M4 C Tips Tricks Hacks V0 L 6 R3 Vised 3 Dition

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FREE DOWNLOADS
Including fonts, video tutorials and more
New for Yosemite Customise your Mac
Volume 6
K
THE INDEPENDENT GUIDE TO MASTERING YOUR APPLE MAC
Welcome to
Mac
OS X Yosemite is now the operating system of choice for an ever-growing
number of people. Apples products have a reputation for just working but
under the Macs simple and user-friendly interface lies a computing powerhouse.
Thats why OS X is found everywhere from recording studios to offices and
homes. Its potential to enhance your life, from the little things to the grand
projects, is huge. This revised edition is designed to help you unlock the full
potential of your iMac or MacBook. Our tutorials show you how to push the
limit of what you can do with the core Mac apps. The Tips section focuses on
the advanced features of everything from the desktop to iBooks, while the Tricks
chapter demonstrates how you can take your creativity to new heights with
iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand. And once youve edited a movie and recorded
your own musical masterpiece, take a look at our Hacks section, where youll find
advice on how to eke out even more potential from your Mac by downloading
third-party apps or going under the hood with Terminal. Finally, our rundown of
the greatest apps on the App Store explores a range of software that can truly
enhance your Mac experience. Enjoy the book.
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Disclaimer
The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged in the
post. All text and layout is the copyright of Imagine Publishing Ltd. Nothing in this bookazine may
be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher. All copyrights are
recognised and used specifically for the purpose of criticism and review. Although the bookazine has
endeavoured to ensure all information is correct at time of print, prices and availability may change.
This bookazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.
Mac is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Mac 2014 Apple Inc
Mac Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks Volume 6 Revised Edition 2014 Imagine Publishing Ltd
ISBN 9781910439517
Part of the
bookazine series
Contents
Tips
24 Desktop
26 Finder
28 System Preferences: Personal
29 System Preferences: Hardware
30 System Preferences: Internet & Wireless
31 System Preferences: System
32 Utilities
34 Notification Center
36 Automator
38 Safari
40 Mail
42 Calendar
44 Reminders
45 App Store
8 emite
OS X Yos te
Comple
Guide
46 iTunes
48 iCloud
49 QuickTime
50 Messages
52 FaceTime
54 Maps
56 Preview
58 Game Center
60 Notes
62 iBooks
64 Pages
66 Numbers
68 Keynote
56
Edit images
in Preview
6 Mac Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks
Apple has worked hard to make

improvements under the hood
Tricks
72 Correct image metadata to stay
organised
90 Customise the iMovie interface
74 Make photos easy to find with keywords
94 Create a slideshow movie with photos
75 Organise your shots into Smart Albums
96 Craft a dream sequence effect
76 Duplicate and switch between Libraries
98 Add clever cutaways to your projects
78 Share a Photo Stream from iPhoto
100 View your iMovie projects on Apple TV
80 Master histograms for better images
102 Master Smart Controls to boost tracks
82 Create an animated holiday slideshow
104 Reduce hiss in your GarageBand tracks
84 Bring old photos to life in iPhoto
106 Create harmonies from original vocals
86 Make album artwork for iTunes
108 Edit individual notes using Piano Roll
87 Quickly apply adjustments in batches
110 Use the Score Editor in GarageBand
88 Master iMovies editing timeline
112 Learn the Drum Machine Smart Controls
92 Get more from iMovies adjust menu
90
Get to grips
with iMovie
102
Master
Smart
Controls
The new OS brings

a lot to the table
116
Supercharge
OS X
134
Access a Mac
via an iPad
Hacks
116 45 Mac hacks
122 Partition your Macs hard drive
124 Search your Mac with Alfred
126 Enhance the Command-Tab combo
128 Customise the Dock in OS X
130 Make Finder work for you
132 Make changes to batches of images
134 Access your Mac remotely
136 Format text in every app
152
l
a
i
t
n
e
s
s
e
0
0
1
Mac apps
138 Transfer Mac files wirelessly

between devices
140 Use console controllers with a Mac
142 Back up your entire Mac
144 Use an iPad as an extra screen
146 Manage third-party screen brightness
148 Map any Mac disk
150 Free up RAM with one click
Mac Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks 7
OS X Yosemite Complete Guide
We hope youre ready for one of the

biggest changes your Mac has ever seen.
OS X Yosemite is here at last, bringing with it
a brand new design, plus hundreds of smaller changes
that will make your Mac faster, smarter and more useful.
The update is out now from the Mac App Store, so
if you havent already downloaded and installed it on
your Mac, now is the time to do it. Remember to back
up your Mac before you update, of course just in case
anything goes wrong during the installation. Youll then
soon be getting Yosemites amazing features on your
Mac. Its a huge upgrade, so get ready for a big change.
Youll undoubtedly notice the new design right from
the off, and you can see more of the beautiful new user
interface over the next few pages. But theres a lot more
to OS X Yosemite than the visual changes: Apple
has worked hard to make improvements under the

hood, to make your Mac faster and more responsive,
as well as lengthening battery life for MacBooks. Plus,
there have been plenty of upgrades to your mostused apps. Mail offers cool new features for sending
annotated images or huge attachments, Safari has
been redesigned with an awesome new tab view, and
features like Notification Centre and Spotlight have been

given an upgrade.
Weve covered all these great features, with tutorials,
tips and secrets uncovered for the latest software.
Yosemite really is a beautiful new edition to the OS
family, it is visually stunning and operates with a brilliant
fluidity. So lets see what its got!
Theres a lot more to OS X Yosemite than

the visual changes: Apple has worked hard
to make improvements under the hood, to
make your Mac faster and more responsive
The new traffic lights are brighter in colour, but

also offer a flatter design with fewer 3D elements,
and buttons that adapt to different controls
Stunning new
icons feature
bright colours and
simplified new designs
3
2
Left Windows offer slight transparency, so for

the first time ever your desktop wallpaper will
show through when youre using apps
The Dock has been given

a makeover, with a 2D
design and slight transparency
Design
QuickType
keyboard
Yosemites beautiful design is

full of lovely little touches
The biggest change to OS X in Yosemite is the
stunning new design. Everything in the system has
been redesigned, from the new icons in the Dock to
the new transparent sidebars and toolbars in most app
windows. For the first time in OS X you have a new
system font, and new looks for Notification Centre
and Spotlight. Its a massive change, and its absolutely
beautiful. As you spend more time with the OS, youll
start noticing small touches that Apple has added. The
traffic lights are flatter and brighter, the Dock is slightly
translucent and smaller apps, like Notes and Calculator,
have been updated with a more iOS-like look. The
whole system feels much closer to iOS 8, bringing a lot
of the visual cues weve come to love on the iPhone
and iPad to the Mac. With the way that both iOS and
OS X work so closely together, it ties together both
operating systems beautifully. Weve picked out some
of our favourite features here feast your eyes and if you
havent updated yet, go and start the download now.
You can get word suggestions

from anywhere in OS X
Yosemite just press the Esc
key when typing to get a
list of possible word
choices.
Above The new font is

Helvetica Neue and it follows
through the whole of OS X
Yosemite, from the menubar to
text within apps
Right The Login,

Dashboard and Mission
Control screens will now
show a blurry version of
your Macs wallpaper
For the first time in OS X you have new looks

for Notification Centre and Spotlight
Above Yosemite includes a new Dark Mode,

designed to help make things a little less
blinding in dimly lit environments
Right iTunes has had a complete redesign for

OS X Yosemite and the results are a cleaner,
simpler and more modern interface
Above Safaris new tab overview offers a 3D glimpse of

open pages, plus all tabs open on other devices
Above In apps such as Messages, youll find that content

is still slightly visible as it scrolls off the top of the screen
Above Your Macs menus have all been redesigned to

give it a much fresher feel
Handoff
Pick up where you left off on any device
One of the most exciting new

features of OS X Yosemite is your
Macs new abilities to
communicate more usefully with your iPad
and iPhone. Handoff is one of these abilities,
and it makes moving between your devices
easier than ever. Say you start writing an email
on your iPhone during your journey home
with iOS8 and Yosemite, you can now sit
down at your Mac when you get back, and
pick up your email right where you left off.
This feature works for all kinds of apps, and in
both directions. If youre reading an article

online on your Mac and want to transfer it to
your iPad to read on the sofa, its a simple
swipe away. Heres how to set up and use this
handy new feature.
Handoff Compatibility These models or above:
MacBook Pro MacBook Air
2012
2012
Mac mini
2012
iMac
2012
iPhone 5 (iOS 8)
2012
Step-by-step Set up and use Handoff
Compatibility
Why doesnt every Mac support

these new features?
As you might have noticed from our
compatibility charts, not all Macs and iPhones
will work with Handoff, AirDrop or the other
Continuity features. Sadly, they require both
devices to have Bluetooth 4.0, a low-energy
system that is only in Macs made since 2012
and iPhones with Lightning ports. If you want
these features, you may have to upgrade your
devices to newer models.
1: Enable your Mac
2: Activate on iOS
3: Open an app
4: There it is!
To switch on Handoff on your Mac, open up

System Preferences and choose the General tab.
If your Mac is compatible you will see this option
check the box to turn it on.
On the iPhone, start browsing a website, writing an

email, working on an iWork doc or using another
Handoff-enabled app. Most Apple apps work, and
some third-party ones.
Ensure youre running iOS 8. Open Settings>

General and youll see Handoff & Suggested Apps.
Make sure Handoff is switched on and Bluetooth is
active on both devices.
Check on your Mac on the left of the Dock a new

icon should appear next to the Finder icon. Click it
to open the app and pick up where you left off on
your iOS device.
Hotspot, Continuity
& AirDrop
Work with all your devices at once
Continuity is the overarching name for all

of these features that help Mac and iOS
work together so well, and theres a lot
more to Continuity than just Handoff. You can now
set up your Mac to work as a speakerphone for your
iPhones calls, accepting them with your mouse and
speaking through your Macs microphone. Plus, setting
up a hotspot from your iOS device is easier than
everits two clicks away in the Wi-Fi menu, as you can
see on the right.
Even more useful is AirDrop;before Yosemite, this

was a great way to send files between Macs. But now it
will work with iOS devices, so you can quickly and easily
send files and photos from Mac to iPhone and back.
Hotspot Compatibility These models or above:
MacBook Pro
2012
MacBook Air
2012
Set up Continuitys features

Make iOS and OS X work in perfect harmony
Phone calls everywhere
Mac mini
2012
iMac
2012
iPhone 5
2012
Hotspot
security
When you connect to an

iPhone hotspot for the first
time, youll need to input a
security code ensuring
nobody can leech
your 4G.
Open AirDrop
With iOS 8 on your iPhone and OSX

Yosemite, you can now make and receive
phone calls from your Mac when your
iPhone is nearby. Your Mac will act like a
speakerphone perfect if youve left your
iPhone in another room
On your Mac, youll need an

AirDrop Finder window open in
order for your iPhone to find your
Mac. On iOS, open up Control
Centre to activate AirDrop for your
Contacts, or for everyone
SMS Relay
Youre no longer limited to just
sending iMessages from your Mac
texts now sync between devices too,
so you can message anyone on your
contacts list. Find out more on page 16
AirDrop anything
You can use AirDrop to send all kinds
of files between iOS devices and
your Mac. As long as Wi-Fi is enabled
on both devices, you can send files
either way for fast and simple sharing
Mac to iOS AirDrop Compatibility These models or above:
MacBook Pro
2012
MacBook Air
2012
Mac mini
2012
iMac
2012
iPhone 5 (iOS 8)
2012
s, Apps & Hacks 13
Get to your files

and folders on
any device
iCloud Drive
Store your files in the cloud with iCloud Drive

Step-by-step Set up iCloud Drive
Because iCloud Drive now acts like

an online folder, you can access it in
a number of ways on any device
whether youre signed into them with your
Apple ID or not. Here are all the ways you can
access your saved stuff.
1: On your Mac
Of course, youll see that you have a new folder

on your Mac that you can access from the
sidebar just like any other folder in the Finder.
2: On iOS devices
In apps that support iCloud Drive, choose

Open to access your iCloud Drive files. You can
also save your files to it instead of your device.
1: Log in
2: Switch it on
3: Choose your apps
4: Organise your Drive
Before you set up your iCloud Drive, youll need

to be logged into your iCloud account. Open up
System Preferences, navigate to the iCloud section
and input your Apple ID.
Click Options and youll see a list of apps that can

access your Drive. You can enable and disable
these apps depending on how you want to use
your Drive, and on your storage.
If you havent set up iCloud Drive before, youll

need to do so. This should happen automatically
if not, you can check the box next to the option
to switch it on.
Open the Finder and youll find a new iCloud Drive

option in the sidebar. Click it and youll be able
to reorganise your files and folders, and add new
folders and files from anywhere.
Pricing Get more space in your drive

3: Online access
If youre on a computer that isnt set upwith

your Apple ID, head over to iCloud.com and
log in to access all your Drives contents online.
Because iCloud Drive uses the iCloud storage that is also taken up
by device backups and photos, you may find you run out of space.
Luckily, you can upgrade for a small monthly charge that will give
you a boost and help you store all the files you want in the Drive. And
with price plans up to 1TB available, youd be hard pressed to fill all
that space, even with hundreds of uploaded files.
Storage
5GB
20GB
200GB
500GB
1TB
Price (per month)
Free
0.79/$0.99
2.99/$3.99
6.99/$9.99
14.99/$19.99
Family Sharing
Set up a Family group to share purchases and more

Shared payments
Manage
Family Sharing
Family Sharing also shares your

payment method with other family
members but remember that you
can activate the Ask To Buy tool to
stop your kids breaking the bank
Share photos, purchases and more

with Family Sharing
Add members
Click the + button in the bottom-left
to add new family members to your
Family Sharing clan. They will get
a notification telling them theyve
been invited, and theyll join instantly
Share your purchases

If you want to share your iTunes,
iBooks and App Store purchases
with the rest of your family, you
can check this box and theyll be
able to download your stuff from
the relevant store
Hierarchy
As the Organizer, you can choose
to set up members as a Parent/
Guardian, who can approve Ask To
Buy requests, or just leave members
as children, who have limited options
Protect
your family
You can switch on Ask To

Buy and be prompted to
confirm every purchase your
children make, and limit
the content they
can access.
Step-by-step Share everything with your family
1: Share your purchases
Youll be able to download all of your family

members purchases, so you can grab apps, music,
movies, books and more from the relevant stores.
2: Location aware
Open Messages on your Mac and click Details on a

family member to see their location on a map. You
can use Find My iPhone to find any lost devices.
3: Photo album
When you start family sharing, a new shared album

is added to your iOS devices and to iPhoto, so you
can easily share and view shots with all your family.
Safari
Apple promised a major speed boost for Safari and it has delivered
a beautiful and lightning-quick browsing experience
Inside your
new Safari
A smarter way to
browse the web
Easy way to share
View changer
Safaris new Sharing menu contains

a wealth of options. Tweet a link,
email a webpage, add it to a
Message thread the list is endless
Click this button and a menu slides in

with options to view your Favourites,
Shared Links and Bookmarks. Click
again to banish it
Favourites bar
Your favourite websites are never far
away in Safari, and Yosemite places
them in the search bar when you
initially click once inside it
Intelligent search
Reader
Searching is more sophisticated

than ever before. With Spotlight
integration, youll get live smart
suggestions and results from
Wikipedia and Maps among others
Speed tests
Still the perfect solution for

reading a webpage without all
the visual clutter that comes as
standard, Reader is fully optimised
for reading in Safari
JetStream: JavaScript performance on advanced web applications

1.2 x faster
Is Safari really as quick as Apple claims?

When Yosemite launched, Apple had plenty to say about how quick Safari was compared to rival
browsers like Chrome and Firefox. We put this claim to the test and, as you can see from the graphs here,
we were mightily impressed by the results. Thanks to advanced JavaScript engine optimisations, websites
and web apps fly along at some speed. Everything certainly feels more responsive than before no mean
feat given the performance-boosting technologies that went live with Mavericks. In one of our tests using
JSBench to benchmark JavaScript performance on popular websites, Safari came out over six times faster
than Googles Chrome browser.
Thanks to advanced JavaScript engine

optimisations, websites and web apps fly
along at some speed
1.1X faster
Baseline
0.5
1.0
1.5
Speedometer: Web application responsiveness

1.7 x faster
1.1X faster
Baseline
1
JSBench: JavaScript performance on popular websites

6.6 x faster
1.1X faster
Baseline
1
Safari Privacy
We all worry about it, so heres what Safari does to help

Apple says that privacy and security arent something
you should hope for theyre something you should
expect. So it has built in a few key privacy shields that
work as default in Safari. Private Browsing mode doesnt
remember the pages you visit, your search history or
your AutoFill preventing websites youre logged in
to from tracking as you browse. Safari helps protect
you against fraudulent websites by blocking them

before they even load, while it offers DuckDuckGo a
search engine that doesnt track you as a built-in
option. Cookies are also blocked by default, as well
as third-party websites that leave data in your cache.
Then theres sandboxing providing built-in protection
against malicious code and malware.
DuckDuckGo is a built-in search engine that

doesnt track your movements
Private Browsing mode enables you to browse

without a trace
Whats new in Calendar?
Calendar is similar to Mavericks, but there are a few things that have changed
Extensions
Customise your web browsing

experience
Safari is already brimming with browsing
enhancements, but extensions are a great way
of adding a personal touch to your toolbar.
You can find a list of extensions that have been
rubber-stamped by Apple over at
https://extensions.apple.com. It includes
Pocket, to save articles for reading later, as well
as Amazon, Pinterest, AdBlock and eBay.
Dial a
phone number
Calendar detects phone

numbers that have been added
into event information and
enables you to phone the
number directly from
your Mac.
Event autofill
Calendar in Yosemite is superclever and will offer smart
suggestions (right down to
location and attendees) as you
add a new event. Suggestions
are based on previous events
Day/Year view
Day view has been overhauled to
show a single schedule pane and
an information pane, while you can
scroll from year to year by swiping
up and down on your mouse or
trackpad in Year view
Lunar calendar
You can now display a Chinese,
Hebrew or Islamic lunar calendar
as an overlay alongside the
standard Gregorian calendar
Handoff
Calendar works seamlessly with
Handoff create and view an event
on one device and it can be opened
on another in the blink ofan eye
SMS Relay
Another Continuity feature that

integrates with your Mac and iPhone
SMS Relay enables all your messages, blue
bubbles and green ones, to be synced
between your devices. You need be running
iOS 8.1 on your iPhone and logged into the
same iCloud account on Mac and iPhone.
Messages
Stay connected across devices
The Messages app has been given a major

update for Yosemite. You can send text
messages from your Mac to friends, no
matter what kind of phone they have. All messages will
sync with your Messages app, no longer just iMessages,
so you can text without picking your phone up. A new
Soundbite feature lets you record voice messages.
Group messaging is easier to organise thanks to being
able to name threads, while you can also view friends
locations. Perhaps our favourite new feature is Screen
Sharing. This enables either person in the conversation
to take control of the others screen a great way of
providing technical support or collaborating.
You can send text messages to friends, no

matter what kind of phone they have
1: Activate
On your Mac, activate SMS Relay in

Messages>Preferences. In iOS 8.1, go to
Settings>Messages and tap Text Message
Forwarding. Devices are listed.
Group message
controls
New ways to control theconversation
2: Sync
Select the device you want to pair with.

Youll then be prompted to enter a code that
appears on your Mac on your iPhone. Do so
and await verification.
The Messages app lets you add titles to your threads so

they are easier to find; no more hunting down names
and endless numbers. Its a nice organisational feature,
as is being able add and remove people if youre having
a conversation with three or more friends. You also get
access to all the photos and videos from a thread, as
well the ability to see participants locations on a map
(if theyre sharing their location from their iOS device).
All these group message features are found under the
Details tab.
Voice messaging
Give your messages a personaltouch

Soundbites might have limited use (why not just
pick up the phone?), but we can see this being a
nice way of communicating with friends and loved
ones without leaving text messages.
Screen Sharing
Share your screen with a singleclick

Previously only available through a third-party app,
Screen Sharing lets you share your screen with the
person youre chatting with. The Messages app
automatically initiates audio chat, too.
3: Relay
Now you get every message you receive

synced with your Mac, even those from nonApple devices. You can also reply from your
Mac thanks to Continuity.
Mail
Fresh creative tools and massive attachment sizes
Mail has always been the best way to manage all your various email accounts. All the great
existing features like VIP and Smart Mailboxes are present and correct, along with a series of
handy new tools, including Markup. Markup lets you annotate PDFs and images, just like you
would have previously in Preview, but from the comfort of Mail. In the Markup menu is also a new digital
trackpad signature tool.
Meanwhile, Mail Drop is big news for power users of Mail. As long as youre signed into iCloud, Mail Drop
lets you send large files like high-definition videos, media-rich Keynote presentations, or even a folder
packed with hi-res images, without having to worry about your email providers limits. The limit is a huge
5GB and works with any provider you use.
Using Markup in Mail
Annotate PDFs and images with these simple tools
Customise
This whole toolbar is where
youll find the tools to
change how your markup
looks. Change font, size,
colour and play around with
loupe and shape tools
Trackpad
signatures
Its easier to create a digital signature
A guiding hand
Drawing freehand with the line
tool isnt the most intuitive, but
fortunately you get a helping hand
as Markup automatically offers you
a straightened version
1: Scribble down
With a PDF selected in an outgoing mail,

click the Markup option, top-right, then the
Signature menu at the top. Scribble your
signature into the box and hit Done.
Done
When you have marked up
your document, click on the
Done button to save the
changes to the original. Itll
load instantly into your mail
thread. Click Cancel to abort
2: Place and resize
Your digital signature will appear on your PDF.

Drag it around to place and use the corner
handles to resize it to fit the required space.
Sign on the dotted line

Markup provides a brilliant digital
signature tool (as long as you have a
trackpad connected) use a thin-tipped
stylus to get a more natural result
Ready,
steady, Markup
To include the original
attachment when replying
to an email for Markup
purposes, click the
paperclip inside a
square icon.
Mail Drop
Send massive attachments in Yosemite

Mail Drop is Apples direct answer for those
who use cloud services like Dropbox to share
large file sizes over email. Theres plenty of
reasons to be needing to send large files and
Mail Drop gives you the ultimate platform
by enabling messages with a whopping 5GB
file limit. Recipients will be able to see the
attachment as normal, while non-iCloud users
will be sent a link, which is stored for a month.
Activate Mail Drop in Mails Preferences>Accounts;

select yours and ensure that Mail Drop is checked
Youll now be able to send huge attachments. Mail

wont be troubled by this file that easily exceeds 1GB
Best widgets
Four of our favourite third-party

widgets for Notification Centre
Widgets are a good introduction to
Notification Centre. As in iOS 8, they provide
extra functionality. You can add as many
widgets to your Notification Centre as you like,
its a great way to keep all the important things
in one place. Here are our favourite third-party
widgets that you can add
Monity 1.49/$1.99
Possibly our favourite Notification
Centre widget so far, Monity is a
system monitoring widget that lives
inside the Today view of Notification Centre,
enabling you to monitor crucial system
statistics like memory usage, battery life,
network activity and more.
Notification Centre
Step aside Dashboard, your notifications panel

just got a whole lot of functionality
Notification Centre was new in Mountain Lion, but the version we see
now has been heavily revamped. As you first open it up, youll see a change
at the very top as on iOS, Notification Centre is split into two: Notifications
(self-explanatory) and Today, where all the new features are buried. At its most basic,
Today gives you an at-a-glance look at your schedule, but Yosemite has introduced
widgets to power up the functionality. The widgets you used to find in Dashboard are
all there, like Calculator and Weather, but Apple has offered third-party developer
support too, so you can personalise your Today view to your preferences. Weve taken a
closer look at some of the best widgets you can get in the sidebar, but expect the App
Store to be awash with even more soon.
You can personalise your Today

view to your preferences
Yahoo Sports Free

ESPN was a default widget for
Dashboard, but was strangely
omitted in Yosemite. Thankfully,
Yahoo Sports provides the exact same
functionality by showing you live scores and
news from your favourite sports teams right
from Notification Centre.
Step-by-step Customising Notification Centre
Coinverter Free (Beta)

Currently available as a free beta,
Coinverter is a currency converter
widget for Notification Centre made
famous in iOS. Perfect for at-a-glance use when
travelling with your MacBook. Theres even
support for Bitcoin prices.
Wunderlist Free
The ideal replacement for the
default Reminders widget, Wunderlist
is everyones favourite to-do list.
Load up your Today view and find out whats
on your agenda and a list of to-dos to tick
off. Essential.
1: Today view
2: Edit
3: Modify widget
4: System Preferences
Choose the Today tab. This is where the extra

functionality lives. Some of the default widgets, like
Weather and Stocks, are already present.
Widgets are fully customisable too. Hit a widgets i

button to add extra details, whether thats another
city in Weather or league in Yahoo Sports.
Click Edit at the bottom and youll see a second

column appear full of items to add. If youve
downloaded a compatible app, youll find it here.
You can head into your System Preferences app

and tweak how you want Notification Centre to
look and behave, to perfectly suit your needs.
In the Spotlight
A closer look at your new Spotlight app
Search bar
Spotlight now appears in the
centre of your screen, instead
of a drop-down from the menu
bar. The search bar gives live
predictive search results
Finder preview
Details
Spotlight is now split into two
panels. The right-hand side
provides a wealth of information,
in this case a quick summary of
the Wikipedia page
Get a Spotlight-style preview pane
Yosemites Spotlight is split into two panes

a search bar and a preview/information
screen. Did you know you can now do this
in Finder? In any Finder window, head up to
the View menu and select the Show Preview
option. This now splits the Finder window
into two the right half becoming a handy
preview screen. Searching your Mac for files,
in particular images, just became a whole
lot easier.
Show Preview
now splits the
Finder window
into two
New results
Spotlight is supercharged with
new results. You can still find all
your important documents, but
now theres Wikipedia, Bing and
Fandango searches
Click to open
If you see the search youre after,
click on it and it will load in the
relevant app, whether thats
Safari, Maps, Pages or iPhoto
Duplicate
afile
You can search for a file in

Spotlight and drag it into any
Finder window directly,
or even drag it straight
into Twitter. A great
time-saver.
Three things you didnt know Spotlight could do

Spotlight now provides tools that you used to rely on Google for
Search iTunes
A Spotlight search will also scour iTunes for

results. Youll see individual tracks and albums,
but also movies. Just click it to load iTunes up.
Unit and currency conversions
IT has always had a basic calculator function, but

now it can also be used as a converter. Another
reason not to head over to Google.
Directions
Maps integration is system-wide, as youd expect,

and you can get directions and place information
from Spotlight in a contact card on the right.
Tips | Tricks | Hacks | Apps
Tips
24 Desktop
Top tips for using the OS X desktop
26 Finder
Discover the advanced

functions of all the key
apps built into OS X
38
Browse
the web
Navigate your Mac in style
28 System Preferences: Personal

Set up your Mac to suit your needs
29 System Preferences: Hardware

Add and control hardware
30 System Preferences: Internet

& Wireless
Manage network connections and more
31 System Preferences: System
Explore some advanced preferences
32 Utilities
Discover more ways of controlling your Mac
34 Notification Center
Stay up to date by using Notification Center
36 Automator
Take the hard work out of important tasks
38 Safari
Browse the web and manage settings
40 Mail
Streamline your inbox to suit you
42 Calendar
Stay organised and keep track of events
44 Reminders
Ensure you don't forget important tasks
45 App Store
Download apps to enhance OS X
46 iTunes
Add and manage your music collection
48 iCloud
Sync key data between devices
49 QuickTime
More than just a simple video player
49
View and
edit clips
52
Video call
friends
56
62
Edit images
in Preview
Read books
in OS X
64
Create great
documents
Maps are also

valuable for finding
places of interest
50 Messages
Control how you chat with your contacts
52 FaceTime
Make video and audio calls with friends
54 Maps
Get to grips with Maps advanced features
56 Preview
Edit images, scan PDFs and more
58 Game Center
Challenge friends to games on your Mac
60 Notes
Store information and sync with your devices
62 iBooks
Read and add notes to books on your Mac
64 Pages
Enhance your documents with these tips
66 Numbers
Create powerful charts and spreadsheets
68 Keynote
Assemble impressive presentations
TOP TIPS
System setting
s
Communicatio
n
Organisation
Productivity
Entertainment
68
Present
your ideas
Desktop
Here we show you how to personalise your Mac and change

certain features to suit your individual needs
Turn off the Genie effect
How to change the effect when minimising windows

Open windows on a desktop have three coloured circles in the top-left corner.
Click on the red circle to close a window, the yellow circle to minimise the open
window to your Dock and the green circle to make the window bigger or smaller.
When clicking on the yellow circle, you can change the effect that occurs when
the window is scaled down by going to System Preferences and clicking on the
Dock panel. Change the minimising effect between Genie and Scale. Here you can
also enable the option to minimise a window by double-clicking the title bar.
When clicking
to minimise a
window, you can
change the effect
that occurs
Remove an icon from the Dock
How to discard apps you no longer need
The Dock is used to house all of your most
commonly-used apps on your desktop,
making it easier to launch them quickly
whenever you need them. You can add
and remove items from the Dock simply
by dragging and dropping. For example, if
you wish to add an item, click and hold on
the icon and drag it into the Dock. Likewise,
if you wish to remove an item from your
Dock, click and hold on it and then drag it

out to your desktop. When you release the
item will disappear in a puff of smoke. You
can also re-order the items in your Dock
simply by clicking and holding on them and
then dragging them left or right to the new
position. Its a simple process that you can
utilise to get all of your essential apps in one
place for the perfect Dock.
Dock preferences
Click on the Dock pane in System Preferences
to customise the look of your Dock and where
it resides on the screen
Edit your Dock

Click and hold on items to place them in the
Dock or remove items by dragging them to
your desktop to make them disappear
Dock icon size
Edit the size of your Dock

To help get your perfect
Dock, you have freedom
to adjust the size and
whether or not the items
within are magnified when
you drag your cursor over
them. To do this, go to
System Preferences and
then click on the Dock pane.
Next to the Size option is
a slider that you can move
to adjust the overall size of
Use the Dock System

Preference to alter
Dock size
your Dock. If you have many

items contained within your
Dock then you may wish to
reduce the size so that all
of the items can be visible
on-screen at any one time.
You can also click on the
Magnification box and then
use the slider to adjust the
level of magnification so that
items in your Dock are made
bigger as you select them.
Clean up your desktop
Give your desktop a spring clean

If you have lots of files and folders
scattered all over your desktop then
it can be hard to find things when
you need them. You can drag and
drop items wherever you want but may
still not be able to attain the level of
organisation that you require, which is
where the Macs invisible grid system
comes in handy. If you so command,
the items on your desktop will be
positioned in a snap-to grid, which
provides even spacing and generally

looks a lot better. To clean up your
desktop, simply highlight the items you
wish to clean up (or click on the desktop
and press Command + A to highlight
everything) and then click on the View
menu at the top of the screen. Here
you will find options to Clean Up (which
moves items into neater positions) and
Clean Up By (which provides more
organisational options).
Change your desktop
Check for updates at any

time simply by clicking on
the Apple menu in the topleft corner of the screen
Alter the look of your Mac
You are given plenty of freedom over how you

customise the look of your Mac, and changing
the desktop wallpaper is perhaps the most
drastic way of putting your own stamp on
things. If you go to your System Preferences and
click on the Desktop & Screen Saver panel, you
will find a wide range of options for changing
the appearance of your desktop. There are
various categories of desktop picture to browse
and choose from, including Nature, Plants and
Abstract. When you see an image that you would
like to use as your desktop, simply click on it and
your wallpaper will be instantly changed to your
new choice. If you want to make your desktop
really personal then you can also use your own
image click on the iPhoto option to pick a
photo from your collection or click on the Folders
option to navigate to your own image.
Set up Hot Corners
Trigger actions by moving

your mouse
Click on the Apple menu to manually check for software updates
Check for software updates

Ensure your Mac is up-to-date
Every so often, Apple will
release new versions of the
OS X operating system. These
could be major updates that
provides radical new features and
enhancements or minor updates
that provide bug fixes and minor
improvements. Whenever a
new update is available you will
be notified on-screen and can
then go through the installation
process, but you can also
manually check for updates at any
time simply by clicking on the
Apple menu in the top-left corner

of the screen. Here you will see
an option called System Update
click on it and the App Store will
launch and search for updates.
If an update shows up, then
click on the More link in the
description to see exactly what it
entails. Because updates tend to
include enhancements for other
Apple apps (such as iTunes) in
addition to the system software,
you can choose to install each
item individually.
Hot corners are a way to trigger

actions on your Mac by moving
your mouse cursor to the corner of
the screen. You can determine what
action takes place by going System
Preferences and clicking the Mission
Control panel. Click the Hot Corners
button and then click and hold on
each of the four drop-down menus
to select a function to automatically
be carried out depending on which
corner you move your mouse to.
Hot corners are a

way to trigger actions
on your Mac
Finder
Finder is the system used to navigate around your

Mac. Here we explore its most useful features
Using tabs in Finder
Keep your screen free from window clutter
Open tabs
All of your open tabs
will be displayed
across the top section
When using your Mac you may find that you need to have
several windows open at the same time and theyre all
jostling for space on your desktop. However, there is a useful
tab system tucked away that you can use to access all of your
open windows in one window. Simply open a new Finder
window and then click on the File menu and choose New
Tab. A new Finder window will then open as a new tab within
the existing window and take you to the destination you set (see
Select which window Finder opens with tip, below). You can then navigate
through the file hierarchy to get to where you need to be and switch between
the open windows by clicking on the tabs at the top of the window. Adding
additional tabs is simply a case of clicking on the + icon to the right of the open tabs. Its a
handy system that you may not have even known existed!
There is a useful tab system tucked away

that you can use to access all of your open
windows in one window. Click on the
File menu and choose New Tab
Set what app a file
auto-opens with
Match the file to the app
When you are trying to open specific

files by double-clicking on them, it
can prove annoying when you Mac
launches the wrong application
picture files tend to be the worst
offenders. However, if you highlight
the file you wish to open and then
click on the File menu while in Finder,
the Open With option will
provide a sub-menu full
of apps that can handle
the file that you have
highlighted. You can
make this the default by
hitting Cmd+I with the
file selected, choosing
the app and saving the
changes youve made.
Some files will have

more applicable apps to choose from
Adding tabs
Click on this icon to open another tab and
you can also close them by highlighting
one and then clicking on the X icon
Select which window

Finder opens with
Determine what is displayed

when you open a new window
As Finder is the Macs system for navigating
to all of your files, it is designed very much
for ease of use. Of course we already know
that double-clicking on a folder will reveal its
contents, but what if you quickly want to find a
specific item and dont know where to begin?
Of course, a Spotlight search is one option, but
you can also click on the File menu in Finder
and select New Finder Window. What then
appears in this window can be determined
by clicking on the Finder menu and choosing
Preferences. Under the General tab, click on the
menu under the New Finder Windows Show:
option and you can choose a specific location
to become the starting point when navigating
to your files. Its another useful means of saving
you time.
Choose what is displayed in a new window
Share with AirDrop
Stay tidy with tags
Use Apples sharing system
Keep your files neatly organised

In Finder, tags are a neat way to label your files
and ensure that you can find what you need
when you need to. To start using tags, highlight
a file and then click on the File menu in Finder.
Here you will see a selection of coloured circles
under the Tags section that you can quickly
assign to your file.
If you want to know what the default
descriptions for each tag are then click on the
actual name Tags and a pop-up menu will
appear over the file. From here, you can assign an
entirely new tag or read the descriptions of the
existing ones. If you wish to change the default
names for the tags, then click on the Finder
menu and choose Preferences. Then, under the
Tags tab, click on an existing tag to change the
name or create new tags to suit your needs.
Drag files into the other users icon to share
AirDrop lets you share files wirelessly with

other people nearby. To get started sharing
files, click the Go menu while in Finder and
then choose the AirDrop option from the
list. Your computer will be displayed in the
window that appears as well as any other
computers or iOS devices nearby that have
AirDrop initiated. To share files, drag them
into the icon of the other device and a
message box will appear asking if youre sure
you wish to carry out the action. Click Send
and the file will be shared.
Customise the Finder toolbar

Make the Finder personal to you
While Finder is designed to be easy to use right from

the first moment you switch on your Mac, that doesnt
mean it will have everything you need within easy reach
right from the off. Thankfully, Apple offers the option to
customise the Finder toolbar with the buttons, files and
tools that you need. To access these options, you simply
need to Ctrl+click (or right-click) on the toolbar itself, select
Customise Toolbar, and then drag the buttons you want
into the locations you want. You can even add files and
folders to the toolbar by holding the Cmd key when you
click and drag them up into it. This is perfect if you open a
specific folder constantly and always need quick access to
its contents it will always be just a click away.
As the contents are important,

this folder is made invisible,
presumably so people dont
tamper with the contents
without fully realising what
they are
Show your Library folder
How to access your personal settings folder

Inside every users Home folder is a Library folder where all
of your personal settings are stored. As the contents are so
important, this folder is generally made invisible, presumably so
people dont tamper with the contents without fully realising
what they are. However, there is a quick and easy way to make
it visible again. Open a new Finder window and then click on
your Home folder in the Favorites list on the left (usually titled the
same name as your account). Now click on the View menu and
choose Show View Options. Within the floating options window
that appears you will see an option called Show Library Folder.
Tick this option and the mystery folder will appear
within the user folder for you to select
and browse.
System Preferences: Personal

Delve into System Preferences the inner workings of your
Mac to get your computer working more efficiently for you
Turn off icon animations

A handy way to save power
You may have noticed that whenever you open an application

from your Dock, the icon will start jumping. Generally this isnt
a problem for day-to-day use, but if youre running an older Mac
that struggles with the more advanced elements of the OS X
interface, switching them off can help performance. To turn off
these animations, go to your System Preferences and then click
on the Dock panel. Under the Dock options you will see a list of
ticked boxes so simply untick the box marked Animate opening
applications and the icons will no longer start bopping purely for
aesthetic reasons!
If youre running a Mac

laptop, to conserve power,
remove the animations
Enable and disable Location Services
Determine which apps know where you are
In order for them to work as efficiently
as possible, some apps ask permission
to determine your position in the world.
The most obvious example of this being
the OS X Yosemite Maps app. Regardless
of whether or not you grant the app
permission to use your location, you can
always enable and disable this feature
(and revoke permission) at any time by
going to your System Preferences. Once
you are in there, click on the Security
& Privacy panel and then click on the

Privacy tab at the top of the window.
Now click on the Location Services
option listed in the left-hand column
and use the tick box to enable or disable
the feature.
Once you have done this, all of the
apps that use your location will be listed
in the main window, so simply tick or
untick the box next to each one to grant
them access or not.
Conduct a Spotlight search

How to find files with ease
Start searching
Enter keywords into the
Spotlight search field
for a list of suggestions
Manage your searches
Go to Spotlight Preferences to
determine where the search
takes place
Spotlight is Apples highly powerful

search engine that is built into the
operating system. You can search for
any kind of files on your Mac quickly
and easily by clicking on the Spotlight
magnifying glass icon to the right
of the menu bar. Upon doing so, a
search field will appear into which
you can enter keywords to search for.
Spotlight will get to work as soon as
you start typing, providing a wealth
of possible matches as and when
you type the letters. Whats more,
Spotlight will also handily divide the

matches up into categories, such as
Apps, Documents and Files making
it very easy to identify, even at-aglance, what you are looking for.
Most of the time, this will be
enough to locate a file. However,
at the bottom of the suggestions
window will be a link to Spotlight
Preferences. Click on this and you can
tick more suggestion categories and
drag them around to determine the
order in which they appear.
System Preferences: Hardware

System Preferences has various options for
adding and controlling hardware
Create a new keyboard shortcut

Save time when typing
Keyboard shortcuts are a great way to speed up your typing and perform certain
features on your Mac with the minimum amount of effort. To start exploring these, go
to your System Preferences and click on the Keyboard pane. If you then select the Text
tab you will be able to create keyboard shortcuts for words and phrases. Click on the +
icon to add a new one and then type the word or phrase in full as well as the shortened
version. Now, when you type the shorter version, it will be instantly replace with the full
word or phrase to save you time when typing. If you click on the Shortcuts tab, you
will be presented with the full range of shortcuts for certain tasks that you can
perform simply by pressing a few buttons. Here you can also enable
and disable these shortcuts and create new ones by clicking on
the + icon. You then select the app, the command and the
shortcut before clicking Add.
Text shortcuts
You can add keyboard

shortcuts for typing
text to this list
Keyboard shortcuts
Create new shortcuts for performing app
tasks by selecting this tab. You have full
freedom over the app and the command
If you click on the Shortcuts tab,

you will be presented with the full range
of shortcuts for certain tasks that you can
perform simply by pressing a few buttons
Use Energy Saver
Determine sleep patterns

