Master the Mac command line with an updated Take Control book

As we work to bring all our books up to date with the latest Apple hardware and operating systems, I’m pleased to announce our latest update: version 3.1 of my book Take Control of the Mac Command Line with Terminal. This book unlocks the mysteries of the Mac’s command-line interface, taking you deep into the Unix underpinnings of macOS. Whether you’ve never opened the Terminal app before or are an old hand at the command line looking to brush up your skills (or anywhere in between), you’ll find lots to like in this book.

I begin with the basics, such as the meanings of terms like “Terminal,” “command line,” and “shell.” Then I walk you through a gentle, safe exploration of the command line, teaching you useful commands as we go (and pointing out common pitfalls). As the book progresses, I move into more advanced areas, such as customizing your command-line environment, creating and using scripts, and installing third-party Unix programs. There’s a chapter of tips and tricks, as well as a huge chapter at the end with 64 ready-to-use command-line “recipes” for a wide variety of common (and some uncommon) tasks. The just-released version 3.1 updates the book to cover changes in macOS 11 Big Sur and the new M-series Macs with Apple silicon. Buy this for $10.49 with your 30% MUG discount or Learn more.

I’d also like to mention that Glenn Fleishman has updated two of his books this week. Take Control of Home Security Cameras version 1.2 expands coverage of end-to-end encryption (E2EE), including E2EE support in some of Amazon’s new Ring cameras. And his latest book, Take Control of Securing Your Mac, is now at version 1.0.2 with a brand-new introduction.

Secure your Mac with a new Take Control book

We’ve just released our first brand-new title of 2021: Take Control of Securing Your Mac by Glenn Fleishman. Years ago, I wrote a book called Take Control of Security for Mac Users, but for a variety of reasons, we were unable to keep that book updated to adapt to changing times, and the important topic of Mac security became a gaping hole in our catalog. So I asked Glenn to come up with a new book that offers a fresh and modern take on keeping one’s Mac safe from outside threats of various kinds, and he was happy to oblige.

With security breaches, malware, bug exploits, and other shenanigans making the news almost daily, there has never been a more important time to pay attention to Mac security. This 177-page book covers all the essential topics, such as using FileVault to protect the data on your Mac, using a VPN to improve network security, and making smart choices about malware prevention and detection. Among the many other topics this book covers are how your Mac’s built-in security features have improved over time (and how to configure them optimally), how to share files securely via the cloud, how to avoid ransomware, how Apple silicon changes the Mac’s security profile, and how to regain access to your Mac if you’ve been locked out. Buy this for $10.49 with your 30% MUG discount or Learn more.

I’d also like to mention, in passing, that we’ve just updated Glenn Fleishman’s Take Control of Zoom to version 1.2.2 (to cover recent changes to Zoom) and we’ve also released version 1.5 of my free book Take Control of DEVONthink 3.

Master Apple's Calendar, Reminders, and Mail Apps

Continuing with our series of updated titles, we’re announcing two revised books today: Take Control of Calendar and Reminders, Third Edition by Scholle McFarland and version 5.1 of of my book Take Control of Apple Mail, Fifth Edition. Both books extend coverage to macOS 11 Big Sur, iOS 14, and iPadOS 14. As usual, both of these are available for your members at 30% off using coupon code CPN90219MUG.

Take Control of Calendar and Reminders is your complete guide to Apple’s Calendar and Reminders apps across platforms (Mac, iPhone/iPad, Apple Watch, and even HomePod). It shows you how to create, edit, and share events and reminders, sync your data across all your devices, and solve common problems. You’ll learn what Siri can (and can’t) do when it comes to calendar and to-do items, how to use keyboard shortcuts as well as the Shortcuts app to streamline your work, and all the ins and outs of notifications. This new edition—featuring hundreds of changes—not only covers the latest operating system updates but also describes new features such as customizing lists with symbols and emoji, creating reminders for Mail messages, deleting reminders with Siri, assigning reminders to specific people, and using the new Notification Center in Big Sur. Buy this for $10.49 with your 30% MUG discount or Learn more.

Next is Take Control of Apple Mail, which as always tells you everything you need to know to make the most of Apple Mail on your Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, including how to set it up for various account types; find your way around Mail’s sometimes-unintuitive user interface and work with hidden features; manage incoming and outgoing messages and attachments; use signatures; find the most useful third-party plugins to enhance Mail’s features; use rules to automatically sort, reply to, or delete incoming messages; avoid most spam and other unwanted messages; send and receive encrypted email; solve common problems; and even become a better correspondent. The update adds coverage of Big Sur and iOS 14/iPadOS 14 while continuing to support Catalina, Mojave, and iOS 13/iPadOS 13. Buy this for $10.49 with your 30% MUG discount or Learn more.

I hope you find both of these updated books useful. Still more new and updated books are on their way soon!

Learn about file management, Siri, and Zoom with Take Control books


Happy holidays! I wanted to let you know about three recent Take Control releases. As usual, all of these are available for your members at 30% off using coupon code CPN90219MUG.

First is Take Control of Managing Your Files by Jeff Carlson. This book covers file management in macOS, iOS, and iPadOS and helps you develop a strategy that’s appropriate for your needs. Whether you prefer a strict folder structure or a system of custom tags (or both), you’ll find guidance here about what to name files, where to put them, and how to find them. When should you use internal vs. external vs. cloud storage, and how do you keep files in sync among your devices? How should you (and shouldn’t you) use the desktop? How does the iOS/iPadOS Files app differ from the Finder? What do you do if you have a long backlog of unsorted (or poorly sorted) files, or need to free up storage space? This book covers all these questions and more. Buy this for $9.09 with your 30% MUG discount or Learn more.

Next is a brand-new second edition of Scholle McFarland’s Take Control of Siri, which brings it fully up to date with all of Apple’s latest operating systems and covers Siri on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and HomePod. Siri can answer questions, open apps, find files, control your various Apple devices, perform calculations, make reservations, and much more. If you’ve ever felt that you’re not quite taking advantage of all that Siri can do (or if you feel awkward talking to your devices and need some encouragement), this book is the guide you need. It helps you configure Siri, learn the vast array of tasks it can perform, and become comfortable and confident using it throughout your day. Buy this for $10.49 with your 30% MUG discount or Learn more.

Finally, we have version 1.2.1 of Glenn Fleishman’s Take Control of Zoom, a complete guide to the Zoom videoconferencing service. Glenn explains how to set up and use Zoom on any platform; what you should know about cameras, microphones, and lighting; how to make smart configuration choices; the differences between free and various paid plans; how to take part in meetings as a participant or a host; how to use features such as screen sharing, chat, and call recording; and what to do if participants become unruly. An appendix covers “virtual camera” software such as Camo, mmHmm, and OBS, which can give you much more control over what your audience sees. This new version adds coverage of polls, breakout rooms, end-to-end encryption, automatic transcription/captioning, and more. Buy this for $10.49 with your 30% MUG discount or Learn more.

That’s it for our 2020 releases, but we’ll be back in January with quite a few more updated titles!

Updated Take Control books on Big Sur, iCloud, and Home Security Cameras

Now that macOS 11 Big Sur is officially shipping, I wanted to let you know about three recently updated Take Control books.

Take Control of Big Sur, written by yours truly, is a complete introduction to the many new changes in macOS 11. Instead of publishing separate titles on upgrading to Big Sur and using Big Sur, this year we’ve combined them into a single book. It contains an updated but condensed version of my upgrading instructions along with complete details on all the new apps, features, and visual changes in Big Sur. The book also tells you what you need to know to prepare for transitioning to the new Macs with Apple silicon. And the new version 1.1 update covers a number of changes since the book’s initial publication in the summer, when Big Sur was still in beta testing. Buy this for $10.49 with your 30% MUG discount or Learn more.

Take Control of iCloud, Seventh Edition (now at version 7.1) is a complete guide to iCloud on all platforms, including iCloud for Windows and the iCloud website. It begins with an overview of how iCloud (and support for it in various operating systems) has changed since the previous edition, then walks through each feature in detail. This edition also now covers sharing files and folders from iCloud Drive, answers a number of frequently asked questions about how iCloud Drive works, addresses various changes in terminology, explains the Find My app, and includes updated instructions for how to use a variety of iCloud features across your devices—as well as troubleshooting tips. If you’ve ever found yourself puzzled or frustrated by iCloud, I think you’ll find plenty of helpful information in this book. Buy this for $10.49 with your 30% MUG discount or Learn more.

Finally, we have an update to Take Control of Home Security Camerasby Glenn Fleishman. Whether you want a way to see who’s ringing your doorbell from across the house, deter package theft and other crimes, or set up a heavy-duty full-house monitoring system, this book spells out your options. It explains what features to consider in a camera system (including field of view, weather resistance, pan/tilt/zoom, local and/or cloud storage, and more), how to place cameras and access them remotely, the privacy and legal issues you should consider, and how various manufacturers and their respective ecosystems may benefit you (or not). Version 1.1 adds details about facial recognition systems, Apple HomeKit Secure Video, and even more camera models, plus a one-page summary of the best models in certain categories. Buy this for $10.49 with your 30% MUG discount or Learn more.

In the coming weeks, we look forward to releasing still more updated books, including Take Control of Apple Mail and Take Control of the Mac Command Line with Terminal.

Next week there will be yet another Apple event, where we’re guessing we’ll hear about new iPhones, the release of macOS 11 Big Sur, and perhaps even new Macs featuring Apple silicon. Meanwhile, we’ll continue to work our way through our long (but shrinking) list of books to update.

Take Control of macOS 11 Big Sur

You may have heard that Apple finally released macOS 11 Big Sur today! As such, I’ve updated my book Take Control of Big Sur to version 1.1, reflecting the changes that occurred between the beta versions in the summer and today’s public release (which was, in fact, version 11.0.1). We’d like to offer you the chance to save 50% when you purchase this freshly updated book. (NOTE: We’re also releasing an updated version of Take Control of iCloud today, which you may hear about in a separate message.)

Take Control of Big Sur is a complete introduction to the many new changes in macOS 11. Instead of publishing separate titles on upgrading to Big Sur and using Big Sur, this year we’ve combined them into a single book. It contains an updated but condensed version of my upgrading instructions along with complete details on all the new apps, features, and visual changes in Big Sur. It also tells you what you need to know to prepare for the new Macs (announced this week) with Apple-designed M1 processors. Because you purchased one (or more) of our previous books on upgrading and exploring macOS, we are offering you a special price: 50% off. You can:

In the coming weeks, we look forward to releasing still more updated books, including Take Control of Apple Mail and Take Control of the Mac Command Line with Terminal.

