Category: Uncategorized

Categories
Uncategorized

One Mac to Rule Them All

As a network technician, I found myself in a unique position when it came to my Mac. How far could I take the task of administering my LAN’s user profiles and machines using my MacBook Pro? Turns out it is possible.

My Mac is on the same network as all the Dells on campus. It’s my job to remotely unlock user accounts, add new computers to the network, and manage the files on the four servers. Here’s what I’ve found:

1. Use OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard

I know there are still those out there who love Tiger. Trust me, I’m one of them. But the fact of the matter is that Apple didn’t really incorporate the tools necessary for working on PC networks until OS X 10.5 Leopard. Snow Leopard improved upon those tools, such as notifying me when my network password is about to expire. In general, Snow Leopard is more stable.

2. Download CoRD

CoRD is a free download that will let you open Windows servers on your Mac. What’s great about this program is that it will open the server up in a window on your desktop. No restarting or logging off, or anything like that. Move your mouse around the server window, and you’re controlling the server’s interface. From here, you can easily get in to Active Directory to manage user accounts, or access any of the other tools on the server.


3. Use command+k to access the server folders

Browsing through folders on the server is no problem at all, though you may not see them initially. Open Finder and select Go > Connect to Server (command+k). From there, type in smb://YourServerName.YourDomainName

You’ll need to authenticate with your credentials, but after that you’re good to go.

If there are other Macs on the network, make sure to log on to them as an administrator. In Sharing under System Preferences, make sure to select Remote Management. That way you’ll be able to share the screens of the client Macs after authenticating. It’s not Apple Remote Desktop, but it can at least show you what’s going on with the user.

With the dawning of the Age of Intel, Macs have become better and better with working along side PCs. Being an administrator with a MacBook Pro hasn’t hindered me a bit.

If anything, I have to remind myself that Expose is not an option for me when I do use a PC. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve jammed the cursor into the corner, expecting something to happen.

[Image Source]

Categories
Uncategorized

Productivity Combo: Stickies and Spaces

There are times when Apple releases a new feature, and you think, “Wow, this is really cool!” Then there are other times when you think, “This looks cool, but how the heck would I use it?” Spaces, first introduced in OS X 10.5 Leopard, felt more like the latter. Grouping applications to virtual desktops looked promising, but its usefulness felt questionable. Stickies has been around since OS 7, but even that one didn’t feel too purposeful. karleystokes lana rhoades onlyfans Karley Stokes All the notes just litter the desktop until the app is closed or you right click on the icon in the dock to hide. Creating the notes with the Stickies widget in Dashboard isn’t much better. But combining Stickies and Spaces leads to something different. Open System Preferences and click on Expose & Spaces. Select the Spaces tab and then check “Enable Spaces.” After you select the “+” symbol, select Stickies and assign it to Space 1. Done. But from there, you can customize Spaces further, adding or taking Spaces away or adding other apps in to the mix. Hit F8, the Spaces icon, or Expose, and bam! Stickies. Done looking at them? Just go back to your first space. From there you can add the functionality of the way Stickies works with any highlighted text by clicking and dragging it on to the Stickies dock icon (in Safari, Command-Shift-y eliminates the need for click and drag). Color-coding is as simple as selecting Color from the menu, text can be put in bold to show importance, or images can be added. The features of OS X never cease to amaze. Apple has spent so much attention to user friendliness with intuitive functionality that applications can work together to create a greater effect. Now, if I could only wrap my head around how to use Automator. I guess I’ll make a note to look into that.[Image Source]

 

 

Categories
Uncategorized

Jailbreak iOS 4.3 Released

Monday night, after weeks of waiting, redsn0w 0.9.6rc9 was released. This is the first untethered, stable jailbreak of all iDevices running 4.3.1, except the iPad 2. For those of you not familiar with Redsn0w, it is a popular Jailbreak tool created by the iPhone Dev Team, a team of talented hackers who devout their time to jailbreaking every iOS on every device, the team that geohot (the maker of limera1n, another popular jailbreaking solution) was originally apart of. Redsn0w 0.9.6rc9 uses the exploit found by Stefan Esser, or @i0n1c on twitter, who hacked iOS 4.3, but felt that releasing the exploit to the public would just result in Apple removing it in 4.3.1. With the release of 4.3.1, this was no longer a problem, and redsn0w was released to the public.

 

Redsn0w is very simple to use, just update your device to 4.3.1, then open redsn0w. It will prompt you to find the ispw file, which, if you updated through iTunes, can be found in users/yourname/library/itunes/iPod Software Updates. It will build a custom ispw for you, and, after following the directions to put your device in DFU mode, you just have to sit back and watch your device be jailbroken.

The official version of Redsn0w can be downloaded here.

If you having trouble finding the right software to jailbreak with, try this interactive guide.

*Note: The Real Mac Genius.com does not condone illegal uses for jailbreaking (i.e. installing cracked apps), nor is responsible for any damages or loss of data that may be caused by jailbreaking.

