How to Download All Your Apple Data

Apple now allows Europeans to download most of the data linked to an Apple ID that is stored on their servers. Kirk McElhearn tried it out to see what data was available and how complex the process was. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Everything You Wanted to Know about Using the Mac App Store (For Now)

Buying something from the Mac App Store is so easy, it’s as if Apple planned it that way. But there are things you should know, and things you can do, to keep the experience effortless and handle any glitches that might appear. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

BusyCal 3.3.8

Adds keyboard shortcuts for batch assigning dates and brings several other improvements and bug fixes. ($49.99 new, free update, 13.7 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

MoneyWiz 3.0.2

Major upgrade for the personal finance manager adds support for cryptocurrencies. (Free with $59.99 annual subscription for Premium, 31.0 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

TipBITS: How to Recover Space from an iOS Update

iOS updates download automatically if there’s sufficient space on your device, but if you want to use that space for photos, videos, or whatnot before you’re ready to install the update, here’s how you can recover hundreds of megabytes (or even gigabytes!) of storage. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

LaunchBar 6.9.5

Requires 1Password 7 to be unlocked in order to open a Login via LaunchBar. ($29 new, free update, 14.6 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Transmit 5.1.4

Maintenance release with improvements and bug fixes for the file transfer app. ($45 new, free update, 70.3 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Sal Soghoian’s Automation Legacy

Wired has published an entertaining profile of Sal Soghoian, the AppleScript and Automator guru who championed automation technology at Apple across three decades. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Tim Cook Uses His iPhone Too Much

During a CNN interview, Tim Cook made a surprising confession: the Screen Time feature in iOS 12 made him realize that he uses his iPhone too much. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Craig Federighi Talks about Bringing iOS Apps to the Mac

iOS apps are coming to the Mac. Apple’s Craig Federighi sat down with Wired to offer some specifics about how that will work. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Apple Announces 2018 Apple Design Award Winners

Apple has announced the winners of 2018’s Apple Design Awards, including some interesting games, an app for surgeons, and a productivity app reviewed by TidBITS. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

The Big News about macOS 10.14 Mojave Is Dark

Dark Mode leads the list of new features in the evolutionary macOS 14 Mojave. But, while most of the changes are small, many of them will be welcome. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

tvOS 12 Goes to 11 with Dolby Atmos

Apple TV 4K will rock your ears and eyes a little bit more starting this fall, alongside a collection of either nice-to-have or essential new features, depending on your living room. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

watchOS 5 Targets Fitness, Communication, and More

The Apple Watch, with a focus on fitness, communication, and info-snippet consumption, looks to become far more capable in all these areas courtesy of the just-announced watchOS 5. The updated will let other models work as walkie-talkies, play podcasts, spawn more-interactive ale … | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

iOS 12 to Focus on Performance and Refinement

Instead of shaking up the iOS experience, iOS 12 focuses on improving performance, refineme, and features to help you fight against device addiction. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Security Update 2018-003 (Sierra and El Capitan)

Patches a number of vulnerabilities in Apple’s last two operating systems. (Free, various sizes) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Safari 11.1.1

Resolves multiple WebKit vulnerabilities and patches an address bar spoofing issue. (Free) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Introducing PhotoActive: A Podcast about Photography and the Apple Ecosystem

Our friends Jeff Carlson and Kirk McElhearn have launched PhotoActive, a new podcast about photography in the Apple ecosystem. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

macOS 10.13.5 High Sierra Brings Messages in iCloud

Following a few days after iOS 11.4, macOS 10.13.5 High Sierra brings the Messages in iCloud feature to the Mac. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Apple Will Soon Report on Government App Store Takedown Requests

Apple will soon be adding information about government requests to remove apps from the App Store to its biannual transparency report. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

How to Download all Your Apple Data

Apple now allows Europeans to download most of the data linked to an Apple ID that is stored on their servers. Kirk McElhearn tried it out to see what data was available and how complex the process was. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Ulysses 13

Returns the Services submenu to the Editor contextual and fixes an issue with CJK characters. ($39.99 annual subscription, free update, 21 MB)) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Evernote 7.2

Improves handling of open attachments while editing in an outside program. (Free update, 54.4 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

iOS 11.4, tvOS 11.4, HomePod 11.4, and watchOS 4.3.1 Finally Bring Airplay 2 and Messages in iCloud

Apple has released a slew of updates for all of its non-Mac devices, adding long-promised features such as AirPlay 2 and Messages in iCloud. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

How Apple Is Chipping Away at Intel

For decades, Intel was the been the undisputed king of computer chipmakers, but in just a few short years, Apple has challenged the throne with its A-series chips. The Motley Fool’s Ashraf Eassa explains why. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

