help!

Help, I'm Getting Arrested!

I'm Getting Arrested is a creative Android app that, according to developer Quadrant 2, was inspired by a real-life "Occupy Wall Street" incident. It lets you quickly notify your family, friends, and crack legal team (if you have one) of your situation with a single tap of your finger. Just initially enter a custom message and some SMS-ready numbers to contact in the event of your arrest. Then, as you're about to be corralled into the back of a squad car, fire the app up and long-press the bull's-eye for 2 seconds. From there, you … Read more

Microsoft Answers to rework look, reputation tools

Microsoft this weekend plans to roll out a redesign of its Answers site, which gives users a place to seek unofficial tech support on Microsoft products and services.

As part of the redesign, Microsoft says it's now easier to find answers through both an improved search tool and a new layout that puts its various product directories in a clearer order.

Along with the new look, Microsoft is also overhauling the site's reputation system, which is how its members are rewarded for answering other users' questions. The new one awards authoring answers, as well as marking other people'… Read more

Apple launches My Support Profile Web page

Apple is making an effort to progressively convert standard technical support into a more simplified and personal experience. The walk-up Genius support in Apple retail stores has been a great success, and the company is looking to bring similar experiences to Web-based support with new tools.

A while ago Apple created some buzz by announcing its popular discussion forums would be converted to a new Apple Support Communities service, but so far we have not seen any changes to the discussion boards. In the meantime, tools like Express Lane have been announced and today Apple expanded these Web-based options with … Read more

Shutdown simplicity

Leaving your computer running all the time isn't good for its performance or for your electric bill. Sometimes, though, you don't want to sit around waiting for a large download to finish so that you can turn off your computer before you leave or go to bed. Auto Shutdown - InBasic is a Firefox add-on that will automatically shut down your computer when your downloads are complete, provided you're using Firefox's download manager.

The extension installs easily, and once we'd made the required restart of Firefox, it appeared as a small power button icon in … Read more

Help Viewer issues solved in Mac OS X 10.6.5

Several issues can arise when attempting to access the Help Viewer in Mac OS X 10.6.5. Changed language, no information showing, or access errors are some of the problems that can be fixed by resetting a few files or simply waiting it out.

Apple Support Discussions user Pilif Nudd writes about an issue where documented knowledge base articles are not appearing in Help Viewer:

"Have recently installed 10.6.5 (Combo) and am now getting strange behaviour with Help Viewer. Entering a search term lists standard help items and support articles, as normal. However, clicking on any … Read more

Alternative solutions for a blank help viewer

The Help Viewer is a service available for applications to display troubleshooting and guidance documentation; however, in some instances the help viewer may just display a blank window, especially after performing upgrades, application installations, or system restores. We recently discussed re-enabling JavaScript as one option for fixing this issue if it crops up; however, there are other possibilities as well.

Preference files MacFixIt reader "Neil" wrote in, mentioning he had fixed this issue by tackling the preference files associated with the viewer. There are three files, all of which are located in the /username/Library/Preferences/ folder:

com.… Read more

Re-enabling JavaScript may fix a blank help viewer

Apple's Help browser is a central tool that many applications use to present help information. Most of Apple's programs make use of the browser, and people who use iLife, iWork, and Apple's Pro applications may rely on the browser to help them through problems or find desired functions. This centralized approach is useful; however, if a problem occurs it may prevent help information from being seen in all applications that use the browser.

Recently MacFixIt reader Rod ran into a problem where his help viewer stopped showing help content after installing iLife '11, and after spending time … Read more

Gadgettes best-of episode needs your help, and fast!

On the final episode of Gadgettes, I promised to cut together a compilation of some of the best moments from the run of the show. Since then, things have been as busy as ever around here and I simply haven't found the time to do so, but it's always been in the back of my mind. This show is something special, and it truly deserves a "best-of" montage! So, I require your help to make this happen, and I need it fast!

Since the show ended, we've received a number of emails noting favorite moments. … Read more

Don't end the streak!

Streaks Motivational Calendar uses a simple--and surprisingly effective--concept to motivate you to stay productive. The idea is that you choose a thing you want to do more of, such as exercising, for example. Streaks Motivational Calendar lets you set up an exercising calendar on which you can mark off each day that you exercise with a big red X. Once you have a few days marked off, you'll have a streak.

Streaks Motivational Calendar lets you set up multiple calendars so you can track your progress toward various goals. You can name your calendars for any ongoing task, then … Read more

CNET to the Rescue: Atomic clocks and hybrid storage

Josh is in Los Angeles at E3 getting attacked in his taxicab, so we've got CNET Download's Seth Rosenblatt to help us make sense of Android to-do list managers, hybrid storage, kid-proofed PCs, and moving 10-year-old Outlook files. Also: how to never set another clock again.