D. Griffin Jones - page 7

With some careful modding, you can use an iMac as a display — and save more than $1,300 to get a high-end monitor similar to Apple’s pricey Studio Display.

Apple’s Studio Display is one of only a small handful of 27-inch Retina 5K displays on the market, boasting a resolution of 5,120 × 2880. Unfortunately, it costs quite a handful — $1,599. If you have an old iMac 5K sitting around, you already have a computer with the exact same display panel inside. So if you are willing to spend about $190 in parts and can convert it to a Studio Display, you can save a big chunk of change.

Here’s how you can mod it yourself — but be warned, it’s not for the faint of heart.

So, you’ve been using Safari’s Private Browsing mode on your iPhone or iPad, for whatever reason, but you forget to close out of the tab. The next time you open Safari, you’ll be thrown into whatever unscrupulous web page you had open last time — and the result can range from unfortunate to embarrassing, depending upon what you were looking at and where you are when you unexpectedly resume the Private Browsing session.

Luckily, iOS offers a foolproof way to avoid reopening a Private Browsing mode session. Let me show you how.

The 2025 iPhone lineup is going to see one of the biggest design shakeups in the product’s history. Not only will there be an entirely new model — the super-slim iPhone 17 Air — the Pro phones are getting the first all-new design in years, with a radical new camera array that’s sure to polarize opinion. Plus, the entry-level models and the iPhone SE are getting lots of worthy trickle-down upgrades. With these innovations, Apple iPhone 17 is set to redefine smartphone design and functionality. Discover how iPhone 17 Air will mark a new beginning for Apple.

It’s going to be a very exciting year. Here’s what 2025 has in store for the iPhone.

Will 2025 be a big year for Apple’s exciting new Vision Pro platform? With a fast new chip, a major software upgrade and more jaw-dropping content, there could be a lot in store for the AR/VR headset next year.

The fledgling device is likely to get worthy new hardware upgrades — and maybe even a price drop. visionOS 3, the next major software update, will have had a full 12 months in the oven. That means it could be a substantial release. And as production of 3D immersive content continues to get easier, there may finally be a lot more spatial video to watch on the headset. In fact, that could turn out to be the device’s killer app.

What does Apple have planned for the Mac in 2025? For the last couple of years, Apple’s been killing it with its desktop and laptop computers. The chips scream, the industrial design has never been better, and the Mac lineup is undoubtedly the best in Apple’s history. Just look at the amazing new Mac mini.

But can Apple keep up the pace next year?

If your iPhone storage is full, you’ll need to quickly clear up space. You don’t need to panic and delete all your pictures, though. There are easy ways to free up iPhone storage without losing any precious data forever.

Apple put a convenient screen in Settings that can walk you through non-destructive ways to clear up space on your phone. Apps that you don’t use frequently can be temporarily uninstalled (and instantly redownloaded when you need them again). If you sync data to iCloud, like photos and music, your phone can automatically offload some of that data. You also can limit the number of podcasts your phone keeps, if you’re falling behind on your listening.

Here are the easiest steps you can take if your iPhone storage gets too full.

A little-known feature in macOS lets you share your Mac’s screen to someone else’s Mac directly from the Messages app — no third-party apps or downloads required. It’s great if you need to give tech support to a far-off family member in a pinch. Often, you just need to see what’s happening instead of counting on what your dear old father is trying to describe over the phone.

Get him to share his Mac’s screen with you, and you likely can solve his problem quickly. Even better, it’s not complicated setting up screen sharing on a Mac like it is on a PC. It takes only a few clicks in the Messages app. Let me show you all around this awesome hidden feature.

The Mac pointer (also called the cursor) is black with a white outline by default, but you can change the pointer color if you want to make it more prominent. Plus, you can even change the Mac pointer size. 

You might lose track of the small cursor if you have low vision — or just a really big monitor. Making the pointer larger can make it easier to see. 

Changing the pointer color to, for instance, bright red can make it easier to see, too. You can choose any color, like light purple or green, to fit the aesthetic of your setup. (This is especially cool if you have a matching colorful iMac.)

Here’s how to change your Mac pointer size and color.

Being able to see your iPhone battery percentage right in the status bar is incredibly useful. You can keep an eye on it throughout the day if you’re getting low and need to top up.

