How to batch rename files in OSX

I recently decided that I wanted to go through some photo albums on my Mac and rename the individual pictures form IMG_xxxx.jpg to something a little more searchable and descriptive. I mean, who wants to look at this?

Here's how I did it, and it is actually really easy!

1. Open up "Automator". It's in your Applications folder.

2. On the screen that pops up asking what you want to do, just select Workflow.

3. On the left side of the main screen, select "Files and Folders", then in the next panel over, drag "Get Specified Finder Items" to the far-right panel. Once you do that, scroll down in the middle panel and drag "Rename Finder Items" over as well.

4. It will ask you about making a copy of your files since you will be renaming them. You can if you want, but I skipped it.

5. You have some options in the bottom box in the far-right panel. This mostly affects how you want the files renamed. For example, I wanted the files to be renamed with a sequential number at the end of each one that followed a space after the name (you will see what I mean when you see the end result). Play around with these options to get it to act just how you want it.

6. In the top box of the right-panel, drag your files into it that you want to change. Once you do that and choose your options below, hot the "Run" button at the top-right.

7. It will take a few seconds, and when it's done, you will have a folder of neatly named files. Yay!

(thanks to MakeTechEasier)

How to make an awesome "Track 1's" iTunes playlist

*note: this playlist on my computer has about 900 songs in it, this is all that would fit on one screen!*

If you have a large iTunes library, then you have probably had difficulty at times deciding just what to listen to. Well, I have created a smart playlist in iTunes that is pretty darn awesome.

A smart playlist is similar to a regular playlist that you create in iTunes, only it is one that is based on certain criteria. For this one, here was the criteria I used:

Notice that first item: Track Number is 1

That is the secret sauce to this playlist. Most albums have a killer first track since it is the opening to the rest of the album, so I wanted to have the playlist contain only 1st tracks off of all of the cds in my library. That is the most important part of this playlist.

Regarding the other criteria:

Time is greater than 1:00 / less than 6:00: That just makes sure I don't get a bunch of 16 minute songs off of my Pink Floyd albums, and it also weeds out most of the "transitional" songs some albums have.

Media Kind is Music: This is so no movies or TV Shows get into the mix

Name does not contain intro: You know how some albums have the opening song that is an intro to the album? They tend to be short and/or instrumental at times. I want actual real songs in the playlist.

So there you have it. This criteria should give you a pretty killer playlist. Have some changes you would make? Let me know in the comments!

How to lock the screen on a Mac

If you have used Windows before, you might be aware of a handy feature you can do if you need to step away from your computer. You can "lock" the computer, which makes it inaccessible without entering the administrator password. Well, you can do the same thing (essentially) on a Mac, and here is how you do it.

1. Go into you Utilities folder (inside of your Applications folder) and click on "Keychain Access"