All posts by Ed Shutenko

protecting iphone
iPhone 8, Tutorials

Protecting your iPhone in 2019

The iPhone is one of the most popular brands of phones ever, and in 2019 its popularity is not slowing down. Apple keeps adding more and more features to their iPhones which make them more desirable to customers. The same thing that makes them desirable to you is what makes them desirable to others who might not have your best interests at heart. Read on to find out some possible threats to your iPhone, and also tips for protecting your iPhone in 2019.

 

Threat: hackers and malware

Unfortunately, you have to be vigilant when it comes to keeping your iPhone protected from hackers and malware. One major reason you want to keep your iPhone safe from hackers is they can hack into your phone and then spy on you through the iPhone’s amazing camera. How? Well, they can create apps and get permission through the iOS settings. How many times have you downloaded apps without even paying attention to the permissions? You might want to be careful about that.

One easy way to make sure your device is secure is to make sure you don’t jailbreak your iPhone. Users sometimes want to jailbreak their iPhones so they can download apps that aren’t in the Apple store and this exposes iPhones to hacking and malware attacks. Just say no to jailbreaking.

 

Threat: data harvesting and other privacy concerns

Data harvesting might not be as much of a concern as other issues that can happen with your iPhone, but it’s definitely one issue you want to avoid if possible. Your privacy is at risk when you use apps. App providers can gather your data and sell it to third party data brokers who will then have access to your phone number. No one wants to delete all of their apps in order to limit the chance of having their data harvested by an unsavory app developer, but that’s certainly one way to make sure your data remains confidential.

 

Threat: iPhone theft

 As mentioned earlier, iPhones are highly covetable devices. So it’s no surprise that some people will do anything they can to get their hands on an iPhone including stealing it. If someone steals your iPhone, the features that Apple has in place may prevent them from being able to access your data, but there is always a chance that a thief can access all of your information on your phone including the contacts of your friends and family members, your personal messages, and more that you probably don’t want to even think about. Be careful about leaving your iPhone unattended and keep a vigilant watch out for situations where thieves may have easy access to your iPhone.

 

 

Ways to keep your iPhone protected

Now that we’ve looked at ways your iPhone might be vulnerable, let’s look at ways to keep your iPhone protected.

When you first get your iPhone, it’s not set up to maximum security standards. You should make sure your passcode is not a simple code to figure out. Make sure your code has both letters and numbers and is more than six digits long. You can adjust your code under the settings menu.

Another step you can take to ensure security for your iPhone is to set up two-factor authentication. This will make it more difficult for someone to access your phone without your consent.

You should also consider disabling location tracking. Apps can track exactly where you have been, and this is information you don’t want getting into the wrong hands. That will give someone access to your habits and daily routine. You can choose which apps have access to location tracking and which ones don’t under location services.

Find my iPhone is a feature that can really save you a lot of stress and heartache if you lose your phone or it gets stolen. If you enable this you can delete your iPhone’s data remotely so no one will be able to access your personal information. You can use any computer to do this once you have it activated.

Now that you know some of the potential threats to iPhones as well as ways to mitigate those threats, make sure you follow through. Following through with these tips may help you keep your iPhone just a bit safer so you can continue to enjoy it as long as you want.

make screenshots
Macbook, Tutorials

How to do screenshots on a Mac

 

Have you ever wondered how people are able to make those nifty screen shots on their Mac? You may have also called it called a screengrab or print screen. If you want to know how to do this, read on. It’s really not difficult at all and once you learn how to do it, you’ll be using it all the time.

 

Making a screenshot of the whole screen

It’s easier to make a screenshot on a Mac than it is on a PC. When you do a screenshot using Mac, there are more options too. One option is taking a screenshot of the whole screen. To take a screenshot of the whole screen, start by holding down Command, Shift, and 3. If you have the sound on, you might hear a clicking sound similar to the sound a shutter on a camera makes. Then you will see the screen shot appear on the desktop. If you don’t want your screen shots to show up there, you can change it to a different location.

