How Edit Text On An iPhone or iPad

Posted on by Tim Hannon in iOS and iPhone/iPad Apps, Software

Do you know how to edit text you’ve typed on your iPhone? I am regularly surprised to find people who do not know it’s possible to do this. Let’s imagine that you’ve typed several lines of text in the Notes app, then you notice a typo back on the first line. You don’t need to delete all of the text back to the first line. Instead, you can do this:

  • Simply tap your finger next to the typo. This will move the cursor, aka the flashing vertical line, to this location.
  • Press the backspace key to remove the typo and then type the correct letter(s)

Read More from “How Edit Text On An iPhone or iPad”

How To Empty Safari’s Cache

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Software, Web Browsing

Are you having problems viewing one or two particular web sites in Safari? Were you previously able to view these web sites? If so, a common cause of this problem is corruption in Safari’s cache. Cache is temporary storage. Specifically, it contains recently viewed web pages. Occasionally, these temporarily stored web pages can get damaged. Thus, it can be useful to know how to empty this temporary storage. Here’s are instructions for emptying Safari’s cache on your Mac.

  • Open Safari
  • Click on the Safari menu and select Preferences
  • Click on the Advanced button, at the far right end.
  • Insert a checkmark next to Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  • Click the red dot to close this window
  • You’ll now see that the Develop menu is listed between the Bookmarks and Window menus at the top of your Mac’s screen.
  • Click on the Develop menu and select Empty Caches, which is about half-way down the list.

Unfortunately, you will not see any confirmation that the caches have been emptied. Just trust that they have been. Next, open a new window in Safari and try to visit the web site that was giving you problems previously. Hopefully, this web site will now be displayed properly.

NuGuard iPhone Cases Are Great

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Miscellaneous

Are you looking for a good case to protect your iPhone? Would you like the case to be easy to put on and take off? Would you like your iPhone well protected when you drop it? If so, I think you should consider NewerTech’s NuGuard iPhone case. It is a great value and comes in a variety of colors. It is a one-piece case that easily slides on and off. Its drop protection meets military standards (MIL-STD-810G). You can currently buy NuGuard cases for a range of iPhone models from the 4 through the 7. They also sell iPad cases but I’ve never used any of them. Read some reviews or watch some drop test videos. My last two iPhones have been protected by NuGuard cases. I dropped each phone dozens of times and they escaped unharmed every time.

Use Mail’s VIP Feature To Highlight Your Most Important Messages

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Email, Software

Do you have a cluttered Inbox? Do you value emails from a few people more than all the rest? If so, you should make those few people VIPs. By designating a person as a VIP then emails from that person will appear in the VIP Mailbox which appears, separate from and below your Inbox. Here are some instructions on how to use this VIP feature.  Read More from “Use Mail’s VIP Feature To Highlight Your Most Important Messages”

How To Make Sure Time Machine Backs Up Your External Drive

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Backup, Time Machine

Do you want to make sure that Time Machine backs up an external hard drive, USB flash drive or an SD card that is connected to your Mac? If so, here are instructions to make sure this happens.

If your Mac is using macOS 12 Monterey or older, use the instructions listed in Section 1

If your Mac is using macOS 13 Ventura or newer, jump to Section 2.

Section 1 – if your Mac is running macOS 12 Monterey or older
  • Click on the Apple menu and select System Preferences
  • Click on Time Machine
  • Click on the Options button in the lower right corner
  • Look at the list of items under “Exclude these items from backups”
  • If your external hard drive, USB flash drive or SD card is listed, click on it to select it and then click the minus sign icon. This will remove it from the list of excluded items. Thus, Time Machine will backup this drive or card.
  • Click Save
  • Click the red dot to close the Time Machine Preferences window.
Section 2 – if your Mac is running macOS 13 Ventura or newer
  • Click on the Apple menu and select System Settings
  • Click on General
  • Click on Time Machine
  • Click on the Options button in the lower right corner
  • Look at the list of items under “Exclude from Backups”
  • If your external hard drive, USB flash drive or SD card is listed, click on it to select it and then click the minus sign icon. This will remove it from the list of excluded items. Thus, Time Machine will backup this drive or card.
  • Click Save
  • Click the red dot to close the Time Machine Preferences window.

