Take Control Books - News http://www.takecontrolbooks.com The ongoing story of our innovative publishing model that integrates the best of online, magazine, and book publishing. en ace@tidbits.com Copyright 2010 2010-03-04T14:58:58+00:00 Find Hundreds of Tips in “Macworld Mac OS X Hints Superguide, Snow Leopard Edition” http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/news/find-hundreds-of-tips-in-macworld-mac-os-x-hints-superguide-snow-leopard-ed 2010-03-04T14:00:24+00:00 The most useful pieces of advice about using your Mac are often short, focused tips that solve a particular problem or make a specific program work just the way you want. That's what you'll find in the Macworld Mac OS X Hints Superguide, Snow Leopard Edition, the latest ebook from our friends at Macworld.

Compiled by the undisputed king of tips, Rob Griffiths, the ebook presents a cornucopia of over 200 tips to help you get the most out of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. You'll find basic tips for any Mac user as well as power-user tweaks that use incantations in Terminal - and sometimes AppleScript - to go way beyond the basics.

Among many other useful lessons, this ebook will teach you to:

  • Get around more efficiently with the Dock, Spaces, and Expose.
  • Type a keyboard shortcut to show hidden files in the Open dialog.
  • Monitor Spotlight's progress while it indexes your drive.
  • Show the path bar on the top of your Finder windows.
  • See what you've added to the Mac OS X spelling dictionary.
  • Turn your Mac's volume down without the loud volume-change beep.
  • Use Snow Leopard's new text expansion feature.
  • Set up system-wide keyboard shortcuts.

And, you'll get application-specific tips, including how to:

  • Disable in-browser PDF viewing in Safari.
  • Remove the RSS folder from Mail's sidebar.
  • Turn off the flash in Photo Booth.
  • Change the default duration for new iCal events.
  • Show the weather forecast right in iCal.
  • Print non-contiguous pages from Preview.
  • Delete a message in Mail without automatically opening the next one.
  • Control iTunes with iChat messages. Really!
  • Send an SMS message from iChat.

The 152-page ebook is now available for $12.95, and a print version is also available for $19.95.

(If you have the Leopard edition of this particular Superguide, check your email for upgrade information!)

Buy Macworld Mac OS X Hints Superguide, Snow Leopard Edition

]]> Find Hundreds of Tips in “Macworld Mac OS X Hints Superguide, Snow Leopard Edition” http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/news/find-hundreds-of-tips-in-macworld-mac-os-x-hints-superguide-snow-leopard-ed 2010-03-04T13:58:58+00:00 The most useful pieces of advice about using your Mac are often short, focused tips that solve a particular problem or make a specific program work just the way you want. That's what you'll find in the Macworld Mac OS X Hints Superguide, Snow Leopard Edition, the latest ebook from our friends at Macworld.

Compiled by the undisputed king of tips, Rob Griffiths, the ebook presents a cornucopia of over 200 tips to help you get the most out of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. You'll find basic tips for any Mac user as well as power-user tweaks that use incantations in Terminal - and sometimes AppleScript - to go way beyond the basics.

Among many other useful lessons, this ebook will teach you to:

  • Get around more efficiently with the Dock, Spaces, and Expose.
  • Type a keyboard shortcut to show hidden files in the Open dialog.
  • Monitor Spotlight's progress while it indexes your drive.
  • Show the path bar on the top of your Finder windows.
  • See what you've added to the Mac OS X spelling dictionary.
  • Turn your Mac's volume down without the loud volume-change beep.
  • Use Snow Leopard's new text expansion feature.
  • Set up system-wide keyboard shortcuts.

And, you'll get application-specific tips, including how to:

  • Disable in-browser PDF viewing in Safari.
  • Remove the RSS folder from Mail's sidebar.
  • Turn off the flash in Photo Booth.
  • Change the default duration for new iCal events.
  • Show the weather forecast right in iCal.
  • Print non-contiguous pages from Preview.
  • Delete a message in Mail without automatically opening the next one.
  • Control iTunes with iChat messages. Really!
  • Send an SMS message from iChat.