 

Making a screenshot of part of the screen

It’s unlikely that you will want to make a screenshot of the entire screen every time you make a screenshot. Most likely, you just want part of the screen so you can highlight the important part of the screen shot. It’s easy to focus your screen shot on one part of the screen so you don’t distract from your purpose.

 

To make a screenshot of part of the screen, click on command, shift, and 4 at the same time. There will be some little crosshairs that appear on the screen. Drag the crosshairs across the part of your screen where you want the screen shot, forming a rectangle. You can use either your mouse or the trackpad to do this. Once the desired area is covered by the rectangle, let go of the mouse button or trackpad. When you release, the screenshot will be taken. You can click escape at any time while you are selecting the screenshot and the image will not be captured. This is in case you made a mistake and selected the wrong part of the screen.

 

Making a screenshot of a photo or image

Want to know how to make a screenshot of an image or picture? You don’t have to. All you have to do is click on the image and drag it to your desktop or folder. Voila!

 

Making screenshots a specific size

Sometimes you might want to make your screenshot a specific size. To do that, click command, shift, and 4. You will see the crosshairs come up and to the bottom of that you will see numbers. Those numbers are pixels that you can use to get your screen shot to be the exact size you need it to be. As you are clicking and dragging the selection window, you will notice that the numbers will change. This corresponds to the size of the rectangle that you have selected.

 

When you have the crosshairs available, drag them until you have a screenshot the size that you need. One tip you can use is before you let go of the mouse button or trackpad, press the space bar. When you press the space bar, you will be able to move the selection box around until you have the area covered that you want. Once you have the area selected that you want, release the mouse button and your screen shot will be captured.

 

Making a screenshot of a window

It’s possible to make a screengrab of a single window of your desktop. To do this, hold command, shift, and 4 at the same time. When the crosshairs pop up, press the space bar. Move the cursor over the window and press the trackpad or click the mouse button. You will see a camera icon and the window will turn gray. Choose the window you want to select and click the mouse button. A screenshot of the selected window will be captured and will appear on your desktop.

 

While it might take a little practice to do screenshots on your Mac, once you’ve done it a few times it’s easy. You’ll be glad you learned how to do this as there are numerous uses for screenshots.

iphone 8
iPhone 8, Tutorials

A Collection of Essential iPhone 8 Tricks

We’re back with a new collection of tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your new Apple phone- the iPhone 8 series. You will want to grab your iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus and try these tips out right away. Let’s dig in!

 

Adjust the keyboard

Both the iPhone 8 and the 8 plus are huge phones. For those of us with small hands, it can be a challenge to type one-handed on these mammoth devices. Apple has a solution for that problem. If you will press and hold the emoji button on your keyboard there will be three icons that come up. There will be a current standard keyboard, a left-hand side keyboard, and a right-hand side keyboard. This will change the orientation of the keyboard to the side of your choice making it easier for you to type one handed if that is your preference.

 

Drag-and-drop inside apps

Even though iPhones don’t offer the ability to drag and drop between apps, you can drag-and-drop inside Apple’s apps. That means you can drag an attachment in mail into a brand-new message, for example. Try it out! This may simplify tasks for you.

 

Scan QR codes

I’m sure you probably just assumed iPhones have been doing this already since everybody and their grandma can scan QR codes with their phones, but you would be wrong. Apple has been innovating for many different uses, but they are super late to the QR code bandwagon. However, Apple now makes it easy to scan QR codes in the iPhone 8 and 8 plus. When you scan a QR code, your iPhone 8 will automatically recognize the code and send you to the link address in Safari or do whatever else the code is designed for. It’s about time, Apple!

 

Cordless charging

One of the most talked-about features of the new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 plus is the fact that it can charge without cords. You can charge them on a Qi compatible pad. The charging does take longer than it would if you charge using a cable, but it’s a lot more convenient for most users. Who wants to be tethered to the wall while charging their phone? No one!

