input

OS X Lion comes with a number of new and altered features, some of which, like Mission Control and full-screen options, can be avoided if you don't find them useful. However, Apple has also included a couple of alterations that cannot be quickly avoided and that new users might find a bit frustrating.

The first of these is the default scroll direction on Apple's multitouch trackpads. In prior versions of OS X the scroll direction mirrored that of scroll wheels on mice, which when rolled toward the user cause the page to scroll down. The trackpad likewise would … Read more

Typing in different languages on the Web can be as easy as clicking on a browser button.

With the Google Input Tools extension for Chrome, you can easily type in multiple languages when typing an e-mail, filling out a Web form, or writing anything else on the Web. Here's how:

Step 1: Install the Google Input Tools extension from the Chrome Web Store.

Step 2: Click on the new browser button in the upper right-hand corner of the Chrome browser and select Extension Options. Choose the languages you want from the input tools list, then close the tab.

Step … Read more

OS X accommodates a number of different keyboard types and layouts to support not only small and large keyboard profiles such as laptop and desktop keyboards, but also to support different language input options. The layout you are using should be automatically set up when you initially configured your system, but you can always go to the Keyboard system preferences and choose a different layout if you would like.

In addition to the options for changing your keyboard layout, the system should prompt you for configuration options when you plug a new keyboard in to your computer; however, even with … Read more

In OS X Lion, Apple changed the default scroll direction from moving the screen in the opposite direction to the cursor to be similar to the iPad and iPhone, where when you scroll the image on the screen moves in the same direction you are scrolling.

This behavior may be expected for touch-screen devices, but for many people the change is a bit confusing, despite the introductory warning that informs you about the change when you first boot Lion.

For people who wish to keep the conventional scrolling behavior, there's an option to do so in the Mouse and … Read more

A familiar type of computer error is the kind in which all activity seems to freeze, there's no apparent response to keyboard input, and the mouse stops moving. When this happens on Macs you may see the spinning color wheel, or the system may show no indicator of a problem. While you might think the system has fully crashed and needs to be restarted, a few seconds later the system may continue to function normally again, only to pause again shortly thereafter.

This type of random pausing is generally due to an I/O (input/output) problem. Critical devices … Read more

I have just one word for Wacom's new interactive pen display, the Cintiq 24HD: WANT. "Expensive" would be my alternative selection. Given its $2,499 price tag, it's out of reach for all but serious artists and designers. For those unfamiliar with the Cintiq line, they're displays with integrated pen tablets; in other words, they're the pen tablet equivalent of touch screens, so you can draw right on them.

Wacom's previous Cintiq products, the 21UX and 12WX, which remain in the product line, are certainly no slouches, but this model shows the attention … Read more

In Microsoft's vision of the future, you'll only need one input device for multiple computers, but who said it has to be a mouse? Logitech launched its Wireless Touchpad today that gives PC users a chance to pinch, point, and scroll their way across the screen.

Similar to the design of the Apple Magic Trackpad, the Wireless Touchpad offers 5 inches of real estate for multiple fingers to navigate by taking advantage of Windows 7's gesture-based controls and multitouch: one finger to move the cursor, two fingers to page scroll, three fingers for photo browsing, and four … Read more

When it comes to tools for integrating freehand art into the digital workflow, Wacom remains the leader. Its tools aren't perfect--and certainly aren't cheap--but it's hard to find any more respected. And when it comes to drawing, nothing yet beats pen (or pencil) and paper for fluidity and portability. Wacom attempts to combine the best of both worlds with its Inkling, a pen and receiver combo that tracks your penstrokes for up to 50 sketches and uploads them to a computer for use with applications like Photoshop or Illustrator.

This tutorial video from Wacom shows you how … Read more

Apple is steadily adding new options to keyboard entry behaviors in OS X to provide quick access to options and to help prevent common typing mistakes. For instance, in Snow Leopard Apple introduced systemwide autocorrect to fix typos and misspelled words. With OS X Lion, Apple has brought in some additional features and behaviors, including changes to character repeats and quicker access to special characters.

Character repeats In previous versions of OS X, when you pressed and held a key the system would continually enter the characters corresponding to that key until you released the key. The rate of repetition … Read more