There are a number of ways not to install Mac OS X on Intel hardware. Here’s one way that surely won’t work.

Don’t go to any “pirate bays” and download any file named MacOSx 10.4.3 8F1111A Patched Jas v4.2b.iso. It obviously would be of no use. To make matters worse, you could go so far as to burn and boot said file and really mess things up. If any hard drives were to not appear during the messing-up, Disk Utility wouldn’t be able to format them to Mac OS Extended (Journalled), unfortunately. Following through would simply be a complete disaster.

Wink.

Connecting a Mac to an original Xbox is a great feature for users of Xbox Media Center, as there are a number of ways to stream your content to your TV. Network shares, iTunes DAAP access, and several streaming programs can all be used to get your stuff from “here” to “there.”

With the release of the Xbox 360, though, there are no easy ways to achieve the same results. The 360 is limited to communication with a Windows Media Center powered PC — software I wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole. Luckily, NullRiver Software just released Connect360, a small $10 shareware Mac application which can eaily share iTunes and iPhoto libraries to your networked Xbox 360. This should tide us over until the 360 is truly as hackable as the original Xbox is. Thanks to Olly for the tip!

Recently, I found the (legitimate) need to pick a computer case lock on a PC tower in a situation where the hard drive resided in a hot swap bay, but the key was not included. Computer keys are most commonly found as a short, tube-shape piece with a stubby handle and a small bump to put torque on the lock. Upon initial inspection, nothing looks to be unique about case lock keys. I actually tried two “homeless” keys, but with no avail. Shortly thereafter, I noticed that there were four small cuts in the outer edge of the key tube, sliced at different heights. Comparing one key to another, I found that they were indeed different, and were quite similar to the bumps on a household key. The locks work the same way, but the pins are simply in a circular arrangement instead of linear. With every pin exposed instead of hidden deeper and deeper into the lock, it should be far easier to pick than a household lock. I just had to try.

With a pair of thin needlenose pliers clamped on to apply tension to the lock’s center tumbler, I pressed a straightened paperclip — the most invaluable computer tool ever invented — into each pin location. After a few gentle presses, the pins’ shear line aligned with the tumbler’s, and the lock turned just slightly. The first set of pins was then picked. Without removing pressure with the pliers, I moved on to the next three sets of pins, doing the same procedure to each. Upon pressing in the fourth pin, the lock tumbler turned completely, and the drive was freed. I couldn’t have been happier unless I had done it with two paperclip halves alone.

If you’re comfortable trying out new software and familiar with the command line interface in Mac OS X, you may want to try out the DarwinPorts package management system. Justin Mayer has written a great tutorial detailing how to get up and running with DarwinPorts and the latest OS X 10.4.4 update.

In the past I’ve used Fink, but following this article, I’m going to give DarwinPorts a try. With Mac OS X built on a Unix foundation, a great library of free software has become readily available for the Mac. DarwinPorts helps out by doing any necessary tweaks to ensure that it all works smoothly, as well as providing an uncomplicated setup system.