VLC on iOS: Sharing via WiFi doesn't work anymore? Since a week or so, the "Sharing via WiFi" option in VLC on my iPad has stopped working.

I used to be able to browse (from my laptop) to my iPad's IP address, and I could drag & drop videos there to play in VLC. Doesn't work anymore, there is no connection at all (as if the iPad is simply not there).

I went through a series of troubleshooting steps:

Wifi and internet are working fine on both the laptop and iPad.
I have rebooted both my laptop and the iPad
I have tried switching off and on the WiFi on both laptop and iPad
Also tried from a windows 10 laptop, same result
iPad is running iOS 10, laptop is macOS 10.13.6 High Sierra (VLC wifi sharing has been working on these just fine)
VLC version on iPad is 3.1.2 (latest available)
No chromecast or anything is involved
Both are in the same LAN subnet: laptop = 192.168.145.24, iPad = 192.168.145.29
When I try nmap 192.168.145.29 (optionally also with -p 80) from the laptop, it says "host down".

Anyone would have any suggestion to get VLC's WiFi sharing working again?

Had same problem. I power cycled everything. Unplug everything.
Plug in modem and router and let them settle. Then power up computer.
The IP address for Ipad got the same response...BUT....
Chrome kept trying the address and it connected!
I closed chrome and reopened to try again. Same. It did not connect immediately- but within a few minutes (and chrome continuously retrying) it had connected again.
As long as it finally connects - that works for me!

I had the same issue. I tried the number IP and the name IP but I could not connect from my MacBook to my iPhone. I was trying on Chrome over and over but nothing. I opened up Safari to try a different browser and that worked. I guess Google Chrome had some issue with trying to connect to my phone.


Are there any free and  lightweight spreadsheet programs for the Mac? I'm looking for a free spreadsheet editor that is simple and lightweight. I don't want to install OpenOffice just to use a some spreadsheets every once in a while.

If Chrome isn't too heavy for you Google Docs has very capable spreadsheet facilities that improve all the time. You can even run it offline if you're going to be away from an internet connection.

Try OpenOffice or LibreOffice; both have Mac versions as well as PC versions.


Lion hangs on boot with empty progress bar and then switches off Today as I was working on my MacBook Pro, it became incredibly slow and almost impossible to work with. I spent five minutes trying to restart it from the system menu, and eventually I did.

It took it another ten minutes to switch off, and then I got the booting gray screen with the wheel indicator. I expected it to boot after a while, but apparently 20 minutes weren't enough.

I had to switch it off while booting and try again. During subsequent boot attempts, I would get a gray screen with a wheel and an empty progressbar that never moves (tested—I left it for three hours).

I inserted the Snow Leopard DVD so I could launch Disk Utility (as advised on the Internet) but it gave no effect. I still see the empty scrollbar, and worse, the MacBook turns off after a while (about 5 minutes after the start).

What are my next steps?

To recap my observations:

The first time I restarted the system via menu so apparently it saved the state
Second time I restarted it while booting
I do hear the chime
Then I see the spinning wheel, Apple logo and an ever empty progress bar
Now it turns off on its own after a while

Later Update

I tried holding D to launch diagnostics as described here. I heard the DVD slot make a sound about ten times, and then it spat out the Install DVD. I saw no diagnostics, and then it turned off again.

Holding C with the DVD inside gives me ten minutes of the optical drive sounds as if it were stuck (to clarify, I never had problems with it before). Then it rebooted and got stuck again.

One more thing to try:  Boot in Safe mode holding the Shift key at the startup sound.  If the internal drive is bad (failed drive or borked OS), this won't work.

If you have an external drive as a full bootable backup (and I hope you do), connect it a power it up. Then try booting the Mac holding the Option key, and select the external drive.

If you have another Mac, connect the sick Mac to it and boot the sick Mac in Target mode (hold the "t" at startup sound).

If either works, copy all critical data to the drive you are booted in.

I agree that there is at least one hardware failure involved.

I'm having the same problem with my MacBook Pro (early 2011). At one time I was able to run TechTool and attempt to repair the hard drive. This worked for a short time, but after a restart for another reason, I get the same problem.

I'm not sure if this has anything to do with FileVault 2 as well, but I did notice that my drive (for whatever reason) was not formatted with 'Journaling' enabled. You could try checking that and also run TechTool to see if it helps.


Best way to create icons (buttons) in Finder toolbar matching OSX feel? Is there an existing template/program/guide to create icons for the Finder toolbar that match the look and feel of the standard icons (buttons)?

The reason I ask is that I have created shortcuts apps in the toolbar for 'create new text file' and 'open terminal here', but the best .icns that I could lift from the internet are still kind of visually distracting.

i.e. I want to create a new .icns file to replace the two right most icons so that they blend in with the others:

It seems that there remains no official support to add your own buttons to the Finder, despite applications like Dropbox implementing this. The hack is possible (but very complicated) and some instructions can be found here: How to write OS X Finder plugin.

Instead I settled for a screenshot (cmd-shift-4) of one of the existing buttons and edited it into my own icon using an image manipulation program such as GIMP and convert it to a .icns file. The downside is that this means that the button is static and has no animation when it is clicked, and when the window is out of focus things look a bit weird. The icons have to be square.

Here is the template image that I made for anyone else who wants to create their own icons:

and they can be assigned to an app by overwriting /Contents/Resources/applet.icns

Drag the app to the toolbar (holding cmd-alt for Mavericks) and then reboot to make the new icon visible.

Add a button and place the image to the button.


How can I disable the notifications prompt in Safari? Safari for Mavericks has a website notifications feature allowing sites to send push notifications.

I never want to be prompted for this.

How can I disable the prompt for all websites, forever?

Since the release of Safari 7.0.3 Apple finally gives us an option to turn off safari notification prompts. To disable safari notifications go to Preferences within Safari. Click the Websites tab (notifications tab for older versions of safari) and uncheck "Allow websites to ask for permission to send push notifications". And voilà.

Websites panel for current Safari (as of High Sierra):

Panel for older versions of Safari:

The explanation below is only valid for versions of Safari before 7.0.3

Apple obviously forgot the option to disable the notification thing in Safari altogether when they added the feature. Anyway this works, but is not for the faint of heart. ** This is only for older Safari before Version 7.0.3 **

Stop Safari
Open Terminal
cd ~/Library/Safari
chmod 000 RemoteNotifications/

That's it.
The chmod 000 just makes the directory RemoteNotifications inaccessible. To make it accessible again (and to re-enable notifications in Safari) just do the above again but use 755 instead of 000 in the chmod command.

As lined out in Renés comment below, it is also possible to change the access rights via Finder.

Go to System Preferences > Notifications > Safari, and then disable it from there. This will disable notifications for Safari, but I don't know if the prompt will stop. You have some more settings in Safari itself, but that's more management.


Itunes backup for Iphone folder on Windows 10? I'm doing really hard on finding the backup folder, that Itunes uses for my Iphone 6s. The Backup worked fine, but I cannot find any Apple or Apple Computer folder in my AppData folder, which I access over %AppData% in my search bar. I also cannot find the place, where Itunes is installed, also the option when I right click on the Icon to go to the link folder destination does not show up.

Why is Itunes hidden like a needle in a haystack? Anyone an idea, why I have no Apple or Apple Computer folder in my metadata folder AppData?

If you install iTunes using the Microsoft Store on Windows 10, the iTunes backup location is %userprofile%\Apple\MobileSync\Backup instead. Try pasting that in to the search bar. I believe the change is due to rules about where apps on the Microsoft Store are supposed to store data. Here's a blog post I wrote going over the iTunes backup locations on different platforms as a reference.

Ok, I found it, it is not in the AppData es described on the Apple homepage (Itunes Backup Folder), but in the user folder on Windows:

~/User/Username/Apple/MobileSync/Backup


Time Tracking App with Alfred integration Is there a time tracking that integrates with Alfred, so you can start/stop time tracking using typed commands?

I use Harvest to track time. It has a robust API. There is a command-line tool called hcl for interacting with Harvest time sheets.

I haven't bought the Alfred Powerpack myself, but I presume that since the Powerpack includes an interface to develop your own shell scripts to extend Alfred that it would be fairly straightforward to start/stop new tasks:

$ hcl start mytaskalias adding a new feature

$ hcl stop

You've inspired me to look into this for improving my workflow. I currently use the Harvest application which has a very handy menu bar control, but being able to start/stop a timer quickly from Alfred sounds like a nice option…

I’m not really sure if there’s a time tracking software that integrates with AlfredApp but take a look at this project management app that has an integration with some useful Google applications, this might help you find a good alternative. In addition, most time trackers have an easy option to simply start/stop the timer. If you can find a software that requires you to simply enter a task name then that’s a good option to pick.


Disable mounting Internal Macintosh HD at boot My iMac (mid-2010 model, Snow Leopard) has a problem with S.M.A.R.T status: Failing and it has become read-only. Because I didn't want to waste money on the repair, I bought an external HD, so the internal HD is now unnecessary. How can I disable mounting the internal Macintosh HD at boot?

This is quite old, but still works perfectly under Lion, I'm using it for several partitions: http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20060930150059172

Fast path:

find the Macintosh HD volume UUID: while your Macintosh HD partition is mounted, open Terminal.app and type diskutil info /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD, then read the line beginning with Volume UUID
edit /etc/fstab as root (I personally use vi but any editor will do, the article even mentions pico! If you have TextWrangler installed - you should - with the command line helpers, sudo edit /etc/fstab will work too)
add a line like this one: UUID=F0E430C1-5558-3BB3-9FA9-6904B663FEEA  none  hfs  rw,no auto of course replacing the uuid with yours.

I know this isn't what you've asked, but why don't you transplant the working external drive (which is no doubt SATA) and replace the faulty internal drive. It should work directly, basically plug and play, ermmm boot.


Why can't I install an app (says "could not be found")? I just got an iPhone SE. I did a backup from my 4, then told iTunes to restore the new phone from the backup.

It said there were a bunch of apps it couldn't install because they cannot be found.

As just one example, Access RPN is on my 4, shows in my iTunes under "My Apps", but without art. When I go to the iTunes Store link, it says "Downloaded" so I can't redownload it.

