TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Webloghttp://www.tuaw.comTUAW - The Unofficial Apple Webloghttp://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/feedlogo.gifTUAW - The Unofficial Apple Webloghttp://www.tuaw.comen-usCopyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Dear Uncle TUAW: What's the best way to blog while backpacking?http://www.tuaw.com/2013/04/29/dear-uncle-tuaw-whats-the-best-way-to-blog-while-backpacking/http://www.tuaw.com/2013/04/29/dear-uncle-tuaw-whats-the-best-way-to-blog-while-backpacking/http://www.tuaw.com/2013/04/29/dear-uncle-tuaw-whats-the-best-way-to-blog-while-backpacking/#comments

Dear Uncle TUAW:

Over the next two years my husband and I plan to hike El Camino de Santiago in Spain. I'd love to keep family and friends up to date on our trek by blogging on the trip, but since we want to keep our backpacks at less than 14 lbs. total weight, I'm not sure I want to carry an iPad and I know for sure that a laptop is going to be too heavy. Since weight and space are issues, what would you blog from if you were in my hiking boots?

Your loving niece,

Susan

Dear Susan,

I'm glad to hear that you're going to be out walking. Too many of you young whippersnappers spend all of your time on your keisters in front of those fancy HDTVs instead of getting good, clean exercise in the great outdoors. Your Aunt and I used to do a lot of hiking. Remind me to tell you about our experiences in Bhutan in 1958...

Anyway, my first choice for lightweight blogging would be to grab an iPad mini and one of those newfangled keyboard cases, but if you're really trying to keep things light, why not just use that iPhone of yours as a small tablet?

With that phone, you can not only grab great photos, but use them in your blog. While you're hiking, you can even talk to that Siri lady and she'll take down your notes like my old secretary Mabel used to do back at the munitions plant. Without the backtalk, of course. And the bad breath. But that's another story... When you get to wherever you're setting up camp for the night, you can while away the hours cleaning up her dictation. Yes, I had to clean up Mabel's dictation, too.

Frankly, I'd take along a lightweight keyboard of some sort if I were you. Since you won't want to worry about charging batteries on a keyboard, one that's powered by the sun might be handy. Speaking of charging batteries, you can also take one of these crank-powered things with you on your hike to give your hands something to do. Charge up the battery pack by hand-cranking it, then use it to charge your iPhone while you're trying to sleep at night with all of those other pilgrims snoring around you. No need to look for a power outlet or carry along those pesky international power adapters.

That's all I'll say about hardware, which referred to nuts and bolts in my earlier days, but what about blogging software? If you don't have a travel blog already, MapQuest's Travel Blog app is free and includes free hosting of your text and photos. Got one of those WordPress blogs? Their free app isn't too bad, either. You can be really smart and take all of your pictures with the iPhone so you don't have to carry a separate camera with all of its weight and bulk, and they'll go right into your blog. I'm rather fond of that Tumblr service for travel blogging myself, although please don't tell your Aunt about my "Tumblr After Dark" adventures in Amsterdam last year...

Stay safe; watch out for blisters; and have a good trip!

Hugs and kisses,

Uncle TUAW

Dear Uncle TUAW: What's the best way to blog while backpacking? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogDear Uncle TUAW: What's the best way to blog while backpacking? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>aunt tuawAuntTuawbackpackingbloggingiPadiPhonemapquest travel blogMapquestTravelBlogtumblruncle tuawUncleTuawwordpressSteven SandeMon, 29 Apr 2013 16:30:00 ESTDear Aunt TUAW: Should I buy lots of iPad 1 apps now?http://www.tuaw.com/2012/07/22/dear-aunt-tuaw-should-i-buy-lots-of-ipad-1-apps-now/http://www.tuaw.com/2012/07/22/dear-aunt-tuaw-should-i-buy-lots-of-ipad-1-apps-now/http://www.tuaw.com/2012/07/22/dear-aunt-tuaw-should-i-buy-lots-of-ipad-1-apps-now/#comments

Dear Aunt TUAW,

As an iPad 1 owner, would now be the best time to make sure I load up on apps -- as the iPad 1 won't be supported in iOS 6?

I assume that my purchases will be in the cloud for a bit but what happens when a new version is released? Will I still be able to download the version that runs on my iPad, or am I out of luck?

Your loving nephew,

Blake

Dear Blake,

Every time Auntie passes by her neglected iPad 1, it looks at her with sad eyes. It knows its days in the sun are limited.

