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Overlooked Mac Apps - Using Automator

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:48:06 +0000

OS X includes a large number of apps and utilities that can make it easier to use your Mac. One app that is often overlooked is Automator.

Screen shot courtesy of Coyote Moon, Inc.

Automator lets you create custom workflow automations that can take the drudgery out of repetitive chores by turning the whole process into a basic app. On the surface this sounds like a nifty utility, but even if we've heard about what Automator can do, most of us never get around to trying it out. In many cases, this is because Automator sounds like it involves learning a programming language, a task that isn't high on most people's to-do list (or even on the list at all).

Not to worry. Automator creates workflows with drag-and-drop ease. Just pick the tasks you want to perform and connect them to create a workflow; that's all there is to using Automator.

To help you get started with Automator, we've put together a guide. With the help of this guide, you'll use Automator to create a simple workflow, one that automates the process of renaming a large collection of files and folders. This type of workflow automation is a great introduction to Automator, and to how easy it can be to make your daily tasks more productive.

Using Automator to Rename Files and Folders

How to Set Up a Workgroup Name in OS X Mountain Lion

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:24:04 +0000

I received an email today from a reader who is having problems getting file sharing to work between OS X Mountain Lion and a Windows system. Unfortunately, he didn't mention which version of Windows he's using, but the problem he described seems to indicate that the workgroup names on the Windows system and the OS X system don't match.

Screen shot courtesy of Coyote Moon, Inc.

Setting up a Workgroup name on the Mac seems to be easy; just enter a Workgroup name in the appropriate place and you should be ready to go. But there is one step that is often overlooked.

If you need to share files, printers, or other resources between a Windows machine and a Mac, you will probably need to set up or at least confirm the Workgroup names on both systems.

Configure OS X Mountain Lion's Workgroup Name

Apple Testifies at Senate Committee on Tax Policy

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:10:59 +0000

Apple CEO Tim Cook, along with CFO Peter Oppenheimer and Phillip A. Bullock, testified today at the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. The Senate committee is currently looking into U.S. tax policy and took the opportunity to attack Apple "for exploiting an absurdity that we have not seen other corporations use." Chairman Carl Levin was referring to loopholes in current U.S. tax laws, which of course were created by the august Senate body.

Cook pointed out that Apple pays U.S. taxes on all U.S. profits, as is required by the tax system. Cook went on to say that Apple doesn't send any U.S. derived profits overseas.

Apple set up an Ireland-based corporation to handle European sales in 1980, when Ireland was recruiting tech companies. Apple was able to negotiate a 2% tax rate for its European sales. Because the company's European profits (and profits from other countries) aren't held in the U.S., they are not subject to U.S. tax rates.

MacRumors has a transcript taken from the Senate's live video feed of the testimony today if you would like more details of the event.

Rumor: MacBook Pro Updates for WWDC

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:23:12 +0000

Rumors about new MacBook Pros at WWDC aren't new; they crop up before every WWDC. However, this year DigiTimes forecasts a 20% rise in orders for components used in the anticipated MacBook Pros.

Courtesy of Apple

But before you start looking at your current MacBook Pro with thoughts of replacing it, consider the rest of the report. According to DigiTimes, the upgrades will mostly be speed bumps, in the form of new Haswell-based Intel Processors and graphics. There won't be any big surprises, such as an all-Retina lineup, or new connectivity options, such as faster Wi-Fi or Thunderbolt ports.

The other thing to take into account is that the Retina versions of the current MacBook Pro are fairly new; they were introduced in October 2012 and refreshed in February 2013.

The non-Retina MacBook Pros, though, are a bit longer in the tooth; they haven't been updated since June 2012.

The question in my mind is, will Apple release another non-Retina version of the MacBook Pro or will we have to wait for Apple to release an all-Retina lineup of the portables?

What do you think? Please leave a comment below.

