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Category: Productivity

Adam Engst 11 comments

Emergency SOS via Satellite Saves Lives in Maui Fires

Five people trapped in a van during the Maui wildfires were able to use the iPhone 14's Emergency SOS via satellite feature to coordinate a rescue by emergency responders.

Adam Engst 13 comments

Discovering the Hidden Power of Google Sheets

Faced with the problem of wanting to build a budget calculation spreadsheet for his running club, Adam Engst embarks on a journey during which he learns that modern spreadsheets can go far beyond basic row and column calculations.

Adam Engst 16 comments

Do You Use It? Stage Manager Sees Weak Adoption

The results from our first pair of Do You Use It? polls are in, and if TidBITS readers are representative, Stage Manager hasn’t been a big win for Apple.

Adam Engst 30 comments

Innovative Web Browser Arc Reaches 1.0 Release

The new Web browser Arc has left its beta releases and waitlist behind. If you’re unhappy with your browser or perform significant work in a collection of websites every day, Adam Engst recommends you try Arc. 

Adam Engst 13 comments

Melio Makes Payments for Small Businesses Easy

Faced with the desire to make it easier to pay TidBITS writers every month without a regular fee, Adam Engst discovers Melio, a payment service that offers ACH-based payments for free.

Adam Engst 68 comments

Apple Vision Pro Evokes Deep Ambivalence

During the WWDC keynote, Apple unveiled the Vision Pro, its long-rumored mixed-reality headset. Adam Engst looks at what it is, what it’s good for, and who will want to use it. He also ponders some of the implications should it become popular.

Adam Engst 21 comments

A Roundup of Vertical Tab Support in Mac Web Browsers

After becoming a convert to vertical tabs thanks to Arc, Adam Engst is now seeing and hearing about vertical tabs support all over the place. Though none are luring him away from Arc, he runs down the options in Brave, Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Orion, Safari, SigmaOS, and Vivaldi. So many browsers!

Adam Engst 25 comments

Why I Use Mimestream for Gmail

The Gmail-specific email app Mimestream has emerged from a multi-year public beta with a 1.0 version that’s familiar, fast, and fluid. Adam Engst explains why he has chosen Mimestream as his preferred email client.

Adam Engst 9 comments

Sports and Bugs in tvOS 16.5, macOS 13.4 Ventura, iOS 16.5, iPadOS 16.5, watchOS 9.5, and HomePod Software 16.5

The latest updates to Apple’s operating systems increase the visibility of sports in Apple News and bring four-up multiview sports games to the Apple TV 4K. Otherwise, there are just a few bug fixes and a new Pride Celebration wallpaper and watch face. Most important are the security updates, which explain the Rapid Security Responses and address another zero-day exploit.

Adam Engst 7 comments

Apple to Expand Accessibility Options in 2023

Apple has announced a slew of new and improved accessibility features that it plans to bring to the next versions of its operating systems in 2023.

Adam Engst 11 comments

Did You Know That the Option Key…

Check out Apple consultant Guillaume Gète's list of eighty actions that are modified in intriguing ways by the Option key.

Adam Engst 182 comments

Arc Will Change the Way You Work on the Web

The Web browser Arc has made a larger difference in jaded tech reviewer Adam Engst’s digital work life than any app in decades. Read his deep dive on what sets Arc apart from other browsers.

Glenn Fleishman 5 comments

PowerPhotos Enables Ventura Users to Migrate iPhoto and Aperture Libraries

With Apple dropping support for migrating iPhoto and Aperture libraries to Photos in macOS 13 Ventura, Fat Cat Software has thrown a lifeline to people who still have old photo libraries.

Glenn Fleishman 5 comments

Authory Provides Writers a Permanent Record of Their Articles

Authory preserves articles you write for any website, giving you a permanent copy that’s also searchable by others. It’s worth a look for anyone who wants a record of their personal or professional writing that’s independent of any given publication or platform.

Adam Engst 36 comments

Dealing with Leading Zeroes in Spreadsheet Data

After receiving an “undeliverable” holiday card back, Adam and Tonya Engst discovered that their approach to extracting data from Contacts to print labels inadvertently deleted leading zeroes in ZIP codes. Can they ever send snail mail to New England? Here’s what happened—and how to avoid similar errors.