Make your home smarter with Apple's HomeKit and an updated book

Although we unexpectedly had a couple of weeks without new book releases, we’re getting back on track now with version 1.3 of Josh Centers’s book Take Control of Apple Home Automation. This book is your complete guide to getting started with home automation using “smart” devices based on Apple’s HomeKit technology. And now it’s completely up to date with iOS 14, iPadOS 14, macOS 11 Big Sur, and tvOS 14.

There’s never been a better time to get started with home automation, with new capabilities in Apple’s Home app, along with new devices (from Apple and other manufacturers) that provide a wider range of choices and lower prices. This book covers everything you need to know, from how to select smart devices in various categories (switches, dimmers, plugs, thermostats, cameras, HVAC equipment, sprinklers, garage door openers, sensors, and so on) to the basics of installation and wiring. You’ll also learn how to configure the Home app to control all this equipment from your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac; how to use Siri to interact with your smart home; and much more. Buy this for $10.49 with your 30% MUG discountor Learn more.

I hope you enjoy this updated book. We’re expecting a couple of other small-ish book updates in the next week or so, and then bigger releases ahead in November. We’ll be in touch again soon.

Updated books on Photos, macOS media apps, Apple TV, and Slack

As promised, we have yet another batch of updated books for you this week—four, in fact! I’m happy to announce new versions of Jason Snell’s Take Control of Photos, Second Edition, Kirk McElhearn’s Take Control of macOS Media Apps, Josh Centers’s Take Control of Apple TV, and Glenn Fleishman’s Take Control of Slack.

Take Control of Photos, Second Edition teaches you how to import, organize, edit, sync, and share your photos and videos in Apple’s Photos app on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad. You’ll learn how to work with multiple Photos libraries, edit (or disable) Live Photos, work with metadata, use search features, enhance your photos and videos, apply filters, view your photos on an Apple TV, and much more. In this new version, Jason covers cross-platform changes such as and improved Memories feature, the new sidebar on iPads, and support for captions on iOS/iPadOS; plus changes in Big Sur, including new video tools and an updated Retouch tool. Buy this for $10.49 with your 30% MUG discount or Learn more.

When Apple replaced iTunes with four different apps (for different kinds of media) last year, Kirk thoroughly revamped his older book Take Control of iTunes 12: The FAQ to cover all the new ways of doing things, and in the process, it got a new title. This book, Take Control of macOS Media Apps, still tells you all about the Music app (including working with Apple Music and iTunes Match), but also walks you through the major features in the TV and Podcasts apps, and helps you organize and listen to audiobooks in the Books app. This update covers the (mostly small) changes in Big Sur, but most of the text applies equally to the Catalina versions of the apps. Buy this for $10.49 with your 30% MUG discount or Learn more.

Take Control of Apple TV, Third Edition is your complete guide to getting the most from your Apple TV and tvOS. Although Apple hasn’t updated its Apple TV hardware recently, the user interface and some important apps are different, and Apple now offers both Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade (with the Apple One bundles coming soon). In addition, now that a number of TV manufacturers are including the Apple TV app with their own hardware, it’s now possible to get (part of) the Apple TV experience without one of Apple’s boxes. Josh covers all these changes, plus using Control Center on iOS/iPadOS to control an Apple TV, using Siri with AirPlay, and more. Buy this for $10.49 with your 30% MUG discount or Learn more.

Finally, we have a very, very small update to Glenn Fleishman’s Take Control of Slack to cover recent changes to the Slack app. The book is a complete guide to the Slack messaging app across all platforms, a valuable guide to anyone who uses Slack for business or pleasure. Buy this for $10.49 with your 30% MUG discount or Learn more.

Next week there will be yet another Apple event, where we’re guessing we’ll hear about new iPhones, the release of macOS 11 Big Sur, and perhaps even new Macs featuring Apple silicon. Meanwhile, we’ll continue to work our way through our long (but shrinking) list of books to update.

Get more from your Apple TV with an updated Take Control book

Take Control has just released an updated version of Take Control of Apple TVby Josh Centers. Version 3.1 brings the book up to date with tvOS 14 (as well as the latest macOS, iOS, and iPadOS updates). Since you own an earlier edition of this book, we want to offer you the chance to purchase the new one for just $5.00—two-thirds off the cover price of $14.99.

This book is your complete guide to getting the most from your Apple TV and tvOS. Although Apple hasn’t updated its Apple TV hardware recently, the user interface and some important apps are different, and Apple now offers both Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade (with the Apple One bundles coming soon). In addition, now that a number of TV manufacturers are including the Apple TV app with their own hardware, it’s now possible to get (part of) the Apple TV experience without one of Apple’s boxes. Josh covers all these changes, plus using Control Center on iOS/iPadOS to control an Apple TV, using Siri with AirPlay, and more. You can:

Important note: This is one of several books they’re updating this week, and you may receive another message mentioning this book (along with others) later today or tomorrow. To take advantage of the discounted upgrade price, be sure to use the links in this message.

Learn about Apple Watch, Shortcuts, and more with updated Take Control books

Our authors have been burning the midnight oil, and we have three more updated books for you this week, all of which cover the latest operating systems and hardware. First is a new version of Rosemary Orchard’s Take Control of Shortcuts, then two updates from Jeff Carlson: Take Control of Apple Watch and Take Control of Your Digital Storage.

Take Control of Shortcuts, by automation expert Rosemary Orchard, is your complete guide to Apple’s Shortcuts app for iOS and iPadOS. This deceptively simple tool lets you automate a wide range of activities on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, somewhat like Automator does on macOS. Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned automation pro, you’ll find lots of helpful guidance in creating shortcuts to save you time and effort. Rosemary includes numerous ready-to-use examples, with step-by-step instructions. The book now covers iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, and even shows you how to run shortcuts on your Apple Watch with watchOS 7. Buy this for $8.39 with your 30% MUG discount or Learn more.

Next we have a major new version of Take Control of Apple Watch by Jeff Carlson. This book, which has now grown to 196 pages, provides detailed coverage of how to do nearly anything with an Apple Watch (including figure out which of the bazillion variations is right for you). This week’s update covers the new models Apple just released (Series 6 and SE) plus the many, many changes and additions in watchOS 7. Learn about new fitness and health features, Family Setup, sharing watch faces, and much more. If you want to get as much utility (and joy) as possible from your Apple Watch, you’ll appreciate Jeff’s thorough, accessible coverage. Buy this for $10.49 with your 30% MUG discount or Learn more.

Finally, we have an update to Jeff’s Take Control of Your Digital Storage, which now adds coverage of macOS 11 Big Sur. This book is the Mac user’s guide to mass storage. It explains how to choose, connect, format, configure, and get the most out of storage devices—hard drives, SSDs, hybrid (or Fusion) drives, NAS devices, RAIDs, and more. You’ll learn about partitioning and repair using Disk Utility, the wonders of the APFS file system, how Time Machine snapshots work, when cloud storage does or doesn’t make sense, how to manage your data (including freeing up space when necessary) and how to keep your data safely encrypted (among other topics). Buy this for $10.49 with your 30% MUG discount or Learn more.

Needless to say, we have still more updates in the works! Expect to hear from us again next week, when we’ll have yet another batch of updated books to tell you about.

Five New/Updated Take Control Books

We have five (count ’em!) new and updated books to announce this week—two by Josh Centers and three by Glenn Fleishman. Let’s get right to them! (All links have the user group coupon code embedded in them, so you can save 30% on any or all of them.)

FIRST: Take Control of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, version 1.1, has been expanded to cover changes to iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 between the beta versions and last week’s public release, and also describes some new features that couldn’t be tested while the operating systems were still in beta. Regular price: $14.99. MUG price: $10.49.

SECOND: Take Control of Notes, version 1.4, adds information about what’s new in Apple’s Notes app for iOS 14, iPadOS 14, and macOS 11 Big Sur. Regular price: $5.99. MUG price: $4.19.

THIRD: Moving on to networking topics, we have the second edition of Take Control of Your Apple ID. This new edition covers changes in iOS 14, iPadOS 14, and macOS 11 Big Sur. In addition, it includes several new topics that have been frequent sources of confusion and reader inquiries. The book now explains the ins and outs of Family Sharing, all the different payment methods you can associate with an Apple ID, the various types of subscriptions you can have and how to manage them, and the return of the recovery key—an additional way to get access to your account if other methods fail. And the book has been generally refreshed with clarified text, updated graphics, and assorted corrections. Regular price: $9.99. MUG price: $6.99.

FOURTH: Next up is a small update to Take Control of Wi-Fi Networking and Security, bringing it up to date with the latest operating systems, Wi-Fi standards, and devices. Whether you’re designing a new home or office Wi-Fi network from scratch, expanding or trying to solve problems with an existing network, or working to keep your wireless devices and communication secure, this book has all the details you need. The book now adds considerably more detail about the WPA3 security standard (which is in wider use now), using the Private Address feature in iOS 14/iPadOS 14, and the new 6 GHz Wi-Fi band, as well as including an assortment of small fixes and clarifications. Regular price: $12.99. MUG price: $9.09.

FIFTH: Last but not least is the return of one of Glenn’s most popular books to the Take Control world. What we now call Take Control of iOS & iPadOS Privacy and Security has gone through numerous title changes over the years, most recently as Connect and Secure Your iPhone and iPad. Now it’s back as a full-fledged Take Control title, expanded and updated to cover Apple’s latest mobile operating systems. Like its predecessors, it covers three broad areas: networking (via Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth); privacy (how to keep your data safe from prying eyes, including a discussion of the Apple/Google COVID-19 contact tracing system); and security (including using good passwords, working with two-factor authentication and VPNs, and finding lost devices). Regular price: $14.99. MUG price: $10.49.

Share and enjoy! More updates coming Real Soon Now.

Create Your Own Podcast with Take Control Books

This week Apple released new versions of iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS (among other things), so upgrade season is officially upon us. As you might expect, we have a ton of new and updated books in the pipeline. And so I would like to apologize in advance: over the next couple of months, we’re going to be sending a lot more email messages than we usually do.

Today, however, we announce just one new book: Take Control of Podcasting by Andy Affleck. Andy wrote an earlier book a number of years back called Take Control of Podcasting on the Mac, but this new title adds full coverage of iOS and iPadOS. If you’ve ever wanted to create your own podcast—or improve your existing skills or setup—this book is the soup-to-nuts blueprint you need. It covers everything from planning a podcast to selecting hardware and software; recording, mixing, and editing; publishing and promoting a podcast; and setting up your own podcasting blog. You can:

Next week we plan to release updates to Take Control of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, Take Control of Notes, and at least two of Glenn Fleishman’s books on networking and security. More titles will follow quickly thereafter.

Prepare for Big Sur, iOS 14, and iPadOS 14 

Take Control Books is pleased to announce two new titles that give you early access to essential information about macOS 11 Big Sur, iOS 14, and iPadOS 14 during the public beta period ahead of their official release. And we’d like to offer you the chance to save over 34% when you purchase both of them together.

