May 1, 2019
MacOS is really efficient when using files however over time temporary data such as caches created by third party software can slow you macOS system down. Built right into macOS Sierra is the ability to easily clean things up! It is advisable to carry out a backup of your Mac first Time Machine is great for this. Firstly hold down ⇧ shift and start your Mac up, keep holding down shift until you see your usual login screen. While booting and holding down shift you will see a loading bar,...
May 24, 2018
Continuing our run down of the sharing preference pane, Bluetooth Sharing allows you to easily share files via Bluetooth with other Bluetooth enabled devices. The devices do not have to be Apple products they can be Android phones for example. It can be a convenient way of transferring files when two computers are not on the same network, however the transfer speeds are quite slow compared with Ethernet or Wi-Fi networking. Go to: System Preferences > Sharing Check the Bluetooth Sharing checkbox and set the options: Special attention should be...
May 16, 2018
What Is The Best Hard Drive to Use for Your Backups? Backing up your Mac is like flossing your teeth: everyone knows they should do it every night, but too many people never get around to it. Unlike flossing, once you set up backups, they don’t require daily attention. And turning on Apple’s Time Machine backup feature is easy—simply open System Preferences > Time Machine, click Select Backup Disk, and pick a hard drive to hold your backups. Ah, but there’s the rub. If you don’t have an appropriate hard...
May 13, 2018
Internet Sharing It really does do what it says, you can share the internet connection on your Mac with other computers on the same local network. Or if you don’t have a local network you can share your Mac’s Internet connection via Ethernet, Wi-Fi, USB & Bluetooth. Go to: System Preferences > Sharing In this article, I’m going to share the iPhone USB connection from my Mac to Wi-Fi & Ethernet connections, this is useful if say your broadband is offline or you are changing provider. Before enabling Internet Sharing...
May 4, 2018
Enabling remote Apple events Continuing our run down of the sharing preference pane we’ll cover remote Apple events, remote Apple events allow apps running on other Macs to send commands directly to the Mac with remote Apple events enabled these commands can include “opening an app”, “printing a document” or even playing music. Basically, remote Apple events allow you to quickly run a task on another Mac without having to use screen sharing. Go to: System Preferences > Sharing Check the Remote Apple events option: Again, you should specify which...
You’ve probably heard of Apple Pay, but have you set it up so you can use it to pay for purchases at checkout? If not, give it a try, since it’s one of those living-in-the future Apple technologies that feels like science fiction every time you use it. Simply put your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch within an inch or so of a compatible payment terminal (look for an Apple Pay or contactless payment logo), put your finger on the Home button to use Touch ID (or double-press the iPhone X’s side...
Apr 30, 2018
AirPort products have not seen an update since 2012 & the Time Capsule has not had an update since 2013, In 2016 news sites had started to report Apple had moved its developers that were assigned to AirPort to other products signalling the coming of the end. Apple released a press statement to signal the end of AirPort development this week. “We’re discontinuing the Apple AirPort base station products. They will be available through Apple.com, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers while supplies last,” The Apple Store online has...
Dragging files and folders around is core to the Mac experience—drag a file from one folder to another to move it, drag a folder from one drive to another to copy it. But did you know that if you hold down the Option key while dragging a file in the Finder, you’ll get a green + pointer and it will make a copy in the destination? That’s easier than duplicating, moving, and renaming the file. Similarly, if you want to move a large folder from one drive to another, hold...
A client got in touch recently with a maddening problem. When he received texts on his iPhone, Messages displayed notifications for messages from everyone…except his wife! Needless to say, this was a problem. Since notifications appeared correctly for other people, it wasn’t related to overall settings. It turned out that he—or someone else, or iOS gremlins—had inadvertently enabled the Hide Alerts switch for the Messages conversation with his wife. To fix it, all he had to do was display the conversation in Messages, tap the i button at the upper...
Facebook has dominated the news headlines of late, but not for good reasons. There were the 50 million Facebook profiles gathered for Cambridge Analytica and used in the 2016 presidential election. Facebook has long been scraping call and text message data from Android phones. And within the Facebook iOS app, the company pushes the Onavo Protect VPN, an app made by a subsidiary that literally collects all your mobile data traffic for Facebook. Because of this, many have encouraged Facebook users to delete their accounts. That even includes the billionaire...
As of June 1st 2018, the Mac App Store will require all apps to support 64-bit, in advance of this after you update to macOS 10.13.4 the first time you open a 32-bit app you will see the following alert. If you press the “Learn More” Button it takes you to the apple.com website which explains. “Starting with macOS High Sierra 10.13.4, apps that have not been updated to use 64-bit processes produce a one-time alert when opened. This gives users advance notice that they are running 32-bit software, which...
Apr 20, 2018
Continuing our run down of the options in the file sharing preference pane, we are going to explain the Remote Management option. Remote management works with the Apple Remote Desktop app which is a paid app from the Mac app store, so you won’t need to use this service unless you want to allow other people to control your Mac using the Apple Remote Desktop app. Go to: System Preferences > Sharing Now check the Remote Management option from the service list: You may be prompted to choose which options...
Back in March of 2018 Apple stated it had set out to acquire a digital magazine subscription service called Texture which is run by Next Issue Media LLC, Texture is already available on the iPhone & iPad via the “Texture – Unlimited Magazines” App however this acquisition could bring the service in house to Apple News. The Texture service started in 2010 providing access to more than 200 digital magazines at a monthly subscription under $10.00. Magazines served via Texture can be accessed on five devices for each subscription. Titles...
Apr 16, 2018
When you enable remote login, you can access your Mac using Secure Shell (SSH) from another computer. If you don’t know what this is then you most likely do not want to enable it as it will make your Mac less secure, however if you need to use SSH to access your Mac read on! Go to: System Preferences > Sharing Check the Remote Login Service. This will also enable secure FTP (sftp). You now need to set which users can log in: From the Allow access for list: All...
Apr 13, 2018
According to the New York Times Apple has outspent both YouTube & Facebook on original programming for the debut of its TV & movie platform, we could see the new platform launched in the spring of 2019. The New York Times reports Apple’s strong brand and ability to fund the project have made Apple attractive to both show creators and stars alike. Apple is also reported to have leased a 128,000-square-foot in Culver City, California which will house some of Apple Music and the new entertainment division of Apple. Indeed,...
Apr 12, 2018
If you’ve got a perfectly usable printer that only supports USB connections that is to say non-network or non-wireless printers it’s possible to share it on your network so other Macs can print to it. To share your printer on a Mac or with a UNIX computer the computers must be on the same network as your Mac, Mac users must be running OS X Tiger or later. Go to: System Preferences > Sharing Check the Printer Sharing checkbox, and the Printer Sharing status will change to On. In the...
In recent years there has been a lot of talk about smartphone addiction among children and young adults, with investors applying pressure to smartphone makers such as Apple. Apple has reacted by creating the “Families” mini site on apple.com explaining how to use parental control tools in iOS as well as other useful information for parents, this information covers iPads, iWatches, Macs and iPhones although the information is mostly geared towards iPhones and iPads. The families section of apple.com is grouped into several sections that emphasize a range of child...
Apr 9, 2018
Continuing with our run down of the sharing preference pane, we’ll look into File Sharing. File sharing is one of the most useful services available when you have a more than one computer, care should be taken not to open up the files on the networked computers in a way that allows anyone to access your files. To enable File Sharing on your Mac, go to System Preferences > Sharing Next check the box for File Sharing Mac and Windows computers can now see your computer on the local network....
Apple’s iCloud Drive offers you a way to safely and securely store and save your files - from documents to images and videos. iCloud Drive works similar to Dropbox or Box, but has now integrated a lot of new features through iOS 11, allowing you to collabo-rate with others and work using Apple software such as Pages, Keynote and more. Set Up: Mac, iPhone and iPad The first step is to set up your iCloud Drive account if you haven’t already. On the Mac Make sure you are running the...
Apr 6, 2018
Today more than ever it is important to keep your computers up to date to safeguard from security vulnerabilities that hackers and cybercriminals might use to attack or gain entry to your computer files and confidential data. Apple has made this process easier through software notifications that you can receive automatically to install updates. You can also make upgrades automatically if you like. If you receive a notification that software updates are available, you can choose when to install the updates, or choose to be reminded the next day. Here’s...
