Wednesday, 01 September 2021 10:01
Need to Share Files Securely? Try Password-Protected ZIP Archives
Written by Adam Engst
Imagine you’re staring at a file or folder—perhaps confidential employee information that you need to send to your accountant. If attaching it to an email message makes you think, “That doesn’t seem like a good idea,” award yourself a gold star! Sending sensitive files via email is a bad idea, partly because the email could […]
Monday, 02 August 2021 11:08
Ever Have Trouble Printing? Try a Different Printer Driver
Written by Adam Engst
Some clients have reported problems with HP laser printers failing to print. Sometimes there’s an error. Other times, the print job just disappears into the ether. It’s unclear why this is happening or how widespread it is, but here’s a workaround that can help. Create a new printer configuration by clicking the + button in […]
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Monday, 02 August 2021 11:07
Nightstand Mode Makes Your Apple Watch a Helpful Bedroom Companion
Written by Adam Engst
Most Apple Watch users charge their watch every night, putting it on a charger as part of a bedtime routine. If that’s you, make sure you’re not missing one of the Apple Watch’s best features: nightstand mode. When you enable it in the iPhone’s Watch app, in General > Nightstand Mode, a charging Apple Watch […]
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Monday, 02 August 2021 11:06
The Mac’s Magic Shortcut to Trashing Files and Photos Quickly
Written by Adam Engst
Sure, you could select a file in the Finder and choose File > Move to Trash or drag it to the Trash in the Dock. Similarly, you can trash selected photos in Apple’s Photos app by choosing Image > Delete X Photos, or by pressing the Delete key, but both of those methods result in […]
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Monday, 02 August 2021 11:05
Filter What’s Showing in Photos to Focus on Specific Types
Written by Adam Engst
You know you can make albums and smart albums in Photos, and do searches to find photos that contain particular objects. But what if you want to separate photos from videos, identify which images in an album have been edited, or pick out just the ones you’ve favorited? For that, use Photos’ filters. On the […]
Do you have a child heading off to college soon? As you’re undoubtedly aware from high school, a computer is essential for a college student. If you haven’t been paying close attention to Apple’s Mac lineup, you might wonder which model makes the most sense. First, don’t buy anything without first checking with the college. […]
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Monday, 02 August 2021 11:03
How to Take the Annoyance Out of Your Key Passwords and Passcodes
Written by Adam Engst
We constantly say, “Use a password manager!” for good reason. Password managers make it easy to generate, store, and enter strong passwords. You don’t have to decide whether or not your password is strong or weak, remember it, and type it accurately every time you log in to a website. Seriously, just get 1Password or […]
Monday, 02 August 2021 11:02
Share Files, Photos, and other Data between Apple Devices with AirDrop
Written by Adam Engst
It’s common to want to share files, photos, and other data between your devices—or with friends and family. When the desired person or device isn’t nearby, it’s easiest to use Messages or Mail. But what if you want to move a file between two of your Macs, from your iPhone to your Mac, or to […]
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Monday, 02 August 2021 11:01
Ransomware Is on the Rise: Learn How to Protect Your Macs
Written by Adam Engst
In cybercriminal circles, ransomware is all the rage. Once it has infected a computer, it encrypts all the files and then presents a ransom demand—pay up to get the decryption software necessary to recover the data. Ransomware has been in the news all year, with the Colonial Pipeline attack in particular spending weeks in the […]
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Don’t you hate it when a familiar song is playing but you can’t think of what it’s called? Or worse, when you hear a new track you really like but have no one to ask what it is? Never worry about that again, thanks to your iPhone or iPad. Back in 2018, Apple bought the […]
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It’s tempting to think that most external storage devices—whether simple hard drives or more complicated network-attached storage (NAS) units—are relatively similar because they all do roughly the same thing. However, a recent problem with older Western Digital My Book Live NAS devices highlighted that there can be large differences. In that case, hackers figured out […]
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Thursday, 01 July 2021 10:06
Live in the Future by Using Apple Pay on Your Apple Watch
Written by Adam Engst
