Category: Reviews-HowTos

The App Store offers some very powerful calculators for those who need to take on higher-level math or are just tired of the stock Apple offering.
The following five apps vary in capabilities and features, but they all offer good design and enough …

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Many people these days have more than one computer at home. If your Mac sits on the same network as a Windows PC or two, being able to share files between them is a must. Because Windows and OS X use different methods of file-sharing, it used to be quite tricky getting one to see the other, never mind transferring files quickly between them. 

Things have changed in OS X, thanks largely to Apple’s support for the SMB (Server Message Block) protocol, which is used by Windows PCs to provide shared access to files, printers and other devices over a network. As each version of OS X has evolved, the process has become simpler and simpler, to the point where it’s practically set up to work by default — although, as you’ll see, there’s a little bit of tinkering to be done before your Mac and PC can swap files as easily as Macs can between themselves.

You need certain information from your PC – its network name, and possibly the Windows workgroup it resides on — but once that’s in place, you can configure your Mac to play nicely with Windows, giving you access to its shared folders. Once connected, your PC should appear in the Navigation pane under “Shared” in Finder. You can then click its name to browse and connect to available shared folders; to disconnect the folder, you can click the eject button next to it, or else drag the shared folder icon from your desktop onto the Trash icon in your Dock (which changes to reassure you that you’re not trashing its contents).

If you’re willing to sacrifice a little bit of security — not usually an issue in a home network environment — you can even configure your Mac to allow PCs to connect to its shared folders in turn. It’s worth noting, though, that if you share your Mac’s folders with PCs, logging onto the Mac using your administrator account gives access to every drive, folder and file on your Mac. It’s safer to connect using a dedicated sharing-only account, as we’ll explain.

You also need to configure what are called WINS settings separately for both wired (Ethernet) and wireless (Wi-Fi) connections — follow steps 2 and 3 of our guide once for Ethernet and then again for Wi-Fi, if necessary. 

1. Grab Information

First, find out what your target PC’s computer name is, plus its workgroup. You’ll find this on the Windows PC in the System Control Panel. In Windows 7 and 8, the quickest way to access this information is to press the Windows key and the Pause key together.

2. Mac Networking

Switch to your Mac and go to Apple Menu > System Preferences. Click the Network icon under Internet & Wireless. If needed, enter your administrator username password, then click OK. Next select Ethernet or Wi-Fi and click the “Advanced…” button.

3. Enter Information

Click the WINS tab. Under NetBIOS Name, enter a name to identify your Mac on the PC network. Enter the PC’s workgroup name into the Workgroup box or click the drop-down arrow to select it. Leave “WINS Servers” blank and click OK, then Apply.

4. Connect to PC

Close System Preferences. Now open the Go menu in Finder and select Connect to Server. Type “smb://pcname”, where pcname is the name of your PC from step 1. Click Connect and after a short pause you’re asked for your PC’s username and password.

5. Enter Credentials

If the PC’s shared folder has been configured for guest access, select Guest and click Connect. If not, choose Registered User and enter the username and password of an account on the PC. Check “Remember this password…” and then click Connect to proceed to the next step. 

6. Select Shared Folder

A list of all available shared folders on the PC is displayed. Select one by clicking it, or select them all clicking the first and then shift-clicking the last folder. Click OK and the folders should appear on your Mac desktop, so you can browse and access them as normal.

7. Share Mac Folders

Want to access the Mac’s shared folders on your PC? Go to System Preferences and select Users & Groups. Click the “+” button to create a new user, select Sharing Only from the New Account menu, then set a suitable username and password and click OK.

8. Select Folders/Users

Switch to the Sharing prefs pane. Verify that File Sharing is checked, then click the “Options…” button and check “Share files and folders using SMB (Windows).” Check your sharing user account, enter its password and click OK. Configure access and click Done.

9. Can You Hear Me Now?

Are you having connection problems? If the Windows user account doesn’t have a password assigned to it, open the User Accounts Control Panel in Windows, select your user account and assign it a password. Once this is done, try to connect again.

Every Monday we show you how to do something quick and cool using built-in OS X utilities such as Terminal, Apple’s command line application. These easy hacks can make life better and simpler, and don’t require any knowledge of coding — all you need is a keyboard to type ’em out!

The Mac prides itself on keyboard shortcuts. For almost every command, there is an equal keyboard shortcut that can provide an action faster. Being familiar with the keyboard shortcuts on your Mac will help you navigate and work faster. In this how-to, we present to you five commands that will change your life once you start using them. They’re simple to use, easy to remember, and can make using your Mac even faster. Continue reading for the full details.

1. Quick Delete

Deleting a file can be a little time-consuming as you drag the file from the Finder window to the Trash, and then empty your Trash by either right-clicking on the Trash, or using the menu item in the Finder menu.

This process can be a bit quicker with this keyboard shortcut. After clicking on a file in the Finder, press Command + Delete to cause the file to be immediately sent to the Trash.

To further speed up the process, you can empty the Trash by pressing Command + Shift + Delete, then pressing return when the confirmation dialog is displayed. Pretty nifty, huh?

2. Instant Dictionary

Sometimes we just need to know the meaning of a word while we’re writing an article or using iMessage. Fortunately, OS X includes a built-in dictionary, and, since OS X Tiger, it has also included a keyboard shortcut to make finding the meaning of a word much easier.

Simply place your mouse over a word in a text field, and then press Command + Control + D. When you do this, you’ll see a popover appear above or below the word that displays the dictionary meaning.

If you’re having a hard time getting the word to select, then highlight the word with your mouse cursor, then try the steps above again. Click anywhere outside of the popover (or press the Esc key) to have it dismissed.

3. Special Characters

When typing, you may find yourself in a situation where you need to include an accent mark on a certain letter, or perhaps use another special character. OS X has your back in this situation.

To easily access special characters while typing, simply press and hold down a key that contains an alternative character. Similar to iOS, you’ll see a popover appear that allows you to select an accent mark or another alternative to the pressed character.

4. Paste and Match Style

If you’ve ever copied and pasted text from a website into a text document, then undoubtedly you’ve had to reformat the text to match the styling of your document. This can be a bit of a pain if you copy and paste a lot of text.

To ensure that the style isn’t kept when pasting text into your document, you’ll want to use the Command + Option + Shift + V command. This command means to “Paste and Match Style.” This command is invaluable, but often forgotten about, or unheard of by new Mac users.

5. Secret Menu Bar Options

This is a hidden trick that will leave you wondering how you’ve ever lived without it. The majority of Apple system icons in the menu bar have a secret life: By option-clicking them, you can get even more information, and access hidden features.

One of our favorite tools is the volume icon in the menu bar. Clicking on it normally would just reveal a single line volume control to adjust the volume output; however, if you hold down the Option key and click it, you’ll see many new options that you’d normally have to go digging through System Preferences to get access to. This shortcut can let you have access to settings for output and input devices, without ever leaving your currently active application.

Try this little trick with other system icons to see what you can find.

Follow this article’s author, Cory Bohon on Twitter.

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