In Depth: Best free software for writing: 10 programs to unleash your creativity

TechRadar: All latest feeds In Depth: Best free software for writing: 10 programs to unleash your creativity

In theory, if you're hoping to write that novel you've been thinking about for years, then you could just launch your favourite word processor and start typing.

In practice, it's not that simple. You'll need to prepare first, take notes and organise your ideas.

It takes time and effort to make sure your work is properly structured. And an editor you'll use to produce a letter, say, almost certainly isn't the best choice for a big writing project - opting for a more specialist tool could make a real difference to your productivity.

Don't give up just yet, though, this isn't as bad as it seems. There are plenty of excellent free tools to help simplify the mechanics of the writing process. And choosing the right ones will leave you free to focus on what really matters: bringing your ideas to life.

1. LibreOffice Writer

Every writer needs a good word processor for at least some tasks, and LibreOffice has one of the best free offerings around.

Auto-completion, auto-formatting and the spell checker work as you write, delivering great results with minimal hassle.

If you need a little more then it's easy to extend your document with embedded images, footnotes and endnotes, indexes, bibliographies and more. It's straightforward to export your work as a PDF file, ready to share with others.

And this is all presented in a familiar, Word 2007-style interface. You'll feel at home right away.

2. TheSage

TheSage is a very powerful dictionary and thesaurus and a stack of useful features.

For example, a one-click lookup in most applicatons will get you a definition, an example sentence, a pronuciation guide (with matching audio to hear it spoken out loud), and any synonyms, hypernyms, hyponyms and meronyms.

You don't know how to spell a word? No problem, TheSage will offer Google-like alternatives if you get something wrong.

All your searches are stored in a history list for easy reference later. There's also an anagram solver. And the program can even run web searches on your term at Wikipedia, Wiktionary and Google.

3. Sigil

Ideal for e-book authors, Sigil is a capable EPUB editor with a stack of essential features.

If you're new to e-books then you'll appreciate the WSIWYG Book view, for instance, which works much like any other editor. But experienced users can fine tune their project by directly tweaking EPUB code.

A powerful search tool helps you to update text and formatting; tools to create a table of contents and index give your project a professional touch; and the bundled FlightCrew EPUB validator checks that your book conforms to the EPUB standards.

4. TreeSheets

TreeSheets is an interesting note-taking program which takes an unusual approach to organising your ideas.

It works a little like a spreadsheet, but each cell can contain lots of data, images, formatted text and more.

So you might have a list of items, each of which contains contains further tables and images, creating something like an outliner tool with an extra dimension.

The TreeSheets interface is a little unconventional, and that will put plenty of people off. If you like the basic idea, though, it's well worth persevering, as once you've mastered the basics the program is a great way to record and arrange your thoughts.

5. Kiwix

You've busy on an important project, and need to look something up. You turn to the web, of course - but your internet connection is down. So now what?

If you've installed and set up Kiwix beforehand then this doesn't have to be a disaster. That's because the program allows you to download huge amounts of content - like all the text of Wikipedia pages (though no images) - for viewing offline.

You'll need to be patient at first, because these are big downloads (5-10GB). And they're only updated every year or so. But the files will also be easily accessible, whatever the state of your internet connection, and that could be really useful.

6. Storybook

Storybook is a versatile tool which aims to help you properly structure a novel, screenplay or other complex written work.

You'll start by creating strands, one for each plotline. These have multiple scenes, telling your story. Each scene will be set in a defined location, with your choice of characters or items. And you can add, edit or rearrange any of this whenever you like.

While this sounds like a lot of work, it does help you to visualise and better understand your story. It's easy to discover and fix problems. And the option to organise your scenes into chapters should help when you move on to writing the book.

7. wikidPad

Fully understanding your topic is a vital part of any writing project, and that's where wikidPad can help. The program is a personal wiki, an interesting offline tool which helps you to link your ideas, and it's surprisingly easy to use.

If you've just realised Steven Spielberg has to be covered in your piece, for instance, just type his name as one word, in mixed case - StevenSpielberg - and wikidPad will automatically turn your word into a link. Double-click this link at any time to create a Spielberg page, then repeat the process elsewhere to quickly build your own document outline.

The program can do much more, too - download it and see for yourself. (Please note, though, if you get an error message when launching the program then you should try running it as an administrator.)

8. FocusWriter

Most editors have a cluttered interface, packed with buttons and toolbars - but FocusWriter is different. Launch it and the program gets rid of all distractions by clearing the screen entirely, so you can concentrate on your writing.

Move your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, though, and menus appear with the usual editing basics: text formatting, search and replace, alignment, indents, spell check and so on.

Extra options include the ability to set yourself a daily goal (work for an hour, say, or write a certain number of words), while the program status bar shows you how close you are to achieving this.

If you need real editing power, then, FocusWriter won't be for you. But if you just need to write, and will sort out all the layout complexities later, its distraction-free approach could help. (Q10 [http://www.baara.com/q10] is another good example, while Writer [http://writer.bighugelabs.com] is an online equivalent.)

