Tips & Tricks
Quick iOS Tip: Use iMessage As A Shared Clipboard
This is a tip that I saw on my Twitter timeline a few thousand tweets ago, but simply cannot attribute properly, because I forgot to favourite the tweet. However, it boils down to this: if you’ve been looking for a fast and easy way to share text, URLs, and pictures …
Access Photo Stream Pictures on Your Mac Without Loading iPhoto or Aperture
The promise of Photo Stream is easy to see on iOS devices. Take a photo or screenshot on your iPhone, load up the Photos app on the iPad, and wait for the images to land on the device via Photo Stream. The phrase “it’s so easy with online” comes to …
Here’s How to Change Your Mac’s Volume Without Making A Sound
Here’s one of those really useful Mac tips for users who frequently work from libraries: holding the shift key while using the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons on your Mac will silence the clack clack clack that usually screams out of the speakers. I usually end up plugging earphones …
How To Rename Your Apple Wireless Keyboard
I lent my Apple Wireless Keyboard to my mother about a year ago and have been using it with the wrong name ever since. This isn’t a big deal, but it’s a little strange to keep pairing with “mom’s bluetooth keyboard” when it really should say “Ragpad’s keyboard”, after …
Get Your MacBook Pro to Sleep Faster With A Quick Terminal Hack
A big part of my recent upgrade to a Western Digital Scorpio Black 500GB hard drive was deciding to leave my old Mac setup behind. I started with a fresh install of OS X Lion this time around, and one of the things I had forgotten I’d tweaked (all the …
Upgrading my MacBook Pro’s Hard Drive (and Rolling Back to EFI 1.6)
I’ve just completed the the upgrade from the stock 5400 RPM hard drive in my mid–2009 13″ MacBook Pro to a brand-spanking new 500GB Western Digital Scorpio Black running at 7200 RPM. I also took the opportunity to treat this install as a fresh start, and am porting over only …
Use Messages Beta to Save iMessage Voice Memos
iMessage is predictably awesome for the sharing of video clips, picture messages, and voice memos. Media can be sent to any iOS 5 device, and the data-centric nature of the service means that smartphone users can sidestep all of those icky MMS fees. But I’ve got one pet peeve with …
Two More Ways to Use the Smart Cover for your iPad 2
I haven’t gone quite as case crazy with my iPad 2 as I have with my various iPhones, and while I very much enjoy using the Adonit Writer 2, my tablet still spends a good 80% of its time with just a Gelaskin on the back and a Smart Cover …
How We Use Notifications on iOS 5
iPhone and iPad notifications used to be limited to just pop-ups on the home screen, lock screen, and inside of apps. Then iOS 5 came along late last year and gave users many more options, including an Android-like Notification Center, five-second banners as alternatives to pop-ups, and great new slide-to-unlock …
Four Ways to Use Launch Center for iPhone
Launch Center is one of those $0.99 apps that you could easily form an entire iPhone workflow around – you just need a bit of time to think one up. I decided to give the app a shot after seeing it mentioned recently on MacStories. On the surface, Launch Center …
Monday PSA: Your Original iPhone Dock Fits the iPhone 4 Nicely
I heard about this years ago, but as I’m still a relatively new owner of a smartphone with the iPhone 4′s form-factor, it has taken me until now to realize this would be a cool tip. The post title really says it all, but the dock that came with the …