• December 5, 2023

    The Best Apple Gifts for 2023

    We’re moving into the holiday shopping season, and if you’re looking for the perfect gift for that special someone, Apple-related gifts always go over well. Here are our recommendations this year.

    AirTag

    Do you know someone who’s always misplacing their keys, purse, or backpack, or who’s planning a trip? Th... Read more
  • October 24, 2023

    Forget Your Just-Changed Passcode? iOS 17’s Passcode Reset Has Your Back

    The hardest time to remember your iPhone or iPad passcode is right after you’ve changed it. Generally speaking, there’s no reason to change your passcode, but if you inadvertently or intentionally shared it with someone with whom you wouldn’t trust your bank account information, changing it to something new is a good idea. We could also imagine a child who knows your passcode changing it on you... Read more
  • October 5, 2023

    Tired of Nonstop Cookie Popups? Dismiss Them Automatically with These Extensions

    The European Union has for many years required that websites—at least those serving European users—gain informed consent before storing the personal data of those users. That data includes cookies, which are bits of information stored in Web browsers that websites can read and write. Cookies are widely used for remembering login information, saving user account information, maintaining a... Read more
  • September 12, 2023

    With Storms Increasing, Protect Your Tech Gear from Damaging Power Fluctuations

    It has been a tough year for extreme weather events. While the connection between weather and technology may seem tenuous, heat waves, high winds, and lightning strikes can play havoc with all sorts of powered and networked electronic devices. Anything that causes power fluctuations—spikes,... Read more
  • August 29, 2023

    Keep Your Apple Devices Cool in the Summer Heat

    June 2023 was the hottest month on record for the planet, at least until July 2023. Among the many ill effects of such heat are what it does to iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, and other digital devices. Excessive heat shortens the overall lifespan of lithium-ion batteries and increases the likelihood of both transient errors and hardware failures—iPhones warn you when they’re getting too h... Read more
  • August 22, 2023

    How to Protect Your Child’s Hearing from Too-Loud Headphone Audio

    Loud sounds are harmful to everyone, and many parents worry that their children are at risk for hearing loss due to too-loud headphone audio from iPhones and iPads. To lower the likelihood of this happening, Apple provides a Reduce Loud Sounds option in Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Headphone Safety for both iOS and iPadOS. Select it and set a limit, with 80–85 decibels generally cons... Read more
  • August 17, 2023

    Look Up Apple Device Details in Mactracker

    It’s difficult for even those who work with Apple devices daily to remember all the details. What processors were available with the 2020 iMac? What resolutions did the Apple Thunderbolt Display support? What are the differences between the fifth and sixth generations of the iPad mini? To find the answers to these and many other questions quickly, turn to Ian Page’s free Read more
  • August 15, 2023

    Use the Hidden Album in Photos to Hide Private Images

    We’ve recently heard from people who have been embarrassed when they gave their iPhone to someone to swipe through some innocuous photos of a vacation, only to have the person swipe too far and end up at some NSFW (not safe for work) images. Ouch. Embarrassment might be low on the list of problems such photos could cause. It’s not hard to imagine a male supervisor innocently sharing photos w... Read more
  • August 3, 2023

    Legitimately Worried That You’re Being Targeted Online? Try Lockdown Mode

    Most people fall into one of two extremes when it comes to device security. Many believe they’re not interesting enough to be targeted by online attackers and thus don’t take sensible precautions, like making sure every website account is protected with a strong, unique password. (Most attacks these days are bots, so whether you’re interesting is irrelevant.) Then there are those who see a boge... Read more
  • July 27, 2023

    Adjust AirPods Options in the Settings App

    If you sometimes have trouble configuring your AirPods, here’s the trick. The AirPods settings screen is available only when the AirPods are connected to your iPhone, so you must open their case or put them in your ears. Once you do that, a new item with the name of the AirPods appears at the top of the Settings app. Tap it to switch between Noise Cancellation and Transparency, configure... Read more