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Adam Engst 1 comment

BBEdit 15 Adds ChatGPT, Minimap, Cheat Sheets, and More

The latest major update to the venerable text editor BBEdit brings connections with ChatGPT, new navigational and reference aids, and a plethora of helpful refinements.

Adam Engst 31 comments

Apple Vision Pro Arrives 2 February 2024

Apple has announced that pre-orders for its Vision Pro “spatial computer” will open on 19 January 2024, with the headset shipping two weeks later. Will you be ordering one?

Adam Engst 7 comments

How Big Is YouTube?

Researchers have come up with a way to estimate how many videos there are on YouTube and various metrics surrounding them. It's a fascinating look into a site that has become an integral part of many people's lives.

Adam Engst 7 comments

Solving Time Machine’s iCloud Drive Blockage

After upgrading one of his Macs to macOS 14 Sonoma, Adam Engst ran into problems with Time Machine, which refused to back up until iCloud Drive had finished syncing and continued to balk even after the sync had seemingly finished. The problem? A seldom-used troubleshooting account that also had to finish syncing.

Julio Ojeda-Zapata 1 comment

Evaluating New Features in the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 9, and AirPods Pro

Julio Ojeda-Zapata took the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the Apple Watch Series 9, and the recently tweaked second-generation AirPods Pro on a trip as a tech experiment: How would their new features fare in a travel capacity? He renders his verdicts. 

Adam Engst 11 comments

Joanna Stern Interviews iPhone Passcode Thief in Prison

For additional background and color surrounding the Wall Street Journal’s reporting on iPhone passcode thefts, watch Joanna Stern’s interview with a convicted thief.

Adam Engst 7 comments

Apple Releases macOS 14.2.1, iOS 17.2.1, iOS 16.74, and iPadOS 16.7.4

A handful of iOS and iPadOS updates address unspecified bugs, and the update to macOS 14.2.1 Sonoma fixes a bug that could share random windows via Screen Sharing.

Adam Engst 7 comments

Apple Adds The Athletic to Apple News+

Fans of professional and college teams across major sports leagues may appreciate the addition of The Athletic to Apple News+. Apple said content from Wirecutter would also be available to all Apple News users starting in 2024.

Adam Engst 2 comments

TidBITS 2023 Holiday Hiatus—See You in 2024!

In keeping with our tradition, we’re going to take a few weeks off to spend time with family and friends over the holidays. You can expect the next email issue of TidBITS on 8 January 2024. Thanks for reading TidBITS, and we hope our articles enriched your year!

Adam Engst 26 comments

How to Turn Off Smart TV Automatic Content Recognition

If you have purchased a smart TV recently, beware that it probably shares everything that appears onscreen with its makers. Here are instructions for turning off this privacy-abusing technology for three major smart TV platforms.

Adam Engst 6 comments

Apple to Stop Selling Two Apple Watch Models in the US Due to Import Ban

An ITC import ban has caused Apple to stop selling its new Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the US. Order soon if you want one, or choose an Apple Watch SE, which remains for sale.

David Shayer 26 comments

Why Did Apple Change the watchOS 10 Interface?

Some users love the user interface changes in watchOS 10. Others do not. What changed, and how does Apple decide to update a perfectly good user interface, anyway? Former Apple engineer David Shayer explains what Apple changed and likely why, before sharing how Apple approaches major interface changes.

Adam Engst 35 comments

Apple to Introduce Stolen Device Protection in the Upcoming iOS 17.3

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple will introduce a new feature, Stolen Device Protection, to deter the kind of significant digital damage that iPhone passcode thieves have inflicted on victims.

Adam Engst 3 comments

Apple Self Service Repair Adds Remote Diagnostics and Supports New Devices

Although the addition of the iPhone 15 lineup and Macs using the M2 family of chips to Self Service Repair is welcome, the release of the remote Apple Diagnostics for Self Service Repair troubleshooting tool is more interesting.

Adam Engst 40 comments

Apple’s End-of-Year OS Updates Add Promised Features, Security Updates

Apple has released iOS 17.2, iPadOS 17.2, macOS 14.2 Sonoma, watchOS 10.2, and tvOS 17.2 with notable improvements and several features promised early in the year. HomePod Software 17.2 received only unspecified bug fixes. Apple also published security updates for iOS 16.7.3, iPadOS 16.7.3, macOS 13.6.3 Ventura, and macOS 12.7.2 Monterey.