Apple Responds to Spotify

Apple has published a response to Spotify’s Time to Play Fair site and complaint to the European Commission, but the response has drawn criticism from Apple developers and commentators. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Dropbox Limits Free Accounts to Three Devices

Dropbox has introduced a three-device limit for its free Basic accounts as of this month. However, if you have four or more devices currently linked to your Dropbox account, they’ll remain connected for now. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Flickr Vows to Not Delete Creative Commons Images or Those of Deceased Members

In an effort to make the company’s business model sustainable, Flickr is deleting excess images, but it’s taking new measures to soften the blow. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Considering a Smart Doorbell? SkyBell HD Reviewed

A number of video doorbells are on the market, but at the moment, none work with Apple’s HomeKit. A couple of companies announced future support for HomeKit and more products were announced at CES. But is HomeKit really critical for a doorbell? | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

It’s Frustrating That Preview in Mojave Isn’t Better

After taking a close look at Preview in Mojave while updating “Take Control of Preview,” Adam Engst comes away disappointed. The new features aren’t impressive, one notable change is actively bad, and there are new bugs. But he’d still like to see Apple enhance the still-powerful … | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Spotify Asks the European Commission to Make Apple Play Fair

Spotify is tired of Apple’s App Store policies and is now calling on the European Commission to regulate the company. The timing is notable given Senator Elizabeth Warren’s proposal to break up a number of tech giants, including Apple. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Default Folder X 5.3.5

Ensures correct operation of the Save dialog of macOS 10.14 Mojave's enhanced screenshot utility. ($34.95 new, free update, 8.9 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Skype 8.41

Adds the capability to merge an incoming call with the current call. (Free, 93.4 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Big Tech Attracts Antitrust Attention from Senator Elizabeth Warren

Senator Elizabeth Warren made headlines recently by suggesting that the tech giants have too much power and need to be broken up. While her premise isn’t entirely wrong, Ben Thompson of Stratechery explains why the proposed solutions are misguided. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Four Ways Apple Could Improve Apple Music

Apple Music hasn’t changed much at all since Apple introduced it back in 2015, but Adam Engst has a few suggestions—some extremely easy—that could make listening to music through the service more enjoyable. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Ulysses 15

Introduces a split-view editor, plus a new keyword manager and search capability. ($39.99 annual subscription, free update, 23.4 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

The Quiet Spread of Data Brokers Selling Your Personal Information

A new Vermont law that requires data brokers to register with the state has enabled a Fast Company article revealing just how many of these companies there are, and how much they know about us. You can sometimes opt out. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

BBEdit 12.6.1

Maintenance release focused on bug fixes for the long-standing text editor. ($49.99 new, free update, 13.9 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

14 Siri Tricks You Can Use Right Now

Siri takes a lot of flak, but it’s a lot more powerful than many people realize. If you haven’t been using Siri for much, these tips from “Take Control of Siri” author Scholle McFarland will expand your conversations with Apple’s digital assistant—and hopefully get Siri to do mor … | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Facebook Promises Encrypted Messaging (and Privacy-Abusing Business as Usual)

In a lengthy blog post, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has promised to support end-to-end encryption and ephemeral content in the company’s messaging apps. That sounds good, but it doesn’t mean Facebook will stop exploiting all the rest of your data. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

CloudBerry Backup for macOS: Feature-Rich but Unreliable

CloudBerry Backup is a powerful and elegant desktop backup product for the Mac, but it suffers from troubling performance and reliability issues that will make you want to look elsewhere to protect your data. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

ChronoSync 4.9.2

Maintenance release for the synchronization and backup app. ($49.99 new for ChronoSync, free updates; 66.8 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Rumpus 8.2

Adds the Rumpus Tether client application for quick access to content on the Rumpus file transfer server. ($295 new, free update, 24.3 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

TextExpander 6.5

Improved snippet editor replaces text-based macro notation with simple visual blocks. ($40 annual subscription, free update, 18.7 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Little Snitch 4.3

Network traffic management utility improves detection of program modification and overall performance. ($45 new, free update, 41.7 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

The Top Conferences for Mac and iOS Professionals in 2019

If you make your living in the Apple world as a consultant, developer, designer, or tech, there are a wide variety of conferences you can attend to hone your skills, learn new topics, network with your fellow wizards, and open your mind to new ways of thinking. Here’s our list fo … | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

USB 3.2’s Naming Convention Is a Hot Mess; USB4 Announced

The new USB 3.2 standard promises faster devices but also a great deal of confusion thanks to an insane naming convention that retroactively mixes up different USB generations. Meanwhile, a draft of USB4 was just announced. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

The Secret Lives of Facebook Moderators in America

In an impressive piece of investigative journalism, Casey Newton of The Verge has published an article describing what it’s like to work as a Facebook content moderator. Short answer: it sounds horrible. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Carbon Copy Cloner 5.1.8

Maintenance release for the drive-cloning and backup utility with bug fixes and improvements. ($39.99 new, free update, 15.7 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Palm’s Tiny Phone Sucks, but How About an iPhone nano?

