Grammerjack

I frequently switch between Mac and Linux, and it's been troublesome to remember to type Command-whatever on the Mac, but Control-whatever on Linux. (For copy-and paste, for example.) I did a quick web search and found out that it's easy to make Ubuntu Linux recognize the Command keys as an extra set of control keys : Choose menu: System : Preferences : Keyboard Select the Layouts tab Choose "Layout Options" Open the "Alt / Win Key Behaviour" tab Check the "Control is mapped to the Win-keys" checkbox.

I just bought a Logitech diNovo Edge Mac Edition keyboard for my Mac Mini HTPC. I bought the diNovo instead of the Apple Bluetooth keyboard because: Built-in trackpad. Built in volume control slider. Dedicated media transport controls. Nifty dock / recharger stand. It's my first Bluetooth device. So far I think Bluetooth works a lot better than IR, because you don't have to point it at an IR receiver. The diNovo does have some flaws: No key backlighting, which makes it hard to use in the dark. The mouse buttons below the trackpad are mushy and hinged at the outer edges, making them hard to press. (Happily tapping works and there is a separete left-mouse-button on the left edge of the keyboard. So for typical Mac usage you don't need to use the mushy buttons.) A skim of the Logitech support forums indicates that the function keys are not as programmable as some people wish. I don't use function keys that much so this hasn't been an issue for me yet. My TV is a 40...

The Xbox Media Center (XBMC) is a nifty open-source application for watching videos. It was originally designed for use on modified Xbox video game consoles, but has more recently become popular for Intel-based Home Theater Personal Computers. It has been ported to Windows, Mac, and Linux. It has no PVR features, instead it concentrates on displaying streaming and downloaded videos. Its big advantage over using the Xbox 360's similar application is that it handles a much wider variety of streaming video sources and downloaded video codecs. I've been running Plex , an OSX-specific version of the Xbox Media Center, on my Mac Mini for several months now. Overall it's a good product, but I had some issues for my application. I wanted Plex to serve as a consumer electronic device that my mother-in-law (who doesn't use computers and can't read English) could use by herself to watch videos. The system I put together didn't work very well for her. The problems we ran in...