Apr 5, 2018
In just a little over three months, the World Wide Developer Conference will be underway again and auto-mation is a key update. Apple’s Siri is considered lagging behind Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Alexa in terms of voice recognition and executing commands. However, one key aspect that has been neglected in the news and in comparisons among the products is the fact that Siri leverages only your voice ca-pabilities and does not infringe upon your data like these other products do. Both Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Alexa use all the information...
At a special education event on March 27th, Apple introduced a new 9.7-inch iPad that offers faster performance, support for the Apple Pencil, and a few new camera-related features. The company also released new versions of the iWork apps—Pages, Numbers, and Keynote—that let users draw, sketch, and write with the Apple Pencil. Sixth-generation iPad For the most part, the new sixth-generation iPad is the same as the fifth-generation model it replaces. Its physical dimensions are unchanged, so existing cases and accessories should continue to work. It comes in the same...
Snazzy shadowed text probably isn’t appropriate for your company’s annual report, but if you’re whipping up a flyer for a birthday party, you might want to jazz up the text. You can do that in most Mac apps that support macOS’s system-level Fonts palette. Select your text, and then bring up the Fonts palette. Generally speaking, such as in Pages and TextEdit, you do that by choosing Format > Font > Show Fonts, though the exact location may vary by app. Then click the shadowed T button toward the right...
Here’s one for those who use Apple’s Notes app for storing bits of information. By default, Notes in macOS gives you a single window, with each note listed in a sidebar. But what if you want to see two notes at once? Or keep one always available no matter what else you’re doing? Select the desired notes in the sidebar by Command-clicking them, and then choose Window > Float Selected Notes to open them in their own windows. Or, just double-click them in the sidebar! Then, to make sure one...
Family life is all about togetherness, but keeping track of who’s doing what when can be tough. Apple’s Family Sharing service makes it easy to share apps, media, and more within a family of up to six members, and it provides a few helpful digital housekeeping capabilities, such as locating your kid’s misplaced iPad. Here’s an overview of how Family Sharing can enhance your family’s everyday life, both online and in the real world. Manage Your Kids’ Purchases Every Family Sharing group has an organizer. That person (probably you) sets...
With Apple’s productivity apps like Calendar, Contacts, Notes, and Reminders, which look and work pretty much the same on the Mac and in iOS, what you see is largely what you get. Particularly in iOS, they tend not to have much in the way of hidden depths. With Reminders, however, Apple’s engineers snuck some surprising little features into the Mac version. We like using Siri on the iPhone, Apple Watch, and HomePod to add items to our iCloud-synced Reminders to-do lists and shopping lists whenever we think of them. And...
Mar 28, 2018
File this warning under “unless it’s absolutely necessary.” If you use iCloud Photo Library on your Mac, don’t sign out from iCloud. Also, don’t deselect the iCloud Photo Library checkbox in either the Photos options of the iCloud pane of System Preferences or in the iCloud preferences in Photos itself. Why not? Because, when you re-enable iCloud or iCloud Photo Library, Photos will re-upload all your photos, which could take days. (It’s not really re-uploading all of them, but even just resyncing will take a long time.) Worse, if you...
Mar 27, 2018
Apple and IBM are integrating IBM’s machine learning AI called Watson to iOS, Watson aims to make iOS enterprise apps smarter. Watson is referred to as ML or Machine Learning software so the software or app in this case learns from each time you use it. Currently to integrate Watson with an app you have to access it via IBM’s cloud services, what this integration with Apple’s iOS aims to do is to bring the core services of Watson onto apps for iOS even when offline. By Apple and IBM...
Apple has given a boost to its self-driving car program, Project Titan, with up to 45 vehicles on the road in California, behind only General Motor’s Cruise subsidiary. According to a report from the Financial Times last Tuesday, pulling data from California’s Department of Motor Vehicles, Apple’s self-driving program has expanded from 3 vehicles in April 2017 to 45 as of 2018, just behind GM’s Cruise with 110 cars. Car companies behind Apple are Tesla with 39 vehicles and Uber with 29. Uber had shut down its testing after an...
After months of anticipation, Apple’s new HomePod smart speaker finally shipped in mid-February. Reviews of its audio quality have been positive, and for the most part, it works both as advertised and as you’d expect. However, there were some surprises, most good but some bad. Whether you have a HomePod on your credenza (which may be a bad spot for it!) or you’re still deciding if you want to buy one, here are ten things you should know: Furniture rings. Let’s get this one out of the way. The HomePod...
Late Monday, Apple and IBM announced an expansion to their existing partnership to allow customers to use advanced in-app machine learning capabilities using IBM’s Watson and Apple’s Core ML technologies. The new expansion allows users to develop machine learning tools using Watson technology, called Watson Services for Core ML and then to deploy those assets on Apple mobile devices via MobileFirst apps. These services include analyzing images, classifying visual data and training models with Watson services. Watson’s Visual Recognition capabilities provides pre-trained machine learning models for image analysis. This helps...
In my previous post we spoke about how to share access to a DVD disk over the local network to a Mac that has no DVD drive. The next item in the list for Sharing is Screen Sharing, this can be very useful if you want to control one Mac on the same network from another. It allows you to view and control the Macs desktop and apps as well as access the folders and files. It is a little more complicated than using DVD sharing in that you also...
Have you been alarmed to see your iMac suddenly stopped working after you installed a security update or used new software? Here’s what you can do. When your trusty iMac does not turn on, it is easy to get panicked. Fixing this and getting your computer back up and running may be quick or take a while depending upon the problems that need to be addressed. For some users who installed the MacOS High Sierra update before the security patch was released a week later, this software update could have...
The sharing preference pane in System Preferences allows you to easily share access to your Macs files, Screen, attached devices such as printers and DVDs and much more. Sharing the DVD drive on an iMac across your network can be very useful if you have another Mac without a disk drive such as the MacBook Air. To access the Sharing preference pane, go to System Preferences > Sharing: Once you are in the Sharing preference pane it is worth making a note of the Computer Name and even changing this...
Mar 19, 2018
Don’t panic Apple is not about to launch B52’s against North Korea or anything like that, they just decided to call their wireless charging accessory “AirPower” they announced it with the launch of the iPhone X last year but said it would not be available until 2018. And according to some of Apple’s suppliers the AirPower charging accessory could be in shops by the end of March 2018. The Apple AirPower promises to be able to charge up to 3 devices at once that could be your iPhone your iWatch...
Notification in macOS keep all the potential dialog boxes and pop ups that apps generate under control and in one place. The Notification center can also provide you access to information quickly like your calendar and weather information using widgets, some of the widgets such as the weather widget are built in others are added by apps. To see your notifications click on the 3 bars in the top right hand corner of macOS: To edit the widgets click on the edit button on the today tab. Then use the...
Mar 9, 2018
Since macOS 10.11.2 (macOS Sierra) the keychain app has been updated for better security and the keychain repair utility has been removed to stop malware hijacking the repair utility and accessing your passwords. So, what can you do if for example you have a constant nag from macOS to enter your keychain password after logging in. The answer is you have to repair it yourself, it’s not as difficult as you might first imagine although more time consuming than pressing a button to repair the keychain. If your only problem...
Mar 7, 2018
Your Mac relies on developers to provide an uninstaller for each app so often you are left with the only option of dragging an app from the Applications folder and dropping it in the trash. I’m going to run through the options with you here and the pros and cons of each, as always when deleting something from your Mac it is a good idea to make a backup first Time Machine is easy and convenient to use. To safely remove an app and its data: Step 1 see if...
Mar 6, 2018
As well as performing a complete backup of your Mac Time Machine also has some really powerful features for restoring individual files, folders, version control and even fragments of a file. We discussed making a full backup with Time Machine here. Restoring a single file or folder simply navigate to the location it was stored in, Enter Time Machine from the Menu Bar Icon, or search in Spotlight for Time Machine. When Time Machine first opens the Timeline will be set to Now, that’s the bar on the right-hand side...
