Jörg Jacobsen’s $5 Eye-Friendly (Mac App Store link) is the third resolution-switching utility for the Retina MacBook Pro that I’ve looked at, after Pupil () and QuickRes (). In my quest to find the ideal resolution-switching app for my Retina MacBook Pro, is the third app the charm?

Like the other two apps, Eye-Friendly appears only in the menu bar. When you want to change your display’s resolution, you click the Eye-Friendly icon and mouse over your display (the menu lists your laptop’s built-in display, as well as any external displays); a submenu appears with available resolutions. Resolutions that look the best on that display are denoted with an Eye-Friendly icon; choose the desired resolution to switch to it. If you use only the best-looking resolutions, the Eye-Friendly Modes Only option configures the app to show only those resolutions.

Eye-Friendly’s menu is much more elegant that QuickRes’s, though it’s not as flexible as Pupil’s, which allows you to not only select which specific resolutions you want to appear in the menu, but also re-label them. But since it’s not difficult to find a resolution in Eye-Friendly’s list—and, as I mentioned, you can narrow the list down to show only the best resolutions—this level of customization isn’t a feature I miss.

Eye-Friendly also offers convenient keyboard shortcuts: Just place your cursor on the display you want to change, and then press Control+Option+Command+Up Arrow to cycle up through available resolutions or +Down Arrow to cycle down. Eye-Friendly displays each resolution in a semi-transparent overlay on the screen; when you settle for a couple seconds on the one you want, the display’s resolution changes to match.

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If you’ve never heard that noise before, you’re bound to hear it someday: that amazing, dull crunch as your Mac slips out of your hands or off a desk and makes a date with the ground at 9.8 meters per second squared, gravity having played the role of a yenta-like matchmaker bringing together your computer and an admirably dense surface. The crunch registers in your brain, and you have a sudden mental image of the universe collapsing.

julianbl/neowin.net

Here’s how to make the best of a terrible situation, get as much of your data back as possible, and avoid a similar disaster if your Mac decides to smooch the ground again somewhere down the line.

Pick it up, clean it off

After your Mac falls, calm down, pick it up, look over the damage, and clean away whatever dirt and detritus you can. From there, make sure that your Mac is turned off, and then weigh your options.

If you feel comfortable opening the machine, find a wrist strap and tools, touch a metal object to discharge any static that your body may be carrying, and carefully open the Mac to check for case fragments, damaged parts, or debris that may have ended up in the computer. Don’t turn it on; just focus on the parts that survived the fall and anything that might appear damaged, and clean out the interior as best you can.

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If you were worried Apple might not have a keynote at WWDC this year, you can finally relax. But don’t get too relaxed: Comixology’s pulling controversial comics again, and iPhone repair costs are up, up, up. The remainders for Thursday, May 23, 2013 are powered by the Infinite Improbability Drive.

Apple’s WWDC Keynote Scheduled for Monday, June 10 (AllThingsD)

Phew. For a minute, I was really worried that they might decide to hold it a week later, just to mess with people.

ComiXology pulls 56 digital comics from iOS app [Updated] (ComicBookResources)

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It happens to every Mac (and every other kind of PC): The system slows down when it’s doing lot of things at once. If this happens to your Mac more than you’d like, though, your system might need more RAM.

Adding more RAM to your Mac—if you can add more RAM—is one of the eaiest ways to improve your Mac’s performance. The crucial question is, How much more RAM do you actually need? Macworld Lab ran benchmarks on a couple of Macs at different RAM configurations and analyzed the results. Our conclusion: The impact of more RAM depends on the types of tasks your Mac performs. In some situations your Mac may benefit from having as much RAM as you can afford; in others, you’ll be fine with the stock configuration.

But before we dive into the results, let’s take a brief look at what RAM is and why it’s important to your Mac. (This article focuses exclusively on the impact of RAM on system performance, but of course RAM isn’t the only component that affects performance. Macworld Lab is currently working on tests that will allow us to take a similar look at how other components—storage, graphics, and CPU—affect performance.)

What is RAM?

