Printer Recommendations

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Hardware, Miscellaneous, Printing, Services

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 is tough to keep track of all of these devices. Second, people’s individual needs vary more than you might realize. Consequently, rather than recommend one or two particular printer models, I often start by outlining the range of printer features that are available to help people select an appropriate type of printer for their needs. This article contains a summary of my guidance. I intend to update this article as the printer market changes so check back before you buy your next printer.

[Aside – If you’d like to look for specific printer model recommendations check out The Wirecutter which tests and offers recommends for The Best Cheap Printer, The Best Multi-Function Printer and maybe other types of printers. ]

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How To Delete Multiple Emails On Your iPhone

Posted on by Tim Hannon in iOS and iPhone/iPad Apps, Software
Do you have dozens or hundreds of messages that you want to delete from your iPhone? Here are two ways to delete multiple messages. [Be aware, that if you’re using an IMAP or Exchange email account that when you delete a message from your Inbox on your iPhone that it’ll be deleted from your Mac’s Inbox as well. If you don’t want this happen then you might not want to delete the messages from your iPhone. If you’re not sure what type of email account you have, then please delete just 1 message from your iPhone and see if it vanishes from your Mac in the next couple of minutes or not.]
  • Wake up your iPhoneiPhone Inbox Edit Button
  • Tap on the Mail application
  • Navigate to your Inbox
  • Tap the Edit button in the upper right corner
  • On the left side of the email messages a new “column” appears with empty circles. Tap in the circle to select a message that you want to select
  • Click the Trash button in the lower right corner.
[Important Note: Before you click on any circles there is a option to “Trash All”, click this button only if you want to delete absolutely every messages in the Inbox]

Save Photos and Videos From iPhone Text Messages

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

Do your friends send you a lot of photos and videos as attachments to text messages? If so, these photos and videos could be consuming a fair amount of space on your iPhone or iPad. I recommend that you periodically review these images, save the ones that you want and then delete them. Here are instructions on how to save these images first to your devices’ Camera app and then to your Mac and finally delete them from your iPhone or iPad. Read More from “Save Photos and Videos From iPhone Text Messages”

When To Consider Restoring An iPad Or iPhone

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

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 troubleshooting steps have failed to fix a problem. Read More from “When To Consider Restoring An iPad Or iPhone”

When Should You Not Click On The Unsubscribe Button

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Computer Basics, Email, Services
Do you get emails that you do not want to receive? We all do. I hope you know that you should often click the unsubscribe button which appears at the bottom of these emails to truly stop receiving those messages. But, do you know when you should not click the unsubscribe button? Here are some guidelines:

Use the unsubscribe button when the emails come from a legitimate organization or familiar person like AAA, Radio Shack, Martha Stewart, etc. or any online vendor that you recognize and with whom you have done business.

Please don’t use the unsubscribe button when the email is advertising viagra, offering to enhance a body part, refinance your mortgage or offer you sexy woman who are waiting to meet you. The reason for this is that the sender of these emails won’t honor your request since they do not really want to give you a way to unsubscribe. Instead, by clicking the button you are only confirming that your email address is active and thus, you are more likely to continue receiving these messages. Consequently, this action can be counter-productive.

Is It Okay To Use A MacBook Pro’s Power Adapter With A MacBook Air?

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Hardware, Macintosh

Have 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 wattage adapter without issue, but it won’t make your computer charge faster or operate differently. Lower wattage adapters will not provide enough power.” Let me elaborate on what Apple states in their support article. Read More from “Is It Okay To Use A MacBook Pro’s Power Adapter With A MacBook Air?”

How To Simultaneously Select Multiple Files On Your Mac

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Computer Basics
An incredibly handy skill is knowing how to simultaneously select multiple files on your Mac. I’ll explain two of the most common ways to do this. Once you master these two fundamental skills you’ll be able to use them over and over again. For example, you’ll be able to select many email messages and move them to a folder. You’ll be able to select many photos and add them to an Album. You’ll be able to select many files and drag them to the Trash.

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Use Calendar’s Quick Event Feature

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Calendar Syncing and Sharing, Services

Do you use Apple’s Calendar application? If so, one of the easiest ways to add an event to your calendar is the often overlooked Quick Event feature. Here are instructions to add an event to your calendar using Quick Event.

Create Quick Event

  • In the upper left corner of the Calendar window click the plus sign (+) button.
  • Type in an event name, such as Haircut,
  • Type in a date, such as Mar 18 or Nov 1
  • Type in a time or time range such as 8 am or 2:15 to 3:15 pm
  • Press the Return key

Your event will be added to your calendar. You can now add more details such as an alarm or note.

If you only entered a start time, like 8 AM, the event’s default duration will be 1 hour.

The event will be added to your default calendar. To change your default calendar click on the Calendar menu, select Preferences, click on General and pick your preferred calendar to be your default.

If you like to use keyboard shortcuts you can press Command-N to activate the Quick Entry window. Type in the event details and press the Return key.

Convert Your Contacts To A Excel File

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Miscellaneous

Have you ever wanted to build a Word or Excel file of some or all of the people in your Mac address book? A free tool let’s you do this easily. The original tool I found stopped working around the middle of 2019, but I found a very similar replacement. I provide instructions below.

[Update February 2020 I found some other apps that claim to give you ways to convert your AddressBook data to a .csv file. I haven’t tested them yet, but here are links to these products:

AB2CSV and an article from Lifewire about how to use AB2CSV.

Cisdem’s ContactMate (free or $40) and Cisdem’s article about how to use their own product.

An apparently free online converter, Aconvert.]

