Tutorials

Manually checking for Java updates for your Mac or PC

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated July 19, 2018

Java, just like Adobe Flash, is often a major security flaw waiting to happen for both Mac and PC owners.

Although Apple takes security very seriously and just about forces Mac users with Java to check for Java updates automatically, it's still never a bad idea to check on your own from time to time.

Since we recently showed you how to check for Flash updates manually, it only made sense to follow up with a similar guide for Java, which is also a commonly-used web plugin.

In this tutorial, we'll show you how to see if you have the latest version of Java installed on your computer or not.

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How to manually check for Flash updates on your Mac

Anthony Bouchard ∙ May 17, 2016

Flash is among one of the most targeted web platforms for injecting computers with malware, including Macs, and that's why Adobe is always turning around with updates for Flash all the darned time.

If you're like me, then your security is important to you, and you may not trust automatic updates to deliver updates to you quickly enough.

This tutorial will show you how you can make sure Flash is up to date on your Mac, the manual way.

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Installing themes on your iPhone without a jailbreak

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated July 26, 2021

Theming your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad has been a long time primary reason of jailbreaking. Unfortunately, as the wait for a new jailbreak becomes ever so longer in between iOS releases, the jailbreak scene is becoming less reliable for getting the features you want on the latest version of iOS.

For those who are tired of waiting, iSkin is a new platform that can be used directly from your Safari web browser to install themes on your iOS device without a jailbreak, and we'll show you how it's used in this tutorial.

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How and why to report spammy iMessages to Apple

Anthony Bouchard ∙ May 16, 2016

Sometimes your contact information ends up where you don't want it, and you end up with annoying spam iMessages from people, companies, or bots that try to scam you or steal personal information.

Fortunately, Apple's iMessage service comes with an abuse report feature that you can use to report senders who are misusing the iMessage platform and making it a less enjoyable thing to use.

In this piece, we'll talk about how and why you should be reporting iMessages that seem spammy.

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Using your iPhone as a remote for your Mac or PC

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated July 4, 2018

You're probably familiar with Apple's Remote app for iOS devices, which allows you to control your iTunes playback on your Mac from your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad so long as you're on the same network.

On the other hand, when I think of the word "remote," I think of much more than just controlling music.

It would seem that the makers of the popular Mobile Mouse Remote app for iOS thought the same, and in this piece, we'll talk about how the app works to make your iOS device a superior remote for your Mac.

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About XPS files and how to open them on a Mac

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated July 11, 2019

XPS files are essentially like Microsoft's version of a PDF file. They're easy to create and open on a Windows PC, but when it comes to macOS users, XPS files are anything but plug and play.

In this piece, we'll talk about XPS files and what they're used for, and then we'll touch on how to open XPS files on a Mac easily and for free without having to download any software.

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How to delete recent Apple Music searches from your iPhone

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated December 15, 2022

Apple Music, which is Apple's own answer to the music-streaming industry, is a great place to easily search for a song you want to listen to and then play it on demand.

The only problem is, Apple Music keeps a running history of the songs you search for.

So now when you have your co-pilot in the passenger seat of your car choose a new song for you (because we know you don't use your iPhone and drive at the same time!) he's going to laugh at you because of the last time you felt like jamming out to some really embarrassing music.

Well fret not; in this tutorial, we'll show you how you can delete recent searches from the Apple Music app on your iOS device.

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How to stop your iPhone from vibrating when your alarm rings

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated November 30, 2017

By default, any time you set an alarm on your iPhone, it'll vibrate when the alarm goes off. For some people, this is a good way to help get woken up, but for others it's a waste of battery and can be completely annoying to hear that loud vibration on the night stand.

In this tutorial, intended for iPhone users only, we'll be showing you how you can set up an alarm so that your iPhone doesn't vibrate when it goes off.

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