iTunes and LastFM

I have an account on LastFM and I would like to use it on my new laptop, especially with iTunes... In fact to create a radio for you or choose a radio, this site need some information about what you like, which music you prefer... The first step is to communicate with the LastFM server and send him some information about the music you are listening ;-) For this task a special plugin exist on the LastFM site : iScrobbler

the only problem is how to listen the music of LastFM... The solution is to use a proxy : Lastfmproxy... This proxy was written by Vidar Madsen and can be downloaded on this page : the proxy. Now you only need to unzip the file, rename the directory to lastfmproxy and copy it in ~/Library/iTunes/Scripts. Now, because you have probably an account on LastFM (if it is not the case, you have to go to the LastFM site), you have to find in the directory of lastfmproxy a configuration file named : config.py and modify it with your login and your password.

Finally I found marvellous script (they are very basic script indeed but they exist so no need to rewrite them... :-) on this site. Go to ~/Library/iTunes check if a Scripts directory exists... if none create it. Then expand the zip archive you have just downloaded and copy the content in the Scripts directory.

Now start iTunes, and run the script LastFM control. Your web browser should open to the page

http://localhost:1881/

there you can start your radio, the system will ask you if you want to open it with iTunes... It is quite forward now : enjoy LastFM on your MacBook

iTunes and the .ogg files

I am trying to make iTunes read my whole collection of music... Nevertheless my collection has some files on the mp3 format (not a problem for iTunes) some .ogg files (this is a problem but there is a solution I will tell you next) and finally some .flac files : and for the moment I have not yet found a solution to read them...

How to read .ogg files with iTunes ? Just go on the Xiph site and download the XiphQT 0.1.7 (Mac OS X, only decoders), it should be enough ;-) so now enjoy quite your entire library ;-)

AdiumX : the ultimate IM on MacBook

As a quick introduction, AdiumX is a multi-protocol, multi-user instant messaging client for OSX. You will tell me that there is already a default IM software, which is iChat... But iChat only give you the opportunity to chat with people on the AIM network... AdiumX is the best way to chat with everyone : friends on AIM, on Google Talk, MSN, ICQ, Bonjour, Jabber, QQ, Gadu Gadu... The interface is excellent a must have on a MacBook if you have some friends, other autistic person can keep using iChat ;-)

How to install Firefox with several profiles on a MacBook

First of all, for those who don't know this browser, you can have a look to this wikipedia article on Firefox. This is probably the best browser on the market and it is free ;-)

First of all you need to download Firefox.
You should have something like that on your Desktop :
then click on it :
this icon will appear and in the same time this window appears :
Then you only have to open your Macintosh HD and go to Application and paste the big Firefox logo in the Applications directory. Then click on the Firefox icon inside the Applications directory maintain the click and move it to your deskbar:
click on it and now you can use Firefox on a MacBook ;-)
What I would like to show you is a way to have several profiles on Firefox, it gives you a way to have several account on Google, to be sure that your cookies will not mix with each others (it is particularly fun to vote several times without need to remove all your cookies...)

How to have several Profiles on Firefox ?


Go in the Applications directory then in the Utilities directory and click on the Terminal's icon: then type in it :

/Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox -ProfileManager

now it is quite easy to create a new Profile and use it. Click on "Create Profile" and follow each step... Don't forget to uncross the box "Don't ask at startup". Now you can easily create several profile and play with them as different identities

How to secure my Mac : FileVault

And now let's secure my MacBook, in fact it is the best moment to secure your files... If you loose your laptop or if your laptop is stolen, how can you prevent other people to access to your files ? The solution is really easy: encrypt your files by using the Mac software: FileVault. FileVault uses the powerful AES-128 scheme to encrypt and decrypt your files on the fly... Why is it the best moment to use Filevault ? Because you have not yet a lot of informations and the AES-128 need to encrypt all your files but it is a very heavy process to encrypt files... To use FileVault , go in the "System Preferences" and click on the "Security" icon.here, it is very easy to proceed: just read the instructions and follow them... Do not forget to use a master password to retrieve your informations in the case you forget your password...
This is as easy as pie, an apple pie

My first MacBook

I have just bought a new laptop because my previous on e died in a spark... It was a PC with Linux, but I was fed up of the little penguin and the bad quality of Asus Laptop... So I decided to bought a new MacBook... Yeah, I know it is quite expensive but Apple has some good prices for student I took the following configuration:

• 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
• 1GB memory
• 120GB hard drive¹
• Double-layer SuperDrive

and now, just open the box (it is a bit like christmas in august)
push the start button and dream comes to live: the apple is alive
the first configuration is really easy, as long you can read english and you know your name... Enjoy the Apple: enjoy computer science...