Category Archives: Mac reviews

When it comes to home networking – wireless seems like the best solution.Although,while one Wi-Fi is working on its own in some magical way,you may soon face the fact that as your neighbors add on their own wireless networks your own Wi-Fi speed will diminish.This issue can make it hard to stream a video via YouTube and Netflix,or play video games online.Luckily,there are a few measures you can take in order to avoid this kind of interference.
So,this is what you need to do.
What you are going to need:
AirPort Utility
Free iStumblr application

Possible Symptoms
Some of the widespread symptoms of wireless networking interference are:
- Weak or low signal
- Signal dropping,even when close to the base station
- Slower than usual speeds,even without any traffic on the network
- Streaming video,audio or over-network file transfers halt,and then restart

What is the cause of these symptoms?
Picture a room full of people.They all are talking.Now,would you be able to get a clear about what all these people are talking about?Unlikely,and if you try to talk louder,someone else in the room will get louder and they’ll drown you out.
Wireless networks are the same.People in the noisy room are wireless base stations that send out a wireless signals (sound waves) to others.When communication begins, a louder base station interrupts the conversation by sending out its signal,creating the noise in the wireless medium.

Here is the thing – unlike the licensed bands,such as those used by cell phone providers,TV,radio stations and others,that are not allowed to interfere with each other and are limited by the FCC to specific regions,Wi-Fi is an unlicensed band,however,and can legally interfere with other networks in the same 2.4GHz frequency.This happens all the time when wireless networks are located too close to each other.
Let’s check out four different ways that we can solve this problem in.We are going to show you how to make these changes using an AirPort base station,but almost any wireless router will allow you to make similar changes.
1) Change channels
One of the easiest solutions that you can solve the Wi-Fi interference problem with is by changing router’s broadcast channel to one not being used by surrounding routers.
Using iStumbler you can figure out what channel surrounding wireless routers are using.You need to pick a channel for your router that is not being used by other routers.
This is very easy to do with the help of AirPort Utility (or your router’s configuration page),and go to Wireless>Wireless Options and pick a new channel from the drop-down menu.Most routers are automatically configured to select the “best” channel to broadcast on,but,you can change it to a specific channel if you are experiencing repeat Wi-Fi interference issues.

2) Move the base station

As simple as that,if you continue to have issues with your wireless connection – try to move your router to an opposite side of your house or apartment,or closer to a place where you’re going to use Wi-Fi the most.

Another,least desired option is to offload some of the wireless strain on your network by using wired connections on your main machines.This can be done by plugging directly into your router,or by using LAN over power-line options.

3) Switch to 5 GHz Band
2.4 GHz is the most widely used band in the wireless networking,although,Apple has only implemented 5 GHz networking over 802.11n. What that means is that if the interference is really bad – you can switch to another band and avoid the interference that 2.4GHz networks throw at your router.
Keep in mind,that the 5GHz network is only available on 802.11n devices and 5GHz-supported base stations.
If you want to change the band of your AirPort router – go to the Wireless Options panel in AirPort Utility and select 802.11n only (5GHz) from the Radio Mode drop-down menu.

4) Reduce Power Output
Finally,another way to reduce the interference is by playing nicely with surrounding routers. For instance, when you have your radio output power set to maximum,other routers may have diffiulty transmitting at their lower power,and it may cause them to transmit longer,leading to more interference in the wireless medium.
To change the output power you have to get the older version of AirPort Utility and navigate to your base station>Manual Setup>AirPort>Wireless>Wireless Network Options. Once you get there – select a transmit power that is lower than 100% (you can pick between 10%,25%,50% and 100%).

Don’t forget to update your configuration once you are done.

Last week Apple issued a third preview of OS X Mountain Lion,bringing the operating system known as Mac OS X 10.8 one step closer to us!Going to install it as soon as it’s released?Here are a few steps that would help you to prepare your machine for the next OS X that is coming out this summer.

OS X Mountain Lion is going to bring a whole bunch of new iPad-inspired features and updates,based on what Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 and OS X Lion 10.7 have already achieved.While developers are dealing with the preview build,we have to just sit and wait….or,do we??

