• September 26, 2024

    Set macOS to Require a Password after Screen Saver Start or Display Sleep

    Although paying attention to online security is of primary importance, don’t forget local security. You don’t want to go out for lunch and let someone wandering by your office poke through your email, messages, photos, and private files. To ensure this doesn’t happen, set your Mac to start the screen saver or sleep the display after a few minutes (on a laptop, just close the lid), and then set ... Read more
  • September 24, 2024

    When Should You Should Upgrade to macOS 15 Sequoia, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, tvOS 18, and visionOS 2?

    The calendar has flipped over to September, so Apple will soon release major upgrades for all its operating systems. iOS 18 and watchOS 11 will undoubtedly ship alongside new iPhone and Apple Watch models mid-month. iPadOS 18 is likely to accompany iOS 18, as are tvOS 18 and visionOS 2. Although Apple has sometimes delayed the release of macOS until later in the year, we anticipate that Apple w... Read more
  • September 19, 2024

    NPD Breach Reveals Data on Hundreds of Millions, Here’s How to Respond

    A few months ago, news broke about the latest massive data breach, this time from a company called National Public Data, a company that collects vast amounts of personal data about individuals from public data sources, including addresses, employment history, criminal records, and Social Security numbers. NPD then sells access to that data to employers conducting background checks, landlords sc... Read more
  • September 17, 2024

    What You Need to Know Before Switching to a New iPhone

    Are you planning to upgrade to a new iPhone 16? It’s exciting, we know, but it’s best to proceed deliberately when setting up your new iPhone to avoid causing yourself headaches. Follow these instructions when you’re ready to transfer your data—and, for many people, much of your digital life—to the new iPhone. Apple also has a Read more
  • September 12, 2024

    No More Ransom Website Offers Ransomware Decryption Tools

    We’ve written in the past about how Apple-only companies can protect themselves from ransomware (strong security, isolated backups, monitoring software), but realistically, it’s primarily a threat to computers running Windows and Linux. If you, or anyone you know, is targeted by ransomware, look to the No More R... Read more
  • September 10, 2024

    Apple Announces iPhone 16 Lineup, Apple Watch Series 10, and AirPods 4

    It’s September, which brings the annual Apple crops: new iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods. At its recent Glowtime event, Apple unveiled the new iPhone 16 lineup, Apple Watch Series 10, and AirPods 4, alongside smaller announcements about existing products. As always, the enhancements in the new products are evolutionary, making them attractive to anyone already looking to buy a new iPhone, A... Read more
  • September 5, 2024

    Five Quick Tips to Ease iPhone and iPad Text Editing and Amaze Your Friends

    A friend recently expressed astonishment when she saw us using trackpad mode while editing text on an iPhone. (It works on the iPad, too!) So, even if you already know these tips, do your friends a favor and show them:
    • Tap once to position the insertion point at the start or end of a word.
    • Touch and hold to reveal the magnifier and move the insertion point within words ... Read more
  • September 3, 2024

    Energy Saver Can Shut Down Your UPS-Equipped Mac in a Power Outage

    An uninterruptible power supply, or UPS, provides essential protection from power surges, spikes, brownouts, and outages. But if you’re not at your Mac when the power goes out, the UPS may run out of battery before you (or the power) return. Happily, if you connect your Mac to your UPS with a USB cable, macOS can detect the outage and shut your Mac down safely, regardless of what else is happen... Read more
  • August 29, 2024

    Use High-Quality Cables for Optimal Performance and Safety

    Apple’s prices for Thunderbolt, USB-C, and Lightning cables often seem unnecessarily high. $69 for a Read more
  • August 22, 2024

    When Should You “Ignore Ownership” on an External Drive?

    Under the hood, macOS relies on Unix, which is a multi-user operating system. That’s why a Mac can host multiple users who, as long as they don’t know each other’s passwords, cannot see each other’s files. To maintain each user’s privacy, macOS relies on permissions that specify who can do what with any given file or folder. For the most part, permissions work how they’re supposed to, letting y... Read more