Archive for 2009

The free Concert Vault application from Apple’s App Store opens your iPhone or iPod touch up a whole slew of music beyond what’s already in your iTunes library. Be prepared for rare live performances galore spanning the past half-century…

The vast selection of free 3rd party applications available for Mac OS X always surprises people when they’re new to the platform. Among that abundance of software is a collection of free Mac video converters which can cover nearly any situation…

Everyone’s got their own ideas about how to ensure their personal files are kept safe from disaster, but is there truly a “perfect” backup solution? Here is what I do to keep the photos, music, and other files on my Mac intact — what’s your…

Unlike Windows, the Mac operating system does not make it easy to view the hidden files on your computer. Apple does this for our own safety since messing with hidden files can get ugly, but in certain cases it still needs to be done. Although just…

If you’ve always wanted a simple way to combine movies into a single file, look no further than QuickTime Player. There’s no need to buy the Pro version — the bundled free version is fully capable of handling the task. A lot of times when you’re…

During a recent trip to one of their retail stores I discovered Verizon is barely even trying to keep their customers from flocking to Apple’s iPhone. Are they giving in to defeat? What’s their game plan? Despite my love for nearly all things Apple, I have…

When Mac OS X automatically generates thumbnails for your videos, sometimes it gives you a dud. If you want to choose a frame that better represents the contents of a video, it’s easy to do using Quicktime. Browsing the videos saved on your…

The fourth and final segment of MacYourself’s Mac login window tricks series helps make your Mac your own. Ditch the login screen’s default background in favor of a custom image of your choice. One of the first things many people do when they get…

For the 3rd installment of our 4-part series of Mac login window tips and tricks, we’re going to show how to hide user accounts from displaying. This can be particularly useful when you have a number of users who don’t log in very often. There are…

Number two in our 4-part series about tweaking your Mac’s login window focuses on setting up a special greeting of your choice. Although it might seem trivial at first, adding a few lines of text to the login screen can serve a number of purposes. Have…

You may not realize it, but the login window on the Mac offers a useful mix of system information that is accessible without even needing to sign in. The reason most folks are probably not aware of this (unless you’re a hard-core user) is because Apple’s…

The bundled Mail application in Mac OS X is fantastic and definitely one of the programs Mac users work with most throughout the day. Staying organized is key to maintaining your sanity, so make your life easier with folders for your email and RSS…