How to maximize using Siri in macOS Sierra

Image: Brandon Vigliarolo/TechRepublic


Siri on a Mac is one of those seemingly innocuous features that can change the way you work. Learn tricks for making the most of the macOS Sierra integration.

By Erik Eckel | October 13, 2016, 8:14 AM PST


When I first heard Apple was bringing Siri to the Mac, I didn't believe the enhancement would prove that useful. But, properly wielded, Siri proves to be a surprisingly helpful feature. The trick is to know Siri's desktop and laptop capabilities, as well as the feature's limitations.
Understand Siri's constraints

Don't ask Siri to close an application. She can't—she's not allowed. She'll offer a quick apology, and that's all you get. And, it makes sense—I'm confident Apple precluded the ability for fear of losing unsaved data or accidentally closing an application in the middle of a critical process.

You also shouldn't try using Siri in noisy environments because, odds are, she's not going to be able to understand your commands—and, you'll look a little strange talking in public to your computer. But when you're in the privacy of your office or another quiet location where the audio won't prove disruptive to others, Siri will pause background programming long enough to provide a fair shot at speaking commands.

I don't recommend leveraging Siri to perform complex tasks, such as editing photos, editing spreadsheets or documents, or composing presentations. It's all about possessing accurate expectations.

Follow these tips and tricks for using Siri

Several options exist for summoning Siri. By default, you can press and hold the Command and Space keys. Or, you can click the Siri icon macOS Sierra Places, by default, within the Dock. Or, you can click the Siri icon from the Mac's menu bar. You can also

How to maximize OnePlus phone's Shelf, a hidden productivity gem

OnePlus smartphone owners, you might be missing out on some of Shelf's great features. Check out these tips on using Shelf.

By Jack Wallen | October 10, 2016, 8:33 AM PST


If you're the proud owner of a OnePlus device, you've probably wondered what Shelf has to offer. Or, you may not even know it exists.

Shelf is essentially a page on your home screen that allows you to take memos, add widgets, gain access to your most-used apps, and get a quick glimpse of the weather. Swipe right (from the left edge of your OnePlus screen) and you'll see Shelf in action. To some users, Shelf might be little more than an afterthought; however, with a bit of attention and knowledge about how to work with it, Shelf can actually be quite useful.


During the setup of your OnePlus device, you may have opted to disable Shelf, not knowing what it was. If you want to give it a go, here's how to enable it.
Long press a blank spot on your screen.
Tap Customize.
Tap to Enable Shelf (Figure A).



The first thing you might notice is the row of app icons and contacts, which are taken directly from your App Drawer and your Contacts—both of these are widgets can be removed and resized. When you resize either the app launcher or the contact widget, you'll find you get

How to maximize disk space using macOS Sierra's new storage management features

Freeing needed disk space is becoming easier, thanks to new macOS Sierra storage management enhancements. Learn ways to manage storage locally and in iCloud using these features.

By Erik Eckel | October 4, 2016, 9:16 AM PST

Maintaining sufficient disk free space is a long-running challenge that became more difficult when SSDs—typically possessing smaller storage allocations—arrived. Fortunately, storage management tools ease the strain.

Apple's recently released macOS Sierra operating system includes new storage optimization features that simplify managing and freeing disk space. You can access these file management and storage tools by clicking the menu bar's Apple icon, selecting About This Mac, and clicking the Storage tab to access the Manage button. The Manage button opens the new disk management utilities (Figure A).

Figure A

macOS Sierra includes disk management features to help Mac users administer file storage and free space.

macOS Sierra provides recommendations, which include storing all Desktop and Documents folders in iCloud. Clicking the Store In iCloud button prompts the operating system to store files from those locations in iCloud and keep only recently opened files on the local disk, when storage space is required. Those preferences can be modified within System Preferences, should users change their