In this issue, Adam Engst runs down Apple’s OS 26.1 releases, highlighting improvements like Liquid Glass’s new Tinted option, AutoMix over AirPlay, and the return of Slide Over. He also explains Canva’s consolidation of Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher into a single free desktop app. Michael E. Cohen joins us to analyze Apple’s record September quarter, with Services, Mac, and iPhone driving $102.5 billion in revenue, and Adam puts today’s AI-powered “agentic” Web browsers to the test (ChatGPT Atlas, Comet, Dia, Brave, and Microsoft Edge) to see if they can handle a real-world data task. Finally, we link to a cautionary piece about agentic browser vulnerabilities. Notable Mac app releases this week include 1Password 8.11.16, Cardhop 2.4.2, Lightroom Classic 15.0, Modern CSV 2.2.4, and Transmit 5.11.1.
Update to OS 26.1 for incremental improvements and security fixes across Apple’s platforms. Highlights include Tinted Liquid Glass, AutoMix over AirPlay, Slide Over’s return to iPadOS, and dozens of patched vulnerabilities.
The new Affinity app from Canva replaces Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer, and Affinity Publisher, which already shared most of their core code. It’s free to use, requires a Canva account, and reserves integrated AI features for paying Canva customers.
For its fiscal fourth quarter of 2025, Apple set numerous records, with revenue of $102.5 billion, led by an all-time Services revenue record of $28.8 billion, and profits of $27.5 billion—so many billions.
Can a browser that navigates the Web for you handle basic data analysis without making mistakes? Adam Engst tested Brave, ChatGPT Atlas, Comet, Dia, and Edge on a straightforward task of counting minors in three event registration lists. Only one succeeded, and the results were… educational.
Watchlist
Adds support for the ChatGPT Atlas Web browser and fixes a few bugs. ($35.88 annual subscription, free update, 4.8 MB, macOS 12+)
Contact management app updated with improvements and bug fixes. ($57 annual subscription, free update, 28.8 MB, macOS 12+)
Brings several new features and performance updates to the desktop-focused photo cataloging and editing app. ($9.99/$19.99/$59.99 monthly Creative Cloud subscription, free update, macOS 14+)
Maintenance update with bug fixes for the CSV manipulation app. ($Free/$39/$59, free update, 27.1 MB, macOS 11+)
Adds support for renaming files larger than 5 GB in AWS S3. ($45 new, free update, 37.5 MB, macOS 12+)
