Is there a way to securely erase an SSD on my MacBook Air?

If you have a USB Flash Drive of 8 GB of size, you can make a Lion Installer and use it to securely erase the Drive.

http://macintoshhowto.com/osx/how-to-make-an-os-x-lion-usb-thumb-drive.html

You can also make a USB Bootable Recovery Disk as explained here by Apple:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1433

Once you have done either you can hold down the OPTION key while restarting your computer and booting from it.

When it loads up, it will give you a few different options, you will need to use the Disk Utility part and highlight your HD and choose the Erase Tab.  Under the erase settings will be a security option when you can write the disk to 0 once or even multiple times.

There is a guide on it here:

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3251

See the part where it says

  How to Zero erase and install OS X

I hope that helps you out.

Updated

The guy at the bottom of this post:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1267158

points out a work around to securely erase the SSD drive in the MacBook Air through encryption.

This is what he says:

  cmace127

  I found a workaround.
  Restart the computer and hold option to enter the setup screen. Go
  into disk utility and select the drive. Erase the drive using "Mac OS
  Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled, Encrypted). Make a password for
  the encryption, it doesn't matter what it is because you won't need
  it. Hit "Erase". Now select the volume and the "Erase Free Space" and
  "Security Options" buttons should no longer be grayed out. Click and
  select your level of security and off you go. I presume "Erase Free
  Space" and "Security Options" should do the same thing because you
  just erased the drive so all space is considered free. This worked for
  me so let me know if it helps.

Let me know if that's works, this should securely erase the drive since it will then be encrypted.

Also, in the future with Lion be sure to use FileVault 2 so that you don't have to worry about this again.


How can I restore file permissions to get my Mac booting again?

You should be able to do the following:

Boot up while holding the "Option" key (or command + R for lion and mountain lion users
Since this is a Lion (or later) system, one of your boot options is "Recovery" - pick that
Once the recovery partition boots up, go to the menus and select "Disk Utility"
Find your Macintosh HD drive in the list on the left, select it
Go to the First Aid tab
Select "Repair Disk Permissions"

This will take a little bit, based on the size of the disk, but you'll be up and working. After the permissions are repairs, it's a good practice on HFS+ (your filesystem) to choose "Repair Disk" also.


How to identify if my Mac is running slow or is just over the hill?

I can't say the drive would have caused issues, as MacBook Pro models form 3 years ago came with 5400rpm hard drives. What does your system say in Activity Monitor? Any additional overhead in CPU or Disk I/O? If it's just system strain, and you have the appropriate amount of RAM, a SSD is the only additional upgrade that comes to mind.


If I understood your question, you do not want it prompting for the files to act upon and you want it to act upon all specified files, the following will do that.

In Automator, create a new Workflow. (Automator > File > New > Workflow)
Add a Get Specified Finder Items action.

Add the items you want to be in the Get Specified Finder Items action. The items can be files and or folders.

Add a Get Folder Contents action.

This is to handle if an item in the Get Specified Finder Items action is a Folder.

Add a Run AppleScript action.

Add the following AppleScript code to replace the default code.

on run {input, parameters}
    set list_of_files to input
    repeat with this_file in list_of_files
        -- indicate the proportions for the pad area
        set H_proportion to 1
        set V_proportion to 1
        try
            tell application "Image Events"
                -- start the Image Events application
                launch
                -- open the image file
                set this_image to open this_file
                -- get dimensions of the image
                copy dimensions of this_image to {W, H}
                -- calculate pad dimensions
                if H_proportion is greater than V_proportion then
                    set the new_W to (H * H_proportion) / V_proportion
                    set pad_dimensions to {new_W, H}
                else
                    set the new_H to (W * V_proportion) / H_proportion
                    set pad_dimensions to {W, new_H}
                end if
                -- perform action
                pad this_image to dimensions pad_dimensions with pad color {65535, 65535, 65535}
                -- save the changes
                save this_image with icon
                -- purge the open image data
                close this_image
            end tell
        on error error_message
            display dialog error_message
        end try
    end repeat
    return input
end run


How to create a Dynamic chart in Numbers to change dates based on cell

Yes. Open help and search for “Add Interactive Chart” and you’ll get a very good guide on how Numbers supports interactive graphics.


How can I limit the headphone max volume on OS X?

I now got a working solution based on one of the links in Michiel's answer, but let's spell it out more clearly.

What I did was to

Download volimiter, a faceless CLI application.
Pair it upp with Lingon, a launchdaemon manager.
Set volimiter to launch on login with preferred setting:

volimiter .6

.6 means 60% of volume.

Works terrific!


You could save one AppleScript for clicking each Dock icon:

for i in {1..9};do echo 'tell application "System Events" to tell process "Dock" to click UI element '$i' of list 1'>~/Library/Scripts/Focus\ Application\ $i.applescript;done

Then use FastScripts to assign shortcuts to the scripts.

I find it easier to just assign keyboard shortcuts for applications though.


Create 'New Email with Attachment (via web-based Gmail)' option in Finder?

Try mutt, the command line email client that you can use with shell scripting:

This page seems like a excellent resource:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/mutt

New email from command line:

mutt -s "Subject" somejoeorjane@someserver.com -a somefile < /tmp/sometext.txt

Now you just need to modify that to go to Drafts instead of send (I have not tried this). Anyway, you can make an Automator service that runs one of these shell commands at mutt, then make a keyboard shortcut for that service.


Is there a terminal emulator for Mac OS X that supports binding Ctrl+(Shift)+Tab?

Yes.  There is a product called iTerm2.  The best part is that it's FOSS

One of the features of iTerm2 is that you can remap any of the keys including the ones you asked about.  For instance, I remapped Ctrl+Tab to send the text "blah" it it worked perfectly.

After hitting Ctrl+Tab, it sends the keystroke:


Does Dropbox Auto Camera Upload work with iCloud Photo Library?

The answer seems to be "No". I tried various things around iCloud Photo Library and Dropbox Camera Uploads.  Here are some results.

Already since Sierra 10.12.2 (or slightly earlier?), Camera Uploads seems to only work if the iPhone is plugged in in an unlocked state.
After first enabling iCloud Photo Library, the "camera roll" contains a random selection of photos of different ages (most of them not even shot with the iPhone).
The program "Image Capture" (comes with MacOS) which can be used to manage the Camera roll shows also these old photos.
Image capture can not delete any photos from the iPhone anymore, but it can still import these old photos and new photos taken.
Dropbox camera upload does not seem to do anything anymore after iCloud Photo library has been enabled.  It does not even display the little "Camera icon" right after connection.
I share pictures with my wife through Dropbox and I do this now by periodically exporting the unmodified originals from Photos on the Mac.


On tvOS 10 and later you can enable the feature called "Automatic Downloads" - it sounds like this is what you did.

When "Automatic Downloads" is on, the Apple TV will automatically install apps that you have on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, that are compatible with Apple TV. The key is that the same Apple ID account is added to the Apple TV as you have used on another device.


Are there privacy concerns with the Built-In iSight Camera and LED Indicator?

I don't think turning off the green light while accessing the iSight is possible. I have checked the following sources for evidences against:

Security software like Prey and Undercover - They are highly motivated to do so, but unable to.
Drivers for other OS-es (Linux).
Forums, mailing lists and security advisories.

And the conclusion is:

  All Apple laptops have cameras that cannot be disabled (unless the LED is burnt out). Due to the way the iSight is set up electrically, the green light will always be on when in use.


How to recover precious photos in iCloud from stolen iphone?

If you have Windows Phone 8 you can set up iTunes on your phone and try to access your photos on iCloud.

It might not work but it is worth trying.

Follow instructions here how to:

Then try this to get the Photos moved over to the sky-drive.

iCloud Photostream sync with Windows Phone.

There are some good instructions here, but I can not verify for you since I do not have Windows 8 Phone.


Do Mac OS apps have access to MAC address?

Yes, in general macOS applications can get to the MAC address of the network interfaces in your computer.


The missing folder that the error is referring to is /var/db/openldap/openldap-data. This database directory must exist prior to running slapd. Try creating the folder if it doesn't exist and make sure that the folder is read/write by the system.


Apple Pages insert equation greyed out after 8.1 update

I had this exact problem too, and after about 24 hours of frantic searching and panic, I found a solution.

Install MathType.  Just the trial is fine.  Open Pages, go into Preferences, and uncheck "Insert equations with MathType."  Without MathType, this option is obviously greyed out and unchecked, but installing MathType checks it by default.

You should now be able to insert equations using the built-in editor.  You can uninstall MathType and it will continue to work, or has for me at least.


Does the new 12" MacBook (2015) allow for dual displays, or just display mirroring?

You get two distinct, functioning displays unless you choose to mirror. Same with AirPlay.

From http://www.apple.com/macbook/specs/ :

  Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution [2304 by 1440] on the built-in display and up to 3840 by 2160 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors


Can I use someone's Apple ID Email to Text Them on Their iPad if I Don't Have an iPhone?

Yes, you can send a text message to your friend using your Amazon Fire, to their iPad, but only if they have an iPhone as well.

If they do, then your message will either go SMS (Short Message Service), which is basically what you know as a text message, or MMS (Multimedia Message Service), which is what gets sent when you send a photo to a friend with a text messaging app.

Your friend will need to have iMessage set up on their iPad, and they will need to have an iPhone as well in order to receive SMS/MMS messages from someone not on iMessage.

The setting for this is actually in the iPhone's settings. It will not matter if you send it through an email address or a telephone number, if they do not have an iPhone, and you are not sending the text through iMessage, their iPad will not get the message. If you had an iPhone or iPad or Mac with iMessage on it, then you could in fact send text messages to one another via iMessage, as those messages travel exclusively on Apple's network.

I do not know for sure, but I have a feeling that SMS/MMS go through the Mobile Network Provider's system and only gets to Apple's iMessage network when it goes from the Mobile Service to the iPhone, which then can reroute it to iMessage and then to the devices linked to that iPhone.


Finder freezes for several minutes when opening folder for first time after restart

After further inspection, I noticed that when I first started Finder a process in Activity Monitor called InterCheck was taking up around 190% of my CPU (not sure how that's possible, but anyways).