Should you buy iPad 1 apps now? Yes. Heck yes. Heck yes with a big bag of liniment and Werthers on top. Your tablet isn't eligible for iOS 6, so if you plan to accessorize -- do it now. Buy all the iOS 5.x apps you can foresee using, and get ready for the mass upgrade.

iOS users are great adopters. Heck, if memory serves Auntie right, more people were illegally using iOS 6 beta releases than had installed the latest legal version of Android. (Auntie loves this statistic, so please correct her gently if it is fabricated.)

Back-supporting old iOS firmware versions can be a huge chore for iOS developers. The cost-benefit fallout for a few outlier users paints a bleak picture. So expect more and more of your favorite apps to move into "only supports iOS 6 and later" territory. (And expect your app upgrade bubbles to gain larger and larger numbers over time -- Auntie wishes Apple would add a "don't bug me for upgrades after iOS " option.)

Will you be able to re-download the iPad 1 version after developers release new ones? No. Will you be out of luck? Yes. Can you back up the existing versions of the applications? Yes, they're living in your [home]/Music/iTunes/Mobile Applications folder; you can copy the essential ones elsewhere in case you upgrade one by accident.

Buy now, upgrade now, or just make the move to new hardware. If you can swing it, Auntie recommends hardware. There are some terrific deals on refurbished iPad 2s out there, and the new iPad, which Auntie calls the 3 (so there), is just spiffy.

Hugs,

Auntie T.

Continue reading Dear Aunt TUAW: Should I buy lots of iPad 1 apps now?

Dear Aunt TUAW: Should I buy lots of iPad 1 apps now? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 22 Jul 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogDear Aunt TUAW: Should I buy lots of iPad 1 apps now? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 22 Jul 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>AndroidAunt TUAWAuntTuawfeaturesIosiOS 5iOS 6Ios5Ios6iPadSci/TechErica SadunSun, 22 Jul 2012 20:30:00 ESTDear Aunt TUAW: Why can't I find a USB hub that charges my iPad?http://www.tuaw.com/2012/04/19/dear-aunt-tuaw-why-cant-i-find-a-usb-hub-that-charges-my-ipad/http://www.tuaw.com/2012/04/19/dear-aunt-tuaw-why-cant-i-find-a-usb-hub-that-charges-my-ipad/http://www.tuaw.com/2012/04/19/dear-aunt-tuaw-why-cant-i-find-a-usb-hub-that-charges-my-ipad/#comments Dear Aunt TUAW,

When you go to Amazon or Best Buy or Newegg and search for powered USB hub for a nice new iPad... Good luck!

The results provide lots of choices. The kicker is adding the iPad to the search terms does not help, as all it does is get items that explicitly state they will not fast charge an iPad.

Have you folks found any powered hubs that will fast charge iPads?

Your darling nephew L. Randolph

Dear Nephew L,

When Apple released the iPad, it came with recommendations for power management on the device. The provided battery tips are mostly commonsensical, but the charging rules are not.

Since the iPad "fast charge" mode requires extra power compared to the standard USB specification, the best way to charge it is using the provided 10W iPad adapter. Second best: connecting the device to a high-power USB port on a recent vintage Mac. Connecting the iPad to other powered ports results in "slow charging," although the screen indication says the iPad isn't charging. It actually is -- as long as you leave the screen off (or turn the iPad off completely), it will eventually top off the battery.

There's a great primer from Plugable on how the iPad charging process works, and what tricks you can do to get charging traction (in trickle mode/"Not Charging") with your iPad and a powered hub. Plugable is now selling a 4-port hub that supports the USB Battery Charging 1.1 specification, which enables high-power charging for devices like the Kindle Fire, but as far as we know Apple's devices aren't yet working with that new spec.

It is possible (although not necessarily recommended) to trick the iPad into drawing the extra power it needs from a standard USB port. BoxWave's $7.95 sense cable doesn't support syncing, but if you don't have too much else plugged into your hub it may work for fast charging. (If anything catches fire, we never had this conversation, capice?)

Cirago sells a small hub with a dedicated iPad charging port -- but like the BoxWave cable, this is a charge-only port that does not allow you to sync simultaneously. Uncle Mike hasn't tested the device, but it's not expensive ($29.99). The folks at Aviiq have a portable charging station with a single iPad-friendly high power port ($59.99), and most of the Powerbag products also have one port to charge iPads.

