Newsletter

With digital threats lurking around every corner, safeguarding your organisation’s digital assets has never been more critical. The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) recognises this urgency and has devised a comprehensive cybersecurity framework known as the “Essential 8.” Let’s delve into this essential guide to fortifying your cyber defences. What is the Essential 8? The Essential 8 is a set of cybersecurity strategies developed by ASD to help organisations mitigate cyber threats effectively. It comprises eight […]

Apple continues to raise the bar with its latest iPad releases: the M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air. These cutting-edge devices epitomize the pinnacle of Apple performance, design, and functionality, catering to the diverse needs of modern consumers. Let’s delve into what makes these gadgets the best tablets in the world. M4 iPad Pro: Redefining Productivity At the forefront of innovation lies the M4 iPad Pro, with an all-new design. Incredibly portable, it is […]

With new Macs and iPads constantly rumoured to be on the horizon, it can be tricky deciding when is a good time to buy. Now that all Macs have transitioned to Apple silicon, the improvements to what are already great computers are tending to be incremental. That means the performance improvements from for example, M2 to M3, or wifi 6 to wifi 6E, BlueTooth 5 to BlueTooth 5.3 or HDMI 2 to HDMI 2.1, while […]

Mac Aid’s favourite anti malware tool, Malwarebytes (by ThreatDown), now has a new optional vulnerability and patching extension. In today’s digital age, cybersecurity is more important than ever. With the rise of sophisticated cyber threats, protecting your devices and data has become a top priority. One crucial aspect of cybersecurity is vulnerability and patch management, and Malwarebytes Vulnerability and Patch Management can help us to help you stay ahead of the game. Many Mac Aid […]

It was inevitable that Apple would upgrade the MacBook Air to the M3 processor. The M3, based on the new 3 nm process, always seemed like a perfect fit for a compact, fanless laptop like the MacBook Air. The M2 MacBook Airs were already great laptops, and a lovely evolution of what has always been one of Apple’s best laptop form factors. And the 15 inch MacBook Air was a great addition to the range […]

In the ever-evolving landscape of laptops, Apple stands out with its iconic MacBook lineup, offering a range of options to cater to diverse user needs. Apple’s move to powering Macs with their own M-series processors has made what were already great computers, truly unbeatable. Macs have never been a cheap purchase, and that is still the case. So it’s important to make sure that you buy a Mac that really suits your needs. Under-speccing a […]

Choosing the right amount of storage for your new Mac is a crucial decision that can greatly impact your user experience and productivity. It is also a big factor in the cost of a new system. The SSDs in modern Macs are blazingly fast, but they are not cheap. The amount of data you work with is the primary consideration. Presuming you are considering a new Mac to replace an older computer, the first thing […]

We have often written in our newsletters about the need to improve IT security. Security should be a central consideration for all device users and business owners. Generally we talk about IT security in terms of the nuts and bolts of what good security practices entail in a technical sense. And all of that advice still stands: Improved network security Security of file servers Strong backup strategies for data Security of user systems Active monitoring […]

When buying a new Mac, many people don’t give enough thought to how much RAM they need. Often the choice is made by the available stock and even just on price. Whilst cost has to be considered, it is worthwhile stopping to analyse how much RAM you really need.  RAM is a crucial component of your computer that impacts its performance and multitasking capabilities. Ultimately it is a big decider in how usable your new […]

With the release of the iPhone 15 with its USB-C charging port, Apple have started the final phase of their switch to USB-C. So we thought it was a good time to discuss completing the change to USB-C for all of your devices. In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, Apple has been at the forefront of innovation for decades. However, one area where they have been rather slow to fully adapt is the universal adoption […]

Amidst the chaos of office design, packing, logistics, and ultimately moving into a new office space, don’t forget to plan for IT. Mac Aid, as your IT provider can play a pivotal role in this process, but we can’t do it alone. To help us make it a smooth process and minimize downtime during an office move, consider these planning steps. Start Early and Communicate The key to a successful office move is to start […]

It’s common these days for many Mac Aid clients to have internet connections of 1,000Mbps, which was unimaginable in the old ADSL days. 1,000Mbps is often suitable for a general business with a handful of staff, but increasingly in the current “cloud first” world, creative businesses in particular are finding even this a bottleneck that impacts productivity. They may be needing to transfer large image or video assets, run site-to-site or cloud syncs or backups, […]

All of our lives have been made a lot easier by PDF. We take for granted the ability to share compact documents, fill out forms, comment, or edit. And all with type, design and images intact. “PDF” stands for Portable Document Format, it is an Adobe file format that combines all the elements of a document into an optimised compact format that retains the original design, including fonts and linked graphics or images. In many […]

Apple pleasantly surprised us by announcing all of the rumoured new Macs at WWDC23, the 15 inch MacBook Air with M2, Mac Studio with M2 Max and M2 Ultra and even the long awaited Apple Silicon Mac Pro with M2 Ultra. The rumoured Vision Pro AR glasses were previewed too. 15 inch MacBook Air with M2 The 15 inch M2 MacBook Air is a brand new model. In most respects, it’s identical to its little […]

Many Mac Aid clients already have our monitoring and remote help tools installed. But some don’t, and many who do might not be using them to their full potential. Having our remote help tools installed on your systems means that when you do need help from Mac Aid, the process is much faster, smoother and convenient. Watchman One of our most helpful tools is Watchman, a system health monitoring tool. You’ll know that you have […]

When it comes to deciding on a monitor for your Mac it can be hard to choose from the vast array of options. And if you are connecting to a Mac laptop and want an external monitor that will match the quality and resolution of your built in display, things get more complicated again. There are multiple factors to consider, such as screen size, resolution, colour modes, connectivity and design. And if you are connecting […]

Most of us intend to do something about improving how we handle our passwords, but it’s a tedious subject at best, and too easy to procrastinate about. Let’s make a firm commitment to two something about this right now before it’s too late. One of the most important things you can do to improve the security of your IT environment is develop good password hygiene. By that we mean having strong passwords that are not […]

With the arrival of Apple Silicon in M1 and M2 Macs one downside has been the loss of the ability to install Windows as we could on Intel based Macs. As a Mac user, you might be wondering why you would want to use Windows 11 on your M1 or M2 device. There are still applications that are only available on Windows, and if you need to use these programs for work or school, you […]

We often discuss security in our Newsletter articles, and work constantly with all of our clients to improve the safety of their devices and networks. But with the never-ending evolution of security risks and attacks, security needs to always be a top priority for all of us. And despite our constant warnings, we still deal with Mac Aid clients who have had their devices compromised, leading to real financial or reputation loss, and serious inconvenience. While […]

Apple recently introduced its newest app, Freeform.  Freeform is a collaborative task and note-taking app that allows you to plan a project or keep track of all your to-do items in one place. But what sets it apart from other apps in the same category is its unique interface. Instead of a traditional page or grid view, Freeform allows you to organise and visually lay out content on a flexible canvas, to see, share and […]

Apple recently released the latest additions to its Mac line-up, the M2 and M2 Pro Mac minis and the M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pros.  The M2 and M2 Pro Mac minis are designed for versatility and power, making them the perfect choice for users who need a compact and portable computer that can handle demanding tasks. With Mac mini, you are free to use whatever monitor, keyboard and mouse you like, so they […]

The M2 MacBook Air brings a strong refresh to Apple’s most popular laptop. Completely updated and redesigned, the M2 MacBook Air is the biggest design overhaul in the history of the MacBook Air and has also sees the introduction of the new M2 chip. Jeffrey, Mac Aid’s Account Manager, calls the new MacBook Air a lovely evolution of a classic design. He is particularly enamoured with the look and feel of the device. Weighing in […]

The short answer is YES! We’ve all heard about the havoc hackers can wreak. Pretty much every account you have on the internet has the potential to be hacked, and your data stolen. And when your data is stolen, your identity and money are likely to be next. While MFA is not perfect, it is the best option available right now to keep you, your identity and your money safe. Unfortunately, many of us know […]

iPads, iPadOS and iPad apps are more capable than ever. But navigating the waters when choosing what iPad is right for you can be difficult. Let us take you on a journey comparing each aspect of these tablets to find your best option. The Base Model – iPad If you are looking for an entry level tablet that is good for gaming, watching movies and scrolling through social media, then look no further! The 10.2” […]

What is the Cloud I hear you ask! The simple answer is a computer somewhere else, that you access via the internet. There are three main uses of the cloud for home users. File storage, file sharing and backing up data. Here, we will take a glance at what each of these functions can do for you. Cloud storage operates like a remote hard drive or server, used to share and access your files across […]

  Over the years, the Apple eco-system has become renowned for its integration between all of its devices, from the general communication between your Mac and your iPhone or Apple Watch, to more recent innovations like Handoff, AirDrop, AirPlay, FaceTime, iMessage and SharePlay. For these features to work, your devices need to be logged into the same iCloud account. Some of these features are only available on newer Apple devices, use Google to find out […]

  Released in mid-March, the Mac Studio is Apple’s most powerful M1 Mac to date. Paired with the new Apple Studio display, this potent little powerhouse is set to become the go-to for many studio professionals and high-performance users. For those of you who may have been waiting for a re-designed 27 inch iMac with an M-series processor, it seems this one is for you, as the 27 inch iMac has been discontinued. Apple’s offering […]

The introduction of the Apple M1 processor last year was a breakthrough that transformed the performance and battery life of many of the most popular Macs. Now Apple has unveiled the new M1 Pro and M1 Max bringing game-changing upgrades to their pro laptops. We all want the ability to work as efficiently as we can and with the CPU in M1 Pro and M1 Max delivering up to 70 percent faster CPU performance than Apple’s […]

The recently released macOS Monterey promises to help users connect in new ways as well as work more efficiently, and seamlessly across their Apple devices. So what has changed? In order to create a smoother workflow, changes to Safari including a compact tab bar option and Tab Groups are new in Monterey. Tab Groups helps you to organise your tabs in a way that works for you and syncs them across all your Apple devices meaning […]

