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Adam Engst 38 comments

How Do You Request Music Using Siri?

Frustrated by how he’s using Siri, Adam Engst explains his approach to requesting music from HomePods to see if others have techniques they feel are more successful. Is the eventual answer generative AI?

Adam Engst 31 comments

Tracking Air Quality in a Wildfire-Filled World

Stressed out by unhealthy air quality levels caused by smoke drifting south from wildfires in Canada, Adam Engst explores resources that report outdoor and indoor air quality to inform decisions about how to react.

Adam Engst 6 comments

The Password Game Is Fun, Frustrating, and Educational

If you enjoy puzzle games and the absurdity of password requirements, try Neal Agarwal’s The Password Game.

Adam Engst 8 comments

How to Identify and Eliminate Abusive Web Notifications

There’s nothing new about notification adware, system-level alerts from malicious websites that try to lure you into sharing login credentials, credit card info, or other personal information. A recent uptick in reports caused Adam Engst to explore the topic more deeply to help readers learn to identify and eliminate abusive notifications.

Adam Engst 7 comments

Apple Expands Self Service Repair Program; Have You Used It?

Apple has expanded its Self Service Repair program to include the iPhone 14 lineup, M1-based Mac desktops, and the M2 models of the 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro. But is anyone actually using Self Service Repair?

Adam Engst 14 comments

Apple Updates All Active Operating Systems to Block Exploited Security Vulnerabilities

Updates to new and old versions of macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS address kernel and WebKit security vulnerabilities actively exploited in the wild. Install them as soon as you reasonably can.

Adam Engst 12 comments

Solve Myopia in a Pinch with an iPhone

Faced with the need to find his glasses in a dark house, the nearsighted Adam Engst discovers that holding the iPhone in front of his face with the flash-enabled Camera app running lets him see perfectly. 

Adam Engst 1 comment

DPReview Acquired by Gear Patrol

Photography resource website DPReview has escaped the ignominious fate of being shut down in Amazon cost-cutting.

Adam Engst 19 comments

The Real System Requirements for Apple’s 2023 Operating Systems

Apple’s upcoming operating systems have broad hardware support, but devils dance in the details. Macs and iPhones from 2017 fall by the wayside this year, though a few 2017-era iPads soldier on. Older devices that are generally compatible won’t be able to take advantage of all the new features. Read on to find out what your devices will support.

Adam Engst 17 comments

Beware of Siri Creating Alarms Instead of Timers

If you’ve had trouble setting timers on the Apple Watch with Siri recently, it’s because Siri misses the final word in the command and sets an alarm rather than a timer.

Adam Engst 6 comments

21 New Features Coming to Apple Services in 2023

Apple has released a list of enhancements coming to Apple services with the next versions of its operating systems.

Adam Engst 68 comments

Apple Vision Pro Evokes Deep Ambivalence

During the WWDC keynote, Apple unveiled the Vision Pro, its long-rumored mixed-reality headset. Adam Engst looks at what it is, what it’s good for, and who will want to use it. He also ponders some of the implications should it become popular.

Adam Engst 2 comments

Reddit Client Apollo to Shut Down on 30 June 2023

Apollo developer Christian Selig tells a sad but dramatic tale about how Reddit's surprise introduction of exorbitantly high prices has caused him to pull the plug on Apollo.

Julio Ojeda-Zapata 15 comments

Another Dozen Compelling Features Coming to Apple’s Operating Systems in 2023

Apple has pulled back the curtains on the new features it is adding to iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS 14 Sonoma, watchOS 10, and tvOS 17. Adam Engst recently wrote about his top features; here are 12 more that caught Julio Ojeda-Zapata’s eye. 

Adam Engst 65 comments

12 Compelling Features Coming to Apple’s Operating Systems in 2023

Apple has pulled back the curtains on the new features it’s adding to iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS 15, watchOS 10, and tvOS 17. Here are the 12 that Adam Engst finds the most immediately interesting.