You are the weakest link in your computer’s security! Please keep reading this important Tech Tip. If you’re not already aware of this fact, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the easiest way for a hacker to get into your Mac is through you. Tricking you into divulging information, installing software … Read more
Here are instructions for subscribing to and listening to podcasts using the Overcast web site and Overcast app on your iPhone or iPad. If you missed it, my previous article provided an overview of podcasts. Here are step-by-step instructions on using Overcast, which is the podcatcher app that I use on both my iPhone and iPad.
Read moreHave you heard of podcasts, but don’t really understand what they are or how to listen to them? If so, this article gives you an overview of podcasts. My next article will give you step-by-step instructions on subscribing to and listening to podcasts on your iPhone and Mac. For what it’s worth, the word Podcast … Read more
Would you like to access free video training courses on Mac OS, iMovie, Keynote, Photoshop, Lightroom, InDesign, WordPress, GoogleDocs and other topics? For about 20 years, Lynda.com has offered video-based training on thousands of business, software, and creative skills. Typically, a monthly subscription costs $20-$30. I recently learned that the Seattle Public Library offers access to Lynda.com video … Read more
Please watch out for tech support phone scams. There are two types of scams. The first type are scammers who call you at home and fraudulently claim to be from some group like Apple or Microsoft. The second type are groups that you mistakenly call when you’re seeking technical support.
Read more[Update Nov 2023: As of 2021, Adobe has ended support for the Flash Player plugin. Please uninstall it if it’s still on your Mac.] Please be aware that some pop-up windows indicating that you need to update the Adobe Flash Player on your Mac could be bogus. Yup, that’s right. We live in a messy complex world and … Read more
Do you want to put emoji into your email messages, notes, Word document or any other document that you type on your Mac? If so, I recently learned of a fast way to bring up the emoji keyboard on your Mac. Press the following three keys simultaneously: Command, Control and space bar.
Read moreDid you know that you can use your iPad as a second screen for your Mac? That’s right. You can buy DuetDisplay, currently $11, and use it to connect your iPad to your Mac so you can use it as an second display. In a sense, this is a way to control your Mac using a touch-interface, if you would like to … Read more
Did you know that Dropbox lets you share any file with anybody, even if they do not have their own Dropbox account? In 2011, I wrote about how to do this using Dropbox’s Public Link feature. The Public Link feature let you share any file with anybody, but it required you to put the file inside … Read more
Do you have duplicate photos in your iPhoto or Photos Library? Do you dread the manual process of trying to locate and delete these duplicate photos? If so, use PhotoSweeper. PhotoSweeper will locate all duplicate photos and makes it easy for you to review them and select which ones you want to delete. In addition … Read more
Have you forgotten or misplaced your Airport or Time Capsule passwords? If so, you should consider using the Soft Reset feature that Apple builds into Airports and Time Capsules. You could also review my previous Tech Tip about retrieving your Airport password from your Keychain which could save you from having to perform a Soft Reset. I should … Read more
Does your Mac fail to find files that you know exist when you search for them? Or, does Apple Mail or Outlook fail to find email messages when you search for them? If so, this problem could be caused by a corrupt Spotlight index. Spotlight is the name of Apple’s search capabilities built into the Mac … Read more
Do you need to display your Mac’s screen on your iPad? To do this, you can use a screen-sharing application. Most of these applications cost money so Splashtop is intriguing since it’s free for personal use on your local network. To access your Mac from anywhere costs $60 per year.
Read moreDo you need to make your iPad or iPhone’s screen show up on your Mac’s screen? If so, here are some options for you to consider: QuickTime AirSquirrels’ Reflector
Read moreDo you need to edit PDF files on your Mac? Previously, I’ve talked about Preview’s built-in editing features. If these features aren’t adequate for your needs most people think they need to get Adobe Acrobat, which currently costs $13-$15 per month with an annual subscription, but I prefer to use PDFPen which has a one-time cost of $75 … Read more
Would you like to encrypt a PDF? Encrypting a PDF can be handy if you want to protect sensitive data contained in a PDF that you store on your Mac, or before you share the PDF via email, Dropbox or via some other means. Encrypting a PDF can be accomplished easily using Apple’s Preview application … Read more
Would you like to add frequently used applications or documents to your Dock? Would you like to remove rarely used items from the Dock? If so, below are instructions on how to do this. The Dock is the row of icons that’s typically located across the bottom of the screen, though it can be moved. Apple … Read more
Would you like your Mac’s Trash to automatically delete files after they’ve been in the Trash for 30 days? If so, Apple recently added this feature to macOS Sierra (aka OS X 10.12).
Read moreTo prevent your iPhone from accumulating gigabytes of text messages, I recommend that you configure it to delete messages after 1 year. Text messages are typically quite small so they won’t consume much space, but the photos and videos that are attached can gobble up space. If you’d like to save some of these attachments … Read more
If you’re going to be buying a Mac soon, please make sure you equip it with enough storage space. Here is how you can figure out how much storage space you currently use on your Mac and some guidance on selecting how much storage you might need in the years ahead.
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