As all of us here know, Mac users are very passionate about our Macs. But sometimes, even the most devoted Mac enthusiast will find times where they need to use programs that simply aren’t available or are no longer supported on the Mac, or maybe even a custom-built PC based application that you have to use for work. This is becoming less frequent than it was, as more and more applications become web-based. A great […]

In the world of technology, there are two types of people, those that backup and those that wish they had backed up. The consequences of not backing up at all or of backing up incorrectly can be absolutely devastating both professionally and personally. And it happens more often than you might think. People with incredibly important personal and or professional data on their computers come to Mac Aid, begging us to do whatever we can […]

The flexibility to work from home is becoming the norm, and at times it can be required at short notice. It can also be a significant deciding factor in attracting great staff, as flexible working solutions are expected in many industries. For modern businesses, legacy phone systems and mobile phones can struggle to give your staff and clients the flexibility they need.       TOTAL VERSATILITY.   You are probably already using Microsoft Teams, […]

With the unpredictability of lockdowns and working from home, becoming more commonplace, it is essential to ensure that your home office set-up is working for you as best as it can.  Getting things wrong can cause neck and back pain, eye strain, headaches, and other health issues. Even if you set up everything correctly initially, it is important to check in from time to time to make sure you haven’t let things slip, or if […]

Chances are you use Preview all the time, someone sends you a PDF or an image, you double click to open it up, look at it and move on.  It’s a simple app, but if you take the time to look around, you’ll realise it’s a very useful tool with quite a few handy features. You might even be paying for an expensive graphics app designed for impressive technical feats but just using it for […]

What is phishing? You may or may not have heard the term “Phishing”, but you would have likely experienced at least attempts at it. Phishing is the term to describe a cybercrime in which the attackers send fraudulent emails, often posing as a legitimate business or a person that you know. The intention is to get the email recipient to disclose financial information, confidential security information or other sensitive information or even make payments directly […]

WHAT IS IT? Shadow IT put simply, is the use of non-approved software, hardware or processes by staff members without company knowledge to complete their work. Chances are, it’s happening right under your nose and could be putting your business at risk in many different ways.   WHY IS SHADOW IT A PROBLEM? It takes a great deal of time and money to set up IT infrastructure to ensure that you don’t leave your business […]

Before we begin, we’d recommend your first step is the same thing that we at Mac Aid always do before tinkering around on anyone’s Mac, and that is back it up! This is something we should all be doing anyway on a very regular basis of course, but as we see all too often it’s something that is easily missed or forgotten about. Maybe you have noticed your Mac isn’t running as fast as it […]

So, you’re excited about the M1 processor, and so you should be! The huge improvements in performance and battery life far outweigh anything we have seen before. You’ve held out this long, and you want a new M1 Mac, great! But before you jump in head first, here are a few things you need to think about. How old is your current Mac? What O/S are you running? If you are using Sierra (10.12) or […]

Let’s start with a quick rundown of what Apple announced at their Spring Loaded Event. The Apple TV4K, the long rumoured Air Tag, and the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini are now available in purple. But the thing we are most excited about, Apple’s M1 chip has come to a brand new 24-inch iMac and 11 and 12.9 inch iPad Pro! From home to office, these are amazing machines, the M1 processor is all […]

2020 was a year of craziness that no one really expected. We can all breathe a sigh of relief that it seems we’re through the worst of things with covid-19 and all its impacts. We’re hoping so anyway, and things are seeming upbeat at Mac Aid and for our clients. Mac Aid are still here and doing pretty well, and we would like to take this chance to thank you all for sticking with us […]

As expected, Apple released new Apple Silicon based Macs at a virtual event on Nov 10. While an updated MacBook Air and 13 inch MacBook Pro had been widely rumoured, Apple surprised by also releasing an Apple Silicon based Mac Mini. All are based on the new Apple “M1” SOC (System On Chip), a beefed up variant of the A14 Bionic being used in this year’s iPhone 12 and iPad Air. https://www.apple.com/apple-events/november-2020/ All are externally […]

The necessity for so many of us to work from home during Covid shutdown highlighted to Mac Aid the need for services and products to provide safe and secure ways to connect remote workers to on premise servers and systems. Mac Aid have been working with Fortigate to implement the FortiAP, a high security appliance which gives workers secure access to your business servers and systems from home. The rush to provide remote access to […]

Do you really need anti-malware on your Mac? Mac users have long presumed that they were immune from computer viruses and malware, but there are a few reasons to reconsider that view these days. A few years ago, Macs were a small minority of computers, and so generally considered to be an unrewarding target for hackers and other cybercriminals. But Macs are a lot more popular now, and while it’s great to see more Macs […]

Apple released their long rumoured iPhone 12 at another of their virtual video events from Apple Headquarters this week. All 4 iPhone 12 models feature 5G, a new A14 Bionic processor, a new industrial design with flat edges and thinner bezels, Super Retina XDR OLED displays, upgraded “Ceramic Shield” front glass, and a new 12-megapixel wide camera with wider aperture promising improved low light performance. So they were pretty much exactly as rumours had described […]

Apple recently updated the 27 inch iMac, with 10th generation Intel processors, SSD storage as standard, Radeon Pro 5300 or 5500 TX graphics cards, a 1080p HD webcam, optional nano-textured True Tone display, Apple T2 chip and a 10Gb Ethernet option. While Covid 19 has meant that many users have moved to laptops, rather than desktop Macs, there is still a place for the serious speed and power that only comes with a well equipped […]

Apple announced Big Sur – the next version of Mac OS at WWDC in July. Betas have been available for developers since then, and the public beta program is now open too, so brave early adopters can give Big Sur a try. Big Sur is an interesting Mac OS update in a couple of ways. Most notably, the visual changes are quite pronounced, more so than in Apple’s recent yearly updates. Big Sur brings a […]

Perhaps like many of us you’ve been using Zoom a lot more recently, but are worried about the security issues everyone has been talking about? Zoom has been a great way for us all to stay connected in these challenging times, because it’s free (for limited personal use) and easy to use. Unfortunately that ease of use has partly come about because Zoom have historically had a rather cavalier attitude to security.  But, things are […]

Now that we are all settled into working from home, take a minute to consider whether your security is up to scratch. A lot of this might seem like plain common sense, and you’re probably on top of it already. But we thought that in these stressful times it might be worth stopping, taking a breath and checking the security of your remote working setup, just in case. Much of this you can tend to […]

Your business may not be located in China, and your customer base may not be Chinese, but like it or not, the economy is global, and coronavirus may already be having an impact on your business. You may have had employees away on overseas holidays, or travelling for business. Even if they haven’t been anywhere near China, they may have been exposed to Coronavirus on planes or in airports, which are filled with people coming […]

With security breaches becoming more and more common, everyone needs to ensure they are using the most secure passwords for their online accounts as they possibly can. While this is great in theory, the problem comes with remembering these passwords. Here are some tips to help.   Create a strong phrase It’s surprising how many people choose passwords that are easy for them to remember, such as ones containing obvious phrases, their partner, pet or […]

Security threats abound in today’s digital world, and Macs are not immune to them. Here are a few tips to help make your Mac as secure as it can possibly be.   Use two accounts rather than just one Create a standard account (non-admin) for use in everyday activities. Only use your administrator account to install software and perform system actions. This will strengthen your system’s security.   Turn on FileVault Apple’s FileVault encryption is […]

2020 is upon us, and we’re already through January! Our staff have enjoyed their holiday breaks over Christmas and are looking forward to diving back into all things Apple. As always, we will continue to provide each and every one of our valued clients with highly responsive and knowledgeable service from our team of expert professionals in 2020. Our aim is always to help our clients use their Apple technology to improve their lives, either [...]

We use our devices to store all kinds of things – photos, videos, messages, documents, health data, settings, accessory setups etc. Your memories, your information and your preferences are valuable and important, and no-one wants to run the risk of losing them. But too often many of us fail to back up our devices, wrongly believing that it happens automatically. This is not quite true. For instance, your iPhone only backs up a maximum of […]

MacOS Catalina, Apple’s most recent operating system for Mac, launched in October last year, with a host of new features and functionality. Catalina offers some significant changes and improvements, but it’s important to note that the new operating system will not work on all Macs. If your Mac was able to run macOS Mojave, chances are it will be able to run Catalina – but some applications will no longer be supported. One of Catalina’s […]

It’s that time of year when the summer holidays are nearly upon us, and everyone is starting to think about winding down for the end of the year. During the Christmas period, many of our Mac Aid technicians will be enjoying a much-needed break from the rush and hustle of the year. We’ll still be available to help if you need support; however, we won’t have a full team of technicians on board over the […]

Apple has recently launched the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, and this overhauled device offers some heavy-duty improvements over the previous model. As well as giving you a larger 16-inch screen, the new MacBook Pro offers more power, better internal cooling, a bigger battery, an improved keyboard, louder speakers plus the potential to add on massive amounts of extra storage if needed.   The specs The new MacBook Pro delivers a range of specs that customers […]

We’ve all experienced the frustration of trying to work with a Mac that is running slow. When everything takes forever to load and you’re sick of spending half your time waiting for things to happen, it’s time to take action. Here are a few quick tips to try to speed up your Mac.   Clear up your hard drive A full hard drive could be the main culprit to a slow-running Mac. When your hard [...]

As Apple enthusiasts know, you can use your Apple devices to do awesome things. And when you use them together, what you can achieve is magnified, leaving you able to do so much more. Many people don’t realise just what is possible when you use the Continuity feature – which is a seamless way to move between your different devices and use them together. You can take calls on your iPhone without even picking it [...]

Apple prides itself on being on the cutting edge of technology, and as such its products are constantly being updated and improved. And although Apple products are usually very long-lasting, no Mac, gadget or device will last forever – and as technology improves, you probably wouldn’t want them to. At some point your device will become obsolete. Machines over seven years old are classed as Vintage. This means that parts particular to that model will [...]

Mac Aid’s six-car fleet of signed vehicles has recently undergone a renewal and are now looking great. Keep an eye out for our newly branded cars!

