Quicktime: Everything You Need to Know

If you have been using Quicktime, you probably get fed up with the fact that it rarely plays a file you want. One way around this is to simply use VLC, which will play practically anything. The only problem with this is you can't export files to another format. Once you upgrade to Quicktime Pro, you can export any file you open to a variety of formats. The ones you are probably the most interested in are Apple TV, iPhone and iPod. The other way, is to install a couple of codec plugins, that will allow Quicktime to play everything VLC does. If you use Quicktime without registering, you will only be able to play videos, if you want to export, you'll have to upgrade to Quicktime Pro ($29.99)

There are 3 plugins you want to install: Perian Tools, Flip4Mac, and DivX. Of these, the only one that costs money is Flip4Mac, but only if you want to export. If you use Flip4Mac without registering, it will place a watermark over anyting you export, even though you will be able to play whatever you want perfectly fine. Flip4Mac allows Quicktime to play WMV and WMA files.

Once these 3 plugins are installed, Quicktime can play practically anything except for DRM Windows Media files. It can also export all of these files using .h264 encoding, which allows your files to have a small size and high quality, as well as being the encoding the iPhone, iPod and Apple TV use. .h264 is also used in HD Video formats such as Blu-Ray.

Virtual Box

We've all heard of Parallels Desktop and VMWare's Fusion. They are both great products, but there is one thing that most people are not happy with about them. They are not free. There is an alternative to this. That product is VirtualBox. VirtualBox performs just like the two other software packages in almost everything. That difference is that while the two first titles have 3D acceleration, VirtualBox does not. If you use your Virtual Windows machine for gaming, or anything else that is graphically intensive, VirtualBox is not for you. But what if you just want to run uTorrent, MSN Messenger on Windows, or some other non graphically intensive app? In this case, Virtual Box is just what the doctor prescribed, as it will run anything like this just as good as the other two options, but won't cost you a dime (except for your copy of Windows, but I'm assuming you already have that).

It sets up very easily, and runs flawlessly. CPU power is great in a VirtualBox virtual machine, and allows you to configure your VM's RAM, hard drive, and vRam. To keep this short, it performs just like a previous version of Parallels Desktop or Fusion.

Nifty Desktop Background

Do you ever get tired of staring at the same picture, or picture set on your desktop?  There's a nice little app I ran across that allows you to use your screensaver as your background.  Its called Wallsaver.  Its very simple to use, simply launch it, and it will give you two choices: "Activate" (to set the back ground to your screensaver), and "Restore" (to restore your normal background).

Thats all there is to it, I hope you enjoy using it.

FLAC in iTunes

What has bugged me for a while is that iTunes does not natively support FLAC files.  This mean I would be forced to re-encode all of my CD's to Apple's Lossless Format one by one.  After searching for a While, I came across Fluke.  This tiny app imports FLAC files into your iTunes library as Quicktime Audio Files.  I would still recommend converting these files to Apple Lossless Format after importing them, because this way they can be synced to you iPod/Apple TV, but it is much faster to simply import, and then leave converting overnight.  The way it works, is you simply open the FLAC files with Fluke, which will in turn ask you if you want to import them to iTunes.  Say OK, and it will begin importing them.  Once it is done, they can be played from iTunes just like any MP3 or AAC file.  If you want to sync them to an iPod, simply select them and tell iTunes to convert them to any of its supported formats.

To use this, the easiest ways I have found, is to set your computer to open all FLAC files with Fluke, or to put Fluke in the Dock, and just drag the files you want to open onto Fluke's icon.

Let me know what you think after you try it.

Must Have Free Apps

There are a few free applications that any OSX install feels incomplete without.  Here is the list:

1. VLC Media player.  This will play any media file except for DRM Windows Media files.  

2. DivX Codec for Quicktime.  This will allow you to DivX and XVid files within quicktime.

3. Adium.  Tired of the OSX version of MSN Messenger?  This will replace that, as well as practically any other IM software.

4. Skype.  VoIP for Mac as well as for Windows.  Combined with free IM, Video Chat, and Computer to Computer Audio Chat.

5. Dropbox.  A free version of Apple's iDisk with 2 GB storage, or 50 GB for 10 Dollars a month or 100 Dollars a year.  Comes with unlimited bandwidth and a very easy to use interface.  Works in both Windows and Mac and you can easily sync files between computers thousands of miles apart.

6. Fugu.  A very easy to use FTP client.

7. UnRARX.  A RAR file unarchiver.  Very fast and easy to use.

8. Handbrake.  Easily compress most DVD's so you can have them on your computer.  Even compresses straight to Apple TV, iPod and iPhone.

There's my list of free apps most people will find very handy in OSX.  I'll add more apps in later posts, but hose will have a more specific use than the ones I have listed.  In addition to being free, these apps are all very small in size.

Introduction

This blog will mainly cover nifty ways for customizing OSX to look and run exactly the way you want it.  I'll also be reviewing useful apps.