Beware the edge of the keyboard

I have a Mac Mini with a USB keyboard, the current flat one-piece aluminium type. It's a great keyboard, no complaints about its functions.
I happened to notice over time that the end of my left pinky finger was peeling away, almost raw, and I couldn't understand why. All sorts of things ran through my head... is this a sign of diabetes? A fungus? ...and one day it finally dawned on me: As I sit and type at the keyboard, I noticed that my pinky finger rests along the left edge of the keyboard, running up and down the knife edge as I hunt and peck away. I was literally slicing away at the skin on the tip of my finger as I type. I have since placed strips of duct tape along that edge, creating a softer edge, and the problem has been solved.
This isn't so much a question or a complaint as it is an observation. A peculiar one, for sure. Just one of those rare things that happen, I suppose, a byproduct of design.
Safe typing!

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WARNING: Beware the Keyboard Firmware Update

Did the keyboard firmware update today and now no bluetooth. Using spotlight to search for bluetooth, I get this message:
The Bluetooth tab of Keyboard & Mouse preferences is hidden because you don't have a Bluetooth module installed or attached to your computer.
The bluetooth keyboard was working fine before the firmware update was installed.

noread_nowrite wrote:
keyboard firmware update will work only if you have 10.5.1 and up that means you need leopard.
As you can see from my signature I do have Leopard.

Not able to view text while typing beyond the top edge of the keyboard

I have an iPad mini with updated iOS 8.1.3 ......
Honestly I was very happy with iOS 7 it was perfect. The iPad was working fast and effortlessly. Just like how any apple product should be.
Until iOS 8 spoiled the show. There are many problems I'm facing after the update, but I want a solution for my major problem.
Problem 1: (Major –Blinded by the Keyboard)
I'm not able to view the body text beyond the edges of the keyboard while I’m typing; may it be in Notes, Pages, Numbers, Keynotes, calendar or any other app, which requires typing. Earlier I could just swipe it up and so it got scrolled to the end of the document. I extensively use notes, Calendar, pages, numbers, and keynote on iPad but sad that I can't see anything, though it is typing beyond the edge of the new keyboard. It's just stuck. Presently I'm copy-pasting, by typing at the beginning of the document cause after it reaches the edge of the keyboard I'm blind can't see. Please fix it soon before people realise this.
Problem 2: (updating)
iOS 8.1.2 is slow for iPad mini 1. When the processor is not able to manage this update then why does Apple give the option of updating. iOS 7 was just perfect. I was forced to update it because my app updates wouldn't update. Soon as I click update it opens the app and there you have it 'nothing'.
Problem 3: (Siri)
what is the use of Siri when it is slow to react, (in 3G). It just opens up slow.
Problem 4: (Photos app)
Photos app response time is very slow on iPad.
Problem 5: (assertive touch)
The assertive touch button on screen just goes dud sometimes on iPad.

For your keyboard problem: Hold down the home & sleep/wake buttons simultaneously until the Apple Logo appears then let go & let the iPad boot up normally.
For your other issues, & if you do not wish to update to iOS 8.2, do a general reset:
Settings->General->Reset->Reset All Settings. You won't lose any data but will have to log back into your wifi networks.

How do I turn on my wireless keyboard and make it 'discoverable'? I got a message that the batteries were low, so I changed them for new ones and now the keyboard doesn't work.

I got a message saying that the batteries were low, so changed them for new ones and now the keyboard cannot be 'found'. There seems to be no way to turn it on and make it 'discoverable' to the system. At the moment I'm typing this on a spare keyboard plugged into the back of my mac via a USB. Please help!

Have you checked to make sure the batteries are inserted the correct way? Have you tried to turn it on by pushing the right upper (round) edge of the keyboard - if you do that, do you see a tiny little green light? Since you have a wired keyboard, can you get to the Bluetooth setup/preference pane so you can manually try to sync the keyboard?
PS - posting duplicate posts is not helpful - it makes things too confusing, so I've asked the hosts to remove your other (identical) post.

What is the keyboard shortcut for screenshot or print screen?

what is the keyboard shortcut for screenshot or print screen?

