WebTrickz » Macbook http://webtrickz.com A Blog where Technology resides Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:58:09 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Apple releases OS X Lion Update 10.7.1 [Download] http://webtrickz.com/apple-releases-os-x-lion-update-10-7-1-download/ http://webtrickz.com/apple-releases-os-x-lion-update-10-7-1-download/#comments Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:47:54 +0000 Mayur http://webtrickz.com/apple-releases-os-x-lion-update-10-7-1-download/ The first update to OS X Lion “10.7.1” has been pushed by Apple a few hours back, available as a free download for client and server systems. The OS X 10.7.1 update is recommended for all users running OS X Lion and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability and compatibility of your Mac. You can find the complete list of issues below that are fixed by the 10.7.1 update.

osx-lion

OS X 10.7.1 Official Changelog:

  • Address an issue that may cause the system to become unresponsive when playing a video in Safari
  • Resolve an issue that may cause system audio to stop working when using HDMI or optical audio out
  • Improve the reliability of Wi-Fi connections
  • Resolve an issue that prevents transfer of your data, settings, and compatible applications to a new Mac running OS X Lion

Some additional fixes for users of MacBook Air and Mac mini 2011 include:

  • Resolve an issue where MacBook Air may boot up when MagSafe Adapter is attached
  • Resolve an issue causing intermittent display flickering on MacBook Air
  • Resolve an issue that causes the SD card slot in Mac mini to run at reduced speed with SD and SDHC media

To update, just click on the Apple icon and choose Software Update to check and install the latest Apple software, including this update. You can even download the update from Apple site and install it easily on multiple systems.

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]]> http://webtrickz.com/apple-releases-os-x-lion-update-10-7-1-download/feed/ 0 Case Logic QNS-113 – A Perfect and Ultra Compact Case for MacBook Pro 13 [Review & Photos] http://webtrickz.com/case-logic-qns-113-a-perfect-and-ultra-compact-case-for-macbook-pro-13-review-photos/ http://webtrickz.com/case-logic-qns-113-a-perfect-and-ultra-compact-case-for-macbook-pro-13-review-photos/#comments Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:34:09 +0000 Mayur http://webtrickz.com/case-logic-qns-113-a-perfect-and-ultra-compact-case-for-macbook-pro-13-review-photos/ Recently, I was looking for a case bag for my MacBook Pro 13” but after searching online for a long while, I couldn’t find one which can fit best to my requirement. Of course, there are lots of sleeve notebook case available at eBay and other online stores but I really don’t prefer them. That’s because neoprene cases are made of soft padding and are just meant to give extra protection to your MacBook when carrying it in a backpack or a suitcase. Furthermore, they don’t have handles to carry and aren’t so impressive.

Luckily, I got hold of an amazing case from Case Logic which was exactly something I had been looking for. So, I’m here to share my views about the product along with some pictures, so as to help those who are seeking to get a quality laptop case.

Case Logic QNS-113 13.3-Inch EVA Molded Laptop Macbook Air/Pro Sleeve

Case Logic QNS-113 is a perfect, stylish, rigid, and highly compact case to hold laptops with up to 13.3” display, including Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch and MacBook Air 13-inch. This case is incredibly light, slim, and acts as an intermediary between a laptop sleeve and a laptop briefcase. It features a smart and appealing design packed with several interesting features. Available in 3 gorgeous colors – Black, Blue and Magenta.

Photos of Case Logic QNS-113 MacBook Pro 13 Case

caselogic-qns-113_upper-shell

caselogic-qns-113_bottom-shell

Case Logic QNS-113_interior_macbook-pro-13

stainless-steel_quality-zips

qns-113_ultra-slim_side-view

Design -

The QNS-113 attaché offers a premium, lightweight, sleek design; features a hard shell and molded EVA sleeve that protects your netbook or laptop on the go. The external shell is textured, has a zipper enclosure and the well padded pair of soft handles makes it comfortable to carry. The base aka interior of bottom shell has no padding but is made of a stiff material, carries a clamshell design and its integrated airflow channels stands apart from other cases. The case is highly portable, durable and the overall stitching is pretty strong and neat, which all makes it appear beautiful.

clamshell design and integrated airflow channels_bottom-shell

The interior of upper casing has a thick quilted surface that acts as a cushion and protects the MacBook. Moreover, there is an elastic band on bottom shell to keep your device securely in place as show below.

upper-casing_thick-quilted-surface

There are two elastic bands on both the sides that firmly opens the case to a 90+ degree angle. This comes handy in case you want to work without taking the laptop out of the case, for instance while working on a train, plane, or from a coffee shop.