Random Access Memory is a temporary storage medium that your Mac’s CPU uses for fast access to data it’s processing. The CPU can access data contained in RAM much faster than it can data held on long-term storage devices like traditional hard drives and even solid-state drives.

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In the latest update to the Retina MacBook Pro, some models got price cuts, some received slightly faster processors, and some got a healthy bump in the amount of RAM. Anyone who purchased a Retina MacBook Pro prior to this refresh shouldn’t kick themselves for making the leap, but the reduced cost for the 13-inch models and faster performance for the 15-inch models make these thin, light, and fast laptops a better deal than ever.

Let’s be specific

From the outside, the 2013 Retina MacBook Pros look identical to the 2012 models. Our previous reviews of the original 13-inch and 15-inch Retina MacBook Pros contain more details on the look and feel of these laptops. But here’s a short summary of the specifications.

All of the Retina MacBook Pros have two USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt ports, a MagSafe 2 power connector, a headphone jack, and an SDXD card slot. As with last year’s Retina MacBook Pros, RAM is not user-upgradable; but luckily, the standard 8GB of memory is sufficient for all but the most demanding users. If you require more than 8GB of RAM, you will need to move to a 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro which can be configured with 16GB of RAM.

The 13-inch models feature LED backlit screens with 2560-by-1600-pixel resolution and a pixel density of 227 pixels per square inch. This extremely high resolution—four times higher than that of the MacBook Pros with standard screens—makes the individual pixels in an image virtually undetectable. The 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro is just 0.75 inch thick and weighs 3.57 pounds. The non-Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro is 0.95 inch thick and weighs 4.5 pounds.

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When Apple released the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro (), it was only a matter of time before the Retina display made its way to other Apple laptops. That time is now, and with the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, a compelling argument can be made that Apple’s newest laptop is a perfect combination of performance, portability, and features.

Making a small laptop feel big

The 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro has a 13.3-inch LED-backlit screen with a native resolution of 2560-by-1600 pixels. Do the math: That’s 4,096,000 pixels. Under the Display system preferences, OS X offers four scaled resolution settings: 1680-by-1050, 1440-by-900, 1280-by-800, and 1024-by-640 pixels. For comparison, the 13-inch non-Retina MacBook Pro (which Apple still sells) has a native resolution of 1280-by-800, and the 13-inch MacBook Air's is 1440-by-900.

If you’ve eschewed 13-inch laptops because they don’t offer enough on-screen real estate, it’s time to reconsider. The 1680-by-1050 setting (what OS X calls More Space) gives you more room to work, and with the help of third-party software such as the free QuickRes (), you can use scaled resolutions that go beyond 1680-by-1050. For example, QuickRes can set the Retina display to a mind-boggling 3360-by-2100 resolution, which made the icons and text on screen much too small for my eyes. (It’s possible that using the Retina MacBook Pro at these very high-scaled resolutions can adversely affect performance, though I didn’t record any benchmarks at these settings.) You can also use third-party software to set the laptop at its native 2560-by-1600 resolution.

Unless your eyes can’t tolerate the small on-screen sizes, it’s hard to argue that you can’t get enough workspace on a 13-inch laptop with a Retina display. Of course, some apps and tasks do work best with a 15-inch screen, but I bet some longtime users of the 15-inch MacBook Pro will decide that it’s time to switch to a 13-inch Retina model.

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Tuesday was a very busy day for Apple and we in the Macworld Lab were ecstatic to see the Mac so well represented. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait long to get our hands on a new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display.

We tested the $1699 standard configuration model, which has a 2.5GHz dual-core Core i5 processor, Intel’s integrated HD Graphics 4000, 128GB of flash storage, and 8GB of RAM. Apple offers a second $1999 model that is identical except it has 256GB of flash storage. The 13-inch Retina display has a 2560 by 1600 native pixel resolution.

Apple still sells non-Retina 13-inch MacBook Pros that have a 1280 by 800 screen resolution. The $1199 model has the same 2.5GHz dual-core Core i5 processor as the Retina laptop and the same integrated graphics, but it has just 4GB of RAM and a 5400-rpm 500GB hard drive. The $1499 non-Retina model has a 2.9GHz dual-core Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000, and a 5400-rpm 750GB hard drive.