Professional-grade multidevice charging is the province of companies like Datamation, which offers a full suite of charging, sync and storage setups. The 16-port PowerPad 16 delivers charges for up to 16 iPads simultaneously -- at the bargain price of $710.

Happy charging!

Uncle Mike

Dear Aunt TUAW: Why can't I find a USB hub that charges my iPad? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogDear Aunt TUAW: Why can't I find a USB hub that charges my iPad? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>aunt tuawAuntTuawchargingiPadusbMichael RoseThu, 19 Apr 2012 08:00:00 ESTAsk TUAW: SSDs, Bug Reports, and "4G" iPhoneshttp://www.tuaw.com/2012/03/20/ask-tuaw-ssds-bug-reports-and-4g-iphones/http://www.tuaw.com/2012/03/20/ask-tuaw-ssds-bug-reports-and-4g-iphones/http://www.tuaw.com/2012/03/20/ask-tuaw-ssds-bug-reports-and-4g-iphones/#comments It's Ask TUAW, our question-and-answer column! Since last we rounded up reader questions, we've seen the release of the iPhone 4S, iOS 5, iCloud, the announcement of OS X Mountain Lion, and, of course, the new iPad.

You can head down to the comments and tell us what Apple/Mac/iOS questions keep you up at night. If you'd prefer, instead of asking questions in the comments, you can email your questions directly to ask@tuaw.com, ping us on Twitter or hit up our feedback page. You can also direct your questions (via the same channels) to my colleague in the flowered hat, Aunt TUAW.

For our first question, Sepp wonders:

How do I actually submit a bug report to Apple?

I came across some software fault, found a post in the Apple Support Communities and commented to confirm the bug and give more details on it. I am not quite sure if anybody at Apple actually reads these. Can I do something else to get this bug fixed or do I just have to lean back and wait for things to happen?

Hi Sepp. Folks in the Apple Developer Network can file bug reports and enhancement requests through the Apple Bug Reporter. Anyone can sign up as a developer for free, but for the average user who finds an issue and merely wants to notify Apple about it, there is a much easier way.

Apple's feedback page at Apple.com/Feedback includes links for nearly every product that Apple sells, including hardware, operating systems, and software products. For example, if you select to give feedback on Mac OS X, Apple requests a number of different types of feedback, including reports on bugs, design and connectivity issues and much more.

Messages sent via this page do get read and forwarded to the appropriate departments at Apple, but there is no guarantee of receiving any confirmation or other response from the company. However, Apple has been known to follow up with customers to get more information in some cases. Our advice is to be as professional and detailed as possible with your feedback. The more information the better.

Good luck!

Jay is looking for some buying advice:

I'm looking to upgrade my MacBook Pro's RAM and the hard drive to a solid state drive. I have the RAM part down, and I feel relatively confident that I will be able to install the SSD on my own. What is really throwing me is what type of SSD to buy.

I could go the official Apple Store route, but those options are way more expensive than what I could find on, say, NewEgg or Amazon. My problem is that there seem to be a wide range of SSDs, both in terms of price and quality. What should I be looking for, besides the obvious (one that is the correct size for my computer)?

I'm willing to pay a little more for one I know is going to work well with my MBP, but I don't even know where to start.

Upgrading a MacBook Pro to a solid state drive (SSD) is an excellent way to get the most out of your Mac, and we highly recommend it. The SSD's from Other World Computing are widely praised and the folks at OWC are Mac specialists. They can help you pick out the right SSD for your MacBook Pro and they provide detailed installation videos for do-it-yourselfers.

One of the neatest upgrades for MacBook Pro owners -- and one that I have installed in my 2009-era 15" MacBook Pro -- is the Data Doubler. This allows users to replace their optical drive with a SSD, adding even more storage options. OWC offers a USB enclosure for the now-removed optical drive, making it very similar to the USB SuperDrive that Apple offers for the MacBook Air.

For you, Jay, which SSD you need depends on which MacBook Pro model you have. OWC offers both 6Gb/s and 3Gb/s-capable solid state drives. Give OWC a call and they can help you determine the best drive for you.

Jamie wonders about a recent change to her iPhone 4S:

After upgrading to iOS 5.1, my AT&T iPhone 4S now shows 4G in the top-left corner instead of 3G. Is this an upgrade in speed? I haven't noticed any difference, but maybe that's just me.

We've got a number of folks asking about this change. We actually addressed it earlier this month, but it's worth mentioning again.