The 152-page ebook is now available for $12.95, and a print version is also available for $19.95.

(If you have the Leopard edition of this particular Superguide, check your email for upgrade information!)

Buy Macworld Mac OS X Hints Superguide, Snow Leopard Edition

]]> Apple Enhances me.com for the iPhone and iPod touch http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/news/apple-enhances-me.com-for-the-iphone-and-ipod-touch1 2010-02-20T20:59:03+00:00 If you log in to www.me.com from the Safari app on your iPhone or iPod touch, you'll find that Apple now provides more options. Most notably, you can access Find My iPhone, making it possible to hunt for your missing device from a friend's or colleague's iPhone or iPod touch instead of from a regular computer. You can also now set up Mail, Contacts, and Calendars, and tap buttons for installing the iDisk and Gallery apps. For a few more details and screenshots, see the TidBITS article, MobileMe Site Adds Some Mobile Safari Support.

Ted Landau, author of Take Control of iPhone OS 3 put this new functionality to use right away—see his blog post, New Find My iPhone from an iPhone Saves Day, for how various aspects of Find My iPhone elegantly solved a frustrating problem.

Buy Take Control of iPhone OS 3

]]> Apple Enhances me.com for the iPhone and iPod touch http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/news/apple-enhances-me.com-for-the-iphone-and-ipod-touch 2010-02-20T20:55:37+00:00 If you log in to www.me.com from the Safari app on your iPhone or iPod touch, you'll find that Apple now provides more options. Most notably, you can access Find My iPhone, making it possible to hunt for your missing device from a friend's or colleague's iPhone or iPod touch instead of from a regular computer. You can also now set up Mail, Contacts, and Calendars, and tap buttons for installing the iDisk and Gallery apps. For a few more details and screenshots, see the TidBITS article, MobileMe Site Adds Some Mobile Safari Support.

Ted Landau, author of Take Control of iPhone OS 3 put this new functionality to use right away—see his blog post, New Find My iPhone from an iPhone Saves Day for how various aspects of Find My iPhone elegantly solved a frustrating problem.

Buy Take Control of MobileMe

]]> Considering a Mac Pro? http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/news/considering-a-mac-pro 2010-02-05T20:51:57+00:00 Reader Mary R. recently wrote in, asking, "I will be purchasing a new Mac this year—going from an eMac running Tiger to (probably) an iMac running Snow Leopard. I'd like to do some research before the purchase. It looks like the book, Take Control of Buying a Mac, would be a useful read, but I'm wondering if there is a more recent edition."

Adam, author of the ebook, wrote this in reply, "No, there's no more recent edition, alas, but for the most part, it doesn't really matter, since the bulk of the book is not about the specs of current models or the like, but about helping you figure out what your needs are, and how that matches with a particular type of Mac. The only thing that's changed much since the book came out is that I would no longer recommend someone get a Mac Pro unless they absolutely know they need the utmost power and flexibility. The iMac is plenty for most people."

By the way, what with Adam's change in thinking about the Mac Pro and the iPad popping up as an intriguing option on the low end, it's probably time for us to consider revising this ebook.

Buy Take Control of Buying a Mac

]]> Get the Most out of Screen Sharing in Mac OS X! http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/news/get-the-most-out-of-screen-sharing-in-mac-os-x 2010-02-05T18:39:02+00:00 Screen sharing lets you control the mouse and keyboard of one computer while you sit at another computer across the room or on the other side of the world. It's great for providing remote tech support, configuring and managing a remote server, and collaborating on documents. In recent versions of Mac OS X, Apple has piled on the options, enabling screen sharing via iChat, through Bonjour, directly by entering an IP address, and via Back to My Mac. Plus, Skype has a screen-sharing feature and various iPhone apps can even enable you to control the screen of a remote Mac.

All these screen-sharing choices bring complexity, and Glenn Fleishman's new Take Control of Screen Sharing in Snow Leopard helps you determine the best screen-sharing option for your needs. You'll learn how to configure the software—and set up your router, if necessary. And, should something not work as expected, the ebook also includes problem-solving advice.

