STAY FIXED TIP no. 6
Start sending free messages from the built-in Messages app on your iPhone.
iMessage allows you to send unlimited text messages over Wi-Fi or 3G to anyone who is also using an iOS device with iOS 5 installed. iOS 5 is the latest operating system for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch and you can upgrade your device through iTunes. iMessage will sync your conversations between all your devices so that you can begin a conversation on your iPhone and pick it up later on your iPad or iPod Touch. iMessage also allows you to see when someone is typing a response to your text, in case you need to know if you will receive an immediate response. So all of this sounds great but setting it up properly is a nightmare. It even had me stumped. Keep reading after the jump for the How-To.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
HOW TO LAUNCH APPS FASTER IN MAC OS X
STAY FIXED TIP no. 5
Launching Apps from the dock using your mouse or trackpad is relatively fast, but what if the application is not in your dock? It takes more clicks and more time to navigate something that is in your applications folder. First you have to click on the Finder, then the applications folder, where you then have to scroll to find the desired app to double-click and wait for it to launch. For the casual user this method is great, but if you want to kick productivity into high gear then continue reading.
Launching Apps from the dock using your mouse or trackpad is relatively fast, but what if the application is not in your dock? It takes more clicks and more time to navigate something that is in your applications folder. First you have to click on the Finder, then the applications folder, where you then have to scroll to find the desired app to double-click and wait for it to launch. For the casual user this method is great, but if you want to kick productivity into high gear then continue reading.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
CREATE A SOLID BACKUP PLAN
STAY FIXED TIP no.4
Click…click…click. A hard drive is dying. Begging to be saved as it takes its last breath. Cheesy and dramatic, yes, but this is the worst noise a computer can make. Complete hard drive failure and total loss of data is very common in my field. Losing all of your documents, music, and photos is devastating and for most people data recovery is not an affordable option. (talking a stack of the big bills) Having a solid backup drive and a backup schedule is the only defense.
Click…click…click. A hard drive is dying. Begging to be saved as it takes its last breath. Cheesy and dramatic, yes, but this is the worst noise a computer can make. Complete hard drive failure and total loss of data is very common in my field. Losing all of your documents, music, and photos is devastating and for most people data recovery is not an affordable option. (talking a stack of the big bills) Having a solid backup drive and a backup schedule is the only defense.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
A FRESH SPIN ON COMPUTER REPAIR
TECH FIXED was born out of a love for two things...
Computers and fixed gear bikes! Nothing like flying through the city with a bag full of Macbook Pros.
Monday, February 6, 2012
FEATURED CLIENT
Name: Silvia De La Peña
Location: San Pedro, CA
Hardware: 13" Macbook 1.83ghz Intel Core Duo (2006)
Job: Back-up, upgrade operating system to Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, upgrade memory (RAM), and troubleshoot wireless internet connection.
Job details:
1. Backed up entire system.
2. Installed Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. Upgraded her system up from 10.4 Tiger (2005). She can now take advantage of Time Machine to back up her system regularly.
3. Restored all of her information including, documents, music, photos, network settings etc. Everything was restored exactly as it was.
4. System Optimization. Installed available software updates, repaired disk permissions, emptied the trash, and verified the health of the hard drive.
5. Installed additional RAM. Upgraded her system from 512mb up to 2GB! Her system is much faster now.
6. Repaired her wireless internet connection. Her wifi signal would drop an internet connection almost every hour.
7. Exterior and screen cleaning because everyone loves a clean Mac!
Location: San Pedro, CA
Hardware: 13" Macbook 1.83ghz Intel Core Duo (2006)
Job: Back-up, upgrade operating system to Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, upgrade memory (RAM), and troubleshoot wireless internet connection.
Job details:
1. Backed up entire system.
2. Installed Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. Upgraded her system up from 10.4 Tiger (2005). She can now take advantage of Time Machine to back up her system regularly.
3. Restored all of her information including, documents, music, photos, network settings etc. Everything was restored exactly as it was.
4. System Optimization. Installed available software updates, repaired disk permissions, emptied the trash, and verified the health of the hard drive.
5. Installed additional RAM. Upgraded her system from 512mb up to 2GB! Her system is much faster now.
6. Repaired her wireless internet connection. Her wifi signal would drop an internet connection almost every hour.
7. Exterior and screen cleaning because everyone loves a clean Mac!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
13" MACBOOK REPAIR
Swapping a busted combo drive for a Superdrive.
Repairing a Macbook and an 18 mile hustle ride on fixed is my idea of a perfect weekend. I receive so much satisfaction and a grand feeling of accomplishment from both activities. I didn't even realize today was the Super Bowl...
Repairing a Macbook and an 18 mile hustle ride on fixed is my idea of a perfect weekend. I receive so much satisfaction and a grand feeling of accomplishment from both activities. I didn't even realize today was the Super Bowl...
Saturday, February 4, 2012
TOOLS
Heavy-duty suction cups from iFixit.
These suction cups are perfect for removing the glass display from aluminum iMacs and are a necessity when dealing with a shattered glass panel on a unibody Macbook Pro. The suction cups will not be of much use on the sections of glass that are shattered but they do help in holding the larger pieces of broken glass when lifting out the damaged panel.