Most Apple users won’t be interested in the new Palm, a super tiny Android phone that’s also deeply flawed. But what might an iPhone with similar proportions look like? How would it work? And would anyone want it? Let’s take a flight of fancy! | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Thunderclap Researchers Reveal Vulnerabilities Exploitable through Thunderbolt

A group of researchers has revealed a group of security vulnerabilities exploitable by merely plugging in a malicious Thunderbolt cable or peripheral. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Apple Announces “Shot on iPhone Challenge” Winners

Apple has named ten winners in its “Shot on iPhone Challenge,” whose photos will be featured in billboards around the world, in Apple retail stores, and online. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

1Password 7.2.5

Improves unlock speed on some slower computers and when Touch ID is configured. ($64.99 new, free update, 52.6 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

What Would Life Be Like without the Tech Giants?

Ever wondered if you could go back to a simpler time without Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft controlling our technological lives? Kashmir Hill of Gizmodo tried cutting each one out in turn and then blocked all five. Here’s how it went. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

kernel_task Is Protective, not Problematic

Who knew? Howard Oakley reveals an Apple support note that explains that the kernel_task process monopolizes your Mac’s CPU to protect it from overheating and isn’t itself causing the problem. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Luminar 3.0.2

Maintenance release for the photo editing app improves the recently added Library feature. ($69 new, free update, 18.4 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Attach an iPad to Your MacBook as a Second Display with Mountie

If you’d like to use another screen with your MacBook while traveling but can’t figure out how to arrange and support it, Jeff Porten has found a simple clip that attaches an iPad to a MacBook for use as a second display. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

YouTube’s Pedophile Problem

The New York Times reports that YouTuber Matt Watson has revealed a hidden pedophile ring in the comments on Google’s video-sharing site, which has led to a massive backlash by advertisers. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Stop Renting Your Cable Modem: Buy One Instead

Cable companies make ridiculous sums by renting customers cable modems at inflated prices. In most cases, you can save money by buying your own. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Scrivener 3.1.2

Maintenance release with a lengthy list of bug fixes and improvements for the long-form writing tool. ($45 new, free update, 109 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Bookends 13.2

Provides a new AppleScript dictionary and enables you to insert Cited Pages anywhere in a custom format. ($59.99 new, free update, 50.1 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

19 Years Ago in TidBITS: Traveling with Technology

Remember what it was like in the early days of laptops and Internet access when we first started to be able to use technology while traveling? At the turn of the century, Gideon Greenspan penned a pair of articles for TidBITS about how he kept his shareware business humming on a … | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Locast Gives You No Frills Broadcast TV at No Cost

Thinking about dropping cable TV? Cord cutters will want to check out Locast, a Web site and mobile app that lets you watch your local TV channels for free, provided you’re in one of the nine cities where it works. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Pixelmator Pro 1.3.2

Opens any photos taken in iOS 12's Portrait mode together with a layer mask. ($39.99 new, free update, 170 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

EFF: Europe’s Copyright Directive Worse Than Imagined

Europe’s potentially disastrous Internet copyright rule update is headed to the European Parliament for a vote, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation warns that it’s even worse than before. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Fed Up with Facebook? Move Your Family to Slack

Disgusted by Facebook’s behavior but feel stuck using it because it’s the only way you communicate with some family members? Try the free tier of the group-messaging system Slack instead. It’s great for families, doesn’t incorporate ads, and guarantees your privacy. A little trai … | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Backblaze Increases Pricing for Unlimited Backup

Online backup service Backblaze will soon increase the price of its unlimited plan from $5 to $6 per month. Annual and bi-annual discounts will remain available, and current subscribers can extend subscriptions by a year at the old rates. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Amazon Buys Mesh-Networking Company Eero

Amazon has purchased Eero, maker of home mesh Wi-Fi systems, long a favorite amongst techies. The move will ensure the future of Eero’s technology but has some worried about the privacy implications of all network traffic passing through Amazon hardware. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Mellel 4.1.5

Bug-focused maintenance release for the word processor built for long-form writing. ($49 new, free update, 84.9 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Alfred 3.8

Maintenance release fixes bugs in the keyboard-driven launcher. (£23 new, free update, 2.9 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Boom 3D 1.2.4

Adds a new option for selecting the desired connected output device for your audio. ($39.99 new, free update, 37.1 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

Flickr Extends Photo Deletion Deadline to 12 March 2019

Flickr’s new owner SmugMug is deleting excess photos from free accounts in an effort to make the service sustainable. It originally planned to do so in early February but has extended the deadline. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago

The Lengths Thieves Will Go to Unlock iPhones

Apple’s Activation Lock feature has helped discourage iPhone thefts by preventing an iPhone from being activated while it’s registered to an iCloud account, but thieves are finding clever ways to work around this requirement. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 5 years ago