DEVONthink/DEVONnote 2.10

Adds support for syncing databases via iCloud. (All updates are free. DEVONthink Pro Office, $149.95 new; DEVONthink Professional, $79.95 new; DEVONthink Personal, $49.95 new; DEVONnote, $24.95 new) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Retrospect 15.1.1

Maintenance release brings EU GDPR data compliance and a variety of improvements. ($49 for Solo and $119 for Desktop new, upgrade pricing available, 189 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Parallels Desktop 13.3.1

Fixes bugs in the popular virtualization software. ($79.99 new for standard edition, $99.99 annual subscription for Pro/Business Edition, free update, 252 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

BBEdit 12.1.4

Maintenance release with a lengthy list of fixes and improvements for the venerable text editor. ($49.99 new, free update, 14.0 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

PopChar X 8.3

Adds WYSIWYG font name display and other enhancements to the character discovery utility. (€29.99 new, free update, 5.0 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Beware “iCloud Breach” Phone Scam

Apple users report receiving multiple automated calls per day from a scammer claiming to be “Apple Support Care” and warning of an iCloud breach. Just hang up and get a call-blocking app. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

TipBITS: Make Sure Your iPhone Is Capturing Video

Have you ever thought you were recording video on your iPhone, only to realize after the fact that you failed to tap the record button properly? Here are a few things to look for to make sure you never miss a video again. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Twitter App Developers Band Together to Fight API Changes

Upcoming Twitter API changes will severely cripple third-party client apps. The developers of some of those apps are banding together to pressure Twitter into changing things before the August deadline. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

No Email Issue on 28 May 2018 for Memorial Day

We’re taking a brief break from building an email issue of TidBITS next week in honor of the Memorial Day holiday in the United States, so look for the next issue in your mailbox on 4 June 2018. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

31 Conferences for Mac and iOS Professionals in 2018

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 | 6 years ago

Tweetbot 3.0

Major new release for the Mac edition of the Twitter client with new features and interface tweaks. ($9.99 new, 5.5 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Bookends 13.0.9

Brings some small but handy enhancements to the reference management tool. ($59.99 new, free update, 47.8 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Roll Your Own Cloud Backups with Arq and B2

Until now, Internet backups required subscribing to a cloud-based backup service and using proprietary software to handle archiving and retrieval. Now, there’s a DIY alternative: Arq backup software and Backblaze’s B2 cloud storage system. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Microsoft Office 2016 16.13

Improves real-time collaboration with in-app chat capabilities and adds support for SVG files. ($149.99 new for one-time purchase, $99.99/$69.99 annual subscription options, free update) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

PDFpen and PDFpenPro 10.1

Updates files based on last save from any app and remembers form field and link highlighting for each document. ($74.95/$124.95 new, $30 upgrade, 74.6/122.8 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

SoundSource 3.1

Makes a variety of improvements to the Play-Thru window, including added support for multi-channel devices. ($10 new, free update, 3.0 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

TipBITS: Reveal Invisible Files on the Mac with a Keystroke

If you’ve ever needed to work with invisible files on your Mac but didn’t want to drop into Terminal, read on for the secret keyboard shortcut that reveals the files and directories that are normally hidden in the Finder. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Class-Action Suit Filed against Apple for MacBook Butterfly Keyboards

Users are fed up with the sticky keyboards in recent Apple laptops, as well as the company's lack of response, leading to a class-action lawsuit. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

BusyCal 3.3.6

Brings a variety of small improvements to the calendar app. ($49.99 new, free update, 13.6 MB) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Google I/O 2018 Shows Where Google’s iOS Apps Are Headed

The keynote presentation at this year’s Google I/O conference introduced no new hardware to compete with Apple devices, but it did feature improvements to Google apps and services used by many Apple users, including Gmail, Google Photos, Google Maps, Google News, and Google Assis … | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Extreme Transparency: Panic’s 2017 Report

Developer Panic has published a report detailing its successes and challenges in 2017, including the release of Transmit 5 and a major source code theft. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Ecovacs Deebot N79S Robot Vacuum Feels Like the Future

If you’re skeptical of robotic vacuums, but tired of dealing with dirty floors, the affordable Ecovacs Deebot N79 and N79S are worth your consideration. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago

Apple Acknowledges iPhone 7 Microphone Problems

Apple has distributed a document to Apple Authorized Service Providers discussing how to deal with microphone failures in iPhone 7 and 7 Plus units running iOS 11.3 or later. A repair may be required. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 6 years ago