It is very helpful to be able to compare different code files to see their changes, specially when working in a team. Adobe Dreamweaver is my main choice when developing since I like the color highlighting theme, it has an FTP client included and a simple check-in/check-out functionality that doesn’t need to be set up like SVN and works in cheap shared hostings that don’t support any version control.

To compare files in Macintosh there are several applications and the best, lighter and faster to load is DiffMerge (works great in my old white Macbook), it is also free and open source so more than welcome. This is how you set it up in Dreamweaver so that you can compare files easily by right-clicking the file and selecting Compare with Remote Server:

Also when uploading a file Dreamweaver may warn you that the file in the server has been modified and you may overwrite someone else’s changes:

And also in the Synchronize files list:

It becomes really useful to see what has changed, once you click the Compare button this is how DiffMerge looks like:

Looks good, huh? Let’s get to work then!

Setting up DiffMerge with Dreamweaver

First thing to do is to download DiffMerge from the official site and install it, no need to open it.

Dreamweaver needs a shell command to open DiffMerge with both files. We will install a small script (10 lines of code) into the /usr/bin folder. To do this you first need to be able to view all hidden files:

defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles YES
killall Finder

Open Finder, go to Utilities and open Terminal. Paste the code above. Finder will restart and all your Finder open windows will close. If the code above doesn’t work then change YES to TRUE and try again.

Now go to Macintosh HD or your main drive and go to usr/bin:

Download this file and rename it as diffmerge.sh

Move diffmerge.sh to the /usr/bin folder, you will probably need to enter your Administrator password since that is a system folder.

Now go to Dreamweaver, open Preferences and go to the File Compare section. In there, paste this text:

Macintosh HD:usr:bin:diffmerge.sh

Yes, it’s got : instead of / but it’s how it works.

Save the settings by clicking OK at the bottom.

You are done! Now you can compare files and see what has changed, great to keep track of your peer changes and even some changes you made months ago and can’t remember.

You can hide the hidden files again by going to Terminal and typing:

defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles NO
killall Finder

Nice! You made it until the end of the post. Here’s an extra gift for you, a very useful tool to disable or customize the annoying startup sound in all Mac OSX, it is called Startup Sound and it installs in the System Preferences so it gets completely integrated with your system. It’s free too, download here.

I mostly use the iPad for reading email, news and blogs although I am still perplexed at how few apps there are for actually doing some work. Well, to be honest, there are many apps to do some work. But I believe in platform-agnostic web-apps or SAAS to be the future of our world and the amount, variety and features of current web apps for web development is still quite scarce.

One of the big gaps that I found was regarding code editors. The lack of fast symbol typing in the keyboard is very frustrating and slow (you need to use iOS’s default keyboard and type 3 keys just to get a “<” sign, plus another one to get back). This is why I came up with a proof of concept on additional keyboard rows with extra keys for touch screen devices and added all symbols frequently used for coding and programming so you don’t need to keep switching from one keyboard set to another. It has been optimised for the iPad in portrait mode although with some responsive CSS queries and device detection it can be adapted anywhere.

The code itself is basic HTML, CSS and a bit of JavaScript and jQuery. I’ve kept it simple to aid scalability and customisation. This is how it looks:

Demo and download

Click the following link to open the Code Editor. To test it properly you will need an iPad in portrait mode.

iPad web-based code editor with extra symbols keyboard

License

Public Domain, keeping the Internet open. You can use it commercially and distribute it as much as you want without being forced to credit the author.

Changelog

If you have developed it further send me an email and I will include it in the next release and you in the Credits.

8 February 2012 (v1.0)

• First release

If you haven’t seen my iPad HTML/CSS template you must see it now.

iPad/iPhone template made in pure HTML and CSS (no JavaScript needed) that works perfectly on any modern browser (iPad (including iPad 3), iPhone, tablets, mobiles, laptops, etc.). The template uses responsive queries to hide the sidebar in iPad portrait mode and in the iPhone and smaller screens (you can disable that easily if you want to).

Here’s how it looks in the iPhone (click image to view full size):

This template is the perfect start for any front-end or back-end developer to build complex web apps without spending time on developing the main structure. Or even to create a mobile version of your current site.

