texts: Shortcut to toggle KeyboardViewer with AppleScript on Big Sur

texts:
I am trying to create a shortcut that toggles Keyboard Viewer with Automator. I have tried these both ways: this old one and and this one for Sierra
For both ways, there is a syntax error "Can't get application KeyboardViewer"
If i press the shortcut i assigned, it opens a window("Choose an application") with a list of apps
The scripts I have tried:
if application "KeyboardViewer" is running then
    quit application "KeyboardViewer"
end if

activate application "KeyboardViewer"

-- wait until the window has been closed, then end the KeyboardViewer process
set numberOfWindows to 1
repeat until numberOfWindows = 0
    delay 5
    tell application "System Events"
        tell process "KeyboardViewer"
            set numberOfWindows to count windows
        end tell
    end tell
end repeat
quit application "KeyboardViewer"

and
on run
    tell application "System Events"
        set activeApp to name of first application process whose frontmost is true and visible is true
    end tell
    if application "KeyboardViewer" is running then
        quit application "KeyboardViewer"
    else
        activate application "KeyboardViewer"
    end if
    tell application activeApp to activate
end run


texts: Can I control audio/vibrate/DND on iOS remotely?

texts:
I have 2 iPad minis and an iPhone 6+.

Sometimes I like to hear the "ding" of a message or mail, sometimes I dont.  Its a pain to go to each device to change the settings.  Is it possible to set a remote iOS device to DND or turn the volume/vibrate/DND on/off from another device?

FYI, I do not have a Mac, just Windows or Linux.


texts: How to get write access to High Sierra (APFS) drive in Read-Only mode on Macbook with faulty AMD GPU

texts:
Some background: My 2011 17" MacBook Pro (running High Sierra) has finally succumbed to the Radeon issue and won't boot up. I know this because it would flicker green where there was pixel shading so I was using the gfxCardStatus utility to only use the Integrated GPU.

Well this week it crashed and when I booted up, it would show green vertical bars over the grey background. It booted up once, I saw the desktop and then rebooted. since then I've been looking at all of the articles online and was going to proceed with disabling the AMD GPU using the terminal in Single User Mode.

This answer was particularly useful and I managed to get as far as disabling the GPU on by setting the NVRAM variable:
nvram fa4ce28d-b62f-4c99-9cc3-6815686e30f9:gpu-power-prefs=%01%00%00%00

The only problem was mounting the drive as writable, seems that my APFS formatted drive is in read-only mode and I'm unsure how to proceed from here. I've removed the drive and mounted it in Windows using Paragon APFS but it's only in read-only mode. So I'm unable to move the required AMDRadeonX3000.kextand am now stuck.

When I boot up now, I see the normal bootscreen, see the Apple logo and the progress bar goes to about 50-60% and then nothing else happens.

The real question(s): Does anyone know how to either disable the Active Snapshots? Is this the right path to follow? Am I going to break things further?

Would I be complicating things if I installed this drive in my 2012 MBP i7? I have a feeling it's not going to boot like a Windows machine would and I don't want to do any damage.

I'm not opposed to reflowing etc it's just that in South Africa, the guys who will do it seem sketchy.


texts: iOS Xcode development on MacBook Air 2015

texts: I am deciding to get a 2015 MacBook Air for iOS development, and was wondering how well my specs on the custom macbook I am ordering. I am getting the 13 inch 2015 MacBook Air 8 GB RAM 1.6 gigahertz fifth generation Intel processors. Would these specs run well with Xcode 6?


texts: How to enable password lock on Notes in iOS 9.3?

texts:
I recently got iOS 9.3 for my iPhone, but I'm not finding an obvious way to password-lock my Notes. This feature was advertised by Apple as part of the iOS 9.3 package, but is it only available for certain devices, similarly to Night Shift?

I'm using an iPhone 5C, but the problem also seems to be occurring on my iPad Air 2.


texts: how to integrate social media (Facebook, Flickr, Instagram) in my photo workflow?

texts:
I currently use Picasa on OSX to sort and edit my photos. Then I upload to Facebook, Flickr, and Tumblr. I tag people on Facebook and Flickr separately; and I add locations separately; I add dates.

I write captions in Picasa, then I have to reenter them in each social media site.

It's a tedious, redundant process.

Is there an app (iPhoto? something else?) that integrates with Facebook and Google Maps so I can tag my friends, add locations, and write captions directly in an OSX app, then upload my photos to Facebook/Flickr/Instagram with the face-tags and location-tags and captions pre-loaded?


texts:
I updated my iMac to Catalina today and most things seem OK.

I use Thunderbird as my email client (updated to latest) but this seems unresponsive.

I get notifications of new messages, but there seem to be no unread messages. There seems to be no way to force downloads - even Get Messages doesn't seem to work.

My Gmail account is set to use IMAP and checks for new messages every 30 minutes.

If I access Gmail in Google Chrome the messages are there.

Everything worked OK in Mavericks.

Further Part of the problem seems that Unread Messages are no longer shown in BOLD although this does not seem to be the whole problem as QuickFilter Unread did not initially show any messages.


texts: Is it possible to show custom icons in the Scripts menu?

texts:
You know that "scripts" menu you can show in the right side of the menu bar? It's very useful. I'm talking about this menu:

I've set some custom icons for the files in the scripts folder using the Get Info window, but these icons aren't showing up in the menu. Is this something that will automatically show up next time I reboot, is there some hidden setting I need to change, or is this just not (yet) possible?


texts: iMovie doesn't appear to be able to use all the available space on iPad

texts:
When trying to save a 15-minute movie from iMovie in order to upload it in the YouTube app, I frequently get the message "Storage Full: There is not enough space left on this device. You cannot share until you free some space."
This despite the fact that Settings shows "28.8 GB of 64 GB Used" and that iMovie is using only 1.29 GB of that. (It also shows that iMovie was "Last Used: 12/12/18" which is clearly false; is that a clue that the storage graph is inaccurate?)
How can I get iMovie to use this 35G available space for its export?
iPad Air 2, iPadOS 14.2, iMovie 2.3.2 (5087)


texts: OS X (El Capitan) Terminal Fn-Up and Fn-Down stop working as Page Up and Page Down

texts:
I've identified a strange "state" my Terminal program seems to get into.

It doesn't happen on all tabs -- right now, one tap can Page Up/Down properly, and another one can't.  When I open a new one, it works normally.

When I'm SSH-ed into a host, the Fn-{Up,Down} act as if I didn't push Fn at all (it just scrolls through command history).  When I Ctrl-D and come back to my localhost, Fn-{Up,Down} now enters a tilde (~) while making the system alarm sound, \a I guess.

Typing 'env' gives the same output for a working and a non-working xterm.

TERM_PROGRAM=Apple_Terminal
SHELL=/bin/bash
TERM=xterm-256color
TMPDIR=/var/folders/5k/cj6xf05d5_d_m22mx1wswsz40000gn/T/Apple_PubSub_Socket_Render=/private/tmp/com.apple.launchd.7GeRJow4kg/Render
TERM_PROGRAM_VERSION=361.1
TERM_SESSION_ID=4B6653B9-5A28-4029-AF34-E1CC01832446
USER=[username]
SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/private/tmp/com.apple.launchd.qQDRCEL1Qm/Listeners __CF_USER_TEXT_ENCODING=0x1F5:0x0:0x0
PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin
PWD=/Users/[username]
LANG=en_US.UTF-8
XPC_FLAGS=0x0
XPC_SERVICE_NAME=0
SHLVL=1
HOME=/Users/[username]
LOGNAME=[username]
_=/usr/bin/env

Also, moving around the program's drop-down menus didn't seem to show any options that I was unaware of.

Direction towards finding the source of this issue?  It happens maybe once a day, not the end of the world, but I wish I knew where it came from.

Not using tmux or screen or anything like that.


texts:
Just a few weeks ago on OS X Yosemite, it worked fine. Now, after performing a clean install of OS X El Capitan it no longer works. I’m very inclined to believe something in El Capitan is the culprit since it doesn’t work on two different computers but I can get it to work right now by doing it in a Yosemite VM guest inside an El Capitan host.

Using Homebrew, I install tor and torsocks:

brew install tor torsocks

Installation goes fine. I then copy over the sample torrc and add ExitNodes

cp "$(brew --prefix)/etc/tor/torrc.sample" "$(brew --prefix)/etc/tor/torrc"
echo 'ExitNodes {es}' >> "$(brew --prefix)/etc/tor/torrc"

I start tor

tor &

Everything goes OK

Oct 16 01:18:50.101 [notice] Tor v0.2.6.10 (git-58c51dc6087b0936) running on Darwin with Libevent 2.0.22-stable, OpenSSL 1.0.2d and Zlib 1.2.5.
Oct 16 01:18:50.101 [notice] Tor can't help you if you use it wrong! Learn how to be safe at https://www.torproject.org/download/download#warning
Oct 16 01:18:50.102 [notice] Read configuration file "/usr/local/etc/tor/torrc".
Oct 16 01:18:50.104 [notice] Opening Socks listener on 127.0.0.1:9050
Oct 16 01:18:50.000 [notice] Parsing GEOIP IPv4 file /usr/local/Cellar/tor/0.2.6.10/share/tor/geoip.
Oct 16 01:18:50.000 [notice] Parsing GEOIP IPv6 file /usr/local/Cellar/tor/0.2.6.10/share/tor/geoip6.
Oct 16 01:18:50.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 0%: Starting
Oct 16 01:18:50.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 5%: Connecting to directory server
Oct 16 01:18:50.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 80%: Connecting to the Tor network
Oct 16 01:18:50.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 85%: Finishing handshake with first hop
Oct 16 01:18:51.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 90%: Establishing a Tor circuit
Oct 16 01:18:52.000 [notice] Tor has successfully opened a circuit. Looks like client functionality is working.
Oct 16 01:18:52.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 100%: Done

Then I try to use torsocks to check if everything is fine

torsocks curl -s https://check.torproject.org | grep Congratulations

No message, which means it isn’t working. I also try to check my IP

torsocks curl http://ipecho.net/plain

It confirms it isn’t working, by showing my real IP.

I also tried various other commands and apps, as well as different ExitNodes (including none at all) and different configurations. Nothing seems to do the trick. It works correctly on Yosemite, and I do nothing differently. Since there isn’t an actual error shown, this is difficult to diagnose.

