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Mac 101: Option-select those columns
It's fitting that this is my last Mac 101 tip for TUAW, because it's one of the first "whoa, how did you do that?" tricks I learned as a desktop publishing newbie way, way back in the day. Like, Word and PageMaker on System 5, 1988-vintage back in the day, when I was learning how to write, edit and lay out the entertainment section of Carnegie Mellon's campus paper The Tartan from my patient (mostly) mentor and boss, Bruce Kasrel. Say someone has sent you a Word file with tabular data in it. Unfortunately, they haven't used actual tabs -- that would be too easy (one could copy and paste into Excel or Numbers). No, in this case they've created the columns with spaces, and the data you actually need (like a set of prices, or dates of events) is in one of the columns. Rather than laboriously copying and pasting a row or cell at a time, try this: hold down the Option key and drag just around the "column" that you want to copy. Watch how the selected area behaves like a marquee in a drawing app, rather than a normal word processing/sequential selection. Take a moment to enjoy your secret knowledge. If that's not exciting enough, try this on for size: the same trick works in Adobe Reader, so if you need to extract a column of data from a table in a PDF, give the option-select tip a try. For more option key goodness (and there are a lot of good things it can do!) check out this rundown over at Cult of Mac. (In other tech news from my alma mater, today we learned that CMU and Uber are teaming up to develop the future of autonomous taxis. "Welcome, Mr. Jetson, sit back and enjoy the ride.")
Mac 101: How to create a time-saving printer pool in OS X
Yesterday I had a call from an old consulting client of mine, who was wondering if there was a way that she could set up a way of sending print jobs from a Mac to any printer in her office -- any printer that wasn't already tied up printing something else for another person. Her company does a lot of large documents, so the employees in the company are often tying up printers while doing test prints for clients. There is a way to easily do this without having a print server in the office, and it's called a printer pool. Setting up a printer pool from any Mac takes just a few seconds. Go to System Preferences > Printers & Scanners, and you'll see a list of all of the available printers on your network. Next, select the printers you wish to have in a printer pool by command-clicking them. For example, you might want to have a printer pool for all of the high-resolution color printers on the network and another one for the fast black and white laser printers. Command-click all of the printers of a specific type that you want in a pool to select them, and then you'll see a button that not only lets you create a printer pool, but name it so that it's easily recognizable. Once you've created the printer pool, you can select it as a "printer" from any print dialog. What will happen is that your Mac will send the print job, determine which printer(s) are currently idle, and then do the printing on an available printer. It's an easy way to keep all your printers busy and your employees from waiting on an open printer.
Mac 101: Use Spotlight to quickly solve math problems
OS X's search tool, Spotlight, does more than just file and web searches. The handy utility also can be used to do semi-complex math equations with the answers appearing within the results section of the app. To use Spotlight for math, just open the utility by selecting the magnifying glass icon on the right side of the menu bar or typing Command-Space on the keyboard. Type in your equation using the standard math symbols (+, -, *, /) and brackets. Spotlight automatically produces the answer in the results section, and you can easily copy it using Command-C. Spotlight supports constants like pi (type in pi) and advanced math functions such as square root (type sqrt), sine (sin), cosine (cos) and tangent (tan). If you use a function, you must type the function name and follow that with the number inside parentheses. For example, the square root of 49 would be entered as sqrt(49). If you need more than Spotlight's basic math, you also can hit enter after you type in your equation to launch the calculator. If you have any other Spotlight tips, please share them in the comments.
Mac 101: How to disable that annoying volume noise
Apple's OS X has one little feature that makes me nuts. When you adjust the volume with the keyboard or Menu Bar slider, it makes a little "pip" sound as the volume increases or decreases. On one hand, it's a nice confirmation that you've successfully made a change; on the other hand, it's an annoying little pip. Fortunately, there are two ways to silence it. First, hold down the Shift key when adjusting the volume via the keyboard. Your other option is to have at it in System Preferences. Launch and click Sound, and then Sound Effects. Next, de-select "Play feedback when volume is changed." No more pip! Pro tip: once you've made that change in System Preferences, the Shift key trick works differently. Hold Shift while adjusting volume to hear the pip.