A Google search revealed that that process is from Sophos Anti-Virus. It turns out that when I start Finder it is trying to live scan my entire disk, which is taking a really long since I had scan "inside archives and compressed files" checked. By unchecking this option, Finder loads much quicker and InterCheck spikes CPU usage briefly on start up and then goes back down to a reasonable level (which according to Sophos forums, is the normal behavior).


What's the easiest/cheapest way to replace my battery? 2009 MBP

Having recently done this for a colleague, I can answer in the affirmative that there are excellent 3rd party battery suppliers for this particular model MacBook Pro and they are quite easy to replace.

I used the Lizone battery mainly for it's high ratings on Amazon and the fact it came with an 18 month warranty (better than Apple's 1 year warranty).

Replacement was super easy.  There is a guide on ifixit.com but I didn't really need it.  I just removed the back cover, removed the screws holding the battery and used a plastic pry tool to gently pry the battery loose from the adhesive.  Installation was simply the reverse procedure.

Since I had everything opened, I maxed out the memory with 8GB of RAM and added a Samsung EVO SSD.  While I am partial to Samsung, PNY and Crucial are also very good brands.  Basically, any 2.5" SSD will work in this MacBook so pick one that you like the best.

It's important to note that the SATA interface of this particular MBP is SATA II (3GB /s transfer rate).  If you can get a SATA II drive, it will work just fine.  SATA III is backwards compatible, but you won't see increased speeds above the 3GB /s transfer rate.


Recover photos lost by a restore operation?

The main thing to note is...
Restore does not merge old & new data. It replaces one with the other.

At restore, any information currently on the device will be erased.
This applies to any device, phone, computer etc. On a computer with a regular hard disk, forensic software may be able to recover some lost data. On a flash-based storage device, let alone one like an iPhone which uses hardware encryption, this data is gone forever.

This can be something of an issue if you have important data & need to restore from an earlier backup.

For photos etc, the simplest way to be able to re-merge afterwards would be to save them in Photos, or use Image Capture etc before restoring the older backup. You could then use iTunes to re-add them afterwards, in effect as 'new' data.


Do any OS X twitter apps integrate well with Notification Center?

Tweetbot supports the Notification Center and adds clickable notifications that open in the app itself.

It does not intercept the standard Twitter notifications Mountain Lion added though, but as you mentioned, you can disable those to only see the Tweetbot ones. You can still tweet from the Notification Center after disabling standard Twitter notifications.


It seems that the cable from the monitor to the power box wasn't fully connected. I noticed this a few days ago and made sure the cable was fully connected and I haven't had my issue since. At this point, it's just anecdotal evidence, but I wanted to log the answer in case others were having the same issue. Make sure your cables are fully connected!

UPDATE I received a new monitor for the holidays but it forced me to purchase a new monitor card, one that could handle Mini DisplayPort. Now that I have swapped out the monitor card, this problem is not happening anymore. So it seems it was related to the hardware, but more likely the card had some issue that was causing the problem.


Monitor Folder Contents with launchd - Including Subfolders?

WatchPaths doesn't appear to be able to watch a sub-directory recursively, so the best you can do with it is watch a single directory's activities. You might want to take a look at Folder Actions, they're discussed in detail in this blog post titled: Setup OS X Folder Actions to Know When a File is Added as well.

Another alternative is to use a CLI tool that's available in Homebrew via the brew install fswatch command. fswatch is a cross platform implementation that works on most flavors of *NIX includes macOS.

  The FSEvents monitor, available only on OS X, has no known
  limitations, and scales very well with the number of files being
  observed.

Example

Here I've created a sub-directory called ~/somedir. I then invoked `fswatch against  this directory:

$ mkdir ~/somedir
$ fswatch /some/dir

Now if we start adding files and sub-directories fswatch will notify:

$ touch ~/somedir/afile
fwatch msg>> /Users/joeuser/somedir/afile

$ mkdir ~/somedir/anotherdir
fswatch msg>> /Users/joeuser/somedir/anotherdir

$ touch ~/somedir/anotherdir/afile
fswatch msg>> /Users/joeuser/somedir/anotherdir/afile

The above can be adapted for use in a shell script which can take whatever other actions you require when any changes are detected against the directory tree that fswatch is monitoring.

Other Examples

To act on file system activity you can use one of these 2 patterns:

$ fswatch -0 path | while read -d "" event \
  do \
    // do something with ${event}
  done

Or this:

$ fswatch -o path | xargs -n1 -I{} program

References

fswatch
Is there a command like “watch” or “inotifywait” on the Mac?


I finally found out the domain name to block in order to stop installing apps from the app store using tcpdump. The domain name is “aaplimg.com”.Use this address to configure your OpenDNS account.

I tried this method and it is working great.


How do I turn off "Close windows when quitting an app" with `defaults write`?

Tested on Mojave:

Turn off: defaults write NSGlobalDomain NSQuitAlwaysKeepsWindows -bool false
Turn on: defaults write NSGlobalDomain NSQuitAlwaysKeepsWindows -bool true


OSX - Not enough disk space to copy file

I was able to copy over the file by using the terminal. If you hit command + space and search for terminal, you will open the terminal app. There you can type ls /Volumes to list the connect devices. For me this was CRP DISABLD. Then cd into the volume cd /Volumes/CRP\ DISABLD (use a backslash to escape any spaces). You can use tab to complete the name of the Volume if you start typing the beginning of it. Then use mv or cp to copy the file over: mv ~/Downloads/STRAGE_ISP_V205.bin . (the . means the directory you're currently in). In my case all the commands were:
➜  ~ ls /Volumes
➜  ~ cd /Volumes/CRP\ DISABLD
➜  CRP DISABLD mv ~/Downloads/STRAFE_ISP_V205.bin .
mv: ./STRAFE_ISP_V205 (1).bin: unable to move extended attributes and ACL from /Users/monroe/Downloads/STRAFE_ISP_V205 (1).bin: No space left on device

After moving the file over, mv showed the warning that it was unable to copy over the extended attributes and ACL from the original file. I believe this is what Finder was also trying to do and why the copy failed when using Finder


"Battery Health" in macOS Catalina 10.15.5?

The feature is limited to Mac laptops with Thunderbolt 3 ports. While this isn't explicitly mentioned in the macOS 10.15.5 release notes issued by Apple, here's an article by The Verge mentioning it:

https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/26/21271179/macos-10-15-5-catalina-battery-health-group-facetime-portrait

  The new battery health feature will be turned on by default for new MacBooks that ship with macOS 10.15.5 or after you upgrade to macOS 10.15.5 if you’re using a MacBook that supports Thunderbolt 3 (which is any MacBook Pro released in 2016 or later or any MacBook Air released in 2018 or later).

The Battery health feature released in macOS Catalina 10.15.5 can be access by going to System Preferences app → Energy Saver and clicking the Battery Health... button. It is turned on by default.

You can learn more about by going to this Apple Support article:

https://support.apple.com/kb/HT211094

Here's a list of all the current Apple laptops that have the Battery Health feature available:

MacBook Air

MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2018)
MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2019)
MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2020)

MacBook Pro

MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2016)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2017)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2018)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2019, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2019)
MacBook Pro (16-inch, Late 2019)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2020, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)


In the bottom left corner of the window, click on the zoom control and select 100% (or any fixed value).
Click again and select Fit Width.
Scroll is fixed.


What software is available changing the default maximize button behavior in this video?

That's Moom. Very handy app for various window management.

The site has a general options list as well for the window management category at: What Window Management Options exist for OS X?


First try to restart in Safe mode that sometimes fixes minor problems.

If not, then open the terminal application and past following

defaults write com.apple.dock ResetLaunchPad -bool true; killall Dock

This should reset your launchpad.


Mac Mini volume control disabled when using thunderbolt for display

HDMI, DisplayPort and Thunderbolt carry a fixed volume digital audio signal so the external device controls the volume.  In the future Apple may implement HDMI-CEC which would allow your computer to control the external device volume via software, similarly some devices have drivers which allow them to do the same.

In the meantime, here's a workaround:

Install SoundFlower
Download SoundFlowerBed, copy to /Applications and run.
SoundFlowerBed menu item -> under SoundFlower (2ch) set output to HDMI.
System Preferences -> Sound -> select SoundFlower (2ch) as Output device.
System Preferences -> Users & Groups -> Login Items -> Add SoundFlowerBed.

Now you have two volume controls: HDMI display volume control and via software on your mac. With this setup your mac is digitally resampling the output and so Mac 100% volume + display 50% volume will likely sound better than Mac 50% volume + display 100% volume.


I fully accept the warnings other people have given here regarding running finder as root... but in a limited scenario it is very useful.

The OP had a problem using the:

  sudo /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/MacOS/Finder

I suspect he/she may have also been using something like TotalFinder or XtraFinder

If so, then use the options in the custom menu for these add-ons to restart Finder.

Alternatively:

Run the command above (sudo Finder) in terminal
You will notice the hard drive icon overlayed on your desktop for root... but it is probably not clickable (hence the error message)
Then open a new tab in Terminal (so the sudo tab is still running) and kill the standard Finder (without using Sudo)   "killall Finder"
You should now be able to double click on the overlayed HardDrive desktop icon, or...
In the same non-Sudo tab of Terminal, just type "open ."

One other point to note... if you're wanting to browse as root, you probably also want to see hidden files. So before starting all this, type the command below into Terminal. This is a permanent setting, so you only need to do it once for the root user.

  sudo defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE


Apply display settings for a folder recursively

I think your question fits with this thread and my answer to it:
System-wide finder view preferences

Short answer, it isnt that easy, but if you are willing do to some work you can make it happen.


Transfer Audio output of my MacBook wirelessly

I now found a good solution. The Belkin Bluetooth Receiver. It only costs 30$. Way cheaper than the AirPort+Airfoil Solution. AND it only has 100-400ms latency. Cheaper, faster and better sound.

