Slow computers are no fun, especially since more and more people are working from home. Learn how to optimize mac performance and say goodbye to computer lag.

In 2017, Apple revealed that there were almost 100 million active users of its Mac computers. During that time, the value of the company’s Mac sector alone was worth nearly $25 billion.

Today, iOS X (AKA macOS X) now accounts for 25% of desktop operating systems in the US alone. That makes North America the biggest user of Apple computers in the world.

Despite its pros over other brands, such as ease of use and better security, Macs aren’t immune to lags. Just like any other computer, iMacs and MacBooks will still slow down over time.

Simple hacks to optimize Mac performance can prevent these issues though. What’s more, today’s Macintosh computers make optimization even simpler for users.

Ready to get the max out of your Mac? Then be sure to check out these tips on how to clean your Mac and make it perform at its peak once again!

Make Sure You Have the Latest macOS

The first step on how to optimize your Mac’s performance is to make sure it’s running the most recent OS version. The most recent operating system update is the macOS Catalina version 10.15.3.

To check what version your Mac is running, click the Apple icon on the upper left-hand corner of your screen. Click “About This Mac”, which will bring up a window that contains details about your current OS. If you see other than “macOS Catalina” in there, click the “Software Update” button.

The latest OS version is key to better Mac optimization as it installs the latest app patches. These patches correct bugs that may have been an issue with previous versions. Aside from performance upgrades, these patches also make your Mac more secure.

Take Advantage of Mac’s Storage Recommendations

This being 2020, experts say that the world will produce a whopping 40 zettabytes. That’s 5,200 GB worth of data spread throughout every human being in the world.

While you may not be holding that amount of data to your name, you’re still likely using much of your Mac’s storage. Note that new MacBooks only have 128 GB to 256 GB of hard drive, while iMacs usually come with 1 TB of hard drive. If you have an older model, then your iMac likely only has a 500 GB drive.

The thing is, unnecessary files and apps are likely taking up a good portion of that space. That means you have less space for new files or programs that you do need. Moreover, all those unneeded files can cause your Mac’s performance to drop considerably.

The easiest way to address these files is to follow your device’s recommendations. You’ll find this under the “Manage” option in the “Storage” tab of the “About This Mac” window.

Within that tab, you can set the automatic deletion of files in your Mac’s Trash folder. Turning this on will erase all files in Trash after 30 days of being in that folder.

You can also enable the “Optimize Storage” option for TV shows and movies you’ve already seen. This feature also automates the erasure of these downloads after you’ve watched them.

Move Important Files to the Cloud or a Hard Drive

For files that you don’t want to permanently delete, consider moving them to iCloud. It gives you 5GB of online storage for free, but you can upgrade your plan up to 2TB.

You should also import as many files as you can to an external hard drive. If your EHD has a large capacity, consider setting it up as your main storage space. The less the load on your Mac’s built-in hard drive, the faster it will perform.

Optimize Mac Performance By Uninstalling Apps You Don’t Need

One of the best steps on how to clean Mac computers is to get rid of all those unneeded apps. You don’t use them, but they’re still eating up valuable space in your hard drive. The more of these programs you have, the slower your device will get.

Start with the apps that you may have only used a few times before but no longer really need today. You may also have installed these programs as an “extra” or “add-on” of another download.

Either way, you can easily find all your apps by opening Finder and clicking “Applications”. That should bring up a complete list of all the apps stored in your Mac. Drag those that you don’t need into the Trash or right-click on each one and choose “Move to Trash”.

Monitor Memory-Guzzling Apps Running In the Background

The fastest way to do this is to open Spotlight Search (command + spacebar) and type in “Activity Monitor”. This will bring up a window containing all processes your Mac is running. Go through the list and see if there’s any program that you’re unaware of but is using valuable CPU resources.

If there is, click on that item to highlight it and then click on the “X” button on the upper left-hand corner of the window. You’ll get a message asking if you really want to quit or force quit the program. Make sure that you don’t need that app before hitting either quit or force quit.

