Macinstruct Tutorials

How to Delete Books and PDF Files from iBooks

mcone — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:40:35 +0000

So you've read a book or PDF file on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch. Now how do you get rid of it? This tutorial shows you how to quickly and easily delete any book or PDF file from the iBooks app. It's a great way to free up space, because these files can take up precious space on your device, especially if they contain a lot of embedded pictures.

Here's how to delete book and PDF files from an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch:

From the iPad's home screen, tap iBooks to open it.
Switch to the collection that contains the file you want to delete. To do so, tap Collections, and then tap a collection, as shown below.

Tap the Edit button in the upper right corner, as shown below.

Tap on the books and PDF files you want to delete. The items marked for deletion have checkmarks displayed on their icons, as shown below.

Tap Delete to permanently erase the selected books and PDF files from your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch.
The alert shown below appears. Tap Delete. The books and PDF files you selected will be deleted.

Tap the Done button in the upper right corner.

That's it! The books and PDF files you selected have been deleted from your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch.

Meet Your Macinstructor

Matthew Cone, the author of Master Your Mac and a freelance writer specializing in Apple hardware and software, has been a Mac user for over 20 years. A former ghost writer for some of Apple's most notable instructors, Cone founded Macinstruct in 1999, a site with OS X tutorials that boasts hundreds of thousands of unique visitors per month. You can email him at: matt@macinstruct.com.

How to Change Your iPad's DNS Servers

mcone — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:49:41 +0000

Just like in Mac OS X, you can change the DNS servers on your iPad. This can significantly speed up Safari and other iPad apps that use the Internet. For a general introduction to DNS, and to learn why you would want to change the DNS servers on your iPad, see How to Change Your Mac's DNS Servers.

Before we start, you should know a couple things about how iOS handles DNS. First, these instructions only work for Wi-Fi connections - iOS does not allow you to change the DNS servers when connected to cellular networks. Also, the changes are network specific, so you'll need to change the DNS servers every time you connect to a new wireless network. The good news is that iOS remembers the settings, so you won't have to do anything the second time you connect to a network.

Here's how to change your iPad's DNS servers:

From the iPad's home screen, tap Settings.
Tap General on the sidebar. The screen shown below appears.

Tap Network. The screen shown below appears.

Tap Wi-Fi. The available wireless networks in range of your iPad appear, as shown below.

Find your wireless network in the list, and then click the arrow. The screen shown below appears.

Tap the DNS field.
Delete the current DNS servers, and enter the new DNS servers. (If you enter more than one DNS server, be sure sure to separate the servers with commas.)
- To use OpenDNS, enter 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220
- To use Google DNS, enter 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
Test your new DNS servers to make sure they're working.
- If you're using OpenDNS, visit the OpenDNS test page.
- If you're using Google Public DNS, follow these testing instructions.

That's it! You've updated your iPad's DNS servers!

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Where to Find Saved PDF Files on an iPad

mcone — Sat, 19 May 2012 20:27:57 +0000

In another tutorial, we discussed how to save PDF files on an iPad. But where do you find the PDF files that you've saved on your iPad? They're stored in the iBooks app, but you might have to change collections to see them.

Collections are essentially folders for the books and files stored in iBooks. By default, all PDF files are stored in the PDF collection. If you have a different collection open, you won't see the files in the other collection. For example, if iBooks opens to the Books collection, you probably won't see any of the PDF files that you've saved. You'll need to change to the PDF collection to see the PDF files.

Here's how to find saved PDF files on an iPad:

From the iPad's home screen, tap iBooks to open it.
Tap the Collections button in the top left corner, as shown below.

Tap PDF. The saved PDF files will appear, as shown below.

By the way, you can always tell what collection you're in by looking at the top of the iBooks window. In the example above, it says PDFs to indicate that you're viewing PDF files.

How to Save PDF Files on an iPad

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How to Minimize Windows in Slow Motion

mcone — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:53:40 +0000

Ready to learn a fun trick that has absolutely no practical value whatsoever? A trick that you can use to impress your friends and show off your Mac skills? Then you've come to the right tutorial! We're about to teach you how to minimize windows to the Dock in slow motion. In other words, we're going to take the default minimize window action and slow it way down by a factor of 100 or so.

Here's how to do it:

Right-click the separator bar in the Dock and select Turn Magnification On, as shown below. Then select Genie Effect from the Minimize Using submenu.

Open a Finder window or an application window that has a yellow minimize button, as shown below.

Hold the Shift key, and then click the yellow minimize button in the upper left corner of the window. The window will slowly shrink into the dock, as shown below.

