Mac
Use iPhoto to Make So-So Pictures Super Cool
Matt Cone June 12, 2007
If you listen to the digital photography experts, even the well-meaning experts, you might walk away thinking that unless you use expensive software like Aperture or Photoshop, you cannot possibly make art or even a decent image with cheap applications like iPhoto. We’ve never listened to the so-called “experts” much, so believe us when we say that ignoring the “experts” can give you an edge in creating really beautiful art!
Free Flickr Apps For Your Mac
Matt Cone June 8, 2007
If you have a Mac and a digital camera, you probably know a thing or two about managing digital photos. Of course, iPhoto is a wonderful application that does a great job of managing photos on your Mac. But when it comes to sharing your photos with friends and family members, iPhoto comes up short, especially if you decided to forgo the expensive .Mac subscription. What application or website should you use to share your photos?
How to Clone and Backup Your Hard Drive
Stephen Korecky June 7, 2007
When you need to clone your drive, or simply do a full backup, someone usually tells you to use Carbon Copy Cloner (Donation Recommended) or SuperDuper! ($27.95). Sure, both of these applications are great programs, but they aren’t necessary. You can use Apple’s own software that comes free with your Mac! We’re talking about Disk Utility ( User > Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.app ) It’s free, easy-to-use, and it does the job right.
How to Use iTunes: Getting Started
Matt Cone June 6, 2007
If you’ve just purchased your first Mac or iPod, you’re probably hankering for iTunes, Apple’s free media software. Like all of Apple’s software, iTunes is fun and easy to use. However, beginners still might need a little help. As new features have been added to iTunes over the years, the learning curve has gotten steeper. Even Mac experts can need help with iTunes these days! In this tutorial, you’ll learn two different ways to add music to your iTunes Library:
Create Printing Profiles
Matt Cone June 5, 2007
Do you print to color printers, but only want to print in black and white? Or do you sometimes want to duplex or staple your print jobs? Chances are you’ll want to do all of these things from time to time, and you’ll want to save the settings for reference later. Well, now you can! Printing profiles are a quick and easy way to save settings that you frequently use, but would like to retrieve without having to try and remember.
Use BBEdit's Clippings Menu to Optimize Workflow
Justin Busch June 4, 2007
We’ve written a lot about TextWrangler, the free text editor from Bare Bones Software. In fact, we like TextWrangler so much that we included it in our list of 20 must-have Mac apps. But if you’re a Mac power-user or programmer, there’s nothing like BBEdit - TextWrangler’s big brother. It has all sorts of cool stuff, like the clipping menu. To start using the BBEdit clippings menu, you’ll need to launch BBEdit.
Twenty Must-Have Mac Apps
Matt Cone May 25, 2007
Every Mac you can buy these days comes pre-installed with powerful and practical applications. You get the amazing iLife suite as well as other applications like Safari and Mail.app. In fact, Macs include so much software that you could probably do practically everything you need to do without ever downloading or purchasing another application. But if you did that, you’d be missing out on dozens of freeware and shareware applications that can help you do much more with your Mac.
How to Mute Your Mac's Startup Sound
Matt Cone May 24, 2007
If you have a Mac, you’re probably tired of hearing the familiar startup chime every time you turn your Mac on. Maybe you have a baby in the house that you don’t want to disturb. Or perhaps you just want your MacBook to be quiet when you turn it on in the coffee shop. Unfortunately, not every Mac allows you to turn that stupid startup sound off. It can be the bane of your existence!
How to Create a Cell Phone Ringtone
Matt Cone May 23, 2007
So you want a ringtone for your cell phone, huh? You could purchase one from your cell phone provider, of course, but it’s also pretty easy to make a ringtone with your Mac. All you need is your favorite song, some free software, and a cellphone capable of connecting to your Mac (via Bluetooth, USB, etc.). Here’s how to do it. Decide what song you would like to use as a ringtone.
Use PithHelmet to Block Internet Ads
Matt Cone May 22, 2007
Ever wonder how to block advertising on websites? If you’re a Safari user, all you need is PithHelmet, a practically essential plug-in for Safari. PithHelmet is free to download and try, but we’d encourage you to drop the $10 for a license. It is quite a powerful tool, as you’ll soon see. PithHelmet automatically blocks all ads on most any given webpage using an arsenal of pre-made rules. However, sometimes those ugly banners can slip through the cracks and into view.