If you’ve got a remote file server (AFP, NSF, etc.) or a server running a VNC client for remote administration Finder has a tool to help (provided you don’t mind using built-in Mac OS X services for things like FTP or VNC).

Finder's Connect to Server...

The tip is simple, Finder has a Go menu and within that menu is Connect to Server… which lets you use AFP, SMB/CIFS, NFS, FTP and WebDAV protocols (click on the ? for a list of services). FYI you can also use Command-K to open the same dialog. You’ll see something like this:

Finder's Connect to Server Dialog

Once you’ve got the dialog just type something into the box in the format service://server-address then click Connect to connect to the server. Clicking the + button will add it to the favorite servers list.

If you connect using vnc://server-address Finder will use Screen Sharing to connect you to the remote server. The file sharing protocols will mount them using Finder.

I’ve updated the theme used on OS X 411 to one I made for my personal blog. I felt that OS X 411 needed a visual update and this fits the bill. In addition to updating the site’s looks I’m going to try to put time aside to post some articles. If you don’t already subscribe to OS X 411’s RSS feed I encourage you to do so.

The WWDC 2009 Keynote is over.

Phil is back on stage talking about how much people use the iPhone.

Phil shows the difference between the iPhone App Store and others, with a nice graph comparing the few apps vs 50,000 apps.

iPhone 3GS is the next iPhone!

Same design as the iPhone 3G

About two times faster.

New 7.2Mbps HSDPA 3G for those who support it.

New Camera: 3megapixel autofocus camera.

New “Tap to focus”, just tap the house and it will focus and balance the exposure for where you tapped.

Includes Macro photographs, as close as 10 centimeters.

The new camera can be used by developers in the API.

Also captures video!

30fps video at VGA quality.

With built in video playback and time line with editing.

Also share right from editing application. (including YouTube)

Also has API for video captures in Apps.

Voice Control is a new application in iPhone 3GS only. Hold down the home button and a new application will launch. Includes Calling, iPod songs, play lists, play more songs like this, etc.

Built in digital compass with a Compass app from Apple. Includes orient to heading option in Google Maps.

Nike + is also built in to the iPhone 3GS.

Includes Hardware based encryption for everything stored in the iPhone.

Improved battery life for iPhone 3GS  (by about an hour in talk time).

iPhone 3GS will be $199 for 16GB and #299 for 32GB for new AT&T customers. Available in both Black and White.

iPhone 3G will continue to be sold for $99 in 8GB. (available today).

June 19th is when the iPhone 3GS will be available! (see a previous post of mine).

A new iPhone 3GS ad.

Scott is now on stage.

Over 1 million downloads of the SDK has been downloaded by developers.

Over 50,000 apps are in the App Store!

It took 9 months for 1 Billion Apps to be downloaded.

A short video just finished playing talking about the iPhone SDK and the people who made Apps.

iPhone OS 3.0 has over 100 new features.

iPhone now has Cut, Copy and Paste. It will work with all applications on the iPhone.

A new undo API is now out.

Landscape viewing (including the keyboard) will be available in all applications like Notes, Mail and SMS.

MMS (photos, contacts, audio and locations) are now sent over the network through the Text messaging application. 29 carries will support MMS on the iPhone.

iPhone OS Launch will support MMS “later this summer”.

Search is now built into the Mail, Notes and more.

Spotlight on the home screen will now search for just about everything on your phone.

Movie rentals and purchases now work in the mobile iTunes store on the iPhone.

Parental Controls now have more options.

Tethering with iPhone to computer internet sharing is now supported. (works on Mac or PC over USB or Bluetooth). This requires carrier support “later”.

Safari speed has been increased. 2.2.1:126 seconds 3.0:43 seconds.

HTTP streaming with video and audio now supported on iPhone 3.0.

AutoFill in Safari for logins and more. It will also use your contact from Contacts.

HTML5 support in Safari.

More than 30 languages are supported in iPhone 3.0, with several added.

The new iPhone 3.0 will support iPhone locating should your phone be lost. “Fine My iPhone”. (to MobileMe customers only) Supports mapping so you know where it is via the web (me.com). You can even send messages to your phone. A remote erase option is also available.

In App Purchases will be allowed. Same purchase terms (70/30 split). Free apps cannot support in App Purchases.

Peer to Peer: automatically find the other iPhone over bluetooth.

Accessories: now connect accessories to your iPhone via the dock connection or bluetooth.

Maps: Google Maps service is now in any App.

Push Notifications are now in 3.0.

A demo from developers: Asphalt 5.

iPhone 3.0 will let developers access the iTunes library.

Another demo: Airstrip Technologies. (demoed push notifications and a new App from them).

