scholar @ jklmelton » mac

PayPal: “Safari not safe” Huh?

Jay — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:00:05 +0000

MacWorld is reporting PayPal’s claim that Safari is not a “safe” browser. Sorry PayPal, the problem lies in how people deal with email, not with the browser. Anyone clicking on any link in an email message is asking for trouble. If you need that link, copy it, paste it, and then read the URL carefully. If you don’t recognize the domain or the directories after it, don’t use it. You can get to the site using your bookmarks to be safe.

I wrote an entry on identifying phishing last year (sorry, it looks like the quiz is gone; you may have to look elsewhere for more information). Be careful out there…

NeoOffice (OpenOffice.org for Macs)

Jay — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 01:18:17 +0000

For most of the past 10 months or so I have been doing my best to use NeoOffice for my word processing and spreadsheet needs. I have to say that, with only one notable exception (a bug in an earlier version caused some characters to display strangely; that was cleared up quickly), it is both solid in its stability and robust in features.

NeoOffice is an Open Source package for Mac designed to work with the same (and possible more) kinds of documents as Microsoft Office. NeoOffice’s origins come from OpenOffice.org (if you’re a Windows or Linux user, that’s the place to go). Here’s the blurb from the NeoOffice site:

NeoOffice is a full-featured set of office applications (including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, drawing, and database programs) for Mac OS X. Based on the OpenOffice.org office suite, NeoOffice has integrated dozens of native Mac features and can import, edit, and exchange files with other popular office programs such as Microsoft Office.

Released as free, open source software under the GNU General Public License (GPL), NeoOffice is fully functional and stable enough for everyday use. The software is actively developed, so improvements and small updates are made available on a regular basis.

I’ll write up some more on this great package. In the meantime, check it out…

DoIt

Jay — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 16:20:18 +0000

I’ve just discovered (via Hawk Wings; there’s a nice run-down of the things you can do with DoIt) a cool-looking tool called DoIt for the Mac. It seems you can set up categories/contexts and have the program give you reminders. One cool feature appears to be the ability to link to files or URLs on your computer, and clicking the links take you to that file or Web page. Another allows you to use your Address Book to bring up phone numbers or email addresses when the time comes to make that call or write that message. Still another allows you to bring it all together with a Quicksilver plug-in.

Fire up your bookmarks with Quicksilver

Jay — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 15:11:44 +0000

In an earlier post, I mentioned the time-saving software Quicksilver. I have found it to be useful for starting up software and opening documents with just a couple of strokes of the keys. Now, here’s a tutorial on opening up your favorite bookmarks. Enjoy!

Quicksilver

Jay — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 15:10:06 +0000

I haven’t used Quicksilver yet, but here’s a movie on some of its features. It looks good, doesn’t it?

Worried about the OS X trojan horse?

Jay — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 08:39:57 +0000

It seems someone has written a trojan horse for OS X. Not to fear–there are some practices to follow and some precautions to take. Check out this article from the folks at Mac Geekery. The tips are not specific to the trojan, but they can help you sleep better at night.

News: ‘Take Control of Switching to the Mac’ eBook released

Jay — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 02:22:12 +0000

News: ‘Take Control of Switching to the Mac’ eBook released: “TidBITS publishers, Adam and Tonya Engst, have released a new book in their popular “Take Control” series, which is aimed at helping users with specific tasks. The newest eBook, “Take Control of Switching to the Mac,” was written by Scott Knaster and guides switchers through the process of switching.”

(Via MacCentral.)