MacMost: Archives

Learn about some of the actions in Automator that control the Calendar and Mail app. Build a workflow that will search your events, summarize them as text, and convert that text to an audio file. Then Mail can send it as an email message.

Learn how to properly eject an external hard drive or USB flash drive. You can also remount an ejected drive without needing to unplug the drive and plug it back in using Disk Utility.

Today's Google Maps app provides the basic functionality of the old Google Maps app. But you have to add this free app yourself as it no longer comes pre-installed on iOS. You can use both Apple Maps and Google Maps on your device, and it is worth having it as an alternative.

Many of the posts you may see in your Facebook news feed are scams or pieces of misinformation. Learn to be skeptical when you read information passed on from others. Verify information before passing it on yourself. Often, posts are simply ploys to gain popularity on Facebook.

Learn how to put your videos on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. You would typically use iTunes to transfer the videos from your Mac or PC to your device. But sometimes you have to go through a conversion process first as iOS can only play back certain types of video.

Safari 6 has some great tools for developers, including the Safari Snippet Editor. This tool allows you to write HTML code and see the results instantly. You can include tags as well as styles and scripts. It could be useful for those learning HTML or JavaScript, and for those starting a new HTML project.

If you are posting to Apple's discussion forums, or are simply asking for service or help, it is important to be able to convey critical information about your Mac. Learn how to find the correct name for your Mac, the amount of memory and storage space you have available, and the version of OS X you are using. Also, if you are discussing an app, it is important to mention the version of the app you are using.

You don't always need to print an entire document. Sometimes only a portion of a single page is all that is needed. By using OS X's ability to print to a PDF that opens in Preview, and some quick keyboard shortcuts, you can select and print only a small portion of a page, therefore saving paper and ink. This tip works for web pages, documents, or anything that can be printed.

Learn to use GarageBand for iPad to build a song. You can use pre-made Apple Loops in combination with tracks that you record using GarageBand's instruments. You can mix and combine them, and add song sections. Then you can export in a variety of ways to use the music in your projects or share with friends.

You can view the rows in your spreadsheet by category using values in specific rows. This is often better than sorting the entire spreadsheet. You can nest categories and turn them on and off easily. You can also use formats and colors to make categories easier to view.

Apple IDs can now be made more secure by using the two-step verification process. This involves changing your Apple ID account and added secure devices, like your phone, to the process. In order to make changes to your account, like a new password, you would then need to verify your identity by using your device in conjunction with your password. This makes it much harder for someone to gain access to your account.

Have a look at using a real guitar with GarageBand for iPad. You can filter your guitar to make it sound like you are using a wide variety of amplifiers, pedals and settings. Also look at how you can record vocals. You can also use a microphone to record samples to play on the keyboard.