Posts in "GUIDES"

macOS High Sierra Hackintosh on Intel Core i7 8700K

New Year, New computer

macOS High Sierra on Intel Core i7 8700K

I decided to upgrade my 4th generation Intel core i7 4790K devil’s canyon to an 8th Generation Intel Core i7 8700K for macOS High Sierra Hackintosh. I’ve been using that 4th generation processor for almost 3 years and I wasn’t disappointed with my choice 3 years ago. Intel Core i7 4790K have 4.0 GHz base clock and 4.4 GHz boost Clock, It can be overclocked to 4.8Ghz. It was sufficient for my gaming needs before I started making videos and rendering scenes. 4 cores are somehow outdated if you’re a pro user and want to do multitasking like video editing, 3D modeling, rendering, animation and simulation for engineering projects. I was able to build a Hackintosh out of that 4th generation build with ease and I was using this for all of my video editing tasks. Intel HD 4600 and Nvidia Gtx 970 were more than enough for me while editing videos in 1080P and 4K occasionally.

This year I decided to upgrade to the latest core i7 8700K has more cores than previous generation processor. Also, It can be overclocked to 5.0 Ghz. Intel Core i7 8700K has Intel UHD graphics 630 which is much better in terms of performance. I also have the Ryzen processor but it is not feasible to make a Hackintosh out of it due to unavailability of Intel graphics.

macOS High Sierra Installation on PC using Unibeast, multibeast and Clover Configurator

macOS High Sierra installation was simple on this newly assembled computer. I’ve added complete macOS High Sierra Hackintosh system specification below. All you have to do is to follow the steps and you can create a Hackintosh without any hassle. The only issue is that I wasn’t able to get Msi Lightning 1080Ti working on this build. I’ll update as soon as I find any way to fix it.

SYSTEM SPECS :

Intel Core i7 8700K ASUS Prime Z370P MSI LIGHTNING X 1080Ti 11GB Corsair Vengeance RGB 16GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO  Transend SSD 370 256GB Seagate Barracuda 2TB Seagate 1TBBENQ RL2755

Prerequisites

1. Register at tonymacx86! If you don’t have a user account, create one!
2. Get latest UniBeast and MultiBeast tools from the downloads section.
3. Purchase a 16GB or larger USB drive.
4. Do a full backup of your system. Use a separate HDD or SSD for installation.

UniBeast is a tool that creates a bootable installer out of your downloaded version of macOS.

Note In order to start fresh, you’ll need access to a functional computer running macOS. This is a requirement, as you need access to the Mac App Store to download macOS and create the installation drive.

STEP 1: Download macOS High Sierra

The full operating system is a free download for anyone. Download the Application from the Mac App Store using your Apple ID on any Mac.

1. Open Mac App Store
2. Log in with your Apple ID
3. Download macOS High Sierra

Note The Application Install macOS High Sierra will appear in /Applications.

STEP 2: Create a Bootable USB Drive with UniBeast

1. Insert the USB drive
2. Open /Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility
3. Highlight the USB drive in left column
4. Click Erase button
5. For Name: type USB (You can rename it later)
6. For Format: choose OS X Extended (Journaled)
7. For Scheme: choose GUID Partition Map
8. Click Erase then Done
9. Download and run UniBeast
10. Click Continue, Continue, Continue, Continue, Agree
11. At Destination Select, choose USB and click Continue
12. At Select OS Installation screen choose Sierra and click Continue
13. At Bootloader Options screen choose UEFI Boot Mode or Legacy Boot Mode. UEFI Boot Mode is recommended for 7/8/9/100 Series CustoMac desktops and all UEFI capable systems. Legacy Boot Mode is recommended for 5/6 Series CustoMac desktops and all BIOS based systems.
14. (Optional) At Graphics Configuration screen choose the appropriate graphics option for your system and click Continue.
15. Verify installation options, then click Continue, enter a password and click Install

UniBeast will now create the bootable USB drive. The process will only take about 10 minutes, depending on system and drive speed. Do not unplug or stop during this time.

