It’s back to school season! If you’re just starting college, or returning to a heavy course load, your life is obviously about to get a whole lot busier. We know you’ve got this, but time and energy are two things you certainly won’t want to waste. To make sure you’re multitasking like a pro, here are some quick MacBook tips for a great experience:
Embrace the Night Shift
No, we’re not talking about pulling graveyard shifts at your part-time job–though we applaud you if you’re working AND furthering your education. This tip is all about saving your eyes from screen strain. Turn on Night Shift (or Dark Mode if you’re using the Mojave OS). This works by switching your Mac’s display to the warmer end of the color spectrum after dark.
Dynamic Desktop
Another fun feature that recently became available is the Dynamic Desktop. Sometimes during an all-out study session, days can turn into nights before you know it. Not anymore! Now your Mac’s wallpaper can help clue you into the exact time of day by depicting changing lighting as the sun moves across the sky. Sounds pretty cool, right? Here’s how to update your settings.
Desktop Stacks
A Mac makes it super simple to save files to your desktop, but sometimes it’s almost too easy. Have you ever discovered that your desktop is more cluttered than episode of Hoarders? Don’t stress, because Desktop Stacks will be your new BFF. Free yourself from that bursting “stuff” folder by enabling these life-changing smart folders that group documents, images, PDFs, etc.
Finder Quick Actions
Your Finder is now an automation expert, thanks to Quick Actions. Using the Automator app, you can smooth out your workflow in some pretty incredible ways. Want to turn images into PDFs? Make the same change to multiple files? No problem! Here’s how to get started.
Finder Gallery View
If you’ll be working with lots of images, you’ll love the new Gallery View. It’s much easier to get data about your images (like where the photo was taken) and view your thumbnails. Check it out.
Screenshots
Now, with the latest OS, the experience of taking a screenshot is a lot more like doing a screen grab on an iPhone. The best part? After you take your screenshot, it’ll appear as a newly created thumbnail at the bottom of your screen. From there, you can go straight to editing or cropping away. Learn more about what you can do with screenshots here.
Capturing Video
Working on a group project? Providing some tutoring? The new screen record option is super handy for capturing what’s happening on your desktop without the need for software or additional apps.
Want to protect your laptop from drops, spills, and other “oops” moments this semester?
We can help. Learn more.
