24 April 2023 Show full articles

#1656: Passcode thieves lock iCloud accounts, the apps Adam uses, iPhoto and Aperture library conversion in Ventura

Wall Street Journal tech reporters Nicole Nguyen and Joanna Stern are back with more details about how passcode thieves can ruin digital lives by locking victims out of their iCloud accounts, possibly permanently. Adam Engst explains what’s happening, how to protect yourself, and why setting a separate Screen Time passcode won’t prevent thieves from resetting Apple ID passwords. After his Level 2 clean install, Adam kept track of the apps he reinstalled so he could share the current list in this issue, complete with details on why each app made the cut. Finally, Glenn Fleishman joins us to share the news that PowerPhotos 2.3 now provides—for free—iPhoto and Aperture conversion capabilities that Apple removed from Photos in macOS 13 Ventura. Notable Mac app releases this week include LaunchBar 6.17, Zoom 5.14.5, Typinator 9, Little Snitch 5.6, TunnelBear 5.0.1, and GraphicConverter 12.0.1.

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.

A follow-up to the Wall Street Journal’s investigation into Apple’s problematic iPhone security design reveals that victims are being locked out of their iCloud accounts.

What third-party apps would you install on a clean Mac to restore your preferred working environment? Adam Engst recently had the opportunity to learn just what apps he really uses—here’s the list.

Watchlist

Keyboard-based launcher updated with improved Shortcuts support. ($29 new, free update, 16.2 MB, macOS 10.14.6+)

Maintenance release for the video conferencing app with various enhancements. (Free, 100.5 MB, macOS 10.10+)

Major new release of the text expansion utility with a fresh, modern user interface, a new app icon, and Spanish language support. ($29.99 new, $14.99 upgrade, free update, 8.4 MB, macOS 11+)

Brings performance improvements and bug fixes to the network traffic management utility. ($45 new, free update, 32 MB, macOS 11+)

Subscription-based VPN app for the Mac with increased free monthly limit of 2 GB of data. (Free with subscription options for unlimited data, 38.3 MB, macOS 11+)