The code has been developed so that there is no “divitis”, completely optimized, semantically correct and minimal HTML code. There are no images or animations at all, everything has been coded using some of the latest CSS3 available features and tested it in most modern browsers. Ready for you to download and start developing. These are some of the template’s features:

Features

App-ready

You can install this template as a normal App Store app, removing the Safari top navigation bar and enjoying the full screen.

Responsive Web Design

Hides the sidebar in iPhone, mobiles and iPad portrait mode. Adapts nicely to the full screen.

No images

The whole template has been built without requiring any images which means less server queries and increased bandwidth savings.

Heading styles

Two different heading styles: the main black one and the smaller blueish.

Anchor texts (links)

The whole clickable area is active so that even fat fingers can click comfortably.

Scrollable

Both the sidebar and the main content can be scrolled separately in the iPad and other touch screen tablets.

Tables

Fully flexible and liquid tables that allow you to include more information while keeping the same look and feel as in any Apple app.

Forms

Fillable textboxes, password fields, select dropdowns and buttons.

Fully tested in several devices

Works great in: iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 2, Samsung Galaxy Tab (GT-P7510), Safari 5, Chrome 16 and Firefox 9.

Graceful degradation: IE9 (no rounded corners), IE8.

Not working: (none tested yet).

License

The best of it, I am releasing it under a Public Domain license. This means it is free to use as many times as you want (even for commercial projects) and you do not need to give me credits if you don’t want to. I would appreciate if you do so or if you send me a link to your creation, it will motivate me to develop it further and make me happy.

Download the template

To download the most recent version of the Xavi iPad template click the link below:

Xavi iPad template

And then go to File > Save as… The CSS has been coded in a <style> tag to keep everything in a single file.

For a better experience open the template in an iPad and test how cool Responsive Web Design is by rotating the iPad.

Comments, improvements, feedback, feature requests and bugs

If you have any comments, doubts or would like to point out a bug or a feature request you can write a comment below or tweet me at @xaviesteve in Twitter. If you code your own improvements and would like to share them with everyone let me know and I will include them in the next release. Bear in mind that the purpose of this plugin is to remain as simple as possible so drag’n'drops, special effects and lengthy scripts should be avoided.

Changelog

Version 1.0 (31 January 2012)

• Moved sidebar to the bottom of the HTML.
• Fixed content header left and right link clickable area
• Added commented <link rel="stylesheet">, <script> and favicon for faster development
• Disabled the callout shown when you touch and hold a touch target (thanks 185)
• Added -webkit-user-select: none (thanks Josiah)

Version 0.9b (27 January 2012)

• First release.

So you don’t want to waste any money in iPhone stands nor care about looks. You are looking for a stand where you can have your iPhone in portrait mode to read, listen to music and use most apps and also in landscape mode to watch movies too. You are lucky because thanks to one of the best inventions in the world… Yes! you got it right, the toilet paper roll! With just a single roll we can create a highly customized iPhone stand without too much effort or complex professional tools. It will just take you 60 seconds to create (without counting step 1). Keep reading for step-by-step instructions.

Instructions

1. First of all, finish a toilet paper roll as you would normally do (no image will be provided for this step).

2. Now get the roll and some scissors and cut it along the dashed line like in the following image:

3. You are done!

If you would like your cheapest iPhone stand to also be able to charge the iPhone… What?! Srsly? Yea! the cheapest iPhone stand can also charge your iPhone while it’s on it. Just cut an extra whole in the back like in the following image and put your cable in:

So that’s how you get a free iPhone stand. In fact, this stand will work for any phone so Androids are also welcome. Furthermore, I guess you could use a kitchen paper roll to create the cheapest iPad stand too.

Did you like this DIY tutorial? Share and tweet it to your friends and Apple fans!

These iPhone apps are must-haves

The most important apps in my iPhone.

Reeder

By far the most used app in my iPhone. Reeder is an RSS feed reader that gathers all your feeds from your favourite websites (blogs, newspapers, comics, etc.) and displays them all in a nice ordered list ready for you to read one after another. But that’s not all, its offline caching ability allows you to download up to 5000 new articles/posts in just 10 seconds and then read them anywhere (tube, airplane, pub or even bathroom) without needing an Internet connection or 3G. Since I’ve got this app I no longer get the free newspaper every morning as I can read tons of online newspapers in my iPhone and I get to read news that happened a few minutes ago. I prefer how MobileRSS Pro works but it is incredibly buggy and Reeder synchronises incredibly well with Google Reader.