Take Control of Big Sur, written by yours truly, is a complete introduction to the many new changes in macOS 11. Instead of publishing separate titles on upgrading to Big Sur and using Big Sur, this year we’ve combined them into a single book. It contains an updated but condensed version of my upgrading instructions along with complete details on all the new apps, features, and visual changes in Big Sur. The book includes information on how to prepare for the forthcoming transition to Macs with Apple silicon.

Take Control of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, by Josh Centers, introduces you to all the new and improved features in Apple’s mobile operating systems, as well as giving you a refresher course in iOS/iPadOS basics. Learn about App Library, adding widgets to your Home screen, using new tools in Messages and Maps, new features in the Camera and Photos apps, tracking your sleep, translating conversations in real time, organizing notes and voice memos, managing your privacy, using new accessibility features, and much more.

As usual, we plan to release free updates to version 1.1 of these books as soon as the final operating systems ship. The updates will cover anything that changes between now and then.

We have many additional updates planned for the next few months. Among other titles, we’ll be updating Take Control of Backing Up Your Mac, Take Control of Apple Watch, Take Control of Shortcuts, and Take Control of Your Online Privacy to support the new operating systems. In all, we currently have more than two dozen updates in various stages of development or planning. We’ll be in touch again soon!

Solving Mac Storage Problems

If you’re a Mac user and you have questions about storage—hard drives, SSDs, cloud storage, SD cards, RAIDs, NAS devices, or whatever—the brand-new, second edition of Jeff Carlson’s Take Control of Your Digital Storage is here to help you.

Among many other topics, this book walks you through deciding when, whether and how to expand your Mac’s storage—internal or external. It provides detailed instructions for the most common activities you might need to do using Disk Utility. It helps you decide whether a NAS (network-attached storage) is a good choice for your needs, and how to use one. And it delves into common issues such as partitioning disks, working with APFS containers and volumes, using iCloud Drive’s Optimized Mac Storage feature, freeing up space on your disk, encrypting a disk with FileVault or the Finder, and much more. The expanded new edition adds details about APFS snapshots (also known as Time Machine local snapshots), using SD cards for backups, NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) drives, how to identify a failing hard drive, and why you might consider a NAS. You can:

Thanks for your kind attention, and please stay safe & healthy!

Updated book on Apple Mail

Last fall when Apple released Catalina and iOS 13/iPadOS 13, the Mail app underwent some unwelcome changes. Recent updates have fixed a few of the most irksome bugs and flaws, while other problems remain. Since my very first book about Apple Mail in 2004, I’ve been doing what I can to help users work through Mail’s idiosyncrasies, and today I’m happy to announce the fifth edition of Take Control of Apple Mail, which now covers Mail in Catalina and iOS 13/iPadOS 13 (while continuing to cover Mojave and iOS 12).

This 239-page book is a complete guide to Mail, including account setup, customizing Mail, working with incoming and outgoing messages, searching effectively, using plugins to extend Mail’s features, and of course troubleshooting. Although I can’t fix all problems (hello, column layout), I can help you find hidden features, streamline your workflow, and become a better correspondent. The new edition goes into greater detail about iCloud syncing; warns you about a bug that can lead to data loss; describes new features such as Continuity Sketch, muting conversations, and blocking senders; shows you how you can still get a free personal certificate for signing and encrypting email; and greatly expands coverage of features on iOS and iPadOS. You can:

Thanks for your kind attention, and please stay safe & healthy!

Protecting Your Web Applications

Websites, applications, and online services are critical business assets, but they are also among the most vulnerable to attack. Successful cybersecurity attacks can cost your company customers, revenue, and reputation.

Download this practical ebook to get an overview of today’s major threat patterns and the strategies and techniques you need to prevent and protect against a host of attacks.

And did we mention it’s free, our gift to you?

DOWNLOAD THE EBOOK

Take Control of Zoom

As remote work and education have become the new norm, at least for the time being, millions of people have turned to the Zoom videoconferencing service for daily meetings, classes, and presentations—not to mention user group meetings! But Zoom’s runaway popularity has been accompanied by concerns about privacy and security—and confusion about the service’s features and user interface. Glenn Fleishman, author of our hit title Take Control of Working from Home Temporarily, is back with a new book that helps you master all the intricacies of Zoom.

In the 144-page Take Control of Zoom, Glenn walks you through all the important capabilities of Zoom, from top to bottom. An important early chapter titled “Can You Trust Zoom?” goes into detail about the past, present, and likely future of Zoom’s security and privacy issues, and what you can do to keep yourself safe. Glenn goes on to explain how to set up and use Zoom on any platform; what you should know about cameras, microphones, and lighting; how to make smart configuration choices; the differences between free and various paid plans; how to take part in meetings as a participant or a host; how to use features such as screen sharing, chat, and call recording; and what to do if participants become unruly. An appendix covers a variety of alternatives to Zoom and explores cases in which one of them may be a better choice.

I also wanted to quickly mention three new free updates:

Thanks for your kind attention, and please stay safe & healthy!

Two New Take Control Titles!

First is Michael E. Cohen’s new book Apple Interface Mysteries. It explains exactly why and how Apple’s products—which are legendary for their easy-to-use interfaces!—have become so complicated and sometimes puzzling. Anyone who has pondered why seemingly simple tasks are mysteriously confusing on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad will enjoy reading this fascinating story. And you’re sure to learn lots of practical skills in the process! This book delves deep into the historical and technological factors that influenced the user interface design of macOS, iOS, and iPadOS (and, in some cases, the associated hardware as well). If you’ve ever wondered how to find a hidden menu command or control, what gesture you might use to perform a common task, or why things just aren’t as easy as they should be, you’ll find the answers in this book. You’ll learn lots of cool tips and techniques—plus principles you can follow to unravel new mysteries as you encounter them.

Next we have a new book about the Apple Watch: Take Control of Apple Watch by Jeff Carlson. This book replaces Jeff’s earlier book Apple Watch: A Take Control Crash Course, which has long been out of date. The new book covers Series 3, 4, and 5 watch models and watchOS through version 6.2, and is more than twice the length of the previous book. Jeff updates all his instructions and advice for choosing, configuring, using, and troubleshooting an Apple Watch. He also adds a great deal of new information, such as a whole new chapter on important first steps when you obtain a new Apple Watch; details on newer health, fitness, and safety features (including the ECG feature on Series 4 and later, fall detection, cycle tracking, the Noise app, and more); the new on-watch App Store; additional capabilities in Siri and core apps; and the Walkie-Talkie and Compass features. You’ll also learn more about privacy and security, including how your Apple Watch can authenticate actions in macOS Catalina.

Take Control Announces Three Titles

It’s my pleasure to announce three Take Control titles—a brand-new book and two major new editions. Each of these books has a cover price of $14.99, but you can buy any of them for $10.49 with your 30% MUG discount.

First up: a new edition of Take Control of Apple TV by Josh Centers. If you already have an Apple TV HD or Apple TV 4K, this book will help you get more out of it—mastering the Siri remote, adding apps, showing photos, playing music, watching movies and TV shows (with or without Apple TV+), playing games (with or without Apple Arcade), and so on. If you’re considering getting an Apple TV, the book will help you decide whether that’s the best choice, and if so, which model to buy. It also covers the Apple TV app on macOS Catalina, iOS/iPadOS, and third-party smart TVs. This new, fully revised third edition adds information on useful topics such as controlling your Apple TV with Control Center on an iPhone or iPad, using Siri with AirPlay, and much more.

Next, a brand-new book: Take Control of Home Security Cameras by Glenn Fleishman. Whether you want a way to see who’s ringing your doorbell from across the house, deter package theft and other crimes, or set up a heavy-duty full-house monitoring system, this book spells out your options. It explains what features to consider in a camera system (including field of view, weather resistance, pan/tilt/zoom, local and/or cloud storage, and much more), how to place cameras and access them remotely (if desired), the privacy and legal issues you should consider, and how various manufacturers and their respective ecosystems may benefit you (or not).

Finally, we have the new third edition of my book Take Control of the Mac Command Line with Terminal. I begin with the basics, such as the meanings of terms like “Terminal,” “command line,” and “shell.” Then I walk you through a gentle, safe exploration of the command line, teaching you useful commands as we go (and pointing out common pitfalls). As the book progresses, I move into more advanced areas, such as customizing your command-line environment, creating and using scripts, and installing third-party Unix programs. There’s a chapter of tips and tricks, as well as a huge chapter at the end with 63 ready-to-use command-line “recipes” for a wide variety of common (and some uncommon) tasks. The book is now completely up to date with Catalina, including the new default zsh shell.

I hope you find these new books interesting and useful!

Take Control of Your Apple TV

We’ve just released the third edition of Take Control of Apple TVby Josh Centers. Among other things, the freshly updated book covers the latest version of tvOS as well as Apple’s TV app on macOS Catalina, iOS/iPadOS, and third-party smart TVs. Since you own an earlier edition of the book, we want to offer you the chance to upgrade for just $5.

It has been almost exactly two years since the last update of Take Control of Apple TV, and in that time, Apple has made plenty of changes. Although the Apple TV hardware is still unchanged, the user interface and some important apps are different, and Apple has released both Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade. In addition, now that a number of TV manufacturers are including the Apple TV app with their own hardware, it’s now possible to get (part of) the Apple TV experience without one of Apple’s boxes. Josh covers all these changes, plus using Control Center on iOS/iPadOS to control an Apple TV, using Siri with AirPlay, and more. The book is now more compact and focused, too.

If you’ve been wanting to get more value from your Apple TV experience, this inexpensive upgrade will help you do so! I hope you enjoy it.

Master Shortcuts for iPhone and iPad with a new Take Control book

It’s always exciting to release new books—and even more so when the title is one our customers have been requesting for a long time! Just in time for the holidays, I’m pleased to announce our latest book, Take Control of Shortcuts, by automation expert Rosemary Orchard. We’ve had many requests for a book on this topic, and we were fortunate enough to find an experienced author with just the right skills to write it for us.

Shortcuts is Apple’s built-in automation app for iPhones and iPads, recently enhanced with new features in iOS 13/iPadOS 13. It’s much like Automator on the Mac, in that you can build powerful and complex automations using drag-and-drop (and filling in some blanks). You can then run these shortcuts with a tap, a Siri command, or even automatically when certain conditions change. The only problem is that Shortcuts is not really self-explanatory, and it’s challenging to get the hang of it without guidance. That’s what this new book provides.

In Take Control of Shortcuts, Rosemary walks you through the Shortcuts interface, shows you the myriad ways you can run a shortcut, and helps you find and install prebuilt shortcuts from the Gallery. But that’s just the start! She then explains, in detail, the process of building your own shortcuts—whether simple, single-step shortcuts or elaborate procedures with lots of variables and logic. She even includes step-by-step recipes for 15 useful shortcuts that you can build by hand or download and install. The book also covers syncing and sharing shortcuts, communicating with web services, and using various third-party apps in conjunction with Shortcuts.