How do I fix this?

EDIT:
I found an Apple page that says to do this I need an iTunes backup, AND a phone that's not set up. So I erased my SE and tried again. This got many more of the apps installed and their data recovered, but some still aren't working. Access RPN, my example app, still does not work.

Ok, in iTunes on the computer, it says "Downloaded". But on the device itself, go to

App Store -> Updates -> Purchased -> My Purchases

and select the "Not on this iPhone" tab. That shows all apps that didn't get transferred. Click the cloud icon to download them.

This even preserved the apps' data, because I had done a backup first.

You just open the Xcode devices, and select the device and add whatever the app you need to install.. Thats all


How can I keep apps "always on top" in Lion? With past versions of OSX, I used Afloat, but ever since I moved to Lion, it stopped working for programs like Evernote & Chrome.

Does anyone have a suggestion for a program that will let me keep any other program's window 'always on top'?

It's a boring answer, but it looks like Afloat has been updated to support Lion:

http://infinite-labs.net/kb/afloat/af-lion.html

I use for it expanding to whole desktop without thinking about this.
Does your software support for lion full screen?

PS: I've found perfect article at OS X daily: http://osxdaily.com/2011/07/22/enable-full-screen-support-all-apps-os-x-lion-maximizer/
This software allows full screen for any software that doesn't support full screen mode natively

PPS: Chrome and Evernote have support lion's full screen mode natively.


How can I set the priority of Wi-Fi networks on my iOS device? I have two Wi-Fi networks in my house, one at one end of the house and one at the other.  While signals crossing from one side of the house are usually audible on the other side, they are generally fairly weak and quite nearly unusable - something in the house's construction attenuates signals traveling through certain walls.  So, to enable good connectivity while roaming the house, I have to have my Wi-Fi clients configured for both networks.

This works fine on PCs where I can configure both networks and set a priority order, so that the system prefers the network closest to its normal location and should only roam when its usual network gets too weak.  However, I cannot find a way to set this priority in iOS.  This results in some devices occasionally connecting to the farther AP, despite being in their regular spot where they should prefer the closer one.

How can I customize the roaming preferences for Wi-Fi networks on the iOS devices?  I at least want to assign a "preferred" network for each, but would also like to know if there's a way to set a "roaming threshold" - a point at which the device should choose to change APs, versus remaining on the current one.

I'm pretty sure all my iOS devices are running iOS 5 or higher.

I'm pretty sure this is not possible to do on vanilla iOS, perhaps with a jailbreak.

However, your solution of running two separate WiFi networks is generally not what you want. It is much more common to extend one WiFi network (i.e. a single SSID) with multiple routers. Devices should then automatically switch to the access point with the stronger signal.

You can check this question which describes how to setup two APs for the same network (i.e. a single SSID).

I believe it connects to the most recently seen network, Always.


Can iTunes songs be transferred from one account to another account? My son, who's now an adult, has been using my iTunes account (I don't use iTunes) that I created for him many years ago and he's accrued a large legal iTunes library.

He will be leaving home in the near future.
The problem is how can I transfer everything he's purchased into his own iTunes account?

He plans on creating his own iTunes account before leaving.
Is it even possible to transfer these thousands of songs from my account to his?

Note : This is all Windows PC based.

No, unfortunately, you can not change 'ownership' of the files to another account. You would have the same issue with a married couple that bought all the music on one account, but then got divorced. This happened with my dad and his ex-wife's account, and we contacted Apple to make sure.

The most 'legal' route would be to possibly convert this current account into his new account. As in, change the contact, billing, and email address to use his info. This way, his account just moves with him. If you ever wanted to make an account, you could create a new one.

The closest thing you could possibly do otherwise is when he has his second account set up, turn on Home Sharing on both machines. He could then add this music to his new library, and your account could authorize it.

Another option would be to possibly use iTunes Match. He could copy all of the files he purchased into his library, and turn on iTunes Match. Then delete those files locally, and re-download from iTunes in the Cloud. This would remove DRM on some files, so he could play them, and have them in his library. (This is the path my dad chose).

The legality of either of the last two methods though is questionable, since that's not really the design of the service. Although, this may be more of the 'right' thing to do than illegally download them. I am not a lawyer, so what I say in regards to that is only in observation or feeling, not official.

In the end, with DRM'd files, and many Terms of Use of digital files, the purchaser is the only one who owns the 'rights' to the files. While he may have purchased them on an account you owned, you are actually the owner, etc. iTunes does not let you transfer this ownership, but they do provide services like the two above to help families.

Yes, as long as your connected to the same WiFi, you can use iCloud to enable 'Home Sharing'. Your son can create his own, separate iTunes account and once 'Home Sharing' is enabled you will be able to drag and drop all of the songs from one account to the other. I've done it many times with a few different accounts in the family.


How to completely remove iMovie and avoid updates For the past few days OS X is showing me updates for iMovie and it started downloading it. I changed my mind about iMovie and so deleted the application. But still it is trying to update iMovie and started downloading it again. How do I let AppStore know I don't need the update and don't show me future updates for iMove?

If you hold ALT/OPTION, the Appstore (on the purchases tab) gives you an option to cancel the download (assuming it is incomplete).

Depending on the version of OS X you have additional steps may be required to remove the application support files (in /Library/Application Support/).

Appcleaner can be used as well, it does a good job of finding the dependencies; but to enable the removal of system and default applications you need to change the Appcleaner preferences.

I've never needed these options, so proceed with caution.

There is a debug menu in the Appstore that has several more advanced options for controlling the application. Resetting the application may help in this case.

Another option, but that it is ideal is to let the update run (possibly reinstall it first) and then uninstall it again.

Find and delete iMovie 9 (use Finder, not Launchpad to find it). That fixed it for me.


AppleScript: Cannot click Menulet (Menu Bar 2) for Third Party App I am trying to create an Applescript to automate an interaction with an application that has a third-party menulet (menu bar item, top right corner). The application in question is called Pomodoro One. It does not have built-in Applescript support, so I want to create a script that clicks on its menu bar and presses "Start Pomodoro".

After hours of research on the Internet and experimentation with Script Editor, plus the creation of a visual automation with Automator, I have come up with this script that SHOULD work:

tell application "Pomodoro One"
    activate
end tell
tell application "System Events"
    tell UI element "Pomodoro One"
        tell menu bar item 1 of menu bar 2
            click menu item 1 of menu 1
        end tell
    end tell
end tell

However, it does not work. Surprising, especially since the the automation in Automator works and this script is basically a paraphrasing of the Applescript that Automator converts its visual automation into. This is the error that I get, both from ScriptEditor as well as running the Applescript in Automator:

System Events got an error: Can’t get menu 1 of menu bar item 1 of menu bar 2 of UI element "Pomodoro One". Invalid index.

What I think is happening is that when Applescript attempts to click on menu bar 2 (which represents the menulet), the menu that is supposed to appear does not. As if the click is totally not happening. However, I am indeed able to click on menu bar 1 (which represents Pomodoro One's main menu bar). This is stumping why clicking on menu bar 2 yields nothing, especially since UI debugging apps like UI Browser indeed report that the menulet is represented by menu bar 2 when I do visual profiling of the UI.

I am hours into this and I feel very stuck. I am wondering if there is any way that I can get Applescript to play nice with the menulet of any third party applicaton.

EDIT

Based on this post (https://stackoverflow.com/questions/20595708/applescript-to-click-on-a-specific-icon-in-the-mac-menu-bar), I modified my script to be the following:

ignoring application responses
    tell application "System Events" to tell process "Pomodoro One"
        click menu bar item 1 of menu bar 2
    end tell
end ignoring
do shell script "killall System\\ Events"
delay 0.1
tell application "System Events" to tell process "Pomodoro One"
    tell menu bar item 1 of menu bar 2
        click menu item "Start Pomodoro" of menu 1
    end tell
end tell

This time, it results in the script infinitely spinning and eventually timing out with error -1712: System Events got an error: AppleEvent timed out. I can assure you that I have accessibility enabled, via System Preferences --> Security and Privacy --> Accessibility for both Pomodoro One and Script Editor.

I encountered the same problem (the script infinitely spinning) in macOS Sierra. I spent some time using Automator and was able to solve it by modifying the script slightly:

ignoring application responses
  tell application "System Events"
    click menu bar item 1 of menu bar 1 of application process "Pomodoro One"
  end tell
end ignoring
do shell script "killall System\\ Events"
delay 0.1
tell application "System Events"
  click menu item "Start Pomodoro" of menu 1 of menu bar item 1 of menu bar 1 of application process "Pomodoro One"
end tell

Go to:
"Preferences/Keyboard/Shortcuts/App Shortcuts" and see if you can add an app keyboard shortcut then use the keyboard shortcut in your script.


Wi-Fi connection randomly disconnects on 2012 MacBook Air My 2012 MacBook Air has problems with Wi-Fi – random disconnections, every few minutes.

The problems occurred with Lion, and persist after an upgrade to Mountain Lion.

It seems the Wi-Fi drops occur more often when I walk with the MacBook Air, or when I have it on my lap. With it on a table, the connection drops much less often.

After the network connection drops, I have to click the name of my network in the list again – the system does not reconnect automatically.

Things I tried include:

testing other computers on the same network (all computers work fine)
using the MacBook Air with a network in a different country (the same problem occurs)
a new network location
changing the MTU value for the Wi-Fi chip
replacement of the Wi-Fi chip (no improvement)
a fixed IP instead of DHCP
re-installing OS X
Windows on the MacBook Air - Wi-Fi works fine.
Using other Wi-Fi channels (both fixed and auto-channel-mode)

I have contacted Apple Support five times but it seems they can't or don't want to help me (they promised to 'look into it' but I haven't heard a thing in three weeks).

Anyone any other ideas? I'm getting desperate – since I got my MacBook Air three months ago I haven't used it a single time without Wi-Fi dropping.

