Yearly Archives: 2015

How to quickly combine multiple Photos libraries in OS X

PhotosIconXAs of OS X Yosemite, Apple is encouraging everyone to use its new Photos program for managing pictures in OS X. While Photos has a number of pros and cons, it does share a limitation of its “iPhoto” predecessor, in that while it uses a library system for managing photos and offers an option to create multiple libraries, it can only have one open at a time. This means that if you wish to consolidate libraries, you might find yourself jumping through hoops; however, there is a relatively simple way to get this done. Continue reading

How to verify app signatures in OS X

ApplicationIconXOne potential route by which an attacker can compromise your Mac is to modify a legitimate software package to contain malware. While this is difficult to do through official software distribution channels (e.g., the Mac App Store), it can be done through popular alternative approaches like peer-to-peer networking and third-party software distribution Web sites. Continue reading

How to create a quick ASCII banner in the OS X Terminal

NewTerminalIconXEven if you are not a Terminal wizard, there are some fun tools and features of it that can be amusing. For instance, some online services are available for you to log into with Telnet and watch a text-based version of Star Wars, or you can play odd games that folks have coded into the “emacs” editor, among others. If you are ever sitting at your Mac and suddenly have the urge to print out a massive banner of a text phrase, then you can do that to. Continue reading

Four methods for accessing recovery mode in OS X

HardDriveIconXAccessing Recovery Mode in OS X may be necessary for restoring from a backup, and reinstalling OS X, among other low-level administrative tasks. In most cases, your Mac will have a local recovery partition based on the current OS X installation, that you can access; however, there may be instances where this will not work. For those who need to access Recovery Mode for a particular Mac, here are all of the way to go about doing this. Continue reading

How to certify and encrypt your e-mail in OS X

CertificateIconXEven though we have modern messaging technologies like Apple’s Messages that default to encrypted communications, we still primarily use e-mail, even for sensitive business transactions. If you have several partners that you would like to communicate privately with, then while you can resort to an encrypted collaboration platform, you can also do so via classic e-mail, with only a few steps taken for each person. Continue reading

How to turn off your monitor without turning off your Mac

DisplaysIconXQuite often you may have some task running on your Mac that you might wish to keep going while you step away from your system. However, you may wish to save some energy by turning off your display for a while. Of course if you sleep your Mac, then you will clearly interrupt your task, but there are other ways to shut off your monitor while keeping your Mac going. Continue reading

How to manage lost passwords in OS X

SecurityIconXThere are several ways to lock down your Mac, in order to prevent third-parties from either accessing your data, or using your system for purposes you do not intend. Since your Mac consists of several layers of hardware and software, each can be secured with a password; however, there are times when you may have forgotten your password. In these instances, you will likely be locked out; however, in most cases you should be able to recover your system. Continue reading