But one final note:

You have to change the bluetooth settings a bit to make it sound perfect. Disable bluetooth, add the following lines and reboot.

defaults write com.apple.BluetoothAudioAgent "Apple Bitpool Max (editable)" 80
defaults write com.apple.BluetoothAudioAgent "Apple Bitpool Min (editable)" 48
defaults write com.apple.BluetoothAudioAgent "Apple Initial Bitpool (editable)" 40
defaults write com.apple.BluetoothAudioAgent "Negotiated Bitpool" 58
defaults write com.apple.BluetoothAudioAgent "Negotiated Bitpool Max" 58
defaults write com.apple.BluetoothAudioAgent "Negotiated Bitpool Min" 48


Where does Transmit 4 store temporary downloaded files?

The opensnoop program is remarkably useful, but to answer the actual question in case somebody is in a quick bind, for Transmit 4 the location of the temporary files is:

/Volumes/<Macintosh HD>/Users/<current user>/Library/Caches/Cleanup At Startup/Transmit/server-to-server-B18AC7A9-81C6-4AAD-8F2C-6CD70E65D7FD/data-file-being-transferred

Transmit appears to clean up after itself within a second or two of the upload completing. The name and path of the folder implies to me that the system might clean it up if Transmit doesn't get the chance.

Update 26th July 2018:
Latest version (5.1.5) appears to store a file at a time in:

/Volumes/<Macintosh HD>/Users/<current user>/Library/Caches/Transmit/[UUID]/<host server>/path/to/file

The files are cleaned up more or less immediately after uploading to the destination server (afaict) but the subdirectories seem to stick around for some period of time (such that I now have ~600 files in the Caches/Transmit directory. Perhaps this is used for some logging or history, etc.


Volume Overlay Displaying Incorrectly/Not Centered

I would try a few things.

Check if BezelUIServer is running constantly (in Activity Monitor). It should only start (for short durations) whenever you display an overlay (called Bezel by Apple). That server is actually located here:
/System/Library/LoginPlugins/BezelServices.loginPlugin/Contents/Resources/BezelUI/BezelUIServer
If you can download the OS X Installer, you might be able to extract the specific "LoginPlugin" from the installation disk and overwrite it (with an admin account) under: /System/Library/LoginPlugins/BezelServices.loginPlugin
There appears to be a configuration file com.apple.BezelServices.plist under /Library/Preferences. You might want to reset this file (just rename it and see if OS X just re-creates it for you).
Attach a secondary monitor and make that your primary screen (with both displays setup side-by-side and not to mirror). This way you might see if the overlay is also misplaced on the secondary screen in the same location. It might have something to do with your graphics card (settings) and you might get a different result if that has to display two monitors.
Also run Disk Utility and to Verify Disk Permissions then Repair Disk Permissions and also Verify Disk and Repair Disk if necessary, but this may require you to log in from a recovery partition.
If nothing works and you really want this fixed, you could reinstall OS X, but you should really backup your files for this one. Well, in your case with the MacBook acting up, I would do that in any case! There is a very simple step-by-step guide from Apple here: https://support.apple.com/kb/PH18872 and it goes like this:

  In the menu bar, choose Apple menu > Restart. Once your Mac restarts (and the gray screen appears), hold down the Command (⌘) and R keys.
  Select Reinstall OS X, then click Continue.
  Follow the onscreen instructions. In the pane where you select a disk, select your current OS X disk (in most cases, it’s the only one available).


Getting videos directly into the Videos app


Use the Manage Storage feature to check what is using the majority of your storage. It is quite common for app data to be using a large amount of storage which can be easily missed.

Also update your device if there is an update available as it may have been downloaded to your device but not installed and can take up around ~2GB.

Keep in mind too, that iOS, when installed generally takes up about 3GB - 5GB of storage and that the actual formatted capacity of devices is usually a bit less.


Is it possible to back up in-app purchases and game saves?

Normally apps that sell in-app-unlocks (as apposed to like packs of currency or the like) will have a button to restore purchases. This will give you the unlock again after it checks your account.

It is dependant on the app though. IF the game has login system with a username and password etc, then it may keep track of the purchase from your login information.


The mail database is probably messed up a little. You can often fix mailbox folder issues by rebuilding them. It's easy to do.

Open Mail.app and select the mailbox with the email in question. That's the MAILBOX not the message. From the Mailbox menu select "Rebuild" (at the bottom of the menu) and let Mail do its thing. Depending on the size of the mailbox this can take seconds or quite a bit longer. When it is done I usually quit mail and re-launch. Not sure of that is strictly necessary though.


Why does my phone say I can't backup to iCloud even after deleting lots of video?

Your answer lies deep in the settings app on your iPhone.

Go to iCloud - Storage & Backup - Manage Storage - your device

Backup settings allow you to save space in iCloud by excluding app data in the next back up. You can toggle on more and more buckets of data until the estimate is low enough to allow the next backup attempt to succeed.

When you turn off data under iOS 7 where it says Backup Options: Choose the data you want to back up. - this does delete the backup copy of that data, so consider paying for more space (or cleaning up elsewhere) if you cannot afford to lose that backup copy.

Assuming you have data you are willing to risk losing or is backed up to iTunes on a computer, then you can clean enough space and add things back slowly (triggering another backup after each addition) once a small minimal backup has been completed successfully.

Furthermore, if you go to the above screen and turn off Camera Roll backup, it will prompt you to delete these files from the iCloud server backup, freeing the space immediately (just because you delete the videos on the device, they take up backup space on iCloud until you purge the backup by category or delete it entirely and start over).

Your iCloud space has to remain full of files that were backed up and now deleted on the device for it to function. After a few days of backups, the old backups expire and no longer take space but in your case you might want to purge them intentionally rather than wait for it to happen programatically.


Is there more efficient way to use the usb c ports for external display on macbookpro?

Your monitor supports daisy chaining over displayport 1.2
According to the manual you can connect the two displays together and then use only one cable to your device. (page 26/71)
Note that your graphics card must support it as stated on the page:

  NOTE: U2413/U2713H support the DP MST feature. To make use of this feature, your PC Graphics Card must be certified to DP1.2 with MST option.

I dont believe apple enables these options though, I found this answer on this site which also states that it does not work in osx Sierra.
You could always try and see if high Sierra makes a difference.


Can I use non-apple headphones with an iPhone?

Here is the visual comparison of Apple TRRS plug and a standard TRS plug.

On the top you can see a 4-pin headset connector. A headset connector needs to be using the same TRRS standard, or it will not function properly if at all.

On the bottom you can see a 3-pin headphone connector. Any headphone connector will work fine.

Standard 3.5mm jack stereo headphones have a 3-conductor configuration of TRS (Tip, Ring, Sleeve). The pinout for these connectiors is: Left Audio, Right Audio, Ground. Connectors for headphones with a mic have an additional ring which results in a 4-conductor TRRS configuration (Tip, Ring, Ring, Sleeve).

There have been different TRRS standards:

The original OMTP configuration, which was created by Nokia and has a pinout of Left Audio, Right Audio, Mic, Ground.
AHJ (American Headset Jack) with a pinout of Left Audio, Right Audio, Ground, Mic.
CTIA, named after The Wireless Association, which replaced AHJ and has the same pinout. CTIA jacks have improved compatibility to support not only AHJ but also OMTP. CTIA is by default required for Android device manufacturers.

Source: All About Windows Phone

Wikipedia has a short overview for which device uses which standard.

At last a few points to note:

Plugging an OMTP headset into an AHJ jack, and vice versa, will result in the audio-out being inaudible or very quiet. Converters to switch between the two types of headsets are readily available, but do add extra bulk, and may not work reliably with remote control functionality.
Apple uses a CTIA/AHJ connector arrangement, but uses a non-standard microphone and volume control signaling method. Simple commands like Play/Pause and Skip however should work across modern mobile devices.


You need to use a tool that can write a plist such as defaults.

defaults write ~/Desktop/gametocheat/my.cheat.preference '{ "Filter" = { "Bundles" = (foo); }; }';


It may be necessary for the Bluetooth demon to be stopped when deleting the file. Here's what worked for me (some of this may be unnecessary or redundant):

Turn off bluetooth, e.g. from the toolbar icon.
Run this command (you'll probably be prompted for your password):

sudo pkill bluetoothd \
    && sudo rm /Library/Preferences/com.apple.Bluetooth.plist \
    && sudo pkill bluetoothd

Go to the Bluetooth System Preferences pane and click the "Show bluetooth in menu bar" checkbox twice (to remove and then re-show it).
In the Bluetooth System Preferences pane, delete the device you want to connect to.
Turn on bluetooth.
Turn that device on and in pairing mode.
Pair with it.

It was not necessary for me to do anything with the SMC or NVRAM, or restart the machine.


None, to be frank. They all feel approximately the same in my opinion - the MacBook white 2010 has a lighter feel than the Pro or Air which to my senses are pretty much the same.

Both the current models and the now out of production white macbook have the same keyboard, to all intents and purposes, apart from the air and pro have a backlit keyboard which possibly leads to a heavier key press - although that might just be because my white machine is older and slightly more worn.


iOS / iPadOS mouse scrolling not working

The scrolling feature appears broken since I have the same issue. A workaround is to move the cursor to the area you want to scroll. Press and hold down the mouse button and move the mouse forward or backward. This will scroll the area you selected.


Encrypt external USB thumb drive on MacOS High Sierra

This is an example workflow to encrypt an USB thumbdrive with HSF+ (Journaled) with diskutil using the command line.

Assuming you start with a MS-DOS formatted USB stick.

Step 1: List all currently mounted disks diskutil list:

/dev/disk2 (external, physical):
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:     FDisk_partition_scheme                        *8.1 GB     disk2
   1:                 DOS_FAT_32 MYSTORAGE               8.1 GB     disk2s1

You see the disk MYSTORAGE has the identifier disk2s1 and is DOS_FAT_32 formatted.

