One of the details that we perhaps take for granted when using our Macs is the highlight color of text and other items when we select them. For the longest time, Apple has been in love with the color blue, and has made this the default color for items when you select them either to copy, replace, or otherwise manipulate. This is true for selectable text in editors and system panels, as well as the highlight color in the Finder and elsewhere. If for some reason you would like to use another color than blue, then you can do so rather easily. Continue reading
Monthly Archives: November 2014
How to record your iPhone or iPad screen on your Mac
There are several ways to capture your iPhone or iPad’s screen on your Mac; however, many of these approaches call for third-party software and setups that you might not have. For instance, you might consider setting up an airplay server to capture the display stream from your iPhone, or install other special software that will capture your iOS device’s output. While these approaches might have their merits, there is an easy way built into OS X to view and record your iPhone or iPad’s screen. Continue reading
How to save battery life on your iPhone when navigating
If you have an iOS device then you have undoubtedly used it to find directions to some location. Be it to somewhere nearby or to a nearby city, having a quick way to get turn-by-turn steps to your destination is exceptionally useful; however, if you use this regularly or plan on having it on for a long trip, then you might run into an issue with your iOS device running out of batteries. Continue reading
How to use Spotlight as more than a simple calculator
If you ever need to run a quick calculation or two when working on your Mac, then you can do so using Apple’s Spotlight search; however, while you might find yourself using this for basic addition and multiplication, Spotlight’s calculations support far more, and if used properly can be just as if not more valuable than Apple’s included Calculator utility. Continue reading
How to change the default system font in Mac OS X
The default system font in OS X is the type face used for displaying practically all system features, including menu items, system preference labels, titles for documents, the date and time, and other instances where system panels and programs display text. While in the Classic Mac OS (version 9 and earlier) Apple included options for changing the default system font, this has not been an option in OS X. However, if you want, you can, with a little tweaking, change the default font to any TrueType font of your choice. Continue reading
How to subscribe to RSS feeds in Safari 8
If you have been a fan of using RSS feeds for keeping updated on the happenings of your favorite Web sites, then you will be happy to know that Apple has added RSS feed support back to Safari. In the past, when browsing a Web site with an RSS feed you would see an indication of this support in Safari’s address bar, and then could click it to view the RSS feed and subscribe to it; however, this was removed in subsequent versions up to version 8, where Apple has brought this feature back. Continue reading
Quickly access old window zoom behavior in OS X Yosemite
One of the new features in OS X Yosemite is a re-working of the full-screen window feature where in programs that support this option, the green zoom window button now defaults to being a toggle for full-screen. This can be seen in programs like Pages, and Preview; however, this can be a bit confusing because in those like TextEdit where a fullscreen option is not available, the green button is the classic “Zoom” behavior that resizes a window to fit its contents. Continue reading
How to reveal files in the Finder with Spotlight
Spotlight allows you to search for all of your files, applications, and other items on your Mac, allowing you to open them directly by highlighting them and pressing Enter, or even dragging them off the Spotlight menu (or window, for Yosemite) for various drag-and-drop purposes in OS X. While you can manage your listed search results in this way, if needed there may be times when you might want to find exactly where the file is on your Mac, or otherwise handle it in the Finder. Continue reading
Chinese authorities nab ‘WireLurker’ malware creators
The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Public Security has announced Chinese authorities have arrested and charged three individuals with developing and operating the Web sites responsible for the recent “WireLurker” malware attacks on Apple’s iOS systems.
The threat, which was found earlier this month, allowed hackers to install malware on iOS devices by way of vulnerabilities in Apple’s enterprise provisioning routines. Continue reading
Apple releases iOS 8.1.1, and OS X 10.10.1
Apple has released updates for both its latest iOS and OS X operating system software, which bring about improved Wi-Fi reliability as well as addressing problems users have had with Mail after upgrading. The update, which is available via Apple’s Software Update service, should be announced to you through Notification Center along the right-hand side of your Mac’s display, but can also be accessed by choosing the App Store option from the Apple menu. The iOS update can be applied by going to the General > Software Update settings on your iOS device. Continue reading