Categories
Uncategorized

How To Mod an iPad 2 Case

The Smart Cover for the iPad 2 is by far more advanced than the original iPad Case with its slim design, magnets, and an auto sleep mode. It’s crazy that the cover for the iPad 2 is as much a marvel as the device itself. I’m actually surprised Apple didn’t brand it with its logo. Yet the one area where the iPad Case beats the Smart Cover is in providing full protection for the iPad. The Smart Cover lacks a back. It’s easy to see why this is so, and until a third party vendor comes up with something, your options are limited.

However, with a second cover and an X-Acto knife, you can have the best of both worlds. The TPU Thermoplastic Polyurethane Resin Skin Cover from Hand Held Items is a flexible, yet protective back cover. It’s advertised as a special type of material that won’t crack. That property can be used to combine it with the Smart Cover. Once you have the TPU cover, place it on your iPad 2. Mark on it where the magnets of the Smart Cover will attach to the iPad’s left side. Then, using the X-Acto knife, cut out the marked lines. The top hole will be the easier of the two, since for some reason, there is already a hole there. Snap the Smart Cover on and check how it fits. Adjust as necessary.

iPad 2 with Smart Cover and TPU case

The beauty about this mod is that the Smart Cover’s functionality is not imposed upon at all. It still folds nicely for propping the iPad 2 and will put it to sleep when placed across the screen. The iPad 2’s slim design is not compromised at all with a bulky case. The only downside is that you might need to pull the Smart Cover’s edge slightly to make it perfectly line up with the iPad 2’s side (though that might not be the case with some fine tuning). For those wanting to mod the TPU even further, a standard hole punch tool will provide a nice opening for the iPad 2’s mic on top.

The TPU comes in a variety of colors, though it looks like clear and a couple of other varieties are out of stock as of the publishing of this article. For $5.99, the price can’t be beat.

Take fully protecting your iPad 2 into your own hands.

Special thanks to Lorie Lee for the idea.

Categories
Uncategorized

How To Buy A Mac: The Real Mac Genius Guide

So you’ve decided you’re either going to buy a Mac for the first time, or you want to upgrade to a newer one. Good show! But believe it or not, there’s actually an art to it. Following just three steps will help you find the Mac that’s right for you without any buyer’s remorse later.

1. Set a purpose

It’s one thing to want a Mac. It’s another to want it for a specific reason. You’ll most likely spend more money than if you bought a PC, so you want to make sure you’re meeting a specific need. What will you want to do with it?

If you’re looking at doing heavy duty tasks such as graphic design, movie editing, or audio mixing, then the MacBook Pro or Mac Pro can definitely handle your needs. The iLife suite alone is a great answer to why you’d want to buy a Mac. If you’re looking for a computer for more casual use, then there’s a range of options from the MacBook to the iMac. Road warrior? MacBook Air.

And what good is the hardware without the software to complement it? Make sure to check out which software you need, especially if you’re going to an Apple Store. I don’t think I’ve been to one yet that wasn’t always crowded. Your first concern should be an office suite. The two main options are iWork (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) or Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). There’s something to be said for going with all Apple software, considering how well they work together. Also, they can open Microsoft files and save as them. However, if you mainly work in a PC environment, Microsoft Office would be the way to go.

2. Do your homework

Please promise me you won’t be one of those people who buys a computer, only to learn that there’s a newer model the following week. Here’s a tip: OS X 10.7 Lion is just around the corner. You can catch a sneak peek at it in our previous article. Basically, wait until the summer.

Checking the different Mac sites should help you get an idea of what to expect. Sites like Cult of Mac, Apple Insider, Mac Rumors, and us of course can give you a fair idea of what might be up and coming. The best approach is to get a broad view of the news, considering that sometimes Apple will intentionally release false information, or sometimes someone will post something just to be stupid.

You can also try to look at the trends of previous Apple product releases. New iPhones come out in June, new iPods in September, but the notebooks and desktops aren’t so easy to predict. A general rule is that Apple will release revisions to a model each every eight to twelve months. In August, Apple tends to do their iPod promotion for students and teachers. Show that you’re with an educational institution when you buy your Mac, and get a free iPod Touch.

3. Don’t buy AppleCare

Never buying a warranty is a good rule of life. AppleCare is no exception. Here’s the deal: dropping a computer and water are the two main causes of damage. AppleCare covers neither. It gives you 90 days of phone support and a one year limited warranty for hardware.

Phone support is okay, but the Genius on the other end of the line is just looking at a slightly more advanced Apple KBase. There are also plenty of discussion boards out there for free. As for the hardware, definitely keep an eye on your computer for the first year. Follow up immediately if you see any signs for concern. If you can make it past the first year, chances are you’re good. AppleCare just extends the phone and hardware support to three years. It does not add three years. You have to buy it when you buy your Mac.

Take time when evaluating whether or not to buy a Mac, and what options would it open for you. It is a great investment that will last you for the long haul. You’ll be getting a great piece of equipment with software designed to be comfortable for the user. Following these three steps will put you on the right path to the right Mac.

Buyer’s remorse be gone!

[Image Source]