Mac Forums Sunday Chat

[Slydude]

Join me at 7:00 p.m, tonight (1:00 a.m. Monday GMT) for the Mac-Forums Video Chat. Look for the forum roundup, a few MacOS tips, and an IOS tip or two. The exact tips are still up for grabs.

The Automator workflow I described last week to resize screenshots has been put on hold while I work out a bug or two. As penance I may squeeze in a quick Automator tutorial. It feels like a good time to describe a few iTunes-related workflows I use from time to time.

If you want to see an Automator workflow that can resize photos /screenshots check the links below.
Show Notes

Removing things from the Apple watch Dock This a basic primer on the watchOS 3 Dock. It includes how to do a number of things including removing items from the dock. Thanks to member lcliv for that link.

This Terminal command will identify when MacOS was last installed on your Mac. Christian Ziberg at iDownloadBlog shows us the lat time a completely clean install of the Mac OS was done. It’s the lat time a full installation was completed not the load time one of the point updates was installed.

Christian Ziberg at iDownloadBlog comes through again with a description of some MacOs techniques for managing application windows.

If you’re looking for a good overview of how some browsers compare with Chrome check out this article from Infoworld. Thanks to member Randy B. Singer for the link that put me on the trail of this article.

During the show I dud a brief Automator tutorial that describes how to launch iTunes and make it play a specific playlist without any additional input from you. The tutorial is a bit rough since it was live but I think you will get the idea. If you need some additional tips and some good examples of what Automator can do check out this Macworld article. Slide number two in the set of examples describes a workflow that resizes photos..

Saving the workflow in the example as an application allows it to run without Automator being open. Adjust the settings before saving it as an application. Once it is save as an application simply drag pictures/photos/screenshots on the application. If this example workflow were saved as a folder action instead it would run every time a photo was dropped into or saved to a target folder.

Additional examples of iTunes activities which can be controlled / modified by Automator Thanks lifehacker.com

If you have been following this Mac-Forums thread and want to view your iPhone / iPad screen on your Mac give the tip I describe in the video a try. I’m using the QuickTime Player X included with Sierra but the tip should work with other versions of QuickTime Player X. If you are using a version of OS X that does not include this version of QuickTime Player X it may or may not be possible with QuickTime 6 0r 7 but you would need the Pro version. I can’t test that at the moment.

Thanks to forum Moderator chscag (a.k.a Chicago according to autocorrect) for pointing out an issue with this tip. When you view your IOS screen on you Mac by this method some of what you see is inaccurate. My iPhone screen was shown at 100% charged during the show. I disconnected/reconnected my phone after the show and the actual iPhone screen showed just over 90% charge even though the phone had b been connected during the entire show.

 

[chscag]

Hey Sly:

Pretty good thread about being able to display your iPhone or iPad screen to your Mac. You might mention that the free way is to use QuickTime in Movie record mode and that a paid app ($14.99) called Reflector 2 does the same thing but even better.

BTW, I did some experimenting with QuickTime and my iPhone 7+ and can verify it does work but with some quirks... It puts the phone into a suspended mode where the phone shows a 100% signal and battery even though that may not be so. I haven't tested Reflector 2 but may do that later on by downloading their trial app.

 

[Slydude]

I saw that thread. I did a demo of this a while back but didn't mention Reflector. It's probably worth mentioning again. I almost suggested the OP try that method but he would need one of the older versions of QT Pro and I'm not even sure those versions of QT Pro had that feature.

Edit: Thanks for pointing out that flaw in what shows on screen using this method. I did not notice that when I initially demoed this tip a few weeks /months.

 

[Slydude]

No show this week folks. Ton of stuff to get done today. See you next week. I'll kick of a series of shows that include discussions of some useful but not often not well understood features of OS X. Data detectors, smart folders, etc. You'll find a different feature or two each week.

 

[Slydude]

Join me for the March 19, 2017 video chat at 7:00 p.m. US Central Time (Midnight GMT). As usual we'll have the forum roundup, including a few cybersecurity tips, a MacOS tip or two, and perhaps an IOS tip.

This week I kick off the series on features in MacOS that are probably not well understood/underutilized. We'll kick it off with the comments on data detectors I had scheduled for last week's show.

