacks from occurring in the first place, especially when combined with some general security tips.

Without further ado, here are eight simple ways to secure a Mac to help prevent viruses, trojans, and malware from effecting you:

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How’d you like to drive three external displays from a single MacBook Pro? That’s exactly what this weeks Mac setup is doing with the help of an external video card. Coming to us from journalist and blogger Pierra D, here is the hardware pictured:

• MacBook Pro 17″ (2009) – 8GB RAM and dual 256 GB SSD
• Apple Cinema Display 27″ (center)
• Apple Cinema Display 22″ (left)
• Apple Cinema Display 20″ (right)
• Additional external displays driven by ViDock External GPU with a GeForce GT 120
• iPhone 4
• iPod shuffle
• Magic Mouse
• Bluetooth Keyboard
• Wacom Intuos 4M

Anyone can install dual hard drives on a MacBook Pro by removing the built-in Super Drive and using a replacement bay to hold a hard disk or SSD instead. These are offered through a variety of companies and are a good solution for individuals who don’t use the DVD drive on a portable Mac, some replacement bays even include a caddy for the SuperDrive to turn it into an external device instead.

I hope external video cards become more common and more powerful, other than allowing for fully powered external displays like shown here, they offer some serious promise for dramatically enhanced gaming even from Macs with weaker video cards like the MacBook Air.

Want your Mac setup featured? Send pictures of Apple & Mac setups to osxdailycom@gmail.com and include some brief hardware details and what you use it for. We get tons of submissions so we can’t post them all.

Annoyed by those persistent wi-fi network popups that show up on the iPhone or iPad screen every time a wireless network is in range? You can disable the wi-fi joining alerts completely by preventing the iPhone from searching for unknown networks. This works on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch the same way, and it has no effect on the regular cellular internet connection or joined and accepted wireless networks, instead it simply stops the nagging popups when a new network is visible when one isn’t actively connected.

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iPhone owners who are out of contract with AT&T will be able to unlock their devices starting April 8. An unlock means the SIM card slot becomes usable outside of the AT&T network, allowing for an individual to swap SIM cards and gain service on another compatible carrier, like T-Mobile.

This exciting news comes from America OnLine Engadget, who provides the following official statement from AT&T:

Beginning Sunday, April 8, we will offer qualifying customers the ability to unlock their AT&T iPhones. The only requirements are that a customer’s account must be in good standing, their device cannot be associated with a current and active term commitment on an AT&T customer account, and they need to have fulfilled their contract term, upgraded under one of our upgrade policies or paid an early termination fee.

There are no instructions provided on how to unlock the iPhone, presumably a user will have to contact AT&T directly to walk through the unlock process with a representative. Typically this requires the IMEI number of the iPhone in question, which can be easily found on the iPhone itself or through iTunes. The phone number for AT&T wireless is 1-800-331-0500, and repeatedly pressing 0 is the easiest way to speak with a human being.

Given the pent up demand for unlocked iPhones there will likely be a surge of interest in unlocking contract-free devices. Unlocking is extremely beneficial to users who travel abroad. Purchasing a local pay-go SIM card is significantly cheaper than roaming through AT&T’s overpriced international rates, and also makes an iPhone more useful in areas where AT&T coverage is limited or does not exist.

Even those with no intention on using an iPhone abroad or with a competing cellular network should unlock their iPhone if given the chance. Individuals who bought an iPhone out of contract can also request the unlock, though their devices should already be unlocked by default.

Google Chrome automatically updates itself in the background when a new version is out, this takes responsibility out of user hands and makes it simple to keep up to date with the latest version of the Chrome app for Mac.

Generally you should leave automatic update enabled for Chrome, if not for its ease than for the security benefits of having the freshest Chrome browser version pushed to your Mac automatically, but if you want to disable the sizable automatic updates to reduce Personal Hotspot data use or something similar you can do so with a defaults write command.

This tutorial will show you how to disable Google Software Update and Google automatic updates on the Mac, and also show you how to modify and re-enable the Google automatic update feature if you change your mind.

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Want to use the iPad or iPod touch as a phone? You can do that. With Skype or Google Voice you can turn your standard wi-fi iPad into a VOIP phone, and you’ll be able to make and receive phone calls and text messages directly from the iPad or iPod. These apps are free to download and even free to make calls between other users of the services, but if you want to make outside phone calls or send text messages to real phones you’ll need to pay for some cheap credits.