In general, "4G" is mainly a marketing term at the moment. No carrier currently supports the recently adopted IMT-Advanced specification, which has a theoretical maximum download of 1 Gigabit per second. There are a number of different cellular technologies at varying speeds that carriers choose to market as 4G.

The new iPad supports Verizon and AT&T's 4G LTE networks, which most folks agree is "next-generation" technology. However, the AT&T iPhone 4S supports a technology called HSPA+, which is considered a version of 4G by most carriers; Android HSPA+ phones have said 4G for a while.

All that aside, AT&T's HSPA+ network is speedier than the EV-DO networks provided by Verizon and Sprint.

The upshot for iPhone 4S owners is that the change is merely cosmetic; nothing has changed inside the phone, and the cellular connection isn't any faster. Anandtech has an extensive rundown on the different cellular iOS devices and the technologies they are using, and our own colleague Rich G. did a thorough dive into the sticky web of cellular data standards.

Regardless, enjoy your "4G" iPhone -- and thanks for all your questions!

Follow Ask TUAW on Twitter

Ask TUAW: SSDs, Bug Reports, and "4G" iPhones originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 20 Mar 2012 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogAsk TUAW: SSDs, Bug Reports, and "4G" iPhones originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 20 Mar 2012 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Ask TUAWAskTuawfeaturesiPadiPhoneAsk TUAWTue, 20 Mar 2012 07:30:00 ESTAsk TUAW: WWDC/iCloud Editionhttp://www.tuaw.com/2011/06/08/ask-tuaw-wwdc-icloud-edition/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/06/08/ask-tuaw-wwdc-icloud-edition/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/06/08/ask-tuaw-wwdc-icloud-edition/#comments Welcome to Ask TUAW, our weekly (mostly) question-and-answer column. This week we're addressing your numerous questions about Apple's introductions at WWDC. We'll try to tackle questions about Lion, MobileMe and more.

By the way, we can never have too many questions. You can't have a Q&A column without the Q, so please go to the comments of this post and ask away. Believe it or not, we've had a little bit of a drought of questions, so now's your chance to get them answered! If you prefer, instead of asking questions in the comments, you can also email your questions directly to ask [at] tuaw.com, or simply ping us on Twitter.

Now, questions! John asks:

How do you remove iCloud music downloads from my iPhone and iPad? There seems to be no way to do it on the device or in iTunes when connected via USB to my computer.

Continue reading Ask TUAW: WWDC/iCloud Edition

Ask TUAW: WWDC/iCloud Edition originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogAsk TUAW: WWDC/iCloud Edition originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>ask tuawAskTuawiclouditunesMacmobilemewwdcwwdc-2011Ask TUAWWed, 08 Jun 2011 17:30:00 ESTAsk TUAW Video Edition: Extending your AirPort wirelesshttp://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/31/ask-tuaw-video-edition-extending-your-airport-wireless/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/31/ask-tuaw-video-edition-extending-your-airport-wireless/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/31/ask-tuaw-video-edition-extending-your-airport-wireless/#comments ask tuaw videoAhhh ... Tuesday -- what a glorious day, and a perfect day to talk about AirPort wireless setups. For this week's Ask TUAW video, here's a short piece on how to extend your wireless network. We're using an AirPort Extreme, but the steps are the same for the Express.

The video is in the second half of the post; as always, email us questions or leave 'em in the post.

Continue reading Ask TUAW Video Edition: Extending your AirPort wireless

Ask TUAW Video Edition: Extending your AirPort wireless originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 31 May 2011 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogAsk TUAW Video Edition: Extending your AirPort wireless originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 31 May 2011 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>101airportAskTuawextend wirelessExtendWirelesshelphowtomac guruMacGuruwirelessJustin EsgarTue, 31 May 2011 05:30:00 ESTAsk TUAW: AirPlay and the Apple TV, Exchange 2003, enterprise iOS management and MobileMe calendar publishinghttp://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/24/ask-tuaw-airplay-and-the-apple-tv-exchange-2003-and-mobileme-c/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/24/ask-tuaw-airplay-and-the-apple-tv-exchange-2003-and-mobileme-c/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/24/ask-tuaw-airplay-and-the-apple-tv-exchange-2003-and-mobileme-c/#comments Welcome to Ask TUAW, your favorite weekly question-and-answer column. Do you know what my favorite thing in the entire world is? No, besides grilled cheese sandwiches. That's right! Questions! We can never have too many questions! You can't have a Q&A column without the Q, so please go to the comments of this post and ask away. To get fabulous answers, we need your fabulous questions. You can also email your questions directly to ask [at] tuaw.com, or ping us on Twitter.

