We are driven by instinct to switch to tools that increase efficiency. This is as true as when our ancestors upgraded to sharper spears, as it is now as we continually update the operating systems of our Macs. However, there have been so many macOS improvements over the years that we often overlook the more beneficial ones. To help you out, we’ve compiled a checklist to help you reach the top of your game.

Declutter with Desktop Stacks

Because of enhanced syncing capabilities, the Mac Desktop is the best place for making files accessible from all your synced devices, be they on macOS or iOS. However, clutter can quickly build up on the Desktop, and it’s such a time-consuming hassle to organize everything.

Thankfully, Stacks can declutter your screen with just a few mouse clicks. Simply click on the desktop, then click View > Use Stacks. Or you can Control-click (right-click) on the desktop, then click Use Stacks. Stacks will then group files of the same kind together by default. Images will be in one pile, while docs, PDFs, and presentations will be in their own separate piles.

Of course, you may use a different filing method. Click on the desktop, then View > Group Stacks By, then choose a category, such as tag or date modified, among others.

Use Universal Copy and Paste

Ever had an image or piece of text that you found on one device and wanted to use in a program opened in another computer? We had to send ourselves emails or instant messages just for those juicy bits of content! Thankfully, Apple's new universal copy and paste feature makes things easier.

Assuming you’re logged on to multiple devices using one iCloud account, you can just copy stuff from one device and then paste it onto another — no other extra steps required!

Reduce clicks further by just dragging text

Within the same device, you can highlight text in one app window, then drag-and-paste it directly onto another app window — no need to copy or cut. You can also drag the text to the desktop to create a new text clip document.

Converse with Siri on your Mac

Now that Siri’s on the Mac, you can use the personal assistant to perform side tasks while you complete your spreadsheets or polish your presentation without being sidetracked.

There are many ways to activate Siri:

• Click the Siri icon found in the menu bar, Dock, or Touch bar.
• Simultaneously press and hold the Command key and Spacebar until Siri responds.
• If Siri is already up, click the Siri icon or the mic icon in the Siri window.
• Just say “Hey, Siri.” (This only works on 2018 MacBook Pro models, and only when the computer lid is open).

With Siri open, you can then ask it to describe the weather in Maui, locate taco joints near you, and invite more participants to your 2:00 p.m. meeting by name, among many other things.

Run Windows

While this tip may be unpalatable for Mac purists, having Windows as an extra operating system gives users access to software that macOS doesn’t have. Obviously, this eliminates the hassle of having to rely on busy Windows-using teammates to help you out.

You can use a virtualization app such as Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion, or VirtualBox to run Windows alongside macOS. Alternatively, you can partition your hard drive and use Boot Camp Assistant to install Windows on your hardware.

To recap, here’s our time-saving checklist:

• Declutter your desktop with Stacks
• Take advantage of universal copy and paste
• Simply drag text across app windows
• Multitask with Siri
• (Optional) Use Windows alongside macOS

Curious about how to make the most out of your Macs? Talk to us — we’d be more than happy to complete your checklist and more to help your business become more efficient.

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Cortana is an intelligent personal assistant that assists you with a variety of tasks such as making phone calls, setting reminders, as well as searching for files. In order to fully utilize her, we’ve picked four of the most handy commands you can ask or say to Cortana on Windows 10 devices.

Hey, Cortana

Before asking her to do anything, we need to get Cortana's attention by clicking or tapping the Cortana button on the taskbar. If you do not see Cortana on your taskbar, right-click the taskbar and go to Cortana > Show Cortana icon. To enable Hey, Cortana, simply say ‘Hey, Cortana,’ followed by your question. If you're using a Windows Phone, you can press and hold the search button to activate Cortana.

Basics tasks

If you want to launch a program or open a website, simply use the word ‘Launch’ or ‘Open’ followed by the website’s name. Make notes by uttering the words ‘take a note’ or ‘note it down’. As for making drafts, start with ‘Write an’ followed by ‘email’ or ‘text,’ and end with the contact name and the message itself. Lastly, ‘Show me emails from [contact]’ will display all the emails sent from the specified contact.

Scheduling/Reminders

It’s important for small- and medium-sized business owners to stay on top of their schedules. Take a glance at your calendar events with commands such as ‘How’s my schedule looking?’ or ‘What do I have next week?’. Add or move appointments with ‘Add’ or ‘Move’ followed by the appointment and time. Reminders are easily scheduled by uttering the words ‘Remind me’ followed by whatever you need to be reminded about and when.

Search

If you can’t locate the file you need, don’t worry. By asking Cortana to ‘Find’ a document, video, or picture on your device from a specific time frame, she will sift through everything quickly to find what you need. You can easily initiate search queries with ‘Can you find’ followed by whatever you are looking for. You can even look at basic search results without having to open a browser window: Simply ask whatever question you have and enjoy combing through the results.

Window’s voice-activated personal assistant, Cortana, helps you accomplish daily tasks with ease and efficiency — but only if you use the right commands. If you have further questions or would like to know more Cortana commands, feel free to contact us. We’re ready to help!

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The latest Windows 10 update may have improved multitasking and login authentication processes, but it does have its downsides. From stuck updates to shrunk storage space, we got you covered on how to fix five of the most frustrating Windows 10 issues.

1. Less storage space

When you upgrade to Windows 10, your old software is not actually deleted but stored in your hard drive as “windows.old”. While this is a smart move that allows users to downgrade their software if they want, it also consumes a lot of space that you can use to store more important files.

If you want to delete this previous version to free your storage space, first type “cleanup” on the Windows search bar to pull up the Disk Cleanup app. From there, you can either click on OK right away, or you can choose Clean up system files to ask Windows to scan your system. Either of these options will open a pop-up box that will ask whether you would like to delete previous Windows installations.Then, select the files you want to delete and click OK.

2. System Restore isn’t enabled

In Windows 10, System Restore isn’t enabled by default. To turn it on, go to the Start Menu and type “Create a restore point.” Next, choose the system drive and click the Configure button, then select Turn on system protection. Use the slider to set an appropriate amount of maximum disk space to be used for restoring the system (about 5 GB should be enough).

3. Updates won’t work

First off, check if you’ve upgraded to the most recent stable update. Users should hold off on installing the Fall 2018 update until issues are resolved. If your updates still don’t work, download and run Windows Update Troubleshooter and try to update again.

4. Privacy violations

Windows 10 faces a lot of criticism over data privacy settings. We recommend you review them from time to time, especially after every update is released. To change the privacy settings, go to Start Menu > Settings > Privacy. On the left-hand side, you’ll see a list of features and data Windows has access to that you can disable, including the computer’s camera, microphone, account information, and so on. Turn off the ones that you don’t want Windows to have access to.

If you use Windows Defender, go to Update & Security, and decide whether you want to enable cloud-based detection and automatic sample submission, which uploads suspicious files to Microsoft Servers for analysis.

5. Windows 10 uses up all the 4G data

Windows 10 allows you to connect to the internet via cellular data, just in case the Wi-Fi is slow or unavailable. However, it can use up all your data if you’re not careful. To avoid this, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage. Select Cellular Data from connection options, and then click on Set Limit where you can adjust how much data your computer uses.

We hope these five fixes will help enhance your Windows 10 experience . But while there are some issues you can fix by yourself, others are more complicated and would better be handled by IT experts. Call us today, and let our staff get rid of all your Windows 10 headaches.

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