I’m not a fan of the Inbox Zero concept. It’s a time-consuming chore which wouldn’t improve my productivity. In this post I’ll explain how I manage my mail. Everyone has their personal mail management style, so what works for me may not work for you. (Working with my clients, I know that it’s rare for…
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Should I buy a Mac now?
In short, it’s not a great time to buy a Mac unless you absolutely need one or you need to run Windows on your Mac. The transition to Apple Silicon ARM processors is as significant as Apple’s move to Intel chips in 2006. Imagine buying a PowerPC-based Mac six months before Apple released its first…
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Coronavirus data
Here are some websites I find useful for tracking the impact of COVID-19. While we’ve made tremendous progress in New York City, we’re not out of the woods yet. Given the high likelihood that the coronavirus is transmitted via aerosols, it’s critical to maintain proper precautions. It’s a fair assumption that the virus is still…
I use a Kasa HS105 smart plug to control a lamp in my apartment. It’s linked with Google Assistant so I can control the lamp with my voice. I’ve used this setup for over a year without any problems. Recently I started seeing very funky behavior from the smart plug. Sometimes the smart plug wouldn’t…
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VPN remote access
Working from home is the new reality under the threat of COVID-19. While large enterprises have had remote access capabilities for years, most small businesses haven’t addressed this need. Given that 34% of Americans work at a small business, it’s likely that millions of Americans aren’t able to work remotely. If you’re a small business…
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Our Mac application library
MacMaven Consulting has over 400 Mac applications in our software library. We keep a library this large for several reasons: We can often solve novel problems quickly, rather than reinvent the wheel We can recommend applications that will help your workflow We can provide better support when we run the same software you do We…
Most of my long-term clients have made information security an integral part of their computing. We spend significant time on improving the security of their systems. When I visit a new client, I know what to expect. There are almost always significant deficiencies in security controls. 20% of my new clients have adware/malware that they…
Most of my clients use the stock functionality built into macOS and applications written by major publishers, such as Adobe. That’s all well and good, but independent developers have written fantastic apps to help with your day-to-day productivity. Here are some apps that I use daily. Many of these apps show up in software bundles,…
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Apple’s SMB problem
In the Mojave 10.14.5 update, Apple broke reliable SMB file sharing. Organizations found that the SMB service would stop responding after a few hours of uptime. Apple addressed this problem in 10.14.6. Apple has another SMB problem. In this case, I’m talking about Small and Medium-sized Businesses. Apple has gradually been moving away from server…
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Ikea BROR review
I’m a first-time Ikea customer. This experience has been exasperating. I ordered an Ikea ALEX desk, which arrived in good condition. I can’t say the same about the BROR system. Ikea markets BROR as being suitable for living rooms and garages. The reality is that Ikea’s quality control on the BROR pieces is so bad…