Mount the EFI partition using Clover Configurator

Now open clover configurator and mount the EFI partition.
Go to Kext Copy apfs.efi to “Other” Kext folder.

Also copy apfs.efi to drivers folder.

Open Config file with clover and follow the on-screen options.
In Boot tab, Make sure dart=0 and Nv_disable=1 is selected.
In devices, Under USB
Select Inject, Add clock ID and Fix Ownership.

From GUI, Select your screen resolutions.

In RT Variable tab, Change CsrActiveConfig value to 0x67.

In SM Bios, Select the configuration that matches with your processor.

Save the config file.

16. Now copy all utilities in the macOS Bootable USB.

Clover Note  UniBeast delivers basic bootloader support based on our testing on recommended CustoMac systems. For further bootloader customization, download and run the official Clover package. Advanced users may also compile Clover by downloading the full source.

STEP 3: Recommended BIOS Settings

Note If you’re installing on a recommended CustoMac desktop with AMI UEFI BIOS, the options are simple. For other systems make sure to set your BIOS to Optimized Defaults, and your hard drive to AHCI mode. Here are standard MSI AMI UEFI BIOS.

To access BIOS/UEFI Setup, press and hold Delete on a USB Keyboard while the system is booting up
Load Optimized Defaults
Disable VT-d
then Disable CFG-Lock
and Disable Secure Boot Mode
Save and exit.

STEP 4: Install mac OS Sierra

You’re almost done! All you need to do is boot from the USB drive and install!

For best results, insert the USB in a USB 2.0 port.

1. Turn on the computer
2. Press the hotkey to choose boot device (F11)
3. Choose USB
4. At Clover boot screen, choose Boot Mac OS from USB
5. When you arrive at the Installer, choose language.

If you have issues reaching the installer, first make sure you’re using a USB 2.0 port. If you’re using a NVIDIA graphics card you may need to enter the extra boot flag nv_disable=1 to reach the installer. For instructions on entering boot flags see Clover Basics and Switching Advice.

6. For a new installation of macOS High Sierra, you MUST erase and format the destination drive according to the following steps before continuing.

a. In the top menu bar choose Utilities and open Disk Utility
b. Highlight your target drive for the macOS High Sierra installation in left column.
c. Click Erase button
d. For Name: type macOS High Sierra (You can rename it later)
e. For Format: choose macOS Extended (Journaled)
f. For Scheme: choose GUID Partition Map
g. Click Erase
h. Close Disk Utility

7. When the installer asks you where to install, choose macOS High Sierra, or your existing install.
8. The system will restart several times during installation.

STEP 5: Post Installation with MultiBeast

MultiBeast is an all-in-one post-installation tool designed to enable boot from hard drive, and install support for Audio, Network, and Graphics. The installation is complete, but the drive isn’t bootable yet. Boot from the USB again, this time choosing macOS High Sierra.

1. Turn on the computer
2. Press the hotkey to choose boot device
3. Choose USB
4. At the Boot Screen, choose your new macOS High Sierra installation.
5. Complete macOS High Sierra setup
6. Open and run MultiBeast. If your system requires installing Clover to the root of the drive, such as Gigabyte 6 Series and X58 systems, skip to STEP 6.
7. If this is a fresh installation, click Quick Start. UEFI Boot Mode is recommended for 7/8/9+ Series CustoMac desktops and all UEFI capable systems. Legacy Boot Mode is recommended for 5/6 Series CustoMac desktops and all BIOS based systems.
8. Choose the appropriate audio and network options for your system: (Check FAQS)
9. Click Customize for further options
10. Click Print or Save to back up your configuration
11. Click Build then Install

If using a NVIDIA ‘Maxwell’ GeForce GTX 750, 750 Ti, 950, 960, 970, 980, 980 Ti, or TITAN X graphics card, mac OS graphics drivers are not natively supported. Alternate NVIDIA drivers are required.