This is a topic I have followed online and in "real life" for several months. Anecdotally, Apple seems to have a wifi problem with the 2012 MacBookAir. I have no firm figures concerning how widespread this situation is, but I know of two other MacBook Air laptops that have displayed this issue:

the MBA I purchased in hopes that I could use it attached to a
projector as the remote end of a video presentation at a conference I
had to miss for health reasons. I returned the computer one week
later after investing ten or so hours trying to fix dropping WiFi
connections.
my oldest daughter's 2012 12" MBA that she still has and is now connecting more reliably, close to 95%+

The resulting story is long, but reading the full adventure might help to open your eyes to the minutiae that helped me resolve her WiFi nightmare.

Shortly after purchasing the MBA for my daughter, she started complaining of wifi drops, initially at home and then she began experiencing drops everywhere--but not at my office where my AirPort Extreme literally sits on a shelf, three feet above my head. My initial thought focused on signal strength and distance from the router. While attending college she lives at my parents' home. The walls are lathe and plaster and the WiFi access point was at the opposite side of the house. I don't remember the brand, but it could have been a Linksys or DLink, and was only a 2.4GHz wireless-G unit.

While working with my daughter, I started some online research, including Apple Discussion boards. When I saw how many posts and complaints floated around the internet, and how few people had positive response from Genius Bar denizens, I figured that I would need strong documentation if I was going to get anywhere with them.

I worked to document and remedy connection stability on two fronts.

If you'd rather cut to The Chase and skip the steps that expanded my understanding of the issue, scroll down to the end of my post.

Tracking and replicating problems with her computer

Apple includes WiFi Diagnostics with OS X. Select Open WiFi Diagnostics from the WiFi menu while holding the OPTION key.
Don't worry about the three options on the main app screen, but first select Wi-Fi Scan from the View menu.

The channel, width, band, signal and noise are all listed.
You want the least competition for channels. Change that at the router if needed.
Signal and Noise are affected by interference from walls, electrical wiring and other environmental issues.

The larger the gap between the signal and noise represents a better connection.

Much of this information is available on the WiFi menu if you hold the OPTION key while clicking on the menu.
You can get a visual ticker tape for signal/noise by selecting Performance in the Network Utilities window.

Keep a log of approximate time/date, RSSI (signal strength), transmit rate and any important events.

Don't worry about keeping this log religiously.
Make a note any time you experience a noticeable change in WiFi speed.
Note the times you reset the WiFi router.
Every time you have a WiFi drop, be sure to note the event and the signal strength and rate.
More than dates and strengths, look for patterns.

At home, WIFI dropped
Logged out and back in
Walked from room
Connected to the DSL WiFi router at dad's house and dropped.
Rebooted laptop
Laptop on table
Lots if static from wind
At library, no WIFI drops
Just rebooted router
At dad's and connected to the Time Capsule. Not dropped.
At hardware store, WIFI dropped

Note any errors the MBA displays.

Unexpected WiFi timeout

If all else fails, you have something to take with you to the Genius Bar or discuss with Apple support that has stronger documentation than "The damn thing doesn't work!"
I also attempted to replicate the WiFi problems with my early-2009 17" MacBook Pro. My laptop remained connected every time we were together and hers dropped the WiFi.

Tracking and replicating problems with the router

General router information...

What make/model is your wireless router?
How old is it?
Are you connecting using 2.4GHz, 5GHz or both?

General site description...

How far away is the router from where you use your MBA?

Create a wireless site survey with NetSpot

It's a free download from the Mac App Store.
Use the program to draw out a map of where you use your computer (home, office, etc.) including all the interior walls between you and the router.
You walk around the site, using NetSpot to capture signal strength, noise and other information.
Post a capture of the results and I'll be happy to help see what might help.

Generally, you'll have better connectivity closer to the router. If you have a clear line of sight to the router, you should have a good signal.

I know my daughter got sick and tired of having WiFi drop, rebooting the router and/or her MBA.

How I finally made things better

I ended up controlling the two variables I could directly manipulate: signal strength and age of WiFi router. In the end, my solution improved internet connectivity throughout my parents' home, benefitting everyone.

I started out replacing the router with another older, non-Apple one I had sitting around my office, possibly an old AirLink. No positive affect. Then I replaced it with a third slightly-newer, non-Apple router. Again, no change. In order to re-connect after a drop, my daughter would walk to the other side of the house and reboot the router every time there was a wireless drop.

I brought a 30' length of CAT-5 from the office so I could position the various router closer to her bedroom. WiFi signal strength and overall quality improved, but she still experienced the drops three or four times a day. I think she would have been happy at this point, but the problem had become personal with me.

As I analyzed everything, I decided to introduce the one element she had not experienced from my office into my daughter's home:

I snagged an AirPort Express from my shop and reconfigured it for her
local network. It replaced the older, non-Apple router that was
there. Unbeknownst to me, we had the AirPort Express plugged into
a power outlet shared with a lamp that was controlled by a wall
switch. My daughter switched off the light when she would leave for
college, and also the router. Quality improved once again, with
signal drops once or twice a day. My parents were starting to get
annoyed by a twisty blue wire running through their home.
We changed the outlet to one with permanent power and after a couple
of days the signal stabilized and seemed to finally start running
properly. However, my parents were still annoyed by the twisty blue
wire running through their home. I figured I was close enough to a
stable solution that I invested some money in hopes of staunching the
flow of time and phone calls at all hours of the night. Money became
less important than sleep.
I installed a AirPort Extreme where the DSL modem is located at the
far end of my parents' house, in my dad's office. The Extreme bathes
the office with multichannel 5GHz goodness that links between 300MBs
and 450MBs. This one access point covers that half of the house with
2.4GHz coverage and 150MBs to 270MBs connectivity.
I dragged a CAT6 cable through the hot and dusty attic to a location
near my daughter's bedroom, near the other end of the house. I
attached an AirPort Express at this end which provides a near mirror
of the Extreme.
I bound the 5GHz and 2.4GHz into a single SSID/Network name.
I enabled the Express to extend the Extreme's wireless network,
connecting the two access points for passwords and transparent
passing from one access point to the other as one moves throughout
the house.
Both the AirPorts are powered and connected to the DSL modem 24/7.
While I was at it, I enabled a guest network with a separate
password.

The Chase

I think the 2012 MacBook Air WiFi issue might be because Apple has integrated Intel's more aggressive power-saving modes into the laptop. In a drive to maximize battery life, these new low-power modes change how (and how often) the laptop communicates with the wireless access point.

Apple introduces Intel's deep power states as Power Nap on their latest equipment.
From what I've been able to read on OEMs implementing the new lower
power modes (and we'll group Apple in as just another OEMs), Intel needs
greater control of the various components on the motherboard and has met resistance.
The price-sensitive business model that drives the Windows world
forces most OEMs to include the lowest-cost subsystems, not
necessarily the latest technology.
Since Apple does not play in the race to the bottom with prices and
profitability, the company often offers newer technology in their
products.
Apple is pushing the limits of throughput vs power consumption with
the 2012 MBA's WiFi subsystems. My 2009 MBP keeps the WiFi powered on
at all times so will never see the problem introduced when mixing an
older router with a newer laptop.
Older routers would see an IP address turning themselves off at
random times...  which then would drop the connection.
The 2012 MBA expects wireless access points to provide a longer time duration
before releasing a connection.
I found timeout durations in all the older routers' HTML-based
configuration systems, but could not make a change to any of them
from the default values.
When a system that has powered down the WiFi subsystem (even though
the user believes they are still working merrily right along) needs
to ping the Internet, the MBA powers up the "sleeping" WiFi
subsystem, only to discover the wireless access point has terminated
their connection.

Yes, this is a long-winded and overly-detailed story. I spent several hours this afternoon thinking through each element of the plot as I typed the events, and I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit I completely rewrote the ending because of thoughts developed and linked with random memories that I hadn't seen as possibly being interrelated.

There are many times that my quick, three line answer does not allow me the time to "think with my fingers". Instead of resolving an issue I sloppily (and possibly expensively) slapped a band-aid on the owie.

I resolved the dropped network issue by replacing the "antiquated" WiFi router with a "modern" one. I just happened to select one manufactured by Apple.
Either

increase the time an older router will keep an inactive connection
alive before timeout (which may not be changeable in any given older
router), or
replace it with one that supports Intel's newer power-saving states.

try to setup your wlan access point to use Channel 6 exclusively.

i had similar problems with a b/g wlan (ZyWall-Zyair setup) with disconnections only with 2011 and 2012 Macbooks whereas all other devices work fine. when the g network operates exclusively on channel 6, the disconnections are are reduced to a wide extend.


Can I watch 3D movies on my Mac? Can I watch 3D movies on my Mac? If not, can I just watch them normally in 2D (not having 2 pictures side by side).

According to this Apple document:

    Autodesk’s FBX for QuickTime enables QuickTime as a 3D viewing solution that supports content from any professional 3D package. With FBX for QuickTime, digital artists can share, view, and interact with 3D content seamlessly, efficiently, and at no cost. Now available for both Mac OS X and Windows.

So, I'm guessing that's a yes.

If you want to take that 3D movie and convert it to 2D, you can most likely use MPEG Streamclip for that.

A Mac can display side-by-side 3D content with 3D players, or turn them into 2D files instead.


How to hunt down which tab or webpage (on Google Chrome) used a lot of memory? I already know Google Chrome was using a lot of memory for a badly behaving webpage. The issue was I don't know which webpage was doing that.

Sometimes after a day or two, possibly some webpage on Google Chrome might be using a lot of memory.

Some webpage might not be intentionally broken or harmful but it could be the analytics or the ad system having a lot of memory leaks in their code
Eventually, the Macbook swaps memory to disk and if unchecked, complaints of hard disk space running low arrive.

Using trail-and-error, if I close all tab and wait 2 - 3 minutes or quit entirely, then the hard drive all of a sudden gains back 2GB.

Is there a way to hunt down which webpage is eating up so much memory, other than by trail-and-error?

Chrome has a task manager that will be handy in case you have too many tabs to simply close them manually and note when memory reclaims.

https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/1385029

  On your computer, open Chrome.
  At the top right, click the vertical "dot dot dot" icon.
  Select More Tools and then Task Manager.
  Click “Memory” to sort tasks by memory usage. - Tip: Look for any items labeled "Background page."
  Select the task you want to close.
  Click End Process. - Note: Any unsaved work in your task will be lost.

