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<title>macosxhints.com laptop Mac tips</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/index.php?topic=hwlaptop</link>
<description>Tips and tricks for laptop Macs from macosxhints.com</description>
<managingEditor>webteam@macosxhints.com</managingEditor>
<webMaster>webteam@macosxhints.com</webMaster>
<copyright>Copyright 2013 Mac OS X Hints</copyright>
<generator>Geeklog</generator>
<pubDate>Tue, 19 Nov 2013 06:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
<language>en-gb</language>
<atom:link href="http://hints.macworld.com/backend/hintshwlaptop.rss" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
<item>
<title>Power button changes in Mavericks</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20131025154203251</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20131025154203251</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 19 Nov 2013 06:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20131025154203251#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>Apple changed the behavior of the Power button in 10.9 Mavericks.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Press the button once, and it puts your display to sleep. Press and hold it for a second or two, and the Shutdown / Restart / Sleep dialog appears. Press and hold it for even longer, and your Mac gets completely powered off.&lt;br /&gt;
</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Work around an iLife installer error when restoring a Core 2 Duo MacBook Air</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20120713005020991</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20120713005020991</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jul 2012 07:30:00 -0700</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20120713005020991#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>When reinstalling the original software on an older Core 2 Duo MacBook Air the other day, installing the OS itself (in this case, Mac OS X 10.6, which came on a tiny USB stick) went without a hitch. The USB stick's iLife installer, however, kept failing with an unknown error and told me to contact the software manufacturer.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, that wasn't necessary.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A look at the installer log (hint within a hint: when in trouble, always check the log) revealed that the culprit was an expired installer certificate. When a certificate expires, OS X doesn't trust it anymore, and thus refuses to install.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
All I had to do to work around that error was change the system date back to shortly after the MacBook Air shipped. After traveling back in time, Mac OS X trusted the iLife installer certificate, because it hadn't expired yet back then. So the installation went without a hitch, and after it was done, I changed the date back to the present.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
(Note: Newer MacBook Air models let you  ...</description>
</item>
<item>
<title>New Poll: What's the ideal size of a laptop screen for you? </title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20120709001559560</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20120709001559560</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jul 2012 07:29:00 -0700</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20120709001559560#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>Since I was able to get a MacBook Pro retina last week (you can read my thoughts about it &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mcelhearn.com/2012/07/05/first-impressions-macbook-pro-with-retina-display/&quot;&gt;on my blog&lt;/a&gt;), I've switched my laptop, for the first time in more than four years, from a 13&quot; to a 15&quot;. (My last two laptops were 13&quot; MacBook Airs.) &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Discussions about the correct size for a laptop display can be a hostile as those between, say, &lt;tt&gt;emacs&lt;/tt&gt; and &lt;tt&gt;vi&lt;/tt&gt; users. I've noticed especially that many people I know prefer the 11&quot; MacBook Air, whereas for my aging eyes, that display is too small. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; So, this seemed like a good question for a poll. Feel free to add any comments you have on the poll page, explaining why your preferred laptop size is the Right Size. &lt;a href=&quot;http://hints.macworld.com/polls/index.php?pid=20120709001106330&quot;&gt;Vote in the poll.&lt;/a&gt; 
</description>
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<item>
<title>Extend battery life for latest MacBook Pros with gfxCardStatus</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=2012070312550360</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=2012070312550360</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 04 Jul 2012 07:30:00 -0700</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=2012070312550360#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>When your MacBook Pro switches from integrated Intel graphics to the dedicated GPU, power consumption goes up considerably. Which API calls or program attributes trigger this switch is not totally clear, and programs that you least expect might be draining your battery.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; Cody Krieger’s free &lt;a href=&quot;http://codykrieger.com/gfxCardStatus&quot;&gt;gfxCardStatus&lt;/a&gt; will tell you when a switch occurs and lists which programs are causing this. (It also lets you manually toggle the mode.)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; I found out, for instance, that EagleFiler and Twitter both triggered the GPU, significantly reducing the time I could run on battery. (EagleFiler's author is investigating this.) Neither program is particularly graphics intensive, so I'd never have suspected that leaving them up (and hidden) would be draining my battery prematurely.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; [&lt;b&gt;kirkmc adds&lt;/b&gt;: Since I now have a new MacBook Pro with Retina display (wow, that display is nice!), this hint comes at just the right time. This  ...</description>
