Using GeekTool and lsof, you can display an automatically updated list of open network connections directly on a Mac OS X desktop. This is tip is a “safe” alternative to the previously mentioned open_ports utility.

The problem with installing and using open_ports is that it is a third party script running as root, and for many users that is unacceptable. Here is a method that is native to Mac OS X and doesn’t even require root access to watch network connections:

First, if you want to discard the GeekTool portion and just get a quick look at open connections, you can quickly list all open network connections with:
lsof -i | grep -E "(LISTEN|ESTABLISHED)"

You could also combine this with the ‘watch’ utility and just keep an eye on open connections in a terminal window.

That portion of the tip has been covered here before regarding lsof, but the next part is geared specifically for GeekTool because it allows a constantly refreshed list of active connections to overlay against your desktop background picture.
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You can watch all open network connections for both incoming and outgoing transfers using a free command line utility called open_ports.sh. Open_Ports is much more useful than using lsof to list open internet connectionsbecause it provides extensive network information in a very easy to read format, including what program or process is opening the connection, which port and user, the number of connections per process, the hostname being connected to, the country, and even the city.

Additionally, open_ports shows you all of your open ports listening for connections, again with information about the application, user, port number and name, and even the service IP range. All of the output is color coded, a red background signifies the process is owned by root, red text means the IP address doesn’t correspond to a domain name, blue means the IP matches several domain names, and green text means the protocol is encrypted.

Installation requires some experience with the command line, but chances are if you want an application like this then that won’t be an issue. Here we go…
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Most lefties have adapted to the righty-centric world of computing, but this isn’t necessary on a Mac. The Apple Magic Mouse, Apple wireless mouse, wired mouses, trackpad, and even most 3rd party mice have a symmetrical shape, so those that are left handed just need to adjust a few settings in Mac OS X to get the mouse on their dominant side.

We’ll show you how to change the mouse button to be left handed in Mac OS X, and also how to change the trackpad behavior to be for left handed people too.

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This Mac setup has all you need and is checking out none other than OSXDaily.com: a MacBook Pro 15″ with matte anti-glare display sits atop a Griffin Elevator Stand while connected to an Apple Cinema Display, an iPad sits to the right, and there are two iPhones rounding it out.

This is a nice clean desk setup, and the Magic Trackpad and MagicMouse ensure the MacBook Pro is ready for Lion and the new multitouch gestures.

Thanks for sending this in JW!

I’m going to walk through the process of making a bootable Mac OS X 10.7 Lion installation drive out of any USB flash drive key. This is similar to the process of making a bootable Lion installer DVD, but I prefer a USB flash drive because it’s faster, smaller, and I have a MacBook Air so an installation DVD isn’t too useful for me.

This is pretty easy to do, but I have made the walkthrough as simple as possible with plenty of screenshots, so just follow along the instructions.

Requirements:

• A Mac with Mac OS X 10.6.8 so you can download and access Lion
• 8GB+ USB flash key drive, these are cheap and ubiquitous on Amazon.com
• Download Mac OS X Lion from the Mac App Store ($29.99)

Got all that? Good, let’s proceed.

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The powerful textutil command for Mac offers an amazing capability to convert a text documents font family and text size, transforming the document with ease and precision right from the command line of Mac OS.

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Two new reports suggest that the Mac OS X Lion release date is indeed set for next week, likely on Thursday, July 14th, and that a new Macbook Air will launch alongside Lion.

The first report comes from 9to5mac, the origin of the suggested July 14th launch date, whose sources are saying that new retail signage is due next Wednesday at Apple Stores, likely for both OS X Lion and new MacBook Air models:

We’ve heard from a few overseas sources that Apple Retail stores are planning ‘overnights’ on July 13th. Overnights are generally where Apple refreshes store displays and trains up management on new products.

Corroborating 9to5mac is a similar report from AppleInsider, who cites a source with access to Apples internal retail news network, saying:

a new bulletin posted to the system this week is advising store management to perform RAM upgrades to certain Mac models on the showroom floors by Sunday, July 10th at the latest — presumably in preparation for those models to be upgraded with Lion shortly thereafter.

AppleInsider also mentions the retail store overnight plan for an unspecified time next week, but suggests that the revised MacBook Air may make an appearance later in the month and not on the actual launch date of Lion.

OS X Lion will cost $29.99 and be downloadable exclusively through the Mac App Store.

Mac OS X has a fancy way of refreshing your Dashboard widgets. It’s better watched than described or shown in pictures, so open up Dashboard, click on any widget, then hit Command+R and watch the widget disappear and reappear into a twirl.

The larger and more colorful the widget the better the effect, and you can hit command+R repeatedly if you feel like showing this off to someone else. Other than refreshing a widget, which rarely needs to happen, this isn’t too useful, but it’s great eye candy.