Mar 4, 2018
You probably know that you can change Siri’s voice on your Mac, iPhone or iPad. You can also change Siri’s voice on your HomePod. The settings for the voice options are just in a different location in the Home app instead of the Settings app. Here’s what to do if you would like to change Siri’s voice to a male or female or give it a different accent (American, British and Australian are currently available). Open the Home app and find your HomePod in the list of Favorite Accessories. Long...
This is part of Apple’s strategy to produce a model for everyone, in 2018 Apple is said to be planning to release 3 new iPhones. The three iPhones will include an upgraded version of the iPhone X with a screen size of 6.5 inches; the iPhone 9 will feature a 5.8-inch OLED and a cheaper iPhone will be made available with a 6.1-inch LCD display. All three devices are reported to come with Face ID and edge to edge displays, we can also expect all three devices to have the...
Mar 1, 2018
This past week Apple changed its corporate address to One Apple Park Way, moving its entire workforce from One Infinity Loop to its new Apple Park campus that opened last year and is just down the road. Coinciding with the recent shareholder meeting that occurred in the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus this past Tuesday. The official change is evident everywhere, starting at the top with official documents such as the Form 4 statement of changes in Beneficial Ownership articles notifying the SEC of restricted stock units...
Feb 22, 2018
We have all had that moment where you save and save your files into your Google drive folder only to find out that days prior the Google Drive app had somehow stopped sycing your files. You need to get a file from Google Drive because your computer’s battery is dead and the files are not in the cloud. This is a more common problem then you might think. If its not Google Drive it could be another app that you rely on. Dashlane, LastPass, and Crashplan are other great examples...
Feb 20, 2018
Your Mac comes with a fantastic App which allows you to easily create your own mini Apps that can complete all kinds of actions automatically so if you regularly do things such as set the volume to 40% exactly you can create an automator workflow to do it for you. You can also easily link this with the dictation service that is built into osX to create something that really does save time and is really cool to boot. Today I will show you how to create a simple workflow...
Feb 17, 2018
The HomePod has been on the shelves for three days and the reviews and consumer tests are flooding in. So far it seems to be a hit on the audio quality with a shakedown from a reddit user that puts the sound quality from the Apple HomePod above that of a more expensive KEF speaker. However, on the flip side the HomePod is being marked down for its actual smartness as the features it has for SIRI are somewhat limited at the moment. This lack of functionality with Siri is...
Feb 12, 2018
Apple continues to update iOS regularly now beyond just major annual events with new features available on iOS 11.3, including power management for older iPhone models whose batteries are older. With iOS 11.3, Apple brings desired battery and performance settings so that iPhone users who have older batteries can make informed decisions about any CPU throttling. This update comes in response to outrage by some customers who were offended by the company’s process of throttling CPU performance on older devices as batteries deteriorate. The throttling process was put in effect...
Apple News: Apple’s Response to the New US Tax Act is to Invest $350 Billion Back in the U.S. with 20,000 New Jobs Just as Congress was finalizing the last details of the new US Tax Cuts and Jobs Act introduced by President Trump, Apple promises large investment back into the economy. Tax reform was long overdue in the United States. Many companies including Apple have held overseas cash to avoid paying the exorbitant business tax rate, at 35%, which was one of the highest in the world. The new...
Apple has recently released fixes for older Macs running macOS Sierra and OS X El Capitan that also face critical vulnerabilities through the Meltdown and Spectre security flaws. Both Spectre and Meltdown allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to data on computers that have microprocessors running speculative execution. Modern micropro-cessors all use speculative execution to predict next steps and have faster processing speeds. This is common in chips made by Intel and AMD as well as Apple’s A series SoCs. If the predicted path is not required, the instruction set...
Feb 1, 2018
Macs are pretty safe in personal computer terms with “safety. built right in” as Apple likes to say. However, this is not to say Macs are invulnerable to various Malware the latest being the MaMi malware. The MaMi malware works by hijacking the DNS system on the Mac itself, DNS is used to route domain names so when you visit apple.com you are actually accessing an I.P address, the location of domain names are stored on name servers and routed via DNS often by your ISP. The first step in...
Jan 31, 2018
A link to github sent to mac and ios devices via the messages app can cause restarts and crashes Don’t panic it’s not any link it’s a specific link to a github page “iabem97.github.io” if you received this link via the Messages app on your iPhone or iPad they can crash or restart, and the Messages app then becomes unusable. Interestingly the link can cause problems on both iDevices (iPads & iPhones) as well as Macs. Just receiving the link can cause issues due to the way the messages App...
Jan 29, 2018
Apple has started preorders for its new HomePod as of yesterday. Priced at $349, the audio accessory focuses on premium sound, offers Siri AI support and taps into Apple Music’s 45 million songs repository. Positioned as a higher audio quality device to provide superior music streaming quality in the home or work, Apple’s HomePod is meant to differentiate from the popular Amazon Echo and Google Home devices that focus on personal assistant service via voice-driven AI. Apple’s HomePod does offer integration with Siri, supports AirPlay for third-party music services and...
Jan 26, 2018
Apple sold nearly 20 million Macs in 2017 which is great news for us Mac lovers as the platform becomes more popular more apps and games will become available. It’s also impressive that Apple has managed to grow the number of Macs sold again in 2017 making it the 6th year in a row of increased Mac sales. In an industry that has seen the total number of PCs sold shrink as users switch to tablets and smartphones, Apple’s increased sales of Macs for 6 years in a row is...
Jan 22, 2018
Apple is expected to allow iPhone and iPad apps from the very successful iOS App Store to now run on Macs in 2018, thus increasing software options on Macs. According to Bloomberg, this large change is expected to happen in early 2018 via a new project internally referred to as ‘Marzipan.’ This blurring of lines between macOS and iOS platforms is expected to help software makers start using the Mac App Store more and also most importantly allow for the creation of a single application that works with a touchscreen,...
Jan 19, 2018
You can easily increase the performance of your iCloud access and the time it takes to perform updates across all your Apple devices using OSX & iOS. That includes your Mac(s) your Apple TV and your iPhone(S) & iPad(s). It’s not difficult to do and won’t cost you a cent! Using High Sierra’s content caching the software updates for iOS (your iPad, iPhone, & Apple TV) & OS X (your Mac) are stored on one of your Macs. Then your other Apple devices can access that content quickly from your...
Jan 17, 2018
We have recieved many concerns and questions regarding the nature of the latest two exploits. Here is more information on what they are exactly, what they do and what you need to do about it. Two large security vulnerabilities, named Meltdown and Spectre, were revealed this month, when a research team unexpectedly shared the flaw publicly ahead of planned announcements. The security flaws were discovered a few months ago and privately revealed to chip companies, operating system developers and cloud computing companies who were all working to develop necessary security...
Jan 15, 2018
Sometimes whether it is for backup purposes or for hosting, you will want to move your photos stored in your Apple Photos application library on your Mac to an external drive instead of the startup boot drive. Making the change is simpler than you think. First, quit the Photos app. Next, copy the entire Photos Library by dragging it from the startup volume to the external volume that you want to move it to. After you have completed the transfer, hold down the Option key while you launch the Photos...
Jan 15, 2018
On Monday the 8th of January 2018 Apple released macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 Supplemental Update. You may have heard about “Spectre” & “Meltdown” in the news in the last week of 2017 these are hardware-based exploits that exploit the way CPU’s process data, this could allow a hacker to gain access to your sensitive data. Meltdown was addressed in the macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 update in December 2017, for Spectre there is no hardware fix, instead Apple is addressing the vulnerability using Safari. When you update to macOS High Sierra...
Jan 14, 2018
With cloud integration, it is easier than ever to share the same file across multiple devices. Once you have enabled your iCloud Photo Library, you can see the photo that you just took on your iPhone, on your Mac computer as well. However, once you delete a photo on an iOS device or Mac computer, the photo is also deleted everywhere. Can you restore photos? If you delete a photo from your iCloud Photo Library, can you restore it? These are two frequently asked questions about photo syncing and storage...