Microsoft Office now comes in a few different flavours. For clients who aren’t in the know, Office is available for Mac as Office 2016, and Office 365. What are the differences between Office 365 and 2016? The main point of difference is that Office 365 is a cloud-based subscription service, requiring monthly or yearly payments. With Microsoft Office 2016, it is simply a one-off fee for a perpetual licence. Given that Office 365 is a [...]

10. Day One. Buy a Mac that has everything that you will need for your tasks. This means having not only enough space for your current data, but ensuring that there is plenty of space left for files, folders and apps in the future. Ask yourself these questions... What type of files do you have? What applications do you wish to use? Do you want to use Windows as well as macOS? These factors can [...]

We are now back to a full team! Our latest recruit is Steve Abrahall, who joined Mac Aid at the beginning of March. Since starting, he has joined up with several of our technicians at many of our clients' locations to say hi and get to know how we work. So, who is Steve? Steve has been in the tech world for a number of decades, who quietly enjoys learning about new machines and will [...]

Need Windows on a Mac? If you are needing to run Windows on your Mac, there are a few options that can facilitate this. But why run Windows on a Mac anyway? For those who need it, it may be because that particular app can only be found on Windows or the app may have enhanced features or better performance on the Windows version. Before you can get started, you need to ensure that you [...]

Spot our cars You will now find it easier to spot Nathan out on the road! His VW Golf has been given the Mac Aid makeover. The shiny new signage on the sides and back doors has just been completed in mid-February. We are intending to expand this shortly by adding another three cars to the mix. So watch this space for further updates on what cars they are going to be.

AppleCare+ is the latest in Apple protection When things go pear-shaped, AppleCare+ comes to the rescue. It provides you with the peace of mind knowing that help is available at any Apple store around the world. Not many people have heard of AppleCare+ and that is because Apple has not made a big announcement like it does for every other major product. What is AppleCare+? AppleCare+ was initially released for iPhones, iPads and the Apple [...]

Changes that are coming to the macOS Server in spring 2018 Edit: 05/02/2018. Please note that this does not impact your own computer. Features such as Calendar and Contacts will continue working as normal. Apple is changing how its network managing app macOS Server will operate. Apple is now trying to place a heavier focus on the management of computers, devices and storage on the network. This means that there will be a number of [...]

What is Phishing? Phishing scams aim to trick you into providing personal and sensitive information by clicking on links and attachments. How does it work? It occurs when an attacker pretends to act as a trusted entity and dupes a victim into opening an email or other electronic messages. Phishing messages are designed to look genuine and will often copy the format used by the entity the attacker is pretending to represent. It will contain [...]

Change in the Mac Aid team This month has seen a couple of changes in the Mac Aid team of engineers and technicians. After almost eight years of great service, Stuart F has left the Mac Aid building taking this opportunity to move onto different things. Stuart has been a great team player in Mac Aid.  He has been assisting our technicians and engineers remotely as well as joining them onsite to provide that extra [...]

What is Apple doing? Over the past month or so, you would have seen the news about a forced degradation in the performance of many iPhone batteries. This is the result of Apple admitting that it was deliberately slowing down the processor via updates in iOS. According to Apple, this was necessary to prevent ageing iPhone batteries from failing whilst at the same time to help maintain a smooth performance. "Last year we released a feature [...]

The Apple iMac Pro is now available for ordering. With that said, due to expected demand, shipping may not occur until after Christmas. Pricing Pricing starts at $7,299.00. After customising the iMac Pro with all the top specs the price jumps up to an incredible price of $20,419.00. Clearly, Apple has intended for this to be a serious workhorse for the creatives and Pro users who are willing to pay this premium price tag for [...]

As the year draws to a close, we at Mac Aid would like to take the time to thank you for your support throughout the year.   We would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We would also like to inform you that Mac Aid will be running at a reduced capacity from 22nd December to 7th January.   During this period, please call the office and leave [...]

High Sierra Bug: Root user There is a serious flaw in macOS High Sierra that allows an unauthorised user to log in to your computer as “root”. The “root” user is a special user that has the highest administration rights. This only affects High Sierra (10.13) users and doesn’t effect Sierra (10.12) or earlier users. To establish if you are running High Sierra, go to the Apple menu, and select “About This Mac”. You can [...]

Apple's most powerful iMac Announced at the 2017 Worldwide Developers Conference, the iMac Pro is the top of the line iMac. Due to be released in December 2017 Key Features Starting at 8-Core to 18-Core Xeon Processor Starting at 32GB to 128GB of memory Storage configurable from 1TB to 4TB SSD Contains four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports 27-inch Retina 5K Display 10Gb Ethernet port This power machine is encased in Space Grey and the same [...]

Meet Sean We have previously covered Sean in one of our previous newsletter articles. But to continue on with our series to Meet a Techie, and as a bit of a refresh, let's meet Sean. Sean joined the Mac Aid team, all the way back in March 2012. An interesting fact is that Sean has a background in chemical engineering. However, he thought it was the perfect time to make a change and looked at [...]

Backup your Mac at home/work One of the most frustrating things in life is losing all of your information at the most inconvenient time. To avoid this hair pulling and teeth grinding experience, backing up your Mac is essential. We can provide you with a whole big essay as to why you should be backing up your Mac and giving you details of various backup software. But for this article, we will simply focus on [...]

Do you regularly update your operating system? There is constantly new technology superseding what is currently out there. Along with this, it means that support for older versions become non-existent by their manufacturers.This then leads to having a lack of performance updates and security updates. But it isn't all bad news. By upgrading to their latest operating systems, not only does it give you better security, but also enhanced features. Let's take a look at [...]

Mac Aid Techie We continue with our series of getting to know our Engineers and Technicians that provide you with help and support. This month, we get to know more about Lee. Lee has been a Mac Aid techie since June 2015 and works on a part-time basis, mainly working in-house to provide support to clients via remote access as well as making sure client backups are running smoothly. When he is not monitoring backups, he assists Ricky [...]

What is the difference between POP, IMAP and Exchange? We have all been using emails for as long as we can remember. But do you know what type of email protocol you are using? Do you know how it all works? It is a good idea to find out what you have, especially if you wish to change how you are accessing them. These three methods (protocols) enables users to gain access to their email. [...]

Autoplay videos are, for the most part, an annoying part of browsing online, as they are usually ads or the same video that you just saw. Or simply a video that you have no intention of watching whatsoever. But now, you can easily disable autoplay for any particular web page that you venture to. There are two ways to go about doing this, let’s go through them both. autoplay for any particular web page that you […]

Are you currently using Archiware P5 or thinking of using it? Make sure that you read this before making any upgrades to Version 5.5. Or better still, make sure to contact us beforehand. What’s new in Archiware P5 Version 5.5? The feature set is identical to Version 5.4 for the most part. The biggest change is that it will no longer support 32-Bit. It will now only run off on a 64-Bit processor. This is […]

It has now been a week since the release of High Sierra. With many developers working hard to have their apps compatible with High Sierra. To help you, here are a few of the updates since High Sierra’s release. Microsoft Office 2016 and Genie have not released reports on any improvements or bugs towards High Sierra. High Sierra compatibility updates as of 2nd October 2017 are: Adobe Creative Cloud Adobe has now advised customers using […]

Continuing on with our series of getting to know our Engineers and Technicians. In this month’s edition, we get to know more about Ricky.

Learn about what macOS High Sierra has to offer.

We all receive spam and fake emails on a daily basis. We all know how to spot them. Some of the biggest culprits being the bad spelling and the grammatical issues. We also have a bit of a laugh at the scammer’s expense before we press the delete button. On other occasions, we find some fake emails that look to be authentic.   Have You Received This Email Below? What would you do about it? At a […]

Important Information on macOS High Sierra Compatibility We are just as excited as you are about Apple’s release of macOS High Sierra. It comes with some amazing features, which you can read up on in our September newsletter. But in the meantime, we wanted to provide you with some important information on compatibility issues.   Adobe Creative Cloud At this stage, there have only been compatibility issues between Illustrator CC 2017 (and earlier) and High […]

Apps, They’re Everywhere! Apps are constantly changing the way we interact with the world. They enable innovative developers to create apps aimed for any purpose they wish. Examples include UberEats, Candy Crush and Facebook. The only questions are how useful are all of these apps and how much is it going to cost me? Apple and Google currently have guidelines of what will be accepted and what will not. However, there are always a few […]

Introducing Swift Playgrounds Coding is the latest 21st Century skill that is being taught to children these days in a growing number of schools. There is no limit to these kids’ imagination as to what they can achieve. From programming a drone to fly to creating their very own multi-level game. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to join in with your kids’ homework? Understand their programming language and know exactly what they are […]

Meet Nathan This month begins our multi part article series, where you will meet and get to know our Engineers and Technicians. We kick this off by getting to know Nathan Jarvie. Working with Mac Aid since September 2012, Nathan has been a regular visitor at many big and small businesses. Whether it is to fix technical issues or to complete maintenance on a regular basis in order to prevent many problems from taking place. In […]

For those that use Google Play Music for iOS, it can now be played in Apple’s Car Play feature. Available on selected cars that have the compatible car systems containing Car Play. This previously worked with music apps such Apple Music, Spotify and Pandora. Google has recently made an update to its Google Play Music which enables it to be played through an iPhone into Car Play. What this will mean for drivers and designated passenger […]

There is a new recruit in the Mac Aid office that you will be spotting when you drop by. Jessica has only recently moved all the way from Perth to live in Melbourne and is doing well to acclimatise to the colder weather. But for now, she is based in the office from Monday to Friday as a marketing whiz. Over the next couple of months, you will begin to see some changes happening on all of […]

Free services, who is really making the most of it? Everyone loves a freebie, but when it comes to free services are we really the end users? Or, are we just a product that can be easily bought and sold by bigger players? Examples such as Photobucket and free wi-fi hotspots show just how little control we really have over our own information. Photobucket’s Terms of Service Image and video hosting service provider Photobucket came […]

Plan Your IT Goals With this financial year drawing to a close, it may not be a bad idea to start to plan your IT goals for the next year. We have a few projects lined up at this current point in time but are more than happy to discuss and help you achieve your IT dream. If you have something in mind or are pondering what you can afford on a budget, why not get […]

Tax time! If your business turns over less than 10 million dollars per year, and you are looking at  purchasing  some new assets up to $20K( per item) you can  still use the Simplified depreciation method, which the Tax office introduced last year, to Immediately claim back the depreciation on the entire amount this financial year. This tax rule is scheduled to end on the 30th June 2017. We have thought of some ideas on […]

Apple did not disappoint this year at WWDC. They announced some big changes that will be rolled out to devices later this year. Apple have rolled out a new range of iPads (10.5-inch iPad Pro), announced the iMac Pro, is set to release the iPhone 8 at some point this year, and will even have a new operating system to accompany them. Apple is calling iOS 11 the biggest software release ever for the iPad, [...]

