MacMost: Archives

The IF function is how to test values in spreadsheets. You can use it to simply test a value and show different results. But the key to making complex spreadsheets to learning more about the IF function. You can pass through values when a condition is met, combine conditions with AND and OR functions, and nest IF functions for more than two possible results.

New iOS 13 iPhone Shortcuts automation are great, but you can't have most automations play without manually confirming first. However, you can have an automation triggered when you stop an alarm, which leads to some interesting uses. In these examples, we'll have a song or podcast start when you turn off your alarm. We'll also create a more complex shortcut to play a playlist matching the name of the day.

You don't have to settle for using Apple's images as your desktop background. You can use any photo from your library or image you can obtain as a desktop background. You can also make your own graphics in an image editing app or Keynote to use as a background. You can combine photos and graphics to make an ideal background.

While most iPhone users use the virtual on-screen keyboard to type all day long, many don't know about some important techniques that can make typing easier. Learn how to type punctuation easier, slide-to-type, use the one-handed keyboard, add more keyboards, search for emoji and access hidden characters.

When working in apps on documents you can choose to have one document open per window, or multiple documents in tabs in that same window. Windows can be floating, resizable objects on your desktop, or you can go into full screen mode to fill the screen with the window or split screen mode to share the screen with exactly two app windows. You can also combine windows, tabs, and screen modes to work in many different ways.

iOS 13 and iPadOS give us a new Messages app feature where we can send stickers based on our Memoji or Apple's Animoji characters. Old functionality lets you send a recording with animation and audio. But you can also send your own custom Memoji or Animoji stickers if you know a little hidden trick.

While iPhone numbers were down 9 percent from last year, services such as iCloud, Apple Music and the App Store showed continued double-digit growth contributing more than $10 billion.

While we all use our iPhone cameras to take pictures all the time, there is a lot of functionality hidden in the Camera app that many people don't know about. You can take long exposure photos, use a grid and level, get in the shot with a timer, take vertical panos and more.

Apple released the first major update to macOS Catalina today. It is available in System Preferences, Software Update. New features include support for the AirPods Pro that go on sale tomorrow, updates to the Home app and Siri, and a host of bug fixes including several for the Photos app.

Apple TV launches on November 1 with a variety of movies and shows, including four new primary series. Find out what the shows See, The Morning Show, For All Mankind, and Dickinson are about. Also learn about what shows will be quickly following later this year and next year, including Amazing Stories, Foundation and Time Bandits.

The new version of iOS and iPadOS is available today through Settings, Software Update on all compatible devices. The new update will be needed for anyone getting the new AirPods Pro, also announced today.

Apple announced the new AirPods Pro, a significant update to the AirPods with a new shape and active noise cancellation. This advance model is priced at $249 and available on Wednesday.

A quick search in the Finder will show you the largest files on your Mac or in a specific location on your Mac. But you may be better off using a special system utility that will show you large files and other items taking up a lot of space. Once you locate large files you can delete the or archive them to an external drive to free up space on your Mac's hard drive.

A new feature in iOS 13 allows you to send a name and photo to someone you are messaging with, and they can choose to use that to create a new contact. You can use a photo, your initials, take a new picture, an Apple Animoji or your own Memoji for this image.

Learn some useful everyday tips, tricks and techniques to make it easier to manage your files and folders in the macOS Catalina Finder. See how you can use things like Undo, Copy and Paste, the Path Bar, keyboard shortcuts and more to navigate around in the Finder and work with your files.

With the Books app taking over audiobooks in macOS Catalina, a lot of Mac users are upset that it doesn't handle large collections very well. You have no option to store your audiobooks on an external drive. However, you can still keep a large audiobook collection by managing the files yourself outside of Books, and only brining in the books you wish to listen to at the moment. Audible users may find it better to simply use the Auible iPhone app instead.

iPadOS (iOS 13) refines multitasking so it works better than ever. You can bring up two apps at the same time with Split View, or float a window over a full screen all with Slide Over. You can pile up Slide Over windows and flip through them too. Apps can interact with each other through dragging and dropping. There is a lot of different ways to use multitasking so it is best to practice a little before you need it.

While working on your Mac, you can use your iPhone or iPad to take photos, scan documents and draw sketches. The result will end up as files on your Mac, being saved directly from the iOS device to your Mac. You can also insert these images directly into documents in some apps. You can also use this to create signatures in Preview.

If you like to switch between light and dark mode frequently, you can create a keyboard shortcut or Dock icon to do it with one fast action. By using a very simple workflow in Automator, with no scripting required, you can create either a Quick Action or a application for your Dock. The Quick Action can then be assigned to a keyboard shortcut.

Often those in technical or linguistic professions need to enter specific Unicode characters while typing. You can type characters using their specific 4- or 8-digit codes by using a special keyboard built into your Mac. For other users, it is often easier to search using the character viewer or create shortcuts for commonly-used symbols.