Take Control of Automating Your Mac, 5th Edition

Take Control of Automating Your Mac, 5th Edition
Author: Joe Kissell
Publisher: alt concepts
Total Pages: 196
Release: 2024-01-29
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 1990783473
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Work faster, increase your efficiency, and have more fun with automation! Version 5.0, updated January 29, 2024 Ever wondered if automation could make your life easier? In Take Control of Automating Your Mac, Fifth Edition, Mac expert Joe Kissell shows you how to save time and aggravation by using numerous built-in macOS tools, as well as helpful third-party apps, to automate routine tasks and procedures.n Looking for ways to work smarter and faster with your Mac? In this updated and expanded fifth edition of his popular guide to Mac automation, Joe Kissell shows how anyone, at any level of experience, can save time and effort, and avoid unnecessary errors, by using automation techniques that range from the simplest keyboard shortcut to the most complicated script. In this book, Joe teaches you how to automate routine tasks in a wide variety of ways. You can begin by making the most of productivity features such as Siri, Spotlight (for launching apps), and text replacement—and then move on to the more sophisticated automation tools built into macOS, such as Shortcuts, Automator, AppleScript, services, and shell scripts. In addition, Joe gives extensive information about third-party automation apps that can make a huge difference to your work efficiency, such as Keyboard Maestro, TextExpander, OmniGraffle, and many more. As an extra bonus, the book includes coupons for discounts on seven automation apps! Whether you’re new to automation, you just need a refresher, or you’re experienced with automation but want to go deeper, this book can teach you the skills you need to automate with ease. Take back your time, work more efficiently, and have more fun with your Mac, with Take Control of Automating Your Mac, Fifth Edition! With this book, you’ll learn how to: • Get started with the built-in macOS automation tools, including Shortcuts, Automator, AppleScript, and shell scripts • Take full advantage of input devices to save clicks and keystrokes • Customize toolbars and your Touch Bar to put hard-to-find controls at your fingertips • Use your voice to control your Mac with Siri and Voice Control/Dictation Commands • Automate text expansion for faster, more consistent typing • Control the Finder with a launcher and by organizing files with Hazel • Supercharge your clipboard to remember and reformat previous copies • Write macros in Microsoft Office and Nisus Writer Pro • Create rules to file email automatically in Apple Mail and Outlook • Log in to websites faster with a password manager • Automate cloud services with IFTTT and Zapier • Set up automatic backup and syncing • Run tasks automatically with Login Items, Calendar events, or launchd • Use Omni Automation for JavaScript-based automation tasks • Control nearly anything on your Mac with Keyboard Maestro

Take Control of Your Online Privacy, 5th Edition

Take Control of Your Online Privacy, 5th Edition
Author: Joe Kissell
Publisher: alt concepts
Total Pages: 136
Release: 2024-05-28
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 1990783503
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Learn what's private online (not much)—and what to do about it! Version 5.0, updated May 28, 2024 Nearly everything you do say or do online can be recorded and scrutinized by advertisers, data brokers, and a long list of other people and organizations—often without your knowledge or consent. When your personal data falls into the wrong hands, you risk theft, embarrassment, and worse. But you can take steps to greatly improve your online privacy without sacrificing all your convenience. Nowadays, online privacy is extremely hard to come by. Corporations, governments, and scammers alike go out of their way to gather up massive amounts of your personal data. The situation feels bleak, but you have more control than you may realize. In this book, Joe Kissell helps you to develop a sensible, customized online privacy strategy. No matter what devices or operating systems you use, you’ll find practical advice that ordinary people need to handle common privacy needs. The massively revised fifth edition of Take Control of Your Online Privacy is packed with information that helps you get a handle on current topics in online privacy, including data breaches, hardware bugs, quantum computing, two-factor authentication, how ads can track you, and much more. You’ll receive savvy advice about topics such as these: Why worry? Find out who wants your private data, why they want it, and what that means to you. Determine your personal risk level, learn which privacy factors are most important to you, what you can and can't control, and what extra steps you can take if you're at a high risk of being personally targeted. Hear some good news (five steps you could take that would massively increase your online privacy)…and some bad news (why some of those steps may be difficult or infeasible). Remove personal information from Google and data brokers, though the process comes with limitations and gotchas. Discover Apple-Specific Privacy Features for users of Macs, iPhones, and iPads. Manage your internet connection: Secure your Wi-Fi network and keep your data from leaking out. Find advice on why and when to use a VPN or a network-connected privacy appliance, plus why you should be skeptical of VPN reviews. Browse and search the web: Avoid bogus websites, control your cookies and history, block ads, browse and search anonymously, and find out who is tracking you. Send and receive email: Find out how your email could be intercepted, learn techniques for encrypting email when necessary, get tips for sending email anonymously, and know when email is not the best way to communicate. Watch your social media: Understand the risks of sharing personal information online (especially on Facebook!), tweak your settings, and consider common-sense precautions. Talk and chat online: Consider to what extent any phone call, text message, or online chat is private, and find tips for enhancing privacy when using these channels. Protect your smart devices: Address privacy issues with "Internet of Things" devices like smart TVs, smart speakers, and home automation gear. Think mobile: Ponder topics like supercookies, location reporting, photo storage, spear phishing, and more as you decide how to handle privacy for a mobile phone or tablet. Help your children: As a parent, you may want to take extra steps to protect your children's privacy. Find a few key tips to keep in mind.

