Apple Mail was a disaster in early versions of Mavericks. Now that Yosemite is out, is everything hunky-dory again? Joe Kissell discusses what’s new in Mail — both good and bad.

With months still remaining before the final release of OS X Yosemite, members of the public can now install a beta version. Joe Kissell explains why this is cool and why he wrote an unusually priced book about it!

Most companies that do business on the Internet have published privacy policies, and although they’re often full of tedious legalese, they’re worth reading. Whether they do anything to protect you is another question.

Are you still using an AOL address, or one provided by your ISP? Do you share an email address with your spouse? Have you ever wished you could have a professional-looking email address in your own domain? In this installment of FlippedBITS, Joe Kissell looks at some common ways of using email accounts that are, shall we say, less than optimal, and explains how to improve your email image.

A few useful facts and tips about Apple Mail didn’t quite make the cut for Joe Kissell’s new book “Take Control of Apple Mail.” The book’s loss is your gain.

Apple’s OS X 10.9.2 update includes numerous fixes for Mail, including several that go beyond what Apple mentions. Mail may not be perfect yet, but it has improved markedly since 10.9.1. “Take Control of Apple Mail” author Joe Kissell reports what his testing has revealed.

Joe Kissell weighs in on Apple’s recent update to Mail in Mavericks.

Apple Mail in Mavericks takes a different approach to Gmail than any previous version did, and some users will find the implications frustrating. Joe Kissell explains what’s different and what you can (and can’t) do about it.

Connected Data’s Transporter device lets you sync and share files, and even access them from an iOS device, without using cloud storage. Joe Kissell tested it and found that it works as advertised, but isn’t for everyone.

Serious security threats involving Java have been a recurring theme for Mac users in recent months. But what exactly is Java, and what’s the problem? What’s this Java Runtime you hear about from time to time? And is JavaScript the same thing? Grab a cup of coffee and join Joe Kissell for the story of Java in this installment of FlippedBITS.

One of the most popular methods for receiving email is also the source of numerous misunderstandings. Joe Kissell explains why IMAP may be a more effective and useful protocol than POP, and addresses common sources of confusion.

Apple’s new high-end desktop Mac breaks all the rules — and smashes all previous performance barriers.

Are your passwords strong enough to resist an automated attack? If you believe any of several common password myths, they may not be. In this installment of FlippedBITS, Joe Kissell examines a few of the most dangerous myths about password security and explains smarter and safer practices.

Bootable duplicates are an important part of a complete backup strategy. But when you have to boot a Mac from such a disk — even if only temporarily — things may not always behave as you expect. Joe Kissell sheds light on some of the common points of pain and confusion when starting a Mac from a duplicate.

Joe’s new ongoing column, FlippedBITS, promises to set readers straight on a wide variety of confusing technical topics.