Taking Screenshots in Mac OS X
Command-Shift-3: Take a screenshot of the screen, and save it as a file on the desktop
Command-Shift-4, then select an area: Take a screenshot of an area and save it as a file on the desktop
Command-Shift-4, then space, then click a window: Take a screenshot of a window and save it as a file on the desktop
Command-Control-Shift-3: Take a screenshot of the screen, and save it to the clipboard
Command-Control-Shift-4, then select an area: Take a screenshot of an area and save it to the clipboard
Command-Control-Shift-4, then space, then click a window: Take a screenshot of a window and save it to the clipboard
In Leopard and later, the following keys can be held down while selecting an area (via Command-Shift-4 or Command-Control-Shift-4):
Space, to lock the size of the selected region and instead move it when the mouse moves
Shift, to resize only one edge of the selected region
Option, to resize the selected region with its center as the anchor point
Source: http://guides.macrumors.com/Taking_Screenshots_in_Mac_OS_X

Bottom row of the keyboard is not working in a vertical orientation on the iPhone 3Gs. the "slide to unlock" and all keys on the calculator on both orientation works fine. I can use the keyboard on horizontal orientation.

Bottom row of the keyboard is not working in a vertical orientation on the iPhone 3Gs. the "slide to unlock" and all keys on the calculator on both orientation works fine. I can use the keyboard on horizontal orientation. The tabs on bottom of all apps also work fine.
I have already tried holding down the power button and home button for 10 seconds, but no difference.

I've had this problem on and off for the last few weeks (around, but not directly related, to upgrade to 6.1...can't remember if was before or after)....I'm very convinced it's a software problem (as there have been times when the bottom row works perfectly, without any need to "press" differently or anything).
However, it seems to be a rather resilient software issue, as a full restore does not consistently fix it, and it applies to more than just the keyboard; if I open a drawing app, there's definitely a row (about 4mm up from the edge of the screen closest to home button) where I cannot draw.
It's happened 4 times now. Originally it went away with a restore from backup, then worked for 2 more days. The second and third times, it went away with a full restore (although I did two full restores in between those two restores that did nothing, so restore didn't consistently fix it)....and it seemed to return in the most random of circumstances.
I paid very close attention to what apps I was using the last time it was working so that I could spot which app, if any, might be causing the issue. I deleted several apps, I stopped using the games and many other apps. I only used three apps between it working fine and starting up as a problem again: mail, safari and messages.
I was convinced it was mail, as it happened this morning when I picked up my phone off the bedside table to respond to a new email. It was working when I went to bed. I picked up the phone when it buzzed, hit the email app, hit reply and started to type....**** bottom row wasn't working again.
However, tonight I did 2 things....one of them worked because it went back to normal (sorry, I don't know which as I was exasperated and trying a number of things).
The two things I did between a broken keyboard and a working keyboard were:
1) adding a second keyboard (English(Canada)), changing to this keyboard, and changing back
2) disabling Siri...and then turning it back on...and then disabling Siri's "Raise to Speak"
In retrospect, I wonder if it actually was the "Raise to Speak" that was putting the phone into a weird state, and might explain why the phone would just "suddenly" start behaving strangely when I picked it up. Of note, the "raise to speak" hasn't actually triggered Siri to come on in months anyway.
Regardless, the keyboard is back to normal now...and I'm just going to leave "Raise to Speak" off. I've put the keyboard back to just "English" with no alternates and Siri remains on otherwise without issue.

Why do I have to have uncheck mute to get the keyboard clicks but then my rotation is locked. There is only the one choice. Have the clicks and no rotations or have the rotation with no clicks. please help.

Why do I have to uncheck the mute checkmark to get keyboard clicks and then the rotation locks. Can't I have both. Sorry, I am probably not explaining myself very well. I want the keyboard clicks is what I am trying to say and I want to be able to rotate the screen. This only happened yesterday. Thank you.

Edit : your reply on your other thread appeared after I started typing this.
Your original thread : keyboard clicks not working
You can have both.
The Settings > General > Use Side Switch To is only saying what the switch on the side of your iPad, above the volume control, is controlling - what that switch isn't controlling is instead turned on/off via Control Centre (swipe up from the bottom edge of your iPad's screen).
So if you have the side switch is controlling rotation lock then swipe up from the bottom edge of your iPad to open control centre and there should be an icon for muting/unmuting notification sounds - if the icon is white then mute is 'on', if it's grey then it's unmated (tap the icon to turn it on/off).
And similarly if you have the switch controlling notification mute then the icon in control centre will be for turning rotation lock on/off.

Can I REMOVE the keyboard to see if there is water damage myself?

I spilled water on my keyboard.
I have the *all white MacBook*... (and no knowledge of electronics).
Is it easy to dissasemble the keboard from the MacBook? If so, *How do I do this?*
Would that help it dry?

