"If you're interested in automating certain functions on your Mac, here is a link where a 60-page book of instructions can be downloaded. If a password is required, I think it will be: makeuseof." This handy info comes from Jim Hamm, and yes, the book is FREE.
How to Type Special Characters
Looking to type in an accent or tilde or another special character? Prez Art Gorski has the info you need! Here's the link: http://www.macworld.com/article/2036310/type-special-characters-in-os-x.html#tk.rss_all
"In all previous versions of OS X, if you wanted to type an accented character, like an 'n' with a tilde above it, you would have to type 'Option-n' and then type 'n' again.
"If you’re running OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, you can type some characters—specifically, those that are accented or modified versions of common letters—by simply holding down the base character. For example, if you need to type an accented E, just hold down the E key for a second or so; you’ll see a popover displaying the available variations on the letter E. Click one, or press the number corresponding to it, to type that character. On a U.S. English keyboard, this trick works for A, C, E, I, L, N, O, S, U, Y, and Z."
You ARE Backing Up, Right?
Just like a mother, I am smiling while I am reminding you. Call it nagging, yes?
Others have said it, you’ve made a commitment to yourself to do it. So? You are backing up? Time Machine gave me an unexpected notification this week. I’d never seen such a message before. And it didn’t explain ! (Click on the screen shot to enlarge it.)
Nothing that came to mind to solve this new puzzle. What did it mean? The Time Machine message box did not identify which files it could not copy. There was nothing I had done recently to mess with the settings. But clicking on the tiny icon at the top of the screen showed the last back up to be last night at 8:30 pm. What had I done then? Has some mean old hacker messed with my dear, trustworthy computer? Taking a break to make lunch, the back of my mind was busily reconstructing the various websites I’d viewed, the changes I’d made on some recent writing, even the emails I’d received. Finally, an idea. I’ve been working on a new project to convert some of my stories and poems into an e-book. I’d never done it before. And, as of today it’s not yet complete. On the e-book formatting following the guidelines: https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/help?topicId=A17W8UM0MMSQX6 I’d gotten down to Saving as Filtered HTML. I clicked to let Microsoft Word 2011 do that job. A folder was created, and looking at that folder’s content pages didn’t look familiar at all. Oh, well. Surely it knows what it’s doing. But it was HTML. Could that be what is “read-only” that my Time Machine could not back up? Bravely, I dragged my e-book writing folder to a thumb drive. Bravely, I then dragged the original folder on the desktop to Trash ! Now, I shut down the computer with a prayer that I hadn’t messed up. Within minutes, I started up the computer again and saw that the FreeAgent Drive sitting behind the computer screen WAS lit up, like it’s supposed to be. I gave it a little time to …..hopefully ! Now, what does the little icon at the top of the screen say? YES ! It had backed up. It was behaving ! Stuff was saved. There are 261 entries for How To listed here at the PMUG newsblog and 13 are under the heading of Back Up, and they date from 9-10-09 to 2-24-13. Scan through and see which device and which system you have. Find what applies to your setup. You’ll remember that CDs and DVDs can degrade over time and might get scratched. What kind of backup would save your valuable data? You give it some thought. Then, back it up with a smile.
Might Consider Doing an E-book?
Reading a book on an iPad, Kindle, Nook, etc will become a popular thing. An e-book can be free, at a low price, or varying prices. You can claim all rights so that the reader cannot share it. On Amazon publishing is free, and you can specify the price you want. You could get 35% royalty or you could set it up to get 70% royalty. You’d read all the legal disclaimers to protect your writing. Even if you do not envision writing a best-seller for which film makers would offer you a handsome price you could write something that your family and friends would be interested in reading. I’ve not found where it tells how long your e-book will be available to prospective readers. I need to do the submit and review process before the deal will be finalized. (There’s more to learn ! ) Here are several helpful sites to research:
Here’s a publishing guide on-line that is free, the book is $5.99 paperback.
Other Interesting Info
Here’s an acronym list: astronomy, atmospheric research, business, chatting, chemistry, medical, NASA, SCUBA diving, government, army official and slang, and more.
What Are You Doing, These Days?
Using some new Apple device? Learning more on your Mac computer? Got any suggestions for your friends at PMUG? Found any interesting info on the Internet that you’d like to comment on? Have you subscribed to NetNewsWire? You will then be notified when there’s something new posted to the PMUG site www.pmug.us. Keep in touch and keep smiling ! This is today's handout at PMUG from Elaine Hardt
How to Find a File
It's good to know how to find something! Mary Ann Clark informs us that the PMUG site, www.pmug.us has just published John Carter's "How to Find a File."
This useful info is something you won't want to miss! Go to Benefits and click on Tips 'n' Tricks. His illustrations are using Mountain Lion, so if you're using an earlier system it will come up a little differently, but should still work.
