TidBITS

· 3mo ago

EveryMac Hits the 30-Year Mark
https://tidbits.com/2026/07/03/everymac-hits-the-30-year-mark

EveryMac Hits the 30-Year Mark - TidBITS

EveryMac is celebrating its 30th anniversary. For three decades, Brock Kyle’s comprehensive Apple specs site has been a reliable standby for hunting down obscure details that Apple doesn’t make easy to find.

· 3mo ago

Why AI Agents Fill Me with Dread
https://tidbits.com/2026/06/24/why-ai-agents-fill-me-with-dread

Why AI Agents Fill Me with Dread - TidBITS

AI agents are supposedly going to manage our calendars, reply to email, make reservations, and plan trips. Adam Engst has been thinking about why this fills him with dread rather than excitement, and whether he’s alone in his skepticism.

· 3mo ago

AppBITS: Fidelia Offers Audiophiles Precise Control over Music Playback
https://tidbits.com/2026/07/06/appbits-fidelia-offers-audiophiles-precise-control-over-music-playback

AppBITS: Fidelia Offers Audiophiles Precise Control over Music Playback - TidBITS

Audiofile Engineering’s Fidelia plays your music collection with bit-perfect accuracy and lets you shape the sound through Audio Units, equalization, and headphone virtualization. It’s not for everyone—but audiophiles will appreciate its depth.

· 4mo ago

Andy Ihnatko’s New Blog Is Thoroughly Enjoyable
https://tidbits.com/2026/06/12/andy-ihnatkos-new-blog-is-thoroughly-enjoyable

Andy Ihnatko’s New Blog Is Thoroughly Enjoyable - TidBITS

Andy Ihnatko, whose tech journalism has graced Macworld, the Chicago Sun-Times, and MacBreak Weekly, has launched a new membership blog. Few writers combine his technical depth, pop-culture wit, and genuine humanity. Give his free posts a read.

· 3mo ago

People and Companies Should Be Legally Liable for Their AI Agents
https://tidbits.com/2026/06/29/people-and-companies-should-be-legally-liable-for-their-ai-agents

People and Companies Should Be Legally Liable for Their AI Agents - TidBITS

Public-interest technologist Bruce Schneier argues that companies and individuals deploying AI agents should bear legal liability for those agents’ actions, just as they would for human employees.

· 3mo ago

How Planning Made My Second Long EV Trip Stress-Free
https://tidbits.com/2026/07/10/how-planning-made-my-second-long-ev-trip-stress-free

How Planning Made My Second Long EV Trip Stress-Free - TidBITS

After a mostly successful first EV road trip, Adam Engst refined his approach for a weekend drive to Boston. The result was a boring, stress-free experience—exactly what you want from travel logistics.

· 3mo ago

26.5.2 Updates Squash Vulnerabilities in macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Safari
https://tidbits.com/2026/06/29/26-5-2-updates-squash-vulnerabilities-in-macos-ios-ipados-and-safari

26.5.2 Updates Squash Vulnerabilities in macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Safari - TidBITS

Apple has released macOS 26.5.2, iOS 26.5.2 and iPadOS 26.5.2, and Safari 26.5.2, addressing 29 security vulnerabilities. Most fixes target WebKit, with additional patches for the kernel and other components. No exploits have been reported in the wild.

· 3mo ago

Apple Raises Prices for Many Products
https://tidbits.com/2026/06/26/apple-raises-prices-for-many-products

Apple Raises Prices for Many Products - TidBITS

Apple finally pulled the trigger on the price increases Tim Cook telegraphed last week. The hikes average 20% across most of Apple’s lineup, with the Apple TV taking the biggest percentage hit and the iPhone and Apple Watch spared for now.

· 3mo ago

Do You Use It? Clear and Tinted Icons
https://tidbits.com/2026/06/23/do-you-use-it-clear-and-tinted-icons

Do You Use It? Clear and Tinted Icons - TidBITS

The Clear and Tinted icon options in macOS 26 and iOS 26 might look stylish, but they make identifying individual apps nearly impossible. Do you actually use these monochromatic modes? If so, we’d love to hear why.

· 3mo ago

macOS 27 Golden Gate Sharpens Tahoe’s Blurry Icons
https://tidbits.com/2026/06/22/macos-27-golden-gate-sharpens-tahoes-blurry-icons

macOS 27 Golden Gate Sharpens Tahoe’s Blurry Icons - TidBITS

BasicAppleGuy’s side-by-side comparison of the icons in macOS 26 Tahoe and macOS 27 Golden Gate reveals bolder colors, crisper edges, and a more refined Liquid Glass effect across most system apps.

