Stethoscope on a laptop keyboard

Unix – Video Tip

Did you know there is a powerful Unix computer sitting right in front of you? That’s right, your Mac is based upon Unix. What your looking at is an interface developed by Apple which hides the text based Unix world. There is no reason to be fearful of Unix and the command line. In fact…

Stethoscope on a laptop keyboard

Avoiding Problems

When I’m asked what I do when my Mac has problems, I usually say “It doesn’t”. Which for the most part they don’t. I have a few rituals I perform to help my Macs stay healthy. About once a month I run Cocktail or Onyx. This general purpose utility cleans up cache files and runs maintenance scripts, with…

Stethoscope on a laptop keyboard

Reset iPhone/iPad Settings

One of the main troubleshooting steps for iPhone and iPad problems is to use the Reset All Settings option located under Settings —> General —> Reset. Do not confuse with Erase All Content and Settings, which will completely erase EVERYTHING on your iDevice. Reset All Settings will place all setting changes you’ve made back to the defaults but keep all of your data…

Stethoscope on a laptop keyboard

Siri Basics

A popular question that comes up during the Lake Villa District Library events is ‘How do I use Siri?’. Which is then followed up by another question that comes up right afterward ‘What can Siri do?’. So this month I break them both down. How do I use Siri?To start Siri (no matter the device) you press…

Stethoscope on a laptop keyboard

Mac Security Settings

Depending on your setup (desktop or laptop) you may want to take a good look at the Security and Privacy preference pane. Click the Apple menu then System Preferences. When you open it, you’ll see you’re unable to make changes. In order to make changes, you’ll need to click the lock icon then enter an…