Larry Tesler, a pioneering computer scientist and long-time Apple executive, has died at age 74. Adam Engst shares a few of Tesler’s achievements and the full text of a 1997 email conversation they had on a private mailing list when Tesler was Apple’s Internet czar.

Could an emergency responder use your iPhone to help save your life and alert your loved ones? Make sure you’ve configured your Medical ID, and even if you have done it already, check your emergency contacts to make sure their phone numbers are correct.

After being warned by both iCloud and Gmail that he was running low on storage space, Adam Engst embarked on a mission to free up cloud space rather than pay for more than he needs. If your clouds are filling up too, follow along to avoid missing email, failing file syncs, and more.

Will wonders never cease! Netflix actually listened to feedback from its customers about how much they hated auto-play previews and—a full year later—introduced an option to disable them. Hallelujah!

If you’re curious about how Time Machine works or are troubleshooting a problem with your Time Machine backups, Howard Oakley has a lengthy series with useful details about Apple’s backup solution.

This podcast is related to the world of Apple only through the Mac cred of its host, Guy Kawasaki, but his lineup of guests makes it well worth checking out.

Back in September, Adam Engst moved from an Apple Watch Series 2 to an Apple Watch Series 5. After living with it for several months, he’s figured out which features make a difference and which are just marketing fluff.

Nagged by the question of whether Apple still uses the term “Macintosh” anywhere, Adam Engst pores over targeted Google search results to confirm that the company has excised “Macintosh” from all modern uses, with a few odd exceptions.

Forget Big Brother. We have much more to worry about from the numerous “Tiny Brother” location data companies that track our every movement via software embedded in smartphone apps.

In keeping with our tradition, we’re going to take off the last few weeks of the year to spend with family and friends, so look for the next email issue of TidBITS on 6 January 2020. Thanks for your attention in 2019, and we hope you’ve found our content useful, accurate, and enjoyable!

If you can read English and write in either Dutch or Japanese, we need your help in translating TidBITS!

Looking for a wallet case for an iPhone 11 Pro? Adam Engst looks at a pair of wallet cases from Twelve South and Ekster that promise to protect your iPhone 11 Pro and let you leave your wallet at home.

If you have shared a file in Dropbox but now need to replace it without changing the previously shared link, don’t replace the file in the Finder. Adam Engst explains what to do instead.

As promised, Apple has released the powerful Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR before the end of 2019. Not by a lot, but if you get your order in soon, Apple will even deliver them before January. Just be prepared to pony up a chunk of change.

We’re coming up on our 30th anniversary in April 2020, but the only way TidBITS can keep bringing you the Apple news, advice, and technical details you need is if you chip in to make it happen. Join the TidBITS membership program today!