Some people love their Macs, but actually love them more when they don’t have to type in an Admin password every time they install new software or run certain programs. The Mac OS DOES allow you to have a blank password in which you don’t have to type anything, or when necessary, just the option+space keys. When it comes to the Terminal and Applescripts (those that require an Admin password), this is a no-no. Apple, in it’s infinite, and mysterious wisdom, chose to leave those with blank admin passwords in the dark.

So if you’re trying to use a script like Trash It! or one of the other system level scripts, and you have a blank admin password, there is a workaround: Go into your System Preferences, Accounts, highlight your name, and use the change password button. Use the script you need to, like Trash It!, go back into your Accounts, and revert back to your blank password.

Keep in mind this is not a limitation of the scripts, but part of the wonder of Applescripts. I’m not sure if this applies to Applescript Studio apps (as I don’t use it), but it is true of Applescript and even the utility application, Terminal. If and when there becomes a change in this status, I’ll be sure to post an update here.

As a side note, I can’t recommend enough that you if you’re connected to the Internet, whether by broadband or Dixie cups, you are leaving yourself horribly open to attack, viruses (yeah, I know, the few out there), and mail bots. If you still insist on having a blank password, Vaya Con Dios!

Some of the scripts we have here require the 24U scripting addition in order to work. If you decide you no longer want or need one of the scripts offered and want to get rid of the 24U OSAX, simply go to the following directory:

Home / Library / ScriptingAdditions

Find the 24U Appearance OSAX and move it to the trash. That’s it! You can also check the scripting additions folder in:

Macintosh HD / Library / ScriptingAdditions

If you find a copy of the OSAX in there, simply delete it. You may need an admin password to remove it. Couldn’t be simpler.

OS X 10.5 has plenty of things to love that are flying under the radar. Here are Macworld’s 10 favorite low-profile features.
read article

As stated previously, you can learn more from Cache Out X’s new developer from this post.

read more | digg story

It turns out that the 24U Scripting Addition included with Mount Me! was version 3.01, not 3.1, which in turn would not except the embedded freeware license code. A new archive has been uploaded in Downloads, so if you are experiencing any problems, please and install this minor update. Any problems, let us know. Thanks.

Google’s new Street View button, now available at Google Maps and in limited cities so far, is without a doubt really quite astonishing. They’ve promised more cities to come and I personally can’t wait. Check it out at Google Maps, click the Street View button, and choose one of the covered areas. Some folks, though, are worried about privacy issues, and rightly so. Where do you stand?Read the NYT article…As a postscript, Apple’s iPhone uses the Google Maps API, so it’ll be interesting to see if this functionality ever makes it into their new phone.

In the June 2007 issue of Mac | Life, Cache Out X (COX) received an honorable mention as a ‘shareware pick’ for getting rid of caches, cleaning up hidden files, and more. Though COX is donationware, it’s free to use, free to keep, and well, just plain free. Though if you’d like to make a donation (always welcome!) to its current parent, Jim Mitchell, author of the astounding YASU, you’ll receive lots of good karma and help reduce global warming! Ok, it won’t reduce global warming, but the good karma is true. At least that’s the general consensus of many scientists across the globe. Wait, that’s global warming again! Sorry!Now if you’re wondering why NoName Scriptware is hyping COX, some may remember that it began and germinated here before Jim Mitchell kindly adopted my lonely baby, added cool stuff, great features, stability, tested and made available three versions for the last three releases of OS X (download here!), and is quite honestly a very nice guy, family man, friend, and father. Below you can see a portion of that Mac | Life column in case you didn’t get your June 2007 issue yet!

Click to see the entire MacLife column.