Disable As Many Start-Up Items As Possible

Another key step on how to optimize Mac is to make it boot without additional startup items. Startup items are programs loaded and launched as your Apple computer boots. Since your Mac needs to run these at the same time, it will take longer to restart.

Moreover, once these programs launch, they’ll continue to run even if you don’t use them. This means that they’ll still contribute to RAM usage, which can affect your Mac’s speed.

As such, disabling these programs will help optimize your Mac from the moment it boots. You can do this by opening your System Preferences with Finder or Spotlight. Go to “Users & Groups”, select your username, and then choose the “Login Items” tab.

Highlight each of the apps that you want to disable and then click the “-” button at the bottom of the list. You may have to click the Lock icon first and key in your password before you can make changes.

Optimize Your Mac Now for Max Performance

There you have it, all the easy ways to optimize Mac performance and make it a speed monster once again. The more of these hacks you follow, the more space you’ll be able to free up in your Mac. The more free space it has, the faster and better your Apple computer will perform.

Ready for more insider tips that’ll help improve your tech-savviness? Then be sure to check out the other tech posts on our site!

For years, Jonathan has been in prison. As a result, he has missed milestone moments with his family. He wasn’t there for his daughter’s first day of school or a thousand little experiences with his wife and as a father, he is devastated to be separated from those he loves most.

‍Jonathan has been looking forward to his release from prison for over a decade. So many life events have been missed and he is now ready to be with his wife and kids again. Of course, this transition isn’t going to be easy. The odds are against him: with over half of prisoners returning to prison within two years, Jonathan is aware of the challenge set before him.

‍Still, he is determined to take the skills he has learned into the world outside of incarceration and stay there, helping build the community that he is part of for years to come.

Prison Fellowship presents The Restoration Series: Jonathan’s Walk, a 5-part documentary film series following one man as he re-enters his community after 15 years in prison. It demonstrates in imagery, powerful storytelling and social interaction what it means to be human and the shared need of all people to see communities restored. Take a look at this.

Though America is home to only 4% of the world’s population, we house more than 20% of its prisoners. Recidivism–the tendency of a criminal to reoffend—is out of control. The Restoration Series tells the story of men and women who have experienced The Academy, a revolutionary in-prison program that is combatting incarceration and recidivism head on.

To see the rest of this powerful series, click here.

Tips for Last-Minute Christmas Savings

The Festive Season is less than two months away, leaving you with not much time to save for Christmas. With Americans racking up an average of $1,054 in debt over the same period last year according to a report by MagnifyMoney, it is no wonder that an increasing number of individuals are seeking fool-proof ways to save some money at the last minute. While shopping on a budget may help, the following tips may leave you with more money in your pocket that can be spent on all the things that will make your festivities as memorable as possible.

Make your own gifts

Making your own gifts could end up saving you a substantial amount of money. Whether you bake a batch of beautiful biscuits or sew up a storm, creating lovely items of clothing or accessories your gifts are bound to be cherished by everyone who receives them. If you cannot decide what to make, don’t fret. The internet is inundated with thousands of instructables for everything ranging from preserves and baked goods to toys and home decorations.

Use your credit cards correctly

If all else fails and you have to use your credit cards, don’t despair. Many institutions offer an array of benefits over Christmas that range from points and rewards to cash backs and lower interest rates. Prepaid debit cards will also make your shopping sprees significantly easier according to Crediful.com. You can indulge in cashless shopping without having to worry about accumulating huge amounts of debt. Buying with your credit cards during the holidays could actually prove to be beneficial, as long as you utilize them in a responsible manner, of course. 

While Christmas is a time for giving, you don’t want to give so much that you end up paying off your debt for years to come. Instead, make use of the tips above and next year try to start saving towards your festive expenses earlier in the year.

Do you love Christmas Movies? Tired of all the old ones? You’re in luck! Netflix premiers “The Christmas Chronicles” tomorrow, and this is a great movie!!