It is fairly easy to do. Here is a video that shows exactly how.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLdcUL7_gu4 . You would need one precision philips screwdriver, which you can get at any radio shack as a set for about $7. The video shows you exactly what screws to remove and which ones not to remove. I used this vid to successfully replace my superdrive. You would just follow it step by step with the exception of the parts dealing with the superdrive.
The only part I would caution about is when you unclip the keyboard from the body. The left, back and front edges are easy. Once you get them lifted out, looked under and take note of the ribbon connecting the keyboard to the motherboard. It has a bit of slack so you can lift it quite a bit just take note how much and dont forget its there because once you get the right edge unclipped you will need to unplug the ribbon cable. I found the right edge to be easier to remove by unclipping from the corner near the power button and working towards the front.
I would not advise against this process unless you have problems with assembly and following directions in general. If you take your time and do not handle it like an ape its really very easy.

Beware the instability of iPhoto

I have lost my iPhoto pictures twice in a fortnight simply while using iPhoto. The pictures are there ( on my "computer" so I am told) but there is no easy way for iPhoto to display them: you get the message that they are in iPhoto so iPhoto can't upload them. That's a fat lot of use if you can't see them. Apple are totally unhelpful: the first time I posted about this I got a knowall going on about directories and stuff. It all started with iPhoto 6, but Apple doesn't want to know.
I strongly advise anyone who needs pictures to beware of the proven instability of iPhoto 6.
Today I dragged my picture folders, "Originals" and "Modified" out of iPhoto Library and renamed them and reimported them into iPhoto but now I have three copies of everything. What I did is undoubtedly the wrong thing but as nowhere can anyone tell you what the right thing to do this might be a workaround if you are desperate and have nothing else to do for 2 days.

Ewan,
I'm sorry you're having so much trouble. I think what you are experiencing is the learning curve in using a database application as opposed to a file browser.
With a file browser you keep your files in folders, then organize everything into subfolders in whatever structure you like. Then you browse through those folders to find your files. You have to decide if that picture of your dog with your kid belongs in the folder for your dog, your kid, the date it was taken, etc. To have it in each place would necessitate keeping multiple copies. You can do this yourself by using the Finder to navigate through the folders, or use an application that assists with file browsing and perhaps offers sorting and tagging. This is what you get with Adobe PhotoDeluxe. If you're happy with it, then that's good. Do what works best for you.
With a database application (iPhoto and iTunes are both examples) you import your files into the database. From that point, you no longer access those files from within their folders and subfolders. Instead, you open the application and access them from there. An advantage is that the photo of your dog with your kid can now be placed in your dog album your kid's album, your date-based album, your holiday album, etc. with no duplication of that photo eating up space on your hard drive. Plus, you have many features for tagging and sorting your photos so that you can easily find one picture or a whole group with a few clicks. This results in more power, using less storage, making iPhoto an efficient application. If you'd like to give it another try, then read on.
I have 2 tips so you can "avoid this timewasting glitch in future."
1. Keep out of the folder called "iPhoto Library." That folder contains the database and all necessary files. iPhoto will organize them in the way it is designed to do. Browsing into that folder and its subfolders is off-limits. Any changes you make while browsing them will damage the database. Use iPhoto to access, organize, and manipulate your files - that's why you bothered to import your photos there. If you need your files outside of iPhoto, then use iPhoto to select them and export a copy. You may do with the copy whatever you like (such as upload to a website for posting on eBay); iPhoto keeps the original photo inside its library unless you delete it.
I agree that something this important should be flashed on screen in giant red letters when you first install or launch iPhoto. It is stated in iPhoto Help, but it would be difficult to read the entire Help file prior to using the application. Many computer-savvy people just know that a database gets this special treatment. [If it were on a Windows machine the database would be hidden to prevent all user access. The result? You couldn't access your photos in the event of a database failure, and you'd be SOL.] I prefer this way of doing things, although I do wish there were a warning for those of us who don't understand the rules of the database. I made this mistake, read this forum, fixed my library, and learned the lesson. I've never had a problem with my library since then. Now I'm trying to help you learn the same lesson.
2. There is one thing that you can do to protect your library which requires going into the iPhoto Library folder. (Ironic, right?) Just inside the library folder is the file "Library6.iPhoto". This is the all-important database file. It holds your metadata: titles, comments, ratings, albums, keywords, books, and much more. When this file gets damaged you no longer have access to your photos from within iPhoto. Your photos still exist inside their folder structure, but without that file iPhoto forgets where they are. This is when you have to start over with a fresh library and import your pictures all over again. The file can get damaged by a user tampering and changing things inside the iPhoto Library folder. It can also be damaged by a power outage while iPhoto is running. You've experienced this, and it's very frustrating to say the least. A file with such huge importance should be protected.
Here's how. After you have used iPhoto and made changes to your library, Quit iPhoto. In the Finder, go just inside your iPhoto Library folder. [I keep my Finder window in column view to make this easy. Click on the Pictures folder, then iPhoto Library folder, and the contents of that folder are listed in the next column.] Click once on the file, "Library6.iPhoto," to select it. Pull down the File menu and select "Duplicate." (Or use the keyboard shortcut Command D.) This gives you a new file named "Library6 copy.iPhoto". I take the copy and move it out of the iPhoto Library folder. It doesn't matter where, as long as you remember. You could create a folder on your Desktop for it and just drag it there. Please notice that I made no change to the iPhoto Library - all I did was duplicate a file and remove the duplicate.
Now the database is backed up. If I have a power outage while using iPhoto (a common occurrence here) and the database gets corrupted, all I have to do is move the Library6 copy.iPhoto file back into the iPhoto Library folder, remove the damaged database file, and delete the word "copy" from the filename. When I launch iPhoto, everything will be intact. No starting over, rebuilding albums, etc.
Old Toad has written an automator script to make this even more convenient to do. With one click you can copy the database file and it will overwrite the previous copy automatically. Read his last paragraph and his Tip in this thread: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1012489&tstart=0 and follow the link to Toad's cellar if you wish to download his tool.
3. (I know I said 2, so consider this a freebie.) Keep a current backup of the iPhoto Library folder. It's simple, just copy that entire folder to an external hard drive. That copies all of your photos with the database information. This protects you against hard drive failure. Step 2 only protects the database against damage, but will do nothing for you if your drive containing all the photos suddenly breaks. If you keep that backup current and you do have a database failure, all you need to do is copy the good Library6.iPhoto file from the backup into the damaged library (step 2) to get your library up and running.
"As a consumer I have no knowledge of how the technology works or what a "directory rebuild "is or blah, blah, blah."
Perhaps you're referring to the rebuild function for the iPhoto Library database. It's a way of telling iPhoto to recreate its database file, including the thumbnails that it creates. This can help repair a damaged library when the damage is minimal. What it cannot do is correct the damage caused by changing things inside the iPhoto Library folder. Once those links are broken, iPhoto has no way of knowing how to restore them.
I have no idea how my car's engine works. But I understand it's controls so that I can maintain and drive it. It's the same with computers. You don't have to be a programmer, but you do have to become familiar with maintenance and correct usage. Otherwise, the outcome is the same: fatal crash.
I have tried to describe things here in plain English. I'm no techie, either, but I have learned that with computers plain English can be imprecise, ambiguous, and get you into trouble. If used to really bug me when I would say "memory" and my hubbie would correct me with "storage". Now I appreciate the difference and know the confusion it causes when someone asking for help uses one term in place of the other. My point is that if you're not sure about something I've said here please ask me to clarify.
Peace.

