How to

Urban beekeep, GarageBand, hammer stuff

1 lay down a track using Garageband Sound desk tips from your digital roadie, tutorial school Lynda.com’s Garrick Chow

1/ Specify the key – Do this from the off, so any loops you use will match. You’ll also have an easier time applying pitch correction if GarageBand knows what you’re aiming for. 2/ Keep the beat – GarageBand’s metronome is hard to hear, so add a drum loop instead. 3/ Record multiple tracks at once – Select the Track Header menu, then tap the Record Enable button for each track, setting each input in the Smart Controls pane in the Info section. It will then let you capture every instrument’s output simultaneously. 4/ Cut out lag – Lock tracks that you aren’t recording or editing and GarageBand will save a “frozen” version to your hard drive, freeing up some needed processing power.

2 stop button mashing Pro gamer Ryan Ahn teaches you to ditch your pad and master arcade fighting sticks

1/ Get a grip – Joystick handles come in two shapes: bat tops and ball tops. Most players prefer to hold a ball top like cupping a wine glass and bat tops with a pencil grip. But that’s a guide, you should do whatever feel right.

2/ Practice hard – Motions and combos should become muscle memory, as then you won’t need to think and your hands will react by instinct. It’s repetitive but it works, and it’ll stop you panicking and mashing buttons.

3/ Double-tap buttons – This doubles your chances of timing moves correctly. Just walk your middle and index finger across buttons quickly – you can even triple tap for luck.

4/ Play “Footsies” – This is fighting game lingo for the art of hitting your opponent without getting hit yourself. Read up on this virtual martial art at Sonichurricane.com.

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be an urban beekeeper You’ve heard the buzz: bee numbers are falling. Do your bit by building your own hive

1/ Get the kit – A hive needs to keep bees warm, dry and in the dark. Try to find a local manufacturer who uses sustainable timber if you can. You will also need protective clothing to avoid a Macauley Culkin in My Girl- like end. A veil will give some safety, but a full suit and gloves is advisable for beginners.

2/ Find some friends – The easiest way to start is with a small beginner colony, called a nucleus. Bees are imported from around the world, but you want healthy, locally bred bees if you can find them. Charity begins at home, you see?

3/ Crown your queen – That one massive bee is the queen. A nucleus will also include up to 50,000 worker bees, all daughters of the queen, and a few male drones. The drones will begin building comb, which the queen lays eggs into. It’s the workers’ task to tend the young and make the honey.

4/ Begin husbanding – You will need to visit the hive every week during spring and summer, checking for disease and making sure there is enough room for the honey.

5/ Harvest honey – But not too much. Remember to leave plenty for the bees to feed on through the winter.

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THE techquation

How to not be a water-waster

Iro Sprinkler Controller Use your smartphone to control your garden’s sprinklers, making sure they only shower plants in need. US$ 249, rach.io Karcher K4.650 Pressure Washer Less tap-hungry, but no loss of blasting power. Ideal for all those cleaning jobs you’ve been putting off. $429, karcher.com.au

Eco Showerdrop Monitors how much water you’re using, alerting you when you’ve overstayed your welcome in the shower. $21, showerdrop.com

A wet (but not wild) time No more extortionate water bills and feelings of guilt when the water restrictions hit.