Complete guide: How to to download and install Mac OS X El Capitan - How to - Macworld UK

Complete guide: How to to download and install Mac OS X El Capitan - How to - Macworld UK: ""

(Via.)

 

The UK edition of Macworld has this article summarizing what you need to know and to do in preparation for September 30th: El Capitan Day!

 

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog

 

Top 10 Ways to Trick Yourself Into Getting Rid of Clutter Once and For All

Top 10 Ways to Trick Yourself Into Getting Rid of Clutter Once and For All: ""

(Via.)

 

I know this isn’t directly Mac related, but a lot of us have “stuff” that builds and builds. 

I have followed some of these tips in the past and I helped me cut down on the clutter in my tiny condo.

And you should check out Lifehacker.com frequently, too!

 

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog

 

Tried and True fixes do the trick. Problem with OS X El Capitan Finder resolved with restart

Hi All, I installed the GM Candidate of OS X El Capitan to a wiped hard drive tonight. 

I hit a snag. The Finder wouldn’t work. It only showed me the new beachball of death. 

I got around the problem initially by installing Pathfinder 7.

I reported it to Apple, thinking I had found a show-stopper bug.

Then I thought better and just restarted the whole thing.

Problem solved. The Finder works without any problems. 

The moral of the story is: If your computer doesn’t work, try restarting it. Turn it off if necessary and turn it back on again. 99 out of a 100 times, this will fix the problem. The Indians manning tech support lines tell this to their customers. We who did tech support in the early ‘90s taught this to the Indians, who would call our lines. 

Another problem, not computer related, but indicative of how old tried and true fixes still work. 

I bought a Magic Bullet blender to make green juice. Essentially drink my salads.

I spilled some of that green juice into the machine and it caused one of the three actuators to stick. 

The cure for this is to spray the stuck actuator with WD-40 and wait 15 minutes to let it soak in. Then take a flat blade screwdriver to press on the stuck actuator to free it up.  This is not original. I researched it on Google and YouTube. 

Aha, now it works. I’m mixing up a batch of green juice right now for dinner. 

 

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog and Chagrined Nerd. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Senior Correspondent Arnold Woodworth's Weekly Web Wrap-up for September 12th

 

Mac User Groups Fade in Number and Influence, but Devotees Press On

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/09/technology/personaltech/apple-mac-user-groups-devotees-press-on.html?_r=0

 

 

 

Here's everything Apple announced Wednesday September 9th, 2015

 

A long list.

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-event-live-blog-iphone-6s-2015-9

 

 

 

Big, beautiful photos of Apple's new iPhones

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-6s-photos-features-2015-9

 

 

 

The biggest mistake Apple made with the new iPhone

Only 16 GB for the lowest cost model — not enough for most people.

Buy the 64 GB model instead.

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-6s-16gb-storage-2015-9

 

 

 

Friends don't let friends buy 16GB iPhones

 

http://fortune.com/2015/09/12/apple-16gb-iphone-ripoff/

 

 

 

Apple just announced a product that Steve Jobs famously hated

A Stylus called the Apple Pencil

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-announces-stylus-a-product-steve-jobs-hated-2015-9

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-introduces-the-apple-pencil-2015-9?op=1

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-pencil-stylus-video-2015-9?op=1

 

 

 

Everyone's freaking out about the price of the Apple Pencil

 

Would you pay $100 for a stylus?  Apple is pretty sure you will.

http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-pencil-price-2015-9?op=1

 

 

 

Video:

Apple Pencil: Hands-On With Apple’s Stylus For The iPad Pro

 

http://techcrunch.com/2015/09/09/apple-pencil-hands-on-with-apples-stylus-for-the-ipad-pro/#.jxarnt:8UrT

 

 

 

Only Apple Can Make the Perfect Stylus It Once Spurned

 

I noticed the difference between the Pencil and just a stylus: It felt great. Perfect. Better than any stylus I’ve ever used by a wide margin. It’s the first time I’ve ever written on a screen and actually felt like I was writing on the screen. There was almost zero latency, meaning the ink appeared to flow out of the Pencil and not trail half an inch behind.

 

http://www.wired.com/2015/09/incredible-power-apple-inside-new-stylus/

 

 

 

Apple is fundamentally changing how you use your iPhone

 

The 3D Touch will change how Apple users interact with the home screen of apps and within it.

http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-3d-touch-for-iphone-2015-9

 

 

 

Here's everything you need to know about Apple's best iPhone camera yet

http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-6s-and-6s-plus-camera-details-2015-9

 

 

 

21 tiny design features that show Apple's insane attention to detail

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/best-examples-apple-design-details-2015-4

 

 

 

The most interesting part of Apple's presentation wasn't a gadget

 

It was Apple’s new iPhone Upgrade Program.

 

You can upgrade your iPhone every year by paying a monthly fee.