Jan 11, 2018
Apple’s $252 Billion Cash Repatriation Increases Odds of New Acquisitions With Apple expected to bring back over $252 billion into the country following the recent change in U.S. corporate taxes, the company is well positioned to buy high performing companies in industry sectors that Apple wants to expand into. Top of the list for Citi analysts is Netflix, the video streaming service. Citi analysts Jim Suva and Asia Merchant came up with a list of potential companies that Apple could acquire that they shared with clients this past December. “The...
Jan 9, 2018
How To Protect Your Files and Computer When A Scam Site Overtakes Your Safari Homepage on your iPhone or Mac Scam sites have been known to overtake Windows computers all time, but with increasing Mac adoption, there have been scammers now attempting to fool users with serious malware. Some scams have tried to convince users that something is wrong with their computer and list a fake phone number to call and demand unreasonable amounts of payment (some fake company that is never Apple). This is an example of a phishing...
Jan 1, 2018
It is the season for giving so here is a run down of our free Apps to install on your Mac. iBooks Author With its iWork like workflow if you are used to Numbers and Pages iBooks author will get publishing your eBooks in no time. It’s available free from the Mac App Store or the App store on your iPad or iPhone: https://www.apple.com/ibooks-author/ Wunderlist This productivity tools is fantastic and free for basic use. Not only is it useful to create simple lists you can easily collaborate on your...
Dec 30, 2017
Earlier in December Bloomberg reported that Apple plans to combine Apps for the iPhone, iPad, & Mac. Although Tim Cook has previously stated that merging macOS and iOS won’t happen due to user experience issues, looking at the development of SWIFT which is Apple’s own programming language developed primarily for iOS this looks like a real possibility for third party Apps. Not so much merging of iOS and macOS rather providing the ability for the same Apps to run on both iDevices and your Mac using SWIFT. So Bloomberg is...
Dec 25, 2017
If like me you use the Boot Camp Control panel in Windows to restart your Mac into High Sierra and you are using an SSD drive for High Sierra, you may or may not notice that you can no longer choose your Macintosh startup disk in the Boot Camp Control Panel in Windows. The Windows “Boot Camp” partition will be selectable but that is all. And if you have set the Windows Boot Camp partition as the Startup Disk in System preferences > Startup Disk in High Sierra then you...
Dec 21, 2017
High Sierra has some new features for the mail App, and here is how they work. Better Search Just like Spotlight the Mail App now supports natural language search, if that phrase leaves you stumped it means you can search using in a more natural way such as using “from Jon last week” rather than specifically jon@gmail.com 11/13/2017. You can be even more vague here is an example “jon@ November 2017”. Other examples include searching for a spreadsheet with “Numbers file” rather than searching for a “.xls” or “.numbers” Split...
Dec 20, 2017
With the introduction of Apple Pay Cash, Apple makes it easy to have quick person-to-person money transfers, similar to apps like Square Cash or Venmo. The feature is now available for beta testers in the US via iOS 11.2 and watchOS 4.2. For the last two months, Apple has tested out the new option via its corporate and retail employees. While Apple Pay Cash did not ship out in iOS 11, it is now ready for iOS 11.2. Apple Pay Cash works through the Messages app allowing you to transfer...
Dec 16, 2017
Apple has announced the iMac Pro will be available to order on the 14th of December 2017. Here at Grove Technologies we already announced the iMac Pro providing a run down the specs back in June of this year. The iMac Pro will start from $4,999 which sounds high but it would be no cheaper to build a Windows PC with the same specs! As of today’s announcement the only real downside we can see is that the iMac Pro will lack upgradeability, including the Memory as the opening a...
Dec 15, 2017
The popular app Pixelmator recently launched a Pro version Nov 29, Pixelmator Pro for the Mac. With an updated editing workflow and easy to use editing tools, image editing features that are now powered by machine learning, Pixelmator Pro also features a convenient single-window interface. Designed for the Mac, Pixelmator Pro uses the Core ML framework in macOS High Sierra to power a variety of features including automatic horizon detection, a repair tool to quickly remove objects from photos and a faster selection tool. Watch the film here. In addition,...
Dec 13, 2017
System Preferences (gear icon) on your Mac offers easy ways to customize menu options to access important settings on your computer. The menu has built-in items to adjust your computer’s operating system from its appearance to energy settings, network connectivity and more. It can also contain third-party icons from third-party software or hardware. You can remove any of these items from System Preferences at any time. Start with opening the System Preferences menu. This is the gear icon. You may have it in your Dock already (appears by default). You...
Dec 7, 2017
Most of you that use Photos on your Mac will use it to download or upload your photos and videos from your iDevice (iPad’s and iPhone’s) and maybe even use some of the advanced features for sorting, filtering and organizing your collection see: https://grovetech.co/blog/photos-smart-albums/) The Photos App on your Mac also comes with a range of pro editing tools allowing you to make quick edits to your photos right from the App.3 To reveal the editing tools press the “edit photo” button: Once in the editing window a list of...
Dec 5, 2017
Apple today announced the release of watchOS 4.2 now supports Apple Pay Cash, Apple’s peer-to-peer payments service allowing users transfer money between themselves. Apple Pay Cash is already available in iOS 11.2 and can be used to send or receive money through the Messages app on the Apple watch and the iPhone. Apple Pay Cash works by accessing one of the debit or credit cards you already have in your wallet and sending the payment from your device to the receivers device and the Apple Pay Cash card which is...
How to Fix Critical High Sierra Security Vulnerability in macOS with Root Password An official fix is now available via Apple directly as of today, Nov 29 less than 24 hours after the vulnerability was discovered. You can also fix this via the steps below. After a security flaw was detected by a software developer who publicly announced the error Tuesday, Apple has now responded with a security update available through the mac App store (blue icon) in less than 24 hours. If you do not see the expected update...
Dec 1, 2017
Apple News: Revenue Up 12% and EPS Up 24% Reaching New Records On Nov 2, Apple announced financial results for the fourth quarter of 2017 ending September 30, 2017 with strong earnings and profit. Apple posted $52.6 billion in quarterly revenue, increasing 12% from last year at the same time and quarterly earnings of 24% for diluted share of $2.07. International revenue accounted for as much as 62% of revenue. Apple had the highest earnings in its Service division this past quarter. Apple has accelerated growth year on year. As...
Nov 29, 2017
Apple is working to fix a major bug within macOS High Sierra. The bug in macOS High Sierra (version 10.13) means it is possible to gain access to a Mac running High Sierra without a password, and most worryingly to access the machine as the Root user with full administration rights. The bug exists in all versions of High Sierra, including Beta 5 which was released earlier this week. In the meantime Apple has said to follow these instructions to set a root password: “Setting a root password prevents unauthorized...
Nov 29, 2017
Tracking any package is fast via macOS with an instant package tracking ability that recognizes most tracking numbers and helps you take action faster. Similar to the tracking feature available on iPhones and iPads, macOS offers a convenient way to track packages you are receiving without having to log into a browser. You can quickly track your package via email or a message that contains the tracking number. This data detection feature quickly recognizes any active tracking number you have received such as FedEx, UPS, Amazon or other. Click on...
Nov 27, 2017
Every time Apple releases a new iPhone or iPad along with it comes an update to our beloved iOS. And after updating to the latest version of iOS on our iPhone or iPad sometimes you find the device has slowed to a crawl. If you don’t want to take my word for it, between early August and November 2017 which is just after the launch of the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iOS 11 the number of Google searches for “Slow iPhone” rose over 50 percent. For the tin hat...
Nov 26, 2017
Black Friday offers some of the best Apple deals of the year both at Apple and select retailers. Today is Black Friday and that means big sales and discounts at retailers all over the country and online. Many brick and mortar stores reopened last night, offering significant discounts to waiting throngs of people ready to buy. Apple too is offering special deals on Black Friday with a one-day Black Friday sale. Retailers selling Apple products are offing discounts throughout the four-day holiday weekend. Apple's direct sale does not discount existing...
Nov 22, 2017
A brave new world I have been using Macintosh computers for a long time. As long as I can remember its always been said. Macintosh computers are not vulnerable to malicous intent. While malware, spyware and now ransomware plaque the Windows and Linux landscape, Mac had always been a trusted alternative. In fact Apple themselves highlighted this very sentiment during their, “Im a Mac” commercial campaign, which ran many years ago. We live in a very different world now. Macintosh computers are just as vulnerable to malicous attacks. Spyware and...