Rating: 9/10. Use it 3 times a day. £1.79

RememberTheMilk

The best Get Things Done app ever. RememberTheMilk is my favourite To-Do list. Since I started using this app I have improved my personal and professional organisation a lot. The simplicity of the app is something I still find surprising. You open the app, tap, enter a task and a time such as “meeting w john 8:55” and RTM will remind you on the task at 8:55 (if today is later than 8:55 then it adds it for tomorrow). There are many date shortcuts such as “next tue” or “august” and also features such as priority, repetition, lists, tags, location or sharing. Another nice touch and well done feature is the reminder notification, you can fully customise it to your liking with the perfect sound and timing. The web interface is also great and full of features in a beautiful and simple interface which allows you to either use it for a couple features or utilize its maximum power. Wunderlist is very nice but not as featured as RTM.

Rating: 10/10. Use it 2-5 times a day. Free or £15/year

You should get an iPhone just for this

Anyone without a smartphone should get one immediately just because of these ones.

Skype

Free national and international calls to smartphones and computers at anytime. That is something really amazing. Just for that, people should invest in a smartphone and recycle their old mobile phone. For the chat I stay with Imo app as I find the Skype chat pretty slow and bloated.

Rating: 8/10.Use it twice a month. Free

Imo instant messenger

Imo is a free online chat with support for Facebook, Skype, Gmail and many more. I discovered this app a few weeks ago and now I can be online on more than 7 different chat services and always available to speak to anyone. This is a feature I was missing in my phone but didn’t care too much until I actually had it in my hands and saw the main advantages of the “new mobile texting”. Some people love WhatsApp (Blackberry users mainly) but I find it annoying and heavy to use. Plus you need all your friends to have a Blackberry or a smartphone to contact them while with Imo you can speak to anyone online in their computer or smartphone. The notification system at Imo is pretty sweet and unobtrusive too.

Rating: 8/10.Use it once a day. Free

Very nice apps I’m glad someone invented

Non-essential apps that you could live without although having them available makes a difference in your life.

RunKeeper

Tracks your speed and location by GPS and provides you with statistics and maps. As RememberTheMilk made me a more organised person, RunKeeper makes me healthier. Since I go running with it every week I know how much I run, my average speed, time and route and I can compare it with previous runs to monitor my physical improvements in stamina and speed. You can also use it while driving and it is quite interesting to see the fastest routes around the city and how well/safe you drive.

Rating: 7/10.Use it once/twice a week. Free or £12.50/year

Dropbox

Synchronises a super folder between computers and smartphones so you can access your files anytime/anywhere without the need of USB sticks or emails. I found it to be the best way to move photos from my iPhone to the computer in big bunches as iPhoto from Apple is slow and tedious (I still haven’t figured out how). And Dropbox is completely free (use this link to get an extra free 250MB).

Rating: 8/10.Use it once a week. Free or £6.20/month

Shazam

Tells you which song is playing from any place. You put the phone close to the speaker and hold it there for 10 seconds, wait 5 seconds more and the app tells you the name of the song, the artist, etc. Shazam is not one of the most used apps in my phone but the one I sometimes appreciate most when there is a good track playing and I don’t know the name of it.

Rating: 7/10.Use it twice a month. Free or £3.49 (unlimited)

Millionaire Tycoon

Better game than Monopoly. I payed for Monopoly and I haven’t really played it yet since I’ve spent decent hours with this addicting game, much similar to Monopoly but with more features and a richer gameplay and smarter computer AI that allows for a more complex strategy and challenging game.

Rating: 7/10. Use it once a month. Free or £0.59 (more levels)

TuneIn Radio

Radio is something I started neglecting five years ago until last week I discovered TuneIn. Every morning I use to listen to music while having a shower and getting dressed to go to work but listening to someone telling the news is something much better.

Rating: 6/10.Use it every morning. Free or £0.59 (no ads)

Life saver apps

These are apps I rarely use but occasionally I need them.