9. yWriter5

YWriter5 is a small but very comprehensive tool which helps you to plan your novel.

Set up your various deadlines, for instance, and the program's Work Schedule report will let you know how much you'll have to do, each day, to finish on time.

Enter your characters, locations and items and you can freely organise them into scenes.

Put these in the right order and you'll have a basic outline for the book, but you're still free to change anything you like. So you can move a scene back a chapter, drop one character, add someone else, whatever you like.

And if you decide you're going in the wrong direction, no problem - yWriter5 keeps all your previous scenes, and you can review or restore them as required.

10. Evernote

If there's one essential research and note tool for writers (and everyone else, really), it has to be Evernote.

The program allows you to create detailed notes, with formatting and images, and save them to your online account.

You can also record web content: URLs, a snippet of text, a full page. And it's just as easy to include images and attach files.

Evernote runs on just about every platform there is - Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone and more - and can be used from a browser for everyone else.

You can even share your notes with others, perfect if you're collaborating on a big project.

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Securing iOS for Kids

Securing your iOS device for your children, Part 1: Setting up a kid-friendly iTunes account | TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

Securing your iOS device for your children, Part 2: Lock down your device to prevent in-app purchases and more | TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

Securing your iOS device for your children, Part 3: removing apps, limiting social features and other safety options | TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

Limiting your kids' iOS use | Macworld

In Depth: Best free recovery software: 10 top programs to get your deleted files back

In Depth: Best free recovery software: 10 top programs to get your deleted files back

TechRadar: All latest feeds

You know where to find the most important files on your PC - the documents, the pictures, the music - and they're always available when you need them. So it's easy to assume that's the way it will always be.

The reality can be very different, though. Maybe you're not paying attention for a moment and delete something accidentally, perhaps there's a software bug, or something happens to corrupt your hard drive: whatever it is, the end result is that you've lost files, folders, maybe even an entire partition of valuable data.

Don't panic, though - there's a good chance that your files are still intact, somewhere on the disc. And if you act quickly then you may be able to recover everything. All you'll need is reliable free undelete software to run a scan, and we've found ten free tools which can help.

1. Recuva Free

Conveniently available in a portable version, Recuva Free is very easy to use. A wizard asks you what type of files you're looking for, and where to search, then scans your system at speed (FAT, exFAT and NTFS file systems are supported).

Any files found are listed (with previews for images), and you can restore anything you need in a couple of clicks.

Running the program in Advanced Mode provides more options, though, like a Deep Scan (much slower, but recovers more files), the ability to locate files containing particular text, and even an option to securely wipe files containing sensitive information, ensuring that no-one else will be able to undelete them.

Whatever mode you're using, Recuva is an excellent recovery tool, effective and very easy to use.

2. Undelete 360

Undelete 360 is the free version of a commercial product, and so leaves out some useful features (file filtering, previews and so on). These still appear in the interface, though, and suggest you upgrade if you ever click on them, which can be annoying.

There are no restrictions on the amount or size of the files you can recover, though, and otherwise the program is very simple to use: point it at a drive, it'll scan for deleted files, then you can view particular file types (JPGs, PDFs, videos and more) by choosing them from a tree.

Scanning speed isn't great, but Undelete 360 can recover files that other programs miss , and so it's definitely worth considering.

3. MiniTool Partition Recovery

Standard undelete programs are perfect for recovering a few files, but if you've lost an entire partition then you'll probably benefit from a specialist application like MiniTool Partition Recovery.

The free (for personal use) program has a wizard-based interface which makes it very straightforward to use.

Point MiniTool Partition Recovery at the problem drive, specify the area to be searched, and it'll scan for the missing partition.

A report will let you know what the program has found, and you can recover the partition in a few seconds.

You don't get a bootable recovery disc here, so if your system partition is damaged then MiniTool Partition Recovery won't help you very much.

Otherwise, though, it provides a quick and easy way to locate and restore lost partitions.

4. Wise Data Recovery

It's hard to imagine how any undelete tool could be simpler than Wise Data Recovery.

There are no menus, no complicated options or dialog boxes: all you do is choose a drive, click Scan, and wait as the program locates any deleted files.

Select what you need, click Recover, and that's just about it.

Wise Data Recovery doesn't seem to work with FAT-based drives, though, recovering nothing from our test USB drive. It's only free for personal use, too. But if you just need something quick and easy to recover files from NTFS drives then it should probably be on your shortlist.

5. PhotoRec

PhotoRec is an extremely powerful undelete tool with very few restrictions.

It's free for everyone, runs almost everywhere (DOS, Windows, Linux, OS X, more), works with most file systems and device types, uses in-depth knowledge of more than 200 file formats to help recover your data, and the bundled TestDisk can even recover a deleted partition.

There is a complication, though: PhotoRec has an extremely basic DOS-like interface which is sure to intimidate many.