I thought the keyboard was meant to light up in the dark!?!?

hi
my macbook (13.3 inch, 24GHz intel core duo) is about a day old now.
I thought the keys were meant to light up in a greeny colour?!?!
thanx to tell me if im right or not and if im confusingit with another mac!
If i am right then how do you get the keys to light up?

There are dozens of USB-powered lights to choose from. Most have small gooseneck stems that terminate in a USB connector on one end & an LED lamp assembly on the other, allowing you to position the light as needed. A few have a short cable & a clip-on lamp assembly, which you could clip to the MacBook's screen edge.
Different models have different numbers of LED's in various configurations. Some produce a small spotlight effect & won't illuminate much of the keyboard, others have a broader beam, but most won't illuminate the keyboard evenly from edge to edge like the built-in backlighting on the higher priced Mac laptops. OTOH, they can be pointed at other objects, like a paper document next to the computer, if necessary.
These lights draw power from the MacBook's (or any other) USB port, so they don't require a separate power source. An alternative is any of a number of battery powered LED lights, especially those designed to clip onto & illuminate books for night reading. They are a good addition to anyone's "on the go" laptop case, not just for keyboard illumination but also for things like examining network connectors in dark recesses.
They are usually very inexpensive, often $3 or less for the battery powered kind & usually under $10 for the USB ones if you buy "no name" versions from discount stores. Price doesn't seem to be a good indicator of quality.

How do I use Panorama / Tab Groups with the keyboard?

