Friday, 11 February 2022 14:21
Advisory: macOS devices bound to Active Directory and CVE-2021-42287
Written by Sean Rabbitt
The remediation for a serious security vulnerability in Microsoft Active Directory (AD) prevents Apple macOS from binding. Affected machines will lose the ability to communicate with AD domain controllers, resulting in user lockout and potential data loss.
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Tuesday, 01 February 2022 10:08
iOS 15 Allows Rearranging and Deletion of Home Screen Pages
Written by Adam Engst
Back in iOS 14, Apple added the App Library, which collects all the apps on your iPhone. With everything available in the App Library, iOS 14 was also able to provide the option of hiding Home screen pages, a boon for those of us with too many disorganized pages. In iOS 15, Apple has taken […]
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Tuesday, 01 February 2022 10:07
Where to Check macOS, iOS/iPadOS, and iCloud Storage Status
Written by Adam Engst
There’s little more frustrating than running out of space, which always seems to happen at just the wrong time. Luckily, Apple makes it easy to check any time, before it becomes a problem. On the Mac, choose About This Mac from the Apple menu and click Storage. On an iPhone or iPad, navigate to Settings […]
Tuesday, 01 February 2022 10:06
In iOS 15, You Can Now Open an App from the Lock Screen
Written by Adam Engst
Most of the time, when you unlock your iPhone or iPad, you want to launch an app. In iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, you no longer have to unlock the device, find the app on a Home screen page, and tap it. Instead, you can open an app directly from the Lock screen, assuming Settings […]
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Tuesday, 01 February 2022 10:05
Does Your Magic Mouse Need More Juice? Here’s How to Check
Written by Adam Engst
It’s unfortunate that the most recent iteration of the Magic Mouse has its Lightning charging port on the bottom, making it impossible to use while charging, unlike the Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad, which work fine when plugged in. To check if your Magic Mouse needs charging before it starts to nag (and starts acting […]
Tuesday, 01 February 2022 10:04
If Your Internet Connection Is Slow, Research These Three Numbers
Written by Adam Engst
As pandemic-related restrictions ebb and flow, many people continue to work from home at least some of the time. A key requirement for successful remote work is a fast, solid Internet connection. Unfortunately, it’s all too common for Internet connections to degrade over time as cables endure a variety of insults ranging from water seeping […]
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Tuesday, 01 February 2022 10:03
You Can Now Upgrade to macOS 12 Monterey When You’re Ready
Written by Adam Engst
When it comes to upgrading to a new version of macOS, we err on the side of caution, at least in our recommendations. (We often install even beta releases on secondary machines for testing purposes.) Upgrading is easy, but if you upgrade too soon, the new version of macOS could render favorite apps inoperable, create […]
Tuesday, 01 February 2022 10:02
Looking for a New Email Provider? Try These Services
Written by Adam Engst
If you’re completely happy with your email provider, move on, there’s nothing to see here. But if you’re unhappy with your provider’s reliability, spam filtering, or stability as a business, or if you’re tired of having a 1990s-style address from aol.com or hotmail.com, you can switch. There are innumerable email providers, and many are undoubtedly […]
Tuesday, 01 February 2022 10:01
The Hidden Controls in the iPhone’s Camera App
Written by Adam Engst
The beauty of the iPhone camera is that it combines the ease of use of a point-and-shoot camera with the image quality of a DSLR. To take a picture, you simply open the Camera app, frame your shot, and tap the shutter button. Simple, but what’s happening behind the scenes is anything but. The iPhone […]
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Some people find it hard to find the mouse pointer at times, particularly on a large screen or when working in Dark Mode or in apps with dark interfaces. You’ve long been able to increase the size of the pointer generally and also zoom it temporarily by shaking it, but in macOS 12 Monterey, Apple […]
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Monday, 03 January 2022 10:07
Set Custom Text Sizes on a Per-App Basis in iOS 15
Written by Adam Engst
In previous versions of iOS, you could change the systemwide text size to make all apps—at least those that support Dynamic Type—display text at larger or smaller sizes. (Most people who use this feature want the text larger so it’s easier to read with aging eyes.) In iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, however, Apple lets […]
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Wednesday, 01 December 2021 10:08
Pay Attention to the iPhone’s Emergency SOS Auto Call Feature
Written by Adam Engst