Step 2: Now format the disk disk2 as HSF+ (Journaled):

diskutil eraseDisk JHFS+ "New Storage" GPT disk2

The name of the disk will be "New Storage". At this time it is not yet encrypted. Look at the list of disks diskutil list:

/dev/disk2 (external, physical):
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *8.1 GB     disk2
   1:                        EFI EFI                     209.7 MB   disk2s1
   2:                  Apple_HFS New Storage             7.7 GB     disk2s2

Step 3: Now you see the "New Storage" partition with identifier disk2s2. Encrypt this partition using:

diskutil cs convert disk2s2 -passphrase

Enter the passphrase when prompted.

If you list the disks now, you also see the encrypted logical volume diskutil list:

/dev/disk2 (external, physical):
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *8.1 GB     disk2
   1:                        EFI EFI                     209.7 MB   disk2s1
   2:          Apple_CoreStorage New Storage             7.7 GB     disk2s2
   3:                 Apple_Boot Boot OS X               134.2 MB   disk2s3

/dev/disk3 (external, virtual):
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:                  Apple_HFS New Storage            +7.3 GB     disk3
                                 Logical Volume on disk2s2
                                 8B474F90-34B7-49FE-95E0-E8B260C51CCF
                                 Unlocked Encrypted

If you skip step 3, you can also encrypt the disk using Finder:

Just right-click on the drive and select "Encrypt drive-name".

  Caution: If you choose this alternative approach, the disk gets formatted as APFS encrypted disk!


Could these two flex cables be the culprit?821-2697-A (Keyboard Backlight) 821-00507-03 (IPD)

Yes, they could be the culprit.
Are they, however?  Who knows.  You have to do proper diagnostics to determine what is wrong.  Simply looking at something is just guessing.

Could replacing keyboard backlight flex fix my keyboard problem?

Possibly, if it is what's causing the issue.
You have to test the cables - that means checking continuity and resistance on each pin.  It can also be the keyboard controller.  It can be any number of things and only putting hands-on and doing actual diagnostics can you be certain.
It's understandable that you want some more certainty than guessing, but unless it's blatantly obvious like the cable is burnt or cut, nobody can simply look at a picture of an electrical component and tell you proof positive that it's the failure point.  If it were obvious, you wouldn't need to ask.


iOS apps "could not be purchased at this time"

This thread on Apple Support Communities has an extensive discussion of the problem. People there deserve credit for finding this solution.

It seems to be caused by a problem in the internal SQLite database file that iOS uses to track downloads from and journal interactions with the App Store. The solution is to wipe the file. The file itself isn't really important; for the most part, it's just a local record of past downloads. AFAIK, the only supported thing you can do to clear that database is a full wipe and restore from backup; however, the free tool iExplorer is able to delete it.

In the iExplorer interface:

Open your device, and navigate to Media > Downloads
In the Downloads folder, you’ll find a file called ‘downloads.[some number].sqlitedb’
Delete that file (Optionally: back it up first.)
Reboot your iOS device. (A clean, empty version of the sqlite database will automatically be created.)

Ta-da! You should be free of that problem... unless some future download re-triggers the underlying bug. (Only Apple can fix that.)

For those curious:

I did some poking around in that SQLite database. It seems that there’s a bug somewhere that is resulting in occasional entries in there with a flag indicating they need to be purchased -- but the App Store itself rejects the purchase attempt for reasons such as “you’ve already purchased that app”.

Specifically, a value of 1 in the ‘is_purchase’ field of the ‘download’ table in that sqlitedb file seems to exactly correspond with the name and count of apps that “cannot be purchased” in the super-annoying dialog box.


OSX Yosemite My Calendar Icon Stopped Updating

This is a little old, but for those still looking for a quick fix:

Open up the terminal and enter the following command:
'killall Dock'

This should reload your dock, including all of the icons thus updating the date displayed in the calendar icon.


Activitate Voice Dictation from Bluetooth Keyboard

As of iOS 5.1, Voice Dictation is not capable of being started from external keyboards.

There is a workaround.  The solution is that when you want to dictate, press the ⏏ key (eject) on your external keyboard.  This should bring up the virtual keyboard on the screen, from which you can then start dictation.

Note: This key doesn't work like other function keys until you have tapped into a text entry field and have the flashing cursor.


Why does iTunesConnect ask for export compliance for every iOS app submission?

Each submission could end up live on the store and each change could have export implications.

You could not update things if it's a hassle to do the paperwork, but I don't see any chance that this will be relaxed due to the severity of the penalties Apple would face if they didn't ask and a developer did add content that needed to be classified according to U.S. Law.


If you use Vine Server VNC as the server on the mac and open up port 5900, and VNC Viewer on the PC (or any other vnc viewer) you'll be fine.  Its not native, but its more flexible.

This, of course, is a free solution.

See this thread on mac screen sharing:

Controlling a Mac remotely

Vine Server here:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/osxvnc/

UltraVNC (client viewer only):

http://www.uvnc.com/download/1082/1082viewer.html


Printer will not print, status: "Hold for Authentication"

the problem could be also related to storing a wrong password in the Key Chain Access; Go-->utilities--> Keychain access
search for the printer and then update the password.


That is what is normally referred to as macOS, or "The Operating System". If it increased in size it may be the virtual memory (or "page file"). Note that I said "may."

I would look for a utility like Omni Disk Sweeper, Daisy Disk or Disk Inventory X and run it on your HD. Those utilities allow you to see a graphic representation of your drive sorted by file size. Which should show you what is eating up your disk space.


Task Switcher moves to non-primary display on Mavericks-Catalina

I answered a similar question here - cmd-tab behavior on Mavericks with multiple displays

The Task Switcher does follow the Dock.  If the Dock is on screen 1, the Task Switcher will appear on screen 1.  If the Dock is on screen 3, the Task Switcher will appear on screen 3.  Etc.

To make your Dock appear on a screen you can use a couple of methods.

Method 1 - Move your mouse to the bottom of the desired display.  Don't stop once you reach the bottom of the display though, try to move it further down, as if you're pushing down on the bottom of the display with your cursor.  This action tells the Dock to move to this display.  This is temporary however, meaning the Dock will stay on this display until you perform this action on another display or reboot your Mac.

Method 2 - This will change the default starting point for your Dock.  In System Preferences > Displays > Arrangement you can drag the menu bar from one display to another in this windows display icons.  See the attached picture for reference.  This alters the default preference to always show the Dock on the desired display, the one you drag the menu bar to in this preference pane, when you boot and/or login to your user account.  You can still use method 1 to temporarily change the Dock's location but upon a reboot it will return to the display specified here.


How do people who recently bought a Macbook Pro get the free upgrade to Lion?

The Lion up to date program is public. It currently says the deadline to ask for a free copy is August 19, 2011 and macs purchased on or after June 6, 2011 are eligible.

Otherwise, Mac OS X 10.7 Lion will cost you $29.99, and is available on the Mac App Store (link). You can also go to an Apple store to download it (if you have a slow connection), and Apple will be making a version on a USB thumb drive available for $70. (More info here.)


How can I combine USB-C peripherals into a single cord?

You may be searching under the wrong names. I've (personally) not seen any USB-C hubs. Don't know if a "splitter" is even possible. However USB-C is now commonly used as a "dock" connector.

It run at speeds that allow you to connect monitors, video cards and other high bandwidth devices. If you do a Google search for "USB-C dock" you will find a number of devices that have multiple ports on it including (often) multiple USB-C ports.

With a USB-C dock you only need one plug when you connect up at home, everything else is plugged into the dock.


Creating SHA-2 certificate using keychain assistant

Turns out this was just my misunderstanding of how to read the certificate info and the various SHA algorithms.  I saw SHA-1 and SHA-256.   I did not realize the latter was a SHA-2 variant.  Apologies for any confusion this question may have caused.


External mouse/keyboard @ LG display no longer recognized over thunderbolt

IT crowd to the rescue...

It was not the macbook (tried everything: updating MacOS, resetting SMC, NVRAM, updating drivers, safe mode etc.). Simply disconnecting and reconnecting the display from the power solved the problem.

My only excuse is that the monitor was in standby many times during these trials, so I kind of thought it was turning off and on again. That wasn't enough, though.


Which countries / regions are iTunes / Apple vouchers available for?

Unless someone has assembled a Wikipedia entry to track this, you would need to read the terms and conditions for each country.

The website is optimized for people to find out terms in one region at the moment.

https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/

Back in the early days, 2012, there was a matrix for this, but as the store has grown to 150+ countries and services, OS, features have made maintaining that a multi dimensional chess board of trackers.


Does an iTunes backup to my computer save restrictions settings?

Yes, Restriction settings are backed up and will be restored.

Note that if you restore to a different iPhone, you’ll need to do an encrypted backup for the restrictions pass code to be backed up and restored.


What should I do to be able to log in to MobileMe without Unknown Validation Error?

I was having trouble logging into my Apple account so I could send a card from the Cards app earlier today. It eventually worked, but only after a ton of tries. Since it all uses the same validation service, there is a possibility that it is currently undergoing maintenance. Try again in a few hours and see if it is still not working.

http://www.apple.com/support/systemstatus/

Apple has a nice service status page you can check, but my experience is that sometimes the Authentication servers are overloaded or not working even when all the lights on the dashboard are green.


Can I use a different language wireless keyboard?

You can get one on eBay, shipped from Hong Kong, for £34…

but yes, a US or UK one would work too - except the mapping would not be what you may be used to.

Though I may have a Japanese nickname;-) I've never actually used a Japanese keyboard, so I'm not sure what differences there may be in the layout.


MacOS turn off sync with iPhone for a while

Create a new user account (or enable the Guest user) on your Mac (System Preferences -> Users and Groups)
Log out of your account
Have your friend log in with the new or the guest account

Using a separate accounts prevents any messages from showing up, it also ensures that nobody will be able to mess with your data.


15 Pin Joystick (old style PC) to USB solution for OS X

As long as it is the standard USB joystick interface, those adapters should work with macOS just fine.

You can use programs such as USB Overdrive, Joystick Mapper or GamePad Companion to map the buttons and axes to match your game and joystick.


This is very much off topic as it is unrelated to Apple hardware/software.  However, I wanted to point you in the right direction.

The problem that you are running into is that

In your httpd.conf, the directory permissions are not set properly
Your .htaccess file is not configured properly
The system doesen't have the correct permissions for the directory

The best thing to do is consult the Apache documentation about the VirtualHost directive.