We at Mac Aid have found that an increasing number of people have enabled Two Factor Authentication on their devices. Whilst this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, some clients seem to have done it without realising, or really wanting it enabled. Two factor authentication is an added layer of protection for your Apple ID designed to ensure you’re the only person who can access your account. Even if your password is known.   With two-factor authentication […]

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is just around the corner, and with it comes the promise of new goodies. Starting on Monday the 5th June, Apple will take to the stage and introduce the exciting lineup of gadgets and gizmos we’ll be able to get our hands on relatively soon. Whilst it’s expected that Apple will be showing off major features of iOS 11 at WWDC, the rumour mill has been pretty quiet on what [...]

iOS widgets can put loads of useful data at your fingertips. A simple swipe to the right on your iPhone’s Home screen brings up the Today view. A place where widgets live and give you a quick glance at info from your favourite apps If you’re using iOS 10 and you’ve never taken the time to customise your widgets list, you’re missing out. Here’s how to set up iOS widgets and keep your day on […]

As our Mac Aid team expands a little, we thought we’d introduce you to the fresh new faces you’ll be seeing around the office. Ricky Ricky is one of the newest members to join our tech team. Being a gamer since a young age, Ricky has always been interested in tech. So much so, he has custom built PC machines for himself and a few friends. Ricky is quickly earning his stripes in the office […]

As iOS gets more feature-packed, it is fairly easy to miss a cool little tidbit here and there. Apple’s sneaky engineers do continue to cram awesome features into every iOS after all. Listed below are 5 handy tips that you didn’t know you needed until now. 1. Close all safari tabs There are those who complain that they have too many tabs open in their safari app, and wish they could close them all at [...]

For those who are still running Microsoft’s Office 2011 for Mac rather than 2016 or Office 365, it’s probably time to bite the bullet and upgrade your software. Microsoft has announced that they will no longer be supporting Office 2011 after October 10, 2017. Those who are currently running Office 2011, might want to think about upgrading their Office suite to either 2016 or Office 365. Both have the base products such as Word, PowerPoint, […]

Macquarie Group and ING Direct Joining Apple Pay Macquarie Group and ING Direct have announced that they are joining the Apple Pay party. With the list of banks slowly growing (found here), this creates greater accessibility for users to actually be able to pay with their Devices rather than their physical cards. ING Direct and Macquarie are well-known brand names and have national reach, giving them the edge over rivals like Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, and Bank [...]

If you’re new to Apple Mac, mastering a few crucial Mac keyboard shortcuts will make using your Apple computer easier and much quicker. Cutting your reliance on your mouse, not only makes you faster when using your machine, you’ll no doubt impress a few family members or friends. Here are the top Mac keyboard shortcut tricks you need to memorise: First up, take a look at the Mac keyboard in front of you to familiarize […]

For those of you who have never met Sean, he’s one of our longest serving onsite engineers. Sean joined the Mac Aid team back in March 2012. With a background in Chemical engineering, Sean decided it was time for a change (and time to leave the radioactive spiders alone) and looked towards the IT industry. Since joining us, Sean has been one of our onsite techs and is always striving to better his mastery of the technical […]

3D Touch came into our lives in 2015 when Apple launched the iPhone 6s. The feature, which measures the intensity of a finger pressing on an iPhone screen and then brings up context sensitive menus and actions, does certainly make tasks quicker and easier. If you don’t use 3D Touch on a daily basis, or don’t know how to use it at all, here are 5 handy hints that will get the ball rolling for […]

In the last few days Apple has released their Beta software for both iOS devices (iOS 10.3) and MacOS Sierra (MacOS 10.12.4). Even though they are still in the testing phase, and not available for the whole populace, here is what you can look forward to with Apple Betas: macOS 10.12.4 Beta The new Apple Beta for macOS brings Night Shift to the desktop platform. Night Shift debuted on iOS devices in iOS 9.3 and […]

New Year Everyone at the Mac Aid office hopes you had a fantastic holiday period with family and friends, that you are all well rested and looking forward to the year ahead. As we at Mac Aid look back on 2016, we see the year brought some changes for the team.We said hello to a few new faces, and goodbye to a few familiar ones.We tackled some interesting projects, and met some new people along […]

Merry Christmas! Mac Aid will be running limited services for the Christmas period. The team’s final day in the office is December 22nd. From the 23rd of December, through to the 8th of January, Mac Aid will have a skeleton crew operating. The full team will return back to the office January 9th. If you have any issues or queries, please do not hesitate to call the office during this period. Alternatively, you can email […]

With the Apple releases of new MacBook Pros and AirPods, and it being around Christmas time, it’s no wonder stock is flying off shelves nationwide. The demand has been so high in fact, that even Apple themselves are struggling a little to keep up a steady supply. If you happened to have ordered some goodies through Mac Aid in the past, the general waiting period is approx. 2-3 weeks for CTO (custom ordered) equipment. Due to [...]

  Apple’s AirPods are a relatively new addition to the Apple market. They are sleek and wireless, making them a fancy accessory for those who hate being attached to their phones and other devices via cables. For those lucky enough to have a pair, or those who have only just received them, here’s a quick guide on how to connect, charge and customise settings. Connect AirPods to iPhone 1 – Press the Home button to unlock […]

Pay with Siri! PayPal has made it super easy to send money to friends with the use of Siri. Now all you have to do is use voice commands to tell Siri how much money to send, and who to send it to. The only catch is you need to have the PayPal app set up on your phone, and give Siri access to it. For those of us who live in that wonderful world where […]

Apple now has a few different options when it comes to the new 13-inch MacBook Pros. There are machines have the option of function keys, or the Touch Bar, and are available for purchase worldwide. It was discovered that the cheapest 13-inch MacBook Pro model (the one with function keys) is a bit different to its Touch Bar siblings. Whilst there is the obvious presence of function keys, the internals are a little different as well. For […]

Backup over Christmas There have been a few occasions where we have had a panicked client ring and frantically explain that the server has gone down over the Christmas break. Whilst we do have a skeleton crew addressing concerns, it is always a good idea to make sure that you have a backup system in place. Backups do mean that if anything terrible happens, and we have to try and restore data, luckily we have […]

As of Friday morning (28.10.16) Apple has released a new model of 13” and 15″ MacBook Pros. The major overhaul of the machines are long overdue according to some and sport some big differences. One of these differences is that it now introduces a Touch Bar to the machine. This Multi-Touch enabled strip replaces the function keys, allowing the user instant access to the tools they want. It changes automatically based on what you happen […]

So you just bought yourself a shiny new phone and want to pair your existing Apple Watch to play nicely with it. Having trouble? Most iPhone users just reset their watch and start from scratch. However, if you want to keep all of that health and fitness data, there is a way to switch your watch to your new phone. Here’s how: Backup and unpair Apple Watch – Open the Watch app on the old […]

Sierra has a new feature which is called ‘Optimise Storage’. This basically means that if you are someone who never empties your trash, or is constantly running out of hard drive space, your machine can purge itself of all the old files you haven’t touched in forever. It can also store copies of your files in the Cloud for access on all devices. This sounds like an awesome idea, but there are some things you need […]

macOS Sierra is available now MacOS Sierra has been released to the world as of the 20th of September, and tech heads everywhere are excited to try out it’s new features (more information on features can be found here). Sierra is the twelfth major release of operating system for the Mac, and currently exists as a 4.77GB download in the App Store. Whilst the new OS does feature some awesome stuff, such as Siri, tabs […]

You may see a new face around the Mac Aid office these days. Noel has joined the Mac Aid team as our new salesman. He will be doing meet and greets with clients in order to help work out what systems need to be in place to help them achieve their goals. Noel is an avid Mac enthusiast with over 30 years experience in the Apple Ecosystem. A former Account Manager with Apple, Noel has a rather […]

Dropbox is beginning to notify its users to update their passwords (if they haven’t updated them since 2012) to something a little bit more secure. The company claims that this is just a preventative measure and stresses that there are no accounts that have been improperly accessed. This movement is due to the discovery of a cache of user credentials that date back to 2012 that contain email addresses, plus hashed and salted passwords. The […]

After searching for a few weeks, Mac Aid has been able to find a new tech to join the team. Matt joins us from an internal IT support role, and is excited to earn the engineer badge, and join the fleet of Mac Aid techs out on the road. Currently undergoing his ‘probationary’ period, you may see Matt accompanying other techs when out onsite. This enables him to meet our clients and provide them with another […]

Apple’s new operating system ‘Sierra’ is set to be released in the upcoming months. One of the greatest features of Sierra is the fact that Siri is now incorporated into the Mac as well as your iOS device. This means that Siri is able to do twice as much for you at the drop of a hat. No matter what device you happen to be using. For those of us who don’t utilise Siri as […]

It’s been a year since the Apple Watch first hit stores but it certainly isn’t the only smart watch on the market. You might have assumed that the competition are purely for Android users, but in fact this is not the case. Whether you’re not a fan of the square design or haven’t the budget for the Apple Watch, here are some alternatives that you can still use with your iPhone     Huawei Watch The […]

Goodbye Jimmy After spending over 5 years with us, Jimmy has decided it’s time for a change of scenery. He will be leaving the Mac Aid office in favour of spending time managing a bike store. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours, and hope everything goes well with his bikes. As clients, you may find that Jimmy will be introducing you to a new technician when onsite. This is so that […]

