Free iPad User Guide from Apple

Posted on November 1, 2011

Last month Apple released iOS 5, the latest operating system upgrade for the their iPad and iPhone lines. With this release they added over 200 features in addition to the usual flurry of bug fixes and ever popular “performance enhancements”.

While they’ve done an excellent job improving the platform with the release of iOS5, what Apple hasn’t done very well is articulate how to take advantage out of all that’s new and improved.

Thankfully, Apple has released a free eBook explaining all the ins and outs of their latest and greatest. Want to know what’s in book?

“Here’s everything you need to know about iPad, in a handy eBook format. Get to know iPad and discover all the amazing things it can do, and how to do them. It’s the definitive guide for getting the most from your new iPad, straight from Apple. The iPad User Guide is an essential part of any iPad library.”

You can download the iPad User Guide for free from the iBookstore in iTunes. An iPhone User Guide is also available in iTunes.

With your iOS 5 user guide loaded on your iPad and/or iPhone you’ll be setting yourself Reminders, iMessaging friends and family, and configuring Notification Center with the best of them.

Apple Quietly Fixes iTunes Search Aggravation

Posted on October 22, 2011

A recent update to iTunes finally fixed a long-standing annoyance. For years if you wanted to search in the iTunes Music and AppStore (or your iTunes library itself) you had to hold the shortcut key combo of Option, Command, and F.

This is a total break in UI consistency in how most apps on the Mac platform implement search. When Apple released the Mac AppStore earlier this year they got search right by using the same shortcut every other Mac app uses.

And now, finally, I can use the same shortcut to search iTunes that I use to search the Mac AppStore, a Web page in Chrome, a spreadsheet in Numbers, or even the draft of a blog post in MarsEdit. Simply hold the Command and F keys to go to the search field.

One of the first things I noticed after upgrading to the iCloud compatible iTunes was this fix in functionality. Although it may have appeared earlier, I’ve just noticed it with the recent upgrade to iTunes 10.5.

This works whether you’re searching the iTunes Music Store …

… the iTunes AppStore …

… and in your iTunes Music Library, Videos, Apps, Books, etc.

Fixing the iTunes search shortcut may seem like a small change, but it’s so much more convenient to have a uniform shortcut across all apps on the OS.

Have you noticed any other recent changes for the better (or worse) in Lion, the latest version of the Mac OS X operating system? Sound off in the comments below.

All images are from my flickr, unless otherwise noted.

It’s OK to Ask (Your Mac) For Help

Posted on October 8, 2011

Yes, I have a degree in IT. No, that doesn’t mean I automatically know how to use every single feature of every single computer program ever written (I wish!).

Even though this might violate the unofficial “guy code” and the “geek protocol” I’m going to come out and admit to something.

It’s OK to ask for help.

Whoa, you have no idea how much better I feel now! That was really liberating.

Finding help on for Mac apps couldn’t be easier. You can use Google and pray that you type in something that gives you back something relevant or you can the Help Search function built in to every new Mac since late 2007.

If you don’t know how to use Google you’re probably also running Windows and I can’t help you (no one can). Sorry.

If you’re on a Mac, you’re in luck—I’ve got a great little shortcut to share with you.

Let’s suppose I’m writing a message in Sparrow and want to copy some text from a Web page in Chrome, but also want it to have the same formatting as the rest of the email.

To find out how to do that hold the Shift, Command, and Forward Slash keys and then — BAM!!!!

The Help Menu Search comes up for Sparrow (or whatever the active application is). As soon as I start typing, suggested menu items start to appear.

The more text I type, the more refined the search results appear. I can use the keyboard arrows to select the desired result; how to paste text and match document formatting in this example.

The popular Webcomic XKCD has perfectly summed up how I go about helping when I’m asked how to do something on a computer with this handy, dandy flowchart.

XKCD Tech Support Flowchart
Image via XKCD

Where do you go for IT help when you don’t know what to do? Sound off in the comments below.

All images are from my flickr, unless otherwise noted.

Quick and Easy April Fool’s Day Prank for Macs

Posted on April 1, 2011

Ah, April 1^st, the day on which, as Mark Twain said, “we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four”.

What better way to have some fun today than to mess with someone you love by messing with something they love. If they own a Mac, here’s a simple trick.

Photo via my flickr

When they’re not looking quickly enter the following shortcut on the keyboard.

Control + Option + Command + 8

This key combo causes Mac OS X to invert all your display colors.

Photo via my flickr

In most cases this will induce panic on the unsuspecting user who returns to find their beloved Mac looking all wonky. Because this is a relatively obscure feature of Mac OS X it should take them a while to figure out how to return their Mac to normal.

If you’re quick you can even do it right in front of them. As long as the person you’re pranking has their eyes on the screen and not the keyboard, they’ll have no idea what you did or how to fix it!

For some reason, Apple thought this was a useful feature to include in their OS. Apparently, it’s supposed to help provide relief when your eyes get tired (via Silvermac).

Photo via Apple

My time as an IT auditor left me paranoid, so I never leave my MacBook without locking the Desktop. If you fear reprisal for your April Fool’s Day activities (or if have any common sense) you would do well to do the same.

Do you know any other great ways to prank a Mac user? Sound off in the comments below. If you’re still using a PC, the joke is already on you.

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