Don't overlook this great bit of free software for your photos. Photo: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac
iPhoto is a free download for everyone these days, making it a basic bit of kit for anyone dealing with the deluge of photographic data we seem to collect. Still, itās often overlooked by the best of us because of its limitations.
Thatās unfortunate, because the simple program offers some pretty useful features that can quickly let you get on with enjoying your photos rather than tweaking them.
Here are five simple tips for using Appleās built-in photo āshoebox,ā letting you make your photos better and more organized even more quickly.
It's not super-intuitive, but you can make your own HTML signature for Apple Mail fairly easily. Screengrab: Cult of Mac
We all like our email signatures to look fantastic. Apple Mail began letting you make your special mark with an HTML-style email signature with OS X Lion back in 2011.
The process of setting up an HTML signature in Apple Mail has only gotten more complex over the years, unfortunately. Now it takes a bit of patience and a sturdy sense of adventure, but itās not too difficult.
If you want to create your own HTML signature for Appleās Mail app on OS X Yosemite, keep reading.
If you make something private, obviously you want it to stay that way. But with hackers trying to get at your data, you need to be prepared. Following the recent iCloud hacking that leaked tons of private celebrity photos, thereās a renewed focus on security.
In todayās video, we show you how to enable two-step verification on all your Apple devices so youāll have a better chance of keeping everything thatās near and dear to you private and secure.
For decadesĀ Mac and the PC have been at each otherās throats, competing for that No. 1 spot in the computing world. Vitriolic ad campaigns and entire product launches aimed at decimatingĀ Windows or OS X have firmly established a war that somehow hasnāt ended even in the post-PC era.
With AppleāsĀ release of OS X Yosemite sitting just around the corner, the time for Microsoft to answer with Windows 9 is nearlyĀ here. In todayās video, we go into everything we know about OS X Yosemite and what we think we know about Windows 9 so far. We break down all the new features, design elements and more to help you start forming your opinion about which OS is best.
The technology behind the computer mouse has leaped to unimaginable heights in the decades following the first prototype in the early 1960s. And Appleās latest variant of its Magic Mouse has quickly become one of the most powerfulĀ iterations of the revolutionary input device.
Its touch-sensitive body lets users manipulate their computers with more than mere clicks, thanks to an array of simple gestures and smart actions that make the Mac more productive than ever.
In todayās video, weāll take a look at tips that will help you unleash the true potential of your Magic Mouse. Youāll learn how to access Mission Control, quickly switch between apps and do much more with these speedy tips.
While looking at social media on your favorite iOS devices is smooth, making the transition to the Mac just isnāt quite the same. Though there are plenty of top-notch applications for looking at Twitter or Snapchat on iOS, the social media gems on Mac can be hard to find.
In todayās video, weāll show you the top social media apps for Mac so you can transport the fun from iOS to your desktop in the most efficient ways possible. Hereās how to enjoy the fun of Snapchat, Instagram and more, all on your Mac by downloading some killer social apps.
Mac are incredibly complex machines, but thanks to Jony Ive and the rest of the creators, theyāre also incredibly simple to use.Ā Mose Mac users know to use keyboard shortcuts to make daily tasks even quicker, but not many know how to turn your Macās trackpad into one of the best time-saving tools youāll ever use.
In todayās video, weāll take a look at a little known feature called Hot Corners. Weāll teach you how to set them up and how to use them. How to Put your display to sleep, clear your desktop and do even more useful actions, now with just a few quick flicks.
Over time when using your Mac itās common to find your desktop in scattered disarray. With photos here and documents there, in the midst of this jumble mess completing further tasks seems trivial. Luckily thereās a number of tips that you can use if you find yourself trapped in Mac disorganization.
In todayās video take a look at some tips that will help you tidy up how you use your Mac and in return clean up your experience. See how to start tagging your files, use smart-apps and other great ways to get your Mac in structural order.
Transitioning to the college lifestyleĀ can be awkward at first. Being away from home, having a heavy workload and still wanting to hangout with friends can be a lot to manage all at once.