qns-113_two-elastic-bands

macbook-pro-case_qns-113

Features -

  • Elegant ultra-slim design looks attractive and easy to handle
  • Molded EVA sleeve holds a laptop with up to a 13.3” display
  • Unique seatbelt style keep you looking good while on the move
  • Thick, quilted padding keeps your laptop protected and snugly in place to prevent it from sliding around
  • Clamshell design and integrated airflow channels allow you to use your netbook while still in the sleeve without the risk of overheating
  • Padded carry handles for comfortable transportation

Product Dimensions -

  • Fabric: Molded EVA
  • Size: 14.2" x 11" x 1.8"
  • Fits devices: 13" x 9.4" x 1.5"
  • Weight: 1 lb

Price: The MRP of Case Logic QNS-113 (13.3" Laptop Sleeve) is $29.99 (excluding shipping & taxes) but I got it from Amazon for just $20.84 (shipping was free as I opted for a free trial of Amazon Prime). :) [Buy online from Amazon]

Verdict: This MacBook Pro/Air 13 case is a great buy and I’d recommend it for people who frequently need to carry just their laptop to office or at friends place. This bag is really very small, convenient to carry around and grips well in hands. It has a fair price considering it is meant to carry and protect your $1000+ MacBook Pro. However, there is no space to carry the Power adapter but that should not be an issue for everyone because MacBook Pro battery may last up to 7hrs on wireless web.

P.S. This is Not a sponsored or paid review.

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]]> http://webtrickz.com/case-logic-qns-113-a-perfect-and-ultra-compact-case-for-macbook-pro-13-review-photos/feed/ 0 How to Connect MacBook Pro to HDTV using a HDMI cable http://webtrickz.com/how-to-connect-macbook-to-hdtv-using-a-hdmi-cable/ http://webtrickz.com/how-to-connect-macbook-to-hdtv-using-a-hdmi-cable/#comments Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:05:17 +0000 Mayur http://webtrickz.com/?p=10450 Recently, I got a Mini Display Port to HDMI Adapter Cable to connect my MacBook Pro 13 (2011 model) to a Sony Full HD TV. But after connecting both the devices using the cable, it wasn’t easy to get them working properly. The problems caused were – there was No Sound from TV and the MacBook screen was not appearing in Fullscreen mode on the TV (there were black edges on the TV screen even at 1080p resolution).

Seriously, this was driving me crazy as my MacBook Pro with an Intel HD Graphics 3000 (supports up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on an external display) couldn’t display 1080p on HDTV (Full HD) correctly. Fortunately, I figured out a way and was able to get it working perfectly. So, this article is for all those people who are experiencing a similar problem.

Macbook pro connected to HDTV via HDMI cable

>> To get all the things working, you must have a compatible cable. Your MacBook Pro should support Full HD (1080p or more) resolution on an external display and should support Audio Out via the Mini Display Port (MiniDP or mDP).

Note: Only MacBook Pros April 2010 and later support audio, but if you want to check to know for sure, click the Apple logo in the top left corner. Click "About This Mac" and then "More Info…", click System Report. Under Hardware, click "Audio (Built In)". If you see "HDMI/ DisplayPort Output", then your MacBook Pro does support HDMI audio out.

HDMI/ DisplayPort Output_Mac

Connecting Apple MacBook Pro to a High-Definition Television:

1. Connect both the devices using a quality Mini Display Port to HDMI Adapter Cable. We used the below one which is a single 6 feet cable that supports both audio and video, you can buy it from Amazon for $11.69 only.

Mini Display Port to HDMI Adapter Cable

2. Use the TV remote to switch to the Input device. Select the HDMI port to which you’ve connected your MacBook Pro. For example: HDMI 2 in our case

3. To enable Audio from TV’s speakers and NOT from MacBook Internal speakers – Open System Preferences > Sound, tap the Output tab and select your TV as a device for sound output. Now sound would just come from your Television set.

Sound-output_mac

4. Displaying 1080p (1920×1080) resolution in full-screen mode when connecting MacBook Pro with HDTV using a HDMI cable –

  • Open System Preferences > Display. You can enable ‘Show displays in menu bar’. Current resolution of your MacBook Pro would be listed. Do Not change it.

  • In ‘Color LCD’ window, open the Arrangement tab and Uncheck Mirror Displays option. (Full-screen mode on TV doesn’t seems to work when Mirror displays is enabled).

  • Click on the ‘Gather Windows’ button.

  • TV window will show up (for e.g. Sony TV). Select resolution as 1080p for your TV. You can select a higher resolution if it’s supported by your external device.

external-display-settings_mac

  • Now open the Color LCD window and select the Arrangement tab. It will list two displays (left side one is MacBook display while right side one is your HDTV display) as show in image below:

Color-LCD_settings_mac

  • Important - Rearrange the display and relocate the menu bar. To do so, Drag the right side display to left. Then drag the menu bar from right display (MacBook) to left display (HDTV). You will now see the entire MacBook desktop on your TV screen.

