Do you use Backblaze to backup your Mac? It’s a great way to create an off-site backup of your Mac’s data. When CrashPlan eliminated their backup service for home customers, I recommended that most of my residential customers switch to Backblaze. In the fall of 2019, Backblaze version 7 was released. Backblaze tends to automatically … Read more
Years ago I wrote an article about cleaning your Mac or iPhone screen. Given concerns about COVID-19 and the flu, it’s useful to point out that Apple provides cleaning guidelines for all of your Apple products. In particular, Apple appears to have recently updated their article with guidance on how to disinfect your Apple products. … Read more
Part 1 & Part 2 of this photo organizing tutorial help you declutter your main photo library by neatly organizing valuable screenshots and reference photos into folders in the Notes app. When you separate informational images from precious photo memories, you begin streamlining your photo collection to what matters most. And as an added bonus, … Read more
In Part 1 of this 3-part tutorial, you began organizing your informational images by moving important screenshots to the Notes app and then deleting them from the Photos app. In Part 2, I’ll walk you through how to organize reference photos which include images of furniture, books, cars and clothing. Like with screenshots, remember to … Read more
In this three part series, I’d like to share a few methods for better managing screenshots and reference photos that don’t actually belong in your main photo library where you keep meaningful photos of family, friends, vacations, special events, artwork and creative projects. Many photos and screenshots are informational…photos of books, recipes, products you like, … Read more
Have you ever need to share your password with somebody else? Have you ever sent a password via email? QuickForget is a good way to share sensitive information such as a password.
Read moreDo you ever need to open AutoCAD files? If you’re renovating your home or office there’s a chance that an architect or contractor might send you an AutoCAD file in .dwg format. eDrawings Viewer is a free application that lets you open and view these files. It’s been around for at least 15 years. The … Read more
Do you have a fax machine? Have you ever wanted to test it to determine that it’s working? Perhaps a colleague or a friend indicated that he or she was unable to fax you. GotFreeFax is an easy way to determine if your fax machine can receive an email. FaxBeep is an easy way to … Read more
Do you use Gmail? Would you like to setup an automated reply email to indicate that you’re going to be on vacation or out of the office? Google provides some simple, step-by-step setup instructions for their Vacation Responder. Since Gmail’s interface changes often, I do not think it makes sense for me to re-write them in … Read more
This week’s Tech Tip is a cautionary tale. Last week, I offered some guidance on how to prepare for a Genius Bar appointment and the importance of knowing that you have a current Time Machine backup of your Mac, before taking your Mac to the Genius Bar. Recently, I had two clients take their Macs to … Read more
Are you planning on taking your Mac, iPhone or iPad to a Genius Bar appointment? Here are some items to keep in mind as you prepare for your appointment. Make a note of which version of the operating system is installed on your device. Check your backup systems so you know, with certainty, that your … Read more
Are you unable to either send or receive emails on your iPhone? Are you getting an error message about an incorrect password? Sending and receiving emails are independent processes so one could be working while the other one is not. More specifically, your iPhone could be able to send emails but not receive emails, or … Read more
I know you subscribe to my Tech Tips to get pearls of wisdom and nuggets of knowledge. Not this week. This Tech Tip is just for fun. Hope you enjoy it. Follow the blue ball through this impressive Rube Goldberg machine.
Read moreDo you use an iCloud email account? (iCloud email accounts can end in any of the following suffixes: Mac.com, Me.com or iCloud.com.) Do some spam emails arrive in your Inbox? Apple’s spam filters are pretty effective, but nobody’s spam filters are perfect. Thus, if spam or phishing emails get past Apple’s spam filters and arrive … Read more
Do you have an HP Color LaserJet MFP M477 series printer? Is your printer displaying 59.F0 error on its touchscreen display? Online research indicates that this error message can indicate that your printer has experienced a hardware malfunction. However, sometimes, this error can be resolved by upgrading the printer’s firmware. Hewlett Packard makes a Mac … Read more
Do you own AirPods, Apple’s wireless earbuds? Have you noticed that your AirPods do not hold a charge as long as when they were new? If so, this could be a sign that your AirPods’ internal batteries are worn out. All rechargeable batteries wear out from normal usage. This is just a fact of life. … Read more
Does your small business have a Mac, in your office, working as a file server? Do you wonder if you should continue to do this or switch to a cloud-based file sharing system, such as Dropbox? Let’s look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of using Dropbox. In the past few years I’ve had … Read more
Do you want to know if some of your passwords have been compromised? A good place to start is the Have I Been Pwned? web site. No, that’s not a typo. I meant to type pwned. It’s a derivative of owned. If you’re still scratching your head, then please read this definition of pwned.
Read moreIs it time to replace your iPhone? If you don’t live near an Apple Store, or just want to do this migration yourself, please follow the guidance I provide in How To Migrate To a New iPhone. If you are not comfortable doing it yourself and you live near an Apple Store then you could let … Read more
Do you use either Parallels or VMWare Fusion on your Mac? Does your virtual machine use the Windows 7 operating system? If so, it’s time to retire Windows 7 and switch to Windows 10. Windows 7 was released in 2009 and Microsoft ended mainstream support for it in 2015. Microsoft is ending their extended support … Read more