We’re taking next week off for the Thanksgiving holiday here in the US, so look for your next email issue on 4 December 2023. Apple announced that iPhone 14 users will receive another free year of Emergency SOS via satellite, giving the company more time to figure out a business model for the lifesaving service. Adam Engst planned to share a few little-known keyboard shortcuts that use the Fn key but ended up writing an in-depth look at everything you can do with one of the Mac’s more obscure hardware features. Finally, we touch briefly on Apple’s announcement of future support for RCS in Messages and a Rogue Amoeba timeline showing the evolution of the company’s app icons. Notable Mac app releases this week include 1Password 8.10.20, Audio Hijack 4.3.1, Camo Studio 2.1, Apple Configurator 2.17, and HandBrake 1.7.
We’re taking the next email issue of TidBITS off to celebrate Thanksgiving, although we’ll continue to publish articles on our website. You can look forward to the next email issue on 4 December 2023.
Apple promised its Emergency SOS via satellite service would be free for two years when it launched for the iPhone 14 lineup in November 2022. The company has now given itself more time to figure out how to charge by extending free service through November 2025.
The Fn key has been a fixture on Apple keyboards for decades, but many Mac users lack a sense of its purpose. Adam Engst thought he was going to write a quick article listing hidden keyboard shortcuts that tap the Fn key but got dragged into documenting the history and capabilities of this unsung key.
Watchlist
Maintenance update with a lengthy list of improvements and bug fixes for the password manager. ($35.88 annual subscription, free update, 4.8 MB, macOS 10.15+)
Tweaks the recently added Transcribe beta feature. ($64 new, free update, 37.3 MB, macOS 11+)
Brings user interface improvements and an an unsupported hardware mode to the virtual-camera system. ($39.99 annual subscription, free update, 30 MB, macOS 10.13+)
Adds support for the latest MacBook Pro and iMac models. (Free, 52.2 MB, macOS 14+)
Adds Apple VideoToolbox hardware presets and support for selecting multiple files at once. (Free, 42.4 MB, macOS 10.13+)