As a further note (not sure how relevant it is), torsocks show outputs

DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES=""

And here are the Dependencies part of brew info tor

==> Dependencies
Required: libevent ✔, openssl ✔
Optional: libnatpmp ✘, miniupnpc ✘, libscrypt ✘

and brew info torsocks

==> Dependencies
Build: autoconf ✔, automake ✔, libtool ✔

To note that torsocks is the one that doesn’t work. tor by itself does, when configured in System Preferences. This can also be confirmed with curl, by doing curl --socks5 127.0.0.1:9050 http://ipecho.net/plain.


texts: iMac keeps booting from internal HDD after update

texts:
I have an iMac Late 2013 with an SSD connected externally where I have macOS installed and it was set as the default boot drive. I've been booting from the SSD for about 3 years without a problem.
Last night I installed an update for Catalina and after it was installed it boot from the internal HDD. Now any time I turn on my iMac it boots by default from the HDD instead of the SSD.
If I hold the option key before booting I can choose to boot from the SSD. In System Preferences -> Startup disk I can see that the SSD is selected, and everything works fine as usual. But if I turn off and on the iMac it boots again from the HDD.
When it boots from the HDD, if I go to System Preferences -> Startup disk I can only see the HDD, the SSD doesn't appear as an option and neither appears on finder.


texts: How to pair Bluetooth device with MacBook Pro after forgetting it?

texts: I accidently told my MacBook Pro to forget a Bluetooth device. I have no idea how to bring it back. How do I bring it back?


texts: Apps rearrange themselves after iPhone restart

texts:
Occasionally, after i do a forced reboot on my iphone (holding power and home) all the apps rearrange themselves to alphabetical order and it removes all my folders. Is there a way to fix this?
I have a jailbroken iPhone 3gs 4.1.2


texts: rsync denied to access directory when run with launchctl

texts:
I have mounted samba share in "/Volumes/Samba"  with full read/write access right to it.

I created simple script to rsync files from smb share to folder on my disk, when I lunch script from terminal it works without a problem
but when I create cron or launchctl to run job periodically  I'm getting:

  rsync: opendir "/Volumes/Samba/." failed: Operation not permitted (1)  in rsync log and system log are

In console I see:

  Sandbox: rsync(68990) System Policy: deny(1) file-read-data /Volumes/Samba
  Violation:       System Policy: deny(1) file-read-data /Volumes/Samba

I tried to change access rights or add rsync/script to FDA but nothing helped.


texts: Does my MacBook DisplayPort support video input?

texts:
I have been reading through all these resources here and here, but I couldn't find an answer.

My question is simply: can the DisplayPort on a MacBook take a video input source?

More Details:

I have:

Macbook Pro Model 6,2 (Mid-2010) that has a DisplayPort output
A camcorder that has HDMI output and NO FireWire outputs.
A HDMI to DisplayPort adapter.

I want to know if its possible to use my camcorder like a webcam, i.e, to capture live video for the purpose of streaming. As a primary test, I should be able to connect the camcorder and do a capture using iMovie.

Would this be possible? I am pretty sure input through USB won't work. And from what I have seen there is no easy way to convert the HDMI video stream into FireWire. So, any suggestions?


texts: Can I boot OS X or Windows Boot Camp from an external USB Type-C drive?

texts: Currently I boot OS X and Windows Boot Camp from an external Thunderbolt HDD. LaCie just announced a new external USB-C (USB 3.1) hard drive enclosure. Will I be able to boot OS X or Windows Boot Camp from this or any other external USB-C HDD on the new MacBook?


texts: Location of the root's home directory in macOS

texts:
All Unix-like operating systems I've seen use /root as the home directory for the root account. What's the reason it was moved to /var/root in macOS? Can I change it to the usual /root?
I need to run some scripts on macOS which hardcode /root as the root's home directory. Also, I thought that /var was for variable data (spool, log files, etc.).


texts:
I've recently upgraded to Catalina (from El Capitan, which I've been using for years). It took me a while to realise, but all apps crash when trying to open files! I'd enormously appreciate anything I can try that might resolve this.
I can reproduce as follows:

Open any app (I've tried VS Code, TextEdit, Keynote, Preview, TexShop)

Select File -> Open

At this point I see a beachball and the app goes into a "not responding" state until I force-quit it.
I can create new files, and I can open files if they happen to be in the "open recent" menu, so I guess it's the file open dialog itself that's causing the problem.
Obviously this is a major issue for me, so help would be very greatly appreciated.


texts: Can I make the trackpad tracking speed faster than allowed in System Preferences?

texts: The title says it all ... I have the trackpad speed on my Macbook Pro Retina 13" set to the max, but I'd like to try it faster. I recall some of these things can be configured by modifying ~/Library/*plist files or somesuch. Thanks in advance for any help.


texts: I purchased 20 GB extra of storage for my iPad and iPhone on iCloud. But my devices say they are still full. How do I get the storage to show up so I can download an update, apps etc.?


texts: Do you use more mobile data with Wi-Fi off than with Wi-Fi on (connected to Wi-Fi or not)

texts: Does using your mobile data while having Wi-Fi off when not connected burn data faster than using mobile data while having Wi-Fi on when not connected to Wi-Fi?


texts: Difference in disk usage MS DOS vs Extended Journaled

texts:
Searches on Google and the Apple forums didn't get me any answers or couldn't clarify this for me, hence this question.

I have two following external USB hard drives connected to my iMac:

"Lacie1" with a capacity of 499.64GB, formatted as MS-DOS (FAT32)
"Lacie2" with a capacity of 499.76GB, formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

I copied all of the contents from Lacie1 to Lacie2 and to see if everything was copied well, I opened the show info dialog of both drives and noticed that there is an enormous difference in used disk space between the two:

Lacie1: 221.357.604.864 bytes (221,36GB)
Lacie2: 187.714.969.600 bytes (187,71GB)

To be sure I checked how many files are on each drive and they both contain 17297 parts.

Is this because of the formatting of the drives that there is such a difference in disk usage or is there indeed a 'problem'?

Any explanation is appreciated! :)


texts: Is it legal to burn an iTunes playlist to an audio CD and give it a friend as a gift?

texts:
All the music on my iPod is legal, either ripped from my own CDs or purchased from the iTunes Store.

On a road trip recently a friend said she liked the music, so I was thinking of making her a mixed CD of some of the songs.

I know I can make a mixed CD of the songs for my own use in my own car, but is it legal for me to give the mixed CD to her as a gift?

Thanks.

Note: Author of question is from Canada.


texts: Permanent way to keep youtube playing in iOS5

texts: Is there a permanent way to keep youtube playing when I tap the home button or close the lid of my iPad? I know that if I double click on the home button, slide to the bottom list of apps to the right and press play, it keeps youtube playing. But I do not want to mess with it everytime. So, do you know a way to keep youtube playing without doing this everytime?


texts: MacBook Pro 2011 logging itself out after a period of inactivity

texts:
when I am not using it, at some point, every day, my MBP tries to log out on its own. When I 'wake it up' I can see message windows about "applications aborting logout", obviously because some applications that needed to save data aren't allowing OSX to close them.

This is extremely irritating, because all applications that have nothing to save, will close down on me, sometimes in the middle of a long download.

My MBP isn't configured for hibernation, or logging out, or even sleeping. It's always does it on AC power and I simply have no idea why.

The problem started with Snow Leopard, and persists with Lion as well.

Output of my pmset utility is:

Active Profiles:
Battery Power       -1
AC Power        -1*
Currently in use:
 standbydelay   4200
 standby    0
 womp       1
 halfdim    1
 panicrestart   157680000
 hibernatefile  /var/vm/sleepimage
 sms        1
 networkoversleep   0
 disksleep  10
 sleep      0
 hibernatemode  3
 ttyskeepawake  1
 displaysleep   60
 acwake     0
 lidwake    1

Does anyone have a clue why my mac tries to shut down all the applications and logout when I don't use it for a few hours? How do I stop this?


texts: How to repeat an entire playlist in order on iOS 10?

texts:
The title captures the issue.

I see this question: How can I repeat a Playlist?

and this question: Repeat on iOS 8.4 music app?

both from a legacy version of iOS (8.4). It appears that the music app interface has changed in newer versions of iOS (I'm currently running 10.1.1).


texts: Proxy is configured (correctly, I guess). Appstore and Safari work fine. But network traffic on Terminal does not work

texts:
Set HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SOCKS, Streaming, Gopher to 10.11.0.1 and port 8080,
with no username and password. And it works for Safari and App Store. And set the same entries to Firefox and it also works with no issue.

How do I set the proxy for particular networks so that it works fine on every app?


texts: Can't write to Seagate external hard drive on other macbook pros

texts:
I have a "new" 2gb Seagate external hdd.  I used it to copy files off of my old Macbook pro, circa 2014, which worked fine.

I just plugged in the drive into my new Macbook pro, circa 2018.  I can read files off the external drive.  However, I can't copy files onto the drive from the new Macbook.  I grabbed my friend's Macbook (circa 2014 so same model as my old laptop) and same issue, I can read files from the external drive but I can't copy files onto the drive.  I don't have my old laptop anymore so I can't try to copy things to it.

I plugged the hdd into a Windows 7 laptop, and I'm able to copy files onto the drive, create a new folder, etc.

I found several links that said I need to reformat the hdd to make it usable with my Macbook but it makes no sense since my old Macbook was able to read/write to the drive without being reformatted but now with any other Macbook, it doesn't allow me to write, only read.

What happened?  How come I can only read files from the hdd from any new Macbooks but a Windows laptop I can read and write?  Why does it seem like the drive is married to my old Macbook?  If it is married to it, how to I break this bond so I can use it with my new Macbook?


texts: How can I disable wireless captive portal support?

texts:
On a particular wireless network, most internet access is blocked by a captive portal but certain websites are not blocked, e.g.:

http://www.apple.com/ is redirected to a captive portal login page.
http://www.my-university.edu/ is accessible without having to log in.

I want to access a website that is not blocked. When I try to connect, however,

iOS automatically displays the captive portal after connecting.
iOS automatically disconnects after I close the captive portal.

How can I escape this aggressive automation?


texts: How to combine an older Time Machine backup with a newer one

texts:
I have a client who was using a certain external drive as their Time Machine drive for a while. Then, they misplaced it. So, they got a new external drive and started using that. Now, they've found the original Time Machine drive, and would like to combine the backup from the old drive to the new one.

From the looks of it, the folder for each backup job in Time Machine contains all files from the Mac. Even though it's supposed to be an incremental backup, the "unchanged" files appear in each folder, but they're just hard-links to pre-existing copies on the Time Machine drive (Dirvish, on Linux, behaves this way, too, incidentally).

I have seen suggestions that, to combine the backups, you can just copy the old backup folders to the new drive, but this will waste spaces, as hard-links won't be created when I copy over a file from the old drive which already exists on the new one.

So, it seems that what is needed is a tool which, for each file being copied over to the new drive, will check to see if it's identical to any of the pre-existing versions and, if so, make a hard-link to that pre-existing file instead of creating a new one.

Is there already a tool out there for doing this? Or, is there something else about the process that I'm missing?


texts: MacBook Pro 2010 won't boot after EFI upgrade

texts:
I have updated my MacBook Pro (Core i5, early 2010) with system update to new EFI version, and now after startup it just shows the gray screen and doesen't react on keyboard (just plays the boot sound).