· 3mo ago

Where to Find the Colors Your Screen Can’t Display
https://tidbits.com/2026/06/22/where-to-find-the-colors-your-screen-cant-display

Where to Find the Colors Your Screen Can’t Display - TidBITS

Ever wonder why a tropical lagoon or peacock feather seems impossibly vivid in person but disappointing in photos? Ryan Moulton explains the technical reasons and guides you to colors no screen can show.

· 3mo ago

Fruit Specs Slices and Dices Apple Product Features
https://tidbits.com/2026/06/18/fruit-specs-slices-and-dices-apple-product-features

Fruit Specs Slices and Dices Apple Product Features - TidBITS

Need to know which Apple devices or operating system versions support a specific feature or compare features across products? Glenn Fleishman’s Fruit Specs website makes answering such questions fast and—if you’re like us—kind of fun.

· 6mo ago

What Apple’s 50th Anniversary Misses
https://tidbits.com/2026/04/01/what-apples-50th-anniversary-misses

What Apple’s 50th Anniversary Misses - TidBITS

Rather than revisiting Apple’s corporate milestones at its 50th anniversary, Adam Engst reflects on how the community around Apple once fostered connection and idealism—and why rebuilding that human infrastructure may matter more than celebrating the company.

· 3mo ago

iOS 26’s Confusing Hidden Folder Drag Behavior
https://tidbits.com/2026/06/17/ios-26s-confusing-hidden-folder-drag-behavior

iOS 26’s Confusing Hidden Folder Drag Behavior - TidBITS

A TidBITS reader thought he had found a bug in iOS 26 that made apps inaccessible. After investigation, the real culprit turned out to be misleading visual feedback when dragging apps to the App Library’s Hidden folder.

· 3mo ago

Doctor Pairs TextExpander with a Gaming Mouse for Improved Telehealth Communications
https://tidbits.com/2026/06/15/doctor-pairs-textexpander-with-a-gaming-mouse-for-improved-telehealth-communications

Doctor Pairs TextExpander with a Gaming Mouse for Improved Telehealth Communications - TidBITS

Former TidBITS managing editor Josh Centers profiles a telehealth doctor who uses a 12-button gaming mouse and TextExpander’s branching snippets to generate complete, error-free patient documentation with a single click.

· 3mo ago

OpenAI Shuffles ChatGPT Apps, Kills Atlas Browser, Improves Voice
https://tidbits.com/2026/07/13/openai-shuffles-chatgpt-apps-kills-atlas-browser-improves-voice

OpenAI Shuffles ChatGPT Apps, Kills Atlas Browser, Improves Voice - TidBITS

OpenAI has replaced its Mac apps with a confusing 1.45 GB amalgamation, killed its ChatGPT Atlas Web browser after less than a year, and boosted ChatGPT Voice by backing it with more capable models.

· 3mo ago

Beyond Streaming: Why and How to Download Videos from YouTube
https://tidbits.com/2026/07/12/beyond-streaming-why-and-how-to-download-videos-from-youtube

Beyond Streaming: Why and How to Download Videos from YouTube - TidBITS

Can’t stream a YouTube video on a plane? Worried that a rare concert recording will disappear? Need to edit a clip for a presentation? Here’s why TidBITS Talk readers download YouTube videos—and which apps they recommend.

· 6mo ago

When Face ID Helps iPhone Security—And When to Turn It Off
https://tidbits.com/2026/03/19/when-face-id-helps-iphone-security-and-when-to-turn-it-off

· 6mo ago

Why the macOS “49-Day” Networking Bug Probably Won’t Affect You
https://tidbits.com/2026/04/09/why-the-macos-49-day-networking-bug-probably-wont-affect-you

Why the macOS “49-Day” Networking Bug Probably Won’t Affect You - TidBITS

Don’t panic about the newly discovered macOS bug that freezes TCP networking after 49 days of uptime. Between security updates, sleep cycles, and typical usage patterns, most Mac users will never encounter this edge-case failure.

· 6mo ago

The Verge Explains the US Government’s Router Ban
https://tidbits.com/2026/03/26/the-verge-explains-the-us-governments-router-ban

The Verge Explains the US Government’s Router Ban - TidBITS

Sean Hollister’s lively Q&A explains why the FCC’s foreign router ban won’t recall existing routers, audit new ones, or do much of anything to improve security—it just blocks future imports unless manufacturers commit to US production.

· 6mo ago

What’s New in Apple’s Platform Security Guide
https://tidbits.com/2026/03/18/whats-new-in-apples-platform-security-guide

· 3mo ago

Tim Cook Confirms Apple Will Raise Prices Due to Memory and Storage Costs
https://tidbits.com/2026/06/18/tim-cook-confirms-apple-will-raise-prices-due-to-memory-and-storage-costs

Tim Cook Confirms Apple Will Raise Prices Due to Memory and Storage Costs - TidBITS

Outgoing CEO Tim Cook has confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that Apple is being forced to raise prices due to skyrocketing costs of memory and storage chips. What might that mean for your next Apple device purchase?

