MacMost: Archives

You can set your Mac to not require a password when you start up, wake up or log in. However, you should never use this function. Doing so leaves all of your information vulnerable to anyone who gets physical access to your Mac. Even if you are using a Mac that is stationary and locked up, it doesn't make sense to take the risk. Entering a password every time you use your Mac is a small price to pay for good security. You can mitigate the number of times you enter your password by setting the Require Password time to something reasonable, such as 5 minutes.

When you triple-click the iPhone's Home button, a variety of things can happen. This can trigger the magnifier, screen zoom, a type of dark mode, other screen filters and a few of types of touch assistance. You can have a single function activate instantly, or choose from a menu of more than one function.

Last week there was a bit of a controversy as a MacBook Pro i9 user reported slowness when rendering video with his new top-end MacBook Pro. Turns out the problem is a software bug, not any performance issue or attempt by Apple to keep the processor from reaching its full potential. (more...)

In System Preferences you can select from a variety of voices that are used when you have text read aloud to you on your Mac. You can also set a keyboard shortcut to read selected text. Another option will automatically read alerts out loud after a delay. This can be handy for recognizing when there is a problem or warning.

The new 2018 iPhones are expected to allow you to use third-party fast chargers. These USB-C chargers will let you charge your iPhone quickly and use a USB-C to Lightning adapter. Mac Okatara is reporting that this will also mean the chargers need to be certified devices, and if not they won’t work, or at least not at high speeds. (more...)

Spam robocalls are getting more and more common. They can be quite a nuisance. Some of the methods that people use to deal with these, such as blocking and reporting, are ineffective because the caller ID is fake. However, ignoring them, using custom ringtones, or using services from your mobile network can help alleviate the problem.

So far Apple products have been spared from new U.S. import tariffs as phones and computers have been exempted. But the Apple Watch could be subject to those new tariffs, which could mean a price increase, or at least the lack of future reduced prices. (more...)

When you are browsing web pages you are using either HTTP or HTTPS. The latter is the more secure way to view websites. HTTPS uses TLS and certificates to insure security, privacy and integrity.

MacRumors today is reporting proof that the new MacBook Pro keyboard is in fact designed to resist dust better than the previous versions. Apple has advertised that the new keyboard is simply quieter, but experts have said that Apple may simply be trying to avoid admitting that the previous keyboards have had issues. (more...)

There are many functions in System Preferences, Accessibility, Display that any Mac user may find useful. You can enlarge the cursor, change the contrast of your screen and reduce the motion effects and transparency of elements.

When people complained about the new MacBook Pros using USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports instead of old USB ports, I kept saying that they were missing something big. These new ports are not just ports, they are like expansion slots. Expansion slots just like opening up a desktop and inserting a card. And since then a few eGPU products have come out that let you do just that kind of thing. (more...)

While it isn't possible to create dynamic Pop-Up Menus in Numbers alone, you can use an AppleScript service to pull data from one table, present it in a list that will then populate the value of a cell. You can set this service up with a keyboard shortcut to make data entry easier. The list will automatically update as you update the second table.

Monday was World Emoji Day, and Apple shared a preview of some new upcoming characters to celebrate. There will be new facial expressions, and new hairstyles to represent a wider variety of people. (more...)

A point of frustration with Numbers users is that Pop-Up Menu cells must be populated with a list of typed values. Often it is useful to get these values from another table instead. While there is no easy solution, you can simulate a dynamic pop-up with a special technique that involves creating the Pop-Up Menu in the second table and pasting it into the first. This method requires a manual update of the Pop-Up Menus when the selections change, but can handle large lists.

Since the day the iPad launched, people have wondered about the overlap between the Mac and the iPad. Lots of things, like browsing the Web, checking email, word processing and other tasks can be done just as easily on the iPad as on a computer. Pro-level apps have been the divider. Do you want to use Photoshop? Well, you need a computer for that. (more...)

Instead of placing every file in a specific folder, you can tag your files for greater flexibility. Files can have more than one tag, so you can include a file with more than one project, task or collection. You can rename and assign colors to tags. You can easily view all of the files that have a tag, search for files by tag, or even create smart folders for a single tag or set of tags.

When Apple surprised everyone with new MacBook Pros this week, the first question many asked was whether the keyboard was fixed. The previous generation of MacBook Pros were plagued by keyboards that broke easily. Often this was caused by dust that got under the keys. (more...)

Apple quietly announced, through an alert in the latest update to High Sierra, that they will no longer be offering print products like books, posters, and calendars. They have been offering such services since 2002 in iPhoto. The service will end September 30, which probably corresponds to the release of macOS Mojave. (more...)

Apple is using the term Augmented Reality to describe the combination of camera, 3D graphics and motion detection to view the world through your iPhone and see additional added elements. This can be used for practical purposes or entertainment.

Apple surprised everyone today with the release of new MacBook Pro models, and the retirement of the oldest in the line. The new models look essentially the same, but there are a lot of changes under the hood. (more...)