Apple recently brought a bunch of awesome new fonts to macOS, but they’re not enabled by default. Here’s how to download them for free so that you can enjoy them inside almost any Mac app.
How to remove ‘iOS Files’ that are taking up space on your Mac
Are mysterious “iOS Files” taking up gigabytes of precious storage space on your Mac? You may not need them anymore, so we’ve put together a handy how-to guide on removing them with ease.
Here’s how to free up a lot of storage in no time at all.
How to fix random restarts on a MacBook Pro running macOS Catalina
A new bug introduced with Apple’s recent macOS 10.15.4 seems to be causing random restarts for some 16-inch MacBook Pro owners. Apple hasn’t rolled out an official fix yet, but there is a workaround you can use for now.
Leaker counters claim of Apple AR glasses in 2022; affirms rollout next year
Apple’s widely rumored augmented reality glasses will be released sometime between March and June of 2021, according to leaker and YouTuber Jon Prosser, contradicting a report Thursday from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that the product is on course for its debut in 2022.
Pro tip: Snap a screenshot of your MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar
Snapping a screenshot of your MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar can be useful for so many things, and it couldn’t be easier to do. All you need is a simple keyboard shortcut … and at least a couple of fingers.
Fancade is a massive iOS game collection app that lets you create your own
What could be better than a mobile app that lets you play masses of games, like an old-school arcade squeezed onto your iPhone? A mobile app that lets you play masses of games and make your own new ones.
That’s what Swedish developer Martin Magni created with Fancade, a new iOS app launching Thursday. It offers a huge collection of mini-games, all created using the app itself, along with a drag-and-drop game-maker that lets you create your own.
Access your Mac’s hidden Bluetooth debug menu
Got Bluetooth problems like a glitchy mouse or an unreliable keyboard? Maybe a screwy trackpad or poor headphone connection? Any of those problems could result from a glitch in your Mac’s Bluetooth radio. Maybe you’ve already tried everything — unpairing your devices, resetting them or even creating a pristine new user account on your Mac solely for troubleshooting purposes.
You may even know about the hidden Bluetooth menu that appears when you option-click on the Bluetooth menu bar icon. But did you know that there’s another, deeper, super-hidden menu with extra troubleshooting tools? There is. Here’s how to fix Bluetooth problems when nothing else seems to work.
Apple over-ear headphones with interchangeable parts coming ‘later this year’
Apple will deliver its new over-ear headphones, with interchangeable ear pads and other parts, “later this year,” claims a Thursday report from Bloomberg.
The company is said to be working on at least two variations of the product, including one “premium version” and another focused on fitness with a lighter design. Like AirPods Pro, they will be wireless with active noise-cancellation.
Give your videoconferencing calls killer audio quality
You’ve probably made more video calls in the last few weeks than you’ve made in the previous few years combined. And if they were on your iPhone or iPad, then they probably sounded great. But what if you’re using a Mac, with its prehistoric mics1?
No worries. Through the magic of technology, you can use a better mic with your Mac’s Skype or FaceTime. (As a bonus, it also might make you feel more comfortable during videoconferences.)
How to get new music notifications in Apple Music
You may have seen a notification from Apple Music at some point. It popped up, told you about a new album from a favorite artist, and you thought, “Thanks Apple Music! That’s great news.” Finally, you thought to yourself, this is a machine doing what machines are supposed to do. Then maybe you clicked on that notification, and the Music app launched, but didn’t go to the artist or album. Or perhaps you dismissed the alert, and when you opened the Music app later, you were confused because you couldn’t find the notification anywhere.
Now, Apple has (maybe) fixed this problem. Instead of just plain old lock-screen notifications, the Music app will now show you new music alerts inside the app itself. Here’s how to switch them on.
CarKey screenshots show how drivers will start their cars via Wallet app
A new CarKey feature for iOS 14 will let drivers start up compatible vehicles from their iPhone or Apple Watch, using a digital car key in their Wallet app. Leaked screenshots that appeared on Twitter this week show what the user interface might look like.
Tapping on the digital car key in the Wallet app will reveal the car model and automaker. It also offers the ability to share your key with another person. And an Express Mode works without requiring Face ID or your passcode.
New MacBook Air announced with $999 starting price, Magic Keyboard and 6K display support
Apple updated its MacBook Air lineup Wednesday, adding a redesigned scissor-switch Magic Keyboard, twice the storage, a reported two times faster CPU and a lower price tag starting at $999.
Apple said the new MacBook Air comes with twice the storage capacity of the previous model. The new base model starts at 256GB, with up to 80% faster graphics performance. It also supports the Apple 6K Pro Display XDR.
These Control Center tricks let you take control of Do Not Disturb
This is a trick I use almost daily, and until I showed it to a friend yesterday, I didn’t realize that it might not be generally known. Most people know about iOS’ amazing Do Not Disturb mode, which stops users from being pinged by incoming messages and app notifications all the time. But did you know about the great do not disturb shortcuts built into the Control Center?