Tube Exits

While travelling by underground it tells you which carriage to board to arrive right by your platform exit allowing you to save crowds of people and time. London’s Tube gets specially crowded at peak times and this app makes my travels much better and less annoying. Easy to use and with a great interface.

Rating: 7/10.Use it twice a week. £0.59

Amazon UK

Online price comparison. Anytime I go shopping for anything except groceries I check the prices online from the best and biggest online market. Yesterday I purchased directly from it for the first time and it was very simple and easy.

Rating: 8/10.Use it once a month. Free

Camera+

Full-featured digital camera. I had always been using the default’s iPhone camera and edited the photos with Photoshop/Fireworks later until I finally decided to purchase Camera+ as I saw a lot of people had it and after using it for a while I must say that it has been a great decision. The app is very powerful and can 80% of the times do what I would do in a computer in terms of edition and photoshopping and it actually saves me a lot of time.

Rating: 7/10.Use it 2 times a week. £0.59

Honorable mentions

• SimpleNote: note taking with sync functionality
• ShopShop: groceries list
• 0870: free phone alternatives
• AroundMe: shops and places around you
• Tube Deluxe: Tube status updated live
• Wikihood: sights around you
• Sleep Cycle: intelligent alarm
• WordPress: update your blog through the iPhone
• TeamViewer: see your computers’ screen
• TouchMouse: use your iPhone as a trackpad
• XE Currency: currency conversions
• Light: flashlight with the iPhone
• Pro HDR: nice photos on the fly
• 360 Panorama: awesome 360 degree photos
• Justin.tv: video streaming
• WhiteNoise: relaxing noise
• SongKick: latest concerts
• SoundCloud: great music radio

There are 30 apps mentioned and they are basically the ones I use. I have more than 130 apps installed right now in the iPhone from which I may use about 60.

What are your favourite apps you can’t live without?

There are so many reasons why a WiFi Internet connection doesn’t work as expected that it is usually very difficult to fix it and it can be very frustrating. By following these 10 steps you will fix your wireless Internet connection at home with your laptop pr desktop computer. Some of them are obvious things to check and some of them are pretty effective tricks you may have not heard about, read them all and check the list from top to bottom.

1. Reset the router

Reset your router. Then  full hard reset your router.

2. Change the channel

Choose a network channel that is free or at least not too busy. Use WiFi Scanner (free, OSX) or NetStumbler (free, Windows) to see which ones are used near your home or around you.

3. Change the interface

Change your router’s Interface Type to 802.11n. This ensures you have the fastest rate and signal plus avoids many external interferences. Before doing so check that all your devices are compatible (if they are less than 3 years old they’re good to go). While you are in the router’s configuration, set it up as agressive, increasing the signal strength and focus on performance rather than savings. If your router can’t support 802.11n then buy a better router, they are not expensive and it will definitely make the difference.

4. Clear the path

Clear the path between your computer and the router. Avoiding as many objects as possible. Look carefully for metals, wall corners and mirrors. Remember that moving the router up or down (i.e. from a table to the floor) may be easier than moving a heavy drawer.

5. Change the password

Change the password of your WiFi network every 3 months and make it stronger (password and encryption) to avoid anyone from getting in and sucking your broadband.

6. Avoid interferences

A microwave may be causing interferences so try moving things around the room. It can also be your neighbour’s electrical devices so keep moving stuff until it works.

7. Check the bandwidth usage

If you are in a shared flat, check that your flatmates don’t have any P2P programs, online games, video streaming or VoIP software like Skype. If they are using them, ask them to limit it to something proportional so everyone has the same share. If it can’t be limited, ask them to do one thing at a time.

8. Look for viruses

Make sure all the computers and devices connected to the network are 100% virus free. If any device has a virus it may be constantly sending tons of data to the Internet and collapsing your network, even some mobile phones can be stressing it.

9. Check the cables

Check that the broadband cable from the router to the plug is straight and away from pipes or other electrical wires. If you can’t avoid these then try not to twist the cable and place it as straight as possible.

10. Improve your equipment

Consider one of these small investments: getting a better Internet connection, buying a better router or even buying a better antenna for it. Also check out a powerline ethernet adapter which is a cheap system that uses the electric network as an Ethernet cable and works very well. You can get them for £20-$£60, if you want to play online multiplayer games make sure you get at least 200Mbps.

