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Adam Engst 50 comments

Incremental iPhone 15 Improvements Focus on Photography and Connectivity

At its Wonderlust event, Apple unveiled its latest crop of iPhones, with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus enjoying a more significant feature jump from their iPhone 14 predecessors than the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Adam Engst 87 comments

Five Unexpected Announcements from Apple’s Wonderlust Event

Sure, Apple announced the iPhone 15, Apple Watch Series 9, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 at its Wonderlust event on 12 September 2023. But we weren’t expecting these additional announcements.

Adam Engst 3 comments

2023 OS Release Dates

Apple has revealed the release dates of its next-generation operating systems: iOS 17, iPadOS 17, watchOS 10, tvOS 17, HomePod Software 17, and macOS 14 Sonoma.

Adam Engst 1 comment

Do You Use It? iPhone 14 Pro Always-On Display

This week’s Do You Use It? poll asks owners of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max if they keep the Always-On display enabled or disabled everyday use.

Adam Engst 7 comments

Do You Use It? Apple’s Weather Leads a Wide Array of Popular Alternatives

After a pair of polls, we’ve found that TidBITS readers overwhelmingly use Apple’s Weather app on their iPhones, but they also rely on a vast number of other apps and websites. And lots of people miss Dark Sky.

Julio Ojeda-Zapata 4 comments

Photographing a Bicycling Tour with an iPhone

Julio Ojeda-Zapata recently spent four days crouching by the side of country roads, pointing his iPhone 14 Pro at oncoming bicyclists. An avid amateur shutterbug, he had become the semi-official photographer for the Bicycling Around Minnesota tour—and the iPhone was all he needed. 

Adam Engst 22 comments

Mozilla Says Modern Cars Are Data Collection Nightmares on Wheels

Mozilla’s *Privacy Not Included team has determined that carmakers are universally terrible regarding privacy—they collect vast amounts, share or sell it with third parties, give drivers little or no control, and don't even protect what they collect very well.

Adam Engst 15 comments

OS Security Updates Plug Image and Wallet Vulnerabilities Exploited by Pegasus Spyware

Updates for macOS 13 Ventura, iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, and older Apple operating systems fix a pair of zero-click security vulnerabilities that are being used to install the NSO Group's Pegasus spyware. Install the updates soon.

Adam Engst 4 comments

Apple Explains Pullback from CSAM Photo-Scanning

In a letter responding to a child safety group, Apple has outlined its reasons for dropping its proposed scanning for child sexual abuse material in iCloud Photos. Instead, the company is focusing on its Communication Safety technology, which detects nudity in transferred images and videos.

Adam Engst No comments

Apple “Wonderlust” Event Scheduled for 12 September 2023

Apple has announced an event for 12 September 2023, teasing it to the press with the word “Wonderlust.” We expect new iPhones and Apple Watches, likely accompanied by release dates for iOS 17 and watchOS 10.

Adam Engst 18 comments

Do You Use It? Proxy Icons Quietly Boost Productivity

The results of our poll asking about proxy icon use are in, and we hope that this article’s explanation of what proxy icons are good for encourages those who haven’t used them to give them a try.

Adam Engst No comments

No Email Issue on 4 September 2023 for Labor Day

We’re taking a brief break from building an email issue of TidBITS next week for a combination of family time and the Labor Day holiday in the United States, so look for the next issue in your mailbox on 11 September 2023, likely right before Apple's big iPhone announcement.

Adam Engst 7 comments

Arc 1.5 Brings Back Today Tab Syncing

Regular unpinned “Today” tabs once again sync between windows and devices in the recently released Arc Web browser. The Browser Company explains why Today tab syncing was removed and then restored a few months later. 

Adam Engst 1 comment

Do You Use It? iPhone Weather Apps

After last week’s Do You Use It? poll asked if you use Apple's Weather app on your iPhone, this follow-up poll asks which third-party apps you prefer. We’ll report on the results of both polls and more in a future article.

Adam Engst 16 comments

Backblaze Raises Prices, Makes Extended Version History Standard

Online backup company Backblaze has announced that it will be raising prices on 3 October 2023 for new purchases and renewals, but everyone will be able to get the $2-per-month 1-year extended version history for free.