Apple Steals & Deals: Sunday, May 19, 2013

Sun, 19 May 2013 13:11:49 +0000

The Apple refurb store is my go-to place for finding discounts on Apple products, from Macs to iPhones, iPods to iPads. Just about every product that Apple makes will eventually end up in the refurb store. I check the refurb store every week and post the best deals that I find. I tend to focus on recent generation products, but once in a while an older item is available for a price that's just too good to pass up. If you're looking for a deal on an Apple product, check this blog every Sunday.

Screen shot courtesy of Coyote Moon, Inc.

This week, the least expensive Mac refurb is a Mac mini. At $759.00, it's equipped with dual drives and OS X server. A close second at $849.00 is a MacBook Air.

The other good news this week is that the refurb store has nearly every Mac model in stock, with many different configurations available.

Apple Refurbished Store

Quantities are limited, so if any of these tickle your fancy, be fast on the trigger to make a purchase.

MacBook Air

2012 11.6-inch MacBook Air 1.7 GHz Dual-Core i5 with 64 GB SSD and Intel HD Graphics 4000: $849.00

2012 13.3-inch MacBook Air 1.8 GHz Dual-Core i5 with 128 GB SSD and Intel HD Graphics 4000: $999.00

MacBook Pro

2012 13.3-inch MacBook Pro (Review) 2.5 GHz Intel Dual-Core i5 with 500 GB drive and Intel HD Graphics 4000: $1,019.00

2012 13.3-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display (Review) 2.5 GHz Dual-Core i5 with 128 GB SSD and Intel HD Graphics 4000: $1,269.00

2012 15-inch MacBook Pro (Review) 2.3 GHz Intel Quad-Core i7 with 500 GB drive and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics: $1,489.00

2012 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display (Review) 2.3 GHz Intel Quad-Core i7 with 256 GB SSD and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics: $1,679.00

2011 17-inch MacBook Pro (Review) 2.4 GHz Intel Quad-Core i7 with 750 GB drive and AMD Radeon HD 6770M and standard glossy screen: $1,899.00

Mac mini

2011 Mac mini (Review) 2.0 GHz Quad-Core i7 with dual 500 GB drive, and Intel HD Graphics 3000, outfitted with OS X Server: $759.00

2011 Mac mini (Review) 2.0 GHz Quad-Core i7 with 256 GB SSD, and Intel HD Graphics 3000, outfitted with OS X Server: $1,099.00

iMac

2012 21.5-inch iMac (Review) 2.7 GHz Quad-Core i5 with 1 TB hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M graphics: $1,099.00

2012 21.5-inch iMac (Review) 2.9 GHz Quad-Core i5 with 1 TB hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics: $1,269.00

2012 27-inch iMac (Review) 2.9 GHz, Quad-Core i5 with 1 TB hard drive and Nvidia GeForce GTX 660M: $1,529.00

2012 27-inch iMac (Review) 3.2 GHz, Quad-Core i5 with 1 TB hard drive and Nvidia GeForce GTX 660M: $1,699.00

Mac Pro

Mac Pro (Review) 2.4 GHz 8-Core Intel Xeon with ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics: $2,649.00

Displays

27-inch LED Thunderbolt Display 2560x1440 resolution: $829.00

27-inch LED Cinema Display 2560x1440 resolution: $829.00

Mac Accessories

2012 AirPort Express with simultaneous dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi. Includes support for attaching a printer as well as using Apple's AirPlay to send audio to any attached speakers: $85.00

iPad - Fourth Generation (Review)

16 GB Wi-Fi iPad 4 $449.00

32 GB Wi-Fi iPad 4 $549.00

64 GB Wi-Fi iPad 4 $649.00

16 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad 4 $579.00

32 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad 4 $679.00

64 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad 4 $779.00

iPad mini (Review)

16 GB Wi-Fi iPad mini $299.00

32 GB Wi-Fi iPad mini $389.00

16 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad mini $429.00

32 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad mini $519.00

64 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad mini $619.00

Want to find out more about Apple refurbished Macs? Take a look at the process my wife and I experienced when we took the Apple refurbished store for a spin.

