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Batch rename multiple files

Often you might find you have a folder containing hundreds of files, and you want to rename them all, for example to create a numbered list. In the Finder this would take ages, but luckily you can use Automator to make the process more efficient.

Simple open up Automator and add the following actions into the workflow. First add “Get Specified Finder Items” followed by “Sort Finder Items” followed by “Rename Finder Items”. Your workflow should look something like the screenshot below. When you add the “Rename Finder Items” action, you will be asked if you want to create a copy of the files. Generally you won’t want to do this, so choose “Don’t Copy”.

What the workflow does is pretty straightforward. When you click Run in the top right, it gets the files you have added to the list in the first action. You can add the files by clicking the Add button below the list before you run the workflow. The second action then sorts the files by name, size, kind, or whatever you specify. The final action takes this list of files and modifies their file names.

There are a huge amount of options in the “Rename Finder Items” action. The first drop-down menu allows you to choose between adding a date or time, adding text, changing uppercase/lowercase, making a sequential list or performing a find and replace for a string of text.

The second action, “Sort Finder Items” is really optional and only makes a difference if you have the renaming action set to “Make Sequential”. This takes the list in the order it’s given and places sequential numbers before or after the file names depending on the files position in the list.

Also, there are a couple of alternatives to the first action. One option is to use “Get Selected Finder Items” instead, which will perform the renaming on whatever the current selection is in the Finder. Another is “Ask for Finder Items”, which will open up a dialog prompting you to choose the files each time you run the workflow. This is a good choice if you want to regularly perform the same renaming on different batches of files. You can then save the workflow as an application (File, Save As… and then choose Application from the File Format menu) that simply runs the workflow when you open it, instead of bring up Automator.

Via | Mac OS X Tips

Quad-Core and Eight-Core Mac Pros (2009 editions)

Although you do not know by looking at the new round of Apple’s Mac Pro has just received a major overhaul. The two models of a new tower with processor and video system and an overhaul of interior design feature. However, they have clock speeds lower than their predecessors. Last year, the standard Mac Pro

introduced a 2.8GHz eight processors based on Intel Xeon Harpertown / Penryn architecture. This year, there are two models: a quad-core Xeon processor with a 2.66GHz Nehalem and a basic model of eight running on two quad-core Xeon 2.26GHz. In addition, the new Mac Pro is 120 Nvidia GeForce GT graphics cards and a renovated interior, designed to facilitate access for users to update the internal components.
Similar, but different

Apart from the second optical drive slot on the front, the Mac Pro uses the same great handling, aluminum as a Power Mac G5, it introduced nearly five years. There are some minor changes to the outside, but especially on the type and number of connections. First, two FireWire 400 connectors for previous generations have been replaced backward compatible with FireWire 800 ports, bringing the number of FireWire ports, from four to two in front and two rear. The five USB 2.0 ports, two front and three at the back remain. On the graphics card, one of two dual-link DVI connectors on the rear of the system has been replaced by a Mini DisplayPort connector, which allows you to connect to one of the 24-inch Apple LED Cinema Display
or, with adapter (not included), a second DVI display. More »

Tags: Mac Pro Eight-Core, Mac Pros Quad-Core

Is the Mac mini overpriced?

Since its updated Mac mini Apple online a week ago, I found myself being very lively discussion with friends, colleagues and others on the price of the mini.

As you know, the latest in Apple mini 2GHz Core 2 Duo with 3 MB of memory chip shared L2 cache. It also gives Nvidia GeForce 9400 integrated graphics, which replaces the limit Intel GMA 950 graphics in earlier models. A model with 1 GB of RAM and a 120GB hard drive, sells for $ 599, while the other, with double the memory and hard drive 320 GB costs $ 799. You notice that the same price of the old mini-configurations.

Yet some of the people to whom I spoke believe that Apple should have the opportunity to really put the Dell and other makers by reducing the price of the mini. With the economy the way it is, they say, Apple could make a breakthrough in low-end PC market.

On the surface argument of common sense. But I think some problems are inherent in this strategy. More »

Tags: Mac Mini, Mac mini overpriced?

Tweets on the desktop with GeekTool

As reported on TUAW yesterday, a reader named Ben G light of my recent art show iCal events and to-dos on the desk and took a step further. Inspired by iCalBuddy, wrote a command line utility called twitterbuddy rather than watch the last tweets of people behind you. How is it on your computer is more or less the same process as iCalBuddy.

Once you have downloaded twitterbuddy, double-click the file to install install.command. To test its operation, will open a new Terminal window and type twitterbuddy -h. This should provide the following options:

As you can see, typing twitterbuddy -u yourusername -p yourpassword -n 5 -t Tweets will display the last 5 tweets you have received, with the title “Tweets”. After perfecting your settings in Terminal, adding the command to GeekTool is easy. As with iCalBuddy, the only subtlety is that you have to use the full path, as shown below: More »

Tags: GeekTool

14 Tips for Safari 4 Beta

Apple has released a new beta version of Safari, yesterday, bringing a lot of new features and a couple of problems. Here are some tips to help you make the most of the new version and to resolve any problems you have in May

1. Download the beta version of Safari 4

As this is only a beta version, Apple did not include it in the automatic update software. To obtain the new version, head to the Safari 4 beta from the Apple page on the site. Please note that to get rid of Safari 3, but there is no uninstaller included if you wish.

2. Update your plug-ins

While most plug-ins for Safari needs to be well with the new version is likely to be updated InputManagers. 1Password has released an update, but we must go to the 1Password application in the Applications folder to access. Go to the Preferences section and updates, check the box that says Include Beta versions. Now when you check for updates to download a version that works with Safari 4. Saft GLIMS and updates are now available on their sites, but I know PithHelmet SafariStand and have not yet been updated. More »

Tags: Safari 4 Beta