 

Camera tips and tricks

The camera of the new iPhone 8 and 8 plus is amazing. You can shoot 4k at 30 frames per second by default, but you also can adjust that setting if you want to boost it to another level. Of course, the higher the resolution you choose, the more space you will take up with your video. The fact that Apple allows you to change the resolution on the new iPhone 8 and 8 plus is pretty extraordinary. You can enjoy a whole new level of video recording.

 

Another talked about feature of the new iPhone 8 plus is that you can change the lighting in portrait mode. This is a feature for the iPhone 8 plus only, so many people have opted to get the 8 plus just for this feature. The iPhone 8 plus has a new portrait mode where you can change the lighting options from different studio lighting and stage lighting choices. The magic happens instantaneously, and original data is saved so you can revert to the original picture if you change your mind later on.

 

Yet another feature of the iPhone 8 and 8 plus camera is AR also known as augmented reality for those who are not hip to the term. Other devices allow you to have AR experiences as well, but the iPhone 8 and 8 plus will give you the best experience with their newest handsets. AR is so much fun and an amazing glimpse into the future which you get to experience on the new iPhone and iPhone 8 plus at a level higher than other comparable devices.

 

Shared storage

Perhaps you have a generous soul. If you are so inclined you can share your iCloud space with family members. This is a good option for big families. You simply enable this ability in your phone’s settings. Although your space is shared, your files are still secret. So you don’t have to worry about anyone getting all up in your business like (some) family members love to.

 

There are so many more features available in the new iPhone 8 and 8 plus that you will have to just take the time to discover. Apple seems to have really thought of everything that a user could want or need and included it in the iPhone 8 and 8 plus.

Macbook retina
Macbook, Tutorials

How to use Apple’s Retina display

You are probably like millions (billions?) of people around the world who are loyalists to the Apple brand. What do you do when you hear about the amazing picture quality of the Retina display? You update your old Apple device that didn’t have the Retina display even though it still works perfectly fine. Now you might have the newest Apple product (like a Mac) that has a Retina display, but do you know how to use it? If not, you’re in luck. This article will tell you all you need to know to get started with your new Apple product featuring their Retina display.

 

Benefits of a Retina display

What is it that makes the Retina display so amazing? Well, if you have been using computers for any amount of time, you’ve probably come across a computer that had an image that wasn’t too great. Those darn pixels can make or break your viewing experience on your computer. Well, pixelation is a thing of the past with a Retina display. The pixel density is so great that you won’t even see the individual pixels. You will notice fine details on images like never before with a Retina display. Most computers just don’t have the same kind of pixel density as an Apple computer with a Retina display.

 

How to adjust your Retina’s screen resolution

To adjust the resolution of your display, go to the Apple menu and click on System preferences. There are scaled resolutions available for you to choose from which will allow you to have objects and text appear larger or smaller. If you choose to have objects appear smaller, that will give you more room for windows and apps, which is appealing to some users. Just choose the resolution you want to apply

 

Apple Apps that support a Retina display

Not all apps will support a Retina display. You can, however, expect that all apps included with OS X 10.7 and later will support the Retina display. This includes apps such as TextEdit, Photo Book, Mail, iMovie, and many more. If you have an older operating system, you might want to update to the latest operating system to take advantage of your Retina display.

 

 

How to open apps using Low Resolution mode

You may notice that certain apps appear different on your Retina display than you were expecting. Not to worry! You can try opening these apps using Low Resolution mode and that will probably give you the look you are hoping for.

 

To open an app in Low Resolution mode, go to the Finder and choose Applications from the Go menu. When the folder opens, choose the app’s icon so it is highlighted. Click on Open in Low Resolution. Once you close the window and open the app again, it should show up in Low Resolution Mode for you.

 

An alternative option is to contact the app’s developer to see if they have an updated version of the app that is compatible with a Retina display.

 

Some apps will already have the Low Resolution mode enabled. If you want to see what the app looks like without this option, you can try changing this setting. Try removing the checkmark in the Get Info window for the app. This may or may not be possible. Again, you may want to contact the apps developer to see if they have an updated version of the app.

