There really is built-in anti-malware software as a part of macOS. It gets malware "definitions" just like the third-party software and even has a blacklist of things that should never run on your Mac, as well as minimum versions of Safari plug-ins that are required.You can see how recently your XProtect data has been updated by looking for the XProtect* files in /System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources/ and examining their modification dates. Then you can read those files to see what's inside. The two files are: <ul> <li>/System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources/XProtect.meta.plist</li> <li>/System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources/XProtect.plist</li></ul>
Duck Duck Go noticed my video on their extension. While looking at other privacy extensions, I also noticed this one that helps you search Google privately even while you are logged into Gmail.
There are a lot of new interesting features in Pages/Numbers/Keynote and I'll be getting to them in regular videos in the coming weeks. In the meantime, here is a look at the new Master Pages feature of Pages.
There are many ways to take screenshots on your Mac. This screencapture command offers a really versatile method for those of use that like using the Terminal.
Here's another look at the iOS Workflow app. It has simple-to-use loops. In this example, I'll show you how to use variables and loops to make an audible countdown from 10 to 1.
I've done a couple of videos on the Apple iOS app Workflow in the past. It is like Automator, but for the iPhone/iPad. I was going to do another video on it this week, but when I looked I saw that there is a ton of new stuff in it and it may be more powerful than Automator now.Take a look at some of what is there, and watch me create a photo grid extension with just a few steps.
Have a look at the export settings that I use when I finish up each MacMost video. I produce one for YouTube and another for the podcast feed. I try to balance quality and file size.
My quest to figure out how to use an iPhone as a webcam on a Mac may be over. On the iPhone, I use an app called CameraVision to send the camera image out as an AirPlay stream. Then on my Mac, I use AirServer to display that AirPlay stream. Then I use CamTwist to take in that AirPlay stream and set it up as a webcam stream that was recognized by both ScreenFlow and Skype!
I grabbed my HomePod from the Apple Store this morning and gave it a try. Overall, finding what others have reported. The sound is great. I tried to get some stereo separation but it sounds nothing like using left and right speakers, although it does separate somewhat. I also tried AirPlay from my Mac and iPhone. There are slight delays in doing so, which isn't a problem for playing music, but is a problem for playing video.Since recording this I've discovered a whole set of controls in the Home app on my iPhone. So I'll be doing a regular video on the HomePod and will go over those. Who else got a HomePod and what do you think so far?
I haven't thought about the old Mac Stickies app for a long time. But it is still there in High Sierra. Do you use it? If so, what for? Seems handy, but a lot of the functionality can be replaced with Notes, Reminders and other things.
In today's MacMost tutorial I stopped after showing how to set a window size using the Script Editor or Automator. But you can do it in the Terminal too! In fact, using the Osascript command, you can do all sorts of cool things by going into a mode where you can type JavaScript and control your Mac. The window resize command works great with this. But my mind is spinning with how much you could do .
Here's a handy technique. You can use a terminal command to launch a second instance of the same app. So, for instance, you can have the calculator app running twice. Or, three times. This could help with simple apps that only have one window. But it is dangerous to use for complex apps as the instances will trip over themselves in setting preferences and remembering settings and such. Still, it saved me a few days ago when an app crashed in a weird way and I couldn't save my work.
I was looking for a way to batch convert image files that didn't require an app. I found the Sips command in the Terminal, which seems to have a lot of interesting options.
A lot of people think I am using a green screen or some technical trick to have a black void as my background. But it is much simpler than that.
You can set a script, either AppleScript or JavaScript (JXA) to handle incoming messages in the Messages app. In fact, there are a few default scripts already there, including one that will speak incoming messages. In this video I'll show you how to make a really simple script that gives and extra alert when you get a message from a specific person.
Did you know Apple makes an iPhone and iPad simulator for the Mac? It is part of the Xcode tools that are available to all for free. This can be very useful for web developers or anyone with a website. You can check out how your site looks on various devices. And it is fun to play around with.
I've been enjoying the Juiced.GS magazine for a while now. Even though I don't have an Apple II anymore, I still occasionally fire up an emulator for fun. If you want to check out the most recent issue of Juiced.GS, you can get 20% off by going to <a href="https://juiced.gs/store/volume-22-2017/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://juiced.gs/store/volume-22-2017/</a> and using the coupon code MACMOST at checkout.
I finally got AirPods. Excellent earphones. But I was hoping they would also make a good microphone for recording video. You'll hear right away that this isn't the case. The mic is clearly meant for phone calls. Oh well.
In addition to the small collection of backgrounds you can find in System Preferences, there is also another collection of beautiful backgrounds hidden in the system library folder in High Sierra. Not sure why they are hidden away there, but they are easy to access and use as your desktop wallpaper.
So I'm working on a video for next week about how to install fonts on iPhones and iPads. It turns out that everyone uses a third-party app for this. And there is just this one app and everyone likes it. So OK. I'll do a tutorial on the third-party app. It is a fairly convoluted procedure, but doable for typical users. At least typical users that work with fonts already. Here's me walking through it all. I'm going to condense this into a regular MacMost video later on.