This doesn't make the program complicated - it walks you through every step - but the focus here is mostly on functionality, so if you're more interested in ease of use then we'd look elsewhere.

6. FreeUndelete

FreeUndelete is aging, slow, free for personal use only, and didn't manage to retrieve anything from our FAT drive - not a good start.

Point the program at an NTFS drive, though, and the story is much different, with FreeUndelete locating all our missing files.

They're presented in a folder structure rather than a single list, making it easy to locate whatever you need, and they can then be restored in a click or two.

So while there are better undelete tools, you might want to keep a copy of FreeUndelete around, just in case your first choice doesn't recover something.

7. Paragon Rescue Kit Free

If your PC has been trashed so badly that it won't boot at all, then any undelete tools you've installed previously will be useless. But Paragon Rescue Kit Free is different. It comes on an image which you burn to CD, and if disaster strikes then you just boot from the disc and go to work.

The program can recover a lost or deleted partition, for instance. The Boot Corrector can fix common boot problems and may be able to get your working again. But if not, Paragon's File Transfer Wizard helps transfer key files to another local drive, or burn them to CD or DVD. Overall it's a useful tool: grab a copy now, just in case.

8. Glary Undelete

Another no-frills package, Glary Undelete takes a fairly basic approach to data recovery. There's really nothing to do beyond choosing a drive to scan, clicking Search, and waiting for the program to finish (although that might take a while, as it's slower than most).

The program does do a good job of recovering data, though, on both FAT and NTFS drives. And any files it finds are presented in both a single list and by folders, while you can also filter them by file type or name, making it generally easy to find what you need.

So while there's little in the way of extras here, Glary Undelete scores well on the fundamentals.

9. Pandora Recovery

Unlike some of the competition, Pandora Recovery doesn't just present the files it finds in a single list.

You can also browse them in an Explorer-like folder view, or use an excellent search tool to filter them by file name, size, creation or "last modified" dates (so you could search for everything altered yesterday, for instance). Images can be previewed, too.

Unfortunately file detection isn't always so reliable, particularly on FAT drives, and the program's quick scan didn't recover anything for us.

The more thorough Surface Scan mode did retrieve everything, though, so on balance we'd say Pandora Recovery is still worth a try.

10. PC Inspector File Recovery

PC Inspector File Recovery did well in our tests, correctly locating the full set of missing files on both FAT and NTFS drives. These are clearly presented in a simple folder view, there's also a simple search dialog to help you locate files by name, and the program can then restore them to local or network drives.

Getting to this point may take a while, though, as the interface is a confusing mess of tabs (we'd recommend you experiment on a USB key or some other spare drive until you've figured it out).

It's a little odd that the program can preview files as text or a hex dump, but won't preview JPEGs. PC Inspector File Recovery deserves a look for its core engine, then, but you'll need some patience to take full advantage of it.

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Create stunning websites in minutes for free with Tackk

Computerworld Breaking News Create stunning websites in minutes for free with Tackk

Every once in a while, I come across a service that leaves me speechless. This is exactly what happened when I first started using Tackk: It took my breath away. Tackk is a free website maker currently in beta, and will help you create any single-page website (or Tackks) in minutes.


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How to set up public Wi-Fi at your business

Geek Tech How to set up public Wi-Fi at your business

Offering wireless Internet access for guests can open new doors for your business. For a cafe or restaurant, customers are more likely to stay longer, purchase more items, and return knowing they can use a Wi-Fi connection. For motels and hotels, Wi-Fi is one of travelers' deciding factors when selecting where to stay. Offering guest wireless access from an otherwise private office can be beneficial too, as it provides outside associates, contractors, and other visitors with a reliable Internet connection.

Although mobile carriers have covered much of the nation's more-populated areas with wireless 4G Internet access, Wi-Fi connections can provide faster speeds and usually aren't subject to usage limits. Plus Wi-Fi can be offered where 4G access isn't available—as well as for laptops, tablets, and other mobile devices that aren't4G- equipped.

Protecting your private network

The simplest way you might think to offer public or guest Wi-Fi access is to let people on an existing Wi-Fi network used by the business, but this isn't secure. Allowing outsiders on the private network could open your company up to hacking and data theft.

Private wireless networks should be encrypted with WPA2-Personal security, at least, to keep others from connecting and eavesdropping on your network traffic. Businesses with more than a handful of Wi-Fi users should consider using WPA2-Enterprise security, requiring a RADIUS server or service, to better secure and manage Wi-Fi access. For more on that, here are 8 Wi-Fi security tips to protect your small business.

Using existing equipment

Businesses with existing private Wi-Fi network might be able to offer public or guest access safely without purchasing additional hardware. Some consumer and small-office wireless routers offer a guest access feature. When guest access is enabled, users will see another network name (known as an SSID) in the list of available networks on their Wi-Fi devices, and its access will be separated from the main network.