In order to conserve power, your Mac
can power-down and go to sleep
after periods of inactivity. By going to
System Preferences and clicking on the
Energy Saver pane you will be able to
control exactly how long the period of
inactivity needs to be in order for your
computer to go to sleep. Use the slider
to set the desired time period for your
computer and display to power-down
and also tick the boxes
applicable to additional
energy-saving features.
You can also schedule
sleep periods by clicking
on the button in the
lower-right corner.
Set up external
speakers
Get that sound purring

Although most Macs boast a fine set of
internal speakers, the sound can still be
enhanced with an external set especially
if you want heightened bass for movies
and music. To set up your external speakers
go to System Preferences and click on Sound
to open the Sound preferences. Ensure that
your external speakers are connected to the
audio out port on your Mac (which has the
icon resembling a pair of headphones) and
then click on the Output tab. You should
find your speakers in the device list (or they
will be simply listed as Headphones). Click
on your speakers, ensure that the sound isnt
muted and then all of the sound should be
pumped out to your external source. Unplug
your speakers and revert back to your Internal
Speakers to return to normal.
Click the Schedule

button to plan inactivity
You can choose where the sound goes
System Preferences:
Internet & Wireless
How to manage your network connections
and enable content sharing from your Mac
Manage your internet connections

Learn how to connect your Mac to a network
In order to utilise many of your Macs useful
features you have to get online and the
Network pane in System Preferences is where
you go to manage your connections. The
various connections will be listed in the column
to the left. If you want to connect to a network
via a cable then click the Ethernet option. If the
Location option is set to Automatic, all of the
connection info such as IP address and DNS
server is relayed straight to the computer without
you having to type anything. If you need further
help then click on the Assist me button.
Set up sharing options
Why its good to spread the love
You may not have fully realised it yet,

but your Mac can serve as an all-round
entertainment hub for your household,
beaming music and movies wirelessly to
other devices. Go to System Preferences and
click on the Sharing pane to see the many
options. If you are lucky enough to have a
MacBook Air as well as a desktop computer,
then you can lend the use of the DVD drive
of your other computer to the laptop (which

doesnt have one) by clicking the DVD or CD
Sharing option. This will beam the content
to the disk to the other machine. You can
also stream content to other devices such as
Apple TV. There are plenty of other sharing
methods too, such as File, Printer, and even
Internet, whereby you allow other computers
to share your internet connection.
Sharing options
All of the various features that can be
shared will be listed here. Click on an
option to read up on what it entails
Clear old Wi-Fi

connections
Discover how to
clear your network
connection history
There is a chance your

Mac will connect to a
host of Wi-Fi networks in
its lifetime. If you want to
remove older, unwanted
connections then you can
do this quickly and easily in
your System Preferences.
Click on the Network pane
and then highlight the Wi-Fi
connection in the list to
the left. Now click on the

Advanced button in the
main window and all of the
networks that you have
connected to will be listed.
If you wish to remove one,
highlight it in the list and
then click on the - icon.
You can also untick the
Remember networks this
computer has joined option.
Delete unwanted connections

Edit name
You can also edit the name of your
computer (how it appears to others
on the network) by clicking on the
Edit button
System Preferences: System

Here we look at how to make certain apps boot-up when your
computer does and the advantages of using Time Machine
Manage apps that open at login

Decide which apps start up with your Mac
Some of us will need specific apps and utilities running in the

background to make our computers run efficiently to suit our
needs. As such, you can determine which apps launch as soon as
you log into your computer by going to your System Preferences
and clicking on the Users & Groups pane. Next, click on the Login
Items tab and all of the programs that are scheduled to open
when you login will be listed. You can add and remove apps and
services using the + and - buttons and hide items by placing a
tick in the box next to it.
You can determine which

apps launch as soon as
you log into your computer
Restore a deleted file with Time Machine
How to back up and manage your files
Time Machine is a useful system that
can keep hourly backups from the
previous 24 hours, daily backups
for the previous month and weekly
backups for all previous months. If you
accidentally delete an important file,
you can effortlessly restore it using Time
Machine. You need to start off by going
to your System Preferences and turning
Time Machine on, you will also need a
designated backup disk and a separate
hard drive to accommodate the backup

data. You can then schedule when the
backups take place and delve into your
Time Machine to find the backup in the
event of a file being deleted. The easiest
way to do this is to tick the Show Time
Machine in menu bar option in the Time
Machine Preferences and from the menu
bar item, choose Enter Time Machine.
You will then be able to trawl back
through time to find your file.
Perform a system backup
Keep everything safe with Time Machine

Backing up
Click the Time
Machine menu bar to
make instant backups
Time Machine Preferences
Go to System Preferences to turn on

Time Machine and select a backup disk
We have already explored what

Time Machine does, so how to you
go about backing up all of your
important data for the first time?
Go to the Time Machine pane in
System Preferences and click on Select
Disk. You will be invited to choose
an external disk location to back up
the data to make sure you have an
external hard drive big enough to
accommodate the data. Once you
have connected and selected this,
turn Time Machine on using the
large switch and then go to the Time

Machine menu bar. From there, select
the Backup Now option to get your
first backup underway. This may take
a little time. With the disk selected,
backups will take place automatically
in the background, so you have peace
of mind that none of your files can get
lost or deleted by mistake because
you can always delve into your Time
Machine and skip back through time
to the various backups to find what
youre looking for.
Utilities
Take a tour around your Mac Utilities and discover

new ways of controlling and using your Mac
Repair Disk Permission
Speed up the efficiency of your Mac
When you install an app, the software arrives as part of a package

of files, which include permissions that tell OS X which users can do
what. Over time these permissions can get changed, which could result
in your Mac running slower, freezing or crashing. A solution is to run the
Disk Utility app. Launch it app and click on your hard drive, then click on
the Verify Disk Permissions button. The app will then scan your drive and
look for permissions that are amiss. When the scan is complete, you can
review any of the issues it found in the middle of the Disk Utility window.
To repair these issues, click the Repair Disk Permissions button.
Over time permissions can get

changed, which could result in
your Mac running slower
Get started with basic Terminal commands
Dont shy away from this versatile app
The Macs Terminal app provides textbased access to the operating system
and there are many things it can do,
from moving large numbers of files
to changing preferences. To get you
started, though, we have plucked a
selection of safe commands out to help
you get accustomed to using this app. As
soon as you lunch Terminal you will be
able to start entering commands, so lets
start by entering Clear to clear the current
Terminal window. You can navigate to

folders, such as Utilities by entering the
following command: cd /Applications/
Utilities and if you want to jump back to
your home folder, simply enter: cd. To
view the contents of a directory, enter:
ls. It takes a little getting used to but it
is well worth finding out more about
Terminal, and its many commands to
help you explore your Mac in an entirely
new way.
View energy usage in Activity Monitor

Monitor your Macs energy impact
Learn more
Select Activity
Monitor Help from
the Help menu
Energy Impact
The Energy Impact
reveals the amount of
energy being used
Activity Monitor can be used to

view how processes are using
resources on your Mac, such as the
processor, memory disk, network
and overall energy usage. Click
Energy near the top of the Activity
Monitor window to see how much
energy is being consumed by open
apps and background processes. The
amount of energy being used affects
how much energy your Mac is using,
and how long you can operate your
portable Mac with no power adapter.
The Energy Impact shown at the

bottom of the window represents
the total amount of energy used by
all processes over a period of time. To
determine how much energy is being
used by individual processes, look
at the number that appears in the
Energy Impact column. The lower the
number, the less power the process is
using.If you see a triangle to the left
of an apps name, it means that the
app consists of multiple processes.
Click on the triangle to see more.
Use VoiceOver
Manage your system

with Activity Monitor
Control your Mac with your voice
See how memory is used
With Activity Monitor, you can view how

Mac OS X allocates memory to different
applications and how it uses virtual memory.
You can view detailed information and a graph
in the Activity Monitor Window or you can
view just a graph in Activity Monitors Dock
icon. Because of virtual memory, which is hard
disk space used as memory, Mac OS X can use
more than the amount of physical RAM you
have. A hard disk is much slower than RAM,
so your Mac runs more efficiently if you have
enough RAM for your activities. You can use
Activity Monitor to make sure it does. To view
your system memory usage, click the Memory
tab while in Activity Monitor and a wealth
of useful information will be displayed at the
bottom of the screen. You can also display info
in the Dock icon by clicking on View>Dock
Icon and then choose what to display.
Click the Memory tab for a detailed overview
VoiceOver doesnt just tell you whats happening on

your Mac, it also tells you whats on your screen and
walks you through actions. Whats more, VoiceOver is
deeply integrated into OS X, so as developers update
apps to take advantage of the accessibility interfaces
provided by Apple, apps can start working with
VoiceOver straight away. Launch the VoiceOver Utility
to explore various options for setting up, determining
all aspects of the computers voice and selecting
what can be controlled. VoiceOver is also the
first screen reader to provide plugand-play support for refreshable
braille displays. Plug in or sync up a
display and the VoiceOver description
is presented in braille. OS X includes software drivers
for more than 40 USB and wireless braille displays.
Launch the
VoiceOver utility
to explore options
for setting up,
determining aspects
of the computers
voice and selecting
what to control
Perform a
safe boot
Use Migration Assistant

Moving items between Macs
Migration Assistant is used to transfer

important information from one Mac to
another, such as user accounts, applications,
documents and network settings. The
process is pretty fool-proof and you will be
guided through it from start to finish. In fact
the process is the same as the Setup Assistant
when youre setting up your Mac for the first
time. It helps you enter your information about
your network, and walks you through setting
up a user account on your computer. To get
started, simply launch the Migration Assistant
app and all active apps will quit. You then
choose the service you wish to perform and
the app will guide you through it.
Turn off potentially

problematic software
Verify a volume while

starting from it
If you are having problems

that need addressing with
the Disk Utility app, start up
your computer in Safe Mode,
which includes an automatic
disk check and repair. To do
this, shut down your machine
and press the power button.
As soon as you hear the
startup tone, hold down Shift
and release it when you see
the Apple logo and progress
indicator. To leave Safe Mode,
restart your computer without
holding any keys. Its also worth
noting that in Mac OS X 10.4.3
or later you can verify your Mac
OS X volume while starting
from it with live verification.
Using the app will quit your active apps
Pick a service to be guided through it
Notification Center
Notification Center is a great way to stay informed with whats going on around you
and here we show you how to get the most out if it
Send iMessages from Notification Center

Send messages quickly and easily
Notification Center shows all of your important messages in the upper-right

corner of your screen without interrupting what youre doing. You can show
and hide Notification Center by clicking on its icon in the menu bar. To send quick
messages, click on the icon in the menu bar to display your Notification Center
and click on the Messages icon. A new mini window will appear at the top in
which you can enter recipients and text before clicking on the Send button to fire
off the message.
Notification Center
shows all of your
messages without
interrupting what
youre doing
Turn on Do Not Disturb at specific times
Enjoy some quiet time on your Mac
Do Not Disturb is a relatively new
addition to Mac OS X that hides all of
your notifications so that you can enjoy
some quiet time on your computer
without getting distracted with banners
and alerts. You can turn on this mode
instantly from your Notification Center by
scrolling down and then flipping the switch,
but you can also schedule it to take place
between specific times. To do this, go to

your System Preferences and then click on
the Notifications pane. Now tick the box
under Turn on Do Not Disturb and then
set the time frame that you wish this mode
to activate between. You will also find
additional options whereby you can allow
FaceTime calls from specific people during
Do Not Disturb mode.
Turning on Do Not Disturb

Scroll down in Notification Center
and flip the switch to turn on Do Not
Disturb mode instantly
Scheduling quiet time

In the Notifications pane in System
Preferences you can schedule when you
want Do Not Disturb mode to kick in
You choose
Set which apps work what
displays
with Notification Center in the app
See the information you crave

Notification Center keeps
you informed of whats
going on around you,
and you have control over
which apps appear and in
what order. To edit the list
of apps and services as well
as how they appear, click
on the Notifications pane in
System Preferences. All of the
apps and services included
in Notification Center will

be listed. The apps you use
that utilise the service will be
listed by default, but you can
remove apps and services
by clicking and holding on it
and then dragging it down
to Not in Notification Center.
You can also determine how
the notifications for each
individual app appear.
Change the running order of your apps

Click and drag to re-order your apps
Weve seen how you can decide which
apps appear in the Notifications pane.
However, in the Notifications pane in
System Preferences you can also change
the order in which the apps appear in
your Notification Center. If, for example,
you want your emails to appear above
your messages, then you can change this
quickly and easily.
Start off the process by locating the
app or service you wish to reposition
Its a quick way of staying

in touch with your social
loop without having to
launch specific apps
in the column of included apps and

services to the left and then click and
hold on it. You can now drag it up or
down to sit above or below other apps
and services. While doing this, a thin blue
line will appear to help you see if you
are moving the current item above or
below another. Once done, the order will
save automatically and your Notification
Center will be updated the next time that
you open it.
Forward notifications
from Growl
Set up this third-party solution

Before Notification Center was introduced to
OS X there was Growl, a third-party notification
system to help you know what was going on
with all of your apps. Since version 2.0 of Growl,
users are able to forward notifications to OS X.
Go to your System Preferences and then click
on the Growl pane, which should be listed at
the bottom of the System Preferences screen
that is reserved for app-based preferences. Here,
under the General tab, you will see the option
to turn on OS X Notifications. Do so and all the
notifications Growl gets from different apps are
instead forwarded to Notification Center and
will appear as though they were sent by an app
using the Macs native Notification Center. Think
of it as getting the best of both worlds.
Change alert style
Decide how to be notified
Post to social networks straight from Notification Center
Post to social media from

Notification Center
Posting updates is quick and easy
As the most popular social
networks have been integrated
into the Mac OS X operating
system, posting updates to
Facebook and Twitter is quick
and easy through Notification
Center. Start off by setting
your accounts up in System
Preferences by clicking on the
Internet Accounts pane and then
click on your Notification Center
icon in the top-right corner of
the screen. At the top of the

Notification Center, alongside the
Messages icon, you will see icons
for Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
too. Click on one of these icons
and a new post box will appear
within the Notification Center into
which you can type text and add
locations. Its a quick and easy
way of staying in touch with your
social loop without having to
launch specific apps and services.
One of the best things about

Notification Center is the way you
can determine exactly how you are
notified by certain apps and services.
Go to the Notifications pane in System
Preferences and then click on an app
that is included in your Notification
Center. Here you can change the
alert style to Banners or Alerts, get
them to play sounds when they popup, determine if the app badge is
displayed and more.
You can
determine exactly
how you are notified
by certain apps
Automator
Automator loves the jobs you hate, making light work of time-consuming
tasks. Here we show you how to use this powerful tool
Create a Calendar Alarm workflow
Set up your first action
Automator is your personal automation assistant, making it easy for you to

perform more tasks with less effort. Using a simple-drag and drag process,
you can create structured tasks to be carried out automatically. Although Apple
removed the Run Script alarm option in the Calendar app, the Automators
ability to save Calendar Alarm workflows remains. So in Automator, click File>
New and choose Calendar Alarm. This will be added to a new Automator
window and you will now be able to drag
actions into Automator to complete the task.
Using a drag-anddrop process, you

can create tasks
to be carried out
automatically
Back up contacts with Automator
Create a repeating database backup
Launch Automator and then select
Calendar Alarm. Pick Contacts in the
Library pane and, from the Actions pane,
drag Find Contacts Items into the workflow
area. Choose Groups and in the area below
change the item next to Name to is not
and enter some gibberish. The action name
will change to Find Contacts Groups. Drag
Export vCards into the workflow and change
the To entry to Documents. This creates a

single vCard document with your contacts.
This action will be duplicated on a monthly
basis, so configure it so your files dont
duplicate. Select Files & Folders in the Library
pane and drag the Rename Finder Items
action to the workflow. Ensure that Month
Day Year is chosen as the Format and the Use
Leading Zeros option is ticked.
Library and Actions

Select a Library and all relevant actions will be
listed to the right
Drag and drop

Drag actions into the workflow window and
configure them to suit your needs
Sync Automator docs

through iCloud
Spread efficiency
with Automator
Your actions, when you need them

Apples iCloud service
extends to Automator, so
all of the automations you
create on one computer
will be synced to your other
computers. Go to your
System Preferences and click
on the iCloud pane. Now
scroll down to Documents
& Data and click the Options
button. A window displays
all of the apps that store

documents and data in
iCloud, so scroll down and
ensure that Automator is
ticked and then click on
Done. All Automations
will now be synced to the
cloud so log in with the
same Apple ID on your other
machines and carry out the
same procedure.
Auto-resize images
A laborious chore made easy

If you need to resize a batch of images
then you can command Automator to
handle the operation, even going so
far as to rename the images. Launch
Automator, click File>New and then
select the Application option. Now,
choose Files & Folders in Library and then
drag the Ask for Finder Items action into
the workflow.
Ensure that the Start At item is set to
Desktop and then tick the Allow Multiple
A Folder action can be

placed on a particular folder
to run when new files are
added to it
Selection item. Now drag the Copy

Finder Items action into the workflow
(also from the Files & Folders Library) and
change the To option to Other. Create a
new folder called Resized and then click
on the Photos Library. Drag the Scale
Images action across and select the
desired size from the To Size menu and
then save the workflow. You can now
resize images by dragging batches into
the app.
Use Automator variables

Handle changing text and values
Automator variables are place-holders that can

be used whenever you want to input some
form of data that you define beforehand. If, for
example, you want to save a file with a particular
file name, then you can type in some text that
sets the value of the variable.
To create a variable, click on the variables
icon found at the bottom of the Automator
window. This will display the Variables window.
Once this appears, right-click on it and choose
New Variable. A new item will appear in the
Variables list that will require you to enter some
information. To set the values, use the Ask
for Text action and then add the Set Value of
Variable action and choose your variable from
the Variable drop-down menu. You will be
asked for info, which will then be stored as that
variables action.
Drag the variable up

into the workflow
Open multiple web pages
Folder actions are enabled once new files are added
Create a Folder action

How to create a smart folder
A Folder action is an action that
you can place on a particular
folder that will run when new
files are added to it. Start off by
creating a new Automator file and
then select Folder Action from
the selection of workflow types.
Once this is done, a Folder Action
receives files and folders added to
option will appear in the workflow,
so use the drop-down menu to
navigate to the folder you wish
to attach the action to, creating
a new one if it is something that

becomes necessary.
Now you can go about the
business of building the workflow
with the required actions. For
example, click on the Photos
Library and then drag the
Scale Images action into the
workflow. You are now able to
add additional actions such as
New Mail Message from the Mail
Library to automatically send out
your resized images.
If you like to start the day by browsing

web pages, then Automator can
load them all in one go. Create a
new Application in Automator and
navigate to the Internet Library. Drag
the Get Specified URLs action into the
workflow window. Here you can add
in the web pages to be loaded. Next,
drag the Display Webpages action
into the workflow to set it up. Your
web pages will launch within your
browser, when you click on the app.
Your web pages

will launch within
your browser
Safari
The Safari app takes web browsing to the next level. Here we
demonstrate how to get the most out of the experience
Clear your cache
Free up a little disk space

As you explore the web through Safari, it will store items from
certain websites in a cache to make them quicker to load the
next time you access them. However, over time this can create
a drain on your storage space, so it is a good idea to empty the
cache every so often. To do this, while in Safari, click on the Safari
menu and go to Preferences, then click on the Advanced tab
and tick the Show develop menu in menu bar option. Now click
on the new Develop menu that appears and choose the Empty
Caches option.
Click on the new Develop

menu and choose the Empty
Caches option
Uninstall unwanted extensions
Where to manage Safari add-ons
Extensions add all sorts of extra
functionality to Safari. They are linked
to specific apps and services and often
provide shortcuts in the form of buttons
that can be added to the Safari toolbar.
Managing these extensions is all done
through the Safari Preferences that you
can access at any time by clicking on the
Safari menu. At the Preferences screen,
click on the Extensions tab at the top
and all of the extensions that you have
installed will be listed in the column

to the left. In addition to showing the
current extensions, you can also shop for
new extensions by clicking on the Get
Extensions button found in the lowerright corner.
But were concentrating on managing
them, not adding more! Click an
extension in the list to see a box. You
can tick this to enable it and a button to
uninstall it if you no longer need it.
Select which sites can use Flash

How to enable and manage plug-ins
Allowing plug-ins
Click on this menu to
change the plug-in status
for individual websites
Global access
This menu lets you
manage plug-ins
across all sites
Like Extensions, plug-ins are

small programs that enhance the
capabilities of Safari. Because Safari
is a secure web browser it runs, by
default, without plug-ins enabled so
as not to breach this security, but you
have full freedom to override this and
enable plug-ins on a site-by-site basis.
Click on the Safari menu and go to
Preferences, then click on the Security
tab at the top of the window. Here
you will see an option that you can
tick to enable Internet Plug-ins do
so and then click on the Manage

Website Settings button to the right.
All of the plug-ins will be listed in the
column to the left, so click on one,
such as Adobe Flash Player, and you
will be able to Allow it on currently
open websites. Click on this menu to
choose other options such as Ask
and Block. The menu below relates
to all websites so you can allow the
plug-in to be used by every website
that requires it rather than on a siteby-site basis.
Create a Reading List
Add a credit card

to AutoFill
Save pages to read later
Fill in online forms with ease

Safaris AutoFill feature is a handy system
that means when you go to fill in details
online, such as your email address, postal
address and other personal details, they
will be already stored in the system, saving
you plenty of time. To edit the details that
are stored in AutoFill, such as contact info and
user names and passwords as well as add
your credit card details for online shopping
purposes, click on the Safari menu and then
go to Preferences. Next, click on the AutoFill
tab and you will see a list of AutoFill web forms
listed. Simply place a tick next to the ones
you wish to enable and then click on the Edit
button to input the relevant details. When you
wish to add a new credit card, click on the Add
button and then input the cardholders details
before clicking Done. You can also remove
expired cards from this screen.
Adding personal details to AutoFill will save

you plenty of time in the long run
One of the handy recent additions to Safari is

Reading List, a service that lets you save web
pages to read later, even if you dont have an
internet connection. This information is also
synced to your iCloud, so pages you save to your
Reading List on your Mac will also be available on
your iPad. To add a new page to your Reading List,
click the Bookmarks menu and choose Add to
Reading List (or press Shift + Command + D).
Click on your Bookmarks button to open
a new column to the left of the
browser and click on the Reading
List tab to see all of the added
pages. You can remove pages by dragging your
cursor over one and clicking the X icon.
Reading List lets you

save pages to read
later. This information
is also synced to your
iCloud, so pages you
save to your Mac will
also be available on
your iPad
Retweet articles from

the sidebar
Seamless Twitter integration
Apple has recently embraced a range of

social networks and integrated them into the
operating system to enable users to share
content from within a wide range of apps.
Safari is no different and you can view recent
tweets from the folk you follow by clicking the
Bookmarks button in the top-left corner of the
Safari toolbar and then clicking on the Shared
Links tab at the top of the new column that is
revealed to the left of the browser. You can also
retweet any comments or articles by clicking
on the respective post, after which it will open
in the main window. Now simply click on the
Retweet option at the top of the screen.
Use Safari
Reader
See articles much

more clearly
Safari Reader makes it

easier to digest web news
Safaris Reader feature strips

all of the clutter out of web
pages to help you enjoy them
without distractions in the
form of garish page furniture
or adverts. To utilise this handy
feature, simply navigate to a
page and then click on the blue
Reader button in the top-right
corner. Text from the article
will then be displayed as black
text on a white background.
You can change the size of the
display font by clicking on the
aA button to make it even
easier to read and then quickly
return the page to its default
state by clicking on the Reader
button again.
Click Bookmarks to reveal the sidebar
The Shared Links tab reveals your Twitter feed
Mail
The Mail app is simple to set up, yet is packed with features to help you
filter and stay organised. We explore some of those features here
Clear your Mail database

Get rid of unwanted messages
If your mailbox is crammed full of emails then you can mark and move them to
other mailboxes in order to keep important ones. If you then wish to clear out
all of the other emails, this can be done quickly by clicking on the Edit menu and
choosing Select All (Command + A). This will auto-select every message in your
inbox and you will then be able to press the Delete button to remove everything,
leaving a fresh, clutter-free inbox behind ready to be filled again. What you delete
is simply moved to the Trash folder.
Press the Delete

button to remove
everything, leaving
a fresh, clutter-free
inbox behind
Create Smart Mailboxes
Get mail organised on your behalf

A Smart Mailbox gathers messages that
are stored in other mailboxes all in one
location, so you dont have to move
about between mailboxes. The messages
displayed in a Smart Mailbox are based on
criteria you define. To create one, click on
the Mailbox menu and then choose the
New Smart Mailbox option (or alternatively
click on the + icon at the bottom of the
sidebar and choose New Smart Mailbox).

Use the pop-up menus and text fields to
define the search criteria for the mailbox
and if necessary, click on the + icon to
add more search criteria. If you wish to
include messages from the Trash and
Sent mailboxes, then tick the applicable
checkboxes. Your new mailbox will appear in
the sidebar under Smart Mailboxes.
Name your mailbox

The name you give your new Smart Mailbox
here will be how it appears in the sidebar once
you have created it
Set criteria
You can set the criteria for the Smart Mailbox
here. Click on the + icon to add even more
criteria fields
Use personal certificates in Mail

Send secure and encrypted messages
A personal certificate is a
document that associates
your digital identity with
other information. To send
and receive signed and
encrypted messages you
need a personal certificate.
For each address you want
to use to send signed
messages and receive
encrypted messages,
request a certificate from a
certificate authority (CA). To

import the certificate into
Keychain Access, doubleclick the certificate file you
received. Once imported,
you should find it listed in
the My Certificates category
in Keychain Access. Open
your certificate in Keychain
Access and make sure its
trust setting is Use System
Defaults or Always Trust.
Manage your signatures
Determine how to sign off your emails

In the Mail app you have full freedom
over how you sign your emails. You
may wish to add a saying or motto, or
perhaps a company address and details
whatever it is, you only have to do it
once and then Mail will add your text
on your behalf thereafter. To get started,
click on the Mail menu and then choose
Preferences. Here you will see a tab at the
top of the window called Signatures. Click
on this and then you will be able to click
You never have to worry

about missing an important
email because they all flow
to the same place
the + icon to add a new one. Add the

desired text into the right-hand window
and then once you are done you will be
able to choose which signature to add
to your emails simply by highlighting it
in the middle column. You can also tick
options to always match your signature
font to your email font and place your
signature above quoted text. To remove
signatures from the list, simply highlight
one and then click on the - icon.
Change fonts and styles

Change the appearance to suit
your needs
If you wish to change the aesthetics and

appearance of your emails then this can all be
done through the Preferences which you
can access by clicking on the Mail menu. Once
there, click on the Fonts & Colours tab at the
top of the window and youll be able to select
the message list font, the message font itself
and the fixed width font. You can also change
the colour of quoted text so that it stands out
from the rest of your message. If you click on the
Viewing tab then you can also determine the
layout of your emails, how much of the body
text is previewed before you open it up and how
email conversations are handled. With a little
adjustment you can get the Mail app to fit your
requirements perfectly.
Create advanced
rules in Mail
Deflect unwanted emails

Setting up additional email accounts is quick and easy
Add accounts
Set up additional email accounts

One of the best aspects of Mail is
that you can add as many email
accounts as you want and then
get all of your new emails from
all of your different accounts
streamed to one universal email.
This means you never have to
worry about missing an important
email because they all flow to the
same place.
To add additional accounts,
click the Mail menu and choose
the Add Account option. This
will launch the Internet Accounts
panel in System Preferences,

which will display all of your
various email and social network
accounts. To add a new account,
scroll down the list to the right
until you see the type of account
that you would like to add (if
you dont see a match, click on
the generic Add Other Account
option at the bottom) and then
enter the required information.
Once the account has been set
up and added, it will appear in the
left-hand column.
Mail rules allow you to direct

messages into another folder or trash
automatically based on conditions
that you decide. To start applying
these rules, click Mail>Preferences.
Click on the Rules tab and choose
Add Rule. You will be able to set
the criteria that determines which
messages need to be moved as well
as the place they are being moved
to. As with Smart Mailboxes, click on
the + icon to factor in more criteria.
Set criteria that

determines which
messages to move
Calendar
Stay organised and discover all of the useful things you

can do with your Macs built-in Calendar app
Add travel time to a Calendar event

Adding more details to your events
Creating new events within the Calendar app is a quick

and easy process that you can start by right-clicking on a
time period on any day. Once done, choose New Event from
the floating menu and then click on the Add Alert, Repeat
or Travel Time option and you will be presented with various
time options. Click on the field next to travel time (which is set
to None by default) and you will be able to set a duration for
travelling from a selection provided or create your own one by
clicking on Custom.
You will be able to set a

duration for travelling from
a selection provided
Turn on Time Zone support
Manage your overseas events
Its all very well creating Calendar app
events from your office, but are they as
easy to keep track of if you happen to
be overseas? The simple solution to this
problem is to turn on Time Zone support
so that you can view all of your Calendar
events in a different time zone.
To set this up, click on the Calendar
menu bar item while in the app and
then choose Preferences. Now click
on the Advanced tab at the top of the
Preferences window and you will see the

option to Turn on time zone support.
Simply place a tick in the box to activate
it and the option to switch between any
time zones you enter will be displayed
in the top-right corner of the main
Calendar window. Just click on the arrow
to change the time zones. You can easily
disable this feature at any time by going
back to the Advanced settings and
un-ticking the box.
Email invitees in a Calendar
New message
The name of the event

will form the title and
the details will be
contained within
Invite via email

Click on an invitee
and choose the Send
Email option from the
floating menu
Send out notifications for impending meets

When setting up a new calendar
event you have full freedom to set
all of the details, and this includes
who you invite. Right-click on a day
and time to create a new event and
then click on the Add Invitees option.
From here you can enter the names
of all of the people you wish to invite.
If these people dont happen to
be in your Contacts but have email
addresses that you would like to
include, then you will have to enter
the email address here. Otherwise just
adding the name of the person will

be enough.
You can also check the availability
of the invitees if they use the Calendar
app. Once you have entered a name,
right-click on it and then choose the
Send Email option from the floating
menu. This will create a new email
message within your Mail app with
the name of the event forming the
title of the email. Now you can just go
through the process of sending the
email as normal.
Sync with Facebook events
Calendar Inspector
Receive pop-ups for all of your

event details
Once you have added events to Calendar,
you can view them quickly and easily
through the Calendar Event Inspector.
Double-click on an event and a pop-up
window will appear displaying the details
you have added, such as location, invitees
and times. If you want to edit an event or add
information, clicking the date expands the
window to offer additional fields, such as time
zone, travel time, alerts and availability. The app
understands that you dont necessarily need
to know all of this information at-a-glance, and
so only the essential details will be visible on
the event as it appears in your Calendar. Since
the release of OS X Mavericks, Apple has also
tethered the Calendar app to its Maps app,
so when you enter a location into the Event
Inspector, you will be able to see in on a map
in the window which is very handy.
Double-click on an event to view the Inspector
See whats going on in your circles
Since Apple has integrated Facebook into the fabric

of OS X Yosemite, you can sync your Calendar app
with your Facebook calendar so that all of the events
that your friends have set up, as well as birthdays,
can be viewed through one interface. To start with
this, go to the Internet Accounts pane in your System
Preferences and ensure that you are logged into a
Facebook account, then go to your Calendar app, click
on the Calendar menu and choose Preferences.
Click on the Accounts tab and ensure
that your Facebook account is
enabled in Calendar and then click
on the Calendars button in the
top-left corner of the Calendar interface. With
this out of the way, tick the options under the Facebook
header to ensure that they are synced and displayed.
You can sync your

Calendar app with
your Facebook
calendar to view all of
the events that your
friends have set up,
as well as birthdays
See the weather
in an event
Publish a calendar
Make what youre doing public

If you would like to publish a calendar so that
other people may see it such as workflows
for colleagues and suchlike start off by
clicking on the File menu in the Calendar
app and then choose New Calendar>On
My Mac. Give your new calendar a name
and add whatever events you want. Now,
in the Calendars column, right-click on your
new calendar and then choose the Publish
option. A window will now appear into which
you can provide an alternate name for the
calendar, login details and specific items to
publish. When you have finished entering all of
the details, just click on the Publish button to
complete the task.
Get extra insight

through Maps
See the weather with

event locations
One of the best things about

creating or viewing events in
Calendar is the integration
with the Maps app. If you add
a location to an event then
a map showing the location
will be added to the Event
Inspector. Whats more, the
current weather conditions
at the location will also be
displayed underneath the
map, which could feature
icons depicting the weather
conditions as well as the current
temperature. This information
is updated in real time so
you can keep referring to the
Event Inspector for updates on
whether you need to wrap up!
Right-click a calendar and select Publish
Add the details and elements to publish
Reminders
There is much more to the Reminders app than

meets the eye. Here we delve deeper
Drag an email into Reminders

Create reminders for important emails
Drag emails
Drag emails from your
Mail app into Reminders
to create new tasks
The Reminders app is versatile enough to allow you to create

new reminders simply by dragging emails into the app.
Start off by creating a new list by clicking on the + icon in the
side-bar and then click and hold on an email and drag it into
the main window for your created list in Reminders. The title
of the email will form the header for the task and you will
also see a link to Show in Mail if you need to refer back to the
original email (clicking this will open the email in a separate window
within Mail). Click on the i icon after highlighting the reminder to set
a time or location for the reminder. If you have lots of emails that need
responding to, this is a great way to ensure you never forget one and
keep on top of your busy workload.
The title of the email will form the

header for the task and you will also see
a link to Show in Mail if you need to refer
back to the original email
View a reminder
with Quick Look
Reminders on a desktop
By clicking and holding on a reminder,
you can drag it to your desktop in
Finder and get a thumbnail preview
that shows the items name and other
information. If you then right-click the
name of the task on your desktop, a
floating menu will appear with options.
Choose the Quick Look option and the
reminder will open in its
own window. From there
you will be able to open
it within the Reminders
app or share it via email,
Messages or AirDrop.
Close the Quick Look
window by clicking on
the X icon.
Drag reminders to
your desktop and open them with Quick Look
Instant organisation
When an email is dragged to Reminders
the title will form the name of the new
task. Now set the details as normal
Create a locationbased reminder
Be alerted at a specific place

Using the Reminders app is as simple as
adding a new to-do to a list within the app.
After entering a new task you can then factor
in additional details, one of which is to remind
you at a location. This is especially useful if you
own a Mac laptop and are commuting to a
specific location.
After entering the name of the to-do,
highlight it in the list and then click on the i
icon next to it. Now, in the floating box that
appears, tick the Remind me At a Location
option and you will be invited to enter an
address or postcode into the field provided. By
default, this will be set to your current location
but you can override this. Finally, select
whether you want to be reminded when
arriving or leaving the stated direction and
then click on the Done button.
Get reminded according to location
App Store
The App Store is the one-stop shop for all Mac-related apps, utilities
and games, and here we help you get to know it a little better
Review an app
Provide a little customer feedback

When you purchase an app from the App Store it is good practice to leave
a review so that other users can take note of any issues you had. Start off by
going to the download page of the app and scroll down to Customer Ratings.
Click the Rate this application stars and mark it out of five, then click on the Write
a review link. You have 6,000 characters to use and also spaces to provide a title
and a nickname for yourself as the author. When you have finished your review,
click on the Submit button and it will be added to the other user reviews.
It is good practice
to leave a review so
that other users can
take note of any
issues you had
Hide an app from your Purchased list
How to conceal certain purchases
If you spend a lot of money on Mac apps
then you may wish to be a little discreet
about the amount of money you splash
out. There is a simple and effective way
to do this, so start off by clicking on the
Purchased tab at the top of the App Store
interface. This screen will list all of the apps
you have downloaded (as well as allow you
to update them if a new version is available),
so navigate to the one you wish to hide and

then right-click on it. The option to Hide
Purchase will now appear, so click on this
and a prompt will appear asking if you are
sure you want to hide the app. Click on Hide
Purchase and the app will vanish from the
screen. If you go to the download page of
the App you hid then it will still be shown as
being Installed.
Your purchases
All of the apps you download will be listed
under the Purchased tab. Here you can also
re-download apps not on your computer
Hiding purchases
Right-click on any app and the option to Hide
Purchase will appear. Click this and then do
likewise with the prompt that appears
Update your apps
Click on Update
to upgrade apps
How to get the latest free versions

Whenever you purchase
and download an app,
it is for life, not just for
the current version. So
whenever the developer
fixes bugs and adds features,
you can download the
update for free. When
updates become available
for the apps you own they
will be flagged up with a
number next to the Updates
tab. Click on this tab and

the updates will be listed,
along with the various
improvements. Now click
on the Update button next
to an app and it will start
downloading and replace
the original app on your
machine. If you scroll down
the page the updates
installed in the last 30 days
will also be listed.
iTunes
Discover how to clean your iTunes music library and

get the app running smoothly for your sonic needs
Get high-quality CD rips
Improve the quality of your imported CDs
Your Import Settings

Click on this option to review
the current import method
when ripping CDs
You probably already know that you can import CDs into
your iTunes library, but have you ever questioned the quality
of the rip? There are various formats available for selection
and a good many of them are actually better quality than the
default method AAC Encoder. To change the format, click
on the iTunes menu bar item and then choose Preferences.
Now, under the General tab, is an option called When a CD is
inserted: you can change the action to suit your needs (by default it is
set to Ask to import CD) and review the Import Settings. Click on the latter
option. Click on the Import Using menu and choose either Apple Lossless, WAV
or AIFF. All three are higher quality than AAC or MP3. When you have made your
selection, click on OK and then insert a CD to start ripping.
You can import CDs into iTunes, but have

you ever questioned the quality? There
are various formats and a good many are
better quality than the default
Create custom Up
Next playlists
Queue up tracks you love

In the latest version of iTunes, Apple
has added a new Up Next section,
which shows you the tracks that will
play after the song youre currently
listening to. Sometimes you find a track
you want to listen to soon, but you
dont want to skip the rest of an album
or playlist youre listening to. Now, you
can quickly add tracks, albums and
more to your Up Next
list, and have iTunes
automatically play all the
tracks in the list one after
the other. When you
find a track, simply click
the elipsis button next
to the title and choose
Add to Up Next. Its as
simple as that.
You can add tracks to
your Up Next playlist in seconds
Import using
Click on this menu and you will be able to choose
from up to five different import methods. The
default selection isnt necessarily the best!
Add cloud purchases

See and re-download your
past purchases
If you have purchased content through

iTunes on a different device then these
wont necessarily appear in your library
especially if you downloaded them before
iCloud was invented. But the beauty of iTunes
is that everything you have ever bought and
downloaded through the account that you are
signed in with, can be made accessible again
quickly and easily. While in iTunes, click on
the iTunes menu and then go to Preferences.
Now click on the Store tab at the top of the
Preferences window, ensure that the Show
iTunes in the Cloud purchases option is ticked
and then return to your Library. Previously
bought items will now appear with little cloud
icons in the corner. Click on these icons to
download each item to your computer.
Get access to every purchase you have made
Burn a gapless CD
Transfer your library to

another computer
Remove unwanted silence

Some songs are meant to be listed to with
gaping chasms of silence before or after the
next track, but if youre burning a CD from
a playlist in iTunes, then you may wish to
manually address this issue so that it doesnt
hamper your listening pleasure. Insert a blank
CD and right-click on a playlist, then choose the
Burn Playlist to Disc option. In the window that
appears, click on the drop-down menu next to
the Gap Between Songs option and then change
this to None for a gapless CD.
Finally, click on Burn and your gapless CD will
be created. If you wish to remove gaps when
listening to songs in your library, go to the iTunes
Preferences and then click on the Playback tab.
Here you will be able to adjust the Crossfade
Songs settings.
Let iTunes do the heavy lifting
Exporting your iTunes library is quick and relatively painless
If your iTunes library consists of music

purchased from the iTunes Store,moving
it to another computer consists only
of logging in with the same Apple ID
and re-downloading the music. But if
it originated from CD, export your library
instead. Click the File menu, highlight Library
and choose Export Library option. Pick a
destination to save to, and connect a hard
drive to make the process quick and easy.
Find album artwork
Ensure every album has artwork

