Throughout May when you buy any new Mac (yeah any), it comes with a free 30 day subscription to macProVideo.com ($49.99 value).

What does this subscription do for you? How about access to hundreds of video lessons on all things Mac. Want to brush up on iPhoto? Jam in some lessons on GarageBand? Flick through tips on iMovie? Maybe just have pride in knowing how Lion works. You can watch the videos online, download them to your Mac, even watch them on your iPad or iPhone. It’s the best kind of learning, what you need, when you need it, and taught at your pace.

Each larger lesson is broken up into short segments that you can watch in a few minutes. Of course if you missed something and need to watch it again—you can!

So, pick up a Mac, get a month of free video lessons—even if you’re not new to the Mac, there are lessons for you too—and maybe you can be an Apple Expert too.

How many time have you been to a business meeting, talk, or whatever and there is a 5-10 minute (or longer!) delay while the presenter futzes with the projector to get it to work?

Personally, I’ve lost count. Heck I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve lost precious meeting or presentation or class time minutes trying to get projectors to work. But here’s an idea, how about ditching the projector altogether? How about an HDTV and an Apple TV?

Don’t shake your head…it’s not as crazy as you might think.

From this MacWorld article it sounds like it works pretty well.

Actually I can tell you from my own experience it does work well.

Some caveats here. First AirPlay and video mirroring from iOS devices only works for the iPhone 4S, iPad 2, and the new iPad. You can’t mirror from a MacBook (for example) to an Apple TV (natively)…yet. Though when Mountain Lion (10.8) comes out this summer that is one of the features. In the meantime you can try AirParrot to do the same thing.

Easy for boardroom presentations.

Hmm, this could make an Apple TV a presenter’s best friend.

You’re on the go with your iPad. You’ve left your Mac at home and you remember you need a critical file—something you didn’t store in Dropbox—or need to do some other task that can only be done on your machine at home. What do you do? Go home? Call someone? How about just logging into your Mac from your iPad?

Wait, what is this magic you speak of?

Actually, it’s not magic and there are several remote access solutions around that can help you out of this jam. Screens, LogMeIn, and Splashtop all let you get back to your Mac quickly and easily. I hadn’t tried any of the solutions before, although there have been several times when I’ve been at home even and needed something from my Mac and wished I didn’t have to get up to do it, but this review of Splashtop got me interested in trying. Okay that and it’s on sale right now for $4.99.

After installing the application on my iPad and installing the helper program on my Mac, I fired it up at home. After putting in my secret code on my iPad…ta-da!…I could see and interact with my Mac. This was cool, and amazing, but (relatively) easy. Connecting to my Mac from my iPad on the same network. Now, the real challenge is connecting to my Mac from my iPad…over the Internet (e.g. at work).

A lot of remote access applications require you to set up dynamic DNS another or other Internet trickeries to make sure your computer at home (and usually behind a router with a firewall) can be found. Apple uses your Apple ID tied in with iCloud to make Back to Your Mac work (oh and it does work wonderfully), Splashtop Remote Desktop uses your Google ID to pull off the same feat. The result? This:

Yep my Mac at home, as viewed on my iPad. That little thing in the lower right-hand corner is how you get to a keyboard and other features (like switching between the two displays).

Is it amazing? Oh yeah.

Worth $5? Totally.

How often will you use it? Maybe not tons, but knowing I have it available is great.

My example is connecting from my iPad to a Mac, but you can also install the Splashtop helper application on a PC and remotely control a Windows machine as well. Now imagine all the things you can do…send something to print at home. Start an application you need. Use an application you need (like Photoshop or something).

Nifty, easy, and worth it.

Although we all try to use less and less paper, sometimes it’s unavoidable. Now here’s the gotcha—how do you make something on paper electronic? Well, with a scanner of course. I remember my first flatbed scanner when I started doing freelance webdesign in the late 90s. Man that thing was huge and slow and loud and not portable at all. Thank goodness those day are far, far behind us. Today scanners are smaller, lighter, and faster…and portable.

Yeah, I said portable.

