Alert Speech Click to see a larger image

Today's tip pertains to those alert messages that pop up on your screen when either the Mac or an application needs your attention.

The first thing that normally happens when an application in the background needs your attention is that its icon bounces a couple of times in the Dock.

If that isn't enough notice, you can set a preference to speak the alert to you.

1. Go to System Preferences from the Apple Menu or the Dock.
2. Go to the Speech panel.
3. Go to the Text to Speech tab.
4. Check Announce when alerts are displayed" and "Announce when an application needs your attention."
5. Then click the "Set Alert Options..." button. From there you can set the voice, what the alert says, and how many seconds go by before the alert is read aloud .

If you set the seconds before the alert is read to be 10 seconds or so, you will probably see the icon bouncing in the Dock and attend to it before your Mac speaks to you.

Actually, this can be a fun trick to set up on someone else's Mac. Image how startled they will be if their Mac starts talking to them in a seemingly random matter.

Related Items: Speech | Alex