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<item>
<title>Use your laptop for a tracing backlight.</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20120216184004980</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20120216184004980</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20120216184004980#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>I needed a darkened version of a sketch I made, but I didn't want to go scan it and darken it. I decided to make a copy the old fashioned way -- trace it.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;However, the lamp wasn't bright enough, and I didn't have access to a backlit desk. Then it hit me; my laptop has a backlight, a very bright backlight in fact.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;How to use your screen as a light box:&lt;ul&gt;  &lt;li&gt;Turn your laptop so that the screen is horizontal.&lt;/li&gt;  &lt;li&gt;Prop up the body so the screen stays flat.&lt;/li&gt;  &lt;li&gt;Set your desktop to solid white, or open a solid white window. If you set the desktop color, hide everything else.&lt;/li&gt;  &lt;li&gt;Make sure the screen brightness is turned all the way up.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;I used my 13.3&quot; MacBook Pro, which was slightly small for a 8.5x11&quot; paper. A larger screen would certainly be better.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;[&lt;b&gt;crarko adds:&lt;/b&gt; I've used an iPhone as a flashlight, but would not have thought of using a laptop as a light table. Clever idea.]
</description>
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<title>10.7: Adjusting display brightness with multiple displays</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20120114184609800</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20120114184609800</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2012 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20120114184609800#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>This is more of an FYI than a deep hint. Apparently in Lion, you can now adjust the screen brightness of your Mac even if it's the secondary display in a dual monitor setup.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I'm using an i7 15&quot; MacBook Pro, and before Lion, if my laptop was set as the secondary display, the brightness buttons on my Apple external keyboard didn't work. The brightness buttons only worked if the display was set as the primary display. Now it works if the laptop is a secondary display.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;[&lt;b&gt;crarko adds:&lt;/b&gt; This is pretty specific. If folks would be kind enough to try a few other configurations and post the results, that could help this prove to be more generally useful.]
</description>
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<title>Rapidly change audio port function on MacBooks</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20111106104816178</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20111106104816178</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 09 Nov 2011 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20111106104816178#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>The 13&quot; MacBook Pros have only 1 audio jack, for both audio input and output, and you can chose between these 2 from the audio preferences.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;If you have the Sound menu extra enabled, Option+clicking on it will let you chose what to use the audio port for (audio input or audio output).&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;[&lt;b&gt;crarko adds:&lt;/b&gt; Handy shortcut.]
</description>
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<title>10.7: Disable internal laptop display when external display is attached</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110901113922148</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110901113922148</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 08 Sep 2011 07:30:00 -0700</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110901113922148#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>Before Lion it was possible to run an external display off a laptop and have the internal display disabled, even if you opened the lid. This can be useful for a myriad of reason including energy saving and better wifi reception. With Lion the internal display will always turn on when the lid is opened, even if there is already an external display connected.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;A solution was posted on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://discussions.apple.com/message/16059565#16059565&quot;&gt;Apple support forums&lt;/a&gt; by user chenga.8.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;To go back to pre-Lion behaviour enter the following command in Terminal:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;tt&gt;sudo nvram boot-args=&quot;iog=0x0&quot;&lt;/tt&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;To undo this change type type the following command or zap the PRAM (press Cmd+Opt+p+r at power up):&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;tt&gt;sudo nvram -d boot-args&lt;/tt&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;[&lt;b&gt;crarko adds:&lt;/b&gt; I haven't tested this one.]