Take Control of Backing Up Your Mac, 5th Edition

Take Control of Backing Up Your Mac, 5th Edition
Author: Joe Kissell
Publisher: alt concepts
Total Pages: 161
Release: 2024-02-19
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 1990783481
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Set up a rock-solid backup strategy so that you can restore quickly and completely, no matter what catastrophe arises. Version 5.0.1, updated February 19, 2024 Joe Kissell provides the advice you need to create a Mac backup strategy that protects your data and enables quick recovery. He compares backup software, services, and media to help you make the best choices. You’ll learn to set up, test, and maintain backups, plus how to restore files after a calamity!n Creating and maintaining a solid backup plan is essential to anyone who uses a Mac, in order to prevent the loss of important data if disaster strikes—whether through hardware or software failure, theft, human error, or other mishap. In Take Control of Backing Up Your Mac, Fifth Edition, tech expert Joe Kissell explains how to design a sensible backup strategy, choose and configure the best backup hardware and software for your needs, and understand how to make your backups as painless as possible. His advice is equally useful to those who have never had a backup system and those whose backup systems are in need of an update. The book delves into the challenges presented by recent versions of macOS, M-series Macs, and the ever-changing landscape of Mac backup hardware, software, and cloud services. It explains what you need to know about bootable (and non-bootable) duplicates, backup media, and disk formats, as well as recent changes in Time Machine and the weird world of APFS snapshots. It also shows you how to include in your backups files and folders that are stored in the cloud, even if there's no local copy of them. Using this book, you’ll learn how to: • Design (or update) the ideal backup system: If you’re starting from scratch, you’ll find all the information necessary to assemble a reliable and easy-to-use backup system. If you’re updating an existing system, you’ll learn about what’s new in hardware, software, and online services that might affect the way you back up your Mac in the future. • Choose backup software: Apple’s Time Machine is both free and easy to use, but it’s not the best choice for everyone, and even if you do use Time Machine, you’ll certainly want to supplement it with other tools. You’ll learn about key features to look for in a backup app and find tips on using several popular tools. You’ll also discover the pros and cons of cloud backup services, and get help choosing the right one. (An online appendix covers dozens of apps and services.) • Shop for hardware: Depending on your needs and goals, you may need one or more external SSDs or hard drives, but the range of options (sizes, interfaces, speeds, and more) can be bewildering. Joe helps you find the best backup hardware, whether it’s individual SSDs or hard drives, RAIDs, NAS devices, or other options. • Make and maintain backups: Once you’ve selected hardware and software, you’ll need to know how to make your first backup, set up your backups to run unattended, and test them regularly to make sure they’re working as they should. This includes both versioned backups (which contain old file versions and deleted files) and—for some users—bootable or non-bootable (data-only) clones. And, you’ll learn about strategies for keeping extra backups offsite. • Operate Time Machine: If you choose Time Machine for versioned backups, you’ll learn how to back up and restore individual files, app-specific data (such as contacts), and even an entire disk. You’ll also discover why and how to encrypt Time Machine backups, how APFS snapshots work (inside and outside Time Machine), and what to do if Time Machine misbehaves. • Deal with unusual backup needs: If you deal with exceptionally large files (such as audio and video files), spend a lot of time on the road away from your usual backup hardware, run Windows on your Mac, or rely on cloud services to store essential data, you’ll want to take extra (or different) steps to make sure everything is safely backed up. You’ll also learn various approaches to backing up and restoring data from Apple’s Notes app. • Manage your media: What happens when a backup drive fills up, or becomes so old that you worry about its future reliability? What if you want to archive older files for posterity, but not necessarily maintain them as part of your daily backups? Joe explains how to deal with media management tasks such as these. • Recover lost data: Backing up data can be easy, but restoring it is often more challenging. When you discover that data is missing—whether due to a disk error, theft, or a simple mistake—you need to know the exact steps needed to recover it and get back to work as soon as possible.

