OS X

The different Mac startup tones and the problems they indicate

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated October 4, 2018

The infamous startup tone that the Mac is known for when you turn it on isn't just a sound, but is actually a very important part of your Mac's boot up process.

Unless your volume is turned all the way down, not hearing your startup tone at the time you power on your Mac may indicate a problem with your machine. Additionally, unusual startup tone sequences are also indicative of a problem with your Mac and will require troubleshooting to resolve.

In this piece, we'll attempt to outline what all the different scenarios of the Mac startup sounds mean to give you better understanding of what to do should you ever end up in a situation where your Mac's startup tone doesn't sound right.

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Reclaim your productivity from distractions with Focus for Mac

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated September 25, 2018

If you're like me, then you probably have a hard time focusing on what needs to be done and you often multitask with fun activities when you should be focusing on homework or work. For example, instead of writing those essays due for your next class or finishing work, you might be playing around on Facebook with your friends or watching YouTube videos.

If you're the unproductive or procrastinating type, then a useful OS X app called Focus could be just what you need to stop getting distracted by social media and other fun websites.

Focus will help ensure that you only stick to the task at hand when you need to work or complete homework, and in this piece, we'll show you how it works.

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How to start up your Mac in Internet Recovery Mode

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 17, 2024
Internet Recovery Screen on Mac

In addition to the startup volume, which holds a bootable copy of the operating system along with your applications and data, your Mac's disk contains a hidden recovery partition that you can boot from in order to reinstall macOS, perform a quick check of connected disks, and more.

But what if the built-in recovery partition gets damaged, for instance? Enter Internet Recovery Mode (or macOS Recovery over the Internet), an Internet-based version of Recovery Mode found on Macs, which loads recovery tools from Apple's servers.

With Internet Recovery Mode, you can reinstall macOS and troubleshoot issues in the unfortunate scenario of your Mac's startup disk having become corrupted or completely unreadable.

In this tutorial, you'll learn everything about Internet Recovery Mode on Intel-based Macs and Macs with Apple silicon. You'll also see how to use it to your advantage if your disk encounters an issue or the startup drive has been replaced or erased.

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Troubleshooting common software issues on Mac

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated June 7, 2019

It happens to the best of us – one day you're using an app that you really enjoy on your Mac, and the next, you start experiencing all kinds of problems with the same app. What's going on? Will it ever end?

Before you go calling support to resolve a problem for you, there are some easy troubleshooting steps you can take in macOS to quickly determine if the problem is going to require help or not.

We'll go through some of those troubleshooting steps with you right here in this tutorial.

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How to start your Mac in Recovery Mode

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 17, 2024
macOS Recovery

Starting your Intel or Apple silicon Mac in Recovery Mode provides the tools you need to solve various problems. It is typically your last chance to repair the startup disk, reinstall macOS or restore from a backup after a fatal failure that prevents your Mac from starting up properly. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to enter Recovery Mode at boot time and use the built-in recovery tools to bring your Mac in perfect working condition.

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Quiver 3: a digital notebook built for developers

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

Without fail, anytime I settle down to work on a programming project, a large chunk of my time is devoted to searching Google and StackOverflow for the best ways to tackle a given coding issue. Even if I haven't run into a problem per se, looking for the most efficient approach to a function or finding a snippet of code that carries out a specific purpose are just a couple reasons why I'm continuously researching whatever language with which I'm working. That's why Quiver is such a huge help to me.

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Major MacID software update now available for iOS and OS X

Anthony Bouchard ∙ February 23, 2016

Popular for letting users unlock their Mac with the Touch ID sensor on their iPhones and/or iPads, MacID comes with a slew of other useful features as well that take advantage of a Bluetooth connection between these devices.

A massive update to the $3.99 MacID app for iOS devices and the free software for Macs is now available that provides a slew of improvements and new features for users. 

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iOS 9.3 beta 4 and OS X 10.11.4 El Capitan beta 4 now available for public beta-testing

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 23, 2016

A day after it has released a fourth beta of iOS 9.3 and a fourth beta of OS X 10.11.4 to its registered developers, Apple today has made both software updates available to users who are signed up for the Apple Beta Software Program.

Public beta builds of both iOS 9.3 beta 4 and OS X 10.11.4 beta 4 can be downloaded directly on devices that are enrolled in Apple's beta program through the Software Update mechanism.

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How to identify the biggest space wasters on your Mac with DaisyDisk

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 17, 2017

You can free up a significant amount of storage space on your Mac if you clean up your Downloads folder on a regular basis, remove your old iPhoto library, erase Safari's browsing data and move both your iTunes library and the Photos library to an external hard drive, among other things.

But what about other files on your computer? With Daisy Disk by Software Ambience, one of Apple's Best of 2015 Mac apps, it's easy to identify the biggest storage hogs on your Mac.

The app makes the mundane takes of cleaning up the Mac's storage easy and fun by giving your a nice visual breakdown on your disk space in the form of an interactive heat map. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to reveal the biggest space wasters with DaisyDisk so you can remove them and free up some additional storage on your Mac.

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