There’s been a few rumours going around recently that Apple may be planning to remove the ability to purchase music for download in iTunes, forcing users to switch to Apple Music. But what is Apple Music and how is it different to the iTunes music downloads we’ve loved since the dawn of the iPod? It is a streaming music service that combines all of your current music library with access to just about any artist […]

This month has seen the arrival of Apple Pay for ANZ customers. Until now, Australia had been trailing far behind the U.S, with only American Express customers being able to access it and limited stores offering Apple Pay services. But if you are an ANZ or AMEX customers you can now use your iPhone or even your Apple Watch to make payments. With our new ANZ EFTPOS reader, Mac Aid is now able to offer this service […]

    Last month the Software Alliance, also known as BSA, increased their incentive for reporters of Australian businesses using unlicensed business software from $5,000 up to $20,000. A recent informant received the $20,000 reward. The informant reported that a metalwork company, from Western Australia, were using copies of pirated software.  In 2015, most piracy offenders were discovered in Western Australia. Majority of whom were part of the manufacturing industry. Roland Chan, the senior director for […]

Ok, so you have this password that you have spent a bit of time setting up. You’ve picked something that ticks all the boxes. It’s at least 8 characters long, It has a few num8er5 in it, It has a special ch@racter or two, It may not lead with a Capital but has one or two dotted tHrouGhoUt.   Most of all, it’s memorable to you. You are all set, right? You can freely use this […]

Last weekend the Mac Aid team and their families took a break from the office and headed to Healesville Sanctuary for the day. We all met up at Healesville’s ‘Beechworth Bakery’ for lunch (really good cake by the way!) and then headed to the sanctuary itself. The kids had a ball watching birds fly overhead during the Bird of Prey show (as did some of the adults), and it was a great day out that […]

Apple designed the MagSafe connector to prevent your MacBook from being dragged down with the cable if, for example, someone trips over the charge cable. It is designed such that the magnetic connection requires little force to disconnect from the Macbook. Although most of the time this is a life saver for your device, it is not without its disadvantages. You may have found your computer frequently disconnecting during charging – suddenly realising your MacBook […]

It is common after a new iOS update for older model iPhones to become a little sluggish. Here are four tips to getting your iPhone running up to speed again. 1. Reboot your iPhone Sometimes a simple Reboot is the key to improving your iPhone’s performance. You can easily Reboot your iPhone by holding down the Home button and Power/Lock button at the same time. Keep holding these down and your iPhone screen will turn off. […]

This week two new ransomware attacks have been detected, affecting both Mac and PC users. Ransomware has been a popular criminal business model targeting Windows users for while now, but a new ransomware, called KeRanger, is the first to specifically target Mac OS X machines. Meanwhile, in the world of Windows, PETYA, is a new and well-disguised ransomware affecting many unsuspecting victims. What is ransomware? Ransomware is a kind of a malware which imposes a lockout, preventing you from being able […]

In case you missed Apple’s launch last week, here’s a recap of their new Autumn range.   Apple Watch Since the announcement last week, Apple has dropped the price of their Apple Watch. You can now grab an Apple Watch Sport from $429 for the 38mm model or $499 for the 42mm model. Apple has also increased the personalisation of the Watch, with the release of a new range of bands. You can use their […]

With the release of the new iOS 9.3 operating system, many users were stumped to remember their Apple ID password after the update.      Luckily, there’s a simple, yet a little known way to retrieve and reset your password. All you need to do is head to http://iforgot.apple.com Once you’ve arrived at Apple’s recovery page, just type in your Apple ID and you can choose to either answer your security questions or have reset instructions emailed to […]

This week a new ransomware has been detected, affecting some Mac users. Ransomware has been a popular criminal business model targeting Windows users for while now, but this new ransomware, called KeRanger, is the first to specifically target Mac OS X machines. What is ransomware? Ransomware is a kind of a malware which imposes a lockout, preventing you from being able to use your computer until you pay a ransom or risk having your data completely wiped after […]

Lee is our newest tech who joined us in June 2015! He identifies as a geek and loves or appreciates all things geeky including, but not limited to: anime, superheroes, role-play games and electronic gadgets. Lee especially loves video games, and even though his game library is not especially huge, he is proud of his vast game console collection. His most recent addition was an Xbox One. Lee’s favourite game is Super Smash Bros. and in […]

Does your iPhone constantly run out of battery before you’ve seen the day out? Late last year Apple released an iPhone charging case to extend the battery life of your iPhone throughout the day. The Smart Battery case can be charged simultaneously with your iPhone, using the standard lightning connector charge cable or iPhone Lightning Dock and increases talk time battery life up to 25 hours, up to 18 hours of internet browsing and up […]

Are you running low on storage space on your Mac? The following tips can help you identify what is filling up your hard drive and how to save space, without deleting your important files and media.   1. Clearing your downloads folder Photo: Ally Kazmucha/The App Factor Often you might find that your Downloads folder is filled with files you only needed temporarily – until you save them elsewhere, for example. Almost everything you download ends up […]

Night Shift is here! The public release of iOS 9.3 has not yet been announced but with beta versions now available, users can already know what to expect in the next update. iOS 9.3 isn’t going to be a huge update for iPhones and iPads, but there is one feature that everyone is talking about: Night Shift. You’ve probably heard it before – staring at computer or phone screens can tire your eyes and body. And […]

We hope that your Christmas break was full of merriment, good food, great people, and most of all safe. After having eaten all the turkey, unwrapped all the presents and celebrated the New Year, Mac Aid employees are now back in the office and ready to see to a great 2016. Office hours are now back to normal: Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:30 pm, we hope to see you soon!

Sign PDFs from iPhone/iPad Long gone are the days of printing a document only to sign it and scan it and send it back. There are plenty of apps available for scanning and editing documents on your iPhone or iPad, but did you know hidden inside the mail app is an existing document editor? This allows you to sign, annotate and highlight documents without exporting it in and out of third party applications. Keep reading […]

Just as our lives get busy and cluttered, filling up with tasks, meetings, work and well, life, so do our computers- filling up with documents, emails, movies, pictures and life. All of this information gets stored on your computer’s hard drive and just like us, if they don’t get a break, checkup and clean out every now and again they have a greater chance of breaking down. So what steps can you take to improve your […]

For years Wacom’s Cintiq has been the go-to graphics tablet for digital artists. Finally, with the release of Apple’s iPad Pro, there is a real competitor for the Cintiq but the debate is on as to whether the iPad Pro can really match up in terms of capability. The Apple Pencil has more than exceeded expectations when it comes to pressure sensitivity, varied tilt angles and natural line weights. But for professional artists, the iPad […]

As the year draws to a close, the team at Mac Aid would like to take the time to thank you for your support throughout the year. We wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year, and hope that you have a safe break. We would also like to inform you that Mac Aid will be running at a reduced capacity from the 24th of December 2015 through to the 10th of January 2016. […]

Is your laptop running a little slow? Give your older MacBook Pro a Christmas present and get a speed boost at a fraction of the price of a new machine, by replacing your traditional Hard Drive with an SSD. Until the 23rd December, Mac Aid is offering a free external drive enclosure when we install an SSD in your compatible MacBook Pro. As well as the speed boost, use your hard drive in the enclosure for extra […]

Christmas shopping can be a stressful time for anyone. Shopping for the fellow tech head can be even worse than usual. Who really knows what to buy them?! We thought that we’d help relieve some of that Christmas tech pressure, and compile a list of great stocking fillers. 1. Apple Watch The Apple Watch is one of those gifts that allows the wearer to customise to their heart’s content. Change the watch face, background, and […]

Windows users may have been able to lock two windows into place and use them in a split screen mode for some time. Apple users are now able to do the same thing thanks to El Capitan. The operating system update introduces support for this screen tidying feature. It only allows two windows per display at a time, but it does make browsing recipes and making shopping lists much easier. For those of you who […]

The silly season is on it’s way! It’s the perfect opportunity to get out of the office (for those lucky ones) and spend some time with family and friends. But please ensure there’s a proper and up-to-date back up sorted first. There are a few methods, some more suitable for different situations than others, but it’s definitely a good thing to have something in place. The more data you have, the more difficult and expensive it can […]

Apple has released their new iMacs, offering new 21.5” and 27” models. In addition to the 5K retina machine that is available in a 27” model, Apple has now released it’s little brother. The 21.5” 4K retina display is now available and comes with Apple’s new range of accessories, as well as Apple’s latest operating system, El Capitan. To accompany the new range of iMacs, Apple has revealed a set of new accessories including the […]

Stop those excessive itunes charges Apple is well known for their user-friendly software, but sometimes it’s too easy for kids to rack up charges for apps and in-app purchases. Here are a few things you can try to avoid unwanted and excessive itunes charges to your credit card. Before you begin make sure to choose a strong Apple ID password Choose something that won’t be too easy for your kids to guess. Keep in mind that Apple […]

Mac Aid Renovations! For those of you that visited us during the last couple of weeks, you may have noticed that our office looked a little like this: Well, we can safely say that the office no longer looks grey and dirty and dusty anymore. Our new reception is now bigger, brighter and redder than ever! Whilst we have a few little bits to sort out, we think it’s looking pretty good. Thank you for […]

Vintage Machines The following list of machines are moving into the Vintage classification. What is Vintage? Machines over 7 years old are classed as Vintage. This means that parts particular to that model will no longer be available and will likely be unable to update to future OS versions. This could mean that some applications may no longer be compatible with these models. Below is a list of units that will be classified as Vintage machinesnext […]

Health App Did you know your iPhone could potentially save your life in a medical emergency? Much like Medical ID bracelets, this little-known feature stores important medical information in your iPhone, which can be accessed even if the phone is locked. The feature is part of the phone’s Health app and allows you to store details such as medical conditions, allergies, medications you take and your blood type as well as emergency contact details. Basically, […]

On September 9th Apple launched a line of new products to look forward to this Spring. The new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are now available in Apple stores and phone dealerships nation wide. These two are almost identical in appearance to last year’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus but with faster processing, 4G and wifi capabilities and a much improved 12 mega pixel camera capable of 4k video recording and live photos (think Harry […]

In the last month or so, we’ve had a flood of client server failures, which has led to some very busy technicians. In all cases, we were able to put the pieces back together happily because each of these clients had a reliable, tested, backup solution in place. Without a backup, any one of these jobs could have ended very poorly. Remember you should always backup your computer. Even if it’s only once a week. [...]