If you’ve ever wished you could customize your iPhone or iPad with tailor-made tools to make your life and work simpler, Shortcuts may be the answer—and this book will tell you everything you need to know about it. Please join me in welcoming Rosemary to Take Control, and enjoy reading about Shortcuts!

Learn about browsers and Mac automation with updated Take Control books


Today the folks at Take Control are pleased two announce two updated Take Control titles—and they’re both on sale for 50% off! Ordinarily they’d mention how you can save 30% with your MUG discount, but these sale prices are even better, and I hope you and your group will take advantage of them.

First up is Robyn Weisman’s Take Control of Your Browser, now at version 1.1. If you’ve ever felt like you should be getting more out of your browser, I recommend this book to you. It covers all the major browsers on both Mac and Windows, with somewhat less information on iOS/iPadOS and Android. Learn browsing tricks and tips of the pros, how to stay safe and avoid unwanted ads and tracking, the best ways to customize your browsers, why you might use different browsers for different purposes, and much more. The book—freshly updated to cover Safari 13 and more—is normally $14.99, but it’s on sale through December 2 for just $7.50.

Next is my book Take Control of Automating Your Mac. You don’t have to be a computer geek to find time-saving shortcuts to lots of everyday activities you do with your Mac. This book is a compendium of some of the best tools and techniques I’ve found for making a Mac do more work with less effort. Many of them use only stuff built into macOS, though I also discuss third-party apps that can do even fancier things. (And, the book includes coupons worth over $100 on 10 of my favorite automation tools.) This newly updated 249-page Third Edition covers automation-related changes in both Catalina and Mojave and adds even more tips. The cover price is $14.99, but it’s on sale for $7.50.

About these sale prices…we’re going to have a Black Friday/Cyber Monday promotion this year, and these two books will be part of it. But I didn’t feel good about announcing them today at full price only to offer them less than a week later at half off. So we’re starting the sale early with just these two titles. More books will go on sale Friday, however! All of our books that have been published or updated since the beginning of September (that is, those that are up to date with the latest operating systems) will be half price from Friday, November 29 through Monday, December 2. Mark your calendars!

Learn about life after iTunes with a new book by Kirk McElhearn

Continuing our series of books covering Apple’s newest offerings, I’m pleased today to present a book that should really be called “Take Control of All the Apps That Replace iTunes in Catalina” (but we couldn’t fit all that on the cover). Kirk McElhearn has completely reworked his earlier book on iTunes 12 to cover the Catalina apps that provide comparable features: Music (for music and music videos), TV (for movies and TV shows), Podcasts, and Books (for audiobooks). The result is Take Control of macOS Media Apps.

This 227-page book takes you deep into these new apps, with particular emphasis on the Music app (including how to use it with Apple Music, your Cloud Music Library, and iTunes Match). You’ll learn how to sort, tag, search, buy, import, export, and share music, and how to sync it with your other Apple devices. You’ll also get to know the new TV and Podcasts apps for Catalina, manage audiobooks in the Books app, and use the Finder to sync your iPhone, iPad, or iPod in much the same way iTunes previously did. If you’re struggling with the transition from iTunes to these new apps, or simply curious about how to get more out of your media collection, this book is your comprehensive guide.

NOTE: The links above contain a coupon code, which will appear on the Cart page above the total.

iTunes may be gone but its spirit lives on. I hope you’ll take advantage of this special price to stay up to date on using Apple’s new generation of media apps on your Mac.

Learn about macOS Catalina and iOS 13/iPadOS 13

September is approaching, and that means the next releases of Apple’s macOS, iOS, and iPadOS are right around the corner. We’re pleased to offer you three new titles that provide early access to what you need to know about macOS 10.15 Catalina and iOS 13/iPadOS 13, and to give you the chance to save over $17 (if you buy all three books together).

Plus, once Catlina and iOS 13/iPadOS 13 officially ship, we’ll release free updates to all three books, to cover what changes between now and then (and, in the case of Take Control of Catalina, add several new chapters).

Take Control of Upgrading to Catalina is my thirteenth consecutive guide to upgrading to the latest version of macOS. Learn what you need to know to make the process go smoothly and efficiently, and what has changed from previous versions—including how to deal with new gotchas in Catalina that could complicate your upgrade process. Includes troubleshooting advice in case things go wrong!

Get more info or buy Take Control of Upgrading to Catalina for $9.09 with the 30% MUG discount

Once you’ve successfully installed Catalina, learn all about it with Take Control of Catalina by Scholle McFarland. Like her previous book on Mojave, this book covers the new features and options in macOS 10.15, and also provides a good overview of the entire operating system. Find out about all the changes to your Mac’s apps and system-wide tools, and learn useful tricks that may be not be obvious at first glance.

Get more info or buy Take Control of Catalina for $10.49 with the 30% MUG discount

Take Control of iOS 13 and iPadOS 13, by Josh Centers, also builds on his earlier book about iOS 12, detailing everything that has changed in iOS 13 and the new iPadOS 13. Learn about the new activity views (which replace Share sheets); major changes to Siri and Shortcuts; improvements to accessibility (including voice control); updated Files, Mail, Maps, Messages, Notes, and Reminders apps; new iPad multitasking features; and more.

Get more info or buy Take Control of iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 for $10.49 with the 30% MUG discount

Or, add all three books to your cart and then apply coupon code 679DJ76E to save 40% on the full bundle!

In case you’re wondering, we have lots of other books that will be also updated for compatibility with the new operating systems—to learn more about those, please see this blog post. And a final note…we continue to fix bugs and add features to our new website (see the status update). If you encounter any problems, please let me know. I appreciate your patience as we work our way through a long to-do list.

Learn about iOS 13.1/iPadOS 13.1 and the latest versions of Notes

As promised, Take Control has two updated books that cover iOS 13.1 (with many more still in the works). These two titles were both written by TidBITS Managing Editor Josh Centers.

Take Control of iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 is a 206-page book about how to do just about everything on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad running the latest version of iOS/iPadOS. Now at version 1.1, the freshly updated book covers changes between iOS 13.0 and 13.1, such as personal automations in the Shortcuts app, sharing your ETA from Maps, the new Camera app interface for iPhone 11 models, and the (temporary) removal of the iCloud Drive folder sharing feature. Anyone with a compatible device will learn a great deal about how to get more out of it with Josh’s detailed guide.

Meanwhile, Take Control of Notes is a compact book that delves deep into Apple’s surprisingly powerful Notes app. What started out as a simple note-taking tool has evolved into a fairly extensive app, and Josh’s book explains it in detail. Version 1.2 of the book covers the changes to Notes not only in iOS 13 and iPadOS 13, but also in macOS 10.15 Catalina—including the new gallery view, nested folders, improved search, better checklists, and better sharing support (including view-only mode for collaborators and the option to share an entire folder).

Also, in case you missed them, here’s a quick reminder about our other recent releases:

  • Glenn Fleishman’s brand-new book Connect and Secure your iPhone and iPad tells you everything you need to know about networking, online security, and privacy with your iPhone or iPad. Now at version 1.0.2, it’s up to date with iOS 13.1 and iPadOS 13.1.

  • Glenn’s book Take Control of Your Apple ID was recently updated to version 1.2 to reflect the Apple ID-related changes in Catalina, iOS 13, and iPadOS 13.

  • Take Control of Upgrading to Catalina is your complete guide to moving your Mac from an older version of macOS to Catalina—safely and easily. A free update to version 1.1 will be available shortly after Catalina ships.

  • Take Control of Catalina tells you everything you need to know about how to use all the major features in Catalina, with special emphasis on what’s new. Once again, a free update will ship right after Catalina does.

Besides the updates to the Catalina books mentioned above, we have a long list of other new and updated books scheduled for release in the coming months, so expect to hear from us a bit more frequently than usual for a while.

Take Control Books for iOS 13 and macOS Catalina

Apple has released iOS 13, and also announced that version 13.1 will ship next Tuesday (while macOS 10.15 Catalina is still slated for October). We’ve been hard at work updating our books to cover the new operating systems, and today our friends at Take Control books are happy to announce two such titles, both written by Glenn Fleishman.

Last but not least, I wanted to remind you about their three most recent books on Apple’s new operating systems:

●Take Control of iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 helps you get the most out of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, covering all major features of the new operating system. We’ll release version 1.1 of this book next Tuesday as a free update. (Also coming on Tuesday: a free update to Take Control of Notes by Josh Centers.)●Take Control of Upgrading to Catalina is your complete guide to moving your Mac from an older version of macOS to Catalina—safely and easily. A free update to version 1.1 will be available shortly after Catalina ships next month.●Take Control of Catalina tells you everything you need to know about how to use all the major features in Catalina, with special emphasis on what’s new. Once again, a free update will ship right after Catalina does.

Or, buy a bundle of all three new books, and save 40%!

Buy all 3 books (a $42.97 value) for only $25.80

They have dozens of other new and updated books in the works too, about which you’ll be hearing about over the coming weeks and months—along with still more improvements to their website!

Wrangle your calendar and reminders with an updated book by Scholle McFarland

I never cease to be amazed at the amount of power and flexibility hidden beneath the surface of Apple’s built-in apps. We’ve explored many of these (for example, Preview, Apple Mail, Notes, and iTunes) in Take Control books, and it’s always a delight to see readers discover new capabilities they never knew they had.

The Calendar and Reminders apps (found in both macOS and iOS, as well as in a more limited form in watchOS) are no different. They may look simple, but with a bit of digging, you can find a wealth of powerful, time-saving features. Scholle McFarland has done just that, and she shares her findings in a freshly updated and greatly expanded second edition of her book Take Control of Calendar and Reminders. The book now covers Mojave, iOS 12, and watchOS 5.

Scholle walks you through not just the basics of managing events and to-do items, but also how to deal with alarms and notifications, meeting invitations, shared calendars and lists, and location-sensitive to-do items. You’ll learn how to use Siri (and Siri Shortcuts) to interact with your calendars and reminders on macOS, iOS, watchOS, and even on your HomePod. You’ll also find solutions to common problems—and a huge number of clever, useful tips! You can:

I hope you’ll find this guide as helpful as I have!

Take control of Your Privacy and Take Control of Your Passwords

Today I’m delighted to announce two updated books, both written by Joe Kissell,
Publisher of Take Control Books.

First up is a huge new edition of Take Control of Your Online Privacy. It’s much harder than most people realize to keep their personal data from falling into the wrong hands online. We all use the web, email, and a host of other online services to get our work done, shop, communicate, and entertain ourselves. But around every virtual corner lies another disreputable developer or outright scammer who’s trying to steal your passwords, your money, and even your identity. Understanding exactly who’s trying to get your data, why, and how, is half the battle. The other half is learning the practical steps you can take to protect yourself.