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/most-interesting-part-of-apples-keynote-2015-9

 

 

 

Video:

Here’s the Photoshopped smile everyone is talking about

http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-event-photoshop-smile-controversy-2015-9

 

 

 

Video:

Jobs vs. Cook – Apple CEOs by the numbers

http://www.businessinsider.com/jobs-vs-cook-by-numbers-best-ceo-apple-2015-9

 

 

 

Apple and the FBI are at war over iMessage privacy

Apple has left US law authorities frustrated after refusing to comply with a court order to hand over text messages sent between iPhones linked to a drug and firearm investigation.

The US Justice Department wanted to obtain communication sent between the suspects' mobile phones in real time but due to Apple's encryption system, which makes iMessages unreadable to intercept, Apple said they would not be able to assist despite the threat of legal action.

The end-to-end encryption, which arrived with Apple's iOS 8, was introduced to increase privacy for users but it has caused a heated battle with authorities who protest that such encryption makes capturing criminals a far harder task.

http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-and-fbi-at-war-of-imessage-privacy-2015-9

 

 

 

Apple’s Ad-Blocking Feature Is Sending Publishers Scrambling

 

Seth Weintraub has made a career of reporting on Apple. His website, 9to5Mac.com, is one of the go-to places for news about the company. But in an ironic twist, a feature tucked inside Apple’s latest software for the iPhone and iPad threatens to undermine the way his site makes money.

 

The prospect has set off alarm bells at many media companies, but Apple extended an olive branch in the form of an app within the upcoming operating system called News, which will allow publishers to bypass blockers to serve their own ads or let Apple sell ads and share the revenue.

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-09/apple-s-ad-blocking-feature-is-sending-publishers-scrambling

 

 

 

Adblock Plus beat Apple to the punch - by one day - with the release of its ad-blocking browser for Android and iOS.
The release came just a day before Apple was expected to introduce an ad-blocking feature to Safari in iOS 9.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2490853,00.asp

Reader Comment:
ABP should make it easier for legit sites to be whitelisted. They are contributing a great deal to the destruction of the free web. Paywalls will soon be everywhere and free content will be no more. They are also actively helping to kill many small publishing companies. I used ABP for a while to test it and the experience is not that different really. To better protect yourself from malicious websites download the WOT (web of trust) toolbar and educate yourself about what ads look like. There is no need for ABP at all. Flash block extension + WOT and you're good to go - that way you are helping to keep the web free!
Consumers are hurting themselves by installing this, because publishing companies will start charging a lot of money for their content in the future if this trend continues. Nothing will be free anymore and you will need a subscription to access certain networks and even blogs in the future. Is that really what we want?



Apple is frequently bashed for not being first to the punch with an idea.

 

Pointing out that Apple is a copy-cat is easy, but it also misses the wider point. And that is: design, design, design. Apple’s informal motto is ‘it just works’. And, well, the opposite was true of competitors products.

 

http://techcrunch.com/2015/09/11/apple-bashers-dont-start-your-photocopiers/#.jxarnt:eclc

Apple, in refusing backdoor access to data, may face fines

 

the Justice Dept. served Apple with a court order in a case "involving guns and drugs," demanding it provide real-time access to iMessage, Apple's proprietary service for sending messages between iPhones.

Apple refused -- not because it necessarily wanted to, but because it couldn't comply. The iPhone and iPad maker reportedly told the feds that the service is encrypted, making it impossible for the company let alone the feds to access the data they demanded, unlike phone companies which, under US wiretap laws, are required to comply.

Apple said even it "cannot decrypt that data."

 

The criminal case is under seal in an unidentified U.S. federal court.

 

http://www.zdnet.com/article/apple-in-refusing-backdoor-access-to-data-faces-huge-fines/

 

Paralyzed patients can control computers just by moving their eyes, thanks to this free software

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/an-eye-tracking-interface-helps-als-patients-use-computers-2015-9

 

 

 

Adult Player Android Ransomware Looks To Embarrass Prn Hounds With A Selfie Money Shot

http://hothardware.com/news/adult-player-android-ransomware-looks-to-embarrass-prn-hounds-with-a-selfie-money-shot

 

An interesting article on what it was like to work for Ashley Madison

Calls from wives who put their kids on the phone to say " You've ruined our family, my mommy's crying".

The men vastly outnumbered the women.

computer algorithms automatically generating the flirtatious responses to eager men.

Easy to run up a large bill -- with nothing to show for it.

http://business.financialpost.com/fp-tech-desk/inside-ashley-madison-calls-from-crying-spouses-fake-profiles-and-the-hack-that-changed-everything



Top 100 list shows Ashley Madison passwords are just as weak as all the rest

The unwashed masses are horrible at picking passwords.

http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/09/new-stats-show-ashley-madison-passwords-are-just-as-weak-as-all-the-rest/

 

 

 

That TSA-approved lock on your suitcase just got hacked

images of the TSA's master luggage keys have been published online, meaning that anyone with a 3D printer can make their own.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2983188/that-tsa-approved-lock-on-your-suitcase-just-got-hacked.html

Reader comment:
Look I worked for TSA in Portland OR down in baggage and we had several sets of these so-called master keys and let me tell you you had to really work the key in the lock and it only worked 25% of the time. You want to know our best master key? BOLT cutters. That's right. Those master keys are so unreliable good old fashioned bolt cutters did the trick every time.

rasmusnielsen-Link to a neat Apple Watch screensaver for OS X

rasmusnielsen: ""

(Via.)