Show Notes

Forum Roundup

Welcome to our newest member, campbrd

If you’re looking for some good security tips give this a quick read. The thread is based on this USA Today article. Tech savvy users will find these tips pretty basic, and probably already in use by them. Other users will find the tips helpful tough you’ll have to look elsewhere for the specific steps.

Member macgig asked how to delete personal information from a Mac without wiping the entire drive. This thread contains the link to a video that describes how to delete a user account. It’s for an older OS but the process is still the same. If you are going to pass your Mac on to someone take a look at these Apple recommendations as well.

Forum member Dave52 is looking for a way to look up passwords stored on a Mac. You can do that through the Keychain Access utility found in Applications/Utilities. If you’ve never used that utility give this Macworld article a quick read.

Stephen Lawson, writing for IDG, points out that “Nearly two-thirds of consumers are worried about home IoT devices listening in on their conversations, according to a Gartner survey released Monday.” See here (outdated link removed). The survey, conducted by Garter in the later part of 2016, included almost 100, 000 respondents from the US, UK, and Australia. The Holy Grail for proponents of this technology is to have household technology, appliances, and systems interconnected to do things such as turn on thermostats on an as need basis or turn off the dishwasher when the TV is active.

IOS 10.3 update - Backup your data first This article point out the pitfalls of updating the operating system of your IOS device without a backup. If the backup fails along the way data could be lost. This has always been true to some extent or another but this article addresses issues created by a change in the way IOS drives are formatted.

iTunes Audiobook issues Kirk The iTunes Guy addresses some questions about organizing audiobooks in iTunes.

Josh Centers, writing for TidBITS, has been writing bout MacOS hidden treasures and has included some thoughts on using the Dock. If you’re new to the Mac this is a good read. It includes quite a bit of good information about using the Dock.

Data detectors are one of my picks for an underused OS feature. They allow information you receive in one program to be acted upon by another program. If, for example, you receive an email containing a date clicking the link opens Calendar all set to create a date on the date shown in the email. Receiving an address opens the Maps program with an option to add the information to one of your contacts. Kirk the iTunes Guy reports that data detectors can now parse messages for titles etc. though I have had difficulty getting this to work.

 

[Slydude]

Join me tonight at 7:00 p.m. Central time for the weekly Mac-Forums Video chat. We'll have a forum roundup (including dealing with WMF files), a bit of Mac / Apple related news and a few MacOS and IOS tips.

In our underused features of OS X segment we'll look at smart searches smart folders, and smart mailboxes. Look for some bonus content later in the week. I'll show you a couple of Automator workflows that use built in OS x features / programs. One launches Safari at a set date and plays a stream.

Show Notes

Apple released an iTunes 12.6 update discussed in this forum thread. Shortly afterward, a second update was released with the same version number. It’s possible that the second release was designed to address these quirks among others.

Forum member Din Josha was having some issues dealing with .WMF files (Windows metafile). These files must be converted before they can be used in MacOS. Kudos to the member for posting back and letting us know a few software titles that handle this conversion nicely. I’ve been using GraphicConverter, one of the programs mentioned, off and on since probably the initial release of OS X. Its top notch for converting all kinds of files but its also got some decent editing capabilities as well.

Deleting all instances of a picture from the Photos program.

Does Apple have a combination laptop / iPhone on the horizon. An Apple patent filing hints at a hybrid device combining an iPhone brain snd s laptop body with the iPhone being removable. If they build this thing I want to try it. It’s an interesting idea with lots of potential problems to overcome but it should be interesting to try for a while.

Here’s a simple overview of the new file system introduced in IOS 10.3. Most of the changes won’t be noticed by most users. The change is of interest because the same file system is expected to appear in a future version of MacOS perhaps as early as the end of this year. This is the file system that has apparently been in development for some time and would replace the aging HFS+. HFS+ has been around for almost 20 years no and is starting to show its age.

Macworkd UK has a wealth of iPhone tips here. I didn’t walk through all of them on the show. I do have a disagreement /clarification about one of their tips. The tip suggests that it is better to leave apps open in the background rather than close them when not in use. My own thought is that if the app is not something you use several times a day go ahead and close it. If you use the app a lot during the day leave it open in the background. I’d also close apps that “phone home” frequently for data updates. If you are in areas during the day where your phone has to search for a good signal this “phone home"

Using Smart Mailboxes As part of our continuing look at underused MacOS features we look at smart search features including smart folders and smart mailboxes.