In the recent Federal budget, there has been the announcement of measures in order to assist small businesses. If your business turns over less than 2 million dollars, we have thought of some ideas for how you could invest in IT. Improving your business efficiency is always a great idea. You could: •Implement a studio management system to help with time billing (if that’s relevant for your business) •Implement a customer relationship management system to […]

  The other day Apple made a new addition to the iMac line. The New 5K Retina Display iMac has a slightly slower processor, does give you the option of various hard drives, and just so happens to be slightly cheaper. For those that are looking at the 3.5GHz model, but are unfortunately not able to foot the bill for it, the 3.3GHz model may be more up your alley. The new addition iMac wasn’t […]

This month we have decided that we’d introduce you to one of our staff. Jimmy decided to be brave and step up first.   So here’s what we know about our Jimmy: – Jimmy is really into BMX riding. And we mean really into it (I mean, look at this video). He mostly focuses on cross country mountain biking nowadays though. He loves to compete in races and has completed a few 6-hour races, as […]

For those of you who have updated to Yosemite 10.10.3 and realised your iPhoto looks a bit like the above picture, don’t stress too much. If you were using Yosemite prior to updating to 10.10.3, there is a way to get your iPhoto back up and running. However, any editing changes or additions you make to your iPhoto library, will not be picked up and reflected in your Photos library. Here’s how to get iPhoto […]

Apple recently released update 10.10.3 for OS X Yosemite. In this particular update, a program called Photos has arrived. This particular program replaces the iPhoto and Aperture programs that may have been on your mac. The idea behind the Photos application is that Photos for OS X will provide all the features of Photos for iOS, which arrived with iOS 8 last September, to Mac users. The application comes with powerful editing tools that are […]

As the Easter break approaches, we at Mac Aid wish you a restful and pleasant break. If you’re travelling these holidays, drive safely. Holiday traffic is always shocking. May the Easter Bunny be good to you.   We would also like to note that our office will be closed from Good Friday (April 3rd), until Easter Monday (April 6th). The office will reopen on Tuesday 7th of April.

  Our lives get busy and cluttered, filling up with tasks, meetings, work and well, life. So do our computers, filling up with documents, emails, movies, pictures and life. All of this information gets stored on your computer’s hard drive and like in our own lives, if they don’t get a break, checkup and clean out every now and again they have a greater chance of breaking down. So what steps can you take to […]

In the last few weeks, Apple has been striving to release some exciting new products and upgrades. For those of you who may have not heard, here are some quick recaps on Apple’s exciting releases. Apple Watch Apple announced that the Apple Watch will be available in Australia April 24. According to Tim Cook (Apple’s CEO), “Apple Watch begins a new chapter in the way we relate to technology and we think our customers are […]

Apple have released updates to their range of iPads, Mac Minis, and added a new top of the line iMac 27″ to the fleet. iPads: iPad Air 2; Apple’s flagship tablet is now thinner, sporting a faster CPU, graphical performance and WiFi all while maintaining the 10 hours of battery life of the previous model. The camera has been updated considerably and the display has a new anti-refelective coating for reduced glare. Finally, the new […]

LaCie’s new drives LaCie have made a few exciting announcements this month with the addition of Thunderbolt 2 drives, great for those with a current Mac Pro, and larger capacity drives across the range. LaCie’s 2BIG, 5BIG, and Little Big Disk all sport Thunderbolt 2 connectivity now – this may seem a little ahead of the times as there’s only one Mac available with Thunderbolt 2 presently, the Mac Pro. However these drives are backwards […]

Password Security There’s never been such a good time to talk about Password security as there is now, even more so after the news this last month of the major security flaw that had been exposed in OpenSSL by the name of Heartbleed.   Heartbleed, very briefly:  Heartbleed was an exploit in OpenSSL (makes data secure of the net – you’ll see HTTPS or the little lock in the address bar) that means anyone that […]

We thought we would address an issue that has popped up more than a few times when servicing our clients’ computers; available Hard Drive capacity. Having space available is not only necessary  for files to be saved but for the computer to operate at all – ensuring you have space available is key to your computer’s functionality. Perhaps this is more prevalent with the MacBook Airs and the Retina MacBook Pros as they have limited and expensive storage but in actual fact […]

As part of ongoing efforts to train our staff and better ourselves, we embarked on some personality profiling with a specialist. The results were varied and interesting to say the least, but one of the returned results was a list of recommended jobs. Not necessarily based upon skill, but rather personality and let’s say, brain function preference. We thought you might enjoy the results:   Stuart – Interior Designer (and no doubt soon to consider […]

Apple have recently released new additions to the iPad family. The iPad Air and the iPad Mini have both been been released with the fabulous iOS 7 operating system, however both iPads differ.   iPad Air   The new iPad Air is ridiculously light compared it to its predecessors, and capable of much more. Weighing less than 500 grams, the new iPad Air is 28% lighter than any iPad ever. Just because it’s light, doesn’t […]

Google has modernised the way we search for information and results (remember Altavista and AskJeeves?). We can search for basically anything and have results in less than a minute. Unless of course what you want can’t be found on the first page or two of your google search.   To get the most out of your googling, here’s a few handy tips that we’ve compiled:   Exact Phrases If you want to find an exact […]

If you’re working in a mixed computer environment, you should be aware that there are usually some nasty things out there that can affect a pc. The latest ‘big bad’ to be circulating is called ‘Cryptolocker’, a ‘ransomware’ Malware heard to be delivered by email that aims to infect and encrypt all of the files a particular computer has access to. In order to unlock your files, a fee of $300 (or similar depending on currency) in […]

Apple have held a special keynote event today (Tuesday 10am California time) in which they unveiled updated iPad models, Macbook Pro’s and have officially released OSX Mavericks. Read on for a brief account of the updates and availability.  iPads Apple have updated both the larger and the mini iPads today; The iPad 5th generation has been dubbed the iPad Air and boasts a faster CPU, better graphical performance, a smaller bezel and comes in at 500grams. It will […]

Mac Aid are unveiling a Monitoring program and service so we can proactively deal with any issues your system may be having. It’s non-invasive, reports on things far and wide and has a neat icon that we’re a little proud of. Take a read of the copy below and of course get in touch if it’s something you would like to discuss  or pursue.   Wouldn’t it be great if your computer could let us […]

Hot corners are great for those that enjoy simplicity. After it’s set up, you don’t require the various clicks of the mouse to get the desired result. Instead it’s just a smooth glide of the mouse. Down to the screen corner of your choice. It can be a bit disrupting for those that tend to have cursors that grace the corners of their screens often, but for most, it’s a quick, easy way to jump […]

Nathan J has chosen this opportune moment to leave the cold Melbourne winter behind, and enjoy a European Summer. Hopefully it’s much nicer than the cold we’re currently getting here. Starting the trip in London, we at Mac Aid aren’t so sure, but are positive it’ll warm up towards the Greece/Italy portion of the venture. We wish Nathan all the best on his travels, and hope he doesn’t get too lost in his overseas adventure. […]

Near the end of last week Apple released the latest update to their music production suite Logic Pro X – yes it is actually version 10. It has been 4 years since the last update and there certainly has been plenty of discussion in music circles about what the changes might be, or even if the product had been abandoned. This is not a radical departure from previous version but rather a tidy and aesthetically […]

Jimmy, our favourite Swede, has returned from Sweden refreshed and raring to go. He has renewed his love for mountain biking, but is sadly shaken by Melbourne weather. Fair enough really, just look at those photos! The view from Jimmy’s father’s house. “Tännforsen” We would also like to announce that we have signed with a new partner, MB Recycling. They take all computers, notebooks, mobile phones, printers, cables etc, and recycle them for us. As […]

Do you use multiple back up drives? (you should be!) Or rather, use an external drive for media archiving purposes or something of the like? If, like us, you prefer to have different icons that reflect what is found on that particular drive (eg. an ‘A’ for back up drive A, or a camera for the photo archive), then read on for a quick how to on changing the icon yourself. This will make it easier for […]

Apple has made some exciting new announcements and released some awesome products at the WWDC (Worldwide Developer Conference) last week. Stock has been leaking in late last week but everything below should be available this week.     The MacBook Air (available now) The new MacBook Air allows you to make the most of your day, with all the power you need. The battery life on both the 11-inch and 13-inch models has dramatically improved. […]

Have you ever experienced this awful moment: You are listening to some music on your iPhone, someone bumps into you, the phone falls on the ground, and when you pick it up the screen looks like a spiderweb? This exact thing happened to both Jason (iPad Mini which fell off a table) & Wendy (iPhone 5) recently. Did you know that this doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to pay for a brand new iDevice? You can […]

Jimmy is temporarily leaving us for Sweden. We wish Jimmy a lovely holiday, as he jets off for some birthday celebrations. Hopefully we see him return in one piece, all refreshed and ready to swing back into action.        