How To Create A Digital Photo Contact Sheet

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Graphic Design, macOS (formerly OS X), Photo, Software

Do you take digital photos and would you like to quickly create a file with thumbnail size versions of photos from a trip or family event? This file is called a contact sheet. Professional photographers commonly want to create contact sheets of all photos from a wedding or other photo shoot. Here are a couple of ways to create a contact sheet if you use a Mac.  Read More from “How To Create A Digital Photo Contact Sheet”

How To Restore A Time Machine Backup To A New Mac

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Backup, macOS (formerly OS X), Software, Time Machine

When you buy a new Mac you likely want to transfer all of your data and applications from your current Mac to a new Mac. Here are instructions on how to accomplish this migration using a current Time Machine backup of your current Mac. I’m going to provide instructions for two different scenarios.

If you’re just taking your new Mac out of it’s box and turning it on for the first time follow the instructions in Scenario 1 – Setup Assistant.

Alternatively, if you’ve already turned on your new Mac and created a user account then follow the instructions in Scenario 2 – Migration Assistant.  Read More from “How To Restore A Time Machine Backup To A New Mac”

Using Amazon’s Prime Video App

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Miscellaneous

Are you an Amazon Prime subscriber? One of the benefits is access to Amazon’s video streaming service called Prime Video. You can watch Prime Videos in a web browser on your computer or using the Prime Video app on your iOS device, such as an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. This Tech Tip will give you an introduction to using the Prime Video App on your iOS device. Read More from “Using Amazon’s Prime Video App”

How To Change Your AppleID Email Address

Posted on by Tim Hannon in iCloud or AppleID, iOS and iPhone/iPad Apps, macOS (formerly OS X), Services, Software

Is your AppleID tied to an email address that you no longer have access to or no longer use? If so, Apple offers step-by-step instructions on how to change your AppleID to use a new email address. Before we jump to the instructions, let’s start by reviewing some important background information and talk about some caveats.  Read More from “How To Change Your AppleID Email Address”

DriveSavers Provides Excellent Data Recovery Services

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Backup, Data Recovery

Do you need to retrieve data from a sick or dead hard drive? If you do not have a backup of the data on this disk, then you should consider hiring a professional data recovery company like DriveSavers. DriveSavers has been an industry leader for 30 years. They have a stellar reputation and success rate. In the rare cases that I have had a client who needed professional data recovery, I always use DriveSavers. Fortunately they have been able to recover most of the needed data. The downside of professional data recovery companies is the relatively high cost. Read More from “DriveSavers Provides Excellent Data Recovery Services”

Social Engineering Scams Are The Easiest Way to Hack Into Your Mac

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Computer Basics, Security/Privacy

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 or giving remote access to your Mac is the easiest way to break in to your Mac. Tricking you is often called social engineering. Read More from “Social Engineering Scams Are The Easiest Way to Hack Into Your Mac”

Subscribe And Listen To Podcasts Using Overcast

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Miscellaneous

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 More from “Subscribe And Listen To Podcasts Using Overcast”

Podcasts Are Like On-Demand Radio

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Miscellaneous

Have 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 is a portmanteau of iPod and broadcast created by a BBC journalist in 2004, when Apple’s iPod was having its heyday. Read More from “Podcasts Are Like On-Demand Radio”

Free Video-Based Training From Lynda.com

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Computer Basics, Seattle

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 training. You can access is either a computer at one of the 27 branch locations or from your Mac, at home, as long as you have a library card. To access this from your own Mac, follow these simple instructions:

  1. Visit the database page on the SPL web site
  2. Click on Lynda.com
  3. When prompted to login type in your SPL library card number and associated PIN number then click the Log In button.

This is a great resource and way to add some computer skills.

[Update, June 2019:  Lynda.com has been acquired by LinkedIn and is now named LinkedIn Learning]

Beware Of Bogus Adobe Flash Updates

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Security/Privacy, Virus/Malware

[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 you cannot trust everything you read. So, how do you know which Flash Player update windows you can trust? My answer is, do not trust any of them; just go ahead and close these pop-up windows. Instead, follow these instructions to check if your Flash Player really needs to be updated. Read More from “Beware Of Bogus Adobe Flash Updates”

Use Your iPad As A Second Screen For Your Mac

Posted on by Tim Hannon in iOS and iPhone/iPad Apps, macOS (formerly OS X), Software

Did 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 try this. Apple indicates that they have no plans to make touch-based Macs so if you’d like to have touch-control of your Mac this is the only way I know to make it happen.  Read More from “Use Your iPad As A Second Screen For Your Mac”