Business-class routers and access points (APs) typically offer multiple SSID and virtual LAN (VLAN) features. When these features are set up properly, multiple wireless network names (SSIDs) can be broadcasted with varying levels of security, one of which could be a  guest network safely segregated from your private network.

Using hotspot equipment for better features

Flickr: Wesley Fryer

Purchasing or setting up wireless hardware specifically designed for offering Wi-Fi hotspot access provides some useful features that most traditional routers and APs lack. For instance, for legal purposes you may want to require users to accept Terms of Service (ToS) before accessing the Internet. When shopping around for hotspot equipment, this feature is called a captive portal. You may also want to impose time and bandwidth limits, or even charge for the Wi-Fi access. For features like these you'll likely have to purchase or set up additional hardware specifically designed for Wi-Fi hotspots.

Private and guest Wi-Fi networks

If you're a do-it-yourselfer, you could upgrade a Linksys or other compatible wireless router with free third-party firmware, which replaces the router's software to add additional features. The CoovaAP firmware includes a captive portal to require end users to accept ToS. It can also require that they log in via either self-registration or with access codes you create. CoovaAP's firmware also offers traffic shaping controls that let you limit bandwidth for guests.

The DD-WRT firmware offers many general Wi-Fi features and customizations in addition to hotspot features. It includes a simple integrated captive portal and supports third-party servers and services for more complex hotspot setups.

However, keep in mind that neither the CoovaAP nor DD-WRT firmware offers an easy way to segregate access to your private network. So, unless you're comfortable making customizations, you'd probably need to connect the router to a separate Internet connection, or to a guest VLAN if your existing equipment supports it.

Open MeshOpen Mesh access points

If you want more of a quick, plug-and-play hotspot setup, consider purchasing the Fonera Simpl router from Fon. It offers simultaneous private and public Wi-Fi signals, so it's best to replace it with any existing router you have. On the public signal, visitors are given one hour of daily Wi-Fi access. After that, revenue from additional time visitors purchase is split 50/50 between your company and Fon. However, users must sign up and log in with Fon in order to access the Internet. This could help increase the safety of your hotspot, but it can annoy visitors wanting quick, free access.

To offer public or private Wi-Fi access over a larger area that a single wireless router doesn't cover, one economical option is Open Mesh. It's designed to provide both private and public wireless access easily, with hotspot features including a captive portal and speed limits. Plus, it uses the wireless mesh technique, which means that all the wireless APs have to be wired back to the router or switch, making installation easier.

Another option is to purchase and use a hotspot gateway, basically a router specifically designed for offering hotspot access. These generally include the most hotspot features and functionality, and are especially useful for large deployments like at large hotels or venues. There are many vendors to choose from, including ZyXEL,Intellinet, 4ipnet, and Handlink.

Taking the final steps

Remember, always ensure that your private network is kept separate from any public networks, and encrypted with WPA2 security. If you want to offer simple public access, check if your current wireless router or access points (APs) have a guest feature, or that they support multiple SSIDs and VLANs for business-class products.

If you're up to the tech challenge, you could upgrade a compatible wireless router with third-party firmware to get hotspot features. If not, consider getting the Fon router. To cover a larger area, look into Open Mesh. If you'd like all the bells and whistles, shop for a hotspot gateway.

Whatever hotspot setup your company adopts, it's a good idea to enable content filtering, as you probably don't want visitors surfing inappropriate websites. Some routers and hotspot setups offer a content filter. If yours does not, you can enable the OpenDNS cloud security service on any router or hotspot gateway.

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This Week's Reading - 20130325

How to spring clean "Open With" duplicates | TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

OS X 10.8.3 Now Offers Fusion Drive Possibilities For Non-Fusion Drive Equipped Macs | Other World Computing Blog

Tidy up launchpad in Mountain Lion - Mac OS X Hints

Mac Gems: TextWrangler 4.5 is a free text editor that belongs on your Mac | Macworld

10 IT staff development strategies | TechRepublic

Eerie streets of abandoned Fukushima town revealed in Google Maps | TechHive

Balancing ISO and digital noise for sharper low-light photos | TechHive

 

This Week's Reading - 20130318

Weighing the iPad mini versus the Nexus 7 is no easy task | Macworld

How to make iOS autocorrect work for you | Macworld

Craft your own animated GIFs with these tools | TechHive

13 Tips for Keeping IT Projects Under Control - CIO.com

Why you should use Mountain Lion's Spaces | Macworld

iTunes 11 on OS X: the complete guide | News | TechRadar

Best free web design software: 10 programs to get the job done | News | TechRadar

The Most Important Phrase You'll Ever Say in a Meeting | LinkedIn

The Best 404 Error Pages Of All Time - Business Insider

Active Directory Integration and Office 365: Federation - Petri

Best free DTP software: 6 programs to help you create top-quality documents | News | TechRadar

Tutorial: iTunes 11 on OS X: the complete guide

Tutorial: iTunes 11 on OS X: the complete guide

TechRadar: All latest feeds

Introducing iTunes 11

The iTunes app has taken on more and more roles since it started life as a simple jukebox. It's now responsible for syncing iOS devices, downloading and storing movies and TV shows as well as music, and even matching your music collection with iCloud.

iTunes had started to get a little bogged down with all these tasks so Apple has given it a major overhaul.

iTunes 11 has all sorts of new features as well as a fresh new look and feel, which makes managing your media easier than ever.