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You can drag and drop files directly from Spotlight to elsewhere in the Mac OS X Finder. This allows Spotlight search to function as a sort of basic file manager, not quite like the Finder, but at least for quickly locating and moving a document of any type on the Mac to another location, or even to open that searched file within an app.

This is a pretty handy trick to learn and master, especially when you have files tucked all over a file system as many of us Mac users do, and it offers a very fast way to open files into a Mac app, or to move files around, right from a Spotlight window.

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You’re probably familiar with making your own zip files if you’ve ever needed to transfer a group of files or if you’re managing your own backups outside of Time Machine. Using the GUI zip tools are easy and user friendly, but if you want some more advanced options with better compression you can turn to the command line to make a tar and gzip archive. The syntax will be the same in Mac OS X as it is in Linux.

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The iPad is a great device to read on, and if your digital library is feeling a little bare then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve found some of the best places to get free ebooks, ready to be downloaded and opened with iBooks on your shiny new iPad (or iPhone, iPod, Kindle, Nook, or Android, for that matter).

Free Ebook Downloads

• Project Gutenberg Top 100 – Full of classics, if you’re only going to visit one source for free ebooks, Gutenberg should be it. They have over 38,000 free ebooks available, and their top 100 list is basically a mirror of the Western Canon of literature. Grab titles from the popular lists, and then search category or by your favorite author to load up on a nearly infinite amount of reading. Audiobooks are offered in some cases too.
• Gutenberg Bookshelf by Category – Looking for books on a specific topic? This is the place to go. Sorted by alphabetical category.
• Gutenberg Harvard Classics – A 51 volume anthology of world literature classics, this collection was created in 1909 to provide the core elements of a liberal arts education by reading just 15 minutes a day. Free is slightly cheaper than a Harvard education.

Gutenberg is probably the best source online, but other sites offer free ebooks too:

• ManyBooks – Plenty of classics and a wide variety of formats
• FreeKindleBooks – All in .mobi format, intended for Kindle
• ePUbBooks – Free .epub ebooks, plenty of classics though most are also on Gutenberg
• FeedBooks – Free books from the public domain, varying quality
• SneeKidsBooks – A handful of childrens picture books like the Three Bears and Little Bo-peep

If you download the books onto a Mac or PC, emailing them to an iPad or iPhone is generally the easiest way to transfer them over quickly without syncing. From there they can be directly imported into iBooks or the Kindle app.

Know any other quality sources for free ebooks? Chime in the comments.

Update: Apple has released a Java software update that includes automatic detection and Flashback removal ability. Go to “Software Update” from the  Apple menu to download that update and automatically remove the trojan if you happen to have it on your Mac.

Trojans and viruses are generally something Mac users don’t have to worry about, but there’s a lot of hubub about the so-called Flashback trojan that has apparently infected a several hundred thousand Macs worldwide. The trojan takes advantage of a vulnerability in an older version of Java that allows it to download malware which then “modifies targeted webpages displayed in the web browser.” As we mentioned yesterday on Twitter, the vulnerability has already been patched by Apple and if you haven’t downloaded the latest version of Java for OS X yet you should do so now. Go to Software Update and install the Java for OS X Lion 2012-001 or Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 7, depending on your version of Mac OS. That will prevent future infections from occurring, but you’ll also want to review if a Mac is infected.

We haven’t heard of or seen a single case of the Flashback infection on a Mac, but for the sake of optimal security we’re going to cover how to quickly check if a Mac is afflicted by Flashback trojan:

• Launch Terminal (found in /Applications/Utilities/) and enter the following commands:

defaults read /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment

• If you see a message like “The domain/default pair of (/Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info, LSEnvironment) does not exist” than so far so good, no infection, proceed to the next defaults write command to confirm further:

defaults read ~/.MacOSX/environment DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES

• If you see a message similar to “The domain/default pair of (/Users/joe/.MacOSX/environment, DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES) does not exist” then the Mac is NOT infected.

What if you see something different in the Terminal? If the defaults read commands show actual values rather than the “does not exist” response, you may have the trojan, though this does seem to be extraordinarily rare. In the event you run into a Mac with the problem follow the guide on f-secure to remove the Flashback trojan, it’s just a matter of copying and pasting a few commands into the Terminal.

All in all this is nothing to freak out about, but it does serve as another reminder as to why it’s important to update system software as part of a general maintenance routine. If you want to take some extra security precautions and preventative measures, don’t miss our article on simple tips to prevent Mac virus infections, malware, and trojans.