Wednesday, 13 September 2017 10:01
Why iOS 11 Is the Most Important Version Yet for iPad Users
Written by Adam Engst
Apple has long argued that you can use the iPad for productivity but hasn’t backed that claim up with the necessary features in iOS. Until now, that is, with the new iPad-centric capabilities of iOS 11. These changes mean that an iPad running iOS 11 is more like a Mac, and that’s a good thing […]
Wednesday, 13 September 2017 10:00
What’s New in macOS 10.13 High Sierra and Its Main Apps
Written by Adam Engst
Although Apple’s eye-catching Desktop image of the High Sierra mountains makes it easy to confirm that your Mac is running High Sierra, the most noteworthy new features are invisible! These changes are aimed at improving your Mac’s performance. But, don’t worry that there’s nothing new in High Sierra to play with—you’ll find plenty to do […]
Friday, 01 September 2017 07:28
What the %&#@& Is Draining My MacBook Battery?
Written by Adam Engst
If your MacBook’s battery charge is dropping faster than you think is reasonable, it’s time to look for the culprit. Click the Battery icon in the menu bar and wait a few seconds for the Battery menu to display power information, including which apps are using significant energy. Obviously, you can’t quit apps you’re using, […]
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Long gone are the days of ghetto blasters and monster speakers—now we pump music directly into our eardrums with EarPods and AirPods. Noise-induced hearing loss is a real problem, though, with millions of people damaging their hearing by playing music too loud, sometimes inadvertently. Happily, iOS can help protect your ears, and those of your […]
Friday, 01 September 2017 07:26
The Easy Shortcut to Delete Unwanted Photos Quickly
Written by Adam Engst
It’s a lot easier to take photos than it is to delete them, particularly in Photos on the Mac. You’ve done the dance: select a photo, press Delete, and press Return when Photos asks if you want to delete the photo. But you can sidestep that annoying dialog with this simple trick: press Command-Delete instead […]
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Friday, 01 September 2017 07:25
Did You Know Your iPhone Can Help You Find Your Parked Car?
Written by Adam Engst
The iPhone’s Maps app automatically records where you park your car as long as the iPhone is connected to the car’s Bluetooth system. It even notifies you of this when you get out of the car. But how do you get back to the car after you’ve done your errands? Just bring up Maps, and […]
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A major change in macOS 10.13 High Sierra is the switch to Apple’s new Apple File System, or APFS. With any luck, you’ll barely notice the change, just as almost no one did earlier this year when Apple updated millions of iOS devices to APFS with iOS 10.3. But let’s unpack what APFS is, why […]
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Friday, 01 September 2017 07:22
Use Personal Hotspot Tethering to Avoid Dodgy Wi-Fi While Traveling
Written by Adam Engst
Finding good Internet access for your Mac or Wi-Fi-only iPad while traveling can be maddening. Look in your Wi-Fi menu while sitting in an airport and you’ll see a bunch of networks, most of which require a password or won’t connect for other reasons. It isn’t any better when you reach your destination, since many […]
Friday, 01 September 2017 07:21
Learn to Use the Color Picker: Put Some Color in Your Mac
Written by Adam Engst
If you’re over 40, you probably remember the point in The Wizard of Oz where the movie switches from black-and-white to Technicolor (and if not, go see it!). It wasn’t the first color film, but the vibrant images of Dorothy’s ruby slippers, the yellow brick road, and the Emerald City helped make the movie an […]
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Friday, 01 September 2017 06:08
Make Sure to Get Sierra before High Sierra Ships
Written by Adam Engst
Assuming Apple continues its previous practices, once macOS 10.13 High Sierra comes out, it will become impossible to download 10.12 Sierra for the first time. That could be awkward if you want to upgrade an older Mac to Sierra at any point after High Sierra ships, since you won’t be able to get Sierra then. […]
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Friday, 01 September 2017 06:04
When Should You Upgrade to macOS 10.13 High Sierra, iOS 11, watchOS 4, and tvOS 11?