Nov 21, 2017
So what right? Well this means Siri could always be on, and working seamlessly inside the new iMac Pro. This could make the iMac Pro the first Mac to feature an A series Microprocessor, which are the same chips found in iPhone’s. “Looks like the iMac Pro’s ARM coprocessor is arm64 Seems to handle the macOS boot & security process, as expected; iMac Pro lets Apple experiment with tighter control without the rest of the userbase freaking out. More info & download here” It’s exciting as the level of integration...
Nov 15, 2017
Apple has been referred to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). This could have repercussions across the board if the case is successful as currently if you have your iPhone, or iPad fixed by a non-Apple authorised repairer such as the Apple Stores, Apple can and does refuse to repair them. In many countries including Australia this is seen as unfair trading however is by no means illegal. The main complaint the ACC is looking to uphold is… If the iPhone, iPad, iPod etc has been previously repaired by...
Nov 15, 2017
Predictably ;-) Apple has released an iOS update to iOS 11.1.1 , this quickly follows on from iOS 11.1. This latest iOS update fixes the keyboard bug that can cause the letter “I” to be mysteriously replaced with another character. See (our previous blog) You can find the update in the Settings app in General > Software Updates. We went over this bug last week, however there was another bug with Siri that we did not report on as we were unaware of the bug at the time of writing....
Nov 12, 2017
If you are new to Apple News, News is a preinstalled application on every iOS device (iOS 9 or later). The app provides text-based content, videos, and photos from various sources, and now you can publish straight to Apple News yourself! When you do this you will be creating your own channel which people can subscribe to, any good or popular articles you produce may also appear in other people’s News feed. If like myself you will be using a web browser to publish to Apple News you will need...
Nov 11, 2017
At the end of last week Apple’s support forum was lit up by users complaining of the letter “I” mysteriously being replaced with another character. This bug affected iPhone’s , iPad’s, and the iPod touch. If like myself your fingers are too large for the visual touch keyboard on iDevice’s already then this is another Typo hell waiting to happen. Embarrassingly for Apple it also affects their flagship iPhone X, coming in at $999 it’s a bug you would not expect after buying such an expensive piece of tech. Interestingly...
Former Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts has been reinventing Apple Stores to be thriving community centers at a time when traditional retail has taken a hit. While retail as a whole has taken a major hit with well known chains like Macy’s cutting jobs and closing stores, others declaring bankruptcy and many shoppers turning to Amazon increasingly, Apple has chosen to reinvest in retail. 2015 was a difficult year for iPhone sales in the U.S. with only 11% of Americans buying new phones at Apple Stores and majority of consumers going...
Apple’s latest software release iOS 11, available for download via the App Store on your iPhone or iPad, offers a quick way to free up space now on your iPhone or iPad via suggested options. You can find these suggestions via the Settings app (black gears on gray background icon). To use the space saving options, open the Settings app and scroll down to General. Click on General and go down to iPhone Storage. A new menu opens showing your current usage with three options below - Offload Unused Apps,...
Nov 6, 2017
This error message may appear on MacOS laptops. Learn how to fix it pronto. Sometimes Mac users have run into an unexpected snafu where they realize they cannot connect to their WiFi and get an error message ‘Wi Fi No Hardware Installed.” This message appears when you click on the Wi-Fi symbol on the upper right of your screen. Most computers today, including desktops are usually connected to the Internet via wireless networking so getting this message can be very frustrating. We all use the Internet for communicating and researching...
Nov 5, 2017
Continuing our tips on using iOS11 this week we will look at the Photos App. Finally Apple has included a QR scanner in the Photos App I’ve been waiting for this since the original iPhone! You no longer need a third party App to use a QR code. In case you don’t know, this is a QR code: Simply open the Camera App and point your iDevice at the QR code and a pop up appears. Tap the pop up to use the information in the QR code. In this...
Letting go of the ubiquitous Home button, a constant on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch since the first iPhone in 2007, is a bold change in the new iPhone X. Over time, this button has gained more functionality. However, in building the new iPhone X with an edge-to-edge OLED display, Apple has eliminated the Home button entirely. How do you use the iPhone X without the Home button? Here’s a quick introduction. You can view Apple’s intro video here. New Touch Gestures and Commands of iPhone X Most gestures...
Nov 3, 2017
Apple’s widely anticipated iPhone X is now available for purchase as a pre-order and will be available in stores Friday November 3rd. The most innovative iPhone since the original iPhone debuted in 2007, iPhone X heralds the start of a new era with groundbreaking technology such as Face ID and an edge-to-edge OLED display with remarkable color resolution. iPhone X also features a glass and stainless steel design with its all-screen display. Today you can order the new iPhone X via many outlets - direct from Apple’s online store as...
Nov 2, 2017
This week we talked about the fact over 50% of iDevice users have updated their devices to iOS 11. Well this Tuesday the 31/10/2017 Apple has released iOS 11.1 which fixes a security concern know as a KRACK attack. The KRACK attack is a hack on wireless networks allowing hackers to decrypt Wi-Fi traffic which means the hacker can: eavesdrop on communications, perform man-in-the-middle attacks, hijack connections, and more. This is not a fault specifically with iDevices or one caused by Apple but an industry wide security flaw with any...
iOS 11 is reported to have been installed on nearly 55% of iOS devices after only one month of being launched. So what? Well it makes the platform more secure as Apple can focus it’s team on supporting the latest version(s) of iOS instead of providing patched to older versions. It makes Apps better quicker as App developers do not need to make as many versions of their Apps to support outdated versions of iOS. Apple has already released several small updates to iOS 11 , addressing bugs discovered since...
Oct 31, 2017
If like me you use iCloud Drive across your devices that is Windows Laptops, iPads, iPhones, and Macs you may have noticed with the iOS 11 update this is now called “Files”. Other than the fact Apple has changed the name from Drive to Files (at least 20 minutes lost googling what happened to my iCloud Drive) there is nothing I don’t like about Files in iOS 11. It’s easier to use, it integrates with Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Adobe Creative Cloud and more. Files also supports macOS Servers, if...
Oct 28, 2017
With the tech industry getting hot under the collar for Augmented Reality where does Apple stand in this exciting new sector for the tech world? We touched on the possibilities of Augmented Reality in our news of the Apple Watch 3 and Apple is in a very strong position to provide "AR" tech with ARKit framework being rolled out by Apple back in 2016. Tim Cook the CEO of Apple has already been talking widely about "AR" and it's clearly something he wants to position Apple in as an industry...
Oct 27, 2017
One of the major updates to macOS High Sierra has been Safari, the default web browser for the Mac. Here is how to use the new contextual menu (pop up) “Website Settings”: After visiting a website simply right click on the address bar and choose “Settings for this website”. Or go to Safari > “Settings for this website” A pop up will then open. These settings will then be the default behavior for the website you are currently viewing every time you visit it with Safari, in this example we...
Oct 26, 2017
A new strain of ransomware called BadRabbit is spreading through Eastern Europe. Likely created by the same authors as the Petya/Not Petya ransomware outbreak in June, BadRabbit ransomware uses a website to drop a fake Flash update and then drops its payload. Bad Rabbit Lock Screen Countries we know to be impacted so far are Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Germany, with attacks centered on targets as wide-ranging as infrastructure, transportation, and media outlets. It is unknown at this time whether the attack will continue to spread, but it does...
Apple’s listened to feedback and now offers a quick way to free up space on your iPhone or iPad via iOS 11. Apple’s latest software release iOS 11, available for download via the App Store on your iPhone or iPad, offers a quick way to free up space now on your iPhone or iPad via suggested options. You can find these suggestions via the Settings app (black gears on gray background icon). To use the space saving options, open the Settings app and scroll down to General. Click on General...
On Thursday, Apple announced the launch of its new Chicago store on Michigan Avenue and new events to be hosted at the new Apple store. Apple’s latest Apple Store is one of its most ambitious. Located on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, the store is designed with community in mind and connects North Michigan Avenue, Pioneer Court and the Chicago River. Apple worked closely with the city of Chicago, reviewing historical records, to develop the store design on the riverfront in the heart of the city. Launching Friday Oct 20th Apple...