You might have heard of the Doxie Go scanner, but have you seen or tried one? We got a demo model from Doxie to try and while I gave it a quick test and liked it, it’s the Accounting department who quickly pounced on it and have been loving it for months. Why? Well, let me show you:

Yeah a scanner that you don’t have to have connected to a computer to use. Scan a bunch of photos wherever you need to be (say way up in the attic). Scan a pile of receipts while sitting on the couch watching a movie. Or scan a signed contract when you’re at a client’s office (or worksite or in the middle of nowhere). When you’re done, you can pull all the scans into your Mac (or iPad!) to manage.

Slick and easy.

Come on down to your local Simply to check out the Doxie. I’m thinking you’ll “go” away with one.

Reading through one of my news summary services (because seriously, there is a lot of tech news coming out at any given time) I caught this post on Read Write Web—How the iPad Is Revolutionizing Local Businesses. I thought from the title I’d be reading about people ditching laptops for iPads (I certainly am in that camp), but it turns out it was about point-of-sale systems like Square. The article focused on the restaurant business and how a nice touch-screen device and make for better service at the table. Makes a lot of sense, browse a menu on an iPad, tap to order, sign the screen to pay. The article talked a lot about Square, which is a pity, because Square isn’t available in Canada. Ah, but we have a great solution for you (if you’re in the restaurant business) and it’s called POSLavu.

Kevin Garneau, a member of our crack Simply Business team, has been setting up POSLavu in several local Vancouver eateries to rave reviews. Why have an archaic paper system or a POS system that really is more of a piece of sh… than a point of sale (or maybe it’s just a pain in the a…) when you can have a slick, efficient system that was designed to work in the modern era?

Yeah, exactly.

If you want a demo of POSLavu, or how iPads (and Macs) can help your business…contact the folks at Simply Business today.

Come to think of it, why don’t you join us at the Simply Business open house this Thursday? Have some refreshments, talk tech, and check out some great art to boot…

If you’d like to come, just RSVP to let us know.

If you’ll excuse me, I need to tap out my lunch order for later…

Despite the fact that lots of of us really wish MS Office (Word especially) would die a quick and painful death (iWork and Pages people, or better Scrivener from Literature and Latte), when there are updates to MS Office you really should update:

Microsoft says the update provides the “latest fixes to Office for Mac 2011. Additionally, this update contains stability and reliability improvements.”

via Microsoft Office for Mac Service Pack 2 now live | TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog.

By and large this is true for most apps today. Updates don’t just fix bugs or add features, they also can fix security problems.

Don’t ignore updates!

I’m a child of the 70s. I remember disco. I went to Star Wars in the theater and was so blown away by it all, I didn’t actually remember any of the characters’ names (until I saw it a second time). I watched the Muppet Show when it was on TV for the first time. And I remember the first computers.

The first computer I remember using was a TRS-80 in sixth grade. We played Lemonade and other games on the awesome green display. Oh and the game…it was loaded from a tape cassette.

In middle school (so about 6th–7th grade) I started using the first VIC-20 and Commodore-64 machines to learn BASIC.

Finally after getting a D- on my first high school term paper (no the irony of a best-selling author getting such a terrible grade on a term paper isn’t lost on me), my dad started shopping for computers. We looked at IBM and Epson and HP and…

Apple.

Yeah my first home computer was the venerable Apple IIe. We had dual 5.25″ floppy drives. We started with the monochrome green monitor, but then moved up to 16 color. Our word processor was so “advanced” for its day that it needed an expansion board of its own so you could type the codes for bold, italics, and underline into your document.

What got me thinking about all of this wasn’t computers at all, but rather this post from Mental Floss on “modern” antiques. Stuff like this:

Oh I remember these. I remember not having enough of them when I needed them. I remember breaking them putting them into place (and trying not to scratch the record). I remember flinging them at my sisters (oh the joy of being the oldest of 4).

And let’s not forget this:

Yeah, I remember when floppy disks were actually floppy. Not to mention I had the coolio punch to make “single sided” disks “double sided” by punching out the disk read notch on the other side. Oh and remember “write protecting” a disk meant covering the notch with a sticker?

Good times, good times.

So as we enjoy our iPhones and MacBook Pros and other devices…don’t forget the phone in your pocket is more powerful than the computer that got men back and forth from the moon safely.

In recent weeks a lot—a lot—has been made of the Flashback trojan (malware or virus or scourge of the Mac world, whichever term suits you). So while this is a real threat and we need to take it seriously, there is no need to panic.