 

Apple’s Retina display is an amazing feature that sets their products apart from competitors. Once you learn how to unwrap these features you’ll be hooked and won’t want any other products. You will be able to notice the difference between Apple products with Retina display and other products.

iphone 7
iPhone 7/7s, Tutorials

Tips and Tricks to Make the Best of your Apple iPhone 7

So you got yourself a new Apple iPhone. That is quite a treat! Now you have to figure out what you can do with it. This article will help you with some great tips and tricks that you can use with your Apple phone to get the most out of it.

Wake your phone hands-free
Sometimes it’s just easier to do things without your hands with your phone, or at least it seems cooler. Did you know that you can wake your phone without having to use your fingers? It’s not really huge timesaver, but if you’re like most people and are constantly checking your phone this can be a pretty neat trick. The newest iPhones wake up when you pick them up! This is a new feature in the iOS 10, which is the new iPhone and iPad iOS. Why didn’t someone think of this sooner?

Access the camera faster
You know how it is. There’s a camera-ready moment and you are not camera ready. With the new iPhone 7, all you have to do is pick your phone up, swipe right, and your camera is ready to go. You don’t have to worry about people being able to access your phone this way, though. Accessing your camera does not give anyone access to any of your information, just the camera. So swipe freely and enjoy having your camera be ready for you at a moment’s notice.

Better sound
Everybody wants the best sound that they can have whenever they’re listening to their phone. iPhone dropped the headphone jack from its iPhone 7, and this helped to improve audio quality. You’ll notice a nice improvement through the speakers because they deliver twice the volume of the iPhone 6s. If you miss your headphone port, there’s an adapter in the box of your iPhone that will allow you to connect regular headphones to the lightning port.

Take better photos
Apple phones are known for their amazing picture capabilities, but the ones in the newest iPhones are better than they have ever been before. This section of the article deals with all the improvements to photos with the new iPhone. The iPhone 7 has a main camera with a 12 MP sensor. The camera also features optical image stabilization as well as 60% faster performance, a lens that brings in 50% more light, and a wider color catcher. This all means that even pictures with a with little light show up crisp and clean. Because the iPhone 7 Plus is brighter and reaches further, you can even help compensate for a flickering of lights when your photos are taken.

Take better selfies
The new camera on the iPhone takes selfies even better than before. The front facing camera is seven megapixels. It used to be five megapixels, but its increase in megapixels means that you will have better looking selfies and better FaceTime video chats.

Take better Instagram photos
Believe it or not, you can have even better photos for Instagram with your iPhone 7. Instagram has been updated. This update correlates with the iPhone 7‘s new camera. Using the amazing abilities of the iPhone 7’s new camera and the fun filters at Instagram means that your images will be even better than before. iOS 10 has rich notifications which mean that you can see updates from your Instagram contacts without having to leave the app that you are currently on.

It seems that the iPhone 7 has many features that will be fun and useful to iPhone fans. These are just a few that can really make using your phone an even better experience. You can play around with your phone and you will notice many more features that you didn’t know of before.

macbook pro
Macbook, Tutorials

Addressing Keyboard Issues on Eligible Macs

Believe it or not, even Apple products may have some issues at some point, and it seems that Apple has determined that some of the keyboards in some MacBook and MacBook Pro models may exhibit some strange behaviors. They may have letters or characters all of a sudden appear when you’re not expecting them. Certain letters or characters may not appear at all, or keys may have that sticky feeling where they don’t respond in the way that they should.

If this is the case with your MacBook or MacBook Pro model, Apple authorized service providers will service your MacBook and MacBook Pro model for free of charge if it’s eligible. The type of service that they may give you will depend on what they find from an examination and it may involve a replacement of some of the keys or even the whole keyboard. Following is a list of eligible models that may qualify for keyboard replacement:

 

MacBook Retina 12 inch early 2015, early 2016, or early 2017 models

MacBook Pro 13 inch, two thunderbolt three ports 2016 or 2017 models

MacBook Pro 13 inch with four thunderbolt three ports 2016 or 2017 models

MacBook Pro 15 inch 2016 or 2017 models

 

If you are not sure if your computer is one of these models and you want to know if it’s eligible for this program, go to the Apple menu from your device, then click About this Mac. Here, you will find the model of your Mac. You should know that only the Mac notebooks listed above are eligible for this program.