Oct 17, 2017
With iOS11 now on your iPhone or iPad, the latest revision to the control center allows you to customize which items are shown and all the controls have been consolidated onto a single screen, the controls are also grouped and organized, here is how to hit the ground running with the new control center. The default controls are now , Flight Mode, Mobile data, WIFI, Bluetooth, Music, Screen Lock, Do not disturb brightness , Volume, Screen Mirroring, Torch, timer, Calculator, and the Camera. For myself Screen Mirroring, Mobile Data, and...
Oct 16, 2017
Not being a massive Microsoft aficionado I cannot say that I am a major fan of what has been called the Wintel environment. However it is a necessary evil and if you purchase your hardware from a good manufacturer such as HP or Dell, and do not but the cheapest offering Windows machines are not the glorified food trays they once could be. The main reason for Microsoft bringing Edge to iOS will be to integrate the “Continue on PC” feature of Windows 10. This has been available on iOS...
Oct 13, 2017
While initially it made sense for Apple to keep strong limitations on third-party access, the company has moved towards relaxing standards in the past year and open up platform for third-party development. Apple is known for having stricter standards than other companies and associated software platforms, both for security reasons and maintaining the company’s standards for product development. However, in recent years, the company has opened up its platform and ecosystem increasingly to third-party developers while still maintaining high standards. HomeKit Integration At its most recent WWDC event this past...
Save your data from a folder or connected device in a disk image. This is our second post on disk images. Creating a disk image is helpful in backing up and transferring data. Here’s how you do it. Pull up Disk Utility to create a disk image that contains the content inside a saved folder or connected device such as a USB device. Doing this will not copy over the free space from the device on to the disk image. After saving the disk image, you an restore the disk...
Oct 7, 2017
The original Apple watch was launched with great expectations from the Apple faithful back in April 2015. However most owners have bemoaned the lack of functionality such as making calls from the Apple WATCH, or streaming music to the WATCH. Well not any more with the Series 3 Apple WATCH these things are now possible and their is a good chance Apple will have a new customer for the WATCH although I hate wearing things on my wrist! Unlike many companies making wearable Tech such as Pebble, which arguably started...
Oct 5, 2017
High Sierra is now available in the App store for most Macs from 2009 onwards, if it’s not available to you in the App Store it is likely not an available update for your Mac, you can check manually the models supported here. Most Mac users cannot wait to install and get running with the most elevated macOS so far. Follow these 6 steps for a Happy High Sierra! Make a backup with Time Machine, don’t rely on an out of date backup make a fresh backup right before you...
Apple’s iPhone X is the first Major Redesign in 3 Years with an OLED Super Retina Display The new iPhone X is the most technologically advance d smartphone in the world, with its A11 Bionic Chip, TrueDepth camera, facial recognition software and OLED screen. As expected, Apple’s new iPhone X is a premium luxury model offering new features and capabilities unlike any other smartphone previously. CEO Tim Cook called iPhone X “the future of the smartphone.” Members of the press who got to test out the new iPhone X during...
Sep 24, 2017
Has your Mac Status or Menu bar become too crowded that it is no longer useful? Here are some tips to remove programs, organize and simplify your menu bar. The Menu bar on your Mac display, flush against the top of the screen offers convenient, quick access to your current apps on the left side and static Status icons on the right. Some third-party apps like Dropbox and Adobe may also install icons in the Menu bar for quick access next to your Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplay, Battery, Time, Siri, Spotlight...
Sep 23, 2017
Sometimes it’s best to wipe your hard drive and start afresh if you’ve been troubleshooting a problem for a while. You’ll need to backup your old files first. Whether you are looking to archive old user accounts because you are reformatting your hard drive or you are backing it up for safekeeping, here’s how you do it. You’ll need to be logged in as a local administrator, but not for the user account that you want to back up. Doing this process will help you also restore all other user...
Sep 22, 2017
How to use WiFi Calling from ATT / Verizon on Your iPhone All four major U.S. cellular carriers support Wi-Fi Calling on iPhones. Here’s how you can turn on this feature on supporting networks. In the wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, it is useful to know how you can activate Wi-Fi calling on your iPhone. This could make a difference in an emergency situation for you or people you care about. Supporting Wi-Fi calling is simple for iPhones. Just go into the iOS Settings app (Gear icon on a...
Widely anticipated, Apple’s new iPhones launched last Tuesday, September 12 in the new Steve Jobs theater on the company’s new campus. Here we take a closer look at the iPhone 8 series. Apple’s new iPhone 8 series builds upon its popular existing model. The latest model iPhone 8 series is a premium series for its tenth anniversary. At the same time that Apple introduced its best and most expensive smartphone option, it also lowered the price on prior models, therefore making the iPhone 8 a compelling upgrade only for buyers...
Sep 19, 2017
While text messaging your friends and family, you’ve noticed some iPhone messages are blue or green. When you text message a friend, family member or colleague via your iPhone, your text message may appear blue or green. The color indicates the method you’ve used and also at times, the type of device you are sending to. Blue Background When your text message has a blue background, it means that your message exchange happened via iMessage and that you sent or received your message to and from another iOS device. iMessage...
Sep 18, 2017
Crash Plan’s Unexpectedly Exits Consumer Market to Focus on Enterprise and SMBs Many diehard CrashPlan users were shocked to find out that their favorite secure storage backup option Crash Plan is leaving the consumer market. CrashPlan for Home, owned by Code42, has provided secure storage backup options for consumers across the country since 2001. Code42, a privately funded software company based out of Minneapolis, made the decision to exit the consumer market and focus primarily on enterprise level and small business audiences as of August 22, 2017. The move came...
Apple Plans to Spend $1 Billion on Original Programming for its new TV Shows Apple is a new player in the TV market, joining big players Amazon and Netflix in video streaming with a $1 B investment in original programming in the next 12 months. Apple’s new TV show ambitions became evident with its ‘Planet of the Apps’ reality TV show available via Apple Music, headlined by Hollywood actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Alba earlier in June 2017. The two women are also entrepreneurs of lifestyle brands Goop and Honest...
Sep 16, 2017
Information about Face Recognition Software on Apple’s new OLED iPhone X Surfaces Facial recognition is expected to replace Touch ID in a new ‘Face ID’ feature available on the OLED iPhone X. Rumors have been circulating about a new facial recognition software that will be replacing the Touch ID software entirely on the new OLED iPhone X. These rumors were confirmed by developers who had access to beta software and were able to test out some features including the setup process of the new ‘Face ID’ feature. Face ID and...
Sep 1, 2017
Although macOS is more secure than most other operating systems, the increasing user base for macOS is drawing in hackers. So long as you keep your system up to date with the latest updates from Apple most malware is kept at bay. However it is still possible to get malware (viruses, adware, and spyware) on a Mac that infect other systems on the Mac such as JAVA or third party browsers such as Google Chrome. Plus you could be passing on Windows viruses that do not affect your Mac but...
Aug 31, 2017
Being predominantly known for its excellent hardware you would be right in thinking most of Apple’s revenue comes from selling hardware such as the Macintosh. With a total revenue predicted to be between $49 billion and $52 billion for the final quarter of 2017 Apple is one of the biggest Tech Giants out there with greater revenue than Facebook and Amazon. So if other manufacturers are selling their hardware a lot cheaper than Apple with hopes to make money on the downstream with App purchases, Music and Video sales why...
Aug 30, 2017
Apple Park Features a Steve Jobs Theater and is Powered 100% by Renewable Energy. Earlier this year, Apple announced that its new corporate headquarters was nearing completion and would be ready to house over 12,000 employees. First known as Campus 2, Apple’s HQ was renamed Apple Park and is officially open. Construction is still underway to finish the construction of adjacent buildings and parklands through the summer. View aerial drone footage here. Powered by 100% Renewable Energy Apple takes a dramatic leap ahead into the future by embracing renewable energy...
