MacMost: Video Podcast

The new Apple Support app is available in the iOS app store and will help you solve problems on your iOS devices and Macs. In addition to including helpful information, you can use it to call Apple or schedule a call or repair.

If you want to see what song is playing and have some basic iTunes controls on the screen, but don't want to have the huge iTunes window compete for screen space, then try using the iTunes MiniPlayer. This special window is part of iTunes and provides information and controls in a small window that you can keep on top of other windows while you use your Mac.

If you are running out of storage on your iOS device, there is an easy way to see which apps are using the most space. In Settings you can see a list of apps sorted by the amount of space they are using. You can use this list to delete apps and sometimes content.

If you have a suggestion, feature request or complaint, you can send it to Apple though their special feedback page. This page isn't for support, but rather for general feedback and comments. You are unlikely to hear back from Apple, however.

You can search in the Finder for files by file extension instead of content or full file name. If you do this often, you can save the search for easy access in the left sidebar of the Finder window. You can then simply adjust the extension each time you do a search.

You can use your own sounds for alerts in macOS Sierra and Mail. You'll need to convert the sounds to AIF format and put them in the Library folder. Then these custom sounds will show up after restarting System Preferences or Mail.

Usually you cannot use iCloud.com on an iPad or iPhone because you are automatically redirected to a screen that asks you to set up iCloud on the device. But by using the Request Desktop Site button, you can access your iCloud.com account on someone else's iPad or iPhone, or access iCloud.com settings on your own iOS device.

If you use key repeat on your Mac, you may want to adjust the settings to suit your needs. You can change the delay before a repeat starts, and also the speed of the repeat. You can also turn this feature off if you never use it to avoid mistakes.

If you need to take the extreme step of reinstalling macOS Sierra, you can do so using Recovery mode. You can choose to erase the drive and start fresh, or simply replace macOS and leave your documents and apps alone. This is handy for fixing extreme problems or before passing the Mac along to a family member.

If you are about to sell or give away an old Mac, it is important to erase it completely and reset it so it is exactly as it was when you first bought it. It is important to remember to sign out and remove all accounts and services first, then erase the drive, and then use Internet Recovery to install its original operating system.

Over the last few weeks many people have been reporting unwanted Calendar invites, usually looking like junk email with a sales pitch and links. It is difficult to get rid of these invites without notifying the sender that you either declined or accepted it. But there is a method to quietly delete the invite. A better solution is to switch to email notifications of Calendar invites until Apple fixes the problem.

iMovie includes an easy-to-use function that lets you stabilize shaky video. It works best on video that is relatively still. You can make shaky video easier to view and appear more professional.

You can create scripts in Automator that can then be assigned to dictation commands. Once you have set things up, you can speak the command and your computer will execute the Automator script. In this example, I show you how to instantly bring up pictures of cats whenever you need some stress relief.

If you want to take a temporary photo with your iPhone, and not have to remember to delete it from your Photo Library later one, use the Notes app instead. You can take a photo right from the app, and it will appear in the current note, but not your Photo Library. You can then delete the photo from the Note, or the entire note.

TextEdit and other Mac text editing apps have useful functions for converting text from all caps to lowercase, allowing you to process uppercase text quicker. You can also convert the other way, or capitalize each word.

Most off-the-shelf USB flash drives are formatted for Windows computers. You can easily reformat a drive to use the standard Mac OS Extended format with the Disk Utility app. Keeping the drive in MS-DOS format may be a better option, however, if you plan to use it on both Mac and Windows computers.

If you have a problem with some you purchased from iTunes or an Apple App Store, you can easily report this problem and request a refund. This is the easiest way to get your money back if you have problems with a video rental, for instance.

iOS has an undo function that works in a wide variety of apps and situations. But it doesn't have an on-screen button. Instead, shake your iPhone or iPad when you want to undo your last action.

You can set your playlists to a manual order or to follow a specific order like alphabetical. You can also use some tricks to shuffle the order of your playlists and get that random order to become permanent, rather than using the shuffle function that plays songs in a different order each time.

Take a look at the Touch Bar on the new Macbook Pro. This thin touchscreen that replaces the function keys on the keyboard allows you to easily access functions for macOS and apps. It changes depending on which app you are using and what you are doing.