Rearrange the display

Relocate the menu bar

The Displays Arrangement should now look like as shown in image below:

Displays arrangement

  • Move the cursor to left side on MacBook Pro screen to move it onto your TV screen. That’s it! Now you’re ready to use your HDTV as an external display to watch movies, photo slideshow, etc. For controls, you need to use MacBook or you can attach a wireless keyboard and mouse for more comfort.

MacBook Pro display in Full-screen on HDTV -

OS X Lion running in full-screen on an external display

Tip: If you’re controlling the external display using MacBook only, then it’s recommended to turn its screen brightness and backlit keyboard light down to 0% to save the battery. (At this time, MacBook just displays the desktop wallpaper).

To confirm the screen resolution on external display (HDTV), I just took a screenshot of entire desktop (Shift+Command+3). See the dimensions: 1920 x 1080 :D

tv-desktop-screenshot

To Turn off external display and get back to MacBook Pro, just turn off your TV and remove the cable from MacBook. You will see the complete desktop back on your MBP.

The above procedure has been tried with Mac OS X Lion. Please post your views below if you liked this article. Also, don’t forget to share it with your friends. :)

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]]> http://webtrickz.com/how-to-connect-macbook-to-hdtv-using-a-hdmi-cable/feed/ 9 Use Lion Recovery to Repair or Reinstall OS X Lion without a Install Disc http://webtrickz.com/use-lion-recovery-to-repair-or-reinstall-os-x-lion-without-a-install-disc-tip/ http://webtrickz.com/use-lion-recovery-to-repair-or-reinstall-os-x-lion-without-a-install-disc-tip/#comments Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:41:59 +0000 Mayur http://webtrickz.com/use-lion-recovery-to-repair-or-reinstall-os-x-lion-without-a-install-disc-tip/ OS X Lion 10.7 comes with a completely new interface and introduces over 250 new features to offer an amazing experience on a Mac. One great and handy new feature integrated to Lion is ‘Lion Recovery’. Upon installing OS X Lion, it automatically creates a 650 MB sized recovery partition called “Recovery HD”, a new feature that lets you repair disks or reinstall OS X Lion without the need for a physical installation disc.

Lion Recovery is a built in feature on Lion, so you can easily restore system software to your Mac anytime in just a few clicks, without having to bother for install discs or drives. With Recovery HD, you can run Disk Utility to check or repair your hard drive, erase your hard drive and reinstall a fresh copy of Lion, or restore your Mac from a Time Machine backup. One can even use Safari to get help from Apple Support online.

Lion recovery

To use Lion Recovery – Hold down Command-R during startup to boot into the Recovery HD, or hold down the Option key during startup and select Recovery HD.

Lion_Recovery HD

Internet Recovery

If your Mac problem is a little less common — your hard drive has failed or you’ve installed a hard drive without OS X, for example — Internet Recovery takes over automatically. It downloads and starts Lion Recovery directly from Apple servers over a broadband Internet connection. And your Mac has access to the same Lion Recovery features online. Internet Recovery is built into every newly-released Mac starting with the Mac mini and MacBook Air.

via [iClarified]

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]]> http://webtrickz.com/use-lion-recovery-to-repair-or-reinstall-os-x-lion-without-a-install-disc-tip/feed/ 1 Apple’s Back to School 2011 Promo offers a $100 Gift card http://webtrickz.com/apples-back-to-school-2011-promo-offers-a-100-gift-card/ http://webtrickz.com/apples-back-to-school-2011-promo-offers-a-100-gift-card/#comments Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:13:17 +0000 Mayur http://webtrickz.com/apples-back-to-school-2011-promo-offers-a-100-gift-card/ Apple’s ‘Back to School’ is an annual promotion targeted at college students to offer them something cool and useful for Free, when they buy a new qualifying Mac with Apple education pricing. In the past few years, Apple used to offer students an iPod touch on purchase of a new Mac. But this year, Apple has something different to offer!

Apple Back to School Offer

As per the promo, when a student buys a qualifying Mac from Apple or a participating Apple Authorized Campus Store from June 16 through September 20, 2011, he/she is entitled to receive a $100 Back to School Card for use on the Mac App Store, the iTunes Store, the App Store, and the iBookstore.

Getting your Card – After shopping a qualifying Mac, Apple will include the Back to School Card with your order (if you bought your Mac at the Apple Retail Store or Apple Online Store). However, if you bought at a campus store, you’ve to submit your claim online to get your Back to School Gift Card code via email.