· 6mo ago

iOS 26.4 CloudKit Bug Disrupts iCloud Sync, Fix Coming
https://tidbits.com/2026/04/06/ios-26-4-cloudkit-bug-disrupts-icloud-sync-fix-coming

iOS 26.4 CloudKit Bug Disrupts iCloud Sync, Fix Coming - TidBITS

A CloudKit notifications bug in iOS 26.4 breaks real-time iCloud sync for some apps and users. Data isn't lost, but changes will either be delayed or won't appear until you switch apps. A fix is in the iOS 26.5 beta.

· 6mo ago

A Fun but Flawed Approach to Ranking Apple’s Top 50 Products
https://tidbits.com/2026/03/30/a-fun-but-flawed-approach-to-ranking-apples-top-50-products

A Fun but Flawed Approach to Ranking Apple’s Top 50 Products - TidBITS

The Verge’s community-driven ranking of Apple’s top 50 products makes for fun clicking, but the nostalgic design and live rankings can’t overcome inconsistent criteria and a baffling product selection.

https://tidbits.com/2026/03/25/73724

· 6mo ago

OS 26.4 Adds AI-Generated Playlist Playground, Separates Family Sharing Purchases - TidBITS

Apple’s OS 26.4 updates add Apple Intelligence-generated playlists in Apple Music, image creation and editing tools in Freeform, easier marking of Reminders as urgent, and independent payment methods for adult members of Family Sharing groups. Oh, and eight new emoji you didn’t know how you were living without.

· 6mo ago

Mysterious Mac Login Failures? Check Your Input Source
https://tidbits.com/2026/03/20/mysterious-mac-login-failures-check-your-input-source

· 6mo ago

Apple Releases iOS 26.4.1 and iPadOS 26.4.1 to Fix CloudKit Syncing Bug
https://tidbits.com/2026/04/09/apple-releases-ios-26-4-1-and-ipados-26-4-1-to-fix-cloudkit-syncing-bug

Apple Releases OS 26.4.1 to Fix CloudKit Syncing Bug - TidBITS

If iCloud syncing has been unreliable since you updated to iOS 26.4, relief has arrived. Although Apple’s release notes don’t mention it, developers confirm that iOS 26.4.1 and iPadOS 26.4.1 fix the CloudKit bug. Apple also released macOS 26.4.1 Tahoe, presumably to incorporate the same code changes.

· 6mo ago

What Anthropic’s Mythos and Project Glasswing Mean for Your Apple Devices
https://tidbits.com/2026/04/09/what-anthropics-mythos-and-project-glasswing-mean-for-your-apple-devices

What Anthropic’s Mythos and Project Glasswing Mean for Your Apple Devices - TidBITS

AI is accelerating the discovery of security vulnerabilities, transforming the landscape of digital security. But Apple users are in a good spot, thanks to Apple’s focus on security and control over the entire ecosystem. TidBITS Security Editor Rich Mogull explains Anthropic’s Mythos and Project Glasswing.

· 6mo ago

Living with Digital Key 2 on the Hyundai IONIQ 5
https://tidbits.com/2026/04/06/living-with-digital-key-2-on-the-hyundai-ioniq-5

Living with Digital Key 2 on the Hyundai IONIQ 5 - TidBITS

Setting up Digital Key 2 for a second driver was harder than expected, but now we’re leaving the bulky key fob at home almost all the time. Here’s what we’ve found in a few weeks of living with smartphone-based car keys.

· 6mo ago

Apple Offers iOS 18.7.7 Security Update as Alternative to iOS 26.4 Upgrade
https://tidbits.com/2026/04/01/apple-offers-ios-18-7-7-security-update-as-alternative-to-ios-26-4-upgrade

Apple Offers iOS 18.7.7 Security Update as Alternative to iOS 26.4 Upgrade - TidBITS

To address the DarkSword exploit, Apple now lets iOS 18 users install the iOS 18.7.7 security update instead of upgrading to iOS 26.4. If you’re still using iOS 18, update immediately.

· 6mo ago

DarkSword Exploit Threatens iPhones Still Running iOS 18
https://tidbits.com/2026/03/23/darksword-exploit-threatens-iphones-still-running-ios-18

DarkSword Exploit Threatens iPhones Still Running iOS 18 - TidBITS

Security researchers have discovered DarkSword, a sophisticated exploit chain targeting iOS 18.4 through 18.7.2. Unlike past spyware aimed at high-profile targets, DarkSword is being surreptitiously deployed on legitimate websites against ordinary users.

