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Adam Engst 20 comments

Push Back on NameDrop Privacy Insinuations

If friends or relatives are asking or telling you about how NameDrop is a privacy risk based on Facebook posts from police departments, set them straight by explaining how it's completely safe.

Adam Engst 4 comments

Issues with Legacy 1Password 6 and 7 from Mac App Store

If you're using 1Password 6 or 1Password 7 from the Mac App Store and receive an error message about the 1Password app being damaged, 1Password has some possible solutions.

Adam Engst 1 comment

No TidBITS Issue on 27 November 2023

We’re taking the next email issue of TidBITS off to celebrate Thanksgiving, although we’ll continue to publish articles on our website. You can look forward to the next email issue on 4 December 2023.

Adam Engst 29 comments

Apple to Support RCS in Messages Next Year

In an announcement that the tech press likely cares about more than everyday users, Apple said Messages will support the RCS messaging standard alongside SMS and MMS sometime next year.

Adam Engst 27 comments

The Hidden Secrets of the Fn Key

The Fn key has been a fixture on Apple keyboards for decades, but many Mac users lack a sense of its purpose. Adam Engst thought he was going to write a quick article listing hidden keyboard shortcuts that tap the Fn key but got dragged into documenting the history and capabilities of this unsung key.

Adam Engst 3 comments

The Evolution of Rogue Amoeba App Icons

Rogue Amoeba has posted a graphical timeline showing how the company’s app icons have evolved over the years.

Adam Engst No comments

Apple Extends Free Emergency SOS via Satellite for iPhone 14 Users for Another Year

Apple promised its Emergency SOS via satellite service would be free for two years when it launched for the iPhone 14 lineup in November 2022. The company has now given itself more time to figure out how to charge by extending free service through November 2025.

Adam Engst 80 comments

Do You Use It? Apple Services

This week's Do You Use It? poll asks which Apple services: iCloud+, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, and Apple Arcade—and the Apple One bundle—you both pay for and actually use.

Adam Engst 5 comments

LittleBITS: Email Delivery Problem and Blocking Spambot Accounts

We’ve been dealing with some server-side issues of late, and Adam Engst takes you behind the curtains to apologize for an email delivery failure and explain how we blocked an onslaught of spambot-created accounts.

Adam Engst 9 comments

Do You Use It? Finder Tags See Focused Use

The results of our poll asking how often you use Finder tags are in, and while tags aren’t broadly popular, being reminded of what they can do for you might encourage you to use them in appropriate situations.

Adam Engst 13 comments

Apple Squashes Bugs with iOS 17.1.1, iPadOS 17.1.1, macOS 14.1.1, macOS 13.6.2, watchOS 10.1.1, and HomePod Software 17.1.1

If you have experienced issues with Apple Pay after wirelessly charging your iPhone 15 in your car, Photoshop tools, update problems with M-series MacBook Pros or the M3 iMac, Apple Watch battery drain, or Siri not paying attention on your HomePod, these updates promise to help.

Glenn Fleishman 4 comments

Upcoming Contact Key Verification Feature Promises Secure Identity Verification for iMessage

Apple has released details about Contact Key Verification, an upcoming option in Messages that lets you manually verify an iMessage correspondent’s identity without relying on encryption data managed centrally by Apple. The feature also watches for anomalies, warning you when changes prevent it from guaranteeing a conversation is with the same person.

Adam Engst 74 comments

Apple Confirms No More 27-inch iMacs

Apple has confirmed to The Verge that it will not make an Apple silicon version of the 27-inch iMac. Sad to say, it's time to think about what other Mac and display combinations would be best for your post-iMac needs.

Michael E. Cohen 7 comments

Apple Reports Record Q4 2023 Profits Despite 1% Revenue Drop 

Foreign exchange headwinds and a relative scarcity of new products during the quarter flattened Apple’s revenue figures compared to its results from a year ago, although its profits were up 13%.

Adam Engst 83 comments

M3 Chip Family Boosts Performance for MacBook Pros and 24-inch iMac

Apple’s Scary Fast product announcement brought the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips out of the shadows, revealed updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, and showed off a speed-bumped 24-inch iMac. And the whole thing was shot on an iPhone 15 Pro Max, albeit with an award-winning director, traditional video gear, and a large production team.