Redeeming the code – Scratch your Back to School Card to read the code and enter it in your iTunes account. An amount of $100 will then be automatically credited that you can spend on the Mac App Store, the App Store, the iTunes Store, and the iBookstore.

Now you can shop those amazing paid apps & games from App Store, music and movies from iTunes or eBooks from iBookstore. There are millions of them, grab the best ones! :)

Link – Apple Back to School Offer

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]]> http://webtrickz.com/apples-back-to-school-2011-promo-offers-a-100-gift-card/feed/ 0 How to Turn off/Disable Font Smoothing on Mac OS X http://webtrickz.com/how-to-turn-offdisable-font-smoothing-on-mac-os-x/ http://webtrickz.com/how-to-turn-offdisable-font-smoothing-on-mac-os-x/#comments Sun, 01 May 2011 13:31:01 +0000 Mayur http://webtrickz.com/how-to-turn-offdisable-font-smoothing-on-mac-os-x/ If you’ve recently switched to OS X, then you must have noticed smooth text fonts while browsing sites on the web browser. The reason for this is smooth font rendering, that is enabled by default on Mac OS which is actually a good feature, but most users specially those who have ported from Windows to Mac may find it pretty annoying.

That’s because a majority of sites use small sized fonts that appears pretty darker and without any sharpness when font smoothing is On. This makes it difficult to read the content and might cause strain to your eyes. So, let’s see how to overcome the problem of smooth fonts on Apple Mac OS. Fontsmoothing_turnedonFontsmoothing_turnedoff

Turning off Smooth Fonts on Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard – Font smoothing can be easily turned on or off, click Apple logo from top left corner, open System Preferences and click on the Appearance option.

macosx

System Preferences_osx

Under Appearance window, uncheck the option ‘Use LCD font smoothing when available’.

Appearance_fontsettings

The smooth fonts will not appear anymore, you can Turn On this feature anytime.

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]]> http://webtrickz.com/how-to-turn-offdisable-font-smoothing-on-mac-os-x/feed/ 0 How to Turn Off MacBook/MacBook Pro Display Screen http://webtrickz.com/how-to-turn-off-macbookmacbook-pro-display-screen/ http://webtrickz.com/how-to-turn-off-macbookmacbook-pro-display-screen/#comments Sat, 30 Apr 2011 19:34:18 +0000 Mayur http://webtrickz.com/how-to-turn-off-macbookmacbook-pro-display-screen/ If you’ve a laptop or notebook, then it’s recommended to turn off its screen before leaving for a short break to save the battery. Though, the display turns off itself after some time and on closing the lid but your device may go off to sleep, thus preventing any ongoing tasks like downloading files at night. So, it’s better to manually turn off the LCD screen to save power. Now let’s see how you can do it on your MacBook or MBP.

Turning off the monitor or display on MacBook & MacBook Pro – This can be easily done using a simple keyboard shortcut, just press Shift + Ctrl + Eject key (located at top right corner) at the same time. The display screen will turn off instantly, press any key or touch the trackpad to turn on the screen again.

macbookpro_keyboard

Tip: Lower down the screen brightness if battery is running short on your MacBook.

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]]> http://webtrickz.com/how-to-turn-off-macbookmacbook-pro-display-screen/feed/ 1 Keyboard Shortcut to See Desktop screen on Mac OS X http://webtrickz.com/keyboard-shortcut-to-see-desktop-screen-on-mac-os-x/ http://webtrickz.com/keyboard-shortcut-to-see-desktop-screen-on-mac-os-x/#comments Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:05:07 +0000 Mayur http://webtrickz.com/keyboard-shortcut-to-see-desktop-screen-on-mac-os-x/ I just got my New MacBook Pro 13 and was pretty excited about it as it was my long wished Apple product. Apparently, all Apple Mac’s comes pre-loaded with OS X to which I’m a newbie and had hands on OS X first time ever yesterday. As a Windows 7 lover, I wished to get most of the similar features in OS X too but was surprised to see that some small but nifty features were missing from Apple’s OS. So, I’m here to cover my first tip, i.e. How to get ‘Show Desktop Screen’ on OS X.

Unlike Windows 7, OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard doesn’t offers a 1-click option to minimize all the open Windows and see the Home aka desktop directly. But after some searching, I got hold of a Keyboard shortcut that hides all the opened windows on Mac OS X and shows just the wallpaper and other stuff present on the desktop.

desktop_mac_osx

To hide all open windows and view the desktop, just press the Command + Exposé key (F3), or Fn + F11 at the same time. The home screen will appear instantly.

Although, this is not as quick like the Aero Peek function in Windows 7 but does the job perfectly. I’ll be covering more interesting tips and tricks on OS X soon! :)

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