Reading Too Much into Pong Wars

This mashup of Pong and Breakout provides a sort of hyperactive digital lava lamp that's surprisingly mesmerizing. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 2 months ago

macOS 14.3 Sonoma Text Display Bug to Be Fixed Soon

If you’ve noticed weird text display problems in macOS 14.3 Sonoma, you’re not alone. The bug has been fixed in WebKit and should appear in a new version of macOS soon. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 2 months ago

Is the Vision Pro Too Immersive?

Nick Bilton worries about a day when our desire for the dopamine hit of Vision Pro-augmented makes all other devices feel flat and dull.Read original article | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 2 months ago

TidBITS Poll: How Much Would You Pay for a Vision Pro?

Yes, the Vision Pro is expensive, but as many as 200,000 people believe it's worth the price. How about you? Please vote in our poll with Read original article | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 2 months ago

Art Authority Sponsoring TidBITS

Please welcome our latest long-term TidBITS sponsor, Art Authority, whose most recent project is the new Art Authority Museum, an immersive virtual museum for Vision Pro. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 2 months ago

Pixelmator Pro 3.5.6

Improves support for Photoshop PDF, Adobe Illustrator, and Illustrator EPS files. ($49.99 new, free update, 650.7 MB, macOS 12+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 2 months ago

BBEdit 15.0.1

Maintenance update for the text editor following its recent major upgrade. ($59.99 new, free update, 29.6 MB, macOS 11+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 2 months ago

Impressions and Thoughts from Early Vision Pro Reviews

After reading and watching reviews of Apple’s just-released Vision Pro, Adam Engst came away with some initial impressions and thoughts about the near and far future of the product. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 2 months ago

Apple’s Q1 2024 Returns to Revenue Growth on Strong iPhone and Services Performance

Apple reported an overall 2% increase in revenues thanks to strong iPhone sales and record Services income, but some product categories—iPads and Wearables—and the key Greater China region suffered double-digit revenue declines for the quarter. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 2 months ago

The EU Forces Open Apple’s Walled Garden

Apple is making major changes to how it distributes iOS apps in the EU due to the European Commission’s Digital Markets Act, but the company is making it clear that it’s only doing so under duress. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 2 months ago

Zoom 5.17.5

Provides greater control of which product tabs are shown and their displayed order along with a new presenter layout for combining your video and a shared screen. (Free, 123.9 MB, macOS 10.13+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 2 months ago

Hazel 5.3.2

Resolves an issue that prevented videos from importing into Photos. ($42 new, free update, 22.3 MB, macOS 10.14+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 2 months ago

1Password 8.10.24

Updates the password manager with improvements and bug fixes. ($35.88 annual subscription, free update, 4.8 MB, macOS 10.15+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 2 months ago

Fantastical 3.8.10 and Cardhop 2.2.15

Maintenance updates for the calendar and contact management apps. ($56.99 annual subscription, free update, 69.4/30.7 MB, macOS 11+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 2 months ago

BusyCal 2024.1.1 and BusyContacts 2024.1.1

Maintenance updates for the calendar and contact management apps. ($49.99 new for each, free update, various sizes, macOS 10.15+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 2 months ago

Turn On Stolen Device Protection in iOS 17.3

Apple has made good on its promise to add Stolen Device Protection to iOS 17.3, allowing users concerned about iPhone passcode and snatch-and-run theft to require biometric authentication and sometimes a delay to carry out critical security and financial actions. We look at what … | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

How To Avoid AI Voice Impersonation and Similar Scams

The “grandparent scam” goes back almost 20 years, but it and similar frauds are gaining new traction through AI voice impersonation. Protect your family, friends, and colleagues with advance planning. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Celebrating Mac’s 40th Anniversary across the Web

Numerous publications have posted articles surrounding the 40th anniversary of the Mac, and we’ve collected a bunch of the best ones.Read original article | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Eight Secure Ways to Share Sensitive Information over the Internet

Sometimes, you need to share private information—a password, financial details, a confidential document—over the Internet. Adam Engst looks at eight popular methods of transmitting your secrets securely to others. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

iOS 17.3 Stands Out from Other OS Updates with Stolen Device Protection

Apple has released a large set of operating system updates, including iOS 17.3, iPadOS 17.3, macOS 14.3 Sonoma, watchOS 10.3, tvOS 17.3, HomePod Software 17.3, macOS 13.6.4 Ventura, macOS 12.7.3 Monterey, iOS 16.7.5 and iPadOS 16.7.5, and iOS 15.8.1 and iPadOS 15.8.1. New feature … | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Bookends 14.2.8

Reference management tool adds support for those with an ORCID identifier. ($59.99 new, free update, 111.8 MB, macOS 10.13+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Ventura and Monterey Users: Beware Unwanted Sonoma Upgrades 

Some macOS 13 Ventura and macOS 12 Monterey users are being upgraded to macOS 14 Sonoma after dismissing notifications that encourage an upgrade. It’s a nasty bug, but the TidBITS Talk community has some advice on how to avoid the forced upgrade. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

App Store Apps May Start Including Payment Links to External Websites

The Epic vs. Apple antitrust lawsuit is finally over. Although Apple won on most counts, the judge ruled it had to allow developers to link to external payment systems rather than using in-app purchases. That may start happening soon. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Apple Disables Blood Oxygen App in New Apple Watches

