It’s easy to assume your backup app—whether it’s Time Machine, Carbon Copy Cloner, Backblaze, Retrospect, or something else—is quietly doing its job. But it’s possible for a bug to corrupt backups or for a destination disk to fail silently, such that you can’t restore backed-up data. We’ve seen this happen! For peace of mind, set […]
Read moreIf you lose or break the power adapter that came with your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, make sure to replace it with a charger that meets or exceeds the machine’s required wattage. A charger with too low a wattage may result in little or no charging (or even battery drain while working), and it […]
Read moreSpam is one of the many banes of modern existence. While we receive more email spam than anything else, interruptions from unwanted phone calls and text messages are even more annoying. Apple has added various features over the years to help control spam calls and messages, but none have completely solved the problem. The problem […]
Read moreApple’s fall harvest has yielded the new M5 chip, leading to updates for the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro, the iPad Pro lineup, and the Vision Pro. All three benefit from the M5’s significant performance boosts, but remain mostly unchanged otherwise. Availability starts on October 22. We anticipate that Apple will release M5 versions of the […]
Read moreIf a Mac running macOS 26 Tahoe experiences certain kinds of problems, it might automatically restart and launch a new Recovery Assistant. It will prompt you to unlock your disk if needed and to connect to a Wi-Fi network—an Internet connection is required. Apple doesn’t specify precisely what Recovery Assistant will do to recover your […]
Read moreApple does a good job providing accessibility options for users who experience issues with vision, hearing, motor control, and other accessibility needs. Nearly everyone will benefit from these features at some point in their lives. To encourage support for Apple’s accessibility features and assist users in finding compatible apps, the App Store now includes Accessibility […]
Read moreThose who prefer keeping their hands on the keyboard may appreciate Apple’s addition of a new shortcut in macOS 15 Sequoia. Instead of Control-clicking to open a contextual menu with commands to apply to the current selection, you can press Control-Return. Since it’s so new, it doesn’t work in some older apps or those that […]
Read moreLet’s look at how to keep your body comfortable and healthy when you interact physically with your Mac. In a word: ergonomics. You’ll find it easier to focus and be productive if nothing hurts. Plus, you want to avoid long-term problems like carpal tunnel syndrome and chronic neck strain. While some workplace setups may be […]
Read moreAlthough Apple’s products and services generally live up to Steve Jobs’s phrase “it just works,” problems do occur, opening the door to scams targeting users seeking tech support. As professional providers of technical support, we’ve seen firsthand how these frauds have evolved from simple pop-ups to disturbingly convincing operations and how easy it is to […]
Read moreAlthough Macs are highly reliable, unusual problems can still rear their ugly heads. Often, these issues are caused by software you’ve installed or accessories you’ve connected. If you’re experiencing Mac misbehavior that isn’t easily fixed by restarting, updating software, or unplugging a dodgy device, try safe mode. (Seriously, before checking if safe mode will help […]
Read moreA massive heat dome earlier this summer exposed large swaths of the United States to heat index values approaching or exceeding 120ºF, underscoring the importance of protecting our devices from heat damage. Overheating can degrade performance, interrupt charging, disable features, and cause general device instability. When Temperature Becomes a Problem You might be surprised by […]
Read moreHere’s a new scam to watch for. A client reported running across a suspicious website masquerading as a human verification test. Instead of asking him to click pictures or solve a math equation, this one asked him to copy some text from the page and paste it into Terminal. The text was actually an encoded […]
Read moreIn 2020, Apple introduced the M1 chip, the first of the family of Apple silicon chips that now power the entire Mac lineup. At the time, Apple said it would “continue to support and release new versions of macOS for Intel-based Macs for years to come.” Since then, it has become clear that Macs with […]
Read moreIt’s only safe to share your iPhone, iPad, and Mac passcodes and passwords with people you trust completely, which typically includes family members whom you would trust with your healthcare and bank accounts. If those people also use your devices regularly, you can simplify their access by adding their fingerprint to Touch ID or their […]
Read moreIs your child heading off to college soon? Now is a good time to consider getting them a new Mac, especially if their current computer is old or unreliable, is shared with other family members, or was a school loaner. If you haven’t been keeping up with Apple’s Mac lineup, you might be unsure which […]
Read moreFor file transfers, Apple users routinely rely on tools like AirDrop, Messages, email, cloud services, and public sharing websites, but these solutions can fall short when dealing with very large files, sharing across platforms, or confidential data. For such scenarios, Blip offers a reliable solution that works across Macs, iPhones, iPads, Android devices, Windows, and […]
Read moreBooting from an external SSD (hard disks are too slow) provides a convenient way to test specific versions of macOS or troubleshoot problems with your Mac’s internal storage. However, a little-known gotcha has caused untold hair loss among those trying to boot from an external drive. Macs with Apple silicon cannot start up from external […]
Read moreApple’s AirPlay is one of those low-level technologies that’s more capable than many people realize. In addition to allowing you to stream video and audio from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to an Apple TV connected to a large-screen TV, AirPlay also enables you to use that TV as an external Mac display, either mirroring […]
Read moreAs more of our lives shift online, it becomes increasingly important to establish boundaries between different aspects of our digital activities. Many people maintain separate work and personal email addresses for this reason. But you don’t have to stop there. Modern Web browsers offer profiles, a powerful but often overlooked feature. Whether you’re juggling work […]
Read moreA neat feature built into iOS, iPadOS, and macOS is that when you are connected to a Wi-Fi network, your devices will offer to share the Wi-Fi password if others near you try to connect to the same network. However, for this feature to work, they must be in your Contacts, and at times, it […]
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