</description>
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<title>A workaround for the MacBook 6200 rpm issue</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110704054835249</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110704054835249</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jul 2011 07:30:00 -0700</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110704054835249#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>As it happened to many of you after installing Snow Leopard a couple of years ago the fan of my MacBook went crazy. Even at low CPU temperatures (60 C) it keeps staying at 6200 rpm. The bizarre thing is that putting the MB on sleep and waking it up the rpm stays low. I tried the standard procedure (reset SMC and PRAM, as explained in Apple documents) but nothing changed. Then I've found &lt;a href=&quot;http://horstr.blogspot.com/2008/04/dont-throw-your-macbook-air-out-just.html&quot;&gt;this page&lt;/a&gt;, which makes use of the &lt;em&gt;smc&lt;/em&gt; binary of smcFanControl tool. You may find smcFanControl &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.eidac.de/?p=134&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Then from Terminal I typed (the &amp;#36; sign is the prompt. Don't type it): &lt;div style=&quot;margin-left: 20px; margin-top:10px; margin-bottom:10px; padding: 5px; border:1px solid; width:520px; height:60px; overflow:scroll;white-space:nowrap;resize:both&quot;&gt;&lt;pre&gt;&amp;#36; cp ~/Downloads/smcfancontrol_2_2_2/smcFanControl.app/Contents/Resources/smc /usr/local/sbin ...&lt;/pre&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
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<item>
<title>No more FAX on the new 15&amp;quot; Mac Book Pro</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110624082306794</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110624082306794</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 27 Jun 2011 07:30:00 -0700</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110624082306794#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>I just just got a new MacBook Pro 15&quot;, and was finishing the installation of all my software. I installed FaxSTF (Smith Micro Fax) which was the last software to install.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I rebooted and looked in the Finder and could not find Fax Pro. I then reinstalled it and at the end it just crashed. After sending an email off to the software vendor for support, I tried to plug in the Apple Fax adapter and to my surprise received this message: 'This computer will not allow Fax.' &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;[&lt;b&gt;crarko adds:&lt;/b&gt; Can anyone confirm or deny this? I wouldn't be surprised if it's true. What does the 'Print &amp; Fax' System Preference show on these models?]
</description>
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<item>
<title>Before you lose your Mac laptop</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=2011030712021172</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=2011030712021172</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Mar 2011 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=2011030712021172#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>This hint is something that may increase the chance of getting your MacBook back if you ever lose it or it is stolen.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;You will need to install an open source application called &lt;a href=&quot;http://preyproject.com/&quot;&gt;Prey&lt;/a&gt; that runs in the background and uses zero memory until it is activated and is also not visible in the Activity Monitor.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Once you lose your laptop you will login to your account on the prey website and report the laptop as missing. Now, even though prey works without the user being logged in, you can get more information about the user if he is using the computer, such as websites visited.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Prey only works if the laptop is connected to the Internet, so if the thief has an encrypted connection, prey will not work until it finds an open WiFi hotspot. Your laptop probably has a password, so you will need to activate the Guest account and lure the thief into using the laptop. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;To do so, leave a message on the login window saying somethi ...</description>
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<title>Make a more obvious low battery warning</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110219013713667</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110219013713667</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 23 Feb 2011 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110219013713667#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>I once owned a ThinkPad T60 series and when the battery in it became critically low it would beep wildly and make its low battery status very well known (impossible to ignore) and forced me to do something about it. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I am distracted easily, and when focused on other things, I tend to completely ignore that little warning window and the tiny alert noise that comes with it that Mac OS X presents me when my battery is low. I have created an AppleScript and developed a method to get a similar effect on my Mac laptop.