Before doing anything make sure that you know what you are doing. If you don’t know what something means then search on the Internet for it and learn. If none of the above work then call your Internet provider and explain all the steps you have made so far.

Photo by Jerome

1. Mostrar las aplicaciones activas en segundo plano

Algunas aplicaciones pueden funcionar en segundo plano, es decir, mientras estás en una aplicación, otra sigue activa aunque no la veas. Esto es realmente útil para aplicaciones como Skype. Lo abres una vez y se mantiene online permitiéndote trabajar con otras aplicaciones y a la vez aparecer online en Skype y que tus contactos te puedan llamar.

Para ver la lista de aplicaciones haz doble click en el boton cuadrado (). Aparecerán debajo, puedes moverte a derecha e izquierda para ver más y si mantienes pulsada un icono durante un rato aparecerá una crucecita roja con la que podrás cerrar la aplicación definitivamente.

2. Escribir vocales con acentos, letra eÑe y más

Manteniendo el dedo presionado sobre una tecla del teclado nos mostrará acentos, eñes y otros caracteres especiales.

3. Tecla Bloquear Mayúsculas en el teclado del iPhone

Hacer doble-click en la tecla Mayúsculas (la flecha hacia arriba) y se volverá azul y podremos escribir en mayúsculas todo el rato.

4. Quitar lo de “Enviado desde mi iPhone”

Cada vez que envías un email en la firma pone “Enviado desde mi iPhone” que es pesado para los destinatarios además de impersonal y cutre. Para cambiar la firma por tu nombre ves a Ajustes > Correo, contactos, cal… y baja hasta Firma.

5. Controlar los botones de los auriculares

• Click arriba = Subir volumen
• Click abajo = Bajar volumen
• 1 click en el medio = Pausa
• 2 clicks en el medio = Pista siguiente
• 2 clicks y aguanta el último = Rebobinar hacia delante
• 3 clicks en el medio = Pista anterior
• Mantener apretado en el medio hasta oír sonido = Te dice el nombre de la canción y el artista
• Mantener apretado en el medio un rato más = Control de voz

6. Mostrar el porcentaje en números de la batería restante

Ajustes > General > Uso y activar Carga de la batería.

7. Bloquear la orientación

Cuando giras el iPhone está muy bien porque la pantalla gira y se adapta a la gravedad. Pero hay veces que no quieres que se gire, por ejemplo cuando estás estirado en el sofá. Para bloquear la orientación haced doble click sobre el botón cuadrado () para que aparezcan las tareas en segundo plano y arrastrad con el dedo hacia la izquierda para que aparezca el botón gris a la izquierda de la imagen.

8. Hacer un screenshot de la pantalla del iPhone

Para hacer una captura de pantalla (guardar en una imagen lo que se muestra en ese momento por pantalla), apretar el botón de arriba (), mantener y apretar el botón cuadrado ().

9. Copiar/pegar texto y guardar imágenes

Mantener el dedo apretando unos segundos en la pantalla sin soltarlo hasta que aparezca el botón Copiar.

Si estás encima de un texto o número de teléfono aparecerá un botón de Copiar. Así podremos copiar un número de teléfono por ejemplo.

Si estamos en un texto o mensaje podremos arrastrar las bolitas azules y seleccionar exactamente los caracteres que queremos.

Si estamos navegando por Internet y mantenemos el dedo encima de una imagen nos aparecerá un menú para poder guardar la imagen en nuestro teléfono.

Mientras escribimos, si mantenemos el dedo se puede mover el cursor a un lugar preciso para corregir la ortografía o cambiar palabras.

10. Instalar aplicaciones en el iPhone (desde el principio)

Registrarse con Apple

Para poder instalar aplicaciones necesitarás tener una cuenta de iTunes App Store. Ves a la web de Apple y registra una cuenta allí (también puedes hacerlo a través del iPhone pero es más lento ya que el formulario de registro es muy largo). Regístrate y sigue todos los pasos… (regístrate por la App Store en vez de por iTunes si no quieres introducir una tarjeta de crédito)

Instalando aplicaciones

Ahora que ya tienes cuenta, abre el iconito App Store (de color azul con una A en blanco) y empieza a descargar aplicaciones. Cuidado con las aplicaciones de pago, en dos clicks se compran y no hay vuelta atrás. Algunas aplicaciones que son obligatorias tener:

