macs

Resolution Calculator for Mac allows users to analyze both digital photographs and scanned images for the optimal screen resolution they should use. The program's interface is streamlined but not as intuitive as it should be.

The first thing we noticed about Resolution Calculator for Mac was a rather unclear interface. The lack of tutorials or instructions did not help, either. The program window contains two main buttons, one for scanned images and the other for digital images. Clicking and dragging files into the window, which is not clearly labeled, starts the analysis. The program quickly populates a number of … Read more

As an add-on for Apple's Web browser, Safari Cookies for Mac adds more features for managing and removing unwanted cookies, databases, and other programs. Since native features for managing cookies in most browsers often feel incomplete and may not perform all of the tasks needed, this add-on will be useful to most Mac users.

The application installed easily into the Safari browser. Safari Cookies for Mac add-on works in the background, but it does have an operation preferences menu. This contained several tabs for each of the application's functions. A cookies tab brings up a list of those … Read more

With data security being an all-too-common concern, the options for encrypting data in OS X are welcome additions that are quite easy to implement. While you can store files in an encrypted disk image, you can also use FileVault to encrypt your boot drive. Furthermore, you can encrypt or decrypt any secondary volume by right-clicking it and choosing the option to do so, or by using the Terminal.

These features are convenient, but if you wish to change the password for an encrypted drive, you will find that this feature is not available along with the options for encrypting. You … Read more

Walk into any Best Buy and you're hit with an ugly truth: PCs aren't pretty.

A 15-inch HP Windows 8 laptop that sells for $270 (Best Buy's "Deal of the Day" on Saturday) isn't meant to be pretty. It's meant to be practical.

But a $330 iPad Mini is also very practical for a lot of people. And pretty too (consumers and reviewers seem to think so). Pretty and practical are two reasons Apple can sell tens of millions of Minis.

Why bring this up? I was struck by a statement from an … Read more

MacFixIt Answers is a feature in which I answer Mac-related questions e-mailed in by our readers.

This week, readers asked about how to batch-edit files to add missing file extensions so they can be read in an applicable program, the options for adding more space to a MacBook Pro system with fixed flash memory, and the possibilities for secure-erasing e-mail messages from within Apple's Mail program.

I welcome contributions from readers, so if you have any suggestions or alternative approaches to these problems, please post them in the comments!

Question: Batch-addition of file extensions to unreadable files. MacFixIt reader … Read more

Encrypting data is a convenient method for keeping your data secure, especially when using external hard drives and thumbdrives that may be stolen or lost. While it might be easiest to encrypt an entire drive, sometimes doing so may be a touch inconvenient, especially if the drive is used for more than one purpose.

For instance, if you keep sensitive files on your drive, you may wish to keep it encrypted; however, this prevents you from sharing the drive with others. Therefore, if you want to use the drive to transfer files to another system, you will have to authenticate … Read more

Digital photography is a blessing and a curse. OK, it's more of a blessing than curse. Freed from the cost of purchasing and developing film, digital photographers can take multiple shots of the same scene in an attempt to capture the perfect shot. Unless you dutifully manage your photo library and cull the extra shots from each photo shoot, your library quickly becomes difficult to navigate and your hard drive cluttered. PhotoSweeper for Mac identifies duplicate and similar photos and lets you dump the ones you don't need in the trash. The app costs $9.99 in the … Read more

Apple's Xserve computers were a rack-mountable line of Macintosh systems designed for enterprise use; however, in 2011 Apple abandoned the project, leaving only its Mac Pro and Mac Mini with available server options. Though anyone can download the OS X Server tools from the Mac App Store and convert any current Mac into a server system, some may wish to get a rack-mounted setup going again.

Fortunately, even though the demise of the Xserve means there aren't officially supported rack-based options from Apple, there are some ways you can get your Macs back into the rack. Of course, … Read more

There is no question that regardless of the computing platform you use, malware happens. To help prevent these and other unwanted programs from running, Apple includes a data execution prevention routine called GateKeeper, which offers three layers of protection. The first allows everything to run, the second allows only applications signed with a valid Apple Developer ID to run, and the third allows only programs distributed through the Mac App Store to run.

Apple provides the Developer ID option with the assumption that most who use its Developer program create legitimate and trustworthy code, since their works will be easily … Read more