Articles by Matt Cone
Matt Cone is a technical writer at Fastly. He has experience creating documentation for organizations like Linode and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Matt’s first book, Master Your Mac, was published by No Starch Press. To get in touch with Matt, visit https://www.mattcone.com.
Remove Rental Movies from an iPad or iPhone
May 29, 2012
If you’ve ever rented an iTunes movie on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch, you know that the movie is automatically removed from your device 24 hours after you started watching it. But did you know that you can manually remove movie rentals after you finish watching them? Doing so allows you to free up disk space on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch and store even more music and movies.
Where to Find Saved PDF Files on an iPad
May 19, 2012
In another tutorial, we discussed how to save PDF files on an iPad. But where do you find the PDF files that you’ve saved on your iPad? They’re stored in the iBooks app, but you might have to change collections to see them. Collections are essentially folders for the books and files stored in iBooks. By default, all PDF files are stored in the PDF collection. If you have a different collection open, you won’t see the files in the other collection.
Change an AirPort Extreme's DNS Servers
May 17, 2012
If you own an AirPort Extreme and use it as a router, you can specify default DNS servers for all of the devices connected to your wireless network. This is a great way to enforce enterprise network policies using OpenDNS, which allows you to implement security and filtering controls. And if you’re a home user, you can protect your children by configuring DNS servers for the entire house and enable parental controls with OpenDNS.
How to Update Your iPad's Software
May 9, 2012
This week Apple released iOS 5.1.1, the newest version of the operating system for iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touch devices. You used to have to connect to a computer with iTunes to install updates, but not anymore. With the “over-the-air” update feature built into iOS, you can use your iPad to download and install the iOS updates while connected to a wireless network. This guide will show you how to update your iPad’s iOS software wirelessly using the over-the-air update feature.
Connecting a Bluetooth Keyboard to an iPad
May 8, 2012
As someone who writes for a living, I need to be able to type fast and accurately. That’s just not possible with the iPad’s Qwerty keyboard. I initially thought the built-in keyboard would work, and that it was just a matter of training myself to use it. But as time went on, I realized that the keyboard was only large enough to fool me into thinking I could type with two hands.
How to Password Protect Your iPad
May 2, 2012
Did you know that you can enable password protection and hardware encryption on your iPad? It’s an easy and effective way to protect your private data from prying eyes. After you enable password protection, users will have to enter a password to unlock the iPad or access certain iOS system settings, as shown below. There are a couple different reasons why you would want to do this. If you’re the only person who uses the iPad, you’ll want to keep your email messages, Safari history and bookmarks, and app settings safe and secure when you leave your iPad at home or in the office.
How to Set Up a New iPad
April 30, 2012
Last weekend I did something I had never done before: I purchased an iPad for the first time. The process of setting up a new iPad is relatively straightforward, but some of the options can be confusing, especially if you’re new to iOS. (For those who don’t know, iOS is the name of the operating system that runs on the iPad). If you’re unboxing a new iPad right now, this tutorial will guide you through the entire setup process and describe all of the options available.
How to Use Your Mac as a Wireless Router
February 29, 2012
Did you know that you can turn your Mac into a wireless router for your home or office? This is a great option if you have cable or DSL service, but have yet to purchase a wireless router! These instructions will show you how to connect several computers or devices - such as an iPhone or iPad - to the Internet via your Mac’s wireless network. The best part is that you can save big money on expensive devices like the AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express by setting up your Mac to do the same thing!
How to Monitor Your Mac's Memory Usage
January 2, 2012
Imagine driving a vehicle with no gauges on the dashboard. You wouldn’t know how fast the car was going, how much fuel it had left, or whether or not the engine was about to overheat. In short, you’d be driving blind - hoping, by chance, that everything would just work out okay. As ludicrous as this scenario sounds, millions of Mac users do essentially the same thing every day. Most people have no idea how much RAM is installed in their Mac, or how much memory it is currently using.
How to Update Your Mac's Software
December 30, 2011
Updating Apple’s software on your Mac is an important maintenance task that you should perform regularly. Using the latest versions of Mac OS X and Apple’s applications can protect your Mac against malicious attacks, improve sluggish system performance, and fix bugs that can cause applications to randomly crash. This tutorial will show you how to automatically and manually update the Apple software on your computer. Automatically Check for Apple Software Updates You can manually check for updates with your Mac’s built-in Software Update tool.