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Glenn Fleishman 38 comments

Cloudy with a Chance of Insanity: Unsticking iCloud Drive

As with all its services, Apple offers no real troubleshooting when iCloud Drive synchronization stalls in macOS. Glenn Fleishman encountered a problem that took months to diagnose and fix. In the process, he went through the wringer of trying nearly everything suggested online, via Apple support, and from colleagues. In the end, the magic that fixed it was undisclosed engineers.

Adam Engst No comments

iOS 16.7.1 and iPadOS 16.7.1 Offer Two Security Fixes

Apple has updated iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 with fixes for the vulnerabilities addressed in iOS 17.0.3 and iPadOS 17.0.3. You don’t need to rush to update unless you work in a large business or government agency.

Adam Engst 100 comments

Do You Use It? Finder Tags

This week's Do You Use It? poll asks how often you use Finder tags, which are marking their tenth year of being part of the Mac experience.

Glenn Fleishman 23 comments

iOS 17’s Check In Feature Provides Peace of Mind and Could Even Save Lives

Glenn Fleishman explores iOS 17’s new Check In feature, which lets you specify someone as a temporary safety partner who can confirm you got where you intended to to go. It’s a welcome addition to Apple’s collection of features aimed at increasing personal safety.

Adam Engst 27 comments

Carbon Copy Cloner Backs Up Cloud-Only Content

Worried about backing up your cloud-only files? The latest version of Carbon Copy Cloner can temporarily download, back up, and evict these files, ensuring your data’s safety. Learn about this ingenious feature that bridges the gap between local and cloud storage in your backup strategy.

Adam Engst 13 comments

Do You Use It? Safari Ranks as Top Mac Web Browser

Which Web browsers do TidBITS readers use on their Macs? Safari, of course, but Firefox proved surprisingly popular, and an emphasis on privacy may account for several other unexpected deviations from global browser share numbers.

Adam Engst 4 comments

Arc Web Browser Introduces Focused AI Features

The Browser Company of New York has unveiled Arc Max, a collection of five experimental AI tools. From Ask on Page to Tidy Downloads, we explore how Arc Max enhances browsing. But are these AI tools genuinely useful? Learn how The Browser Company approaches AI and follow along to see which features survive the trial period.

Adam Engst 9 comments

iOS 17.0.3 Addresses iPhone 15 Overheating Issue and Security Vulnerabilities

Apple has made good on a promise to update iOS 17 to respond to a bug that could cause overheating, particularly in the iPhone 15. The update also blocks several security vulnerabilities, one of which has been exploited in the wild.

Adam Engst 1 comment

Do You Use It? Mac Web Browsers

This week's Do You Use It? poll asks which Web browsers you use on your Mac. Safari may be a given for many Mac users, but there are a plethora of alternatives.

Julio Ojeda-Zapata 4 comments

Two Laptop Stands Appropriate for a 15-inch MacBook Air

The new 15-inch MacBook Air with its large screen awakened Julio Ojeda-Zapata’s interest in laptop stands. He wants one that is robust but portable, and adjustability is a must. He found two stands that qualify in different, ingenious ways.

Adam Engst 17 comments

Do You Use It? iPhone Always-On Display Popular but Not Universal

The results of our poll of iPhone 14 Pro users are in, with two-thirds of respondents saying they keep the Always-On enabled. The remaining third cited distractions and reduced battery life as their reasons for turning it off.

Adam Engst 40 comments

macOS 14 Sonoma Now Available

Apple has released macOS 14 Sonoma, and you can upgrade compatible Macs now. The features aren’t likely life-changing, but nor are they causing significant compatibility issues. Read on for more details and upgrade advice.

Adam Engst 3 comments

NewClimate Institute Reacts to Apple’s Carbon Neutral Apple Watch Claims

While noting that Apple is doing a better job than most multinationals with regard to the transparency and integrity of its climate pledges and strategies, the NewClimate Institute finds that Apple’s claims of carbon neutrality somewhat exaggerated.

Adam Engst 7 comments

iFixit Puts Apple’s FineWoven Case Under the Microscope

Curious about Apple’s FineWoven fabric? iFixit looks at the FineWoven iPhone case under a high-powered microscope before and after subjecting it to scratches, liquids, and more.

Adam Engst 19 comments

Update a New iPhone 15 to iOS 17.0.2 Before Transferring from Your Old iPhone

A bug in iOS 17 can cause a hang while transferring data from an old iPhone to a new iPhone 15. Update to iOS 17.0.2 first!