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#1541: Thanksgiving hiatus, understanding 5G, iPhone 12 mini and Pro Max reviews, hiding Big Sur update badges, iOS 14.2.1, App Store commission drop

This week includes the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, so we’ll be taking the opportunity to count our blessings and recover from the ravages of 2020 instead of preparing an issue for next week. Look for our next issue on 7 December 2020. Last week, Apple released iOS 14.2.1 to address three iPhone 12 bugs and set tongues wagging by cutting the App Store commission for smaller developers in half. macOS 11 Big Sur is here, but if you’re not yet ready to update, Adam Engst tells you how to hide its stinkin’ upgrade badges. To flesh out the issue, Josh Centers rounds up reviews of the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max, and Glenn Fleishman shares an in-depth explanation of what 5G is, how it works, and why it will eventually be important. We’re still catching up from having more Watchlist items than fit in an issue, so our notable Mac app releases this week include Mailplane 4.3, Agenda 11.2, URL Manager Pro 5.5, CleanMyMac X 4.7, Transmit 5.7, SEE Finance 2.2, Safari 14.0.1, Security Update 2020-006 (Mojave and High Sierra), Hazel 5.0, Nisus Writer Pro 3.2 and Nisus Writer Express 4.2, Firefox 83, Pixelmator Pro 2.0, Zoom 5.4.3, 1Password 7.7, and DEVONthink 3.6.

Josh Centers 2 comments

No TidBITS Issue on 30 November 2020

We’re taking the next email issue of TidBITS off to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday—without traveling!—in the United States, although we’ll continue to publish articles on our Web site. You can look forward to the next email issue on 7 December 2020.

Adam Engst 30 comments

Hiding Apple’s Big Sur Upgrade Badges

macOS Big Sur has been out for only a short time, but Apple is already pushing it on users by badging the System Preferences Dock icon and displaying a Big Sur-only update to GarageBand. Adam Engst shares a few workarounds that can reduce the annoyance.

Watchlist

Mailplane 4.3 Agen Schmitz No comments

Mailplane 4.3

Brings support for macOS 11 Big Sur and adds a Clipboard option to the Save Clip feature. ($29.95 new, free update, 78.2 MB, macOS 10.12+)

Agenda 11.2 Agen Schmitz No comments

Agenda 11.2

Brings full compatibility with macOS 11 Big Sur and introduces the Relevant Notes widget. (Free with $24.99 premium purchase option, 59.3 MB, macOS 10.12+)

CleanMyMac X 4.7 Agen Schmitz No comments

CleanMyMac X 4.7

Brings numerous under-the-hood changes, UI improvements, and bug fixes to ensure compatibility with macOS 11 Big Sur. ($89.95 new, free update, 63.9 MB, macOS 10.10+)

SEE Finance 2.2 Agen Schmitz 3 comments

SEE Finance 2.2

Personal finance app adds support for macOS 11 Big Sur and gains numerous improvements and bug fixes. ($49.99 new, free update, 49.5 MB, macOS 10.12+)

Hazel 5.0 Agen Schmitz 2 comments

Hazel 5.0

Major upgrade for the file automation and cleanup utility switches to a standalone app and adds support for macOS 11 Big Sur. ($42 new, $20 upgrade, 20.4 MB, macOS 10.13+)

Firefox 83 Agen Schmitz No comments

Firefox 83

Improves speed and memory performance and adds pinch-to-zoom capabilities for Macs with trackpads. (Free, 73 MB, macOS 10.12+)

Pixelmator Pro 2.0 Agen Schmitz 1 comment

Pixelmator Pro 2.0

Major new release brings an all-new, more refined design, loads of new features, native support for M1-based Macs, and compatibility with macOS 11 Big Sur. ($39.99 new, free update, 217 MB, macOS 10.14.4+)

Zoom 5.4.4 Agen Schmitz No comments

Zoom 5.4.4

Adds the capability to share multiple desktop programs during a meeting instead of just a window or screen. (Free, 23.0 MB, macOS 10.9+)

1Password 7.7 Agen Schmitz 7 comments

1Password 7.7

Brings design improvements for macOS 11 Big Sur and enhances integration with Safari. ($64.99 new, free update, 57.5 MB, macOS 10.13+)

DEVONthink 3.6 Agen Schmitz No comments

DEVONthink 3.6

Updates the document and information manager with some necessary changes to ensure compatibility with macOS 11 Big Sur. ($99/$199/$499 new, free update, 115 MB, macOS 10.11.5+