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How to fix a frozen Finder, Dock, Menubar on your Mac
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Editorial, Features, PC / Laptop, Software
A few minutes ago, my dock crashed in OS X. Everything else was fine, but I couldn't launch anything or switch between apps. Usually, people would reboot in this situation, but there's a much faster and easier way to fix a frozen dock, which meant I could continue working without having to worry about saving and restarting everything. In fact, you can fix a stuck Finder, Menubar, and Spaces as well. All you need to do is launch Terminal, and type in a simple command for each. Here's what you do after launching terminal in these situations - these are all case-sensitive:
If the Finder crashes:
killall -KILL Finder
(Or, you can right-click the Finder and select Relaunch)
If the Dock crashes and becomes unresponsive:
killall -KILL Dock
If Spaces crashes and you can't swap between them:
killall -KILL Dock
If the Menubar crashes and can't be clicked (beachball):
killall -KILL SystemUIServer
There you go! Easy ways to quickly fix system issues that might crop up on your Mac.
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OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Developer Preview 3 now available
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Software
Apple has just released a new OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Developer Preview about a month after the last release. Dubbed Mountain Lion Developer Preview 3, build 12A178q is the third beta release of the company's next major desktop operating system. Developers can grab a download redemption code in the Apple Developer portal, which will be used to get the update from the Mac App Store. OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion will be publicly released late this summer, but anyone with a Mac developer account can get access to the Developer Previews immediately. Release notes after the break.
Click to continue reading OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Developer Preview 3 now available
iPad carrier settings update now available
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Software
Apple has released a carrier settings update for the iPad. The one we're running if the Verizon LTE 3rd generation model, so your mileage may vary. Plug in and check iTunes to see if it's available for you. If it is, the download and update will take all of just a few seconds, and you're done! Also, if you haven't seen it, check out our new iPad review.
Windows 8 Metro Testbed on iPad thanks to Splashtop
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Microsoft, Software
If you've been patiently awaiting the arrival of Windows 8 tablets while staring at your iPad with evil eyes, listen up. Now you can test apps in, and play with, the Microsoft Metro interface right on your iPad. While that may sound awkwards--dirty, even--it's perfectly easy to do using the Win8 Metro Testbed app from Splashtop. With it, you can swipe to switch between apps, access the Charms menu, and all the other stuff you'll be able to do within the confines of a Windows 8 tablet Metro interface. You can find the app in the iTunes App Store, where it costs $24.99 for a limited time. Afterwards, it'll be bumped up to $49.99, doubling in price. You need a PC running the Windows 8 beta for the app to work. Check out a video demo after the break.
Click to continue reading Windows 8 Metro Testbed on iPad thanks to Splashtop
Spotify has a ‘special announcement’ to make on Wednesday
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Music, Software
Spotify is set to reveal a special announcement in just five days. The CEO of the music streaming service, Daniel Ek, will be giving a keynote address at Ad Age Digital, and immediately after, Spotify will hit us with the news. Of course, as soon as the announcement is made, we'll give you the scoop on what's up. In the meantime, what do you think it'll be? Sound off in the comments!
Netflix updates Xbox 360 app with contrast controls, better episode navigation
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Home Entertainment, Microsoft, Movies, Software
For all those that use their Xbox 360 to stream Netflix, an update has been issued today to solve some (but definitely not all!) annoying issues and improve user experience.
You're now able to skip forward and backwards during play, allowing users to quickly change between movies and TV episodes. Users now will be able to zoom during play, turning letterboxed displays into full screen, and there are now contrast settings that allow you to tweak things to make colors more vivid, and blacks purer. For users outside the States, you’ll now have expanded and improved Facebook functionality connected via Facebook. The social functionality allows others to see what you watched and how you rated the shows.
If you’re wondering how to get the update, signing into your Xbox Live account and fire up your current Netflix app. You should get a notification that an update is available right away. If you’re not a Netflix user, when you decide the time is right to try Netflix, the most up-to-date software will be downloaded when you sign-up. Keep in mind in order to access Netflix through the Xbox 360, you need an Xbox Live Gold Account, broadband Internet, and an active Netflix membership.
Read More 
| Netflix
Today marks the released of what may, quite possibly, be the most anticipated iOS-only app to hit Android, as Instagram has finally arrived on the Google side of the fence.
Instagram is the massively popular photo-sharing social network that's garnered over 25 million users, and up until this point, it's only been available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users. That changes today. Instagram for Android works on any Android device running version 2.2 or higher, as long as they support OpenGL ES 2. Similar to the iOS version, you can share your Instagram posts to Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and Foursquare. Soon, Flickr will be an option as well.
You can download Instagram for Android right now from Google Play, completely free.
Ice Cream Sandwich coming to Droid RAZR, RAZR Maxx, HTC Rezound this week
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Cell Phones, Rumors, Software
Thanks to a leaked image from a Best Buy, it appears that we now know that the Motorola Droid RAZR and RAZR MAXX, alongside the HTC Rezound, will be receiving an Ice Cream Sandwich update. April 4th is the day for RAZR devices, and April 6th is when the Rezound gets in on the Android 4.0 action. The update will be available over the air, but we have no idea on the rollout schedule. By the looks of it, April is turning out to be a big month for smartphones and updates.
Read More | Android Police
iPhoto 9.2.3 released with minor stability improvements and bug fixes
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Software
After releasing an iTunes update, Apple has now followed up less than a day later with a new release of iPhoto. iPhoto 9.2.3 brings with it a few changes to make the app more responsive and less prone to crashing. From the changelog:
- Improves overall stability
-
Addresses an issue that could cause iPhoto to quit unexpectedly on systems with multiple user accounts.
You can grab the update now from Software Update or the Mac App Store.
Apple releases iTunes 10.6.1 with bug fixes galore
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Music, Software
Apple has released iTunes 10.6.1, a bug-fixing update that improves usability in a bunch of areas:
- Fixes several issues that may cause iTunes to unexpectedly quit while playing videos, changing artwork size in Grid view, and syncing photos to devices.
- Addresses an issue where some iTunes interface elements are incorrectly described by VoiceOver and WindowEyes.
- Fixes a problem where iTunes may become unresponsive while syncing iPod nano or iPod shuffle.
- Resolves an ordering problem while browsing TV episodes in your iTunes library on Apple TV.
You can grab the update now through Software Update, or at http://apple.com/itunes.
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