Apple’s Remote Desktop software is secretly bundled for free with every Mac!

I’d always used Apple’s built-in VNC server for remote system administration via Chicken of the VNC, but today I learned there is a better option based on what Apple includes with their “sold separately” Remote Desktop software. Ironically, it’s essentially the same product (including Clipboard sharing and Image scaling) … just less bloated and hidden for free deep inside most Macintosh computers!

Go to this folder on your computer: /System/Library/CoreServices/
(You can get there quickly by pressing Command+Shift+G in the Finder and pasting that string in as the folder)

In that folder, you’ll see an app called “Screen Sharing” … create a shortcut in your Applications folder by holding Command+Option and dragging it there. Do not move the actual file, make sure you hold those keys down and it will “link” it as a duplicate alias.

This App works just like Remote Desktop, and can even save passwords in your system’s Keychain. Just enter a hostname and remember to enable “Screen Sharing” on the destination machine before starting!

I’m not sure why Apple didn’t just put this in the Utilities folder? Enjoy!

Things that have made my life easier lately.

Mandatory post. Keeping you “posted”.

• Zipcar (Use this link for $50 in free driving-credit)
  Having owned two or more cars at a time for the past few years (since I can’t drive my Volkswagen R32 in the winter due to all of the modified components on the motor) … Zipcar has been true blessing. Rent cars for as little as $7/per-hour via a toll-free number, text message, their website, or their iPhone application. It’s awesome. That price even includes free gas, insurance, and 180-miles of driving! So, as long as you don’t have a bad driving record, you can join instantly and save a fortune if you don’t need a car for a daily commute.
• Mozy
  Backup your entire computer for as little as $4.95/month. Enough said.
• Hulu
  Okay, so most people know about Hulu and how you can watch TV shows for free the day after they’ve aired with “limited commercial interruption” … well — most people don’t think about the fact that you can also get rid of your Satellite or Cable TV and just use this instead. Do it.
• BoltBus
  One downside to Zipcar is that their daily rates (with the exception of a single-day snowboarding trip, which I’ve done several times divided by four passengers… excellent plan) are often comparable to just flying to the nearby city you were considering spending the weekend. However, BoltBus to the rescue! Book at least 30-days in advance and your trip there only costs $1. Seriously. “Bolt for a Buck” is their slogan. They even have FREE Wi-Fi internet access on the bus.
• Amazon Prime
  Imagine getting FREE two-day shipping on anything shipped from Amazon’s warehouse. It’s not “quite” free… it’s like $79/year for the service or something. However, living in the city and relying on Zipcar reservations to pick stuff up, sometimes it’s just easier to have it arrive in two-days than go to a specific store. Also, almost everything is cheaper on Amazon… sometimes significantly cheaper. Pharmaceutical items (such as soap, shampoo, etc.) are often sold in 3-packs for the price you’d pay at the store. Never again will I shop in a store for anything except food! (…Unless it’s a really good deal, or I need it that day… or Amazon doesn’t sell it.)

Also, here are some geeky things that have helped me out lately:

• Revision3
  Sometimes there’s nothing on Hulu I feel like watching… so if you feel like educating yourself in something nerdy… here you go. Free online television reminiscent of the TechTV days.
• Feedly
  Feedly is downloadable script that runs in your browser (such as Safari or Firefox) presenting a daily “magazine-like start page” based on your Twitter streams and Google Reader feeds. If you don’t know what either of those things are… then maybe this isn’t for you… but it’s pretty cool if you do use those things already!
• Tumblr
  Since moving my blog from Wordpress to Tumblr this morning, I’ve been able to remove yet another website I need to manage… my own. Now Tumblr does everything for me and I can post stuff really easily. I can even redesign it myself through a single template… reminiscent of the old Blogger days. (which is removing FTP support shortly)
• The Rackspace Cloud
  Cloud Services have become mainstream, and I’ve been able to eliminate a ton of servers from my company and daily operations as well at great savings to myself. Rackspace provides both virtual servers at just a few dollars per-month, and load-balanced website hosting for everyone from the casual blogger to the small startup. I host ilikebsides there, as well as everything else I run except Mobile17… which is hosted at regular Rackspace because it requires networked dedicated servers and a considerable amount of storage. The Rackspace Cloud is perfect for everything else!
• Timesvr
  If you find yourself doing boring repeat tasks all of the time… Timesvr might be a great way to outsource some of those. I particularly like it for repeat tasks that can be done once per-day by just about anyone. Try it for a month and see if you really save time! (Just FYI… if the task involves any thinking, don’t bother. It’s mostly for manual labor.)
• Coda for Mac OS X
  Dreamweaver for Mac is extremely unstable… or at least it was the last time I used it. I highly recommend Coda for streamlined web-development as long as you’re comfortable writing code for everything. There is no visual design feature in Coda, but it keeps the program lightweight, stable, and quick. Love it!
• CrossOver Gaming for Mac
  Almost all of the games I used to play when I had Bootcamp installed on my Mac (to also boot into Windows XP for the sake of updating my BlackBerry or playing a quick episode of Half-Life 2) were run through Steam. Luckily, Steam is able to run in CrossOver Gaming… so now I don’t even need Bootcamp on my Mac. Sorry Microsoft. :)

Enjoy!

Mac Mini *COMPLETE* Technical Disassembly Documentation (PDF)

Another friend, after seeing my site, slipped me this PDF. It has the *COMPLETE* disassembly of the Mac Mini… including all required tools, high-quality images… everything you could possibly need.

Download File
See also: my previous post with a video on how to open the case safely.

I am not responsible for any damage to your Mac Mini. This is purely for instruction ONLY. Apple states that as long as you do not BREAK your Mac Mini while working on the inside, it is still covered under warranty. A quote from this article, which compares the Mac Mini to a cheap Dell PC… a very interesting read.

Again, I’m not sure about the legality for me to post this… but until I hear otherwise it will remain. This, and the movie, are official Apple productions (as far as I know) and are the best references available. I would not trust anything else when messing with my Mac Mini.

My other Mac Mini related posts:
- taking-apart the mac mini (how-to disassembly video)
- Mac Mini vs. Airport Extreme/Express?

Taking-apart the Mac Mini! (how-to disassembly video)

Somebody leaked me this video… it demonstrates how to crack-open the mac mini’s casing, which makes all parts available to the user via further disassembly screws. I’m not sure if it’s legal for me to post this or not, but here it is! (until I hear differently, this will remain available here.)

Download the movie… (requires Quicktime to view. it’s free….)
see also: My newer post with a complete PDF of how to take the entire Mac Mini apart… with high-res photos and a list of required tools! niiiceee!!

I am not responsible for any damage to your Mac Mini. This is purely for instruction ONLY.

AppleInsider has additional information on the Mac Mini’s hardware here. This is key if you’re planning on purchasing upgrades.

Apple states that as long as you do not BREAK your Mac Mini while working on the inside, it is still covered under warranty. A quote from this article, which compares the Mac Mini to a cheap Dell PC… a very interesting read.

Update: Welcome Fellow Slashdotters! Here’s another article I wrote on the Mac Mini… entitled: ‘Mac Mini vs. Airport Extreme/Express?‘… “With Apple’s recent release of the Mac Mini for just $499, the following question arises in my mind: Why buy an Airport Extreme ($199) or Airport Express base station ($129) when the Mac Mini can do so much more? Price aside, the Mac Mini soars past the capabilties of the others.” Check it out for sure. -smash