I would also run vm_stat 1 and watch the OS memory allocations and freeing so you can watch the effects as you close tabs and see tasks free in the app.

Safari webpages, that are not in private mode are shown in Activity Monitor with the URL. It gets less accurate if you have multiple pages of the same website open. This isn't applicable for Chrome, which shows tools it is using to say render the app, GPU intensive tasks, notification handlers etc. If you can pinpoint a website that is using something unique to itself, it can be helpful. For e.g., it shows high GPU-related usage when playing a 4k video in a tab.

How to investigate high kernel task memory usage?
"Your system has run out of application memory." How is that possible?


Is there a way to measure data traffic from airport extreme? We have lot of machines and occasionally experience slowness in some devices and wanted to see if it has something do with a device stealing the bandwidth. So I would like to measure the bandwidth utilized by each device.

Of course the other reason is our cable company. But I am afraid there will be revolt if I criticize them.

PeakHour on the Apple Store can use snmp to monitor the bandwidth usage of network routers (including AirPorts). I don't know if can measure individual clients though.

Larger scale you could use something like Cacti to monitor all of your devices and graph their statistics such as open connections, bandwidth, etc.

This may be a solution but does require purchase of another (fairly cheap) router.
http://www.tmproductions.com/projects-blog/2015/11/8/bandwidth-monitoring


How do I download apps in ipad mini ios9.3.6 I known my ipad is old version.but im  trying to download apps from app store .but the apps are incompatible to the ipad..is there any other way to still get apps in my ipad???

It is possible to download older versions of an app from the iOS App Store, but you must already have "bought" (or used "Get" for a free app) the app using the Apple ID used by your older iPad.

Once the app is registered as Purchased (Apple calls it this even if it's a free app) against your Apple ID, you can go into the Purchased tab on the App Store on your older iPad and download from there.

You will get a pop-up "Download an older version of this app?" ("The current version requires iOS X.X or later, but you can download the latest compatible version") where you choose Download.

So to be able to do this, if you haven't already got the app, you do need a second iOS device using the same Apple ID for the App Store.

It is not possible to do this unless you jailbreak the iPad. All iOS/iPadOS products must run apps only from the App Store.


Use internal speakers with others plugged into headphones jack I have a set of surround speakers, connected to my iMac through the headphone jack. I use a switch to control what goes to the speaker set (iMac, iPod, or MacBook/aux). So that I don't have to be constantly unplugging and replugging, I leave the audio cable in the iMac's audio port. This means that when I'm listening to something from another source, I can't hear anything from the iMac unless I unplug the cable.

Is there a way to force sound to come out of the internal speakers, even if there's something in the audio out port?

Pretty sure it can't be done with the built-in headphone jack. What you could try is getting a USB soundcard (one example, but there are lots out there for $20 or so) to plug your headphones into. That should give you two options in the sound preferences.

PS, if you option-click the speaker icon in the menu bar, you get a quicker way to swap inputs/outputs than going to the sound preference pane every time.

You can change the audio (output and input) directly on the Sounds Preference panel.   There's an output tab that includes a selector for selecting the output.

If you want something a bit more convenient I used a free program called Audio Switcher from Spike Software.  It sits in the task tray and offers quick access to the same settings you see in the Sound Preferences pane.


Does upgrading to catalina or big sur take up my storage? I have a Macbook air 2015 with 128 GB storage and I just upgraded from Yosemite to Mojave. Surprisingly, after upgrade to Mojave, the amount of storage I had left went from 36 to 46 GB.
So my question is, if I update to Catalina or Big Sur, will this free up even more space or will it consume more?

Normally, one OS update replaces the file contents of the previous one. While there might be some small variation in size between OS versions, I would not expect an additional 10 GB to get used up.
However, some space will be needed to download the new OS installer before it is launched.
I would install the OS, and then check how much space you have. There are disk utilities like OmniDiskSweeper that sort your whole drive by size, showing you exactly what is taking up the space and letting you delete it, if that is advisable.
You may also want to check if you have any backups of iPhones or iPads saved to your Mac, as these can take up large amounts of space.

You should not have an issue upgrading to Catalina nor Big Sur. However, you should upgrade the storage to at Leary 256GB / 480Gb or 512GB. Depending on your budget. 128GB is not going to leave much room for Apps and data.
That model MacBook Air has an SSD you can replace. Otherworld Computing sells kits that include an SSD, screwdriver (pentalobe) and a USB3 external case for your old drive. Then you can clone the old drive to the new one and expand the volume to fill the disk. You could have a shop do this for you. You could buy the parts elsewhere. Fact is it’s doable. Plenty of options. OWC may not be the cheapest but they provide everything you need and tech support plus video guides. It’s not that hard. You remove the screws from the back. Make sure you remember where each screw goes as they are not all the same length. Then it’s just one screw to remove the SSD. Put the old SSD into an external case. SuperDuper or Carbon Disk Cloner can duplicate the old drive to the new drive and expand it to give maximum capacity.


Java won't work in Chrome/Safari/Firefox, but does in Terminal I've updated to Oracle's 1.7 64-bit beta, and this is what my Java Preferences window looks like (you will note that the webapp checkbox is checked and I've restarted my machine since checking it):

I've tried unchecking SE 6 32-bit, 64-bit, and both, as well as disabling SE 7. Doesn't do anything. I've rebooted after installing. No dice. I've checked Software Update. Nope.
java -version reports:

java -version java version "1.7.0_05" Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment
(build 1.7.0_05-b06) Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build
23.1-b03, mixed mode)

This test page in Safari returns a blank, Chrome asks for Java plugin, and Firefox says "Java is broken":
http://www.java.com/en/download/testjava.jsp
which java says /usr/bin/java
Any idea what the problem is? This is endlessly frustrating given how mindlessly simple it is to install Java in both Windows and most Linux builds.
Have tried reverting to SE 6 by uninstalling SE 7. Here's the infuriating reality I am dealing with:

My solution was to purchase and install Mountain Lion. It works now. Really wish I knew what the actual problem was though...

For chrome: have you tried enabling javascript?  it's in the contents setting bit of the preferences.  In Safari, in the Preferences -> Security settings, there is a 'enable Java', 'enable JavaScript'. In Firefox Javascript is in Preferences -> Contents.

If JavaScript and Java are enabled then the problem is going to be a different one, but it pays to check.


MacBook Pro (Late 2011) sound issues in Windows 10 (no Bootcamp) I recently installed Windows 10 on my MacBook Pro (Late 2011). I installed the drivers I could find from the internet (I installed this package https://support.apple.com/kb/dl1721?locale=en_GB) and everything is working fine (kind of very bad performance) but the sound. I can't get it to work, the speaker in the menubar (in windows) shows a red cross and when I hover the mouse over it it says: No Audio output device installed. In Device Manager, the internal speaker appears but it displays an initialization error (code 10). I wiped macOS during installation so I have no access to it (or to recovery mode). Please Help.

If anyone is still interested I have found the solution for audio on MBP 2011 Windows 10 UEFI installs - it has taken me 4 years to figure out. I was given the answer from a tutorial only adjacently related -here:
https://egpu.io/forums/pc-setup/fix-dsdt-override-to-correct-error-12/
essentially what we knew was that windows didn't 'see' the correct audio devices when booted in pure efi-
The part that was frustrating to me was that many users like myself have lots of UEFI installs on their 2011 MBP and those OS's have no problem 'seeing' the HD audio controller -
So what was windows doing different?
I had messed around with mm commands in a UEFI shell (The shell provided in the rEFIt package) to no avail*
I had tried to pass SETPCI commands from grub into Windows 10- no luck*
A quote from the link above got my brain spinning
"A Windows system's DSDT table root bridge definition (ACPI PNP0A08 or PNP0A03) is usually confined to a reserved 32-bit space (under 4GB) budgeted to be large enough to host the notebook's PCIe devices. A watermark TOLUD value is then set and locked in the system firmware. Windows OS honors the root bridge definition and will allocate PCIe devices within it. macOS ignores the root bridge constraints as too does Linux when booted with the 'pci=noCRS' parameter. Neither of those OS require a DSDT override and can allocate freely in the huge 64-bit PCIe address space"
So Windows 'honors' the root bridge and OSX and linux disregard it --hmmm interesting.
As someone who also deals in hackintoshes I am very aware of DSDT's and how editing them can help get OSX running on home brew PC hardware- I had played around with installing Clover (the UEFI bootloader almost synonymous with Hackintoshes) on USB thumb drives and putting the DSDT from my MBP 2011 in the /Clover/ACPI/Windows folder - still nothing-- I thought that pointing windows to a DSDT would be enough.......
A side note is that there are people who have 'bricked' their real Macs when using clover, I have never had that issue personally  (a sub-link in the link above describes such a situation)*
If you follow the guide and make a modified DSDT (one that add 'qwords' to the dwords section) you can test it in two ways-

I used Maciasl to extract and edit my DSDT to add a 'Qword' section - I placed the DSDT in two locations /EFI/Clover/ACPI/Patched [not sure if that one matters] & /EFI/Clover/ACPI/Windows
holding ALT/option during bootup I selected "EFI Boot" from the USB clover and booted into Clover
for the exact Clover configuration send me a message
After booting into windows the sound card was immediately working (this was because I had installed the cirrus logic drivers from bootcamp 4) - the display audio driver in device manager had an exclamation point but I was able to install the display audio driver from intel's driver support for the i7 2470m CPU in this machine-

I also looked at device manager via 'by resources' and saw that a new entry 'Large memory with an address range appeared

And low and behold the address range for the 'large memory section' contained the range for the hd audio controller

I then wanted to see if the method described in the initial link posted above where you force that memory map into the registry and turn on 'test signing' worked --
it did, which allowed me to boot directly into windows without the help of clover --
*NOTE: when I tested the registry method I skipped the first few steps since I already had a modified DSDT- I did need to create the 'C:\dsdt folder and extract the windows binaries to that folder - but I did not use their acpi dump nor compiler (I check for errors and compiled my dsdt in Maciasl in OSX)
I would gladly go more in depth but I doubt there are many more who need this information- just glad to have figured it out without the BIOS emulation of bootcamp- going to test this method on other 'pre 2013' Macs with non complient UEFI bios'

You just have to delete the audio file of realtek from bootcamp and make the install this solution works for me.