Another demo: Scroll Motion (in app purchase book store, copy and paste as well as in App email)

Next demo: Tomtom (turn by turn navigation and route planning)

Another demo: ngmoco (demoed in app purchases)

Demo: Pasco (attaching devices through the 30pin dock connector to measure almost anything)

Scott is back on stage, introducing the next demo: zipcar (location and Google Maps within the App)

Final demo: Line 6 and Planet Waves (tethering a guitar and amp to your iPhone to modify the sound live)

Scott is back on stage, sums up iPhone 3.0.

Both original and iPhone 3G customer will get a free upgrade.

All iPod touch owners will pay $9.99.

Available Worldwide June 17th!

Bertrand Serlet is now talking about OS X.

Bertrand Serlet is comparing OS X to windows, both Vista and Windows 7. (the crowd is laughing about this)

Bertrand Serlet is now talking about Snow Leopard, and how it could improve on Leopard.

Refinements, Technologies, Exchange

The snow leopard Finder will not be changed (from the user’s point of view) but has been rewritten.

The OS X Dock will now feature expose.

Over 6GB has been removed from the OS.

Quicklook is now even quicker (if thats possible).

Now the touchpad will work for chinese character entry.

Mail.app is now even faster.

Safari 4 will be released today (officially) for Tiger, Leopard and Windows.

Safari 4 will be included in Snow Leopard.

New feature: crash resistance in Snow Leopard only.

Should a plugin crash in safari the web browser will stay intact.

64bit JavaScript in Safari 4 is even quicker.

Quicktime X (10) with color correction, hardware acceleration and new streaming method in Snow Leopard.

New interface (black) for Quicktime.

Now showing a demo. Stacks now support folders.

Everything in the Demo looks cool and very fast, but they are probably running the demo on something crazy.

Quicktime now supports scrubbing and trimming in a slick time line with built in sharing features.

Bertrand Serlet is taling about 64bit and its advantages like increased RAM. Up from 4GB to 16billion GB. 2X faster processing under 64bit processing.

All system applications will be running in 64bit mode to take advantage of this speed.

Bertrand Serlet is now talking about multicore processors and threading. Now Apple has Grand Central Dispatch to support multicore processes.GCD will reduce the number of threads used when applications are idle.

Bertrand Serlet has moved onto graphics and graphic cards with over 1 teraflop of processing power. Now OpenCL will take advantage of these fast GPUs.

Microsoft Exchange is now built into Mail, iCal and Address Book.

A short demo on Exchange was given, it looks awesome for those who need to use Exchange.

Snow Leopard will cost $29. yes as in $30! A family pack can be purchased for $49.

Snow Leopard will be available September for everyone!

Phil is now on their notebooks, he is talking about how the unibody design has been used in all their products.

New 15-inch MacBook Pro

Has a new battery.

Up to 7-hours of batter life now in the 15-inch MacBook Pro.

1,000 recharges on the new battery, about 5 years.

Same size.

New Display with larger color range.

Now it has an SD card slot!

Fastest notebook, 3.06ghz (maximum) w/ 6MB cache.

Up to 8GB or DDR3 1066 RAM.

New price: $1699 is the base.

Updating the configuration of the 17″, 2.8ghz, 4gb DDR3, 500gb HDD for $2599.

New 13″ now!

Same battery, 7hours and same size laptop.

Now has the larger color range display and the SD card slot.

The 13″ now mirrors most of the internal specs of the MacBook Pro including the keyboard and RAM.

Now includes FW800 on the 13″.

The 13″ is now rebranded and the 13″ MacBook Pro at $1199.

The new 13″ MacBook Pro is available today as well.

The MacBook Air is being updated, 1.86 is standrad and 2.13ghz is the other.

$1499 for the 1.86 and 120gb HDD.

$1799 for the 2.13 and SSD option.

The PC guy from the commercials is on doing a video with many retakes, he can’t seem to get it right…

The Mac guy had to do it for him…

Phil is now on stage.

5200 people are here at WWDC.

He is now talking about active users on the OS X platform.

OS X’s users have tripled.

Bertrand Serlet will be helping as well as Scott Forstall later on in the keynote.

Phil is talking about the Macs now…

I’m not seated and waiting for the keynote to start.

We were held until 9:30, before we were allowed to enter the keynote room.

Stay tuned for the latest.

So I was reviewing my photos I’ve taken so far at WWDC and I came across this hidden gem, the iCal icon in a Snow Leopard poster hanging from the ceiling of the second floor at Moscone West. In the far left of the poster the iCal icon reads JUN 19.

Grand Central Dispatch Sign

Judge for yourself, but we will probably know for sure in about 2 hours.