If you like to keep an eye on system resources and you want to branch out from the GUI Activity Monitor, check out htop for Mac. htop is basically a significantly improved version of top, which lets you monitor system resources, CPU core load, memory use, load averages, and view and manage individual running processes.

If you’re coming to Mac from the linux world, you’re probably already familiar with htop, but if you’re not here’s why it’s better than top: for starters, it just looks better and is easier to read thanks to an improved layout and use of ANSII colors, but beyond that it’s great because it functions much like a task manager, allowing you select and then renice or kill processes as needed. I find this easier than manually entering PID’s through top. Anyway, let’s get htop installed in Mac OS X via a package manager like Homebrew or MacPorts.

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Do you have some source code, text, or a command string that you want to securely transfer from one Mac to another? Combining the command line clipboard tools pbcopy and pbpaste with SSH we can do exactly that, and it doesn’t matter where the other Mac is located: be it LAN, WAN, or anywhere.

Here is the basic command syntax:

pbpaste | ssh username@ipaddress pbcopy

For transferring data on a LAN, you can use another Macs hostname or IP address.

This is highly useful because using this method is secure, plus it will not mangle special characters or code in the manner that many email and IM clients will.
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Want to add your own folders or items the Mac OS X sidebar to customize it a bit more, perhaps by adding shortcuts to your most recent work, or a regularly used folder, directory, or drive? A great way to do this is by adding your own specific folders to the Finder sidebars. There are two simple ways to add your own files and folders into the Mac sidebar panels, they’re both fast and you can use whichever method you prefer:

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iOS 5 may include the ability to push over-the-air updates and patches to iOS, meaning you’d be able to update your iPhone or iPad without hooking it to a computer with iTunes. More specifically, iOS 5 is reported to include the feature, but it will be future versions of iOS 5 take advantage of the OTA updating, perhaps as iOS 5.1, according to a report by 9to5mac.

iOS Over-The-Air is a Step to True “Post-PC” World
Over-the-Air, or OTA, would be an important step to turning the iPhone and iPad into true “post-PC” devices, since it would free the hardware from the tethered world of desktop updates. The next question this poses regards iOS backups that are typically synced with iTunes, but that could theoretically be handled by a cloud based wireless syncing solution which is rumored to appear sometime in the future.

OTA Updates & Bandwidth Limits on Data Plans
The major problem with Over The Air updating is the increasingly strict world of wireless bandwidth limits imposed by carriers. When you consider that most software updates weigh in at hefty sizes (iOS 4.3.3 is 670mb, for example), you have to wonder how OTA iOS updates would work. There are several ways to address this, here are three possibile solutions:

1. Allow OTA updates to only download over WiFi, in a similar fashion to how FaceTime only works on WiFi connections
2. Split the updates into smaller incremental patches, but allow them over either cellular or wireless, as 9to5mac theorizes
3. Apple reaches a deal with wireless carriers to allow OTA iOS updates to be ‘whitelisted’ from the bandwidth allowance of a users data plan, allowing users to get updates without counting against their allotted monthly limits

The report comes from 9to5mac, who cites “multiple sources” who say that Apple is working specifically with Verizon on the matter. Although they say there is no information on OTA support with other carriers, it would be unlikely for Apple to not pursue a widespread adoption of the feature across all carriers.

iOS 5 is expected to make an appearance at WWDC 2011, which begins June 6.

The upcoming release of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion will be distributed primarily as a download through the Mac App Store. This information comes from AppleInsider, who says the following:

The Mac App Store… will become the de facto method for obtaining the Lion upgrade, people familiar with the matter have revealed. Users will be able to upgrade instantly without the need for physical media by purchasing Lion through the Mac App Store.

Distribution of Lion through the Mac App Store for all users is not too surprising considering it’s the primary method for developers to download and install the Developer Preview releases. This is not to say that a corresponding DVD installer will not be released alongside the digital distribution. Last month, a placeholder for a Lion installation DVD showed up on German Amazon, and there continues to be a possibility that Lion will also appear on USB installer keys for MacBook Air and Mac Mini Server users.

Mac OS X Lion is expected to make a significant appearance at WWDC 2011 in early June.

iOS 4.3.3 has been released, the update is primarily aimed to address the storage of iPhone tracking cache and database files that caused a media conniption and some amusing comics earlier in the month.

