Open Files with Finder's App Switcher
Say you're in the Finder looking at a file and you want to open it with an application that's already running but which doesn't own that particular document. How? Switch to that app and choose File > Open? Too many steps. Choose Open With from the file's contextual menu? Takes too long, and the app might not be listed. Drag the file to the Dock and drop it onto the app's icon? The icon might be hard to find; worse, you might miss.
In Leopard there's a new solution: use the Command-Tab switcher. Yes, the Command-Tab switcher accepts drag-and-drop! The gesture required is a bit tricky. Start dragging the file in the Finder: move the file, but don't let up on the mouse button. With your other hand, press Command-Tab to summon the switcher, and don't let up on the Command key. Drag the file onto the application's icon in the switcher and let go of the mouse. (Now you can let go of the Command key too.) Extra tip: If you switch to the app beforehand, its icon in the Command-Tab switcher will be easy to find; it will be first (or second).
Written by
Matt Neuburg
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Apple Launches iPhone Developer Forums
Apple has opened up the Apple Developer Forums for talking about iPhone software development. The free forums, currently in beta testing, are available to anyone signed up for iPhone development via its three programs: standard, enterprise, and university. Standard developers pay a $99 fee, which includes the right to submit software for release through the App Store, while businesses pay $299 for the right to develop software that's distributed within a company. Those signed up just to access the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK), which requires no payment, are not allowed access.
Apple was widely criticized by programmers for keeping a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in place following the release of the iPhone 2.0 software. This NDA prevented any public discussion of development issues, restricted the distribution among companies of software code, and put a damper even on private interactions, many developers said.
The NDA was dropped informally a few weeks ago (see "Apple Allows Developers to Talk about iPhone Software," 2008-10-01) and the legal agreement was updated last week. The removal of the NDA covers only software and features that have been publicly announced and discussed, such as the current release of the iPhone operating system.
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