How do I lower OS /system resource usage /adjust for best performance? Lets say I want to dedicate all resources in running some code so I would like to decrease operating system usage as much as possible  i.e. the mac equivalent of adjusting for best performance (e.g. in windows you can adjust for best performance make the whole thing look like windows 95 inorder to conserve resources I want to know how to do that for a mac.) totally get rid of extraneous/ overly fine graphics animations etc

Using a Mac OS catalina

App Tamer may satisfy your requirements.


Network folder in finder sidebar disappears I have added a couple of network folders to the OS X finder sidebar as a shortcut. This is working great as long as I don't shutdown or restart the system. Once the system has been restarted they are no longer visible in finder sidebar. I have also added a Automator script that auto mounts my afp network drive on startup.

Why do network folders disappear? What can do?

Drag the folder from the share to your desktop (Hold CMD and Alt). Then add that alias to the sidebar

I was also having an issue dragging aliases into the sidebar. I opened one of the aliases from the desktop, though, and then it would allow me to drop into favorites for some reason.


MacBook Air with small SSD, BootCamp, Windows 7. Can I use an external hard disk for dual boot? I'd like to setup a dual boot onto my MacBookAir 128GB, with Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate in BootCamp. However, I'm already close to the 128GB limit (games + CS suite + Eclipse + XCode + a lot of Web development tools).
Therefore, it would be ideal for me if I could use the same HDD I will run my Time Machine saves on... when it's finally delivered!
The question is therefore: is it reasonnable to create a dual partition on that and run Windows 7 from the first one?

Would MacBook Air tolerate launching Windows 7 from an external disk?
Is there a risk (save for USB deconnection) that HDD might not be a working solution, as in too much lag? Could (eventually) a Thunderbolt external SSD be an acceptable workaround?

Since you must boot Windows 7 from the internal SSD, and since you also want to run Mac OS X from the same volume, I recommend that you concentrate on cleaning out your existing Mac OS X system and freeing up as much disk space as possible.

You should research on how to make the smallest Windows installation possible, so you can create the smallest BootCamp partition possible. From what I can see, you could do with as little as 12GB if you are meticulous.

For instance, once Windows is installed, you can permanently disable hyberfil.sys and reduce or limit the size of pagefile.sys, and this will save you many GB.

I would also look into the differences between the size of the installation in Windows 7 32-bit versus 64-bit, and see if Windows 7 Ultimate takes up a great deal more space than Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Home Premium (I suspect it does). You will want to refrain from installing any features of Windows that you decide you don't need, and you will want to make sure that you don't install any Windows applications that you don't absolutely need.

Here are some links to discussions I found. I cannot vouch for any of these methods.

Reference One at Tom's Hardware

Reference Two at Microsoft TechNet

There is a utility for reducing the size of a Windows installation before you actually install it. It is called vLite. It is not exactly kosher and has its detractors. I have no personal experience with it. To use it, you need a working Windows system to configure a special custom installer DVD that vLite helps you create.

Reference Three, a discussion of the benefits of vLite and how many GB you can save.

Regardless, you are going to have to wipe the internal drive on your MacBook Air and try different partitioning schemes, so you must have yet another a large external hard drive for making backups of the system you already have. Use Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper!.

On the Mac side, there is a lot you can do to reduce the size of your Mac OS X partition by removing components of Lion that you do not need.

Make a complete backup disk image first before you start deleting things!

Similarly, it is possible to permanently delete the Mac OS X sleepimage file, which will save you the same amount of disk space as the amount of RAM that you have.

Information about sleepimage file

SmartSleep utility for controlling the sleepimage file

Delete the contents of /Library/Printers, which could be several GB, and when you restart your Mac, Lion will prompt you to download only the drivers for the printers you actually use.

You should completely remove any applications in iLife that you don't use, including all their support files in the /Library/ folder. iDVD, GarageBand and iPhoto have many GB of support files, themes, templates, and audio files, and if you don't use any one of those programs, you can clean out that disk space.

Utilities such as MonoLingual can remove more than 1GB from your Mac OS X installation by removing all the files for languages (Spanish, French, German, etc.) that you will not use.

Use OmniDiskSweeper or WhatSize to examine your Mac OS X installation and look for user documents that you feel safe in archiving and removing, or deleting.

There is an analogous freeware tool for Windows called WinDirStat.

Im looking to do the same, and I may have found an alternative solution. Instead of running bootcamp install vmware and run windows off your external hdd.. heres a video tutorial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxAHtH-lyJM


Are there any clean-up tools for Address Book data? I use a great add-on tool called Thunderplunger to clean up my address book in the Mozilla Thunderbird email client, but I need something similar for the original Mac Address Book too.
Basically I have big email lists of subscribers from the last few years. By the time they got removed though and I get a lot of bounces when I try sending newsletters (which they opted-in to!), but it's too tedious to delete them one by one, especially when I want to send a newsletter after some time has passed and many mail addresses changed/got deleted.

I know there's no 100% method to filter out invalid addresses, but it helps at least a bit. If there was a method to import/export addresses and all their information (I have some special fields like categories and notes) from Address Book to Thunderbird and the other way round - that would solve the problem as well. But I can't believe there's no tool out there too clean up your Address Book ?!

Before you do anything, you can back up your Address Book database as an archive so you can restore it later if you make any edits that you don't like.

In Address Book, choose File: Export...: Address Book Archive... and save the archive.

Are you running Thunderbird 9 on Mac OS X? You can configure Thunderbird to read and write to the Mac OS X Address Book instead of using the Thunderbird address book. In other words when you open the Thunderbird Address Book and create or modify address book entries, it manipulates the Mac OS X Address Book's database.

In this way, could you use Thunderplunger in Thunderbird to clean up your Mac OS X Address Book?

I don't have an exact solution but I would like to tell you about one simple tool that might prove helpful.

AB2CSV

enables you to export all or part of your Mac OS X Address Book as a CSV (comma-separated value) file. You can import that into any spreadsheet or database program for further editing.

You can also use AB2CSV to export all or part of the Address Book database to one large VCF file.

Next, Apple Address Book can import a .CSV file or a VCF file that you have edited. In Address Book Help, there's a page for "Import contacts" that explains how to do it.

To fix this, I would make a list of those emails to delete and then create vcards or some sort of method:

create duplicate emails in address book
Assign them to a group.

Basically create a new folder and create put all contacts in this
folder.

Under Card in menu "Look for Duplicates" and merge them.
Go to the group folder you just created and delete all of them.

It will ask to delete or just delete from the group.
And always back up and do tests before you start..


Is there a way to convert audio files in Mac OS X or the command line without using iTunes? Now, I know I can use iTunes to convert music. But it's quite a pain.. All I'm asking is: Is there anything built into OS X or UNIX for converting files? Right now I simply want to convert .mp4 to .mp3..

I installed ffmpeg via MacPorts, although it also available via Homebrew (brew install ffmpeg) or download the binary.

To convert something like that, (without worrying about audio quality, which I know nothing about), I just use:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 output.mp3

Here is an example of how you would convert a .wav file to .mp3 from their website:

ffmpeg -i input.wav -codec:a libmp3lame -qscale:a 2 output.mp3

Here is an example of how to find all .wav files larger than 50M, convert them to mp3 and then delete the original wav (aka, batch mode -- alter the find command to create your 'batch')

find . -size +50M -iname *.wav -type f -exec ffmpeg -i {} -codec:a libmp3lame -qscale:a 2 {}.mp3 -y \; -exec /bin/rm {} \;

Under linux, I find python-audio-tools does exactly what I want.  Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get it to encode to mp3 under OSX.  It might work for you, though.  It's not at all built into OSX, but it's very lightweight and can convert between pretty much any pair of formats (or just convert to a more compressed file with the same format).


Where can I download Safari for Windows? This sounds like an absurd question, I know, but when I go to:

http://www.apple.com/safari/

There isn't a download link! I'm sure it used to be there :-/

Here's what I see:

Scrolling further just has more features. No link!

Safari on Windows is no longer supported by Apple.

Safari 5 (from 2010) is available via Apple's KB. The original page no longer exists, but the EXE is still hosted.

According to 9to5mac, it seems that have Apple decided to stop producing Safari for Windows, so Safari 5 is all that's likely to be available moving forward.

Update: As mentioned at Geek Dashboard, better use a cross-browser testing tool if you just want to test your project UI. With this, you will have the latest version of Safari running right in your favorite browser.

You have two options to still use Safari on Windows PC.

Using a cross-browser testing tool
Installing Safari 5.1.7 (The last supported version)

Since it is not safe to use dated version, the cross-browser testing tool is the best way if you just want to test your projects.

However, if you still want to install the last supported version of Safari, you can find the download link to Safari for Windows here.

Warning: Don't use the old version of Safari as your daily driver. It is not secure and pain to your eyes.


Does ios7 support third-party software keyboards? I am a litte confused about iOS 7. Does iOS 7 support third-party software keyboards? There are a lot of rumors around, I watched the last WWDC and read Apple documents but I couldn't hear anything about this. Am I missing something?

Is this a feature in the new OS?

Whether they were removed after an App Store rules update I don't know, but one of the first apps I ever downloaded was a 3rd party keyboard called Swype.  The difference between it (& others that were or may still be around) is that it cannot be plugged in in the same way as on Android, and become the default keyboard for all text input system wide, and instead runs as a standalone app that you can use to type stuff, then copy, then paste into wherever you want it to go using the normal iOS keyboard.

In addition, many apps augment the standard keyboard with a customised top row, made to look like it's part of the keyboard when in fact it's just an extra bit within the app, rather than on the keyboard - these are typically used to allow for extra keyboard functions like word left/right, or to provide quick access to common symbols like # or @ etc.

No formal announcement has been made about an official replacement API, and I would not expect to see one any time soon, as it goes against the whole "tinker proof" direction that iOS has always walked.

As of now, no. However, like you've mentioned it has been highly rumoured to see support for third party keyboards in the near future.