Take Control of Your Online Privacy, Fourth Edition helps you understand what you should and should not be worried about, how common sense and technology work together, and how to achieve a reasonable level of privacy without becoming paranoid or sacrificing convenience. It applies to macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and a variety of other platforms.

We’ve also just released an updated version of Take Control of Your Passwords. This book delves into the widespread problem of password overload. Most of us deal with the endless need for passwords in rather unsafe ways, because we think the safe ways (like making unique, random passwords for every single site that wants one) are too difficult. Sure, password managers can help with this, and I recommend using one, but that’s just part of the solution. If you want to know the whole story, top to bottom, so you can craft a password strategy that works for your needs, this book will tell you everything you need to know. Like my online privacy book, it covers all major operating systems and platforms.

If you’re interested in both books, you can save 33% when you buy them as a bundle for $20 in a single purchase with this special link:

It takes a bit of effort to stay safe online these days, but these two books will make the process much more manageable. I hope you find them helpful!

Take Control of Preview

Most Mac users know Preview as a simple app (included free with macOS) that’s used to display PDFs and graphics. Sure enough, it does do those things. But did you know that it’s also a powerful image editor, that it can annotate and manipulate PDFs in numerous ways, and that it can capture images right from your camera or iOS device? In fact, Preview has dozens of amazing features, making it one of the most underappreciated built-in apps on the Mac.

You know where this is going…we have an updated book about it! Take Control of Preview by Josh Centers and Adam Engst is now at version 1.1, adding complete coverage of the Mojave version of Preview. (It still covers earlier versions, too.) Even if you’ve occasionally rearranged pages of a PDF or rotated images in Preview, you’ll be stunned at the depth of features this 178-page book covers. (I was!) You can:

As Josh and Adam detail in their book, the most surprising things in recent versions of Preview are bugs, missing or broken features, and unwelcome interface changes. All these things are frustrating, but you’ll have a better experience using Preview if you know what to expect—and how to avoid or work around certain issues. (You might also feel comforted that if something doesn’t seem to be working quite right, the problem is most likely Apple, not you!)

With the help of Take Control of Preview, you’ll master this powerful yet unassuming app to make the most of your images and documents. You may even realize you no longer need more-expensive tools for those kinds of tasks!

Take Control of Siri

In our customer survey last summer, when we asked which Apple software products people would most like to read about, Siri got the most votes. In keeping with our theme of giving you what you’ve asked for, I’m delighted to announce our latest book, Take Control of Siri by former Macworld editor Scholle McFarland! This book is the definitive guide to Apple’s voice-controlled digital assistant across all platforms—iOS, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and even HomePod. If you own any Apple device with Siri support, this book will tell you everything you need to know about being more productive, saving time and effort, and having fun with Siri. And you may be surprised at how powerful Siri has become since its early days!

This book is a terrific resource. I’ve been using Siri pretty much since day one—I even gave presentations on it at Macworld/iWorld back in 2012 and 2013—but I learned quite a bit I didn’t know from this book. (I also relearned some things I’d forgotten!) As a result, I’ve started using Siri in ways that have helped me reduce my overall stress level. So whether you’re an old hand at Siri like me, or someone who has never tried it, you’ll find loads of useful advice, tips, and tricks. Here’s just a tiny sampling of what’s in this 138-page book:

  • The numerous ways to activate Siri (by touch or by voice)

  • How to personalize Siri by telling it about yourself, your contacts, and more

  • How to use Siri with AirPods, wired earbuds, or third-party headphones—or in your car

  • How to ask Siri about sports, math and conversions, time, food, movies, people, stocks, the weather, jokes, and random facts (including follow-up questions)

  • How to control music (on any device, with or without an Apple Music subscription)

  • Techniques for using Siri to get directions, set reminders and appointments, send messages and email, and take notes

  • Ways to use Siri to search for files on your Mac

  • What Siri can and can't do for you on an Apple TV or HomePod

  • How to make and use Siri Shortcuts on an iOS device or Apple Watch

  • Everything you need to know about your privacy where Siri is involved

In addition, Scholle has made a series of videos to go with the book, showing you exactly what happens as you use Siri. (Two are ready right now, and eight more will be available in the coming days.) You’ll get to see and hear how to make the most of Siri (as well as its sense of humor). If you’d like to get to know Siri better, you can:

As always, you can download a free sample of the book from our website.

One more thing. This week we also shipped a minor update to Glenn Fleishman’s popular book Take Control of Your Apple ID, which now goes into more detail about two-factor authentication and addresses issues faced by Apple developers with more Apple IDs than devices to set up authentication codes on. If you have any questions or confusion about how your Apple ID works or how to solve problems with it, I hope you’ll check out this updated book.

Take Control of Slack

In the past few years, Slack has become much more than just a popular messaging platform—it’s now the hub of many people’s work lives. If you already use Slack, you know what a powerful tool it can be. If you’ve never used Slack, you might be surprised to discover how much it can benefit not only teams of coworkers but also families, clubs, nonprofit groups, and other organizations—even MUGs! And, most of Slack’s features are available for free! Whether you’re an existing Slack user looking to take your skills to the next level or a beginner who’s feeling overwhelmed and confused by Slack’s idiosyncrasies, Glenn Fleishman has all the answers you’re looking for in his brand-new book, Take Control of Slack.

Drawing on his years of experience, Glenn has taken the best bits of his two former Slack books (Take Control of Slack Basics and Take Control of Slack Admin) and created a new title with a more modern and helpful structure and completely up-to-date instructions for using Slack on all platforms (macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and the Slack web app). Among many other things, this book teaches you:

  • How to get started using Slack, including creating your first workspace

  • How to manage notifications you get on your desktop and mobile devices

  • How to make audio or video calls in Slack, and use screen sharing

  • How much privacy you can expect in Slack from coworkers, bosses, owners, and Slack itself

  • What you can do in Slack for free, and what features it makes sense to pay for

  • What Slackbot is, and how you can use it

  • How to find and install Slack apps

Every Slack user, from newbie to pro, can find lots of value in this book. If you’re intrigued, you can:

Even though I use Slack every day as part of running a publishing company, I learned a number of things in Glenn’s new book I’d never known before. It has made me a more confident and productive Slack user, and I hope it will do the same for you and your colleagues, family, or team!

Keep your Mac running great under Mojave with these updated books!

I’m happy to announce brand-new, Mojave-compatible updates to four of my most popular Take Control books: Take Control of Backing Up Your Mac, Take Control of Maintaining Your Mac, Take Control of Troubleshooting Your Mac, and Take Control of Speeding Up Your Mac. These books (individually or together) will help you keep your data safe, prolong your Mac’s useful life, and avoid or solve many common Mac problems. Because they’re an essential part of any Mac user’s library, we want to offer you a special 50%-off discount on the four-book bundle.

All four titles fully support OS X 10.9 Mavericks through macOS 10.14 Mojave and the latest Mac models, and are up to date with current third-party hardware, software, and cloud services. (Click the covers above or the links to visit the catalog pages for each book and get complete details.)

Take Control of Backing Up Your Mac teaches you how to protect all the data on your Mac from any sort of disaster—from simple mistakes to theft, fires, malware, and other potential threats. You’ll learn all about local backups, cloud backups, bootable duplicates, and much more. The book also calls out what’s new in the world of Mac backups and helps you reevaluate your existing backup plan, if you already have one.

Take Control of Maintaining Your Machelps you prevent problems by de-junking and optimizing your Mac, followed by simple daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly maintenance tasks. It also shows you what commonly suggested maintenance tasks aren’t worth your time.
Take Control of Troubleshooting Your Mac helps you solve problems by teaching you troubleshooting techniques, providing ready-to-use recipes to fix common Mac issues, and teaching you how to think like a technician even when solutions aren’t obvious.
Take Control of Speeding Up Your Mac shows you how to improve your Mac’s performance. It addresses a wide range of speed issues, including CPU, RAM, and disk usage; hardware upgrades; network configuration; and much more.
Each of these books has a $14.99 cover price, but if you click the above links you’ll get 30% off (so, $10.49 each) with your MUG discount. The discount is applied automatically when you click Check Out.
But I can offer an even better deal! If you buy all four at once, the bundle costs just $30—a 50% savings off the individual cover price! To take advantage of this offer, use this link to add all four books to your shopping cart at once and apply coupon code CPN30170213025:
Buy the four-book “Mac fitness” bundle for $30

We have a bunch of Take Control authors hard at work on new titles and updated versions of old titles, and we’re excited for you to see what’s coming over the next few months. In the meantime, I hope you’ll take advantage of this extra-low price to keep your Mac running safely and smoothly.

Take Control of Notes

A recurring theme in Apple’s built-in apps is that they look simple on the surface, but often hide significant power. We’ve seen this (and written about it) with Apple Mail, Preview, Calendar and Reminders, and more. Today, in response to a huge number of requests in our summer survey, we’re pleased to announce the latest in our series of books that help you get more from the capabilities that come with your Mac or iOS device. In Take Control of Notes, TidBITS Managing Editor Josh Centers takes you into all the nooks and crannies of the simple yet capable Notes app. If you’ve used Notes only casually and felt there must be more to it, this brief, inexpensive book will show you its true depth.In this 51-page book, you’ll learn things like:

● What your character- and paragraph-level formatting options are

● How to create lists and tables in a note

● Steps for sharing notes with other people, with everyone’s changes reflected immediately

● How to password-protect your notes (and what happens if you forget the password)

● What’s different about the Notes web app at iCloud.com

● Ways to make drawings and sketches in notes—using your finger, a trackpad, or an Apple Pencil—and how to use the app’s (limited) handwriting recognition

● How to use Notes on an iOS device as a simple document scanner

● The best ways to organize your notes and search their contents

● Why and how to embed photos, maps, audio, video, and other content in notes

● Ways to sync notes across devices using either iCloud or an IMAP account

If you’re interested in Take Control of Notes, you can:

● Buy the book now for $4.19 with the 30% MUG discount

● Get more information about what’s in the book

One more thing! We’ve lowered the price on Tonya Engst’s book Take Control of Mac Basics to just $9.99. Although the book hasn’t been updated to cover Mojave-specific features, Tonya is in the process of writing blog posts (like this one) as supplemental material for those using Mojave. Meanwhile, we wanted to make this essential book accessible to a wider range of readers, and we hope the new price encourages you to brush up on your foundational Mac skills (and beyond).