You can download iOS 4.3.3 directly from iTunes and that is recommended for most users. Otherwise, you can use the direct links below:

iOS 4.3.3 Direct Download Links

These are direct download links for iOS 4.3.3 IPSW files from Apple’s Servers. Right-click and “Save As” the file, it should be a .ipsw extension and NOT a .zip:

• iPhone 3GS
• iPhone 4 GSM
• iPhone 4 CDMA – iOS 4.2.8
• iPad 1
• iPad 2 – WiFi model
• iPad 2,2 – AT&T GSM
• iPad 2,3 – CDMA Verizon
• iPod Touch 3rd Gen
• iPod Touch 4th Gen

If you just update iOS through iTunes, these IPSW files are not any use to you. Nonetheless, if you want to learn to use IPSW files to update iOS manually you can.

The brand new updated iMacs for 2011 include a seemingly out of place setting in the Keyboard System Preferences: Keyboard Illumination. That’s right, despite being a desktop machine that ships with the same familiar keyboards we all currently know, the new iMac includes the same keyboard illumination option that MacBook Pro’s do. Does this suggest Apple is working on an external backlit keyboard, and if so, was it originally intended to ship with the new iMacs?
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This is a neat Mac trick I accidentally discovered: not only can you launch apps from the toolbar of a Finder window after placing them there, but you can drag folders into any Mac OS X Finder window toolbar as well, and it will stick there allowing for easy access.

The do this yourself, you just need to drag a folder into the toolbar of any Finder window. Any folder works, but there are some cool unexpected extra styling that comes with some folders that we’ll get to in a moment. The change then carries over to all other active Finder windows, with the folder icon appearing there.

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Apple has released a new iPad 2 commercial titled “If You Asked” and it follows well in the footsteps of the “We Believe” TV ad that first launched with the device. The audio of the commercial says:

If you ask a parent, they might call it intuitive… if you ask a musician, they might call it inspiring… to a doctor, it’s groundbreaking… to a CEO, it’s powerful… to a teacher, it’s the future… if you ask a child, she might call it magic… and if you asked us, we’d say it’s just getting started…”

Now, if you asked me, I’d say the iPad 2 is still nearly impossible to find in stock at a store, so buy it online and wait a week or two instead for delivery.

Anyway, I like these new commercials, they feel a bit more sentimental than some of the past Apple ads and I think that’s a good thing. Apparently it started airing tonight, so keep an eye out for it if you’re watching TV.

Are you addicted to the Facebook news feed? Would you like to turn your iPad into a Facebook data stream?

Fnews is for you. You can turn your iPad into an automatically updating Facebook news stream thanks to a free little web app called FNews.

Featuring a simple and minimalist interface with attractive typography and large text, the webapp is perfect to sit on an otherwise idle iPad (or iPhone too) and give you constant updates from the world of Facebook.
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Want to help test Chrome development releases and be on the absolute cutting edge of web browser development? Try out the newly released Google Chrome Canary for Mac OS X, which Google says is aimed at the “bravest” of Chrome users.

Chrome Canary installs as a separate app to the stable Chrome builds, so you don’t need to worry about overwriting your existing app or Chrome resources. Canary is then automatically updated to the latest build and offers no testing before each release, meaning you’ll have lots of interesting features and improvements alongside a slew of bugs and crashes, Google even says “we expect it to be unstable and, at times, unusable…” so be prepared to fill out crash reports.

If this sounds like fun to you, you can download Chrome Canary from Google.com and help out.

I like Chrome a lot but I’m partial to stable browser releases, nonetheless Canary is fun to play around with to see what’s cooking over at Google. Heads up to MacGasm for the tip.

If you have recently upgraded your Mac RAM, or if you are experiencing strange system crashes, it’s a good idea to test your memory modules integrity using a free tool called memtest.

Essentially, memtest is a utility designed to stress test RAM for errors. Without getting overly technical in the explanation, memtest works by writing random data to the RAM, then verifying that the data written to the RAM is readable and without conflict. If errors are detected using this method, it typically means there is a faulty memory module, and that’s why memtest is such a valuable tool. Though it’s technical in nature, it’s quite easy to use, so let’s begin.
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Uninstalling apps from Mac OS X is set to get even easier in Lion, thanks to usability cues taken from iOS. Using Launchpad, you’ll be able to just click and hold on an icon to cause the familiar icon jiggle and “X” to appear, click the X and the app will delete.