Now, queries! Dan writes:

The place I work refuses to upgrade their version of Exchange to anything newer than 2003. They also won't enable IMAP for email.

On my iPhone and iPad, I have no problem using Exchange 2003, but on the Mac it's a different story. Apple Mail will only see newer versions of Exchange, and even Microsoft's Outlook 2008 can't use this version of Exchange Server.

I know you could use the God-awful Entourage software or run a Windows program in emulation, but isn't there anything else? I would have thought that with the plethora of new Mac-based mail apps, there would be at least one that could do mail as well as the iPhone. Help me!

Continue reading Ask TUAW: AirPlay and the Apple TV, Exchange 2003, enterprise iOS management and MobileMe calendar publishing

Ask TUAW: AirPlay and the Apple TV, Exchange 2003, enterprise iOS management and MobileMe calendar publishing originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 24 May 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogAsk TUAW: AirPlay and the Apple TV, Exchange 2003, enterprise iOS management and MobileMe calendar publishing originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 24 May 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Apple TVAppleTvAsk TUAWAskTuawhowtoMac miniMacMiniMicrosoft ExchangeOutlookAsk TUAWTue, 24 May 2011 15:30:00 ESTAsk TUAW: Durable iPad Cases, iPhone Mail Signatures and the 'Insert' Keyhttp://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/19/ask-tuaw-durable-ipad-cases-iphone-mail-signatures-and-the-in/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/19/ask-tuaw-durable-ipad-cases-iphone-mail-signatures-and-the-in/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/19/ask-tuaw-durable-ipad-cases-iphone-mail-signatures-and-the-in/#comments Welcome to Ask TUAW, your favorite weekly question-and-answer column. We can never have too many questions, so please go to the comments of this post and ask away. To get fabulous answers, we need your fabulous questions. You can also email your questions directly to ask [at] tuaw.com, or ping us on Twitter.

Now, off to the questions! Than queries:

I am starting to use my iPad to score my son's baseball games, doing the scoring from the dugout/field. Any suggestions on a good case? Would really like something waterproof or pretty air tight. Some of the fields can be pretty dusty in the summer and I don't want the dust getting into the iPad and I don't want to have to worry about some rain drops.

Continue reading Ask TUAW: Durable iPad Cases, iPhone Mail Signatures and the 'Insert' Key

Ask TUAW: Durable iPad Cases, iPhone Mail Signatures and the 'Insert' Key originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 19 May 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogAsk TUAW: Durable iPad Cases, iPhone Mail Signatures and the 'Insert' Key originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 19 May 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Ask TUAWAskTuawhowtoiMaciPadkeyboardRAMAsk TUAWThu, 19 May 2011 17:30:00 ESTAsk TUAW Video Edition: AirPort 101http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/17/ask-tuaw-video-edition-airport-101/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/17/ask-tuaw-video-edition-airport-101/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/17/ask-tuaw-video-edition-airport-101/#comments ask tuaw videoHappy Tuesday everyone! Today I'm doing a beginners 101 class on how to set up your AirPort base station. My example shows an AirPort Extreme, but the basics can be used for both AirPort Express and a Time Capsule. We show you how to lock down your wireless and how to allow access from outside.

As always, video is after the post -- and feel free to leave comments and email us to ask questions.

Continue reading Ask TUAW Video Edition: AirPort 101

Ask TUAW Video Edition: AirPort 101 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 17 May 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogAsk TUAW Video Edition: AirPort 101 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 17 May 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>airportairport securityAirportSecurityApple Remote DesktopAppleRemoteDesktopfirewallmac guruMacGuruJustin EsgarTue, 17 May 2011 16:30:00 ESTAsk TUAW Video Edition: Geeking on GeekToolhttp://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/10/ask-tuaw-video-edition-geeking-on-geektool/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/10/ask-tuaw-video-edition-geeking-on-geektool/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/10/ask-tuaw-video-edition-geeking-on-geektool/#comments ask tuaw videoIt's Tuesday, which means it's time for another edition of Ask TUAW video! On the heels of our AppleScript episode, we are going to talk today about GeekTool. GeekTool is a great way to have information displayed on your desktop, without it being too intrusive.