Take Control of Pages

Apple has been paying lots of attention to its Pages app for Mac and iOS recently. Just last month, the company released updated versions of the app on both platforms with support for 10.14 Mojave and iOS 12, plus new features such as publishing an ebook from Pages directly to the Apple Books Store; adding colors and images to backgrounds in page layout documents on all platforms; using Dark Mode and Continuity Camera in Mojave; recording, editing, and playing audio directly on a page on your Mac and in iOS; and many more. So Michael E. Cohen has, yet again, updated Take Control of Pages with complete coverage of all the latest changes to Apple’s premier word processing and page layout app.


The book has now grown to an impressive 341 pages, making it an exceptional value at $14.99. You can:

● Buy the book now for $10.49 with the 30% MUG discount

● Get more information about what’s in the book

Speaking of Apple apps beginning with “P,” I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you about Jason Snell's new book Take Control of Photos—a complete guide to using Apple’s Photos app on Mac and iOS, now expanded from its earlier incarnation as a Crash Course into a full-length Take Control book, with coverage of Mojave and iOS 12. Enjoy!

Updated version of "Take Control of iCloud"

As our season of updates continues, I wanted to let you know about the latest addition to the list: version 6.1 of my book Take Control of iCloud, Sixth Edition, which now covers Mojave and iOS 12, plus all the changes to iCloud that have taken place over the past year or so.

In this 203-page book, I cover every iCloud feature—including iCloud Drive, iCloud Photos, iCloud Family Sharing, iCloud Music Library, and the numerous types of data you can sync via iCloud (email, contacts, calendars, notes, passwords, and so on). I tell you how to navigate the web apps on the iCloud website, how to use iCloud to back up or locate an iOS device, what features you can use on an Apple TV, how to manage the security and privacy of your iCloud account, how to buy extra storage if you need it, and much more.

Nearly everyone who uses Apple devices also relies on iCloud for at least some services. If you’ve ever found iCloud confusing or overwhelming, you’ll find lots of help in this book. As always, you can cownload a free sample of the book to get a better idea what’s in it.

You can:

● Buy the book now for $10.49 with the 30% MUG discount

● Get more information about what’s in the book

By the way, in case you haven’t already seen it, Glenn Fleishman’s new book Take Control of Your Apple ID makes an excellent companion volume! It goes into far more detail than my iCloud book does about understanding and managing your Apple ID(s)—especially how to prevent and solve problems. I hope you’ll find both books useful!

That’s all for now…back to the paragraph factory, where lots of other new and revised books are under construction. Coming soon: updates to Take Control of Pages, Take Control of Backing Up Your Mac, Take Control of Maintaining Your Mac, Take Control of Troubleshooting Your Mac, and Take Control of Speeding Up Your Mac—plus all-new titles!

Master Photos in Mojave and iOS 12 with "Take Control of Photos"

Jason Snell has been writing about Apple and the Mac since 1994. He was formerly the lead editor of Macworld, and now runs the Six Colors site and hosts a bunch of podcasts. In other words, he’s pretty much a celebrity in the Mac community, and we couldn’t be more delighted that he has applied his considerable expertise to a new book that explores Apple’s Photos app in Mojave and iOS 12. Take Control of Photos updates and expands on Jason’s earlier book, Photos: A Take Control Crash Course. At 156 pages, the new book is more than twice as long as its predecessor, and it tells you everything you need to know about using Photos.

This book tells you how to:

●Migrate your library from iPhoto or Aperture (Apple’s discontinued professional photography app) into Photos
●Import photos from devices or memory cards
●Use multiple Photos libraries
●Navigate the Photos interface, including the sidebar and icons
●View, edit, or disable Live Photos
●Organize your library by using enhanced search features, adding metadata, building albums, and creating smart albums
●Edit your photos using quick fixes like cropping, applying filters, and fixing red-eye and rotation problems
●Use advanced editing techniques within Photos and edit using external apps like Photoshop
●Manage your photo collection using the Memories and People features, and get summary views
●Sync and share your photos with iCloud
●View your photos on an Apple TV
●Share your photos via social media, export them out of Photos, or turn them into slideshows
●Create printed objects (such as books and calendars) from your photos using third-party services

…and much more. You can:

● Buy the book now for just $10.49 with the 30% MUG discount

● Get more information about what’s in the book

This is an excellent, detailed book that will help anyone who uses Photos, and I recommend it to you!

One more thing… I’ve also updated Take Control of Apple Mail, my complete guide to Apple’s built-in email app, for Mojave and iOS 12. If you use Mail, I’m sure you’ll find it helpful!

With warm wishes for a happy Thanksgiving,

Joe Kissell
Publisher, Take Control Books

Get answers to all your Apple ID questions in a new Take Control book

In the survey we conducted a few months ago, one of the most-requested topics was managing your Apple ID. We know this is a pain point for many people in the Apple ecosystem, and we want to help! So I’m pleased to announce our latest book, Take Control of Your Apple ID.

In this book, Glenn answers questions like:

●What all is my Apple ID used for?
●How does my iCloud account relate to my Apple ID?
●What problems can two-factor authentication (2FA) solve, and how do I use it?
●Are there other mechanisms I can use to ensure that I can recover an Apple ID in the event of a problem? (Spoiler: yes!)
●What if I have a device that's too old to work with two-factor authentication?
●What should I do if I have two or more Apple IDs or iCloud accounts?
●Will I lose access to all my Apple media purchases if I move to another country?
●Can I share an Apple ID with someone else?
●What exactly should I do if I think someone is hacking my Apple ID account?
●How can I recover a forgotten Apple ID password?
●What steps should I take if Apple locks me out of my account?
●If I lose access to an email address associated with my Apple ID, what can I do?

And that's just the beginning. Glenn has packed a remarkable amount of concise problem-solving information into this compact, 76-page book. Read it before you encounter Apple ID problems to minimize your risk, and if you've already encountered a problem, read it to find the best path to a rapid solution.

Buy the book now for just $5.59 with the 30% MUG discount

Get more information about what’s in the book

Once you understand how to manage your Apple ID, you can eliminate frustration and bring more sanity to your digital life. I hope you’ll check out this excellent book today!

Solve password problems with "Take Control of 1Password"

Hello, and Happy November! Now that the Mojave and iOS 12 releases are behind us, we’re turning our attention to a long list of books in need of updates. I’m happy to announce that the first of these is now available: Take Control of 1Password, Fourth Edition! 

In this 167-page book, I explain why password security is so important and how 1Password can generate terrific passwords like C7dQ94.d$F4AWj/+GLx, store them alongside usernames and other login information, and enter it all on websites for you with just a couple of keystrokes or clicks. 1Password can also safely store and enter credit card information, plus your personal contact information, secure notes, documents, and more.

You’ll learn how to do all that not only on your Mac, but also in 1Password on iOS, Windows, Android devices, Chromebooks, and Linux computers, so you can access your passwords no matter what you’re using. You’ll also learn how to share passwords securely within a family or workgroup.

The book answers key questions, such as:

  1. What can I do quickly to get better password security?

  2. What about my browser’s autofill feature or iCloud Keychain?

  3. Should I buy a 1Password subscription or a standalone license?

  4. How do I use the new iOS 12 autofill feature with 1Password?

  5. How can I find and update weak or reused passwords I created long ago?

  6. What’s the best way to work with the password generator?

  7. What should I do about security questions, like the name of my pet?

  8. How can 1Password provide a time-based one-time password (TOTP)? 

  9. How can I find out if one of my passwords was compromised in a security breach?

  10. How do I initiate 1Password logins from utilities like LaunchBar?

Get these and many more answers today:

There’s no time like now to improve your password security with 1Password. And stay tuned for many additional new and updated Take Control books over the coming weeks!


Learn about macOS Mojave and iOS 12 with new books from Take Control

September is approaching, and that means the next releases of Apple’s macOS and iOS are right around the corner. We’re pleased to offer you three new titles that provide early access to what you need to know about Mojave and iOS 12, and to give you the chance to save up to $14 (if you buy all three books together).

Plus, once Mojave and iOS 12 officially ship, we’ll release free updates to all three books, to cover what changes between now and then (and, in the case of Take Control of Mojave, add several new chapters).

In Take Control of Upgrading to Mojave, Mac expert Joe Kissell has updated his trusted advice on upgrading to the latest version of macOS. Learn what you need to know to make the process go smoothly and efficiently, and what has changed from previous versions, including revisions to the APFS file system and important new ways of keeping your Mac secure. Includes troubleshooting advice in case things go wrong!

Get more info or buy Take Control of Upgrading to Mojave with the 30% MUG discount

Once you’ve successfully installed Mojave, learn all about it with Take Control of Mojave by Scholle McFarland. Like her previous book on High Sierra, this book covers all the new features and options in macOS 10.14, and also provides a good overview of the entire operating system. Find out about all the changes to your Mac’s apps and system-wide tools, and learn useful tricks that may be not be obvious at first glance.

Get more info or buy Take Control of Mojave with the 30% MUG discount

Take Control of iOS 12, by Josh Centers, also builds on his earlier book about iOS 11, detailing everything that has changed in the new iOS. Learn about Screen Time (to help you monitor and address screen addiction); updated notifications; improvements to Siri, Camera, Messages, and Photos; new password tools; and a long list of other changes—as well as the forthcoming Shortcuts app for automating iOS.

Get more info or buy Take Control of iOS 12 with the 30% MUG discount

Or, buy a bundle of all three books, and save 35%!

Buy all 3 books (a $39.97 value) for only $25.98

Get ready for Apple’s fall operating system releases with the invaluable advice of Joe, Scholle, and Josh—and save money doing it!

We appreciate your continued support of Take Control and our authors!

Three New Take Control Books

I keep hearing about Amazon primateday, which might explain all the posts in my Twitter feed about capuchins, marmosets, and tamarins in a South American rainforest. In other news, it’s the middle of the summer here in the northern hemisphere, which makes it a great time to stock up on reading materials—especially ones about useful projects you can do in your spare time. This week we’d like to offer you a very special deal on three related books, all written by yours truly. Through the end of Friday, July 20, each of these books (normally $15) costs only $5, with coupon code CPN00025859005. In other words: 3books, on sale for 4 days, for $5 each.

All three books involve getting organized and reducing clutter:

In Take Control of Your Paperless Office, Third Edition, I walk you through the process of banishing unwanted paper from your home and office. I show you how to choose a scanner (if you need one), set up OCR software to turn scanned documents into searchable files, create a workflow that helps you keep on top of your documents, name and organize documents so you can find them easily later, and use a variety of other techniques to reduce the amount of incoming and outgoing paper you have to deal with.

Buy Take Control of Your Paperless Office now for $5 or learn more about this book.

You probably have a will that spells out what will happen to your property after you die, but what about all your digital possessions—your passwords, photos, videos, documents, email, social media accounts, and more? Take Control of Your Digital Legacy shows you what data to keep and how to preserve it for the future, as well as how to deal with paper photos that haven’t been digitized. This has been one of my more popular recent titles, and I’ve given more than dozen user group presentations on this topic.