The system requirements are a little higher than before and you'll need OS X 10.6.8 as a minimum, and an Intel processor in your Mac. Users of OS X 10.7 or 10.8 will find it in Software Update, and anyone still on Snow Leopard can grab it from apple.com/itunes/download.

• iCloud: the essential guide

The interface is a little different but don't let that fool you: it's faster, smarter and easier to use. There's the Up Next feature for example, which shows you previous and upcoming tracks and lets you jump to them easily.

And a great new Mini Player that has search and multiple AirPlay volume controls built right in. We think it's a big improvement on the last version of iTunes and we know you'll love it too. Read on to find out all you need to know about iTunes 11…

1. Media type chooser

In the new default view you can choose to see only the media type you want, instead of all your libraries at once, which is often useful. Click on the Library chooser and toggle between music, movies, TV shows, books, apps and ringtones. If you use the Show Sidebar command to return to a more traditional view, you can see all the media libraries in a list, just like in previous versions of iTunes.

2. AirPlay volume settings

As well as setting iTunes' master volume with the main volume slider, you can send audio over AirPlay in different ways. If you choose Single, your audio plays on your Mac. If you have any AirPlay-compatible devices like an Apple TV or Airport Express you are able to choose Multiple, and send the audio to those devices too. What's really great is that you can set the volume of each audio stream independently.

3. Up Next and Previous

This new feature lets you see what's queued to play next and if you click on the clock icon, what has been played previously. You can play any track by clicking on it as well as re-ordering them, so you're not limited to a specific play order. Right-click on tracks in the library to add them to Up Next, making you a DJ. This new feature is supported in the latest Apple TV software as well as the latest iOS Remote apps.

4. Advanced search

Searching your media libraries just got a whole lot better in iTunes 11. When you start typing in the search field, the program immediately scours even the largest libraries for relevant tags. Results are displayed by Artist, Album, Song and Playlist, and movies and TV shows are included too. If there are lots of results returned for your libraries, the Search window simply shows the top hits and gives you the option to view more results within any given category, meaning that everything stays nice and tidy.

5. Downloads

iTunes 11 works well with iCloud, and now has a Downloads button and window. The button becomes visible whenever you download content, be it from iTunes Match, a new purchase or a re-download of previously purchased material. Click the button to reveal the Downloads window, where you can disallow simultaneous downloads.

6. Movies and TV shows

If you choose to view movies or TV shows, iTunes is now pretty good at picking up their metadata and choosing background colours automatically based on artwork, which it also does for albums. If media are properly tagged, it's able to sort them into seasons for you, and again there are links to the Store if you want, for example, to complete any series you may not already have. There's an Unwatched tab too, to quickly show you stuff you haven't yet viewed.

7. Mini Player

One of the best new features is the iTunes Mini Player. Click this button and you get a small, sleek and unobtrusive window that controls playback. Better still, it has some integrated controls like full library search, Up Next and Previous and full volume and AirPlay controls available from its small window. It puts the most important playback features of iTunes right at your fingertips and takes up very little screen space, which is especially useful for laptops.

8. iTunes Store

Click on the Store button to be taken to the newly redesigned iTunes Store to preview, buy or rent content as well as managing your Apple ID settings, billing information and so on. In this view the Search field changes to search the Store rather than your library. Music and videos in your library also have a new option to jump directly to that artist, band or series on the Store, which you can access by right-clicking on content.

9. iTunes Match

iTunes Match is still there, but in the new view it has its own dedicated tab. In the old view, which you can still use, it lives in the list down the left-hand side. You can turn iTunes Match on or off from the Store menu in iTunes, as well as manually updating it to reflect changes you have made. Remember that the library on your Mac remains the master, and things that you change, add or delete here will be reflected across your iOS devices and other Macs signed in with the same Apple ID.

iTunes and iCloud

iCloud is Apple's online file storage, syncing and streaming system that is increasingly used to co-ordinate everything you do on your Mac and iOS devices. Every Apple ID gets 5GB of free storage space for backup and documents, and it's also used to synchronise your iTunes purchases so that they are available across every device signed in with your ID. iTunes 11 works with iCloud in a number of ways. One new feature is that your previous purchases now appear by default in iTunes 11, whereas before you had to dig into the iTunes Store to find them.

You may have to authorise your Mac with Apple to enable this. If you're not using iTunes Match, you will be able to tell which albums or songs are previous purchases because they will appear with a small cloud icon in the corner of the album artwork. If you are using iTunes Match, many albums will appear with this icon.