PhotoBulk: Tom�s Mac Software Pick

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:36:06 +0000

PhotoBulk from Eltima Software is a bulk-processing app that provides watermark, resizing, and image optimization services. If you're a photographer, graphic designer, web designer, or blogger, PhotoBulk can be a key ingredient in optimizing your workflow.

PhotoBulk

You can use PhotoBulk to add watermarks, including text and/or graphics, to an image. You can control the watermark's position, transparency, and fonts, as well as resize images or optimize them for JPEG or PNG formats.

PhotoBulk is $7.99. A demo is available.

See other software choices from Tom's Mac Software Picks.

Weekend DIY - Share Your Printers

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:03:59 +0000

Although the price of printers has come down a great deal over the years, there are still quite a few reasons not to connect printers to every PC or Mac in your home or office. Instead, you can save money by sharing printers that are already attached to your Mac or PC with other computers on your network.

Image courtesy of Epson

Many network-aware printers already have built-in Ethernet or Wi-Fi connectivity. If you have one of these printers, or plan to buy one, just follow the networking instructions that came with the printer.

If your current printers aren't network-aware, you can still connect them to your network by using the printer sharing capabilities available in Windows and OS X.

Share Your Windows 7 Printer With Your Mac

Share Your Mac's Printer With Windows 7

Share Any Attached Printer or Fax With Other Macs on Your Network

If your Windows OS is older than Windows 7, you'll find additional guides to printer sharing at:

About: Macs - Printer Sharing

Repair Your Drive When Your Mac Won't Start

Thu, 16 May 2013 17:53:11 +0000

From time to time, we get questions from our readers about problems they're having with their Mac's startup drive. Whenever I see these questions, I always hope that the readers have current backups, because if there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that every drive, no matter the make or kind, will eventually fail.

I tend to use drives for a very long time. I don't throw them away when I replace or upgrade a Mac; I reuse them as external drives, or dedicate them to a spare computer that isn't of critical use. Although I haven't kept records, I think that every drive I've ever owned has failed at some point. That's why it's important to maintain current backups of your data; you never know when you might need them.

Back to the original question: how do you repair a drive when your Mac won't boot? This may sound like the worst possible situation to be in, but there's actually a good chance you'll be able to boot your Mac, repair the drive, and get back to work, all in the same day.

How Can I Repair My Hard Drive If My Mac Won't Start?

What Question Would You Ask Tim Cook Over Coffee?

Wed, 15 May 2013 14:13:51 +0000

In late April, Charity Buzz launched an auction for a 30 to 60-minute coffee-and-chat session with Apple CEO Tim Cook. Proceeds from the auction were earmarked for The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights; Robert F. Kennedy was one of Mr. Cook's heroes when he was growing up.

Courtesy of Apple

The auction's organizers hoped to raise about $50,000 or so; they succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. The auction closed on May 14th, with a winning bid of $610,000; that's more than $10,000 per minute for a 60-minute chat (coffee not included).

If you had the chance for a one-on-one with Mr. Cook, what would you ask him? Please leave your questions in the comments section, below.

iWork to Get Update? If So, It's About Time

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:44:22 +0000

iWork, Apple's suite of desktop productivity applications (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote), may be updated sometime this year. And it's about time. Since its last major release (2009), iWork has only received minor changes and bug fixes.

Courtesy of Apple

In the past, Apple hired software engineers to work on the suite, but recently, according to MacRumors, Apple has been looking to hire QA (Quality Assurance) engineers to work with the iWork team. QA engineers are traditionally involved in the later phase of product design and development. They check to ensure that a product meets the design goals and the internal requirements to move on to the next phase, usually a release to production.

Since Apple is only now looking for QA engineers, I expect iWork to be ready for release in a short period of time. It's also possible that we'll see a product announcement this summer, with a fall delivery.