12. (Optional) Download and install Alternate NVIDIA Graphics Drivers
13. Reboot

Open clover configurator from flash drive and mount the EFI Partitions.
Now copy everything from EFI partition of flash drive to EFI partition of macOS installation SSD.

*Also download Nvidia Kext and copy all to other Kext folders.

FAQS

You can check your audio and Ethernet controller from the detailed specification of your Motherboard.
Google it or visit official product website. For Example

MSI SPECIFICATIONS

Install and Enable Nvidia Web Driver in Hackintosh

NVIDIA WEB DRIVER

Enable HDMI Audio in Hackintosh

DOWNLOAD

 

You now have a fully updated bootable version of mac OS High Sierra on your CustoMac! And a USB rescue drive if something goes wrong.

 

How to unlock disabled iPhone X via itunes?

If you’ve kids in the house, you’ll probably end up in this situation someday. iPhone X has a security feature that if you enter the wrong passcode 10 times it locks your phone to save your data.
The only way to unlock the phone is via using iTunes. You surely have iTunes if you’re an iPhone user to keep your contacts, Photos, and Settings synced to your laptop or computer.
If you forgot your passcode, or if a message says that your device is disabled, follow these steps to remove your passcode.

Unlock disabled iPhone X via iTunes :

First of all, you need to shutdown your iPhone. For this, you have to do a force restart. To force shutdown, press the volume down key and side key on the iPhone X.

Next step is to connect iPhone X to the computer using Lightning cable.

Later boot iPhone in recovery mode. To do this Tap Volume Up and Volume Down key then Hold side key until you see the recovery mode screen.

On an iPhone X, iPhone 8, or iPhone 8 Plus:

Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Then, press and hold the Side button until you see the recovery-mode screen.

On an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus

Press and hold both the Side and Volume Down buttons at the same time. Keep holding them until you see the recovery-mode screen.

On an iPhone 6s and earlier, iPad, or iPod touch

Press and hold both the Home and the Top (or Side) buttons at the same time. Keep holding them until you see the recovery-mode screen.

Now download the software update or restore file from the iTunes. It will take time depending on your internet connection speed. Size of the restore file is around 2.77GB. Once the restore file is downloaded, click on the restore button in iTunes. It will reboot your iPhone to start the restore process.

You can also update the iPhone software but it will not unlock your iPhone. It is better to back up your iPhone occasionally to save the important data in such situation. You can use the latest backup to restore your iPhone.

When you see the option to Restore or Update, choose Restore.

Restore process will take around 15 min.

When the restore process is completed. Your iPhone will boot like a new one and you’ve to do the initial set up. Restore will also delete all data on your iPhone.

When you reach the Set-Up screen while restoring your iOS device, tap Restore from iTunes backup. Select your device in iTunes. Look at the date and size of each backup and pick the most relevant one.

Now, Your iPhone is unlocked and ready to use.

 

12 Quick Tips to record quality videos

12 Quick Tips to record quality videos using Smartphone

We’re in 2017, Now smartphone cost as much as an entry-level DSLR. Smartphones camera have improved a lot in recent years. You’ve good smartphones camera around you – in fact, they’re everywhere. Using mobile phones for video recording have several advantages :

  1. Mobile phones are part of our lives and we carry them to everywhere we go. So You don’t have to take to camera gear everywhere instead you can use your smartphones to create video content anytime.
  2. Many apps are available for both iOS (Apple) and Android (Google) mobile devices that extend the functionality of the video camera, provide sophisticated editing and digital effects capabilities
  3. With phones becoming more capable, video entrepreneurs are opting for that much more affordable device, too.

1- Lighting is very Important

As you know Smartphone camera have smaller images sensors and lenses so light has a huge impact on the video quality. It’s advised to shoot the video in brightly lit areas. This will help you to avoid unnecessary shadow and grainy areas in your video. Try not to point your camera to the bright light source, it will cause lens flare and overexposed footage. Lighting must be stable and steady; the image sensors of mobile cameras are not too much sense to quick light changes. Try to play with the backlighting and white balance settings if the light is still not enough for quality videography. Make sure to focus the most important aspect of the video, the automatic exposure control will have an easier time making small adjustments if lighting condition begins to change.