When it comes to my computer setup, I prefer having at least two displays on my desk. It’s a lot easier to work when you have all that screen real estate. In my setup, I have a laptop and an external display; but when I have to unplug my laptop and work remotely, the single display feels cramped, even on a 17-inch MacBook Pro. It helps to use Mission Control and create multiple desktops, but it feels so inefficient to shuffle between desktops all the time.

Last December, GeChic released the On-Lap 1302, a 13.3-inch portable external display for laptops. Weighing only 23 ounces, the On-Lap 1302 is light enough and small enough to stash in your bag with your laptop. Though the On-Lap 1302 display itself is rather ho-hum, you can have a two display setup wherever you go, even if you’re working out of your local library or coffee shop.

HDMI and the Retina MacBook Pro

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Believe it or not, it’s been nearly four and a half years since Apple released the original MacBook Air. At the time, it was revolutionary in terms of its size and weight, but it also was slow, had little storage, had only a single USB port for expansion, and was very expensive—it started at $1799, and if you wanted solid-state storage, the price increased dramatically (by $999!). As Jason Snell wrote at the time, “laptop design has always been about compromise,” and the original Air required some painful compromises.

The Air itself has also evolved: The second iteration gained some speed, better video capabilities, and more storage. The third generation got faster and cheaper. In 2010, Apple gave the Air its biggest update by adding a second USB port, improving performance, standardizing on flash storage, lowering prices, and—in the biggest move of all—releasing a road-warrior-dream 11-inch model priced at just $999. The company turbocharged the Air last year by upgrading to Intel Core i5 and i7 processors and adding a Thunderbolt port.

In a few short years, the Air has gone from an expensive technology demonstration to a successful product firmly established as the heart of Apple’s laptop line. This year’s models improve the appeal of the Air by increasing performance, enhancing expansion capabilities, and lowering prices. In fact, the new models might just be making the MacBook Pro line a little nervous.

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With all the exhilaration surrounding the debut of Apple's pioneering Retina MacBook Pros, it's easy to overlook that the company also upgraded the rest of its pro laptop lineup. In addition to the Retina MacBook Pro—the justifiable new standard against which Apple's other laptops (indeed all laptops) will now be judged—the company has also updated a pair of 13-inch and a pair of 15-inch non-Retina MacBook Pros. These new “regular” models offer a speed boost over their late-2011 predecessors thanks to brand new processors and video components, and feature updated technology, including USB 3.

Targeting markets

To grasp the regular MacBook Pro’s still-significant appeal is to consider the specific needs of Apple’s mid-market target audience of non-visually oriented professionals. This class of users, though not creative in the strict definition of “creative pro,” still requires substantial computing power, though not necessarily a super high-resolution display—or the price tag that goes with it.

Apple had developed three laptop models for three distinct sets of buyers: The MacBook was a consumer model for general users; the MacBook Pro catered to a higher-end crowd of creative professionals; and the MacBook Air was there for a smaller group for whom portability outpaced all other traditional notebook appurtenances like an optical drive, spinning hard disk, and multiple connection choices. This crowd appreciated the MacBook Air's friendly specs for traveling light (even if it was just from the bus stop to the office or class).

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Apple isn’t afraid to stir things up, making people rethink how they use technology. In recent years, most of that kind of innovation has focused on the iPhone, iPad, and iOS. But the MacBook Pro with Retina display, released at WWDC 2012, now directs attention back to the Mac.

The Retina MacBook Pro is not only a groundbreaking release, combining stunning performance and portability in a 15-inch Mac laptop; this model will also force you to change the way you interact with a laptop. From overhauling how you view and work with content to how you deal with external devices and connections, Apple isn’t afraid to push its customers in new directions. The Retina MacBook Pro is certainly a more-than-gentle nudge.