Apple’s Airplay: Apple’s AirPlay, (originally known as AirTunes when it was just for audio) was introduced in June 2004 and enables the wireless streaming of content between devices. An example of this is displaying media such as photos or videos from ones iPhone to an Apple TV connected to a Television or similar. Apple additionally have Mirroring available for mid-2011 machines onwards running Mountain Lion and recent iOS devices (check below for compatibility). Mirroring enables […]

Small business concessions: changes to simpler depreciation rules apply from 2012-13. With the end of financial year approaching, Stuart Conway from ARC Partners writes about Small Business depreciation for this financial year. You could save tax by buying equipment before 30th June. From the 2012 – 13 income year changes have been made to the rules for claiming depreciation for “small businesses”. These changes mean that significant tax savings could be obtained if depreciating assets […]

Apple takes a comprehensive approach to environmental responsibility. Whether it’s from reporting their entire carbon footprint, to finding ways to reduce said footprint. Every year Apple reports on their progress so the public can see how they’re doing. Apple started measuring and reporting their total carbon footprint of not only their facilities, but also their products, in 2009. In regards to the measuring of the products, it included manufacturing (materials used), transportation (domestic and international), product use and […]

Are you finding that your computer is running far slower than usual? That the performance isn’t quite what you would like it to be? It could be time to consider a Solid State (SSD) Harddrive and RAM (memory) upgrade. It is the combination of both RAM and a speedy HDD that make for a quick and pleasant computing experience (not to mention the CPU but that’s not upgradable), and as such, either one can become […]

New tech Nathan Kay is our newest technician to join the growing Mac Aid team. The avid gamer comes to us with over 8 years of Mac retail experience and an attitude for success. We are thrilled to have him and hope him all the best in the technician field.     Another year and a big party on the horizon? We’d also like to mention that on April 1st, Mac Aid celebrated trading for 9 years. We’re going to start planning our ’10 year […]

Apple updates the Retina MacBook Pro specifications and pricing: The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display now starts at A$1,649 inc. GST for 128GB of flash, or an alternative A$1,849 inc. GST,  for a new 2.6 GHz processor and 256GB of flash. The 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display now features a faster 2.4 GHz quad-core processor, and the topnotch 15-inch notebook comes with a new 2.7 GHz quad-core processor and 16GB of memory. It pays […]

One of ours gets married.  This month we wanted to say a huge congratulations to our youngest technician, Nathan, and his new wife, Natalie, on their recent wedding. We wish you all the best guys!!    

Finder is OSX’s tool and starting place for organising your files on your Mac OSX system. While we could write pages on the various ways to use it and tips and tricks to help you along the way (don’t worry, we will cover everything eventually), this article focuses on the Icon view, and getting the most from it. The Icon view provides a visual way of working, offering less info than the detailed mode, but […]

These days, we all spend an increased amount of time typing an ever increasing amount of emails and documents. There’s no way that we’d get through it all without a couple of tips, hints and useful apps to speed up workflow.   One of the things we come up against is formatting, especially when posting in information (specifications etc). People have been known to put everything in and finally correct all the font style, size […]

As of the 30th January, Apple has released a 128GB version of the fourth generation iPad with retina display. Both the Wi-Fi only and the Wi-Fi + Cellular models are available, and offer twice the storage capacity of the 64GB models. Allowing avid iPad users to store even more music, photos, documents, books and apps than before. With more than 120 million iPads sold worldwide, it’s clear to see people love these iDevices. And with […]

We say farewell to one of our technicians and as such open our doors to applicants for the position.   Sergio, our technician from Columbia has decided to pursue his own business venture (something we can’t talk about yet, but non IT related) and as such departed from Mac Aid the other week. While we hate to see him go, we at Mac Aid wish him the best of luck with his new venture.   Secondly, […]

Tip of the Month Want to be more productive than last year? We recommend some great apps, and give you some tips on how to achieve your goals. click here to read more.   Apple news.  Apple products are out in full force. Do you have the latest? Click here to read more.   Mac Aid News. We welcome in the New Year. Click here to read more.

Mac Aid has greeted this New Year with much enthusiasm. After all the festivities and merry making, we’re back in the swing of things. We have all of our staff on hand to help you when you need it most. So if you have an issue, don’t be afraid to give us a call. We’re more than happy to help. We at Mac Aid are looking forward to a great 2013, and hope you are […]

Apple hasn’t been any product releases nor announcements since their last Keynote event in October (click here for info at that), but we have seen that round of products slowly come in to stock as availability increases. It’s only been just over two months since their release date, and Apple’s iPad mini is out and about in full force. Not only are we seeing more stock available for purchase at our suppliers, but the mass amount of accessories […]

For those of you who are determined to be the most productive possible this year, we’re recommending a few handy applications, and great tips that will definitely help you out. Evernote The popular, free application, Evernote, is a must have for someone who wants all their notes, information and documents with them wherever they are. Evernote helps millions of people across the globe remember everything that happens in their lives. It can be used to […]

During our regular perusing of the Apple online store, we at Mac Aid noticed that Apple’s OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) is once again available for purchase.         Snow Leopard was ‘off the market’ for a short period which presented some difficulty for anyone running a 10.5 system or below that wanted to upgrade.   For anyone out there that is currently running 10.5, it may well be worth considering purchasing this software upgrade, […]

Well another year has almost gone. Can you believe how quick the time flies?   For the upcoming Christmas/New Years break, Mac Aid’s services will be limited from the 22th December, until the 6th January 2013.   The main office itself will be shut, however we will have technicians on and available throughout the break period. It is recomended to call the office and leave a message during this time, however for urgent issues, the […]

We’re going to address two things in this Tip of the Month; one fun, and the other more important than fun.   Bring back the Old School sounds We found a great article with instructions and suitable links to bring back the sounds of the classic 80’s Mac to your current system. Click here for the article and enjoy!   Back Up We also want to take the opportunity to remind you about backing up your data […]

Tip. Still using Entourage (or Outlook 2008)? Entourage is the Mac only equivalent of Windows’ Outlook, (released in October 2000), and was replaced by Outlook for Mac in the 2008 and 2011 Microsoft Office bundles. If you’re using either Entourage or Outlook 2008 you are using currently unsupported software. This means Microsoft won’t support the software and third party service providers are finding it harder to support than ever. Entourage struggles with large mailboxes and […]

New 21.5″ iMacs are almost here..   Apple announced their redesigned iMac’s at the end of October and everyone seems thrilled with the idea of a slimmer machine with an updated display and all round quicker performance. The arrival of the machines were stipulated as November for the 21.5″ and December for the 27″   We are very excited to have received word from our suppliers that the 21.5″ iMac will begin shipping the end of this […]

Mac Aid grows by two and adds iPads to it’s list..    We’re having a good month – not only have we added two more staff to the roster but we have been accepted as an iPad reseller.   Staff   At the beginning of November Sergio returned from his overseas jaunt and wedding celebrations, and more recently we have brought Liza on to fill the part time accounts role. We’re very happy to be growing […]

You may have seen one of the Mac Aid cars, signage and all, screaming down a road somewhere (depending on the driver). These cars are great for grabbing peoples attention but also making sure that our technicians are able to get onsite to help you, our valued customer. Statistically the likelyhood of spotting one of these cars has increased as, in the last month, we have had three cars join the rest in proudly bearing […]

  Apple released a number of updates last week at their Keynote. Not only was the iPad Mini announced but there were significant updates made to the Mac line up also. Read below for a brief account of the most recent updates and their respective availability.   iPad family iPad mini; the 7.9 inch version of the iPad. Same resolution as the iPad 2 in a smaller, lighter frame that looks great for reading books etc but while retaining […]

Selective iCloud backup of your iOS devices and data. The below tip is demonstrated on an iPhone but will work all iOS devices.   You have a current back up of your iOS device correct? Well if you dont, then you really should!! Not only is a backup of your iOS device the only way to recover information and application data that lives solitarily on that device but it’s actually very easy to set up. Furthermore, […]

iPhone 5 Apple has recently released the latest iPhone, the iPhone 5! The iPhone 5 looks like quite the sleek machine running faster and physically lighter than it’s predecessors  –  18 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter than the iPhone 4S. It has a larger 4″ retina display , a faster A6 chip, the latest wireless technology, an 8MP iSight camera, and more. iOS6 – a worthwhile update   In addition to the actual iPhone, the […]

Find my Device. In the event that one loses, misplaces or has a cheeky workmate hide your iPhone, iPad or Mac then Find my Device can help you locate the device and/or protect your data. You can log in through the iCloud web login to find any of your devices, play a sound, go into Lost Mode (as below) or Erase itself.   There is a very similar app will let you use an iOS device to locate […]

We at Mac Aid are pleased to welcome yet another team member, Nathan Jarvie-Kohn. Nathan is our newest junior technician, who is eager to learn, and make his way in the business. Being an amateur competitive ballroom dancer, allows him to have the determination for success and perfection. In his spare time, he enjoys watching Batman and Harry Potter movies.     As our staff grow to a total of 9, our capabilities and offerings […]

Due to the popularity of last month’s tip section, “10 tips that don’t warrant an article each” we thought we would do another one. However,the majority of these tips focus on Apple’s most recent addition to the OSX family, Mountain Lion. Users on earlier operation systems check out the end of the document for some tips that work on all systems. Read the previous months tips here: http://www.macaid.com.au/july-2012-tip-of-the-month/ Here are some of our Mountain Lion tips: -You […]

The big question most mac users face is whether or not it’s worth upgrading their operating system to the ‘latest and greatest’. Sometimes, the latest operating system release is a must have offering much wanted new features and enhance the users experience but sometimes an upgrade can be more of a headache than it’s worth. In any case it’s important to check before you make the jump. Should I upgrade to Mountain Lion? First off, […]

A large congratulations to Sergio as he’s to marry his sweetheart of 8 years early September! It’s also farewell to Sergio as they’re getting married in his hometown of Cartagena in Columbia. Between the wedding and the potential honeymoon in Cuba or enviable list of alternatives, Sergio and his wife-to-be will be away from Melbourne for almost 2 months. We’ll keep his seat warm though with a new hire in the new month and look forward to a larger team than […]

Tip of the Month 10 tips that don’t warrant an article each!   Use the Dictionary directly from Spotlight – click the Magnifying glass top right of the screen (or CMD & Spacebar) and type away.  Quickly create folder for selected items – select multiple items on desktop, right click and select ‘New folder with selection’ (Command Z to undo) Use Spaces? You can have different wallpapers for each desktop. You’ll find the System Preferences […]

News From the Apple World   While Apple’s website doesn’t specify a date for the release of Mountain Lion, rumors and previous releases have pointed to the 25th of July (ie tomorrow in USA). However today it was within a press release on Apple’s Q3 earnings press release that CEO Tim Cook announced that OSX Mountain Lion will be launching tomorrow (America time).   “We’re thrilled with record sales of 17 million iPads in the […]