Here is a list of things to do in order to prepare for the arrival of OS X Mountain Lion

Test Drive the Messages Beta

One component of OS X Mountain Lion is actually available to OS X Lion users – a free beta of the new Messages app,which replaces the former iChat and introduces unlimited messaging between the Mac and iOS devices. You are going to need Mac OS X 10.7.3 (the latest version publicly available) to install Messages,so,make sure to hit Software Update and get current before downloading.
Other than iMessages between iOS devices and the ability to send,photos,videos,attachements,contacts,locations and more,users can also initiate a FaceTime call from the Messages beta,as well as communicate through the more traditional AIM,Yahoo!,Google Talk and Jabber platforms as well.

Remember,it is not that easy to return to iChat once you’ve installed Messages – although,knowing that OS X Mountain Lion will eventually replace it anyway – there is no need for you to worry about that.

Bone up on New features

Apple has really surprised us all with a sneak peek into what’s coming with OS X Mountain Lion. Nevertheless,with the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) kicking off on June 11 in San Francisco,you can be sure there will be some last-minute updates and additions that developers haven’t had a chance to see before.
Most likely, developers will receive a close to final version of Mountain Lion at this year’s WWDC.Despite the fact that there shouldn’t be any of the new things Apple hasn’t publically anounced yet,somehow,things find their way onto the Internet.
For instance,this week’s OS X Mountain Lion Developer Preview 3 build presented a new “Do Not Disturb” setting to Notifications Center,allowing Mac users to hide alerts and banners when they need to stay focused on a specific task without any distractions.There will definitely be more such innovations yet to come,so it’s good to stay tuned when new builds reach developers,so you can be ready when OS X Mountain Lion comes onto your Mac this summer.

Get Current

If you’re still playing with Mac OS X Snow Leopard – either from laziness or,maybe,you didn’t really like the changes with OS X Lion -the time has come for you to sign the truce with Mac OS X 10.7 and pay the piper. You are,most likely,going to need to install OS X Lion before you can enjoy the Mountain Lion.
If you are still hanging with Mac OS X Leopard 10.5 – there is even more work for you to do.Especially,if you are a MobileMe subscriber.That service is going end up in flames on June 30,2012,which means you’ll have no other options,other than transition over to iCloud in less than 60 days,whether you like it or not.
The good thing about it is that Apple offers a free installer DVD for Snow Leopard 10.6 to MobileMe members just by asking – when installed,you can purchase OS X Lion from the Mac App Store and be ready for Mountain Lion’s arrival.
If you use OS X Lion,the task is going to be much simpler for you – run Software Update to make sure you’re using the latest version,currently 10.7.3. (developers are currently palying with 10.7.4. beta that seems to be almost complete and that means that the new version might be available very soon).

Clean your system
Apple is planning to release major Mac OS X releases on an annual basis in order to be on the same page with iOS,so now it is crucial to keep your Mac tidy and clean,so you can deal with the problems that might occur before you need to install a new operating system version.
The first recommended step is to take inventory of your Applications folder and chuck anything that hasn’t been used in a while.

OS X Mountain Lion should install just fine over your existing software,though,it is not a bad idea to archive some of your files that are no longer needed,perhaps,to an external drive or some other media,and then delete them from your system drive.

Back your stuff up
You’ve heard this so many times,and yet,sometimes these words are not sinking in at all: Back your stuff up!!!Transition to OS X Mountain Lion should be pretty simple – buy it from Mac App store and wait a bit as it installs – but,sometimes,things can go wrong,so you better be prepared.

A lot of people think that productivity of their work depends on the size of their screen.They assume it’s difficult to get much work done on a small screen.Now,that is one big misconception.You may use a MacBook Air with 11” display and follow these simple tips to maximize productivity with the small screen:

1) Hide Inactive Apps

Use “Command+Option+H” to hide all applications and windows except for the active app, you can also “Option+Click” out of a specific app to hide it as you begin working elsewhere.Hidden apps are really easy to find once you enable transculent icons in the Dock.

2) Auto-Hide the Dock

Press “Command+Option+D” to enable auto-hiding of the Dock,summon it when needed by swiping  to the bottom of the screen with the cursor.Dock is an awesome app launcher,though,it is better to keep it hidden when not in use.

3) Use Full Screen Apps

Full screen apps help you to keep your focus and make the most out of small screens.This feature was designed for Mac laptops,so don’t refuse to use it.Click on Arrows icon in the upper right corner of an app to enter into full-screen.