Looking good: The Retina display

The marquee feature of this laptop is right in the name—the Retina display. The Retina display made its debut in the iPhone 4, followed by the third generation iPad. It’s finally made its way to a Mac. You can look at the Retina display as another step in the iOS-ification of the Mac, or you can see it as I do—another way to remind you that all of these products are part of one big happy Apple family.

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If you have a Thunderbolt-equipped Mac—lucky you!—it’s time to back up your data and set a little bit of time aside to download and run Thunderbolt Firmware Update v1.2, released by Apple on Thursday.

According to Apple, the update is a stability fix for Thunderbolt and Target Disk Mode. The update is a scant 1.2MB in size and requires OS X 10.8.3 or later.

If you have a Mac laptop, be sure to plug it in before you run the update. During the installation, your Mac will restart and the screen will go gray with a status indication bar.

If you’re looking to keep that computer running smoothly, Apple is the one to turn to, says Consumer Reports. On Monday, the consumer advocacy publication announced that the company from Cupertino had once again topped a reader survey of the best computer tech support, even going so far as to beat its own scores from the previous year.

To the surprise of nobody who’s actually paid attention to the PC market in the last several years, Apple beat out competitors Lenovo, Asus, Dell, Toshiba, Hewlett Packard/Compaq, and Acer/Gateway/eMachines by a healthy margin, scoring an 86 out of 100, which the publication describes as “very satisfied.” The next closest brand was Lenovo, which scored only a 63, or “fairly well satisfied.”

According to Consumer Reports’s data, Apple also solved a best-in-category 82 percent of readers’ problems; the nearest PC brand was Dell, which reported 61 percent of problems solved. One wildcard? The second place result actually fell to local stores that built custom PCs, which scored a 78 out of 100 on Consumer Reports’s scale, and solved 71 percent of problems brought to their attention.

Apple was also the only brand with positive standing in the phone support and online support categories, both of which achieved Better ratings; most of the company’s counterparts registered the lowest possible rating in those areas. The Apple Store’s Genius Bar also took home top honors for in-store support, solving 88 percent of problems, compared to 73 percent for Staples’ EasyTech and 70 percent for Best Buy’s Geek Squad.

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Apple announced record sales for its March quarter on Tuesday, thanks to strong demand for the iPhone and iPad. But the company’s quarterly profits fell from the year-ago quarter.

Apple’s revenue rose 11 percent to $43.6 billion for the quarter ended March 30. Income fell to $9.5 billion from $11.6 billion last year.

You can get a complete overview of Apple’s quarterly performance or follow the company’s quarterly briefing with analysts below.

Next time you drive the Chevy to the levee, you can do it with Siri’s help. Elsewhere, do you remember where you were the day the MacBook Pro’s slogan died? And Apple proves no moss grows on a rolling iPhone. The good ol’ remainders for Monday, March 25, 2013 are drinking whiskey and rye.

Chevrolet Sonic with Siri TV Spot, ‘Buttons’ (iSpot.tv)

If you were wondering when you could strap yourself into the driver seat of a car with Siri integration, buckle up: The 2013 Chevrolet Sonic will be the first car to hit the market with Siri’s Eyes Free feature, announced during 2012’s WWDC keynote. Unfortunately, rumor has it that Siri gets offended if you ask for directions via Google Maps.

Apple revoit le slogan du MacBook Pro Retina (MacPlus)

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Phil Schiller has eaten his Wheaties, the iMac can now join your other fine pieces of art, and the Retina MacBook Pro conceals a ghostly secret. The remainders for Thursday, March 14, 2013 are zany to the max.

Apple, on Defense, Slams Samsung (Wall Street Journal)

Apple’s Phil Schiller has come out swinging in the last day. In interviews with both the Wall Street Journal and Reuters, Schiller lambasted Android’s fragmentation issues, and quoted numbers saying that far more folks are switching to the iPhone from Android than vice versa. Inside sources tell me that this all part of a marketing stunt for a brand new energy drink Apple’s developing: “The Phil ‘er Up.”