Did you know that pressing and holding the side button and one of the volume buttons on an iPhone 8 or later brings up a screen that lets you power your iPhone off, show your medical ID, and invoke Emergency SOS? (On earlier iPhones, press the side or top button five times.) Slide Emergency SOS, […]
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Wednesday, 01 December 2021 10:07
Keep the Menu Bar Showing in Full Screen in macOS 12 Monterey
Written by Adam Engst
Do you like using full-screen mode on your new M1-based MacBook Pro but hate having the menu bar disappear unless you move the pointer to the top of the screen? Happily, in macOS 12 Monterey, Apple has at long last added a setting to keep the menu bar visible at all times. Open System Preferences […]
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Wednesday, 01 December 2021 10:06
Avoid Inclement Weather by Enabling Notifications in iOS 15’s Weather App
Written by Adam Engst
Thanks to Apple’s 2020 acquisition of weather company Dark Sky, the iPhone’s Weather app has learned some new tricks in iOS 15. (It still isn’t available on the iPad, oddly.) Most obvious is its addition of weather maps that can show precipitation, temperature, and air quality. More subtle are the notifications that can alert you […]
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Wednesday, 01 December 2021 10:05
Shrink Apps to Prevent the MacBook Pro Notch from Obscuring App Controls
Written by Adam Engst
The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models feature a camera housing built into the screen, resulting in a notch like that on the iPhone. Most developers are updating their apps to ensure that no controls or menu bar items appear blocked or hidden by the notch, but if you use an older app that […]
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Wednesday, 01 December 2021 10:04
FaceTime Gains Cool New Features in Apple’s Latest Operating Systems
Written by Adam Engst
It’s no exaggeration to say that videoconferencing went mainstream during the pandemic. However, Apple’s FaceTime didn’t stack up well against Zoom and others due to its emulation of the telephone call experience, questionable interface decisions, and lack of cross-platform compatibility. However, with iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS 12 Monterey, Apple has nearly brought FaceTime […]
Wednesday, 01 December 2021 10:04
Should You Use Apple’s New Password Manager in iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS 12 Monterey?
Written by Adam Engst
We continually recommend that every Apple user rely on a password manager like 1Password or LastPass for creating, managing, and entering passwords securely. What we haven’t encouraged as heavily is relying on Apple’s built-in password management features. Although they’re free, they’ve been too basic and hard to use over the years, relying largely on an […]
Wednesday, 01 December 2021 10:02
Apple’s Evolution of Do Not Disturb Helps You Focus
Written by Adam Engst
Between texts, alarms, reminders, calls, and myriad other notifications on our iPhones, iPads, and Macs, it’s a miracle we get anything done at all. To free us from this onslaught, Apple previously provided Do Not Disturb, which let you set times during which you could be free from interruption. In iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and […]
Wednesday, 01 December 2021 10:01
Print Mailing Labels for Your Holiday Cards with Apple’s Contacts App
Written by Adam Engst
If mailing your holiday cards (which you designed in Photos with a plug-in like Motif or Mimeo Photos, right?) is made harder by having to write addresses on envelopes, you can skip the handwriting step this year. Although many people don’t realize this, it’s easy to print mailing labels on standard label stock using the […]
Monday, 01 November 2021 11:08
Use Visual Look Up in Photos in iOS 15 to Identify Plants, Pets, and More
Written by Adam Engst
Have you ever wanted to identify a plant, flower, or pet breed, or find out what that famous painting is called? Us too. In iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, Apple added a new AI-driven feature called Visual Look Up that provides more information about photos of plants, flowers, pets, books, artworks, and landmarks. When you’re […]
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Monday, 01 November 2021 11:07
With Apple Watch Faces, Too Much Choice Can Be Confusing
Written by Adam Engst
The Apple Watch has a lot to offer older people, including heart rate monitoring, atrial fibrillation detection, fall detection, and electrocardiogram recording. But if you are—or are helping someone who is—of the generation where watches once did nothing beyond telling the time, too many options can be overwhelming. Adding to the confusion is how easy […]
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Monday, 01 November 2021 11:06
Apple Provides Temporary iCloud Backup Space for New Device Transfers
Written by Adam Engst
When you move from an old iPhone or iPad to a new one, the easiest approach is often the Quick Start device-to-device transfer. But if that doesn’t work, or if you have to give up one device before receiving the other, iCloud Backup is a fine alternative. Fine, that is, if you have enough iCloud […]
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