Take Control of Calendar and Reminders, 5th Edition

Take Control of Calendar and Reminders, 5th Edition
Author: Scholle McFarland
Publisher: alt concepts
Total Pages: 146
Release: 2023-11-16
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 1990783430
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Manage your schedule more effectively using Calendar and Reminders! Version 5.0, updated November 16, 2023 Learn how to unlock the full potential of Apple’s Calendar and Reminders! This book helps you get the most out of these two apps, showing you how to customize them, sync data across devices, and share meeting invitations and reminder lists. You’ll also learn how to use Siri as a shortcut and how to fix common problems.n In the days before personal computers and mobile devices, we had to rely on paper calendars and to-do lists to help us organize our time and activities. Now, we have powerful tools, like Apple’s Calendar and Reminders, that are much more responsive to our needs. Put an event on your schedule, invite others to join, or set yourself an alarm (or more than one). Or, keep a list of to-do items, add to it and view it on all your Apple devices, and share your list with family or friends. This book was originally written by veteran Mac journalist and editor Scholle McFarland, and the fifth edition was revised by Glenn Fleishman, with complete coverage of macOS 14 Sonoma, macOS 13 Ventura, iOS 17/iPadOS 17, iOS 16/iPadOS 16, and watchOS 10 (and considerably more information about using these apps on an iPhone or iPad than in previous editions). Scholle and Glenn guide you through getting to know these incredibly helpful apps, including lesser-known (but handy) features. For example, did you know that Calendar lets you set an alert that factors in public transportation schedules and time to get to your starting point, so you can leave early enough to catch the train, bus, tram, or ferry you need—and any connections—and arrive at your event on time? 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? If you’ve never taken the opportunity 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. Learn how to get the best out of Calendar and Reminders, including how to: • Customize Calendar to your liking, from setting time zones, to color coding specific calendars • Create events, making them repeat at regular intervals or on certain dates • 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, including powerful new smart lists • Organize reminder lists into categories and optionally view them in columns • Designate a list as a grocery list, so that items auto-sort into supermarket departments • Set alarms in Reminders at a certain time or a certain place • Tag entries for better searching and organizing in Reminders • Use Siri to save time when creating events or reminders • Easily check events and reminders on your Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or HomePod • Troubleshoot common problems in Calendar and Reminders • Share calendars and reminders using iCloud Family Sharing, and assign reminders to a specific person • Sort reminders on your Mac • Print a calendar (to paper or PDF) • Embed video links in Calendar events for quick launching

Macintosh Terminal Pocket Guide

Macintosh Terminal Pocket Guide
Author: Daniel J. Barrett
Publisher: "O'Reilly Media, Inc."
Total Pages: 231
Release: 2012-06-13
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 1449328989
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Unlock the secrets of the Terminal and discover how this powerful tool solves problems the Finder can't handle. With this handy guide, you'll learn commands for a variety of tasks, such as killing programs that refuse to quit, renaming a large batch of files in seconds, or running jobs in the background while you do other work. Get started with an easy-to-understand overview of the Terminal and its partner, the shell. Then dive into commands neatly arranged into two dozen categories, including directory operations, file comparisons, and network connections. Each command includes a concise description of its purpose and features. Log into your Mac from remote locations Search and modify files in powerful ways Schedule jobs for particular days and times Let several people use one Mac at the same time Compress and uncompress files in a variety of formats View and manipulate Mac OS X processes Combine multiple commands to perform complex operations Download and install additional commands from the Internet

BMC Control-M 7

BMC Control-M 7
Author: Qiang Ding
Publisher: Packt Publishing Ltd
Total Pages: 679
Release: 2012-10-10
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 1849682577
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Master one of the world?s most powerful enterprise workload automation tools? BMC Control-M 7 - using this book and eBook.

