After trying myriad attaché-style briefcases and messenger bags, Dr. Mac decided the backpack is a much more practical form of luggage. After trying dozens of ‘em over the years, he lists a few of his faves along with several other great gifts for the mom, dad, or grad in your life.
Recent Articles By Bob LeVitus [RSS]
Three Ways to Fix Mac Hard Disk Failures
For as long as Dr. Mac can remember he’s relied upon the same three products when his hard (or solid state) disks go bad: Apple’s Disk Utility (free), Prosoft Engineering’s Drive Genius ($79), and Alsoft’s DiskWarrior ($119.99), but only one has succeeded three times in the past few months after the other two failed… Read Dr. Mac’s Rants & Raves Episode #276 to find out which one succeeded and which two failed!
Gifts for Moms, Dads, and Grads: Part I
Here’s the first (of what Bob LeVitus hopes will be many) gender-neutral gift guides for the moms, dads, and grads (of either sex) that you know and love.
Two Free Mac Apps Help You Find Huge Files Fast
Dr. Mac says he always uses one of two free apps to hunt down huge files on his boot disk. Both have been around for years, and both find huge files faster and easier (at least in his humble opinion) than any other technique.
About Optimized Storage on your Mac Startup Disk
Dr. Mac says your Mac will slow down more and more as your startup disk becomes fuller and fuller, and, if you fill it up completely, your Mac might not boot.
Lessons I Learned While my MacBook Pro was in the Shop
Dr. Mac’s “daily driver,” a MacBook Pro, was out of commission for several days last week, so he had to use his far less capable MacBook Air in its stead. This week he relates four lessons he learned along the way.
Handling a Crashed Startup Disk Gracefully
Dr. Mac’s had a rough week with a toasted startup disk followed by a swollen battery, but he learned a thing or two along the way that could save you time or trouble.
A Public Service Announcement Regarding World Backup Day (Saturday, March 31)
This week’s Rants & Raves column is a public service announcement for World Backup Day (Saturday, March 31) and its lesser-known sibling, World Redundant Backup Day—No Foolin’ (Sunday, April 1).
iPhone-in-the-Car Dilemma? Solved!
Dr. Mac had tried air-vent iPhone mounts in the past, but they always felt less stable to him than the good, old CD-slot mounts—now he’s found a solution to his iPhone car mount he loves.
Confessions of a Camera App Addict
Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus tells us about three useful iOS camera apps he’s been been testing—FiLMiC Pro, Halide, and SelfieX
Working Smarter with macOS Preferences
We sometimes forget there are myriad options we can set for our Macs. Starting with his first book (Dr. Macintosh) and countless times thereafter, our own Dr. Mac has implored readers to poke around and try various settings, explaining that it’s quite difficult to break a Mac by merely changing a Control Panel (old-school) or System Preferences (modern) setting.
Like an Elephant, Reminders Never Forgets
Dr. Mac says there are several reasons the Reminders app on macOS, iOS, and watchOS is the near-perfect assistant to his ever aging wetware. Read this week’s Dr. Mac’s Rants & Raves to find out why.
Setapp (Netflix for Mac Apps) Gets Even Better
Dr. Mac likes Setapp—a subscription software service with 100+ (mostly) high-quality Mac apps for $9.99 a month—even better today than last year.
Dr. Mac Weighs the Pros and Cons of Replacing Photoshop
Dr. Mac is looking for a Photoshop replacement that can serve all his image-editing needs at a price he can afford and without monthly payments.
Mesh: The Next Generation of Home Wi-Fi
Based on recommendations from friends and colleagues (TMO‘s and Mac Geek Gab’s Dave Hamilton for one), Dr. Mac went with a $399 Eero system consisting of a gateway and a pair of “beacons.”
Two Useful (and Free) Mac Utilities
Bob LeVitus recently started using a pair of useful and free utilities—Rocket and Vanilla—that he heard about on one of my favorite podcasts for nerds, Mac Geek Gab.
Confessions of a Printing Addict
Bob LeVitus revisits his printing obsession, with a focus on the new Epson WorkForce 4750 EcoTank printer. [Updated with current pricing information.]
How Can You Not Love Clever Gadgets?
Dr. Mac’s 261st Rants & Raves column asks: “How can you not love clever gadgets?” before he describes two of his newfound favorites.
Smart Kitchen Gadget: Anova Precision Sous Vide Cooker
Dr. Mac got a smart kitchen appliance for Chanukah and he’s pretty impressed with it.
Which iPhone Should I Get: The Thrilling Conclusion
Dr. Mac has been running around with an iPhone X in one pocket and an iPhone 8 Plus in the other. Here’s a spoiler: He says the iPhone X was the hands-down winner in every category that matters to him.