This comes via Chronic on Twitter, you can follow us there too.
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The easiest way to get HTTP header information from any website is by using the command line tool curl. The syntax to retrieve a website header goes like this:

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Retina iPad 2 rumors just won’t die, and alongside the report that iPhone 4S is really just iPhone 5 in disguise, ThisIsMyNext mentions a new iPad will launch this year. Dubbed “iPad HD”, or “iPad Pro”, supposedly the next model will not be iPad 3, instead it will compliment the existing iPad 2 lineup with the main difference being a 2048×1536 resolution display.

Our sources are saying that not only will there be a newly designed iPhone coming in the fall, but there is going to be a new entry into the iPad family as well. As hard as it might be to believe, the new tablet is said to sport a double resolution screen (2048 x 1536), and will be dubbed the “iPad HD.” The idea behind the product is apparently that it will be a “pro” device aimed at a higher end market — folks who work in video and photo production possibly — and will be introduced alongside something like an iPad version of Final Cut or Aperture. This product is specifically said to not be the iPad 3, rather a complimentary piece of the iPad 2 line. Think MacBook and MacBook Pro.

The most compelling argument against any new iPad introductions this year was the statement directly from Steve Jobs at the iPad 2 unveiling event, declaring 2011 the “Year of iPad 2”
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If you’ve been confused by the whole iPhone 4S vs iPhone 5 thing, we may finally have an answer. Contrary to reports suggesting otherwise, ThisIsMyNext is claiming that the “iPhone 4S” doesn’t exist as a separate product at all, it’s simply Apple disguising the newest iPhone 5 components in the older iPhone 4 enclosure.

Suggesting the disguise is to throw off any leaks of what the next-gen iPhone will look like, ThisIsMyNext explains further:

Simply put, as the iPhone 5 components are built for a smaller and lighter device, they can be easily fit into a casing which for all intents and purposes looks identical to an iPhone 4… and that’s exactly what Apple has been doing. Our sources tell us that the company has been testing the new components in old iPhone cases, for obvious reasons. Some of those reports we’ve heard about a larger screen for the old design would make sense too, as a slight tweak of the size (say, to a 3.7-inch display), would be barely noticeable to the eye, but obvious in internal component design. So if you’ve been wondering why the rumors about the iPhone 4S rose to such a din, now you know.

They also state that the “highest levels” of Apple are ready to move beyond the iPhone 4 design and release something completely new.

Disguising prototype iPhones certainly makes sense, and this could explain why the alleged China Mobile iPhone 5 leak picture looks just like an iPhone 4. Nonetheless, using current enclosures doesn’t address the reoccurring rumors of a cheaper iPhone aimed at the pre-paid market. Maybe the iPhone 4 will take the place of the iPhone 3GS as the cheapest iPhone offering? That would be an impressive feat considering the high quality and expensive parts that exist in iPhone 4, but Apple’s huge buying power could make it happen.

We will likely have an answer to all of these questions in late September.

You might be looking at a prototype iPhone 5 running on the worlds largest cellular carrier, China Mobile. The iPhone pictured looks very similar to the iPhone 4, but clearly shows an unreleased baseband version 06.10.01, and like other Apple prototype iPhones, there is no IMEI number.

The image has been posted to several Chinese websites and was picked up by AppleInsider. Adding some potential legitimacy to the photo is that Apple COO Tim Cook was reportedly spotted at China Mobile corporate offices last month. Apple has apparently long been interested in bringing the iPhone to China Mobile and it’s 600 million+ subscribers (to put 600 million in perspective, that’s 2x more cell subscribers than the entire population of the USA).

So is this an iPhone 5? Nobody knows for sure, but many rumors suggest the iPhone 5 will closely resemble the iPhone 4, yet be thinner and lighter, which would explain why the pictured phone does not look substantially different from the front view. If not an iPhone 5, it may also be the so-called “iPhone 4S” that is rumored to exist as a cheaper alternative aimed primarily at emerging and prepaid markets, and launch alongside iPhone 5 this September. It’s also entirely possible this is just a prototype for network testing, or even a fake. Stay tuned.

Update: A new report suggests that Apple is disguising iPhone 5 in iPhone 4 enclosures to throw off leaks, so this could very well be the real deal in terms of internal components.

Facebook just announced their built-in video chat feature that uses Skype to initiate video calls, but unfortunately support for the new feature is lacking for users with Mac OS X Lion and the latest version of Safari. If you try it, you’ll see the video call button has been greyed out with a message saying “Not supported in this browser or OS version”.

Don’t worry, there’s a ridiculously easy fix, all you need to do is change your browsers user agent in Safari (or Chrome or Firefox), here’s how in Safari:

• Pull down the Developer menu and select “Safari 5.1 – Mac”
• Reload Facebook and enjoy video chatting

Tough work huh?
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Do you need to convert a text file to RTF, plain text TXT, HTML, DOC, or another familiar document format? The excellent textutil command line utility can make quick work of text file conversion and manipulation on the Mac, and there is no need to download any additional software or tools as it’s built right in to Mac OS.