Learn Python 3 the Hard Way

Learn Python 3 the Hard Way
Author: Zed A. Shaw
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
Total Pages: 752
Release: 2017-06-26
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 0134693906
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You Will Learn Python 3! Zed Shaw has perfected the world’s best system for learning Python 3. Follow it and you will succeed—just like the millions of beginners Zed has taught to date! You bring the discipline, commitment, and persistence; the author supplies everything else. In Learn Python 3 the Hard Way, you’ll learn Python by working through 52 brilliantly crafted exercises. Read them. Type their code precisely. (No copying and pasting!) Fix your mistakes. Watch the programs run. As you do, you’ll learn how a computer works; what good programs look like; and how to read, write, and think about code. Zed then teaches you even more in 5+ hours of video where he shows you how to break, fix, and debug your code—live, as he’s doing the exercises. Install a complete Python environment Organize and write code Fix and break code Basic mathematics Variables Strings and text Interact with users Work with files Looping and logic Data structures using lists and dictionaries Program design Object-oriented programming Inheritance and composition Modules, classes, and objects Python packaging Automated testing Basic game development Basic web development It’ll be hard at first. But soon, you’ll just get it—and that will feel great! This course will reward you for every minute you put into it. Soon, you’ll know one of the world’s most powerful, popular programming languages. You’ll be a Python programmer. This Book Is Perfect For Total beginners with zero programming experience Junior developers who know one or two languages Returning professionals who haven’t written code in years Seasoned professionals looking for a fast, simple, crash course in Python 3

Getting started with RPA using Automation Anywhere

Getting started with RPA using Automation Anywhere
Author: Vaibhav Srivastava
Publisher: BPB Publications
Total Pages: 309
Release: 2021-01-29
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 9389898285
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Learn RPA using Automation Anywhere with step-by-step practical implementation KEY FEATURESÊÊ _ Get an overview of different stages in the Business Process Automation _ Learn how to use Automation Anywhere to automate business processes using commands such as Excel,Ê Ê Ê Email, PDF, Database, XML, Web Services etc. _ Learn how to use commands together to automate process flows and standard industry use cases _ LearnÊ how to develop bots in Bot Creator _ Learn to use Citrix AISense to capture objects in Citrix, Virtual Machine and Remote environment DESCRIPTION Ê The book starts by giving an overview of Robotic Process Automation (RPA), its tools, and industry use cases. You will then get familiar with the Automation Anywhere Enterprise components and Architecture. Moving on, you will deep dive into the options provided in a Client application such as recorders, workbench, metabot designer and the types of bots in Automation Anywhere. You will then come across the practical implementation of variables in Automation. The book will then show how to implement commands such as Error Handling, XML, Web Services, FTP, OCR, PGP, String Operation, Files & Folders, etc. You will also get familiar with the working of Workflows and Workflow Manager. Towards the end, the book will teach you how to transfer bots to and from the Web Control Room and schedule bots from the Web Control Room. By the end of the book, you will be able to implement different commands provided in Automation Anywhere. WHAT YOU WILLÊ LEARNÊÊ _ Understand the fundamentals of Business Process Automation and its stages. _ Use commands such as Excel, PDF, Email, Database, Object Cloning, Loops, If-Else etc. Ê togetherÊ to create a bot to automate industry use cases. _ Use Variables, MetaBots, IQ bots and Citrix AISense to incorporate features such as Reusability, Ê Cognitive Automation capabilities and Object Capturing in Citrix, Virtual Machine and Remote environment. _ Learn how to create reusable bots using MetaBots _ Develop bots in Bot Creator and upload and schedule them in Web Control Room to be automatically executed on Bot Runner. WHO THIS BOOK IS FORÊ The book is for anyone who wants to become a RPA developer. Professionals working in this field who want to upgrade themselves will find this book helpful. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Chapter 1: Automation Overview 2. Chapter 2: Introduction of RPA 3. Chapter 3: AAE Architecture 4. Chapter 4: Client Application 5. Chapter 5: Variables 6. Chapter 6: Use Cases 7. Chapter 7: Command Library 8. Chapter 8: Metabot 9. Chapter 9: Recorder 10. Chapter 10: Credential Variable 11. Chapter 11: IQ Bot 12. Chapter 12: Workflows 13. Chapter 13: System & Audit Logs 14. Chapter 14: Bot Transfer