If a standard search for artwork (see below) fails to yield
a match, right-click on the album in your library and
choose the Get Info option. Now, under the Info tab, you
can experiment with removing or adding key bits of info to
better assist iTunes in finding a match. For example, if you
have two discs imported from the same double-album,
removing any mention of discs under the Album title will
definitely help. Also, if you are left with various tracks from
the same album cast adrift in your library on their own, then
go to Get Info and remove any mention of featured artists
beyond the name of the artist who released the album. If all
else fails, find an image of the artwork online and then drag
it into the Artwork box under Get Info.
Click Get Album Artwork

and iTunes will apply all
relevant matches. If it comes
back with no matches, then
dont panic because there is
more you can do
Autofill your album artwork
Get your library looking the part
When you purchase music (or films and TV shows) from the
iTunes Store then they will download to sit proudly in your
library sporting their respective cover art. However, when
you import music from a CD youre left with an uninspiring
generic grey cover featuring a musical note not cool. To ensure
your ripped CDs also sport their album covers, right-click on
the generic cover and choose the Get Album Artwork option.
A message will appear confirming the action, so click on Get
Album Artwork again and iTunes will query the database and
apply all relevant matches. If it comes back with no
matches, then dont panic because there
is more you can do (see tip above).
iCloud
Many people have a Mac as well as an iPad and/or iPhone. iCloud is designed
to make using multiple devices much simpler by syncing key settings
Get started with iCloud

Set up your iCloud Keychain
One of the very first tasks to perform when you get a new Mac or when adding
a new user account to your Mac, is to set up iCloud Keychain. This automatically
stores important settings online like usernames, passwords and credit cards. It is
enabled by going to iCloud in System Preferences and ticking the Keychain option
in the list. Before you start, though, make sure you have a mobile phone with you
because you will be sent a text message with a code that must be entered on your
Mac. This is an additional and essential layer of security.
One of the very

first tasks to perform
when you get a
new Mac is to set up
an iCloud Keychain
Enable Find My Mac
Locate all your Apple devices

A Mac is able to determine its location
no matter where it may be. If a service
called Find My Mac is enabled, the Mac
reports its location to iCloud every time it
has internet access. This ability can be put to
use as a security measure and if an iMac or
MacBook is stolen, it is possible to go to the
iCloud website (icloud.com) and see where
it is. Whats more, it is possible to lock it to
prevent the computer from being used and

even to erase the contents of the disk drive
so that your private documents, photos,
videos and music cannot be accessed. iCloud
is initially confusing because there is only an
option to find your iPhone. Click that icon
though, and there is an option to display the
location of all the Apple devices you own,
including the Mac.
Select your Mac

At the iCloud website, open Find My iPhone
(even if you dont have one), and select the
Mac from the devices list at the top
Turn it on
Go to System Preferences, open iCloud, scroll
down the list of items and then tick the Find
My Mac option down at the bottom
Sync data with iCloud

Sync all the important data
iCloud enables you to
automatically sync certain
information with other
Macs, iPhones and iPads
that you use. For example,
calendars and reminders
can be synchronised so
that when an appointment
is added on your Mac it
automatically appears on
other Macs and mobile
devices. Contacts can be
Sync everything
or select items
kept in sync so all your Macs

and devices can access the
same set of contacts. It isnt
simply the Mac sending
information to other device,
though; it works both
ways. Reminders and notes
created on a mobile device,
for example, automatically
appear on your Mac. Choose
what to sync using iCloud in
System Preferences.
QuickTime
iMovie is the obvious choice for video editing, but QuickTime is a fast
alternative for editing clips, extracting audio and more
Save the audio track
Export sound files from videos

The audio track within a video can be extracted and saved as
a separate file and there are several reasons why this might
be useful. A clip may have faults and you could export the audio
and process it in another program. An audio track on a music
video could be saved and then added to your music library, and
so on. It is a straightforward task to load a video and export a
sound file. Start QuickTime in the Applications folder and use
File>Open File to select the video clip. Click File>Export>Audio
Only to save the sound.
An audio track on a music

video could be saved and then
added to your music library
Export your videos
Explore the video export options

QuickTime is a useful tool when it
comes to exporting movies in different
formats. For example, you might want
to attach a video clip to an email, but
the size of attachments is limited and
you obviously cannot send gigabytes
of HD video. By exporting a video in a
lower resolution, the file size is reduced
and it become possible to mail it. Small
video files can be posted on the web,
too. Changing the resolution can make a
video that is incompatible with an older

device, such as an iPhone 4 or Apple
TV 2nd generation, playable. Do this by
starting QuickTime, then use File>Open
File to load a movie, and File>Export.
Youll see options for 1080p, 720p and
480p. The best option to pick, though,
is iPhone, iPod touch and Apple TV. This
shows the output resolutions available
and which devices are compatible. Just
select the one you want.
Edit videos in QuickTime

Build movies from multiple clips
Insert clips
Add extra clips to
the current movie
timeline with this
Insert menu
View clips
Show clips on the
view menu, then
drag and drop to
rearrange them
QuickTime may be the only piece

of software that you need for quick
and easy video editing. It has lots of
useful features and you can build
good-looking movies from several
different clips. Open a video and
select Show Clips on the View menu
to display the clip bar at the bottom
of the window. Go to the Edit menu
and select Insert Clip After Selection.
This enables you to add more clips,
stringing several together to make a
longer movie. The clip bar shows each
clip and they can be dragged and

dropped to rearrange the order.
Clips may be in portrait or
landscape modes and if you need
to make any changes, a clip can be
rotated to correct the orientation. Do
this by selecting a clip and on the Edit
menu, choose Rotate Left or Rotate
Right. Double-click a clip and it will
magically fill the bar. At each end
are yellow handles and these can be
clicked and dragged to trim the clips
start and end points.
Messages
With Messages you can chat with friends and colleagues. Well also show
how to customise your profile and the chat window properties
Block a sender
Prevent unwanted buddy contacts

Chatting with people using Messages can be a lot of fun, but there may be
some folks that you really dont want to include in conversations. No matter
what the reason is, you can easily exclude people by adding them to a blocked list.
Go to the Messages menu, Preferences and then select the Accounts icon at the
top. Select your iMessage account and there are two tabs; Settings and Blocked.
Select Blocked. Click the plus button and choose a contact from the list. Each
email address and phone number is added to the list.
No matter the
reason, you can
exclude people by
adding them to a
blocked list
Edit status settings
Create your own custom status messages

Although it is fun to chat, sometimes you
might not want to be disturbed, especially
is you have a deadline to meet. For this
reason, you can set your status in Messages
to show you are available, surfing the web,
out to lunch, in a meeting and so on. The
status is set at the bottom-left corner of
the Messages window or at the top of the
Buddies window. There are ready-made
status messages, but you can also create

your own custom ones, like I cant chat, Im
playing a game. Click your status and then
select Edit Status Menu. A panel opens at the
top of the Messages window that contains
two lists, one for Available and the other for
Away. Custom messages can be added to
either of the lists by clicking the plus button
below each one.
Add your status

This edit window enables you to add new
status messages to the Available and Away
lists, or to remove ones you no longer need
Set your status

Set your current status by selecting one of the
items on this list. If none of them fits, choose
the Edit option and create a new one
Alter the text size
Make messages easier to read

If you find that the text
in your messages is
uncomfortably small
and difficult to read, it is
possible to make it larger.
On the other hand, if it is
too large for your liking,
it can be made smaller.
You do this through the
View menu and there are
options to Make Text Bigger,
Make Text Smaller or Make
Make the text

bigger or smaller
as you wish
Text Normal Size. A much

more convenient way of
changing the text size is to
use keyboard shortcuts. Hold
down Command and press
+ to increase the text size
and press Command and
to make it smaller. More
font options are available by
going to Messages>
Preferences>Viewing and the
default can be set.
Change your profile picture

Pick an image, take a photo
A small image is associated with your

Messages account and it appears
alongside the messages on your screen
and on the screens of other people
you chat with. It is easily changed if you
dont like the one that is set by default.
To do this, go to the Messages menu
and select Change My Picture. Select the
Defaults tab to choose one of around 16
ready-made images such as flowers and
animals. They are very useful if you dont
iMessages will now appear

on your Mac and will
sync when your iPhone is
connected to Wi-Fi
want to reveal your face to the world, but

if you would like to show a real photo,
its just a case of clicking the Camera tab.
This little beauty uses the Macs built in
webcam to take a photo. Pose for the
shot, smile and simply click the camera
button. Select the Other tab and you
can browse the disk drive for an image
and select any you would like to use.
Youll see the image in the chat window
instantly change.
Send voice messages
Express yourself with recorded

snippets sent with Messages
A new feature to Messages with Yosemite
called Soundbites is the ability to record
small snippets of sound and send them to
your contacts. To the right of the chat text
box in the bottom right of the chat window
youll see a small mic symbol. All you have to
do to start recording is click on it. This will last
for a good while, allowing you to record a solid
round of audio before sending, although shorter
messages are likely to transfer much faster, so
brevity is recommended. Then click the stop
button, which will have replaced the mic and
youre given the option to send or cancel the
message just recorded. Very simple to use and
very effective for sharing voice messages, bits of
musics or any other audio you like.
Change the
Buddy display
Pick a different Buddy view

Forward your phone messages to your Mac with ease
Get phone messages on Mac
Set up text sync between your Mac and iPhone

So long as your Mac and iPhone
are logged in with the same
Apple account, syncing your
messages between the two
couldnt be simpler. Make sure
your Apple login account has
been added to your Messenger
app in Preferences, then Accounts.
You also need the email address
to be activated with iCloud. In
System Preferences select iCloud
and tick the corresponding email
address. Do the same on your
iPhone too under Settings. Also
in Settings on your iPhone select

Messages, and then Text Message
Forwarding. A list of associated
devices should appear. Select the
one you want to share messages
with. A code will appear on your
Mac and a request for the code
will appear on your iPhone. Enter
the code to verify. iMessages will
now appear on your Mac and
texts will sync when your iPhone
is connected to Wi-Fi, updating
your Mac Messages app whenever
you want.
Buddies are shown in the Buddies

window and in the messages window
when you chat with them. There
are three different ways to display
Buddies and you can switch from
one to another on the View menu
under Buddy Names. A Buddy can be
shown using their full name or short
name or handle. Just select the one
you want. A handle is the phone
number or email address the Buddy
uses. Also on the View menu are
options to show pictures, status, groups
and various other choices.
There are three ways

to display Buddies
FaceTime
FaceTime first appeared on the iPhone, but it works just as well on the
Mac, enabling you to make video and audio calls to your friends
Call your contacts
Make calls from the Contacts app

Although you can make calls from the FaceTime app itself,
you can also start calls from within Contacts and you might
find this more convenient. Open Contacts in the Dock and
either browse and select a person to call, or just type their name
into the search box at the top. The selected persons contact
details are shown on the right and there are buttons to start a
video call or a phone call. Click the one you want. If the person
has a Mac and is online, or has an iPhone or iPad, you can chat to
them online for free.
Open Contacts and either

browse and select a person to
call, or just type their name
Call an iOS device
Make calls from within FaceTime

As mentioned in the tip above, calls to
people can be placed directly from the
Contacts app, but you can also place
calls from within FaceTime. Start the
FaceTime app from the Dock and then
click Contacts in the bottom-right corner.
Browse the list of contacts and then click
the telephone or the video camera icon
next to a person to start a voice or video
call. If you click a contacts name you will
see additional information and options.
For example, the person may have

several contact methods, such as home
and work phones, email and so on. A
FaceTime icon appears next to the phone
number that can be used for FaceTime.
This will be their iOS device, such as an
iPhone. There is no longer an option to
mark people as favourites in FaceTime,
but all of your recent calls will be listed
within the app for easy access when you
need to contact them again.
FaceTime settings
Configure FaceTimes call options
Contact methods
Choose the email
addresses from this list
that you can be called on
Caller ID
Choose the
information people
see when you call
them with FaceTime
There are some important settings

in FaceTime that are definitely worth
exploring, because they enable you
to control who can call you and
where they can call you. To have a
look at all of these, open the FaceTime
app, go to the FaceTime menu and
then select Preferences. The settings
appear in the panel on the right.
You can have multiple devices, such
as a Mac, an iPhone and an iPad.
You can also have multiple email
addresses, such as one for iCloud
and another for your Apple ID. If you

have an iPhone it will have a phone
number. In the Preferences you can
choose which Mac or iOS device will
ring when someone tries to call you
using FaceTime. Its just a case of you
ticking the ones you want the Mac to
respond to in the list of contact items.
It can be useful to differentiate the
Mac and iPad, so you can call home
from work or someone from home
could call your work Mac. Select your
Caller ID, too.
Reject a call
Window options
Options for handling calls
Select the window mode to use
If you are expecting a call from someone

and FaceTime is up and running and the
window is on the screen, you will receive a
notification and also have two buttons to
choose from. One enables you to reject the
incoming call request and the other enables
you to accept it. This is fine for those occasions
when you have nothing to do but chat with
your friends and relatives, but when you are
working on your Mac you might not have the
time to talk. If FaceTime is not on the screen
and you are busy when someone calls, they
appear in the top-right corner of the screen
as a notification. There are Accept and Decline
buttons as usual, but youll notice there are two
additional buttons. These handy extras enable
you to set a reminder to call the person or reply
to them with a brief message. This tells the
caller you are busy, but have seen your call. You
can also create custom messages, to tailor the
reply to your situation.
If you are not looking your best and you dont want
the other person to see you, why not place a voice
call instead of a video? The Macs webcam will not be
turned on and the FaceTime video window is replaced
by an audio level indicator. It can be useful at times to
make voice calls, such as when the other person is using
an iPhone on 3G and they dont want to use a lot of
bandwidth. For standard video calls there are a couple
of handy options in the Video menu. One is to
switch between portrait and landscape
video modes and the other is full
screen. Remember that you can
switch the orientation, but only the
caller can switch their window from portrait to
landscape. Do it together.
Send the caller a ready-made message
There are handy

options in the Video
menu. One is to
switch between
portrait and
landscape video
modes and the other
is full screen
Mute the
microphone
Add a contact
Create new FaceTime contacts

There is more than one way to create a new
contact and you could use the Contacts app
in the Dock. FaceTime and Contacts share the
same information, so you can add contacts
without leaving FaceTime if it is open on the
screen. Click the Contacts tab at the bottom of
the window and then click the plus button at
the top. Add the persons first and last names,
phone number, email, company and so on. If
someone calls you and they are not currently
in your contacts, they can easily be added. Click
the Recents tab at the bottom and then click
the unknown caller. There are buttons to add
the information to an existing contact or to
create a new one.
Turn off the mic
Click the microphone

button to mute the sound
While you are making a call

on your Mac, you might need
to temporarily mute the
microphone to prevent the
other person hearing what is
happening. For example, your
telephone might start to ring,
someone might come into the
room and ask you a question,
you might need to ask
someone else something, and
so on. For this reason, there is a
microphone mute button that
blocks out the audio. Mouse
over the window and when the
toolbar appears, click the right
Mute button. This mutes it, so
click it again when you want to
resume speaking to the person.
It is a useful feature.
Add a new contact by clicking the plus button
Create a contact from an unknown caller
Maps
Get to grips with some advanced features of Maps, including how to

browse in different ways and send directions to your iPhone or iPad
Master different map views

Manipulate the map to work for you
The two buttons at the top of the Maps window enable you
to swap between a classic Standard map and a beautiful
Satellite photo, which also features key roads and landmark
names overlaid. In both of these views, you can click the little
3D button in the lower-right corner of the window when youre
zoomed in. This puts you into a 3D view, called Flyover, which
displays stunning 3D buildings when viewing selected cities
from around the world. Click the compass and drag upwards to
angle your view lower and see more of the map.
Clicking the compass puts

you into 3D view, which
displays stunning 3D buildings
Different ways to browse
Use your mouse, trackpad or keyboard

Its all very well having a great map to
hand, but if you cant navigate it to see
the area that you want, its worthless.
Navigation isnt a problem with Maps,
though, because you can move around
maps and zoom in and out using your
Macs mouse, trackpad or keyboard. With
a trackpad, move the map by dragging
with two fingers, zoom by pinching and
unpinching two fingers, or rotate two
fingers to spin the map around.
If you happen to be using a Magic

Mouse, drag one finger over the mouse
to pan, zoom in by double-clicking
and zoom out by double-tapping with
one finger (if this doesnt seem to be
working, youll need to enable the
Smart Zoom option by going to System
Preferences>Mouse>Point & Click).
If you prefer using your keyboard, press
the arrow keys to pan around, Cmd + =
to zoom in and Cmd + - to zoom out.
More location details
Share location
Click here to share
via iMessage, email,
AirDrop or a social
network. You can
also send the location
to any other device
that is linked to your
iCloud account
Discover more about points of interest

Get me there!
Click the Directions
arrow up here
to bring up the
Directions panel, with
this location as the
destination. Then type
your start point and
press the Return key
Maps arent just needed to find your

way; they are also valuable when it
comes to finding places of interest.
These points of interest, places such as
restaurants, businesses and landmarks,
appear on the map as a circular icon
with a label underneath. The further
you zoom in to the map, the more
youll see. When you click the icon,
a little popup appears, showing the
name, rating (from the Yelp reviews
website) and a small i icon. Click
on this i to expand the popup and
discover more information. Under Info,

youll see the location of the place of
interest in addition to other contact
details. There are also options to add
the location as a Maps bookmark, or
get directions to it.
The Reviews and Photos buttons
(where available) bring up what others
have said about the business and a
selection of images though for a lot
of UK locations, there arent many of
either, so youre probably better off
using TripAdvisor for reviews.
Get advanced directions
Pins and bookmarks
The Directions panel enables you to get

driving or walking directions between two
locations and its incredibly flexible. The
Start and End boxes enable you to enter
standard street names and postcodes, but
also names of people in your Contacts app,
landmarks and business names (the latter two
of which it gets from the internet). So if youve
included someones address when you added
them to Contacts, type their name into either
of the boxes to make their location the start or
end point of your journey.
Once youve entered your start and end
locations, press Return and Maps will calculate
one or more routes for you. Click the one youd
like to follow, to see the exact distance and
detailed instructions in the right-hand panel.
Want to mark a location on the map? Find the

place, then click and hold in the position to store. A
little pin will drop onto the location, with a Dropped
Pin popup alongside it. If the pin isnt quite where
you want it, you can drag and drop it to the correct
place. Now click the i to bring up more options. Here,
you can ask for directions to this location by clicking
Get Directions, report a problem with the location
(such as an incorrect business name) or save
the location for future use, via the Add
Bookmark button.
As well as the obvious options,
there are more hidden behind the
Share button in the top-right, including the
ability to add the location as a new entry in Contacts
though theres currently no way to add it to an
existing contact entry.
Maps will find you one or more routes
You can ask for

directions to a
location, report a
problem with the
location, or save it for
future use, via
Add Bookmark
Find landmarks and more
Save your favourite locations
Print your
directions
Directions to go
Send to your iPhone or iPad

As well as printing out directions, you can
send them to any other device linked to your
iCloud account. To do this, set up the Start
and End locations on your Mac and let it bring
up the route suggestions. Then click the Share
button in the top bar and select which device
youd like to send the directions to. Note that
the device in question will need to be switched
on and connected to the internet.
If this feature doesnt appear to be working,
signing out of iCloud on your Mac and then
signing back in seems to fix the problem in
most cases. You can do this by clicking the
Apple menu and choosing System Preferences,
followed by iCloud.
Create a hard copy of

your instructions
Print out directions to take

them with you
Its great to be able to view

maps on a screen or send
to another device, but
sometimes, nothing beats
a good old-fashioned hard
copy of your route directions.
Once youve picked your route,
click the File menu and select
Print. Now click Show Details,
which enables you to choose
whether to print large maps (an
overview and the end location).
You can also opt to print small
maps for each turn. Click the
arrow buttons below the
preview on the left to see how
your printout will look. Once
youre ready, click Print and then
hit the road!
Send directions straight to your iDevice
Sign in and out of iCloud to fix problems
Preview
This clever app does more than just display images: discover how to scan
pictures, edit photos, annotate PDFs and much more
Crop your images
Remove unwanted areas from a picture

Preview makes it easy to remove certain areas from a picture,
leaving you with the perfect image. Open the image youd like
to edit, then click and drag your mouse across the part youd
like to keep. Youll see a dotted box appear adjust the edges
of it by dragging one of the grey circular dots to get it just right.
Then click View>Crop to remove the rest of the image. If youre
not happy, go to the Edit menu and choose Undo immediately
afterwards. When youre ready, remember to save your changes
by clicking File>Save.
Preview makes it easy to

remove areas from a picture,
leaving the perfect image
Convert image formats
Change a PNG into a JPEG
Images come in lots of different

formats, with JPEG, PNG and GIF being
three common ones. Some apps and
websites will only accept images in a
particular format, and Preview enables
you to convert between them. Open
the image in question, and then click
File>Export. In the box marked Export
As:, type the name for your converted
image, and then choose where youd like
to save it using the Where: drop-down.
Below this, have a look for the Format

drop-down menu; this is where you can
choose the format youd like to save as.
Select the one you want, which will bring
up some additional settings these
vary depending on the particular format
youve chosen. Youll also be able to see
how big your converted file will be note
how the figure changes as you tweak the
settings. Ensure the size is suitable and
when youre ready, click Save.
Adjust the colour
Brighten up dull images
Histogram
This shows you the levels
of colours that are used in
the photograph
Levels
You can adjust the different
levels in order to change
the document colour
When you scan an image or take a

picture, the colours can often be a
shock as they dont look quite as you
think they should. More often than
not, the colours are duller than you
want. Using Preview, you can tweak
things to make your image look more
vibrant. With the image on screen,
click Tools>Adjust Color to bring
up your options. Drag each slider to
adjust that setting, watch how your
image changes in real time. If you
make a change and arent happy with
it, you can go to Edit and click Undo,

or even reset all changes by clicking
Reset All.
The nine sliders each adjust the
colour of your image in a different
way. Most photos will only require
small tweaks to each bar nudge
the colour saturation up a touch to
increase vibrancy, or brighten the
shadows a little to bring out detail.
Also note the Sepia slider, if thats the
look youre after. As ever, click File>
Save once youre finished.
Scan text and images
Resize images
Copy important documents
How to reduce file sizes
If youve got a scanner or multi-function

device, you can use Preview to capture
images and other documents. First of
all, make sure that your scanner is on (and
if its wireless, that it is connected to the
same network as your Mac). In Preview, click
File>Import from <scanner name>. Click on the
Show Details button and your scanner will do a
quick overview scan of whatevers on the glass.
The image appears on the left-hand side; drag
your mouse across the area youd like to save.
On the right, use the top drop-down menu to
choose what type of document it is (text, black
& white or colour).
Use the Resolution drop-down to determine
the quality the bigger the number, the higher
the quality and file size will be. This will depend
on what the usage is. For online, you only
need 72dpi, but for print, ensure it is 300dpi. In
addition to the resolution, ensure the format is
correct. If not, change it and then click Scan.
Making an image smaller is an extremely good way to

reduce its file size. To do this, open the image in question
and click Tools>Adjust Size Use the middle drop-down
menu to choose how youre measuring: percent enables
easy scaling. Type your new size into the Width: or Height:
box; the figure in the other box will change accordingly,
which ensures the image doesnt get distorted. If, for
whatever reason, you want to scale by different
proportions vertically and horizontally, you can
click the little padlock, which unlinks the
Width: and Height: boxes.
As you tweak the figures, keep
an eye below to see how big your
resulting image will be, both in terms of file size
and pixels.
Scan in your images and important documents
Shrinking down an
image is a good way
to reduce its file size.
As you tweak the
size, youll see how
big your image will
be, both in terms of
file size and pixels
Sign a
document
Annotate any file

Sketch and take notes
If someone sends you a PDF document pr

image, Preview not only enables you to view
it, but to make annotations. All your options
are under Tools>Annotate. In PDFs, you can
highlight sections of text, underline words or
strike things out, as well as add comments to
the text with small notes in the margins.
You can also add annotations to images
select the toolbox icon in the top toolbar
and you can draw lines and shapes on the
image, or add a text box to make a note on a
particular aspect of the shot. You can even add
magnification loupes to your image to zoom in
on a particular area. When youre done, hit Save
and you can send it to friends.
Add your signature
Add a signature to
documents with Preview
Using Preview, you can add

your signature to documents
with ease. You have two
options here you can either
sign a piece of paper and
use the Macs built-in iSight
camera to capture your written
signature, or, if your Mac has
a trackpad, you can sign your
name right on it.
To choose an option, click the
toolbox icon in the top toolbar,
then click the Signatures
button. Choose the option
you want from the two at the
top of the pop-up window,
then follow the instructions
on-screen. You can then drag
your signature to the desired
location on the page.
Highlight text and add notes to a PDF
Add longer comments to a PDF
Game Center
Have fun with your Mac and use the social features of Game Center
to challenge friends and play games
Find games
Download and install Game Center games

There are lots of games in the Mac App Store that support
Game Center and this makes them even more fun, but it isnt
in every title. Game Center makes it easy to locate apps that
support it by providing links. On the home screen are featured
apps and clicking any of the icons will open the App Store at the
right page with just one more click to install the game. There are
many more apps to be found by going to the Games tab and
clicking the links to show the recommendations and Find Game
Center Games.
There are more apps to be

found by going to the Games
tab and clicking the links
In-game options
Access Game Center within games

Games support Game Center in
different ways and the features vary,
but all offer basics like leaderboards,
achievements and challenges. The
way Game Center is accessed in games
is something that also varies and
there could be a Game Center icon or
something else like a medal or cup. Try
all the options on the games home
screen. Game Center leaderboards show
the best scores from all players of the
game and the best scores from among

your friends, making it easy to see how
you rank against others. Achievements
may be game levels you have to master,
missions completed, tactics or tricks
performed. See how much of a game
you have completed by checking your
achievements. Select Challenges to see
if any of your friends playing the same
game have challenged you to perform a
task or beat their score.
Send a friend request
Add friends and see their scores
Contact your friends

Send your friends a
message and ask them to
add you as a friend
View friends
View the points earned
by you and your friends
in the leaderboard
Although you could quite happily

use Game Center without adding
friends, it is far more enjoyable
when you do add them. For example,
you can select friends and then see
the games you both have in common.
You can then see whether you are
ranked higher or lower than them in
each of the games you play. Clicking
a game shows all of the details, such
as where you are both ranked globally
and the achievements you have both
gained. Points are earned from playing
games and your own and your friends

totals are displayed.
To take part in a spot of friendly
competition and to add a friend to
Game Center, click the Friends tab at
the top and then click Add Friends.
It is very similar to sending an email
and you can enter an email address
or their Game Center name in the To
box. A standard message is entered
for you, but this can be changed if you
prefer. Your friend must accept the
friend request.
Play a game
Set challenges
Challenge your friends in games

Games are much more entertaining when
they are played with friends. You dont need
to play head-to-head in a battle or race to have
fun and Game Centers Achievements enable
you to record the progress that you have made
in a game and then challenge your friends to
do the same. You can achieve a high score and
challenge friends to beat it, complete a mission
or a time and then challenge others to better
it and so on. Just as you can challenge your
friends, they can challenge you to beat their
achievements and high scores. The Challenges
tab shows the tasks that friends have set for
you. Clicking a challenge displays the message
they sent and there are buttons to decline or to
play the game. To challenge a friend, start the
game, go to the Game Center within it, click an
achievement and click Challenge Friends.
Challenge friends to beat your achievements
Start games from Game Center

If a game supports Game Center, it can be started
simply by clicking its icon in the Applications folder
there is no need for Game Center itself to be up
and running. If you have Game Center open, though,
games can be started from there, too and it may be
more convenient this way. For example, you can go
to the Friends tab in Game Center, select a friend and
see the games that you have in common. Click a game
and you can see their achievements, scores and
ranking. You might want to try to beat their
score and clicking the Play Game
button will open the game you
are viewing. Afterwards you can
select a different game you share
and try to beat the scores and
achievements all over again.
You can go to the

Friends tab in Game
Center, select a friend
and see the games
that you have in
common. Click a
game to see their
scores and ranking
Add friends
from Facebook
Allow invitations from

nearby players
Play with local Mac users
If you have a home with two or more Macs

or you work in an office that allows you to
play games at lunchtime or after work hours,
you are in for a treat because Game Center
enables you to play with friends over a
wireless network. You can play with others on
the same Wi-Fi network and challenge them
in head-to-head battles, races and so on. It
requires a game that is designed for player vs
player action, so you wont see this feature in
every title. Start the game and look for Game
Center or multiplayer options. You will then see
an option to allow other Game Center users to
find you using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Tick the box.
Contacts can be
added as friends
Add contacts and Game

Center recommendations
Game Center can suggest

friends to add and it can scan
your contacts for people that
use the app on their Mac.
Before you do this, though,
go to System Preferences and
open Internet Accounts. If you
have not already added your
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and
Google accounts, you should
do so. Make sure to allow access
to your contacts. Then you
can start Game Center, select
the Friends tab and click Show
All under Recommendations.
A list of people you can add
is displayed and you can see
which ones are contacts and
which are recommendations.
Look for multiplayer options within the games
Allow others to find you over local networks
Notes
Notes is perfect for storing information. Whats more,

notes are synced with your Macs and iOS devices
Make a list
Create lists and sublists of items
Pick a list
Choose the type of
list to create bullets,
dashes or numbers
Notes is useful for storing lists of items; a shopping list, a task

or to-do list, a project outline for work and so on. Creating a
list is very easy; either using a brand new blank note or turning
existing text into a list. Create a new note, go to the Format
menu, select Lists and there are three options. You can
choose from bullet, dashed or numbered lists. Select the one
you want and start typing into the note. Every time you press
Enter a new list item is created. If you choose a numbered list, the next
number is automatically entered for you. To stop adding list items, just press
Enter without typing anything and Notes will return to normal text entry. Lists
can contain sublists and this is achieved by increasing the indent. Start by entering a
list item, then go to the Format Menu>Indentation>Increase. A new style is used.
Creating a list is very easy; either using a

brand new note or turning existing text
into a list. You can choose from bullet,
dashed or numbered lists
Drag and drop into Notes
Create notes by dragging text
When you are browsing the web

using Safari, writing a document using
Pages, or performing a task in some
other application that works with text,
you can easily make notes by dragging
and dropping. It is a great way to
store useful bits of information you
find on the web or that you need in a
document. Open a browser window
or a Pages document alongside Notes.
Create a new note then
go to Pages or Safari and
click and drag over some
text to select it. Now
you can click and drag
the text to the note and
drop it to insert it.
Create sublists
Select a list item and increase the indent to
turn it into a sublist. This numbered list has
a sublist and it is automatically labelled
Change the fonts
Use a variety of text styles

Notes need not look all the same; you are
able to make them more attractive and
highlight important sections by using
different fonts and size. For example, you
might want a large heading for a note or to
italicise a word or phrase to make it stand
out. Select some text in a note and in the
Format>Font menu are many useful functions
such as Bigger and Smaller to change the
size of the font. There is also Bold, Italic, and
Underline, which all change the style of the
text. To go further than these basic options,
select Format>Font>Show Colors and Show
Fonts. These open two small windows that
enable you to select any font in any size. There
are text and background buttons in the Fonts
window and these enable you to set the ink
and paper colours. Make your notes really
stand out.
Drag text from a web

page to a note
Use fonts and colours to style text
Insert an image
Float your notes
Notes need not consist entirely of text and it

is possible to insert some images into them.
However, it isnt immediately obvious how to do
this and there isnt a menu option for inserting
them. What you may not have realised though, is
that not only can text be pasted into a note, but
images can as well. The source of an image could
be a photo editor, a paint app, you could copy an
image from a web page. Almost any image on a
web page in Safari can be right-clicked and Copy
Image selected in the menu that is displayed.
You then switch to Notes, create a new note or
select an existing one, right-click in the note and
select Paste from the menu. With new notes you
can click anywhere, but with existing notes you
should position the cursor where the image is to
be inserted.
If you have an iMac with a 27in screen

you have acres of screen space, but if you
are working on a smaller screen, such as
a MacBook, it is easy for notes to become
buried underneath other application
windows. To prevent important notes from
being lost, they can be made to float on
top of any other windows on the screen.
Double-click a note to break it out into its
own window, then go to the Windows
menu and select Float on Top.
Paste images into your notes
Keep notes visible at all times
Open notes in their own window to float them
Create folders for notes
Organise your notes with folders

It is great fun creating notes and storing useful bits of
text and images that you want to remember and use
later, but as the list of notes grows, it can quickly become
hard to find the ones you want. Organising notes by
storing ones with similar content or ones that are all part
of the same project has clear benefits, mainly the fact that
you can quickly find the one you want when you are in
a hurry. To create a folder, go to the File menu and select
New Folder. Enter a name for it in the panel that opens on
the left. Notes can be created a the folder by selecting it
first, then clicking the plus button. Existing notes can be
dragged from the list and dropped on a folder name to
move them there.
It is useful to enable iCloud and

this means that any notes you
create on one Mac or device
are automatically stored on
iCloud and are available to
every other Mac
Integrate with iCloud
Sync notes with other devices

Many people have more than one Apple device and you might
have a Mac, iPhone and iPad, or perhaps a MacBook and
iMac. When you use more than one device it is useful to have
iCloud enabled, because this means that any notes you create
on one Mac or device are automatically stored on iCloud and
are available to every other Mac and device. You can make notes
on the go using an iPhone or MacBook and continue at work or
home on your iMac. Go to System Preferences and open iCloud.
Scroll down the list and find Notes. Make sure that it is ticked.
iCloud isnt just for syncing multiple devices, though,
it is a safe and secure backup in case
anything happens to your Mac.
iBooks
Knowing how to highlight text and add your own notes is useful when studying, and
you can make reading books easier on the eye with themes and fonts
Annotate your books
Jot down notes within books
If you use iBooks for studying, it is useful to be able to highlight sections that
are important and to write notes. Click and drag the mouse over some text
on the page of a book. A little panel pops up containing several options, one of
which is Add Note. Click it and a small note window appears into which you can
type in your notes. Click outside the note to minimise it to a small square in the
margin. If you want your notes permanently visible, click the Show Notes icon in
the toolbar at the top of the iBooks window.
Click it and a small

note window
appears into which
you can type in
your notes
Customise themes and fonts
Change the colours and text styles
If you find that a white background with
black text on it is uncomfortably bright,
there are a couple of other theme options
that you might find easier on the eye.
When a book is on the screen, move the
mouse over the top part of the window
and the toolbar appears. Click the AA icon
at the right-hand side and an Appearance
panel is displayed below it. There are White,
Sepia and Night themes to choose from and

clicking the buttons instantly changes the
display. Try each one and see which is best.
There are several fonts to choose from, so try
them all and choose your favourite. The small
and large A buttons decrease or increase
the text size. Large text is easier to read, but
a smaller font size enables more text to be
shown on each page.
Improve readability
The two A buttons change the size of the text
and the three theme buttons below select the
colour scheme. Experiment with them
Select a font
Try each of the fonts in the list and select the
one that is the most comfortable to read.
There are serif and sans serif fonts
Highlight text
Highlight
sections of text
with colours
If you are simply reading

for fun, you probably
wont have any need to
highlight text, but if you
are studying a book and
analysing or learning the
content, highlighting
sections becomes a
valuable tool. Text can be
either underlined in red ink
or coloured as you would
use a highlighter pen. You
could use different colours

to indicate different things
and it is up to you how you
use the highlight function.
To highlight some text in a
book, simply click and drag
the mouse over the words
or sentences. The highlighter
usually pops up on its own,
but right-clicking will make it
appear if it doesnt. Just click
the colour you want.
Mark up important passages
Sync notes across devices

Access iBooks notes elsewhere
iBooks purchases are automatically
made available on every computer
and device you use that has the iBooks
app. So you can read books on the
Mac, iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Weve
shown how a number of elements
can be added to books, which include
bookmarks, highlighted sections of text,
and notes that you have entered. The
question is whether you want these
additions to stay on the Mac or whether
Afterwards you will find

that every book that was
in iTunes is now in iBooks.
Select the All Books tab
you want to sync them to all your Macs

and iOS devices. If you decide you want
to, go to iBooks>Preferences and select
the General section. There is a Sync
option that can be turned on or off and
it is a matter of personal choice whether
to enable this or not. Most people find it
useful because it allows you to continue
studying a book, writing notes and
highlighting sections no matter where
you read. It is simply more convenient.
Import PDFs to iBooks

Build a library of PDF files
Keeping PDFs in iBooks is incredibly

convenient, especially because they can be
quickly accessed and opened for reading. If you
have not yet discovered the PDF collection, go to
the Collections tab at the top and then click PDFs
in the left column. Select File>Add to Library.
This will cause a file selector window to open up.
Navigate to the folder containing the PDF you
want to add and select it.
Alternatively, entering pdf into the search box
is a useful way to locate PDF files on the disk drive
if you cannot find the one you want. After you
have added a PDF to iBooks, it is just a case of
clicking it to open it. iBooks actually uses Preview
to display it, so dont get concerned when it
opens up.
Set Line
Break settings
Choose between two

formatting options
Move your iTunes books into iBooks
Import books from iTunes

Use iBooks instead of iTunes
At one time iTunes was used to
buy and download iBooks and
these could then be synced with
iOS devices like the iPad, iPhone
and iPod touch. You can still log
in to the iTunes Store and browse
the books that are available,
but when you buy them and
download them to the Mac, they
automatically appear in the iBooks
app and they are no longer in
iTunes. You may have purchased
books in iTunes before iBooks
became available on the Mac
and if this is the case, you should

transfer them to iBooks, which is
the new home for your reading
matter. To get this underway,
open up iBooks and go to the File
menu. Once it opens up, select
Move Books from iTunes. After
you have done this, there isnt
much to do apart from sit back
and wait for it to finish. Afterwards
you will find that every book that
was in iTunes is now in iBooks.
Select the All Books tab to see
your new expanded library.
By adjusting spaces between words

and letters on a page, it is possible to
make the right-hand edge of each
line of text the same. Making the left
and right edges straight means it is
justified text. Non-justified text has
a ragged edge as the line ends with
the last word and each line may be
a different length. Which do you
prefer? Go to iBooks>Preferences
and select General. Choose Let
Lines Break Naturally, or Justify Text.
Make the righthand edge of each

line of text the same
Pages
Enhance documents with sound and images, create

custom styles, share files, set print options and more
Use image styles
Insert images and select a style
Customise the settings

Use the controls in this panel to
modify the basic style that has
been selected for the image. You
can make your own unique style
Adding images to a Pages document can make a big

difference by making it more attractive, easier on the eye and
boosting interest. They can also be used to provide useful visual
information that complements the text. It is a great idea to insert
a few images wherever possible and Pages makes the task
easier by providing useful tools for styling images. To insert
an image, click the Media button in the toolbar, select Photos
and choose the file, or simply drag and drop one into your document.
The Inspector on the right side of the document should automatically switch
to the Format view. Select the Style tab in the Inspector and small thumbnail
images at the top show predefined styles. Click the one you want. The details of the
style are listed below and you can tweak the settings, such as the shadow, border,
image reflection, opacity and so on to get the best possible image.
It is a great idea to insert a few images

wherever possible and Pages makes the
task easier by providing useful tools for
styling images
Insert sound clips
Add audio to a document

Pages supports a range of multimedia
types, including photos, movies and
music. With a few clicks of the mouse
you can insert audio clips in documents
at any point. Its obviously not intended
to be used in every document, but if an
audio file illustrates a point, then use it.
Move the cursor where the audio file
is to be inserted and click the Media
button in the toolbar.
Select the Music tab and
choose an audio file from
the iTunes library. Use
the search button in the
top-right corner to find a
track if you cant see it.
Choose a style
Select one of the ready-made image
styles to enhance your photos
Customise a chart
Insert and modify charts

Numerical data is always a difficult concept
to communicate to an audience, so if your
document requires it, consider using a visual
aid like a chart. Click the Chart button in the
toolbar to see a selection of several different
types to choose from. Click the one that you
want for it to be inserted into the document.
The chart has default data and settings, but
they can also be customised. Click the chart
to select it and then click the Edit Chart Data
button. A table appears in a small window
and clicking in the cells enables the text and
numeric data to be changed. The Inspector
panel displays different chart styles along with
options such as adding a title and a legend,
a background can be drawn under the chart,
a shadow effect added and much more. The
Inspector also shows different options and tabs
for each of the chart styles.
Insert audio files into

your Pages documents
Edit the chart data and customise the style
Create a font preset
Export as a PDF
One of the ways in which Pages makes it

easy to create great-looking documents
is to provide a collection of ready-made
styles. When you want to format a heading,
subheading, body text and so on, a preset style
means it can be applied with a couple of clicks
of the mouse. It applies the style font, spacing,
colour and other attributes. You can create your
own custom preset styles and fonts, too.
Go to the View menu and select
Inspector>Format. Select the Text tab and click
the down arrow next to the style. Click the plus
next to Paragraph Styles and enter a name for
the style. You can then select the font to use,
the size, colour, and style in the Inspector panel.
Clicking the Update button saves the settings.
Select your style to apply it to text.
If you want to share your Pages documents

with others, but dont want them to edit
and change the contents, it is a good
idea to export them as PDF files. PDF is a
standard file format that anyone can read on
any device and PDF readers are widespread.
Not everyone has Pages, so it enables people
without Pages to view your documents. Go
to the File menu and select Export to>PDF.
There is an image quality option, which can
be set to Good, Better or Best.
Create a new style for text
Create PDF files to share
Be aware that better quality images increase the file size
Collaborate on a document
Use iCloud to share Pages documents

