CDPUG BlogSphere

Subject: “Take Control of iCloud” ebook updated to cover Apple’s many changes

Time for a pop quiz!

Is iCloud (a) packed with useful features, (b) more complex than Apple lets on, (c) almost essential for Mac and iOS use, (d) thoroughly documented by Joe Kissell in “Take Control of iCloud,” or (e) all of the above?

The answer, as you veteran quiz takers know when faced with an “all of the above” option, is (e). iCloud really is helpful, deceptively complicated, integrated deeply into the Mac and iOS experience, and, frankly, sometimes a royal pain in the posterior. But no one does a better job of explaining iCloud’s features and quirks than Joe Kissell, and you can come up to speed with everything iCloud can do for only $10.50 with the 30% MUG discount:

http://tid.bl.it/icloud-mug-discount

If you’re pulling out your hair in frustration as you try to connect your Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, or Windows PC to the many digital pipes that iCloud offers, Joe’s 155-page “Take Control of iCloud” will answer your questions and preserve your hairstyle. And, if you’re trying to help your mother, sister, uncle, co-worker, fellow Rotarian, or Game Center buddy sync contacts between devices, create a shared calendar, filter email before it hits the iPhone, and so forth, Joe has ferreted out the details you need to solve their problems.

iCloud is no longer new, and the dreaded transition from MobileMe is long past, but updates and ongoing issues have made “Take Control of iCloud” our top-selling book of the past few years. Keeping it fresh and accurate – this is our fourth free update! – is like playing Whack-a-Mole. Sometimes it seemed that nearly every page had some detail that needed checking and tweaking. Even though Apple doesn’t share inside information with us about what’s happening in iCloud’s troposphere, things Joe has had to track down and explain since just the last version of this book include iOS 6, iTunes 11, the Notes and Reminders Web apps, Shared Photo Streams, numerous tiny changes to iCloud’s Web interface, and more.

As always, thank you for supporting the Take Control series!

cheers… -Adam & Tonya Engst, Take Control publishers

“Take Control of Safari 6″ reveals Safari’s finer details

Sure, nearly anyone can get around well enough on the Web in Safari. But Apple has been improving Safari for years, and it has a treasure trove of features that most people never notice. No one ferrets out those features – and their shortcuts, where available – better than Sharon Zardetto, and she’s back with “Take Control of Safari 6″ to make sure you can use Safari faster, smarter, and better than ever before. (Because, to draw an analogy, wouldn’t you rather confidently stalk the Serengeti’s big game with your long lens than be a bumbling tourist in a jouncing Land Rover?)

You’ll start your advanced Safari education by customizing your environment, especially its toolbar, bookmarks, and top sites. Then you’ll explore key browsing techniques, including how to access sites you’ve visited in the past quickly, load multiple Web pages at once, and sync open tabs among your Apple devices. You’ll also find advice on how to go beyond the basics for searching both the Web in general and any page you’re viewing, fill out forms – like your contact information in the Take Control cart! – automatically, manage stored passwords, keep pages around to read later, and discover the most worthwhile extensions that expand Safari’s feature set. It’s 143 pages of detailed research and testing for only $10 – or $7 after the 30% MUG discount – click this link to get started:

http://tid.bl.it/tco-safari-6-mug-discount

(Note that Safari 6 runs in 10.7 Lion and 10.8 Mountain Lion, but its feature set is slightly restricted in Lion, and Sharon points out the differences. If you prefer 10.6 Snow Leopard or 10.5 Leopard, “Take Control of Safari 5″ is still available at http://tid.bl.it/tco-safari-5 )

Specifically, in “Take Control of Safari 6,” you’ll learn how to:

* Load any link into a new tab or window, or into your Reading List.
* Organize your enormous bookmark collection.
* Unearth a page in your history, even it’s not bookmarked or in your Reading List.
* Read a multi-page, ad-ridden article in a reader-friendly layout.
* Prevent snoops from tracking where you’ve been on the Web.
* Update a password that Safari has stored.
* Learn how to make Safari fill in most forms for you.
* Expand too-small text fields for easier typing and editing.
* Add pages to your Reading List for later perusal, whether online or offline, and even on a separate device.
* Block ads, zoom images, show passwords as you type, and more with helpful Safari extensions.