Aug 29, 2017
Parallels 13 has just been released by Parallels International GmbH, one of the major reasons to upgrade will be version 13 is Optimized for macOS High Sierra. Version 13 of Parallels promises faster access to your Windows files up to 47% faster compared with Parallels 12. With support for the Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro’s using Parallels Touch Bar Wizard it will be possible to customize the Touch Bar to work with your Windows Apps when using them in a Parallels virtual machine. One of the better updates...
Aug 28, 2017
If you own an iPhone or an iPad you will be well aware of the limitations of your device when it comes to storage and the quantity of data that you are trying to store on it. To make it simpler the iPhone and iPad now have great quality cameras, and it takes a lot of drive space to store these high quality images and videos. Hopefully the new standards (HEVC and HEIF) being adopted with better compression will go some way to resolve this. The easiest method to free...
Aug 25, 2017
Yes please! I can count on one hand the number of times I have been to the Cinema in recent years, while being able to get popcorn without making it myself is appealing I prefer the comfort of my own home to watch a film. And yes you can watch them on websites that are mostly illegal depending on the country and jurisdiction which you live under, however after you have spent twenty minutes finding the film and 10 minutes downloading malware you have lost valuable viewing time if not...
Downloading the latest apps you love and taking a lot of photographs may soon fill up your iPhone or iPad faster than you intended. Clearing out junk files, unwanted items in your device’s cache and files that hog up memory, can free up space on your iPhone or iPad and get your devices running faster and smoother than ever. Here’s how you can clean up your mobile devices and get them running better. Clearing up space on your iPhone or iPad will improve performance especially on older models and clearing...
One of the most widely anticipated features in Apple’s new iPhone set to be released this fall is facial recognition, where the iPhone can recognize approaching people quickly. The advanced facial recognition technology is expected to replace existing Touch ID fingerprint scanner, approving quick log-ins and payments as well. The new software is also expected to work with third-party apps similar to TouchID and will recognize multiple faces. The new iPhone 8 has an OLED screen, which makes it difficult to embed a Touch ID fingerprint scanner. Apple is expected...
Aug 19, 2017
Having a workstation (Desk?) as such is part and parcel of being an IT professional, you need somewhere to keep all of those paper documents for bills and the IRS plus somewhere to keep your USB pen drives, Hard Drives, Printers, 3D printers scanners etc. If like me you’ve opted for a non portable Mac for your day to day office tasks such as writing these articles, then that Mac probably has files that are not practical to make copies of to carry about with you when using your MacBook...
Aug 12, 2017
The World Wide Developers Conference from Apple did not disappoint when it came to software , with iOS 11 being rolled out in Fall of 2017 we are currently on the 5th Public Beta which if you are brave you can install and test on your iDevice now. iOS 11 brings great new features to the iPhone , iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV with closer integration with macOS High Sierra also due for release in Fall of 2017. As well as the usual refinements to the icons and graphics...
Your Mac makes it easy to sign documents - a common task that is often tedious - by using Preview or QuickLook, both available on every Mac with OS X Lion or later. For the longest time, in order to sign a document that you had received via email such as a PDF file, you would have to print out the file first, sign it on the dotted line using a pen, scan the docu-ment and send it to yourself using a USB flash or email, and then finally send...
The latest OS update offers refinements to popular apps such as Photos, Mail and Safari. Apple released macOS High Sierra, its latest version of its desktop operating system earlier in June at WWDC in San Jose, CA. The beta version of the software was available to developers to download immediately and now a public version will be available this month at beta.apple.com. The software will be available as a free software update from the Mac App Store this fall. Here’s a preview. Updates include the addition of a new filing...
Aug 8, 2017
You can share your Internet connection on your Mac with others locally. Your Mac makes it easy to share your Internet connection locally. Start by opening the Sharing Preferences via System Preferences. Click on Sharing and select Internet Sharing. Next, choose Share Your Connection From in the menu that pops up and choose the Internet connection that you want to share. This could be Internet over Ethernet or other options available to you. Next choose how you want to share your Internet connection in the To Computers using list. If...
CEO Tim Cook emphasized Apple’s interest in the technology during the Q3 earnings call Monday. For a while, it’s been apparent that Apple is developing an autonomous driving system. This is clear from information shared by California’s DMV where Apple got a DMV permit to test autonomous driving systems this past April. Apple joined a list of 30 companies that have been granted autonomous car testing permits by the state of California. This list includes automotive manufacturers, automotive suppliers, startups and tech players. Initially, there was a lot of excitement...
Aug 6, 2017
Apple has cut the price of iPads in a bid to increase sales, as such sales are now up over 10% on iPads in 2017 compared with the tail end of 2016. This tactic on reducing iPad prices is the oldest trick in the book with iPad sales flagging in comparison to growing iPhone sales in recent years, however this increase in iPad sales has not increased revenues greatly for Apple as the price cut has hit profit margins. Although Apple sells roughly three iPads for every Mac sold the...
Aug 6, 2017
In this week’s how to I’m going to go over one of the basics in macOS Sierra, the App switcher can save minutes in each working day freeing up time to do other things. Switching Apps If like me you regularly use multiple apps to complete a task such as Photoshop , BBEDIT, & Pages. Switching between the apps can be time consuming moving the mouse around looking for the correct icon in the Dock. To quickly switch between running Apps press Command (Apple Key) + Tab (⌘ + ⇥...
Aug 5, 2017
As the September announcement of the iPhone 8 approaches here are some insights on what we may expect. The name You may expect “iPhone 8” to be the name as it follows all of the names Apple has given to previous iPhones however with some of the new nomenclature (naming convention) that is being used for other Apple products it would be reasonable to expect a name such as the iPhone Pro, you have to admit it has a nice ring to it. The features More cameras, if Apple follows...
Jul 31, 2017
Apple ID has included 2FA (Two-factor authentication) on macOS and iOS devices for some time and it is strongly advised you use it. Thanks to Apple using 2FA across all of your devices it is very easy and makes accessing Apple’s Cloud Services very secure such as iCloud Drive, you will now need more than just the email address and password you use for your Apple ID. You will also need to have a trusted device in hand or alternatively have a verification code sent via SMS or phone call...
Jul 28, 2017
Apple has blocked ad blocker Apps that work outside of Safari, this has always been in the App Store terms for developers as Apple has always recognised advertising as being one of the main revenue streams for App Developers. The review process on ad blocking apps seems to have changed recently with several ad blocking apps updates being blocked by Apple. This relates to 4.2 of the App Store Developer Guidelines: “Your app should include features, content, and UI that elevate it beyond a repackaged website. If your app is...
Jul 27, 2017
If like myself you often find yourself working late into the night on your Mac you can find your eyes starting to hurt. The good news is there is a way to make the screen less harsh on the eyes. You can find Night Shift in: Apple menu () > System Preferences, then click Displays. If automatic brightness is enabled on your Mac the screen will also be dimmer if the ambient light is not as strong which can make your eyes even more strained. Apple describes Night Shift as:...
You can easily share and transfer files between iPhones, iPads and Macs. AirDrop uses Bluetooth LE to discover connections and broadcast them and Wi-Fi to transfer data. It’s fast, easy to use and secure. Files you can AirDrop include: photos videos contacts docs passbook passes voice Memos map Locations Turn on AirDrop On Mac computers, select Go from the Finder menu. AirDrop appears in the menu. On iOS devices from iPhones to iPads, you can turn on AirDrop from the Control Center by just swiping up from the bottom of...
Jul 19, 2017
Apple continues to unveil interactive HomeKit demos at Apple retail stores worldwide, for free customer testing. Recently, Apple started sharing interactive HomeKit experiences at 46 Apple retail stores so that customers could try out the smart home platform and get familiar with HomeKit. New stores keep being added and having HomeKit available to test out with different devices and environments, makes it easier for customers to understand how it could work for them. With just the one Home app, you can control all your home accessories from one place, simplifying...
Jul 18, 2017
You’ve opened the box and here’s what you can do next to get your Apple TV set up and running. Apple has improved upon its popular Apple TV and even brought Amazon Prime into its fold of popular shows. You know you want one now, and here’s a quick walk-through with tips to set up. After you have unpacked the box, take out the power and HDMI cables. Plug the HDMI right into a free TV port (usually on the back of your TV). For some folks who use an...