If you use Pages to work on documents with other
people, such as co-workers, they can be saved and
emailed to people. That would work, of course, but it is
a dated way to collaborate on documents and it is much
more convenient to work online. Pages documents can be
shared with others using iCloud. Go to the Share menu and
select View Share Settings. Click Permissions and choose
either View Only or Allow Editing as you prefer. Click Add
Password and enter one, then click Share Document.
Return to the Share menu and select Share Link via iCloud
and then choose Email, Messages, Twitter or whatever
method you prefer. Youll need to secretly give your
collaborator the password.
Select Layout in the menu to

access several different border
styles that can be applied
to a document when it is
being printed, such as single
or double hairlines
Tweak the print settings
Choose the layout and cover options

Pages has some excellent options for customising printouts of
documents and they can be accessed by heading to the File
menu and selecting Print. If you dont see all the options, click
the Show Details button. Select Cover Page in the menu and you
can choose whether to print a cover sheet before or after the
print job. Select Layout in the menu to access several different
border styles that can be applied to a document when it is being
printed, such as single or double hairlines. If you are printing a
T-shirt transfer or something similar that will end up being
reversed, print a mirror image using Flip Horizontally.
Large documents can be printed on
multiple sheets.
Numbers
Use Numbers to create charts and make them interactive. Analyse and
track data, and create formulas that work across sheets and tables
Use interactive charts
Create charts that show different views

Interactive charts are a great feature of Numbers and they
enable you to view different spreadsheet data using a simple
slider control underneath them. An ordinary chart shows all the
data selected, but an interactive chart shows one column or row.
In the example here, you can view each months data, scrolling
through using the control below. Start by clicking the Chart
button and selecting a chart on the Interactive tab. This adds a
chart and clicking Edit Data References enables you to click and
drag over the cells to include.
An ordinary chart shows the

data selected. An interactive
chart shows one column or row
Track weight loss
Lose weight and get fit

Creating a weight loss spreadsheet is
very easy to do and it is an excellent
topic to tackle as a first project. It
requires four columns: Date, Stones,
Pounds and Weight. In the Date column,
which can be weekly or daily, enter the
date you weigh yourself. Enter your
weight in stones and pounds, and a
simple formula in the Weight column
calculates stones x 14 + pounds to give
the weight in pounds.
You could type in the calculation

directly and just have one Weight
column, though. Select the Date column
and Command-click the Weight column,
then click the Chart button and add a
2D line chart. Click the chart and it can
be customised with labels, backgrounds
and so on. You can add a target weight
if you want, and add a graphic to
make it look attractive, but it is all very
straightforward and easy to do.
Quickly apply a formula
Point and click to insert formulas
Function parameters
Function parameters are
prompted and you just have
to click the cells
Function selector
Type = and this function
list is displayed. Select the
one you want
Spreadsheets are number crunchers

at heart and they are used for
analysing numeric data and
presenting the results. It is obviously
important that you understand the
way the information is presented,
otherwise it will make no sense!
The way that Numbers does this is
by using formulas in cells. A formula is
a mathematical or logical expression
that performs some action and then
shows the results in the cell. You dont
see the formula, just the calculation
result. To enter a formula, click on a

cell and then type =. In the panel on
the right is a list of all the functions
that are supported, organised by
category. Select the category, click a
function and there is an explanation
of what it does below. Click Insert
Function. If the function requires
parameters, you can then enter them.
There is no need to enter cell names
and you can just click them or click
and drag over a range of cells, such as
the Sum function shown here.
Easy data entry
Compare data with

linked sheets
Use steppers and sliders for input
Create and use multiple sheets

Some spreadsheets contain many different
types of data and it can be useful to keep
them separate by entering them into
different sheets. For example, you may want
to record transactions for a savings account
and a cheque account in separate sheets.
Click the plus button at the top-left to add as
many extra sheets as you need. Each sheet
can have any number of tables and these are
added on the Insert menu. A cell in one table
in one sheet can refer to a cell in another table
in another sheet. You might want to add cells,
compare them and perform other functions.
Suppose you wanted to compare two cells
in two sheets and show the maximum, you
would enter = max(Sheet 2::Table 1:B2, Sheet
3::Table 1::B2). Entering the formula is done by
pointing and clicking, so select a sheet and
then click the cell in the table.
Create formulas that refer to other sheets
Steppers and sliders are very useful tools for making

data entry much easier, and for helping to cut down
on input errors. Sometimes a cell can have only certain
values, for example, you may sell an item in bags of ten
and entering 15 or 35 would be incorrect and cause an
error. For cells like these, it can be incredibly useful to
use a slider or stepper. To enter a number into a cell you
click arrow buttons and these automatically increment
the cell contents by a set value. Select a cell that
requires input from the user and in the
Inspector, select the Cell tab. Choose
Stepper in the Data Format menu
and then enter the minimum and
maximum values allowed, and the
amount to increment the value when the arrows are
clicked. This will sort out any potential problems.
Sometimes a cell
can have only certain
values, for example,
you may sell an item
in bags of ten, and
so entering 15 or 35
would be incorrect
and cause an error
Filter important info
Only show the important data

A small spreadsheet might be able to fit
completely on the screen, but as one grows
in size it becomes more difficult to see the
information you need among the numerous
rows, columns and cells. A filter enables you
to hide the items you dont want to see and
to show only those rows that contain certain
information. A very simple way of filtering
the data in a spreadsheet is to mouse over
the column header and then click the little
arrow on the right side. This displays a menu
and under Filter Table is a list of items you can
filter. Select one and only matching items are
displayed. The Inspector panel enables you to
clear or modify the filter.
Share with
AirDrop
Send to other Macs
Send a Numbers file to a

friend using AirDrop
If you want to send a copy of

a Numbers spreadsheet to
another Mac that is located
nearby, the easiest way to
carry this out is by using
AirDrop. This is a file transfer
technology that enables you to
send a file to another Mac on
the same local network. To set
it up, go to the Share menu in
Numbers and then select Send
a Copy. Choose AirDrop from
the submenu. There is a choice
of file formats from here and it
can be sent as a Numbers, PDF,
Excel or CSV file. Use Numbers
if the user has Numbers,
otherwise PDF is useful. Choose
the format, select the user and
then click Send.
Use the filters option on the column header
Only rows that match the filter are displayed
Keynote
Create impressive presentations from preset or custom themes, add

photos to slides, edit images, insert charts and much more
Use slide transitions
Add an animated slide switching effect

The slides in a presentation can simply appear one after the other and this
is okay, but if you want to add a bit of excitement and generate interest in
the slide that is coming up next, use a clever transition. Just click the Animate
button in the top-right corner and in the Transitions panel that appears is a long
list of effects. As the mouse passes over each one, a preview link on the right can
be clicked to see the effect in action and some are fantastic. After selecting a
transition there are often settings to adjust.
As the mouse
passes over, a
preview link on the
right can be clicked
to see the effect
Edit images in Keynote
Adjust images and apply effects

Templates have images that serve as
placeholders and clicking the button in
the bottom-right corner enables them
to be replaced with your own images
selected from your iPhoto library. Once an
image has been added, there are controls
and functions for modifying them. Click an
image and a widget appears below it that
has a slider to adjust the size. There is also a
Crop button to trim off the surplus bits that

are not important. There are many special
effects available and to see these, go to the
Format> Image>Mask With Shape menu.
There are lots of shapes like Oval, Arrow, Star,
Diamond and so on. Apply one of these and
drag the handles to resize it. A mask turns
a rectangular photo into one with a more
unusual shape that adds interest to the slide.
Mask an image
Go to the Format menu and select an
interesting mask for the image. You can apply
shaped masks, or just use standard rectangles
Size and crop

Select an image and this control is displayed
below it. The slider resizes it and the buttons
select the image/frame, and then crops
Choose a template
Browse through themes
To save you having to
create a presentation from
scratch, a collection of
themes is provided with
Keynote and these will
quickly get you started. You
can focus on the content
without having to worry
about the design. Select
File>New and the theme
browser is displayed. There
are two tabs at the top and
Quickly get started

with templates
one shows standard square

templates and the other
shows wide templates for
widescreen monitors and
TVs. After selecting a theme,
only the first slide is shown.
Click the Add Slide button in
the toolbar and thumbnails
of all the slide templates in
the theme are displayed.
Click one to add a slide
based on it.
Create vector shapes
Insert shapes and design your own

The Shapes button in the toolbar
provides access to a collection of
shapes like squares, circles, triangles,
arrows, stars, speech bubbles,
pentagons and more. Just click a shape
to add it to the slide. Once added, you
can click and drag it to move it about,
drag the handles on the sides and
corners to resize it and so on.
Below the ready-made shapes is an
option to Draw with Pen. This enables
This enables you to

change the colour scheme,
text placeholders, images
and so on
custom shapes to be drawn on slides.

Click to anchor a point, then move
and click again to draw a line between
them. Click and drag to draw curves.
After drawing the outline, make sure the
shape is selected, then go to the Format
inspector pane on the right. Here you
can set the colour of the shape, solid
or gradient fill, shadow and reflection
effects, the border style and colour, and
other attributes.
Export a file for MS

PowerPoint
Export in different formats

If you are the only person that ever needs to
access your Keynote presentations, you can
continue to use the .key file format because
that is the best one. It is not the most widely
used file format though, and if other people need
to access your slide shows it is better to export
them as PowerPoint files. Microsoft PowerPoint
is so common that the file format has become
a standard way to exchange presentations. In
Keynote, select File>Export To, and PowerPoint is
one of seven different file formats. Select it and
then click Advanced Options. There is a choice of
the newer .pptx and the older .ppt formats. The
older format is more limited, so .pptx is the best
one to use. Click Next, enter the filename and
choose where to save the file.
Edit chart data
Add charts and modify

the data
Edit the master slides and save them as a theme
Design your own theme
Customise and save a presentation template

Although there are undeniably
some very nice themes for
presentations, they might not
suit a particular slide show that
you have in mind. There is a
simple solution to this, and that
is to create your own theme with
slide templates. The best way
to do this is to select one of the
current themes, customise it, then
save it as a new theme.
Load any theme then go to
the View menu and select Edit
Master Slides. This enables you to
change the colour scheme, text

placeholders, images, and so on.
Just select a slide template on the
left and then select and modify
the elements on the slide using
the Format inspector on the right.
Make use of all the features, like
text, shapes, images and so on,
just as you would with a slide.
Select View>Exit Master Slides
when you have finished, then use
File>Save Theme to save it as a
new Keynote theme. It is added to
the other themes.
Try to avoid numeric data in your

slides and use something visual
instead, such as a chart. Click the Chart
button and select the type of chart
that best shows the data. After adding
it, click the Edit Chart Data button
and a small window opens showing
a table of dummy data. Just edit
the labels and replace the numbers
with your own data. As it is entered,
the chart instantly updates. The
Format inspector enables the chart
attributes to be customised.
Edit the labels and

replace the numbers
with your own data
Tricks
Edit images, create your own

movies and record music
on your Mac
72 Correct image metadata to

stay organised
Use the Batch Change function of iPhoto
74 Make photos easy to find

with keywords
Organise your entire library of images
75 Organise your shots into

Smart Albums
Sort your images by a range of criteria
76 Duplicate and switch

between Libraries
Streamline and simplify your library
78 Share a Photo Stream from iPhoto

Allow others to view your photos
80 Master histograms for better

images
Learn some integral image-editing tricks
82 Create an animated holiday

slideshow
84
Energise old
photos
Enliven images of your travel adventures
84 Bring old photos to life in iPhoto

Retouch and improve old images
86 Make album artwork for iTunes

Create your own placeholder album art
87 Quickly apply adjustments

in batches
Make faster edits in iPhoto
88 Master iMovies editing timeline

Essential tips for editing in iMovie
90 Customise the iMovie interface

Activate advanced features in no time
92 Get more from iMovies

adjust menu
Enhance your projects with audio and more
94 Create a slideshow movie

with photos
Try out this straightforward creative project
96 Craft a dream sequence effect

Replicate a TV dream sequence
98 Add clever cutaways to

your projects
Hide distracting jumps between clips
100 View your iMovie projects on

Apple TV
Access your videos on a big screen
102 Master Smart Controls to

boost tracks
Reshape the sounds you lay down
104 Reduce hiss in your

GarageBand tracks
Take out distracting, unwanted noise
106 Create harmonies from

original vocals
Layer up your voice on your tracks
108 Edit individual notes using

Piano Roll
Shift the pitch of single notes
110 Use the Score Editor

in GarageBand
A great option for those who read music
112 Learn the Drum Machine

Smart Controls
Shape the sound of your virtual drum kit
TOP TR
Organ ICKS
iPhoto ise images
iMovie shortcuts
Smart timeline
Piano Controls
Roll
110
Score
editor
88
Get to grips
with iMovie
102
Use Smart
Controls
112
Drum
Machine
Correct image metadata to stay organised

Edit information for multiple photos at once with the
Batch Change function in iPhoto
Is your photo data all mixed up? Are the dates of your photos wrong, the names all
generic titles given by your camera or are they missing a description? For most people, the
answer to at least one of these questions is yes, and Batch Change can help you rename
and reorganise your images so you can search through them in no time at all. You need
never lose track of your favourite holiday snaps again.
Often, cameras will be set up with the wrong date and time, or will give your photos
names like IMG_1043 that make individual shots very difficult to find. If youre using two
cameras this can be particularly awkward when you come to combine your shots, the
times and names will make keeping them in order a real hassle. Batch Change lets you
select a whole group of photos and change the information associated with them in one
fell swoop, to make organisation much more straightforward. Follow the steps in this
tutorial to get to grips with Batch Change.
iPhoto
Stay organised with Batch Change
1: Select the shots
2: Batch Change
3: Select the category
4: Title
5: Description
6: Date and time?
First, select the shots you want to change the

information for. The camera wasnt correctly set up
here, so the photos have the wrong date and are
lacking a name or description.
First, well change the title. Use the second dropdown to change the basis for the title, and if
required input a basic title for your shots, then hit
the Apply button.
With all the shots you want to change selected,

move your cursor up to the menubar, click Photos
and select Batch Change from the list. A menu will
slide in from the top.
Next, open the Batch Change menu again and

select the Description option. Add any text you like,
and remember that you can edit individual shot
descriptions later if required.
Youll need to select the information you want to

change from the drop-down menu at the top of
the menu. There are only three options, but they
offer plenty of scope.
You can also use the Batch Edit tool to change the
date and time of photos, but this overwrites existing
info with a set start point for the first photo and
spaces the rest at regular intervals.
Fill out the Info panel

And make finding your images easier
No going back
Date
The date is, by default, the
information by which iPhoto
organises shots. Make sure these
are right with the Adjust Date
and Time menu and your shots
will be in order every time
Name
With Batch Change, all the names in
your events will be the same, but this is
better than having shots with generic
names. Give your shots a name thats
similar to the title of your Album or
Event to make everything neater
Remember that using

Batch Change and
Adjust Date and Time
will, unlike the editing
tools of iPhoto, change
information about the
photo permanently.
Theres no way to revert
back to the original
information easily, so
make sure everything
is right before you click
the Apply button. While
iPhoto remains open,
you can use Edit>Undo
to go back a few steps,
but once you quit the
changes are permanent.
Searching
Once youve got all the
information added to your
photos, you can use the
Search bar down in the
bottom-left to quickly
find the photos you
want without having to
navigate through pages
and pages of images
7: Adjust Date and Time
Instead, select Photos>Adjust Date and Time from

the menubar. This enables you to adjust the time
of the first shot and then have all your other shots
pushed back or forward accordingly.
Description
Add a description like this with Batch Change
and you can then go through each shot
individually and add information that is
specific to that photo. This will make it easier
when searching for your shots later
8: Set the time
Type or use the arrows to input a time for the

earliest photo selected. This will set the time of the
first shot, and all subsequent shots will be changed
by the same amount.
9: Modify originals
In cases where the camera itself was wrong, you

can check this box to alter the original photo files as
well as the shots in iPhoto, so that they are correct
everywhere on your Mac.
Make photos easy to find with keywords

Adding keywords to photos enables you to search for them later
Events, Faces and Places are brilliant ways of organising your photos, especially when iPhoto is
using the metadata attached to your photos to do most of the work for you. There are, however,
times when youll want to access a group of photos that all share something in common but are
split up between different Events, Faces and Places. You dont really want to put these photos in a
bespoke album, because you might like them where they are already so what do you do?
Add keywords. Much like the coloured Tags you use in Finder, you can add keywords to your
photos that make them searchable in iPhoto. Best of all, you can apply multiple keywords to the
same photo, so you can find it in different searches. Heres how to use them.
You can add keywords to your

photos to make them searchable
iPhoto
Add and search keywords
Searching keywords
Once youve added keywords to all your photos,
you can then use the search option to quickly
find all the photos tagged with a keyword.
1: Show keywords
First of all, find a photo that you want to

make searchable. Then open the Info tab by
clicking its button in the lower-right and click
View>Keywords after that (or hit Cmd+Shift+K).
3: Edit keywords
If youve made a mistake or just want to tidy up

any keywords that have already been applied to
the photo, you can double-click on one of the
keyword tags to make it editable.
2: Type them in
The Keywords area will appear on the right.

Type a word describing the shot where it says
Add a keyword. To add more keywords to the
photo, just use commas to separate each one.
4: Add in batches
The real strength of keywords is that you can

apply them to multiple photos. Drag your mouse
over a few images, or use Cmd to select them
individually, and then add a keyword.
1: Go to Photos
Click on Photos in the left sidebar, rather than

Events, Faces or Places, so that you dont miss
anything in your library. Now click the search
icon in the lower-right of the interface.
2: Start searching
Type in one of your keywords and watch as

every single photo with that keyword applied is
displayed in the main area. Bear in mind that you
can only search for one keyword at a time.
Organise your shots into Smart Albums

Take your iPhoto library to new levels of smart organisation
iPhoto is a great editor, but where it really excels is organisation. Add your shots to the app and
you can add keywords, create albums and organise them using all sorts of filters, like location and
faces. But you can also use all the information within the photos to create custom albums filled with
shots that match specific criteria.
You can filter your shots by specific dates, pick out groups of friends and get photos containing
all of them, or just find all the photos with a specific keyword. You can even sort photos depending
on camera settings, such as aperture, ISO or camera model. The ability to add multiple rules for each
album means you can create perfectly sorted selections of your shots every time.
You can create perfectly sorted

selections of your shots every time
iPhoto
Sort with Smart Albums
Combining rules
Adding more than one rule to your Smart Album

can filter your photos more specifically and make
shots even easier to find. Heres how in two
simple steps
1: Create your album
To create a new album, click File>New Smart

Album in the menubar. A menu will slide in from
the top of the iPhoto interface to help you create
your album with the rules.
3: Add a rule
Next, use the drop-down boxes to select the

criteria for the rules you want to apply. The first
box contains the main options, while the second
lets you specify the rule.
2: Give it a name
Before you go any further, give your Smart Album

a name. Make sure its clear, as this is what will
appear in the iPhoto sidebar, and as you add
more albums it may get lost.
4: Be specific
Depending on the selection, the third box may

be a text box or a drop-down menu. With the
text box, you can be very specific about words in
the title or description.
1: Add another rule
When youre viewing the Smart Album menu,

you can click the + icon on the right to add extra
rules to your Smart Album. There is no limit to
the number you can add.
2: Edit your rules
Right-click on the Smart folder in the sidebar at

any time and select Edit Smart Album to change
the parameters. Photos may disappear from the
folder, but they wont be deleted.
Duplicate and switch between Libraries

Discover how to streamline and simplify the way you
back up your iPhoto library
Theres no getting around it: backing up is not glamorous, fun or exciting, but
nevertheless should be a crucial part of your workflow. File corruption, computer damage
and theft are the main ways you could lose data, and theyre much more common than most
people realise. There are all sorts of issues that could arise from data loss, especially if you
have important, work-related files on your Mac. Or in the case of photographs, there may be
a sentimental value attached to certain images which, once lost, cant be retrieved. Therefore
backing up your system is a no-brainer.
One way to ensure your photos and videos remain locked away for safe keeping is to
duplicate the entire library by saving it on an external drive. Then, whenever this hard drive is
connected, users can switch between the internal iPhoto library and the backup. Additionally,
the beauty of this function is that it can be used for much more than just backing up; you can
also create multiple libraries for improved organisation too.
iPhoto
Duplicate your iPhoto library
1: Drag and drop
2: Switch to Library
3: Select the right library
4: Are you sure?
5: Welcome to your backup
6: Edit away
Connect an external hard drive with enough free

space to hold your iPhoto library. Locate your library
in Pictures then drag and drop it into a ready-made
folder on the hard drive.
You can also create new catalogues on your Macs

hard drive. iPhoto will now check to make sure that
you definitely want to switch libraries. Hit Relaunch
to confirm.
To save confusion later, rename the backup library

as something appropriate. Open iPhoto and head
to File on the menubar, and then travel down to
Switch to Library.
Everything will be set out and stylised in the same

fashion as the original, and any changes to where
images are stored will happen independently and
not affect the original.
iPhoto will now ask you which library you want

to work in. iPhoto Library (default) is the internal
catalogue, so plump for your newly created backup
option and hit Choose.
Whats more, any edits, detail changes or deletions

in this backup version will happen here alone and
therefore not affect any of the images in your
original collection.
Backing up iPhoto
Import to Library
Some extra help for duplicating and saving your library
You may decide to import images

into your backup version and not
the original iPhoto library. To do this,
launch the backup library, then pick
Import to Library on the File menu.
Next, simply locate the file
Doppelganger
Organising
as well as
backing up
This method isnt just a

superb way of backing up
your files you can also
use it to streamline your
collections for improved
organisation. For
example, you could have
one library for personal
images and another as a
work portfolio; likewise,
your internal iPhoto
library could house your
captures while one or
more backup versions
could accommodate your
new clients shots.
The settings you

implemented for the
original library will
be cloned in their
entirety. This includes
everything from how
your images are sorted,
through to copying and
transferring any albums
you have made
Library Manager
You can locate all the iPhoto
libraries that are open to you
by visiting the Switch to Library
option on the File menu. It is
also possible to generate new
libraries using this feature
Edit
Any edits you make to an image or group of
images in one library will only change in that
specific library. The copied or original pictures
that are held elsewhere will not be affected
Create a
new library
Why stop at creating one extra library when

you can have several? iPhotos Library Manager
enables you to make several independent
collections internally, which is a fantastic way of
organising your images as well as those belonging
to the people who you share your computer with.
Its incredibly easy to do and you can create a
number of catalogues so that no one is left out.
A fantastic way of
organising your images
1: Get started
Head to File in iPhotos toolbar followed

by the Switch to Library option. Instead of
choosing an existing library, opt for Create
New, then give it an appropriate name and
choose where you want to save it.
2: Add some pictures
The new library is now ready for you to add

pictures. You can do this either by connecting
a camera or memory card, dragging and
dropping photos onto the interface or
choosing File followed by Import to Library.
Share a Photo Stream from iPhoto

Discover how you can share your favourite photos with your
favourite people in six easy steps
The whole point of taking a picture in the first place is so that it can be shared with other
people especially friends or family. Fortunately, iPhoto has a fantastic way of sharing your
images; its called Photo Stream and it enables you to choose which images you share and
with whom.
This interactive conduit also enables the people who you share your images with known
as your subscribers to add comments, as long as theyre viewing your pictures on a
compatible device. That could be a Mac or an iOS device.
Not only does this mean that you can reminisce and converse with selected friends and
family, it also opens up the door for you to share images with those who have a photographic
eye as they can supply constructive feedback, depending on who you invite to share your
collection with.
Get familiar with Photo Stream

Discover a few more tips and tricks for streaming your shots
Tick boxes
Kept within the Info panel are two

selectable boxes. One enables your
invitees to post comments and the other
makes your stream public, allowing
anyone to view it on the web (although
they wont be able to add comments)
My Photo Stream
My Photo Stream holds any picture
you take from a connected device.
This will automatically appear on any
other connected devices you have
that run the iCloud feature
What do I need
to use My
Photo Stream?
Most importantly youll

need an iCloud account, a
compatible device and the
most up-to-date software.
Currently compatible devices
include an iPhone, iPad or
iPod touch with iOS 5.1 or
later, or a Mac with OS X Lion
10.7.5 or later and at least
iPhoto 9.2.2 or Aperture
3.2.3. Alternatively you could
use an Apple TV (secondgeneration) or PC with
Windows 7. Find out more
over at support.apple.com.
Subscribers
If you select a Photo

Stream and hit the Info
icon at the bottom, you
can discover, edit and add
to the list of people you
are sharing that pile of
images with
Other Photo Streams

Any other Photo Streams that you
create will be found here. As well as
a cover photo, a title, the number of
images included in the stack and how
many people you are sharing that
collection with are shown
iPhoto
Create a Shared Photo Stream
1: Decisions, decisions
2: Three ways to share
3: Old or new
4: Get your details
5: Ready for more
6: More to say
Spend a few minutes browsing through your

collection to decide which images you would like
to share. Hold down the Command key and click on
all the pictures you want to include.
Enter the email addresses of the people you want

to share with, give it a title and add an introductory
comment. You can let your invitees post comments
by ticking the relevant box.
To create a Photo Stream, head to Share>iCloud, use

the Share option at the bottom of the interface and
select the iCloud icon, or drag the images to the
iCloud folder on the Source List.
After a while you may want to add new images

to this stream. Simply find the pictures, hit Share,
choose iCloud and pick which Photo Stream you
want to add them to.
iPhoto offers you the choice of adding the images

to a pre-existing Photo Stream or to create a new
Photo Stream. For this tutorial we are going to
create a new Photo Stream.
If you want to leave a comment for your invitees to

read, click on the little speech bubble shown at the
bottom-right corner of the picture, in the relevant
Photo Stream and chat away.
Deleting images
and streams
If you decide you want to stop sharing an

image or an entire Photo Stream, you can
simply delete it. It is advisable to warn your
subscribers first however as they may want to
save particular images before they disappear
altogether. However, if you should have a
change of heart and want to reinstall a Photo
Stream, all you have to do is follow our six
simple steps above.
They may want to

save particular images
1: Delete an image
If theres an image in your collection you

decide youd rather no longer share with
your subscribers, all you have to do is locate it
and right-click, followed by the Delete from
photo stream option.
2: Delete a Photo Stream
When its time to delete a particular Photo

Stream you should opt for iCloud in the
Source list, find the offending channel, rightclick and press Delete photo stream. Its all
pretty self-explanatory stuff.
Master histograms for better images

Learn to control an images contrast and exposure in iPhoto
Getting to know an images histogram is something every keen photographer should look to
do. What these mountainous graphs show us is the distribution of light and colour in an image.
They show us the vital statistics of an image, and whether or not its been over- or under-exposed.
By controlling the histogram in iPhoto, we can improve the contrast, shadow detail and brightness
of an image very effectively. Mainly, its a matter of assessing what the histogram is telling us about
the image, and then applying the appropriate edits. If there are any peaks falling outside of the
histogram then this indicates a loss of visible texture and detail, which is something best avoided.
Follow these easy steps to create better images in no time at all.
Mountainous graphs show us the

distribution of light and colour
iPhoto
Fine-tune the histogram
1: Inside iPhoto
2: Too bright!
3: Just right
4: Assess the histogram
5: Darker shadows
6: Brighter highlights
If you think your image is suffering, you can view a

histogram to show exactly whats happening. Open
up your image into iPhoto and click on the Edit
button to begin.
Histograms can be used to not only fix overexposure but also boost contrast. If most of the
peaks are clumped in the centre, then your whites
arent white and blacks not black.
At the top of the Adjust menu is a histogram. As it

reveals, this image is overexposed in regions of blue
and green. If you pull the far right pointer inwards,
your image will become even brighter.
To increase the contrast, slide the far left pointer

inwards until it reaches the first couple of peaks.
This helps to deepen shadows. Anything inside the
dark grey area has no details.
To fix over-exposure, adjust the midtones by sliding

its pointer to the right. Notice that details gradually
return to brighter areas of the image. Too far and
the image goes dark.
Increase contrast by sliding the far right pointer

inwards until it reaches the first peak. You should
see a dramatic difference between the original
image and the now more vibrant exposure.
Improve exposure
Peaks and troughs
Use a histogram to study exposure and boost contrast
Clipped
exposures
Adjustment pointers
Histograms contain peaks and

troughs, which represent the amount
of colour and detail, starting with the
darkest regions on the left. The taller
the peaks, the more light and colour
information there is in those areas
The three pointers underneath a

histogram let you alter and improve
exposure. The far left of the three
pointers deals with shadow regions,
the middle one adjusts midtones,
and the far right works on highlights
The term clipping refers

to regions of light and
colour that fall outside of
a histogram. Clipping can
occur in either the shadow
or highlight regions of an
image, and is usually bad
news because it means
that theres no longer any
detail, texture or colour
left to see. You can usually
tell if theres going to be
clipping in an image when
there are really dark or
bright patches.
Better contrast
Histograms let us analyse
the contrast to make better
decisions about correcting the
lighting. They show how light
is spread across the visible
spectrum, and where the three
primary colours (red, green
and blue) lie in the image
7: Whats happening?
If your image has a dull exposure, then the

Histogram will show flatter peaks, and more lower
peaks. We can instantly see that not all the pointers
align with the histograms main parts.
Rescue highlights
In brighter areas details can be faint. If the image isnt
too over-exposed then these details can be rescued
using the histogram. Pulling back the exposure can
reveal details that werent captured in-camera
8: A brighter day
Starting with the outer pointers, slide the far right

one inwards to brighten the highlights. Line it up
with the beginning of the first peak you come
across in the histogram.
9: Focus on midtones
Finally, slide the middle pointer to the left. This

controls the midtones of the exposure, and will
make the image appear much brighter. Over all,
exposure is dramatically improved.
Create an animated holiday slideshow

Bring your travel adventures to life by merging maps and
animations with your images
There was a time when being invited around to someones home to watch a slideshow
of a once-in-a-lifetime trip would be the social kiss of death. But thats mainly because
watching one dull image after another was so incredibly boring. With iPhoto for OS X, that
doesnt have to be the case anymore. Use the Slideshow option and the Places theme to
produce a fun, animated snapshot of your travels. The app downloads and uses maps, so
viewers can instantly understand where images have been taken, adding an extra level of
interest to the slideshow.
Photos are frequently combined too, making the slideshow even more dynamic and sharp.
With accompanying music and the usual abilities to tell iPhoto how you want it to deal with
your images, Places is a quick and easy way to produce amazing travelogues. Gone are the
days of the lifeless image slideshow iPhoto allows you to create something that does justice
to that event or holiday that you want to remember forever.
Make changes to a slideshow

Correct mistakes and re-order slides
Move slides
Slides can be repositioned in any
order you wish. Simply click on a slide
and hold down while repositioning it
elsewhere, then let go
Alter a slide
You can double-click on a slide
to call up some quick fixes and
enhancements that you can
apply to the individual images
Automatic
geo-tagging
If you take a lot of photos

with your iPhone or
iPad then you wont
need to manually input
locations. With iOS, as
long as the location
services of both the
device and the Camera
app are enabled (delve
into Settings to make
sure), the latitudinal and
longitudinal coordinates
of the location the image
was taken at are captured.
Some cameras also have
this function. It makes
Places slideshows even
easier to create.
Titles
If a title or label is not to your liking, then
simply click on it and you will be able to
make any changes you want using the
text-editing functions
Export
A slideshow can be exported as a
standard definition presentation or as
high definition in either 720p or 1080p.
Just click the Export icon to start
iPhoto
Create an animated Places slideshow
1: Organise your images
2: Manually input locations
3: Automatically look up
4: Select theme
5: Choosing music
6: Create a custom playlist
7: Alter the settings
8: Play the slideshow
9: Sit back and enjoy
Gather together the images you want to see in your

slideshow. Make sure they are tagged by location. If
your images are geo-tagged, iPhoto will pick up on
this automatically.
Create a new slideshow via File>New Slideshow,

select images and copy them into it. Click the
Theme icon and make sure you select Places. A
globe will appear as your first slide.
Click Settings and change the appearance of

the slideshow. Adjust the length of slides, fit the
slideshow to the music length and decide if you
want the title to show or not.
If the images are not geo-tagged, manually input

their locations. Click an image to see the map box
and insert a location. You can tag individual images
or groups of them all at once.
Now alter the slideshows music. Click the Music

icon at the bottom-left and then choose a track.
There is a selection of built-in themes or you can
use tunes from GarageBand or iTunes.
When you click Play, the slideshow will start to run.

First, iPhoto will download maps that it can use as
part of your slideshow, giving your images a greater
sense of context.
If the Look Up feature is shown as being disabled,

go to iPhoto>Preferences>Advanced. Next to
Look up Places ensure it reads Automatically. If not,
change via the drop-down.
If you want to customise the playlist so that you

have greater control and variety, tick Custom Playlist
for Slideshow and drag and re-order your songs to
suit the images.
With iPhoto pinpointing key locations with great

animations, your images will be showcased in a
dynamic fashion. Pause the slideshow and tap the
Settings icon to alter it.
Bring old photos to life in iPhoto

Retouch and improve old images using iPhotos editing tools
Theres something about old photos that makes them utterly charming. Whether its
the fact that the person was limited with the number of shots they could take, that there
was no instant preview for the photographer or just the fact that they provide a fascinating
window onto another time, old photos are great to look at.
However, if you want to preserve shots that probably only exist as a single hard copy,
scanning them into your Mac is a must. Theyll be saved digitally so youll always have a
backup, but the real advantage of scanning these shots is that you can also touch up any
blemishes or stains on the shots, remove light leaks and other issues, and get rid of notes
that may have been scribbled on the shot, all using iPhotos straightforward set of essential
editing tools.
Changing colour
Use the Adjust tab to get more from your old photos
Levels
Sharpness and De-noise
For some shots you may want to turn

up the Sharpness to make blurry
shots more striking, while other
images may be filled with grainy
noise, in which case the De-Noise
control will dramatically help
The histogram at the top of the editing

panel shows the colour spread for
your image. If theres a gap at one end,
where theres no colour information
showing, drag the arrow inwards for a
better colour balance in the shot
Colour photos
When editing colour
photos, your first port
of call should be the
Enhance button in Quick
Fixes, and you should
then head over to the
Adjust panel to bring out
more details and make
tones look more natural.
Then, move on to the
Retouch brush to fix any
blemishes or marks, and
finally, crop the image.
Temperature and Tint

If youre working with black and
white images, the Temperature
and Tint controls wont adjust
the colour of your shot, but they
will subtly adjust the brightness
of different areas of the shot
Exposure and Contrast

Use the Exposure control to adjust the lighting
in the image to bring out a little more detail.
Improve washed-out shots with the Contrast
slider below it, which will deepen the blacks
iPhoto
Repair old shots in iPhoto
1: Colour improvements
2: Black & White
3: Retouching brush
4: Zoom in
5: Click dont drag
6: Clone tool
7: Paint it in
8: Zoom out
9: Cropping
Where photos have faded, been stained or simply

lost their colour, you can use iPhotos controls to
even everything out. Open your image file and click
the Edit button to start.
To get more accuracy in your retouch, use the slider

at the bottom-left of the screen to zoom in on the
shot, or tap the 1 or 2 keys to zoom in to 100 or 200
per cent accordingly.
The tool simply copies the texture and pastes it

wherever you click. This works quite well in black
and white shots, so experiment with different
textures for best results.
In the Effects panel, use either the B & W, Sepia or

Antique controls to adjust the colour of monotone
shots. Here, weve turned a slightly yellowed photo
black and white again.
You can drag over a portion of the image, but youll

get better results if you adjust the size of the brush
to cover the blemish you want to remove and then
click over it instead.
When you make an edit, zoom out to make sure

that what youve done still fits with the overall look
of the photo. Some parts can look unnatural or
blurry, so its worth checking.
Next, open the Quick Fixes tab and select the

Retouch tool from the bottom of the list. You can
adjust the size of the brush with the on-screen
slider or the [ and ] keys.
iPhoto has a basic Clone tool, too. Hold the Alt

key and click while using the Retouch brush to
sample an area of the photo that you can then use
elsewhere on your shot.
Finally, crop your shot to remove any of the

damaged edges or blurred portions that were
caused over the years, and straighten it if your scan
wasnt completely in line.
Make album artwork for iTunes

Gaps in your library? Create your own placeholder album cover
Missing artwork is the downfall of any well-stocked library. While weve got you covered in our
tutorial over on page 46, you will come across the occasional album that you cant sort out using
iTunes search options. Maybe its an exported GarageBand project or a download with no metadata
attached whatever the case, youre going to need to make some artwork yourself.
This is where iPhoto comes in, with some help from Pages and Preview. Were going to show you
how to turn the iTunes icon into a placeholder album cover. Of course, you can make custom covers
for every album using your own photos, but if theres a lot of missing artwork then you may just
want something a bit more simple. Lets get cracking.
You will come across albums that

you cant sort out using iTunes
iPhoto
Restyle the iTunes icon
Add text to your

album cover
Youll need to enlist Pages and Preview, but it is
possible to add text to your iPhoto-made album
artwork heres how you do it
1: Grab the base icon
Right-click iTunes in your Applications folder and

choose Show Package Contents. Copy iTunes.icns
from Contents>Resources onto your desktop and
then open that copy in iPhoto.
2: Create a JPEG
The standard resolution for album artwork in

iTunes is 600x600 pixels, so we need to resize. Hit
File>Export, set it to JPEG at Maximum quality
with a 600px Custom size, then Export.
1: Make space for text
Export a 500px square version of your icon

artwork. Then export another 600px version,
but push the Vignette up to the max so its black
around the edges. Drag into Pages.
3: Get a little creative
Next, customise your icon as you see fit. We

boosted Contrast, reduced Saturation, tweaked
Temperature/Tint, applied a Sepia effect and
pushed Vignette up to 7 for a rich, vintage look.
4: Apply as artwork
When youre ready, export another JPEG. In

iTunes, find an album that needs artwork, rightclick it and select Get Info. Click the Artwork tab
and use Add to apply your new album cover.
2: Convert PDF to JPEG
Using the guides, put the 500px square in the

centre of the 600px one, covering the central
spot. Add your text and export as a PDF. Use
Preview to convert back to JPG and crop.
Quickly apply adjustments in batches

Make faster edits in iPhoto using the copy and paste functions
Theres nothing more frustrating than returning from taking a batch of photos to discover that
something went wrong, and not just in one photo, but in all of your photos. Dont panic because
theres a quick and simple solution, courtesy of iPhotos clever Copy and Paste features.
It could be that the images were under or overexposed, that the white balance was slightly off kilter
or it could be that all the images look a little softer than you want. Whatever the problem, the Copy
and Paste feature can quickly solve them in the Edit suite. Using the handy palette of edit options, you
simply make changes to one of the images and then apply these adjustments to any other offending
pictures that present the same problem. Heres how its done.
The Copy and Paste feature can

quickly solve any problems
iPhoto
Copy and paste adjustments
Increase
productivity
If time is of the essence then heres a neat little
trick for getting through those editing tasks
even quicker
1: Make adjustments
Begin by selecting one of the images you are

unhappy with. Open it in the Edit suite and
select Adjust to find the list of commonly used
adjustments such as Exposure and Saturation.
2: Copy changes
After youve tweaked the image and corrected

any problems with the slider, right-click and select
Copy Adjustments. You can also find this option
in the Edit menu or use Cmd+Alt+C.
1: Select images
Find four images that present the same problem

and open them in Edit. You can select multiple
files by holding down the Command key while
clicking on the frames you want.
3: Paste adjustments
Open an image that presents the same problem

in Edit. Right-click on the image and select Paste
Adjustments. Or you can find this option in the
Edit menu hit Cmd+Alt+C as a shortcut.
4: Tweak
As the light could have changed between taking

the shots, the adjustments you made for the first
image might be too harsh or mild for the next. If
this is the case, get tweaking!
2: Paste adjustments
Select one of the four images and after rightclicking choose Paste Adjustments. Repeat this
process on the other three frames. Now pick
another batch of four and paste away.
Master iMovies editing timeline

