Do you want to remotely access your Mac so you can open applications and edit files on it? This is an increasingly common request. Here’s a quick overview of a few ways to remotely access your Mac. Read More from “How to Remotely Access Your Mac”
Make Your AppleID Account More Secure
Would you like to improve the security of your online accounts such as your AppleID, Gmail, FaceBook, PayPal and Dropbox accounts? If so, you should consider turning on two-step authentication for these accounts. Two-step authentication is also called two-factor authentication. Typically, two-factor authentication requires you to enter your password as well as a code sent to your cell phone. This increases security since accessing your account would require both knowledge of your password as well as possession of your cell phone. Read More from “Make Your AppleID Account More Secure”
Manually Delete Time Machine Backups from a Hard Drive
Is your external backup hard drive full of Time Machine backup data? In last week’s Tech Tip, we talked about how Time Machine automatically deletes your oldest backups to make room for new backups. Time Machine typically does this, but I’ve seen it misbehave also. Alternatively, you might want to manually delete some of your old Time Machine backups to free up space on the external hard drive for some other use. In any case, here are instructions on how to manually delete some Time Machine backups. Read More from “Manually Delete Time Machine Backups from a Hard Drive”
What To Do If Your Time Machine Hard Drive Is Full
Has your Time Machine backup hard drive filled up? Are you seeing the “Time Machine deleted one or more backups to make room for new backups” notification? If so, don’t worry. This is perfectly normally and is probably just fine. Let me elaborate and explain. Read More from “What To Do If Your Time Machine Hard Drive Is Full”
Cleaning Up Your Downloads Folder
When was the last time you looked at your Downloads folder? More importantly, when was the last time you cleaned it out? Unless you have reconfigured settings in both Mail and Safari, as well as some other applications, any file that you download gets put into the Downloads folder. I recommend that all users regularly review the contents of their Downloads folder. Move files that you want to keep into another folder and delete files you no longer need. Read More from “Cleaning Up Your Downloads Folder”
Renting Meeting Space in Seattle
Do you ever need to rent a meeting room in Seattle? Many of my clients run home-based businesses and they sometimes need to rent a room where they can conduct trainings, interviews or depositions. Here’s a list of some organizations which rent rooms in the Seattle area. While I try to list a few highlights, these facilities vary widely in size, price, hours of availability, amount of parking, etc. Please contact each organization to get specific details. Read More from “Renting Meeting Space in Seattle”
Comparing Personal VPN Services for Mac Users
Would you like to secure your Internet connection when you’re using a public wireless network at a hotel, coffee shop or airport? If so, you should consider using a personal VPN service like Cloak or TunnelBear. Read More from “Comparing Personal VPN Services for Mac Users”
Reduce the Size of PDF Files
Would you like to quickly reduce the size of a PDF file so it’s small enough to send as an email attachment? Here are some easy step-by-step instructions to do this on your Mac. Read More from “Reduce the Size of PDF Files”
How To Create A Fillable Form in Word 2011 and 2016
Would you like to create a questionnaire, sign-up form, quiz or other type of form that people can fill out on their computer? If so, here are some general instructions on how to create a form using Microsoft Word 2011 or Word 2016 on your Mac. Read More from “How To Create A Fillable Form in Word 2011 and 2016”
How To Add a Hyperlink to a Message in Mail
Would you like to turn a word in an email message into a web page hyperlink? If you use Apple’s Mail, use these simple instructions. Read More from “How To Add a Hyperlink to a Message in Mail”
Check The Health of Your Mac’s Internal Hard Drive
Hard drives are the component of a computer that fail most often. Every hard drive will eventually fail. This is why it’s so important to backup your Mac’s hard drive. It’s also prudent to periodically check the health of your Mac’s internal hard drive. I recommend two applications for this purpose: Onyx (free) and SMARTUtility (free trial, then $25). Read More from “Check The Health of Your Mac’s Internal Hard Drive”
How to Switch Email and Web Hosting Companies
Are you pleased with your company’s email and web hosting company? Email is a critical business tool for many businesses, thus one should not change hosting companies on a whim or without adequate preparation. Here’s an overview of the migration process, including pre-migration planning, day-of-migration tasks and post-migration tasks. Read More from “How to Switch Email and Web Hosting Companies”
Throw Away a File Using a Keyboard Shortcut
Would you like to quickly delete files from your Mac using a few keystrokes on your keyboard? Here’s how to do it. Read More from “Throw Away a File Using a Keyboard Shortcut”
Activating a New Cable Modem with Comcast
Do you get your Internet service from Comcast? If so, do you know if you’re renting your cable modem or own it out-right? If a Comcast tech set it up then there’s a good chance that you’re paying a monthly rental fee of about $10. If this is the case, you might want to buy your own cable modem and return the one you are renting. A new cable modem costs between $60-$130 depending upon which model you buy. You recover the cost of this new modem in 9-18 months through eliminating the rental fee. Read More from “Activating a New Cable Modem with Comcast”
Easy and Affordable Adult Content Filtering For Your Home Network
Do you have children? Would you like to configure your home network to easily block adult content? Here’s an easy and affordable way to set up adult content filtering for all Macs, PCs, iPhones and iPads on your network. Sign-up for the free OpenDNS Home service. Read More from “Easy and Affordable Adult Content Filtering For Your Home Network”
How to Quit an App on an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch
It’s helpful to know how to truly quit an app on an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Some times apps stop working properly. When this occurs you can force the app to quit or close. In iOS version 7 and higher, here’s how to force an app to quit: Read More from “How to Quit an App on an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch”
How to Turn Off your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch
Do you know how to turn off your iPhone or iPad? People often think they are turning off the iPhone when, in fact, they are only putting it to sleep. The same button is used for both functions. The On/Off/Sleep button is circled in red in the image below. [UPDATE: Fall 2014 – All previous iPhone’s have had their On/Off/Sleep button on the top edge. The recently released iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have their On/Off/Sleep button on the right-hand side, so your button could be in either of these locations.]
Read More from “How to Turn Off your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch”
How to Clean The Screen of Your Mac Laptop, iPhone or iPad
Have you noticed how dirty the screen of your iPhone or iPad gets? Finger smudges and other stuff accumulate quickly. Even though we don’t touch our Macintosh laptop screens as much as an iPhone, the screen still gets dirty. I recommend using a microfiber cleaning cloth for quick cleanings. Additionally, use a cleaning spray like OmniCleanz or iKlear for more thorough cleanings. Read More from “How to Clean The Screen of Your Mac Laptop, iPhone or iPad”
Disable Java Web Browser Plug-Ins on Your Mac
Over the past couple of days there have been news stories about a vulnerability in Java which is apparently being exploited in an effort to steal identities. The situation is not entirely clear to me and details change rapidly, but currently the Department of Homeland Security recommends that people disable the Java web browser plug-in, for each of their web browsers. Read More from “Disable Java Web Browser Plug-Ins on Your Mac”
Strengthen and Organize Your Passwords
The start of a new year is the season of resolutions. I propose that you make a resolution to organize your passwords. Build a list of your accounts and their passwords. Also, make sure those passwords are strong. In a previous tech tip I talked about how to test your passwords’ strength and how to select strong passwords. I will reiterate some of that tech tip’s suggestions and add some recommendations on creating and maintaining your password list. Read More from “Strengthen and Organize Your Passwords”