Mac Aid news   Congratulations to Stuart and Jimmy on succesfully completing the iPhone and iPad Technical Training for Enterprise training program.   The instructor led program works to complement the skills and knowledge previously acquired in order to help support customers as they deploy and integrate iPhone and iPad into their businesses.   Through hard work, these technicians are now able to help customers with their Business Integration, Security, Configuration and Deployment, App Development and […]

Tip of the Month The life of your battery depends on your computer configuration and on how you use your computer. Remember that the more intensive the usage of a computer, the faster the battery will drain. Some steps and settings are listed below for you to follow if you wish to get the most out of you MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air battery. The battery status menu allows you to see how much […]

News From the Apple World Apple announced a number of new goodies recently, including upgrades to the Mac line-up which now all sport the Ivy Bridge processors. Firstly a new Macbook Pro 15 inch model with a Retina display have been released offering a Solid State harddrive, the Ivy Bridge processor and a very high resolution Retina screen at 15 inches all packed into a slim form factor. If you are familiar with the new […]

News from the Mac Aid World Happy travels Wendy! Team member, Wendy Gibbs, has left the building for a few weeks. Leaving for Holland mid-june, and being expected back mid-july, we all wish her a safe and happy trip. In her absence, Paul will be more than happy to answer any queries you may have.       Apple release Retina Macbook Pro 15″ and bumps up all other existing portables Apple released some new […]

Daylite 4 released. Marketcircle have released Daylite 4, their business and productivty management application for Mac OSX and iOS. The new version, released today, is a major upgrade from previous versions focusing on streamlining the interface, increasing performance, workflow and integration with iOS devices. Daylite handles almost every facete of a business assisting with contact and relationship management, calendars, tracking projects and tasks. It allows you to work and get information remotely with well integrated iOS apps for iPhone and iPad. […]

Welcome Sergio!  We are pleased to welcome another technician to our line up: Mr Sergio Pacheco. Sergio, from Colombia, comes to us with many years of experience with Macs and IT, a love for golf and fast cars. We are excited to be growing and feel we have a rounded team that offers even greater service to our clients. Those of you who have been Mac Aid clients for some time will have watched us grow from a […]

FileMaker 12 available now FileMaker, Inc.have released the FileMaker 12 database software line. Version 12 has proved to be a serious update providing some great features but requiring some thought into the upgrade process.     As per FileMaker’s press release. FileMaker 12 launches a new era for databases, empowering users to create stunning custom database apps for iPad, iPhone, Windows, Mac and the web. FileMaker Pro 12 features beautiful new themes and Starter Solutions, […]

Tip of the Month You probably have or know of someone who has a story or two about some terrible loss of data at some point. See Pixar’s own recap of how they almost lost Toy Story completely after an entire year of work http://bit.ly/IfzJrN It’s not fun to loose data, be it work, creative endeavors, financial records, the list goes on. With our dependency on computers and the data within going up, so goes […]

Adobe Creative Suite 6 Purchase an Adobe® Creative Suite® 5.5 full license or upgrade between March 26th and May 6th, 2012 and receive an upgrade to CS6―at no additional cost. Pay today’s prices for tomorrow’s software. Whether you purchase full or upgrade licenses to CS5.5 today, your organisation will receive the CS6 license for each of those purchases at no additional cost. That translates into significant savings for your organisation, and your users will benefit from the latest and greatest […]

Tip of the Month Apple have made it very easy for any user to deal with the Flashback Malware with the release of an update through Software Update. There’s no reason to not install the update as if you are online then you are at risk. To run Software Update, click the Apple icon top left of your screen and then Software Update. If not already installed there will be a Java Security update that […]

Hassle free consumable experience.  We know that ordering consumables can be a hassle, you need to figure out what products you need, then where to buy them, where they’re in stock and possibly even make a trip to go get them.Mac Aid want to take this hassle away from you. Register your printer with us to be supplied with an individually numbered sticker that will be assigned to your printer model information and applicable supplies. […]

The New iPad, and Mountain Lion announced. The new iPad The much anticipated new iPad was announced end of last week and will be available for sale March 16th. It will sport a much higher resolution screen, 2048-by-1536-pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi) to be exact. The processor has been bumped to a Dual-core Apple A5X, the camera now a 5 megapixel ‘iSight’ camera and the unit now has support for 4G network. […]

We welcome a new tech to Mac Aid, Sean Yuen! We’re happy to welcome Sean to the Mac Aid team. He brings with him many years of experience with computers and a strong passion for Mac’s specifically. Keep an eye out for Sean in the future. Tip of the Month A collection of recommended apps: Alfred; an app launcher, web searcher and shortcut extraordinaire, Optimal Layout, a power window layout manager, and xType; a flexible […]

Tip of the Month We thought we might try something different this month so read on below to hear our productivity application recommendations. Alfred app launcher. Alfred, a free keyboard-driven productivity application from the App Store, allows you to launch apps and search your computer and the web with great speed. Through the use of a quick shortcut, Alfred is able to: Launch any application living on your mac. Alfred will also learn which apps […]

Hats off to your Sir Jonathan Ives of Apple. Jonathan Ives, the British polytechnic graduate who became the design genius behind Apple was elevated to Knight Commander of the same Order (KBE) in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to design and enterprise. Ives has worked with Apple since 1992, initially commissioned as a consultant but then gained his current position as senior vice president of design in 1997 after Steve Jobs return to […]

Tip of the Month iPhoto is well integrated into the Mac ecosystem allowing you to do many things such as email, share on Facebook and Twitter etc very easily. It also offers a way to present your photos not commonly found in software applications: iPhoto gives you the ability to create your own hard or softcover book, letter press cards and calendar. You can easily change the arrangement of photos, input your own text or […]

How confident are you in your back up strategy? Have you checked it lately? Over the next few weeks you may find a letter in your mailbox detailing an offer from us; if you’re interested, we can assess your back up strategy, make sure it’s actually working and recoverable and advise on any changes, solutions or potential issues that there could be. When you need your backup, it’s too late, so don’t wait until you […]

John Proctor Retires John will be retiring to the North in his newly acquired house so we wanted to thank him for his excellent work while here at Mac Aid and wish him all the best for the future. He’s been a fantastic employee and friend in the last 5 years with us at Mac Aid and will be sorely missed.. Feel free to pass along any messages you want to get to him – […]

iTunes Match is now live in Australia, finally! iTunes Match is a yearly subscription that gives you the option to connect your iTunes library to your Apple ID. iTunes will then check and ‘match’ your library agains the millions of songs available in the iTunes Music Store. If some of your songs are not matched, they will instead be uploaded to Apple’s servers. This gives you the benefit of having almost instant access to all […]

Tip of the Month As you’ve all probably experienced, the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air range all have fantastic trackpads with multitouch capabilities. One handy thing we’ve discovered is that you can enable ‘three finger tap’ and use that to move windows and files/folders. This differs from the normal ‘click and drag’ method in the way the windows/icons behave when moving them, and that you don’t actually have to click the trackpad. The gesture basically […]

News From the Mac Aid World + Win an IPad 2 Though John’s a hard man to replace, we’re adamant that we’ll find someone with a natural flair and experience with Apple computers, great communication skills and the ability to deliver some of the best support around the city. If you know someone who might be suited to the role – have them get in touch with us. In fact, if your recommendation is successful […]

Tip of the Month Keychain‚Äôs ‚Äòknow it all‚Äô ability is something that I have always been weary of. I‚Äôve never liked the idea of keeping too much personal information and passwords on a portable computer but as it turns out, it‚Äôs actually very secure. Keychain is user specific and requires a password to access any specific information such as passwords and make any changes, so unless you don‚Äôt have a password on your computer (set […]

News From the Apple World Apple earlier this month made an incremental speed bump to their line of MacBook Pro laptops. While only a small bump in terms of CPU and Hard drive size across the range, the MacBook Pro 15 and 17’s also received an upgraded Graphic Card offering greater performance (especially for you Graphic heads out there) for the same dollar. All the models are available now. Apple recently moved up to #4 […]

News From the Mac Aid World As well as demonstrating to our clients and potential clients that we have the appropriate skills and expertise to be recognised by the program, the Apple Consultants Network will assist in the professional development of our staff. The information and seminars offered by the program will help us stay up to date with Apple technologies, and how they can apply to our clients and potential clients. We believe professional […]

Tip of the Month Firstly: What devices will run iOS5? iPhones models: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S Others – iPod Touch 3rd and 4th gen, iPad and iPad 2 Secondly: Update your iTunes to the latest version… Your iTunes might have asked you to update otherwise click the Apple menu, then Software Update to get the iTunes update. Thirdly: Back up your device… But you’ve already done that correct? If not, do it […]

News From the Apple World With the use of Siri you no longer have to get into an application to make changes but simply tell your phone what you want done for example if you want to add a reminder to your calendar then you could say “remind me at (time) that I should buy some broccoli”. it even takes it one step further with the location integration into iOS5 so that you could say […]

Recent Apple news At the Apple World Wide Developers’ Conference in June of this year Apple released details of the upcoming release of iOS 5. For those of you who don’t know iOS is the software system that runs on iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad. According to Apple iOS 5 will be released sometime in the North American Fall. Well as all North Americans know after Labour Day (this year it was September 5) it […]

Recent Mac Aid news Paul Raine who is the new customer service and office coordinator that will most likely answer the phone. He comes from a digital music background with over 10 years of experience with Apple computers. Friedrich Meyer is our new technician who comes from a journalist background with over 15 years experience with Apple computers. We are excited to welcome these two fresh faces to the team and are currently larger and […]

Like the look of OSX Lion? As with any update you want to make sure your system fits the requirements set by the manufacturer. In OSX Lions case the hardware requirements are straightforward and not overly demanding though some systems are sure to fall behind. Lion 10.7 requires at least 2GBs of RAM and one of the following Intel processors: Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 or Xeon. Sorry but early […]