Wednesday, 01 November 2017 09:08
How to Get Back to Siri’s Web Results Quickly
Written by Adam Engst
Ask Siri to search the Web and you’ll get five results back from Google (not Bing anymore!). Tap one and it opens in Safari. But what if that page doesn’t contain the information you want? How do you get back to Siri’s results? The easy way is to tap the little Siri button that appears in [R30;]
Wednesday, 01 November 2017 09:07
Merge Recognized Faces in Photos in Both iOS and macOS
Written by Adam Engst
An extremely welcome under-the-hood change in iOS 11 and macOS 10.13 High Sierra is that Photos facial recognition syncs across iCloud Photo Library. Previously, people you identified on one of your devices remained unidentified on others. But what if Photos now identifies the same person twice, such that they have two separate entries in the [R30;]
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Wednesday, 01 November 2017 09:06
You Can Now Scan QR Codes with the Camera in iOS 11
Written by Adam Engst
You’ve undoubtedly seen those odd-looking square QR codes on product packaging, a business card, or a flyer. In the past, you needed a special app to scan a QR code to see what Web URL, contact card, Wi-Fi network, or other piece of information it held. In iOS 11, though, you can just point your [R30;]
Wednesday, 01 November 2017 09:05
Stop Paying Too Much for a Family’s iCloud Drive Storage
Written by Adam Engst
Apple gives iCloud users 5 GB of free storage, but that fills up fast with iCloud Photo Library, iOS backups, iBooks, and more. Until iOS 11 and macOS 10.13 High Sierra, each person in a family had to buy extra iCloud space separately. Happily, Apple has now made it so everyone in a Family Sharing [R30;]
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It’s that time of year again, when many of us start wracking our brains for gift ideas for our loved ones—or for our own wish lists. If your special someone is an Apple user, we have a few suggestions. Chargers, Cables, and Adapters, Oh My! We know that giving someone a cable feels a bit [R30;]
Wednesday, 01 November 2017 09:03
Please, Please, Use iOS 11’s Do Not Disturb While Driving Feature
Written by Adam Engst
Distracted driving may not make headlines, but it’s a huge problem. In the United States in 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that 391,000 people were injured and 3477 killed in accidents caused by distracted driving. Many things can distract drivers, but the most concerning—and the most avoidable—is texting. Given that the iPhone [R30;]
Wednesday, 01 November 2017 09:02
What Is a Fusion Drive, and Why Should You Care?
Written by Adam Engst
There are two basic types of storage devices available today: hard disk drives and solid-state drives. For the lowest cost per gigabyte, you can’t go wrong with a hard drive, and they come in truly massive sizes—up to a whopping 8 terabytes. However, they’re relatively slow. For speed, you want a solid-state drive, also known [R30;]
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Wednesday, 01 November 2017 09:01
The Swipes You Need to Know to Multitask in iOS 11 on an iPad
Written by Adam Engst
With iOS 11, the iPhone and iPad interfaces continue to diverge, which makes sense, since the iPad is not merely an overgrown iPhone. Particularly when you pair an iPad Pro with a Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil, you can now get real work done on an iPad more fluidly than ever before. The “hard” part [R30;]
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Monday, 02 October 2017 08:04
Avoid Ransom Requests with a Unique iCloud Password
Written by Adam Engst
We’ve been hearing reports from people whose Macs have been locked remotely via Find My Mac, with the criminals responsible holding access to the Mac hostage until they receive a ransom in Bitcoin. First, if this happens to you, do not pay the ransom! Any Apple Authorized Service Provider or Apple Store can unlock your [R30;]
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Monday, 02 October 2017 08:03
iTunes 12.7 Can’t Download or Manage iOS Apps Anymore
Written by Adam Engst
The writing is on the wall: Apple doesn’t want us downloading or managing iOS apps on our Macs anymore. Most of the changes in iTunes 12.7 revolve around features Apple removed, including ringtone management and iTunes U. But the kicker is the removal of the iOS App Store and support for app syncing. This means [R30;]
Monday, 02 October 2017 08:02
Find Your Way around Airports and Malls with the Maps App
Written by Adam Engst
When you’re in a huge mall or airport, it’s all too easy to take a wrong turn and get lost. Happily, your iPhone will increasingly be able to help prevent that. Maps in iOS 11 now knows about some indoor places, such as the Philadelphia International Airport and the Westfield San Francisco Centre mall. Zoom [R30;]