Thanks for your support, and for your questions and constructive comments. We couldn’t do it without you!

cheers… -Adam & Tonya Engst, Take Control publishers

I am old enough to remember when the Apple IIGS came out along with the Tandy TSR80 and young enough to catch the evolution of today’s migration to Cloud computing. What an amazing time we live in! Along the way, I’ve had the benefit of using PCs on both computing platforms and then some, including many of the mobile platforms: GEOS, Palm, Win CE (wince as it was derisively referred to), Windows Mobile, iOS and finally Android. I’ve watched many other computing platforms and OS’s come and go too as their relevance grew and faded.

This brings me to PC users groups. In the pre-internet days, it was the only way to meet up, network and learn from other like minded individuals who shared the same passion and desire to learn about the dizzying tide of hardware and the software that went with it. They packed these groups’ meetings, anxious and excited to absorb every morsel of information being presented. Companies discovered that these groups were a great source of feedback as well as potential customers and showered attendees with samples, demos and free products. I remembered those days well. it was the reason I joined one. I learned so much over the years and made life-long friends and met many industry captains along the way.

Then the internet came along and matured, allowing many of us to discover so much more than what our local PC users groups could ever hope to offer in terms of the breadth of information and audience-all from the convenience of our homes and at any hour of the day. I admittedly joined several “on-line communities” for this reason, as no local PC users groups existed to fill this vacuum of new ideas, techniques and disciplines. I had slowly outgrown my own group’s ability to teach, share and showcase my increasing interest in 3D image creation, digital printing, mobile computing and other exploding areas of technologies. The recession did not help either as it became an important factor in driving my decisions as to where I spent my hard earned money including memberships and subscriptions.

Yet, I stubbornly kept my membership in my local PC user group. Whether out of a sense of loyalty to friends or a misguided sense of giving back to an institution that had given me so much in my adult professional life. My little local PC users group still remains an important part of my monthly routine. It was there when I needed it the most and to abandon it now would be of such a disservice to the ranks of a new generation of users who seek the same knowledge I did when I was at their point in the beginning of my career.

I believe that local PC users groups like mine are still relevant despite all the on-line communities and information sources on the internet. There is still a role they play in our ever evolving computing universe. Many urban and rural communities lack the access to internet which makes the education of technologies prohibitive and daunting. For the thousands of us who have benefited from these users groups in the past, its time to repay the knowledge we reaped by returning and showing a new generation and others who lacked the opportunity, what we have learned. There is also an immediacy to feedback when one attends a meeting and is able to ask questions of a speaker.

The local PC users group is also more attuned to the needs of their community than their internet counterpart and can offer job banks, news and education tailored for their area. Now, don’t get me wrong. There is room for both to coexist. While the message and meeting topics must adapt to the times and technology for many of the older groups, they can survive and continue to play an important role. It is the cornerstone of what makes computing so unique, amazing and so unforgiving. Relevancy is so fleeting. Just ask Palm and its WebOS.

: ) Henry Lee, proud CDPUG eZine Editor/@nativeArtzCLE

New “Take Control of Your 802.11n AirPort Network” helps you make your Wi-Fi network fly

Something is in the air – it’s your data, zipping through your Wi-Fi network. But is it really zipping or is it ambling along, dropping packets along the way? Our latest Take Control book from networking expert Glenn Fleishman, “Take Control of Your 802.11n AirPort Network, Third Edition,” helps you ensure that your wireless network is fast and reliable. Plus, the book is fully updated to cover the entirely revamped AirPort Utility 6, which runs only in Lion and later. The ebook also now discusses using AirPort Utility for iOS. The 187-page  book normally costs $20, but the 30% MUG discount drops that to $14. Learn more about the book via the coupon-loaded link below.

http://tid.bl.it/your-80211n-airport-network-MUG-discount

In “Take Control of Your 802.11n AirPort Network, Third Edition,” Glenn provides real-world advice for configuring the 802.11n models of Apple’s AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and Time Capsule. Whether you’re setting up a simple AirPort network for the first time, replacing an older base station with a fancy new one, or adding additional base stations or devices to extend your network’s capabilities, you’ll learn how to maximize your network’s speed, add USB-connected printers and drives, solve a wide variety of tricky problems, and – if you like – learn conceptual information about how it all works behind the scenes.

