Information about the physical gadgets you use.
Do you need an anti-virus app on your iPhone? The short answer is no, there is very little risk that your iPhone could get infected with malicious software, like a virus. However, one should continue to be vigilant and concerned about the security of one’s phone and the personal data on it. There are a few … Read more
Does your Mac need more memory? If you’re not sure of the difference between memory and storage please review my article about this. Briefly, a computer’s memory is a computer’s working space. The computer temporarily stores open files and open applications in memory. If your Mac doesn’t have enough memory then its performance can be … Read more
Do you have a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro laptop that is running low on storage space? If so, there are a few ways you could increase the storage capacity of your laptop. One relatively easy and affordable option is to insert an SD (Secure Digital) card into the SD slot of your laptop. … Read more
A kernel panic refers to a very specific type of computer freeze. A variety of things can cause kernel panics. Below is a description of how your Mac behaves when it experiences a kernel panic so you can recognize it if this happens to you.
Read moreIn most situations, I tend to recommend that you buy Apple’s extended hardware warranty, called AppleCare. Apple enhanced AppleCare in 2017 so I think it’s an even more compelling option.
Read moreHave 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
Do 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 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.
Read moreDo you want to either sell or retire a Mac that has a solid state hard drive (aka flash storage)? If so, it is prudent to securely erase the hard drive beforehand. Here are instructions on how to do this. This procedure will make all of your personal data inaccessible. There are two stages of this process. In phase … Read more
Are you in the market for buying a Mac, iPhone or iPad? Would you like to get the best deal possible? If so, here are some suggestions on how to do some comparison shopping and some encouragement to consider buying a refurbished product.
Read moreHere’s a list of common ways to eject a disk from a Mac. This disk could be a CD, a DVD, a USB flash drive or an external hard drive. Some Apple keyboards have an eject key. It is commonly located in the upper right corner of the keyboard. Press the eject key to eject … Read more
I recommend that everybody keep a USB mouse and USB keyboard handy. Whether you use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse or ones connected by USB cables, I think you should keep a spare keyboard and mouse and this spare set should have USB cables. I recommend this for a couple of reasons. The primary reason is … Read more
Does your Fujitsu ScanSnap document scanner have problems feeding documents? I love my ScanSnap and have used it nearly every day for many years. It finally had problems reliably grabbing pages and feeding them. The pages’ leading edge would get stuck and I’d have to fuss a bit to get the paper to feed properly. Earlier … Read more
Do the fans on your Mac make a lot of noise? In a sense, this is not a bad thing, but it it is worth investigating to try to figure out what is going on. Typically, the fans in your Mac are running all the time. They are just running at relatively slow speeds so they … Read more
Would you like some guidance on selecting a new printer? Clients often ask me to recommend a good printer or tell them which printer they should buy. These requests are actually surprisingly difficult for two reasons. First, there are numerous printer manufacturers and each company makes a range of printer models which are often updated yearly so it … Read more
Some iPhone or iPad problems are only resolved by restoring your iPhone or iPad to factory settings. Apple’s support article details how to restore an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Restoring a device is definitively one of the last techniques I invoke when troubleshooting iPhone or iPad problems. I have only invoked it when more traditional … Read more
Do you have an iPhone or iPad that you cannot access? Is it locked by a passcode that you have forgotten? If so, you will need to use Recovery Mode to regain access to this device. Apple’s support article describes how to use Recovery Mode. Here are some important caveats:
Read moreHave you ever wondered if you could use the power adapter that came with another model of Mac laptop with your Mac laptop? In most cases, the answer is yes, but there are a few details to be aware of. Apple’s Support article on the subject states the following. “You can use a compatible higher … Read more
Did you know that Apple only services Macs, iPhones, iPad and iPod for 5 years? Apple uses the term vintage to describe products that have been discontinued for more than 5 years. An Apple support article states that “Vintage products are those that have not been manufactured for more than five years and less than seven years … Read more