Apple now selling VESA mounts with new iMacs (Macworld UK)

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Vancouver police are investigating a brazen robbery at an Apple Store Monday night in which three male suspects allegedly sprayed 40 people with a chemical mix designed to ward off bears as they swiped an undetermined amount of Apple laptops, iPads and iPods.

Apple.com

According to the National Post in Canada, police are still looking for the suspects, who fled by car and dumped some of the items they swiped before doing so. A handful of the people hit at the Oakridge Mall with the cayenne pepper-based spray were treated by paramedics, according to the National Post.

Theft of Apple devices has become a serious concern for device owners and law enforcement. An armed robbery of an Apple Store in Paris on New Year’s Eve involved more than $1 million in stolen goods.

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The Mac Pro begins its farewell tour, the MacBook Air may be in line for a makeover, and Apple’s still taking the lion’s share of money in the consumer electronics realm. The remainders for Tuesday, February 19, 2013 are for pros only.

Mac Pro no longer available from European Apple Online Stores ahead of March 1 discontinuation (9to5Mac)

The slow decline of the Mac Pro continues; though Apple said last month that it would stop selling the desktop tower in the European Union starting March 1 (for which you can blame updated electrical regulations), a check of the Apple online store shows that it’s already listed as “currently unavailable” in many of the company’s European marketplaces. But we choose to believe that somewhere out there the last remaining Mac Pros lead a rag-tag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest for some other shining planet.

Redesigned MacBook Air Reportedly Planned for 3Q 2013 Launch, Possibly with Retina Display (MacRumors)

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Apple early Wednesday announced that the MacBook Pro with Retina Display is now a bit faster—and cheaper, to boot. The updated laptops boast speedier processors and lower price tags.

The newly updated 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display starts at $1499 with 128GB of flash storage, and $1699 for a 2.6GHz processor with 256GB of flash storage. Those are savings of $200 and $300 off the previous prices. And the newly updated 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display gains a 2.4GHz quad-core processor, with an option to upgrade to a 2.7GHz quad-core processor with 16GB of RAM.

Apple also announced that it’s dropping the price on the 13-inch MacBook Air with 256GB of flash storage to $1399, a price drop of $100.

Just Tuesday, CEO Tim Cook said at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference that Apple is always eager to find ways to drive prices down as it improves its supply chain management.

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We’re all interested in saving energy. Maybe you conserve to be a better global citizen or to save money on your utility bills. Maybe you use your laptop on the go and want to squeeze every possible minute of battery life out of it. But what if the daily computing practices you follow to save energy end up wasting it instead? What if your assumptions about Mac power usage are wrong? To investigate this possibility, Macworld’s lab compiled a list of eight widely held opinions about energy conservation, grabbed our trusty power meters, and started logging power usage.

We used two systems: a 2011 21-inch iMac and a 2011 15-inch MacBook Pro. We connected them to a Watt’s Up Pro power meter equipped with a USB connection that allowed us to capture energy usage logs while we ran various tests. Here’s what we found out.

1. ‘Laptops use less energy than desktops.’

The iMac we tested averaged around 83W with the screen set to full brightness, and with Bluetooth and WiFi enabled. That’s six times more than the 13.4W that the MacBook Pro drew at similar settings when fully charged. When the MacBook Pro’s battery was at a 50 percent charge and plugged in, however, our 15-inch laptop drew 80W, just about the same as the iMac.

Takeaway: Over the course of a day, laptops do use less energy than desktops.

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You hear the statistic all the time—so often, in fact, that it becomes noise: A laptop is stolen every 53 seconds. According to the FBI, 97 percent of them are never recovered.

I was content to labor blissfully away in the belief that laptop thefts happen to other people—until, in January, I became one of those other people. The crime itself was brazen: I was in the middle of typing an email when a young man snatched my laptop from beneath my fingertips, ran out the door of the Starbucks where I was seated, and jumped into a waiting car.

Frankly, I had let my guard down. I was a regular patron of the place, it was three o’clock in the afternoon, and plenty of witnesses were around. But it was all over in about 30 seconds.

