Do you ever need to translate something into another language? Of course you do. Here's how you do it quickly and effortlessly, using Google Translate. 1. Go to translate.google.com. Here's what you'll see:In this case the box on the left is set for English, which is what I'm going to type in. The box on... Continue Reading →
iOS 7: Reset Your iPhone (or iPad) and Fix Mysterious Problems
I'm getting a lot of calls about things that don't work right after the iOS 7 upgrade. Two of the oddest: the camera wouldn't take pictures, and email could not be sent even though the settings appeared to be correct. When faced with this kind of issue you have two great chances to make things... Continue Reading →
Get at least $200 for any working iPad at Target
Target is offering at least a $200 gift card for ANY working iPad (newer iPads get more). The iPad can't have any scratches on the screen, and it has to turn on. Do what you want with the gift card (though I recommend spending it on either the iPad Air or the iPad mini, or... Continue Reading →
How to Find an iPhone 5s
UPDATE (November 5th, 2013): Apple's legal department has asked that the Apple-Tracker website be shut down as it violates terms of use of the Apple.com website. So now it's gone. Too bad-- it was rather handy. Thanks, Apple-Tracker. Looking for an iPhone 5s? Of course you are. And are you discovering that the iPhone 5s... Continue Reading →
Back Up Your iPhone to iCloud– Please!
There are two ways to back up your iPhone (and iPad). The first way used to be the only way: connect your iPhone (or iPad) to your computer with a USB cable and let iTunes take care of it. It's not a lot of trouble, and it's reasonably fast, and your iPhone/iPad will charge a... Continue Reading →
The Daily Tip: Show Day, Date, and Time in the Menu Bar
That little menubar clock at the top right of your Mac's screen is handy, as it's always nice to know what time it is. Of course, it is also nice to know the day of the week, and by default the day of the week shows up right next to the time. That is, it... Continue Reading →
Macworld/iWorld 2013
I'll be speaking at Macworld as part of the RapidFire session. It's a lot of fun for everyone: each of ten speakers gets 5 minutes to demonstrate something cool. I'll be covering Moom, Desktop Curtain, and Typinator (and speaking very quickly). Here's a link to my PDF handout. Macworld/iWorld 2013 runs this Thursday through Saturday.... Continue Reading →
Best Mac Keyboard Shortcuts
Dad is now a Mac owner. He used a Mac at work way back when but things have changed a lot. And, even the things that haven't changed a lot are ancient memories for him. I thought it would be a good idea to put together a series of Mac hints for Dad, a little... Continue Reading →
How to Use Rules in Mail to Process Email Automatically
In the olden days, mail came in an envelope and if you were lucky, a secretary went through the mail for you, prioritizing and filing and sometimes handling things personally so you wouldn't have to. Unfortunately, most of our mail comes electronically, but fortunately, we can create a "virtual secretary" to process your mail, reducing... Continue Reading →
OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Advice and Info
Apple released Mountain Lion today, also known as OS X 10.8. This comes less than a month after the MobileMe-to-iCloud transition deadline, which means less than a month after a whole lot of people converted to OS X 10.7 (Lion). My advice, based on over 21 years of full-time Mac consulting, is wait. Mountain Lion... Continue Reading →