 

The service process
There are a few different options available for servicing your Mac. Your MacBook or MacBook Pro will go through an examination process before any services are rendered to make sure that it is eligible for the program. After your keyboard is examined, Apple will find out whether the whole keyboard need to replaced or just some of the keys that are having issues.
 
The time for the turnaround for the repair will vary depending on the type of service that is rendered to your MacBook or MacBook Pro‘s keyboard. To start the process, you can find an authorized Apple service provider. You can also make an appointment at the Apple retail store of your choice. Alternately, you can mail your device to the Apple repair center. To prepare your unit for service it’s a good idea to back up your data. You must note that if your MacBook or MacBook Pro has any other damage that would stop the service provider from being able to repair your MacBook, they will have to repair that first. If that is the case, there may be a cost associated with the repair of the other, non-keyboard related issue.

 

How to back up your Mac
Did you know that your Mac complex system to do automatic backups? Mac makes it easier with time machine. All you have to do is turn on Time Machine and connect an external drive. Time Machine will make automatic backups for you, so you can recover any files that may be lost on your Mac unexpectedly.

 

There are also other methods to back up your Mac. You can store all of your contacts on iCloud. Your device comes with 5 GB of free storage on iCloud, and if you need more storage than that you can always upgrade. You can use iCloud to back up your photos, music documents, or any other files that you wish. The benefit of this service is that you can use your files from different devices if you have it backed up in iCloud.
 
It’s a good idea for you to have your eligible device checked out while they are offering to repair it for free. If you have always wondered why a certain key on your keyboards tends to stick, Apple will take care of that for you so you don’t have to deal with the minor irritation this may cause you from time to time. Apple plans to take care of the keyboard issues associated with some of their Mac and MacBook Pros, which makes them pretty top notch in my book.

Macbook, Tutorials

Using Touch ID on Your MacBook Pro

Have you used Touch ID? If you own one of the recently released iPhones, chances are you HAVE used it. It’s the built-in system for privacy that Apple implemented to unlock devices and authorize Apple Pay. Did you know you could use it on your MacBook Pro? This article is all about how to use Touch ID on your MacBook Pro, so get ready to take note. Once you have this set up, you’ll wonder how you did so long without using it.

What is Touch ID

Maybe you are new to Apple products or you have been living under a rock. No judgement here. I’ll break it down for you. Touch ID is Apple’s security system for different devices. It’s biometrics! Apple’s Touch ID uses up to five fingerprints on the MacBook Pro to give access to the device instead of using a password or passcode. Once you add your fingerprints, you’ll be able to do a variety of tasks including using Apple Pay, authorizing purchases from iTunes, and switching between users, among other things. And because fingerprints can’t be forged, your MacBook Pro will be super secure from people who would want to steal your information and use it for unsavory purposes.

Setting up Touch ID for your Mac

You will be asked to register your fingerprint for Touch Id when you set up the 2016 MacBook Pro initially, but you can also register other fingerprints when you want to. You might want to share your MacBook Pro with different members of the family or you might be sharing the Pro at work on a shared computer. In either case, you don’t have to worry about what happens to your fingerprints. When you add your fingerprints, they are encrypted and stored in the MacBook Pro’s Secure Enclave. That means that you don’t have to worry about someone else getting access to your fingerprints and being able to access the contents of your MacBook. Only registered fingerprints can access your MacBook Pro, so it’s important to make sure everyone you want to be able to access the MacBook Pro has their fingerprints added.

touch ID macbook

Adding your fingerprints

Go to the menu and choose System Preferences. Next, choose Touch ID and Add a fingerprint. You’ll need to enter your user password. You can name a fingerprint by going back to System Preferences and selecting Touch ID. Press the Tab key to look through the fingerprints you have stored, and you simply click on it to name it. Press return once you have named your fingerprint.