“Take Control of  Your 802.11n AirPort Network, Third Edition” teaches you how to handle projects like these with ease:

* Planning and configuring a multi-base station network
* Replacing an old base station with a new model
* Sharing USB disks and printers
* Getting started with a Time Capsule and Time Machine backups
* Running a guest network
* Setting up wireless bridging
* Configuring complex Internet addressing
* Connecting from Mac (10.5 through 10.7), iOS 5, and Windows 7 clients
* Securing your wireless network
* Sending media to an AirPort Express or 2nd/3rd-generation Apple TV via AirPlay
* Setting up and using Lion’s AirDrop
* Turning your Mac into a wireless access point with Lion’s software base station
* Solving problems with interference, conflicting channels, and more
* Understanding what the light on your base station is trying to tell you

Hope you find it as useful as we have!

cheers… -Adam & Tonya Engst, Take Control publishers

Get started with iCloud and transition from MobileMe with “Take Control of iCloud”

Since last week’s massive software release by Apple, the industry forecast has been iCloudy, with a high chance of MobileMe upgrade confusion and Apple ID conflicts. But we can look forward to calm skies once again, thanks to the months of painstaking work Joe Kissell put into his latest book, the 143-page “Take Control of iCloud.” Just as Apple’s new iCloud service isn’t just an update to MobileMe, this ebook is far more than a new version of Joe’s “Take Control of MobileMe.” In this ebook, you’ll benefit from Joe’s exploration in the uncharted territory of the betas of Mac OS X 10.7.2 Lion and iOS 5, plus his nearly non-stop work once iCloud was released to wrap up loose ends and track down Apple ID mysteries. Your MUG discount brings the $15 price down to $10.50 with the link below.

http://tid.bl.it/icloud-mug-discount

iCloud is an astonishing engineering effort, but rough edges remain, especially for those of us who have relied on Apple’s Internet services for years and who may be using older Macs, iOS devices, and operating systems. In “Take Control of iCloud”, Joe explains how you get started with iCloud regardless of whether or not you used MobileMe, helps smooth the transition to iCloud for MobileMe users, and teaches you how to use iCloud’s features once you’re up and running.

Regardless of whether or not you used MobileMe before, you’ll learn:

* Exactly what capabilities iCloud provides today and how they compare to previous online offerings from Apple.

* How to prepare your computers and devices for iCloud. (You’ll need iOS 5 and Mac OS X 10.7.2 Lion, so you might want to read Joe’s “Take Control of Upgrading to Lion” as well.)

* What to do if you have multiple Apple IDs, and how to associate your primary email address with the desired Apple ID.

For those upgrading from MobileMe, Joe explains:

* Which MobileMe features will disappear instantly once you upgrade to iCloud, and which will stick around until June 2012, when Apple has announced it will shut off MobileMe.

* The best ways to handle old data stored on MobileMe, such as photos in Gallery and files in iDisk, and what alternatives you can use to replace that functionality.

* How to migrate MobileMe Family Pack accounts to separate iCloud accounts.

* How you can replicate MobileMe-based group calendar sharing in iCloud, especially if not everyone in your group can upgrade to iCloud.

Either way, once you’ve made the move to iCloud, Joe covers iCloud’s core features, including:

* iCloud Web site: Learn what you can and can’t do in iCloud’s Web-based interface for Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Find My iPhone, and iWork documents.