First thing, you need to download GeekTool here. I have posted some example GeekTool scripts, which can be downloaded here.

As always, the video is in the second half of the post, and please ask questions -- that's what we're here for!

Continue reading Ask TUAW Video Edition: Geeking on GeekTool

Ask TUAW Video Edition: Geeking on GeekTool originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 10 May 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogAsk TUAW Video Edition: Geeking on GeekTool originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 10 May 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>AskTuawgeektoolhowtomac guruMacGuruscriptingsystem preferencesSystemPreferencesJustin EsgarTue, 10 May 2011 15:30:00 ESTAsk TUAW Video Edition: VPN serviceshttp://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/03/ask-tuaw-video-edition-vpn-services/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/03/ask-tuaw-video-edition-vpn-services/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/03/ask-tuaw-video-edition-vpn-services/#comments ask tuaw videoIt's the first Tuesday in May, which means it's time for another edition of Ask TUAW, the video version.

Today, Brad writes to us with a security question:

I love using Wi-Fi where available, but I am always leery of doing anything requiring secure access as I don't know who is on the network and what they are up to. I think the best way to protect myself is using a VPN. But what service do you choose? Is there any chance they can see my info and passwords? Any help you can give would be great.

We answer Brad's question in the video below by showing him two companies that offer VPN services, then we tell him how to set up a VPN in OS X.

Companies mentioned in the video:

Other VPN approaches we've covered in the past include Hamachi, HotspotShield, CJB and more.

Continue reading Ask TUAW Video Edition: VPN services

Ask TUAW Video Edition: VPN services originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 03 May 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogAsk TUAW Video Edition: VPN services originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 03 May 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Ask TUAWAskTuawencryptionhowtonetworksecurityvpnJustin EsgarTue, 03 May 2011 12:30:00 ESTAsk TUAW: Charging MacBooks, securing passwords, color matching and morehttp://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/02/ask-tuaw-charging-laptops-securing-passwords-color-matching-a/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/02/ask-tuaw-charging-laptops-securing-passwords-color-matching-a/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/02/ask-tuaw-charging-laptops-securing-passwords-color-matching-a/#comments Welcome to Ask TUAW, your favorite weekly question-and-answer column. Now, we can never have too many questions, so please, go to the comments of this post and ask away. To get fabulous answers, we need your fabulous questions. You can also email your questions directly to ask [at] tuaw.com, or ping us on Twitter.

Now, off to the questions! Daniel asks:

I have a original MacBook for which I am currently on my third charger. And for the third time, it's no longer working. So I need to buy a new one, but was considering buying the 85-watt adapter (with the new metal end) meant for the larger MacBook Pros. This way, I can use it as a spare charger when I eventually buy a new MacBook Pro.

What I'm wondering is if I can use the 85-watt charger with my 60-watt MacBook without any adverse effects? The general idea I've gotten from forums is that it is OK, but is there any documentation from Apple on this?

Continue reading Ask TUAW: Charging MacBooks, securing passwords, color matching and more

Ask TUAW: Charging MacBooks, securing passwords, color matching and more originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 02 May 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogAsk TUAW: Charging MacBooks, securing passwords, color matching and more originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 02 May 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>1PasswordAsk TUAWAskTuawcolor matchingColorMatchinghowtoMacBookMagSafePagesAsk TUAWMon, 02 May 2011 12:00:00 ESTAsk TUAW: AppleScripting coolnesshttp://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/27/ask-tuaw-applescripting-coolness/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/27/ask-tuaw-applescripting-coolness/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/27/ask-tuaw-applescripting-coolness/#comments ask tuaw videoIt's Tuesday Wednesday, which means it's time for Ask TUAW Video Edition. We've gotten great comments and questions coming in, and we have been trying to get to them all. Some of them are just too hard to show in a video format such as Ask TUAW, so today I have decided to do a little AppleScript "tutorial."

Here are 4 scripts that I use:

  • iTunes - this script will automatically play/pause my music
  • I'm back - will automatically make Adium go available, and start my music
  • Mail Announce - will announce who incoming mail is from (works with mail.app only)
  • Tell me a joke - tells a random joke

You can download the scripts here. Updated the download link at 5:30pm EST

As always leave us comments below or email us here.