Aplicaciones gratuitas fundamentales

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Skype: llamadas y videollamadas gratis a PCs y otros móviles
• Remote: controla el iTunes de tu ordenador con el iPhone
• Viber: llamadas de alta calidad gratuitas entre iPhones
• Light: linterna gratuita
• TV3 a la carta: para ver el canal TV3 y 324 en directo desde tu iPhone
• VLC: para copiar vídeos, pelis y series a tu iPhone
• SpanishDict: traductor Español-Inglés
• Wikihood: te muestra todos los puntos de interés turístico que tienes cerca
• 20minutos.es: noticias
• LFP: información en directo sobre la Liga

Aplicaciones de pago fundamentales

• WhatsApp: envia mensajes gratis a otros iPhones, BlackBerries y Androids

11. Configurar el correo electrónico (email) en el iPhone

Si tienes GMail puedes sincronizar tu correo, calendarios y contactos siguiendo estos pasos. Si tienes Hotmail sigue estos pasos.

12. Poner música en el iPhone

Aqui lo explican paso a paso

13. Reconocimiento de voz

Apretar el botón cuadrado () durante 3 segundos hasta oír el sonidito. Existen muchas órdenes que puedes decir:

• Llamada Carlos
• Llamada Pepe trabajo
• Qué hora es
• Pista siguiente
• etc…

The image was created in 20.2 seconds and quickly rubber stamping the margins with Adobe Fireworks. I wasn’t even willing to create it, just playing around and I’m pretty sure if you spend a bit more dedication you can accomplish really neat stereographic projections. Here’s a video on someone using it:

Photo is from the Brighton Pier, United Kingdom
(by Xavi Esteve, Creative Commons Attributive Share Alike).

Configurar el iPhone para que el Internet 3G funcione con MasMovil es muy fácil. Solo necesitas descargarte el archivo de configuración (incluye todos los parámetros necesarios: APN, usernames, etc.) y tener WiFi con el iPhone. Estos son los pasos que tienes que hacer:

1. Visita esta página desde tu iPhone (conectado por WiFi) y ejecútalo directamente (salta al paso 5) o sigue los pasos 2 a 4.
2. Descarga el archivo con los parámetros de configuración a tu ordenador: MasMovil-socialmas.mobileconfig (prueba este primero, te regalan los primeros 30MB, gracias Jose!) o el normal MasMovil.mobileconfig (2,1KB)
3. Desde tu ordenador, envía el archivo como adjunto a la dirección de correo de tu iPhone
4. Conectate por WiFi con el iPhone, abre el email y ejecuta el archivo adjunto
5. Sigue los pasos (imagen de la izquierda)

Borrar configuración MasMovil

Si utilizas mas de una compañía de móvil o necesitas borrar la configuración de MasMovil puedes eliminar los parámetros de MasMovil siguiendo estos pasos:

1. Ve a Configuración > General > Perfil MasMovil
2. Haz click en Desinstalar
3. Sigue los pasos

No te gusta el multitasking que ha implementado Apple en su nueva versión del sistema operativo del iPhone? Es tu iPhone 3G muy lento con multitarea? Desactiva la multitarea siguiendo estos simples pasos sin necesidad de hacer jailbreak otra vez…

Mediante SSH navega al siguiente directorio “/System/Library/CoreServices/SpringBoard.app” y busca el archivo “N82AP.plist“. Ábrelo con el bloc de notas, busca la palabra “multitasking” y cambia el valor de <multitasking> de <true/> a <false/>. Reinicia el iPhone y ya está!

Gracias a Pony-Ony por el truco!

Desactivar multitasking en un iPhone sin jailbreak (actualización)

Stephan sugiere que también se puede desactivar la multitarea en un iPhone sin jailbreak instalando Total Commander (30 días de prueba gratis, Windows sólo). Descarga el plugin T-PoT y navega a través de tu dispositivo Apple hasta encontrar el archivo “N82AP.plist” que seguramente estará en “private/var/mobile/n82ap“. Abre el archivo y cambia el valor de multitasking de <true/> a <false/>. Guarda el archivo y reinicia tu iPhone.