Written by Adam Engst
To every thing there is a season, and we’re fast approaching the time when Apple harvests the fruit of the last year and releases new versions of macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS. There are no major surprises here, since Apple announced the new versions in June and public betas have been available since that announcement. […]
For the most part, you never have to power down your trusty iPhone, but there are two rare situations where doing so might be useful. If your battery is getting low and you won’t be able to charge before you absolutely need the phone later in the day, turning it off will prevent it from […]
Tuesday, 01 August 2017 10:07
The Fastest Ways to Switch between Virtual Screens on Your Mac
Written by Adam Engst
When you click the green zoom button in a window on your Mac, that puts the window into full-screen mode. It’s a great way to maximize screen real estate on a smaller MacBook screen, for instance, but how can you switch between these virtual screens quickly? You could swipe up on the trackpad with four […]
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Tuesday, 01 August 2017 10:06
Reply Quickly to Messages on Your iPhone’s Lock Screen
Written by Adam Engst
Want a faster way to reply to a conversation in Messages? If you see a Messages notification on the Lock screen of your iPhone 6s or later, press and hold on it to expand it into an interactive box where you can reply without unlocking your iPhone or navigating into the Messages app. It’s perfect […]
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Tuesday, 01 August 2017 10:05
Here’s Your 30-second Crash Course in Dealing with Broken Web Pages
Written by Adam Engst
We’ve all hit a Web page at some point that doesn’t load fully, looks wrong, or doesn’t work as it should. It’s not your fault, but here are a few things you can try on your Mac. First, press Command-R to reload the page. Second, quit and relaunch Safari. Third and finally, try a different […]
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Tuesday, 01 August 2017 10:04
Four Ways to Make the iPhone Easier to Read without Glasses
Written by Adam Engst
If you have 20/20 vision or are still wondering why your parents have reading glasses, count yourself lucky. But if you’re like many people—over 60 percent of the population by some estimates, including most people over 45—reading the tiny text on your iPhone or iPad screen might be impossible if you don’t happen to have […]
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Tuesday, 01 August 2017 10:03
Get to Work More Quickly with the Right Mac Login Items
Written by Adam Engst
There’s a French culinary phrase—mise en place—that means “everything in its place.” The idea is that, before you start cooking, you organize and arrange all the ingredients for the dish so they’re right at hand when you need them. In essence, mise en place is about being well-prepared for the task at hand. You can, […]
Has your iPhone replaced your alarm clock? Would you like it to? Using an iPhone as an alarm clock has a lot of benefits. You can choose from a wide variety of non-obnoxious sounds or even pick your favorite song. It’s easy to set an alarm—no more holding down buttons and letting up at just […]
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It’s easy to find and open the Mac’s standard menus—all you do is click a word or icon. But did you know about the Mac’s hidden menus? They contain many useful commands, but the Mac’s user interface provides no clue to their existence. Here’s what you need to know. What’s in a Name? These menus […]
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Monday, 03 July 2017 08:08
Try This Quick Shortcut for Turning Off iPhone Alarms
Written by Adam Engst
If you’re like us, your iPhone has replaced that old digital alarm clock by your bedside. But one way that the iPhone doesn’t match up is the ease of thwacking a big Off button to stop the annoying wake-up noise. Happily, you don’t have to open your eyes and find the Stop button to silence […]
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Monday, 03 July 2017 08:07
Clear Your Mac Desktop by Removing Unnecessary Menu Bar Status Icons
Written by Adam Engst
You know all those status icons on the right side of your Mac’s menu bar? Many of them are useful, but if your menu bar is cluttered with icons you don’t need, you can make your Mac easier to use by removing the extras. Just hold down the Command key and drag an offending icon […]
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Monday, 03 July 2017 08:06
How to Recover from the Dreaded “No Service” on Your iPhone
Written by Adam Engst
Have you ever found your iPhone showing “No Service” in the upper-left corner instead cell service bubbles, even when you know there should be cellular reception in your location? It doesn’t happen often, but the iPhone has been known to lose connectivity when it shouldn’t. To fix this problem, open Control Center by swiping up […]
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