· 6mo ago

Apple Relaunches Background Security Improvements with WebKit Patch
https://tidbits.com/2026/03/17/apple-relaunches-background-security-improvements-with-webkit-patch

Apple Relaunches Background Security Improvements with WebKit Patch - TidBITS

Remember Rapid Security Responses? Apple renamed and relaunched them as Background Security Improvements, and the first one patches a WebKit flaw in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS 26.3.1. Here's what you need to know.

· 3mo ago

“Hide My Email” Vulnerability Exposes Real Addresses
https://tidbits.com/2026/07/03/hide-my-email-vulnerability-exposes-real-addresses

“Hide My Email” Vulnerability Exposes Real Addresses - TidBITS

Apple’s Hide My Email feature has a vulnerability that does exactly what the name says it shouldn’t: reveal your real email address. Worse, Apple has ignored reports of the flaw for over a year.

· 6mo ago

macOS 26.4’s Script Editor Won’t Open Some Older AppleScripts
https://tidbits.com/2026/03/27/macos-26-4s-script-editor-wont-open-some-older-applescripts

macOS 26.4’s Script Editor Won’t Open Some Older AppleScripts - TidBITS

After upgrading to macOS 26.4, some users found Script Editor refusing to open certain older AppleScripts—even though most of the scripts still ran fine from apps like BBEdit. Here’s how to fix affected scripts.

· 6mo ago

WWDC 2026 Scheduled for June 8–12
https://tidbits.com/2026/03/23/wwdc-2026-scheduled-for-june-8-12

WWDC 2026 Scheduled for June 8–12 - TidBITS

Mark your calendars—Apple has announced that its Worldwide Developer Conference will kick off on 8 June 2026. Will this be the year we finally get the promised AI-powered version of Siri?

· 3mo ago

Do You Use It? Clear and Tinted Icons Are a Hard Pass
https://tidbits.com/2026/07/06/do-you-use-it-clear-and-tinted-icons-are-a-hard-pass

Do You Use It? Clear and Tinted Icons Are a Hard Pass - TidBITS

Our poll results are in: virtually no TidBITS readers use clear or tinted icons on the Mac or the iPhone. But the real issue isn’t color—it’s that Apple’s mandatory squircle shape strips icons of their distinctive personalities, making them harder to differentiate.

· 3mo ago

Upcoming NMUG Presentation on the Phone App’s Classic and Unified Views
https://tidbits.com/2026/06/15/upcoming-nmug-presentation-on-the-phone-apps-classic-and-unified-views

Upcoming NMUG Presentation on the Phone App’s Classic and Unified Views - TidBITS

Join Adam Engst for a free online presentation explaining the difference between the iOS 26 Phone app’s Classic and Unified views—and the big win of the Unified view—at the Naples MacFriends User Group meeting on 17 June 2026.

· 6mo ago

Farewell to Mac Writers John Martellaro and Chuck La Tournous
https://tidbits.com/2026/04/14/farewell-to-mac-writers-john-martellaro-and-chuck-la-tournous

Farewell to Mac Writers John Martellaro and Chuck La Tournous - TidBITS

The Mac community has lost two longtime writers in recent weeks: John Martellaro and Chuck La Tournous. John wrote once for TidBITS in 1996 before settling at The Mac Observer, where Chuck was also a contributing editor.

· 6mo ago

LittleBITS: Why You Got Multiple Copies Last Week
https://tidbits.com/2026/03/16/littlebits-why-you-got-multiple-copies-last-week

· 6mo ago

The Verge Hails Chrome’s Belated Vertical Tabs
https://tidbits.com/2026/04/13/the-verge-hails-chromes-belated-vertical-tabs

The Verge Hails Chrome’s Belated Vertical Tabs - TidBITS

David Pierce at The Verge makes the case for vertical browser tabs, echoing advice TidBITS has offered since 2023. Google Chrome users can now easily try them.

· 6mo ago

Apple Discontinues the Mac Pro for Good
https://tidbits.com/2026/03/30/apple-discontinues-the-mac-pro-for-good

Apple Discontinues the Mac Pro for Good - TidBITS

Apple has discontinued the Mac Pro with no replacement planned. The move ends a 20-year run for Apple’s most expandable desktop, though the Mac Studio and Thunderbolt 5 have made its PCIe-based expandability largely obsolete.

· 6mo ago

AirPods Max 2 Gain H2 Chip and AirPods Pro Features
https://tidbits.com/2026/03/16/airpods-max-2-gain-h2-chip-and-airpods-pro-features