* iTunes in the Cloud: Learn how to turn on automatic downloads so nearly anything you buy from Apple – music, apps, and ebooks, though not TV shows or movies – appears on all your devices. You’ll also learn how to re-download previously purchased items (including TV shows, for those with accounts in the U.S. iTunes Store).

* iCloud Backup: Find out what data on your iOS device backs up, how to handle your backup, and – most importantly – how to restore your backup after a problem!

* Photo Stream: Having all your recent photos appear on all your devices sounds great, but there are gotchas. Joe explains how the 1,000-photo and 30-day limits work, as well as what’s necessary to get a truly embarrassing photo out of your Photo Stream.

* Documents in the Cloud: Start changing your habits and expectations as your documents begin living in the cloud and within apps instead of on a local disk. But beware, since Documents in the Cloud isn’t always seamless, with both manual effort required and data loss possible at the moment.

* Calendar and Contacts: Joe provides directions for working with iCloud’s Calendar and Contacts Web applications, along with pointers on the relatively few ways they differ from the Mac’s iCal and Address Book and from iOS 5′s Calendar and Contacts apps. You’ll learn how to handle invitations to calendar events, plus get guidance on how reminders work within iCloud’s calendaring system.

* Mail: As with Calendar and Contacts, Joe explains how to set up and use iCloud’s Web-based Mail app, which is similar to the iOS Mail apps.

* Find My…: Learn how to use Find My iPhone/iPad/iPod touch/Mac to locate a device that’s gone missing, and get an overview of how you can keep track of friends and family with the new Find My Friends iOS app.

* Back to My Mac: With Back to My Mac, you can connect to your Mac at home or the office over the Internet and use both file sharing and screen sharing just as though you were on the same network. Joe explains the basics.

“Take Control of iCloud” covers every platform that iCloud supports, which includes Mac OS X 10.7.2 Lion, iOS 5, Windows Vista and Windows 7, and even the second-generation Apple TV. If your computers and devices aren’t running – or can’t run – those operating systems, they won’t be able to participate in iCloud, but Joe offers some workarounds.

The short version of this review is: A must have app for anyone who makes their living by billing for their time.

In the interest of full disclosure I am reviewing the pay version of iPad/iPhone version of OfficeTime for which I received a promo code at a recent meeting of the Cleveland Digital Publishers Users Group. That having been said, the price of $7.99 is well worth it. Simply said, this app is great and also justifies purchase of the Mac version.

There are both an iPad/iPhone version of the app $7.99 and an OS X version $47.00.

If you have both the iOS and OS X versions, you are able to sync your data between the two. I believe the options for invoicing and other reports is expanded in the Mac version.

In short, OfficeTime enables you to record the time you spend on any number of projects so that you can quickly and accurately gather the data to create an invoice for your services.

Keeping a record of the time I spend on any number of projects throughout the day has always been something I have done with pencil and paper on a low tech spiral steno pad. Some projects might have only 1 or 2 entires while others might have dozens. Tracking time has always involved a multi-step process.

step 1: entering a project description,

step 2; entering start time,

step 3: entering end time

step 4: calculate time expended

step 5: multiply time expended by hourly rate

step 6: add up all the amounts in step 5

After minimal setup, OfficeTime reduces these 6 steps to 2-3 button clicks, all in a much cleaner,minimalistic environment.

With OfficeTime you setup Categories of Work (such as research, text entry, layout, photo editing) and assign the appropriate hourly rate for each category.

There are some other refinements for settings like if you want to and how you want to round up minutes but basically you’re now ready to begin recording you billable time.

A bonus feature:  a timer you can set to alert you when your computer is idle for a user selected period of time. Useful for those all too many times you’re interrupted by a phone call but forget to mark your pause time on your pencil/paper time sheet – then have to try and guess when the call started and the project paused. This alerts you and gives you the option to subtract the “idle” time or retain it.

In case you need it, the app also has an Expense recording function that is as configurable as is the time recordng function.

Reviewed by CDPUG Member, Marvin Sable of Network Laser Art and a Certified Expert. Indesign.