4) Use Virtual Desktops

Create new desktops via Mission Control by hovering over the right corner and clicking the “+” button. Use this with full screen apps to create a great desktop workflow that can quickly be swiped between

5) Assign Window positions and split screen

Another tip.Utility apps that assign window positions and split the screen between active apps are very useful if you use a laptop.There are a lot of free options available.You may use them anytime you need to see two apps at once.

6) Use an External display ot AirDisplay

If possible,it might be a good idea to connect a portable Mac to an external display.It might be an iPad or AirDisplay – it might sound like cheating,but,this will definitely improve your productivity!

Finally,after Apple’s release of software updates that can clean infected Macs and prevent infection,the number of Flashback-infected Macs is decreasing.But,is it safe for IT departments and average Mac users to relax and forget about the crisis?Hell no!This whole Flashback-situation was nothing but a wake-up call to It and security professionals,as well as to average users – Macs are not invincible anymore!
Analyzing the Flashback events of the past couple weeks,we got five main themes and lessons to consider when it comes to Mac security.

1) Mac malware threats do exist,even though they’re still pale,compared to Windows security issues.
The important thing here is to understand that Macs are going to be targeted more and more each day,since the platform gains more traction with consumers and businesses.The antidote for Macs malware should be locked and loaded before another threat occurs,because nobody knows when that might happen.Although,the number of malware threats for Macs is still fairly small,compared to Windows threats.
2) Macs do need malware protection,and it should be centrally managed
It seems like almost every IT shop relies on security software that’s centrally managed and includes malware protection.The good thing about the centrally managed system is that IT alerted to infections may deal with them in an instant – either remotely,using the central management console,or in person – at the infected machine.Having your malware protection centrally managed allows you to deal with any threat as quickly as possible.

3) The best malware protection for Mac may not be the same as the best antivirus software for Windows.
Here is the thing.With this whole Flashback situation Windows-oriented security and anti-virus producers weren’t the first companies to respond to the threat.On the other hand,Intego,which specializes in Mac security solutions,had already determined the threat,before Flashback became a big story.Now that is something you need to think about.The next major Mac threat might be way more dangerous,it is just a matter of time.For that reason,it’s a good idea to look at Mac protection options,rather than simply sticking with the same vendor that produces malware protection for Windows.

4) Companies need to invest in the training and resources in order to effectively protect their Macs
A lot of companies,especially small or mid-size businesses,with a small amount of Macs,technicians and system administrators don’t really know how to effectively lock down and secure Mac systems.They assume that default OS security settings should be enough – and that is like playing with a time bomb.If the company wants to have a good,solid protection,it needs to invest into training and resources to build up an effective protection mechanism.

5)Companies need to ensure BYOD Macs are protected
If a company is considering adding Macs to the BYOD mix it needs to learn how to protect those Macs for the sake of their owners and the safety of the company as well.

Your worst nightmare came true – your Mac got lost or stolen.So what happens to all of your content and data now?Luckily,there’s a solution.With the help of iCloud,you can remotely erase all of it’s content.Not only that,remotely wiping a Mac takes it one step further – it locks your Mac down,so it becomes unusable,unless you enter a set passcode.It also displays a message you provide.This is a great anti-theft protection and even if you end up never using it – it won’t hurt you to know how it’s done.

Requirements:

1)iCloud configured on the Mac in question

2)OS X Lion 10.7.2 or later installed on the Mac

3)Access to a web browser and iCloud.com, or the Find My iPhone iOS app (free)

So,once you meet the requirements,here is how you use the remote wipe feature:

1)Go to iCloud.com and click on “find My iPhone”,or launch the Find My iPhone app in iOS.

2)Locate your Mac on the map and click the “i” next to the computer’s name.

3)At the Info screen,click on “Remote Wipe”.

4)Enter a passcode twice for recovery,this will be necessary to know if the Mac is recovered,so that it can be unclocked.

5)Enter a message to be shown on your Mac after it has been wiped.Putting your name and your contact information might be a good idea.

Your Mac will be wiped clear of all your data and become completely useless until the passcode has been entered.This rates up with some of the most esssential anti-theft software.In addition,the fact that iCloud and Find My Mac is absolutely free to use,there is no reason not to have this option in case of emergency.