Be green with your Mac: Save as PDF instead of Printing

Our whole business workflow is paperless, except the occasional receipt from retail stores that we have to bring to our bookkeeper, and we're always finding ways to be greener around the office. I wanted to share a really neat feature built in to the Mac that will allow you to save a tree (and some ink) the next time you purchase some shiny new shoes online. Next time you purchase something online, for example from Amazon, and they provide you with an order number once you've completed the purchase, instead of printing, just go to the File Menu and choose Print. (What, print? That doesn't make sense... continue reading.)

Once you've chosen print, instead of clicking on the throbbing blue "Print" button, you'll find a humble little button off in the left corner called "PDF..." After clicking on this, you'll have a few options of how you'd like to save that webpage into a PDF. For this particular example, you would choose "Save as PDF..." Once chosen, you will be prompted to choose a location to save it on your Mac. I personally have made a new folder in my Documents folder called "Purchases" where I save all of these online receipts. Not bad, huh?

The neatest part about this feature is that it works in any application that allows you to print, that means Keynote, Word, and even Address Book. And, the PDF that you generate is compatible with PCs. So next time you want to send someone your killer essay that you wrote using Pages, just save as PDF, and anyone can read it.

Have questions? Leave 'em below!

Aperture 3 Released!

Today is a day that Apple-centric photographers have been waiting for a long time. After almost 2 years from the release of Aperture 2, this morning Apple announced the latest version of their professional imaging and workflow application, Aperture 3. Some quick Aperture 3 highlights:

• Faces - this face detection software that debuted with iPhoto '09 has been a huge hit.
• Places - Super neat feature that maps the geographical location of your photographs based in the GPS information from your camera. This also debuted with iPhoto '09.
• Non-destructive brushes - a much needed feature that will allow you to do more retouching in Aperture, reducing the need for an external editor like Photoshop.
• Adjustment presets - save your favorite adjustments into a 1-click preset.
• Full screen browser
• Advanced slideshows - now includes an audio timeline and the ability to drop videos into your slideshow.
• 64 bit - Finally. Aperture now takes advantage of Snow Leopard's 64 bit processing.

We're super excited about these new, and long-waited for, features. We'll let you know what we think once we've had a chance to get our paws on it! For a full breakdown of the 200 + features and a free-trial download link, click here. Have questions about Aperture? Have you already been playing with it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Workshop: Security on a Mac

It's no question whether or not Macs are more secure than PCs. For example, Macs don't get PC viruses, or malware that PCs are constantly plagued with. But are Macs immune to, say, theft? What about network sniffing? There are more ways than one that your Mac can be vulnerable. But the good news is there are also more ways than one you can make sure your Mac is secure.

On Thursday of this week we will present Security on a Mac at the North Point Apple Store. As more and more private information is stored on our computers (including business and client-correspondence) it is more crucial than ever to understand what security options are available on your Mac, whether you're using it for home or business. We'd love for you to join us as we introduce both out-of-the-box, and 3rd party security options that can help keep your information secure.

The workshop begins at 7pm and lasts until 8:30. More details here. Hope to see you there!

Workshop: Using Social Media for your Business

Foojee will be presenting Using Social Media for your Business this Wednesday evening at the Apple Store Mall of Georgia. We're thrilled to have an opportunity to introduce fundamental concepts of social media and the benefits of using it for your business. The workshop begins at 4pm and will last until 6pm. More details here. Hope to see you there!

What about... cleaning your Mac?

...cleaning your Mac?

Whether your friends use them or not, one thing that anyone will tell you about Apple products is how pretty they are. But what about when finger prints and dust get all over them? Well if Phone Fingers isn't your idea of keeping your devices clean, and until Apple comes out with smudge-proof products (they came close with the iPhone 3GS) here's some tips on how to clean your shiny Apple devices.

1) Power off your Mac and unplug it from its power source.

