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Category: Problem Solving

Adam Engst 14 comments

Quirky TidBITS Issue Printing Problem Solved

Prompted by a question from a reader about why images didn’t appear in printed copies of the TidBITS email issue, we look under the hood in WordPress to find the culprit.

Adam Engst 82 comments

Apple’s File Provider Forces Mac Cloud Storage Changes

As cloud storage services like Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive move from deprecated kernel extensions to Apple’s File Provider extension, Mac users face interface and workflow changes.

Adam Engst 6 comments

tvOS 16.3.3 to Fix Siri Remote Problems for Third-Generation Apple TV 4K

If you've been having connectivity problems between the USB-C Siri Remote and the third-generation Apple TV 4K, the latest update for tvOS promises to help.

Adam Engst 14 comments

macOS Photo Screen Savers Still Don’t Properly Display Rotated or Edited Images

macOS has a long-standing bug that causes screen savers to fail to show edited or rotated images from Photos—only the original versions. Ventura still suffers from this problem, and although Adam Engst shares some workarounds, you’re not going to like them.

Adam Engst 31 comments

Hunting for a Dead Mouse: AirPlay Receiver to the Rescue

Faced with an ever-worsening stench in his laundry room at Christmas. Adam Engst brings thousands of dollars of Apple gear and recent technologies into play to avoid ripping the entire room apart.

Adam Engst No comments

Howard Oakley Determines the Best Disk Image Format

Ever wondered what format to use when creating a disk image in Disk Utility? After comparing the three main types on space efficiency, performance, and convenience, Howard Oakley came up with a clear winner.

Adam Engst 53 comments

iPhones and iPads Now Require a Passcode on Every Backup/Sync

People who use their Macs to back up or sync their iPhones and iPads have discovered they must enter their device passcode for every connection. What’s up with that?!? Adam Engst explains: it’s Apple’s ham-handed response to a security vulnerability.

Adam Engst 11 comments

A Fix for MobileDeviceUpdater’s “Installation Failed”

Mac users sometimes see the prompt “A software update is required to connect to your iPhone/iPad” when connecting one of those devices. What should you do if the installation fails?

Adam Engst 39 comments

Beware When Pasting Phone Numbers Copied from Contacts

It turns out that Contacts on the Mac stores extra invisible characters with every phone number, which can cause trouble when copying and pasting them into some online forms. Here’s what’s going on and how to work around the problem.

Adam Engst 43 comments

Apple Releases iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, macOS 13.1 Ventura, watchOS 9.2, and tvOS 16.2

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.

Adam Engst 9 comments

Microsoft Office Updates Now Require macOS 11 Big Sur or Later

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.

Adam Engst 7 comments

Get Rid of the Apple Pay Setup Badge on Settings

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.

Adam Engst 4 comments

How to Eliminate the Google Hangouts Migration Dialog

Annoyed by an “It’s time for Google Chat” dialog displayed by Brave on every launch, Adam Engst spent more time than he should have figuring out how to prevent the dialog from appearing.

Adam Engst 9 comments

AirPods Pro Compete Fairly Well Against Full-Fledged Hearing Aids

Are you starting to have a little trouble with hearing loss? Don't put off seeing a healthcare professional, but it's worth seeing if the Live Listen feature of the AirPods Pro can help you hear better. One study suggests it might.

Adam Engst 6 comments

Ensure Sufficient Free Space before Upgrading to Ventura

After hearing about Ventura upgrade problems from a reader, Adam Engst did some research to determine that you should try to have at least 37 GB free before upgrading to Ventura. And how you determine that 37 GB might matter.