The standard battery icon gives you a rough idea of where your iPhone stands. But instantly seeing the exact battery percentage number can give you peace of mind. It’s useful seeing the precise number without pulling down Control Center or checking a battery widget, wherever you are.

For those of you with real battery anxiety, you can even add a widget to your Lock Screen and Home Screen. I’ll show you how.

It’s easy to take a screenshot on your iPhone to keep a copy of something in your photo library for later. You can even screenshot a whole page on an iPhone at once using a somewhat hidden feature.

If you want to take a screenshot of something like an in-depth recipe, a lengthy email or anything else that doesn’t fit on your iPhone screen, you can take an extended screenshot. Instead of filling your library with five separate images, you can use your iPhone to screenshot the entire page (or a large section of it) without using an app to stitch them together after the fact.

Here’s how it’s done. (I’ll show you how to do this on a Mac, too.)

It can be hard figuring out what advice will actually save your iPhone battery life and what’s basically tech superstition. What settings can you easily change that make the biggest impact without ruining your phone?

Low Power Mode is the obvious setting, a single switch that pulls all kinds of levers behind the scenes. Turning down your brightness as far as you can is another easy trick. But how about quitting apps? Does it make any difference? What about the always-on display? Should you turn it off?

Here are the 10 things you can do to save iPhone battery life — and help your iPhone battery thrive over the long term, too.

In iOS 18, users can finally change out their iPhone Lock Screen buttons from the standard Flashlight and Camera to whatever they want. There’s a giant selection of buttons you can swap in their place.

In fact, any button you can put in iOS 18’s new customizable Control Center is a button you can put on your iPhone’s Lock Screen. Plus, you can add different shortcut buttons to different Lock Screens, making them context-dependent (and tied to a Focus Mode if you like).

Here’s how to swap out the iPhone Lock Screen buttons to put whatever you want at your beck and call.

iOS 18.2 drops a huge number of new features onto the iPhone. The second major iOS 18 update, available now, expands the capabilities of Apple Intelligence — and adds plenty of goodies for everyone else, too.

Keep reading or watch our video on the new features awaiting iPhone owners in iOS 18.2.

Working in an office or in the city, you’re probably inundated with noise from people chattering, cars running and nearby music. Your iPhone has a built-in feature called Background Sounds for playing rain noises or white noise to tune it all out.

You don’t need to download any apps or pay a cent; it comes for free on your Mac and iPhone. Let me show you how it works.

If you want the biggest and highest-capacity external hard drive, Cyber Monday is the time to buy.

I have a personal recommendation on a Thunderbolt enclosure that fits four full-size hard drives or SSDs, so you can get the fastest storage in enormous capacities. I’ve used the OWC ThunderBay 4 for about a year (having purchased the hard drive last Black Friday, coincidentally enough) and it’s served me well for all my odd purposes.

Here’s how to get the fastest, biggest external storage this shopping season.

The best web browser for iPhone depends heavily on what you need. Apple’s own Safari comes with a lot out of the box and offers integration with other Apple devices in your life. The top competitors — Chrome, Edge and Firefox — are good choices if you need to sync with a Windows PC.

Other alternatives you may not have heard of can offer diverse benefits, though. Arc is a fast, modern browser built around search, and comes with built-in ad blockers. DuckDuckGo and Onion Browser lead the pack when it comes to privacy features. And if you want a bespoke app just to keep up with your favorite six or seven sites, TicciTabs was made for that exact purpose. There are even web browsers made for Apple Watch and for saving the environment.

Keep reading or watch our video.

Apple Music has a karaoke mode for people who love to sing along as they listen. Apple Music Sing lets you turn down the lyrics so you can karaoke to your favorite hits with just one tap.

In fact, I’m using it right now to listen to some of my favorite music without the lyrics distracting me from reading and writing. Let me show you how it works!

If your Apple Watch feels like it’s not responding to your taps, it could be in Water Lock mode. It’s easy to forget to turn off Water Lock Mode after you go for a swim or a shower.

There’s also a bit of confusion about how Apple Watch’s Water Lock feature works. Read on to see how to (and how not to) use it.