There's a new option for Match users too: if you go to iTunes' View menu, you can now choose to show or hide music in the cloud, either viewing all your music or only the tracks you've downloaded or added locally. Everything you have ever bought with your Apple ID can be re-downloaded at any time for free, even if you have deleted the files from your devices.

There's another nice new touch: movie playback syncing. If you watch a movie on one device then pick up another, the movie will start playing from the same place you left off. This works for content bought or rented from Apple, and also for your own movies stored locally.

Got a match?

On the subject of iTunes Match, this is still present, of course, and now works more smoothly than before. For just £25 a year, Apple will effectively host your entire music collection on its servers. Go to Store > Turn on iTunes Match in iTunes and the software will analyse your music library, send the results to Apple and mirror your playlists across all your iOS devices so it's possible to access hundreds of gigabytes' worth of music wirelessly when signed in with your Apple ID.

Any music not found in the iTunes Store will be uploaded, and iTunes on your Mac remains the master list for managing playlists. Music can be downloaded in high quality to your Mac or your iOS devices.

What iTunes Match essentially does is references music that's already on Apple's servers - which is a lot of music - and when you go to play a track from your library, you play that track instead of your original copy.
iTunes periodically updates Match while running so new content that you add should be made available. It's an excellent way of accessing your music collection from any iOS device or your Apple TV, over a wireless or a cellular connection if you're away from home.

Get creative with iTunes Match

If you're crafty, there's a clever trick you can use with iTunes Match that's great for freeing up space on your Mac. Activate iTunes Match using your main iTunes library and wait for the matching to complete. Then, create a new iTunes library locally by holding down the alt key when booting, and turn on iTunes Match in this second blank library too using the same Apple ID. You get up to ten device authorisations per Apple ID.

All the music from your other library will be available to stream in the new library, but you can disconnect the original library containing gigabytes of music (or more accurately disconnect whatever drive holds the media files), since it's not being played from there.

Remember to add new music to the old library, match and then stream it from the new one and you have effectively offloaded your library into the cloud. Remember this doesn't work for movies, so consider adding movies to the new library, and storing them locally.

Automatic downloads

Another way in which iTunes and iCloud integrate is when it comes to automatic downloads. First start by going into Preferences in iTunes and finding the Store section; there you can switch on automatic downloading of music, apps and books so that when you buy something on one device, it will automatically download to all other devices signed in with that Apple ID, and with auto downloads enabled.

This window also lets you set up auto downloading of pre-ordered purchases. However, remember that you won't always want everything to download to all your devices. If you download a TV series to your Mac there'll be plenty of space for it, but there won't be on an iPhone 16GB. And you might not want a 1GB game bought on your iPad to go to your iPod touch. By setting each device up separately, you can control what type of content gets automatically downloaded.

Getting media into iTunes

Handy hints for getting music, movies and podcasts into iTune.

Rip CDs at optimum quality

In the General section of iTunes' Preferences window, you will see an option labelled Import Settings; this governs the settings iTunes will use when ripping your CDs. Everything from lower quality MP3 to full quality WAV are available, but for most people, neither of these are ideal. This is because low-quality sounds are particularly poor, and uncompressed uses lots of space.

Choose AAC Encoder and then select a Custom setting. As a guide, to achieve a good balance of audio quality and file size you should select a bit rate of around 192kbps and leave the Sample Rate and Channels set to Auto.

iTunes can import CD audio tracks in different formats and at all qualities from low to uncompressed. Somewhere in the middle is best.

Convert home movies

iTunes can play back movies in .mp4, .m4v and .mov formats, but your home movies may be in another format, especially if they are shot on a camcorder. iTunes won't let you import movies that it can't play, so you can use a third-party app like MPEG Streamclip from squared5.com to convert to an iTunes-compatible format.

Once inside iTunes, movies can be optimised for Apple devices by going to the Advanced menu and choosing to create a version for your target device. It won't let you sync an incompatible movie so there's no danger of doing that.

If you want to make iTunes versions of DVDs that you already own, tools like Handbrake (handbrake.fr) are excellent. iTunes 11 has a tag called Home Movie, which is helpful.

Send iLife content to iTunes

Apple's iLife suite of applications is designed so that when you have finished a project you can export a version of it directly to iTunes and it will be compatible with your iOS devices.

Let's say you have written a song in GarageBand or made a movie in iMovie. You can choose to share these directly to iTunes and they will be compressed into the correct format.

From iPhoto on your Mac you can also choose to save selected pictures out as a slideshow formatted for any of Apple's devices, and have it automatically added to iTunes as well.

Copy when adding to iTunes

In iTunes' Preferences > Advanced section you will find an option to copy files to the iTunes Media folder when adding them to the library. This has up and down sides depending on how you manage your stuff.

If you copy when adding, data is duplicated, so you have to remember to delete the original files to stop your hard drive filling up. On the other hand, copying when adding ensures that if the original files are moved or deleted, iTunes will still have a copy. Which you choose depends on how good or bad your file management habits are.