Mac 101: quickly change volume input, output
Many Mac users have several input and output devices for sound. For example, I have a mic, external speakers and a set of headphones connected to my MacBook Pro pretty much all the time. I also use Soundflower for capturing audio from my Mac. I can make any one of them active via the sound System Preference. Or, I could use this trick, which is much faster. Just Option-click on the volume icon in the Menu Bar and presto! A list of available input and output devices appears. Just click the one you want and you're all set. Nice and fast.
Mac 101: How to add custom artwork to your iTunes songs and movies
A significant chunk of my iTunes library is comprised of CD rips and a few independent recordings from musician friends. As a result, a fair number of tracks lack the excellent artwork that graces iTunes. If you are in a similar situation, you can quickly add artwork to individual tracks or even several tracks with just a few clicks. This trick also works with video, too. Individual Tracks To add artwork to an individual clip, simply select the track in iTunes and use Command-i to open the inspector (or File > Get Info), which will show all the details of the track. You can change other details from this interface, but we are most interested in the "Artwork" tab as shown above. Select the Artwork tab and use the "Add" button to insert your custom artwork. You also can drag the artwork from Finder into the artwork area. Multiple Tracks You also can add artwork to several tracks at once by selecting a handful of tracks and then clicking on File > Get Info or Command-i to open the inspector. Click "yes" if you are warned about editing multiple files and then select "Info" to view the contents of the information pane. You then can drag the image to the Artwork area to assign new art to all those tracks at once. Other Details iTunes 11 supports adding JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, and Photoshop files as artwork. The app will resize the images to proper size so you don't have to worry about sizing down the artwork before you add it to iTunes. You also can have iTunes do the artwork importing for you if the track is from a known album by a known artist. Just control-click the songs without artwork and choose "Get Album Artwork" from the pop-up menu. This automatic method pulls the art from a central database and is less reliable than the manual import described above as the song matching is not always accurate.
Mac 101: Send a message with a screen grab quickly through OS X Notification Center
OS X's Notification Center is great for receiving incoming alerts, but you also can use the panel to compose a quick message and send it via the Messages app. Even more useful is the ability to add a screen grab right along with your text, making it perfect for those "you gotta see this" moments. To use Notification Center to pen quick messages, you need to enable the feature by opening System Preferences > Notifications and then selecting the "Share Button" option in the left-hand column. Make sure the checkbox next to "Show share button in Notification Center" is selected as shown above. Once the share button option is enabled, you can open Notification Center by clicking on the icon in the top right-hand corner of the menu bar. You now should see a box at the top with the label "Messages" as shown below. If you don't see the Messages option, you may have to drag down on the Notifications pane, which is the same gesture you use to expose the "Do Not Disturb" option in OS X. When you see the Messages icon, you can click on it to open a small message composition box where you can enter the recipient's contact information and your message. The contact information is pulled from your OS X address book so you can easily type in a few letters of a person's name and OS X will list the compatible address book entries. Just click on the address book entry you want to use. Type in your message, and when you have finished composing it, you can send it along by clicking the "Send" button. One useful option in this quick messaging is the ability to add a screen grab to an outgoing message. Follow the steps above to create a new message, add a recipient and type in your text. Before you hit send, right-click (or control-click, or two-finger click on a trackpad) on the text entry box to open the contextual menu. At the bottom of this contextual menu is an option to "Capture Selection From Screen," which provides you with the ability to select a region of your screen that you want to embed into your message. To add the screen grab, just select the "Capture Selection From Screen" option, use the crosshairs to select the area you want to capture and wait a few seconds for OS X to do its thing. Depending on what you are capturing, you may have to size up the windows in advance so your content appears on the screen when notifications is open, Once you select the region of the screen you want to capture, the screen grab will appear in your message and you can send it along by pressing the send button.
