News, Tips, and Tricks
For Mac, iPad, iPhone, Apple TV, and Apple Watch.
Perturbed by the Price of Adobe Creative Cloud? Consider the Affinity Suite
Looking for an affordable alternative to an expensive Adobe Creative Cloud subscription? Check out the Affinity suite: Affinity Designer, Affinity Photo, and Affinity Publisher. Read on for thoughts on how they compare and if Affinity is for you.
Where to Check macOS, iOS/iPadOS, and iCloud Storage Status
There’s little more frustrating than running out of space, which always seems to happen at just the wrong time. Luckily, Apple makes it easy to check any time, before it becomes a problem. On the Mac, choose About This Mac from the Apple menu and click Storage. On an...
When It Comes to Wi-Fi Networks, Sometimes It’s Better to Forget
It’s easy, particularly when traveling, to end up connecting to a Wi-Fi network that doesn’t provide Internet access, requires credentials you don’t have, or lacks access to the network’s printer. Unfortunately, once your iPhone, iPad, or Mac has connected to such a...
New M1 Pro and M1 Max Chips Power the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros
Last year, Apple started to transition Macs away from Intel processors to its custom M1 system-on-a-chip. The M1’s performance is stellar, but Apple has used it only in low-end models so far: the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and new 24-inch iMac. For...
How to Take the Annoyance Out of Your Key Passwords and Passcodes
Password managers are essential, but you must still remember and enter some passcodes and passwords. Read on for our advice on how to create ones that are secure, memorable, and easy to type.
The Mac’s Magic Shortcut to Trashing Files and Photos Quickly
Sure, you could select a file in the Finder and choose File > Move to Trash or drag it to the Trash in the Dock. Similarly, you can trash selected photos in Apple’s Photos app by choosing Image > Delete X Photos, or by pressing the Delete key, but both of those...
Filter What’s Showing in Photos to Focus on Specific Types
You know you can make albums and smart albums in Photos, and do searches to find photos that contain particular objects. But what if you want to separate photos from videos, identify which images in an album have been edited, or pick out just the ones you’ve...
Don’t Cook Your Digital Devices in the Summer Heat
As climate change continues to wreak havoc on our weather, many areas are seeing record temperatures this summer—Seattle just recorded its hottest days ever. You may be able to trade your business suit for shorts or skirts to stay more comfortable, but your electronic...
Nightstand Mode Makes Your Apple Watch a Helpful Bedroom Companion
Most Apple Watch users charge their watch every night, putting it on a charger as part of a bedtime routine. If that’s you, make sure you’re not missing one of the Apple Watch’s best features: nightstand mode. When you enable it in the iPhone’s Watch app, in General...
Ever Have Trouble Printing? Try a Different Printer Driver
Some clients have reported problems with HP laser printers failing to print. Sometimes there’s an error. Other times, the print job just disappears into the ether. It’s unclear why this is happening or how widespread it is, but here’s a workaround that can help....
Pin Your Chats in Messages for Faster Access
A new feature of Messages in both iOS 14 and macOS 11 Big Sur is the option to pin up to nine conversations at the top of the conversation list for easy access. No longer do you have to worry about them scrolling out of sight just because you haven't chatted for a few...
Not a Fan of Big Sur’s Translucent Menu Bar? Here’s How to Disable It
In macOS 11 Big Sur, Apple went back to a design direction from the earliest days of Mac OS X: a translucent menu bar. Since its color changes depending on the desktop picture, many people aren’t enamored of it (left, below). Luckily, reverting to the traditional...