Continue reading Ask TUAW: AppleScripting coolness

Ask TUAW: AppleScripting coolness originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogAsk TUAW: AppleScripting coolness originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>applescriptAsk TUAWAskTuawhowtoitunesmac guruMacGurumail.appJustin EsgarWed, 27 Apr 2011 12:00:00 ESTAsk TUAW: Where is the new Mac mini?, turning off iPhone noises and morehttp://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/25/ask-tuaw-wherefore-art-thou-new-mac-mini-turning-off-iphone-n/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/25/ask-tuaw-wherefore-art-thou-new-mac-mini-turning-off-iphone-n/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/25/ask-tuaw-wherefore-art-thou-new-mac-mini-turning-off-iphone-n/#comments Welcome to Ask TUAW, your favorite weekly question-and-answer column. Now, we can never have too many questions, so please, go to the comments of this post and ask away. To get fabulous answers, we need your fabulous questions. You can also email your questions directly to ask [at] tuaw.com, or ping us on Twitter.

Now, off to the questions! Muhammad asks:

Is there any way to set up a mode in my iPhone that's exactly like airplane mode but still allow phone calls to be received? When I sleep, I want everything like texts, email, push notifications, etc. to be off, but I still need to be available in case of an emergency.

Continue reading Ask TUAW: Where is the new Mac mini?, turning off iPhone noises and more

Ask TUAW: Where is the new Mac mini?, turning off iPhone noises and more originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogAsk TUAW: Where is the new Mac mini?, turning off iPhone noises and more originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>ask tuawAskTuawhowtoiPadiPhoneMac miniMacMiniAsk TUAWMon, 25 Apr 2011 12:00:00 ESTAsk TUAW Video Edition: Airport Breakdown!http://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/19/ask-tuaw-video-edition-airport-breakdown/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/19/ask-tuaw-video-edition-airport-breakdown/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/19/ask-tuaw-video-edition-airport-breakdown/#comments ask tuaw videoHappy Tuesday!!! Dave is a nice boyfriend who purchaed an AirPort Extreme for his girlfriend's birthday in order to help her. While the Extreme solved her printing/backup issues, he wanted to know about playing music through it.

Today we discuss the different AirPort base stations and show Dave his options.

Any questions? Please leave them in the comments or email us. Read on for the video.

Continue reading Ask TUAW Video Edition: Airport Breakdown!

Ask TUAW Video Edition: Airport Breakdown! originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogAsk TUAW Video Edition: Airport Breakdown! originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>accessoriesairportairtunesAsk TUAWAskTuawhowtomac guruMacGurusonoswirelessJustin EsgarTue, 19 Apr 2011 13:30:00 ESTAsk TUAW: iPad browser refreshing, iPhone headphones, laptop upgrades and morehttp://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/13/ask-tuaw-ipad-browser-refreshing-iphone-headphones-laptop-upg/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/13/ask-tuaw-ipad-browser-refreshing-iphone-headphones-laptop-upg/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/13/ask-tuaw-ipad-browser-refreshing-iphone-headphones-laptop-upg/#comments Welcome to Ask TUAW, your favorite weekly question-and-answer column. Now, we can never have too many questions, so please, go to the comments of this post and ask away. To get fabulous answers, we need your fabulous questions. You can also email your questions directly to ask [at] tuaw.com, or ping us on Twitter.

Now, off to the questions!

Mandojustin is frustrated by Safari on his iPad:

On my iPad, pages sometimes auto-refresh when returning to them, either during page-switching or when opening Safari. What's up with that? Can it be turned off?

When using Google Reader, I'll often check out a link and then decide I want to keep that item unread until later. However, when I go back to the page with reader open, the refresh makes the item disappear. I know I can go back and find it, but this is rather annoying.

Continue reading Ask TUAW: iPad browser refreshing, iPhone headphones, laptop upgrades and more

Ask TUAW: iPad browser refreshing, iPhone headphones, laptop upgrades and more originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogAsk TUAW: iPad browser refreshing, iPhone headphones, laptop upgrades and more originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Ask TUAWAskTuawhard driveHardDrivehowtoiPadMacSafariAsk TUAWWed, 13 Apr 2011 14:00:00 ESTAsk TUAW Video Edition: Cloning Datahttp://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/12/ask-tuaw-video-edition-cloning-data/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/12/ask-tuaw-video-edition-cloning-data/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/12/ask-tuaw-video-edition-cloning-data/#comments ask tuaw videoDouglas asks how to upgrade his hard drive and clone his Mac and Bootcamp data to the new one. We discuss new hard drives, enclosures, and cloning processes.