Mac 101: Use Command-P to print and other useful Finder keyboard shortcuts
Yesterday, our Editor-in-chief Victor Agreda misfired in one of his keyboard combinations -- selecting multiple files and then hitting Command-P, instead of Command-O when trying to open the documents. He was reminded of this longstanding "Print" feature and other similar shortcuts that are often overlooked by new and veteran OS X users alike. Besides Command-O to open documents and Command-P to print them, there is a long list of keyboard combinations specifically for the Finder. Below you will find the list as documented by Apple. Key combination Action Command-A Select all items in the front Finder window (or desktop if no window is open) Command-Option-A Deselect all items Command-Shift-A Open the Applications folder Command-C Copy selected item/text to the Clipboard Command-Shift-C Open the Computer window Command-D Duplicate selected item Command-Shift-D Open desktop folder Command-E Eject Command-F Find any matching Spotlight attribute Command-Shift-F Find Spotlight file name matches Command-Option-F Navigate to the search field in an already-open Spotlight window Command-Shift-G Go to Folder Command-Shift-H Open the Home folder of the currently logged-in user account Command-Shift-Control-T Add to Dock Command-I Get Info Command-Option-I Show Inspector Command-Control-I Get Summary Info Command-Shift-I Open iDisk Command-J Show View Options Command-K Connect to Server Command-Shift-K Open Network window Command-L Make alias of the selected item Command-M Minimize window Command-Option-M Minimize all windows Command-N New Finder window Command-Shift-N New folder Command-Option-N New Smart Folder Command-O Open selected item Command-Shift-Q Log Out Command-Shift-Option-Q Log Out immediately Command-R Show original (of alias) Command-T Add to Sidebar Command-Shift-T Add to Favorites Command-Option-T Hide Toolbar / Show Toolbar in Finder windows Command-Shift-U Open Utilities folder Command-V Paste Command-W Close window Command-Option-W Close all windows Command-X Cut Command-Option-Y Slideshow (Mac OS X v10.5 or later) Command-Z Undo / Redo Command-1 View as Icon Command-2 View as List Command-3 View as Columns Command-4 View as Cover Flow (Mac OS X v10.5 or later) Command-Comma (,) Open Finder preferences Command-Accent (`) (the Accent key above Tab key on a US English keyboard layout) Cycle through open Finder windows Command-Shift-Question Mark (?) Open Mac Help Command-Left Bracket ([) Go to the previous folder Command-Right Bracket (]) Go to the next folder Command-Up Arrow Open the folder that contains the current folder Command-Control-Up Arrow Open the folder that contains the current folder in a new window Command-Down Arrow Open highlighted item Command-Shift-Up Arrow Make the desktop active Right Arrow (in List view) Open the selected folder Left Arrow (in List view) Close the selected folder Option-click the disclosure triangle (in List view) Open all folders within the selected folder Option–double-click Open a folder in a separate window, closing the current window Command–double-click Open a folder in a separate window Command-click the window title See the folders that contain the current window Command-Tab Switch application–cycle forward Command-Shift-Tab Switch application–cycle backward Command-Delete Move to Trash Command-Shift-Delete Empty Trash Command-Shift-Option-Delete Empty Trash without confirmation dialog Space bar (or Command-Y) Quick Look (Mac OS X v10.5 or later) Command key while dragging Move dragged item to other volume/location (pointer icon changes while key is held--see this article) Option key while dragging Copy dragged item (pointer icon changes while key is held--see this article) Command-Option key combination while dragging Make alias of dragged item (pointer icon changes while key is held--see this article)
Ransomware worries? Turn off Find My Mac/Find My iPhone
Note: Here's how to enable 2-step authentication for your Apple ID. It's been a rough day Down Under; several iOS and Mac users have found their devices held "ransom" by a hacker leveraging Apple's Find My iPhone and Find My Mac services. Australia's The Age reports information acquired by recent security breaches, combined with the human tendency to reuse security credentials across services, may have led to the lockouts. The normally-helpful (or at least benign) Find My X services can indeed be used for ill, as Wired's Mat Honan learned last year to his regret. It's noteworthy that iPhone users who have a passcode in place should be able to recover access, as long as the passcode was created outside of setting up Find My iPhone. In this post, I'll explain how to disable Find My iPhone/iPad and Find My Mac, as well as how to