Apple has released iOS 8.3 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The software update includes 300 new Emoji icons, a variety of small new features, some minor user interface changes to keyboards, a variety of new languages for Siri, and a handful of performance fixes and optimizations, including resolutions to various wi-fi issues and Bluetooth connectivity. Full release notes for iOS 8.3 are listed below.

Read more »

Apple has released the final version of OS X 10.10.3 to all Mac users running Yosemite. The public version of OS X 10.10.3 includes the Photos app to replace iPhoto, and contains a handful of bug and performance fixes as well, including improvements to Wi-Fi stability and performance, over 300 newly designed Emoji icons, Spotlight Look Up suggestions, a resolution to some Bluetooth connectivity issues, and improvements to Safari and Screen Sharing. Full release notes are included below.

Read more »

Can’t remember where a file you recently opened was stored on the Mac, or where an MacOS X app you recently used was kept or originated from? Maybe you don’t know where something you recently used went to? No big deal, a simple keystroke modifier trick allows you to jump directly to the containing location of any app or file found in the “Recent Items” list of Mac OS X.

Read more »

If you use VirtualBox to run guest operating systems within a virtual machine on the Mac, like Windows 10 or Ubuntu Linux, you may find yourself needing to resize the virtual disk size where the OS resides. This is often the case when you inadequately estimate how much space is required for properly installing in a virtual machine with dynamically allocated storage.

Read more »

The Mac received a great many changes with OS X Yosemite along with a notable visual redesign, but some of those changes and various transparent effects may be taking a toll on some users Mac performance with errant WindowServer behavior. This is typically demonstrated with the WindowServer process spiking into heavy CPU use for seemingly no reason, often with an accompanying inordinate usage of memory, leading to very sluggish and choppy behavior during general usage of Mac OS X and MacOS on some computers.

Read more »

Stacks offer a method of displaying folders or collections of multiple items in the Dock of the Mac. When clicked, the “Stack” will pop open and show the contents sprawling out of the Dock.

Dock Stacks always display on the right-side of the Mac OS X Dock and they default to contain things like the Applications folder, Downloads folder, but many users add a Documents folder or even a Recent Items Dock menu stack.

The default for most stack items is set to Automatic, which means it will change as the folder (or stack) item changes to accommodate the contents. But you can also just choose to set the style of the Dock Stack yourself with a simple right-click on the stack item you wish to change in MacOS or Mac OS X.

Read more »

Newer iPhones have the ability to track fitness activity and motion and displaying that data in Health app and other applications. Fitness tracking is done by using a low-power motion coprocessor that determines steps, altitude gain and lost, and distance traveled, and many users like this feature as it represents an easy way to keep an eye on their activity levels, and perhaps work towards that goal of an active 10,000+ steps per day.

Read more »

There’s something about good wallpaper that makes using a Mac, iPhone, iPad, ok, even a Windows PC or Android device, just even better. We’re bringing you four gorgeous high resolution wallpapers that are basically hidden in plain sight from two sources, a recent Wired article about Apple Watch, and Apple.com product pages. All it took to uncover these amazing wallpaper shots was a little digging around with the web inspector tool, and we’re going to share the source links with you.

Read more »

Those interested in purchasing an Apple Watch early will be able to pre-order the device just after midnight at 12:01 AM PST (3:01 AM EST) on April 10, according to the Apple website. The pre-ordered devices will be shipped to an address or available for pickup at an Apple Store on April 24.

Read more »

Whether testing performance of an application, Mac OS X animations, or just out of general curiosity, you can measure the refresh rate in Frames Per Second of onscreen actions and animations on the Mac by using a free developer tool from Apple called Quartz Debug.

Part of the Graphics Tools package of Xcode, Quartz Debug can also be downloaded separately if you have a developer login, and a simple action will enable the live FPS monitor, providing frame rate data in real-time.

Read more »

Apple has released a seventh beta version of OS X Yosemite 10.10.3, just a few days after releasing the sixth beta.

The rapid beta testing release schedule either suggests the final public version of OS X 10.10.3 is approaching quickly, or perhaps that an important fix is included in the seventh beta version, though the former is probably more likely.

Read more »

It’s April Fools, so why not have a little fun and play a prank or two on some iPhone (or iPad) users? We’ve got two super simple tricks that are completely harmless yet amusing enough to be worth while. Have fun out there.

Read more »

If you ever need to set custom DNS or change the DNS settings on iOS devices for using an alternate domain name server or a faster one, you’ll probably want the DNS changes to take effect immediately, which requires the flushing of DNS caches on the iPhone or iPad. There are actually several ways to perform a DNS flush on an iOS device, we’ll cover the two fastest methods below, the first is preferential because it has the least amount of impact overall to other activity on the device as it does not require a reboot.

Read more »

With Messages app on the Mac now able to send and receive SMS texts messages alongside iMessages from the iPhone, amongst other configured chat protocols, it’s easy to stay in touch, but it’s also easy get overwhelmed or annoyed by the sound of incoming messages while you’re trying to do other work on the computer. While you can mute Notification Center alert sounds, or toggle Do Not Disturb mode on for a universal relief from all alerts on the Mac, a more appropriate solution is to disable the sounds that Messages for Mac OS makes.

Read more »

Apple has released the sixth beta version of OS X Yosemite 10.10.3. The new build arrives as 14D127a and is available for those participating in the Public Beta test program and users who are registered as a Mac Developer.

Read more »

A fair amount of wireless routers choose not to broadcast their identity (called an SSID) as a simple security precaution, thus knowing how to join an invisible network from a Mac is important.

Read more »

Sometimes you need to prop up your iPhone, sometimes you need an iPhone stand, but who carries a stand around with them? Probably not many of us, but if you do wear sunglasses (and maybe reading glasses too, let us know), then you already have an instant iPhone stand just waiting to be put to use.

Read more »

Now that the Mac windows green maximize button defaults to sending apps and windows into Full Screen Mode, a notably sized cohort of MacOS and Mac OS X users who perhaps didn’t know this behavior changed until accidentally finding out, are left confused with the following question; “how do I get out of full screen mode in Mac OS X?” or even “how do I get into full screen mode on the Mac?”

The good news is that both entering and exiting out of Full Screen Mode in any Mac app in macOS High Sierra, MacOS Sierra, Mac OS X El Capitan or Yosemite is really easy, and if you do find yourself in this situation don’t feel dumb, because some very techy folks have stumbled into the same situation.

Read more »