Paste the following contents into the AppleScript Editor and save the script to: &lt;em&gt;/etc/batteryScript.applescript&lt;/em&gt;. [&lt;b&gt;crarko adds:&lt;/b&gt; You may first need to save the file to your Desktop and then copy it to the hidden &lt;em&gt;/etc&lt;/em&gt; directory after using the Finder 'Go to Folder...' command.] ...</description>
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<title>Repair MacBook Pro cooling fan rattling</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110212184828998</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110212184828998</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Feb 2011 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110212184828998#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>The little cooling fans inside of Mac notebooks run upwards of 6000 RPM, and they can eventually wear out. People report symptoms of rattling and even loud grinding. Well, the fan MAY need replacement. Or perhaps it just needs to be relubricated.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;When my 2007 MacBook Pro's left cooling fan started rattling really loudly last night, I thought I was in for a time-consuming repair. Every place I called had a 2 or 3 day lead time on the part and a 2-day turn-around for the repair once the part was in. The fan itself costs at least &amp;#36;40, and the labor charges were at least &amp;#36;60. I was irritated at the prospect of spending at least &amp;#36;100 on a 4-year-old notebook that I plan to replace in like two months when the new model comes out.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;One of the places I called suggested that blowing the dust out might help. Dust can accumulate on the blades and throw it out of balance. I opened up the computer (according to  ...</description>
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<title>Using a MacBook Pro as firewire pass-through</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110107152155587</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110107152155587</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 10 Jan 2011 07:30:00 -0800</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110107152155587#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>Their are many options today for you to attach your trusty old FireWire 400 goodies to your shiny new MacPro (that doesn't include FW400 anymore). 6 pin to 9 pin adapters, cables or just buy new gear...except you didn't plan that far ahead and now your in the middle of a critical project with one file stuck on a trusty FW400 drive and no way to plug it into your new Mac. Sure you could load it onto that old MacBook Pro you got, but the HD is too full to for the 65GB video file.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Simply connect your MBP (powered off) to your new Mac via a FW800 cable (9 pin to 9 pin). Then plug in your FW400 peripheral to the MBP and it will mount on your new Mac no questions asked! In a pinch the MBP can be used as a pass-through for firewire (converting from 6 pin to 9 pin) and it doesn't even need to be plugged in, or have the battery in.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I tested this with a self-powered HD enclosure, a Gen 4 iPod, and a JVC DVCam/Mini DV tape deck (4 pin to 6 pin) and all worked flawlessly. ...</description>
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<title>10.6: 3-finger drags on some older laptops</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20100813190955687</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20100813190955687</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 16 Aug 2010 07:30:00 -0700</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20100813190955687#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>&lt;img src=&quot;http://www.macosxhints.com/images/106only.png&quot; alt=&quot;Snow Leopard only hint&quot; align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;margin-right: 10px&quot;&gt;If you have an older MacBook Pro or MacBook Air (with multitouch), with OS 10.6.4 and the &lt;a href=&quot;http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4254&quot;&gt;Multi-Touch Trackpad Update 1.0&lt;/a&gt;, but can still only get inertial scrolling, and you want the 3 finger drags, this method shows you how. It involves editing system files, so proceed with caution.
Open a new Finder window and navigate to &lt;em&gt;/System/Library/Extensions&lt;/em&gt;. Make two backup copies of &lt;em&gt;AppleUSBMultitouch.kext&lt;/em&gt; (one as a safety net, and one to edit), and then perform the modifications below to the editing copy.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;First, enter the .kext file (using Show Package Contents), then go to Contents, then open Info.plist (I usually open it in Property List Editor that comes with Xcode Tools (which come on the OS X Install discs, but other text editors should work too). If it opens in Property List Editor, ...</description>
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<title>Improve projector display on a MacBook Pro</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20100629123219886</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20100629123219886</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 30 Jun 2010 07:30:01 -0700</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20100629123219886#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>After switching from a G4 PowerBook to a new MacBook Pro (Tiger to Snow Leopard), I found that external projection displays were noticeably dimmer and off color.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I tried calibration with  the ColorSync Utility (located in &lt;em&gt;/Applications/Utilities&lt;/em&gt;) without success. I copied the VGA color profile over from the G4 (Version 2.0.0) and changed from the Snow Leopard color profile (Version 2.1.0) and the result was a major improvement in the projector image.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;[&lt;b&gt;crarko adds:&lt;/b&gt; I haven't tested this one. It's good to know the color profiles are compatible. If it's a projector you use frequently, creating a custom profile for it in ColorSync could also be useful.]