How to undo pressing Don't Trust on Apple Watch I want to test out my watch app on Xcode. So I plugged my iPhone paired with an Apple Watch Series 2 into my computer. The iPhone displayed a dialog saying whether to trust this computer or not, I clicked on trust and the iPhone is properly displayed in Xcode. In a minute the same popup appeared on my Watch, however I accidentally clicked Don't Trust on the Apple Watch, now the watch doesn't show up in Xcode. Usually to fix this for iPhone I would just plug the phone into the computer again, but I tried that, and the popup did not reappear on my Watch.

Is there a way to trust my computer again without erasing all datas on the Watch?

I got the same message on my Apple Watch and responded "Don't Trust" since I had no idea what computer was trying to connect. Then I read this article so opened the Console app on my Mac. Initially it didn't show my Apple Watch under Devices. I think I had to connect my iPhone to my computer first before both my iPhone and Apple Watch showed up, the latter with an exclamation icon due to the "Don't Trust" response.

I disconnected my iPhone from my computer and restarted the iPhone. I then reconnected it to my computer to check the status in Console again. I got the "Trust this computer" prompt on my Apple Watch again. After responding "Trust" this time and entering my PIN, the warning icon disappeared in Console after a few moments.

It should be noted that there may be delays before the Apple Watch shows up in Console. I think opening Xcode seems to hasten the discovery process but I'm not sure. Also, I have yet to see any Apple Watch log entries in Console.

For an iPhone, you'd go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy to have it forget all the computers it trusts and distrusts. Try this:

Press Home on iPhone to display the Home screen.
Tap Apple Watch to open the Apple Watch app.
Tap My Watch and the My Watch screen will appear.
Tap Privacy to display the Privacy Settings screen.
Look for an option to Reset Location & Privacy.

I don't have an Apple Watch to verify this, but I hope it helps


How can I update and jailbreak/unlock my iPhone 3Gs from 4.1 to 6.1.3? I have an iPhone 3Gs running iOS 4.1 (baseband 06.15.00, serial number: 8704244TEDG).

I want to update it to iOS 6.1.3 instead of iOS 7. How can I update it, and unlock it using Ultrasn0w after updating?

The first thing you should note is that Ultrasn0w hasn't been supported for a very long time. You should find yourself a "grey-market" unlock (on eBay or various other sites) or contact the phone's original carrier (probably AT&T).

Once you have your phone factory unlocked, plug your phone into your computer and hold down the Home and Power buttons for about 10 seconds. Let go of the Power button but keep the Home button held down. This places the phone in DFU (Device Firmware Upgrade) mode. iTunes will tell you that your phone needs to be factory reset, and you should go through the normal process. Since iOS 6.1.3 is the latest version available for the 3GS, you don't need to do any tricks here.

From that point, you can jailbreak with whichever tool you like.

use ituns to update ur iphone , there is no ios7 for 3gs


Rules for filtering spam that comes written in russian alphabet, Mail 4.5, OS 10.6.8 I receive almost 99.99% e-mail spam in Russian.
I'm not sure why, but it makes it really easy for me to tell spam apart from real mail.

I use Apple mail 4.5 on MacOS 10.6.8, and I'd like to make a rule that somehow catches mails written mainly in Russian and marks them as junk.

So far I made rules that catch individual russian letters, but is there a more generic and efficient way of filtering it?

Actually I don't read Russian and don't receive any real e-mail in Russian.

From MacHints:

Select Mail -> Preferences -> Rules
Select Junk -> Edit
Select (+) to add a new rule.
Click on the "From" drop-down and select "Edit Header List..."
Add "Content-Class" by typing "Content-Class" in the "Header:" text box and then hit "Add Header" and "OK."
Set the first pop-up on your new rule to Content-Class, the second to Contains, and the third to charset="windows-1251".
Select (+) to add a new rule.
Set the pop-ups to Subject, Contains, and charset="windows-1251".
Select (+) to add a new rule.
Set the pop-ups to From, Contains, and charset="windows-1251".
Click the "OK" button to end the rule definition.


How to detect network change (unplugging/plugging cable)? I have read at multiple places that the folder /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration is supposed to "change" in case that I unplug a network cable.

Now, I have a MacBook Pro, so I use a USB3 adapter to connect a network cable.

Indeed, nothing changes when I plug or unplug it within this folder. I clearly see in "Network settings" that the LAN connection is established or dropped when I plug or unplug the cable.

Where should anything change? Is there some folder or anything else that I can use as trigger for AppleScript, when plugging/unplugging the network cable?

Save this script as an application and set it to run on startup. It will use some memory but the script is very light. You can delay even more. Mind that this routine will keep detecting the cable forever, so you must set other conditions inside your script to do what you need and stop until something changes.

on run {input}
    repeat
        set input to do shell script "ifconfig -a" as text
        set status to offset of "status:" in input
        set the_starting_point to status + 0
        set the_ending_point to status + 13
        set isCableConnected to characters the_starting_point thru the_ending_point of input as string
        if isCableConnected is "status: active" then
            display dialog "Ethernet On"
        else
            display dialog "Cable Unplugged"
        end if
        delay 1
    end repeat
end run

Maybe you can use a shortcut to activate your script since you are already plugging the cable anyway. Just create a new Service for finder using Automator, drag a Run Applescript action to the workflow, place your code inside, save it and set a shortcut under Preferences/Keyboard/Shortcuts/Services.


How can I automatically have my Trash emptied when disk space gets below a certain point? Sometimes my hard drive gets low on space, and various things don't work properly until I empty the Trash and free up some space. I know there are applications that empty the Trash after a set interval—but what I want is an app or script (or other means) to empty the Trash whenever there's e.g. less than 2GB of free space on a given hard drive.

I use a third party preference pane Compost that deletes from trash when the disk fills up or if the file has been in trash for a given time.

The original download stopped working for me but I have just found this on the author's site instead of the distributer. Note the author's comment

  Compost is in a bit of a state of flux right now. The distributor has moved on to a different market and we wish them well in their endeavors. Additionally, the changes necessary to fully support Snow Leopard have been going through an extensive beta period as a result of the degree and complexity of changes required. Please stay tuned for more information.

So it might not work even from this download

When I updated this I had just installed it on Yosemite and it installed (but not enough time to see if it deleted anything) I have now updated to El Capitan and the installer fails.

I use CleanMyMac, though there are lots of others that do a similar job. CleanMyMac also cleans cache, etc. Hazel is also good for cleaning out folders that fill up with rubbish quite frequently.


Bootcamp touchpad drivers fail to install on Windows 8 RTM I've just upgraded my bootcamp partition from Windows 7 to Windows 8 RTM on a MacBook Air (2011 Core i7) and have been utterly and entirely unable to get the touchpad to work.

Things I've tried:

Uninstalling and re-installing the Bootcamp package
Removing and adding the specific two touchpad devices in Device Manager

The touchpad worked correctly under Windows 7 and works under OSX, so this appears to be a Bootcamp/Windows8 issue, rather than a hardware problem.

Any solutions?

Go to Device Manager and uninstall (and delete drivers) for the two
  Trackpad devices then rescan for hardware. After which, then go find
  your Boot Camp drivers, and don't run the full setup, but instead
  find the folder that specifically has the driver install packages in
  them and install the ones that are along the lines of "Apple
  Multitouch Trackpad." After this, go to your Boot Camp options to make
  sure that it now sees your Trackpad.   You should have full
  functionality restored after this.

Did get the answer from this forum post: How do I get my Macbook Pro trackpad working on Windows 8

Try Refreshing the PC, then running the Boot Camp setup.exe file... instructions and the download (which is otherwise a hassle to find) are here: http://lift.co/compapps/apple/win8/


Add different iCloud email to existing AppleID Lets say an AppleID is created with the iCloud email address somebdy@icloud.com (misspelled).

Is there any way to correct the iCloud email to somebody@icloud.com? Creating a new AppleID would lose old purchases and is not an option.

Is iCloud permanently linked to an AppleID? Is there a way to change the @icloud.com address?

According to this Apple support article, renaming the iCloud/AppleID prefix is possible as long as it is not an @mac.com or @me.com (quoted from link).

However, when I follow the instructions, I only see an option to add a new primary email, I don't see the same screen as in the last illustration in that article.

Apple's screenshot:

My screenshot:

Even though the Apple support article referred to doesn't specificaly say this (I'm assuming it's because @icloud.com was only introduced recently and the article was never updated), what goes for @me.com and @mac.com goes for @icloud.com (they're all aliases for the same address).

ie, read: Some Apple IDs, like those ending in @mac.com, @me.com or @icloud.com, can't be changed.

So no, unfortunately you won't be able to change.

iCloud: About your icloud.com, me.com, and mac.com email addresses
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5441

You can create a new iCloud account easily on a mac by creating a new user.


No sound from speakers on MacBook Pro except the startup chime After plugging my headphones out, suddenly there is no sound from the internal speakers.
When I press volume buttons, I see a circle-backslash symbol below the speaker icon.

Restarting doesn't help. However I do hear the startup chime.
What should I do?

Gently pluginng the headphones in and out of the jack solved the issue.

The only thing that worked for me was a small amount of WD40 (lubricant) on a 3.5mm plug and plugging it in and out a few times aswell as twisting it while plugged in. Problem solved!!!


Is it possible to do conditional formatting in Numbers for iOS? Is it possible to do conditional formatting in Numbers for iOS?  I'd just like to change the text or background colour depending on the cell's contents.

iOS Numbers does not support conditional formatting, and it is removed from the document upon import.

According to http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4648 the following changes are made on iOS (my emphasis):

  3D charts are converted to 2D charts. Chart data is retained and
  editable.

  Conditional formatting is removed from imported spreadsheets. Cell
  content is retained.

  Table Categories are removed. Tables remain organized and category
  names are retained as static text.

  Filters are removed.


Get Value of Variable stops appending on last call & sets result to only that last variable I have created a simple workflow in Automator to ask questions & send an email. I followed the tutorial at https://macmost.com/create-customizable-text-inserts-using-automator.html. This has worked for me in different usages, but in this workflow, I have an issue. Near the end of the workflow, multiple variables are retrieved using "Get Value of Variable" to create a message consisting of them all. As each variable is retrieved, it is added to the last variables. However, the last get value of the variable I use deletes all of the other variables which were previously shown in "results" and the result becomes only that variable.
I have attached an image for reference. As you can see it continues to increase (4 items, 5 items), but when the last variable is got, it deletes all of the other items & is set to 1 item.
I have tried deleting the ask for text/set variable for the last statement, and it results in the issue occurring on the "new" get value of variable.