Deleting a fingerprint

Every once in a while you might want to delete a fingerprint. To do so, go back to System Preferences and choose Touch ID. Hover over the fingerprint you want to delete and look for the X to appear in the upper left corner of the box. When it appears, click it and enter your password. Press delete to confirm that you want to delete the fingerprint.

Changing your Touch ID settings

When you’ve set up your fingerprints, you can choose just what you’d like for those fingerprints to be able to authorize. All options are selected by default, but you can choose which options you want selected by unchecking the boxes next to them. You’ll need to go to the menu and click on System Preferences. Select Touch ID in the preference pane and select or deselect the options you choose.

How you can use Touch ID on your MacBook Pro

You will need your password to login on your iPad, iPhone, or MacBook Pro. After that, however, you will need be able to use Touch ID. You can use Touch ID to switch between users, authorize store purchases, or use Apple Pay.

To log in with Touch ID, simply open your MacBook Pro or touch the Touch ID button. Press your finger down on the Touch ID sensor.

To switch between users with Touch ID, you’ll need to have registered different fingerprints with each account. Once each account has been logged in after the initial boot up, you may then switch between accounts easily by using Touch ID.

Why use Touch ID with Apple Pay

If you like to shop online, you will be able to use Apple Pay to authorize payments that you make on your Mac using the Touch ID. It takes a bit of a process, but once you get it set up initially, you are done! You won’t have to worry about typing your credit card information into every site.

Rebooting your MacBook Pro

Touch ID has replaced the old power button that the MacBook Pro used to have, and it can be used for some of the same purposes. To power on your MacBook Pro, just push down on the Touch ID button. If you want to reset your MacBook Pro you can also do the same thing. If your system is acting strangely or becomes unresponsive, you can use the Touch ID button to reset it.

Resetting your Touch ID data

If you ever have an issue where your Touch ID stops working, you can reset your Touch Bar. This will erase any current Touch ID registrations at the root level. To do this, restart your Mac and hold down Command and R while it is rebooting. This will get you into recovery mode. Launch Terminal and enter “xartutil – – erase-all”, and push enter. It will ask if you want to confirm. Press yes and enter again. Exit Terminal and restart your Mac in the regular mode.

Using your Touch ID on the MacBook Pro can make many tasks easier and faster. Everyone can benefit from having a little extra time, and once you take a little time to set up your Touch ID, you will be able to save lots of time over the long life of your MacBook Pro.

Time Machine Backup
Macbook, Tutorials

Using Time Hop to Back up and Restore your Mac

Time Hop is a very useful feature that Mac has made available in their products. It makes it easy for you to keep track of your files. That way you won’t have to worry about losing files that you’ve worked hard on in case there’s a sudden shut down or power outage.

Time hop is used to back up all your files on an external device for storage. This is useful in case you want to be able to restore these files at a later time or simply see how they looked. Let’s start with how to set up Time Machine on your Mac.

Setting up Time Machine

Time machine is a feature that is already built inside your Mac computer. It’s the built-in feature for backup. You will, however, need an external storage solution in order to access it. You can use an external hard drive which you will need to connect to FireWire or your Thunderbolt port on your Mac. You can also use the external drive connected to a USB drive.

Another option is to use Time Capsule on your network. You can also use your network with an external hard drive which you can connect to the USB port on an AirPort Extreme Base Station.

Once you connect an external hard drive to your Mac, it might prompt you to use the drive to do a backup with Time Machine. If so, choose Encrypt Backup Disk. Next you should select Use as Backup Disk.

If Time Machine does not prompt you to pick a backup disk, you can open Time Machine in the Time Machine menu located in the menu bar. Then click Backup Disk. Search for a backup disk and then select Use Disk. You can use these steps to create multiple backup disks if you want. For example, you might want a separate backup disk for work and home.