While Apple’s appeal of the International Trade Commission import ban on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 is being decided, the company has disabled the blood oxygen feature so it can continue sales of those models in the US.Read original article | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Adjust Touch Duration for Haptic Touch on the iPhone and iPad

You can adjust the length of time necessary for a touch-and-hold action to activate. That might be a welcome customization for many people. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Apple Updates Magic Keyboard Firmware to Block Bluetooth Monitoring

Those who use Apple’s Magic Keyboard will automatically receive a firmware update that prevents an attacker with physical access from monitoring Bluetooth traffic. It’s not something to worry about but is an indication of the kind of attacks possible today. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Logic Pro 10.8.1

Maintenance update with a number of improvements and bug fixes for the professional audio app. ($199.99 new, free update, 1.2 GB, macOS 13.5+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

OmniFocus 4.0.4

Fixes a bug that blocked setting custom images as custom perspective icons. ($74.99 new, free update, 29.6 MB, macOS 13+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Little Snitch 5.7.3

Makes rules for operating system processes in Xcode’s Simulator effective for all simulated operating system versions and platforms. ($45 new, free update, 33.6 MB, macOS 11+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Timing 2024.1

Rounds up some new features and important changes for the time and productivity tracking app. ($96 annual subscription, free update, 25.4 MB, macOS 10.15+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Mimestream 1.2.4

Improves autocomplete suggestions for the Gmail-specific email app. ($49.99 annual subscription, free update, 12.1 MB, macOS 12+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Quicken 7.5

Brings an updated Tax Schedule report and other improvements to the financial management app. ($59.88/$83.88/$119.88 annual subscription, free update, 3.1 MB, macOS 11+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Arc 1.25.1

Adds the capability to collapse the pinned tab section of the sidebar to make more space for Today tabs. (Free, 375.2 MB, macOS 12.1+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Do You Use It? Widgets See Middling Adoption

The results of our poll asking how frequently you use widgets show that roughly 50% of users never use widgets at all, with 25% to 50% of people using them slightly or heavily. But those numbers are complicated by the availability of three types of widgets on the iPhone and iPad, … | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

BBEdit 15 Adds ChatGPT, Minimap, Cheat Sheets, and More

The latest major update to the venerable text editor BBEdit brings connections with ChatGPT, new navigational and reference aids, and a plethora of helpful refinements. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Nisus Writer Pro 3.4 and Nisus Writer Express 4.4

Resolves crashes and compatibility issues when running macOS 14 Sonoma. ($65 and $26 new, free updates, various sizes, macOS 10.13+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Coherence X 4.6

Improves performance and reliability for the site-specific browser that can turn websites into native apps. ($29.99 new, free update, 10.5 MB, macOS 10.15+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Default Folder X 6.0.4

Eliminates a delay that could occur when Save dialogs appear. ($39.95 new, free update, 17.3 MB, macOS 10.13+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Apple Vision Pro Arrives 2 February 2024

Apple has announced that pre-orders for its Vision Pro “spatial computer” will open on 19 January 2024, with the headset shipping two weeks later. Will you be ordering one? | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

OmniFocus 4.0.3

Maintenance update with a smattering of improvements and bug fixes. ($74.99 new, 50% discount on upgrades, free update from version 4, 29.6 MB, macOS 13+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

SpamSieve 3.0.3

Maintenance update with bug fixes and improvements for the spam-filtering utility. ($39.99 new, free update, 49.5 MB, macOS 10.13+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

How Big Is YouTube?

Researchers have come up with a way to estimate how many videos there are on YouTube and various metrics surrounding them. It's a fascinating look into a site that has become an integral part of many people's lives.Read original article | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Solving Time Machine’s iCloud Drive Blockage

After upgrading one of his Macs to macOS 14 Sonoma, Adam Engst ran into problems with Time Machine, which refused to back up until iCloud Drive had finished syncing and continued to balk even after the sync had seemingly finished. The problem? A seldom-used troubleshooting accoun … | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Evaluating New Features in the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 9, and AirPods Pro

Julio Ojeda-Zapata took the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the Apple Watch Series 9, and the recently tweaked second-generation AirPods Pro on a trip as a tech experiment: How would their new features fare in a travel capacity? He renders his verdicts.  | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 3 months ago

Joanna Stern Interviews iPhone Passcode Thief in Prison

For additional background and color surrounding the Wall Street Journal’s reporting on iPhone passcode thefts, watch Joanna Stern’s interview with a convicted thief. | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 4 months ago

Pixelmator Pro 3.5.2

Adds support for Adobe Illustrator and Illustrator EPS file formats. ($49.99 new, free update, 613.5 MB, macOS 12+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 4 months ago

Zoom 5.17

Maintenance update with improvements and bug fixes; now requires a minimum of macOS 10.13 High Sierra. (Free, 122.4 MB, macOS 10.13+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 4 months ago

Mellel 6.0

Major upgrade for the word processor with split view and Dark mode support. ($69.99 new, $44.99 upgrade, 94 MB, macOS 10.13+) | Continue reading


@tidbits.com | 4 months ago