Tech Geek

Justin Snider, our Mac geek, writes this week about his experience with Apple Safari on both the Mac and the PC.

I had my first experience with Safari on a PC when Internet Explorer was struggling to surf the Web.  A friend of mine said "Internet Explorer is so 90's!"  He told me how Safari had been released for PC, I installed it, and I was blown away by the speed, clean looking design, and power to load the most flash heavy sites.  Now that I have been using a Mac as my fulltime work computer, Safari 3.1 is the default web browser, but I spent months using Firefox as my default web browser, trying out different add-ons, loved the easily customizable interface, and the great toolbar search engines.  

A couple of months ago Safari 4 Beta (http://www.apple.com/safari/) was released to the public, and seeing the new speed tests versus other browsers, I downloaded, and it is now my default web browser once again.  Safari 4 Beta uses a screaming fast java script engine called, Nitro Engine, which places it 30 times faster than Internet Explorer 7, and 3 times faster than Firefox 3 (but a new, faster version of Firefox is under beta testing currently).  Safari also handles new types of web design well, scoring 100% in the Acid 3 Web Browser Test (you can try your own web browser at http://acid3.acidtests.org /).  Safari 4 Beta also has Top Sites, an optional homepage that visually displays thumbnails of your most visited sites, where you can also pin your favorite sites too.  There is also a new history window where you can visually thumb through sites you have visited using Cover Flow, like you can in iTunes and newer iPods.  

Though you can't install supported add-ons like Firefox can, I have installed a free ad-blocking program, AdBlock (http://burgersoftware.com/en/safariadblock ), that blocks most ads from loading on webpages, creating a clean, fast loading experience.  Like I said, Safari is very clean looking, short, text based menu bar, with tabs, address bar, predictive Google search bar, and a customizable bookmark bar.  Other options include instant "E-Mail Contents of This Page," private browsing (so if you are at someone else's computer, it won't remember your history or login items), built in RSS Reader, and a handy download menu to easily find and manage current and past downloads.  All these features look and work identical on both the Mac or Windows version.  

I recommend this browser, if you want a fast, clean looking, easy-to-use browser, that can handle any feature rich website.

Justin Snider is a full-time Director of Youth & Family Ministry at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Olympia, Washington.  He loves technology and had to choose between working in the tech industry or youth ministry, and certainly chose the right profession!  YouthDirector - at - GloriaDeiOlympia - dot - org

I've been on vacation this week and our Mac guru, Justin Snider, sent me an offer to write a post. So here are some tips from him on how to use a Mac in a PC environment. -Pastor Andy

Often if two different operating systems are working to accomplish one goal, conflicts may arise. Here are some tips on how Macs can play nicely with PCs. My pastor and I have Macs, while the rest of our office staff have PCs with Windows XP and I often have to send documents, presentations, and other publications their way. Here are a few tips to convert and export things so that they are Windows friendly:  (Note: all these tips, except #5 are done in Mac OS 10.5)

1) Exporting Text Documents. If both computers are using Microsoft Office, you may not have encountered this problem, but I use the less expensive Apple iWork bundle of programs (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote), and the Pages format is not simply read by Microsoft Office, though Pages will open a Word document just fine, so here is how to convert a Pages document. In the File menu, click export, you have 4 options: PDF to create and exact copy of your document that may not be edited, Word to create a document that can be opened and edited by Microsoft Word, RTF (Rich Text Format) for word processing software other than Word (like Open Office), and Plain Text to be opened in any text editor but note that this option strips any formatting (fonts, colors, etc.) you may have done the document. After you have clicked your option, click Export, then it will give a prompt to choose a place to save, then you make attach it to an email or throw it on a USB disk. Note that this does not change your original file, but creates a new file in the new format.

2) Exporting a Keynote Presentation. Keynote is the cheaper Apple-based presentation software over PowerPoint, and will open a PowerPoint presentation with no problems, but occasionally I want to go the other way. Again, click File, Export for your options. There are lots of options here, but the most used way is exporting to PowerPoint format. Others include QuickTime Movie (using set timings), Flash, PDF, HTML, iPod, and Images.

