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How to easily erase all content and settings in macOS Monterey

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How to erase contents and settings in macOS Monterey
It's easier than ever to wipe your Mac clean.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

macOS Monterey makes it easier than ever to remove all your precious data from your Mac when it’s time to sell it or make a fresh start. Its new Erase All Content & Settings feature wipes your machine without forcing to you to reinstall its operating system, just like on iPhone and iPad.

Here’s how to use it.

Microsoft’s new Cloud PC feature streams Windows to Mac and iPad

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Microsoft Windows 365 Cloud PC
Windows anywhere, on any device.
Photo: Microsoft

Who needs Boot Camp when you can stream Windows to your Mac? Microsoft’s newly announced Windows 365 feature allows you to use Windows 10 and 11 on almost any device — including Mac and iPad.

With a Cloud PC, you get an instant-on experience and access to all your data, software, and settings anywhere. And you’ll be able to configure your setup to suit your needs. The service launches on August 2, 2021.

How to install the macOS Monterey public beta today

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How to install the macOS Monterey beta
You'll need a compatible Mac and around 12GB of free storage space.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Anyone can put the macOS Monterey beta on their Mac — it’s no longer reserved for developers. Apple added the pre-release version to its public beta program on Thursday.

Installing it is free, and not too difficult. Here’s how begin playing with macOS Monterey yourself.

Unique handheld Hackintosh is no bigger than paperback

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Unique handheld Hackintosh is no bigger than paperback
This crazy hackintosh has a palm-size keyboard and screen but still runs macOS Big Sur.
Photo: iketsj

Maybe you’ve been thinking that MacBooks are just too practical. What you want is a handheld Mac with a screen you can barely see and an uncomfortable keyboard. Well, T. Sanglay, Jr. has just the project for you. He created miniature hackintosh that runs macOS Big Sur.

And he filmed a video to show the computer coming together. Watch it if you have a hard time believing someone could assemble a Mac about the size of paperback novel.

macOS Monterey lets you use a second Mac as an external display

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macOS Monterey turns a second Mac into an external display
And you can USB for reduced latency.
Photo: Apple

macOS Monterey gives newer Apple computers the ability to send content to a second Mac over AirPlay. You can also use the feature for screen mirroring, turning a spare machine into an external display.

What’s more, unlike on your TV, AirPlay in Monterey lets you connect two macOS devices with a USB cable, greatly reducing latency and removing the requirement for a wireless network.

macOS Monterey gets new ‘erase all contents’ option like iPhone and iPad

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macOS Monterey adds new 'erase all contents' option
A quicker, easier way to wipe your Mac.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s upcoming macOS Monterey update will make it easier for users to wipe all data from a Mac. A new “erase all contents and settings” option allows a system to be wiped without removing macOS.

Apple says the process — similar to that available on iPhone and iPad — is instant and secure, destroying all encryption keys.

macOS Monterey brings Universal Control, Shortcuts, and Safari improvements

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macOS Monterey
Big Sur is dead. Long live macOS Monterey!
Photo: Apple

macOS Monterey will bring a plethora of nifty new abilities to Mac — and, in the process, help make Macs work even better with iPhones and iPads.

Announced Monday during the Worldwide Developers Conference’s opening keynote, it will be the first new Mac operating system following the arrival of Apple Silicon across the entire product line. This year’s update isn’t close to the giant redesign that was 2020’s macOS 11 Big Sur. But macOS Monterey 12 nonetheless boasts a bevy of exciting new features.

iPadOS 15 to MacBooks: Everything we’re looking forward to at WWDC 2021

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What to expect at WWDC 2021: iOS 15, macOS 12, new MacBook models, and more.
Get ready for updates to five operating systems. And maybe a pair of new MacBooks.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

June 7 will be the single most important day of 2021 for Apple. It’s the start of the annual Worldwide Developers Conference where the company will ceremoniously unveil fresh operating system updates for iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch and more.

Big changes are anticipated for iPadOS 15, and some nice enhancements are also predicted for iOS 15. The improvements in macOS 12, watchOS 8 and tvOS 15 are likely to be more modest.

But the show won’t stop there. While WWDC is supposed to be about software, there’s a good chance we will see new MacBooks announced Monday as well.