Redeem Gifts with the camera

iTunes 11 has a neat new feature where if you have an iTunes Gift Card you can hold it up in front of your computer's FaceTime camera to take a picture of it. iTunes reads the code and recognises it, saving you typing out the long number and potentially making an error.

It requires a recent Gift Card with a box around the code, which helps iTunes recognise it properly. You can still enter codes manually if you prefer.

Managing playlists

Organising music and movies is essential. Here's how to do it better…

Use Smart Playlists

Smart Playlists are one of iTunes' best-kept secrets. Choose File > New > Smart Playlist and from the window add rules. Your first criterion might be Album Rating. Or BPM in the range 60-100, to display all downtempo music.

The more criteria you add, the more specific the list gets. There's a virtually infinite combination of things you can look for. You can also choose to limit the playlist to a certain number, and ticking Live Updating ensures the list refreshes itself.

Quickly create playlists

From any view in iTunes 11 you can select multiple items and create a new playlist containing those items by simply right-clicking and choosing New Playlist From Selection or pressing the apple key + alt + N. To select multiple non-continuous songs or videos, hold the apple key while clicking on them.

This works for albums in Album view as well, so you could create a playlist containing several albums. You can also click the Plus button at the bottom left corner under the sidebar to create a new playlist.

Tag your stuff

Anything purchased from iTunes will be tagged, but things you import yourself may not be. Choose a track or a group of tracks in iTunes and then select File > Get Info. In the resulting window you can add all kinds of metadata and artwork as well as making volume adjustments, adding EQ presets and choosing to skip tracks when shuffling.

Editing metadata for multiple items that have come from different albums, for example, is a good way to make and tag your own compilations. In iTunes 11 there's a new tag available for videos called Home Movie.

Use the contextual menu

Right-click on music or video in iTunes and you get a menu that provides access to useful commands such as Rate, Add to Playlist, Add to Up Next, Show in Finder, copy and delete. The Show in Playlist command is great for when you can't remember where you put a track. Show in iTunes Store jumps you directly to that artist's page on the Store.

Use the Up Next feature

Up Next is new in iTunes 11 and can be found by clicking on the icon to the right of the playback and track name display window. It shows which tracks are queued to play next, and you can jump straight to a track by clicking on it, delete tracks and re-order them.

It also makes you a bit of a DJ, since you can control playback without having to go into playlists. Create and edit temporary playlists, in effect, by managing the Up Next queue. Click on the clock icon in this window and you can see recently played tracks, as well as performing actions on them.

For any album or track in a playlist, right-click and choose Add To Up Next to place it into the queue. The new Remote app for iOS also supports Up Next, as does the latest Apple TV update.

Use two iTunes windows

In iTunes 11, go into the Preferences > Advanced section. Then tick the option that says Keep Miniplayer on Top of Other Windows. Go to Window and bring up the MiniPlayer from that menu. Now go fullscreen with the main iTunes window and the MiniPlayer will still float above it. You can have iTunes fullscreen on one monitor and the MiniPlayer floating as a controller on another screen.

Managing your library

With music and movie collections getting bigger, it's good to get organised

Move an entire library

Even if your file management hasn't been the best, iTunes can still help you to clean everything up prior to moving a library. Go into Preferences > Advanced and make sure 'Copy when adding…' is enabled. Then choose File > Library > Organize Library. Tick the option to Consolidate Files, and also the Reorganize Files… box. This pulls any files currently located outside of the iTunes folder into it, and reorganises everything into correct subfolders. After doing this you may want to delete the external files, since they will have been duplicated. It's now safe to copy your Library folder to a different location or drive.

Store on an external drive

Hard-drive space is very precious, especially on your laptop or machines with smaller solid-state drives. However, you can easily offload your ever-expanding iTunes library to an external hard drive by simply dragging and dropping it from its default location in Macintosh HD > Users > Username > Music > iTunes to another drive.

Then in iTunes, go into Preferences > Advanced and in the iTunes Media Folder Location box, click Change and point the software at the new location. It's even possible to store the library on a networked drive, as long as it's mounted on your Mac.

One great tip is to connect a USB hard drive to your recent Airport Base Station or Time Capsule and use the Airport Disk feature to store the library there, out of sight.

Use keyboard shortcuts

iTunes 11 has some handy key shortcuts for switching library sections. Use the keys ç+1 through to ç+7 to toggle the view between the different media types. In order, they are music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, iTunes U, books and apps.

Maintain multiple libraries

iTunes can be made to use different libraries, which is great if you want to use a smaller one on your laptop but a bigger one when at home. Hold down the alt key when starting iTunes and it will ask you to create a new library or choose an existing one. Using this trick you can create as many libraries as you want on different drives, then choose the relevant one when starting up.