Jul 16, 2017
High Sierra the new macOS being released later this year will be the last macOS to support 32-bit apps. This year you will need to look at which apps you cannot live without if you want to continue upgrading macOS after High Sierra, making sure you have versions of the apps you need that will run on a 64 bit system because as of macOS 10.14 32-bit apps will no longer be supported. You can see which apps you have that are 32-bit by opening the Activity Monitor which you...
Jul 14, 2017
Back in 2008 I was burgled and lost a MacPro G5, on that Mac I had been working for months on a 3D render of my local town’s high street in Bryce 3D of all programs. Not only did the thieves steal my Mac they stole the backup hard drive which was connected to it :-( . Luckily I had my MacBook which I use for work safely in the trunk of my car, but no copy of the 3D files to continue with, hence months of work was lost...
Jul 12, 2017
With watchOS4, you’ve got smart activity coaching, proactive Siri watch face, GymKit and more. Earlier last month, Apple previewed watchOS 4 at WWDC. The new watch software features a proactive Siri watch face that contains information you find relevant every day and a new way of experiencing music. The update also offers an updated Workout app and introduces GymKit, that helps you connect your workout to existing cardio equipment. View Apple’s Preview here. Siri Intelligence Siri intelligence available via the new Siri watch face helps you stay up to date...
Jul 8, 2017
The macOS finder which powers the desktop, file manager, and more it’s likely to be your most used app, Apple describes it as “The Macintosh Desktop Experience”, the Finder has some great hidden features, here are some to get you started and make your work flow better. Resize Columns If like me you organize your files into a folder structure of some kind, you will find from time to time that the columns do not fit the file names: And if like me you have been dragging the columns out...
Jul 7, 2017
Apple launched the first public beta of macOS High Sierra at the end of June, which means you can download and install it without being in the Apple developer program . This is beta software so it is not the best idea to install this on your everyday Mac as bugs will be present and your apps may not work. You might think that macOS High Sierra is not the most inspiring name for the latest macOS however Apple’s own marketing team said it is “fully baked”. And they’re right...
Your Mac makes it easy to do things by opening up any files you click on right away, using default applications. Sometimes though, you need a different application to open up a certain kind of file. It’s very convenient how your Macintosh computer immediately opens up any file you double click on in its default application. You can get going on what you want to do right away. For example, when you click on a Microsoft Word file that you have, your computer opens up the file for you in...
Jul 1, 2017
Basic copy and paste on a Mac has not changed much since the 1990s, Right click copy or ⌘ Command + C . You can also print screen which saves a screenshot of your monitor(s) to the desktop by pressing ⌘ Command + ⇧ Shift + 3, if you have multiple monitors this command will save a screenshot of each screen to the desktop. There are however some great third party apps available, I’m going to outline my favourite which is “Skitch” and if you use Evernote it integrates with...
Jun 30, 2017
The HomePod is powered by Siri intelligence and can interact with your messages, relay sports scores, the news, provide translations, and control your home. HomePod is being touted as the privacy focused smart assistant, which could be seen as a shot across the bows of the offerings from Amazon and Google which are known to be data hungry “they’re analysing what you do”. HomePod speaker comes with a seven-array, beam-forming tweeter, with directional control, and a bass woofer – and it’s powered by an A8 chip. The really clever touch...
Jun 26, 2017
Eagerly anticipated, the new iPhone 8 coming this fall is Apple’s 10th anniversary edition of the iPhone. For its 10th edition of the iPhone first, Apple is expected to have a dramatic redesign. Since 2012, Apple has unveiled new iPhone editions in the first or second week of September consistently. Expectations remain that Apple will follow this schedule, announcing its new iPhone 8 in roughly 80 days from now. iOS 11, Rich Graphics and Augmented Reality (AR) WWDC earlier this month offered a preview of iOS 11 as well as...
Jun 25, 2017
Retrieving an old password that you have forgotten may seem difficult at first, but in most cases, can be done easily if you are using Mac OS X Keychain. Whether you need access to an old password or you’re helping a friend or family member, it helps to know how to retrieve an old password on your Mac. It’s easy to forget old passwords you have not used in a while. Maybe you got a request like this: “I have to get into my old email account, but I cannot...
Jun 23, 2017
The new update to the ageing HFS+ file system will bring higher performance, better data integrity, and a vastly improved Time Machine. Don’t worry it is not a step into the unknown APFS is already running on your iOS device (ipad,iphone etc). When and if you upgrade your system to High Sierra (macOS 10.13), it will automatically during installation upgrade the file system to APFS on the system drive, the internal drive usually named Macintosh HD. External drives and non system drives must be upgraded manually, via Disk Utility. Select...
Jun 22, 2017
Disclaimer: Great care should be taken when altering the behavior of the cooling fans if you overheat your Mac for an extended period you will destroy it! As such do this at your own risk and if you need to consult an expert. That being said this tip can really help extend the working life of your Mac. One of the most common hardware failures on all computers not just Macs is continued over heating of the internal components especially the GPU (graphics card), and traditional HDD modules (hard drives...
Jun 18, 2017
Earlier this month at WWDC, Apple shared its new 10.5 inch iPad Pro model with larger display and ProMotion technology. Apple has improved upon one of its best-selling and well made products, the iPad Pro this year with the addition of 2 new models, the 12.9 and 10.5 inch iPad Pro models that offer larger displays by using smaller bezels. The 10.5 inch iPad Pro replaces the prior 9.7 inch model. Apple said that it chose the new screen 10.5 screen size because it allows for a full on-screen keyboard...
Jun 17, 2017
Roundup of 3 Fast & Clever Mac Tips and Tricks Here are three macOS 10 tips, tricks and shortcuts to help you keep be productive and keep your Mac running well. Change System Preferences with Siri Before you go searching for your system preferences, try using Siri instead for simple changes. Talking to your Mac may feel a bit strange at first, but you’d be surprised how much Siri’s grown in the past two years alone! Press ⌘ + SPACE and Siri will pop right up. For example, see how...
Jun 16, 2017
Using Photos in Mac OS Sierra to create Smart Albums Photos has been included with OS X since Yosemite 10.10.3 2 years ago now! If like me you’ve resisted using it in favor of what you are used to you are missing out. Photos has some really great features that work quickly from within MacOS allowing you to quickly access the photos from all your Apple devices. Organizational abilities. One of the better features Photo’s provides are its organizational abilities. Extending the built in features such as geotagging and face...
Jun 15, 2017
For some time now Mac users have often opted for an iMac with all the upgrades for their workstation rather than the Mac Pro since it’s latest re-incarnation in the “dustbin” case has been shunned for it’s lack of upgradeability. Apple has caught onto this fact and has promised to revamp the Mac Pro line (watch this space), in the meantime Apple has decided to launch the iMac Pro range due to launch later this year in December. The iMac Pro Range will offer upto 128GB of RAM and up...
Jun 7, 2017
Theres no doubt that the security of our computers these days is a very sensitive topic. I have helped several of my clients protect their Mac systems by setting firmware passwords. But what if you have hundreds or thousands of computers you want to have a firmware password set on? What if you don’t have the luxury of a system like JAMF Pro or its predecesor the Casper Suite? Enter Munki, one of the most versatile, open source Mac Management tools. If your reading this you likely already have Munki....
Apple unveiled its new speaker, HomePod at WWDC, showcasing its superior sound as a differentiator from both the Amazon Echo and Google Home. Apple has forayed into the smart speaker world dominated by the popular Amazon Echo and Google Echo with the new HomePod, set to be released in December 2017. Apple’s device differentiates itself by focusing on superior sound quality that is both immersive and high fidelity. Reinventing Music for the Home Equipped with Siri and connected to Apple Music, HomePod goes beyond competing with just Amazon Echo and...
Jan 2, 2017
I am always looking for ways to use Automator to make my life easier. Its a great tool that offers some impressive capabilities, my favorite of course is the ability to record UI events and convert that into a workflow or even a stand-alone app that you can then deploy and run via ARD. Sounds simple right? Well one little hitch, Apple wont let you run the automated UI apps made in automator without first adding them to the accessibility section of OSX. Creating an app that can run a...
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