A couple weeks ago, Kimberley needed to wash a garment for the first time and asked me if I knew how to translate the icons on the tag. I did not, but I remembered that Photos can translate these as part of its Visual Look Up feature. Visual Look Up works to identify various [...]
In followup on iOS 17 Hot Tips #1, I recently discovered an even easier way to embed a link in text. Read on… Copy Link To begin, copy a link that you want to embed. For example, to copy the link of the page you’re viewing in Safari, tap Share and choose Copy. [...]
Clients frequently ask me to recommend products and services to support their computing experiences. To date, my short list of external displays, printers, online backup service, password manager, and others has mostly been in my head. However, I have just published the list on my website for anyone to view, with links to websites [...]
Some time after you’ve sent an email message, you may find you want to follow up. Perhaps you realize you need to add more details, or that you haven’t heard a response from your recipient. Is your default behavior to create another new email message? Or, do you view your sent email and issue [...]
Next time you drop your iPhone in the toilet, inadvertently take it swimming, expose it to a downpour, or otherwise trigger the liquid detection sensor, don’t reach for the nearest bag of rice. First, power it off. Then, find a local repair shop (if you’re in the Berkeley area, I recommend Apple & Mac [...]
Apple device operating systems are chock full of features that can increase user productivity and flexibility. Each new release adds yet more capabilities and rarely takes any away. Unless you intently follow release announcements, though, your acquisition of new skills may depend on your own discovery — or spending time learning from your technology [...]
The macOS Finder has always offered a way to get information about selected files, folders, and applications. However, Get Info is an oft overlooked or unknown command in the File menu. As a result, users miss out on opportunities to learn about important item details, like size and default application, and to compare single [...]
Remember the wave of iPhone thefts over the last year where thieves observed owners entering their passcode, then stole the device, quickly changed the person’s Apple ID password, and disabled Find My? In response to this, Apple recently introduced Stolen Device Protection, included as part of iOS 17.3. Part of the problem has been [...]
I find audible feedback helpful in my digital workflows and I love using sound effects to signal various actions and notifications on my devices. Sadly, over the years, Apple has become more restrictive about what actions welcome custom alert sounds. For over a decade until around 2011, I was able to use Xounds, an [...]
What are your screen habits when you wake up? Do you pick up your iPhone before you get out of bed? How close to your eyes do you hold it? How bright is the screen and how bright is your room? There are a number of reasons to consider not sleeping next to your [...]
