Ballyhoo Blog

Everyone knows that networks are streaming their content online after the shows air on TV, so after watching a little episode of lost last week via ABC.com, I noticed the online streaming player is embedded in a flash page. You can’t resize the video window to make it bigger. I thought o - well. Then my roomate (who is fairly new to macs) told me he watches them full screen by using a little mac os X feature that I had showed him a couple of weeks ago. Turns out it works beautifully! Here’s how:

1) Snag a mac.
2) This is the kicker step… Open System Preferences -> Keyboard and Mouse -> Keyboard Shortcuts tab. Turn ON “Turn zoom on or off.” Then turn on “zoom” shortcuts as well.
3) In case you didn’t already know this sit back and watch the beauty. Apple + Option + Plus Key zooms in. Apple + Option + Minus Key zooms out. Apple + Option + 8 Key turns zoom on or off.
4) Head over to some online stream. zoom your mac way up. enjoy!

Here’s a photo from my cell phone cam showing the video size on my 20 inch iMac.

The only fall back is that the os zooms to the mouse. So you’ll have to drag the window to the very top of the screen, then zoom and try and move the mouse out of the picture range while maintaining the video on-screen. I’ve yet to find a solution that you can hide the mouse with. Anyone know of any solution to this?

Extra Goodness.
There are a few more little fun tricks in the shortcuts menu we just looked at, like Apple + Control + Option + 8 inverts the screen. Just some more wow factor for Mac OS.