They are a great addition to anyone's DIY tool bag and are a steal at $15. Definite stamp of approval!
These suction cups are perfect for removing the glass display from aluminum iMacs and are a necessity when dealing with a shattered glass panel on a unibody Macbook Pro. The suction cups will not be of much use on the sections of glass that are shattered but they do help in holding the larger pieces of broken glass when lifting out the damaged panel.
They are a great addition to anyone's DIY tool bag and are a steal at $15. Definite stamp of approval!
Friday, February 3, 2012
HOW TO ACHIEVE A CLUTTER-FREE DESKTOP
STAY FIXED TIP no.3
This week’s tip is not for the squeamish. It requires a change in deeply ingrained behavior, but if accomplished it will add an additional boost in speed to your Mac.
This week’s tip is all about the Desktop. For some it is a place to admire beautifully created wallpaper art but for others it’s the dumping grounds for all sorts of digital clutter. The need to see every file on your Desktop at all times is holding back the performance of your Mac.
The digital clutter on your Desktop will place a strain on your Mac’s startup time and its overall responsiveness. Follow the next steps to achieve a clutter free desktop, Zen-like peace of mind, and a speed boost for your Mac.
This week’s tip is not for the squeamish. It requires a change in deeply ingrained behavior, but if accomplished it will add an additional boost in speed to your Mac.
This week’s tip is all about the Desktop. For some it is a place to admire beautifully created wallpaper art but for others it’s the dumping grounds for all sorts of digital clutter. The need to see every file on your Desktop at all times is holding back the performance of your Mac.
The digital clutter on your Desktop will place a strain on your Mac’s startup time and its overall responsiveness. Follow the next steps to achieve a clutter free desktop, Zen-like peace of mind, and a speed boost for your Mac.
FEATURED CLIENT
Name: Gabrielle Messineo
Location: Silverlake, CA
Hardware: 13” Macbook Pro Unibody 2.26Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo (Mid-2009)
Job: Upgrade Operating System to Mac OS X 10.7.2 Lion
Job details:
1. Backed up entire system to ensure nothing was lost in the upgrade process.
2. Installed the latest operating system, Mac OS X 10.7.2 Lion. Upgraded her system up from 10.5 Leopard (2007), to 10.6 Snow Leopard (2009), and now to 10.7 Lion (summer 2011). She can now take advantage of the Mac App store and all the great new gestures available in Lion.
3. Restored her entire system including documents, music, pictures, movies, network settings, etc. to the new Operating System. Everything was restored exactly as it was.
4. System Optimization. Installed all available software updates, repaired all disk permissions, verified the health of the Hard Drive, and emptied the trash.
5. Freed up Disk Space. All Macs need a minimum of hard drive storage to operate smoothly. Her Hard Drive was almost completely full, which could lead to a host of problems. The installation of Lion is much smaller than Leopard so I was able to free up an additional 8GB of hard drive storage, giving her a little more breathing room.
6. Exterior and Screen cleaning. Everyone loves a clean Mac!
Location: Silverlake, CA
Hardware: 13” Macbook Pro Unibody 2.26Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo (Mid-2009)
Job: Upgrade Operating System to Mac OS X 10.7.2 Lion
Job details:
1. Backed up entire system to ensure nothing was lost in the upgrade process.
2. Installed the latest operating system, Mac OS X 10.7.2 Lion. Upgraded her system up from 10.5 Leopard (2007), to 10.6 Snow Leopard (2009), and now to 10.7 Lion (summer 2011). She can now take advantage of the Mac App store and all the great new gestures available in Lion.
3. Restored her entire system including documents, music, pictures, movies, network settings, etc. to the new Operating System. Everything was restored exactly as it was.
4. System Optimization. Installed all available software updates, repaired all disk permissions, verified the health of the Hard Drive, and emptied the trash.
5. Freed up Disk Space. All Macs need a minimum of hard drive storage to operate smoothly. Her Hard Drive was almost completely full, which could lead to a host of problems. The installation of Lion is much smaller than Leopard so I was able to free up an additional 8GB of hard drive storage, giving her a little more breathing room.
6. Exterior and Screen cleaning. Everyone loves a clean Mac!
BASIC MAINTENANCE TIPS FOR APPLE COMPUTERS
STAY FIXED TIP no.2
Is your Mac not as responsive as the day you bought it? Is it taking its sweet time to boot up or launch applications? If the answer is yes to either question then continue reading.
Is your Mac not as responsive as the day you bought it? Is it taking its sweet time to boot up or launch applications? If the answer is yes to either question then continue reading.
HOW TO OPTIMIZE BATTERY LIFE ON APPLE DEVICES
STAY FIXED TIP no. 1
- I will try my best to post weekly tips on how to keep our Apple computers healthy and happy.
Battery life is probably one of the most overlooked features of any portable Apple device. Without a decent battery life, your Apple laptop essentially becomes a desktop confined to its home. Here are two tips to maintain a healthy battery.
- I will try my best to post weekly tips on how to keep our Apple computers healthy and happy.
Battery life is probably one of the most overlooked features of any portable Apple device. Without a decent battery life, your Apple laptop essentially becomes a desktop confined to its home. Here are two tips to maintain a healthy battery.
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