 

This is a link to a neat OS X screensaver that looks like the Apple Watch. Scroll down the page to find it.

 

Thanks, OS X Daily!

 

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog

 

How to Make a Bootable OS X El Capitan GM / Beta USB Installer Drive

How to Make a Bootable OS X El Capitan GM / Beta USB Installer Drive: ""

(Via.)

 

If you don’t want to erase your copies of the OS X El Capitan GM Candidate every time you use, it, read this article.

It works. I just tried it. 

 

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog

 

Senior Correspondent Arnold Woodworth's Web Wrap-up for Saturday, September 4, 2015

The 11 greatest moments Apple's ever had on stage

http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-greatest-keynote-moments-2015-9



iOS App Store -- Top Apps by All-Time Worldwide Downloads

http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/09/02/facebook-casual-games-dominate-list-of-most-popular-ios-apps-of-all-time



Apple Watch Has Legs: A (Brief) Long-Term Review

The Apple Watch appears poised to become the leading wearable.  After constant use of the Watch for two months, I’ll take a stab at why.

Roughly 80 percent of the messaging I get can be dispatched with a quick glance (via notifications), which the Watch excels at.  In other words, the iPhone stays in my pocket most of the time.  That makes a huge difference.

the Watch has limited utility and a tiny screen.  And it simply replicates functions that you can already do on the iPhone.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/brookecrothers/2015/08/30/apple-watch-has-legs-a-brief-long-term-review/



I can never remember to wear my Apple Watch because it fails this very basic test

It doesn’t pass the “turn-around test”:  If you leave your apartment in the morning and realize only once you get to the subway station five blocks away that you forgot to wear your smartwatch, would you turn around and go home to get it?

Wearable technology simply doesn't pass this test yet.

One thing that keeps me from wearing the Apple Watch each day is the fact that it requires a nightly charge. If I could just wear my watch to bed, it’s more likely I would continue wearing it the next day.

http://www.techinsider.io/i-can-never-remember-to-wear-my-apple-watch-2015-9



New iPhone malware a problem, but only for jailbroken phones

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/09/02/apple-key-raider-iphone-jail-break-jail-broken-palo-alto-networks/71615036/



The Steve Jobs Documentary Apple Doesn't Want You to See

Steve Jobs was a once-in-generation genius who pushed other people beyond their limits to achieve something great. The reason Apple doesn’t want you to see that film—the company didn’t make any its current employees or executives available for interview—is that Gibney takes every possible opportunity to cut down Jobs.

There’s Steve Jobs the man who made computers usable for normal people, and there’s Steve Jobs the sociopath who could be an asshole to even his family and closest friends. Both accounts matter.

http://gizmodo.com/review-the-steve-jobs-documentary-apple-doesnt-want-yo-1727741715



900 million Wi-Fi networks are revealed in this dazzling map of electronic life around the world

http://www.businessinsider.com/wi-fi-map-of-largest-cities-in-the-world-2015-9



Animated map reveals the 550,000 miles of cable hidden under the ocean that power the internet

http://www.businessinsider.com/animated-map-global-fiber-optic-internet-cables-2015-9



Twitter has been criticised by a coalition of human rights groups for its decision to ban Politwoops, a social media watchdog that keeps a record of deleted tweets from politicians.

Twitter argues that the service, by republishing deleted tweets, broke its developer agreement and undermined politicians' expectations of privacy. But its defenders say that it fulfills a vital service as a watchdog.

http://www.businessinsider.com/rights-groups-open-letter-twitter-politwoops-ban-2015-9



20 Million Men Active On Ashley Madison: Why That Is A Great Wake-Up Call For Women

the sheer vastness of the Ashley Madison hack should be a powerful wake-up call for women who tell themselves that their marriage is fail-proof, and they don't have to take responsibility for their own financial wellbeing.

Never, ever abandon your career.
Never assume alimony will support you.
Be actively involved in the family finances - better for noticing affair spending.

while information for 37 million Ashley Madison member was leaked, nearly all of the 5.5 million women's accounts were inactive, and just 20 million of the men's accounts showed signs of checking emails. It's unclear whether the remaining 11 million male accounts were fake, duplicates or curious drive-bys who never interacted with the site after establishing an account.

http://inhomelandsecurity.com/20-million-men-active-on-ashley-madison-why-that-is-a-great-wake-up-call-for-women/