Tip: If you press to hold the focus square/circle in your camera app, it will lock the AE/AF to that specific object.

2- Stay Close to your Object

Stay close to the object, it will help you to record better audio as well as there will be less noise and better focus in your video. Try to avoid using digital zoom as much as you can. If you have dual camera setup in your phone like in iPhone 8+ and Samsung Note 8, You can use a telescopic lens to get more details in your shot.

3- Always Use Landscape and Avoid Portrait Orientation

Most of the people hold their phones vertically while shooting the videos. Say no to portrait orientation, no matter what, always use landscape orientation as it looks better, and somehow professional, on all platforms as we have wider displays everywhere.
If you want people to be able to watch your video at full size on a monitor or TV screen, keep your smartphone horizontal when you are recording. Shooting a video clip with your phone upright doesn’t seem like an issue at the time because you’re watching it on a device with a vertical screen, but as soon as you want to play the video anywhere else, your clip will be fighting for space with two black bars on either side of the screen.

4- Use Tripod to avoid unnecessary Motion and Blurry Frames

While you record video with your smartphone or other cameras, don’t handle or shake your mobile device a lot; it will only make the audio quality, as well as the video quality, worse. Unnecessary handling of the mobile, while you are recording, will cause a lot of unwanted noise. For better audio quality use a tripod to keep your smartphone or external microphone or digital recorder steady and free from unwanted handling or vibration while you are shooting video.
Here are some of the tripods you can get on Amazon.

<

5- Keep it Near Source

Keeping the microphone you are using to record as close to the audio’s source as possible is, perhaps, the most important tip for getting better audio for your videos I can give you. Distance creates problems for both video and audio. While shooting far away from your audio source, you will record more ambient or unwanted noise and the audio levels of the sound you do want, begin to drop dramatically after it leaves the source. So, if you are shooting an interview, it is better to keep your audio recording device close to your subject to keep their voice focused, clear and audible.

6- Use Flash or External Light when required

Smartphones, you see, come equipped with LED lights that are too bright and can easily skew the color temperature of photos. Also, the video will often time still come out poorly lit in the end. If you want to record a photo at night, you’ll have to find another light source.
Get creative with available lights such as a neon sign or jukebox. They can add a little bit of needed glow while also jazzing up your video with color. If you record on your desk mostly, Try to place a Backlit Keyboard in the background to give a beautiful blurry effect.

7- Use Computer or Mobile Apps for video improvement and additional Stabilization

The camera app on your smartphone may do a good job but there’s more to video recording than what most of them have to offer! Some third party apps are very intuitive with great features for those new to developing video content while some others unlock professional-like features. While you will find some pretty good free apps, investing in a couple of apps that cost a little bit of money can pay huge dividends.

8- Be prepared for the right moment

Before you begin recording your videos, make sure that you have all of the gear, props, scripts, actors and shooting locations ready to go. Additionally, make sure your phone is charged and that you have enough storage space (available memory) to store the footage – high definition (HD) video files can get large and will drain a battery quickly.
Try to take multiple shots from different angles if you have plenty of storage and battery. Don’t forget to use a decent stabilization gear.

9- Use an external Audio recording device

There are some great external microphones available for your mobile device. You will use this external microphone as a replacement for your internal smartphone microphone while shooting your video with your cellular smartphone or mobile device’s camera. If you use an external microphone or handy digital recorder while recording your video footage, you will be able to get an excellent audio quality for your recording if you keep the rest of our tips in mind. Many of these external mics are more directional and designed to cancel out ambient or unwanted sound while you are recording.
Here are some of the mics you can get on Amazon.