Take control of your movies with these tips and tricks for getting
more from the timeline
Many of the features of the timeline changed with the latest release of iMovie. For a
start, by default the timeline moved from the top-left of the interface to the bottom of
the screen, making it similar to the design of Final Cut Pro X. However, there have been
other changes and some new features that can help you edit movies more easily.
Support for the iPhone 5s slow-motion video is now built directly into the timeline,
and with personalisation tools youll have an interface thats perfect for your workflow.
Whether youre a newcomer to the app or you have some experience of creating great
home movies, weve got the tips and tricks you need to get started with iMovie. Youll
be editing and sharing some amazing creations in no time.
There have been changes that

can help you edit more easily
Customising your view
Quick tips to help you get more from iMovies timeline
Clip or movie
audio?
Wrapping Timeline
To fit more movie into your
timeline at once, you can
use the Wrapping Timeline.
To activate it, simply click
View>Wrapping Timeline.
Clips no longer scroll off
the right of the screen, but
show over multiple lines
Clip size
You can adjust the vertical size of a clip
using the menu in the top-right corner
of the timeline. Click it and use the
slider to increase or decrease the size
of the thumbnails in the timeline
The track at the bottom

of the timeline is for audio
that flows throughout
the clip, like music. Each
clip has its own audio, but
remember that you can
adjust the audio levels
of both, so you can hear
speech from a clip over
the music, or mute the
clip audio to make sure
the music is prominent.
Quick trim
Multi-track timeline
You can drop clips over others in the
timeline, and then view the two clips sideby-side, use one as a cutaway clip or with
a picture-in-picture setting. This is perfect
when you want to drop a clip in but continue
the main clips audio in the background
To quickly trim a clip, you dont need to double-click it

to open the Clip Trimmer every time. Simply grab the
start or end of the clip and drag it left or right to adjust
the length of the clip while maintaining its position
iMovie Take control of the timeline
1: Add clips
2: Expand your view
3: View audio waveforms
4: Slow clips down
5: Clip Trimmer
6: Precision Editor
7: Editing transitions
8: Flip the timeline
9: Close the timeline
Open a project or create a new one and the

timeline will appear at the bottom of the screen.
Drag and drop video clips into it from the Events
Browser in the top-left.
Clips recorded in slow-motion using the iPhone

5s will offer controls for adjusting the speed right
inside the timeline, and you can access these for
other clips by right-clicking.
With the Precision Editor open, you can drag the

two clips around to set the exact start and end
point of each, and drag the middle control to
lengthen or shorten the transition.
Use the slider in the top-right of the timeline area to

adjust the length of the timeline. You can also use
a trackpad like those found on MacBooks to adjust
this with a pinch.
Double-click on any clip in the timeline and the

Trimmer will open. This enables you to more closely
control the length of your clips; just drag the sliders
or the clip to adjust.
If you want to revert to a more classic look and feel

to iMovie, you can swap the clip viewer with the
timeline by selecting Window>Swap Project and
Event from the menubar.
Click the icon next to the zoom slider from the

previous step and youll be able to show the audio
waveforms for each clip, allowing you to pick out
speech or reduce the volume.
Theres also the Precision Editor. Double-click on

the space between two clips or right-click on a
transition and then select Show Precision Editor to
open the interface.
When youre finished with a project, you can simply

click on the cross in the top-left of the timeline to
close it. This is also perfect for viewing your events
in a wider space.
Customise the iMovie interface

Get access to your favourite features by creating the
perfect editing interface
Apples hardware and software is well known for how it just works. It is the reason that many
people buy a Mac in the first place. Apples apps are simple and straightforward, and work right out
of the box without any fiddling. Unfortunately, this does slightly limit how much you can customise
your apps. Unlike apps such as Aperture and Final Cut Pro X, which let you choose the controls and
toolbars you can see when editing, apps like iMovie and iPhoto are a little more limited.
But there are still a few things you can do with the iMovie interface. By default its set up for
simple editing, but you can activate some more advanced features in just a few minutes if you
know where to look. Here we show you exactly how you can do that.
You can activate more advanced

features in just a few minutes
iMovie
Tweak iMovies controls
1: View waveforms
2: Skimmer Info
3: Wrapping timeline
4: Size
5: Swap locations
6: Sidebar
When youre tweaking audio, you need to see it to

do a proper job. Click the Thumbnail button on the
right of the timeline and check the box in the menu
to see waveforms below each clip.
You can adjust the size of the thumbnails for each

clip in your timeline, too. Just click the Thumbnail
button on the right again and use the slider to adjust
the size.
Click View>Show Skimmer Info, or hit Ctrl+Y to

activate a small pop-up over each clip giving you
details like the name of the video or photo and the
file type.
If you want to return to the glory days of iMovie

09, you can put the timeline back in the top-left
and move the events view down by choosing
Window>Swap Project and Event.
If you have a lot of extra space in your timeline,

you can choose View>Wrapping Timeline to show
your project over multiple lines; perfect for longer
projects.
When youve got your perfect setup and just want

to concentrate on editing your clips, you can also
click Hide in the top-left to get the Libraries list offscreen temporarily.
Get more from iMovie
Search and sort
Sliders
You can use the search

bar to quickly find clips
that youve named
appropriately, and manage
which clips are shown in
the Events view using the
drop-down menu next to
the search bar
Creating your perfect custom setup
Project-specific
Many of the controls
explained in this tutorial
are specific to individual
projects. For example,
if you enable Audio
Waveforms on one project,
you may not see it on
others that youre editing.
Likewise, when switching
the options off again you
may need to do it multiple
times if you want to apply
it to all the projects in your
iMovie library.
Use the slider next to the Thumbnails

button above the timeline, or in the
Thumbnails in the Events panel, to
adjust a clips length in the timeline.
Zooming out can make viewing long
video projects much easier
Deactivate snapping
Shortcuts
By default, iMovie will make your clips snap to music,

or to the start or end points of other clips. Sometimes
you need to have things a little less set in stone, so
switch this off in the View menu
You can use keyboard

shortcuts to quickly jump
between your most
commonly used tools; hold
Cmd and hit any number
key from 1 to 6 to open
Transitions, Titles, Sound
Effects and more
Back to basics
If youve finished with your complicated editing and
finished your much-loved project for good, you will
probably want to simplify the interface back down
so that your family can use it again without getting
confused by the new layout and available options.
You can reverse things quickly and easily, and within
a few seconds be back to your original iMovie
interface, ready for the world to use.
You can reverse

things quickly
and easily
1: Revert
To quickly revert the basic settings back to

the default for the app, click Window>Revert
to Original Layout. This moves the project
and timeline back to where they started, and
changes the window size.
2: Clean up
Once youve got the basics back to normal,

simply go back through the steps in this
tutorial, undoing any that are still applied. You
can disable audio waveforms and change the
clip size in one go, for example.
Get more from iMovies Adjust menu

Enhance your edited footage by adding slick postproduction audio and video effects
If your projects source clips were shot on a dull day, they might look drab and suffer
from a flat contrast. By creatively adjusting each clips colours and tones you can give each
shot more impact. Well show you how to use iMovies colour-correcting tools and one-click
video effects to give this walkthroughs source clips a professionally graded appearance.
When shooting on location your cameras microphone may suffer from wind noise or
lack audio altogether. Well demonstrate how to add depth and texture to your footage by
plundering iMovies collection of audio assets. Sound effects can also help the action in
separate shots flow more smoothly together. This combination of video and audio effects
will help create a much more polished production.
Creatively adjust colours and tones

to give each shot more impact
Add video and sound effects
Tweak tones, change colours and add audio
Camera settings
Colour correction
By clicking here you can use sliders
to increase a clips contrast, boost its
colour saturation and counteract (or
create) warm or cool colour casts.
You can copy one clips adjustments
and paste them into another
Adjustments
After selecting a clip in the Timeline,
click here to open the Adjustments
bar. You can then enhance the clips
colours and tones as well as alter the
quality of its sound track using the
tools in the Audio Effect menu
If you shoot video on a DSLR

you can use its scene modes
to capture footage with richly
saturated colours and harsh
tones. For more control over the
look of your final programme,
set your camera to shoot with
a Neutral scene mode so that
the colours and tones arent
exaggerated. You can then
adjust the footages subdued
colours and flat tones in iMovie
to create a specific look.
Sound effects
Here weve complemented
a transition with a Servo
Movement 01 sound effect
from the Sound Effects
Library. Drag the horizontal
bar to reduce the volume
of a sound effect and make
it less competitive with
other sounds
Video effects
Preview how these creative effects will adjust the
selected clip by scrubbing the cursor back and
forth across the thumbnails. Click a video effect
thumbnail to apply it to the clip
iMovie
Learn audio and video effects
1: Import clips
2: Add clips to Timeline
3: Adjust contrast
4: Adjust colour
5: Edit multiple clips
6: Into reverse
7: Add transitions
8: Mute audio
9: Sound effects
Go to File>New Event. Click Import Media. Shiftclick to select the clips that you wish to use in your
project and click Import Selected. Choose File>New
Movie>No Theme.
Drag the Adjust color slider right for richer

colours. Add a warm hue by dragging the Adjust
temperature slider right. Click the Video effects icon
and choose Vignette.
In the Content Library panel, click on Transitions.

Drag a Cross Dissolve between your shots. Now
add a Puzzle Left transition between the last two
clips, you can add more between other clips too.
The shots will import in the order that we want to

edit them. Double-click on the first clip to select it.
Click the + icon to add it to the Timeline. Repeat
this action for the other clips.
Go to Edit>Copy. Shift-click on all the clips in the

Timeline and choose Edit>Paste Adjustments.
Choose All. This adds the colour correction and
vignette effect to every clip.
To mute your clips, select your shots and choose

Modify>Mute clip to hide the wind noise. Click
Sound Effects. You can now select various different
sound effects to overlay instead.
Click on the first clip in the Timeline. Click the Adjust

icon. Click the Color correction button. Drag the
Adjust contrast slider left for blacker shadows and
brighter highlights.
Sometimes you will want to reverse your clips to for

effect. Click Adjust. Click the tortoise-shaped Speed
icon. Tick the Reverse button. It now drives into the
shot instead.
From the Sound Effects folder, use the Horse Snort

and Horse Whinny sounds to enhance your project
at appropriate moments. Add a music track to link
the clips together.
Create a slideshow movie with photos

Use iMovie to create an impressive showcase of some
of your memorable images
There are times when a simple portfolio or Keynote slideshow just isnt enough, and
you want something with a little extra polish to demonstrate your skills. This is where
iMovie comes in handy, offering you the chance to drop in images and create a cool,
themed slideshow in moments, as opposed to having to piece together a project slide
by slide.
In this tutorial we will be running through how to put together your slideshow, from
gathering the images from iPhoto to editing the transitions and adding music for that
extra spark at the end.
Whether it be to show off your skills as a photographer or relive the year you spent
travelling, creating a slideshow using iMovie is a very smart use of your time with an
impressive end product too.
Your iMovie slideshow

The key areas to consider when
creating a slideshow in iMovie
iPhoto Library
The main resource for your images.
You can access your entire iPhoto
Library from within iMovie, and select
the images you want by event. It
makes the creation process easy
Transitions
When you drop a group of photos onto
your timeline they are automatically
spaced with transitions. You can
edit these by clicking on them and
selecting new transitions
Share
Once youre happy with what youve
created, you can use the Share icon
to get it out there quickly. Post it to
social networks or YouTube, as well
as send it via email as you need
Carefully pick your

slideshow theme
It is well worth taking the time

at the beginning of this creation
process to consider the theme you
want to use. This will be prominent
at the beginning and end of your
presentation, so taking a few
moments to select a theme that suits
the mood whether youre doing a
presentation or showing off holiday
photos, will make all the difference.
Image editing
As well as for stitching together an
impressive slideshow movie, you can
use the editing software to tweak and
edit the appearance of your images
too. Just click the Adjust button
iMovie
Make a slideshow movie
1: New movie
Open up iMovie and, from the toolbar, select to

create a new movie. This will present you with the
various theme options. Take your time to choose
the one that suits your project best.
With your new project named and open, click the

iPhoto Library option. This will open your various
iPhoto albums and events in the top-left preview
window, ready to be browsed.
2: iPhoto Library
3: Drop in your photos
4: Transitions
5: Text
6: Import a music track
Your photos will automatically be stitched together,

complete with transitions. Double-click on any of
these and you can edit the transition so that it suits
the overall style of your slideshow.
Depending on the theme you chose, there will be

an opening and closing screen that comes with
text. Double-click on this in the timeline to edit it to
match the theme of the slideshow.
Having found the images you would like to include,

use the Cmd key to click and select each of them.
With them all highlighted they can be dropped
onto your timeline.
Under Content Library, click on iTunes,

Sound Effects or GarageBand to import and
accompanying soundtrack for your project. Select a
sound score and drag it to your timeline.
Edit images
Just because youre not using iPhoto or a thirdparty app, doesnt mean that you cant edit the
appearance of your images. iMovie still gives you
the ability to tweak aspects of your photos, like
colour balance and exposure. This means you can
add a further touch of creativity to your slideshow
in order to make it stand out from the crowd.
iMovie still gives you

the ability to tweak
aspects of your photos
1: Choose your image
From within the timeline, click on the image

you want to work on so that it appears in
the big preview window. Then look to the
toolbar above it and click on either the Colour
Balance or Colour Correction options.
2: Adjust tools
Within these options there arevarious options

that you can use These are predominately
controlled using scrollbars, so making edits
and tweaks is an easy process. You can also
click on the crop option to resize the image.
Craft a dream sequence effect

Use iMovies transitions and effects to differentiate between
daydreams and daytime
Dream sequences often occur in dramas, so were familiar with the ways that they can be represented
on-screen. One trope is to use a ripple transition that signifies the start of the daydream sequence. iMovies
Transitions browser is up to the challenge of adding a traditional ripple effect, but by mixing the transition
with footage of rippling water you can make the effect look less cheesy and more relevant to your narrative.
Another way to differentiate your projects daydream footage from reality is to use iMovies preset video
effects to alter colours and tones. Indeed there is a preset Dream effect that blows out highlights and
desaturates colours, but the results arent very attractive. Well demonstrate other effects that help create a
more colourful daydream look.
Well demonstrate other effects that help

create a more colourful daydream look
iMovie Transition in and out of daydreams
1: Import clips
2: Show Skimmer Info
3: Add ripple transition
4: Create longer transitions
5: Add dream clips
6: Add video effect
Choose File>New Event. Label the event Dream

Event. Choose File>New Movie. Label the movie
Daydream. Click Import and Shift+click to select
your source clips. Click Import Selected.
Double-click on the transition icon. Set Duration to

2.0 seconds. Click Apply. In the warning window,
click OK to shorten the two clips while increasing
the transitions duration.
Go to View>Show Skimmer Info. You can now

move the cursor over an imported clip and its
name will pop up. Double-click to select a clip and
click the + icon to add it to the Timeline.
Click back on the Dream Event. Select and add a

few desired shots to the Timeline to complete the
dream sequence. Drag the Zoom slider to see all
the clips in the Timeline.
With the second clip in the timeline. Go to the

Content Library panel and click on Transitions. Drag
the Ripple transition between the two clips. By
default the transition runs for 1.0 seconds.
Click on a shot then click the Adjust icon above the

viewer. Click the Video and Audio effects icon. Click
the Video Effect drop-down menu. Click to apply
the a desired effect to the clip, eg Heat Wave.
Dream effects
Signify a dream sequence with transitions and video effects
Sound levels
If some of your footage

features distracting
chatter, click on it in the
Timeline and click Adjust.
Click on Volume. Drag
the Adjust Volume slider
left to reduce the sound
levels of that particular
clip. Alternatively you
can click on a clips
Adjust Volume bar in the
Timeline itself and reduce
the height of the audio
waveform. Its all about
getting the levels right.
Transition properties
Click on the clip that features the effect you have

just added. Choose Edit>Copy. Now click on the
other daydream clips in turn and choose Edit>Paste
Adjustments>Video Effect.
The Choose Video Effects panel

adjusts the selected clips colours
and tones in a click. We used the
Romantic preset effect to give
the edge of our daydream shots a
dreamy soft focus vignette effect
Fade out or in
By double-clicking on a
transition in the Timeline you
can adjust its duration. Click
Apply to All to make any other
transitions in the sequence
have a consistent duration
7: Copy and paste
Video effects
Dreamy transitions
The Ripple effect from
the Transitions browser
enables us to mix from
reality to our daydream
sequence in a classic way.
The ripple transition also
complements the rippling
water in our source clips
To make your dream sequences music track fade out

at the end of the project, click and drag this control
point. You can also use a similar control point to fade
the music in at the start of the dream sequence
8: End the sequence
Once you have added all of the desired elements

and effect, you should look to end the dream
sequence. Add another 2.0 second Ripple transition
to give the illusion of a return to normality.
9: Add music
Click the Sound Effects browser and go to the

Jingles folder. Drag Watercolor Long into the
Timeline. Drag the fade-in icon to make the music
begin during the first transition.
Add clever cutaways to your projects

Hide distracting jump cuts and add extra information
by inserting cutaway clips
Many documentary programmes feature a talking head chatting to an off-screen interviewer. To turn
a long interview into a short and snappy sequence you will need to remove much of your original interview
footage. However, by cutting bits out of a sequence you run the risk of creating jarring jump cuts, where the
interviewees head suddenly snaps into a new position. You can hide these distracting jump cuts and make
the programme flow smoothly by pasting a cutaway over them.
In this walkthrough well demonstrate how to use cutaways to hide edits in the interview. Cutaways also
add extra visual information and make the video more interesting to watch. Well also demonstrate how to
turn photographs into cutaways and enhance them in post-production.
You can hide distracting jump cuts

by pasting a cutaway over them
Layered editing
Using cutaways
Use clips and stills to create a smooth-flowing sequence
Shoot to edit
Our cutaway clips are placed

on a layer that runs parallel
with the main interview on the
layer below, so they hide jump
cuts in the interview footage
Photo cutaways
Still images make effective cutaways.
By default each still runs for four
seconds, though you can trim them if
required. Use the Cropping adjustment
to make your photographs fit into a
TV-shaped aspect ratio
After recording an
interview, dont forget
to shoot some cutaway
shots of your interviewee
performing tasks that
theyve chatted about.
If you cant capture
any suitable cutaways,
change the shot size
during the interview from
a close-up to a wideshot. You can then cut
between the different
shot sizes without any
jarring jump cuts.
Mix cutaways
By dragging these icons
on a cutaway clip you can
make it dissolve into or out
of the interview footage on
the layer below
Detached audio
By detaching a video clips audio track you can
place cutaways in the main video track, while still
hearing the interviewees original audio. You can
then place transitions between two cutaways
iMovie
Insert cutaway clips
1: Add interview clips
2: Add introductory cutaway
3: Add illustrative cutaway
4: Add bridging cutaway
5: Crop the photos
6: Trim video
7: Before and after
8: Add music
9: Boost contrast
Create a new event and import our interview

source clips and stills (available at bit.ly/UabO49)
into it. Press Shift and click to select the three
talking head clips. Drag them into the Timeline.
Double-click to select Cutaway02 in the Event

browser and drag it onto the Timeline to bridge
the cut between Shot01 and Shot02. This helps the
action flow and adds visual variety.
To mix between the aged and restored versions of

the painting here, click on the Transitions browser.
Drag a Cross Dissolve between the two versions of
the painting.
Go to View>Show Skimmer Info. Drag Cutaway04

so that it overlaps the start of the interview. Click
on the end of the cutaway and drag left to trim -1.8
seconds from the clip.
Drag the two stills (Painting_before and Painting_

after) onto the end of the Timeline. Click Adjust.
Click the Cropping icon and choose the Crop to Fill
style. Click the tick.
Use Cutaway03 to bridge the gap between the

end of Shot02 and the start of Shot03. To bind the
cutaways and the interview footage together, add a
music track such as Time Lapse.
Play the programme until the interviewee talks

about removing varnish. Double-click to select
Cutaway01 and drag it onto this part of the
Timeline to illustrate his point.
Click the Adjust thumbnail appearance icon and

tick the Show Waveforms box. Right-click on Shot03
and choose Detach Audio. Trim the end of Shot03s
video clip by eight seconds.
Select a clip and click Adjust. Click Color Correction.

Drag the Contrast slider to create darker shadows
and brighter highlights. Apply these settings to the
other clips.
View your iMovie projects on Apple TV

Use the iMovie Theater Apple TV app to access your videos
wirelessly on the big screen
Now that you always have a video recorder in your pocket, shooting quick clips is easier
than ever. However, for many people, that video will simply sit there doing nothing. Thankfully,
with iMovie you can make fantastic creations out of your clips, with introductory titles, beautiful
transitions and impressive effects. Once youre done, though, what do you do with your work?
The answer, of course, is show it off to family and friends. And thats become a lot easier thanks
to the addition of iMovie. Add your finished projects to the Theater and you can share them
across your devices using iCloud, including Apple TV. At last, you can get your creations up on the
big screen where they belong, and show them off to everyone.
Add finished projects to the Theater

and share them across your devices
Advanced iMovie Theater
Going pro with iMovie Theater on the Mac and Apple TV
iPhone 5s/6
slow-motion
video
Videos may be accessible

via iCloud Photo Stream
on your Apple TV, but if
youve shot a slow-mo
video with the iPhones
new 120fps mode, it
wont display your slowmo edits as you might
expect. The only way to
get the proper effect is to
add the video to iMovie,
slow it down in the app
and then share it to
iMovie Theater.
Auto-upload
enabled
On your Mac, choose
iMovie>Preferences and
make sure the box marked
Automatically upload
content to iCloud is
checked. This will ensure all
clips added to Theater are
also uploaded to iCloud
Remote control
Of course, when watching your iMovie project
on the Apple TV you have full control over the
video from your Apple Remote, as well as any
iOS devices running the Remote app
Know your limits

You can only upload videos that are
15 minutes or less. Its also important
to note that videos uploaded to
iMovie Theater will count towards
your total iCloud allowance, which is
only a miserly 5GB to start with
Automatically
added
The app automatically adds
your movie to the Theater
when you export as a
QuickTime file, send it to
iTunes or upload it to a site
like YouTube. To be sure,
you can always send it to
the Theater first, then share
iMovie
Access your movies on Apple TV
1: iCloud enabled
2: Export to the Theater
3: Any movie, any time
4: Waiting game
5: In the Cloud
6: Other devices
7: Log in on Apple TV
8: Access the app
9: Watch your movies
First, ensure that iCloud is enabled on your Mac

for iMovie. Open System Preferences>iCloud,
then click on the iCloud Drive Options and, under
Documents, ensure that iMovie is ticked.
You can watch the finished movie immediately on

your Mac, but youll have to wait a while for the
finished project to upload before you can view it on
other devices like the Apple TV.
On your Apple TV, head into Settings and ensure

that the Apple ID that is associated with the device
is the same as that on your Mac and iOS devices
its as simple as that.
In the app, select a finished project and select

Share from the toolbar at the top of the window.
Choose Theater from the list and your project will
be automatically uploaded.
The Theater wont automatically download every

video from every device, so you may see icons like
this. They denote that there are extra movies ready
to upload or download.
The iMovie Theater app should be available on your

home screen. If you dont see it, open the Settings
app and check for new Software Updates; it should
appear when youve updated.
You can add any movie to the Theater at any time.

Select a single clip in iMovie and you can add it, or
simply open Theater and drag and drop a movie file
from Finder to upload.
The process is the same on devices such as the

iPhone and iPad. The Theater is viewable in the
iMovie app, and you can upload unedited clips by
simply tapping the Share button.
The app is incredibly straightforward to use; simply

navigate around the posters that the app creates for
your videos and click play to watch one, streamed
from iCloud.
Master Smart Controls to boost tracks

Reshape your sound by adjusting the parameters set
out in GarageBands revised controls
Looking back with hindsight, the previous version of GarageBand had various
surface-level limitations. One in particular was the one-size-fits-all effect profile assigned
to new default tracks of varying types. Typically, the old setup was to offer two basic slider
controls for track reverb and echo as standard, before you started switching on AU units.
Thankfully this has been addressed, introducing aptly named Smart Controls that will
seem vaguely familiar to GarageBand users on iOS. Now we get a changeable array of
knobs to twiddle, depending on the type of track, software instrument, amp or effect. The
look and configuration vary, but here we aim to demystify the common configurations
with before and after projects for fully understanding how Smart Controls work.
Smart Controls change context

based on the type of track
The Smart Controls panel
Get access to a number of essential editing tools
Software
versus Real
Instrument
Equaliser
The EQ button toggles the track
Equaliser or Visual EQ plug-in. This
can be used to analyse your track
frequencies and identify various
EQ bands before cutting or
boosting certain ranges as desired
Amp & Stompboxes

These small buttons on the far right
corner of the panel enable you to
first customise amp models, cabinets
and microphones. Stompboxes may
also be chained, further influencing
available Smart Controls
Smart Controls change

context completely based
on the type of track. Real
instruments yield controls
based on the selected
patch fundamentally,
the applied amps and
effects. Software or MIDI
tracks vary depending on
instrument preset, offering
unique tone, compression
and gain options. These
Smart Controls do not
correspond to custom amp
or pedal choices as these
cannot be manipulated.
Controls
These are the Smart Controls,
consisting of a custom panel of knobs,
dials and switches. Available controls
are determined by track type and
applied patches, along with selected
amps and stompbox effects
Inspector
Access the Inspector where
your Input source, Record
Level, Monitoring and
Noise Gate options are set.
For software instruments
you can set Keyboard
Sensitivity or MIDI
controller settings. Audio
Units can also be added
Master/Compare
The Master button lets you switch between Master
Smart Controls for the project and those of the track.
Compare lets you toggle back to saved settings from
subsequent changes to evaluate the resultant sound
GarageBand
Master GarageBands new Smart Controls
1: Showing Smart Controls
2: Toggle switches
3: Raising levels
4: Added atmosphere
5: Bass options
6: Real Instrument
7: Distortion and Echo
8: Even Smarter Controls
9: Master Track
With any track selected, click the third button from

the top-left of the GarageBand workspace. Smart
Controls will show within the bottom panel until
you choose to hide them.
Particularly with loops, youll want to tweak the

sound to make them feel more natural. By isolating
the drums and adjusting the Ambience and Reverb
dials you can give them more life.
The basic guitar track sounds thin, so we can add

subtle levels of Distortion and Echo. This combined
with the original wah-wah heightens the Reggae
feel and adds some warmth.
In the Smart Controls 1 project, select the first track.

This shows a familiar set of Smart Controls, offering
Compressor, EQ and Send options. Activate using
the silver toggle switches.
Now select the third track and see how the Smart
Controls change. Here we get Filter, Threshold, Ratio
and Attack dials capable of dramatically changing
how the bass line sounds.
Access full amp and stompbox options via the small

buttons in the right corner. Here you can drill down
and adjust the wider parameters for achieving more
advanced sound results.
Smart Controls are changed using their dials. Here

the Compressor can be applied to even out volume
while the EQ knobs are great for adding more bass
and tone to our drum loop.
In track two, we get Smart Controls for a guitar. The

current patch is Dublin Delay so the dials relate to a
string of effects. Basic amp Gain, Tone and Tremolo
can be applied first.
Show the master track via Show>View Master Track.

This track also has Master Controls with an array of
parameters for the whole project. These are useful
for rounding out the final overall mix.
Reduce hiss in your GarageBand tracks

GarageBands noise reduction toolset is basic, but it can still
help you avoid hiss problems
Hiss is the bane of the recording enthusiasts life. Youd think that with all the digital recording gear
at our disposal nowadays, hiss would be a thing of the past, yet even with tape a distant memory for
most of us, there are still many things that can cause unwanted noise when recording with a Mac and
GarageBand. Low recording levels, bad gain structure, dodgy cables and overly enthusiastic use of
software amp simulators are only some of the culprits. But, regardless of the source of the hiss, once its
on your recording, what can you do about it?
Using a guitar part sourced from an old cassette tape from 1984, in this tutorial well take a look at
some of the tools that the latest version of GarageBand provides to clean up your hissy fits.
There are still many things that can

cause unwanted noise
GarageBand
Reduce hiss on recorded material
1: Create project
2: Drag and drop
3: Hit play
4: Choose preset
5: Take control
6: Reduce noise
Open a new, empty GarageBand project and create

a new Audio track by clicking on the microphone
icon, followed by the Create button in the bottomright corner.
If not already open, click the button in the left of

the toolbar to open the Library. From the preset list
that appears, choose Legacy>GarageBand>Podcast
ing>iChat Voice.
Download the source file for this tutorial, named

Hissy Guitar 1.aif, from bit.ly/1qrOuw2. Drag the
audio file from the Finder onto the new track. Drop
it at position 1 1 1 1.
Click the button in the toolbar to reveal the Smart

Controls panel. These are the controls available
for the hidden High Pass Filter and Speech
Enhancer plug-ins.
Click the toolbar button to disable the metronome,

then play the audio. It was sourced from an old
cassette tape, resulting in a substantial amount of
hiss, which we want to remove.
In the Speech Enhancer section, turn the Denoise

control all the way up. This deploys the maximum
noise reduction, suppressing the hiss while
preserving most of the original tone.
Analyse hiss
Podcasting
legacy
Reveal Audio Units

If youre working on a Mac with a 13-inch
screen or less, youll need to drag the
horizontal divider between the Smart
Controls and the timeline upwards to
reveal the Audio Units panel
Combat hiss problems with

a plug-in combo
Even though the latest

version of GarageBand,
with its lack of podcasting
features, has done away
with direct access to the
Speech Enhancer plug-in
from previous versions,
you can still record
new voiceover tracks
through the old vocal
preset channel settings
found in the Library. The
Legacy>GarageBand>
Podcasting>Male
Narrator Noisy setting
does a great job with
noisy microphones.
EQ
The Parametric EQ is
single-band, but clicking
the EQ button reveals
the multi-band EQ thats
hardwired into every
GarageBand channel
by default. This can be
another useful tool in
the war against hiss
Q parameter
Denoise
This controls the width of frequencies

affected either side of the centre
frequencies. The higher the Q, the
narrower the affected range
7: Add Audio Units
Click the i button in the Smart Controls pane,

then click in the Audio Units tab and select
Apple>AUParametricEQ from the menu. Press Keep
when asked.
All the presets in the Podcasting menu

feature the Speech Enhancer with its
special Denoiser tool. Try flicking through
them to get the best overall sound
8: Seek it out
Push the control point up to the top of the window

(watch the volume on your phones!) and sweep it
around until you find the main centre frequency of
the remaining hiss.
9: Youre hisstory
When you hit the right frequency, pull the control

point down to lower the volume of that frequency.
Our settings here are: Freq 11216Hz, Gain -20.0dB,
Q 10.0.
Create harmonies from original vocals

Sweeten up vocal lines by creating your own virtual
harmony tracks in GarageBand
Who doesnt love a big ol stack of backing vocal harmonies to beef up a chorus? Yet if
youre not the worlds greatest singer, or you have a vocal track in your project that you want to
fill out with extra vocal harmonies, how do you go about making them if the singers no longer
available? GarageBand lacks the Flex Pitch feature of Logic Pro, so creating harmonies out of
single-line lead vocal tracks isnt as straightforward as it might be. There is, however, a method
that, with a bit of trial and error to get the intervals right, can produce convincing results
without having to resort to expensive third-party plug-ins such as AutoTune or Melodyne.
Follow our guide and youll soon be up to your ears in sweet harmony.
Youll soon be up to your

ears in sweet harmony
Harmonic theory
Sweeten tracks with some computer-generated harmony
Mono to Stereo
Value added
The Transpose value for each separate
region appears next to the region
name in the main timeline however,
you may have to scroll horizontally
along to see this number
Use a plug-in like the ToneBoosters

TB Module (set here to the Mono to
Stereo preset) to widen the stereo
image of each harmony track for a
bigger sound
Harmony
times
Creating harmonies that

fit the chords in your
project isnt as simple
as just transposing the
entire duplicate region,
which is why it has to
be split into different
regions, each with its
own Transpose setting,
to work. However, you
shouldnt need to deviate
more than +/- one or two
semitones from the base
Transpose setting to find
other notes that fit.
Plug-ins baby
Click on these slots to
access the plug-in menu for
the currently selected track.
Depending on what you
have installed, you can use
these to further enhance
and shape the sound of
your harmony tracks
Cold compress
Due to their relatively low level in the final
mix, use a compressor plug-in to increase the
harmonies intelligibility by levelling out the
volume peaks in the audio
GarageBand
Create virtual harmonies in GarageBand
1: Duplicate track
2: Copy that
3: Open editor
4: Transpose region
5: Harmonise vocals
6: Split region
7: Tweak harmony
8: And again
9: Mix it in
Heres a GarageBand project featuring a lead vocal

that we want to create harmonies from. Select New
Track With Duplicate Settings from the Track menu
to duplicate the track.
Click the Region tab on the left-hand side of the

interface then use the Transpose slider to set the
number of semitones you want the interval for the
first harmony to be.
Adjust the Transpose setting for the isolated portion

of the region until it hits a note that works with
the melody. Dont be afraid to experiment to get
it right.
The track is duplicated without the audio region

it contains. We want to copy this as well, so hold
down the Option/Alt key and drag the region down
to the new track to copy it.
Play the track with both the original and copied

vocals running together, and adjust the Transpose
interval until you hit a harmony that works for most
of the region.
For three-part harmony, make a second copy of the

original region and repeat the previous steps, using
different Transpose settings to fashion the second
harmony part.
Select the copied region and press the Scissors key

in the top-left corner of the toolbar to open up the
Editors pane. Its an important tab to use, so have a
quick look around.
Isolate any words or phrases that dont work at the

current setting by placing the playhead either side
and using the Split Regions at Playhead (Cmd+T)
command to split the region.
Use the track volume sliders to balance the

volumes, so the first harmony part is slightly lower
in the mix than the original lead, and the second
harmony lower still below that.
Edit individual notes using Piano Roll

We get up close with GarageBands updated
Piano Roll editor
The latest version of GarageBand much more closely resembles the more powerful Logic
Pro X, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the Piano Roll editor, used for editing the
note data contained within MIDI regions. The Piano Roll editor is so named because MIDI notes
are displayed like the notches in the rolls of paper used in old-fashioned player pianos. The pitch
of each note is represented by the vertical position of the notches, timing is represented by the
position of each notch along a horizontal grid and the duration of each note is represented by the
length of each notch. So, whether youre a GarageBand newbie or a veteran of previous versions,
heres our step-by-step guide to one of GarageBands most important editing features.
The latest version of GarageBand

closely resembles Logic Pro X
GarageBand
Change notes in your tracks
1: Open editor
2: Shift note pitch
3: Shift multiple notes
4: Add extra notes
5: Change duration
6: Quantize
The Piano Roll editor can be opened in various

ways either by double-clicking the MIDI region
you wish to edit, hitting your Macs E key or clicking
the scissors button in the upper toolbar.
To add extra notes to the part, hold down the Cmd

key to turn the pointer into a pencil, then just click
where you want to add the note. Delete selected
notes with the Backspace key.
One of the more common tasks is shifting the pitch

of wrong notes. Hold down the Alt key, and you
can use the up/down arrows on your keyboard to
nudge notes up or down in pitch.
You can easily change the length of a note by

clicking and dragging its right-hand edge (the left
edge is the start of the note). Drag to the right to
extend a note, and left to shorten it.
To shift the pitch of multiple notes at the same time,

draw a rubber band around them with the pointer
to highlight the notes, then use the same Alt+Up/
Down shortcut to transpose them.
To fix the timing of the note to the quantize grid,

select a grid value from the pop-up menu. If you
have notes already selected, they will snap to the
nearest grid position immediately.
Working with the Piano Roll
Zoom with a view

Use this slider to zoom the Piano
Roll in and out horizontally for
more finely detailed edits
Learn how to tweak your MIDI parts

Catch Playhead
Click this play button to
make the contents of
the Piano Roll window
scroll along with the
project playback
A note about velocity
The term velocity refers to how hard you

strike each note on the keyboard when you
play a MIDI part. Generally, the higher the
velocity, the louder the note, but the exact
result of changing velocity values depends
on how the MIDI instrument youre playing
has been programmed to respond to them.
Velocity can be mapped to many other
different parameters, such as filter cutoff.
Vertical keyboard
The notes on the vertical
keyboard correspond to
the pitches of the notes
represented on the
horizontal lanes of the Piano
Roll editor window. Selected
notes are shown in blue
7: Form a Q
If the correct grid resolution is already selected, just

press the Q button to quantize selected notes to
that value. Alternatively, you can drag notes to snap
them to new positions.
Timing Grid
The vertical lines of the timing grid correspond
to the setting currently selected in the Time
Quantize pop-up menu. Here, a 1/16th note value
is selected, so each sub-beat is divided into four
8: Velocity
The Velocity slider is used to alter the velocity value

of individual or multiple selected notes. Select the
required note and slide right to increase velocity, or
left to decrease it.
9: MIDI Draw
Click this button to open the powerful MIDI Draw

editor. Select the type of parameter you want to
edit from the pop-up menu, then use the tabs
below each note to adjust values.
Use the Score Editor in GarageBand

The perfect feature for those that prefer to edit MIDI parts
in a traditional stave layout
When it comes to editing MIDI parts in GarageBand, the Piano Roll editor is usually the most
popular choice. Common to most music production software, this type of editing feature has
become the go-to environment for tidying up the timing, length, pitch and velocity of the notes
in your MIDI regions. If you know a thing or two about music theory, however, there exists an
equally viable alternative that may have passed you by, and thats the Score Editor. This displays
MIDI regions as traditional music notation and enables you to change the attributes of the notes
directly from the stave. So in this tutorial well highlight how to use the Score Editor to remedy a
few of the more common problems encountered when editing a MIDI performance.
It enables you to change the attributes

of notes directly from the stave
GarageBand
Work in Score Edit view
1: Set up
2: Open Editor
3: Choose note value
4: Insert notes
5: Delete unwanted notes
6: Copy and move
Carefully enter the correct key and time signatures,

either when you first create a new project or by
clicking the Project display of the transport bars
LCD panel.
To insert a new note, all you need to do is hold

down the Command key and click in the stave at
the point you want to add the new note. Its as
simple as that.
Double-click a MIDI region or click the scissors

button in the toolbar. Switch the display to the
Score Editor by clicking the Score button at the top
of the window.
Delete any unwanted notes by selecting them and

then pressing the Backspace key. Select multiple
notes by drawing a rubber band around them with
your cursor.
Click the Notes tab in the Inspector panel on the

left to turn it blue. Choose the required note length
value from the Insert pop-up menu that appears
to continue.
Simply drag notes left or right to move them to

a new time position in your composition, shown
numerically in the black box. Hold down the Option
key as you do so to copy notes.
An editor of note
Open up
Score highly with GarageBands Score Editor
Quantize
To quantize correct
the timing of a range
of notes, select them
and choose the required
quantize resolution
from the Time Quantize
pop-up menu. Click the
Region button if you want
to apply the quantize to
an entire MIDI region, in
which case a Strength
slider appears so you can
adjust the impact of
the quantization.
Zoom in
To extend the Edit window

to its maximum height,
simply grab hold of the
dividing bar and lift it
towards the top of the
timeline window
Use the zoom slider at the top-right

of the menubar to zoom in for a
magnified view of the score. The slider
controls both horizontal and vertical
zoom simultaneously
Box cleffer
Click the clef in the grey
area thats immediately to
the left of the stave and
choose from the pop-up to
select between treble, bass
or piano-style clefs
7: Change note length
The duration of any selected note is shown as a

green horizontal bar attached to the head of the
note. Drag the right edge outwards to adjust the
notes length.
Grid value
The Grid drop-down in the Editors menu
bar is used to set the visual quantization
of notes in the Editor, independently
from their actual Time Quantize value
8: Alter velocity
The second note in this run of notes has been

played too hard, resulting in an overly high velocity
value. Click on the note and adjust its velocity using
the slider.
9: Correct wrong notes
The first in this run of notes should be a D1, not a

C1. Select it and hold down the Option key, then
use the up/down arrow keys to nudge it to the
correct pitch.
Learn the Drum Machine Smart Controls

With each software instrument featuring Smart
Controls, we take a close look at shaping sound
Within GarageBand 10, our software instrument tracks and patches are more
customisable than ever. Instead of treating them uniformly we have access to Smart
Controls, a changing array of knobs, dials and sliders for tweaking sound. Virtually all
the built-in presets here offer totally new options depending on the type of instrument
selected. For example, a bass guitar will have markedly different Smart Controls to, say, a
vintage organ and so on. Some selections are therefore more complicated than others
and unfortunately GarageBand fails to fully explain what each control does or how best
to use it. Unsurprisingly, most of these settings can have a profound effect, so here well
start by demystifying those associated with the Drum Machine, identifying key controls.
A bass guitar will have different

