Hints and tips
Free Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac
08/Dec/10 16:54
Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition is free! Read More...
Enabling AirPrinting
08/Dec/10 15:02
AirPrint arrived with iOS 4.2.1, but got left out of Mac OS X 10.6.5 - so what to do? Read More...
Mac OS X Trojan Warning
27/Oct/10 08:35
A new Trojan horse malware that affects Mac OS X has been uncovered by Macintosh Security site SecureMac. The Trojan is called "trojan.osx.boonana.a" and is being disguised as a video and distributed through social-networking sites like Facebook. Read More...
Mac Office 2004 Update problem
15/Oct/10 07:11
A couple of days ago Microsoft released updates to both Office 2004 (11.6.1) and Office 2008 (12.2.7) for Mac.
Whilst the Office 2008 update seems to have passed without incident, there have been numerous reports of users unable to open spreadsheets in Excel 2004 after applying the update.
Microsoft is apparently aware of the problem and investigating it, but until a fix is released the only option is to downgrade the installation by reinstalling from your original software disk, then reapplying the Office 2004 11.6.0 update (the last stable update), or restoring to a pre-update version from a Time Machine backup.
UPDATE: Microsoft have released the Office 2004 11.6.2 update to address this issue.
Whilst the Office 2008 update seems to have passed without incident, there have been numerous reports of users unable to open spreadsheets in Excel 2004 after applying the update.
Microsoft is apparently aware of the problem and investigating it, but until a fix is released the only option is to downgrade the installation by reinstalling from your original software disk, then reapplying the Office 2004 11.6.0 update (the last stable update), or restoring to a pre-update version from a Time Machine backup.
UPDATE: Microsoft have released the Office 2004 11.6.2 update to address this issue.
iOS4 Daylight Saving Bug
11/Oct/10 21:54
Wondering why your daily iDevice alarm is going off an hour early? Read More...
Apple post iOS 4 and Exchange fix
07/Jul/10 17:44
If you updated to iOS4 and now Exchange doesn't sync on your iDevice.. Read More...
Moving music off your iPod (or iPhone)
25/May/10 17:13
In case you need to transfer your iPod contents to your computer. Read More...
When wireless networking isn't an option
16/Apr/10 15:15
Wireless networking is a convenient solution for most computer users these days - it often comes as standard, it’s reasonably fast and (when properly managed) secure, and gives the user the freedom to use their machines without being tethered by network cables.
But what about those occasions when it just doesn’t work well enough? Environmental factors, such as overly thick walls or a preponderance of steel or reinforced concrete between the broadcasting station (the point where the internet enters the premises) and the user can cause weak or no signal transmission. So too can interference from other emitting devices on the same frequency band - such as microwave ovens, cordless telephones and other wireless broadcasters in the immediate vicinity.
And then there’s a customer of mine who had a perfectly good, adequately functioning PowerMac G4, whose dilemma was that the only economically viable wireless solution available was an original Apple Airport 802.11b on eBay for around $120 second-hand. This customer had just moved to a new flat, ADSL2+ was available, for which she already had a basic modem/router - but the single incoming phone point was across the other side of the flat in the kitchen. So she either had to run a long cable from kitchen to study across the floor, or go wireless, which in this case would have involved buying a new wireless modem/router and an Airport card for her PowerMac - all for an 11 Mbit/s maximum throughput. A bit pointless!
So what I did was choose Ethernet Over Power as a solution. Using a basic starter kit containing two plugs and ethernet cables, I was able to network the ADSL modem/router and the PowerMac G4 through the domestic power supply with a maximum throughput of 80 Mbit/s - faster than even 802.11g! Just what you need for ADSL2+!
And the beauty of this solution is that you can simply add more plugs when you want to add more network points. With Mac OS X there’s no additional software or configuration required, and the cost was about the same as what she would have had to spend buying a new wireless modem/router and slow-as Airport card!
If you think this solution would work for you, please contact me for more information and pricing!
But what about those occasions when it just doesn’t work well enough? Environmental factors, such as overly thick walls or a preponderance of steel or reinforced concrete between the broadcasting station (the point where the internet enters the premises) and the user can cause weak or no signal transmission. So too can interference from other emitting devices on the same frequency band - such as microwave ovens, cordless telephones and other wireless broadcasters in the immediate vicinity.
And then there’s a customer of mine who had a perfectly good, adequately functioning PowerMac G4, whose dilemma was that the only economically viable wireless solution available was an original Apple Airport 802.11b on eBay for around $120 second-hand. This customer had just moved to a new flat, ADSL2+ was available, for which she already had a basic modem/router - but the single incoming phone point was across the other side of the flat in the kitchen. So she either had to run a long cable from kitchen to study across the floor, or go wireless, which in this case would have involved buying a new wireless modem/router and an Airport card for her PowerMac - all for an 11 Mbit/s maximum throughput. A bit pointless!
So what I did was choose Ethernet Over Power as a solution. Using a basic starter kit containing two plugs and ethernet cables, I was able to network the ADSL modem/router and the PowerMac G4 through the domestic power supply with a maximum throughput of 80 Mbit/s - faster than even 802.11g! Just what you need for ADSL2+!
And the beauty of this solution is that you can simply add more plugs when you want to add more network points. With Mac OS X there’s no additional software or configuration required, and the cost was about the same as what she would have had to spend buying a new wireless modem/router and slow-as Airport card!
If you think this solution would work for you, please contact me for more information and pricing!
Power protection for your Mac
16/Apr/10 15:12
Power surges, brown-outs and black-outs are an annoyance all year round - but can be deadly for your electronics. Read More...
Data recovery options
16/Apr/10 14:53
It can happen in an instant - your hard drive crashes and dies, or the wrong file or folder is accidentally deleted - and your data has seemingly disappeared to byte oblivion. Or has it? Read More...
DNS servers and name resolution issues
25/Mar/10 15:25
Without a working DNS, your internet is going nowhere! Read More...
Retrieving deleted JPEGs from your camera
17/Mar/10 14:48
This free utility could help you recover lost pictures from your digital camera. Read More...