Luckily, your Mac can help relieve a little of that stress throughout the school year. In todayās video, take a look at these five hot Mac tips that can make your new year of college easier: be prepared for thieves, find the best way to take notes and more.
While our Macs were designed for power, they were also made for beauty. Sharply rounded edges and fine materials come together to create the computers we know and love. But with normal daily use, dirt and grime can make our Mac workhorses less attractive.
In todayās video, we show you the surprisingly simple steps you can take to relieve your Mac of filth and enjoy a cleaner, better-looking computing experience. Make use of these quick Mac cleaning tips and having a fresh-looking computer will be a cinch.
Watch todayās Cult of Mac news roundup for details on a lawsuit filed by Apple employees. Plus, youāll get info on the latest Apple software updates, a look at the Starbucks appās new capabilities and Jimmy Kimmelās hilarious iWatch prank.
While iCloud has been a trusty storage companion for photos and documents, Appleās recently announced iCloud Drive upgrades what we already know and love about the service. In todayās video, we take a look at five ways iCloud Drive will upgrade your life when Apple rolls out the enhanced service alongside iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite.
As user-friendly as they are, Macs are complex machines. Theyāre absolutely loaded with features, some of which might not be obvious from the start. In todayās video, we take a look at five basic tips that can help make everyday use of your Mac much more enjoyable. Find out how to clean up your desktop, customize your Dock, tweak audio settings and more with just a few quick clicks.
Sometimes things arenāt as easy as they could be when youāre using your Mac to plow through the dayās tasks. Cluttered screens and excessĀ clickingĀ become irritating and tiresome. In todayās video, we take a look at five useful Mac shortcuts that can make using your Apple computer even more efficient.
Apple and Adobe make major moves to change the way we manage our photographs. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Ubiquitous cloud storage and editing solutions for your photos are like buses: You wait ages for one, and then two come along at once.
Both Apple and Adobe are going all-in on allowing you to view and edit your photos on any device. Adobe has done this by bringing its Lightroom desktop app to mobile. Apple is doing it by ditching iPhoto and Aperture and starting again with the upcoming Photos app for iOS.
While the approaches are different, they both look rad. And theyāll drive a fundamental shift in the way we manage our photos.
Yosemite is one of the biggest updates to OS X weāve seen in recent years, bringing fresh looks and a slew of new features. This video takes a look at how Notification Center looks and works in OS X Yosemite, which is resembling iOS 8 more and more.
Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, unveils OS X Yosemite to the world at WWDC 2014. Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web
With iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, Apple is finally showing us its idea of how weāll compute in the future. Perhaps not surprisingly, this pristine vision of our computing destiny ā unveiled after years of secret, patient and painstaking development ā aligns perfectly with how we currently use our computers and mobile devices.
The keynote at this yearās Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month not only showed off a new way to think about computing, based on data not devices, but also silenced pretty much every criticism leveled at the company over the past few years.
Letās take a look at Appleās new way of doing things, which fulfills Steve Jobsā post-PC plan by minimizing the importance of the Mac.
Macs are solid machines, but just like their owners they have a tendency to get lethargic as they age. Launching and switching programs takes longer, simple tasks become arduous, and the dreaded beach ball of doom appears more often than it did when your machine was new. The operating system just starts to feel crufty, and can get worse over time. I see these issues in my IT consulting business regularly.
You may be asking, why does this happen? There are many reasons, but some are more common than others. Sometimes your hard disk (or solid-state drive) gets too full and interferes with normal computer operations. Crashes or misbehaving programs can corrupt the disk directory or application cache files. Remnants from old software may still be running behind the scenes, or you donāt have enough RAM to deal with your OS and workflow.
Is there some sort of tune-up you can do to sortĀ it out? Your tech always tells you to just reboot the computer, but thereās got to be more than that. The good news: Yes, there are some things you can do. And, perhaps, adopt some more-efficient computing practices for yourself along the way.