Running your workflow unedited...
In the fifth Get Value of Variable action, when running the original workflow, its Results, with the list button selected, was, e.g.,:
(
  "<NSAppleEventDescriptor: [ 'utxt'("Hey") ]>",
  "What's Up?",
  "1-3",
  "<NSAppleEventDescriptor: [ 'utxt'("Full QA") ]>",
  "<NSAppleEventDescriptor: [ 'utxt'("aren't") ]>"
)

In the sixth Get Value of Variable action, when running the original workflow, its Results, with the list button selected, was, e.g.,:
(
  "<NSAppleEventDescriptor: [ 'utxt'("Thank you") ]>"
)

When it would have beed expected to be, e.g.,:
(
  "<NSAppleEventDescriptor: [ 'utxt'("Hey") ]>",
  "What's Up?",
  "1-3",
  "<NSAppleEventDescriptor: [ 'utxt'("Full QA") ]>",
  "<NSAppleEventDescriptor: [ 'utxt'("aren't") ]>"
  "<NSAppleEventDescriptor: [ 'utxt'("Thank you") ]>"
)

Just to test something out, I converted all the Ask for Text actions to Run AppleScript actions that did the same thing, and initially converted all but the last Run JavaScript actions to Run AppleScript action and everything worked.
I then converted the last remaining Run JavaScript action to Run AppleScript action and everything worked. I did this because of the differences in how each variable was being saved/returned. Thus by making all the variables the same type/class it worked.
In the fifth Get Value of Variable action, when running the edited workflow, its Results, with the list button selected, was, e.g.,:
{"Hey", "What's Up?", "1-3", "Full QA", "aren't"}

In the sixth Get Value of Variable action, when running the edited workflow, its Results, with the list button selected, was, e.g.,:
{"Hey", "What's Up?", "1-3", "Full QA", "aren't", "Thank you"}

As you can see in the example results what's returned is a plain list of text strings not mixed as in the output of the original workflow.
The end result was, e.g.,:

While I can not say for sure, nonetheless, it looks like there may be some sort of bug with the type/class count when stacking more than five Get Value of Variable actions and why it does not fail when all have been acquired, set and retrieved when done using the same type of actions.

Here is a link for the edited workflow: Send_QA_Mail_Test.zip

SHA1: dfdec5414d0d5e22c46ad444b7bb77f19b442a45

I had encountered same problem when some "Get Value of Variable"s were set after "Run AppleScript".

After all, I adopt workaround that is set "Run Shell Script" imedeatelly after "Run AppleScript".
In "Run Shell Script" just execute "cat".


Recent items menus have stopped working on my iMac Recently I noticed that on my iMac, running El Capitan, the Open Recent menu has stopped getting updated, both in the Apple menus, and for apps, and both for the Open Recent menu item, and the list that pops up from the Dock.

I checked in System Preferences | General | Recent Items, and it is saying None. I have tried a number of times to reset it to 20, but it shows up as None when I get back in to System Preferences.

I hope someone can help me sort this problem out.

For me, this partially fixed things:

Close all open apps.
Move ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.recentitems.plist (and ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.recentitems.plist.lockfile if it exists) to a backup directory.
Reboot.

In my case this fixed the recent items lists under the File menu in each app and the Apple menu. But the context menus on Dock icons still do not update.

go to "system preferences" > "general" > "recent items"
el capitan reset this to zero for some reason
set it to whatever list length you like, and it will start working again


Long time for resetting procedure in iPhone 6 I am resetting my iPhone 6 (Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings) and it is taking a very long time.

I have tried holding the middle button and on & off button but it just results in going back to the white screen with the black apple and the loading bar. The loading bar is loading a milimeter across and has not moved for over an hour!

What should I do?

Try holding down the Home Button and Power button for at least 10 seconds, once you see the Apple Logo (after the 10 seconds) let go.
If this doesn't work you might have to restore in DFU mode, otherwise try contacting Apple Support (if possible, to try to save you the trouble of a restore). If not, I can give instructions on Restoring in DFU mode.

Are you trying to perform a soft reset, or are you trying to wipe the device? If it is stuck on the reset bar after doing a soft reset, try doing a soft reset again.


Issue with Move to iOS android app to migrate to iphone I'm trying to migrate some data from an old Samsung phone running Android 4 to an iPhone 5s running iOS11.

The issue I'm stuck with is that when I setup the iphone and select move data from android, it gives me a 6 digit code, but on the Android device is expecting a 10 digit code.

Is there anything that can be done?

Any help would be great.

Thanks,

I think you found a solution in meanwhile.
Anyway I faced the some problem yesterday and I even contact Apple to get some information. They said me that the version installed in my new brand iPhone XS is now accepting just 6 digits instead the 10 Android was requesting me. And proposed me to use another app called MCBackup which is a contact transfer and save app for android and iOS.

Then I start to think a bit. First I tried the current version of Move to iOS which didn't run on my android. So I started to look into a older version what I got this morning. The one I found was from 2018 called Move to iOS 2.10.0 (com.apple.movetoios_2.10.0-2100_minAPI14(armeabi)(nodpi) and it can be downloaded at https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/apple-inc/move-to-ios/move-to-ios-2-10-0-release/#downloads.

Please assure that this is the version, older ones (1.57 and 1.59) do not work, I tried.

I hope I could help some other who intent to migrate all Android's data to the new iPhone...

Try entering both the 6 digit code and then follow it with your passcode that you use on the iPhone. That should allow it to accept and migrate the data.


Why do aliases with words not expand in big sur? I have some aliases in my ~/.bashrc and ~/.bash_profile (I tried with and without .bash_profile), they were both sourced.
alias ll=‘ls -l’
alias al=‘ls -ahl’

alias iridium=“~/git/iridium”
alias vscode=“Visual Studio Code”

On Ubuntu, centos and fedora these would work fine.
Even on windows git bash I had long aliases to open games with the huge steam path.
But on big sur:
only the ls aliases work.
is there a reason for this?
I’m also sourcing these files from /etc/bashrc
Look at it in action:
 λ  cat ~/.bash_profile
alias ll='ls -l'
alias al='ls -ahl'

alias vscode='Visual Studio Code'

alias batchelor="~/git/batcheloranator"
alias iridium="~/git/iridium"
alias chem="~/git/chemistry_stuff"
 chemistry_stuff:  (master)
 λ  . ~/.bash_profile
 chemistry_stuff:  (master)
 λ  cd iridium
bash: cd: iridium: No such file or directory
 chemistry_stuff:  (master)
 λ  cd chem
bash: cd: chem: No such file or directory
 chemistry_stuff:  (master)
 λ  open -a vscode
Unable to find application named 'vscode'

$ alias --man
NAME
  alias - define or display aliases

SYNOPSIS
  alias [ options ] [name[=value]...]

DESCRIPTION
  alias creates or redefines alias definitions or writes the existing alias definitions to standard output. An alias
  definitions provides a string value that will replace a command name when the command is read. Alias names can
  contain any printable character which is not special to the shell. If an alias value ends in a space or tab, then the
  word following the command name the alias replaces is also checked to see whether it is an alias.

If you want your vscode alias to work, you need to do something like:
alias vscode='"visual studio code"'

So that the shell doesn't perform word-splitting on the string.
Example:
$ alias vscode='visual studio code'
$ vscode
ksh: visual: not found               <= shell word-splitting
$ alias vscode='"visual studio code"'
$ vscode
ksh: visual studio code: not found   <= shell not word-splitting
$

But what you really should do is follow VS Code's installation instructions for macOS, add /Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin to your path, and run code to start it.
$ path
/opt/local/bin
/opt/local/sbin
/usr/local/bin
/usr/bin
/bin
/usr/sbin
/sbin
/Applications/VMware Fusion.app/Contents/Public
/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin
/Users/mwilson/bin
/Users/mwilson/.local/bin
/Users/mwilson/Library/Python/3.9/bin
$ whence code
'/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin/code'
$

I got what I wanted by doing this:
$ cat .bash_profile
alias ll='ls -l'
alias al='ls -ahl'

vscode='Visual Studio Code'

batchelor=~/git/batcheloranator
iridium=~/git/iridium
chem=~/git/chemistry_stuff
$ open -a "$vscode"; echo $?
0
$ cd $iridium
iridium:  (master)
$


where is the Documents folder shown in iFile (iPad-Air)? There is a folder called Documents (and other folders beside that) in iFile

I tried but can't find the physical location with iFunbox or iTools.

How can I find the physical location of that folder?

When using a system that doesn't know how to follow POSIX symbolic links (like iFunbox), then you're going to need to know the actual location of the directory. When using iFile, it'll appear to be located at /var/mobile/Documents/, but in reality, /var is a symbolic link to /private/var/. So the answer to your question is: The Documents folder is located at /private/var/mobile/Documents/.

Download Apple file conduit "2" from cydia, Once you do you will be able to see everything that you want such as /var in Ifunbox in the raw system files section


Google Chrome Helper Using Up Too Much Memory Google Chrome Helper is appearing in Activity Monitor a dozen times and overall using a ton of memory.  How do I curtail this?  Most advice columns say to go to my plugins and check "Play on click", but Google updated the browser and this option is no longer available.  What can I do?

Every "Helper" is either a tab, a subframe, a core Chrome process or an extension.
You could reduce RAM usage by uninstalling extensions, or just using less tabs.

You NEED to disable Flash in Chrome preferences/advanced/content.


How to restore default system files? Does anyone have the default SArtFile.bin (path: /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/CoreUI.framework/Versions/A/Resources/SArtFile.bin) for Mavericks 10.9.5?

I was tinkering around with the file listed above but forgot to  back it up.
Does anyone know how I can restore the file to its original form so I can undo my changes, or how to restore default system files?

This is a specific case of the general restore process:

How can I get back a system file after deleting it from my Mac?