The Server Fault and/or Super User boards here on Stackexchange would also be beneficial to solving this particular problem.


How do I map a Mac function to an 'unfindable' Windows keyboard key?

[Facepalm] Press and hold the key, that's how. I guess it's a 'hold' so as to avoid lighter presses/brushes?

So much for my first question on AskDifferent…

Thanks me! You're welcome, me!


Not that I know of, no.  However, there is an app called Documents Pro ($5 US, and definitely worth it) that would do something similar to what you want.  The difference is that it connects via WiFi as a network drive as opposed to connecting via USB.


How can I make a bootable USB copy of Mojave downloaded from Apple when the file is an app and not a disk image?

Follow the createinstallmedia directions here: How to create a bootable installer for macOS
For the sake of completeness, here’s the command you would run in Terminal to create the install media for Mojave (it’s slightly different for each OS version):
sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Mojave.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume


Is there a way to enable Two-factor authentication for my apple id without any physical device?

No, you require a physical device to set up two-factor authentication.

  Two-factor authentication is available to iCloud and iTunes users with at least one device that's using the latest iOS or macOS.

Availability of two-factor authentication for Apple ID


smb not working for me on 10.13.6 (dtruss inside)

Oh my god..

it appears to be a problem with a 3rd party kext

see Mac mini can't connect to my corporate SMB server. Was working some days ago

WTF apple. Fix your damn Error messages.


I suspect that the Clock application is code-signed, which is likely what is causing the crash.  I tried to do the same LSUIElement change in the plist file to Clock.app and it gave the same crash.  Some research told me the following:

  There's one more step to the process if the developer has signed the application with an Apple Developer Certificate — and that includes all Mac App Store applications. Without this step, you'll likely get a crash when opening the app. To prevent this, you'll need to re-sign the application using the following command in the Terminal:

  sudo codesign -f -s - /path_to_app/appname.app

  Replace "/path_to_app/appname.app" with the path and the application name that you just tweaked the Info.plist for. After doing this, press enter, and enter your password. The application will be re-codesigned and you should be able to launch the app without any issues.

source: http://www.maclife.com/article/columns/easy_mac_hacks_run_os_x_applications_without_their_dock_icon

I have downloaded Clock.app, Added the LSUIElement key to the plist file, and I resigned the application, and it seems to have had the desired result you are looking for.

There are some considerations though, the only way I could close the app without a dock icon was to use Activity Monitor and kill the process.  The link I pasted above also gives a few more warnings you should read before doing this.

Make a backup, try it out, and let me know if you have the same success I did?


Mojave upgrade complete, but warning that Server is out of date?

Appears to have been some kind of bug.  Later on received an app update that fixed the issue.


What are "dmgpart" files and what tools can create, merge, or manage them?

Yes, you're correct. The hdiutil man page has a section on "segmented" files, disk images which are split across multiple files.

Note that simply double-clicking on the first file should automatically mount the entire disk image, taking the others into account with no extra work!
Looking at the old man pages, we can still see segmented disk image support way back in OS X 10.2 Jaguar. (Earlier man pages aren't available there, so it might have existed even earlier.) I'm not sure the extent of support for mounting them in the GUI, but I suspect it was functional back then as well.
I'm not sure about the maximum size of a dmg file, but the man page mentions the limit for sparse images:

  The maximum size of a SPARSE image is 128 petabytes; the maximum for
  SPARSEBUNDLE
                            is just under 8 exabytes (2^63 - 512 bytes minus 1 byte).  The amount of data that
                            can be stored in either type of sparse image is additionally bounded by the
                            filesystem in the image and by any partition map.

A sparse image expands as necessary when files are added to it, in contrast to a disk image which actually takes up as much space as you allocate for it.

Basically, with modern filesystems that support very large files (8EB for HFS+), you're much more likely to hit disk capacity constraints than anything else. It might be more convenient to split your files for network transfers, DVD distribution (as you noticed), and the like.
Disk Utility doesn't provide a GUI for creating these segments, but you can split an image using hdiutil directly from the command line. You specify the base filename and the size of each segment. An example, directly from the man page:

hdiutil segment -segmentSize 10m -o /tmp/aseg 30m.dmg

  creates aseg.dmg, aseg.002.dmgpart, and aseg.003.dmgpart.

I also found an application called DMGConverter which has a GUI for segmenting disk images.
You can merge the files using hdiutil convert, for example:

hdiutil convert firstFile.dmg -format UDRO -o output.dmg

which will automatically include the .dmgparts.
See #4.


Can`t log in to MacBook Pro after starting encryption for home drive. What can I do now?

Unfortunately, that's just how it works currently. The easiest solution is just move the home back to the encrypted startup disk.

Otherwise you'll have to do something goofy like create another user so you can log in, unlock the disk and then log out/back in as you.


How do I fix iTunes could not copy unknown error (-5000)?

The solution was simple - it was a permissions problem.  On the Mac, here are the steps I took to fix:

Note the song that fails, on my case it was a Zeppelin song.
Using the terminal, cd to the directory containing the song
Run ls -la and note the owner/permissions of the file that fails, in my case it was an alternate username I was using at one point, let's say that username is paulhewson, and your real username is hewson
Run sudo find . -user paulhewson from the top level music directory (~/Music), this shows all the music that is owned by this alternate user
This command will change the owner to your normal username: sudo find . -user paulhewson -exec chown hewson {} +

I suspect this error could result from any sort of permission problem, in some cases maybe read-only or locked files, in which case you'd want to chmod or unlock the files.  If there are multiple types of permission problems, you may need to repeat this process a few times.  Might be easier to chmod/chown everything in music, but I tried to avoid that so I didn't cause other issues.

Credit to this question for help with the find command to change ownership:
Change owner for all files owned by x


How do I fix a file that crashes Numbers?

Your best bet is to report a bug in Apple Numbers using this form:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/numbers.html

Be sure to include the exact version of Numbers you're running as well as the complete crash log, or at least this part of the stack trace:

  Thread 0 Crashed:: Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread
0   com.apple.iWork.Numbers         0x000000010e4ccbca 0x10d523000 + 16423882
1   com.apple.iWork.Numbers         0x000000010e3e11ab 0x10d523000 + 15458731
2   com.apple.iWork.Numbers         0x000000010e3e1061 0x10d523000 + 15458401
3   com.apple.iWork.Numbers         0x000000010e3ca64c 0x10d523000 + 15365708
4   com.apple.iWork.Numbers         0x000000010dd6a9c7 0x10d523000 + 8681927
5   com.apple.iWork.Numbers         0x000000010e3ca5bc 0x10d523000 + 15365564
6   com.apple.iWork.Numbers         0x000000010dc0124d 0x10d523000 + 7201357
7   com.apple.iWork.Numbers         0x000000010dbebd2b 0x10d523000 + 7114027
8   com.apple.iWork.Numbers         0x000000010d5327ec 0x10d523000 + 63468

Apple will have the debug symbols that tells them, which specific functions are involved in the crash.

Then you have to sit tight and wait until a new version of Numbers comes out where the bug is hopefully fixed. It is entirely likely that the bug won't be fixed, so don't get your hopes up too high.

Fixing the file yourself requires intimate knowledge of the Numbers file format, as it sounds like you might have a valid file that crashes Numbers - and not a corrupted file. It is very hard to give advice on how to fix the file yourself when you're not sharing the file in question.


Why does Python keep popping up and occupying my CPU?

Python with a capital P is the launcher app, found at /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/Resources/Python.app
This is used when a python script uses MacOS GUI components, such as creating a window, dialog or file panel.
It's likely that some process is calling a python script to do something. What that is and why it's using so much CPU is unclear without more analysis. In Activity Monitor, you can see what files the process is using, which would be a place to start.


It may be a GPU issue: check to see if your MacBook Pro that may have been manufactured with a defective GPU.


Launch daemons

On macOS, Jenkins runs as a launch daemon, or simply daemon, which is just a fancy name for a specific way to have a program run in the background. According to Apple’s developer reference, a daemon on macOS is:

  [...] a program that runs in the background as part of the overall system (that is, it is not tied to a particular user).

Launch daemons are associated with a macOS-internal process called launchd, which runs all the time. One of launchd’s various responsibilities is to (re-)launch a daemon whenever it deems it necessary. This also explains the behavior you described that Jenkins seems to respawn on its own after it is forcibly sent the KILL signal.

Stopping and uninstalling Jenkins

There is more than one way to stop a running Jenkins instance. As per the original documentation of the Jenkins installer for macOS, the following steps are the recommended way to terminate a Jenkins instance on macOS:

Open Terminal.app (you did that already; if not, type terminal into a Spotlight search field and hit Enter)
If you want to stop Jenkins only once, run the following command:

sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.jenkins-ci.plist

If you would rather uninstall Jenkins altogether, also run the following command (including the single quotes):

'/Library/Application Support/Jenkins/Uninstall.command'


It sounds like Winamp has claimed podcast/RSS feeds, rss://, on your computer. This means when an podcast/RSS feed is clicked, Winamp is launched rather than iTunes.

The BBC's Podcast help suggests copying and pasting the podcast link directly into iTunes:

  Subscribing using iOS, Android or Window

  Select your operating system. Once you have installed your chosen
  software simply click on the relevant button and the software will do
  the rest.

  Subscribe using a feed reader

  Clicking on RSS will take you to the actual podcast feed page.

  Some browsers may display instructions at the top of the page in which
  case simply follow them.

  Or, you can copy and paste the feed URL into a new feed in your
  podcast software or feed reader - just look for buttons or links
  marked "Add feed" or "Subscribe".


Lost connection after spoofing MAC address

From man ifconfig:

ether   Another name for the lladdr parameter.

lladdr addr
    Set the link-level address on an interface.  This can be used to e.g. set a new
    MAC address on an ethernet interface, though the mechanism used is not
    ethernet-specific. The address addr is specified as a series of colon-separated
    hex digits.  If the interface is already up when this option is used, it will
    be briefly brought down and then brought back up again in order to ensure that
    the receive filter in the underlying ethernet hardware is properly reprogrammed.