Smart Controls to a vintage organ
Controlling the Drum Machine
Up close with individual instrument options
Software
Drum Kit
Track Headers
Master Controls
The Track Headers change

to signify which patch
is currently applied to
the selected track in the
workspace. Youll notice
the Drum Machine icon
matches that shown within
the Library panel to the left
These four dials correspond to all

sounds within the particular Drum
Machine track. Typically they feature
Tone, Distortion and Compressor
but different patch models will yield
additional, more exotic synthesised
effects such as Filter, Crush and Delay.
They are off by default
The Drum Machine is

a software instrument,
so it emulates many of
the iconic synthesised
sounds from the 80s. It is
applied in GarageBand
to MIDI tracks, so those
highlighted green instead
of blue in the track editor.
This means you can
use it with appropriate
green loops but also by
inputting your own MIDI
via USB keyboard or with
Musical Typing.
Library
Instrument patches are applied
to tracks with the Library panel,
accessed via View>Show Library.
Here we need Drum Machine
selected and any one of the 11
variations. Without this we wont
see the relevant Smart Controls
Mix controls
Eight knobs labelled Mix isolate the Drum Machines
sound types, defaulting to halfway. Here you can raise
or lower the levels independently within the track, of
course only where and when those sounds feature
GarageBand
Learn the Drum Machine Smart Controls
1: Show Smart Controls
2: Mix Controls 1
3: Mix Controls 2
4: Tone
5: Distortion
6: Compressor
7: Delay
8: Filter
9: Crush/Ring-Verb
We begin with a software track and a Drum

Machine model patch selected. You can download
one, named DM Smart Controls at bit.ly/1iG0iDb.
Click the Smart Controls button in the top-left.
The four Master controls apply across the whole

track. Tone typically refers to adjusting frequency
to alter character, and here it tends to make certain
beats sound more crisp.
Delay, Echo and Reverb are often confused. Delay

here basically repeats the signal for a variable
amount or duration. Here, this is useful for adding
extra ghost beats within intervals.
The eight Mix controls alter the volume levels of

individual Drum Machine sounds. This is useful for
accentuating bass beats like Kick, Synth Bass and
Tom to provide more thudding rhythms.
Distortion on electronic drums is fairly synthetic,

adding a dirtier fuzz tone. Here the individual beat
sound effects are made more buzzy and more
aggressive at high levels.
Filter appears on certain Drum Machine models and

is terrific for club track effects. When increased the
sound becomes dulled and muffled as if emanating
from behind a wall.
Raising the Snare gives a more severe snap, and

Hi-Hats or Cymbals can be feathered or have
a sense of shimmer enhanced. Percussion and
Cowbell might need pronouncing.
Like all of GarageBands Compressor controls, this

one works in reverse. The name suggests a squeeze
in sound but as you increase the dial, the track in
fact feels louder or wider.
You will encounter some additional master effect

Smart Controls. Crush applies a more fragmented
and dispersed feel. Ring-Verb can be applied to
enhance this.
Hacks
116
Essential
hacks
Enhance the efficiency of

your Mac use with these
simple and essential hacks
138
Wireless file
transfer
122
Partition a
hard drive
124
Search your
whole Mac
116 45 Mac hacks
136 Format text in every app
122 Partition your Macs hard drive
138 Transfer Mac files wirelessly
Discover easy ways to supercharge OS X

Create multiple volumes on one hard drive
124 Search your Mac with Alfred
Implement the best search tool for OS X
126 Enhance the CommandTab combo
Get more from this venerable shortcut
132
Work with
Terminal
128 Customise the Dock in OS X

Tweak and customise the Dock
130 Make Finder work for you
Get started with the Terminal utility
132 Make changes to batches

of images
Alter the properties of many images at once
134 Access your Mac remotely
Use your Mac from a mobile device
Manipulate text automatically
between devices
Quickly send files to an iPhone or iPad
140 Use console controllers

with a Mac
Create a console-style gaming set-up
142 Back up your entire Mac
Keep files and media backed up
144 Use an iPad as an extra screen

Extend your desktop onto your iPad
146 Manage third-party screen

brightness
Solve the problem of incompatible screens
148 Map any Mac disk
Analyse and view each portion of a Mac disk
150 Free up RAM with one click

Combat Mac slowdown
Unleash hidden features within

your favourite apps by using
secret commands
148
Map your
Mac disks
TOP HACKS
Partition a disk
Run Windows
Use Terminal
Remote access
Work faster
Easy ways to supercharge OS X
Upgrade the Desktop

Make an info-driven dashboard
Add geeklet functions with GeekTool, from projects.tynsoe.org/en/geektool
System info
Properties dialog
The key to GeekTool is

geeklets small applets
that display info. Youll
find hundreds at www.
macosxtips.co.uk/
geeklets. This one can
be found at goo.gl/
lwWEki and simply
shows info about the
system memory
Clicking the main GeekTool

window activates Edit
mode. Clicking a geeklet
will open its Properties
window, where it can
be tweaked. Be sure to
click Enabled in the main
GeekTool window to see
the geeklets
Five
essential
OS X hacks
BetterTouchTool
Free from http://boastr.

net, BetterTouchTool
supercharges the
gestures feature of your Macs
trackpad, Magic Mouse or Magic
Trackpad so that any
combination of fingers swiped in
any direction will activate
features within apps.
Growl
Free disk space
This geeklet (goo.gl/6OdNEv) shows free
disk space and is actually two geeklets
working together the second is invisible but
generates an image that the first displays
Time and date

This is six separate geeklets clustered together
each shows a different component of the time and
date, with the font size of each set individually to
create a cool look. See goo.gl/HGb55N
Growl lets apps tell you

when theyve finished a
task, or have other vital
info a little like Notification
Center, although Growl can be
heavily personalised. Get it for
2.49/$3.99 in the Mac App Store.
Bartender
Many apps install

applets in the menu
bar so much so that it
can get crowded. Bartender
hides any or all of the applets
behind a single icon. Grab it for
9.94/$15 from www.
macbartender.com.
Installing geeklets
Installing new geeklets is easy. When GeekTool is

running, double-click a downloaded geeklet. A dialog
will appear showing the geeklets code. Once you click
Yes, the geeklet will appear on the Desktop.
Closing the app window
Put a check alongside Show in Menu Bar and you

can quit the main app but keep the geeklets in the
background. To re-open the main window, right-click
the menubar applet and select Open Preferences.
Moom
Moom enables you to

rearrange or zoom app
windows at the click of
a mouse or a keyboard shortcut.
You can create ready-made
window arrangements, too. Its
6.99/$9.99 in the Mac App Store.
Caffeine
Tweaking fonts
To change the font of a geeklet, open the main

GeekTool window, then click the geeklet and select
the Click Here To Set Font and Color button (in the
Properties dialog). Then set the font in the usual way.
Create a picture frame
The simplest geeklet is a picture frame. To create one,

drag the Image icon from the GeekTool window to the
Desktop. Then, in the Properties dialog, click Set Local
Path and navigate to the image on your disk.
Caffeine keeps your

Mac temporarily awake,
avoiding the need to
fiddle with Energy Saver settings.
You might use it to ensure a
download finishes without being
interrupted. Caffeine is a free
download in the Mac App Store.
Enhance OS X apps
Hack your built-in Mac apps
Unleash hidden features within your favourite apps by using secret commands
Launchpad
To make Launchpad icons bigger, type
the following into Terminal (which you
can launch from Utilities): defaults write
com.apple.dock springboard-rows -int 4; defaults
write com.apple.dock springboard-columns -int
4;killall Dock. This creates a 4x4 grid. To make the
icons smaller, type: defaults write com.apple.dock
springboard-rows -int 8; defaults write com.apple.
dock springboard-columns -int 10;killall Dock. To
restore default sizes, type: defaults delete com.apple.
dock springboard-rows; defaults delete com.apple.
dock springboard-columns;killall Dock.
Quick Look
Quick Look lets you peek
at files without opening
them. However, one
surprisingly useful feature is missing
you cant select and copy text in
Quick Look windows. Yet selecting
text is just a hack away open a
Terminal window (again, look in
Applications, then Utilities), and type
defaults write com.apple.finder
QLEnableTextSelection -bool
true;killall Finder. To turn the feature
off, type the following: defaults
delete com.apple.finder
QLEnableTextSelection;killall Finder.
Mail
iCloud
Built-in Mac apps like TextEdit default to
saving to iCloud. If you want to save on
your hard disk, it can be a pain selecting
the disk each time. Deactivating iCloud is one cure
but another is as follows open a Terminal
window (Applications>Utilities>Terminal) and
type: defaults write -g NSDocumentSaveNew
DocumentsToCloud -bool false. Log out and back
in again. Apps will now default to disk saving. To
restore iCloud saving again, type: defaults delete
-g SDocumentSaveNewDocumentsToCloud.
Dock
Some people think that
the Dock gets in the way
in OS X so choose to hide
it completely, but an alternative is to
use a quick hack that makes the
Dock icons real small much smaller
than usually allowed by Apple. To do
so, activate Dock magnification in
your System Preferences tab, then
open a Terminal window and type
the following: defaults write com.
apple.dock tilesize -int 8;killall Dock.
To restore the Dock back to its
normal size, type the following:
defaults delete com.apple.dock
tilesize;killall Dock.
Remember the good old days before

emails had colour, images and fancy
signatures? If you want to return to those
simpler times, you can force Mail to always prefer
the plain text versions of incoming messages (and
nearly all messages have a plain text version
attached). Close Mail, then open a Terminal window
(look in the Utilities folder of Applications) and type
in: defaults write com.apple.mail PreferPlainText
-bool true. To revert back to the default settings,
type in defaults delete com.apple.mail
PreferPlainText.
Calendar
Calendars appointments
are automatically set to
last 60 minutes. But what
if your work involves 30 or even
15-minute appointments? Quit
Calendar, then open a new Terminal
window and type the following,
changing the number at the end to
however many minutes you want:
defaults write com.apple.iCal
Default duration in minutes for new
event -int 30. To restore the default
of 60 minutes, type defaults delete
com.apple.iCal Default duration in
minutes for new event.
Reminders
The Reminders app syncs
automatically with tasks
created on your iPhone
and iPad. Unfortunately, knowing if
syncing has happened can be
guesswork unless a little hack is
used. Quit Reminders, then open
Terminal and type defaults write
com.apple.reminders
RemindersDebugMenu -boolean
true. Reopen Reminders and youll
see a Debug menu, with a Refresh
option that will force syncing. To
turn it off, type in defaults delete
com.apple.reminders
RemindersDebugMenu.
Power up Safari
Install killer Safari extensions
Make Safari even more powerful with this selection of free add-ons
Five
missing
Mac apps
VMware Fusion
AdBlock
The ethics of blocking web ads is questionable, but the
fact is that blocking makes for far less clutter on web
pages and if the adverts use multimedia can save
the battery life of MacBooks too. AdBlock for Safari is a
version of the popular extension available for Mozilla
Firefox and Google Chrome, and works just as well so
well, in fact, that you wont even notice the adverts are
missing. AdBlock can be found in the Extensions gallery:
extensions.apple.com.
Click to Flash
Out of the box modern Macs dont come with Flash
installed, and Apples spat with Adobe a few years
ago over the battery-sapping and resource-hogging
nature of the Flash plug-in was well publicised. While
removing the Flash browser plug-in is one fix for
portable Macs, a better solution is to use Click to Flash,
which hides all Flash animations and videos unless you
click to view them. Get it at extensions.apple.com.
Click to Flash hides all Flash animations and

videos unless you click to view them
Imagine having a spare

Mac on which you could
install OS X, Windows
and Linux. VMware Fusion makes
that a reality by emulating a
complete Mac in software, and
costs 45.95/$59.99 from www.
vmware.com/fusion.
Whats Keeping Me?
Ever tried to empty the

Trash yet been blocked
because an apps using a
file? Whats Keeping Me? tells you
what files are open by which apps.
Its free of charge from www.
hamsoftengineering.com/
products/wkm/wkm.html.
XBMC
XBMC turns your Mac

into a media player, able
to play just about any
movie or audio file, and with a
similar smooth look and feel to
Apples old Front Row software.
Its available as a free download
from http://xbmc.org.
TrueCrypt
While Macs can create

secure encrypted archives
using Disk Utility, creating
ones that Windows and Linux
users can also read requires
TrueCrypt, which is easy to use
and free of charge from www.
truecrypt.org.
Ultimate Status Bar

Safari is set by default not to show the status bar, and
while it can be activated by clicking the entry on the
View menu, its not as elegant as the status bar of
certain other browsers. Ultimate Status Bar, available in
the Safari Extensions gallery, is the solution, and makes
the status bar appear and then disappear as and when
needed. The status bar can be themed too, with
various colour and font schemes available.
Turn Off The Lights

Turn Off The Lights is a simple Safari extension that
darkens the rest of the browser window when youre
watching movies a little like being in a cinema when
the lights go down. Turn Off The Lights can also activate
atmosphere light effects, whereby a glow generated
from the movie colour palette is shown around videos
while they play useless but fun, and definitely one to
impress non-Mac friends! Turn Off The Lights is in the
official extensions gallery, too.
Transmission
BitTorrent gets a bad

press for encouraging
sharing of pirated media,
but many legitimate files are
distributed across its network too.
Transmission is one of the best
Mac BT clients and is free at www.
transmissionbt.com.
Five
essential
app hacks
Customise the system

Make OS X run more efficiently
Use these easy System Preferences tweaks to make your Mac work for you
Little Snitch
Little Snitch offers you

full control over your
private data, informing
you when applications want to
send your data outside of your
Mac so that you can decide exactly
who can share your information
and with whom.
Fantastical
Access and update your

calendar without
launching the default
Calendar app. Fantastical sits in
your menu bar and is opened with
one click or keystroke, helping you
to keep track of your diary quickly
and easily.
Quicksilver
Complete tasks on your

Mac without leaving the
application youre
working in with Quicksilver.
Increase your productivity and get
things done quickly, and without
needing to think about it.
Turn off reverse scrolling

In an effort to be like iOS, Yosemite emulates the natural
scrolling of the iPhone and iPad. It works well in iOS,
but to most Mac users it can feel backwards. To get
your trackpad or Mouse to track in the direction of your
movements, choose the Trackpad or Mouse Preferences
pane and for Trackpad click the Scroll & Zoom tab.
Uncheck Scroll direction: natural and youll find that
moving upwards will scroll up and vice versa.
Hide the Dock

We love the Dock, but sometimes it can get in the
way of using applications to their full potential it
occasionally obstructs important buttons and tools, and
generally makes a nuisance of itself! However, there is a
solution: you can hide the Dock so that it only appears
when you hover your cursor over it. To do this, launch
the Dock System Preferences pane and check the box
labelled Automatically hide and show the Dock.
You can hide the Dock so that it only

appears when you hover your cursor over it
HyperDock
HyperDock injects some

power into your Dock,
beyond providing easy
access to regularly used apps and
documents. Control iTunes and
Calendar without launching their
apps, plus browse and switch
between your open app windows.
Lion Designer
Customise the overall

look of Yosemites menus
and interfaces with Lion
Designer. Change the colour of
menus, your Login Screen
background and also customise
Finder and Launchpad icons.
Set applications to automatically

open at login
There are certain applications that we use a lot. To
save time, you can tell your Mac to always open these
applications when you log in to your user account. To do
this, launch the Users & Groups Preferences pane, click
the lock icon in the bottom-left corner and enter your
username and password to authenticate. Click on the
Login Items tab and click on the + icon and locate the
app that you want to open on login.
Customise your Spotlight

search results
Ever searched for something using Spotlight and had
to wade through website, email and font suggestions
before finding what youre really after? Save time by
customising the file and folder types that Spotlight
searches, shortening the overall search time. Click the
Spotlight Preferences pane. Select the Search Results tab
and uncheck the boxes next to the categories that you
dont want Spotlight to search through.
Activate hidden features

Type these ten commands into your Terminal app
When used correctly, Terminal can help you get your Mac working just the way you want it to
Bring back
key repeats
Remove the
Dashboard altogether
defaults write -g
ApplePressAndHoldEnabled
-bool false
Keep a track of your file

path in Finder
defaults write com.apple.
finder _FXShowPosixPathInTitle
-bool YES
Open all new windows in

Safari in tabs
defaults write com.apple.Safari
TargetedClicksCreateTabs -boolean

dashboard mcx-disabled
-boolean YES
killall Dock
Run maintenance and

clean up your Mac
sudo periodic daily
weekly monthly
Reveal your Macs

hidden files
finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
Make hidden apps appear

transparent on the Dock
defaults write com.apple.Dock
showhidden -bool YES
Add a Quit Finder option

to the Finder menu
defaults write com.apple.finder
QuitMenuItem -bool YES
Drag Dashboard Widgets

onto your Macs Desktop
sudo defaults write com.apple.
dashboard demode YES
killall Dock
Create a stack of your most

recently used applications
in the Dock
defaults write com.apple.dock
persistent-others -array-add {
tile-data = { list-type = 1;
}; tile-type = recents-tile;
} && killall -HUP Dock
Partition your Macs hard drive

Creating multiple volumes on a single hard drive is useful in many
situations. Heres the easiest way to do it in OS X
Partitioning a hard drive creates multiple
volumes on the one drive and they show
up in the Finder as if they are different
disks. Each volume has its own file system,
which makes partitioning very useful if
you want to, say keep your boot and data
volumes separate from each other. There are
several other reasons why you might want
to partition a hard drive. If, for example, you
install Windows using Boot Camp, it first
creates a separate partition.
In addition, partitioning a big disk
into smaller volumes can improve the
performance of a drive, due to the way
data is stored; outer sectors perform better
than those on the inside of a platter, where
its more dense. This doesnt work for SSD
storage, however.
Apple recommends that unless youre
partitioning in order to install Windows, in
which case youd use Boot Camp, you use
Disk Utility to partition a drive. There are thirdparty tools which offer more options, but
Disk Utility is free, already on your drive, and
easy to use, so were going to use that.
Disk Utility
Heres how to navigate
Disk Utility
Disk Information
First Aid
The First Aid tab is your
first port of call if you
have disk problems.
From here you can repair
permissions, verify a disk
and, if necessary, carry out
basic repairs
Click the i in the toolbar to display

various information about the selected
disk, including its type, capacity, and
S.M.A.R.T status
Select the disk

When youre ready to partition, select
the drive, labelled here 1 TB Seagate
BUP... not the Macintosh HD volume,
otherwise it wont appear
Mount a disk
If an external disk or USB stick shows
up in Disk Utility but its volumes dont
display in the Finder, try clicking Mount
to mount the disk
A handy Utility
Disk Utility can be used for
a number of purposes. If
you want to create a disk
image, for example, you
can do it here. You can
also burn disk images to
disc. The RAID tab allows
you to configure multiple
disks to either mirror
each other, or to provide
faster read and write
performance, by creating
a single volume.
Disk Utility Create separate partitions in OS X
1: Back up your data
2: Prepare to clone
3: Clone the disk
4: Prepare to partition
5: Launch Disk Utility
6: Select the disk
7: Partition the disk
8: Re-size the partitions
9: Apply your changes
Partitioning a drive can cause you to lose data, so

before you start, make sure you back it up. The best
way to do that is to clone the drive using a tool like
Carbon Copy Cloner.
When its finished, youll have a bootable clone of

your hard drive. Eject the drive, disconnect it, and
store it somewhere safe. If the worst happens when
you partition your drive, restore from this disk.
Click the Partition tab. Familiarise yourself with the

window and how partitioning works. Click the +
below the Partition Layout to add a partition to the
disk. Youll see the layout change to reflect this.
Connect a spare external hard drive to your Mac

and download Carbon Copy Cloner from bombich.
com. It has a 30-day free trial. Once downloaded,
copy it to your Macs Applications folder.
Open your Applications folder and double-click

Utilities to open it. From there, launch Disk Utility.
Utilities can also be opened from the Go menu in
the Finder or by pressing Cmd-Shift-U.
Youll see a line dividing the partitions. Drag it up

or down to re-size them. Click on the new partition
and type a name for it in the Name: box. Make sure
the format is Mac OS X Extended (Journaled).
In Carbon Copy Cloner, set the source to your

Macintosh HD and the Destination to the external
drive. Choose Delete anything that doesnt exist on
the source from the menu and press Clone.
In Disk Utility, select the drive to partition. You

should see tabs below the toolbar which say First
Aid, Erase, Partition, RAID, Restore. If Partition isnt
there, youve selected a volume. Select the disk.
When youve got the sizes you want and named

the new (and original if you want) partition, click
Apply to finalise the partitions. If you change your
mind or want to start again, click Revert instead.
Search your Mac with Alfred

Alfred lets you search for anything on your Mac and also offers
impressive shortcut capabilities to cut down on annoying key presses
Alfred is a free and unobtrusive app that
hides an incredible amount of power
behind a bare bones interface. You can
use it to find anything on your Mac in a
second, whether it is files, apps, emails or
anything else, but it is also able to greatly
speed up web searches by letting you
enter a defined query and then choosing
the topic of your choice. It will open the
required browser or app when you are
searching and best of all it negates the
need for a mouse completely.
The Spotlight search has been improved,
but once you use Alfred you will wonder
how you lived without it and if you follow
our simple tutorial, you could be an expert
within a day. It doesnt matter if you are an
experienced user or a beginner because
Alfred will adapt to your needs and help
you speed up your workflow whenever you
are using your Mac. Its now time to speed
up your Mac in almost every way using a
simply brilliant solution.
Perfect search
A guide to the simplistic
Alfred interface
Immediate search results
As soon as you start typing, search
results will appear. Apps tend to be
given preference and the more you
type, the more focussed the results
Useful features
The
Powerpack
The Powerpack is an addon that you can purchase

separately. It includes
a raft of useful features
such as saving clipboard
entries, creating complex
workflows and browsing
directories within Alfred.
Once you are familiar with
all of these features, Alfred
could completely change
the way that you use your
Mac forever.
You can tweak Alfred to work for your

particular needs. The more time you
spend tweaking it, the better the
Alfred experience will be on your Mac
Its all covered

The developer has covered the
possibility that you may have an
indexing problem. There is a one-click
solution to rebuilding the index
The hotkey
The default hotkey for Alfred
is obvious and will only
take a few minutes to use
instinctively. It is an invisible,
but important function
Alfred
Search and launch apps
1: A quick install
2: A simple box
3: The hotkey
4: What to find?
5: The appearance
6: Your first search
7: Use queries
8: Custom commands
9: Rebuild the index
Alfred is available in the Mac App Store and is free.

Once you have installed the app, expect to find
the icon in the Application drawer. Click the icon to
launch it.
Now click Features and then tick the items you wish
to show up in your search results. The fewer you
choose, the quicker and more tidy your results will
be, but still try to cover everything you need.
You can use queries to search outside of your Mac.

For example, if you type google followed by any
word, Alfred will immediately start a Google search
in your default browser which pops up immediately.
When you first open Alfred, you will only see an

empty box. Before you do anything else click the
small cog icon top-right to set up preferences
including the all-important Alfred hotkey.
The Appearance tab does a lot more than merely

change the themes. You can choose how many
results are visible at any one time and what exactly
you wish to see when you activate Alfred.
In Preferences>General, click the Custom Searches

option in the left-hand column to create searches
for sites you use often. This will speed up research
and work processes you need to undertake.
Click the General tab and then decide if the default

hotkey is usable for you. If not, click in the box and
then choose another, but remember that some key
combinations may already be in use by the system.
Use the hotkey to enable Alfred and then start

typing. The box will appear in front of any app you
are using and will quietly disappear as soon as you
click a result in the list. Hotkeys are also displayed.
If Alfred is struggling to find apps or any file on your

Mac, open the Preferences and click the Advanced
tab. Click Rebuild Index to bring up the Terminal
which will rebuild everything for you.
Enhance the Command-Tab combo

Use Witch to jump between open screens and running apps in an
instant. Once you start using it, you wont ever look back
The classic Command-Tab key
combination on a Mac is useful for
jumping between open apps, but it could
be a whole lot more efficient and a lot
easier to use. Witch is a solution that will
get around this problem with ease and offer
a huge number of extra features to help
you navigate through every working app on
your Mac.
You have loads of options to configure
the way Witch works and also set up a
variety of hotkeys, at which point all you
then need to do is get used to how it all
works. The Spaces feature is supported for
added flexibility and this really does offer
the potential to get under the hood of how
you use your Mac and to make you much
more efficient when you are dealing with
multiple apps at the same time.
There is a moderate set-up process
required, but it is not too extreme and we
will detail all of the major steps for you in
order for you to get started straight away.
You can then improve the way you use your
Mac every day.
Quick tabs
Personalise and manage

open windows with ease
A system app
Witch works in such a way that it needs
access to deep-level system settings.
There is no app icon to deal with; just
options in the System Preferences panel
App previews
There will be times

when you have so many
apps open that it can
be difficult to select
individual items in the list,
and this is especially true
with similarly named apps.
Simply hold the mouse
cursor over any entry in
the list to see a preview of
the current app screen.
Crucial triggers
The Triggers tab lets you set up as many
hotkey combinations as you need. You
can even set up combinations to let you
scroll up and down a list in seconds
The main list

Once you are used to the way Witch
works, you will be able to jump
between open and minimised
windows in under a second
Your windows
You can tweak the
way the screens list
looks when you invoke
the hotkey so that it
does not dominate or
disappear within your
preferred workflow. The
presentation is always
obvious throughout
Witch
Make switching much easier
1: The free trial
2: Install the app
3: No icon
4: Create a hotkey
5: A dominating list
6: Minimised apps
7: A shorter list
8: Personalise the behaviour
9: Dealing with fonts
Witch is available in the Mac App Store, but you

can also go to http://manytricks.com/witch to
download a 14-day free trial. This will give you time
to you decide if it works well for you.
The first thing you need to do is set up a hotkey to

cycle windows. Click in the top left-hand box and
then use a key combination which feels natural and
quick. Proceed past the pop-up warning.
The list of minimised apps will be shown when you

use the minimised hotkey combination. With some
practice, you will quickly get used to using different
key combinations for different tasks as you work.
Double-click the Witch.prefPane file and then

follow the various accessibility instructions to give
Witch all of the accesses it requires. There are a few
steps, but none of them are too difficult to manage.
When you next use the hotkey that you have set up
you will see a huge list appear on the screen for you
to cycle through. Use the mouse to select any open
screen to jump straight to it.
Select the Behaviour tab at the top of the Witch

panel and manage the behaviours of the app.
Choose the delay, application response time and
how the mouse scrollwheel affects the appearance
There will be no new icon presented in the top

bar or in the Applications drawer when you
install Witch. You will need to open the System
Preferences panel to access all of the Witch settings.
You can also set up shortcuts for minimised apps

and for those that have not been minimised. If you
leave apps in the background for occasional use,
this is a quick way to cut down the tab list.
By default the presentation of Witch uses very

large fonts, but you can easily change this in the
Appearance tab. As you change the fonts and font
sizes, they are previewed for you in real-time.
Customise the Dock in OS X

The Dock can be tweaked and customised in a variety of ways
so that it works more precisely with your specific needs
The Dock in Mac OS X is an incredibly
important feature and one that you
doubtless use multiple times a day. It
is very well constructed, efficient to use
and makes sense in every way, but that
does not mean you shouldnt think about
making changes so it works better for you.
If you are happy to dive into the
Terminal, we will show you a set of
commands you can use to make changes
to the Dock and these vary from making
wholesale visual changes to minor
preferences that will be useful on occasion.
As ever with the Terminal, you will ideally
need to know what you are doing, but if
you use the commands exactly as they
are written, you should encounter no
problems at all. With a bit of time spent
and careful consideration of your particular
needs, you will be able to set the Dock
up exactly as you would prefer it and you
will likely find that a few seconds saved
multiple times throughout the day will
build up greatly over time.
Dock
customisations
Customise every part of
the OS X Dock
The Terminal
If you really want to dig into tweaking
the Dock, the Terminal commands will
help you be extremely specific with
changes you make
App previews
There will be times

when you have so many
apps open that it can
be difficult to select
individual items in the list,
and this is especially true
with similarly named apps.
Simply hold the mouse
cursor over any entry in
the list to see a preview of
the current app screen.
System Preferences
You can make substantial changes to the
Dock by heading to System Preferences.
These are the ones that change things in
a visual way more obviously than many
Terminal commands
Change everything
You can be selective with apps that show
in the Dock dependant on their current
state and also add spaces to separate the
Dock apps for easier organisation
Simple changes
Quick changes can be
made by right-clicking in a
space on the Dock and then
selecting an option from the
resultant pop-up panel. The
choices are low, but useful
for very quick changes
Dock
Build a new Dock
1: See recent files
2: Add some stacks
3: Personalise a stack
4: Add some highlights
5: Reduce transparency
6: Resize Dock icons
7: Only open apps
8: Quick Dock changes
9: Use DockMod
Add a recent files icon by opening Terminal and

typing defaults write com.apple.dock persistentothers -array-add { tile-data = { list-type = 1; };
tile-type = recents-tile; } && killall -HUP Dock
Add highlights to files that you are hovering over in

a stack. In Terminal, type defaults write com.apple.
dock mouse-over-hilite-stack -boolean yes; killall
Dock. Change the yes to no to remove.
To only show open apps in the Dock, type the

following into the Terminal: write com.apple.dock
static-only -bool TRUE. Change the final word to
FALSE to show all apps in the normal way.
If you need quick access to a specific folder, open

up Finder and then locate the folder you need.
Now drag the folder to the Dock to have it placed
as a shortcut ready to use whenever you need it.
To make the Dock less transparent, go to System

Preferences>Accessibility and then click the Reduce
transparency option. This changes transparency
throughout the entire system.
If you right-click in any space on your Dock, you

will be presented with a small selection of Dock
preferences. This will save you having to open
System Preferences to make changes to the Dock.
Right-click on any stack to bring up a menu which

will give you some presentation options. You can
choose how the included files are displayed and
also the sort order and main icon for the stack.
Go to System Preferences>Dock to use the sliders

next to Size and Magnification to adjust the Dock
icon sizes accordingly. You will also need to make
sure the Magnification option is ticked.
DockMod, available from www.dockmod.com,

lets you customise the Dock in many other ways
without Terminal. It will suit less advanced users
who do not wish to use Terminal commands.
Make Finder work for you
Using some simple Terminal tricks, you can manage the file system on
your Mac in more advanced ways than Finder allows by default
The Finder is an important part of the OS X
system and will be used every day whether
deliberately or not. It is used to manage the
entire file system and is specifically limited
by default, but you can make some simple
changes in Terminal which will add new
features and give you access to more files
than you can normally see.
We will show you how to display hidden
files and also how to make changes to the
interface such as showing the full file path
at the top and adding a new Quit function
to the menu. You can limit what others can
see in Finder when using your Mac and even
stop disks from being ejected accidentally
by pressing the keyboard button or the eject
icon within Finder. Terminal is able to let all of
these changes be made with ease, but before
you undertake any, please make sure that you
know the reversing command just in case
something goes wrong. Finder and Terminal
are an extremely powerful combination.
Busy windows
Improve Finder using just
the Terminal
The lost Finder
When using some

commands, such as the
simple Finder trick, it is
possible that you will not
be able to open the Finder
normally. Until you reverse
the command, remember
that the icon should still
always be available in the
Dock for you to access it,
albeit in a limited fashion.
Extra menu features

You can add the ability to Quit Finder
using Terminal. This is useful to keep the
list content lower in the switching menu,
but it should still be used with care
The Terminal
The Terminal is a very powerful tool for
making tweaks to what often appear to
be static applications. Use it wisely and
you can make the Finder work for you
Full file paths

A Terminal command will
present the full path of any
file at the top of the Finder
window. This is useful for
multi-layered folders
See everything
Hidden files can be seen
using one command, but
making changes to system
files can result in some
stability problems
Finder
Use advanced file management
1: Hidden files
2: To the Terminal
3: Force quit Finder
4: Greyed out folders
When you are viewing folders in Finder, many files

will be hidden for good reason. There is no obvious
indication as to what files are hidden so you need
to enable the facility by default to view them.
Close the Finder and open the Terminal. Enter

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles
true; killall Dock and wait for the changes to take
effect. It will take a few seconds.
Use alt/cmd/esc to bring up the Force Quit panel.

Scroll down until you see Finder and then click the
Relanch icon. You need to quit Finder in order for
all of your Terminal changes to apply.
In Finder you will see greyed-out folders and files

which are accessible and which can be changed.
Remember to be very careful when tweaking
system files; they were hidden for a reason.
5: A simple Finder
Limit how Finder is accessed by entering defaults

write com.apple.finder InterfaceLevel simple in
Terminal. This stops people seeing anything other
than just the apps in the Dock.
6: Reversing the state
7: Quit Finder
8: The full path
9: Stop disk ejects
To add a Quit Finder option, enter defaults write

com.apple.finder QuitMenuItem 1 followed by killall
Finder in Terminal. You will have an option that
saves space in the task switching list.
To see the full folder path for any file, enter defaults
write com.apple.finder _FXShowPosixPathInTitle
-bool YES in Terminal and then killall Finder. Change
YES to NO to display the current folder.
Enter defaults write com.apple.finder InterfaceLevel

standard to reverse the simple Finder setup, but
remember to use the killall Finder command in the
next line after each to force changes to take effect.
If you find that you accidentally eject disks often,

type defaults write com.apple.finder ProhibitEject
true in Terminal to stop it happening. Use false at
the end to reverse the process.
Make changes to batches of images
You can change the properties of multiple images at once using the
Terminal and other useful tools. The time saved will be huge
In Terminal, you have the ability to make
wholesale changes to multiple images
and files in seconds. The fact that typing
commands into a text box may seem like
a backward step is irrelevant because the
end result is often much quicker to produce
and you have a lot more control over every
aspect of the process.
These pages will show you how to
change the resolution of images in bulk
with one command and also how to
make individual changes if required. This is
absolutely ideal for web projects and any
task that requires images that are of similar
sizes, but the theory can also be applied
to many other tasks and files. Once you
take the time to understand basic Terminal
commands, you can use them throughout
OS X and potentially make your workflow
much quicker than it was before, so think of
this as merely a starting point.
Lets look at how to quickly manage
multiple images and how to keep complete
control over everything that is happening at
the same time.
Batch resizing
Use Mac tools to batch
resize images
Visual cues
You will always be able to see how your
Terminal changes affect the images using
Finder or your preferred image viewer.
Everything you change can be checked
immediately for extra reassurance
Make copies
When you resize images

using Terminal, the actual
files will be changed
completely. It is usually
worth making backups of
the files first and placing
them in another folder
so that any changes you
make can be reversed
without fear of losing
the original files. This is
good advice for most filerelated tasks.
Text commands
It may feel old-fashioned, but typing a
quick command in the Terminal is actually
a lot quicker at dealing with multiple files
than any other application on a Mac
Immediate feedback
If an error occurs or even if the process
completes as it should, you will be given
feedback within Terminal. You will always
know if your commands are successful
Avoiding
the Terminal
The Preview app also lets
you adjust image sizes
for batches of files, but
arguably the Terminal
is a lot quicker if you
understand the file
structure and commands
you need to use
Terminal
Manipulate images in batches
1: Create a batch
2: Different sizes
3: Find the folder
4: The main command
5: Dealing with errors
6: Its now working
7: New sizes
8: Ignore aspect ratios
9: Use Preview
If you want to manage a group of photos using the

Terminal, make sure that they are all in the same
folder. This will greatly speed up the process of
assigning commands to them quickly.
Use the sips command to resize multiple images.

Enter sips -Z 640 *.jpg. The Z advises to maintain
aspect ratio for all images, 640 is the width and
.jpg shows the file type for every file.
If you click Get Info on any image within the folder

you will now see the resolution width as required
with the height kept in ratio for clarity. You can use
sips to resize as many images as you like.
If you right-click any image and then select Get Info,

you will see the resolution of the image among
many other properties. It is possible that each
image will have a different resolution.
The sips command does require everything to be

exactly right. For example, even typing .jpg when
the images are shown in Finder as .JPG will throw
up an error and cause the command to fail.
You can also resize images while ignoring aspect

ratios. Input sips -z 768 1024 image.png in Terminal
with the number being the width and height
followed by the specific image file name.
Use the CD command in Terminal to navigate to the

folder where your photos are stored. For example
CD desktop and then CD Batch will take you, and
the Terminal, to the Desktop/Batch folder.
When the command has been accepted, you will

see the process working in real-time. Each image
file will be shown in a list as the changes are being
made. Go back to Finder when it has completed.
If you want to avoid the Terminal, you can open all

of the images in Preview and then use Edit>Select
All. Now click Tools and then Adjust Size to make
sizing changes to all of the images.
Access your Mac remotely
You can access your Mac no matter where you are and also use it on a
mobile device or different computer as you would normally
There are many reasons why you may need
to access your Mac remotely, but perhaps
the most important one is that the facility
will allow you to continue working no
matter where you are. Provided you have an
internet connection on a compatible device,
whether its a smartphone, tablet or PC, and
you have the appropriate software installed,
you will be able to view and control your Mac
any time you need to.
The setup is not ideal for complex work
due to the natural limitations of wireless
connections and different screen sizes,
but for urgent file retrieval and checking
important information, it is a useful facility to
have in your back pocket. We will guide you
through the process of setting up a secure
connection and also explain how to use
remote connection efficiently, but please
remember that network charges are likely if
you are connecting via a mobile device so
you need to make sure your plan will cover
it before you start. Remote control is an
extremely useful facility for any Mac user.
LogMeIn panel
Full remote
control
Everything you need is

in one simple panel
You can control your Mac

from another PC or Mac
and not just from mobile
devices. In theory, the
experience will be almost
identical to using your
Mac at home, but a decent
internet connection at
home that is capable of
fast upload speeds from
your Mac will help a lot.
On and off
When you are doing some private
work, you should ensure that the
facility is turned off so that no-one
else can access your Mac. Its
secure anyway, but its better to
be completely safe
Perfect replication
The account
You will need to set up a LogMeIn
account for security and to
ensure that the two devices are
connected properly. It speeds up
the entire process a great deal
Real-time information
When a new device connects to your
Mac, you will see information pop up so
that you are always fully aware as to who
and what has access to your information
Your Mac screen will be

perfectly replicated on
the controlling device,
no matter what size it is.
You are in effect still fully
controlling your Mac as if
you were in front of it
LogMeIn
Use your Mac anywhere
1: Create an account
2: The desktop software
3: Ready to start
4: The iOS apps
5: Time to connect
6: Useful hints
7: A new Mac
8: Change the settings
9: See the detail
Go to https://secure.logmein.com and sign up for

a new account. There is a free trial option which
gives you time to set everything up to make sure
you are happy with how the service works.
If you want to control your Mac from an iPad or an

iPhone, you will need to search for LogMeIn in the
iOS App Store and then install the software. You will
be prompted to enter your account details.
Your Mac screen should now be presented exactly

as it displays normally on your iPad or iPhone. Tap
the mouse icon at the bottom to start using a
virtual mouse within the main screen window.
Once you have created an account, you will be

prompted to download the software. Make sure
you are installing this on the Mac you that you want
to control remotely first. The process is quick.
You should immediately see your Macs descriptive

name appear on the screen with two icons to the
right of it. Click the second-right icon to remotely
control your Mac, and then wait for it to connect.
Tap the cog icon to adjust the settings. You will find
that the resolution and colour quality settings will
have the most impact on smaller devices, but the
scroll modes are worth testing, too.
You will see a panel appear that shows your

LogMeIn account and which prompts you to
choose a description for your Mac. It also shows
how many users are currently connected at the top.
Your Mac screen will appear in the background

behind a panel showing a selection of hints. Read
these carefully to speed up your initial use of the
system because they are extremely helpful.
Use your fingers to zoom in and out as required

on a tablet or a phone to really see the detail. It
will require some moving around the screen, but
everything will appear exactly as on the Mac.
Format text in every app
You can format text automatically or immediately when words and paragraphs are
selected on a Mac using two clever tools. The time saved is immeasurable
The formatting of text may not appear to
be an important function when using a
Mac, but if you have to move information
between the web and documents often,
some automation will help you a lot.
Think about how often you paste text into
a document from another source and then
consider how often you need the text to be
formatted the same way as the receiving
file. Chances are that for the majority of the
time you will want it to match and we have
a perfect solution for this basic need. Also,
when you select text it is likely that you
will want to do different things with your
selection at different times. We also can
offer a solution for this and a guide to help
you deal with your selections in any way
you see fit. The end result is a setup that will
sit in the background and only start to work
when you need it, and most of the time it
is completely invisible. Lets start formatting
and manipulating text.
Perfect text
Easily format text just
the way you want
PopClip settings
Enable and disable PopClip by
left-clicking the icon. Also, there
are a few settings to tweak to
make it work perfectly for your
text formatting requirements
Outside
the box
PopClip offers more than

simple text formatting.
The add-ons available
enable you to compose
tweets, add to-do items,
search maps and do much
more from within the
simple bar that appears
when you select text.
The benefits really are
incredibly flexible.
Add-ons
The number of tools available
to add to PopClip is impressive.
No matter what work you do,
there will be options that are
specialist enough to help
The simple approach

If you only need to paste
text in its native format,
FormatMatch is the ideal tool.
It will help you paste text
exactly as required every time
The bar
The PopClip bar will show all
of the tools you have chosen
to use by default. Simply click
any after selecting text to take
advantage of it. Its an elegant
and effective solution
FormatMatch/PopClip
Formatting the easy way
1: Grab the software
2: Click the icon
3: Create a hotkey
4: Time for PopClip
5: Accessibility settings
6: Set it up
7: Jigsaw pieces
8: Add some features
9: Its now working
In the Mac App Store you will find an app called

FormatMatch. It is completely free and barely takes
up any space at all. Download and install it using
the normal process and then open it.
Go back to the App Store and download PopClip.