I cannot open boot menu (Option key) and cannot boot from other device.
Command+S does not help.
Only thing that it reacts is Command-Option-P-R, but then it still won't boot.

Tech details:
Installed 8 GB memory and 120 GB vertex2 SSD drive


texts: Modify "Move to Trash" shortcut in Apple Numeric keyboard

texts:
I recently purchased Apple wired USB keyboard with Numeric Keypad for my Mac Mini (best decision I ever made, keyboard is freaking awesome with two USB ports on its sides!).

I noticed that there is a delete key under F13 key. My wish is to modify the "Move to Trash" command's shortcut inside the File menu of Finder and map to this key, just like how it is done in Windows. There was a problem with Home and End keys, but I searched and got the fix (by creating and editing DefaultKeyBindings.dict) file. If something needs to be added to this file, can someone please let me know? or if there is any other method, kindly share the same.


texts:
I found that after some weeks of usage, my SMS app on a iPhone 3G (iOS 3.0.1, JB) seems to take a few more seconds to start than usual.

On all other cellphones I had, you had to delete old messages because of memory constrains and to make the app work better. Does this apply to the iPhone as well?

If so, how can I delete all messages of all contacts that are more than 1 month old, or something?

As the SMS database is SQLite based, I could script it. I even found this link regarding this but has been hesitating to use it.

How do you do it?


texts: Bluetooth audio delay / lag, reason completely unclear to me

texts:
I have a bit of an odd situation, and wanted to ask for ideas.

Recently started connecting a JBL Charge 2+ to my MBA 11 inch, mid-2013, via Bluetooth. I noticed that there's clear delay between sound event and sound being audible via the JBL.

The problems persists across applications (so for example, playing video via VLC means the sound isn't synced, same for youtube videos in different browsers, same for mp3s that start playing with a small delay, etc.)

The delay is minor, but noticeable, in the range of 0.5s I'd say.

At first I thought it might be a Bluetooth driver issues, but now I found out the following: just connected another JBL device, a Flip 3 to the same MBA, and the sound plays without noticeable delay. I'm not sure if they use the exact same drivers, but now I'm wondering:

Is there a chance that it's a hardware problem? Didn't really consider this a possibility, but now I'm not sure anymore.
How to test, and, ideally, fix this issue? How can I isolate the reason for the audio lag with the Charge 2+?

Any help would be appreciated!


texts: AppleScript and Numbers: How do I add a row?

texts:
This has to be simple: I want to use AppleScript to add a new row at the top of a Numbers sheet called WorkoutSheet in a table called WorkoutDB in a Numbers document call Workout.numbers. (Using Numbers 5.01 on macOS Sierra).

This AppleScript throws the error "Can’t get sheet "WorkoutSheet".

tell application "Numbers"
    activate
    open "/Users/username/Desktop/Workout.numbers"
    delay 2 --- added, but doesn't help
    tell table "WorkoutDB" of sheet "WorkoutSheet"
        add row above first row
    end tell
end tell

Edit: this works; the key was the use of of `document 1' in the tell block:

tell table "WorkoutDB" of sheet "WorkoutSheet" of document 1

And the delay 2 doesn't make a difference; Applescript waits for Numbers to launch and the document to open.

I also added the tell block

tell column "A"
set value of cell 1 to short date string of (current date)
end tell

to add the current date to the first colun of the new row.

tell application "Numbers"
    activate
    open "/Users/markr/Desktop/Workout.numbers"
    tell table "WorkoutDB" of sheet "WorkoutSheet" of document 1
        add row above first row
        tell column "A"
            set value of cell 1 to short date string of (current date)
        end tell
    end tell
end tell


texts:
How can I hide text messages from the locked screen of my iPhone 4S?
I find that having a password is useless as everyone could read messages from the locked screen.


texts: iCloud PhotoStream syncing to seperate Windows devices with shared App/Music/iTunes sync

texts:
I have been asked to help out with a friends iTunes/iOS/Phot syncing setup, they have 4 iOS devices (all iOS 5 compatible except one 3G iPhone) and a range of iTunes libraries that they have previously synced to.

What they want to acheive is to share an Apple ID for purchases from the App Store, and also all sync to a single iTunes library on a shared Windows PC for music syncing etc.  This bit is simple enough.

Where it get's complicated is that want to be able to maintain their photos seperately on their own PCs (no Macs anywhere...sigh).  I know that previously in Windows you could select a folder to sync pics to (as a crappy iPhoto replacement) and there was also some vague album support from a couple of Windows Apps (Photoship Elements?), but they dont have any of the apps.  I also know about the Scanner & Camera Wizard/Windows Live Photo wizard also, which may still be the only option for the 3G iPhone which will not support iOS5, and thus iCloud accounts (I think this is true, corrections welcomed).

What I want to propose to them, if possible, is to use the single Apple ID and sync to a single iTunes library for music/apps/backups etc for all devices, but each have their own iCloud account, and use Photo Stream to  keep their photos seperate and not have them all sync to the same shared PC that the iTunes software runs on.

I have no idea how Photostream works on a Windows machine, it is possible to log into iCloud through a control panel widget like you did with Mobile Me on Windows, and sign into iCloud and turn on Photostream to sync photos (either to a folder, or an app) on a per iCloud account basis, allowing them to all sync photos to their individual machines while keeping the iTunes sync relationship to a shared device?

(Note, the Apple ID/Music bit is included for reference and completeness, I am only querying the capabilities of iCloud/Photostream, and would appreciate replies on that, not any suggestions to do anything different with the Apps/Music bit - just setting expactations, thanks)


texts: Is there a way to run the Apple Hardware Test without an optical drive?

texts:
I have a MacBook Pro 13", Mid-2009 and it came with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. As I understand it, that means I would have to use the DVDs provided by Apple
to boot into Apple Hardware Test. The problem is I don't have my optical drive anymore since I swapped it out for an extra HDD. How can I run the Apple Hardware Test?


texts: Sound interference on Macbook Pro when connected to network via ethernet

texts:
I have discovered that when My Macbook Pro (Early 2011, Mountain Lion 10.8.5) has an active ethernet connection, there is audible audio static/interference via the headphone socket.

The ethernet connection comes via a router which in turn is connected to ethernet via powerline. The audio interference is not there when I connect to the network via WIFI.

I would rather have an ethernet connection so am wondering if there is anything I can do to prevent this interference?

Switching off the powerline adapter at the wall instantly stops the static / interference so I'm pretty sure it is related to that.


texts:
I have a 16GB iPad Air 2. I realize the OS takes up some space (on my iPad, "Used" + "Available" only equals 11.9GB), but looking at this screenshot, even my iPad can't accurately explain what's taking up 8.2 GB. I know it's not the OS because Used + Available is already lower than 16. And I added up all the apps underneath and only came to a little under 800MB. What on earth is taking up the remaining 7.5GB?!

My drawing to illustrate my question:


texts: Is there a way to force ssh tunneling to be required for Screen Sharing

texts:
I have enabled Remote Management on a mac. Everything works fine when I connect from another mac using Apple's Remote Desktop app. However, I also want to have a client on a windows machine. In that case can I go to the computer settings under Settings > Sharing > Remote Management and there is an option "VNC users may control screen with password" where one can give a password for accessing them.

From what I understand the initial transaction of exchanging the password is done securely. However, all subsequent transactions are not. This implies that when a user attempts to login to the machine and gives his/her actual password, then that password is out there without any encryption what so ever. So, what I would like to do is to allow VNC connections only when the client has already established an ssh tunnel with the server/machine. However, I do not see such an option anywhere.

So, what I really want is to force this ssh tunnel on the client side. On the other hand, just letting it to good will of the clients is not a good idea, especially if I rely on people running windows to have to remember constantly to tunnel say through putty and only then attempt to use vnc.

Moreover, Apple's Remote Desktop app does allow full encryption for all interactions by selecting an option under preferences > security (on the client side). I can be OK with that in the sense that this option should be enabled once, and from that point and on all subsequent interactions will be encrypted. (By the way, is there a windows program out there with such a simple option so that one can use it under windows and connect to a mac?) However, the problem remains here as well, as I am not sure how the server would force all the transactions to be encrypted. There is again no option on the server side for such a thing.

Is what I am trying to ask irrational?

I am looking forward to your answers.


texts: Trackpad accidentally reloading websites

texts:
I just upgraded to the new MacBook Pro, and thus now have a trackpad the size of Rhode Island. While typing I often rest/touch my palm on the edge of the trackpad.

Every now and then some combination of this will reload a website (loosing what I was in the middle of typing), and it's super annoying. I've looked through the Trackpad Preferences and not sure which to reload.

Halp!


texts: Chrome Remote Desktop iOS mapping CMD key

texts:
I'm using the Bluetooth Apple Keyboard with Chrome Remote Desktop on my iPad and I would like to map the CMD key to the Windows key.

This is the default behaviour on Chrome Remote Desktop on OS X, but for some reason the CMD key is not being recognised on iOS.


texts: Are there any apps on Cydia specific to AppleTV?

texts:
Just wondering are there any apps specifically for AppleTV on Cydia. I have jailbroken my AppleTV 2 and am looking to install XBMC to get 1080p playback, as well as a browser. Are there any other apps out there? Please let me know.

Thanks!
Thomas


texts: How to accept Android license in macOS Terminal?

texts:
I'm trying to install some Android tools via the macOS terminal, but I can't get any further with the license confirmation. I feel a bit stupid - but can someone please tell me what I'm doing wrong?
The question in terminal:

Accept? (y/N): ./avdmanager -v create avd -n x86 -k "system-images;android-25;google_apis;x86" -g "google_apis"y

The result:

Accept? (y/N): ./avdmanager -v create avd -n x86 -k "system-images;android-25;google_apis;x86" -g "google_apis"y Skipping following packages as the license is not accepted: Google APIs Intel x86 Atom System Image Android SDK Build-Tools 25.0.3 SDK Patch Applier v4 Android SDK Platform-Tools Android SDK Platform 25 Android Emulator The following packages can not be installed since their licenses or those of the packages they depend on were not accepted: patcher;v4 emulator platforms;android-25  platform-tools  build-tools;25.0.3 system-images;android-25;google_apis;x86
[=======================================] 100% Computing updates...


texts: Boot Camp error "Windows cannot locate the disk and partition specified in the unattended answer's file"

texts:
I have a 2019 MacBook Pro 16 inch running on macOS Big Sur 11.1.
I am trying to install windows using Bootcamp. I get the following error:
Windows cannot locate the disk and partition specified in the unattended answer file's < ImageInstall > setting. Make sure the setting references a valid partition and restart the installation.
Attached the image of my disk utility without Bootcamp partition and the Image of the error.
Can someone help me how to solve this?
Thanks in advance


texts: Can the Finder Dock be fixed to show all icons of aliases instead of some?

texts:
I have a folder in my dock full of aliases to applications. When I add a new alias, the icon doesn't usually show up in the Dock folder:

but the icons are there in the Finder window for the same folder in every case. Usually the icons will show up eventually (with no clear indication of what triggers the fix), but these 4 apps have been stuck without an icon for some time and through a reboot. I have this now on Mountain Lion, but the same thing happened in Lion.