ABOUT THE MOVIE:

Every year about this time, I look forward to the a good movie coming out at Easter. One year it was Risen. This year it’s ‘Paul, Apostle of Christ’ and it’s not going to disappoint fans! Jim Caviezel, Olivier Martinez and James Faulkner are riveting. 

First of all…watch the trailer. It’s exciting, the cinematography is beautiful and the soundtrack is stunning. I love these period pieces that teach us so much about this era. Not only are we treated to a great story and film, but we learn something at the same time. That’s a win-win in our book.

Here’s the story:

PAUL, APOSTLE OF CHRIST is the story of two men. Luke, as a friend and physician, risks his life when he ventures into the city of Rome to visit Paul, who is held captive in Nero’s darkest, bleakest prison cell. But Nero is determined to rid Rome of Christians, and does not flinch from executing them in the grisliest ways possible. Before Paul’s death sentence can be enacted, Luke resolves to write another book, one that details the beginnings of “The Way” and the birth of what will come to be known as the church.

Bound in chains, Paul’s struggle is internal. He has survived so much—floggings, shipwreck, starvation, stoning, hunger and thirst, cold and exposure—yet as he waits for his appointment with death, he is haunted by the shadows of his past misdeeds. Alone in the dark, he wonders if he has been forgotten . . . and if he has the strength to finish well.

Two men struggle against a determined emperor and the frailties of the human spirit in order to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ and spread their message to the world.

It’s going to have you on the edge of your seat! You can easily buy tickets here, and check out the rest of the movie’s website while you’re at it.

For a special treat, take a look at this behind-the-scenes clip.

Hey – who wants to win a couple of tickets? I have 2 Fandango tickets to give away for this movie. We’ll give you details on the Facebook page. See you there!

Sponsored post

If you’re like most people, you may make two purchases in your life that are both fun and expensive! These are your house and your car. Let’s face it, you’ll spend thousands of dollars, and if you don’t know what you’re looking for, it could be money wasted.

Whether it’s your first time buying a car, or whether you’re buying your dream car (see above!), there are a few things that you need to know. Do your research!

First and foremost – you need to determine your budget. That in itself may narrow your choices. If you have $15,000 and you want a brand new sports car, that’s not going to happen. Only you can decide what amount of money you can afford then stick to the budget! Too often, we become emotionally involved, fall in love with the car, then try to justify spending a lot of extra money. Just say no. Experts say that you should spend no more than 25% of your monthly household budget on all of the cars in your household, including your car payment, insurance payments, maintenance and upkeep. I personally think that this figure is a little too steep for my budget, but you need to figure this one out.

Next, decide what type of car you want that fits your budget. You might want some cute little 2-seater number, but if you’ve got a spouse and 2.5 kids, this probably isn’t realistic. Do you want two-door? Four? Minivan? SUV? Check out Cars.com for some great options.

Before you ever step foot in a car dealership, due diligence is in order.

Are you going to buy new? Used? Lease?
What is a reasonable price for the vehicle you’re looking for?
Have you practiced your negotiating skills?
Can you afford the payment for the car and the insurance?
What financing is available to you?
Are you eligible for any discounts?

If you choose to buy a used car – there are a few other precautions that you MUST take. Either buy the car from a dealership that offers a warranty, or if purchasing from a private seller, have a mechanic check it out. Your own test drive is not enough to detect certain issues that a used car could have. Used cars are sold “as is”, so if it quits running 24 hours after you bought it, it’s yours and you have no recourse unless you can prove that the seller misrepresented something. I know…you don’t want to spend the money on the mechanic. But do you want to be stuck with a car that is headed for the junkyard? Here’s a tip: ask the seller if they will reduce the price of the car for the mechanic’s fee if you buy the car.

Buying a new car can be a lot of fun! Just do your homework and go on the ride of your life!

I love inspirational movies, and those that are based on true stories especially! Not only that, I love movies that I can take my kids to without being concerned that it will be offensive.