Basically you have three places where you can get the original system files (except backups):

Recovery HD
Combo update installer
the (Mac) OS X installer

The Recovery HD is a basic OS X system only and just contains a subset of the files of the full system. Some files may even be outdated or different compared to the files of the full system. To mount the Recovery HD enter diskutil mount Recovery\ HD in Terminal. To get access to the system files mount BaseSystem.dmg:

hdiutil mount /Volumes/Recovery\ HD/com.apple.recovery.boot/BaseSystem.dmg

To copy a file enter:

sudo cp /Volumes/Mac\ OS\ X\ Base\ System/path/to/file /path/to/file

in your example:

sudo cp /Volumes/Mac\ OS\ X\ Base\ System/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/CoreUI.framework/Versions/A/Resources/SArtFile.bin /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/CoreUI.framework/Versions/A/Resources/SArtFile.bin

The Combo update installer may contain the file in question. Like the Recovery HD it only contains a subset of files of the full OS X system. To extract and install the original file, download Pacifist and open the installer package. Search for the file in question and install it. You need admin privileges to do that.

If the file isn't available in the Recovery HD or the Combo installer you have to download the newest OS X installer (in your case Install OS X Mavericks (10.9.5)). The approach is similar to the Combo updater method. Right-click Install OS X Mavericks -> Show Contents, navigate to /Contents/SharedSupport and mount the InstallESD.dmg. Open the folder Packages in the mounted image and then the file OSInstall.mpkg with Pacifist. Search for the file in question and install it. You need admin privileges to do that.

In your case you are lucky because the file SArtFile.bin can be found in the Recovery HD. So use the method outlined above to recover the file.

updating & re-installation OS X without formating is keep your files. It's not a windows where all your file puts in to Windows.old and later you need go for folders take them from there.


fixed date in numbers template Is it possible to use the =today() function (or something else) to insert the current date but then not update each time the file is opened?

I want to create a numbers template for my invoices. I'd like it to auto fill invoice date and date due then, when I save the document, store the values, not the function.

I am creating templates on my mac then using the inumbers app on my iPad.

i'm guessing this is what you are looking for  =NOW()


I can't create a bootable OSX Mavericks Install USB Drive I've downloaded Mavericks from the App Store, repartitioned a 32GB USB key, and followed the instructions. Specifically, I ran:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app

Here's the output. As you can see, it fails with an error:

Ready to start.
To continue we need to erase the disk at /Volumes/Untitled.
If you wish to continue type (Y) then press return: Y
Erasing Disk: 0%... 10%... 20%...100%...
Copying installer files to disk...
Copy complete.
Making disk bootable...
Couldn't mount dmg /Volumes/Install OS X Mavericks/Install OS X Mavericks.app/Contents/SharedSupport/InstallESD.dmg (error code 112)Mount of outer dmg failed.
Done.

Help?

It turns out that the Installer Image did not download correctly. To address this I deleted "Install OSX Mavericks" from the Applications folder and then re-downloaded it from the App Store.

Close the "Disk Utility.app" and the "Finder" before execute the command. It works for me! :)


Can I use my iPhone charger with my iPad? My iPad 1 charger was burned because of high voltage, so it stopped working. Currently, I am using an iPhone 3GS mini charger. It charges the iPad but only very slowly when the iPad is on but the display is off.

Will it make any problem if I continue using mini charger for charging my iPad 1 or do I need to buy a new charger?
If yes, what is the price of new charger in India?

Yes, you can use your iPhone charger with the iPad.

This should not damage the iPad or the charger.

However, since the iPad is provided with a lower current the charging takes longer. Both the iPhone and iPad charge with 5V, but the iPad charger provides 2A while the iPhone charger only provides 1A.

This is why it takes longer to charge. You should completely turn off the iPad in order to speed up the charging process.

No, you can not do that.

http://gaffeycat.blogspot.com/2012/07/can-i-use-my-iphone-charger-with-my.html


Turn off MacBook Pro's display while connected to external monitor on Yosemite How do you turn off the MacBook Pro’s display with the lid open while using an external monitor on Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite?

All the previous methods—such as the one’s listed here—that have worked on Mavericks no longer work on Yosemite.

Does anyone know the way to do this on Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite? Turning down the brightness is not the same as turning off the display as the GPU still sends a signal to the internal display and the external monitor.

These were the terminal commands to achieve this on Mavericks:

Enable

sudo nvram boot-args="iog=0x0"

Disable

sudo nvram -d boot-args

Anyone know how to achieve this on Yosemite?

Found this wonderful free application :

https://github.com/Eun/DisableMonitor/

Works like a charm.

This trick works (make the external monitor as primary one and partially close the lid till display goes off)

http://gizmodo.com/5938452/a-trick-to-make-using-an-external-monitor-with-your-macbook-way-better


Is it possible to export safari's reading list on Safari 5.1? Subject sums it up. Just curious if there is a trick to be able to export your reading list from Safari, any format. Where on the HD is the info stored? bookmarks.plist?

You can convert it into XML in a Terminal/command window using:

cd ~/Library/Safari/
cp Bookmarks.plist Bookmarks.plist.xml
plutil -convert xml1 Bookmarks.plist.xml

In OS X Yosemite, go to ~/Library/Safari/ReadingListArchives


VNC Server for non-Jailbroken iPhone/iPad I'm looking for a VNC server for my iPhone/iPad that (assuming I know the IP address) I can connect directly to using a VNC client. To summarize the features I'm looking for:

Non-hosted, i.e. no software needed to be continuously running on a computer (rules out  Reflector or AirServer)
Non-Jailbroken device (rules out Veency)

A VNC server on an un-jailbroken device is impossible due to Apple restrictions. Any such app would not be able to run in the background (without a jailbreak tweak to modify the backgrounding code) and is not permitted by App Store regulations anyway.

EggPlant (testing tool) can run a vnc server on iOS device without jail breaking, though I have no clues, how they do them. Thanks


How to make iPhone camera silent? On my iPhone, the camera shutter sound follows the ring/silent switch. However, I'd like the camera to be always silent, regardless of whether incoming calls & messages make a sound. Is there any way to configure it that way?

(Non-jailbroken iPhone 4 with latest iOS.)

A simple solution is to use the mute switch on the side of the phone.  The camera shutter sound is controlled by the ringer volume, since the mute switch mutes the ringer the shutter sound is also mute.  However, you are asking an optional permanent solution.  So far there is none.  The application doesn't have any additional options within the app or within System Preferences.

Digging into the app store there is a simple camera application called Secret Camera - Taking Photo Secretly for $1.99. Apple Store Link It looks like it functions like the normal Camera application, but reading its description it doesn't explicitly mention a shutter mute option.  I assume this is an implied feature due to the app's name.

just flip the the phone's ring/silent switch to silent.


Is it possible to stream an RTSP feed to an iPhone? A co-worker of mine wants to stream an RTSP streaming video feed to his iphone so he can tap into his child's daycare center here and there. Any ideas on how to do this?

IP Vision is an expensive app. There are several free apps that will stream RTSP on iPhone. I use Aceplayer, but it doesn't seem to be very stable. It may not be the app - I haven't had time to thoroughly test it yet.

There are at least dozen more, so search the app store for RTSP and try out what works for you.

follow this link this will help you :- https://github.com/teocci/RTSP-Client-iOS


How to uninstall Jetbrains IDE? When news version of Jetbrains IDE is installed previous version does not remove automatically. And currently there are no option (i.e. checkbox) to uninstall old version while installing.

How can one completely uninstall Jetbrains IDE (like IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, RubyMine, PhpStorm, CLion, AppCode, Rider, Data Grip etc.) in OS X?

Move the .app file to the Trash, then manually delete the support folders listed in this IntelliJ support article:

~/Library/Preferences/[PRODUCT][VERSION]
~/Library/Caches/[PRODUCT][VERSION]
~/Library/Application Support/[PRODUCT][VERSION]
~/Library/Logs/[PRODUCT][VERSION]

I tried this and worked, give it a try
https://medium.com/@harittweets/how-to-delete-intellij-idea-community-completely-from-your-mac-beba4012c192


How to grant a Mac app permission to read the whole filesystem I bought this app called Xee from the Mac app store. It can open files perfectly fine but when I try to browse through a folder from within the Xee app, it has to request permission. (See the screenshot below.) I have to do this for every folder the first time I browse it.

I assume that this is a limitation imposed by the app store. Is there any way to circumvent this and grant an app (installed on my machine) permission to view any directory, or even to do anything at all that it wants?

The app is sandboxed. This means the application has been code signed with a set of entitlements. These entitlements are being enforced by Mac OS X. Apple's developer documentation on sandboxing provides more detail.

You can view Xee's sandbox entitlements using the following Terminal.app command:

codesign --display --entitlements - /Applications/Xee.app

Ole Begemann's article, Checking Code Signing and Sandboxing Status in Code, explains more.

Resign or Strip Entitlements

To remove the entitlements, you need to re-code sign the application without entitlements - using codesign - or entirely strip the code signing from the application.

Ask Xee's Developers

Modifying a Mac application is not recommended. Ask Xee's developers for help on how to work around this behaviour; only they have the appropriate knowledge to solve this problem.

Xee's developers do appear to be aware of the issue:

  (Note that the App Store version is sandboxed, while the non-App Store trial and full versions are not sandboxed. If you prefer the safety of the OS X sandbox, you should get the App Store version. However, the sandboxed version needs to ask you for permission for certain operations, and if you find this annoying, you should get the non-App Store version.)

Tell Apple

Consider providing feedback to Apple about this limitation and how it limits your workflow. Customer feedback will help shape what Mac App Store apps can and can not do in the future. For now, apps bought through the Apple Mac App Store are limited.

Try copying the app contents to your hard drive and open from there. Maybe the app is protecting their files from itself.


How to Fix Generic File Icons in macOS Catalina? How to restore file icons when they have gone generic in Mac OS Catalina ?

Rebuild the LaunchServices Cache using this terminal command (Tested and works on macOS Catalina 10.15.2):

sudo /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -kill -r -domain local -domain system -domain user

DropBox Note:
If you have Dropbox running, you may have to: 1) restart the mac. 2) Pause Syncing and wait for a minute or two. 3) Resume syncing. This should force DropBox to rescan the shares and re-attribute the files and folders.

I use an application called LiteIcon to change and/or restore icons.