One quirk though, as MacRumors notes, is that this only works on apps installed through the Mac App Store. Other third party apps currently can’t be deleted through LaunchPad, which creates a strange user experience inconsistency, but this may change by the time Lion is released to the public this summer.

Update: Some users are reporting that they can delete any third party apps, not just those from the Mac App Store, through LaunchPad in build 11a444d of Lion Developer Preview. Here’s a screenshot of this:

This screen shot came from a thread on MacRumors forums, although it’s not clear why many users on the same Lion build do not have this ability.

Update 2: It looks like any apps installed after updating to build 11a444d can be deleted through LaunchPad, but apps installed before the recent update can not be deleted. Probably just a bug.

Portal 2 is arguably the most popular game on the market right now, and if you have the patience to wait a few days for the game to arrive you can buy the game from Amazon at a 40% discount for just $29.99 for a Mac & PC hybrid installation disk. The price includes free shipping.

Buy Portal 2 for PC & Mac at Amazon for $29.99

Portal 2 is the sequel to Portal, a wildly popular puzzle game. Instead of trying to explain it myself, here’s the description:

Portal 2 is a unique first-person Action-Puzzle-Platforming game that tests player’s ability to think and act creatively as they use the game’s ingenious wormhole creating portal gun to produce their own paths through otherwise sealed surfaces and across the open spaces of the game.

If you’d rather play Portal 2 from your couch, the console versions are also on sale for just $34.99 at the same link. Game on!

This is somewhat tasteless humor that pokes fun at recent world events and the somewhat overblown iPhone tracking thing.

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A new malware threat has been identified for Mac users, the app is called MACDefender and it disguises itself as antivirus software for Mac OS X. The malware attempts to install itself through hijacked websites, and the threat level is considered low, nonetheless all Mac users should be aware of the potential threat and take steps to avoid a potential problem.

2 Simple Steps to Protect Against MACDefender

There are two easy ways to avoid being affected by MACDefender:

1) If you see the above “MACDefender Setup Installer” wizard at any point while browsing the web, do NOT click to install the application

2) Disable Automatic File Opening in Safari
If you use Safari as your default web browser, be sure to disable automatic opening of safe files after downloading:

• Open the Safari menu and pull down to Preferences (or just hit Command+, to launch them)
• Look at the bottom of the General tab and uncheck the box next to “Open ‘safe’ files after downloading”

If you’re concerned that a Mac has been infected by MACDefender, here is how to check for and remove the malware:

Check for and Remove MACDefender Malware

You can check to see if you have been infected with the MACDefender malware, and remove it, by doing three things:

1. Launch the task manager tool Activity Monitor (located in /Applications/Utilities/) and click to sort processes by ‘Name’ and look for MACDefender or MacDefender.app – if this process is running, select the process and then kill it.
2. Open System Preferences, click on Accounts, and select the “Login Items” tab, now look for MACDefender or any unusual entry in the list. If something is found, select it in and press the “-” button to delete it from the login item list.
3. Open your applications folder (/Applications/) and look for MACDefender or MacDefender and delete the application

In the odd event that you have MACDefender and the above three steps did not remove the app, follow this guide to track down all login and boot scripts and applications, it may be hiding elsewhere although there are currently no reports of this.

If you’re curious, you can read more about MACDefender and how it masks itself as antivirus software at Intego’s blog, they discovered the malware and they also happen to make genuine antivirus software for Mac.

You can quickly change the appearance of any Terminal window by using the Inspector tool in the Terminal app for Mac, which can be summoned at any time for any specific Terminal window or tab.

Inspector is very easy to use, so here is how to change the appearance quickly using it:
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You can take time delayed screenshots in Mac OS X easily by using the Grab utility or the Terminal app, included with every Mac OS X version.

We’ll cover taking timed screen shots in Grab first because it’s more user friendly and doesn’t involve the command line which is a bit more technical, and then demonstrate timing screenshots with the terminal approach second.

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