create a passcode on your iOS device. First, let's disable those services. Note that you must know your iCloud account information to turn off either of the Find My X services -- that's the point, really, as a thief presumably would not know your password and wouldn't be able to unlock or reinstall your purloined device with FMx turned on. Disable Find My iPhone/iPad This is quite easy to do. Just follow these steps: Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad. Tap iCloud. Scroll to the bottom of the list, and move the slider labeled "Find my iPhone" to the Off position. You'll need to authenticate with your iCloud password. That's it. On the Mac, the process is just as simple. Disable Find My Mac Launch System Preferences. Click iCloud. A new pane appears. Scroll to the bottom of the list on the right. De-select Find My Mac. (If you aren't using it, best to uncheck Back to my Mac as well -- if your iCloud password was compromised then BTMM could also be a security risk.) Again, you'll need to authenticate with your iCloud password. Create an iOS passcode Just to be sure that you can unlock your device locally if you do re-enable Find My iPhone, it's a good idea to set a passcode. (If you have an iPhone 5s and you enabled the Touch ID feature, iOS forced you to create a passcode, so you're all set.) These screenshots are for iOS 7, but the iOS 6 process is similar. Open the Settings app. Scroll down to Passcode. If you've never created a passcode before, toggle Turn Passcode On. You'll be prompted for a short (4-digit) numeric "simple passcode" or a longer/complex alphanumeric passcode. Pro tip: Even if your employer or educational institution requires a complex passcode via MDM, you can still access the "quick entry" numeric keypad for your passcode... just create an all-numbers passcode of the minimum length or longer, and you won't have to peck out the unlock code on the full keyboard.) Once your passcode is enabled and verified, you can set the timeouts for passcode access, which apps can be accessed from the lock screen, and more. In general, Apple's recovery/security services like Find My iPhone are a very good thing, and beneficial to have up and running -- as long as you observe reasonable password hygiene with your iCloud credentials, which are the "keys to the kingdom" for iOS app purchases, iTunes music, your iCloud email and iWork online documents... well, you get the idea. But turning off Find My iPhone is a reasonable temporary measure if you're concerned about this kind of hack attack, or worse things that could happen with a compromised iCloud password. Michael Rose contributed to this post.
Mac 101: How to type an accented character in just a few seconds
If you communicate internationally, there will be times when you need to use an accented character in your prose. If you don't use these special characters very often, you may fumble around OS X looking for a way to add to your text. Don't waste extra time hunting through the preferences or the character viewer looking for a match, these accented characters are right at your fingertips if you know where to find them. The quickest way to add an accented letter also is the easiest one to remember. Just tap and hold the letter key and a box will appear with a selection of the available accents. You can click on the correct character or type the number underneath the character that you want to enter. It works with all the vowels as well as a few consonants that have special accents, like C, L and N. Now that you this trick, it'll only take you a few seconds to enter "olé" the next time you want to express your enthusiasm.
Mac 101: How to scroll quickly through a web page or long document
In so many areas of OS X, Apple has added quick little tricks that make it easier for you to complete an action -- such as using the Option-Shift key when adjust volume to raise or lower it in smaller increments. When you are reading a long document that does not have a text entry field, you can use the space bar to scroll quickly down the document. The space bar will jump you down the page in large increments and is a much faster method of scrolling than the page down arrow, which moves you in smaller increments. When you reach the bottom of a document, you can use the shift-space bar combination to move back up the document in an equally quick manner. The only caveat is the space bar option does not work when the document has a text entry field as you need the space bar to add spaces between your words. As a result, you cannot use this trick when you are writing a long blog post in a web page editor or using a desktop text editor to modify a long document. It works perfectly, though, when you are reading a long webpage or browsing a PDF in Preview.
