How to find the best apps in Apple’s App Sto...

If you use an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, you have access to more than 600,000 apps (at the time of this writing) and growing. Great news right? Yes and no. If you don’t practice a little search narrowing , then finding a good app can be a frustrating and time consuming experience. In this tip, I give you a step-by-step outline on how to quickly and accurately separate the good apps from the mediocre or poor apps. Give...

Adding Photos to an iPad or iPhone using Picasa &#...

This week I worked with a gentleman ironing out how to use Picasa to add photos to his iPad. These are the notes (download PDF version here) I took for him and left with him. The only steps not shown in the notes below are how to create a folder called iPad (or iPhone) then configure that folder in iTunes to sync to your iPad or iPhone. Here’s how to do that (click the screen shot below the steps to see a larger...

Notes from helping a cartoonist

Today’s notes were created for a cartoonist who has a Mac and has already learned how to scan in his cartoons (via my tutelage months ago), but now he wanted to learn how to add his captions using the computer. The goal was to get it done with as few steps as possible and with his existing software. We used Apple Pages and Preview to get the job done. For your convenience, here is a PDF file of the notes...

How to print labels the EASY way! – Video Tip

You can learn and start using this tip TODAY to make Christmas card or group mailings a breeze. Too many computer users have no idea what a database is, how to use it, and how to merge it with another program to create labels. Since printing mailing labels is only a once per year activity for many of you, learning how to do it again every single year requires too much time and frustration. In this week’s tip, I take all...

How to password protect PDF files with Mac OS X &#...

A client today had a need to learn how to password protect PDF files on their iMac and MacBook Air. With OS X, the process is quite easy…here it is: ...

Creating documents in Apple Pages – Notes

Some notes for a client with a new MacBook Air. She wanted to create a Christmas letter with photos and colored text. She was amazed at what could be done with a few keystrokes and mouse clicks in Pages that she already had installed. I did learn that Pages has a cool reduce file size option to shrink large graphics. Works very well. In addition to helping her learn to create rich documents, I taught her how to export her...

Notes from a session with a MacBook user

These notes were created while sitting with a customer who uses a MacBook and was learning how to use his Gmail account. You can find all of these tips in my other Gmail tips, but here’s what I left for him. Here is a PDF Version of Gmail Notes pictured. ...

5 Reasons why YOU should be moving to the cloud

I have written many articles about Web 2.0 or cloud computing. Cloud computing means that you work with programs and/or data that are not installed or saved on your computer. Instead, the programs and/or data live on an Internet connected computer (server) somewhere else in the world. Among other things, these computers/services provide: Security via the password and user name that you choose. Access to the service from any...

Apple iPad – What, why, how?

Today, we talked about the iPad and what it can do, why you might want to consider an iPad, and how to understand the basics of the iPad, the app store, and connectivity. At the end of this article, you will find a handout of the short PowerPoint style presentation I put together to start the class that I created on the iPad with the amazing Keynote app ($9.99) from Apple. We talked about a lot of the features and how to use...

Customizing Apple’s Mac OSX Finder Tool R...

Since I’ve been featuring tips on file management this week, I thought I would demonstrate how to work with and customize the Mac OSX file management tool known as Finder. The finder is quite powerful as is, but sometimes having quicker access to tools you use often is helpful. Watch this short video to learn how to do just that.

3 Basic Tips for new Macintosh Users – Video...

I continue to see a surge in new Apple computer owners…and, in my opinion, justifiably so. This week’s tip focuses on skills that new Macintosh users will need to know in order to feel comfortable with their new Apple Computer. In this video tip, I give new Mac users some important information about how to use the Macintosh HD (hard drive)icon, the Dock (which launches programs and documents), and a primmer on...

HelpMeRick.com Podcast with Rick & Adam ̵...

If you have ever wondered about whether an iPad is in your future (or any tablet) and have been wondering what exactly an iPad can do for you or a friend or family member, then listen to this podcast! I interview Adam about the iPad’s uses, strengths, weaknesses, and possibilities! Have a listen and spread the word to others for us. Thanks. Podcast: Play in new window | Download

How to make the Mac Dock work for you – Vide...

If you are a relatively new user to the Mac (Apple) world, you may not like the extra space that the dock (icons at bottom of screen) take up on your screen. Fortunately, you can completely customize the dock’s appearance and location. Here’s how: Click the Apple icon in the upper left hand corner Click System Preferences –> Dock Adjust the size of the icons to your preference (hint: making them quite...

Re-thinking my mobile tech

Right now, I carry an iPhone, an Asus EeePC netbook (running Ubuntu 10.04 NBR) on a daily work day basis. When I travel, I carry the iPhone and usually the EeePC. I also own a 13″ Toshiba laptop that I dual boot Ubuntu and Windows 7, but I only use the Toshiba only for teaching and presentations. My thought process is: Should I sell both the Toshiba and the netbook and get a thinner, lighter laptop? Just sell the...

Free Solitaire for Apple Macintosh users

After years of looking and trying different programs, I think I found a great, free program for new Apple users that will help ease the move from Windows. Yes, believe it or not, a huge stumbling block for many of my clients in making the move to Macintosh is Solitaire, Free Cell, and/or Spider Solitaire. Prior to today, I guided folks to the web in search of a solitaire program available from Hoyle or playing online...