Some resources for everyone:

Any questions, please leave them in the comments or email us! Read on for the video.

Continue reading Ask TUAW Video Edition: Cloning Data

Ask TUAW Video Edition: Cloning Data originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogAsk TUAW Video Edition: Cloning Data originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>AskTuawBootCampcarbon copy clonerCarbonCopyClonerMacMacGurunorton ghostNortonGhostOWCsuperduperWincloneJustin EsgarTue, 12 Apr 2011 11:30:00 ESTAsk TUAW: Apple pricing, which cat is which, and laptop batteries you can't replacehttp://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/04/ask-tuaw-apple-pricing-which-cat-is-which-and-laptop-batterie/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/04/ask-tuaw-apple-pricing-which-cat-is-which-and-laptop-batterie/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/04/ask-tuaw-apple-pricing-which-cat-is-which-and-laptop-batterie/#comments Welcome to Ask TUAW, your favorite weekly question-and-answer column. Now, we can never have too many questions, so please, go to the comments of this post and ask away. To get fabulous answers, we need your fabulous questions. You can also email your questions directly to ask [at] tuaw.com, or ping us on Twitter.

Now, off to the questions!

David asks:

Why doesn't Apple let me replace the battery myself in any of its current products?

Continue reading Ask TUAW: Apple pricing, which cat is which, and laptop batteries you can't replace

Ask TUAW: Apple pricing, which cat is which, and laptop batteries you can't replace originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogAsk TUAW: Apple pricing, which cat is which, and laptop batteries you can't replace originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Ask TUAWAskTuawbatterycatshowtoiPadiPhonelionOS XOsXAsk TUAWMon, 04 Apr 2011 14:00:00 ESTAsk TUAW Video Edition: PDF and Scriptinghttp://www.tuaw.com/2011/03/29/ask-tuaw-video-edition-pdf-and-scripting/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/03/29/ask-tuaw-video-edition-pdf-and-scripting/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/03/29/ask-tuaw-video-edition-pdf-and-scripting/#comments ask tuaw videoAndrew asked us about how to have a folder convert documents to PDF format so that he can sync them to his Dropbox.

Today's show goes into how to use Automator and AppleScript to do some scripting, and we're going to demonstrate an iPad app that will convert documents for you on your iPad.

Some resources for you:

Any questions, please leave them in the comments or email us! Read on for the video.

Continue reading Ask TUAW Video Edition: PDF and Scripting

Ask TUAW Video Edition: PDF and Scripting originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogAsk TUAW Video Edition: PDF and Scripting originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>applescriptAskTuawautomatorhowtoipadMacGurupdfscriptingJustin EsgarTue, 29 Mar 2011 10:15:00 ESTAsk TUAW: iPhone US visitors, RAM upgrades, iPad buying advicehttp://www.tuaw.com/2011/03/28/ask-tuaw-baseball-baseball-baseball-edition/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/03/28/ask-tuaw-baseball-baseball-baseball-edition/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/03/28/ask-tuaw-baseball-baseball-baseball-edition/#comments In case you didn't know, the 2011 edition of the Great American Pastime starts Thursday the 31st. I'll be watching MLB.tv on my AppleTV -- and my iPhone and my iPad. Baseball everywhere! Awesome.

MLB's television broadcast rules black out home team games via MLBtv, unfortunately, so I can't watch my local team, but that's OK. I'll watch whatever game looks interesting at the moment.

Enough of that! Welcome to Ask TUAW, your favorite weekly question-and-answer column. Now, we can never have too many questions, so please, go to the comments of this post and ask away. To get fabulous answers, we need your fabulous questions. You can also email your questions directly to ask [at] tuaw.com, or ping us on Twitter.

Now, off to the questions!

Prem has a question about prepaid cell plans:

I'm having a plan to be in the US for 3 months. While I'm there I'll bring my trusted iPhone 4 with me. However, I don't want to pay the roaming charge, so surely I'll need to find a SIM card and data plan there. What would you recommend me for the carrier and plan? I will be use about 1GB of data for each month.

Continue reading Ask TUAW: iPhone US visitors, RAM upgrades, iPad buying advice

Ask TUAW: iPhone US visitors, RAM upgrades, iPad buying advice originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogAsk TUAW: iPhone US visitors, RAM upgrades, iPad buying advice originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>adviceask tuawAskTuawfeatureshowtoiPadAsk TUAWMon, 28 Mar 2011 10:15:00 EST