Does anyone know how to fix things (preventative or remedial) so the Dock will display icons properly?


texts: Could not unlock file inside Application contents

texts:
For using RoboVM on OSX, I need to edit a file called info.plist, which resides inside the contents of the application called Android Studio.

Last year I managed to edit the file for Android Studio 1.5 (right image), but I now installed Android Studio 2.13 and I didn't succeed (left image).

It seems that the contents of this application are read only. How do I edit this file? I only need to change one value.


texts: Two-factor authentication when your device is not present

texts:
What happens when you have two-factor authentication enabled for your account, your iPhone gets stolen or lost and you have to login on e.g. an Android device to activate Find my iPhone and you have no other Apple devices with you?
Is there a way to still get into iCloud to activate Find my iPhone?


texts: Shut down dialog in wrong language - MBP High Sierra 10.13.6

texts:
My Preferred & Primary language is set to English (The region is however set to Germany) as shown in the image below.

When I try to shut down or restart, I am presented a dialog in German language.

I have tried to solve this by running sudo languagesetup in the terminal to set the lang by selecting Use English for the main language then restarting. This had no effect.

Running defaults read NSGlobalDomain AppleLocale in the terminal outputs en_DE


texts: Macbook Lion Recovery Disk Utilities cannot detect newly installed SSD

texts: I just installed the SSD and I cannot detect the SSD in Disk Utilities of the recovery disk. Even trying to restore from time machine backup it cannot find any disk it can restore to. I am restoring Mac OS X Lion backup and using the Lion bootable USB stick.


texts:
I stupidly inserted my SD card today into the CD drive of my iMac. I didn't see where I was putting it in. I can't even feel the SD card by using a piece of paper in the drive.

How do I get the SD card out as I'd rather not have to pay Apple for fixing this.


texts: Will my British unlocked iPhone 6 work in the US with Verizon?

texts:
I have an unlocked iPhone 6 (A1586) that I purchased from Apple here in the UK.   I'd like to know if I'll be able to use it in the US with Verizon.  What will I have to do?

Just buy a Verizon SIM and pop it inside?

Verizon uses CDMA right? do they sell SIM cards too?.  I'd like to use Verizon CDMA there and not any other, as I'll be working for a US group that uses Verizon.   I know that my iPhone 6 is CDMA capable (that's what I can see in support.apple.com/specs for my iPhone model).

Please don't advise on any GSM networks, Verizon is what I need.


texts: How to remove photos from a device which have been imported previously in iPhoto?

texts:
I have imported all photo's from my phone (Samsung Wave 525) to iPhoto. As I was using iPhoto for the first time, I did not want to delete all photos at the end of importing, preferring to check whether it as done properly first or not. Now that I know that all photos have been properly imported, how do I delete the existing photos from my phone ?

(I've tried importing them again, using "Import All" option - though I get a dialog for what to do with duplicate files, I don't get that dialog which asks me if I wanted to keep the existing photos on the phone or not).


texts: How to uninstall mySIMBLHelper service installed by SIMBL for MAC

texts:
I wanted to install Atop which required SIMBL to be installed.
Nothing at the process stated that SIMBL 0.7.5 wasn't compatible with Mojave 10.14.
It started to pop confirmation if I want it to control xyz application.
I then started to check to uninstall it and loss a lot of time.

The process is commented in here https://github.com/w0lfschild/mySIMBL/issues/102
1. Disable SIP:

Boot into Recovery mode: Restart and hold cmd+r
In Menu -> Toolings -> Start “Terminal”
$ csrutil disable; reboot

Run the script and perform uninstallation. It deletes a list of files.
https://github.com/w0lfschild/mySIMBL/issues/102
re enable SIP

same as (1) change to "enable" to re-enable SIP

THE PROBLEM IS A DAEMON mySIMBLHelper IS NOT UNINSTALLED

I checked the files that it opens, and there are at least 2 places that are not deleted by the script:

"$HOME/Library/Caches/org.w0lf.mySIMBLHelper"
"/private/var/folders/tl/*/T/AppTranslocation/*/d/mySIMBL.app"

However the second one, can not be deleted because is a mounted file and it contains a copy of the original mySIMBL.

  I tried restarting in SAFE MODE holding SHIFT at boot to force the
  flush of temp files but didn't worked.

The to gather more information I got to dump with launchctl

launchctl dumpstate > dump.txt

It shows up dozens of services with the next line included

domain = com.apple.xpc.launchd.domain.pid.rg.w0lf.mySIMBLHelper.3734

while it also shows that service as well

com.apple.xpc.launchd.domain.pid.rg.w0lf.mySIMBLHelper.3734 = {
    type = process
    handle = 3734
    active count = 27
    on-demand count = 1
    service count = 26
    active service count = 0
    activity ratio = 0.00
    originator = /private/var/folders/tl/yytk78b9195dbtvrhmhvfn100000gn/T/AppTranslocation/D5C172B8-7F7A-4E7E-B147-18B24DD76FDA/d/mySIMBL.app/Contents/Library/LoginItems/mySIMBLHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/mySIMBLHelper
    creator = mySIMBLHelper.3734
    creator euid = 501
    uniqueid = 3734
    external activation count = 0
    security context = {
        uid = 501
        asid = 100064
    }
...

I need help to uninstall it or to stop it from running.

I can't even find the file where it is fired.

Could you help me please?


texts:
I can't for the life of me figure out how to print a selected email to PDF using Automator.

Example - iTunes invoice arrives as email text (not an attachment) and I want to save it as a PDF to a specified folder for tax time.

How do I print a selected email to PDF using Automator?


texts: Unknown Error -22 When Trying to Copy Files from Time Machine

texts:
Somehow I've managed to accumulate a bunch of files in Time Machine that don't seem to be capable of being copied out of Time Machine, citing "Unknown Error -22", like-so:

sudo cp /path/to/broken_file ~/Desktop/test
cp: broken_file: Unknown error: -22

Thing is, this only affects a tiny number of files (maybe five or six out of hundreds of thousands), and while it doesn't seem to be affecting Time Machine, it affects any other commands such as trying to rsync a Time Machine backup (which is useful since they're snapshots).

I can't find anything to explain why the files are doing this though; if I locate the original file in my user folder then it copies just fine, only the Time Machine version is affected. The files suffering the issue also don't seem related in any obvious way.

Does anyone have any idea what an error -22 is?


texts: Every time I boot up my iMac "... is an app downloaded from Internet. Are you sure you want to open it?"

texts:
I get this popup every time I boot up my mac.

It's some adobe after effects script. I uninstalled after effects.
I typed in com.aescripts.ZXP-Installer.helper in finder and deleted anything that matched.
I've done a terminal find / -name com.aescripts.ZXP-Installer.helper with no luck.
Don't know what else to do.


texts: What Are The Best iPhone apps to keep a toddler amused in an 'emergency'?

texts: Preferably free - kids shows / films from iTunes are an obvious one.


texts: os x terminal -remove files older than x days

texts:
trying to create a scripts that deletes files older than X days. It seemed straight forward enough but all files seem to be getting removed?

find /Volumes/Groups/Projects/530_BFAMI/test/ -ctime +30 -print -exec rm {} \;

any ideas welcome!?

Also would be good to print file information for matches as maybe my dates are misleading in finder?


texts: Are there adapters to use Thunderbolt Display with non-Thunderbolt computers?

texts: That Thunderbolt Display looks great. However, if I buy a monitor, it had better work with all my older computers, not just the latest and greatest Thunderbolt Macs. Is there any way I can get DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, or VGA into it?


texts: Can I damage an iPhone if I use a 24 watt (5volt) charger?

texts: I know that using a higher amperage charger will make a device charge faster.  But is there a limit to how high the current can be?  Could too high a current damage the battery?.  Could I use a 24watt (5v/4.1A) USB charger (intended to charge USB-C devices such as my Nexus 5x) to charge an iPhone?.  I'd use a USB-A to USB-C cable for connection.


texts:
I recently had some virus on my USB. After cleaning (with PC antivirus), i got all my files back, but the directories on my USB are not shown when connected to my Mac (Lion) computer.
What can I do to access them with my Mac?
Thank you.


texts: Which audio devices does iOS individually save volume output levels for?

texts: When using an iOS device, I've noticed that when connecting various audio devices, their volume levels are stored separately - as an example, when connecting a pair of EarPods via the Lightning port, the output level produced by my iOS device is different when I then connect a pair of headphones via the Lightning to 3.5mm Adaptor. Is there a definitive list of which audio sources iOS individually saves volume settings for?


texts: Multiple Java versions support on OS X and JAVA_HOME location

texts:
I know is possible to have multiple versions of Java on OS X but i find it difficult to understand how it works.

I upgraded to Mountain Lion and now echo $JAVA_HOME is empty.

However in /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/

1.4     1.5     1.6     A       CurrentJDK
1.4.2   1.5.0   1.6.0   Current

When I go into 1.4.2 and I execute java - version or ./java -version

  Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_33-b03-424-11M3720)

So why all those versions are used for if they have same version of Java?

Then I downloaded the JDK 7 from Oracle and installed it.

Where a new  JDK is usually installed?

And final question : How can I choose which version should run by default by all applications?

In Win. I set JAVA_HOME to the C:/ProgramFiles/Java/.…
I put in Path : location to JAVA_HOME/bin and that's it.


texts: How can I see which macOS version is installed on an external disk, without booting into it?

texts: Is there a file somewhere in the System folder or in the Library that shows me which OS is installed on the disk?


texts: Do all iPhones really delete themselves after 10 failed passcode attempts?

texts:
I don't actually own an Apple device, I'm just curious if what I just read is true:
Allegedly all iPhones have a function that locks them after 10 wrong passcodes were entered. There is a delay after each attempt, but over an hour or two anyone can enter 10 wrong passcodes. This function can not be turned off. After the phone is locked, the only course of action that remains is to connect the phone to a computer and erase all data that was stored on the phone.
Is this actually true?


texts: Why Photos and Photo Library differ in size?

texts:
Today I saw that 2 different positions in "manage storage" menu differ in size: Photos and Photo Library. I would like to know what is stored in which, but it is my first Mac and I cannot (or do not know how) simply check what lies underneath - both positions opens in the same window of Photos app.