Asus’ new ProArt 5K desktop monitor costs just half of what you’ll pay for Apple’s Studio Display but offers many of the same features. The Asus ProArt 5K PA27JCV boasts the same 27-inch screen, Retina resolution, standard framerate and P3 wide color gamut as Apple’s midrange monitor. It also comes with a built-in USB hub and KVM, which proves great if you still use a few USB-A accessories or flash drives.

Admittedly, Asus’ 5K desktop monitor misses some of the Studio Display’s premium features. The stand wobbles and the body is made of creaky plastic. Plus, the panel isn’t quite as bright as Apple’s display, and it doesn’t come with a webcam.

Still, with very similar specs — and a budget-friendly $799 list price, compared to the Studio Display’s $1,599 (or $1,999 if you dare to desire an adjustable stand) — Asus is making an offer that’s hard to refuse. Keep reading or watch our video review.

I always use Apple’s privacy-focused Sign in with Apple and Hide My Email services whenever I get the option.

 The Sign in with Apple feature, which lets you log into third-party accounts using your Apple ID while keeping your personal info private, is so easy to use that I utilize it everywhere. But that also means my disguised logins pile up, accumulating in the digital junk drawer that is iCloud Settings. If you ever need to manage or transfer your Apple purchases history, Apple now offers an option to migrate digital purchases between accounts.

I’ll show you where you can find, manage or delete these accounts. Perhaps you’re jumping ship from iPhone to Android, and you want to make sure you still have another way of signing into your Chipotle account.

The Hide My Email service is similar. It creates a temporary email address that forwards to your real one — handy if you’re signing up for a shady website, or if you need a public contact email. I’ll show you where you can create new ones and delete the old ones.

Camo is a powerful app that lets you use your iPhone, and any connected USB camera, as a webcam for your Mac. I use it every week to record videos and livestream podcasts. The camera built into the MacBook — and even the high-end Studio Display — just doesn’t compare to the clarity and quality of an iPhone camera.

Apple built a basic version of this feature into macOS and called it Continuity Camera. But like most apps that have been sherlocked, Camo goes above and beyond with powerful tools and pro features.

Camo also works with Windows PCs, Android phones and most modern cameras, not just Macs and iPhones.

The new Apple Magic Keyboard, updated with USB-C, is a fine option if you want Touch ID and if you like laptop-style membrane keyboards. It’s not my preferred typing experience. It also, unfortunately, only comes in a limited number of colors and only two sizes.

It’s the stock keyboard that comes if you order an iMac. It’s also available if you want an external keyboard on your Mac mini, Mac Studio or a desktop-docked MacBook.

The Magic Keyboard is the only way to get Touch ID on the Mac, which is a pretty excellent experience. You just have to pay the rather high price for it — and the even greater sacrifice of giving up on a clicky mechanical keyboard.

Keep reading or watch our latest video.

The Magic Mouse has been updated with USB-C, and … well, that’s about it. You can ditch the Lightning cable on your desk, but that’s where the changes end.

It still has a design that’s uncomfortably thin for my hands and lacks modern niceties like Force Touch and multi-device pairing.

The Magic Mouse is, however, still the best (and maybe only) mouse that uses trackpad-style swiping and scrolling gestures in place of a traditional scroll wheel. If you can set all else aside, it’s a great experience.

Keep reading or watch our latest video.

The new Apple Magic Trackpad with USB-C still holds the crown for the best Mac peripheral. It’s the best trackpad in the world and the best input device for macOS.

I was hoping for a little more out of this update, like built-in Touch ID or multi-device pairing. I also wish there were a neutral silver color, not just black and white.

But even without either, it has features that are still unparalleled anywhere else. Force Touch and Apple’s perfected multitouch gestures make the Magic Trackpad the king.

Keep reading or watch our video review.

The new Mac mini with M4 Pro chip offers incredible power at an unbelievable price. The diminutive desktop computer reaps the rewards of Apple silicon’s trickle-down performance: It delivers capabilities similar to a Mac Studio (or Mac Pro) with an M2 Ultra, at just a third (or a fifth) of the price of those high-end computers.

We haven’t yet seen what the new M4-series chips will do for the Mac Studio and Mac Pro, but the remarkable Mac mini makes me question how much of a pro user you’d have to be to truly need them. And on top of all that, it’s super-tiny. What’s not to love?

Keep reading or watch our video review.