2) Only use LCD cleaning products like iKlear or Monster TV that don't contain ammonia, chlorine, or other abrasive chemicals. Isopropyl alcohol 70% does the trick too. (This means no window cleaner.)

3) Be sure to use a microfiber cloth, not paper towels or bath towels.

4) Spray your LCD cleaner on the cloth rather than the computer itself to avoid liquid seeping into cracks.

The most important thing you can do to keep your devices clean is to have clean hands when using the computer. If you have a portable, try to close the lid when you're not using it, to prevent dust from collecting.

These basic principals will also help with cleaning most electronics in your house.

For an in depth how-to on cleaning your desktop, portable and accessories, see Apple's knowledgeable article on How to clean Mac products.

We've got new help! Spotlight on Jennifer.

We recently decided to bring on some new talent to assist with our growing client base. We searched far and wide and found some pretty stellar people. Last week we put the spotlight on Jamie, and this week we'd like to introduce you to our very own Jennifer Webb.

What do you do at Foojee?

I am the Bookkeeper

What did you do before Foojee?

I am self-employed.  I provide administrative, bookkeeping and insurance billing services for mental health professionals.  Prior to becoming a mom, I was a Restaurant Manager for the Palm Restaurant in Buckhead.

What do you do for fun? (Besides going to the Foojee office everyday.)

I have no life...I have two kids!   Just kidding.  I like to read, play video games.  I am a big puzzle fiend (like Sudoku, crossword puzzles, etc.).  I am currently writing a book that I hope to have finished by the summer for publication.

If you could watch one movie tonight, what would it be?

Either Serendipity (there is a lot of sentimental value to that one for me) or Gone With the Wind (my all-time favorite movie).

What's your favorite apple?

Red Delicious

Jennifer has brought us an incredible amount of knowledge to our team and we're super glad to have her. You should see how fast she can do payroll!

Foojee is now a member of the Apple Consultants Network.

We are excited to announce that Foojee is now a member of the Apple Consultants Network (ACN). The ACN is Apple's preferred resource for anyone seeking professional assistance for the Mac. We're honored to be a member of this community and look forward to playing an active role in Apple's success.

We've got new help! Spotlight on Jamie.

We recently decided to bring on some new talent to assist with our growing client base. We searched far and wide to find our new team members and found some pretty stellar people. Today we want to put the spotlight on the one-and-only, Jamie Bell.

What do you do at Foojee?

i'm foojee's first technician! also, whatever gene and lucas tell me to do.

What did you do before Foojee?

i worked for apple for over 4 years as a mac genius.  i was lost before i found foojee, now i'm found.

What do you do for fun? (Besides going to the Foojee office everyday.)

i've been getting into cooking a lot lately, my goal is to make the perfect pizza crust.  i really enjoy movies.  i'm obsessed with Hulu and Lost.

If you could watch one movie tonight, what would it be?

the nightmare before christmas

What's your favorite apple?

foojee, fuji, and granny smith. also, my 12" powerbook is pretty great.  i'll probably be forced to buy a macbook pro soon and i'm sure that will be my fav4evr.

We're thrilled have Jamie on board. Don't let his teddy bear beard fool ya, he eats .plists for breakfast!

Apple Answers General Questions About Getting Your First Mac

When thinking about getting your first Mac, where do you begin? You might have some questions in mind, or you may not quite know what to ask. Apple has a great resource that might help, even if you already have a Mac.

Here are some of the more notable questions:

How can I get an education discount on a new Mac?

Will my keyboard and my “right-click” mouse work with a Mac?

How do I move my files to a Mac?

Click here for the rest of the FAQ's.

Have other questions? Leave 'em below!

Happy shopping :)

Save $101 on iMac and MacBooks today! (Other deals too!)

For the majority of us, there are only two days out of the year that we can purchase Apple goodies at a discount. They are Tax-Free Weekend (If your state has one), and today - Black Friday. Check out this link to see if one of your wish-list items (Magic Mouse) is part of today's money-saving extravaganza.

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/campaigns/holiday/giftguide/black_friday