The M2 MacBook Air is now available to order. The first batch will arrive this Friday, but new orders are already slipping to mid-August. Apple has announced the new Lockdown Mode in iOS 16, a maximum-security mode designed to thwart malicious state-sponsored actors. Glenn Fleishman explains what Lockdown Mode does and who might benefit from it. Speaking of iOS 16, Apple has released the public betas of all its upcoming operating system updates, but only install them if you can dedicate a machine to testing. Adam Engst offers a quick tip on how to disable Live Text to make rectangular selection easier in Preview, and he explores ways to keep an aging MacBook Pro charged while in the field. Notable Mac app releases this week include Mimestream 0.36, Typinator 8.13, Mactracker 7.11.3, Airfoil 5.11.1, Hazel 5.1.3, and Fantastical 3.6.6.
The redesigned M2 MacBook Air is available to order now, but ship dates have already slipped to mid-August. There are also concerns about thermal throttling with the M2 chip with extremely processor-intensive tasks.
Apple has opened public betas of its next-generation operating systems, but remember that these aren’t for everyday use. Only install on devices that you can dedicate to testing!
Having trouble dragging selection handles in Preview because Live Text wants you to select text in the image instead? Here’s how to turn off Live Text if necessary.
Apple announced it will add an enhanced security mode to this year’s planned operating system updates to deter government-level spyware.
After a 2016 MacBook Pro failed to provide sufficient battery life for a track meet, Adam Engst started researching alternative ways of powering it, only to realize that he had something in the car all along that would have solved the problem.
Watchlist
Adds new snoozing feature and updates the system requirements to a minimum of macOS 11 Big Sur. (Free, 9.8 MB, macOS 11+)
Small maintenance update for the text expansion utility with tooltip and CSV importing improvements. (€24.99 new, free update, 10.3 MB, macOS 10.10+)
Adds detailed information about all recent hardware and operating system releases, including the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip. (Free, 176 MB, macOS 10.12+)
Updates the Audio Capture Engine to work around issues with FaceTime volume. ($29 new, free update, 38.5 MB, macOS 10.14+)
Maintenance release with a handful of bug fixes for the file automation and cleanup utility. ($42 new, free update, 20.9 MB, macOS 10.13+)
Maintenance update improves VoiceOver support for announcing date and weather info in day view. ($39.96 annual subscription, free update, 60.7 MB, macOS 10.13.2+)