ALL SAINTS is one of those movies, and I can’t wait to see it! You know that if it’s brought to us by the same people who did ‘The War Room’ and “Miracles from Heaven”, it’s going to be good!

ALL SAINTS is based on the inspiring true story of salesman-turned-pastor Michael Spurlock (John Corbett), the tiny church he was ordered to shut down, and a group of refugees from Southeast Asia. Together, they risked everything to plant seeds for a future that might just save them all.

I love the line in the movie when Pastor Spurlock says, “Let’s keep them in our prayers and ask for God’s help.” And his son fires back, “Aren’t you God’s help?” Bam! Shots Fired! Right between the eyes. Sometimes we forget that God is using us and wants to use us to do great things. Too many times we sit around and wait on God to do something, when He’s waiting on US to do something! And this movie sure highlights that.

You can take a look at the trailer here:

But don’t stop there! Take a peek behind the scenes and hear from the actors, producers, the real Pastor Spurlock and his wife, and others. You can get a sense of the real heart of this movie in this behind the scenes look.

Visit the movie’s website to find our more, buy tickets, access videos, photos, downloads, news and more.

Disclosure: in exchange for this post and reviewing the movie trailer in advance of its official release, I received complimentary movie tickets from Propeller Consulting, LLC, FlyBy Productions and Sony.

“This is a sponsored conversation from Mums the Word Network and The Stork OTC. All opinions are my own.”

Infertility and difficulty in conceiving can be heartbreaking. I have traveled this journey with both family and friends, and it is a long, hard and expensive one.

One of my best friends married her soul mate later in life and wanted a child. Unfortunately, conception was difficult and she spent time and tears on expensive doctor visits and treatments. I’m happy to say that she is now the proud mother of twins. But it was an excruciatingly painful experience to get to where she is today. My niece just gave birth (last week!) to her second child, and this was only through medical intervention and medical procedures.

Difficulty conceiving is an issue so many women face. It’s difficult to talk about and even more difficult to go through.

In the past, if you had trouble conceiving the “natural” way (or an ill-conceived attempt with a turkey baster), your only option was to start with expensive medical intervention. But now there’s another option that may help: the Stork OTC Conception Aid.

What is it? The Stork OTC is a uniquely designed innovative device you use at home, during ovulation, to The Stork OTC is a uniquely designed, innovative device you use at home, during ovulation, to assist your chances of becoming pregnant. This FDA–cleared, over-the-counter device uses cervical cap insemination. This smart technique enables the sperm to quickly bypass the vaginal tract and places the sperm as close as possible to the opening of the cervix, right where it needs to be to swim up through.

A recently published clinical study demonstrated that in 85% of subjects, The Stork OTC delivered 3.23 times the sperm score value within cervical mucus compared to natural intercourse and … presents a greater concentration of sperm to targeted cervical mucus than natural intercourse.

It’s less invasive and more affordable than costly medical intervention, and if you’re trying to conceive, you may want to try this before going to the next step.

Here’s Ashley’s story, who tried to conceive for three plus years:

“My husband and I have been trying to conceive for 3 years with the help of an RE, after undergoing lots of treatments and tests we fell into the “unexplained” category along with a low sperm morphology count. National Infertility Awareness Week I reached out to review the Stork because I had been reading about it and was intrigued to see maybe if it would work for us and it is definitely more cost efficient. We were averaging $700 a month for IUI and injectable medication versus $80-90 at the store. At first I was a little overwhelmed with the instructions because they were so long and detailed, but once I fully grasped the concept we were good to go. The only downside for us was how uncomfortable the “condom sheath” was to my husband (I have read that some didn’t use it but instead just put the sperm inside of the cup afterwards). On ovulation night we used the 1st stork with the condom sheath and I kept in for about 5 hours, might I add there was no discomfort at all. The next night we used the 2nd stork, this time hubby just put his sperm in the cup and I left it in for about 4 hours. Afterwards, we said our prayers and hoped this might work for us. On 10 DPO we received a super duper faint positive and I almost thought I was just seeing stuff. The next morning, I tested again and saw a faint line and took a digital which said “YES” best word I could have ever seen. I am without a doubt certain the Stork OTC helped us in our long 3-year journey! We went to the Dr. today and saw our baby via ultrasound and just lost it for that we are both forever grateful and thankful to the Stork for
helping us in our journey!!”