10- Edit your audio and add background music if required

If you have already recorded very nice video, but the audio is less than ideal, it is a good idea for you to edit your video with a better audio track. For the new audio track, use a high quality audio recording device to ensure that you get an excellent result for your recording. If you cannot replace dialogue consider adding a voiceover or soundtrack; music, sound effects, and ambient noise might all be a good replacement. Then, you can use your favorite video editing tool to simply remove the camera’s recorded audio with the better audio track. This can solve your poor audio problem quickly and effectively.

11- Avoid Backlighting

There’s something else you should keep in mind when thinking about flash and lighting in general: avoiding backlit-settings.
You may be able to see people and their faces when they’re backlit, but your smartphone camera usually can’t and will output footage with a bright light haloing a dark figure. That figure will also have no visible features, meaning you just missed whatever it was you were trying to capture.
To avoid this situation, try configuring a basic light setup. Those of you who are recording on the fly can also improve a backlit situation by moving to one side or another. Although some stock camera apps try to reduce the effects of backlighting, you should try reducing the effects on your end as well.

12- Mix it up

Although a video made up of a single clip might show what you intended, a video made up of many shorter clips often makes a more interesting watch, and you can pick out some smaller details, not just the overall scene.
Whatever your subject, think about what other shots you can get to complement your master shot, and add to the story. It can be as simple as shooting your subject both from close up and further away or getting someone to repeat a performance (like a cartwheel) a few times so you can capture it from a variety of angles. You’ll end up with better video as you’ll find better angles to shoot from.

You can use multiple lights to overcome the low light situations. If you’re recording in door keep your device plugged in and when you’re on an adventure, try to keep some power bank with you.

You can also read this

10 Quick Tips to take better Photos

10 Quick Tips to take better Photos

10 Quick Tips to take better Photos

Digital photography has gone wild from last 2 to 3 years due to the innovation in smartphones cameras. Now almost every smartphone has a camera that can take pretty decent photos. More people are taking more photos than ever before, and they’re sharing them online with friends and family to show love and affection. It’s easy to place the blame on the camera (or your smartphone) if your images aren’t as nice as some others you see online, but by following a few guidelines you can improve the quality of your snapshots—without spending $1000 for a new camera. Keep these 10 easy tips in mind next time you head out to capture the world around you. And if you have any tips that have helped you take better pictures, please share them in the comments section.

1. Get Basic frame right.

The most important and first thing while taking a photograph is its composition an framing —the position of different elements in a frame.The easiest way is to keep your concerned object right in the center while not missing the other surrounding details. Basically, you’ll want to break your frame into nine squares of roughly equal size. Try and align the subject of your photo along these lines and intersections and imagine the main image divided over these nine boxes. Many cameras have a rule of thirds grid overlay that you can activate when shooting.

2. Adjust Exposure Compensation.

As long as you aren’t shooting in full manual mode, your digital camera is making decisions that determine the exposure of a photo—in Simple words, how light or dark the shot appears. Generally speaking, a camera looks at a scene and tries to determine the appropriate exposure based on the correct lighting of a gray card, which is why there are special scene modes for snow—without them, the camera would try to make the white snow gray.

If a photo is too light or dark you can either navigate through different scene modes that are available in modern point-and-shoot cameras or simply dial in a bit of exposure compensation. Many cameras have a physical button or dial for this, identified by a +/- symbol. If your photo is too dark, move the scale up above zero; if too light, move it down a bit. You can also change the exposure later using any software. Now even smartphones have some apps that can alter the exposure settings.

Adobe Lightroom is the recommended app if you don’t have a manual mode for capturing photos on your phone.

3. Choose the Right Mode.

Your camera is likely to have plenty of shooting modes, ranging from fully automatic operation to very specific scene modes. If you’re shooting fast action you can put the camera into Shutter Priority (“S”) mode and increase the speed at which a photo is taken—setting it to 1/125 second or faster will help to freeze action, and for really quick subjects (like the hummingbird below), use as short a speed as possible to freeze motion. You can capture bright streaks of the tails and headlights of cars using low shutter speed.

