Thoughtful, detailed coverage of the Mac, iPhone, and iPad, plus the best-selling Take Control ebooks.

 

 

Pick an apple! 
Become a TidBITS member!
 

 

TidBITS Watchlist
 
Option-click to Hide Apps Quickly

This trick has been available in the Mac OS for years, but many people still don't know it. If you have too many windows cluttering up your screen, you can hide specific ones easily as you work. When you're in any application, hold down the Option key and click on another app's window, on the Dock, or in the Finder to switch to that other app and simultaneously hide all the windows in the previously current app.

Share your own tip! | Search TipBITS

 

 

Related Articles

 

 

Published in TidBITS 1007.
Subscribe to our weekly email edition.

 

 
Networking | 09 Dec 2009 | Listen  | Print Printer-Friendly Version of This Article

Google Chrome for Mac Beta Released

by Doug McLean Send Email to Author

Send Article to a Friend

Google has finally released a beta Mac OS X version of its WebKit-based Internet browser, Google Chrome. Chrome is notable for launching each tab as a separate process, which isolates security breaches, reduces waits from JavaScript hangups, and, in the event of a crash, takes down only that process instead of all open pages in a browser.

To better understand how Chrome differs from other browsers, consider taking a gander at artist Scott McCloud's comic which explains the browser's technical ins-and-outs in everyday language. (To learn more about the comic itself see "Google Explains Its Forthcoming Web Browser with Comics," 1 September 2008).

Since Chrome was first announced, Apple and the Mozilla Foundation have both released significant improvements to the JavaScript engines that power Safari and Firefox. The speed of JavaScript was lauded at Chrome's launch, because faster JavaScript means smoother interactions with Web-based applications that rely on huge libraries of code that run in the browser.

In the press notes for its browser's launch, Google notes the Chrome development process comprised "73,804 lines of Mac-specific code written; 29 developer builds; 1,177 Mac-specific bugs fixed; 12 external committers and bug editors to the Google Chrome for Mac code base; 48 external code contributors; 64 Mac minis doing continuous builds and tests; 8,760 cups of soft drinks and coffee consumed; and 4,380 frosted mini-wheats eaten." Thank goodness for sugar and caffeine!

Google Chrome for Mac Beta is free and requires Mac OS X 10.5 on an Intel-based Mac. It's available as a 17.6 MB download.

 

CrashPlan is easy, secure backup that works everywhere. Back up
to your own drives, computers, and online with unlimited storage.
With unlimited online backup, this is one resolution you can keep.
Save 10% and back up your life today! <http://tid.bl.it/cptidbits>