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 them help you. Here’s an overview of how the migration process will go and the things I recommend you do to prepare for your trip to the Apple Store. Every visit and migration will be a bit different, but I recommend that you plan on this taking 60-90 minutes. Read More from “How To Migrate To A New iPhone At The Apple Store”
Time To Retire Windows 7 If You Use It In Parallels Or Fusion
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 in January 2020; so no more security updates. Switch to Windows 10 which was released in mid-2015 and receives regular updates. There are a number of ways to switch from Windows 7 to 10. The exact steps are beyond the scope of this article, but here’s an overview of some options. If you’re using a current version of Parallels, it has a built-in menu command for helping you to upgrade to Windows 10. You should make sure you have a current backup of your Windows 7 virtual machine before you attempt to upgrade it. Alternatively, you might prefer to create a new virtual machine using Windows 10. If you choose this option then you should be prepared to reinstall any applications that you rely on, in your virtual machine, such as QuickBooks or RevIT.
Configure Your Mac To Automatically Adjust Its Clock
Did you Mac fail to adjust its clock this morning when Daylight Savings Time ended? If so, please configure your Mac to automatically adjust it’s date and time, by doing the following:
- Click on the Apple menu and select System Preferences
- Click on Date & Time
- Click the Date & Time button. Use the image below as a guide.
- You’ll notice that you can’t make changes until you unlock this window.
- To unlock it, click the padlock icon in the lower left corner. Enter your user account password when prompted.
- Insert a checkmark next to “Set date and time automatically” then pick the time server designated for the Americas
- Click the red dot to close this window
Read More from “Configure Your Mac To Automatically Adjust Its Clock”
How To Avoid Accidentally Installing Major macOS Upgrades, Like macOS Catalina
Every fall for the past decade or so, Apple has released major updates to macOS and iOS, the operating systems used by Macs, iPhones and iPads. Despite Apple’s frequent reminders to install these major updates, I think it’s foolish to install them as soon as they’re released since they typically introduce significant change, may contain significant bugs and could cause some of your applications to stop working. Before installing a major Mac operating system (macOS) upgrade, I recommend waiting a couple of months, verifying that you have a full backup as well as verifying that your most important applications are compatible. Apple’s reminders can make it easy to mindlessly install these updates. Here are some things to be aware of, so you can try to avoid accidentally installing such upgrades, including the recently released macOS Catalina (aka macOS 10.15). Read More from “How To Avoid Accidentally Installing Major macOS Upgrades, Like macOS Catalina”
List Of Apple Product Recalls And Repair Programs
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. Of course Apple does nott actually use the word recall. Instead, they call them Exchange and Repair Extension Programs. You can find all of Apple’s current repair programs on their web site. Read More from “List Of Apple Product Recalls And Repair Programs”
Alternatives to Adobe Photoshop For Mac Users
Do you own an older version of Photoshop, but not want to buy a subscription to use current versions of Adobe Photoshop? If so, here are some alternative image editors that are affordable and well reviewed. While many people find Apple’s Photos application adequate for their photo storage and editing needs, Photos is not sufficient for everybody. Adobe’s Photoshop and Photoshop Elements are two well-known alternatives but Photoshop has always been expensive and difficult to learn. If your needs exceed Photos but do not warrant Photoshop, you might find that Acorn, Pixelmator Pro, Graphic Converter or Affinity Photos meets your needs. Read More from “Alternatives to Adobe Photoshop For Mac Users”
How To Handle “Word Is Not Optimized For Your Mac”
If you’ve upgraded your Mac to macOS High Sierra or macOS Mojave you have likely seen an alert that looks like the one shown below. I’ll explain what this alert means and how you should handle this situation.
Microsoft Word 2011 is only one of many applications that can trigger this alert, but Word 2011 is, by far, the most prevalent application that triggers this alert. This alert has generated a lot of uncertainty. If one clicks the Learn More button, you’re taken to Apple’s article which offers a mildly technical explanation of the situation. It also outlines what steps you can take, but let me try to present a clearer explanation. Read More from “How To Handle “Word Is Not Optimized For Your Mac””
Brydge: A More Comfortable And Capable Keyboard For iPads
Do you use an iPad but wish you could easily attach a keyboard to let your iPad function more like a laptop for taking notes or composing emails? If so, you should consider the Brydge bluetooth keyboard for iPad. This Tech Tip comes from another Apple consulting business, Convenient Integration. Look for future articles from them on the topics of technology and design.
Most of us spend hours interacting with our electronics every day. I’m becoming more aware of my hardware choices and habits. Thus, I’m focusing on improving ergonomics during these hours. Read More from “Brydge: A More Comfortable And Capable Keyboard For iPads”
View Your Website Passwords Saved in Safari
Do you use Safari as your web browser? Do you ask it to save the passwords you use to login to various websites? If so, did you know that you can view a list of these passwords? This is a handy way to look-up or retrieve some of your passwords. Read More from “View Your Website Passwords Saved in Safari”
How To Manage Apple Updates On Your Mac
Do you think your Mac abruptly installed an update to your Mac’s operating system on its own, without your permission? While it is possible for this to occur if you have automatic updates enabled, I have also had clients inadvertently instruct their Mac to install macOS updates. This occurs because people get confused by the choices that Apple offers them. In last week’s Tech Tip I show you how to disable the automatic installation of macOS updates. In this week’s Tech Tip, I’ll show you how to prevent the accidental installation of macOS updates. Read More from “How To Manage Apple Updates On Your Mac”