Would you like to change Safari’s Home Page? Apple typically sets Safari to open to this page on their own web site.
You can easily configure Safari to show you any web page you’d like. Here’s how: Read More from “How To Change Safari’s Home Page”
How Long Will My Mac Last?
Are you wondering how long your Mac will last or how frequently you’ll need to replace it? This is a very difficult question to answer, since many factors can affect the durability, longevity and compatibility of a computer. I’ll do my best to provide some concise and useful guidance. Read More from “How Long Will My Mac Last?”
How to View RSS Feeds in Apple Mail
RSS is a convenient way to stay abreast of news stories or articles added to a particular web site. Rather then needing to visit your favorite web site over and over, you can use RSS to be notified when a new story or article has been added as well as read some or all of that article. I like to read my RSS feeds in my email application, Mail. Read More from “How to View RSS Feeds in Apple Mail”
Should I Buy AppleCare With My New Mac?
I strongly recommend the AppleCare Protection Plan (APP) for all MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac and MacPro purchases under most circumstances. I know that extended warranties have a poor reputation in general, but I think AppleCare is a good value for most Mac models. For the rest of this article I’ll simply refer to the AppleCare Protection Plan as AppleCare. Read More from “Should I Buy AppleCare With My New Mac?”
How Can I Learn to Use iMovie Better?
Would you like to learn to use iMovie better? Here’s a list of some online information that can help you. iMovie has grown and evolved since it was introduced in 1999. In 2007, Apple gave iMovie’s interface and workflow a complete overhaul with the introduction of iMovie ’08 (aka version 7). This same general interface is still present in the current version, iMovie ’11. The interface overhaul throws experienced iMovie users for a loop and confuses many novice users. Consequently, I frequently provide iMovie training to help users get oriented. There are some very good online resources to help you get started learning iMovie as well. Read More from “How Can I Learn to Use iMovie Better?”
Will Adding Memory to My Mac Make it Faster?
Adding memory (RAM) is one of the most common upgrades made to a computer. Many people think that this will speed up a computer. Adding memory to a computer can slightly improve its performance if the computer didn’t previously have sufficient memory installed to accommodate the applications running simultaneously. Let me elaborate to add some clarifying detail. [Update 2015: Many Macintosh model now have their memory soldered in place so additional memory can’t be added in the future. Thus, it’s important to equip new Macs with enough memory when you purchase them.] Read More from “Will Adding Memory to My Mac Make it Faster?”
Tetrax’s XWay – A Great iPhone Holder for Your Car
Are you looking for an iPhone holder which will move with you between cars and work with various iPhone models? If so, you should take a look at Tetrax’s XWAY. Read More from “Tetrax’s XWay – A Great iPhone Holder for Your Car”
How Can I Send Feedback to Apple, Adobe or Microsoft?
Have you ever wanted to report a bug or request a feature for an application made by Apple, Adobe or Microsoft? Each company offers you the opportunity to do just that. Use the following web page addresses to submit your bug reports or feature request. Read More from “How Can I Send Feedback to Apple, Adobe or Microsoft?”