 

[Slydude]

Join me at 7:00 p.m. Central time tonight (Midnight GMT) for the weekly Mac-Forums Video Chat. Our forum roundup will look at how the App Store knows what's on your system, and fixing a Dictionary problem. In our tips segment we'll use Automator to send birthday greetings automatically. It's an easy way to demonstrate what can be done when several MacOS features are used together.

We have severe thunderstorms /tornado watches in the area tonight. If I don't make it to the chat tonight I will set it up for tomorrow night at the same time.

As I expected I had to push the show to tomorrow 4/3/17 due to weather. We'll start at 7:00 p.m as usual (Midnight GMT) Yes, I know the NCAA hoops championship is tomorrow. lol

I fixed the link above so it takes you to the right day.

Show Notes

Welcome to our newest member GameKins

Member silvered started a thread in our Switcher Hangout area asking for basic information and advice. The thread contains numerous helpful links for new Mac users regardless of their age.

Member BudVitoff why his copy of the Mac Dictionary no longer shows some of the sources that you used to be able to choose from (different languages thesaurus etc.) Part of the secret is to go into the Dictionary preferences and making sure the options that you need are checked. Then Quit and relaunch Dictionary. If that does not fix the issue, open Dictionary’s preferences and use the “+”and “-“ keys to remove and re-add the resources. Thanks Jake.

If you don’t have two factor authentication turned on for Apple accounts, the recent incarnation of MacOS puts a red notification circe in the System Preferences area. Member chicago points out “That's "Nanny Apple" trying to get you to install 2FA (2 Factor Authentication) on your Mac. Open System Preferences, Security and Privacy, and opt out of it. The notification will then go away.”

The Mac App Store knows what apps are installed on your drive. This is in part how it know what apps need to be updated. That information is partly based upon the Spotlight index for your drive. It also searches the index files for all connected drives. See Here

Having trouble installing IOS 10.3 on an iPhone 5c? Check out this thread for some suggestions. Note that this thread was started before the 10.3.1 update was released. That’s probably the simplest fix for this issue.

Here’s an overview of the new features in IOS 10.3

ArsTechnica has some thoughts on rules that would allow ISPs to sell browsing data to advertisers

Another phishing scam claiming to be from Apple?

 

[Slydude]

Join me at 7:00 p.m. Central time (midnight GMT) for the weekly Mac-Forums video chat. We'll have the forum roundup, and several iTunes tips and bits of info. In our series on underused MacOS features we'll look at Services.

Show notes, which include an article discussing 10 ways to connect your computer to your stereo, will be up tomorrow evening.

Show Notes

Mac-Forums member michelangelo has some thoughts for us based upon his experiences changing the password for Apple IDs. I included this thread in the forum roundup because it gives us some ideas about things we sometimes forget when changing passwords on multiple devices.


Member Rod Sprague has started a thread in the forum about optimizing Safari’s settings for maximum privacy. The original “How To Geek article that inspired this thread can be found here. This article is a nice companion piece to some of the discussion that we referenced in last weeks chat concerning ISPs tracking online behavior.


This weeks discussion of little used OS X features focuses on the Services menu. This is a very useful feature because the options available in the menu vary depending upon what type of file you select. For more information on the Services menu check this article. This article focuses on earlier versions of OS X but the principles are the same under MacOS “a.k.a. Sierra”


Kirk “The iTunes Guy” has some thoughts for those of us connecting our Macs to stereo system. This article presents several options for making the connection. Of the ten methods present the first, which involves connecting a wore from the headphone jack to the stereo, isn’t suitable if you want to preserve an all digital connection. It’s important to preserve the digital stream all the way through the chain if you are sending surround sound data to the stereo.


Kirk also has some thoughts for you if you are planning to use the Apple TV 4 to stream music to your stereo. This generation of the Apple TV is fine for streaming audio and video but the absence of a tussling connection on the Apple TV 4 means that you’re in a bit of a bind if your receiver doesn’t support HDMI connections.


