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Mac app: Keep an eye on your mobile data usage (Bandwidth+)

Mac app: Keep an eye on your mobile data usage (Bandwidth+)

by ben patterson | Apr 8, 2014 | apps, desktops, how-tos, laptops

I’ve written before about how easily data use on a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot can creep up on you, particularly when you’re out and about with a laptop. The culprits, of course, can be many—anything from system updates quietly downloading in the background to...
5 essential makeover tips for your Windows desktop

5 essential makeover tips for your Windows desktop

by ben patterson | Mar 31, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

Is your cluttered Windows desktop getting you down? Want an easy way to organize all your icons, a revamped desktop theme, or even a new look for your mouse pointer? Read on for five ways to tidy up—and spruce up—your old Windows desktop, starting with… 1....
Mac tip: 6 easy ways to tidy up your desktop

Mac tip: 6 easy ways to tidy up your desktop

by ben patterson | Mar 26, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

Got a jumble of icons cluttering your Mac’s desktop? Are the icons themselves too big—or too small? Wish they would just arrange themselves? Read on for six ways to whip your messy Mac desktop into shape, starting with… 1. Arrange your icons automatically Want...
Email tip: How do I get email on my Mac to sync with my iPad?

Email tip: How do I get email on my Mac to sync with my iPad?

by ben patterson | Mar 24, 2014 | apps, desktops, how-tos, laptops

Charles writes: Ben, how do I sync email between a Mac and my iPad? I delete email from my Mac and they still appear in the inbox on my iPad. Hi Charles! Well, the answer to that question depends on the type of email account you’re using—and yes, things may get...
Windows tip: Right-click a taskbar button for a time-saving “jump list”

Windows tip: Right-click a taskbar button for a time-saving “jump list”

by ben patterson | Mar 18, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

So, you may already know that “pinning” a Windows program to the desktop taskbar lets you launch your favorite apps with a single click. What you may not know, however, is that you can save even more time by right-clicking (rather than left-clicking) the...
Mac tip: Keep font sizes in Safari from getting too small

Mac tip: Keep font sizes in Safari from getting too small

by ben patterson | Mar 12, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

Belinda writes: I have a MacBook Air, almost one year old. Recently I switched from Mozilla Firefox to Safari. When I did that on some sites the fonts are really small. So I use Command + and – to make the fonts larger or smaller. But when I close the site out...
Windows tip: On-screen text too tiny? Zoom the entire display

Windows tip: On-screen text too tiny? Zoom the entire display

by ben patterson | Mar 6, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

The bigger the screen, the tinier the words look. So it goes with the latest and greatest PC monitors, which boast ultra-sharp images but itty-bitty text. The good news, though, is that Windows makes it relatively easy to zoom your display—either just a portion or the...
Mac tip: Keep Mail from marking the wrong messages as “junk”

Mac tip: Keep Mail from marking the wrong messages as “junk”

by ben patterson | Mar 3, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

Mark writes: I’m using Mail on a two-year-old Mac with with latest OS. Emails from an important business resource automatically go to junk and I cannot “unjunk” them. How can I stop this? Hi Mark! Yep, the Mac’s Mail app can sometimes be a...
Windows 8 tip: Miss the Start menu? Here’s the next best thing

Windows 8 tip: Miss the Start menu? Here’s the next best thing

by ben patterson | Feb 26, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

Windows 8 has been with us for more than 15 months now, yet I still find myself pining for the missing Start menu. And while I welcomed the return of the Start button in last year’s Windows 8.1 update, well … it isn’t quite the same, now, is it?...
Mac tip: How to zoom the entire display

Mac tip: How to zoom the entire display

by ben patterson | Feb 24, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

Having trouble making out the tiny type on your Mac’s display? In just a few clicks, you can magnify the entire screen—a handy trick, particularly for anyone with iffy eyesight. Here’s what you do (and here’s the Windows version of this tip, by the...
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