Mac 101: How to add images to an iMessage
Adding images to an iMessage on your iPhone is easy to do as there is a "camera" icon right next to the message composition field. On the Mac, though, this option is not readily apparent, leaving many desktop users scratching their head when they want to add a simple image to a message they are writing. Though it is not intuitive, Messages for Mac does allow you to attach on image to an outgoing message. There are two basic ways -- one uses the Finder, while the other uses the sharing feature that is available in most apps. Using the Finder If you haven't started writing a new message, you can select the image in Finder and right-click on it to bring up the contextual menu. Select "Share > Messages" from the contextual menu to create a new message. This opens a small dialog box directly over the Finder window that allows you to enter the recipient information and a text note before sending the image. If you already have a message in progress, then you will need to follow the steps below: Position the Finder window and the Messages window side-by-side on your screen. This makes it easy to drag the image from one window to another. Select an image file in the finder. (This also works in iPhoto if you have that app open) Drag the file to the text entry field in Messages. You will see a "+" icon as you add the image. You can add text directly after the image or use Option-Return to add some line returns between the image and your text. Using the "Share" feature in third-party apps Many OS X apps that work with images, such as Preview or Acorn, allow you to select an image and then choose the Share option either from the main menu bar or from the contextual menu. When you share an image from a third-party app, Messages launches a small dialog box where you can enter the recipient information as well as add some text before sending it along.
Mac 101: quickly transform selected text into a new Stickies note
The Stickies app on the Mac goes back to System 7.5, believe it or not. And though it remains a part of OS X, I can't imagine it gets much use. Nonetheless, if you happen to be one of the few and the proud who still use Stickies regularly, you'll likely find this tip rather helpful. I'll even go out on a limb and say that this tip is so helpful that it may even create new Stickies users. If you'd like to transform any piece of selected text into a Stickies note, you can do it all without having to resort to good ole' fashioned copy and paste. Just select any piece of text and press Command + Shift + Y. A new Stickies note containing the text in question will appear right before your eyes, even if the Stickies app isn't yet open. It's worth trying out as this is a nifty little tip to help you write down, with minimal effort, any thing you want to save for later viewing. Note that this tip works on any selectable text on your Mac. If you really want to get into a Stickies state of mind, you can turn any Stickies note in the foreground translucent by pressing Command + Option + T. Also remember that Stickies houses more functionality than you might initially think. Not only can you drag photos and videos to a Stickies note, but you can ensure that particularly important Stickies notes always stay in the foreground by pressing Command + Option + F.
Mac 101: How to work with two apps without switching windows
OS X has a little known feature that allows you to scroll open windows while they remain in the background. Usually, you discover this feature by accident when you are using an app in one window, hover your cursor over another open app window and scroll your fingers by mistake. You then are shocked when the background window contents move in response to your fingers. The ability to scroll the content in a window that does not have the focus (is in the background behind the window in which you are working) is available in OS X and many Linux distributions, including Ubuntu. I use this background scrolling all the time when I write. I keep my text editor in the foreground and the web browser in the background. This arrangement allows me to scroll a web page and not have to switch windows when I am done reading and want to type in my text editor again. This background scrolling works with any combination of apps. One bonus feature is the ability to interact with a web page that is in the background using the command key. If you are reading a page and it has a link, you can open the link in a new tab without losing your focus by holding down the command key and then clicking on the link. This option is useful when you are multitasking and don't want to be slowed down by switching windows. For example, I can stay in my email client and open a few browser windows while I wait for an email attachment to download. If you have any other OS X tips, please share them in the comments.