You can also see the reverse effect (maximizing the window) by holding the Shift key and clicking the recently minimized window in the Dock. Doing so will cause the window to slowly expand out of the Dock and onto the Desktop.

By the way, if you select Scale Effect instead of Genie Effect, the window that you minimize and maximize will scale up in size when reopened and scale down in size when minimized to the Dock. It's just a different effect, and it also works in slow motion when you hold down the Shift key.

Meet Your Macinstructor

Eric Buczynski says it all started with the Apple II in grade school. Years later, he moved on to a Performa 6360 and then PowerMac G4s. He's still interested in emulation, HTML, and icon design, but these days his creativity goes mostly to Mac hardware hacking and customization.

Change an AirPort Extreme's DNS Servers

mcone — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:59:57 +0000

If you own an AirPort Extreme and use it as a router, you can specify default DNS servers for all of the devices connected to your wireless network. This is a great way to enforce enterprise network policies using OpenDNS, which allows you to implement security and filtering controls. And if you're a home user, you can protect your children by configuring DNS servers for the entire house and enable parental controls with OpenDNS.

Note that this feature will not work if your AirPort Extreme is in bridge mode. If you are using bridge mode, you'll need to configure the DNS servers on your router.

Here's how to change an AirPort Extreme's DNS servers:

Open the AirPort Utility application. (It's in Applications → Utilities.) The window shown below appears.

Click the AirPort Extreme's icon. The status pop-up window appears.
Click Edit. The settings window appears.
Select the Internet tab. The window shown below appears.

Enter the DNS servers in the Primary DNS Server and Secondary DNS Server fields.
- To use OpenDNS, enter 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220
- To use Google DNS, enter 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
Click Update. The AirPort Extreme will restart to apply the changes.

After the AirPort Extreme turns back on, the DNS servers you specified will be used by all of the devices connected to your wireless network.

How to Change Your Mac's DNS Servers

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Change the Background of Finder Windows

mcone — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:52:33 +0000

Are you tired of seeing the boring white background of the Finder windows? Change it! You can spice up your Desktop by setting a folder's background to a picture or a solid color. Note that this only works when the layout of the folder's window is set to the icon view. You won't see the background if you view the items in the list, column, or cover flow views.

Setting a Solid Color Background

Here's how to change the background of a Finder window:

Switch to the Finder. Open the folder you'd like to change.
From the View menu, select as Icons.
From the View menu, select Show View Options, as shown below.

The window shown below appears. From the Background section, select Color and then use the color selection tool to set a color for the background.

Close the View Options window. Now your folder's window background will be set to the background color you selected, as shown below.

That's it! Continue reading if you'd like to know how to set an image as the background of a Finder window.

Using an Image as the Background

You can also set an image as the background of a Finder window. Here's how:

Switch to the Finder. Open the folder you'd like to change.
From the View menu, select as Icons.
From the View menu, select Show View Options.
The window shown below appears. From the Background section, select Picture and then drag a photo or image to the box.

Close the View Options window. Now your folder's window background will be set to the image you selected, as shown below.

That's it! Continue reading if you'd like to know how to specify the background of all Finder windows.

Set a Default Background for All Finder Windows

You can set different backgrounds for different folders, of course, but you can also set a default background for all Finder windows. Here's how:

Switch to the Finder. Open the folder you'd like to change.
From the View menu, select as Icons.
From the View menu, select Show View Options.
Set the background of the folder using the instructions above.
Click Use as Defaults.
Close the View Options window.

Now your background will be set as the default background in all Finder windows.

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How to Change Your Mac's DNS Servers

mcone — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:13:08 +0000

Your Mac uses something called the Domain Name System (DNS) to access websites. It's a system invisible to you, the user, and most people don't even know it exists. But if the DNS servers you're using are slow or unavailable, websites will load slowly or won't load at all. That's why it's important to learn about DNS and consider changing your DNS servers. In this tutorial, we'll show you everything you need to know about DNS to speed up surfing and ward off potential problems.

DNS Crash Course

To understand how DNS works, you need some background information. Every website connected to the Internet is assigned something called an IP address, which is a little like a home or apartment's street address. Just like a friend could find your house if she had your address, your computer can load a website if you type its IP address in to a web browser.

The problem is that IP addresses can be difficult to find and remember. DNS was created to map memorable domain names, like cnn.com, onto IP addresses, like 157.166.226.25, which is the CNN website's IP address.

When you type in a URL in to your web browser's address bar and hit Enter, your computer contacts a DNS server to find the IP address associated with the domain name. DNS is essentially a directory of all the websites in the world. Imagine a giant phonebook with the IP addresses for all of the websites on the Internet. That's DNS.