Calendar Tutorial
Speaking of more to learn . . . "Here's a very good tutorial on using the Calendar application in Mountain Lion," Prez Art Gorski points out. Take a look here http://www.macworld.com/article/2035492/introduction-to-calendar.html#tk.rss_all
Ten Google Tips to Try
Today's email tip from Here's The Thing shows 10 quick searches you can make on Google. It simplifies package tracking, converting currency, getting movie showtimes, looking up a definition, tracking a flight, converting units of measurement, getting a weather report, doing math, check time zones, confirm a quake. Ben Patterson’s daily email of tips covers iPhone, iPad, Kindle, Facebook, Gmail, Windows, and Mac. See here.
Dropped Your iPhone in Water?
"Here is a useful tip for your iPhone, which you might want to save -- just in case," says Jim Hamm. The 4-11 article about saving your iPhone after dropping it in water is posted at the top of the page. But, scroll on down to catch, "How to Block Spam Text Messages on the iPhone (or Any Phone)." Note, too, how to subscribe to OSXDaily for helpful info.
Learn More Tips 'n' Tricks
Check out our PMUG website, www.pmug.us/. Mary Ann Clark has posted another "how to" sent by John Carter. Go to Benefits, and there to Tips 'n' Tricks. John tells about printer troubleshooting tips.
The Convert's Guide to Mac and OS X
Switching from PC to Mac? Or, just finding out more about what Mac can do? Don’t miss this recommendation from John Carter: "Once in a while an interesting online article pops up that's really worth passing on to others — especially anyone who just switched from Windows to a Mac, or who are thinking about it, or who are still trying to figure out what their Mac can do. "There are only six sections to this article, which should make it an easy read, and the PDF format is 51 pages — with lots of pictures. It starts out with some careful thoughts about which Mac to purchase. At the end, for those who think they want to switch back to Windows or run Windows on their Mac, there's a few words about that — very few. Read the full article at MakeUseOf.com here.
"If you want your own permanent copy of the article, you can choose to download a FREE copy of either the ePub or PDF version. Amazon has it on sale for the Kindle for $1.99.”
And here John emphasizes, “Don't forget now. Once you've started reading this article, don't put it down. I have dozens of ‘I want to read this book someday’ books and ebooks that keep getting put off for something else that at the time seems way more interesting. Like, I need to set up my telescope to get it ready for tonight, or, what about that article I wanted to write for the Mac newsletter, or, …”
(And you know, John is right!)
Find Out How to Do It
Struggling to conquer some new feature, figure out how to improve on . . . ?
Prez Art Gorski speaks with a logical emphasis, "Ever wonder how come I can answer so many Mac and iOS questions? 'Hi, my name is Art…and I read the manual.'"
Of course, you want to read more! Here's the site that Art recommends. http://www.tuaw.com/2013/04/02/productivity-tip-read-the-manual-or-take-a-class/ Good examples and good info on how to.
Digital Watermarking
Curiosity piqued from the April issue of CostCo Connection it was time to look for more info on digital watermarking. With an iPhone or iPad or similar smartphone or tablet device a person can get info that's hidden from the ordinary view. "Digital Watermarking - New technology links print and online" was the headline. The sidebar article tells how each new edition of the magazine will be using this new type of interaction.
A Google search brings up some likely places to start finding out more.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/132555474/Digital-Water-Marking technology and technique described
http://appfinder.lisisoft.com/ipad-iphone-apps/digital-watermark.html 50 apps so you can watermark your photos and digital works - iPad iPhone Apps
https://itunes.apple.com/app/mypix-photo-watermarking-sharing/id451642347?mt=8 see what iTunes has to offer.
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3397207 forum discussions on best programs for Mac.
iPhone Camera Tips
"If, like me, you use your iPhone camera all the time," Prez Art Gorski gets our attention, here are "useful tips you should know."
How to Improve Security
Here's more good info on security from Jim Hamm: " Here is an article on how to improve the security of your Apple ID."
New Trojan Targets Mac
Keeping a lookout for computer security Jim Hamm shares this, "Here is an article about a new trojan targeted at the Mac. The key point here to observe is not to install anything from a popup box. Always go directly to the appropriate website from your browser to update/install anything."
Mountain Lion 10.8.3 Released
Look at the list of the fixes and improvements for Mountain Lion that are posted at http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5612 Let us know how Mountain Lion is going for you.
How to Isolate Java
Jim Hamm grabs our attention with important info on Java. "in case you didn't see it, here is another article discussing Java, and how to remove or disable Java in your browser of choice. Some time ago I had disabled Java in the three browsers I use: Safari, Firefox and Chrome. I happened to be using Firefox when reading this article, so I thought I'd check the Java plug-in. Ouch! Sure enough, it was enabled again. How, I don't know. Perhaps when the browser itself is updated. I immediately disabled Java again.
