http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/features/howto/ en webmaster@macobserver.com Copyright 2009 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:33:14 -0400 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/the_mysteries_of_rosetta_housekeeping/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/the_mysteries_of_rosetta_housekeeping/ Rosetta is a software technology that allows Intel-based Macs to run most, but not all, of native PowerPC applications. This How-to explains some details of using, enabling, disabling and status checking Rosetta. Tips, How-To Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:15:26 -0500 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/bbedits_command_line_functions/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/bbedits_command_line_functions/ With BBEdit 9.3, a new terminal command has been added: bbfind. That's in addition to the previous commands: bbedit and bbdiff.  Here's a brief introduction on how to use these commands. Tips, How-To Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:04:14 -0500 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/making_64-bit_booting_on_a_mac_permanent/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/making_64-bit_booting_on_a_mac_permanent/ For those Macs that can boot into the 64-bit kernel, there are several ways to force that to happen.  Here are some pointers, and a gotcha, on how to make it permanent.  Tips, How-To Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:09:27 -0500 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/snow_leopard_guest_account_wiping_some_home_directories/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/snow_leopard_guest_account_wiping_some_home_directories/ Some Snow Leopard users are experiencing total home directory wipes after logging into and out of their Guest accounts, and the issue is gaining some significant attention in the online world. Affected users find that after logging back into their main user accounts that it has been wiped of all data, an issue that caused no small amount of consternation in affected users. News, Tips, How-To, Reports, Mac OS, Leopard, Snow Leopard Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:52:17 -0400 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/enabling_the_root_user_in_snow_leopard/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/enabling_the_root_user_in_snow_leopard/ Apple has, yet again, changed the method for enabling the root user in Snow Leopard. This time, the Directory Utility in Leopard's Utilities folder has been moved (buried) in the Accounts section of System Preferences. Tips, How-To, Reports, Mac OS, Leopard, Snow Leopard Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:00:49 -0400 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/more_tips_for_beginners/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/more_tips_for_beginners/ Nancy Carroll Gravley shares some great tips for sending high resolution images to friends and family, resending email messages, and annotating images quickly and easily so you can get back to checking out your photo collection. Tips, How-To, Columns and Opinions, Computing with Bifocals Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:00:34 -0400 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/flash_cookies_the_newest_secret_way_to_invade_your_privacy/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/flash_cookies_the_newest_secret_way_to_invade_your_privacy/ Many users periodically purge their cookies in browser settings to prevent tracking.  However, the industry, with the help of Adobe Flash, has found a way to store a new kind of cookie that can't be managed by a browser.  They're much bigger and can even reconstruct conventional cookies after they've been deleted. Here's the background and how to block them. Tips, How-To Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:32:55 -0400 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/secrets_of_internet_forensics_part_ii_snow_leopard/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/secrets_of_internet_forensics_part_ii_snow_leopard/ Snow Leopard adds a convenient feature, via Core Location, to identify where you are and set your time zone automatically.  However, it only works via Wi-Fi, not a wired Ethernet connection.  Here's why. Tips, How-To Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:00:11 -0400 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/activating_home_sharing_in_itunes/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/activating_home_sharing_in_itunes/ Prior to iTunes 9, one could have a shared iTunes library; it was read only and required a persistent local network connection. In iTunes 9, there is a second method, called "Home Sharing" that allows the user to simply drag a song or video to another authorized Mac in the home. A new copy is created. This HOW-TO explains how to set it up. Tips, How-To Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:07:18 -0400 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/how_to_open_and_migrate_your_old_stuffit_archives/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/how_to_open_and_migrate_your_old_stuffit_archives/ If you've been using a Mac for some time, you probably have hundreds or even thousands of old files and archives compressed with StuffIt -- even if you no longer use that tool today. Are all those old .sit and .sitx files still readable after years of OS upgrades and StuffIt falling off the radar? What can you do if an archive is corrupted?  What are the most modern tools to use? Is it time, with terabyte drives, to unstuff those archives before you lose the technology needed to access them?  