Monday, 02 October 2017 08:01
How to Avoid Downer Stories in Apple’s “For You” News Suggestions
Written by Adam Engst
If the For You section of Apple’s iOS News app overwhelms you with stories that are boring, depressing, or offensive, you can clamp down on it with a new setting in iOS 11. Go to Settings > News and enable Restrict Stories in For You. From then on, most stories in For You will come [R30;]
Wednesday, 13 September 2017 10:09
Apple Introduces iPhone 8, iPhone X, Apple Watch Series 3, and Apple TV 4K
Written by Adam Engst
At its highly anticipated product announcement event at the new Steve Jobs Theater, Apple didn’t disappoint. The big news was the revolutionary iPhone X, which eliminates the Home button and unlocks by recognizing your face. Apple also announced the evolutionary iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus; a cellular-capable Apple Watch Series 3; and the Apple [R30;]
Wednesday, 13 September 2017 10:02
The Top Features You’ll Want to Try in iOS 11
Written by Adam Engst
Even if you’re not buying a new iPhone this year, you can still enjoy a hefty dose of “New and Improved!” with Apple’s iOS 11, which provides a host of new capabilities. Hold on tight, there’s a lot to cover, and we have another article coming about the iPad-specific changes in iOS 11. Getting [R30;]
With watchOS 4 now arriving on Apple Watch users’ wrists, it’s time to make sure you aren’t missing out on any of the important features—and to share a few tips for how to use them. watchOS 4 works on all Apple Watch models, even the original Apple Watch. It does require iOS 11, so if [R30;]
Wednesday, 13 September 2017 10:01
Why iOS 11 Is the Most Important Version Yet for iPad Users
Written by Adam Engst
Apple has long argued that you can use the iPad for productivity but hasn’t backed that claim up with the necessary features in iOS. Until now, that is, with the new iPad-centric capabilities of iOS 11. These changes mean that an iPad running iOS 11 is more like a Mac, and that’s a good thing [R30;]
Wednesday, 13 September 2017 10:00
What’s New in macOS 10.13 High Sierra and Its Main Apps
Written by Adam Engst
Although Apple’s eye-catching Desktop image of the High Sierra mountains makes it easy to confirm that your Mac is running High Sierra, the most noteworthy new features are invisible! These changes are aimed at improving your Mac’s performance. But, don’t worry that there’s nothing new in High Sierra to play with—you’ll find plenty to do [R30;]
Friday, 01 September 2017 07:28
What the %&#@& Is Draining My MacBook Battery?
Written by Adam Engst
If your MacBook’s battery charge is dropping faster than you think is reasonable, it’s time to look for the culprit. Click the Battery icon in the menu bar and wait a few seconds for the Battery menu to display power information, including which apps are using significant energy. Obviously, you can’t quit apps you’re using, [R30;]
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Long gone are the days of ghetto blasters and monster speakers—now we pump music directly into our eardrums with EarPods and AirPods. Noise-induced hearing loss is a real problem, though, with millions of people damaging their hearing by playing music too loud, sometimes inadvertently. Happily, iOS can help protect your ears, and those of your [R30;]
Friday, 01 September 2017 07:26
The Easy Shortcut to Delete Unwanted Photos Quickly
Written by Adam Engst
It’s a lot easier to take photos than it is to delete them, particularly in Photos on the Mac. You’ve done the dance: select a photo, press Delete, and press Return when Photos asks if you want to delete the photo. But you can sidestep that annoying dialog with this simple trick: press Command-Delete instead [R30;]
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Friday, 01 September 2017 07:25
Did You Know Your iPhone Can Help You Find Your Parked Car?
Written by Adam Engst
The iPhone’s Maps app automatically records where you park your car as long as the iPhone is connected to the car’s Bluetooth system. It even notifies you of this when you get out of the car. But how do you get back to the car after you’ve done your errands? Just bring up Maps, and [R30;]
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A major change in macOS 10.13 High Sierra is the switch to Apple’s new Apple File System, or APFS. With any luck, you’ll barely notice the change, just as almost no one did earlier this year when Apple updated millions of iOS devices to APFS with iOS 10.3. But let’s unpack what APFS is, why [R30;]
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