Using Time Machine for backup

Once you have set up Time Machine, it will begin to make backups hourly for you. Once your backup disk is full, it deletes the oldest backups. If you want to choose when a backup is made, you can choose Back Up Now, which is located in the Time Machine menu. It might take a long time for your very first backup to happen, especially if you have a lot of files. However, since Time Machine only backs up files that have changed since the first backup, it won’t take as long in subsequent backups. You can keep using your Mac while your first backup is happening as well as during any other time there are backups happening.

You can also stop Time Machine from doing automatic backups. Simply open preferences in Time Machine and uncheck Back Up Automatically if you’re running macOS Sierra or later. If you’re running OS X El Capitan or earlier you will need to turn off Time Machine to stop it from doing automatic backups. You can still do manual backups if you want.

Restoring items from a Time Machine backup

There may be times when you only want to restore specific items from a Time Machine backup. To do that, open a window to use for the item you want to restore. If you accidentally deleted a file from your folder, open the documents folder. If there’s an email message you deleted, you can open your inbox in Mail. Then go to the Time Machine menu and find the items you need to restore. You can look at the items on the timeline at the edge of the screen. Select the time when the item was changed and click the space bar to preview it to make sure it’s the file you want to restore.

Completely restore your Mac

If you want to completely restore your Mac, you can use Restore from Time Machine Backup utility that’s in the macOS Recovery. You can use Migration Assistant to copy any files, user accounts, or settings that you want.

Time Machine is such a useful tool for Mac users. If you just take the time to set it up, it will always be ready to go for you, working diligently while you go about your daily tasks.

unlock mac
Macbook, Tutorials

Unlocking your Mac with your iPhone or Apple Watch

Apple is very safety and security conscious. That’s why you have to use a login password to unlock your Mac before you can use it. That’s a great feature because it means random people can’t access your stuff. However, it can sometimes be a minor annoyance to put in the password. Isn’t there another way? I’m glad you asked. Because we are going to look at how you can use your Apple Watch or your iPhone to unlock your Mac.

Everyone knows all the neat things you can do with Apple Watch that make it useful. You can use your Apple Watch to keep track of your vital signs and alert you to changes. It can be a high-priced pedometer and heart rate monitor. It can be used for checking and responding to messages. And, of course, it tells time. A feature that might be especially useful for those of us who like using as little energy as possible, is for logging in to your Mac with a single touch.

It’s so simple to login to your Mac with your Apple Watch. All you have to do is tap unlock on your Apple Watch, and your Mac is ready to go. You do have to be within range to do this. And you do have to wake up your Mac if it’s fully asleep. If you are out of range, you won’t be able to send unlock your Mac and you will either need to get closer to it or get up and walk over to it and type in your password like you’d normally have to do.

Steps to unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch

To unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch, you need the MacID app for iOS and the counterpart to that app for your Mac. You can use this on multiple Macs that you own. Here’s the rundown on how to unlock your Mac.

The first step to unlocking your Mac with your iPhone is to download and install MacID on your Macs. Once you have downloaded this program and have installed it and opened it, you simply launch it and follow the instructions you’re given. You will have to enter your password when you set your Mac up initially, but you won’t have to do this again unless you change your Mac’s password.

To use your iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock your Mac, wake your Mac. When you do this, your Apple Watch or iPhone will ask if you want to unlock the Mac using a tapping feeling on your wrist.

You can also lock your Mac remotely. You simply launch the MacID app using your iPhone or Apple Watch. Choose the Mac and the option you want. One really neat thing is that you can wake your Mac and unlock it as long as it’s not fully asleep and it’s not closed.

What are some reasons you might want to unlock your Mac remotely? Well, one reason is that you might want to play your iTunes from your Apple Watch. Another reason is so you can ping clipboard contents and move them from one of your devices to another.

Other uses for MacID

Since you have MacID anyway, you might as well use it to support URL schemes. Use it with Launch Center Pro to create some quick actions (shortcuts) like using it to unlock or wake your Mac right away.

Launch Center pro is an app used to help support productivity. You would use it to make some quick shortcuts in your iPhone. You can quickly and easily setup this app and use it to send emails, send a tweet, go to your favorite website, and much more.