Yes I know that CTRL-SHIFT-E opens the panorama window, and then I can use the mouse to organize my tabs into groups.
But how do I do this with the keyboard?
I've [http://lifehacker.com/#!5719596/switch-between-tab-groups-in-firefox-with-a-keyboard-shortcut read] [http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1705714 that] Ctrl-`should move me through tab groups. That doesn't work for me on my Danish keyboard. (Where the ' and ` chars are weird. But is how they are on a valid standard Danish keyboard) I've tried changing the keyboard to USA and then moving through tab groups works fine.
In short: Pretend I don't have a mouse. How do I use Panorama / Tab Groups?

Sorry. These are both known bugs:
[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=587010 Bug 587010] - Add keyboard UI for manipulated groups and tabs in Tab Candy
and
[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=626594 Bug 626594] - shortcut for switching tab groups is badly accessible on many non-US keyboard layouts

Brand New MacB Air and i haven't been able to get passed the format which has had to be done twice because, I have a French Numeric Keyboard and Language in English. The minute I type in my password, the keyboard gives me letters that i did NOT type.

I live in Switzerland and can only buy a Mac Air with a French or German keyboard, no chance to buy an English keyboard Mac here,. When setting up I chose the French numerique keyboard, although there are two choices French or French numerique. I put in my language as English. When all was set up I came to the start page and had to put in my password, by the grace of g....I just happened to see the first letter I typed before it turned into a dot. My password which was supposed to start with the number 2 showed a french e with accent before it quikly became a dot.
Because of the dot system, this meant that I had no clue what the keyboard was typing as my password ...........and true enough my password was not accepted despite my trying all combinations. I have had to reformat twice now thanks to Apple Chat and both times my password was not accepted. I am in the process of formatting it again, this time on my own. If the Start page does not accept my password again this can only mean that the Mac left the factory with faults. I could not be more disappointed with the money spent and the time and trouble that Apple Chat and I have spent in trying to correct a brand new out of the box Mac. I have a cheap Toshiba laptop also with a french keyboard and english language which gave me no trouble at all. I am not impressed with the so called King of computers! First of all the dot system is daft. People want to be able to see and confirm their passwords before they are set for good. Second, this problem is going to give me a lot of grief. Switzerland business is not renowned for its after sales service or the time it takes to do repairs. When I had an issue with my Vaio laptop which was still under warranty, they kindly picked it up from my house, repaired and promptly returned it. How's that for good proper service.

i didn't read a lot of your 2nd paragraph, but it seems like the password is the issue, right?
do a true clean install
reboot your machine and hold down command+option+r, you should see a spinning globe - if you don't see the globe or anything that reads internet recovery, shut down and try again
at menu, chose disk utility and once there, find your HD on the left side, select the physical name and erase it as mac journaled
exit disk utlity
at menu, choose install OSX
this time, when it asks for a password just hit continue, it will let you complete without a password
you should be able to get into your laptop, now figure out what password you'll be able to use with your kb issue

I have a new mac book pro which i use in england but I need to use German charachters frequently, is there a way of having both visable on the keyboard?

I have a new mac book pro which i use in england but I need to use German charachters frequently, is there a way of having both visable on the keyboard?
For example so that I can just press shift or another key to get the German character.

Some may already exist, but you will have to learn them. On my old system these can be found through keyviewer.app For example, if I press option+s I get ß Umlaut is a bit cumbersome as option+u then the actual letter. It may be possible to bind a key to do this function, possibly through System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts
I have old, old references for utilities that let you rebind keys to other functions, and you would have to see if they have modern equivalents.
Ukelele Mac OS X Keyboard Layout Editor - http://scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/page.php?site_id=nrsi&id=ukelele - mostly useful for character, not function mapping.
Check Butler, ikeys, quickeys or Spark

How do I find a previously passcode to link a wireless keyboard (Model A101urs6) to a Mac Power Book G4 running 10.5.8. The keyboard was linked at one point in the past, but then not used. When I am trying to hook it up now, it requires the passcode.

How do I find a previously passcode to link a wireless keyboard (Model A101urs6) to a Mac Power Book G4 running 10.5.8. The keyboard was linked at one point in the past, but then not used. When I am trying to hook it up now, it requires the passcode. Where can I find this, or is there a general number I can use?

Hello, and welcome to Apple Support Communities!
Try entering four zeroes.

My iMac 24 can no longer be paired with the keyboard; it doesn't recognise any keyboard at boot up, even the one it is paired with. Can anyone help, please?

My iMac 24 can no longer be paired with the keyboard; it doesn't recognise any keyboard at boot up, even the one it is paired with. Can anyone help, please?
Thank. Simon

Brian - The batteries are fine and there has only every been one keyboard paired with it. We have tried my MacPro keyboard as well, and it will not even recognise that there is a discoverable keyboard nearby.
Thanks, Simon

Beware the edge of the keyboard

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