Didn't see this one on the list - while Command+Tabbing, if you hold down Option while letting go of Command at the end, you'll open a new window in the specified application if it currently doesn't have any open.<p>It might sound confusing, but it's quite useful if you've closed all the windows of a given app but still have it running.
I was just playing around with option+menu bar items and discovered that notifications can be disabled by option-clicking the notification center icon on the far right in Mountain Lion.<p>Then if you click to open notification center there is text which says that notifications will turn back on tomorrow and a toggle to turn them back on now
Here are the comments from the last time this appeared on HN a few years ago: <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2436198" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2436198</a>
Not a hidden feature - but what confuses some of my family members is that if they install an app in OS X, they click on a downloaded dmg (or it auto-opens), and they get this Finder window opening, without "Applications" visible.<p>Initially they just ran the application like this, as if it was installed.<p>However, I've explained that it needs to be moved to "Applications". This is difficult, seeing that if one clicks on Finder again, it doesn't bring up a new window.<p>I tell them to do File->New Finder Window, but I wish there was a more elegant solution to this.
Here's a good time killer (I think I got all of the domains in there):<p><a href="https://encrypted.google.com/search?q=hidden%20features%20of%20%28site%3Astackexchange.com%20||%20site%3Astackoverflow.com%20||%20site%3Asuperuser.com%20||%20site%3Aaskubuntu.com%20||%20site%3Aserverfault.com%29" rel="nofollow">https://encrypted.google.com/search?q=hidden%20features%20of...</a>
If you have an external display hooked up to a MacBook, using the Macbook keyboard’s brightness keys will change the laptop display. The external keyboard will change the external display (if attached). Ctrl + brightness key inverts the behavior for both external and internal.<p><a href="http://finerthings.in/mac/tips-for-changing-brightness-on-macbook-external-displays/" rel="nofollow">http://finerthings.in/mac/tips-for-changing-brightness-on-ma...</a>
I recommend looking at BetterTouchTool <a href="http://www.bettertouchtool.net" rel="nofollow">http://www.bettertouchtool.net</a> (free) and Alfred <a href="http://www.alfredapp.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.alfredapp.com</a> (free without the Powerpack). I start all programs with Alfred and use BTT taps/movements on my trackpad to arrange/resize windows. I used to fire up applications with spotlight but alfred feels much quicker + I can create lots of custom web search queries which I use all the time.<p>Loving this thread and the one from around two and a half years ago. I'm probably missing out on a few things as I'm still running 10.6.8.
when you pipe something to pbcopy, it doesn't strip any trailing newline:<p><pre><code> echo hi | pbcopy
</code></pre>
pasting this would get you hi<cr>. so if you want to put the output of a command in the clipboard, you can do something like (where `find .` is your command):<p><pre><code> echo -n $(find .) | pbcopy
</code></pre>
that will take advantage of the fact that subshells discard a trailing newline (at least in bash, zsh. probably others..)
Neat. I didn't know Apple still did this. Mac OS 7 and 8 hat <i>tons</i> of useful hidden features and modifiers. Having a keyboard key modify basic actions is such a benevolent way to increase productivity for power users without harming newbies. It's also fairly easy to add.<p>I don't understand why Linux desktops apps don't do this more often. Or maybe they do and I just don't know where to look.
Sometimes Stackexchange sites will close a thread, because it's "not a question". Sometime's they won't. Nitpicking, but this is not a question. (Still great answers, though.)
Select-all, cmd-c copy (in a document or terminal)<p>Select a word or symbol of interest, and cmd-e to get it in the find buffer.<p>$ pbpaste | fgrep -i `pbpaste -pboard find`<p>I have this aliased to pbg, so will typically pipe the output to awk or some such.
My favorite has to be ⌘+Space. It brings up Spotlight Search. I use it instead of the Dock to launch applications. It quickly adapts to your preferences. For instance, after a few tries, it will learn that you want Digital Color Meter when you type 'dig'. So, you just type "⌘+Space dig Return", and the app starts.<p>It's also useful to look up words quickly in Dictionary and to evaluate simple arithmetic expressions.<p>That's all in addition to its normal use: searching your machine
Again, not really a hidden feature but one I was very happy to find: moving files via Finder using Cmd-C to 'cut' and Cmd+Opt-V to 'paste'. (I come from a Windows background and cutting and pasting using the keyboard is deep in my DNA).
Personally, I'm not a big fan of how Apple likes to hide useful features all over the place in OS X hidden behind completely non-discoverable modifier key + mouse click options or double modifier key + another key.
Installing a OS free of patent-lawsuits and bad digital karma on your otherwise good hardware:<p><a href="http://blog.kylebarlow.com/2013/05/installing-ubuntu-1304-raring-ringtail.html" rel="nofollow">http://blog.kylebarlow.com/2013/05/installing-ubuntu-1304-ra...</a>