Information about the physical gadgets you use.
Are you confused by the assorted USB cables that you’ve accumulated over the years? Do you need to be able to name or identify the type of connector you have on one end of your USB cable? The image above shows most of the USB connectors that have been used since USB debuted around 1998.
Read moreAre you still using an Apple AirPort Express to send audio to some speakers in your home? If so, you should develop your plan to replace it since Apple discontinued the AirPort Express in 2018 and provided the last significant upgrade to it in 2012.
Read moreFor many years, Macs have relied on sets of keys held at startup to enable specific modes. Most notably, pressing Option displays the Startup Manager and lets you pick a boot drive, Command-R starts up from macOS Recovery, Command-Option-P-R resets the NVRAM, Shift starts up in Safe mode, D opens Apple Diagnostics to check the […]
Read moreThis week’s Tech Tip is a cautionary tale. Please make sure you enable the Find My feature on your iPhone or iPad if you bought AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss protection. The Find My feature was originally called Find My iPhone, but Apple renamed it since it has been added to the Mac, Apple Watch, … Read more
If you backup your iPhone or iPad to iCloud, this Tech Tip is for you. Backing up your iPhone or iPad is an important thing to do since it provides an easy way for you to transfer your information to a new iPhone if your current iPhone is lost, stolen, or dies. Thus, it’s important … Read more
Do you have an Apple Watch? Have you been inconvenienced by the fact that you need to use your iPhone to install watchOS updates onto your Apple Watch? Apple changed this with the introduction of watchOS 6 in the fall of 2019. You can now directly update software on the Apple Watch. You can use … 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
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
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
Is 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
Have you ever had your Mac or iPhone recalled by Apple? Fortunately, this is a rare event. I believe I have personally bought about 10 Macs over the past 35 years and 4 iPhones over the past 12 years. One of my Macs and one of my iPhones needed to be repaired under an Apple recall. … Read more
Does your new iPhone not have a Home button? Are you struggling to figure out how to do some tasks that used to be done using the Home button? Have you discovered that you can no longer turn off your iPhone by pressing and holding the button on the side and then swiping your finger … Read more
Are you retiring an older Mac that has a mechanical, spinning hard drive in it? If your Mac is running OS X 10.11 then continue reading this article. Below are instructions on how you can securely erase the Mac’s hard drive before you donate your Mac or sell it.
Read moreDo you have a 13-inch MacBook Pro that you bought between June 2017-June 2018? If so, please see if your Mac is affected by Apple’s service program which they introduced in November 2018. Apple has determined that a limited number of 128GB and 256GB solid-state drives (SSD) used in 13-inch MacBook Pro (non Touch Bar) … Read more
Do you own a Mac laptop with USB-C ports? If so, it came with a USB-C power adapter. Did you notice that Apple no longer includes an extension cord with this USB-C power adapter? If so, you might be interested in Ten 1 Design’s Stella, which is a well designed extension cord.
Read moreDo you backup your iPhone to your Mac? I recommend that you manually backup your iPhone to your Mac, every few weeks, even if you already backup your iPhone automatically to iCloud. When you backup your iPhone to your Mac you have the choice to encrypt the backup or not. The advantage of encrypting your iPhone … Read more
Have you bought a new Mac laptop that comes with USB-C ports on it? If so, you will likely need to buy one or more adapters in order to connect device too it. Below, I discuss a number of different adapters that will likely meet your needs. You might also wonder why Apple switched to … Read more
Do you want to delete a backup of your iPhone or iPad from iCloud? There are two reasons you might want to do this. Sometimes, if one is unable to successfully backup an iPhone or iPad to iCloud, it’s because the current backup is somehow gumming up the system. By removing the existing backup then … Read more
Do you own an Apple Watch? Do you wonder what about the meaning of the dots and icons that appear at the top center of the watch’s screen? Those dots and icons are called Status Indicators. Apple has wonderful, concise guide to these Apple Watch status indicators
Read more