The phenomenon is called “Apple picking,” and it’s an epidemic in major cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York—as well as in Southern California suburbs, as it turned out. I later learned that in the course of just three days, thieves had picked off unsuspecting Apple users in at least 24 Starbucks locations around the region known as the Inland Empire.

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One of the scariest things that can happen to your Mac, short of actual flames and smoke billowing from the case, is a failure to turn on at all. You press the power button and nothing happens—no startup sound, no light, nothing. If this happens, you can check several things before hauling your Mac to the nearest Apple Store for repair—as often as not, this seemingly difficult problem might have a simple solution.

Electricity, e-lec-tricity

First, make sure that your Mac is getting juice. To do this, you may need to trace the entire flow of electricity to your Mac. Check your Mac’s power cord to ensure it is firmly seated where it connects to the computer as well as where it plugs into the wall. If it goes through an outlet strip or a UPS, make sure that’s also connected and turned on. Also check that any surge protectors are still working—a power surge might have knocked them off.

You can confirm that an outlet is good by plugging in something else, such as a light. (If it doesn’t work, check your fuses or circuit breakers.) If the outlet and all cable connections check out, make sure the power cord has no crimps, breaks, or other damage; a broken wire could be the culprit.

Faulty peripherals and broken buttons

Once you’ve established that your AC power path is good, it’s time to look at your Mac itself. Unplug everything you can—not the power cord, obviously, or your mouse and keyboard if they’re wired, and your monitor if it’s not built in, but disconnect everything else and try pressing the power button again. If your Mac turns on, you know that one of your peripherals was at fault.

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It’s that time again when Mac users make their New Year’s resolutions. How about a simple pledge to keep your computer clean? I’m not talking about deleting cache files or removing old apps you no longer use. I’m talking about your Mac’s screen and keyboard, or its dusty, grungy innards. It’s not difficult to do, but keeping a clean Mac can help it run smoother, and keep you from getting sick as well. Here are a few ways you can keep your Mac looking new and fresh.

Clean that keyboard

It’s fair to say that the dirtiest part of your Mac is its keyboard. Even if you wash your hands every time you sit down to type, the keyboard collects the germs and sweat from your fingers, and the dust in your room or office. This can make for sticky keys and transfer cold viruses, or worse.

First, unplug your keyboard from your computer or, in the case of a wireless keyboard, remove its batteries. (If you’re cleaning a laptop keyboard, shut down the computer and unplug the power adapter.) Blow out the dust and, if necessary, vacuum the space between the keys (or under them, depending on the type of keyboard you have).

Next, clean your keys with disinfecting wipes. (Apple recommends Lysol and Clorox Kitchen disinfecting wipes.) Since the alcohol evaporates, there’s no risk of liquid damaging the keyboard, and it’s a better disinfectant than soap. Still, make sure to squeeze out sopping wipes.

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My friend Julian Velard is a musician and a geek. But as hard as JV drives his MacBook Pro—and he does push it to its limits, using live audio plug-ins for his keyboards onstage–when the computer acts up, I’m the one he texts for support. (Fair’s fair: If I can’t remember how to play a minor major seventh, Julian’s the one I call. We’re all experts in something.)

When Julian called late last week, his MacBook Pro wouldn’t turn on; it would get stuck on the Gray Screen of Stomach Pain Inducement and never move forward. Over chat, phone, and then in person when he made the trek from Brooklyn to my New Jersey home, I walked JV through my steps for resuscitating a Mac that won’t start up. Let me share them with you too, since you may not have my number.

Step 1: Run Disk Utility

If your Mac won’t boot, there could be many issues at play. But the one I like to rule out right away—or repair, if possible—is any problem afflicting the hard drive. The easiest first step on that front is to run Disk Utility. On a Mac running Mountain Lion, you can run Disk Utility by booting into OS X Recovery Mode.

Make sure the Mac is off. (If it’s not responsive because it’s stuck on a gray, blue, or white screen, just hold down the Mac’s power button for several long seconds until it gives up and shuts off.) Hold down the Command and R keys, and power the Mac back up again.