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Rackspace Email Set Up Assistant

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Email, Services
Do you use Rackspace as your email provider? If so, Rackspace has a great email set up web page. This page provides illustrated step-by-step instructions on how to set up your Rackspace email account on computers, smartphones or tablets. You select which operating system is running on your device and it provides you instructions specific to your email account. You only need to know your email address and password. One of my favorite features of this email set up assistant is that it offers an automatic way of setting up smartphones.

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Visit The Wire Cutter For Great Product Reviews

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Miscellaneous

Do you ever need to buy a printer, speakers, iPhone case or some other gadget for your computer or home? If so, check out the detailed product reviews and recommendations offered by The Wire Cutter. I’ve used this web site for a few years to do product research for myself and my customers. I cannot list all of the types of products that they review, but I have used the web site to select bluetooth keyboards, portable hard drives, USB flash drives, 27″ computer monitors, printers, bluetooth speakers, projectors, wireless routers, TVs, and online backup systems. Read More from “Visit The Wire Cutter For Great Product Reviews”

The First Ransomware That Attacks Macs Has Been Discovered

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

The days of Mac users blithely using their computers and not worrying about security issues are gone. Over the past few years the amount of malware that targets Mac users has proliferated. (Malware is a portmanteau of malicious software.) Your best protection against malware is to have a good backup system in place and to be cautious about what files you download and install onto your Mac. Another reminder of the need to be vigilant occurred this past weekend when the first ransomware targeting Macs was discovered. Ransomware tries to encrypt all of the files on your Mac and then literally requires you to pay a ransom to regain access to your own computer and data. However, if you have a backup then you could erase your Mac and restore from your backup, rather than pay the ransom. Read More from “The First Ransomware That Attacks Macs Has Been Discovered”

Use Hermes To Listen To Pandora On Your Mac

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Miscellaneous, Software

Do you use Pandora, the music streaming service? To listen to Pandora do you open a web browser and visit the Pandora website? If so, consider using Hermes instead. Hermes is a free application which you would install on your Mac. Hermes works with both free and paid Pandora accounts. While Pandora offers their own Mac app, it only works if you have a paid Pandora account, called a Pandora One account. Additionally, the Pandora app relies on Adobe Air. This isn’t bad, but it makes it a bit tougher to get installed and working. Hermes currently requires OS X Mavericks (aka OS X 10.9). Hermes is not perfect, but it works very well in my experience. Download Hermes, login with your Pandora username and password and you are ready to use it. All of your Pandora stations will appear. Hermes has a small window that is easy to slide out of the way when you aren’t using it.

What is Xfinity Wifi And Why Does My Mac Always Connect To It?

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Networks, Seattle

Have you noticed wireless networks named XFINITY, xfinitywifi or CableWiFi? Does your Mac keep connecting to these networks? Here’s an explanation about what these wireless networks are as well as some information about when you might want your Mac to connect to these networks. Read More from “What is Xfinity Wifi And Why Does My Mac Always Connect To It?”

Apple Will Service Macs, iPhones and iPads For 5 Years

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Apple, Companies, Hardware, iPhone and iPad, Macintosh, Seattle

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 ago.” Once they hit the 7-year mark Apple refers to the product as obsolete. Read More from “Apple Will Service Macs, iPhones and iPads For 5 Years”

How To Hard Reset An iPhone Or iPad

Posted on by Tim Hannon in Hardware, iPhone and iPad

Did your iPhone or iPad freeze and stop responding? If so, perform a hard reset. This procedure will fix many small issues. If your device continues to freeze then you may need to take more extensive measures, like performing a factory reset or taking it to the Genius Bar at an Apple Store.

Here are instructions on how to perform a hard reset if your device has a Home button. If your device doesn’t have a Home button then follow the instructions below.

  • Press and hold the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button on your device until your iPhone or iPad turns off and then displays the Apple logo as it starts up.

The Home button is the big round button on the front of your iPhone or iPad at the bottom of the display.

The Sleep/Wake button is located on the top edge of the most iPhones and iPads. However, starting with the iPhone 6, the button moved to the right edge of the iPhone.

Your iPhone or iPad should start up. Hopefully, it will work properly.

[Update early 2018: Apple introduced a new way to perform a hard reset, in 2017, with the introduction of the iPhone X since it was the first iPhone to not include a Home button.

Instead of holding down two buttons until the iPhone restarts, you now need to press two buttons quickly and then press and hold a third button. This takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it you’re good to go.

  • Quickly press and release the Volume Up button
  • Quickly press and release the Volume Down button
  • Press and hold the side button (aka the Sleep/Wake button) until the Apple logo appears.

You must press the volume up then volume down pretty quickly, but not at the same time. The side button is what Apple calls the Sleep/Wake button. After a few seconds of holding the side button, the iPhone should restart.]

Use Your iPhone 6 With One Hand Using Reachability

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

Do you own an iPhone 6, 6S, 6 Plus or a 6S Plus? If so, use Reachability to make it easier to use the phone with only one hand. The iPhone 6 (or 6S) and iPhone 6 Plus (or 6S Plus) come with 4.7″ and 5.5″ screens, respectively. Apple added a feature named Reachability to make it easier to use these larger phones with only one hand. This feature is enabled by default, but it can be disabled. To invoke this feature double tap the Home button. Make sure you only use a gentle tap, don’t actually depress the Home button. When you invoke Reachability the entire screen shifts downward. The lower half disappears off-screen and the upper half is now within reach.  How handy! Read More from “Use Your iPhone 6 With One Hand Using Reachability”