Tutorials
Sherlock: The Forgotten Mac Application
Eric Buczynski March 29, 2007
It was a big hit in Mac OS 8 and 9, an interesting application in Mac OS 10.2 and 10.3, and now it’s been all but forgotten. I’m talking about Sherlock, of course – Apple’s file and web searching tool. Sure, you can search your Mac with Spotlight and get Internet information with Dashboard Widgets, but Sherlock can still come in handy. Look for it in your Mac’s Applications folder.
How to Use Bluetooth Headsets With Your Mac
Dave Strom March 28, 2007
Forget the iPhone. You can make free Internet phone calls with your Mac to anyone in the world! You don’t need anything, really: Most new Macs ship with iChat AV, a built-in microphone, and an iSight camera. In fact, all you need is another friend with a Mac and iChat AV. But if you’re as serious about Internet phone calls as we are, you’re going to need some serious equipment. That’s where the bluetooth headsets come in.
How to Install RAM in a PowerBook G4
Matt Cone March 28, 2007
Installing RAM into your PowerBook G4 is the easiest way to breathe new life into your aging portable. This inexpensive upgrade can be performed by anyone in a matter of minutes, and after you’re finished, your Mac will run like new! RAM, or “Random Access Memory,” is a type of data storage used by your computer. RAM is a little like your hard disk drive, only there are no moving parts, and RAM is faster - a lot faster.
How to Backup Your Mac Using Rsync
David Miller March 26, 2007
Do you manually back up your Mac to an external hard drive? Do you know it is very easy to make automatic backups without spending any time or money on fancy applications? We’ll show you how to do it! Rsync is a wonderful backup tool that packs a powerful punch and is easy to set up. This free application is included with nearly all Unix operating systems – including Mac OS X.
Put Internet Images on Your Desktop With Automator
Wayne Linder March 25, 2007
Do you ever get tired of the same old Desktop image? Do you like cool images of space? Have you always wanted to play around with Apple’s Automator? Did you ever wonder if your dentist was the one out of four who didn’t recommend Trident to their patients who chew gum? Well, this article can’t help you with the last item, but if the others intrigued you, read on! In this article, you will learn how to change your Desktop background every day with an image downloaded from NASA’s Cool Astronomy Picture of the Day.
How to Control Cable Creep
Eric Buczynski March 23, 2007
Cable creep happens slowly. You buy your Mac, you setup the keyboard and mouse, and everything is fine. But then comes the digital camera, the printer, the iPod, the camcorder, the USB hub and everything else. Before you know it, you have a tangled mess of cables on your desk. Don’t become a victim of cable creep! Organize your cables early and often. How did it get so far? And how the heck is this systems administrator going to swap out a dead switch?
Stupid Apple Remote Tricks
Stephen Korecky March 19, 2007
If you’ve purchased a Mac recently, you probably have an Apple Remote. This nifty little device allows you to enter Apple’s Front Row interface and control your Mac from afar. It’s common knowledge that you can use your Apple Remote to play music, watch movies, and flip through pictures. This all comes in very handy, especially when you use your Mac as a full-blown entertainment center. What you might not know is that you can also use your remote to put your Mac to sleep, present a Keynote presentation, and lock your Mac.
How to Connect Multiple Monitors to Your Mac
Eric Buczynski March 19, 2007
Everyone knows that Apple’s Displays are cool - really friggin’ cool - but the high price tags are not. What’s a poor nerd to do? Buy a second display and connect it to your Mac. It’s one of the easiest ways to trick out your Mac! Working with multiple monitors gives you more visual real estate. You’ll really notice the difference when working on documents in multiple applications, and you’ll have an advantage when playing certain games.
Make an Encrypted Disk Image to Secure Files
David Miller March 16, 2007
Encryption satisfies one of the most basic, fundamental human needs: The right to privacy. By using encryption, you can be reasonably confident that your files will be protected from prying eyes. This is especially important if you work on computers that are shared with others, or if you frequent high-traffic computing environments, such as computer labs. Fortunately, the ability to encrypt files using disk images is a free feature built into every Mac running Mac OS 10.
How to Make a Favicon
Stephen Korecky March 15, 2007
Have you ever noticed those little icons in the address bar of your web browser? They also appear next to your bookmarks, and sometimes next to the items in your RSS feeds. These favicons - or “favorites icons” - are more fun to look at than they are functional, but almost every website has one these days. Now, your website can have a favicon, too. It’s easy to make these little icons with your favorite graphics editor.