If you don’t use Mac ID, there are other options for unlocking a Mac with an iPhone or Apple Watch. MacID is arguably the most reliable and versatile. And it’s so easy that nearly anyone can use it.

 

zip files macbook
Macbook, Tutorials

How to Zip a File on your Mac

If you’re like most of us, you can never have too much space on your Mac. That’s why many people like the idea of saving space on their Mac by zipping it up in a neat little file via compression. Compressing, or zipping files, makes them take up less room so you can store them on your computer using as little space as possible. It also makes it possible for you to send a large number of files to someone else via an email without having to send over one or two items at a time.

I like to compare compressing files to handing someone a load of freshly washed towels. You can hand them the towels in one big jumble. They’ll take up a lot of space and you possibly might not be able to hand them very many at all because they’re in such a jumble. Or, you can neatly fold the towels so they take up less space and can be easily handed off. Does that example work for you? Well, now that you know what it means to zip a file, let’s learn how you can do it.

How to zip a file using your Mac

It’s so easy to turn a file into a zip file on your Mac that you’ll be wondering why you never did it before. To zip your file, right click on the file or folder that the file is in. Click on “Compress ____ (the blank is where the name of your file will be). Be patient while your file compresses and a zip file will show up in the same place where your original file was. There will be a little alert noise to let you know when the process is complete. You will then be able to share the file via email or just keep the file on your Mac. You can delete the original file if you want, but you will need to unzip the file you just compressed if you want to view it or edit it.

How to compress multiple files

Here’s the part where you really will benefit from zipping: compressing lots of files. You may have a lot of files you want to send through email to a friend or colleague. If you’ve tried to do this by attaching them to email, you know it takes several emails if you have a lot of files. The easiest way to send a lot of files at one time is to compress them. To do this, create a new folder for all your files or folders that you want to compress. Click on Shift, command, and N when you’re inside of the folder. Name it whatever you want. Drag and drop the files you want included into your zipped folder, but make sure you are holding down the Alt key before you release the mouse button so the files are copied inside the folder. Next, press down on the Control key and select the folder. Click on Compress on the menu that comes up. After you’ve zipped the folder, you can get rid of the original files if you want.

Saving zip files in a different location

It’s easy to change the destination of the compressed file. All you have to do is open the app used to do the compression. You can find it using the Spotlight search, and it’s called Archive Utility. Once you open it, click the dropdown menu at the top of the screen and choose Preferences. Click on the Save archive menu and then click ‘into’. You can then choose the destination that you want. It will default to saving the zipped file in the place where it was originally, so if you want it to save to a different place, you must use this method.

Opening a zipped file on your Mac

Now that you have zipped your file, you will need to know how to unzip it. All you have to do is double click the zipped file and it will open. You will see the zipped file, but you will also see the unzipped copy beside it.

Extracting files from your zips

There are some web browsers that will unzip files for you. They unzip files that they consider to be harmless to your computer. You may not always want this to happen, so you can stop it by going to the Safari dropdown menu. Click on the preferences and choose the General tab. You can then select or deselect the Open safe files after downloading checkbox.

Opening password protected zip files

If you are on the receiving end of a zip file, you may discover that you need a password to access the contents. This may be something a user chooses to do to make sure the contents don’t get into the hands of just any one. They can encrypt the file, and this would require a user to have a password. To open this type of file is easy. Just double click the zip file and enter the password. It will then unzip just like it always does.

Password protecting your zip file

Since the last section was about opening password protected zip files, you’ve probably already figured out that it’s possible for you to password protect your zips as well. You will need to open Terminal to do so. Open Terminal, which you can find by searching Spotlight. Terminal will prompt you to enter a password. Enter your password, and then verify your password when prompted. This is the password you will share with the person you’re sending the file to or what you’ll need to remember for yourself if you’re not sharing the file.

Zipping a file up might sound a little scary at first, but there’s really nothing to it once you get started. You will find that it takes next to no time to do it, and you will have your files nicely organized and compressed.