Here's what I found out. Tips, How-To Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:55:09 -0400 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/checking_32_or_64-bit_kernel_boot_mode_in_snow_leopard/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/checking_32_or_64-bit_kernel_boot_mode_in_snow_leopard/ By default, even on fully 64-bit Macs, Snow Leopard boots into a 32 bit kernel. This is because not all kernel extensions are 64-bit ready.  This short HOW-TO explains how to tell which mode you've booted into. Tips, How-To, Reports, Mac OS, Snow Leopard Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:16:02 -0400 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/installing_snow_leopard_the_preparation/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/installing_snow_leopard_the_preparation/ Your new Snow Leopard DVD will install on your current Leopard system, updating all the system files and preserving your user data, preferences and Library. Except when something goes wrong.  Here's a guide on how to wisely prepare for your Snow Leopard install. Tips, How-To, Reports, Mac OS, Snow Leopard Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:00:22 -0400 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/ejecting_a_really_stuck_dvd_from_a_mac/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/ejecting_a_really_stuck_dvd_from_a_mac/ There is a standard set of procedures to eject a DVD. But what about one that just doesn't want to come out of a Mac? When all else fails, here's a trick that might work for you. Tips, How-To Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:50:52 -0400 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/owc_completes_macbook_macbook_pro_series_of_dyi_installation_videos/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/owc_completes_macbook_macbook_pro_series_of_dyi_installation_videos/ OWC announced Tuesday that the company has completed its series of DIY installation videos for Apple's entire MacBook and MacBook Pro product line. The videos cover all of the DYI options for these laptops, including memory, hard drive and/or optical drive components. News, Product News, Tips, How-To Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:40:16 -0400 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/iphone_os_3.0_spotlight_voice_memos_notes/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/iphone_os_3.0_spotlight_voice_memos_notes/ There are dozens of new features in iPhone OS 3.0. Some major. Some trivial. Some are featured at Apple's iPhone page. Others are not even mentioned. Today's column focuses on a trio of new features: Spotlight Search, Voice Memos, and Syncing Notes. I look both at how they work and how they sometimes don't work. News, Product News, Tips, How-To, Blogs, Ted Landau's User Friendly Blog, Reports, iPhone Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:40:34 -0400 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/zero_panic_migration_to_a_new_mac_part_ii/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/zero_panic_migration_to_a_new_mac_part_ii/ In part I, techniques for protecting and preserving data prior to a migration to a new Mac were discussed. Then the restore from Time Machine technique was discussed with a mind towards duplicating all the files and settings on the new Mac. In this part II, the post migration tasks, sale of old Mac, licensing and answers to previous reader questions are addressed.  Tips, How-To Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:35:12 -0400 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/zero_panic_migration_to_a_new_mac_part_i/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/zero_panic_migration_to_a_new_mac_part_i/ In earlier times, migrating to a new Mac wasn't too hard. Just copy some files over. Today, however, the upgrade isn't exactly like dustin' crops, as Han Solo might point out. Here are some procedures that will make the upgrade trouble free and painless. Tips, How-To Fri, 29 May 2009 08:59:45 -0400 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/using_older_apple_adc_displays_with_mac_pro/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/using_older_apple_adc_displays_with_mac_pro/ Many Apple customers, it seems, are starting to unload their old Power Mac G4s and G5s in favor of the new Nehalem-based Mac Pro. However, for those who are still using a trusty, older pinstripe/plastic Cinema Display (17 or 22-inch), a special converter will be necessary.  Tips, How-To Wed, 20 May 2009 13:30:46 -0400 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/secrets_of_internet_forensics_part_i/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/secrets_of_internet_forensics_part_i/ Have you ever wondered how network security professionals sleuth on the Internet? Many of their tools are highly specialized and have special sauce, but there things that you can do right on your Mac to do some sleuthing on your own, especially if you think you've been the victim of an Internet attack. This is the first in a series of articles. Tips, How-To Tue, 19 May 2009 16:00:37 -0400 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/converting_an_ip_address_to_a_manufacturer/ http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/converting_an_ip_address_to_a_manufacturer/ Occasionally, one discovers what may appear to be a rogue or unidentified device on the local home network. The IP address is known, but little else. This HOWTO shows one way to convert that IP address to a MAC address, then a manufacturer.  Tips, How-To Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:45:46 -0400