With mask wearing over the past year rendering Face ID ineffective at cash registers, we’ve become fond of using the Apple Watch for contactless payments with Apple Pay. We recommend it highly since it’s so fast and convenient. Once you’ve set up a credit card in the Wallet app on your iPhone, switch to the […]
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Thursday, 01 July 2021 10:05
Disable Unused Sharing Options on Your Mac If You’re Not Using Them
Written by Adam Engst
Many security breaches—even high-profile ones—stem from simple oversight. There’s one spot in macOS that has long been particularly susceptible to such lapse: the Sharing pane of System Preferences. In it, you can enable a wide variety of sharing services, some of which could allow another user to access your Mac remotely. They all let you […]
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Thursday, 01 July 2021 10:04
Reopening Your Office? Now’s a Great Time to Evaluate Your IT Infrastructure
Written by Adam Engst
As vaccination rates climb, many businesses are starting to think about reopening their offices and bringing back employees who have been working from home for the last year. That’s a big decision that will undoubtedly vary from company to company, but we’d like to suggest a few things to consider. Please contact us early in […]
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Thursday, 01 July 2021 10:03
Going on Vacation? Learn How to Write an Effective Out-of-Office Message
Written by Adam Engst
For many people, increasing vaccination rates mean that long-delayed vacations are now possible, and in-person conferences are slowly starting up again too. But before you head out for the beach or the convention center, you’ll want to write an out-of-office email auto-reply message to send to everyone who tries to get in touch while you’re […]
Thursday, 01 July 2021 10:02
Don’t Cook Your Digital Devices in the Summer Heat
Written by Adam Engst
As climate change continues to wreak havoc on our weather, many areas are seeing record temperatures this summer—Seattle just recorded its hottest days ever. You may be able to trade your business suit for shorts or skirts to stay more comfortable, but your electronic gear can’t do the same. Keeping your tech cool is about […]
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Thursday, 01 July 2021 10:01
Reduce Your Email Load with Three Features in Apple’s Mail: Mute, Block, and Unsubscribe
Written by Adam Engst
Complaining about getting too much email is like complaining about bad traffic—we brought it upon ourselves, and while it’s impossible to escape entirely, it’s worth knowing how to reduce it. Apple is fully cognizant of the issue, too, and has built features into the last couple versions of Mail—on the Mac, iPhone, and iPad—to help […]
Tuesday, 08 June 2021 13:32
The Ten Upcoming Mac/iPhone/iPad Features We Think You’ll Most Like
Written by Adam Engst
At its Worldwide Developer Conference keynote on June 7th, Apple shared details about what we can expect to see later this year in macOS 12 Monterey, iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, tvOS 15, and HomePod Software 15. It was a firehose of announcements, but one thing became clear: Apple wants to spread its technologies […]
A new feature of Messages in both iOS 14 and macOS 11 Big Sur is the option to pin up to nine conversations at the top of the conversation list for easy access. No longer do you have to worry about them scrolling out of sight. On an iPhone or iPad, touch and hold a […]
Tuesday, 01 June 2021 13:07
Two Tricks for Fixing a Mac That’s Restarting Unexpectedly
Written by Adam Engst
Although extremely uncommon, it’s not unheard of for a Mac, particularly an older model, to restart unexpectedly. If it happens once, chalk it up to cosmic rays and move on. But if it happens multiple times, try these two things right off. First, use compressed air to remove dust from cooling vents or the inside […]
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Tuesday, 01 June 2021 13:06
Looking for More iOS 14 Widgets? Be Sure to Launch Seldom-Used Apps
Written by Adam Engst
Home screen widgets are one of the coolest features of iOS 14. They enable apps to offer quick access to features or at-a-glance previews of changing information, such as the Weather app’s widget providing a quick look at upcoming weather. What you may not realize, however, is that an app’s widgets become available for adding […]
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Tuesday, 01 June 2021 13:05
Share Your Apple Card with People in Your Family Sharing Group
Written by Adam Engst
Apple did a good job rethinking some aspects of credit card use with the Apple Card, but one omission was the inability to share it with other family members. With the new Apple Card Family, once everyone has upgraded to iOS 14.6, you can add members of your Family Sharing group to your Apple Card […]
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