Being a unix-like system, OS X includes the SSH remote login service that can be used to administer a system from the command line. Such remote access is convenient to have, as it will allow you to change settings, manage files and folders, and otherwise use your system without needing to be right in front of it. It also communicates over an encrypted connection so you can be sure communications with your system are secured. Continue reading
Quite often when browsing the Web, you might find yourself with multiple browser windows and tabs open. This may be convenient for workflow, but if a problem occurs where Safari stalls or otherwise runs slow, or causes your Mac to use excessive CPU percentage and run hot, then while you might be tempted to simply force-quit Safari and relaunch it, you might also benefit from knowing which Safari process is causing the problem. Continue reading
Your mouse cursor in OS X is one of the main controls on your computer; however, there are times when you might find yourself searching all over your screen for it, or finding it will not respond to any input. In these instances, you might resort to moving your mouse around in large fast circles to try locating it, or perhaps end up pushing it to a reference point such as the far corner of your screen; however, this can inadvertently trigger configured hot corners and add more frustration to the situation at hand. Continue reading
Hotkeys are exceptionally useful for specifying actions you want a particular program to perform. In some cases, these are specific to a given program (such as creating a new tab in Safari), and in other cases commands are more universal, such as those for copying and pasting content.
Given that hotkeys allow for specific tasks to be performed, they can often be a more efficient method than using point-and-click options, where errors can be made. For instance, when dragging items to the trash, you can easily release your selection at the wrong time and drop items on whatever window is in the background. With a hotkey to move items to the trash, you won’t make this mistake. Continue reading
One of Apple’s new features in iOS 8 is the QuickType keyboard, where the system will analyze your entered text to offer three suggestions of possible words as you type them. This can be used to assemble some amusing sentences if you are in for a laugh or two, but can also be quite useful when typing with one hand. However, the keyboard does take up screen real estate and there are times when entering text will leave you with precious few lines to see for composing whatever it is you are typing. Continue reading
Apple has built OS X to be quite intuitive, and while you can get many things done by pointing and clicking, and using the keyboard in standard ways, there are some services and features in OS X that can be quite useful for taking a closer look at things, looking up definitions, or getting around your files and folders. While there many such hidden features in OS X, here are a few that you could possibly use on a more frequent basis. Continue reading
Both administrators and power users who are used to configuring unix-based systems via the terminal will be right at home when using OS X, especially with OS X’s support for remote login that allows you to access your Mac using the Secure Shell (SSH) service that is common on many unix-based systems. However, while common, there are ways to connect with SSH that you might not know about.
Setting up access with SSH on your Mac is easy, and simply requires you check the Remote Login service in the Continue reading