That's probably why the author of this article recommends removing Java -- because somehow it can become enabled again, which is not a good thing from a security standpoint. Following is a summary from the article on how to disable Java.”
How to isolate Java
Isolating Java means leaving it on your Mac, but removing it from your browser except when you want it to run. Apple now does this by default for all Macs (10.6 and later) and will re-isolate it after about a month even if you've turned it back on. Isolating Java is a bit more complex now that Apple has removed the Java preferences utility from Lion and Mountain Lion.
If you run Java 6 (the Apple supplied version), you need to restrict it on each of your browsers. In Google Chrome, type chrome://plugins in the address bar and click the link to disable Java. In Safari, go to Safari > Preferences and uncheck Enable Java in the Security pane. In Firefox go to Tools > Add Ons > Plugins and uncheck Java Plug-In.
Sleep vs Shutdown
David Passell writes, "In our recent PMUG meeting sleep vs shutdown came up. Here's another take on it: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/powering-down-computer.htm
How to Update to iOS 6
John Carter gives directions, "iOS 6.1.2 update is available. How should you proceed? This notice is going out to a large group of people, and you may get this notice more than once. If you do not own an iOS device, you may disregard this notice.
"First, how often do you perform a backup of your iOS device (iPod Touch, iPad, iPhone)? Did you know that you can backup your iOS device either by connecting it directly to your computer, or by Wi-Fi if you have the option set in iTunes to do a sync with the device over Wi-Fi? For the iPhone and iPod Touch, you can also set an option to automatically sync the device when the device is connected to the computer (this option is not available for the iPad)."
Here's John's next suggestion, "Backing up an iOS device can be done to either a Cloud storage or to your computer using iTunes. Most devices can exceed the free 5GB storage of any Cloud storage, so it's probably best to backup to your computer."
And, now for a caution, "Also, before doing a backup or an update, do an update of iTunes, sync your device, and then perform a backup followed by the update. You should also then perform another backup after the update is complete. The before update is necessary in case something goes wrong with the update process and you need to restore and start over again.
"When you connect your iOS device to your computer, iTunes may automatically start up. If it doesn't, you'll have to manually start iTunes. When iTunes starts, you may get a notice that an update for the device is available. If you haven't done a device backup since the last time you made any changes to the content of the device, you should cancel the update, perform a sync, then perform a backup, and then do the update followed by another backup".
Pay attention to John's warning, "If you find that when doing an update using iTunes that the downloaded file is corrupt (the update is approximately 1GB, and a file this large may not be properly handled), rather than perform the update using iTunes, try the update from the device itself (Settings -> General -> Software Update). One setting in 'Disk Utility' may be the culprit of a corrupt download. That setting is 'Verify Checksums' (open Disk Utility -> Preferences and uncheck that option).
"Even with this option unchecked, the large file might still be corrupt. Another possible cause of a corrupt download is some firewall setting in the Internet modem (unproven). If that happens, then it is really necessary to perform the update from the device itself. To do that, disconnect the device from the computer, power-cycle the device, and then go into Settings -> General -> Software Update. You may even find that the download goes much faster when updating from the device."
Now, a call for patience! John says, "In all, it may take several minutes to do all these steps, so your patience is necessary.
"Following this procedure will ensure that your device will be updated properly and your content will not be lost."
And, in closing John reviews it:
- Update iTunes.
- Sync your device to iTunes.
- Backup your device.
- Perform the update either from iTunes or from the device.
- Backup your device again. (Got it? Thanks to John Carter!)
Keystrokes to Try at Startup
Prez Art Gorski gives us food for thought. "Here's a reminder of all the different keystrokes you can use at startup and what they do. The interesting thing to note is that if you use a wireless keyboard you must press the key AFTER you hear the startup chime in order for it to work." See the article here: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-57570572-263/how-to-manage-os-x-boot-options-with-wireless-keyboards/?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=MacFixIt
Try on Firefox: "No Style"
Find it easier to read black text on a white background? YES. David Passell shares this, "if you use Firefox, there is another good trick which I find even more useful for those websites with garish colors and text and photos spread over (and sometimes off the sides) of the screen.
In the top menu click on view.
Then scroll down to Page Style.
Click on Page Style and in the menu presented (to the right) you will see
No Style and Basic Page Style (the default).
Click on No Style.
The page will change to a more 'linear' presentation. The pictures will still appear as intended, but odd colors and white on black text will be black on white. You will have to scroll up and down to find various links, but not side-to-side when things are off the screen. You can also print the page and not waste a lot of black ink. Try it on our PMUG newsletter.
Unfortunately, I could find no equivalent option for Safari."
And David reminds us about a previous post about Safari where we had said, "One site came up with those tiny white letters on a black background, so that’s when you can do Command and Option and Control and the number 8 to toggle over to readable text, then toggle back."