More iTunes 12 tips from Kirk The iTunes Guy.


Cleaning up Artwork, Visualizers and the Up Next queue in iTunes 12

 

[Slydude]

Join me tonight at 7:00 p.m. US Central time (Midnight GMT) for the Mac-Forums video chat. This week we look at the forum roundup, what one TechConnect writer wants to see in new iMacs, security issues related to going paperless, and whatever else comes to mind. In our underused features of the OS series this week I take a look at Activity Monitor and what some of its uses. The forum roundup includes a discussion of issues to consider when using two factor authentication.

Show Notes

If you are using two factor authentication take steps now to make sure you don’t forget the recovery code. Forum member Rod Sprague has some thoughts on how to make sure you don’t loose the code.

Although there are times when you might need to allow remote access to your computer You need to think carefully about whether there is a better, more secure, alternative. If you do decide to allow access there are several ways of accomplishing this.. There are solutions built into OS X and IOS. Give the article above a quick read for some options.

If you are considering going paperless to get rid of some clutter in your life, here are some thoughts on how to go paperless securely.

Phishing scams target Apple IDs and passwords This article is a few months old but still has relevant information.

What Macworld Senior Editor Roman Loyola would like to see in new iMacs

Why Apple should fix its error code messages

Are you new to Mac and want to see what the OS used to look like in the beginning. Check out this example

 

[Slydude]

Join me tonight at 7:00 p.m. US Central time (Midnight GMT) for the weekly Mac-Forums video chat. We'll have the forum roundup, and an assortment of tips and tricks. We'll look at an iTunes library issue and more instances of vendors selling user data, and an iPhone Home button mystery solved.

Show Notes

The forum thread on vendors / ISPs selling user data continues to grow as people hear their thoughts. This is not just an issue for certain hardware, ISPs, or software vendors. In fact, it looks like their will be a class action lawsuit agains Bose. The suit seems to allege that Bose did not disclose to customers who purchased their Quiet Comfort haeadphones were encouraged to download an app which unbeknownst to them sent a variety of user data to third-parties.

Apple offers some of it flagship apps for free Apple is now offering its iWork (Pages, Keynote, Numbers and iLife GarageBand, iMovie) apps for free. In the past these apps have been free with purchase of a new device (IOS versions for IOS device purchases and Mac versions with purchase of Macs). Macworld’s Roman Loyola point out “Apple did not officially announce the price changes, nor did the company issue a policy statement to users who recently paid for any of the apps. The free versions are now available on the iTunes Store and the Mac App Store”

Macworld Contributor has a quick look at the possible downsides to making these apps free. Writing at the Kirkville site Kirk MCElhearn seems to be suggesting that this might be Apple’s attempt to compete with Google Docs and Office 365.

If you are not a fan of Safari, Firefox, or Chrome forum member Randy B. Singer points out that there are currently more than 200 web browsers for the Mac. If you don’t want to try all 200 this post has some links that might help you choose the best browser for your needs

If you have been using iTunes as your music manager for some time you may have experienced some library issues that are difficult to pin down. Kirk “the iTunes Guy” has one possible reason for the problem.

What’s that weird virtual button on my iPhone / iPad screen

How to Check What Apps are Using the Most Data on iPhone Courtesy of iPhone Life Tip of the Day

• Open the Settings app.
• Tap Cellular.
• Scroll down to Use Cellular Data. Each app you have will be listed, and below the name of the app, you’ll see how much data it’s used.

 

[Slydude]

Join me tonight (7:00 US Central time Midnight GMT) for the weekly Mac-Forums video chat. As usual we'll have a forum roundup, a MacOS tip or two and an IOS tip or two.

I haven't set up the specific tips yet so tune in to see what we talk about.

Tonight's show is up at the link above. Show notes, with links and references, will be up tomorrow evening.

 

[chscag]

Make sure to mention about that new security threat that was discovered for the Mac. Gotta run real quick or I would refer you to the thread. Later.

 

[Slydude]

Thanks. I've got the thread already marked.

 

[Slydude]

Join me at 7:00 p.m. US Central time (Midnight GMT) for the weekly Mac-Forums chat. We'll have the forum roundup and an assortment of MacOS and IOS tips as usual. We'll talk a bit about more malware disguising itself as a Flash update and how to deal with it. I'm still working on the specific roundup so tune in to find out what happens.