Screenshot below:


texts: Streaming purchased DVD through Apple TV

texts:
I am trying to stream a DVD from my MacBook Air to my TV with the Apple TV. When it comes up on the screen, it only shows a checkerboard design. If I disengage the Apple TV, the DVD shows perfectly on the MacBook Air screen.
Apple Support says it is because of copyright on the DVD that won't let it show on the TV. I don't know why it would be any different that showing it on a DVD player.
Is there a way to work around this block to be able to stream a DVD?


texts: How to script Catalina Security & Privacy Preferences

texts:
In my line of work we use LanRev for our remote management.  However, with new machines using Catalina, we've had to manually allow Full Disc Access in order for remote control to work.

Is there way to use a script to apply this setting instead of having to manually apply it?


texts: How to report App Store rule violations?

texts:
Is there a link or somewhere to report App Store rule violations? Specifically, when an app is using push notifications to send you advertisements/promotions, despite this being explicitly against Apple's rules.

The closest thing I've found is a form to report intellectual property violations, and I can't find anything else that's close.

  5.6 Apps cannot use Push Notifications to send advertising,
  promotions, or direct marketing of any kind.

Recently, AppGratis was removed from the store for this (and other) violations.

I'm stick and tired of one app in particular, Real Racing 3, sending me ads to 'buy' in-game cars. You need notifications turned on in the app because of other game-related mechanics, such as when a friend challenges you to a race or your car is repaired. There is no option I can find to opt-out of the advertising messages.

Contacting the developer (EA, FireMonkey) will do no good because they don't care, so I'm hoping if this gets the attention of Apple then they will enforce their own rule.

Of course I just could remove the app and no longer use it, but it bugs me that small developers can't get away with it and big ones get a free pass.


texts: rsync "Operation not permitted (1)" error only when run in launchd

texts:
Context
There is a similar question here, however I feel the answer does not expand on how to "invoke the user environment profile from the launchd script"; and the alternative solution of identifying differences in the user and launchd environments shouldn't apply since I am running a launchd agent (run within user context) and not a launchd daemon (run within system context).
My setup
I have a run_rsync_back.sh file in my home directory with the following (note that this script runs sucessfully when manually run from the terminal):
date >> ~/.cron.log && rsync --stats -hai --delete /Users/username/Documents/ username@server.net:/home/username/Documents_MacbookPro/ >> ~/.backup.log 2>&1

I have ensured the above file is executable with chmod +x
And created a launchd Property List file for my agent:
~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.rsyncbackup.plist
with the following:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
  <dict>
    <key>Label</key>
    <string>com.rsyncbackup</string>
    <key>ProgramArguments</key>
    <array>
      <string>/Users/username/.run_rsync_backup.sh</string>
    </array>
    <key>RunAtLoad</key>
    <true/>
    <key>StartInterval</key>
    <integer>7200</integer>
  </dict>
</plist>

After starting the daemon (launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.rsyncbackup.plist), I can confirm that nothing was transferred to the server, and the following error appears in the ~/.backup.log file:
Sat Aug 29 17:19:16 CEST 2020
rsync: [sender] opendir "/Users/username/Documents/." failed: Operation not permitted (1)
IO error encountered -- skipping file deletion

Number of files: 1 (dir: 1)
Number of created files: 0
Number of deleted files: 0
Number of regular files transferred: 0
Total file size: 0 bytes
Total transferred file size: 0 bytes
Literal data: 0 bytes
Matched data: 0 bytes
File list size: 0
File list generation time: 0.015 seconds
File list transfer time: 0.000 seconds
Total bytes sent: 67
Total bytes received: 70

sent 67 bytes  received 70 bytes  274.00 bytes/sec
total size is 0  speedup is 0.00
rsync error: some files/attrs were not transferred (see previous errors) (code 23) at main.c(1307) [sender=3.2.2]

I have also tried the above on an out-of-the-box Mac, with exactly the same result!


texts: How do I type the grave accent/backtick (`) from mac to windows?

texts:
I am using Microsoft Remote Desktop v. 8.0.36 (have also tried 8.0.33) to a windows server. When I use the button to the left of 1 on my keyboard, I get a backslash in the remote desktop. If I enable the on-screen keyboard, I can see that it is supposed give the backtick, and if I click on the on-screen keyboard, I also get the backtick as expected.

I have a US style keyboard and I am using El Capitan. I have also used the old Microsoft RDC program (v. 2.1.1 from 2011). Here it works fine and same with Cord. The problem is that the 2011 RDC crashes on avg. once per hour, which gets frustrating and Cord does the same for random reasons (certain local shortcuts tend to crash it).

I have seen that earlier (pre 8.0.15), there was a bug so that it was impossible to get a backslash. Now there just seems to be to many backslashes.


texts: Can I run the OS X installer even after I delete main disk

texts:
I'm trying to reinstall OS X on my girlfriend's Mac and when I go to recovery menu and select to install OS X from the menu, the system proceeds to start download components, which fails.

I've thought about using disk utility to delete the main drive and then mount a new one and try the OS X installation from the recovery menu again in hopes it just fails because there isn't enough space for the components. But I am afraid to try it because I worry the recovery image will be deleted as well and I won't be able to run the OS X reinstallation after I have deleted and recreated the main disk.

Is this a real risk or should I go ahead at try it? Components seems to be a lot to download so I'm thinking it probably is the OS image so me clearing the drive completely shouldn't be an issue, but I have no experience with anything Apple so prefer to have people to blame after my girlfriend asks why did I brick her Mac.


texts: Moving a folder with "sudo mv", how to preserve ACLs?

texts:
I'm moving a whole folder from one volume to another (both HFS+), using sudo mv, and thought ACLs would be preserved. However at the end of transfer I see that they haven't been kept, and since mv deleted the files in the original volume I can't restore them.

Why did this happen, and how to do it right next time?


texts: Does using a case with iPhone cause excess heat to linger around and does it have any significant impact on battery life?

texts: I bought an iPhone 11 around 3 weeks ago and I’ve been quite paranoid about using a case as I read somewhere that over the long term it can continuously cause excess heat to not be dissipated effectively and can degrade the battery much quicker. Does anyone know how true this actually is and if it will have a significant impact? Having quickly destroyed the battery on my old iPhone, I was wondering what I need to do differently this time around.


texts:
Sometimes the icon of Google Drive, on the top menu, disappears. This really annoys me also because this is happening always more frequently (and I don't want to go to the web browser and search for Google Drive, etc. I don't know how to solve this unless I restart the mac, but this is also annoying and undesirable.

So, is there a way of making that icon reappear, i.e. restart Google Drive's client on the mac, in case it dies?


texts: Will Homebrew installations, root password, hidden users, etc. carry over with Migration Assistant? or with a Time Machine backup? or something else?

texts:
Here's a similar question: Migrating to new iMac, what does Migration Assistant actually migrate?
The reason I'm asking again now is because this question was asked TEN YEARS AND FIVE MONTHS ago, which was before back when Mac OS X 10.7 Lion was released! Since then, there have been 10 updates to macOS, so I'm pretty sure the information is quite outdated.
I'm using macOS Mojave 10.14.6, and I've made several changes to the operating system such as setting a Root User passcode, creating a hidden super-user account, overriding Gatekeeper to allow installation of all apps, executing countless commands in Terminal, manually deep-cleaning all traces of a bugged antivirus that would never fully uninstall, installing a boatload of Homebrew, and even keeping all remnants of the fabled Macromedia Flash Player. My Early-2015 Macbook Pro 13" with Retina display runs surprisingly fast, but it was a base model with weak hardware. I recently got myself a Mid-2019 Macbook Pro 15" with Touchbar and the best hardware (except the hard drive is 1TB instead of 4TB, but that's way better than the 256GB I've struggled with for the past 6 years– but it runs Mojave, so I'm happy keeping my 32-bit apps that are not longer supported).
I need to migrate everything, but I don't have time to be picky. Would Migration Assistant do everything I need? Should I install from a Time Machine backup? or is there another way that's not tedious but will be effective and not compromise the newer Macbook's performance?


texts: Is there a more convenient VPN toggle in iOS 9.1?

texts:
Is there an convenient way for me to toggle VPN on or off in iOS 9.1 without navigating through the Settings screen each time?

Previously (on Android), I used an app to automate this based on my location and it was pretty reliable. Searching through the App Store, I am unable to find any advanced automation apps.

I have discovered FlipControlCenter which would place a convenient toggle button in the swipe up menu, however I'm currently running iOS 9.1 and would like to avoid jailbreaking if possible.

I am aware that some paid VPN services do have apps which can be launched and used to toggle VPN on or off, however I am running my own personal VPN service.


texts: AirDrop Not Working When Signed Into iCloud

texts:
I seem to only be able to AirDrop to/from one of my Apple devices to another if one of them is signed out of iCloud. I have all my devices (iPhone X, 2017 iMac High Sierra, 2017 MacBook Air High Sierra) all signed in to my iCloud account (the same account). The devices cannot see each other in AirDrop unless I sign one of them out of iCloud.

For example, if I sign my MacBook Air out of iCloud, then my MacBook Air shows in my iMac's AirDrop and I can freely transfer files to it. Once I sign back into iCloud, it goes away.

Note: I can see and AirDrop to any of my colleagues' devices just fine across all of my devices. I just can't send to any of my own devices unless I sign out of iCloud.

I've tried all of the standard AirDrop troubleshooting (Making sure Bluetooth is on, same Wifi, update all devices, restart, etc).


texts: How do I move my Outlook mac files to Ms outlook 2010?

texts: How can I move all my emails including the mailboxes from Outlook mac to Ms outlook 2010?


texts: How can I stop iOS updates from downloading automatically via Wi-Fi, on my iPhone 6s with iOS 9.0.2?

texts:
This may be more of a question on what Ask Different community thinks of me than a technical question on iOS 9 updates.

Thanks to Alex Malcoci here, now I know how to stop the reminder about iOS update installation from popping up every day on my iPhone 6s with iOS 9.0.2. Also thanks to bmike on the same post, now I know that Apple doesn't provide users an option to turn off automatic download of iOS updates on devices with iOS upper than 9.x.x. I also learned from another post on Ask Different that I can, despite bmike's advice above, turn off automatic download of updates via mobile data.

So, the only problem left for me is the automatic download of iOS updates, which contain features and fixes that are most of times totally unnecessary and irrelevant for me, via Wi-Fi connection. As a sensible way to cut down my mobile data use, I leave my iPhone 6s connected to Wi-Fi at my house and disconnected from mobile data, whenever I'm home. I don't have problem with the storage space on my iPhone even if updates are downloaded automatically via Wi-Fi, since I still have about 20GB left empty on my device.

But still, I want to stop automatic download of iOS updates via Wi-Fi connection, and be able to choose which update to download and install. This is absolutely a matter of like or dislike, and not something that's causing difficulty or annoyance on use of my phone. So far.