Take Control of DEVONthink 3

Take Control of DEVONthink 3
Author: Joe Kissell
Publisher:
Total Pages: 255
Release: 2019
Genre:
ISBN:
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With the information-management app DEVONthink 3 , you no longer have to swim in a sea of web bookmarks, email receipts, RSS feeds, scanned memos, and downloaded bank statements. DEVONthink stores your digital documents and clippings, helps you scan and store paper documents, and serves as home base for organizing and viewing all your information. But mastering all that power can take effort, and this book-created in partnership with DEVONtechnologies-has the real-world advice you need to understand how DEVONthink can bring order to your information. You'll also learn how to extend your DEVONthink experience beyond your main Mac with detailed coverage of the many ways you can sync DEVONthink databases to other Macs and to iOS devices using the DEVONthink To Go iOS app. After covering essential DEVONthink vocabulary and concepts, including the completely reworked user interface of DEVONthink 3, Joe helps you start using DEVONthink effectively. You'll learn how to: Decide how many databases you need and set them up Determine whether to input or index data Configure where incoming data will go Import data from many different apps Import data from a scanner, including OCR options Use grouping and tagging to organize data Add and work with DEVONthink 3's expanded metadata capabilities Use simple (and sophisticated) techniques for searching Create smart groups that automatically gather newly imported data Use smart rules and AppleScript to automate countless activities within DEVONthink Create documents in plain text, HTML, Markdown, and more Edit documents in DEVONthink (or externally) Find the best way to sync DEVONthink data with other devices Work with reminders, smart templates, and other sophisticated tools Convert documents between formats Effectively use the DEVONthink To Go iOS app Share DEVONthink documents with other people Export documents from DEVONthink Back up and maintain healthy databases Questions answered in the book include: What is DEVONthink good for, and what should be left to other apps? What kinds of data can I import? (Short answer: Nearly everything!) How can I display my data in a way that works well for me? When I import documents from different sources, where do they end up, and why? Is it better to sort imported documents right away, or leave them for later? Should I group my data, tag it, or both? What are duplicates and replicants, and how can I tell them apart? Which types of data can be created or edited within DEV...

Practical Network Automation

Practical Network Automation
Author: Abhishek Ratan
Publisher: Packt Publishing Ltd
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2017-11-16
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 1788299132
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Get More from your Network with Automation tools to increase its effectiveness. About This Book Get started with network automation (and different automation tasks) with relevant use cases Apply software design principles such as Continuous Integration and DevOps to your network toolkit Guides you through some best practices in automation Who This Book Is For If you are a network engineer looking for an extensive guide to help you automate and manage your network efficiently, then this book is for you. What You Will Learn Get the detailed analysis of Network automation Trigger automations through available data factors Improve data center robustness and security through specific access and data digging Get an Access to APIs from Excel for dynamic reporting Set up a communication with SSH-based devices using netmiko Make full use of practical use cases and best practices to get accustomed with the various aspects of network automation In Detail Network automation is the use of IT controls to supervise and carry out every-day network management functions. It plays a key role in network virtualization technologies and network functions. The book starts by providing an introduction to network automation, SDN, and its applications, which include integrating DevOps tools to automate the network efficiently. It then guides you through different network automation tasks and covers various data digging and reporting methodologies such as IPv6 migration, DC relocations, and interface parsing, all the while retaining security and improving data center robustness. The book then moves on to the use of Python and the management of SSH keys for machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, all followed by practical use cases. The book also covers the importance of Ansible for network automation including best practices in automation, ways to test automated networks using different tools, and other important techniques. By the end of the book, you will be well acquainted with the various aspects of network automation. Style and approach A clear, concise, and straightforward book that will enable you to automate networks and improve performance.