Choosing the Best Mac for a College-Bound Student in 2025

side view of the torso and upper legs of a person in a tan blazer carrying a midnight color Apple laptop in their right hand

Is 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 model is the best choice. Read More from “Choosing the Best Mac for a College-Bound Student in 2025”

Clean Your iPhone’s Camera Lens

super up close image of the 3-camera setup on the back of an iPhone

Serious photographers take care of their lenses. The rest of us just stuff our iPhones into our pockets or purses and pay no attention to the fingerprints and grime they collect. If your iPhone’s camera lens is smudged, it will impact the quality of your photos. Take a few seconds to polish it with a microfiber cloth now and then, or, you know, simply wipe it with the edge of your T-shirt. Your photos will thank you. Read More from “Clean Your iPhone’s Camera Lens”

Beware Domain Name Renewal Phishing Attacks

a fish hook laid over the enter key of a keyboard.

Most phishing attacks are easy to identify, but we’ve just seen one that’s more likely to evade detection. Those who own personal or business Internet domain names—to personalize their email or provide an online presence for their website—may receive fake messages claiming that a domain has been deactivated due to a payment issue. Because scammers can determine when domain names are due to expire and the name of the company hosting the domain, the urgency triggered by a message that appears to be from the domain host and arriving near the renewal date may cause someone to click a link they shouldn’t. This particular one wasn’t even that well crafted and still caused the recipient brief concern until they manually went to DreamHost and verified that nothing was wrong with their domain payment. Stay alert out there! Read More from “Beware Domain Name Renewal Phishing Attacks”

Try Blip for Fast Transfers of Any Size Between Platforms

two laptops on a blue background, one on each side of the image. a cloud sits between the laptops, as well as a top dashed arrow going from left to right and another dashed arrow going right to left, indicating a transfer of information between the two laptops.

For 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 Linux machines. It transfers files of any size directly between devices, with no intermediate servers, encrypting its traffic for security. It handles uncompressed folders, offers high transfer speeds, and automatically resumes interrupted transfers—particularly valuable features when working with large media files or project folders. Blip is free for personal use or $25 per month for commercial use, making it easy to determine if it will be helpful for your business. Read More from “Try Blip for Fast Transfers of Any Size Between Platforms”

Apple Silicon Macs Can’t Boot from the DFU Port

close up of the left side of an open Mac laptop. a cord is plugged into one of the two USB-C ports.

Booting 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 drives connected to their DFU (device firmware update) USB-C port. The only way to determine which port this is on a given Mac is to look it up on Apple’s website. If your Mac won’t boot from an external drive, connect it to a different USB-C port. Read More from “Apple Silicon Macs Can’t Boot from the DFU Port”

Make Sure to Check Settings on Multiple Devices

overhead view of a desk with a laptop, iPad, and iPhone on it. superimposed over the devices are yellow circular-ish lines with arrows on both ends, indicating connections between each device.

We recently helped someone having trouble with 1Password requesting their password repeatedly on their iPad, but not on their iPhone. Since 1Password’s data syncs between devices, this person didn’t realize they needed to configure the app’s security settings separately for each device. It’s appropriate for 1Password to separate security settings—one device could be used in a much more sensitive environment than another—but it’s also easy to see how a user might be confused about the difference in behavior. All this is to say that if you are annoyed by an app or operating system behaving differently depending on the device you’re using, compare the settings and ensure they’re set appropriately for each device. Read More from “Make Sure to Check Settings on Multiple Devices”

Consider Business Cyber Insurance

AI-generated. all blue. an open umbrella made of mosaic pieces. blue rain comes down above the umbrella.

When discussing digital security, we typically focus on preventive measures, such as using strong passwords with a password manager, enabling multi-factor authentication, keeping systems up to date, maintaining regular backups, and training employees to recognize potential security threats. While these practices are essential, they don’t guarantee complete protection. Read More from “Consider Business Cyber Insurance”

Use AirPlay to Mirror or Extend Your Mac’s Display

realistic AI-generated image of a conference room with a large screen mirroring the laptop screen on the table.

Apple’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 what’s on your Mac’s screen or extending the desktop. It even allows you to turn one Mac into a display for another. Read More from “Use AirPlay to Mirror or Extend Your Mac’s Display”

Why Every Business Needs an AI Policy

AI generated illustration of a robot on a big screen holding windows with charts on them. a table with three workers sitting is on the bottom right. one worker stands on the left.

Are employees at your company surreptitiously using artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, and Gemini for everyday business tasks? It’s likely. An October 2024 Software AG study found that half of all employees use “shadow AI” tools to enhance their productivity, and most would continue using them even if explicitly banned by their employer. Read More from “Why Every Business Needs an AI Policy”

With iOS 18.2 and Later, You Can Share the Location of Lost Items in Find My

a lonely black backpack sits on the front row of several rows of red airport gate chairs.