Am I a social outcast who wishes to take control of what's downloaded to my device by resisting Apple's forced download policy, and who also deserves to stop living with Apple devices, if I dislike so much the automatic download? Which is more crazy, me disliking or Apple forcing?


texts: I recently ran an NMAP scan of my Mac's open ports and discovered port 631 (ipp) was open. Intrigued, I saw it was for the CUPS web interface, and after enabling it I found it had something to do with printing. But what exactly is CUPS?


texts: How can I delete saved commands from Terminal?

texts: As all of you know, Mac OS X stores all commands that run from Terminal in Terminal itself, however, I want to delete (for example) the last 3 commands from the terminal. How can I do this?


texts:
I have a shortcut that I created in 2019 and it stopped working after iOS 14 upgrade. The specific part that stopped working is the display at the end of some calculations. No numbers are shown, only the text, like "your answer is: "  but the resulting numeric value is not shown. So, it would seem the shortcut isn't using the variables, I mean it is not like I see "your answer is: 0" the space where the number/variable should be is blank.
How can I begin to debug this?


texts: Do I have to / is it possible to update to iOS 8.0 if I preinstalled device with a 8.0 beta?

texts:
I am a developer, and my beta iOS is really unstable, is it possible to update it to the real iOS8 that coming out today?

Do you know is iOS8 available for download in Settings yet?


texts: How can I get a user's associated Apple ID from the command line?

texts:
I'd like to be able to retrieve the current user's associated Apple ID from a shell script. My first guess was to do so using dscl which I can get using my own user. But I'm not sure how reliable/consistent this method would be generally for any user.

dscl . readpl /Users/[username] dsAttrTypeNative:LinkedIdentity appleid.apple.com:linked\ identities:0:full\ name

Are there any alternative ways to do this? Maybe reading a plist somewhere using defaults read?


texts: MacBook Pro 15 uses 60+ GB of swap memory

texts:
So, today something quite weird happened. I was watching a video on my MacBook Pro, and I noticed the fans started to ramp up quite a bit. I didn't think too much of it at first, since it often struggles to drive to drive the 2 external monitors that I have hooked up to it (one's 1080p, the other is 4K), but this time it started getting really loud, so I closed some applications that I wasn't using to see if that would fix it. It did for a moment, but after a few minutes, I got a prompt message saying I ran out of memory:

I closed everything except for Firefox and even relaunched Finder, but the prompt message wouldn't go away, no matter how many applications and processes I killed. One of the applications that I manually quit was NTFS for Mac, and before I closed it, I caught a glimpse of my storage summary and noticed that I had about 7 GB left, which I knew for a fact wasn't true because I just factory reset this computer about a week ago. I re-opened Activity Monitor to force quit some more processes, only to find out that not only was I out of RAM, but the reason why I was running out of storage space was because the laptop was using so much swap memory!

I realize Firefox's web content processes were using quite a bit of memory, but even that shouldn't have been enough to bring my MacBook Pro 15 Late 2018 to its knees (it was using about ~3GB of memory if my math is correct). After a while trying to free up as much memory as I could, my MacBook just couldn't handle it anymore and crashed on me. I left it untouched for a few minutes to let it cool down, and when I turned it back on, it struggled to boot and took a very long while to sign into my account.
I couldn't find anything similar to this problem with a quick Google search, so I was wondering if something like this has happened to anyone else.


texts: Numbers: Can I highlight the row and column of the selected cell?

texts: When reading larger spreadsheets, it would be helpful to highlight the row and column that the currently selected cell is in.  I'm not talking about conditional formatting or anything in the spreadsheet itself, I'm just talking about a viewing option.  I couldn't find a similar option anywhere.


texts: Build fails with configure: error: could not make ./config.status

texts:
Facing a strange build error on OSX 10.12. Unable to build any software at the command line. For example none of the packages Opus, PJSIP, and LibreSSL will build. (Dependencies for Telephone: https://github.com/eofster/Telephone) All the configure steps exit with the same error.

configure: creating ./config.status
configure: error: could not make ./config.status

Xcode 8.1 is installed with command line tools.

$ gcc -v
Configured with: --prefix=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/usr --with-gxx-include-dir=/usr/include/c++/4.2.1
Apple LLVM version 8.0.0 (clang-800.0.42.1)
Target: x86_64-apple-darwin16.1.0
Thread model: posix
InstalledDir: /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin

I reinstalled command line tools once already.

A few days ago I was trying to build Jekyll and that too failed with the same error. I gave up at the time thinking it was some Jekyll related error.

Any pointers will help.


texts:
My wife and I arrived in Spain but we're still on the US store.  We installed WhatsApp on her iPhone 6 and used it a lot with our workgroup.  When the iPhone 6 was damaged, we bought an iPhone 7 and put in her SIM card but my Apple ID.  (Apple turned on two-factor without asking and won't let us into her account until we enter the code from the SMS they sent to the broken phone!)

Restored from an iPad backup but the WhatsApp for iPad is not the same app and was not registered to install.

Find the correct one for the iPhone in the store, click "GET" and enter my password.  "Ding" "Done" and then the download spinner turns for half a second and says "GET" again.  The app is not installed.  No pop-ups, messages, or diagnostics of any kind.

Previous phone was 16GB, this one is 32GB and less than half full.

Both had all updates installed promptly.

What is this and what can we do about it?

Update: two days later, it worked, and then I got this by e-mail:

Which is stupid, because the device had been used before on my ID to activate, restore from backup, and reinstall dozens of apps!


texts: How do I use a Mac as a wireless speaker for an iOS device?

texts: I know it’s possible to do this  when the device is wired to the Mac (using Quicktime’s record audio), but I haven’t found a way to do it wirelessly.


texts: If I quit Terminal.app, do processes that it initiated quit with it?

texts: If I use Terminal to initiate a time-consuming process (in this case, deleting a large .sparsebundle file on my Time Capsule, which could take hours) and if I then quit the Terminal app itself before that process has completed, does that ongoing process (the deletion) also quit? Or does Terminal just act as the 'trigger' and the process runs autonomously regardless of whether Terminal.app is active or not?


texts: Liquid keyboard damage on MB Air - password keys don’t work even with USB keyboard

texts:
A friend decided to disinfect the keyboard of another friend’s MacBook Air. Some of the keys in her password no longer work, specifically M and P.

The weird thing is, we tried a USB keyboard and those keys also don’t work with the external keyboard - typing M and P get no input.

We also tried the Dvorak layout. The “broken” physical keys work, but the keys that are mapped to M and P then don’t work.

When I log in as a Guest User, the USB keyboard works completely, but that doesn’t help much.

It seems like some kind of software keyboard module got fried? I can’t think of a good explanation.

Currently we can not log in to the computer at all.

Can anyone help us, or at least give some guidance on how we can back up the computer?


texts: My friend installed something called Jamf on my MacBook

texts:
I have a MacBook Air 7,2. My friend installed something called Jamf on it. Now I can't access most of my applications. My son said he couldn't force quit it so I'm thinking it must be some kind of virus.

The IT man managed to get it up on Activity Monitor, but when he tried to force quit it, it just reopened and when he tried to uninstall it with terminal it just blocked terminal.

Any help that could be offered would be appreciated because otherwise, I may need to just throw out the MacBook and buy a new one.


texts: Add to Existing Contact from Mail.app to Contacts.app

texts:
I am looking for an option to add the choice "Add to Existing Contact" from the Apple Mail.app From address field.  As you all know, we have "Copy Address, Add to VIPs, New Email, Add to Contacts, and Services" as current choices.  I am hoping that I can find a way to have an additional choice of "Add to Existing Contact" to this list - maybe listed under Services.

I know that this is a choice when you use the smart detection feature from a signature.  I also know this is an option in iOS 6. So how can I get the same functionality for From: addresses in Mail.app?


texts: Stopping Dell P2715Q monitor flickers with MacBook Retina 12" (2015)

texts:
I have recently purchased both a Dell 4K display (P2715Q) and a new Macbook (Retina, 12", 2015).  According to Apple's website, the MacBook should be capable of driving the display at full resolution at 30 Hz, when connected over HDMI (via Apple's own USB-C to HDMI adapter), https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202856.  While the display is detected correctly and I can select up to the full 3840 x 2160 (though it defaults to 1920 x 1080) pixel settings, the Dell display continually flickers, going blank for a fraction of second every few seconds.  This behavior persists regardless of the choice of scaling.

Has anyone else encountered this issue (or not) with this setup (or other 4K display)?  Any strategy to resolve this issue?

Things I've tried:

Doing an NVRAM reset on the Mac (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063, as suggested by Apple's help desk) and
a Factory Reset in the Dell monitor menu options (the only suggestion from Dell's help desk)

both of these appear to reduce or sometimes stop the flickering for a few hours, but it returns by the end of the day (or if the Mac is left on over night).  Having to reset NVRAM every day isn't a great experience...

Edit the problem persists both while the laptop is in Clamshell mode (with the lid closed) or open as an additional monitor.


texts: Mail.app and accountsd are taking op all CPU Mac OS 10.15

texts:
I have suddenly (did not see when it is happening and when it is stopping) CPU peaks, which is coming from Mail.app and accountsd all together

i did a screenshot of the activity monitor as well as the console, where, when this spike is happening, it is creating +/- 3500 messages a second, all the same as the one on the Screenshot shows some of it.

Screenshot Activity Monitor : https://bazinga.lu/mail1.png
Screenshot Console : https://bazinga.lu/mail2.png

Most of the messages are like this one:

Connection error changed for account:

this for all mail accounts. Killing all the accounts and readding, or dis/enabling it did not help

Also another strange thing happening is, in the message list, some users (i found out they are in the contacts and have a different string in the contacts entry than in the one they provide in the mail header) will flash every second from one to the other name in this list. It is a flckering which is constant, let's say every second, a bit delayed the further down in the list the mail is.

Current "solution" is to stop the mail.app and restart it, it will be good for up to 10 minutes and it will happen again

any ideas ? It started when upgrading from 10.14 to 10.15

Latest Mac OS Version 10.15.1 (19B88)

Many Thanks

Tom


texts: How do I connect to a SOCKS Proxy from an iPhone/iPod Touch?

texts:
I like to surf securely and privately via a SOCKS proxy which I created via SSH tunneling, on the Mac. I used the SSH client on my Mac to achieve this. Then I thought, since the iPhone OS is essentially Mac OS, the same trick might work also on the iPhone.

I managed to create a SSh tunnel on my iPhone via the Terminal (iPhone's Terminal). (Yes, it's jail-broken)

ssh -D [port] user@domain.com

At this stage my iPhone is SOCKS proxy.

However, there doesn't seem to be a way in the iPhone networking preference panel to specify a SOCKS proxy. Someone suggest creating a Proxy Auto-Contig (PAC) file to workaround this, but that sounds complicated.

