Adam Engst
Adam C. Engst is the publisher of TidBITS. He has written numerous books, including the best-selling Internet Starter Kit series, and many magazine articles thanks to Contributing Editor positions at MacUser, MacWEEK, and now Macworld. His innovations include the creation of the first advertising program to support an Internet publication in 1992, the first flat-rate accounts for graphical Internet access in 1993, and the Take Control electronic book series now owned and operated by alt concepts. His awards include the MDJ Power 25 ranking as the most influential person in the Macintosh industry outside of Apple every year since 2000, inclusion on the MacTech 25 list of influential people in the Macintosh technical community, and being named one of MacDirectory's top ten visionaries. And yes, he has been turned into an action figure.
Text expansion utility receives bug fixes and a new live support chat feature. ($40 annual subscription, free update, 54.1 MB, macOS 10.15+)
Update to these versions of iOS and iPadOS to protect your older iPhone or iPad from malicious Web content that takes advantage of a now-fixed WebKit vulnerability.
Fixes numerous bugs and lets you turn off font ligature support. ($49.99 new, free update, 23.4 MB, macOS 10.15.4+)
Security patches for Monterey and Big Sur. (Free, various sizes, macOS 12 and 11)
Patches security vulnerabilities in Monterey and Big Sur. (Free, various sizes, macOS 11+)
Apple has updated all of its operating systems, adding the Freeform digital whiteboard app, support for Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, Apple Music Sing, Stage Manager on external displays, and various smaller improvements. A fix for a serious security vulnerability encourages updating soon.
We have two quick things to share that don’t warrant an article: an explanation of why Apple Pay-using TidBITS members may see incorrect credit card expiration dates and the news of Apple Music Sing, which fills Adam Engst with dread.
The October 2022 update to Microsoft’s Office apps was the last one for users running macOS 10.15 Catalina. Upgrade to at least macOS 11 Big Sur to continue receiving enhancements, bug fixes, and security updates to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote.
Apple has announced Advanced Data Protection, an optional switch that enables end-to-end encryption for more types of iCloud data, including iCloud Backups, iCloud Drive, Photos, Notes, Reminders, and more.
The latest version of iOS promises to improve compatibility with wireless carriers and do better at detecting crashes. But, we ask, did you need TidBITS to tell you that?
You can look forward to App Store prices containing different numbers now that Apple has introduced 700 more price points—from $0.29 to $10,000—from which developers can select.
Serif launched the next generation of its Affinity layout, design, and photo apps in conjunction with a 40%-off sale through 14 December 2022 that drops the one-time price of all three to just $99.99, less than the cost of two months of an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. Adam Engst encourages those who aren’t sure why they’re paying for Creative Cloud to give Affinity a try.
It’s time for TidBITS to learn new tricks in the wake of managing editor Josh Centers leaving, while continuing to bring you the Apple advice and technical details you’ve come to rely on over the past 32 years. Will you help us start a fun new chapter in our long history?
For Anker's Eufy brand, secure design apparently takes a back seat to empty privacy promises. The Verge confirmed the finding by security consultants that Eufy cameras can stream encryption-free video through the cloud, all in violation of the company's claims.
If you’re among those who dislike having notification badges permanently affixed to iOS apps, you may be frustrated by the badge on the Settings app that nags you to set up Apple Pay. Here’s how to get rid of it without enabling Apple Pay.
