Mac

OS X has the capability of creating what is commonly referred to as an ad hoc network. It’s a decentralized wireless network – that is, no router required. Before writing this short how-to, I was curious as to the actual definition of the expression “ad hoc.” According to OS X’s built-in New Oxford American Dictionary,…

My goal for this article is to expose you to a particularly useful utility in OS X's Accessibility feature–Zoom. I have taught all things-Mac to many, many people over the years, and I often find that this one feature is remarkably overlooked. When I show them how to enable Zoom, the gasps are deafening, and…

Finding the IPv6 address of your Mac or iPad isn't extremely difficult. But there are a few technical wrinkles to be aware of. While OS X, with access to the command line and more disclosure in the Network System Preferences, almost nails the details, it's less straightforward with an iPad (or iPhone). _____________________ IPv6 development…

Developers are resourceful people, and when presented with a problem that seems unsolvable they'll work even harder to find a solution. That's exactly what The Omni Group did to overcome the lack of upgrade pricing on Apple's Mac App Store. Their new tool, called OmniKeyMaster, lets users who buy Omni apps through the Mac App…

Parallels, famous for its virtualization software, has launched a new product for the iPad called Parallels Access. It allows you to remotely operate and fully control any OS X or Windows app residing on your computer right from your iPad. It does this by translating traditional mouse controls into familiar iPad gestures. You can even…

When Apple announced its new Mac Pro at WWDC, the first thought of many customers was that they wanted it. Badly. Then reality sunk in; this is a Mac Pro for professionals. It'll be too expensive for the Rest of Us. However, here's why you'll need it anyway. And will love doing it. __________________ Whenever…

In Part One of this two-parter, we explored the Mask Tool – one of several advanced features available in the iWork suite of applications. In this second part, we will examine the Instant Alpha Tool. These are the toolbar buttons for the Mask tool and the Instant Alpha tool. Along with its sibling – the…

Just like so many other things you can do on your Mac, Apple has given us more than one way to control the system volume. They also gave us a couple cool tricks for controlling exactly how you adjust the audio level. Want to learn how? Watch our Video Quick Tip to learn more.

Hackers have found a way to use some basic JavaScript code to trick unsuspecting Mac users into paying US$300 for surfing the Web. The threat tricks users into thinking they have been viewing or distributing pornographic content by hijacking Safari and displaying a warning that appears to come from the FBI. The scam doesn't rely…

In this two-part article, I want to talk to you about – perhaps even introduce you to – a pair of significant, yet poorly understood and far less utilized tools found in the iWork suite of apps for the Mac. These two tools are called the Mask Tool and the Instant Alpha Tool. They are…

So, did you know you could trace a downloaded document back to the source?  There may be times when you download a file and later would like to go back to the source. That happened to me recently when I filled out forms on-line and then needed to get back to the exact same spot…

The PocketPro Padfolio case from Digital Treasurers holds either a MacBook Air or a 13-inch MacBook Pro in a padded, zippered pocket. The case fastens with a secure strap closure and is made from koskin (artificial leather). It is black with red lining and red stitching. There is a full size pocket on the front…

This is too fun: Amazon Japan sells a trash can (Google translation) that looks a lot like Apple's brand spankin' new Mac Pro. Some may find that fitting since there was a barrage of “it looks like a trash can” comments when Apple announced the device on Monday. As the story goes, this trash can,…

You've probably seen Apple's new Mac Pro. It's gorgeous. It's sexy. It's powerful, too, according to some people who have been working the device in recent weeks. In an Apple video called “Painting the Future,” the lead developer of 3D rendering tool MARI and an artist at Pixar both talked the Mac Pro and how…

When I first saw the new Mac Pro, introduced by Phil Schiller at the WWDC Keynote, I had a vague feeling that I'd seen that design element before. The cylindrical tower of power. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but my brain was nagging me. What was it? At first, I thought of…

[Update: Apple announced the real deal on Monday morning, and it turns out the image below wasn't it. Actually, the real Mac Pro does have dual GPUs and Thunderbolt 2, so that part was correct, but the form factor was off and then some. See our full coverage and John Martellaro's analysis for more information.…

In this column I will try and answer questions from two readers who took the time to seek advice. One asks about the Dock and the other about passwords. Dock Tip First letter – In my universe the Dock goes on the bottom of my screen.  I’m sorry, but that is just the way it…

Apple released iMovie 9.0.9 for Mac on Tuesday. The update improves support for importing projects from iMovie for iOS. It also includes a bug fix and unspecified stability improvements. Apple's patch notes in full: What's New in Version 9.0.9 Addresses issues where iMovie does not recognize video cameras connected to your Mac Improves compatibility with…

In this column I offer three basic Mac tips that may make your computing life more fun, more efficient, and possibly lower your blood pressure. Short Cut To Online Thesauruses I can’t spell worth a darn. Never have been good at it and never will be. I like to blame it on brain damage I…

During Apple's Q2 2013 earnings report, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that despite a slight decline in Mac sales by about two percent, the company is still very committed to innovation and investment in the Macintosh. Shannon Cross of Cross Research asked Mr. Cook about the Mac and the PC market. This was in light…

For years the best option for us Mac-using TiVo owners to get content off of our TiVos and on to our iDevices was iTiVo. But iTiVo, built largely in AppleScript Studio, has always had a buggy user interface, and with Mountain Lion it originally required some Terminal fu to get it to work at all.…

I love the Preview app on the Mac. It's enormously useful, and It's just about on everyone's machine. It's unobtrusive, simple, yet powerful. I've praised its virtues before here on TMO… see How to Get the Most from Preview in OS X: Annotating. I'm not finished with Preview, as I plan to explore more features…

Over the decades, personal computers have made enormous gains in speeds. But in the short term, not much has happened. On the other hand, the maintenance burdens on customers just kept increasing. That's why customers have moved briskly to the tablet. In a sense, the PC industry failed its original vision, and customers moved on.…