In iOS 18.2, Apple enhanced the Find My app, enabling you to create a temporary Web page that shares the location of a lost AirTag or other Find My-tracked item. You don’t need to know the person’s email address or share any other information, and the link automatically expires after a week. It’s a great way to enlist others in the search for a lost item, but the big win is sharing with an airline to help them track the location of misdirected luggage. Read More from “With iOS 18.2 and Later, You Can Share the Location of Lost Items in Find My”

Run a Business? Sign Up with Apple Business Connect

stock photo from Apple saying "Welcome to Apple Business Connect."

Every company today conducts business online, by sending email, if nothing else. That’s true even if your firm operates primarily in the physical world—customers undoubtedly find you by browsing in Apple Maps, searching in Spotlight, and asking Siri for directions. If you sell products, you probably take Apple Pay.

Apple Business Connect is a free program designed to help businesses enhance their brands everywhere they appear on Apple devices, including Maps, Wallet, Siri, Calendar, Messages, Spotlight searches, and more. Read More from “Run a Business? Sign Up with Apple Business Connect”

Keep Your Browsing Organized with Browser Profiles

AI generated photo. Looking at a woman with a straight ponytail from behind as she is working. The left half of the picture depicts an office environment and says "work", while the right side depicts a home environment and says "personal" At home there is a flower picture on the wall and a bunny stuffie on the desk.

As 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 and personal browsing or managing multiple projects, browser profiles can make your digital life more organized and efficient. Read More from “Keep Your Browsing Organized with Browser Profiles”

Working with Time Zones in Apple’s Calendar Apps

translucent clock faces and calendars overlaying each other

Calendar events are usually straightforward. For instance, if you schedule a meeting for 3 PM on Thursday, an alert will remind you to leave 30 minutes beforehand.

However, since we live in an increasingly global world, we occasionally have to consider time zones when scheduling meetings. Business travelers have long needed to keep track of meeting times as they move across time zones, and the number of online meetings spanning the globe has skyrocketed since the pandemic. Whether you’re scheduling appointments on the other side of the country or collaborating with a remote team, it’s essential to be able to work effectively with time zones on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Here’s what you need to know. Read More from “Working with Time Zones in Apple’s Calendar Apps”

Apple Says More Personalized Siri Will Be Delayed

bright solid yellow background. man standing in front with his left hand over his face and holding an iPhone straight out in front of himself. the text on the phone screen shows Apple's announcement about a "more personalized Siri"

As we’ve been covering Apple’s staged rollout of Apple Intelligence, one announced feature that has remained tantalizingly in the future is the enhanced version of Siri that would have onscreen awareness, understand your personal context, and be able to interact with apps. The company has quietly admitted that this new version of Siri isn’t ready yet and now says it anticipates rolling it out in the coming year. Read More from “Apple Says More Personalized Siri Will Be Delayed”

Share Wi-Fi Network Passwords Using QR Codes

picture of the torso of a person holding a cell phone in front of an open laptop computer. superimposed is a QR code with text of "scan here to get the access code" above and below the code.

A 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 doesn’t activate as quickly as you’d like. Apple’s new Passwords app on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac provides a manual alternative that may work better. Tap the Wi-Fi collection to see all your remembered networks, select the desired network, and tap Show Network QR Code. When others scan the QR code using their phones, they will instantly join the network. Read More from “Share Wi-Fi Network Passwords Using QR Codes”

Create Links to Selected Text in Long Web Pages

AI generated image with the word "information" appearing multiple times in a way to convey information moving through wires and cables quickly

If you have Control- or right-clicked on text in a Web browser in the last year or two, you may have seen an oddly named command: Copy Link to Highlight. When you choose it, it puts a URL on your clipboard, not just to that page, as Copy Link Address would, but also to the selected text. You can use this URL to make a link or share it directly, and when someone follows it, their browser scrolls to the selected text, simplifying navigation on a long page. For example, compare this link to Apple’s long Apple Watch faces page with this one that points directly to the Unity watch face most of the way down. All Web browsers can follow these links, but Google Chrome was the first to let you make them, and you’ll also find the feature in Arc, Microsoft Edge, and Vivaldi. Apple recently got on board with Safari 18’s Copy Link with Highlight command. The Link to Text Fragment extension adds the feature to other Chromium browsers and Firefox. Read More from “Create Links to Selected Text in Long Web Pages”

HomePods Can Alert You of Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

smoke detector mounted to ceiling with obvious smoke and fire around it

Although we think about HomePods as being useful for playing audio and responding to Siri commands for HomeKit devices, they can do more. HomePods can send a notification to your iPhone if their built-in microphones recognize the piercing squeals from smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. If you are away from home, that notification could help you alert neighbors and call 911, shaving minutes off response times. To turn the feature on, open the Home app, tap the ••• button in the upper-right corner, navigate to Safety & Security > Sound Recognition, and turn on the switches for Smoke & CO Alarm and any HomePods you have. Read More from “HomePods Can Alert You of Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms”