Chip Loder

Technical Writer

Chip is a 30-year Apple industry veteran, is author of 18 commercial Mac software products, and is a former Apple and Sony employee. He began hacking away on Apple computers on the Apple II+ in high school in the mid 1980's, then moved on to the Mac in the early 90's. In a previous life he created the game developer audio tools for Playstation 2 at Sony, and worked on the New World OpenFirmware found in late 90's Macs.

Latest Articles from Chip Loder

How to revert macOS to the previous version

There are several reasons why you might want to revert to an older version of macOS than the version currently installed on a Mac. Here's how to do it.

Chip Loder | 10 months ago

How to use Microsoft Copilot on iOS and iPadOS

Microsoft's Copilot is an AI assistant available on multiple platforms. Here's how to use Microsoft's rival to Siri on iOS and iPadOS.

Chip Loder | 10 months ago

How to use Xcode String catalogs to localize your app

Text has long been customizable in Xcode when creating software for Apple's platforms. Now, String catalogs make it even easier to localize your app to multiple languages.

Chip Loder | 10 months ago

How to use Nix to install software on macOS

The Mac has several third-party package managers for installing additional software. Here's how to use the Nix package manager with macOS.

Chip Loder | 10 months ago

How to use the Microsoft Copilot app on macOS

AI copilots promise to ease and speed up tasks for users, making work easier in the long run. Here's how to use Microsoft's Copilot app on macOS.

Chip Loder | 10 months ago

How to manage Secure Enclave card storage limits

It's hard to hit, but Apple's Secure Enclave does have limits to how many cards can be stored in Apple Wallet. Here's what to do if you hit that limit.

Chip Loder | 10 months ago

How to quickly make desktop aliases from Dock apps in macOS

Apple has long provided the ability to create desktop aliases in macOS by Command-Option dragging. Here's how to do it from the macOS Dock.

Chip Loder | 10 months ago

How to use Xcode's FileMerge tool to compare files

The often overlooked Xcode FileMerge app lets you spot what's changed between two files. Here's how to spot the differences using the tool.

Chip Loder | 10 months ago

How to set folder background colors in macOS's Finder

Most Mac users know familiar Finder window backgrounds, but few know you can also set Finder window backgrounds to any color you like. Here's how to do it.

Chip Loder | 10 months ago

How to make stickers from Photos in iPadOS

A little-known feature in iOS and iPadOS lets you turn images into stickers. Here's how to make your own affixable images on an iPad.

Chip Loder | 10 months ago

Understanding spatial design for visionOS

Apple Vision Pro's release is imminent, and there are lot of things for developers to consider when building apps for the headset. Here's what you should think about when making visionOS apps.

Chip Loder | 11 months ago

Understanding CPU job scheduling for Apple Silicon game development

For developers, threading is an important issue that impacts game performance. Here's how task scheduling works in Apple Silicon games.

Chip Loder | 11 months ago

Understanding Xcode Cloud, Apple's CI build service

Xcode Cloud is Apple's Continuous Integration build service for developers. Here's how to get started using it for your own software creations.

Chip Loder | 11 months ago

How to use macOS Erase Assistant to reset your Mac

The Erase Assistant in macOS allows you to restore your Mac to its original state. Here's how to use it and get back to a fresh desktop.

Chip Loder | 11 months ago

How to use Xcode Previews to see how your app appears as you make it

Xcode allows you to live preview your iOS views using Xcode Previews, so you can see how the app appears as you're actively developing it. Here's how to use them.

Chip Loder | 11 months ago

How to clear and reset Firefox's profile folder on macOS

Mozilla's macOS Firefox browser stores cached files on your Startup Disk and can take up space. This is how to reset Firefox to get back some of that consumed storage.

Chip Loder | 1 year ago

How to save disk space in macOS by clearing Containers folders

Apple's addition of Sandboxing in macOS added predefined app folders to the operating system. Here's how to remove some of those folders that you probably don't need and get some drive space back.

Chip Loder | 1 year ago

Blender 4.0 released with new features and better Apple Silicon performance

Blender Foundation has released version 4 of the popular Blender 3D design app, bringing interface changes, feature improvements, and most importantly speed boosts for Apple Silicon Macs.

Chip Loder | 1 year ago

How to clear Terminal's command history in macOS

The Terminal app in macOS keeps track of recent commands you've used so you can reuse them at a later time. Here's how to clear Terminal's command history.

Chip Loder | 1 year ago

How to use macOS file search without using Spotlight

When Mac users think about search in macOS, they often think about Spotlight, but there's another way. Here's how to use the Finder's built-in search instead.

Chip Loder | 1 year ago

Unity 6 announced with AI tools, plus Apple & Meta partnerships

Cross-platform game development engine Unity 6 has arrived, with a bundle of new improvements incorporating AI features for characters, and better support for headsets including the forthcoming Apple Vision Pro.

Chip Loder | 1 year ago

How to organize Safari tabs using tab groups in iPadOS 17

Safari tab groups have been in iPadOS for several years, and can really help you organize pages you've browsed. Here's how to use them in iPadOS 17.

Chip Loder | 8 months ago

Microsoft's .NET 8 with Aspire cloud-ready tools for Mac is out

The .NET framework allows cross-platform development on Windows and Mac, and Microsoft released version 8 for both in November. Here's what that means to developers.

Chip Loder | 1 year ago