This ebook is also available in a discounted bundle with the just-updated Take Control of Back to My Mac, also by Glenn, which goes beyond the basic coverage of Back to My Mac in Take Control of Screen Sharing in Snow Leopard, providing details about how Back to My Mac works behind the scenes, explaining what to do if you can't get Back to My Mac working, and addressing security concerns related to Back to My Mac. Save $5 with the bundle option in the left margin of the Web page for either book.

(If you already own the Leopard edition of Glenn's "Screen Sharing" ebook, look for an email-based update message or open your existing PDF to page 1 and click Check for Updates to access an upgrade discount. If you own Take Control of Back to My Mac, note that the new version is a free update; to get it, use that book's Check for Updates page.)

Buy Take Control of Screen Sharing in Snow Leopard

]]> Learn How to Make Back to My Mac Work http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/news/learn-how-to-make-back-to-my-mac-work 2010-02-05T18:37:16+00:00 With Apple's useful yet funky Back to My Mac feature, MobileMe users can share files and screens among their Macs, making it possible to grab a forgotten document or even use a work machine from home or while on the road. It sounds great, but some people have required extensive assistance to get their routers working right, or have questions about security or about extended features like remote access to drives attached to an AirPort Extreme Base Station or Time Capsule. To that end, we've just released the version 1.2 update to Glenn Fleishman's Take Control of Back to My Mac.

This book is also available in a bundle with Glenn's just-published Take Control of Screen Sharing in Snow Leopard, which looks at the broad array of screen sharing options in both Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard. It covers Back to My Mac briefly, but looks more completely at connections via iChat, Bonjour, direct IP addressing, and third-party possibilities such as Skype and iPhone apps. Look for a $5 discount bundle in the left margin of the Web page for either book.

(If you already own Take Control of Back to My Mac, note that this is a free update; to get your update, open your existing PDF to page 1 and then click Check for Updates. If you own the Leopard edition of Glenn's "Screen Sharing" ebook, look on its Check for Updates page for an upgrade discount, or look in your email for an update-related message.)

Buy Take Control of Back to My Mac

]]> New AT&T Unlimited Data Plan Option, Thinking about Your Cellular Data Use http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/news/ipads-smaller-data-plan-may-suffice-for-many 2010-02-03T16:21:27+00:00 If you have an unlimited talk/data plan with AT&T, you may wish to modify your plan. According to an article posted at iPhone Central on January 15th, AT&T is now offering a $100-per-month plan that includes unlimited voice and data, which beats the previous option of $100-per-month for unlimited voice and $30-per-month for unlimited data. Apparently, you can make the switch without penalty or extending your contract.

If you're curious about how much cellular data you receive on your iPhone or deeply interested in the topic, and particularly if you are considering purchasing an iPad, check out Glenn Fleishman's TidBITS article, Can You Get By with 250 MB of Data Per Month?. The article is interesting, but it gets exciting in the comments.

Buy Take Control of iPhone OS 3

]]> Apple Updates Boot Camp for Windows 7 http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/news/apple-updates-boot-camp-for-windows-7 2010-02-03T16:12:39+00:00 Apple recently released a series of updates that finally enable most (but not all) Intel-based Macs to run Windows 7 via Boot Camp. Prior to these updates, although some Boot Camp users were able to successfully upgrade from Windows XP or Vista to Windows 7, most encountered various bugs and compatibility issues. To learn more, check out Joe Kissell's TidBITS article, Apple Updates Boot Camp for Windows 7.

Buy Take Control of Running Windows on a Mac

]]> Joe Talks about Running Windows on a Mac http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/news/joe-talks-about-running-windows-on-a-mac 2010-01-22T22:12:03+00:00 In MacVoices #1005, author Joe Kissell rounds up his latest recommendations for how to best run Windows on a Mac. In recent months, Microsoft shipped Windows 7, VMware shipped Fusion 3, and Parallels shipped Parallels Desktop 5, so there's a lot to talk about. The podcast episode corresponds with the release of the fourth edition of Take Control of Running Windows on a Mac.

Buy Take Control of VMware Fusion 2

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