Mac 101: How to use OS X macros to quickly enter long strings of text
Text substitution is a useful OS X feature that has been around since Snow Leopard. These macros allow you to type in a short string of characters, such as "omw" and have those characters automatically replaced with a longer string such as "On my way!" The feature is easy to setup, even easier to use and best of all, available without any additional cost since it is bundled into OS X. Creating Macros in System Preferences. The first step to using text macros is to setup a few of them in the system preferences as follows: Open System Preferences (it's in the Apple menu at the top of your screen). Open the Keyboard panel and select the "Text" pane, which will show a list of text substitutions. Click the + button at the bottom to add a new item. Be sure to type in the both the shortcut in the "Replace" column and the longer text in the "With" column. You also use smart quotes and dashes as described here. Be careful not to enter common phrases like "go" in the "Replace" field as you only want trigger a replacement under specific circumstances. If you want to use a common phrase, then add a modifier such as a parentheses, "(go)." Enabling Text Replacement Text replacement works on a per-application basis, with some apps not supporting the feature or disabling it by default. Once you create your text replacement list, you must allow text replacement in an app in order to use it. Just right-click within any text entry area to access the contextual menu, which contains a Substitutions submenu. Select this Substitutions submenu and see if Text Replacement has a check next to it. If there is a check, then the feature is enabled. If there is no check, then select Text Replacement to turn it on. Using Text Replacement Once you've defined the shortcuts and enabled Text Replacement, the next step is to use the feature. Type your phrase, hit the space key and your full text should automatically appear. There may be a slight lag as OS X replaces the text, but try to ignore it and keep on typing.
Mac 101: Adjust the volume or brightness in smaller increments using these handy tips
Recent MacBook Pro and Air models have a wonderful keyboard that allows you to quickly adjust the volume of the system and the brightness of either your display or backlit keyboard. When you tap these brightness buttons, the levels are adjusted in single increments between 0 and 16. This is useful, but what if you want finer control over your volume or brightness level? Apple has provided a way on most recent versions of OS X to adjust the volume and the brightness levels in quarter increments using the Option+Shift keys. Just use the following combinations to make these finer changes: ⌥ + ⇧ + Volume Up/Down ⌥ + ⇧ + Display Brightness Up/Down ⌥ + ⇧ + Backlit Brightness Up/Down The volume and display adjustments are easily heard and seen as you change them, while the backlit changes are much more subtle. These keyboard tricks are available on OS X Mavericks, Mountain Lion, Lion and earlier. It was disabled for a short time in OS X Lion between version OS X 10.7 and OS X 10.7.3, but you can use an AppleScript to achieve a similar effect. These keyboard combinations were restored in OS X 10.7.4. For brightness levels, there also is an auto-brightness feature that automatically adjust levels based on your ambient light levels. You view the settings for the display by opening the Apple menu > System Preferences. Then click on the Displays pane, and then click on the tab for Display. Select the option to turn on/off ambient light sensing. The keyboard backlit option is similar, just go to Apple menu > System Preferences. Then click on the Keyboard pane, and then click on the tab for Keyboard. elect the option to turn on/off ambient light sensing
Mac 101: How to change the email addresses for individual contacts in a group
Like most good contact managers, the OS X Contacts app allows you to create a contact group that you can use to send emails to several people at once. Contact groups are indispensable for users who communicate with a variety of different friends, associations, organizations and more. One question I often see about these contact groups is how can you select the correct email address for individual members when the address book entry lists two email address. For example, you want to add your co-worker to your business contact group, but you want to use his business email for the list and not his personal gmail address. Selecting the email address for individual contacts in your group is easy once you know where to look in the OS X Contacts app. To find this setting, just select "Edit" from the menu and then select "Edit Distribution List" near the bottom. This will allow you to select a group and then edit the individual members. If a contact has two email address, you can choose the default address you want to use. You can determine which email is the default one as it will be bolded.
Mac 101: Use this tip to easily map a contact's address in OS X Mavericks
Traveling to a friend's new house and not exactly sure how to get there? if their new address is in your Contacts, then you can quickly and easily pull up a map to see where they live. Once you have Maps open, driving directions are just few clicks away. To Map a contact's address, just open the Contacts app in OS X and select the name of the contact you wish to map. If you added an address to the contact, it should appear below their phone number, email and home page information. Just hover your mouse cursor over the address and you should see a link for "Show Map" appear on the right side of the address. Just click that link and address will open in Apple Maps. The address will be highlighted by a pin, which you can use to view additional information about that location. Just click on the pin and then click on the "i" button to open a dialog that allows you to add that address to your bookmarks or get driving directions to that location. You can read more about syncing Maps bookmarks between your iOS and OS X device in an earlier Mac 101 or watch a handy video tip that shows you how to send driving directions directly to your iPhone.