Don't let this happen to you. Screengrab and photos: Joshua Smith/Cult of Mac
An overwhelming sense of eagerness overtook me after Apple showed off OS X Yosemite at WWDC. The redesigned interface and accompanying features, like a spruced-up Spotlight and the ability to take phone calls on your Mac, made downloading the beta version too intriguing to pass up.
Little did I know that moments after finalizing the installation, I would encounter a massive problem that would send me on an emotional ride.
This clear-sided Macintosh SE from Henry Plain's collection was used for engineering tests to check airflow and heat dissipation. Photos: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Some Apple collectors gatherĀ one of every Mac, iPod or iPhone, while others specialize in portables or all-in-ones. Then there are the outliers, the super-collectors who search out the incredibly rare items most people never get a chance to see.
āIām always on the hunt,āĀ says Henry Plain, a California man who specializesĀ in tracking down impossible-to-find Mac prototypes.
Plain owns some of the rarest, most unusual Apple machines ever produced. TheseĀ are the speed bumps, works in progress orĀ developerās editions that the secretive Cupertino company never intended for outside eyes. His vast knowledge of Appleās productionĀ gave him a role inĀ facilitating the sale of the Storage Wars-esqueĀ Macintosh collection of Marion Stokes that came to light last month. I like to think of him as Prototype Man.
Whatās in Plainās amazing Apple menagerie?Ā Transparent versions of the Macintosh SE and PowerBook 140. A Mac mini with a built-in iPod dock. Prototypes of the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh (TAM), the Power Mac G4 Cube and iDevices too numerous to mention. Even to other collectors ā and I have a Mac Museum in my houseĀ āĀ his inventory is crazy-impressive.
Itās totally irritating when youāre using your Mac and it slows down all of a sudden. While your computer is obviously doing what youāre focusing on, it can also be working hard on pointless tasks running in the background. In todayās how-to video, find out how to stop this and speed up your Mac in no time.
Despite all efforts to the contrary, email is still the default way to shift files, photos and ā yes ā mail around the internet. Even when you share a file using Dropbox, the link goes via old-fashioned email. And yet email clients are still awful. Theyāve gotten a lot better in the last couple of years, on both iOS and the Mac, but weāre still stuck without a proper task manager that integrates with the native iOS/OS X Calendar and Reminders.
Cult of Mac Deals has a ton of stellar promotions to offer, and this time around weāre highlighting a bundle that features 10 top apps that will make your Mac happy.
Weāre pumped to bring you another The Happy Mac Bundle, one thatās stacked with 10 apps that bring performance, privacy and productivity to your Mac. And weāve got it for just $39.99 ā 86% off the regular price!
Coding for the Mac App Store could be your ticket to professional bliss.
The iOS App Store gold rush might be played out for all but the luckiest developers, but thereās another part of the Apple empire where coders can find breakout success: the Mac App Store.
āCompared to iOS, itās definitely easier to have a hit in the Mac App Store,ā says Andreas Hegenberg, the creator of successful gesture-based Mac app BetterTouchTool. āI think itās still pretty easy to develop a Mac App Store app that can feed you very well. But it all depends on how you define a ābig hit.'ā
While games rule the increasingly cluttered roost in the iOS store ā with many unimaginative developers looking to get rich quick with yet another Flappy Bird clone ā the Mac App Store is home to more pedestrian offerings like accounting software and productivity tools.
The Mac App Store might not mint a new millionaire each day, but the developers weĀ spoke with said writing this type of bread-and-butter software can provide a reliable source of income. Hereās why.
The Cube's raised blue badge provided a splash of color. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
The Power Mac G4 Cube, introduced in July 2000, delivered a fair amount of Apple computing power in a unique see-through enclosure made of acrylic glass. Designed by Jony Ive, the futuristic-looking Cube offered a glimpse of the sleek industrial design that would come to epitomize Appleās upscale take on consumer technology.
āI just remember it being this incredibly elegant, sexy machine that looked nothing like a computer,ā said Randall Greenwell, director of photography at The Virginian-Pilot and a longtime Apple aficionado, in an email to Cult of Mac.
