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So, you have been using OS X for a while now? You know your widgets from your tabbed browsing? Well, I still have some tips for you! OK, I apologize for the lackluster introduction. However, I do think that you will learn a few things from these little known OS X tips.

Unlike my previous blog post, these tips are aimed toward helping more experienced Mac users become better on the system.

1. Securely empty your trash.

If you use your Mac to keep important financial documents or other private data, be sure to use "Secure Empty Trash" when deleting important documents.

2. Turn off Bluetooth and WiFi.

The MacBook and MacBook Pro are two of the fastest selling laptops around. Turn off Bluetooth and WiFi if you are using your laptop while away from a power supply and depending on your battery. This will help you save precious battery time.

3. Widgets are your friend.

Do you always find yourself visiting an online dictionary? Did you routinely spend 10 minutes searching the desk for that old calculator? Set up a widget! A simple search of the Apple website shows hundreds of widgets which can help you with any number of things.

4. Organize your mail with rules.

If you receive large amounts of e-mail, it can be nearly impossible to sort and organize mail. Many important e-mails might be ignored if they become surrounded by less important messages. If you check out Preferences in Mail, you will find the Rules tab. Here you can set up specific folders or colors for e-mails that are important to you. If you need help setting up Rules, check out Free Mail Tutorials.

5. Find movie times, stock quotes, and eBay prices without even opening up Safari.

Don't open up Safari, use Sherlock instead. Sherlock allows you to preform internet searches, check out movie times and reviews, check out up to the minute stock quotes, book a flight, translate words or sentances, check eBay, search Mac help files, and much more. It is a great search program that not many Mac users are aware of. Check it out in your Applications folder.

6. Customize your toolbar.

Do you often find yourself creating new folders or deleting items? Customize your Finder toolbar to include these actions for easy use.

7. Add commonly used folders to your sidebar.

I am always saving and opening files for college. I need to open my College folder at least twice a day. Thanks to a simple drag and drop, my College folder is easily located on my Finder sidebar. Now, it only takes seconds to find important class files.

8. Remove unused icons from your task bar.

Many people are unaware of this and it simply amazes me. Don't clutter your task bar with useless icons. With a simple secondary-click (aka a right-click), you can easily remove unused icons from your task bar.


I hope you found these tips useful. While simple, many of these features will help make you much more efficient on OS X. Like always, feel free to leave your opinion by sending an e-mail to TeenageFanboy@gmail.com or by leaving a comment. You could even leave a post on the forums.

Speaking of the forums, I also would like to invite everyone to my new forums. Here you can chat with other Fanboy readers. Be sure to check it out!