Why You Should Change Your DNS Servers

Every Internet service provider operates their own DNS servers. When you purchase Internet access from a company like Comcast, your Mac will automatically use Comcast's DNS servers. That's not a problem unless the service provider's DNS servers become unavailable. At that point, your Mac won't be able to load any websites.

Fortunately, there are other companies out there that offer free DNS servers that you can use with your Mac. Many of these services are faster, and some companies have never experienced a service interruption. Plus, some DNS providers offer additional services for free, like malware protection and parental controls.

Selecting Another DNS Provider

There are dozens of free DNS servers out there. How do you know which ones to use? We'll make it easy for you. The two best DNS services are OpenDNS and Google Public DNS, both of which are free, fast, and reliable.

Google's service "never blocks, filters, or redirects users," which is great for users who just want the unfiltered Internet in all of its glory. OpenDNS prevents you from accessing webpages that are known to host malware that could harm your Mac. Plus, if you register for a free OpenDNS account, you can use parental controls to restrict access to adult content and other Internet nasties.

Changing Your Mac's DNS Servers

Once you've settled on a DNS service provider, it's time to update your Mac's DNS servers. Here's how:

From the Apple menu, select System Preferences. The window shown below appears.

Select Network. The window shown below appears.

Select a network interface from the sidebar. By default, your primary network interface is selected. If you use more than one interface to connect to the Internet, use these instructions to update the DNS servers for all of the interfaces.
Click Advanced.
Click the DNS tab. The window shown below appears.

Click the + button to add a new DNS server.
- To use OpenDNS, enter 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220
- To use Google DNS, enter 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
Click OK.
Click Apply.
Test your new DNS servers to make sure they're working.
- If you're using OpenDNS, visit the OpenDNS test page.
- If you're using Google Public DNS, follow these testing instructions.
If the DNS servers aren't working, try rebooting your computer. Test the servers again when your computer turns back on.

That's it! You've updated your Mac's DNS servers!

Change an AirPort Extreme's DNS Servers

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How to Save PDF Files on an iPad

mcone — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:18:31 +0000

You probably know that you can read PDF documents on your iPad, but did you know that you can also save PDF files to the iBooks app on your iPad? This is useful for saving free ebooks in PDF file format from websites like Open Library. You also can save anything from bank statements and college course syllabi to scanned documents and tenant agreements. It's not a stretch to say that your iPad could become a portable document management system!

Here's how to save PDF files on your iPad:

Open a PDF document on your iPad. You can do this by accessing a PDF file on a website in Safari, opening a PDF attachment in Mail, or opening a file in Dropbox, to name but a few examples. If you don't have a PDF file available right now and you'd like to try following along with this tutorial, you can download a free ebook from Open Library.
If you've opened a PDF file in Safari, tap once to display a bar at the top of the screen, as shown below. Tap Open in "iBooks".

If you've opened a PDF file in Mail, tap the arrow button and then tap Open in "iBooks", as shown below.

The PDF file will appear on a shelf in iBooks, as shown below. Tap the file to open it. (It may still be downloading to your iPad.)

Congratulations! You have successfully downloaded the PDF file to your iPad and stored it in the iBooks app. It'll stay there until you delete it.

Where to Find Saved PDF Files on an iPad

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How to Update Your iPad's Software

mcone — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:42:10 +0000

This week Apple released iOS 5.1.1, the newest version of the operating system for iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touch devices. You used to have to connect to a computer with iTunes to install updates, but not anymore. With the "over-the-air" update feature built into iOS, you can use your iPad to download and install the iOS updates while connected to a wireless network. This guide will show you how to update your iPad's iOS software wirelessly using the over-the-air update feature.

How to Install iOS Updates Wirelessly

Installing an iOS update on your iPad takes only a couple of minutes with the over-the-air update feature. Here's how to do it:

Connect your iPad to a wireless (Wi-Fi) network, if it's not already connected to one. iOS updates cannot be downloaded over 3G.
From the iPad's home screen, tap Settings.
Tap General on the sidebar. The screen shown below appears.

Tap Software Update. The screen shown below appears.

If there's an iOS update available, it will appear here. To download and install the update, tap Download and Install. The screen shown below appears.

Tap Agree to accept the terms and conditions. The screen shown below appears.

This alert recommends that you connect your iPad to a power source, which is a good idea. You don't want your device to run out power while the update is being installed. Tap OK. The screen shown below appears.

The update downloads to your iPad. Once it completes, the iPad will automatically restart and install the software update. Do not restart or turn your iPad off during this process. You'll know the installation has completed when the iPad's lock screen appears.

