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Weekly Issues

Adam Engst

#1736: More Apple Intelligence in December OS updates, ChatGPT integration in Siri, TidBITS membership drive, bootable backups broken

The holidays are upon us, so we’re taking a two-week break from email issues. See you next on 6 January 2025! While you’re in the mood for holiday giving, would you consider becoming a member…

Adam Engst

#1735: Obituary scams and fake security warnings, HomeKit-compatible heated mattress pad, Apple Passwords in Firefox, The Verge subscription

Thanks to a wary TidBITS reader, we can warn you about a new type of scam: fake obituaries that use real names to lure people to malicious websites that display alarming iPhone security warnings. Adam…

Adam Engst

#1734: Modern CSV review, Find My’s Share Item Location coming soon, OS security updates, Thanksgiving hiatus

We’re taking the week off for the Thanksgiving holiday here in the US, so look for your next email issue on 9 December 2024. Apple has released a handful of operating system updates to block…

Adam Engst

#1733: Evaluating Clean Up, beware copyright infringment scams, iPhone 14 Plus repair program, Bill Atkinson’s cancer

For many, Clean Up in Photos is the most useful Apple Intelligence feature we have now, so Adam Engst explores where it works well, where it falls down, and when its results can vary depending…

Adam Engst

#1732: Thunderbolt 5 details, Sequoia window tiling, Apple Intelligence ads, locked iPhone security, TidBITS hosting issues

The new Mac mini and MacBook Pro with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips support Thunderbolt 5, but do you need it now, or will the M4 chip’s Thunderbolt 4 be sufficient? Glenn Fleishman explains…

Adam Engst

#1731: M4 Mac mini, M4 MacBook Pro, 16 GB MacBook Air memory, Apple Q4 2024 results, Apple acquires Pixelmator

Apple dominated the news cycle last week with the multi-day rollout of new M4-based Macs. We previously looked at the M4 iMac; this week, we cover the redesigned M4 Mac mini and the updated M4…

Adam Engst

#1730: First Apple Intelligence features ship, new M4 iMac, Postbox acquired, app purchase history, protect yourself from unauthorized location tracking

Apple has shipped macOS 15.1 Sequoia, iOS 18.1, and iPadOS 18.1 with the first wave of Apple Intelligence features. Adam Engst shares his initial impressions. The company also unveiled a new iMac with an M4…

Adam Engst

#1729: New iPad mini, Online Check reports Internet outages, multi-device wireless chargers, cryptocurrency attacks

Apple quietly announced an update to the iPad mini last week, with the seventh-generation model moving to the A17 Pro chip for Apple Intelligence and gaining support for the Apple Pencil Pro. Adam Engst compares…

Adam Engst

#1728: Messages via satellite, secure iPhone sharing with Guided Access, turbocharge the Finder with FileUtils, CA laws on AI

Apple’s new Messages via satellite feature on the iPhone 14 and later is so impressive that Adam Engst recommends everyone in the US and Canada with a compatible iPhone upgrade to iOS 18 to add…

Adam Engst

#1727: OS bug fixes, trouble opening Office files, iPhone 16 Pro 48-megapixel macro photos, facial recognition in smart glasses

Just over two weeks after the initial release of its 2024 operating systems, Apple has pushed out bug fix updates in macOS 15.01 Sequoia, iOS 18.0.1, iPadOS 18.0.1, watchOS 11.0.1, and visionOS 2.0.1. All of…

Adam Engst

#1726: Configuring Gmail aliases in iPhone Mail, limiting iPhone charging to 80%, iMore shuts down, Stephen Fry on AI

In the iPhone 15, Apple added an option to limit charging to 80% to prolong battery longevity. After seeing the results of a year-long test by Juli Clover of MacRumors, Adam Engst recommends using Apple’s…

Adam Engst

#1725: iPhone 16 Pro first impressions, workaround for repetitive permissions prompts, Communications Safety change

iPhone 16 pre-orders arrived last Friday, and Adam Engst shares his first impressions of the iPhone 16 Pro. This may be flirting with heresy, but he’s even more bullish about the standard iPhone 16 now.

Adam Engst

#1724: Upgrading to OS 2024, AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro hearing health, older OS security updates, Do You Use It? Action button results, adoc Studio

Start your engines! Apple has released macOS 15 Sequoia, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, visionOS 2, tvOS 18, and HomePod Software 18. Adam Engst offers advice on when different types of users should upgrade…

Adam Engst

#1723: OS release date, iPhone 16 lineup, Apple Watch Series 10, Blip file transfer app, do you use the iPhone 15 Pro Action button?

At its Glowtime event, Apple unveiled the iPhone 16 lineup with the innovative Camera Control and Apple silicon necessary to support Apple Intelligence, plus camera improvements and more. The company showed off the Apple Watch…

Adam Engst

#1722: 404 Media, iPhone and iPad trackpad mode, the end of Finale and AnandTech, the start of AppBITS, Stapler

Last week felt like a lull before Apple’s iPhone unveiling on September 9, so Adam Engst took the opportunity to recommend 404 Media as a trusted source for investigative tech journalism. To counter the sad…