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Thoughtful, detailed coverage of everything Apple for 36 years
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Weekly Issues

Adam Engst

#1804: OS 26.5 encrypts RCS, fix Dictation mistakes with Contacts, iOS notification privacy fix, $250 million Siri settlement

Frustrated when Dictation fails to capitalize proper nouns or substitutes a contact’s name for a common word? Adam Engst shares a clever workaround using fake Contacts entries—and even zero-width Unicode spaces—to train Dictation across all…

Adam Engst

#1803: Greeting card scam warning, Flighty Airport Intelligence, iOS update silently changes setting, ChatGPT’s goblins

A greeting card scam is making the rounds, and it’s particularly insidious because the invitations come from friends whose accounts have been hacked—Adam Engst explains how to identify these phishing attempts and what to do…

Adam Engst

#1802: macOS Text Replacements export/import, Apple Q2 2026 financials, TidBITS reader loyalty, Lego Mac mini

Adam Engst explores macOS’s little-known text replacement export/import feature, aiming to share the 25-year-old TidBITS AutoCorrect Dictionary, but finds it struggles with large datasets. Michael Cohen and Adam analyze Apple’s record Q2 2026 financial results,…

Adam Engst

#1801: Lessons from a 700-mile EV trip, iOS 26.4.2 and 18.7.8, FindYourTag catalog, New Things with Joanna Stern

Adam Engst recounts his first 700-mile electric vehicle road trip, sharing seven takeaways on route-planning apps and charging strategies. He also examines the iOS 26.4.2 and iOS 18.7.8 updates, which patch a notification privacy vulnerability.

Adam Engst

#1800: TidBITS 36th anniversary, John Ternus as new Apple CEO, VidBITS with Matt Sephton, shutting down SlackBITS, RIP John Martellaro and Chuck La Tournous

Apple has announced that John Ternus will become CEO on 1 September 2026, with Tim Cook transitioning to executive chairman—Adam Engst analyzes what this leadership change means for Apple’s future. This issue also marks TidBITS’s…

Adam Engst

#1799: OS 26.4.1 fixes iCloud sync, 49-day networking bug overblown, Anthropic’s Mythos and Project Glasswing, vertical tabs in Google Chrome

TidBITS Security Editor Rich Mogull analyzes Anthropic’s announcements of Mythos, an AI model that’s startlingly good at finding security flaws in software, and Project Glasswing, which gives Apple and other tech giants early access to…

Adam Engst

#1798: iOS 18.7.7 blocks DarkSword, Apple 50th anniversary musings, iOS 26.4 iCloud sync bug, setting up and using digital car keys

Adam Engst explores what it’s like to use Apple’s digital car key technology in the real world, detailing how Digital Key 2 on his new Hyundai IONIQ 5 lets him unlock, lock, and start the…

Adam Engst

#1797: OS 26.4 updates, Mac Pro discontinued, Script Editor issues in macOS 26.4, input source-related login failures, US router ban

This week brings endings and beginnings: Adam Engst reports that Apple has discontinued the Mac Pro, while OS 26.4 arrives with Apple Music’s AI-powered Playlist Playground, independent Family Sharing purchases, and Rosetta warnings signaling that…

Adam Engst

#1796: WWDC 2026, DarkSword targets iOS 18, Face ID pros and cons, WebKit patch in Background Security Improvements, Platform Security Guide updates

With the US government legally able to compel biometric unlocks, Adam Engst examines when Face ID enhances iPhone security and when you should disable it—plus detailed steps for protecting your privacy at protests, borders, and…

Adam Engst

#1795: Apple’s 50th anniversary, AirPods Max 2, iOS 15 and 16 updates for Coruna exploits, reduced App Store fees in China

If you or someone you know still uses an iPhone 6s through iPhone X or certain older iPads, install iOS 15.8.7 or iOS 16.7.15 immediately—Apple has backported fixes for vulnerabilities associated with the Coruna exploit…

Adam Engst

#1794: New MacBook Neo, M5 MacBook Air, M5 Pro/Max MacBook Pro, Studio Displays, OS 26.3.1, iOS 18.7.6

Apple’s torrent of hardware announcements last week culminated with the MacBook Neo, and Julio Ojeda-Zapata and Adam Engst analyze how the new laptop’s compromises enable it to become Apple’s most affordable laptop yet. Adam also…

Adam Engst

#1793: New iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air, 1Password price increase, troubleshooting old hardware, reading like an LLM

This week, we cover Apple’s latest hardware announcements: the iPhone 17e adds MagSafe and doubles base storage to 256 GB for $599, while the iPad Air gains improved performance from the M4 chip and 12…

Adam Engst

#1792: Third-party Find My devices, VidBITS walkthrough of Hookmark, explaining VidBITS reboot, 2025 Apple Report Card

Adam Engst reboots the VidBITS column with a new format: informal video conversations where developers demo their apps. The first episode features Luc Beaudoin walking through Hookmark, a Mac utility that brings hyperlinking to local…

Adam Engst

#1791: March 4 Apple event, OS 26.3 tweaks Liquid Glass and fixes vulnerabilities, HiWater hydration app, old Home architecture ended

Apple has announced an unusual multi-city “Apple Experience” event for 4 March 2026 in New York, London, and Shanghai—speculation centers on a colorful low-cost MacBook, the iPhone 17e, and MacBook Pros with the M5 Pro…

Adam Engst

#1790: iWork apps go freemium, Siri as a help system, more certificate-extension OS updates

Apple continues extending certificates on older operating systems so features like iMessage and FaceTime will keep working past January 2027. Adam Engst sorts through the latest batch of releases—including an interesting wrinkle involving Australian carrier…