So loosing the connection is the expected behavior here.


If the broken key is one of the characters, not function, or modifier keys:
Set up a text replacement for say ZZ -> A (broken key).
System preferences > Keyboard > Text.

https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/change-keyboard-text-preferences-on-mac-mh27071/10.14/mac/10.14.6

Word and other non-Apple apps can have their own text-replacement preferences that would have have to be set.
A long-winded way is to set up a "Service" or a Script Editor's "Script" to keystroke the key you need.

How do I automate a key press in AppleScript?


Routers that are compatible with Time Machine

Just to clarify, the term "router" is incorrect here mostly because it is used incorrectly by manufacturers who sell products in the retail market.
A router is neither compatible nor incompatible with Time Machine.  A router simply routes network traffic (packets) from one network to another.
What these retail "routers" actually are is an amalgamation of

the network router (described above)
a network switch
a WiFi access point
a NAS (network attached storage)
a server (DHCP, DNS, Web, etc.)
whatever other nonsense they try to jam into an overpriced, but severely under powered, extremely low quality SoC (System on Chip) covered by flashy plastic.

What is incompatible is the NAS functionality of the device.   Specifically in this case, the protocol(s) the router manufacturer chose to include don't include support for Bonjour.
Solution:  Buy a separate NAS Device
Relying on a single device that is literally at the edge of your network (meaning it's the security between your internal network and the rest of the WWW (wild wild web), it's risky to store your backups there.
Instead, get a separate NAS device that supports Time Machine.  Like the Synology (I personally use the DS212j at home)   It fully supports Time Machine and is designed to be a NAS and functions as such.
If you have an old computer you can install FreeNAS on it and basically get the NAS for free.  If you have an old Mac, you can turn it into a "server," make a shared directory and backup Time Machine(s) to it over the network.
Bottom line:  Backups are important.  Put it on reliable hardware, not devices that add it on as an afterthought.


How to move existing reminders to iCloud in the reminder app?

Tap the item
Select "Show more..."
Tap "List"
Select the list where to move the item.


Location of OSX Lion Mail Server sent mail

Ok, I found my error. The sent messages folder is into the same directory of the inbox, under /Library/Server/Mail/Data/..., but it's hidden From Finder and ls as it is named with a . To start the folder name - .../.Sent Messages.

My mistake was to copy the contents of the backup folder to the newly created folder without checking the presence of hidden folders. My mistake is your answer if you fall into the same "trap".


App Downloading at a Different Size than App Store says

For some time now, iOS automatically clears app caches when your iPhone storage approaches full.

For this reason, there is little need to interfere by cleaning the caches manually. However, if you still want to clear the caches yourself, there are apps on the App Store that offer this functionality. 'Battery Doctor' (free) is one example - it offers many maintenance tools, including the option to delete 'junk data' from your phone


Can I airdrop an image from Chrome to my iPhone?

there is no way as i know only you can do is to save that image and then airdrop it


My new iMac connects to my router, but not to the internet. How to fix?

You are connecting your Mac to the router via WiFi.

The first thing to check is that your Mac is asking for an IP address and your router is giving it one.

Open System Preferences > Network and select "Wi-Fi" in the left hand pane. On the right is should say "Wi-Fi is connected to [router name] and has the IP address [IP address]"

If it does you have a deeper problem, if it doesn't say that but instead says it has a self-assigned address that start with 169 then you have a DHCP problem.

Click on the "Advanced…" button at bottom right and in the Advanced pane click on "TCP/IP". Make sure that "Configure IPv4" is set to "Using DHCP" and then click on "Renew DHCP Lease" and see if you now get a good address.

if you are getting a good address from your router then try something simple, run "ping -c 5 google.com" on the command line and you should see ping send and receive 5 packets.

If neither of those work then please run ifconfig at the command line and you will see a number of blocks starting with an interface name of "en" followed by a number. Your wireless is probably "en1" or "en0". Paste this output into your question and we will have a look at it.


Enabling OS X 10.9 support on 10.8 (Mountain Lion)?

Just because some of the SDK is there from 10.9 does not mean that you have enough of it to run 10.9 software.  So unfortunately you can either upgrade to 10.9 or sit it out on 10.8.


Feasible to check out XML file from QuickLook?

When installing Textmate 2 you get QuickLook support for a bunch of data files including XML, Json etc.


How to  use the built–in VPN Server on Mac OS 10.6.6

Looks like this is what you're after, though I haven't tried it myself.

http://blog.theilluminatedengineer.com/?p=136


Can I see the stored WLAN settings on my iPhone?

As mentioned by others, jailbreaking is the easiest way. But if you really don't want to, you can back up the iPhone and use a tool like Backup Extractor to view the .db file that stores the settings.


How can I restrict only iPad to be connectable to USB port of Mac?

There are two basic solutions for restricting access to computer ports -- software-based, and hardware-based.

A software-based solution would probably be best in your case, but it might not be cheap.  There are security software packages available to block access to devices that are not on a "whitelist" that you establish.  One commercial example is Endpoint Protector.

Hardware-based solutions involve physically blocking access to certain ports.  The "meathead" way to do this is using epoxy.  People have done this, but it is generally not recommended as it is completely irreversible.  You would glue an iPad adapter cable into one port, then fill the other ports with a putty (to prevent epoxy from getting inside the computer where you don't want it) and glue over them.

There are a few USB port "locks" on the market that physically block USB ports -- for example, Kensington USB Port Lock ($15).  But you'd still have to epoxy an iPad adapter cable to your computer to allow iOS devices to connect while preventing access to other devices.


Is there a hack for "Save As..." command?

With the File menu open, press and hold the Option key to get the Save As... command.

Update: Some new users of macOS may be concerned about the discoverability of the command, as it is not visible by default in the Pages menu bar. And most users aren't aware that the Option modifier key can alter the behavior of commands.
An alternate discovery approach that new users can take to discover a command is to go to the Help menu and search for the desired command. A match, if available, would be highlighted, along with its keyboard shortcut, even if it is not directly available in the app menu. The same is illustrated below for Save As... command in Pages for macOS.

The trick works in any native macOS app.


Deleting songs on computer from an iTunes playlist

In iTunes, select the song in your playlist and press ⌘ cmd + ⌥ alt/option + ← backspace.

It will prompt you to delete the file from your iTunes Media folder as well as the playlist itself.

To do this completely from the keyboard, enable Full Keyboard Access to All Controls (from System Preferences → Keyboard → Shortcuts) to be able to tab to the Delete File button, then press Space to 'click' it.

Alternatively, you could create an AppleScript or Automator action that runs on a BetterTouchTool shortcut/gesture to do this in one step.


Is there any possibilty to choose a next song on Spotify when the app is minimalized?

The keyboard key fast forward works for me without issue. Thats the alt F9 key.
It skips to the next song.


Anker Charger 45W for Macbook Pro 15 inch 2017

Yes, it will be safe.

When using lower capacity chargers the risk is primarily to the charger, not to your MacBook Pro. However, it's mainly only quite low capacity chargers (e.g. those used for some smartphones, etc) that are going to be at risk.

In the case of the Anker PowerPort+ 5 Ports USB-C, it's actually a 60W USB wall charger and is specifically designed to charge devices such as your MacBook. According to their product description page, it is designed to charge the MacBook at a full 29W speed-almost twice as fast as a standard USB-C charge (note that by standard they're not referring to Apple's MBP chargers).

What you will find in comparison to your Apple charger is that it will charge the battery slower. How much slower will depend on a number of variables, such as whether your computer is sleeping/shutdown or whether it's actively being used. And, if it is being used, it will depend on what you're doing. If you're doing CPU intensive tasks (e.g. video editing, playing graphics intensive games, etc) then it will charge slower again.

However, in a nutshell, your MBP battery will be totally fine.

Finally, you may be interested in reading up on what Apple says about it's batteries. And you may find coconutBattery useful. It provides a whole heap of information that you'll find useful, and from memory includes both Discharging with and Charging with measurements in watts!

NOTE: I am not affiliated with coconutBattery in any way.


How to create a file with a specific Created at time?

SetFile can also be used to set the creation date before the modification date or in the future.

-d date    Sets the creation date, where date is a string of the
           form: "mm/dd/[yy]yy [hh:mm:[:ss] [AM | PM]]" Notes:
           Enclose the string in quotation marks if it contains spa-
           ces. The date must be in the Unix epoch, that is, between
           1/1/1970 and 1/18/2038. If the year is provided as a two-
           digit year, it is assumed to be in the 21st century and
           must be from 00 (2000) through 38 (2038).

This would set the creation date to the modification date:

SetFile -d "$(GetFileInfo -m test.txt)" test.txt

SetFile and GetFileInfo are part of the command line tools package, which can be downloaded from developer.apple.com/downloads or from Xcode's preferences after installing it from the App Store.


2 iPhones, 1 computer. Why are they now both running on the same iTunes account?

Why not log out your iTunes account so that he can log in his iTunes account?


To switch back to a wired connection, connect the Ethernet cable.
  Apple TV will switch to the wired connection automatically. Apple TV
  prioritizes a wired Ethernet connection.

According to Apple


Application to add lyrics to iTunes library

Check Lyrica 2 (1.99$), Get Lyrical and GimmeSomeTune.


If you accidentially disallowed Skype app accessing your microphone on iOS7 you can change the setting via: Settings -> Privacy -> Microphone -> Skype


You can toggle "Show Image Background" in "View" menu (⌥ alt+⌘ cmd+B). This will produce "chess" pattern instead of the clear color. Example (I've set white color around this rectangle to be transparent):


How to keep a VPN connection alive on an iPhone?

According to this thread this is standard for most users. But there is Jailbreak solution with external app called Insomnia

Insomnia is an iPhone native application that, when enabled, will prevent the iPhone from sleeping, thus overriding its default behavior. This allows background applications to continue to run and WiFi to work long after the screen has been switched off.
(The iPhone's default behavior is to sleep 30 seconds after the screen has gone off, when not docked and charging that is).

