Now that we’ve explained how to setup Windows to run on OS X in its own Space by using Parallels its time we explain the quickest and easiest way to launch your Windows applications when you’re working in OS X.

Once you have Windows installed using a Parallels Virtual Machine and you’ve launched some of your Windows’ applications getting back to them from OS X is as easy as searching in Spotlight.

For example, say you’d like to open Microsoft Word 2003 to create a new document based on the news article you just read in Safari.

Instead of switching to your Windows Space and launching Word 2003 from the Start menu you can pull up Spotlight with its keyboard shortcut (command + spacebar), type in Word, select Word 2003 from the populated list and hit enter.

Your screen will automatically move to the correct Space and spotlight will open up your Windows application.

NOTE: You must have previously opened the Windows Application for Safari to have it indexed.

We’ve mentioned previously how wonderful the new Automator is and have decided that to feature a weekly workflow that may make some of your tasks easier.

The Automator Tip of the Week is Picture File Conversion.

It is amazing the number of different picture file formats for the modern computer. Many people use jpegs but at the same time tiffs are still common amongst Mac users.

Additionally, web picture formats include gif, png, and many others. But amongst all these different file formats you may find yourself in need of a way to quickly convert pictures from one format to another. Opening each picture and saving it as a different format can be very time consuming. Unless, of course, you setup an automator task to do the work for you.

Change Picture File Type With Automator

The following Automator steps will help you batch convert the file extension of your pictures. For a point of reference I’ll reference this as if you were changing png images to jpeg:

1. Find Finder Items - Do a search to select all the .png images you want to transfer to jpeg
2. Get Selected Finder Items
3. Copy Finder Items - This will make sure you keep an original copy of all your .png images should anything go wrong.
4. Change Type of Images - select the image type you’d like to change to.

Run this automator process and you’ll be set with a backup copy of your images and the new images in your desired file format. The process that use to take you forever was completed in seconds.

If you need any help with an Automator process please let us know by leaving a comment.

Now that you know how to sync your Safari bookmarks between your iPhone/iPod Touch and your Apple Computer we imagine that you’d also be interested in learning how to clear out some personal information from your iPhone.

To clear out your Cookies, History, and Cache on your iPhone or iPod Touch:

1. Select Settings
2. Select Safari
3. Scroll down and select Clear Cookies
4. Confirm the deletion of Cookies

Do the same for History and Cache. All your iPhone browsing behavior is now whipped clean and you can let your friends and family experience the Safari Mobile Browsing Experience without fear of them accessing information they shouldn’t.

- Thanks TUAW!

One of Apple’s major announcements over the past few years was their move from PowerPC processors to Intel X86 based processors. This was such a huge announcement because it essentially meant that there was very little that was keeping people from running Windows on their Apple computers.

But who really wants to buy a Mac just to run Windows on it? Very few people. On the other hand, there is a significantly large number of people that want to run a Windows application or two at times.

Shortly after the announcement of the change in hardware, Parallels released software that allowed you to quickly launch virtual machines inside of OS X. Essentially, users now had the ability to get to their Windows applications quickly and easily on their Mac.

While Parallels allows you to mix and mingle your OS X and Windows applications it may be nice to keep them separated. This is where the 10.5 addition of Spaces makes a great software addition.

How To Launch Windows In Its Own Space

To be able to launch Windows in its own Space the first thing you have to do is download and install Parallels. There is a free 15 day trial available from their website so you can try out the software before putting down any cash.

After you’ve installed Parallels you’ll need to install your Windows software (Either XP or Vista). Doing so in Parallels is quick and easy but you must have an .ISO image or CD for the Windows OS you’ll be using.

Follow the instructions to setup your Virtual Machine and then follow the onscreen instructions for installing Windows. Once Windows has finished installing your Parallels Virtual Machine will boot up into Windows.

Next we need to setup Parallels so it always opens in its own space. To do so follow the same steps we provided in Setting Up Applications to Launch in Their Own Space:

1. Click the Apple Icon and Open System Preferences
2. Select Expose and Spaces and then the Spaces Tab
3. Click the + Button Below the Application Assignments Table
4. Select Parallels and then Assign it to the Space you’d like to designate to Windows

When you’ve finished this, your open Parallels Windows Virtual Machine will move to the space you assigned it.

Navigate to that Space with a keyboard shortcut (I assigned to space 3 so cmd+3) and you’ll see your Windows VM. Select View and then Full Screen, and Windows will open to full screen mode.

At this point you’ve now assigned your Windows Machine to its own Space. It should open in Full Screen mode anytime you go to access it, and now switching to Windows is as easy as a keyboard shortcut.

Move back to a different Space with keyboard shortcuts or select a different open application with Command + Tab.

How are you using Windows in OS X?

With iPhoto 08 Apple included a number of enhancements and adjustments to the way that users view their photo library in iPhoto. Instead of having one library that stored all your photos, there are now divided up by Events.

I personally have found this a great enhancement to the organization capabilities of iPhoto. It was becoming more and more difficult to find the photos I was looking for and I wasn’t a big fan of needing to create an Album for each set of pictures I wanted to keep together.

Events solved that problem for me. And with that solution they also provide a way to keep those events organized in a way that makes the most sense to you.

Sort Events in iPhoto

If you aren’t satisfied with the way that iPhoto sorted your photos into events after the initial upgrade to iPhoto 08 then follow these few steps to get things organized just the way you want them:

1. Open iPhoto 08 and select Events
2. On the menu bar select View and then Sort Events
3. From there you can select to sort by Date, Keyword, Title, Rating, or Manually. Additionally you can mark the sort Ascending or Descending.

Select the Event Picture

Now that you have the events organized the way you like, you may want to add a final touch to each event so that it really represents the pictures all grouped together.

Move your mouse from horizontally across the event to quickly browse the pictures included. Stop when you find the picture that you feel represents the event the best and hit the SPACE BAR. This will instantly mark that picture as the picture to display for the event.