Any ideas how to make iPhone use it's own SOCKS proxy?


texts: Can I change the default camera app on my iPhone?

texts:
In the latest iOS update (5.1) Apple added the camera to the lock screen, so now I don't need to unlock the phone to take a picture.

Is it possible to change which app is used for this?

I realise that there are potentially privacy concerns around this which the default app nicely resolves by only showing those photos taken in the current session in the camera roll, but regardless, is this possible?


texts: How to wake a MacBook Air (2019) display after it suddenly goes dark (not sleep) for no reason in macOS Catalina (10.15.1)?

texts:
This has happened to me a few times since upgrading to macOS Catalina (10.15.1) and the root cause is unclear.

I am downloading something using Firefox, in push Firefox away to do something else, I go to use Safari — or a text editor — and then… Like magic… The screen goes dark… Not sleep… Just dark… And I can’t see the desktop or anything.

I know the underlying system is still up and running because if I SSH into it from another device/system I can see the OS is still alive and not hung. And in the case of the download, I can still see data being downloaded using the command line tool nload (which I installed via Homebrew). And past that the brightness controls on the keyboard still work… But obviously the screen is dark — and not turned off because of sleep mode — and I can’t see anything.

Now, under most circumstances, I would just say a few “choice” words, hold down the power button and wait for the machine to come back up via reboot. But this download is in progress so I don’t want to do that.

So what can I do to get the screen on my MacBook Air active and viewable again?


texts: Can I create a Windows VirtualBox image on a Linux computer and then use it on my OS X Mac?

texts:
I want to try Windows 7 under VirtualBox on my Macbook Air, but I have no optical drive. Rather than going out and buying one, can bypass the optical drive installation by making a Windows 7 VirtualBox image on my Linux tower and then copy that image over to my Mac via rsync?

And are there any VirtualBox configuration settings I may need to use to accomplish what I have in mind?


texts:
Is it possible to have multiple Apple IDs?

Can I have different Apple Ids using my different email ids?


texts: RAM upgrade options for a first generation 15" MacBook Pro

texts:
I am working on one of the first 15" Unibody MacBook Pro's (Late 2008 - MB470LL/A - MacBookPro5,1).

According to EveryMac (and other sources), this machine really only supports 4GB of RAM. It looks like higher may work, but unsure.

The machine is base with 2GB of RAM, 2 x 1GB chips. I would like to upgrade the RAM in this, but unsure of what path to take.

Can you just purchase one 4GB stick and it be ok?
What happens to these machines when you put 8GB in them?
Does anyone actually sell 2x2GB chips anymore? Looking quickly on newegg I did not find any.


texts:
I have an early 2011 Macbook Pro. I'm running a Dell 2407 monitor using a VGA adapter and I get intermittent wavy lines on the external display. If I open the display menu on the monitor itself while the problem happens, the overlaid menu is not 'waving'. If I adjust the pixel clock on the monitor while the wavy lines are there, this temporarily resolves the problem

I'm using VGA as the DVI connection had other issues - intermittent noise / snow. I will probably replace the Macbook later this year and maybe even upgrade to a new thunderbolt display but in the meantime, this is incredibly annoying.

This video shows the wavy lines I'm seeing (but this was not uploaded by me) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEyUk6S07iQ

I've plugged the monitor into a completely separate power source and can't identify any other source of interference.

I'm running OSX 10.8.2 Mountain Lion. The display adapter is an official apple one.


texts: ios 12.0 how can I delete specific plug in applications within the Message app?

texts:
I don't want Message apps except for photos to show up in the bottom when I'm composing a message.

How can I delete them from Message so I can't tap them accidentally or see them?


texts: Problem after erasing the HD of a brand new Mac (OS X Yosemite) with Disk Utility

texts:
I cannot reinstall OS X Yosemite now, as there's no hard drive I could see.

I had erased the HD with the idea that it will create a new partition but it didn't, so now I can't see a hard disk on disk utility. I have tried with diskutil command, but didn't succeed.


texts: MacBook not booting up nor recognising bootable usb

texts:
I have this old macbook that I wanted to convert into a ubuntu server, however it didn't recognise my ubuntu server bootable usb which my newer MacBook Air did. After tying to use a 32 bit version and the desktop version it still did not boot. However when I checked the disk utility it did say that the device (usb drive) was attached to the computer. I then started googling and found that pressing cmd+opt+P+R would help so I followed those instructions. But it still didn't help. I tried booting back to the native os but then I got this screen

Can anyone help me so I can at least boot into something. I currently have tried to attach a bootable usb/cd and it would not show up on the boot select when I started up and held the OPT key. This is all that shows up

does anyone know how I can solve this issue? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated


texts: Mail app always shows most recently read email

texts: When I open the Mail app on my iPad the last email read is always displayed. Is it possible to change this behavior?


texts: Disk Utility Reports Invalid Key Order on APFS Volume (macOS Catalina)

texts:
On the latest version of macOS Catalina as of this writing (10.15.2), Disk Utility is reporting that I have invalid key order on my snapshots:

Running First Aid on “iMac HD - Data” (disk2s1)

Verifying the startup volume will cause this computer to stop responding.

Verifying file system.
Volume could not be unmounted.
Using live mode.
Performing fsck_apfs -n -l -x /dev/rdisk2s1
Checking the container superblock.
Checking the fusion superblock.
Checking the EFI jumpstart record.
Checking the space manager.
Checking the space manager free queue trees.
Checking the object map.
Checking the Fusion data structures.
Checking volume.
Checking the APFS volume superblock.
The volume iMac HD - Data was formatted by hfs_convert (945.200.129) and last modified by apfs_kext (1412.61.1).
Checking the object map.
Checking the snapshot metadata tree.
Checking the snapshot metadata.
Checking snapshot 1 of 3 (com.apple.apfs.purgatory.9458b)
error: btn: invalid key order (6) oid 463237 / oxid 0 / level 0 / flags 0x2
    previous key: 0x2004000009962b4b

    current key:  0x2004000000080218

    next key:     0x20040000099821e2

Snapshot is invalid.
The volume /dev/rdisk2s1 could not be verified completely.
File system check exit code is 0.
Restoring the original state found as mounted.

Operation successful.

This is on the new "Data" volume that Catalina creates for your files, aside from the read only system volume.

I have tried running Disk First Aid multiple times from Recovery and Internet Recovery, booted into Single User Mode and tried to run fsck_apfs -y from there, all to no avail. I also tried resetting PRAM/NVRAM and the SMC per AppleCare's advice, but I doubt this has anything to do with my APFS volumes.

Does anyone know how to get rid of these "purgatory" snaps so that disk first aid can run clean once more?


texts: After upgrade to macOS Sierra secd is using 98% power and cannot be force quit in Activity Monitor

texts: Fan has ran for 3 days after upgrading my MacBook Air (mid 2011).


texts: Error 105, press F5 on Safari using Sierra

texts:
Since update to macOS Sierra I have permanent error while trying to watch movie on the ewebsite:

Do you know how to solve this?


texts: How to get Verizon WiFi Calling to work on new iPhone X

texts:
I just activated an iPhone X on Verizon Wireless. My previous iPhone was able to do WiFi Calling on my home network.

Now when I try to turn WiFi Calling on (Settings -> Cellular -> Wi-Fi Calling), I get an error message telling me to contact Verizon.


texts: Removing free partition on Macbook Macintosh HD

texts:
Let me tell you the story to understand the problem.
I installed Ubuntu 20.04 on my mac as the second OS. Later I decided to delete it, and being not good in all this stuff, I decided to just remove the 30gb partition I gave for Ubuntu. However, EFI partition was left.
I downloaded Paragon and erased this EFI. But it is not merged still with my Macintosh HD!

So my question is how to merge it (include literally the 314.57 Mb partition) with my hard disk (APFS-container)?
I tried to format it as HFS+ and then tried to make it APSF but my system felt and I had to install macOS again.
P.S. Disk Utility says that there is a trouble and to repair it, I need to go to recovery mode. But when I go to RM, it says the same thing - even though I turned off filevault as some sources say.
I will be very thankful to you for your response!


texts: I can't see the comments in a PDF file that were added in macOS

texts: I wrote a proposal and sent it in PDF form to my supervisor. She highlighted the proposal and left comments, but I can't see these comments when the PDF is opened in Windows or Ubuntu. I tried foxit reader and Adobe Reader, but in both, the highlights are visible, but comments appear as empty rectangles. Are there any apps or online web sites that I can use to see the comments?


texts: Install Mac OSX on a new replacement hard drive

texts:
We have an iMac in our office which we are going to put an SSD in (The iMac itself is past warranty and apart from the slow hard drive is functioning fine) however no-one of us in the IT Department are used to using Mac and we can't seem to work out how to re-install Mac OSX on a new hard drive as we can't seem to get a .iso file for MacOSX like you would with Windows

How would you re-install Mac OSX on a replacement Hard Drive


texts: No bootable disk when booting Windows after installing Linux on Mac

texts:
That must the weirdest title you've read in a long time.
I have a MacBook Pro Mid 2012, I installed Windows 7 with Bootcamp and all was working fine.
Last night I installed Kali Linux with a bootable USB, and during the installation I checked something like "master boot record" or something like that, not too sure. Now when I'm greeted with the boot menu in mac thanks to rEFInd and select Windows, this message comes on :

  No bootable device -- Insert boot disk and press any key

I've read online this has something to do with GRUB, but don't know how to proceed. Let me know if you need any more info, thanks.


texts: What is the iOS developer payment schedule?

texts:
I'm planning to release an iPhone app next week. I have read that Apple pays out 45 days after the end of month (if threshold is reached). My developer account is linked to an address in India if that makes any difference.

So, if I reach the threshold in May, is it safe to assume I will get paid in the beginning of July?


texts: Does FaceTime take up data or calling minutes when in a Wi-Fi area?

texts: I am using FaceTime and calling my friend abroad. I am using an iPod touch, but my friend has an iPhone and is in an area where they have Wi-Fi access.  My question is, does that "call" count toward data or voice minutes, or is it unlimited and free as it's all going over Wi-Fi?


texts: Mail found by iPad global search operation, but not in Mail app

texts:
Today I discovered this:

If I search my iOS 8 iPad for a certain name, I find three different Emails. All of these are drafts. If I touch one of these findings, mail.app opens the drafts and show them completely.

If I search within mail.app, the application doesn't find the emails. Even if I search 'all folder' and 'search on server' too.

Given these findings:

Why does the global iOS 8 search finds these drafts but mail.app not?
How my I delete those drafts, although mail.app doesn't show them using its search operation.


texts: What are the consequences of using a low-wattage USB-C power supply with a MacBook Pro?

texts:
This question pertains to USB-C not MagSafe. MagSafe negotiates available power with the Dallas 1-wire protocol. USB Power Delivery (PD) is an unrelated protocol. Answers based on experience with MagSafe are unlikely to be relevant.