Transfer between computers

If you have more than one Mac (or PC) at home you may want to transfer iTunes files between them. In iTunes' FIle menu, go to the Home Sharing submenu and turn on Home Sharing, which will require you to authorise with your Apple ID. Do the same on another Mac on your local network, and each library that has been shared should appear in the Shared section in iTunes.

Each computer must sign in with the same Apple ID. As well as streaming any music and video between these computers, you will also now be able to drag and drop to copy the same content between libraries. You can also have iTunes automatically import purchases made on one Mac to the libraries of others.

Home Sharing gets around the problem of having to sync mobile devices to one iTunes library at once by allowing you to share content between multiple libraries. It also works for streaming any of this data to Apple's devices around your home.

Delete inside your Library

iTunes libraries can get a little unwieldy, not to mention the fact that they can use up your previous hard drive space. Also, you may not know that deleting something from a playlist does not delete it from the Library, so it will still hang around.

To delete stuff from the Library you can either right-click on it and choose 'Show' in Finder and delete the files from there or better still, go to the master Music or Movies lists at the top left of iTunes' sidebar view and filter using the search box to locate the data.

So you might search for an album name, then delete those files from the master Library list. This should prompt iTunes to ask you if you really want to delete the files to the Trash.

Share your photos

Photo sharing is one of iTunes' lesser known features, but it is still an incredibly useful one. To use it for yourself go into File > Home Sharing > Choose Photos to Share With Apple TV.

You will now have the option of enabling sharing from iPhoto or any folder, including options for specific playlists and even sharing videos. These will then be shared to any second or third generation Apple TV using Home Sharing. You can also set your Apple TV up to use photos from iPhoto as its screensaver.

Share your library

If you wanted to enable streaming over your local network without using Home Sharing, go to Preferences > Sharing. You can then choose playlists to share, with optional password protection if you wanted to keep your content secure.

This feature will enable others to stream but not copy music, and does not require any authorisation with your Apple ID, so is good for networks such as businesses and universities as well as shared houses. Should you wish, you also have the option to have tracks played over Home Sharing count towards play counts, or not.

Duplicate files found

As your music collection grows duplicate files have a habit of popping up. In iTunes 10 there was a very handy Display Duplciates feature accessible from the File menu, which enabled you to prune redundant files from your library.

In iTunes 11 this has gone, but apparently this was an oversight, and Apple will re-introduce it in a future update, hopefully by the time you read this. Until then, what can you do? There are two scripts available online that will do the same tasks – Duplicates and Exact Duplicated. Get them from samsoft.org.uk/iTunes/scripts.asp#Duplicates

Managing devices

iTunes is important for managing iOS devices. Find out why with our top tips

Wireless sync

Any iOS device running iOS 5 is able to sync wirelessly with iTunes, removing the need to connect using a USB cable. With the device connected, go to its Summary tab and in the Options section, choose to sync the device over Wi-Fi.

Or if you are using the new iTunes 11 view you can also access it by clicking on its button at the top right corner of iTunes. It will now appear in iTunes whenever both Mac and device are on the same network.

You can drag and drop music, movies and books or sync automatically just as when a cable is connected. Of course you can uncheck wireless syncing if you prefer to do things manually.

View multiple devices

iTunes 11 provides a new way to manage multiple devices, as well as revamping the look of the old device list, which is still available. If you have more than one device connected, say an iPhone and an iPad, either via cables or wirelessly, the button at the top right corner under the Search field will say, in this case, "2 Devices".

When you click on the button you see a floating window that lists the devices and how much space is available on them. They can be accessed or ejected from this window.

Transfer purchases and backup

If you are about to upgrade or format an iOS device, you will be prompted to back it up and transfer purchases off it prior to doing so. This is a very good idea, as these processes will copy all your user data and settings as well as any downloaded items to your Mac.

If you plug in a formatted device or a brand new one, say after upgrading an iPhone, you will get the option to restore all the old settings back to the new device, making the upgrade or restore process fairly painless.
In iTunes 11 the manual backup option appears as a button in the device's Summary tab as well as in the contextual menu when you click on a device in the sidebar.

Add content to an iPad

There's a new way to add content to your iPad in iTunes 11. Connect the iPad either using a cable or wirelessly then click on its name from the top right hand corner. Then choose the On This iPad tab and click the Add To button.

A pane is revealed on the right-hand side that shows you the space available on your device. You will then be able to drag content from your library into this pane to copy it to the iPad. If your music is in the cloud, you will need to download a local copy before it can be transferred.

In truth, if you're using iTunes Match you will probably have it activated on your iPad and so be able to access your music through it anyway.

Optimise media for syncing

When you sync music and movies to a device, you may want to shrink them to save space. Many smaller screens will scale down content anyway, so huge files are just using dead space. In the device's options in iTunes' Summary section, choose to convert higher bitrate songs to smaller AAC files.

Movies can be converted to device-specific formats either from inside iTunes using the Advanced menu's video conversion tools, or a third-party utility such as Handbrake.

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