So you may be wondering where to get the Stork OTC – it’s available at local pharmacies, including Walgreens. You’ll find it in the family planning section next to the ovulation test kits.

If you want to know more and speak to others who have shared difficulty in conceiving, come join our Twitter party! You’ll find us chatting about this on October 27 at 8pm EDT using the hash tag #successwithStorkOTC. It’s a serious subject, but we’re going to have fun discussing it!

To find out more about the Stork OTC, click here. And to find out where you can purchase one, click here. As always, talk to your doctor about medical issues.

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TOMY is offering exclusive bundles this holiday season, featuring great prices for hot toys, only available on their website. You can save up to 40% off toys from TOMY when you purchase one of the exclusive bundles from TOMY.com.

Deals are out of this world for the Miles from Tomorrowland toys, including a bundle featuring a figure set with Miles and the TTA Crew. This bundle includes 8 figures of your favorite characters from the hit Disney Jr. show for $38.32 on TOMY.com.

Miles from Tomorrowland: Miles and the TTA Crew Bundle

Blast off with Miles and the rest of the Callistos with this exclusive Miles and the TTA Crew Bundle! Collect all the Miles from Tomorrowland figures! Pack includes:

·         Pipp: Miles’ friend, with articulated arms and legs and jetpack accessory

·         Superstellar Miles: Miles with articulated arms and legs and hoverbike accessory.

·         Merc: Miles’ best friend, with articulated arms and legs and detachable wings.

·         Loretta: Miles’ sister, with articulated arms and legs and blastboard accessory.

·         Phoebe: Miles’ mom, with articulated arms and legs and blastboard accessory.

·         Luminex: Lieutenant serving the SpaceGuard Police Force, with articulation and his sidekick.

·         Sleet: Alien leader of icy nomads, with articulation and two henchmen Blizzbert and Flurrbo.

·         Galactic Miles: Miles with articulated arms and legs and blastboard accessory.

SRP: $38.32; Ages: 3 years+

Available ONLY on TOMY.com

Paws-itively awesome deals are in store from Walt Disney Animation Studios smash hit Zootopia. The Zootopia Small Paws Plush bundle includes the loveable lineup of characters from the movie—Officer Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, Emmitt Otterton, Finnick, Mr. Big and Assistant Mayor Bellwether. This 6 pack of plush is on sale for $47.94 on TOMY.com.

Zootopia Small Paws Plush Bundle

The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other! Collect all of your favorite plush characters from Disney’s Zootopia with this exclusive Small Paws Plush Bundle. Pack includes:

·         Officer Judy Hopps: 8.5” Tall soft and cuddly plush, who is a hop-timistic bunny and believes anyone can be anything. Her base is filled with beans so she can sit down.

·         Nick Wilde: 7.5” Tall soft and cuddly plush who is a wise-cracking con-artist fox and knows Zootopia like the back of his paw. His base is filled with beans so he can sit down.

·         Emmitt Otterton: 5” Tall soft and cuddly plush who is mild-mannered florist and loving husband. His base is filled with beans so he can sit down.

·         Finnick: 9” Tall soft and cuddly plush who is a teeny-tiny con-artist with a big chip on his shoulder. His base is filled with beans so he can sit down.

·         Mr. Big: 5” Tall soft and cuddly plush who is the shrewdest crime boss in Tundratown. His base is filled with beans so he can sit down.

·         Assistant Mayor Bellwether: 7.5” Tall soft and cuddly plush who is a sweet, soft spoken and unintentionally comedic sheep. Her base is filled with beans so she can sit down.

SRP: $47.94; Ages: 3 years+

Available ONLY on TOMY.com

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