So first, let’s get the facts.

First, what is Flashback anyway?

Flashback is a malicious program that pretended to be an update for your Mac and used a flaw in Java for Mac to gain access. Once the exploit was found in the wild, Apple patched Java not once, but twice to address the problem. If you’ve run Software Update in the past week (or less), you probably received the update automatically. Here is what Apple has published about Flashback.

Second, how many Mac were infected?

About 600,000. To put that into perspective, there are millions of Macs around. So 600,000 is a large number, no doubt, but it’s also a teeny, tiny fraction of all Macs in the world. Here’s more info from Kaspersky Labs.

Can I check if I’m infected and get rid of it?

Certainly. And remember chances are you’re not infected (we haven’t seen any infections at Simply). From this article on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) we’ve tried the two tools presented and think the F-secure tool is the easiest to use.

Should I get anti-virus software?

This is an interesting question. Right now the threat to Macs is pretty low. And this isn’t, contrary to popular belief, because Macs are immune to viruses. Macs are immune to Windows viruses, there are certainly security flaws and other ways viruses could infect Macs—if people write viruses to target Macs. Right now, there aren’t many people writing viruses for Macs, so…

No, you don’t need to worry additional anti-virus software. You see Apple already has anti-virus/malware software built into OS X it’s called XProtect. XProtect, for the moment, doesn’t deal with this new threat, but Apple has promised a fix in short order.

But wait, my friend said…

Here’s the quandary with anti-virus software. By and large, all anti-virus software taxes the resources on your Mac. We haven’t found an option that doesn’t either slow your Mac down or interfere with how you use it. We’re not going to recommend something to you we wouldn’t use ourselves on our own Macs. So, sure you might get an extra measure of protection, but you might also get a double-helping of frustration with it.

That’s the word from Simply. If we have an update, we’ll let you know.

Update: Apple has released a third update for Java and this one removes Flashback variants (via MacStories).

Okay, so you have the bare essentials for your MacBook already. So, what else is there? Oh, so many wonderful things! But, let’s be sensible about this, so here are our top ten must-have accessories for your MacBook.

External Hard drive

Have you ever considered how many things are on your MacBook that aren’t anywhere else? Photos, documents, songs…memories. Don’t wait until you think your hard drive is failing to start backing up. Pick up an external hard drive, set it up with Time Machine and have piece of mind now.

Grid-It organizer

If you’re wondering how you’ll keep all these accessories organized in your bag, we have the answer for you—The Grid-It from Cocoon. Just a simple set of overlapping elastic bands keeps everything in your bag neat, tidy, and organized.

USB hub

Sometimes you need more than two USB ports. With a USB hub you can connect more USB devices to your MacBook at once! Camera, microphones, your iOS device…maybe even a USB coffee warmer.

Portable power bar

Want to know the secret to making friends in coffee places or airports? Have a power strip in your bag to share outlets with people! Belkin even makes a power bar than rotates to fit the space available and has two USB ports for charging other devices—yes even the iPad.

Video adapters

Want to connect your MacBook to your TV or a projector?You need a DisplayPort adapter for that. Simply has all the connectors you need. Whether you need a VGA connector (for most projectors), DVI (second screen FTW!) or HDMI (to connect to your TV), we have a all the options you might need.

USB flash drives

Sure you can just email a document, but sometimes you just need to copy a file quickly or need a secure (extra) backup of your presentation. Everyone should have a couple USB flash drives in their bag all the time. You just never know when you might need one.

Kensington cable lock

Everyone loves MacBooks—so do thieves—if you have to leave your MacBook for a moment at the cafe or your desk, a Kensington cable lock will make sure your MacBook is still there when you get back.

Headphones

You can’t always blast your music, sometimes you just have to have a pair of headphones so you can watch a video, listen to music, or take that Skype call without bothering other people. Simply has headphones for every need, style, and budget. Come down and check them out.

Twelve South PlugBug or Moshi Rewind

Need to charge your iPad or iPhone on the go but run out places to plug in (even with your power bar)? This is where the PlugBug comes in. The PlugBug attaches to your MacBook power adapter so you can keep your MacBook plugged in and have a USB port to charge your device too! Now, if you have a couple devices that need charging the Moshi Rewind might be just the ticket. The Rewind is a compact charger for USB devices with not just one, but two, USB ports. You can charge an iPad and an iPhone at the same time!