Open it and you will see a small icon appear at the
top. You now need to enable PopClip and then
follow the instructions to make it work.
Click the jigsaw piece icon to choose what will be

shown in the PopClip menu. Try to only use the
tools you will need each time to stop the interface
becoming too busy. Now click the + at the bottom.
A small rectangular icon will be shown in the

top bar. Click it and then click Activate to let
FormatMatch automatically paste text in the format
the receiving document is currently using.
You will be taken to the Accessibility settings where

you need to enter your password to make changes.
Now tick the box to let PopClip access the parts of
the system it needs to perform. Its now ready.
The PopClip Extensions website will now appear

with a raft of tools that you can download to work
within PopClip. The list is considerable, so take your
time to find worthwhile additions to your setup.
Click Preferences in the FormatMatch menu and

then Shortcuts. Click in the box and record your
preferred hotkey in order to enable and disable it in
the future.
A series of very small tabs will be shown in the main

PopClip interface. Click the cog to choose the exact
size for the PopClip menu every time it is activated.
Make sure its comfortable, but not too big.
When you next select text, you will see the PopClip
bar appear with all of the tools you have selected
ready to use. You dont even need to click because
simply selecting some text is enough.
Transfer Mac files wirelessly

between devices
You can transfer files wirelessly between a Mac and an iPad or iPhone
and the process is extremely quick. It works every single time
Sharing files between a Mac and an iPhone
or iPad should be simple, but the reality is
that it has never been an efficient process.
With DeskConnect, however, you can now
share photos, websites, documents and
even your clipboard between devices in an
instant. The process involves setting up an
account and then logging in on each device,
at which point you are all set to go. There
is no charge at all for the app or the use of
the service and once you start moving files
around, everything will become second
nature very quickly.
We will guide you through the set-up
process and also show you the methods
required to share files, but there is nothing
to fear here because much care has been
put in to ensuring that it works as you
would expect it to. It also works as a useful
alternative to iCloud and the many other
automated systems that these devices
usually use for sharing.
Sharing files
Share many files without
wires in seconds
Set your preferences
You can set up a hot key to initiate
DeskConnect and also choose to have
received files open automatically in the
Preferences panel. The DeskConnect
account information is also stored here
A powerful icon
The DeskConnect icon can be clicked to
see options or used as a base to drag files
to for sending
Send the clipboard

Clipboard contents can be sent by clicking
the DeskConnect icon and choosing which
device to send to. Being able to send
information in two clicks is very handy
The
alternatives?
There are alternative

methods available for
sharing files wirelessly,
but to date we have
yet to see a solution
that works as well as
DeskConnect for sharing
files locally. AirDrop from
Apple has the potential
to negate the need for
DeskConnect, but at this
time it is not Mac friendly.
Recent files
The history of sent and
received items is always
available and you can
see which items have not
been opened because
they will have a small blue
dot next to them
DeskConnect
Transfer files between devices
1: Look for DeskConnect
2: The mobile component
3: Create an account
4: Repeat the process
5: Sending to Mac
6: The file arrives
7: Send files
8: A mobile file
9: Deal with clipboards
Go to the Mac App Store and search for

DeskConnect. The software is completely free and
takes up very little space, but you will need to install
more software to use the system between devices.
To get the devices talking to each other, open the

app on your iPhone or iPad, tap the cog icon at the
top and enter your new account details. You can
also specify how to open maps.
To send a file from your Mac, pick it up and drag

it to the DeskConnect icon. Now choose the
device from the list and let the file go when it is
highlighted. The process now starts to transfer it.
You will now need to go to the App Store and

search for DeskConnect again. If you own an iPad
and an iPhone, make sure you install the app on
both devices for them to all work together.
You can send a file from the iPhone or iPad to your

Mac. Open DeskConnect on your device and then
choose Send Photo. Locate the photo you want to
send and choose your Mac from the panel.
In DeskConnect on your mobile device, you will see

thumbnails for the received files. Tap the thumbnail
to view and then the sharing icon to save it or share
it again over email and social networks.
Once installed on the Mac, click the new icon in

the top bar and then click the Account tab. You will
now need to create a new account using your email
address and a new password.
A notification bubble will appear and when clicked

you will see a preview of the file that has been
received. Note that you can then open it in the
default app using the top-right icon.
At any time you can send the last saved item in

your clipboard to and from the Mac. Just choose
the device in the menu and it will be sent. You can
also see all recent files instantly.
Use console controllers with a Mac

You really can set up a console game controller to work perfectly with a
Mac. Games will feel more responsive and much more immersive
Gaming is not one of the most popular
uses for Macs, but there are now many
titles available that rival the quality
found on games consoles and high-end
Windows PCs. Popular games are available
on the Mac App Store and also via the
Steam service, but one drawback is that you
are limited by what controllers you can use
with these games. The keyboard is ideal for
certain genres, but for racing games and
advanced shooters, a dedicated console
controller will provide a more accurate and
entertaining experience.
We will detail the process of setting up
a console controller so that it is compatible
with your Mac and also how to ensure
that each individual control movement is
replicated perfectly when playing each
game. Be warned; the process may take
some time, but you will ultimately be left
with a solution that marries the best Mac
games with the best controllers in the
world. Your Mac will take on a new lease of
life when you get to experience gaming as
it was intended.
Controller setup
Your favourite games work with your favourite controllers

The presets
Joystick Mapper
includes a selection of
popular presets which
let you control games
and also many other
aspects of your Mac
such as media playback
and mouse controls
The experience
Some games work well with mice and
keyboards, but there is little doubt
that for many arcade-style games, a
dedicated game controller will provide
a far better experience
Wireless
controllers
It is also possible to
connect some wireless
controllers to a Mac using
specialist software and
accessories which are
commonly available. With
a little research and some
reading of reviews, you
will find a solution that
works with your Mac and
your favourite console
controller whether it is
wired or not.
New presets
If a game you enjoy is not
supported, it is easy to
build a new preset which
can function with every
single feature. Take your
time setting it up and
you will be rewarded
Individual keys
You can assign individual Mac keyboard
keys to buttons on the controller you
connect to your Mac. It makes for great
flexibility when setting up your favourite
game for an extended session
Joystick Mapper
Use console game controllers
1: Download Joystick Mapper
2: Open the app
3: Drivers are needed
4: Install the driver
5: Time to connect
6: Choose a preset
7: Time to play!
8: A custom preset
9: Not just games
Go to the Mac App Store and search for an app

called Joystick Mapper. It is inexpensive and can be
downloaded in seconds, but is absolutely crucial to
making game controllers work with your Mac.
Open the image and follow the install process (may

take some time). You will need to restart the Mac
for the driver to install properly, which increases the
installation time further, but its worth the wait.
Its now time to test a game with your controller

and the preset. All being well, it should work exactly
as intended and will feel much more enjoyable
than using a keyboard and mouse.
When you open the app, you will be presented

with a list of example presets with the option to
add a new one at the bottom. Note how it says No
Joysticks Connected at the bottom.
Connect the controller to a USB port, ideally one in

the back of the Mac, and check to see if 1 Joystick
Connected is shown at the bottom of the Joystick
Mapper list. It should now be working.
If you want to play a game that is not listed in

Joystick Mapper, you can build a custom preset.
Make sure you take some time to ensure that the
keys correspond perfectly to the controller buttons.
You will need a driver to connect a controller

and for this tutorial we will set up an Xbox 360
wired controller. Go to http://bit.ly/1k7Vzun and
download the disk image to obtain the driver.
Select a preset from the Joystick Mapper list and

click the spanner to make sure that the individual
controls look right to you. You can change any of
them to suit your particular gaming preferences.
You can even use a controller to set up presets

for media controls, mouse movements and
also functions of the keyboard. The software is
extremely flexible and highly compatible.
Back up your entire Mac

Keep your files and media backed up offsite just in case the worst
happens. The process is seamless and invisible in daily use
You can back up all of your files to an
external hard drive from your Mac at
any time, which offers the benefits of
knowing exactly where your data is
and also there is just the one payment
needed at the beginning. There is a rather
large disadvantage, however, and that is
the fact that you are relying on hardware.
This could break at any time and if your
backup is close to your Mac, if a fire or
an unfortunate event occurs, you could
potentially lose everything just because
they are in the same vicinity.
With the Backblaze service, you can get
around this problem by backing everything
up offsite which means that whatever
happens, you still have the peace of mind
of knowing that your data is nice and safe.
You can restore your data to a new Mac as
long as you have your account information
and the process is invisible as your data is
kept up-to-date throughout the day. We
will show you how to set up Backblaze and
how to ensure that your data is safe 100%
of the time.
Simple controls
A look at the simple Backblaze interface
Keep it safe
You can exclude specific folders or
files from Backblaze by selecting
them in this tab. This will offer peace
of mind for highly personal data that
you do not want to share
Back up everything
You can back up your main hard drive
plus any attached external drives. The
process will take longer, but there are
no space limits in the service to deter
you from saving everything
Restoring files
The process for restoring files is quite
straightforward, but like the backup
it can take some time to complete.
This offsite way of working does,
however, offer lots of benefits
Safe offsite
backups
All of your data will be

protected by encrypted
SSL and you can also use
a personal encryption
key, but you should
remember that you are
still backing up all of
your data to one service.
There are advantages
and disadvantages to
such a system, but in
our experience it works
very well.
Check your status

At any time you can
simply click the Backblaze
icon in the status bar to
see the number of files
and total size to be backed
up during that day
Backblaze
Back up everything
1: A new account
2: Install the software
3: Deal with settings
4: Manage performance
5: Keep it running
6: What to exclude?
7: Useful reports
8: Check the progress
9: Restore your files
Go to www.backblaze.com and add your email

and chosen password into the top two fields to
create a new account. Now click Download Free
Trial to install the required software on your Mac.
Click the Performance tab to view the expected

timeframe of your backup. If you are using a laptop
every day, we would suggest unticking the Backup
when on battery power option to save some juice.
The Reports tab will show you the type and volume
of files that have been backed up, but you can also
click the top drop-down to see the event log and
the files that are still scheduled for backup.
Install the software as normal and wait for the

process to complete. You will receive an email from
Backblaze detailing some of the various options
available to you. When complete, open the app.
Ideally leave the Schedule setting as it is

(continuously), because it may take many days for
the initial backup to complete. It does the work in
the background and is not noticeable in normal use.
Click the Backblaze icon in the top bar at any time

to see the progress of the backup. The initial pass
will take a long time, but subsequently you should
see only a handful of files to be backed up.
Click Settings on the front screen and then tick all

of the drives that you want to back up in the list.
Choose as many as you need to because you have
unlimited backup space available to you.
Under the Exclusions tab you can technically

choose anything, but remember that Backblaze is
very secure. You will need to decide exactly what
you are happy to share with the service.
If you find that you have a major problem, click the

Restore Files option from the Backblaze icon and
then simply follow the instructions on the web
page that appears.
Use an iPad as an extra screen

You can now use an iPad as a second, or even a third, screen for your
Mac with the help of a simple app
If you are one of the many out there
who own a full-sized iPad, or even an
iPad mini, you can now utilise it as an
additional display for your Mac. No
awkward wires or physical connection will
be required; all you need to do is purchase
an app called Air Display to make the set
up feasible.
On these pages we will walk you
through the set-up process and also how
to make the most of the features available
to you, which include using the iPad
keyboard to enter text on your Mac and
using up to four screens at any one time.
For many purposes, the need for an extra
screen does not extend to requiring a full
physical screen that is connected all of the
time to your Mac, but for a separate space
that you can view documents and images
on. So this is the ideal solution. Even better,
this app turns your iPad into a very clever
wireless controller that will completely
change how you interact with your Mac
on a daily basis. Enough with the chat; lets
build a new Mac screen in minutes.
Multiple screens
A guide to the Air Display features
On and off
Disconnecting and reconnecting the
iPad happens automatically whenever
you open the Air Display app on your
iPad. As soon as it is opened, the chosen
Mac apps will appear ready to use
Setting up
The set-up process for Air Display is very efficient
and only requires the installation of one driver to get
connected. Provided you are on the same network,
the connection will be seamless
Use extras
To enhance the
experience even further,
you can now purchase
accessories that allow you
to attach your iPad to the
side of your screen. When
using multiple screens,
you will ideally want to
position them properly
to make the most of the
service. A full-sized iPad
connected to a Mac offers
many benefits.
Multiple screens
Full interaction
You can use the iPad in Presentation
Mode to simply show information on an
extra screen or you can turn this off and
use the iPad to click buttons and breeze
through apps using touch
The ability to connect

multiple screens is present
and so in theory you will
be able to enhance your
Mac display prowess
using multiple iPads. This
can help create a brilliant
working environment
AirDisplay
The second screen iPad
1: Just one app
2: Helpful instructions
3: Download the driver
4: Install the driver
5: Time to connect
6: Drag the screen
7: Use touch
8: Connecting automatically
9: Dealing with preferences
All you need to turn your iPad into an extra screen

for your Mac is an app called Air Display, which
you can download from the iOS App Store. Once
purchased and installed, you are ready to begin.
You will now need to follow the process to install

the driver on your Mac. It is straightforward and
will only take seconds, but the Mac needs to be
restarted for the driver to completely install.
The interaction works both ways and you will have

the ability to use apps such as the calculator by
tapping your iPad screen. Its a handy and extremely
effective feature to use each and every day.
As soon as you open Air Display on your iPad, you

will be presented with a series of useful instructions.
The process is not too complicated, but you will
need to follow it closely.
Click the new icon in the top bar, which looks like
two small screens with a wireless signal protruding
from the top. A new panel will now appear advising
you to open Air Display on your iPad.
If you press the home button on the iPad and jump

to another app, a warning notice will appear on the
Mac. When you open Air Display on the iPad again,
it will reconnect automatically.
Go to getairdisplay.com and click the Macintosh

button on the front screen. This will initiate the
download of the Air Display driver to your Mac.
Double-click the file when downloaded.
Once connected, the iPad screen will show the

Mac wallpaper. Pick up and drag some apps over
the edge of the screen to display on your iPad. The
mouse can be used to manage them on the iPad.
The preferences in Air Display will require checking

because Presentation Mode is enabled by default.
This will stop you interacting with Mac apps using
the iPad screen so you may want to disable it.
Manage third-party screen brightness

Not all screens are completely compatible with Mac OS X and some
dont offer any settings or drivers, but there is a solution
It sounds obvious, but for a monitor
to work properly with a Mac, it ideally
needs to be built to do so. There are
many monitors available that will work, but
which offer no support for controlling the
brightness and colour balance. Thankfully
the iBright app is available, that can at least
give you some control over the brightness.
This is the most important single factor
when adjusting a screen and at least now
you will be able to use the monitor which
would otherwise be difficult or even
impossible to use.
We will detail the steps you need to
take in order to get iBright working and
bring the monitor back to life. We will
also highlight the most efficient ways to
take advantage of the app. If you happen
to work in a specialist area where many
monitors are connected to one machine,
iBright is particularly good because you can
use a remote control app to tweak them all
with ease. Some apps are useful and some
really will help you solve a major problem.
This one does both.
Two panels
Not 100%?
Tweak the brightness

with a simple app
In theory, iBright should

not be able to work with
all monitors, but in our
tests we managed to
adjust the brightness on
different makes that were
not natively supported
by Macs. It is the best
solution we have found
so far for incompatible
hardware and really does
work to increase the value
of the hardware.
Do it remotely
The iOS app lets you
control your screens
remotely whenever you
are in the vicinity. This is
particularly useful if you
are controlling lots of
screens at the same time
One click
Synchronising brightness
You can also synchronise the brightness
with the main screen. This does not
always work, however, so use the manual
settings alongside Fine Adjustment for
the best possible results
Its now compatible

The non-compatible monitor will now have a
brightness setting available in iBright and you can
adjust it to suit your particular preferences. Its
worth spending some time to set it up properly
You can adjust the brightness

of the main monitor by
simply clicking on the icon
and then using the slider
at the top. Dont forget the
brightness shortcut keys that
are on most Macs
iBright
Control the brightness
1: Avoid the problem
2: Find a driver
3: Find a solution
4: Install the app
5: A pop-up menu
6: Use the preferences
7: Take your time
8: Start straight away
9: Remote control
Almost all monitors are compatible with Windows

PCs, but they do not always mention compatibility
with Macs. Research as you can before you
purchase a monitor for your Mac.
Purchase the app and install it following the

standard process. Now locate it in the Applications
folder and open it. Dont expect a window to
appear; it will just show a small icon in the top bar.
You will now need to play around with each slider.

Notice how we have a low setting on the right and
a high on the left. This gives equal brightness for
our monitor on an iMac.
To access all settings, you need to find a driver from

the manufacturers website. Also, try researching
forums and checking to see if others have found
solutions for your non-compatible monitor.
Locate the icon in the top bar, it looks like a sun,

and click it. You will now see a menu appear which
lets you adjust the main monitor screen brightness
immediately using the slider at the top.
Click the General tab and then make sure that

Launch at Login is ticked. This will mean that the
software is available to use from the moment you
turn on your Mac and will save you valuable time.
If you cannot find a driver you will not be able to

manage all settings, but there is a solution that will
help you manage the brightness and it is called
iBright. Go to the Mac App Store to find it.
Click on Preferences and you will see a panel

appear. If you have two screens attached to your
Mac, you should see both described and relevant
options just below the image for each of them.
There is also a free iPhone and iPad app called

iBright Remote Control to manage the screen
brightness remotely. It uses a similar interface to the
desktop software and is very reliable.
Map any Mac disk

You can use a simple app to analyse and view every portion of any Mac
disk in minutes. Youll be amazed at how much space can be saved
The ability to view every file on a Mac
disk is incredibly useful because it gives
you an understanding of how your space
is being used. However, the Disk Map app
takes this idea and improves upon it by
offering a visual map of your files so that
you can immediately see the memory hog.
As you drill down, you can see every single
file within a group and Disk Map will let you
continue until you reach individual files. At
this point, the ability to compress files that
you may need later on is present alongside
a one-click delete to remove hogs that are
limiting your flexibility.
This isnt a one-click and forget about
it solution, though. The software is
deliberately manual in operation, but
this is actually an advantage because it
means that you have full control over the
management of each file and thus you
will be less likely to delete something that
is important. The Disk Map app has the
potential to give you back lots of precious
disk space and we will now take you
through the entire process.
Using Disk Map

Dealing with the crowded disk map
Finder interaction
At any point, you can see the files in
Finder which will let you perform even
more actions such as transferring
them to another disc. Finder and Disk
Map work well together
Immediate detail
The Quick Look option lets you investigate the origins
of any file with one click. This is useful if you are unsure
as to if the file is important enough to keep
Take your time

If you take your time
analysing the results that
Disk Map offers, you have
the potential to remove
a lot of unnecessary files.
Bulging hard disks or
external drives that are
running out of space can
easily be recovered this
way, and youll find they
are likely to work much
faster as a result.
Select your files

Extra options
Further actions are available by
right-clicking any file. Here you
can compress and delete files, and
also add them to an ignore list. The
entire system is easy to handle
You can select as many

files as you need to at
any one time using the
Cmd key. The icons at the
top can then be used to
perform specific actions
on all selected files
Disk Map
View your Mac disk
1: Get the software
2: Select a disk
3: Its now scanning
4: A completed scan
5: See the map
6: Up a level
7: Time to delete
8: Multiple files
9: A quick look
Go to the Mac App Store and search for Disk Map.

Make your purchase and install in the usual way.
The app is not expensive when you consider the
potential advantages it offers.
When the scan has finished you will hear an alert

and see the number of files and memory that have
been scanned. The total memory will be lower than
your disk space because it only looks at files.
Right-click on any file and you will be presented

with some new options. You can compress the file,
delete it or view it in Finder which then gives you
the option of moving it to a new disk.
Click the large + icon in the middle of the screen

and then use the Finder window that appears to
navigate to the disk you want to analyse. Large disks
will take much longer to analyse.
Click Next and then Finish to be presented with a

map detailing all of the major areas of your disk.
Each is labelled with a description, the number of
files and the amount of space they take.
Use the Cmd key to highlight multiple files at the

same time. Once you have chosen, click one of the
icons at the top to perform an action. Do not rightclick as that will remove your selection.
Click Next and the software will start the process of

scanning your disk. You will see the number of files
and also the amount of scanned space in real time.
Wait for it to finish.
Double-click any box to go up a level. This will

now show a detailed map of every file within that
particular space. If you hover over any box, you will
be presented with more detail.
If you are unsure as to what a file is, click the box

and then have a tap on the Quick Look icon at the
top. You can now see more detail and open up the
file if it is required.
Free up RAM with one click
You can free up RAM if your Mac is slowing down with some simple
tools and get back to work instantly. It only takes seconds
When you stop and think about it, RAM
is an unusual part of any Mac because it
can change form in an instant. No matter
how powerful your computer may be, the
amount of available memory to run apps
can drop quickly if you are pushing it with
many apps running at the same time.
To help ensure you dont suffer, in this
tutorial we will highlight two inexpensive
tools that can be used to free up RAM
with just one click and which can also
present a myriad of useful information so
that you can be sure your Mac is running
smoothly. When you consider the cost of
your device and the fact that you paid to
be able to work at a decent pace, it makes a
lot of sense to free up memory as often as
you can. Even better, these tools will do it
automatically once a pre-specified level has
been reached.
It might be hard to believe, but you really
can improve the performance of your Mac
dramatically with very little added expense
and no time spent fiddling with the
hardware. Lets get started.
SystemPal panels
A lot is happening in a small space
You have control

There are more than
enough preferences
available to you to give
you all of the control
you need. Your Mac will
be in your control every
second of the day
Useful stats
Stats can be displayed in real-time
on the top bar and these will show
web traffic, CPU temperature and
other statistics that you can use to
gauge the efficiency of your Mac
A further
alternative
You can in theory run

a purge command in
the Terminal to free up
some RAM, but Apple
has restricted this in
Mavericks. If you type >
sudo purge you can still
access it by then entering
your admin password,
but for safety alone
the apps in this tutorial
should work best.
The handy brush
Some nice extras

The extra panel on the right can be used to display a mini music
player or for shortcuts to the Activity Monitor and even for taking
screenshots. A useful addition to a clever app
When you click the

brush icon, RAM will
immediately be freed up by
SystemPal and you will be
presented with the results
immediately. Expect to be
impressed at how quickly
and effectively it works
MemoryFreer/SystemPal Free up precious RAM
1: Find an app
2: A colourful icon
3: Manage the preferences
4: Free some memory
5: More advanced solutions
6: A new icon
7: Check CPU usage
8: Time to clean
9: Change the preferences
Go to the Mac App Store and search for

MemoryFreer. It is inexpensive and takes up little
space so can be purchased and downloaded in
seconds. Once installed, open the app as usual.
Click Free Memory Now! and the software will start

to work its magic. It will take a few seconds, but
you will soon be given the results and it is likely that
more memory than you expect will be freed.
You will by default be shown the processes that are

using the most RAM, but if you click the small CPU
icon, the apps using the most CPU power will be
displayed in percentage order.
A new icon will be placed in the top bar and when

you click it you will see a series of options. At the
top you will be able to view the exact memory stats
broken down into various categories.
There is another app that can do what

MemoryFreer does, plus a lot more. It is called
SystemPal and is also available from the Mac App
Store for a reasonable price. It is well worth trying.
Click the brush icon and the app will start freeing
up RAM. Once completed, you will see the amount
of memory freed up at the bottom. The process is
extremely efficient and works beautifully.
Click MemoryFreer Preferences to open a new

panel. Here you can choose how often the stats
update, the colour of the icon and also set a
reminder when the memory drops.
You will see another new icon at the top of the

screen plus it shows the web traffic going in and
out from your Mac in real time. Click the icon to see
more information in a new panel.
The small three-lined icon top-right lets you change

the preferences and also increase what is shown in
the main display window. You have many options
to tweak here to keep your Mac running smoothly.
100
ESSENTIAL
MAC APPS
The ultimate guide to the Top 100 Mac apps you simply must have!
inding and installing Mac apps is now easier

than ever, thanks to Apples brilliant Mac App
Store. It works by letting you install apps with
just a click, and you can be assured that they will
be safe for the Mac device you are using. You can
still download and install apps from anywhere
on the web, but the App Store is by far the most
efficient and safest way to add new software to
your setup.
The apps extend the functionality of any Mac

greatly, and without them your choices are limited
as to what you can do. There are thousands
available, and they cover near enough every
conceivable subject or task that you need to
complete. This feature will highlight the essential
apps from every app category, and hopefully
narrow down your search for the best of the best.
Your choice of apps is genuinely unlimited.
There are thousands available, and they

cover near enough every subject or task
5 essential apps
Stamptools
Price: Free Developer: Masanori Kanda
There are apps that you really wouldnt
think that youd need, until you use them.
Stamptools is by no means essential, but
what it does is allow you to place a date stamp on
any Word or Excel document. You can adjust the
date and what is written on the stamp, then its just
a case of dragging it across onto the document and
releasing to stamp it into place. Its a cool way to
easily identify when projects have been completed
and can be used to date stamp plans, ideas or just
your latest work assignment. So while its not a
must-have, its definitely an irresistible freebie.
SharePlus
Price: 10.49/$14.99 Developer: Daniel Gomez
Collaborating with colleagues is a huge
time-saver in the world of business, and
SharePlus is the platform of choice for
many. With this app, you can share all types of
media, and also deal with calendars, reports and
internal and external lists. The presentation is clean
and simple, as you would expect from a Mac, and it
truly is a great tool for any collaborator who needs
to share information with others.
friedEgg Touch
Price: 10.49/$14.99 Developer: friedEgg Limited
Creating and analysing complex charts is
not an easy task, and often requires
specialists to complete the job. This is not
the case any longer, however, because this app lets
you build impressive 3D charts whenever you need
to, and also lets you manipulate them in real-time.
It looks as good as it works, and allows anyone to
create complex charts relating to any subject.
Business
Q friedEgg Touchs visuals are stylish, clear and impressive
Tailored to your work-related needs
Business apps can take on a variety of forms, and

cover everything from general communication
to solutions for specialist industries. Despite the
fact that many companies have bespoke software
for their tasks, it is often possible to improve
productivity by using third-party applications.
Easy Books
Computers can be remotely monitored and used

from miles away, employees can collaborate on
projects using a single app, and there are solutions
available for every conceivable task. With some
planning and the careful selection of the right
apps, anybodys Mac can be greatly extended to
become perfectly functional for whatever task you
need to do. Often, it isnt just the well-known or
expensive apps that do the best job, because there
are a variety of solutions available for every single
business need. Business is a wide-ranging topic,
and fortunately there is a wide range of Mac apps
available to support your needs.
It possible to improve
productivity by using
third-party applications
Price: Free Developer: Geode Software Ltd

Easy Books provides a feature-rich bookkeeping interface to help you stay on top
of your domestic and business accounts.
In this free package you are provided with a demo
business and 120 transactions so that you can get a
feel for the app and see if it suits your needs. The
full bundle costs 49.99, but definitely worth it.
OmniGraffle Pro
Price: 139.99/$199.95
Developer: The Omni Group
If you need a diagram, process chart,
quick page layout or graphic design, then
OmniGraffle can help you make eyecatching graphic documents quickly and easily by
keeping lines connected to shapes, even when
theyre moved, providing powerful styling tools
with just one click.
Q Get the free version of Easy Books for your accounting needs
Q Stamp your mark on your work with Stamptools
Q Lots of information is displayed within

Solar Walks clean interface
Q AlphaBabys vibrant colours and shapes

will keep young children happy
Q Create your own flashcards with Smartr
Education
Get well and truly schooled with

these collection of apps
Education is something that stays with us for

all of our lives, from the day we are born to the
moment we die. It doesnt matter how old you are
or how clever you are; there will always be software
solutions that can help you. Children can benefit from
colourful and imaginative visual games, and adults
can benefit from learning about the complexities of
advanced topics. Education works best when it is
fun, and the imagination put into many educational

software solutions makes the Mac platform ideal for
learning. No matter what is the topic or the individual
needs, Mac apps will help you and your family learn
whenever is convenient for you. This is one of the most
important areas of computing today, and one that can
be potentially beneficial to all Mac users, because the
platform is perfectly suited to all areas of education.
Q Get a world of information on your desktop with Wiki
5 essential apps
Smartr
Wiki
Dictionary Book
AlphaBaby
Solar Walk
Price: Free
Developer:
Barefoot Hackers AB
Price: Free
Developer: Andreas Prang
Price: Free
Developer: Pengyu Ren
Price: 0.69/$0.99
Developer: Laura Dickey
This app provides a

portal to Wiki
through your
desktop, instantly cutting out
the middleman (the web
browser) and delivering all of
the enlightenment that you
crave from the popular service
in a fraction of the time. It also
provides multiple languages,
your search history and quick
links to pictures. If you
download the paid-for Wiki
Speaker add-on then you can
also get it read to you.
We decided to take a
look at this one
purely in spite of the
cheap and uninviting icon that
accompanies it. What we
found was a very useful
desktop dictionary into which
you can type words and get
instant definition, spelling and
pronunciation guidance. As
we tended to use an internetbased dictionary service
previously, this proved to be
as time-saving as it convenient
in your work.
AlphaBaby not only

works in an
environment which
makes it impossible for a child
to play with, or be distracted
by other applications, but it
also serves as an excellent
learning tool for children. It is
probably best suited for the
very young, and allows them
to understand letters and
shapes at a steady pace.
Overall, it works brilliantly,
and we wouldnt hesitate
to recommend it.
Price: 1.99/$3.30
Developer:
Vito Technology, Inc
Flashcards are
recognised as one of
the very best ways
to revise. Smartr lets you
create your own flashcards
with information that you
want to learn and then
quizzes you on cards that are
carefully selected for you
based on your past
performance, what you need
to study and when. Its easy to
compile cards and, best of all,
the app is completely free.
This 3D Solar System

model enables you
to navigate through
space and time, observe all of
the planets in extreme closeup, learn their trajectories,
inner structure, history, points
of interest and more. Its an
eye-opening and engaging
app that has plenty of
information to convey and
some cool methods of doing
so. If youre curious to learn
whats out there, this will help.
5 essential apps
Mechanical Clock 3D
Price: 1.49/$1.99 Developer: Igor Panichev
If youre a stickler for time then why not
make a clock the most prominent thing
on your desktop? Mechanical Clock 3D
acts as a desktop and screensaver and slaps a very
Gothic looking ticking timepiece on your desktop
that you cant fail to notice. Mercifully you can turn
off the incessant ticking in the preferences, which
are accessible via the menu bar icon. If you upgrade
to the full version you get a choice of gold colour
scheme and chimes on the half and full hour.
Entertainment
Have a whole lot of fun on your Mac

The word entertainment can cover a multitude
of things. From listening to internet radio to
watching movie clips and enjoying clever
screensavers, you can entertain yourself in almost
any way you like. It is a broad category, and is
hard to define completely, but it is also a category
with a wealth of apps that will help you pass your
spare time. You can learn magic tricks, watch Earth
from space, or simply sit back and watch a realistic
fireplace fill your Mac screen. The days of computers
being used purely for business are over. Now, you
can use them for any activity you like. Entertainment

is one activity that everyone should spend some
time enjoying on their Mac the only dilemma
is choosing from the huge range of apps that are
designed to make everyday life a little more fun.
Gravilux
Price: 1.49/$1.99
Developer: Scott Snibbe Studio Inc
It is hard to describe Gravilux, because it is
a combination of many things, but
essentially you click the mouse to move
simulated stars towards it. You can think of it as a
game, or just as a simple amusement. Theres
science behind the app, but you dont need to
worry about that. Just click on the screen, and
watch the magic happen.
Sharks 3D
Price: Free Developer: Igor Panichev
If you like sharks and all of their predatory,
dead-eyed glory then this app is a must. It
has two purposes, one as a 3D
screensaver and the other as an explorative tool
that allows you to swim with the sharks and
manoeuvre the camera wherever you want to
observe them. Unfortunately what you see isnt real
footage of sharks but rendered recreations, but
theyre still compelling to watch. Get more varieties
of shark into the mix by paying out in-app.
Q The presentation of Mechanical Clock is stunning
Q Explore our world from outer space with Earth 3D
There are a wealth

of apps to help you
pass your spare time
Earth 3D
Price: 1.99/$2.99 Developer: 3Planesoft
This app lets you turn your monitor into a
realistic space shuttle window and see
how our planet looks as it is seen by
astronauts. Theres more to this than just orbit eyecandy though as you can fully explore Earth with
over 250 world sights in HD. You can also use it as a
cool, interactive screensaver.
The Moron Test HD

Price: 0.69/$0.99 Developer: DistinctDev Inc
The title may sound insulting, but there is
a genuine aim to this app. The questions
are often intriguing, and sometimes
designed just to throw you off track, and it comes
together to create a game/test that will keep you
coming back for more. Also, you dont need to be a
moron to play it. This is a highly addictive app
which also doubles up as a nice party game.
Q Swim with predators

in Sharks 3D
Q Gravilux becomes more engrossing the more you use it
5 essential apps
iBank 5
Price: 39.99/$65.55
Developer: IGG Software LLC
Personal finance is often overlooked,
which is a shame, as many apps bring a
simple solution to what should be a
complex problem. iBank turns this on its head, by
offering the ability to monitor every aspect of
your money. You can track your spending, plan for
the future and even deal with digital receipts,
foreign exchange rates and schedules of events.
The presentation maintains a personal approach,
despite masking some complex calculations, and
it all comes together to create an app that is
perfect for anyone who wants to keep a close eye
on their personal finances.
Debtinator
Price: Free Developer: Jim Thomason
This free app is worth a look if only for
the morbid curiosity of seeing how long
itll take you to pay off your debts by
sending only the minimum payment. Whats
more, if you end up with a little extra in your pay
packet then itll also show you how this can
reduce the time it takes to pay off and save you
money in the long run.
RadioDow
Price: Free Developer: Takahiro Sayama
Finance
Keep track of the money side of things
From dealing with your bank account to

monitoring complex share dealing, the world of
finance is often a complex area. It doesnt have to
be, however, because there are thousands of apps
available that have been designed to make money-
This app actually made us laugh. Not

reading the description prior to
download, we booted it up expecting a
quick link to an online radio station specialising in
financial matters. What we got was a list of the
latest Dow Jones Industrial Averages that you can
get read out by your Mac in a variety of voices. If
youre a trader then its a useful way to stay
updated, but you wont be able to handle it being
read aloud for long.
Keeping a tight grip on your finances is

essential in the current climate of sharp
economic downturn, and this app
provides all of the tools you need to keep a handle
on things and track all of your accounts. It includes
facilities to set budgets and import statements.
management that little bit easier. Accountants can

deal with complex databases, a housewife can
manage household bills, and even a teenager can
keep track of their pocket money. If there is a need
to deal with finance in any way, then the chances
are there will be an app that supports the task at
hand. You may also find that using a Mac to manage
your money will, in the long run, save you lots more
money. You can now have control over every aspect
of your finances, be they for work or home. You
just need to spend some time getting used to the
solutions available.
Apps make moneymanagement easier
PocketMoney
Price: 13.99/$19.99 Developer: Catamount
Software
Q The MoneyWiz app also syncs

with your iCloud
Q RadioDow reads out the latest figures
MoneyWiz Personal Finance

Price: 17.49/$24.99 Developer: SilverWiz Ltd
There are loads of apps that let you view
and manage your accounts, but this is
definitely one of the best. Not only can
you view your accounts, budgets and bills in one
place, you can do so through a fantastic interface
that makes it easy to break down your spending.
Q Get your finances

in order with
PocketMoney
Q iBanks reporting feature will help

you get to grips with your finances
Q The physics in International Snooker

HD have been recreated accurately
Games
Have fun and keep your brain engaged
Gaming has historically been somewhat lacklustre

on the Mac platform, but the huge growth of iOS
gaming has transferred to its bigger brother. Popular
titles in the puzzle and strategy categories have long
been standard, but there are now many hundreds
more options available, most of which are at very
cheap prices. To complement these simple titles, there
is now a variety of high-end arcade titles available,
some of which actually rival games consoles in terms
of quality, longevity and addictiveness. You can choose

almost any game type you like, depending on your
preferences and the budget available, and can be sure
that the games you like to play are available. Every
possible genre is covered, and once you start you
may find that you play games on your Mac more than
anything else. Everyone needs some fun from time to
time, and a Mac is the perfect tool to help you relax
and enjoy yourself.
Q Hunt some of the worlds most exotic

animals in Deer Hunter 2014
5 essential apps
Jelly Defense
Price: 2.99/$4.99
Developer: Infinite Dreams
Jelly Defense
contains visuals, a
soundtrack and
gameplay like we have rarely
seen before. Despite falling
into the tower defence
category (you defend the jelly
nation from invaders), it has
many unique aspects, and will
keep you coming back time
and time again. Its addictive
enough to make you pull your
hair out, but it is sensational
to play. Beware, this game is
addictive and you're bound to
get hooked on to it.
Extreme Road
Trip 2
Price: Free
Developer: Roofdog
Games Inc
This simple game
challenges you to
keep a speeding car
from crashing by tilting it
backwards or forwards to
cope with the terrain. Its
essentially never-ending (like
Jetpack Joyride on wheels) so
you can challenge all of your
Game Center friends to go the
longest distance without
exploding in a fireball. Saved
coins can be used to buy
different cars and upgrades.
Star Wars: Knights

Of The Old
Republic
International
Snooker
Price: 2.99/$4.99
Developer: Aspyr Media
Price: 6.99/$9.99
Developer: Big Head
Games Ltd.
Set 4,000 years

before the films, this
enjoyable roleplaying game lets you evolve
your own Jedi Knight and
explore seven different
worlds from the Star Wars
universe. You pick who
accompanies you into battle
and you get to slice and dice
with your own lightsaber. This
Star Wars title is an enjoyable
and engrossing game at a
very reasonable price.
Snooker is not an
easy game to
recreate in digital
form, but this is nevertheless
one of the best examples we
have seen to date. The physics
have been perfectly
recreated, and function to
enable players of all levels the
chance to enjoy the
experience. Indeed, you can
probably play this game
better than you can
in real life.
Deer Hunter 2014

Price: Free
Developer: Glu Games Inc
A horrific subject
matter for a game
to many perhaps,
but there is always the hope
that games like this will give
real hunters enough of a kick
so as not to go out and hunt
the creatures for real. Here
you can travel around the
world hunting over 100 exotic
animal species and predatory
creatures and earn virtual
cash to upgrade your
firepower and scope range to
make the thrill of the hunt
more satisfying.
Graphics
and design
5 essential apps
Toolbox for Pages
Price: Free Developer: Jumsoft
Dont neglect your artistic side;

discover the best there is to
offer on the Mac
The Mac platform has long been preferred
by those who like to create, and the options
available today are greater than ever before.
Whether you want to annotate a simple image or
produce a work of art, there will be a solution ready
and waiting for you. You can have fun tweaking
photos, create photo albums for the family, or
spend hours producing a completely original
digital painting. No matter what your budget or
level of talent, you will be able to find an app that
sparks your creative juices, and some of the titles
are truly extraordinary. Indeed, it is now possible
to create graphics that only a few years ago would
have required tons of RAM and advanced graphic
capabilities. So it is time to have a look around to
see what is available, and spend some time creating
like you never have before.
Whatever you want to

do, theres a solution
waiting for you
Q Sketch your ideas down with Cloud ChalkBoard
If you want to take your Pages app

designs to the next level then this app
provides a storefront where you can buy
additional page furniture to use in Apples DTP app.
There are plenty of free downloads in the store as
well as paid-for templates and embellishments and
pretty much any occasion is well catered-for here.
So if you use Pages, be sure to at least have a quick
glance around whats on offer here.
Cloud ChalkBoard
Price: Free Developer: Hongo
Q Get your images looking great with Paint FX
If your Macs native Notes app doesnt

really do it for you and you want an
alternative that unleashes your inner
creativity coupled with pleasant nostalgic pangs
for your childhood then this could be the app for
you. Cloud ChalkBoard lets you chalk out sketches
and notes on a blackboard, which is then synced to
your iCloud account and made available on other
devices that are both logged into the same iCloud
account and have the app running.
Paint FX
Price: 1.99/$2.99 Developer: Kejian Jin
Q VintageScene can produce some stunning effects
This is a paint app for Mac that brings

with it similar tools to those of the
popular Microsoft Paint app. As well as all
of the basic tools you need to draw, Paint FX also
allows you to combine multiple images into one,
crop and resize images and apply a variety of photo
effects. Best of all, you can control where to apply
the effects within the images (as opposed to
applying them to all of the image). A simple and
easy to use app to unleash your creative side.
Vintage Scene
Price: 5.49/$7.99 Developer: JixiPix LLC
You would think that deliberately
making photos look old is a bad thing,
but strangely it can add a great deal
of personality to your snaps. Vintage Scene
contains a unique algorithm that really does
add special effects to any photo, and the end
results are marvellous.
iDraw
Price: 17.49/$24.99 Developer: Indeeo, Inc
Q Vector art perfection

with iDraw
This app provides a feature-packed suite

for vector drawing that has all of the tools
you need to create anything from
detailed technical illustrations to stunning works of
art. All of your creations can also be imported into
Pages documents and Keynote presentations
giving you much more scope to be able to truly
express yourself in your work.
5 essential apps
Perfect Diet Tracker
Price: 17.49/$24.99 Developer: Byoni Ltd
If there is one thing you need when trying
to diet, its motivation, and this app is a
very good source of this. It can track
every aspect of your regime, offer advice and,
crucially, show you how well you are succeeding. It
is designed to take away all of the hard work, and
let you concentrate on your goals. Without this
much-needed motivation, you are more likely to
fail, and so its exceptional value for money. This is
one of the most complete diet trackers we have
seen so far on the Mac, and is highly recommended
if you intend going on one.
White Noise Lite

