Mac How-Tos

Spotlight search results not appearing as they should? Force Spotlight to re-index itself with the following two commands:

sudo mdutil -E /

sudo mdutil -i on /

You’ll be prompted for your administrator password. Then, after a few minutes’ delay, Spotlight will begin re-indexing your Mac.

How to Use MIDI Devices in iOS 4.2

Posted 01/02/2011 at 10:40am | by Roberto Baldwin

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iOS 4.2 now supports CoreMIDI. All your favorite music apps can be upgraded to work with MIDI devices and with GarageBand and Logic. Really, any app on the Mac that supports MIDI should be able work. All you need is the always magical iPad Camera Connection Kit and a MIDI to USB cable.

How To Make a Last Minute Christmas Present with iPhoto '11

Posted 12/17/2010 at 1:17pm | by Florence Ion

With iPhoto's new card and calendar making feature, it's pretty easy to make a last minute keepsake for relatively cheap, and without having to don your parka and head out to the store or post office. But, sometimes it can be a little tricky getting started on the crafting process, so we put together a few quick tips for making some holiday cheer with iPhoto '11.

How To Stop Programs From Automatically Opening When You Start Your Mac

Posted 12/02/2010 at 12:18pm | by Seamus Bellamy

Having software you use on a regular basis start up with your computer, such as iTunes or Dropbox, is great. Having software you seldom touch start up with your computer and slow everything down is a drag. If you've ever wondered about how prevent software from automatically starting up with your Mac, or conversely, how to make software spring to life when your computer turns on, this is the tutorial you've been waiting for.

How to Fix Black Background Emails

Posted 11/29/2010 at 11:07am | by Scott Rose

This is so weird. I have a FileMaker database that I’ve been using for years to send out party invitations to my friends, but now I’m getting a black background in all of my outgoing emails.

22 iOS 4.2 Tips, Tricks and Features

Posted 11/22/2010 at 11:32am | by Roberto Baldwin

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Finally, the iPad and iPhone are on a level iOS field. Multitasking, folders, printing, all the big ticket items are there. We jumped right in to the latest iOS update and have emerged with a list of tips, tricks and features that'll help you get the most out of your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.

How To Build a Chat Room on the Cheap with Google Docs

Posted 11/19/2010 at 12:12pm | by Seamus Bellamy

If you're a savvy geek--which, as a reader of this site, you totally are--you can turn to the powerful real-time text input and collaboration technology built in to Google Docs. With the recent announcement that Google's cloud-based productivity suite now boasts the ability to edit and collaborate on documents from Android and iOS devices, there's no excuse for not doing so!

How To Get RightZoom to Work with Snow Leopard

Posted 11/17/2010 at 9:49am | by Susie Ochs

I’d like to upgrade to Snow Leopard, but I’m afraid that if I do, the RightZoom app I have installed will no longer work, and I can’t figure out how to determine whether it will or not. SnowChecker (free, snowleopard.wikidot.com/snowchecker) doesn’t list RightZoom, so I couldn’t check compatibility that way. I’m not sure I want to go back to the default behavior of OS X’s yellow and green buttons, but I’d like to upgrade. Any advice?

How to Delete Photos from the iPhone Using Preview

Posted 11/16/2010 at 2:07pm | by Susie Ochs

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I found this tip by accident and wanted to share it--hope you haven’t heard this before. One frustrating thing about the iPhone is photo management. Oh, sure, you get a chance to delete photos after importing them into iPhoto, but you only get that one chance, and it’s all or nothing. If you only want to delete some of the photos, you’ve got to do that manually on the phone--or so I thought.

Turns out there’s another way. Plug in your iPhone and open Preview, then select File > Import From [Your iPhone’s Name]. A window appears showing all the photos on your phone, and you can move them around, save them to disk, and delete them from the phone individually or in batches. Don’t ask me why this is in Preview and not iPhoto!

How To Stop Safari From Auto-launching iTunes

Posted 11/16/2010 at 10:08am | by Scott Rose

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Whenever somebody sends me a link to an album in the iTunes Store or an app from the App Store, Safari launches and shows me all the information in a webpage with reviews and song previews and everything. But then iTunes automatically launches and shows me the exact same information! How do I stop Safari from auto-launching iTunes?