Buy Take Control of Your Digital Legacy now for $5 or learn more about this book.

DEVONthink is one of the most popular and powerful information management tools for macOS and iOS. You can use it to store and organize almost anything, from text snippets to research materials—and it’s especially good for managing scanned documents. But it can also be overwhelming, which is why I wrote Take Control of Getting Started with DEVONthink 2, Third Edition. This book helps you find your way around, learn advanced features, and make the most of this fantastic app.

Buy Take Control of Getting Started with DEVONthink 2 now for $5 or learn more about this book.

Make the most of your summer with these three great books at their all-time lowest prices. But remember: this sale lasts only until Friday, July 20.

P.S. I’ll be sending another email next week about two other recent books (both by authors named Jeff!), but here’s a quick reminder about them. Jeff Porten’s Take Control of Your Productivity helps you manage your time and tasks (on any platform), while Jeff Carlson’s Take Control of Your Digital Storage shows you how to get the most out of both internal and external storage devices on your Mac.

Take Control of Your Digital Storage

We have a new book to tell you about today, and I’m especially excited about it because it’s all about solving problems I know many of you are having. Quite a few people have expressed an interest in a book that will help them deal with the many questions involved in storing their data and managing their disks—concerns that have become more frequent as the volume of data we have (photos, videos, music, and more) has grown. I’m pleased to announce that our good friend Jeff Carlson has written a book that addresses these questions, and it’s available now: Take Control of Your Digital Storage.

I can’t tell you how many email messages I’ve received that involve storage puzzles. People want to know if they should use a NAS (network-attached storage) device or not, and if so, what they can do with it. How to partition and format a disk. Whether a RAID (redundant array of independent disks) is a good idea. How to decide whether something should be stored on their Mac, on an external or network disk, or in the cloud. How to make sense of Apple’s new APFS filesystem. What really happens when they use iCloud’s Optimized Mac Storage feature. And so on. Jeff and I decided it was time to research all these questions and more, and the result is Take Control of Your Digital Storage.

Here’s just a taste of the topics Jeff covers in this Mac-specific book:

  • How to choose a new (internal or external) hard drive, SSD, or hybrid drive

  • Determining how much storage space you need

  • What you need to know about filesystems, including Apple's new APFS filesystem

  • Formatting and partitioning disks using Disk Utility

  • How to repair a misbehaving disk

  • How to create and use disk images

  • What a personal cloud is and why you might consider using one

  • Strategies for freeing up extra disk space

  • Selecting and using a NAS with your Mac (with extra information on using it to store your digital photos)

  • The various kinds of RAID setups, why you might want one, and how to set it up

  • The differences between volumes and partitions (and, for APFS, containers)

  • Why and how to encrypt a disk using FileVault or the Finder

  • Using iCloud Drive’s Optimized Mac Storage feature

And, there’s much more packed into this 124-page ebook. If you’re frustrated because you’re running low on disk space…confused about what storage options you should use…struggling with questions about volumes, formats, or partitions…trying to wrap your head around a new NAS…or just wanting to have a better understanding of how storage works on a Mac, you need this book!

Buy Take Control of Your Digital Storage for $9.09 with your MUG discount OR

Get more information about this book

I hope you’re as enthusiastic about this book as I am! I’ve been wanting a title like this in our catalog for a long time, and I couldn’t be happier that it’s finally here. Get to the bottom of your Mac storage issues today!

Take control of your productivity

Over the years, we’ve published hundreds of Take Control books that teach you about technology and help you get more out of your apps and hardware. Now we want to go one step further and show you how to mange the innumerable tasks and projects (both personal and professional) that fill your days. I’m delighted to introduce our latest book, Take Control of Your Productivity, by long-time TidBITS contributor Jeff Porten.

Jeff has been studying and using a wide variety of productivity systems for decades, and although they all offer useful insights, none of them worked well for him. So Jeff developed a system that combines some of the best features of other approaches with his own “special sauce.” The result, described in detail in Take Control of Your Productivity, is a powerful yet flexible way to get all your ducks in a row and keep them there.

Whether you’ve been using a formal system like Getting Things Done or just making do with simple lists and calendars, this book will show you how to improve your approach so you can finish your projects and reach your goals—on time, with as little stress as possible.

Some of the things you’ll learn in this book;

  • What’s good (and bad) about your current approach to managing your time and activities

  • How to set and prioritize both short-term and long-term goals

  • How to pick a task-management app that’s appropriate for your needs (and whether that should be a simple app like Reminders, a more robust app such as Things or OmniFocus, or a super-complex tool such as Daylite)

  • What other productivity tools you’ll use alongside your main task management app, and how they all work together

  • Exactly how to track all your events and tasks, making sure everything happens in the right order

  • How to transition from an old system to your new system without worrying that anything will fall through the cracks

  • Where and how to collect all the thoughts and facts you encounter during the day that you might need to remember later—and what to do with them

  • What to do when you start on a task, only to find out that it’s much bigger than you expected

  • How to cope and adjust when something goes wrong—whether it’s a minor setback or a major life problem

Although many of the examples in the book refer to Mac productivity tools, Jeff's advice is platform-neutral. Plus, a companion webpage provides additional details on apps running on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and the web.

Like any new skill, Jeff’s productivity system requires time to learn and put into action, but the results will be well worth the effort! The cover price of this 168-page book is $14.99, but with your 30% MUG discount, it’s only $10.49.

Buy Take Control of Your Productivity for $10.49 with your MUG discount OR

Get more information about this book

Don’t struggle with an endless to do list and a hopelesly crowded calendar. Dig into Take Control of Your Productivity and start bringing sanity to your schedule today.

 

  

  

Download books and manage account  •  Unsubscribe info@pmug.us

Take Control of Wi-Fi Networking and Security

The world of wireless networking is constantly evolving. For the past 15 years or so, Glenn Fleishman has been carefully studying the ins and outs of Wi-Fi in its various forms and helping tens of thousands of people understand how best to make use of this essential technology—in part, by way of five previous Take Control titles on Wi-Fi. Those earlier books focused mainly on Apple's Wi-Fi products, but now that Apple no longer makes AirPort devices, Glenn has written a new book that takes his well-respected advice on wireless networking in other directions.
     
If your Wi-Fi network is unreliable or offers insufficient coverage, if you’re designing a new Wi-Fi system for your home or office, or if you want to take advantage of the enhanced performance and modern features of newer equipment, Take Control of Wi-Fi Networking and Security contains all the information you need to make smart decisions and get the most out of your hardware. You’ll learn about selecting and placing gateways (and when you should consider a range extender or mesh system), configuring devices, improving throughput, troubleshooting, keeping your network secure, and much more. And, this new book covers every major operating system—macOS, Windows 10, iOS, Android, and even Chrome OS.
     
The cover price of this 122-page book is $12.99, but with your 30% MUG discount, it’s only $9.09.

TakeControl.png

Buy Take Control of Wi-Fi Networking and Security for $9.09 with your MUG discount OR

Get more information about this book
     
This new book is an outstanding blend of theory and practice that will quickly teach you what you need to know to conquer Wi-Fi problems and enjoy better, faster wireless networking. I hope you’ll consider purchasing a copy today!

Cheers,

Joe Kissell
Publisher, Take Control Books

Take Control of Apple Mail, Fourth Edition

Running a publishing company, as I’ve been doing for the last year, has been an interesting and exciting challenge. One thing I wasn’t entirely prepared for was how little time it would leave me to actually write books, which is still pretty important given how many Take Control titles have my name on the cover. Today, however, I’m happy to say I’ve crossed one more off my to do list. And if you use Apple Mail on macOS or iOS, I think you’ll find this book incredibly useful.

We’ve just published Take Control of Apple Mail, Fourth Edition. This is a complete guide to handling your email with Apple Mail, and it now covers Mail in High Sierra, Sierra, and iOS 11. Among the hundreds of changes in the new edition are descriptions of the current workings of gestures, addressing, Markup, Handoff, and many other recently updated features. It contains extensive recommendations for third-party plugins; helpful hints for filtering and finding messages; instructions for backing up, restoring, and importing email; suggestions for making attachments work better (both as sender and recipient); and numerous troubleshooting tips. And it has greatly expanded coverage of using Apple Mail on an iPhone or iPad.

AppleMail.jpg

In addition, we’ve lowered the cover price of this 221-page book from $20 to $14.99, making it an even better value than before. And, with your 30% MUG discount, it’s only $10.49.

Buy Take Control of Apple Mail, Fourth Edition for $10.49 with your MUG discount OR

Get more information about this book

Note: You may have heard about a new encryption issue called EFAIL that can affect Apple Mail. This issue was discovered too late to cover it in the book, but we have an article with complete details here: What You Need to Know About the EFAIL Vulnerability. (Short version: it’s not as big of a deal as the press is making it out to be.)

This update has been in the works for a long time, and I’m delighted that it’s available at last. If you use Apple Mail on a Mac or iOS device, I hope you’ll consider purchasing a copy so that you can have the best possible email experience.

Cheers,

Joe Kissell
Publisher, Take Control Books

Take Control of Numbers, Pages, Keynote

The pace of software updates from Apple never seems to slow down, and that keeps us busy too, since we often update our books to reflect the latest reality. Today I’m happy to announce updated books about two products in Apple’s iWork suite: Numbers and Pages—plus a special discount on our Keynote book.

First, Sharon Zardetto has thoroughly revised her book Take Control of Numbers, now entering its second edition. This extensive update covers Numbers 4 for Mac, with a large number of new features since the first edition of the book was published, including easy transposing of rows and columns, an updated formula editor, threaded comments, Touch Bar support, and much more. This edition also adds a new section on Numbers’ new sharing and collaboration features.

And, we’ve lowered the cover price of this 273-page book from $20 to $14.99.

Buy Take Control of Numbers for $10.49 with the 30% MUG discount(a coupon code will be applied automatically when you click Check Out)

Not to be outdone, Michael E. Cohen has also updated his book Take Control of Pages, Second Edition to version 2.1, which now covers Pages 6.3 on the Mac, Pages 3.3 for iOS, and the current version of the Pages for iCloud web app, all of which were released in September 2017.

The 283-page book now discusses linked text boxes, the expanded Shapes library, threaded comments, custom color fills in iOS, fixed layout EPUBs, and expanded file management capabilities, among other new or updated features.

Buy Take Control of Pages, Second Edition for $10.49 with the 30% MUG discount (a coupon code will be applied automatically when you click Check Out)

But wait, there’s more! Even though each of these lengthy books is individually a steal at $10.49, we have an even better offer for you: buy a bundle of both books for just $20 and save 33% off the cover price—that’s an even bigger bargain than your MUG discount!