How to Install iOS Updates via iTunes

Still want to use iTunes to install iOS updates on your iPad? You can do that, too. Here's how:

Connect your iPad to your Mac with the USB cable.
Open the iTunes application on your Mac.
From the sidebar, select the iPad. The window shown below appears.

Click Update.

Follow the on-screen instructions to update your iPad to the newest version of iOS.

Verify that iOS Updates were Installed

Now that you've installed the software updates on your iPad, you should verify that the updates were actually installed and check for new software updates. Here's how:

From the iPad's home screen, tap Settings.
Tap General on the sidebar.
Tap Software Update. The screen shown below appears.

The iPad indicates that iOS is up to date. Keep checking back for new updates!

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Connecting a Bluetooth Keyboard to an iPad

mcone — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:48:01 +0000

As someone who writes for a living, I need to be able to type fast and accurately. That's just not possible with the iPad's Qwerty keyboard. I initially thought the built-in keyboard would work, and that it was just a matter of training myself to use it. But as time went on, I realized that the keyboard was only large enough to fool me into thinking I could type with two hands. For me, using the iPad's virtual keyboard will never be as easy as using a physical one.

Fortunately, all is not lost. Anyone can connect an external Bluetooth keyboard to the iPad and use it to type. This tutorial explains how to find a bluetooth keyboard and connect it to your iPad.

Choosing a Bluetooth Keyboard for Your iPad

There are lots of Bluetooth keyboards available for use with your iPad. Some are integrated with iPad cases, others are sold as stand-alone devices. Even Apple makes one, as shown below. If you decide to use Apple's keyboard, we recommend that you use it with the Incase Origami Workstation, a lightweight case for Apple's keyboard that folds into a stand for your iPad.

A keyboard like this is what you'll need to type effectively on your iPad. Of course, if you already have a Bluetooth keyboard that you use with your Mac, you can use it with your iPad.

How to Connect a Bluetooth Keyboard to an iPad

Connecting a Bluetooth keyboard to your iPad takes only a couple of minutes. Here's how to do it:

Turn on the Bluetooth keyboard and place it near your iPad.
From the iPad's home screen, tap Settings.
Tap General on the sidebar. The screen shown below appears.

Tap Bluetooth. The screen shown below appears.

Make sure that Bluetooth is turned on.
A list of available Bluetooth devices appears. Tap the keyboard to connect. The screen shown below appears.

Type the code on your keyboard. The iPad will connect to the keyboard.

The keyboard is now connected to the iPad - feel free to start typing away!

Unpairing a Bluetooth Keyboard

When you're finished using the Bluetooth keyboard with your iPad, it's a good idea to unpair it, or disconnect it from the iPad. This will help conserve the battery power of both the iPad and keyboard. Here's how to unpair a Bluetooth keyboard from an iPad:

From the iPad's home screen, tap Settings.
Tap General on the sidebar.
Tap Bluetooth. The screen shown below appears.

Tap the keyboard. The screen shown below appears.

Tap Forget this Device.

You have successfully unpaired the Bluetooth keyboard from the iPad.

Troubleshooting Bluetooth Keyboard Connection Problems

If you're having trouble connecting a Bluetooth keyboard to your iPad, there are a couple things you should try.

First, if the keyboard is already paired and being used by another device, like your Mac, be sure to unpair it with that device before you try connecting it to your iPad. If that doesn't work, try taking the batteries out of the keyboard and putting them back in. When the keyboard turns back on, your iPad should be able to see it.

Still need help? Take a look at Apple's Troubleshooting Tips for more information.

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Macinstruct Tutorials

How to Delete Books and PDF Files from iBooks

How to Change Your iPad's DNS Servers

Related Articles

Where to Find Saved PDF Files on an iPad

Related Articles

How to Minimize Windows in Slow Motion

Change an AirPort Extreme's DNS Servers

Related Articles

Change the Background of Finder Windows

Setting a Solid Color Background

Using an Image as the Background

Set a Default Background for All Finder Windows

How to Change Your Mac's DNS Servers

DNS Crash Course

Why You Should Change Your DNS Servers

Selecting Another DNS Provider

Changing Your Mac's DNS Servers

Related Articles

How to Save PDF Files on an iPad

Related Articles

How to Update Your iPad's Software

How to Install iOS Updates Wirelessly

How to Install iOS Updates via iTunes

Verify that iOS Updates were Installed

Connecting a Bluetooth Keyboard to an iPad

Choosing a Bluetooth Keyboard for Your iPad

How to Connect a Bluetooth Keyboard to an iPad

Unpairing a Bluetooth Keyboard

Troubleshooting Bluetooth Keyboard Connection Problems