In lower light you can use Aperture Priority (“A”) mode to make sure as much light is entering the lens as possible, or if you’re shooting landscapes on a tripod you can close the lens’s iris to increase depth of field, keeping everything in sharp focus from the foreground to the horizon. If you’re a D-SLR shooter, you’re more likely to use the A or S modes, while point-and-shoot cameras will often feature more specific modes that cater to activities like sports, low-light use, or landscape shooting.

4. Think About Lighting.

Pay attention to how much light you have and where it’s coming from when taking your photos. If you’re shooting outdoors, be careful not to take photos of a person when the sun is at their back. If you’re grabbing a photo in front of a monument or landmark and don’t have the flexibility to adjust your position you can use the camera’s flash to fill in shadows. You may have to manually activate the flash, as there’s a good chance that the camera will think that it’s unnecessary on a bright day.

5. Use Your Flash Wisely.

Many a photo has been foiled by a flash firing too close to a subject. If your friends and family look like Casper the Friendly Ghost when you photograph them, chances are that you’re too close when snapping your photos. Back up a bit and zoom in to get the proper framing, If you need to activate the flash. In case things are still too bright—or too dark—check and see if flash compensation is an option. Many cameras allow you to adjust the power of the flash, which can help to add better balance to your flash-assisted photos. Adding just a little bit of light makes it possible to fill in shadows, resulting in a more natural-looking photo. Try to avoid flash as much as you can, without flash photos have natural colors. You’ve to keep a close eye on the colors while taking photos with flash.

6. Add a Flash Diffuser.

If dialing down flash power isn’t an option, you can also add a diffuser to help spread the light out. Smaller flashes aren’t able

If dialing down flash power isn’t an option, you can also add a diffuser to help spread the light out. Smaller flashes aren’t able to spread light across a large surface area, giving your subjects a deer-in-the-headlights look. Point-and-shoot users can tape a bit of wax paper over the flash to soften its output.

7. Watch Your White Balance.

Your camera will try and set white balance automatically based on the type of light in which you’re shooting. Different light casts different types of color—sunlight is very blue, tungsten lighting is yellow, and fluorescent is a bit green. In many cases, the camera will automatically detect what type of lighting you’re under and adjust the color in photos so that they look natural. If you’re shooting under mixed lighting, or if the camera is just having a hard time figuring things out, you can set the white balance manually. On most point and shoots you’ll have to dive into the shooting menu to adjust this, but many D-SLRs have a dedicated White Balance button, often labeled “WB.” You can correct color in iPhoto or Picasa later on, but you’ll get better-looking photos if you get the white balance right in the first place.

8. Use a Tripod or Monopod.

Sometimes, the best way to get your shot perfect is to take some extra time. Using a tripod will allow you to set up framing, and can come in handy, along with your camera’s self-timer. You can get away with an inexpensive tripod if you’re a point-and-shoot user, although spending a bit more on a brand will result in much less frustration than with the bargain brands that you’ll find at the local five and dime. D-SLR users should definitely put care into selecting a tripod, sturdy enough to hold the camera are paramount.

If you’re more of a run-and-gun shooter, a monopod—which is just like it sounds, a tripod with two of its legs missing—will help you stabilize your shots. Great for use at zoos and sporting events, a monopod is supplemented by your two legs in order to add stability to your camera.

9. Be Selective.

With the evolution of camera technology, now you can capture thousands of photos on a single memory card. But it’s not a wise act to upload all photos to the social media. You should spend some time going through your photos to eliminate redundant shots. Also, discard photos that may be out of focus or poorly composed. It’s better to post a few great photos than some good photos hiding among hundreds of not-so-good ones.

10. Don’t Forget to Post-Process.

Consider using a program like Photoshop or Lightroom to organize your photos. Either will allow you to crop, color-correct, adjust exposure, remove red-eye, and perform other basic editing tasks. Performing some very basic editing on a photo can help improve its quality drastically. Cropping a bit can help with composition, and you can also rotate a photo so that horizon lines are straight. Getting your photos right in-camera is the larger goal, but there’s no harm in a bit of retouching.

You can also read this

12 Quick Tips to record quality videos