Buy Take Control of Pages and Take Control of Numbers together for $20  

There’s one other app in Apple’s iWork suite: Keynote. And we have a book on that one, too: Take Control of Keynote—in fact, I wrote it myself! Unfortunately, that book hasn’t been updated to cover newer features such as real-time collaboration and Keynote Live. But even though the book is somewhat out of date, it still contains loads of useful information, and most of it applies to the latest versions of Keynote for macOS, iOS, and iCloud. Since we couldn’t swing an update at this point, we’ve done the next-best thing, which is to lower the price from $15 to just $5! If you use Keynote, I think you’ll find this book quite useful, and I hope you’ll take advantage of this special deal.

Buy Take Control of Keynote for $5

Improve your productivity with Apple’s iWork apps and these great books today!

Take Control of Apple Automation

As February draws to a close, I’m happy to announce a brand-new book by Josh Centers about HomeKit, a new version of his book on the Apple TV, and a dramatic price reduction on Jeff Carlson’s book about the Apple Watch.

First, I want to introduce Josh’s latest book, Take Control of Apple Home Automation. This book introduces you to Apple’s HomeKit platform, which lets you configure, control, monitor, and automate a wide variety of internet-connected “smart home” products, such as outlets, lightbulbs, switches, thermostats, sensors, and door locks. Whether you’re new to the world of home automation or you want to expand your existing skills and knowedge, this book teaches you everything you need to know. You’ll learn how to choose devices to meet your needs, install and configure everything safely, troubleshoot problems, and much more. And you can even get started with a basic smart home setup for less than $50.

Buy Take Control of Apple Home Automation for $10.49 with the 30% MUG discount (a coupon code will be applied automatically when you click Check Out)

Next is an updated version of Josh’s Take Control of Apple TV, Second Edition. This book goes beyond the basics of using an Apple TV to include tips for getting the most from the Siri Remote, using apps from Apple and third parties, dealing with wiring and network issues, and even using an Apple TV for presentations.

The newly released version 2.2 covers all the changes in tvOS 11, plus the new 4K model of the Apple TV. It also covers the Apple TV Remote built into the iOS 11 Control Center, expanded use of single sign-on, and new ways to control Apple TV playback using iOS and iTunes.

Buy Take Control of Apple TV, Second Edition for $10.49 with the 30% MUG discount (a coupon code will be applied automatically when you click Check Out)

Finally, I want to announce that we’ve cut the price of Jeff Carlson’s Apple Watch: A Take Control Crash Course in half—to just $5—and that’s before your MUG discount! If you feel like you’re not getting the most out of your Apple Watch, this book will help you discover its hidden talents and use it as a tool for fitness, productivity, and entertainment. And there’s never been a better price.

Why the price drop? The book hasn’t been updated to cover the very latest hardware (Series 3 watches) and software (watchOS 4), but as Jeff explains in this blog post, 95% of the information is still accurate and useful. So we wanted to offer you a great deal on a very slightly out-of-date book!

Buy Apple Watch: A Take Control Crash Course for $3.50 with the 30% MUG discount (a coupon code will be applied automatically when you click Check Out)

These three books will help you make the most of your snazzy Apple devices, and I invite you to check them all out today. Enjoy!

Two Updated Take Control Books

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I’m delighted to announce two updated books about digital photography from our friend and digital photography expert Jeff Carlson. (And, you can buy both books together for a special low price.)

Now that it’s so easy to take and store digital photos, it can become overwhelming to stay on top of managing them all. In Take Control of Your Digital Photos, Jeff gives you a plan for tackling this problem, starting with preparing your camera ahead of time, then choosing the right app to manage your photos, judging and organizing your photos, and backing up your photos for safekeeping. This book is geared towards both Mac and Windows users, and discusses the merits of five popular photo management apps–Apple’s Photos, Lightroom Classic CC, Lightroom CC, Photoshop Elements, and Mylio–to help you choose the right one for your needs. (This book expands and updates an earlier title, Take Control of Your Digital Photos on a Mac.)

Buy Take Control of Your Digital Photos for $10.49 with the 30% MUG discount (a coupon code will be applied automatically when you click Check Out)

We’ve also released a new version of Jeff’s book Take Control of Lightroom CC. Last fall, Adobe released a new version of its Lightroom application, Lightroom CC, that is specifically designed for cloud interaction, and meant to appeal to users who want to do more than the basics with their photos, but want something more streamlined and simplified than Lightroom Classic CC or Photoshop. In Take Control of Lightroom CC, Jeff gives a thorough but accessible guide to the new Lightroom CC. He explains where it fits in the Lightroom ecosystem, then moves on to detail how to import, manage, and professionally edit your photos using Lightroom CC. For those who want to keep using Lightroom Classic CC, he also looks at how the two apps can work together.

Buy Take Control of Lightroom CCfor $10.49 with the 30% MUG discount (a coupon code will be applied automatically when you click Check Out)

But, we’re also offering a special bundle of the two books together for $20, which is even less than what you’d pay with the MUG discount on the individual titles!

Buy Take Control of Your Digital Photos and Take Control of Lightroom CC for $20 (a coupon code will be applied automatically when you click Check Out)

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Joe Kissell

Take Control Books for Macintosh User Groups

January 2018

Hello, from Joe Kissell, Take Control Books!

Seems like every time I turn around, there’s another news report about a big company being hacked, a gigantic list of passwords being stolen, or some other security vulnerability being exposed. Every time this happens, huge numbers of people suffer—sometimes in small ways (like having to jump through hoops to prove their identity or recover an account) but, all too often, in large ways (like identity theft that leads to major financial losses).

Most of this suffering is preventable, and the first step is handling your passwords properly. If you use the same password on a bunch of different sites, or if any of your passwords are short, easy-to-guess strings (like password1 or letmein or qwerty), I’m sorry to say you’re very likely to be a future victim of a password hack. But having unique, strong, hack-resistant passwords doesn’t mean going through a lot of hassle. You can have great passwords and convenience too!

I’m happy to announce brand new editions of two books that address different aspects of dealing with passwords: Take Control of Your Passwords and Take Control of 1Password. If you don’t already have a bulletproof password plan, I hope you’ll consider one or both of these books as a way to help you achieve password bliss. (And, you can buy both books together for a special low price.)

Take Control of Your Passwords, Third Edition helps you develop a complete password strategy. It explains the whys and hows of creating great passwords, using two-factor authentication and two-step verification, choosing and using a password manager (and dealing with passwords in situations where a password manager app can’t be used), and helping other people with their passwords. The new edition covers current versions of a dozen popular password managers, using biometrics (such as Face ID on the iPhone X), working with authenticator devices (which can include an Apple Watch), preparing an emergency password plan, and many other new or updated topics.
 

Passwords.png

 Buy Take Control of Your Passwords, Third Edition for $14.99
 
 We’ve also released a new edition of Take Control of 1Password. This book takes you in depth on my favorite password manager app, helping you get up to speed quickly and master all of 1Password’s essential tools. 1Password has undergone a lot of changes since the previous version of the book was released over a year ago, including extensive revisions to the Windows version; feature and interface updates for macOS, iOS, and Android; a new 1Password X extension for Chrome that brings 1Password to Chrome OS and Linux for the first time; a command-line version of the app; and greater emphasis on hosted 1Password accounts (for both licensing and syncing). The new edition covers all that and more.

1Password.png

Buy Take Control of 1Password, Third Edition for $14.99

If you’d like both—Take Control of Your Passwords for the overall strategy and Take Control of 1Password for all the details on that particular password manager, we have a special deal for you. You can use this handy link to buy the new editions of both books at one time for just $20—a 33% savings:

Buy Take Control of Your Passwords and Take Control of 1Password for $20 (a coupon code will be applied automatically when you click Check Out)

Stay on top of your password security while increasing your convenience with these two essential books!

Take Control of Pages

Are you interested in getting the most out of Apple’s Pages? Pages is a big, rich app with hundreds of features, but not all of its potential is readily accessible. In Take Control of Pages, Second Edition, Michael E. Cohen digs deep into Pages, unearthing the nuggets of knowledge you need to make your work shine.

With Michael’s help, you can navigate Pages like a pro. Learn how to:

  • Find where the tools you need lie, whether on the Mac, in iOS, or in the Web app

  • Do everyday word processing, including working with fonts, tabs, indents, rulers, search and replace, spell checking, and more

  • Format longer, more complex documents, with customized headers, footers, page numbers, tables of content, footnotes, and section breaks

  • Manage styles, including paragraph styles, character styles, list styles, and object styles

  • Create your own templates, complete with master objects

  • Master the many multi-touch gestures on iOS that give you pinpoint control over page elements

  • Include complex tables and charts and make them look exactly the way you want

  • Customize layout and manipulate graphics like a pro

  • Collaborate with others in real time using iCloud

  • Share your documents across devices, using Mac, iOS, or almost any Web browser

Buy Take Control of Pages, Second Edition for $14 with the 30% MUG discount

For this second edition, Michael expands his already extensive guide, detailing all the changes Apple has made to Pages since the last version of the book was released. Learn about new support for bookmarks, Web links, and Rich Text Format. Find out how you can now globally replace fonts, enter equations, and style tables and objects in your documents. Best of all, discover the possibilities for collaboration in real-time in Pages for Mac and Pages for iOS with iCloud!

Unlock the power of Pages, and make it work for you, with Take Control of Pages, Second Edition!

Take Control of Calendar and Reminders

Are you familiar with Apple’s Calendar and Reminders, but feel you aren’t using them to their full potential? We’re here to help, with a brand new Take Control title from veteran Mac journalist and editor Scholle McFarland. Introducing Take Control of Calendar and Reminders!

In this book, Scholle guides you through getting to know these incredibly useful apps, including lesser-known (but handy) features. For example, did you know that in Calendar you can set an alert for when you need to leave for an event, based on the travel time calculated using the location you entered for the event? Or that Reminders can prompt you to do something not only at a certain time, but also once you’ve reached a specific destination, like the grocery store?

Buy Take Control of Calendar and Reminders for $7 with the 30% MUG discount

Learn all about Calendar and Reminders, including how to:

  • Customize Calendar to your liking

  • Set up notifications and alerts, so you never miss an event

  • Invite people to events, or share your calendar with them

  • Create, manage, and share lists in Reminders

  • Set alarms in Reminders at a certain time or a certain place

  • Use Siri to save time when creating events or reminders

  • Easily check events and reminders on your Mac, iPhone, or Apple Watch

  • Troubleshoot common problems in Calendar and Reminders

  • Share calendars and reminders using iCloud Family Sharing

If you’ve never taken the time to explore Calendar and Reminders, this book will show you how to make them an important part of your daily routine. If you’ve already been using Calendar and Reminders, you’ll learn how to use them more effectively, troubleshoot common problems, and delve deeper into their capabilities.

Whip your schedule into shape and tame your to-do lists with Take Control of Calendar and Reminders!