I'm considering buying a 2016 MacBook Pro Retina about which this article says:

  the Griffin product was only powerful enough to offer 60W of power, not quite enough for the 87W needed to power the larger Pro models at fully

I'm also considering buying a LG 27UD88-W which it advertised as providing:

  Mobile / Laptop Charging Up to 60W

What are the consequences of using a 60W supply instead of an 87W one?

Does it just mean it will take longer to charge the laptop?

Could it have side effects such as putting parts of the system into a slower, low-energy mode?

This question covers MagSafe power supplies but Charles Duffy's comment suggests that the rules for USB-C may be different.


texts: I removed /bin on my Mac, How can I restore it?

texts:
I removed the /bin instead of ~/bin :(

My laptop no longer boots up! It has no DVD or CD drive!

How can I restore the OS X?

It is MacBook Pro OS X 10.8, SSD 128GB.


texts: Is there any kind of authoritative guide to Apple's Volume Purchase Program, Device Enrollment Program, and Mobile Device Management?

texts:
I'm fairly new to the whole world of Apple and macOS. As I'm currently writing my thesis about the possible enrollment of macOS devices via Device Enrollment Program (DEP) (in connecting with some other stuff), I searched the Web, books and the Apple's Developer documentation, but I have not found a reliable guide on how to use Volume Purchase Program (VPP) and DEP (or at least a "quotable" description), only the handbook for ABM (which is pretty good, but does not answer all my questions).

Am I just blind or are there some "hidden" gems that i seem to overlook? Maybe there is a guide in Apple Business Manager (ABM) directly, to which i don't have access - yet - ?


texts: Make Osx Text shortcut works when using Microsoft Remote Desktop

texts: On Yosemite it's possible to define text shortcuts in System Preferences > Keyboard > Text But they don't work when I'm on Microsoft Remote Desktop app, is there a way to make them work on it?


texts: File in Photos app and Files app shows different size when transferring files

texts:
In iPhone, I copied a file from Photos app to Files app as mentioned below.

  Open the default Photos app on iPhone ->
  select a single file
  (or multiple files by clicking the Select button at the top right corner) ->
  click the Share/Upload upward-pointing arrow icon -> save to Files

Now, the size of the file(some name like IMG_0567.MOV) shown in the Files app on iPhone is different from the file size shown in Windows OS File Explorer when I connect my iPhone to a PC using USB cable. Why is that?

Edit 1:

Go to settings -> Photos -> "Transfer to MAC or PC section" has 2 options called "Automatic"  and "Keep Originals". When the option "Automatic" is selected in my iPhone(this was the default option) then the size of the video file is shown in iPhone Files app as 51.8 MB but if I connect the iPhone to PC then in Windows File explorer the file size is shown as 113 MB

Any have, when the "Automatic" option is selected on iPhone then I am unable to transfer videos from iPhone to PC using the USB cable due to the error the device is unreachable. So I changed this option to "Keep Originals" in iPhone, then I am able to transfer the videos from iPhone to PC. The size displayed in the Files app in iPhone and in the Windows file explorer(when the iPhone is connected to PC using USB cable) is also the same now (i.e 51.8 MB in this case)

When transferring photos then I still use the "Automatic" option, otherwise the image files are getting some extension like.HEIC, etc when I copy the images from iPhone to the PC.


texts: Errors when transferring Time Machine to a new drive

texts:
I tried transferring my Time Machine volume to a new drive using the instructions provided by Apple, where it requires that I drag-and-drop via the Finder, but I got a ton of errors. At least a dozen at the same time. I don't recall them all, but some were quite strange. I have transferred a Time Machine drive once before, and it took 24 hours, but there were no errors.

There were a lot of "This operation could not be completed." errors. I think the codes were along the lines of -50 and -8300. I also noticed one particularly strange error, saying something like "The version of iWorks used to create this document is older."

What do these all mean, and what can I do to fix them? I already ran "Repair disk" on both the source and destination volumes, with no errors.


texts: My iPhone 7 is in recovery mode and the home button is broken. There is a prompt that says “Press home to recover” and it’s not popping up when I connect with iTunes.


texts: I have to reboot mac to restart bluetooth every morning

texts:
I'd like some help understanding why I have to restart my Mac every morning when I get to work in order for the bluetooth to start working again.  It is a work provided machine, running Yosemite and it has a couple things which I cannot remove as well, like Symantec this and that.  Once I reboot though, I am good all day long and never have a problem with bluetooth.  It is only when I come in to work in the morning, and it is EVERY morning, without fail.

In contrast, my home MacBook, never has this problem.  The difference in machines are that my home machine is several years older (2011 ish), is running El Capitán, and does not run any Symantec anything.  Does anyone have any ideas why I might be having this problem?


texts:
How do you prevent Apple Photos from opening on connecting a camera.

I prefer to download all my work to Lightroom 3.


texts: iTunes or other RSS/podcast reader that can retrieve whole podcast, I.E. transversing pages?

texts:
I listen to a podcast* which is in Atom RSS 2.0 format.

I subscribed with iTunes, the feed presents 5 entries in each page, and pages are accessible by appending ?page=n, n being the page number.

But iTunes doesn't seem to see farther than the first page, is there an option for iTunes to retrieve the whole podcast instead of just the first page?

Is there another RSS/podcast reader that can?

* http://venganzasdelpasado.com.ar/posts.rss


texts: Archiving mail in a smart mailbox in macOS Apple Mail doesn't work

texts:
I'm using Apple Mail on macOS 10.14.6. I have multiple IMAP mail accounts set up in it including a Gmail account, and combine some of the mail together using smart mailboxes.

In one of these smart mailboxes, I try to archive mail from my Gmail account and it's not working. All of my other mail accounts behave correctly when archiving their mail from this smart mailbox, but for some reason my Gmail account does not. If I archive my Gmail account's mail in its actual mailbox and not the smart mailbox, it works correctly.

Is there anything I can do to fix this or work around it? Not being able to archive mail from a smart mailbox would be a dealbreaker for me.


texts: Can I keep my iPhone screen off during voice navigation with Apple's Maps app?

texts:
I have been using voice navigation in Apple's Maps app for iOS 6. I keep the phone in one of my car's cup holders because I am mostly using it in my home area where the maps on the screen aren't necessary. But when each navigation instruction is announced, I see the screen come back on. Sometimes I have my car charger, and sometimes I don't. But regardless of that, the screen coming on when I don't want to or can't look at it is just wrong for this usage scenario. Can I do something to keep the screen off and only use voice navigation?

EDIT: I reported this to Apple through bugreport.apple.com .


texts: I want to disable iphone screen activation when plugging in a charger

texts: I want to use a low power, ultra light weight solar charger for a three week backpacking trip. But I have heard that any shadows will lower the output causing the phone repeatedly start/stop charging. On an iPhone, this causes the screen to repeatedly activate for a few seconds to say "charging started". This uses a lot of power I can't afford to waste! Can I stop the iPhone from waking up the screen when its battery begins to charge? iPhone 5, iOS 9.3.5.


texts: How to disable "Look Up" context menu across macOS?

texts:
No matter which browser you use, there's always a Look Up menu when right-clicking any text inside the web browser.

I have disabled Lookup/Spotlight suggestions on right-clicking, via System Preferences, but on right-clicking any text in any browser, the Look Up menu still shows up with dictionary suggestions.

Is there anyway to disable this from the core. I have gone through other AskDifferent posts similar to mine, but none of them seems to have an answer!


texts: Content of folders vanished when moved to Macintosh HD

texts:
I tried to move some folders from my Desktop to my hard drive by dragging them. It would not let me copy them on the hard drive for an unknown reason (red not permitted sign appearing when hovering the external hard drive icon). Then I decided to move all those folders to Macintosh HD by hovering the icon, it looks like everything went great until I started to look into the folders and discover that they were all empty, all folders within folders are still there but every single file vanished!

What should I do ?


texts: How to always use macbook microphone with Bose QuietComfort 35?

texts:
I have noise canceling headphones (Bose QC 35), that also have microphone built-in. If the microphone is active, noise canceling doesn't work, they just pass through ambient sounds (this is by design. I suppose, they did it so you wouldn't feel that you're in "vacuum" when you are talking).

Anyway, the problem is that whenever I connect my headphones to macOS, the system switches from internal microphone to headphones' one. Therefore, noise canceling doesn't work, unless I go to system settings and switch microphone back to the internal one.

This is very annoying, especially considering that I have to do that every time I connect headphones.

Is there any way to force macOS to always use internal microphone, or not to use the specific headphones' one?

Update from 10/2017:

So I found out that "headphones' microphone is being used" only happens when Skype is running. But ever since I stopped using Skype (or having it running all the time), the problem was gone!

This is not the solution for the original question, I'm just leaving it here for the future reference.


texts: I have finally decided to switch from the Apple Podcast app to Overcast, but I cannot find a way to move my subscriptions. A (similar question) was asked a while ago, but iTunes has changed since then, and the new MacOS app doesn't have those menus. So, I was wondering if anyone knows another way to get an OPML file.


texts: How to quickly know the dimensions of an image?

texts: I am looking for a nice and quick way to display the dimension of an image from OS X 10.9. Presently, I have to open the image in photoshop and then enter a menu to know the dimensions. The process is too slow when I have to browse through dozens of pictures and get those with dimensions big enough.


texts: Is it safe to stack Mac minis on top of each other?

texts:
I am thinking of purchasing another Mac mini - I already have an older one - and I am planning to keep them on top of each other as I have limited space on my desk.

I was wondering if it is safe? I am concerned about ventilation. If this is not a good practice then is there any solution that would allow me to keep my new Mac minis on top of each other on my desk?


texts: Charging Earbuds Charging Case 5V DC (USB C) with 96W Apple Macbook Charger?

texts:
Today I connected my 96W Macbook Pro Charger to my Mpow M9 Wireless Earbuds Charging Case (purchased a week ago) which also has Type C charging port. Within few seconds of connecting, smoke started coming out of the charging case. I quickly unplugged the cable but it was too late. The charging case is now non-functional and ear buds are of no use.

Was I being stupid of connecting this charger to this device which states that it should be connected to 5V charger? Instead, should the charging case adapt to the different charger despite it being a lot higher watts/volts than required?


texts: How can I stop fseventsd for certain volumes?

texts:
I also have a partion with Ubuntu installed. Unfortunately, every time I have an error while working on the Ubuntu partion (I believe it's ext3), I get a Kernel Panic and I have to restart. I believe this is related to fseventsd, since it my try to log the errors on the root of the Ubuntu partition.

How can I stop fseventsd logging events on that Ubuntu volume?

Thank you!