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The various iPhone 5 rumors have been going back and forth on whether or not a significant redesign is coming, but a new report from the Wall Street Journal seems to suggest that iPhone 5 will have a completely redesigned case after all.

According to some suppliers of components to Apple, the new version of the iPhone is expected to be thinner and lighter than the iPhone 4 and sport an 8-megapixel camera. One person said the new iPhone will operate on Qualcomm Inc.’s wireless baseband chips.

This isn’t the first report to suggest the next-gen iPhone will be thinner, but the following statement is perhaps most telling about the future iPhones potential appearance:

Two of the people, however, cautioned that shipments of the new iPhone could be delayed if Hon Hai can’t improve its yield rate as the new iPhone is “complicated and difficult to assemble.”

Being difficult to assemble could indicate there is truth to some of the past claims of an edge-to-edge screen, liquid metal enclosures, or even curved glass, since one would imagine the longstanding iPhone 4 enclosure is well established in the production line and would not pose any significant assembly challenges. There are other suggestions that the next iPhone will more closely resemble the enclosure of iPad 2, which may appear similar to the mockup image above.

The potential for a dual-launch of an iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S this September could also explain some of the conflicting rumors regarding the next iPhones enclosure. Whatever is announced, it is expected to be launched alongside the release of iOS 5 this Fall.

JailbreakMe 3.0 is out finally and if you’re interested in jailbreaking this is what you’ve been waiting for; it is entirely computer free, there is no DFU mode, there is no restoring firmware and IPSW files, nothing complicated at all, just load the jailbreakme.com website from your compatible iOS device and the jailbreak installs.

This is the easiest jailbreak in existence and it’s the first official iPad 2 jailbreak available, but also works on all other hardware capable of running iOS 4.3.3, including iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch 3rd gen, iPod touch 4th gen.

How to Jailbreak iPad 2, iPhone, & iPod touch with iOS 4.3.3 and JailbreakMe

• Visit JailbreakMe.com from your compatible iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
• Tap on the “Free” button and then tap on “Install”
• Safari will quit and you will see the brown Cydia icon loading on your home screen
• When Cydia is done downloading, your jailbreak is complete

That’s all there is to it. It’s probably a good idea to reboot the iOS device once it’s finished so everything works as intended. If you ever get sick of it, you can unjailbreak just by restoring the iOS device from iTunes.
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After a long wait, JailbreakMe 3 has finally been officially unleashed, and it is without a doubt the easiest jailbreak ever to exist.

No computer is necessary, no downloading weirdly named jailbreak apps, no technical process, it’s just a matter of visiting Jailbreakme.com on your iOS device and the jailbreak installs.

JailbreakMe 3.0 compatible hardware includes iPad 2, iPad, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 GSM, iPhone 4 CDMA, iPod touch 3rd and 4th gen, ranging from iOS 4.3 or later, although the iPad 2 requires iOS 4.3.3 to work. Enjoy!

Update: Here’s a guide on how to jailbreak iPad 2, iPhone, and iPod touch with iOS 4.3.3 using JailbreakMe 3

If you’ve been waiting for a good deal on an SSD upgrade, don’t miss these Kingston 2.5″ SSD’s from Buy.com. Each drive comes with free shipping and a huge discount after sending in a mail-in rebate, but the offer is only valid until 7/10/2011.

• Kingston 64GB SSD v100 Series for $59.89 with free shipping from Buy.com
• Kingston 96GB SSD v100 Series for $109.95 from Buy.com
• Kingston 128GB SSD v100 Series for $149.95 with free shipping from Buy.com

The prices are after the Kingston & Buy.com mail-in rebate so don’t forget to send it in. Redeeming the rebate is easy, just print out the form and fill it out, along with the original sales receipt from Buy.com and the original UPC code from the box. The deal appears to be valid for US customers only.

This is the rebate form from Buy.com (PDF file)

A 2.5″ drive will fit directly into any MacBook or MacBook Pro, and can be placed into a caddy to fit into other Mac hardware. SSD’s are probably one of the best bang-for-the-buck upgrades you can get for any computer, as they offer a huge speed increase that is directly noticeable by the user for everyday tasks.

The read/write performance on these is rated as the following on Buy.com’s product page:

Sequential read throughput:
256GB – 250MB/sec. read
128GB – 250MB/sec. read
64GB – 250MB/sec. read

Sequential write throughput:
256GB – 230MB/sec write
128GB – 230MB/sec write
64GB – 145MB/sec write

For comparison, most 5400 and 7200rpm standard hard drives will read and write between 40MB and 70MB a second. In other words, SSD’s are super fast.