Late 2020 iPad Pro could be the first with a next-gen Mini LED display
An upcoming iPad Pro refresh could be the first to introduce a next-generation Mini LED display, a new report reveals.
Innolux is said to be joining Apple’s supply chain this year specifically to supply new iPad Pro panels. Jingdian, another Mini LED supplier, is expected to be the primary supplier and may have already started shipping orders.
Use the hidden autocomplete in Apple Watch’s Scribble to send text messages
Unless you hate yourself, or you have an uncommonly close relationship with Siri, anytime you need to reply to a message on your Apple Watch, you pull out your iPhone. Scribble, the watch’s laborious handwriting-recognition input, is fine for very short replies, but it takes so long for anything else that it makes T9 text input look appealing.
But what if there was some kind of iPhone-esque Scribble autocomplete? What if I told you that this hidden feature is already there, and that you just never noticed it? Prepare to have your mind blown.
Apple is ‘likely to stick’ to plans for a September iPhone event
Despite the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, Apple is going to “stick to its plans” for an iPhone event in September, according to a new report.
That is despite the fact that another report today claims that orders for the five-nanometer A14 chips for the iPhone 12 are likely to be 50-60% higher than for last year’s iPhone chips. In other words, the next-gen iPhones face both increased demand and, for now, reduced supply.
iOS 13.4 beta code hints at new Apple TV device
An updated Apple TV 4K could soon roll out of Apple’s product pipeline, based on references to an unreleased product discovered in the latest iOS beta.
9to5Mac unearthed clues in iOS 13.4 beta 1 that signal a new Apple TV 4K is currently in development. Considering the company hasn’t released new Apple TV hardware since fall 2017, the wait for a new set-top box may not be much longer.
How to switch off iCloud backups, and why you might not want to
Last week’s revelation that iCloud backups can be accessed by Apple, and are regularly given to law enforcement agencies, came as a big surprise to many people. Isn’t Apple the company that claims to protect your data? While your iPhone or iPad is locked down, much of your iCloud data, including1 your iMessages, is available to Apple. The only way to prevent Apple, and government agencies, from accessing that data is to switch off iCloud backups, and make local backups instead.
AirPods Pro noise cancellation spoiled by firmware updates, users say
AirPods Pro’s brilliant noise cancellation feature gives them a huge advantage over regular AirPods. Except when that noise cancellation feature doesn’t work properly.
A growing number of users say their buds aren’t blocking out background noise as effectively as they once did. And testing confirms that to be the case.
Siri’s been reading my messages and I love it
As of iOS 13, you can have your iPhone read out incoming iMessages through your AirPods. And this — along with their awesome sound and noise-canceling abilities — is my favorite feature of the AirPods Pro. On paper, it’s a small feature in a long list. But in everyday use, Announce Messages with Siri makes a huge difference in how I use my iPhone.
JBL takes on AirPods with cheaper, more colorful wireless buds
Given what a ridiculously massive hit the AirPods have been for Apple, it’s no shocker that other companies are keen to jump aboard the wireless earbuds train with their own rival versions. This one, from America audio company JBL, looks highly reminiscent of Apple’s AirPods.
The main differences? It comes in a range of colors, and costs just $99.95. That makes it a cheap and cheerful alternative to Apple’s premium version.
Zagg loads up 10.2-inch iPad with keyboards and cases
Those with the 10.2-inch iPad launched last year will soon have significantly more case options, thanks to announcements made today at CES 2020. Zagg unveiled a collection of three keyboard cases, while its Gear4 subsidiary added two protective cases.
Why I’m not holding my breath for Apple’s rumored gaming Mac [Opinion]
Apple is reportedly working on a new “gaming-focused” Mac that it will unveil at WWDC, a sketchy new rumor claims.
This machine would cost up to $5,000 and be a Mac rival to gaming PCs. It would take aim at the fast growing “e-sports” market, which Apple has not previously catered to. Could such a machine turn Apple into a gaming powerhouse? Anything’s possible, I guess. But I’ll only believe it when I see it.
Disable Turbo Boost to keep your MacBook cool
Compared to an iPad, even the new 16-inch MacBook Pro runs pretty hot. In my first impressions post about the latest Apple laptop, I noted that the fans went crazy pretty much any time I switched it on. That has stopped now, thanks to two things: One is that my photo library is fully indexed, and the other is that I have disabled Turbo Boost.
But how?
Which buttons should Apple bring back next?
It may have nothing to do with Jony Ive leaving the company, but Apple has been adding buttons back to its devices. It’s a slow start, but hopefully it’s the beginning of a trend. The new 16-inch MacBook Pro added an Escape key, and a separate power button (you can press the Touch ID button). Plus, the recently introduced iPhone 11 battery case added a dedicated camera button.
After what seems like decades of removing useful hardware features, is Apple finally seeing the error of its ways? And, if so, what buttons would we like to see next? Let’s take a look at the current lay of the land.