Downside of this is your cpu etc is still running so battery will go down quickly.
There is also a tweak for Cisco VPN with SBSetting with Jailbreak that might work for non-Cisco software (as in the built-in VPN) but as I haven't tested it it's hard to say :-) It may be that the blog mentions the built-in VPN but I can't verify it myself. It's not clear whether it mentions Cisco app or the built-in VPN (and just names it Cisco VPN).


Can I replace a MBP 2012 SSD with the Flash storage from a MBP 2013?

Out of the box, definable you not.  The 2013 MacBook Pro laptops use a proprietary PCIe interface whereas the 2012 used a SATA III interface.

There may be a PCIe to SATA adapter, but I haven seen any that are compatible with the Mac’s proprietary interface.  Even so, SATA SSDs are very cost effective right now, so it’s not practical to add that extra layer of complexity by putting an adapter into the mix.


How to stop folders being modified when you look in them?

Simply looking in a folder doesn't change the date modified. This only happens if Finder makes a change in the folder, for example to create a missing .DS_Store file. It's not possible to disable the creation of .DS_Store files for local volumes using Finder, see Never create a .DS_Store file again.


Is there any application to control iTunes using a GUI over its own dock icon

I am not yet aware of anything like I've mentioned in the question, but HyperDock Mac application seems to be the closest thing to what I want. It adds window previews -similar to those on Win 7- to dock apps and enables special functionalities for apps like iTunes, Spotify to play/pause, next etc. You can also assign shortcuts.


How to not show search results for the whole Mac?

In Finder Preferences, in the advanced tab you have an option to choose where the search starts from.

When performing a search:

Search This Mac
Search the Current Folder
Use the Previous Search Scope


Want iTunes to stop synching podcasts FROM my iPhone

On iOS5, just right-swipe over a podcast episode to show the delete button.  This isn't available on earlier versions.


Edit Menu > Find, or CMD+F

The Find dialog has a "Replace" section in it, and a "Replace All" button.


Do iPhones use active scanning to find Wi-Fi networks when Ask to Join Networks is off?

Since iOS8 the MAC is randomised while scanning for wi-fi networks. I believe that has since been adopted by most devices.

The REAL MAC is only used after connection to a network.


How to get 4 channel audio from a MacMini?

Your Mac Mini has optical audio-out, which supports multiple channels.

Apple has cleverly put a little optical transmitter inside the headphone jack (many Macs have this, not just the Mini). To turn it into something useful, you have to use a little adapter (like this one to get a Toslink signal.

From there, it gets interesting.
You say that your speakers have to jacks. I assume you mean two analog 3.5mm (headphone) jacks.

Unless your speakers have a digital or optical input, you'll need to get a receiver that can do the digital-> analog conversion. Something like this should work (there are tons of options, this is just the first one I found).
The key is to look for something with digital/optical in, and 4+ channel preamp out.

Another option: The Mac Mini has HDMI out. You can find a receiver that has HDMI input (like the one above), and 4+ channel preamp out.


How to clear or delete my recent TextEdit.app documents list?

Open TextEdit and click on File/Open Recents. At the bottom of the Open Recents menu item is an option to clear menu. Click on this and all prior menu items will be removed.


Finder’s trash can is an amalgam of several different directories:

~/.Trash/
/.Trashes/<uid>/ on each volume (including the startup volume)
e.g. /Volumes/Big Media Volume/.Trashes/501/

Most trash operations will move the trashed item to the directory under your home directory. If you trash something on an separate volume, however, Finder will move the item into the volume’s /.Trashes/<uid>/ directory instead (because moving a file to a location on the same volume is very fast, but copying a file from some other volume to your home directory’s trash directory could be quite slow).

Try checking your main trash directory (in a Terminal window):

ls -ld ~/.Trash

If the result does not look like start with drwx------ and show your user’s “short name” twice (the second is actually a group name), then your personal trash directory has probably been fouled. You can move it aside then logout and login again:

cd ~ && mv .Trash .Trash.old
# now logout and re-login

This should create a new ~/.Trash directory for you. You may want to investigate the contents of the .Trash.old file/directory to try to determine its origin.

If the problem is with a per-volume trash directory, you should be able to use the same idea: move it aside, eject it, then remount it (disconnect and reconnect an external disk, reopen a disk image, use Disk Utility to remount an internal volume):

cd '/Volume/whereever' && mv .Trashes .Trashes.old
# then eject and remount

You may need … && sudo mv … if the volume has “Owners Enabled”.


Registered my iPhone on my ex's Mac and now I have a ton of overages

Probably not, considering there is no way to access your plan or wireless service from a macbook, you shouldn't have to worry about that.

I would check the settings (view and adjust data use https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201299) on your phone and ensure that someone isn't swiping it when you are not around and playing games (like some smart kids.)

If that doesn't fix the problem I would recommend calling your phone provider and investigating, someone else may have access to your plan via calling up your service provider and adding additional phones, or you may be billed on accident.


The drive is probably NTFS, and OS X can't write to that. Either reformat it as FAT32/ExFAT using Disk Utility, or use an app like http://www.tuxera.com/products/tuxera-ntfs-for-mac/.

The current top-rated answer is incorrect about OS X not being able to write to FAT32 partitions.


Since it got wet, I'm inclined to believe this is hardware damage.

I recommend that you give it another few days to dry, without use. Keep it completely unplugged for this time.

If that doesn't work, run Apple Hardware Test. If it finds problems, take it to the Apple Store for service.

Good luck.


Is there an updated version of the iPad's checklist app which allows sub items

OmniOutliner does this sort of thing, and more, but I don't believe the stock apps on the device even come close to accommodating sub-items. The Reminders' app is very limited in functionality, and it is the closest thing to a stock app that handles lists.


MacBook Pro early 2011: sound loop, black screen

It is a case of desecrete GPU failure. Most of the Early and Late 2011 MBP are prone to this failure. The culprit is the AMD GPU. See more at the links below.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/suddenly-bunch-early-2011-macbook-pro-owners-running-video-problems/

http://www.cultofmac.com/262861/early-2011-macbook-pros-dropping-like-flies-heat-issues-blame/


Why is the shortcut to "select previous tab" not reliable in Safari?

I've never experienced this in Safari, and I expect there is some sort of conflicting shortcut. Either that, or "quite frequently" your mouse focus is in Flash or Java, and shortcuts aren't being sent to the browser (which doesn't seem terribly likely given the frequency).

Due to having switched to Safari after several years in a row of using Chrome and Firefox, I've set the Previous/Next Tab commands to ⌥+⌘+←/→, using System Preferences. Again, I've never had any issues with switching, so I'd suggest (if you're willing, and can't find the source of the problem) to set it to another shortcut you can remember.


Check your network connection.

Open System Preferences
Click on Network, on the button Assist me... and then on diagnostics.
Choose your Network e.g. LAN and check the connection.

If you have at this point no problems

Click on the Network Window on the button Options.. and to the DNS Register.
Check if any other DNS entries are there unless the standard entries from your Router.
If additional entries you can delete them if you click on the minus (-) button below.

Check if the problem exists.

If you have any Network Software or (bad Antivirus) on your mac, please disable temporary.

Clear the System Caches in that order...

Restart your mac and hold down the shift-Key during startup.
This will start in the Safe Mode. You no need to login, after the startup is done, you can restart your mac.
During startup hit the buttons Command + ALT (Option) + R to boot into internet Recovery.
Choose from there Disk Utility, check and repair the permissions of your System drive.
Restart in normal Mode and check if the problem exists.


Strange behaviour of services menu in some apps

Command-Control-T is used to add files/folders to Favorites Sidebar in Finder. May be you should try some other shortcut.


Alias use from Terminal - What's the magic recipe?

Aliases are special files for OS X and currently only supported by GUI apps.
They contain information about the target object wich allows the finder to find the original location even if the target has been moved across filesystems.

There is some C source to build a tool that gets the target name out of an alias file (Link to source code), but I think to use it in the way you would like (cd) this is not that practical. Ex:

cd `./getTrueName Multitimer`

As mentioned in the first answer, ln is the right tool to use if you don't need the advanced Alias features:

ln -s <sourcepath> <targetpath> does not allow for target movement.

ln <sourcepath> <targetpath> allows for target movement, but only on the same file system.


Mac chooses wrong date/time which is 7 hours ahead of the timezone chosen

Check in System Preferences → Region & languages to see if "Region" is set correctly.

When the device has wrong date/ time, the location will also not get updated. (I don't know the correct reason, I've just seen this a few times.)

So the time will also be wrong since correct location has not been determined.

So to break the loop, you need to enter correct time at least once. Then verify that you can connect to internet in Safari and then set date/ time to auto.


All calls from Viber and Skype are appearing as normal calls after updating to iOS 10. How do I disable this?

I don't think it is possible to revert back to old settings now. I have opened a ticket with apple to get the users freedom to either use or not use. The setting like Setting -> Phone -> Service provider makes perfect sense. Lets see if apple provides this capabilities or not.


As a test I created an Automator app that just copies finder items to a directory.  "Copy Finder Items" Action

And then used

theFind=`mdfind -onlyin . 'kMDItemContentType == com.microsoft.excel.xls'`;automator -i "$theFind"  /Users/UserName/Desktop/testF/test2.app

The backpicks  "`"  insure that the first commands result is placed in the variable theFind and then we can pass theFind onto the next command by calling it with "$theFind".  The quotes around it also in sure any text passed on is quoted.

The Automator app is then passed an Alias list.

  {alias "hard drive:Users:Username:Dropbox:Kit:Unit2.xls", alias "hard
  drive:Users:Username:Dropbox:Kit:Unit3.xls"}

So depending on you other actions you may need to convert them to POSIX paths.

  {"/Users/Username/Dropbox/Kit/Unit2.xls", "/Users/Username/Dropbox/Kit/Unit3.xls"}


iTunes 12 will not play albums - just one song at a time

iTunes doesn't move to the next song by default, it moves to the next checked song.

If all are unchecked, that's your issue.