Moshi iVisor Screen protector

The MacBook screen is gorgeous, so keep it that way with the Moshi iVisor anti-glare screen protector. Like the ClearGuard keyboard cover and the iVisors for iOS device, the iVisor for your MacBook is washable and is guaranteed to be bubble free! Bonus!

Doxie Go portable scanner

You might have seen or heard about the Doxie Go portable scanner. It’s a scanner that doesn’t need to be attached to a computer to scan! Essentially, the Doxie Go scanner works like a digital camera for paper. When you scan a photo, receipt, contract, or whatever the image is stored in the Doxie’s own internal memory or an SD card or a flash drive! When you’re done (or back at your desk) you can connect the Doxie Go to your Mac and download the scanned images to your machine. Small and portable the Doxie is a great option for mobile professionals who need a scanner that isn’t tied to their desk. Our accounting department has been using—and loving—one for months.

It was hard to keep to just 10 (okay 11) essentials for your MacBook. There are stands, things to keep the cords at your desk under control, and even little lights to brighten up your keyboard. So if one of these items don’t tickle your fancy, come on into your local Simply Computing store and see what we have. Still looking? Well ask away in the comments and we might be able to find the perfect gadget for you.

So you have a MacBook. It doesn’t matter if it’s the thin, light (and awesome!) MacBook Air or the portable power (vroom!) of the MacBook Pro, either choice is fantastic. Here’s the thing, though. A MacBook alone is just, well, naked and it just doesn’t have to be. What does Simply suggest as the bare essentials for your MacBook? Well watch this video and find out…if you dare:

In all seriousness, let’s talk about each of these essentials and why they are important.

AppleCare Protection Plan

Every new MacBook you buy comes with a year warranty and 90-day technical support from Apple. Great, basic protection for your investment, but remember MacBooks are very complex devices and over time parts wear out. It’s just life, it happens. To protect yourself, and your investment, purchase AppleCare when you get your new MacBook. With AppleCare your warranty is extended for an additional two years as well as your tech support from Apple!

Not only that, but here at Simply we do you one better. While your MacBook is under warranty (so automatically for the first year or three years if you bought AppleCare) you can bring your MacBook into any Simply store for a free tune up every year. Plus while your MacBook is in for service you can ask about a free loaner MacBook you can use in the meantime. No one else give you that kind of support, not even “you-know-who”.

Moshi ClearGuard Keyboard Cover

Think about your keyboard for a moment. Actually, look at your keyboard for a moment. Okay, so how clean is it? You touch it all day, everyday. Sure we’re supposed to keep food and drink away from the keyboard, but we all sip and nibble while at our MacBooks. And then there’s dust. Can’t get away from dust. All together this can make for a pretty gross keyboard, unless… you have something to cover it. This is where the Moshi ClearGuard cover comes in. The cover is thin, flexible, form fitting, and washable. It keeps gunk, dreck, dust, crumbs, and ick from getting on your keyboard or inside your MacBook. Since it’s washable, if you feel like your cover is getting icky, just wash it! Lots of people wonder if these keyboard covers interfere with typing. Inferior covers do (and I’ve tried lots of inferior covers), the Moshi ClearGuard doesn’t. I hardly notice it on my keys. If anything I find the slightly soft surface makes for easier and more comfortable typing (and I type a lot). We have ClearGuards for all sizes of MacBooks and external keyboards as well! Try one in the store and we know you’ll want to add this on.

Laptop bag or sleeve

While I have seen people carrying their MacBooks around in the original box (really, the box), most people opt for a padded sleeve or laptop bag to carry their MacBook around in. At Simply we strive to have one of the best selections of bags and sleeves anywhere. The only question you have now is what features you’re looking for? Sleeves are great if you already have a bag you love, but want to give your MacBook a wee more protection than just tossing it into the bag. A dedicated computer bag is great if you want a bag tailored to the needs of toting a bag with a laptop in it (pockets for extras, etc). Still stumped? Just ask us! We’ll help you pick a bag or sleeve that matches your unique needs. Okay, these are just the bare essentials. But what about other stuff? What other accessories are there for my MacBook that we think you might like. Glad you asked! Here are the Top 10 Accessories for your MacBook.