Stories by Dan Frakes

Master OS X's Save as PDF feature

Dan Frakes shows you how to get more out of OS X's ability to save any printable document, Web page, or file as a PDF.

In Pictures: Great gear you may have missed

Here are some of the best little accessories we’ve come across over the past year for connecting, charging, organizing, and more.

How to get started with AirPlay

AirPlay is Apple's technology for streaming audio or video over a local network. We take a quick look at the most common AirPlay setups and how to configure and use them.

Annex's Quad Lock is an outstanding iPhone case/mount system

One of the biggest questions iPhone owners have is, "How do I mount my iPhone [in my car/on my bike/wherever]?" The answer has generally been to buy a bike mount, and a car mount, and maybe even a separate dock or stand for your desk. Annex aims to f...

Logitech announces Ultrathin Keyboard for iPad mini

When it comes to iPad keyboards, Logitech's Ultrathin Keyboard Cover has been among our favorites since it debuted for the standard iPad in early 2012. If you've been pining for a smaller version for your iPad mini, the wait is over: On Tuesday, the ...

iPad mini gives you most of an iPad at half the size

When the iPad debuted, many called it "just a big iPod touch." Most soon realized that such claims were misguided, as the iPad turned out to be much more: more powerful, more capable, more useful, more everything. Instead of being arithmetically bigg...

Hands on with Apple's Lightning to 30-pin Adapters

The changes to Maps in iOS 6 may have gotten the lion’s share of negative coverage since the iPhone 5 debuted. But back on September 12, when the company announced the latest iPhone and iPod models, the harshest criticism was reserved for the Lightni...

What Apple's new Lightning connector means for you

Apple has done away with its proprietary--and nine-year-old--30-pin connector in favor of a new, smaller alternative. Why did Apple make the change? And what does it mean for you--and for your existing accessories? Here's a look at this new connector...

Logitech announces Solar Keyboard Folio for iPad

Accessory vendor Logitech on Thursday announced the company’s latest entry in the iPad-keyboard market, the $130 Solar Keyboard Folio for second- and third-generation iPads.

My view: The new iPad's screen is underrated

The first time I saw the new display, I was floored, and after my first session using the new iPad, I was a convert.

Which accessories work with the new iPad?

If you're in the market for a new iPad, there's a good chance you'll want a protective case or some other new accessories.

Mountain Lion: Hands on with Mail

When Apple released Lion (OS X 10.7), Mail received its biggest overhaul ever, gaining many new and noteworthy features. The changes to Mail in Mountain Lion are more subtle, though there are some nice improvements--along with one significant omissio...

How to install Mac OS X Lion

For over a decade, installing the latest major version of Mac OS X meant buying a disc and slipping it into your Mac's optical drive. No longer. Mac OS X 10.7--better known as Lion--is available for direct download. In fact, it's available only as a ...

How to install Mac OS X Lion over Leopard

One of the requirements for installing Lion is that you already have Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6) version 10.6.6 or later installed. The main practical reason for this requirement is that Lion is available only via the Mac App Store, and the Mac App ...

Should you do a 'clean install' of Lion?

With some previous major releases of Mac OS X, upgrading over an existing OS X installation -- for example, installing 10.3 over 10.2 -- entailed some degree of risk, as existing applications, add-ons, and support files could conflict with the new OS...