Tag Archives: Mac

All methods for restarting and shutting down your Mac

PowerIconWhile shutting down and restarting your computer might sound trivial, and are perhaps obvious tasks in most cases, there are a number of ways to go about doing these on your Mac, many of which you might not be aware of.

Some of the approaches for shutting down and restarting may be preferred in most situations, but others might be better suited when your Mac is unresponsive, or is otherwise in a jam where the standard options are either not available or not working properly. Continue reading

Options for managing Finder windows in OS X

FinderIconXApple’s default approach for window management in the Finder is to provide you with one window in which you can access most of the locations you need on your Mac’s file system. In this manner, you should not need to have too many windows open at once; however, there may be times when you will have a number of windows to manage. Continue reading

Quickly sign any document with Preview

PreviewIconXIf you need to sign a form or other document in OS X, look no further than Apple’s Preview application. Letters, contracts, and other documents are progressively migrating to digital media as PDFs; however, you may still be required to stamp them with a personal signature. One approach for this is to print out the forms, sign them, and then scan them back in to your system; however, another approach is to paste an image of your signature on the document. Continue reading

Apple releases OS X 10.9.3, and iTunes 11.2

SoftwareUpdateIconXApple has issued its long-awaited OS X 10.9.3 update, after a rather lengthy time in testing. This update improves support for 4K displays, which will allow for Apple’s HiDPI scaling, such as that used for its Retina MacBook Pros, to be used for these displays.

Specifically, the update includes the following enhancements and fixes the following issues: Continue reading

Tips for upgrading your Mac’s RAM

RAMIconXWhile the Retina MacBook Pro and MacBook Air systems do not have user-upgradable RAM, often other Mac systems Apple sells that do have this option are only shipped with a minimal amount of RAM, so you might find yourself needing to upgrade after a while.

Even if you are purchasing a new Mac, you might be considering purchasing one with a base level of RAM Continue reading

Tips and tricks for securing your Mac

SecurityIconXSecuring your Mac and the online services you use revolves around layering your security options, so not only do you have your computing content secured by a proper password, but it is also properly packaged for security. In addition, how you configure your Mac can greatly affect how secure it is.

There are several easy approaches you can follow to ensure your Mac is as secure as possible, especially Continue reading

Apple expands OS X Beta testing to all Mac users

MavericksIconXApple has opened up its beta testing program for OS X, to now include anyone who wishes to test developmental builds of Apple’s upcoming operating system software. However, this program is limited in comparison to its prior and ongoing AppleSeed program.

To get yourself set up with the bet program, simply log into the AppleSeed Web site with your Apple ID, and then follow the instructions for setting your Mac up for beta testing. Continue reading

Apple to disconnect .mac and .me AIM chatting in Snow Leopard

MessagesIconXIf you are a long-time user of Apple’s cloud-based services, and have been using your Apple ID ending in mac.com or me.com to chat over the AIM network, then on May 17, you will be required to run OS X 10.7.2 or later.

When Apple introduced its .Mac and subsequent .Me cloud-based services, it included cross-compatibility Continue reading

Wake up your Mac with your iPhone

NetworkIconXWaking a Mac up from sleep generally requires you tap a key on the keyboard, or click your mouse or trackpad; however, there are times when you might need to wake your Mac up remotely, either because it is locked away such as a server in a closet, or perhaps it is among a number on a large local network that you are trying to access and need it woken up. Continue reading

Determine the reason why your Mac wakes up

ConsoleIconXWhen your Mac wakes form sleep, the OS X Kernel will output a message to the system console, containing a code that identifies the reason for the system having been woken up. This can be anything from a lid being opened, to a key being pressed.

Since you can access these logs using the System Console utility, if your system is regularly waking unexpectedly up Continue reading