applications

How to clear custom application associations in OS X

When you open a document or click a link in OS X, the system launches a program that can read it. While OS X provides options to change the programs associated with documents, there is no option to clear all application associations for a file type.

The resource that OS X uses to associate file types (e.g., TXT and PDF) or protocols (e.g., HTTP or FTP) with applications that can handle them is the launch services database. When an application is launched for the first time, the system scans its file-handling abilities and stores them in this database … Read more

Netflix for Android tablets gets refresh; iPad version coming soon

Netflix has updated its tablet application, but so far, it's only available to Android device owners.

The update delivers a new interface that Netflix says should help users more easily discover the content they want to watch. The application's layout includes clips of programs or movies users recently watched, which can be tapped to start playback. In addition, listings of top picks and content from the Instant Queue are visible under those videos.

Thanks to the new layout, the refreshed Netflix app now displays "twice as many movies and TV shows as before," the company's … Read more

Managing Resume function in OS X Lion

In the last few major OS X releases, Apple has automated a number of key routines that deal with user data security.

First the company added automatic backups with Time Machine in OS X 10.5 Leopard, followed by a rudimentary malware scanner for downloaded files in Snow Leopard. In Lion, Apple has added a couple of others: Auto Save and Resume, which respectively will save file versions and preserve the window state of applications so they can be restored if a program crashes or is quit with windows open.

Both of these new options can be exceptionally useful in … Read more

Managing and installing applications distributed with DMG files

When you purchase an application or download it from a the Internet, often it will download as a .dmg file instead of the application itself. The file will likely be named similarly to the application, and some people may be a bit confused about how to properly use what they have downloaded.

MacFixIt reader Mary wrote in with a question about this:

"How do you use these DMG files properly when downloading applications? Sometimes when I download apps a DMG file opens and there are instructions to install the program when I open it. At other times when I … Read more

Apple investigating power-efficient OLED for mobile devices

In a recent patent application uncovered by AppleInsider, Apple is investigating the use of power-efficient organic light-emitting diode displays for its mobile devices, a technology that could help improve the battery life of iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches.

Apple is banking on OLED's light emissive approach, which has lower power constraints than LED's light transmissive technology, currently used in iPhones and iPads.

In short, when OLED displays need to show white, it uses a ton of power to do so. As AppleInsider notes, the darks are darker, the contrast ratio is better, and the power efficiency is outstanding--save … Read more

Android browser bumps Opera for No. 2 spot

Google's mobile browser leapfrogged Opera Mini to take the second-place spot in worldwide usage of the Web with smartphones and tablets in October.

The change, revealed in Net Applications' monthly browser usage statistics, reflects the shift from older phone operating systems where Opera Mini is more popular to Android. But while Google's unbranded browser rose in the rankings, from 16.3 percent in September to 18.7 percent in October, top-ranked Apple rose even more.

Safari usage rose from 55.6 percent to 62.2 percent, extending its dominance in mobile computing.

Opera Mini plunged from 18.9 … Read more

Foursquare turns on Radar for iOS 5 users

Foursquare has launched a new feature, called Radar, that helps iOS 5 users find out what's going on around them.

To get the feature to work, users can start following lists. Based on the focus of a respective list--Foursquare gave "101 Best Dishes of 2011" as an example--the application will find locations or establishments nearby that might relate to it and alert users. The service also lets users know when and where a group of friends might be meeting up nearby.

"The app doesn't even have to be open, it just works," Foursquare wrote in a blog post … Read more

How the CTIA show can help developers (Inside Apps)

Savvy app developers looking to connect with the major players in the wireless industry can find their networking needs met at the CTIA Enterprise and Application show.

The wireless confab, which officially kicks off today, will offer small developers access to the major carriers, handset manufacturers, and large businesses looking to delve more into the mobile world.

"For developers, it's all about the opportunities," said Rob Mesirow, vice president and show director for CTIA.

CTIA was actually ahead of its time in its focus on apps. The show was previously called Wireless Apps before it was changed … Read more

Q&A: MacFixIt Answers

MacFixIt Answers is a feature in which we answer questions e-mailed in by our readers. This week readers wrote in with questions on restoring a missing Mail application in OS X, photos in iPhoto not uploading to Facebook, fixing a non-booting iMac without the installation DVD, and movie files requiring QuickTime 7 to run. We continually answer e-mail questions, and though we present a few answers here, we welcome alternative approaches and views from readers and encourage you to post your suggestions in the comments.

Question: Restoring a missing Mail application on OS X MacFixIt reader "Randel" asks:… Read more