Mac 101: A handy list of startup options for Macs running OS X
Need to reboot you Mac to access a new startup disc or launch with safe mode enabled so you can troubleshoot problems with OS X? Then read on for this handy list of startup options for Mac OS X machines. Manually restart: Hold down the power button on your Mac until it shuts off. It takes about 10 seconds. Release and then press the power button again to start your Mac. Though easy, this is not the recommended shut down method as you may lose unsaved changes in open documents. Use this as a last resort when the computer is so locked up that everything else fails. Prevent automatic login: Do you have automatic login enabled and want to disable it temporarily? Then hold down the Shift key when you see the progress indicator (looks like a spinning gear) to force your Mac to the login screen. Disable login items and Finder windows from opening when you log in: This is handy if you want to open OS X with a minimal number of apps running. After clicking the login button in the login window, hold down the Shift key to enable this mode of strartup. Select a startup disk: Press the Option key when you restart. If you need to open the optical drive when choosing a startup disk, press Command(⌘)-Period(.). Start up from a CD or DVD: Press the C key when you restart. Eject removable discs: Hold down the mouse or trackpad button or press the Media Eject key (⏏) or F12 key when you restart. Use OS X's Recovery Tools: Press Command(⌘)-R when you restart to launch the recovery tools, which allow you to format a drive, restore the version of OS X and more. Start up from the default NetBoot disk image: Press the N key when you restart. This allows you to access a disk image of OS X that is stored on a server and install it over a network connection. Use Apple Diagnostics or Apple Hardware Test: Press the D key when you restart. Start up in Target Disk Mode: Press the T key when you restart. Target Disc Mode (TDM) allows you to boot using the operating system of another Mac when your Mac is having issues. The Macs have to be compatible (same version of OS X with similar hardware configurations) and they must be connected via FireWire or Thunderbolt. Reset parameter RAM (PRAM): Press Option-Command(⌘)-P-R when you restart. When you are having issues with your speakers, display or other peripheral items, you may be instructed by Apple's support team to reset PRAM. Settings stored here depend on your machine's configuration, but may include startup disk information, display resolution, speaker volume, and other information. Start up in Safe Mode: When you hear the startup tone, immediately hold down the Shift key. Release the Shift key when you see the progress indicator (looks like a spinning gear). Safe Mode is useful for troubleshooting Macs as it prevents most software from automatically opening. A check of the startup volume is forced by the OS and only essential OS X items are started. As a result, some features and apps may not work correctly. Show detailed status messages (verbose mode): Press Command(⌘)-V when you restart. Verbose mode displays text-based information about the startup process and is useful for troubleshooting issues during startup. Start up in single user mode: Press Command(⌘)-S when you restart. Single user mode is another troubleshooting mode that allows you to interact with your Mac via text input. It's useful when you need to troubleshoot startup issues causes by a corrupted file of troublesome application. Use with caution as you can cause more problems than solve if you do not know what you are doing.
Mac 101: How to move pages between PDF documents using Preview
Preview is often overlooked by users who have yet to delve into the many features of the OS X app. Its name, "Preview," suggests it is only a document viewer, but it has editing capabilities that allow you do much more than merely read a file. One useful feature is the ability to move pages from one PDF document to another PDF document with a simple drag and drop as follows: Open both PDF documents in Preview. View individual pages by selecting "Thumbnails" or "Contact Sheet" from the View menu. Select the thumbnail image for each page your want to move from the original document and then drag it to the destination document. You can place the page anywhere you want in the destination document by dropping it between any two pages you choose. You can move single pages or multiple pages using this tip. If you have any other useful Preview tips, please share them in the comments.