</description>
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<title>New Macbook Pro 17'': Detect Displays fails after sleep</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20100603094215734</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20100603094215734</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Jun 2010 07:30:00 -0700</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20100603094215734#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>Today I noticed that the external display attached to my new 17&quot; MacBook Pro Core i7 is not recognized any more after I put the system to sleep by closing the lid. The 'Detect Displays' command from the Displays menu or the Displays preference pane didn't work. Rebooting the system is a possible solution, but not the preferred one.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I tried out some things and then searched some forums, but found no working solutions. Then I remembered that little tool &lt;a href=&quot;http://codykrieger.com/gfxCardStatus/&quot;&gt;GfxCardStatus&lt;/a&gt; from Cody Krieger and fired it up. I switched the active graphics card by selecting 'NVIDIA only' and then hit 'detect displays' and immediately the MacBook Pro detected the external display.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I did a little more testing and could reproduce the behavior; I switched to the Intel card by selecting 'dynamic switching' in GfxCardStatus, put the Mac to sleep, woke it up again and once more the display was not recognized. Now I switched back to the NVIDIA gra ...</description>
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<title>Some tips for using external batteries with laptops</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20100422014631200</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20100422014631200</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 23 Apr 2010 07:30:00 -0700</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20100422014631200#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>I have a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.hypershop.com/HyperMac-External-MacBook-Battery-and-Car-Charger-s/91.htm&quot;&gt;Hypermac external 100W external battery&lt;/a&gt; for occasional use with my MacBook Pro (and sometimes iPhone). As is pointed out on Hypermac's website in their FAQ section, the best way to use their battery is to start with both a fully charged MacBook and a fully charged Hypermac battery.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;This hint is mostly about using &lt;a href=&quot;http://growl.info/extras.php#HardwareGrowler&quot;&gt;HardwareGrowler&lt;/a&gt; (available in the Extra's folder of the &lt;a href=&quot;http:growl.info&quot;&gt;Growl&lt;/a&gt; disk image) to be made aware of which power source you're using. It also includes a little detail on using an external battery like Hypermac's, or more than likely, any other vendor's external battery.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;If your MacBook battery has run down very much at all, the Hypermac will try to recharge it. If you are using the MacBook at the time, there will probably not be enough power for both charging and using, ...</description>
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<title>Remap only the Exposé key for Spaces use on Unibody laptops</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=201004100644489</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=201004100644489</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 13 Apr 2010 07:30:00 -0700</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=201004100644489#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>The Unibody Macs have some pre-defined function keys that are hard to remap.  For those of us who use Spaces, but not Exposé, here's how to remap the key. The Exposé key on Unibody MacBook Pros can't easily be remapped through System Preferences without unmapping all the other special function keys, like volume and screen brightness. If you just want to remap the single Exposé key, here's how to do that:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;First, download and install the open source &lt;a href=&quot;http://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/index.html&quot;&gt;KeyRemap4MacBook&lt;/a&gt; System Preferences panel. Once it's installed, go into System Preferences &amp;raquo; Keyboard, and unmap all the special keys by checking 'Use all F1,F2, etc. keys as standard function keys.'&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Switch over to the KeyRemap4MacBook panel, and remap all the special keys there, except for the one you want to change (in this case, the Exposé key). Expand the 'Remap F1...F16' section, then click on 'F5, F6 to Functional,' then each of the single key e ...</description>
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<title>Increase battery run time on laptops with SSDs</title>
<link>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20100404184922535</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20100404184922535</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 06 Apr 2010 07:30:00 -0700</pubDate>
<comments>http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20100404184922535#comments</comments>
<dc:subject>Laptop Macs</dc:subject>
<description>If you have a Macbook Air with a solid-state drive, you can increase battery life by forcing your machine to always hibernate, rather than sleeping.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Generally, Macs only hibernate (storing the existing system state to disk and powering off) when the battery has gone to nearly absolute zero. At all other times, they sleep -- meaning that the existing system state is stored in RAM, and the machine goes into a low-power mode. The reason for this is that it takes longer to restart/restore from hibernation state. But having the machine fully off does save battery life.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Since the MacBook Air's solid state drive (if you have a model so equipped) has exceptionally fast startup times from disk, hibernation restores are very quick (five or so seconds, in my experience). Also, hibernating all the time will save you battery life -- again, in my experience, up to ten percent longer run times. YMMV.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Numerous utilities are available to change the default low-battery mod ...</description>
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