Price: Free Developer: TMSOFT
If you find the hypnotic sounds of nature
relaxing or you just want to fool your
friends into thinking that youre away on
an exotic holiday, White Noise has all of the wave,
thunderstorm, rain, plane, train and chirping cricket
sound effects youll ever need. You can select and
play effects through the app interface and have it
running in the background for endless soothing
sounds to be be played through your Mac.
rubiTrack 3
Price: Free Developer: Markus Spoettl
If youre serious about exercising, it pays
to be serious about analysing what you
have achieved. rubiTrack will provide you
with all sorts of information, such as how far you
have walked or ran, and can also be used with
accessories to ensure real-time tracking. The level
of detail is astonishingly complex, and should
provide you with enough motivation to keep
running your way to ultimate fitness. Definitely one
for the fitness buffs.
Health & Fitness
Q Drink More
Water lets you
monitor your daily
intake of fluids
Stay fit with the help of your Mac
Sometimes you need a little help to get healthy,

and this is particularly true when undertaking a
new diet or fitness regime. Being able to monitor
your progress is often all the encouragement you
need to keep going, and a Mac can help with the
serious stuff such as tracking an illness or trying

to stop smoking. There are apps available in every
health category, and everything from specific
illnesses to specialist diets are covered. It may not
sound that important, but remember that when
you use an app that helps you, it has the potential
to greatly improve, or even save, your life. This is
a category that serves as an example of the wide
range of Mac apps available, as it truly does cover
every possible health subject. It is time to improve
your life with your Mac and a few apps.
Your Mac can help

with the serious stuff
All-in Yoga
Price: 2.99/$4.99 Developer: Plus Sports
If you want to tone your body and relax
your mind then this app features over 250
poses and breathing exercises, photo,
video and voice guidance, plus much more. A
special algorithm will choose the best program for
you according to your goals, level and time, and
you can also create your own routines.
Q The All-in Yoga app is a great stress beater
Drink More Water

Price: 1.49/$2.99 Developer: Raj Kumar Shaw
Many hard office workers neglect to
consume the recommended eight glasses
of water a day, so the purpose of this app
is simply to remind you to track and to consume
your intake. It doesnt boast hundreds of features;
just a visual reminder of when it's time to drink and
suggestions on how to drink more water.
Q You could not fit more

detail on rubiTracks screen
Q You can track what you eat every

single day with Perfect Diet Tracker
5 essential apps
Comic Life 3
Price: 20.99/$34.99 Developer: Plasq LLC
This entertaining app can help you
transform your photos into cool comic
layouts (and even entire books). With
Comic Life 2 you can easily import images from
your Mac and arrange them how you see fit using
creative templates. You can then add in speech
bubbles, fonts and filters to give your photos a
specific look and feel. The interface is highly
intuitive so that you can create cool new ways to
show off your holiday snaps in minutes.
Day One
Price: 6.99/$9.99 Developer: Bloom Built, LLC
If youre in the market for an elegant app
for inputting your daily thoughts and
feelings then this fits the bill perfectly. A
password-protected interface lets you write, safe in
the knowledge that your words wont be seen by
prying eyes. The app also utilises iCloud, so you can
start writing on your Mac and then continue later
on using your iPhone or iPad.
Vinoteka
Price: 27.99/$45.99
Developer: Elodie Morin-Rager
Serious devotees of wine like the thought
of having their own wine cellar and,
whether you have one or not, you can
now experience this feeling through Vinoteka. It
will let you monitor every aspect of your wine
collection, and is particularly useful for businesses
involved in this industry. No matter what your level
of expertise or interest, this app is a true example of
what can be achieved on a Mac.
Yummysoup!
Price: 10.49/$14.99
Developer: Kenneth Humbard
Yummysoup! has been created to let you
bring all of your favourite recipes to one
place. You can import recipes from your
favourite sites or add text notes that your friends
have given you. The presentation is professional,
and really does help to bring the recipes to life.
Q Vinotekas presentation
is about as good as any
app gets
Lifestyle
Tailor your Mac to fit in with your life
The right choice

of apps can benefit
your day-to-day life
We all have different lifestyles, hobbies and

interests, and as such a wide range of apps are
required to cater for the majority. This particular
category is more wide-ranging than any other
because it covers all of our interests. From waking
up in the morning to keeping a diary, all of these
and more can fit in the Lifestyle category. With the
right choice of apps, and used properly, they can
be truly beneficial to your day-to-day life, and it is
worth checking as many as possible to ensure that
you are using the ones that are right for you. It is
testament to the creativity of Mac developers that
even the most obscure of interests are covered by
Mac apps, and it goes to show just how flexible
and powerful the platform truly is. Whatever your
lifestyle, there will be an app for it.
Q Get closer to nature with BirdClock
Q Recipes comes to life in Yummysoup!
Q Transform your photos into comics with Comic Life 3
BirdClock
Price: Free
Developer: ThinkTime Creations
No Mac desktop would be complete
without BirdClock, an app that straddles
the line between the sublime and the
ridiculous by plonking a big clock on your desktop,
the face of which is made up of birds. Different
birds will chime on the hour and you can set
yourself chirpy alarms by right-clicking.
Q More than 5,000 diagrams are

included in Muscle System Pro III
Q The calendar feature in Weight-Monitor will

ensure your weight is managed properly
Medical
Q Delve into the digital version of Grays

Anatomy on your desktop
Never let important matters like your health slide
Medical apps tend to fall into two categories: those

that are designed to help the individual, and those
designed to aid medical professionals. These apps
can be as simple as helping you monitor your weight,
or as complex as showing X-rays on a Mac screen.
There are serious uses for the individual as well, and
people with diabetes and asthma, as well as other
ailments that require constant monitoring, will benefit
from specialised apps. The way many of them have

been designed makes them accessible to anyone.
Doctors can quickly look up patient information, and
the individual can easily understand complex medical
data that is pertinent to them. It is an area that is very
important, and the Mac OS is a platform that is more
than capable of helping anyone who has a need for
medical help, which is ultimately all of us.
Q The colourful visuals of Breathing Zone

help you understand the exercises
5 essential apps
Muscle System
Pro III
Price: 13.99/$19.99
Developer:
3D4Medical.com
Muscles are not easy
to visualise, but with
this app you will be
able to view every single
detail. It allows the labelling
of specific areas, and you can
zoom, rotate and manage the
view in almost every way. If
youre using this app in a
professional capacity, there is
a quiz included to check your
own knowledge on the
subject matter.
Weight-Monitor
Price: 1.49/$1.99
Developer: Jim Chapple
When youre trying
to lose weight, you
always need
encouragement. That could
come from friends and family,
but the best way is to monitor
your progress and to try to
continue your success. This
app lets you input your daily
weight, which is then plotted
on a graph. Seeing the graph
drop over time is the perfect
incentive, and also lets you
see your average weight and
work towards a specific goal.
Grays Anatomy
Student Edition
Breathing Zone
Eponyms
Price: Free
Developer: Luke Allen
Price: 2.49/$2.99
Developer: Breathing Zone
Limited
Price: Free
Developer: Ossus GmbH
This app brings

Henry Grays classic
anatomical book
(which was first published in
1858) to your Mac in a
specifically-built digital
compendium. Featured inside
this virtual tome are over
1,200 illustrations and
information for anyone who
works in the medical practice.
Through the app you can also
make notes and bookmark
pages for easy reference.
Breathing is not just

something that we
all do naturally.
Done properly, and it can
greatly reduce the effects of
asthma, alleviate stressrelated symptoms, and offer
countless other benefits. The
exercises themselves are very
well presented and easy to
follow, and if you take the
time to mimic them as closely
as possible, then you will
surely benefit.
Handy as a quick
reference tool,
Eponyms provides a
short bite-sized description of
more than 1,700 common and
obscure eponyms. A search
engine makes it easy to find
what youre looking for and
you can place stars on your
favourites to refer back to
with ease later on. A Learn
mode also randomly displays
eponyms from the category
youre currently visiting, just
in case you need them.
5 essential apps
Logic Pro X
Price: 139.99/$199.99 Developer: iTunes S.a.r.l.
Q Logic Pro 9 is a fantastically in-depth music making app
Q Metronomo puts a metronome on your menu bar
Logic Pro X is a complete set of creative

tools for any musician who wants to
write, record, edit and mix music. It
comes with a huge collection of instruments,
effects and loops, making it easy to get crisp and
authentic sounding accompaniments on your
tracks. Novices can get up and running quickly
thanks to production-ready templates, while onestep track setup and a single-window interface
allows you to work fast with easy access to all of
the tools you need. With 40 built-in instruments, 80
different effects and over 1,700 samples, this is a
studio boffins nirvana.
Metronomo
Price: Free Developer: Robert Wessels
Q Tunesify can convert a multitude of audio formats
Music
Q Djays authentic turntables make you feel like a real DJ
Get down to the sound of the beat
The days of playing instruments and recording

the resulting sounds to make music could be
numbered. You can now create music in thousands
of different ways, and record your output in
extremely high quality. People now have the
capacity to use instruments that havent been
designed yet, and have fun searching for new
music using apps that understand their tastes. No
matter what you want to do in the musical field, you
can now do it, and some of the solutions also suit

professional musicians. Songwriters, guitar players
and producers can all use complex apps to create
new work. DJs can mix music, and individuals can
create completely original ringtones. Music has truly
reached the digital age, and the digital age has
brought music to anyone, no matter how talented
they are. Now, we can all create music, just as we
wanted to do when we were children.
Musicians rely on metronomes to get the

timing for composing and performing
music down to a fine art. This app
provides a very simple metronome interface that
you can access from your Macs menu bar. Through
the menu you can start the beat, adjust the tempo
and the volume and turn it off. What appealed was
the simplicity of always having it there open in
your menu bar ready for whenever you need it.
Tunesify
Price: 2.49/$3.99 Developer: Andrew Heard
There are many different audio formats,
which means that you may come across a
track that you cannot play on your iOS
device. This app lets you convert almost any audio
format even videos into formats that work on a
mobile Apple device. It uses drag and drop, so is
simple to use, and the process takes minutes to
complete which make it very handy.
djay
Price: 13.99/$19.99
Developer: algoriddim GmbH
If youve ever wanted to be a DJ, but
didnt have the confidence to try it, you
now can with this brilliant app. The
feature set is immense and the presentation is
realistic, so you have no excuse to not play around
with your music and spin some virtual discs.
SoundCloud
Price: Free Developer: SoundCloud Ltd
SoundCloud is a social network for
musicians and music lovers, populated
by big-name acts showcasing their latest
projects and aspiring musicians who upload their
own tracks to get feedback. The community is
friendly and it is a great place to share sounds with
other users. Find it over at http://bit.ly/geAOQ9.
5 essential apps
NewsBar
Price: 2.99/$4.99 Developer: Andras Poffrey
Sometimes you want your news to be
available but not dominate everything
you are doing. NewBar sits on the
desktop and unobtrusively presents the latest
news in a stream. You can also quickly hide news
items with a swipe, or read them in full with a tap
for ultimate control, and the way that it updates
the feeds means that you will not be constantly
glancing at the latest stories. NewsBar includes
automatic iCloud sync across all your Apple
devices a streamlined way of getting your news.
Reeder 2
Price: 6.99/$9.99 Developer: Silvio Rizzi
With the ability to read news in the
simplest possible fashion, and then share
articles via a variety of mediums, Reeder
is an example for other apps to follow. It is the
preferred option for many users and with good
reason, as it does exactly what it needs to with
minimal fuss. Though it's no longer free, the
updated version now also has support for RSS
readers included, as well as other new features.
NewsBee
Price: Free Developer: Jamie Grove
Most RSS reader services can be quite
cumbersome and interfere with your
work when trying to access content. But
NewsBee sits in your menu bar and provides a
drop-down menu of updated content on demand
whenever you need it. We love the simplicity of it
and recommend you to install this delightful freebee on your machine.
Pocket
Price: Free Developer: Idea Shower
If you come across anything interesting
on your web surfing sessions then this
service lets you save them to cloud and
then read them later on any of your synced
devices. You can download the Pocket extension
for Safari, which you can click to save the page you
are currently on, and then view all of your content
through this tidy reader interface.
Pulp
Price: 6.99/$9.99 Developer: Acrylic Software
This innovative news reader transforms
your favourite news sites into your own
personalised newspaper, making
scanning through the news quicker and more
enjoyable than ever before. By putting multiple
news feeds onto a single page, Pulp lets you
quickly browse through all of the headlines to find
trending topics.
Q NewsBar delivers news feeds

with an animation to your desktop
News
Be informed on everything
happening in the world today
It used to be that the best way to keep up with

the news was to visit websites. Of course, this
works well for sites like the BBC, but for specialist
topics it can involve hunting around for the
right places. Some Mac apps are now capable of
recreating news provided by websites in a way
that is more friendly, logical and easier to read.
Other apps will automatically grab the latest news
and present it on the desktop, and the options for
reading a variety of topics are almost unlimited. No
matter what the topic or your visual preference,
there will be a solution that suits the way you want
to catch up with the world around you. Indeed,
some are so good that you may never visit a
traditional website for news again.
Some Mac apps are

capable of recreating
news from websites,
tailoring content to suit
your preferences
Q Reeder has been updated to include a
host of new features
Q Get your news feeds in your own personalised
newspaper with Pulp
Q The PicFrame app can make even
dull photos look stunning
Q Sharing the results on social
networks is easy with Analog
Q You can create astonishing effects
in minutes with Colorstrokes
Photography
Store your memories,

and create new ones
Photographers will tell you that, often, a lot of

the work required to create a great photograph
happens on a computer after the photo has been
taken, and this makes the Mac platform ideal for
anyone with an interest in this field. It doesnt
matter if you are experienced or new to the world of
photography because there will be a solution, and the
majority are designed to be as easy to use as possible.
From adding speech bubbles to making photos

look like they were taken many decades ago, you
can do almost anything you want with a Mac and a
collection of digital images. You can take this as far
as you like or just play around, but either way, the
platform and available apps will offer you everything
you need to get started and enjoy the world of
photography for professional or personal reasons.
Q Aperture 3s interface is easy to grasp
and can be mastered in minutes
5 essential apps
Colorstrokes
Analog
Price: 1.49/$1.99
Developer: macphun.com
Price: 6.99/$11.49
Developer: Realmac
Software
The ability to add

colour to black and
white photos has,
until recently, only been
accessible by professionals
with expensive equipment.
Anyone can now create this
effect, and all it takes is a
steady hand and a mouse.
The end results can be
stunning and the amount of
effort required is little, which
is a testament to how well it is
programmed. A very clever
and versatile app.
Most people want

to add effects to
their photos
without having to learn new
processes. Analog takes away
the learning process and lets
you choose from a variety of
filters. Theres some clever
technology behind the
process, but the user need
never see that. The front
interface is user-friendly and
you can share the results
using a variety of services.
Fotor Photo Editor

Photo Effect &
Collage Maker
Price: Free
Developer: Chengdu
Everimaging Science and
Technology Co., Ltd
This app offers a
versatile set of
photo editing
tools to help make your
drab shots epic as well as all
of the templates you need
to create quick and easy
photo collages. With plenty
of effects and borders, and
a text editing tool, this is
well worth checking out.
Aperture
FX Photo Studio
Price: 54.99/$89.99
Developer: iTunes
Price: 6.99/$11.49
Developer: macphun.com
Aperture is primarily
designed for iPhoto
users who want to
get more out of their photos.
It includes powerful tools for
refining images, showcasing
your work and managing
massive libraries on your Mac.
Through the apps intuitive
interface, you can touch up
your images quickly and
choose from dozens of builtin adjustment presets, or
create your own to give your
photos a custom look.
This is a neat photo

touch-up app that
provides an
immense array of digital
make-up to get your images
looking grand. There are 172
high quality photo effects to
utilise and 40 photo frames
and borders to set the right
tone for your pictures. The
masking and colour splash
tools allow you to apply
effects and colours to only
certain parts of your photo,
and its an easy app to use.
5 essential apps
Sparrow
Price: 6.99/$9.99 Developer: Sparrow SARL
Sparrow takes the idea of complex
email management and breaks it down
into bite-sized pieces, so that you can
manage your emails more efficiently and still have
a view of other work if you need to multi-task.
Setting up is simple, and the presentation ensures
that the important data is brought to the front.
It follows the Mac design principles, and as such fits
in with the entire operating system perfectly. It
looks good, works well, and could solve your
email problems.
RapidWeaver
Price: 54.99/$89.99
Developer: Realmac Software Limited
Productivity
QRapidWeavers simple interface hides

its advanced functions
Maximise your output
Productivity takes many forms, and there are

solutions that will help you be more productive,
no matter what your need or speciality.
Everything from creating text documents to
building databases can fall into this category,
and it is without doubt one of the more diverse

categories, encompassing a wide range of apps.
If there is any task that you need to be more
productive at, there will likely be a solution
available. It may require some careful searching, but
a solution will arrive that could potentially speed
up every aspect of your work, which can have
major benefits for almost everything you do with
your desktop or laptop. Sometimes, the smallest
solutions offer as many benefits as the larger apps
and you should take time to see if a collection of
smaller apps will work better than one large app.
There are many great

productivity solutions
Many people want to create websites, but

few have the time or knowledge to do so
effectively. RapidWeaver offers a
multitude of templates, and will also automate
many of the site building tasks that trip up many
people. It will suit the home user best, but even
those who take a more professional approach will
find value in this application.
OS X Mavericks
Price: Free
Developer: Itunes S.a.r.l.
Just in case you werent aware, Apples
latest Mac OS X upgrade at least until
Yosemite arrives is a free download.
With over 200 new features, including the new
native apps Maps and iBooks and all of the crossplatform free messaging features that were
introduced with previous firmware updates that
you had to pay for, making the move up to
Mavericks just makes sense.
iBooks Author
Price: Free
Developer: iTunes S.a.r.l.
This app is a must for budding authors as
it allows you to professionally design your
latest novel into digital format with a
simple set of tools and then get it distributed on
the iBooks store. If you have ever used Pages then
this app works in much the same way.
Q The emails stand out in Sparrows minimalist interface
Evernote
Price: Free Developer: Evernote
QMultiple views are

available in Evernote
Q Get your work published

with iBooks Author
Evernote is a hugely popular online note

system and can help you manage many
aspects of your life. This free app brings
all of your notes and quick synchronisation to any
Mac and is designed to offer all of the main features
on your desktop all of the time. It also syncs notes
between your devices and your Mac.
Reference
5 essential apps
Keep things at the forefront
Reference data is helpful for all sorts of reasons,

and can form the backbone of many tasks we
need to perform. Without accurate data, we could
be working with information that makes a whole
project pointless, and of course there are countless
times when you will simply want to find information
to help you. Whether you are writing a thesis or
settling an argument with friends, reference data is
required, and there are many ways in which it can
be presented. Some apps will make complex data

more accessible simply by stripping out the visual
interference from certain websites, while others act
as a layer over the major reference portals. Whether
you are looking for new information or require
known data to be presented more clearly, there
will be ready-made solutions available which make
searching and using information much quicker
than ever before.
There are many ways

data can be presented
Wikibot
Price: 2.99/$4.99 Developer: Avocado Hills, Inc
Wikipedia is, of course, an excellent
source of information, but it can be
unwieldy in more complex articles.
Wikibot strips away the visual clutter and presents
each article as basically as possible. You can
bookmark favourite articles, view your search
history and use the app as a much better-looking
version of the web for your Wikipedia research. Its
beautiful, quick, and designed to bring Wikipedia
closer to you than it already is.
Art Authority For Mac

Price : 6.99/$9.99
Developer: Open Door Networks, Inc
Q Reading books is easy with the Kindle app
Q See how long your

pets will live with
Animal Age
If you like art and you own a Mac, you

need Art Authority. With more than
40,000 paintings and sculptures
beautifully rendered for the digital screen from
more than 1,000 famous artists, you immediately
have access to a wide range of beautiful creations.
The features included and overall presentation suit
the subject matter perfectly, and come together to
create a solution that will be ideal for any art lover.
Kindle
Price: Free Developer: AMZN Mobile LLC
Q Wikipedia
looks much
better when it is
cleaned up using
the Wikibot app
Q The detail in Art

Authority is high
If you already own iBooks then the Kindle

app works along the same lines by letting
you read books on your Mac. You can
shop for thousands of books paid for and free
on the Kindle Store and, provided you have the
Kindle app installed on your iPad or iPhone, all of
your bookmarks can be automatically synced over
iCloud, as well as your current page, so you can
start reading on your Mac and continue exactly
where you left off on your iOS device.
One World Dictionary

Price: Free Developer: Ascendo Inc
One World Dictionary is a good solution
for those who are either learning a new
language or are simply curious about
particular translations. The app includes a large
database for you to play with, and could potentially
be used on a trip with a Mac laptop for those times
when you get stuck.
Animal Age
Price: Free
Developer: Jonathan Brown
We love the simple apps that you never
knew you needed until you start using
them. This is one such app that lets you
compare the ages of cats, dogs and cows against
your own to gauge life expectancy based on the
morality rates for the size of the animal.
5 essential apps
Twitter
Price: Free Developer: Twitter, Inc
It is only fairly recently that Mac users
have had the option to switch from using
Twitter through a web browser to an
actual app, but the good news is that this free
download is easy to use, comes with a smart
interface and has been well worth the wait.
Through Twitter, you can follow your interests and
get instant updates from your friends, industry
experts, celebrities and see whats happening
around the world. You can do everything through
this app that you could through the website.
MarsEdit
Price: 27.99/$39.99
Developer: Apparent Software
MarsEdit is designed to replace the often
slow interfaces offered by blog hosting
services. It lets you create content offline
in a setting that is ideal for quick editing or complex
article writing. Compatibility with a wide range of
services is also available, and once you start using it
you will be able to manage multiple blogs from
multiple services with ease. It takes some time to
learn, but your efforts will be rewarded.
ChatBook for Facebook

Price: Free
Developer: Alexander James
If you enjoy Facebooks chat service then
this app makes it even easier to connect
with your Facebook friends by placing a
strip of your friends at the side of your Mac screen.
Simply click on a friend and a chat window will pop
up into which you can type messages. The strip
also features all of the latest content from your
newsfeed an absolute must for enthusiastic
Facebook users everywhere.
Social Networking
Stay connected with a variety of fantastic apps
Social networking has grown to be one of the

most used forms of internet communication,
and for some people the big services like Twitter
and Facebook take up the majority of their
online time. Each service has websites associated
with it, but rarely is the web experience as good
You can update

multiple sites at once
Pin for Pinterest

Price: Free Developer: FIPLAB Ltd
This app takes your Pinterest addiction to
a whole new level by allowing you to
instantly browse your Pinterest account
without having to open your web browser. You will
need Pin Pro to upload new images, but this app at
least allows you to fuel your Pinterest interest
whenever you need to.
as standalone apps on a desktop or mobile. There

are apps available that can sit on the desktop and
update you as they work, and others that offer
more features than the social networks do officially.
Other solutions attempt to bring all of your social
networks together in one place, and even allow you
to update multiple sites at once. If you use any of
the social networks, then there are apps available
that will completely transform the way that you
communicate with friends and strangers. Its just a
question of finding the ones that work best with the
way that you like to talk.
Q Chat while you are working with ChatBook for Facebook
Tab for Google+

Price: Free Developer: FIPLAB Ltd
If you use Googles social network service
then this simple app makes it easier to
monitor your feed, update your status,
upload photos and check into places by making it
accessible from the menu bar. Its certainly a useful
app for freeing up desktop space.
Q Check into
Google+ direct
from your Macs
menu bar
QThe main MarsEdit

interface is much cleaner
than the offerings of most
blog platforms
5 essential apps
Swing It Pro
Price: 99.99/$149.99
Developer: FKE Datakonsult AB
Golf is all about the swing. Without a
good technique, your scores will be lower
and your enjoyment less. You can either
pay lots of money to get some coaching, or
purchase this app and learn at home. It uses videos
to help you visualise what you need to do. You can
crop the videos, create notes and work in your
spare time. It isnt cheap, but compared to
professional coaching, it could produce similar
results, and ultimately, save you money.
Marathon Pace Calculator

Price: Free
Developer: Matti Ropponen
This app helps you plan your running
pace when undertaking the challenge of
a marathon. Just select your distance
(marathon, half-marathon, 10K, 15K, 20K, 50K, 100K
or custom), set your target time and Marathon Pace
Calculator will provide you with your target split
times. Once your target pace has been calculated,
print out the results to refer to.
Coachs Clipboard
Price: 6.99/$9.99
Developer: Coachbase Limited
Teaching strategies and tactics is never
easy, and visual teaching is often the best
method. With this app, you can draw your
plays for almost any sport, animate them and get
the message over as effectively as possible. It has
the potential to increase player participation,
results and morale. For anyone who coaches sport,
this should not be ignored.
TennisBoard3Dx
Price: Free Developer: Yasuji Murakami
Q With Swing It Pro you can analyse

any aspect of the perfect golf swing
Sports
Make the most of your sporting abilities
Sports is a category that is broad in that it has

to cater for a wide range of different activities.
Within each sport there are further groups of
people, coaches, players, fans and so on. This
means that app developers have to build a variety
of solutions for every conceivable activity, and this
category alone highlights just how popular the
Mac platform is for apps. No matter what sport
you enjoy, you should be able to find an app that
will increase your enjoyment or participation.
From getting up-to-the-minute timings on motor
racing laps to building strategies and plans for a
If you coach tennis or are just keen to

better your own game then this app
presents a 3D model of a tennis court that
you can use to help gauge the angle of shots and
the possible outcome when certain shots are
played. A slick and professionally-produced app.
team you coach, you can do it with a Mac. As a fan,

you can also find specialist apps that will present
news and gossip for particular sports, and this
includes information from official sources, which are
presented in a unique way for the desktop.
Q Get up to speed with the Marathon Pace Calculator
Premiership Loop
Price: Free
Developer: White Stone Digital Ltd
This app lets you keep up-to-date with all
of the latest news and scores from
footballs English Premier League.
Integrated into Notification Center, you can pick
and choose the teams you want to get news on
and it will be delivered in a swift and direct manner.
Perfect for the desktop footie fans.
Q Get instant footie news with Premiership Loop
No matter the sport,

you should be able to
find an app to help
Q You can customise many aspects in Coachs clipboard
5 essential apps
Arrivals & Departures
Price: 2.99/$4.99 Developer: Krishna Vegesna
One of the major gripes for frequent
travellers is having to continually monitor
arrival and departure times. This is also
true for those working in companies who need to
check when people will arrive, and so this app will
be a boon for them, or you. It displays real-time
flight times for thousands of airports and is very
accurate. You can choose favourite airports and
even view flight paths if you are interested. The
level of information is high and for some people it
will be the perfect solution to their flight tracking
needs, which they will use every day.
myTracks
Price: 10.49/$15.99 Developer: Dirk Stichling
Walkers and those who like to explore
have a need to understand exactly
where they have been, and to keep
detailed logs of their travels. myTracks is an
advanced solution that has built-in compatibility
with a number of other apps, and also works with
iOS devices, which is ideal for those on the move. It
is a little technical in places, but serious walkers will
understand the need for this extra functionality.
Flightradar24
Price: 2.49/$3.99
Developer: Svenska Resenatverket AB
Already a massive hit on iOS devices,
Flightradar24 is a handy app for tracking
planes across Europe and the world. A
smart interface monitors the planes over a Google
Map and you can choose to layer on what
information about the planes you want to know.
This includes flight numbers, airline, registration
number and much more.
Travel
Q Half flight times and half map; the Arrivals &

Departures app works very well
Around the world with your Mac
Planning a trip beforehand will likely make it a

more pleasant experience, and you can do this
on a Mac in a variety of ways. You can build a basic
itinerary or plan every single minute, which can be
particularly useful for business trips where money
is of paramount importance. The travel category
also covers apps that will help you decide where to
stay, who to fly with, and to even use the reviews of
other travellers to understand if a service is worth

paying for. It doesnt end there; you can use some of
these services when abroad using a laptop to check
on live flight times, and to see how the weather will
be for days out, and as such the benefits quickly
become clear. No matter what you want to do that
is travel related, you will be able to do it on a Mac
with the use of some clever apps.
Planning a trip will make it more pleasant
Universal Translator
Price: Free Developer: NibiruTech Limited
This useful app lets you translate words
and entire sentences into more than 50
different languages. A small window sits
on your desktop and you simply select the from
and to languages before typing your text. The
translation is instantaneous and you can also
command the app to say the sentences to help you
out with the pronunciation.
Q Each part of Time Palette contains comprehensive info
Q Get instant translations with the Universal Translator app
Q You can store as many tracks as you like with myTracks
Q Monitor flights and get informed with Flightradar24
Time Palette
Price: 12.99/$17.99
Developer: Xeric Design Ltd
Time Palette offers a wealth of
information for thousands of cities. This
makes it ideal for many groups of people
who need to know the weather and other specific
information for particular locations.
Q The number of tasks MacCleanse takes care of is immense
Q With Lock Screen 2 you can choose to unlock your Mac in many different ways
Utilities
Customise your Mac in

a way that suits you best
All computers have a default configuration that

is designed to let the user undertake many tasks,
but there are sometimes functions you really
wish it could do. Whether it is something to make
your Mac run smoother or to add another level
of ease to your workflow, there are, thankfully,
utility apps available from the Mac App Store that
will not only improve stability, but also enable
you to do things with a Mac that you may not
have considered before. With the right utility, you

can potentially complete a process you need to
undertake in half the time, and then repeat this
with more utilities. There are hundreds available
that can be used for every conceivable task,
and once you are used to them, you will able to
flexibly deal with any given situation. Utilities can
completely change the way you work once you
have installed the ones that suit you best.
Q Keep your Mac awake and alert with Caffine
5 essential apps
Memory Clean
MacCleanse
Lock Screen 2
TrashMe
Caffeine
Price: Free
Developer: FIPLAB Ltd
Price: 20.99/$29.99
Developer: Koingo Software
Price: 1.49/$1.99
Developer: iDevelop
Price: Free
Developer: Lighthead Soft
For some Macs that

have lower
specifications, at
times the speed may slow
down. The standard solution
is to power it down and turn it
back on, but this can be timeconsuming and inconvenient.
Memory Clean can free up
memory with one click, and
let you carry on working at full
speed. It takes a second to
activate, and is a must-have
utility for anyone who has this
problem from time to time.
It's always good

practice to keep a
Mac running as
smoothly as possible, but to
do this you often have to
follow many processes to
ensure every tweak has been
completed. MacCleanse
automates this process, and
will take care of more than 50
tasks without you having to
jump through hoops. It is not
an app you will even notice,
but is well worth scheduling
to work every week or so.
Just because a Mac

may stay in the
same place, this
does not mean that you
shouldnt take precautions to
stop people using it. Lock
Screen 2 brings the mobile
world to your desktop, and
lets you secure your Mac in a
variety of ways. You can set
when the Mac locks itself, and
also use the classic slide
function to unlock it. It is a bit
of fun, but with a potentially
crucial use.
Price: 5.49/$7.99
Developer: Jean-Baptiste
Zedda
When in the process
of deleting apps, it is
all too easy on a Mac
to just drag them to the trash
bin. The problem is that often
files are left over that take up
space and end up slowing the
system down. TrashMe will
ensure that every file has been
comprehensively deleted
without you even having to
think about what is
happening. Great for an issue
that many take for granted.
This is another one

of those simple yet
fiendishly effective
apps that adds a new function
to your Macs menu bar. In this
instance what it adds is an
icon that you can click on to
prevent your Mac from going
to sleep, dimming the screen
or starting screensavers
which is especially useful for
when you are watching
movies. If you click the cup
icon it will fill with coffee,
indicating one wired Mac!
Q iStopMotion feels like creating a home video
Q The streaming quality makes you feel like you are

watching a local file while using StreamToMe
Video
Watch the latest and best

videos in high definition
The world of digital video is a curiosity in that

most people will have already been exposed
to it, but few of the creators will take the time
to enhance their media. It is very much seen as a
static media form; you take a video and leave it as
it is to view at a later date. However, you can do so
much with your creations, and there are all sorts of
apps to help you manipulate all of your personal
and work-related videos. You can add special
effects, funny commentary and even incorporate

them into professional presentations. The beauty of
the Mac is that even the lower-end systems are able
to cope with memory-intensive video production
really well. The platform is designed to cope with
all types of media, even high-definition video files,
and the video apps available on the Mac App
Store make it all work together in an even more
efficient manner.
Q Import your videos to iTunes with the iFlicks app
5 essential apps
Video-Converter
Free DVD Ripper
iFlicks
iStopMotion 3
StreamToMe
Price: 13.99/$19.99
Developer: Wondershare
Software Co Ltd
Price: Free
Developer: OKWare Co Ltd
Price: 6.99/$9.99
Developer: Jendrik Bertram
If you want to
convert your DVD
collection to your
Mac then this free app is
capable of converting DVD to
popular formats such as MP4,
MOV, MKV, AVI, M4V and HD
videos in next to no time.
Thats not all because this app
also includes creative editing
functions, including effects,
trim, crop, merge and
watermark to help you put
your own stamp on the
videos you watch. There is
even a built-in player.
This free app makes

it easy to import
your video
collection into iTunes. It also
provides a means to watch
your movies directly in iTunes
or transfer them to your
Apple TV or iOS device. For
the more obsessive out there,
the app also downloads
Metadata for your videos and
you get full freedom to tweak
this manually so that you can
manage and organise your
collection however you see
fit. Who could want more?
Price: 34.99/$49.99
Developer: Boinx
Software Ltd
Price: Free
Developer: Matthew
Gallagher
Stop motion is a
video effect that
most people had no
access to until iStopMotion
came along, that is. With this
app, you can spend time
creating a stunning stopmotion films, where
inanimate objects can be
made to move, which will
surprise anyone that you
show it to. The time required
to become adept at using this
is surprisingly low for the
potential results.
StreamToMe
enables you to
stream media from
a Mac to mobile devices on
the same network using 3G or
Wi-Fi, and will even convert
the media in real-time if it is
incompatible. This could
potentially allow you to store
most of your media away
from the phone, and still gain
the same end result. For its
stated aim, it works
excellently, and is as such
highly recommended.
Varying video and

audio formats cause
lots of problems for
Mac users who own mobile
devices, as not all formats
work with every device. This
app caters for a variety of
formats, and should cover
almost every file you own.
The conversion process is
quite straightforward, and
once you first use it, you will
soon view it as something
that comes in handy over and
over again.
Weather
5 essential apps
Find out the forecast easily

with a range of Mac apps
The weather is a subject that we are all quite

obsessed with. We talk about it with friends,
strangers and anyone else who will listen, but the
subject is much bigger than you may realise. Besides
just tracking the forecast and current conditions, you
can use Mac apps for highly specialised weatherrelated tasks. You can track everything from local
conditions to world tides and climate change, and
that is just the start. There are apps for all weatherrelated subjects, and for most people there are
more apps than they will ever need. However, the
apps available will cover the needs of everyone
who has interest in the subject, and you may even
find some of them to be a source of learning that
builds your interest even further. This category
highlights the breadth of Mac apps available, and is
as complete or inconsequential as you need it to be.
Daylight
Price: 3.99/$5.99 Developer: Andrew Cook
Q A lot of data is collected by swackett
For those with a need to see what the Sun

is doing around the globe at any
particular time, they may as well do it in
style. Daylight takes this information and displays it
in a highly visual way by showing a map of the
Earth with the exact sunrise and sunset times
displayed as they would appear in real life. Besides
this, information on major cities is available and the
ability to drag the night sky is an added bonus. It
isnt an app that everyone will need, but for those
that do, it will do the job perfectly.
Weather
Price: 0.69/$0.99 Developer: Presselite
Q Weather 5 days places the weather in your menu bar
Sometimes you need to keep track of the

weather, but not let it dominate
everything you do. The Weather app is
designed to keep you up to date in a minimalist
way, and will sit on your desktop for when you
need it. The design is clever, and lets you interpret
what is happening with a quick glance. It efficiently
presents details without overloading you with data.
3D Weather Globe &

Atlas Deluxe
Price: 39.99/$59.99
Developer: Software MacKiev
Q The Suns movements are shown in data form in Daylight
Q The Weather app icons feed the data with a quick glance
For visual appeal, this app really does

shine. It feels like you have the whole
world on your desktop thanks to the
splendidly detailed graphics and real-time weather
information. You can tilt the globe to see natural
landmarks in detail, and even if you do not need
the exact weather information, it is still an
enjoyable experience, and the ability to track
hurricanes and other weather phenomena takes it
even higher up the value league.
swackett
Price: Free Developer: AGLogic LLC
For sheer visual clarity, swackett is ahead
of the pack. Complex weather data is
presented in an environment that makes
conditions obvious to anyone who can understand
normal images. Its cute, original, accurate and adds
a sense of fun to tracking the weather.
Weather 5 days
Price: Free Developer: Regis ANDRE
Q 3D Weather Globes visuals are

remarkably detailed for a weather app
If you want an instant weather report (and

who doesnt?) then this app places an
icon in your Macs menu bar that you can
click on to get an instantly updated report for your
local area, as well as reports for the next five days.
Each day is broken down into increments with the
temperature presented for each one.
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New for Yosemite Customise your Mac

Imagine Publishing Ltd

6 Mac Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks

Apple has worked hard to make

90 Customise the iMovie interface

74 Make photos easy to find with keywords

94 Create a slideshow movie with photos

75 Organise your shots into Smart Albums

96 Craft a dream sequence effect

76 Duplicate and switch between Libraries

98 Add clever cutaways to your projects

78 Share a Photo Stream from iPhoto

100 View your iMovie projects on Apple TV

80 Master histograms for better images

102 Master Smart Controls to boost tracks

82 Create an animated holiday slideshow

104 Reduce hiss in your GarageBand tracks

84 Bring old photos to life in iPhoto

106 Create harmonies from original vocals

86 Make album artwork for iTunes

108 Edit individual notes using Piano Roll

87 Quickly apply adjustments in batches

110 Use the Score Editor in GarageBand

88 Master iMovies editing timeline

112 Learn the Drum Machine Smart Controls

92 Get more from iMovies adjust menu

The new OS brings

138 Transfer Mac files wirelessly

Mac Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks 7

OS X Yosemite Complete Guide

We hope youre ready for one of the

8 Mac Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks

has worked hard to make improvements under the

features like Notification Centre and Spotlight have been

Theres a lot more to OS X Yosemite than

OS X Yosemite Complete Guide

The new traffic lights are brighter in colour, but

Left Windows offer slight transparency, so for

The Dock has been given

Mac Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks 9

OS X Yosemite Complete Guide

Yosemites beautiful design is

You can get word suggestions

Above The new font is

Right The Login,

For the first time in OS X you have new looks

Above Yosemite includes a new Dark Mode,

10 Mac Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks

Right iTunes has had a complete redesign for

OS X Yosemite Complete Guide

Above Safaris new tab overview offers a 3D glimpse of

Above In apps such as Messages, youll find that content

Above Your Macs menus have all been redesigned to

Mac Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks 11

OS X Yosemite Complete Guide

Pick up where you left off on any device

One of the most exciting new

both directions. If youre reading an article

MacBook Pro MacBook Air

Step-by-step Set up and use Handoff

Why doesnt every Mac support

1: Enable your Mac

New for Yosemite Customise your Mac