If You Add Movies to Your PowerPoint 2011 Presentation Then Save It In .PPTX Format
I recently discovered a bug in PowerPoint 2011 for Mac. If you insert a movie file into a PowerPoint presentation and you’re using the older .ppt file format, the link to the movie breaks when you close the file. I’ve confirmed that this problem occurs with .wmv and .mov movie files, and I assume it occurs with any other type of movie file. I’ve had a couple of clients encounter this bug. I reported this problem to Microsoft, but it hasn’t been fixed as of the time of this writing. There is an easy solution to this problem. Use PowerPoint 2011’s native .pptx file format instead of the older .ppt file format. Read More from “If You Add Movies to Your PowerPoint 2011 Presentation Then Save It In .PPTX Format”
How To Restore a File from Your CrashPlan Backup
Here are instructions on how to restore one or more files from your CrashPlan online backup archive. The instructions work for both CrashPlan and CrashPlan Pro. In my opinion, an untested backup system is next to useless. Only by testing it do you know for sure that your backup system is working properly. By testing it, you also learn how to restore a file, which will enable you to be a bit more calm in the event of an actual disaster. Read More from “How To Restore a File from Your CrashPlan Backup”
Zamzar Let’s You Save a Copy of YouTube Videos and More
Zamzar, an online file conversion service, is an easy way to save a copy of a YouTube video on your Mac. To do this you enter the YouTube video’s address at Zamzar’s web site and it will convert the YouTube video into a file type which you choose, then send you an email containing a link to download the converted file. Read More from “Zamzar Let’s You Save a Copy of YouTube Videos and More”
How to Recycle or Destroy Hard Drives in Seattle
You have choices when you want to re-use, recycle or destroy a hard drive. Let’s look at a few common scenarios. Read More from “How to Recycle or Destroy Hard Drives in Seattle”
Data Recovery Options for Mac Users
Do you need to recover files that were deleted from a Mac’s hard drive? Here’s a quick overview of three options. Read More from “Data Recovery Options for Mac Users”
Clean Up Your Mac Hard Drive Using OmniDiskSweeper
Do you want to clean up your Mac hard drive? Is your hard drive nearly full and you don’t know why? OmniDiskSweeper (free) can help with both of these situations. OmniDiskSweeper will scan all files and folders on your Mac and list them by size, starting with the folders taking up the most space. This helps you to focus your clean-up efforts on the folders that are taking up the most room on your Mac’s hard drive. Read More from “Clean Up Your Mac Hard Drive Using OmniDiskSweeper”
How to Open Winmail.dat Attachments on a Mac or iOS Device
Did you receive an email attachment named winmail.dat or winmail? Here’s a brief explanation of what this file is and instructions for opening it.
Winmail.dat files are sent by people using Microsoft Outlook as their email application. Under certain circumstances Outlook will encode attached files, like Word or PDF files, in this winmail.dat format. Read More from “How to Open Winmail.dat Attachments on a Mac or iOS Device”
Preventive Maintenance for your Mac
Do you want to know how to perform some routine preventive maintenance on your Mac? Here’s my recommendation of helpful preventive maintenance tasks as well as instructions on how to perform these tasks. You do not need to have advanced knowledge to perform these tasks. Read More from “Preventive Maintenance for your Mac”
How Can I Easily Share Files with Colleagues?
Are you looking for an easy way to share files with your colleagues who use a mix of Macs and PCs? There are many online file sharing and storage systems, but I use and recommend Dropbox. I’ve tried a handful of systems including SugarSync, Windows LiveMesh, Box and GoogleDocs. While I use several of these services on an on-going basis, I think Dropbox is the most versatile and has the best mix of features that I use and care about. Read More from “How Can I Easily Share Files with Colleagues?”
How to Recycle Toner or Ink Cartridges in Seattle
If your printer’s toner or ink cartridge is completely empty, it can be put in the trash according to the City of Seattle’s web site. Otherwise, you should recycle it using any of the following methods. Read More from “How to Recycle Toner or Ink Cartridges in Seattle”
How to Recycle Compact Fluorescent Lamps in Seattle
Have you wondered how to properly dispose of compact fluorescent lamps? Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL or sometimes just CF) are energy efficient light bulbs that contain very small amounts of mercury, so they need to be properly handled and thus can’t be put directly in your trash. Read More from “How to Recycle Compact Fluorescent Lamps in Seattle”
How to Recycle Computers, Printers, Monitors and Other Electronics in Seattle
This is the first in a series of articles about how to easily recycle your Macintosh computer, monitor, printer, ink and toner cartridges, batteries, cell phones and other electronics commonly used in small businesses or around the home. I live in Seattle so I focus on Seattle and King County, but many of these resources are available in the greater Puget Sound area. Read More from “How to Recycle Computers, Printers, Monitors and Other Electronics in Seattle”