To recheck, in 'Songs' mode, select the top one, scroll to the bottom, shift/click the last one.
Right click > check selection.
[it might say 'tick' not check, I'm not sure if that's input language-dependant…
US check == UK tick]


'Choose file' sidebar options disappeared

The kind of items in your case hidden are named Favourites. To show them, go to a site where you can upload a file (e.g. https://encodable.com/uploaddemo/) and then click on "Choose File", like you said. When you are prompted to upload something, just hover your cursor on the Favourites line, located on the top of the sidebar. A "Show" button will be shown (no irony, at all). Click it and all of the items will re-appear. Done!

If you have any more issues with this, feel free to comment.


Entering superscript text (exponents) in TextEdit?

You can superscript style any text by highlighting the text and then selecting Format -> Font -> Baseline -> Superscript from the menu in TextEdit.

It's not assigned to a keyboard shortcut by default. To assign it to a keyboard shortcut go to System Preferences -> Keyboard and click on the Keyboard Shortcuts tab. Select Application Shortcuts from the left hand list and press the + button button below the right hand list to add a new application-specific shortcut:

From the menu that pops up select TextEdit as the application (otherwise the shortcut will be made for all applications). For Menu Title enter Format->Font->Baseline->Superscript and for Keyboard Shortcut (assuming OS X 10.8 or higher). Put your cursor in the box and press the combination of keys you want to use for the shortcut (I used Cmd+Shift+= in my screen capture example):

Press Add button to store the shortcut. You might have to restart TextEdit for the shortcut to appear.


MacBook Pro instability over the last few months

i hate this beachball, but you can do some things, first is to start with cmd+r and go to terminal and write     csrutil disable and reboot. now your sip is disabled and you should  enable it in the same way when your finished with this steps:

Go to About this    mac under the apple in the upper left and click
on More info
Click on system report
make a note of what it says after Model Identifier

go to your masterdrive–System-Library–Extensions–
IOPlatformPluginFamily.kext-Contents–Plugins–ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin.kext–
Contents–Resources – find the name from step 3 and move it to a
folder that you can find again if needed.

Now reboot and check, if your mac is running better. you can also    check in disk utility the kerneltask before and after youremoved the    file. dont forget to enable your sip now.
what is about your cpu    temperatur or fan, to high? you can solve this
only by disconnect you    battery and powersupply. Now hold down the
on/off button for min 5    better 10 seconds. Rebuild your batterie
and reboot. Next thing is pr    ram reset, start while holding
cmd+option+p+r, wait until you hear    the loud mac startup sound
and release then the mac start up again.    clear cache by start
while holding shift, log in and reboot.  that    should make a hugh
    difference like before. you can run from time to    time in terminal
    sudo purge   to clear your used ram. cheers**


Can photos be added to a shared iCloud photo stream album even after it has reached 5000 photos?

First of all, to remove any confusion, iCloud's My Photo Stream, and iCloud Photo Sharing are two different things, and will behave differently.
iCloud Photo Sharing
From the FAQ:

How many photos and videos can be stored in a shared album?
A shared album can hold a maximum of 5000 photos and videos combined. When you reach your limit, you must delete some photos or videos before adding new ones.

My Photo Stream Limits

Uploads to My Photo Stream per month: 25,000 photos

Also note that photos are automatically deleted from your photostream after 30 days.


Autodesk has discontinued this app and is no longer available to download.

You can take a look at Autodesk Remake or Tinkercad. I've heard of people finding success with that who were previously using 123D Catch.


This is not actually a question about Apple.

The number is not associated with the phone, but with the subscription (your carrier's HLR maintains a relationship between SIM and phone number). Depending on your foreign carrier they may let you retain the number while not in use, or even forward calls to the US phone (at a cost).


How to get automator to trigger folder action when file is downloaded by Google Drive Sync

I just tested this process and it works for me.  First I would not have Google Drive sync files directly into your “Process Folder”.  Let Backup and Sync download and sync everything to and from the Google Dive folder on your computer.
To do this, quit the Backup and Sync app. Then go to Finder and temporarily move the current folder it is synching to, to a different location. Then launch Backup and Sync app and in your menu bar Click —> Backup and Sync and then Locate. Find your Google Drive folder and click Open.
After that is all set up and working correctly, go back and move that folder that you temporally moved, back to its original location.
Next, we will create a Folder Action to attach to your Google Drive folder.  Now, when files are added to that Google Drive folder and after they are finished synching, the Folder Action will move the synched files to your “Process Folder”.  Once that happens, those files should trigger your already existing Folder Action attached to the “Process Folder”.

After inserting the path to your “Process” Folder (between the quote marks in this line)…
property processFolder : alias ""
Save this following AppleScript code in Script Editor.app to your /Users/YOUR_SHORT_NAME/Library/Workflows/Applications/Folder Actions.  folder
property processFolder : alias "" — insert path to your “Process” Folder

on adding folder items to theFolder after receiving theNewItems
    --  Called After Items Have Been Added To A Folder
    --
    --  theFolder is a reference to the modified folder
    --  theNewItems is a list of references to the items added to the folder
    repeat with thisItem in theNewItems
        tell application "Finder"
            (move thisItem to moveToFolder) as alias
        end tell
    end repeat
end adding folder items to

if you don’t know how to properly get the path to your “Process” folder, run this following one line of code in a separate document. It will let you choose the “Process” Folder and the correct path will be stored in your clipboard. Then you can paste that (between the quote marks in this line)…
property processFolder : alias ""
set the clipboard to (choose folder) as text

Now all you need to do is go to Finder and right click on the Google Drive Folder and select Services/Folder Actions Setup… and attach the Folder Action script you just created


How font sizes at iPhone 6/6+ compare to earlier iPhones?

Above all, text must be legible. If users can’t read the words in your app, it doesn’t matter how beautiful the typography is. When you adopt Dynamic Type in your app, you get:

Automatic adjustments to letter spacing and line height for every font size
The ability to specify different text styles for semantically distinct blocks of text, such as Body, Footnote, or Headline
Text that responds appropriately to changes the user makes to text-size settings (including accessibility text sizes)

Make sure all styles of a custom font are legible at different sizes. One way to do this is to emulate some of the ways iOS displays font styles at different text sizes. For example:

Text should never be smaller than 11 points, even when the user chooses the extra-small text size. For comparison, the body style uses a font size of 17 points at the large size, which is the default text-size setting.
In general, font size and leading values differ by one point per text-size setting. Exceptions to this are the two caption styles, which use the same font size, leading, and tracking at the extra-small, small, and medium settings.
At the smallest three text sizes, tracking values are relatively large; at the largest three text sizes, tracking values are relatively tight.
The headline and body styles use the same font size. To distinguish it from the body style, the headline style uses a heavier weight.
Text in a navigation controller uses the same font size that body style text uses for the large setting (specifically, 17 points).
Text always uses either regular or medium weight; it doesn’t use light or bold.

iOS Human Interface Guidelines: Color and Typography


how do i backup my iphone 4 without knowing my passcode ?

Nope, unfortunately for you, one cannot backup his iOS device without knowing the passcode.

The reason likely comes from Apple not wanting backups, albeit passcode-protected ones, made by others who are not authorized by the user to do so. Also, though it would take very long, if the reward was great enough (like cracking a celebrity's or an executive of a rival company's iPhone), one could restore the backup on a same model iPhone running the same version of iOS, guess some passcodes until the iPhone erases itself (as a security measure, iPhones can be set to erase themselves after 10 failed passcode attempts) or the time penalty for incorrectly guessing becomes greater than the time it would to take to restore the backup, the cracker would just restore another backup and guess some more passcodes, eventually guessing the right one.


How to change the language on date and time stamp in MS Word for Max 2011?

Head over System Preferences » Language & Region and make sure you don’t use Chinese for Calendar option.


Stop the message 'A software update is required to connect to your iPad' without doing a software update

You can't. Usually this is a very small update which allows your more recent iPad running iOS 14, to connect to your Mac running a macOS version pre-Big Sur.


iPhone 6 and iPhone X: Mail app not showing attachments correctly

As the Internet search has yielded that the problem is also being faced by others, but hasn't yielded any solution, it's most likely a bug with the stock Mail app.

A likely resolution would be to use the official email client app from the email service provider (Outlook in this case). Official app is more likely to work bug free compared to Apple's Mail app.

The stock Mail app can be easily uninstalled on devices running iOS 10 and later as outline in this Apple Support document:

Remove built-in Apple apps from the Home screen on your iOS 10 device or Apple Watch.


Install Monokai Theme on Terminal with prompt colors, etc.?

See this answer on the Unix & Linux SE. There are a number of additional colors that can be used in a 256 color terminal.

You can view the colors in Terminal, and see their codes, by running this bash script. (There is a also a color chart in the above linked post, or IMO a more readable chart here.)

#!/bin/bash

color=16;

while [ $color -lt 245 ]; do
    echo -e "$color: \\033[38;5;${color}mhello\\033[48;5;${color}mworld\\033[0m"
    ((color++));
done

Once you determine the colors you want, and have the color codes, you can use them in a PS1 prompt like shown below.

48;5;# where # is the color number you want, sets the background color.

38;5;# again # replaced with the color number, sets the foreground color.

In my case I wanted the default background that Terminal set when it was launched, and I use 0 to note this. (You can also see that toward the end of the sequence \[\e[0m\] - same idea, using 0 to reset everything to the default.)

export PS1='\[\e[0;38;5;166m\]\u@\H\[\e[0m\] \w $ '

The below screenshot shows my original, default prompt, and then how it looks when I sourced .bash_profile after defining PS1:


TimeMachine inconsistant with backed up data. How do I access earlier data from the backup - they ARE there, Time Machine just doesn't show them

I think you can actually go in and get the files you are looking for without using Time Machine per se. Just open the .dmg file and navigate to the files you want and copy them elsewhere.


How about the iStock widget for your Mac's dashboard?

An other option is StockMeter which has Growl support indeed and you can install it in the menu-bar of your Mac, so you've got fast access to the data.


Is it okay to install a second RAM chip?

Crucial RAM will almost certainly work with the existing.

Their configurator is pretty good at getting exactly the right RAM for the machine.