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If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re thinking about buying a new Mac and in need of a little guidance. Fortunately, we’ve tested (almost) every standard-configuration Mac model currently in Apple’s lineup. We’re quite familiar with Apple’s Macs, and we’re happy to help you choose the right Mac for you.

This buying guide provides an overview of all the Mac models available, and what each model is best suited for. To get more details, you can read the full review for each Mac by clicking the “Read our complete review” links.

MacBook Air

Apple

What is it? The MacBook Air is Apple’s ultrathin, ultralight laptop. It comes in two sizes: 11 inches (2.4 pounds) and 13 inches (3.0 pounds).

Who’s it for? The MacBook Air is ideal for anyone who is always on the go, doesn’t want to be bogged down by a regular-size laptop, and also needs a computer that’s more versatile than an iPad.

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A visit to your local Apple Store during the holiday season can be maddening. The stores are overrun with other shoppers, there’s a mob around each gadget table, and waiting for your turn to be helped by an Apple Store employee takes eons. The walk-in line to purchase an iPhone 5 alone can take upwards of an hour, depending on how many people are in front of you. While we generally like the Apple Store’s “no register” system, it can be a real headache during busy periods.

This year, there are a few ways to avoid waiting in a long line. It just takes a little planning ahead.

Check yourself out

Bring your iOS device to the Apple Store, because the Apple Store app is a handy guide for holiday shopping. The app shows you where the nearest Apple Store is, lets you search for product availability at specific stores, and allows you to purchase items yourself.

The Apple Store app also has a feature called Express Checkout that lets you directly purchase items from the online Apple Store by quickly entering your Apple ID and password. Designate whether you’d like to pick the item up in a store or have it shipped. The app bills the card on file that’s linked to your Apple ID and will ship to the address on file as well; you can adjust these settings by selecting Edit in the app itself at checkout.

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When you hit the road, it’s easy to get paranoid—especially if you’re carrying thousands of dollars’ worth of technology with you. You can alleviate some of your worries by taking security measures to protect yourself against someone running off with your iPhone, iPad, or MacBook.

Use common sense 

If you’re not used to toting a machine outside your usual rounds, don’t forget these precautions.

Don’t leave devices lying around: Don’t leave your laptop or other device on a table or counter at a coffee shop or other establishment and walk away or turn your back. Hardware is too easily snatched and too portable.

Don’t leave bags untended: Don’t walk away from a bag that holds your phone, tablet, or laptop. It’s simple for a thief to poke around without attracting notice, especially during the holidays when shops are busy.

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Admit it: Your carry-on bag is stuffed with digital gear that you can’t bear to leave at home.  Your iPhone, iPad, or MacBook will keep you entertained while en route, and it’ll make a great navigation, research, and photo tool when you reach your destination. But keeping these devices charged when you’re constantly on the go or stuck in the air can be a challenge. Luckily, you can do a few things  to extend battery life and conserve power.

Invest in a battery case

A battery case for your iPhone extends the phone's battery life and keeps it safe from occasional drops and bumps. Most battery cases come with dock-connector plugs designed to pair up with the iPhone’s 30-pin (iPhone 4S and older) or Lightning (iPhone 5) connector port, which they use to deliver the juice to your iPhone. The only downside is that you can't use any dock-cradle accessories without removing the iPhone from the case.

One of our favorite battery charging cases is the Mophie Juice Pack Plus for the iPhone 4/4S ($100). It significantly boosts your iPhone’s battery life without adding too much weight (the company claims that the battery pack can actually add up to 125 percent more power), and you can still sync your iPhone using the included USB-to-Micro-USB cable. The Juice Pack Plus also has an on/off switch, so you can control when the case sends electricity to your phone.

Although the company promises one soon, Mophie has yet to release a battery case for the iPhone 5. uNu’s Ecopack for the iPhone 5 ($80), however, is a good option to use now with the latest iPhone. This battery case snaps onto your iPhone and doubles its battery life. The Ecopack comes in a variety of colors, and it purports to be eco-friendly because you can swap the battery portion of the device between cases, enabling the battery to last through several phone upgrades.

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