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All posts tagged "help"


Thursday, July 19, 2012

How to Buy a Mac Laptop

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Laptops" @ 04:00 AM

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_...d&subj=MacFixIt

"If you are planning on purchasing a used MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air, then it is recommended you thoroughly test it to ensure it works properly."

Some great ideas in this article, should you be looking for a used (not refurbished from Apple) Apple laptop. It also gives you a list of equipment and programs to take along with you to test it and make sure it is working properly.


Friday, July 13, 2012

Just What is the Best Way to Setup Your Wireless Audio System?

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Other Apple Hardware" @ 01:00 AM

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/28/t...ner=rss&emc=rss

"About a year ago, I wrote about the best way to set up wireless audio - how to get the music that lives on your computer onto speakers scattered throughout your home."

A lot of what he wrote about last time was mostly involving Apple products, but now there are more players in the market that might pique your interest. I've toyed with getting a Jawbone Jambox that is mentioned, since it seems so easy to use with any of my portable devices. And that is still a possibility, but for now I do pretty well with my Apple TV and my Bose system. How do you stream your audio?


Monday, July 9, 2012

Make Siri Your Event Manager

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 01:00 AM

http://www.imore.com/2012/06/28/cre...ar-events-siri/

"Since Siri is meant to be your personal assistant, it only makes sense to have it schedule and manage your meetings and events."

If you are having difficulty with Siri, or just don't know how to get it to work correctly, then this how-to should help.


Monday, May 14, 2012

Get The Most Out of Your iPad Keyboard

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 04:00 AM

http://www.macworld.com/article/116...l#lsrc.rss_main

"As more and more of us use the iPad for regular business chores, we're spending more and more time with its virtual, onscreen keyboard."

So it doesn't hurt to learn some new tricks to make yourself more efficient with the iPad does it?


Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Your All-In-One iCloud Guide

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (OS X)" @ 12:00 PM

http://www.imore.com/2012/04/23/ult...ud-iphone-ipad/

"Everything you need to know about setting up, backing up, restoring, and updating your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, and managing your iTunes apps, books, music, TV shows, movies, Match, and Photo Stream in the cloud."

Questions about iCloud? This article should help. The most thorough one I've come across.


Monday, January 16, 2012

Want to Run Windows on a Mac? You Have Several Options

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (OS X)" @ 01:30 PM

http://www.macworld.com/article/164...l#lsrc.rss_main

"Despite the Mac's recent gains in market share, Windows is still the dominant operating system, especially in businesses. That means there may be times when you need to run the Microsoft OS: perhaps there's an application your company uses that's only available for Windows, or you're a web developer and you need to test your sites in a true native Windows web browser."

Well, whatever your reasons for running Windows on your Mac, you have many choices. Probably more than you realized, at least that was the feeling I got when I read this article on how to set up your Mac to run Windows. Especially helpful were the comparisons on performance based on which option, which helps immensely when trying to decide which road to travel. What are your thoughts on running Windows on a Mac, and which option(s) do you use?


Pop Ups on the iTunes App Store

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 12:30 PM

http://www.tuaw.com/2012/01/16/app-...mation-windows/

"Italian Apple blog Ispazio pointed out an interesting new iTunes App Store feature late last week: pop-up windows that appear with a click, making most descriptive information available without having to reload a full page."

This little addition could certainly have been overlooked as it doesn't exactly jump out at you does it? But regardless, it is a great addition to the App Store, when all you want is a quick look at the application and if it will or won't suit your needs.


Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Finally Apple! An iTunes Match Primer

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (OS X)" @ 06:00 AM

http://9to5mac.com/2011/12/26/apple...e+Intelligence)

"With the service launching in the United States last month, it may seem a little late, but Apple has very recently launched a website dedicated to iTunes Match. Previously, iTunes Match was given a slab of the iTunes in the Cloud website."

All I can say is, it's about time. You can access the site and view video and read about the process, along with some FAQs that were posted to hopefully answer your questions about this service that Apple launched last month.


Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Just What Do Those Music Match Symbols Mean?

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (OS X)" @ 10:00 AM

http://9to5mac.com/2011/11/14/what-...-match-library/

"If you don't know by now, Apple has officially opened up their iTunes Match service to the public, bringing with it 256-kbps AAC DRM-free copies of your non-iTunes purchased music for $25 a year."

And what you also might not know is what all the new symbols mean. Well, ease your fears since this article gives you the run down on what they all mean. You can also find a handy chart at Apple. Apple has also posted several guides about troubleshooting, subscribing, adding computers and deleting songs from iCloud. Now if they would only make deleting pictures from the photostream easier I'd be happy!


Monday, October 17, 2011

How is Your Battery Life With iOS 5?

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 02:00 AM

http://osxdaily.com/2011/10/16/ios-...t=Google+Reader

"Many users who have upgraded to iOS 5 have noticed decreased battery life, the problem seems to effect iPhone and iPad users the worst, but some iPod touch users have noticed battery reductions as well"

I haven't noticed a problem with my iPhone 4 and battery life under iOS 5 that other folks have, but this article has some good tips nonetheless. I usually turn off Bluetooth as well as location services when I'm not going to be using them for awhile, but that's basically it. How about you? Any problems with iOS 5 and decreased battery life? What have you done to improve it?


Friday, August 19, 2011

The Best Way to Restore OS X Lion

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (OS X)" @ 08:20 AM

http://www.macworld.com/article/161...html#lsrc.fb_mw

"If you ever need to restore the entire contents of an OS X Lion startup drive, or just perform a reinstall of the OS, you'll find that there are numerous ways to accomplish these tasks. In fact, there are so many permutations, that I began to lose count after awhile. Trying to figure out the best method for your situation can get a bit tricky."