 

[Slydude]

No Sunday chat this week gang. Tons of stuff to do today. We should be back on schedule next week.

 

[chscag]

Today is Mother's Day folks... everyone is busy with Mom or the Wife. It's their day! ;D

 

[RadDave]

Today is Mother's Day folks... everyone is busy with Mom or the Wife. It's their day! ;D

Well, our only son lives in Carmel, IN, so only a card; BUT, we just returned from Myrtle Beach, SC and had plenty of wonderful seafood dinners - and a few days ago, we got her a Deering Banjo Ukulele (shown below) - she's a multi-instrument musician and singer who is taking guitar & uke lessons from a UNC School of the Arts graduate & teacher - been hearing her sing on it the last two days - Dave
.

 

[pigoo3]

- she's a multi-instrument musician and singer who is taking guitar & uke lessons from a UNC School of the Arts graduate & teacher - been hearing her sing on it the last two days -

Sounds like she's an accomplished musician & singer. For the rest of us who may have a "budding" musician or singer wife/mom...maybe we'd rather be fishin'! lol

- Nick

 

[RadDave]

Sounds like she's an accomplished musician & singer. For the rest of us who may have a "budding" musician or singer wife/mom...maybe we'd rather be fishin'! lol

Hi Nick - well, I have an accordion but little remembrance from my teen days, and I cannot carry a tune - Susan is a talented amateur - her best instrument is a family piano (below, Mason & Hamlin; upright but w/ a baby grand sound board - pic from the web but quite similar to her piano) that's likely 60 years old now and still sounding great (she & her sister did their lessons on it); she has 2 Irish harps (below) but has not paid much attention recently (not easy to play - I've tried! ) - also a couple of guitars (nylon & steel, latter a Gibson Epiphone bought recently on a Memphis trip) - she has her ukulele and now the newest addition the Banjo Uke - the instrument sounds great and is LOUD (video below from the Deering website). Dave
.

.

.

 

[Slydude]

Join me at 7:00 p.m. Central time (Midnight GMT) for the Mac-Forums video chat. We'll have the usual forum roundup, The exact topics are still being finalized but we'll talk about the recent ransomware outbreak and why it matters to you even if it doesn't affect Macs. We'll also discuss a feature you want to look for if you are looking for a weather app.

Show Notes
Welcome to our newest member Gwead

Forum member Alwyn has asked whether there were ever viruses for the Mac. The question was based on a London Times article. The truth is there were several viruses that could and did affect the Classic (pre OS X) environment. See this thread for full details (including a list of what was available). If this is a topic of particular interest to you pay particular attention to posts #4 and #5 by member Randy B. Singer. The good news is that none of those pre OS X viruses/malware can affect OS X.

A recent ransomware attack has spread across at least 74 countries in Europe and Asia. This piece of ransomware encrypts data on the affected system essentially holding the data hostage until a payoff is made.Although it does not affect OS X users directly many users could have their data held hostage if it is stored on one of the infected servers. Although Microsoft had previously released a patch for this exploit (going all the way back to Windows XP server) some of the institutional targets had not yet updated their systems. This particular piece of malware spread through files attached in an e-mail. If you’re interested, here’s an explanation of how the malware was killed. Here’s a list of the relevant Windows patches.

This particular piece if malware doesn’t seem to be able to infect OS X but Mac users running Windows should make sure that their Windows installations are properly patched.

Apple to require two factor authentication for iCloud? “Beginning on June 15, app-specific passwords will be required to access your iCloud data using third‑party apps such as Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, or other mail, contacts, and calendar services not provided by Apple.”

Apple watch not receiving notifications from the iPhone If you are not receiving notifications from your iPhone to the Apple watch, check out this thread for a possible solution.

If you have some doubts about the health of your iPhone battery, some of the battery apps for the MacOS also examine iPhone/iPad battery health. To get this information you must connect the IOS device to your Mac via a USB cable. During the show I demonstrated this principle by using Coconut Battery but other apps should also work. See this thread

If you are looking for a search engine that does not track your movements have a look at this thread.