3) Exporting iCal (and other documents) to PDF. Sometimes I like to send a certain month in iCal to others' emails, and though there is not a native export to PDF function like above, here is a simple way to accomplish it. Go to the month you want to start with (you can do more than one month) and click File, Print. Select the options you want shown like how many months you want, size of text, etc. then click continue. On the print menu instead of sending to a printer, on the bottom left there is a button marked PDF with an arrow. Click the arrow, and the options include view as PDF, save as PDF, even mail as PDF, where it opens an email with the PDF attached ready for you to insert your email addresses! This print to PDF works with other various programs in Mac OS 10.5, like Stickies, Mail, and any other program you can print in.

4) Export a Song or Recording in iTunes to MP3. Note: please only do this if you have rights to the song-making copies of protected media may be subject to federal laws. I use this process with recordings I make of worships services. Not everybody uses iTunes, and if you try to send a song or recording in iTunes format (AAC) or QuickTime format (.mov), some Windows users will not be able to hear it. Open iTunes and go to iTunes menu, Preferences. Click the Import Settings button under the General tab. Under the Import Using menu, go from using AAC Encoder to MP3 Encoder, click OK, OK to get out of the menus then navigate to the recording to convert. Click the song then go to the Advanced menu and click Create MP3 version. You can then drag the new file (that ends with .mp3) to the desktop, usb disk, email attachment, etc. This keeps your original sound file untouched. Remember to change the preferences back to AAC Encoder if you like to rip your Cd's in that format, otherwise subsequent recordings will be imported in MP3 format.

5) Creating PDF Documents in Windows For Free. Windows users can also have the capability to Print to PDF by installing a free program like PrimoPDF (www.primopdf.com). I use PrimoPDF on all my Windows computers and love how easy it is to use. After installing, PrimoPDF shows up as a printer in all your program's print menus. Simply select PrimoPDF as your printer and click Print and a PrimoPDF menu will appear. Choose a place to save the file and quality, and you have just exported your document into a PDF easily read by all!

Have fun playing nice!

Justin Snider
YouthDirector - at - GloriaDeiOlympia - dot - org
www.GloriaDeiYouth.or

This week's Tech Geek is guest written by my friend Justin Snider. We've met once or twice before and got to hang out a few weeks ago at the Council of Synodical Lutheran Youth Organization Presidents meeting in Arkansas. I am woefully ignorant about "all things Mac" and hope that Justin can help fill that void for me! -AA

Like many youth workers, my office is filled with cool youth ministry resources, music, software, videos, and all sorts of youth ministry theory books that I haven't finished reading.  Occasionally another youth worker visits me and sees a cool resource and wants to borrow it.  I say "sure," and I never see that resource again because I neglect to write down who checked out what resource.  I knew something had to change, when a full-time youth ministry intern started working with me and I would go to show her a cool resource, only to find an empty spot on my shelf where that resource was supposed to be.  My intern did some research and found an incredible resource called DELICIOUS LIBRARY 2.  This is a Mac-based user friendly cataloging program for books, software, videos, music, even tools and toys.

1. Webcam Barcode Scanning - You scan the barcode on your books by using your built in iSight camera and voila, the library connects to Amazon to download a picture, summary, reviews, and recommendation for that book!  You can also just do a normal text or ISBN search for items with no barcode, or worn barcodes.
2. Easy Checkout Using your Address Book and iCal - When you want to check out a resource to someone, simply type in their name, drag the item to their name on the left pane, and it puts a 1 week reminder in your iCal that you can drag to any day you want to be reminded.  When they return the item, just delete it from their shelf.
3. Publishing to the Web - You can publish your entire library, or even just certain shelves to a webpage using MobileMe.  People will be able to browse through your library, and even click a resource for more info.  Handy if you are searching for a last minute resource for a talk, and you know you could check one our from a neighboring youth worker!  Check out mine at gloriadeiyouth.org  and click on the Library link under my picture.  Oh yeah, and you can sync your library with your iPod, or use the Delicious Library iPhone app!
4. Price=$40 - I can't think of a better use of $40 for a software will save you that much in resources that you actually get back!
5. Easter Eggs - (Intentional Hidden Feature)  I love software that is fun to use, and for this try adding something Star Wars or Harry Potter to your library and see what happens.  One fun Easter Egg I will tell you, when you delete a book from your library, it burns up!  For more Easter Egg hints, search them on Wikipedia.