How to allow a guest to control your HomeKit devices

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Add a guest to the Home app
The safe and easy way to share HomeKit control.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

If you’re going away this summer and leaving your home in the hands of someone else, you might want to give them control of your HomeKit devices. And it’s really easy to do that inside the Home app.

Here’s how to invite anyone with an iPhone, iPad or Mac to control your smart home gadgets as a guest.

How to play classic GameCube and Wii games on an M1 Mac

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Play GameCube and Wii games on Mac
Who doesn't want to play Metroid Prime on Mac?
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

You can now enjoy classic GameCube and Wii games on an M1 Mac. The excellent Dolphin emulator now runs on Apple’s latest machines, and its creators say it is “powerful and excels” under Apple Silicon.

Here’s how to install Dolphin and play GameCube and Wii games on your own M1 iMac, Mac mini, MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.

How to use MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar on an external display

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How to use Touch Bar on any Mac
Don't lose your Touch Bar when your MacBook Pro is closed.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

If you’ve grown to love your MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar and all the tools and shortcuts it provides, you likely miss it when you have your machine hooked up to an external display. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here’s how to bring the Touch Bar to any screen so that you can continue to use it even when your MacBook Pro is closed.

Apple details plans for WWDC 2021

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Apple’s all-online Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off June 7 with keynote address at 10 a.m. PST.
Set your alarms! The WWDC 2021 keynote kicks off at 10 a.m. PST.
Image: Apple

Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference is scheduled for June 7, and on Monday the iPhone-maker revealed that the all-important keynote address for WWDC 2021 will be held at 10 a.m. PDT on that day. This is almost certainly when they wraps will come off the next major upgrades for iOS, macOS and the company’s other operating systems.

New hardware is possible but far from certain.

How to fix a frozen MacBook Pro Touch Bar without rebooting

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How to fix a frozen MacBook Pro Touch Bar
Restart your Touch Bar in an instant.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Whatever your opinion may be on the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar, there’s no denying it comes in handy from time to time. Except when it freezes — which can be a common occurrence — and then it’s no use at all.

You might reboot your MacBook Pro to get its Touch Bar working again when this happens. But there is a quicker, much less disruptive fix. Here’s how to restart your Touch Bar without rebooting your Mac.

Apple software chief admits there’s too much Mac malware

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Craig-Federighi-iPad-Pro
Craig Federighi says iPhone does a better job of protecting customers than macOS.
Photo: Apple

Craig Federighi, Apple’s SVP of software engineering, told a court on Wednesday that there’s more Mac malware available than Apple’s executive team is comfortable with. And he says iPhones do a much better job of protecting users.

Federighi was testifying at the Epic Games v. Apple trial explaining why he thinks the iPhone-maker’s tight control of the iOS App Store is necessary.

Please don’t put macOS on iPads [Cult of Mac Magazine 401]

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Porting macOS to iPad just doesn't make sense.
Porting macOS to iPad just doesn't make sense.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Some people think porting the Mac’s operating system to the iPad makes sense. We don’t. Find out why that would be a horrible nightmare in Cult of Mac Magazines cover story this week.

Also, don’t miss our Q&A with Ian Zelbo, the 17-year-old New Yorker who’s been blasting out eye-catching concept art based on the latest Apple leaks. The high schooler behind RendersbyIan tells what gear he uses and reveals some of his rendering secrets in our Setups post.

Then, of course, you’ll want to check out Zelbo’s colorful MacBook Air renders and the rest of the week’s juiciest Apple news, rumors, how-tos and reviews.

Putting macOS on iPad is a terrible idea

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Putting macOS on iPad is a terrible idea
No. No, no, no, no. No.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

Apple’s smart decision to build an M1 processor into the 2021 iPad Pro renewed calls to port macOS to the tablet. “Put macOS on the iPad, you cowards,” read one particularly misguided headline.

Doing so would be a mistake so severe it would damage sales of both iPad and Mac. It would take years to clean up the mess.

No matter that Macs and iPads run on the same chip. macOS isn’t designed for a touchscreen. Apple would need to redesign the operating system to run on a tablet, and devs would need to alter third-party applications, too. And that would anger people using non-touchscreen laptops and desktops.

Plus, people happy with the iPad now wouldn’t like the change either.