This is a good step-by-step how to on reinstalling Lion should you ever need it. Hopefully you won't, but it never hurts to be prepared does it?


Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Use Lion DiskMaker to Easily Create USB Install Drive or Boot DVD

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (OS X)" @ 01:00 AM

http://osxdaily.com/2011/08/02/easy...t=Google+Reader

"If you don't want to deal with the already simple task of making a Lion USB install drive or boot DVD, you will probably like the little third party utility called Lion DiskMaker, it's an AppleScript that handles everything for you as long as you have the requirements met."

And they are pretty simple requirements. The obvious one is to have a copy of Lion [affiliate link]. You also have to do this right after you install Lion, but the instructions are laid out here and easy to follow if you want to make one. You can also do it without using the utility by following these instructions.


Monday, August 1, 2011

A Little Help With the Apple TV Features in 4.3

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Other Apple Hardware" @ 11:30 PM

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/ar...f-apple-tv-4.3/

"Today Apple quietly released an update for the second-generation Apple TV, adding support for browsing videos stored on the Vimeo service, as well as purchasing and streaming TV shows via iTunes in the Cloud."

Released yesterday so I don't have mine updated yet, but you can be sure I will after reading this primer on all the new features.


Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Data Migration The Easy Way

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Laptops" @ 05:46 PM

http://lifehacker.com/5820744/how-t...er-to-a-new-one

"When you buy a new computer, you start with a clean slate, which is great, but you don't have any of your documents or settings from your old computer. Luckily, it's very easy to transfer all your files and settings from your old computer to the new one-whether you're on Windows or a Mac."

Lots of talk about new Macbook Airs in the near future, not to mention September is fast approaching for the start of a new school year and potentially new laptops for the kiddos, so it's probably appropriate to give a little info on how to do some data migration from your "old" laptop into that shiny new machine. And this one from Lifehacker is a pretty good one as it covers Windows to Windows, Windows to Mac and vice versa as well as Mac to Mac.


Sunday, June 5, 2011

iOS App to Help You Navigate WWDC 2011

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple News" @ 04:00 PM

http://preview.macnews.com/2011/06/...-posts-schedule

"Apple has released an iOS app regarding next week's Worldwide Developer Conference and released the official schedule."

You have to be registered as a developer with Apple to get the app [link], but why wouldn't you be anyway if you planned on attending? You can also find out more about WWDC 2011, such as the schedule, on the developer page here.

Tags: developer, help, wwdc, 2011, ios

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Disney World App Provides All You Need to Know

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 02:00 AM

http://appadvice.com/appnn/2011/04/...rld-app-updated

"Travelers planning a trip to Walt Disney World this year should consider purchasing a recently updated app for the iPhone/iPod touch. The $3.99 Walt Disney World Notecast app includes everything you need to know about the Orlando, Florida resort."

The best thing about this app [affiliate link] is that you don't even have to have an Internet connection to take advantage of all the information since it is stored within the app. This includes 300 pages of information along with 750 photos making it a pretty good choice for your in-park guide. Also included is information from Epcot, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom.


Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Some Rules to Get The Most Out of Mail

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (OS X)" @ 02:00 AM

http://www.macworld.com/article/159...l#lsrc.rss_main

"If you're overwhelmed by your e-mail, Mail's rules can help. Use these simple yet powerful tools to sift through your e-mail and apply changes to messages, filter messages into specific folders, forward them automatically, set off alarms, and more."

All good rules (using color, highlights, alarms, etc) and by using them you really can get control of your email inbox. You can also use the same things with Gmail. Just a reminder in case you find yourself spending way too much time dealing with email, there is help out there for you!

Tags: software, help, mail, rules

Monday, April 18, 2011

Apple Creates Support Communities Versus Support Discussions

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple News" @ 02:00 AM

http://www.9to5mac.com/62080/apple-...ple+Intelligenc

"Apple took their support discussions website down this Friday morning and now it is back up."

But it isn't what it used to be, and it appears to be better. They have replaced the discussions board with what they are calling Apple Support Communities. And as the name suggests, the pages are arranged by "community." You still have responses like the old support boards but now you also have a quick answer feature that allows you to reply quickly to any post. You can also set it up to receive emails when your question has a reply. The index, to me anyway, looks a lot cleaner and less confusing than the previous version so I'm hoping this new version will be a lot easier to navigate and find answers from. What are your thoughts?


Wednesday, April 13, 2011

TUAW Provides a Guide to Mastering iPhoto '11

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (OS X)" @ 03:00 AM

http://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/05/taki...to-apples-phot/

"iPhoto '11 is an easy Mac app to begin using and play with, but a difficult one to master."

If you want to master it, perhaps this guide on "Taking Your iPhoto '11 to the Max" is just what you need. It's available in paperback [link] for $29.99 USD or as kindle edition [link] for $9.99 USD.


Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Need some iOS Help With Your Taxes?

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad)" @ 08:00 AM

http://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/11/five...ps-for-tax-day/

"With roughly a week to go before taxes are due -- the federal deadline is on April 18 and many states have followed suit -- plenty of Americans are scrambling to file before the clock ticks away. We've gone and found five apps that will help you make Tax Day, and waiting for that refund, a bit easier."

All good apps, but not all for the same purpose. The free IRS app called IRS2GO is for checking on the status of your return (or refund depending on your situation) and iDonatedIt is for keeping track of your donations throughout the year for your tax return. The other three actually help you file, and if you are filing EZ then it seems like they would work pretty well. I'm thinking the IRS app is going to be helpful, and for keeping track throughout this year instead of going through my donation slips at year end, iDonatedIt [affiliate link] might be worth a look.


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