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Thoughtful, detailed coverage of everything Apple for 35 years
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Category: Productivity

Adam Engst 30 comments

Support for FireWire Removed from macOS 26 Tahoe

macOS 26 Tahoe marks the end of an era as Apple removes support for FireWire, the high-speed connection technology that preceded today’s USB and Thunderbolt standards. Those who still rely on legacy FireWire devices through adapters will need to delay upgrades and make alternative plans.

Adam Engst 8 comments

Overlooked Details of the iPhone Air

While Apple’s iPhone Air announcement focused on its svelte design, several significant details flew under the radar. Adam Engst looks into the features and compromises that weren’t center stage during the announcement.

Adam Engst 11 comments

Atlassian Acquires The Browser Company for $610 Million

In an all-cash deal, Atlassian adds The Browser Company’s Arc and Dia to its suite of workplace tools. Hopefully, Atlassian will recognize the value in connecting Arc’s productivity features with Dia’s AI capabilities.

Adam Engst 62 comments

Do You Use It? The Apple Ecosystem

After a question arose in TidBITS Talk, we wondered just how invested TidBITS readers are in the Apple ecosystem. Does everyone use Apple devices whenever available, or do many of us mix our Apple devices with those from other manufacturers?

Adam Engst 32 comments

TickTick Provides a Focused Daily Task List and More

The cross-platform app TickTick does an excellent job of combining tasks and events into a single view, making it easy to see what you have on tap for the day. But it goes far beyond the basics, with a plethora of advanced features that answer most people’s “can it do this?” questions.

Adam Engst 12 comments

Dropbox Passwords Shutting Down; Migrate Soon

Dropbox Passwords users (if there are any) must export their credentials before 28 October 2025, when the service shuts down permanently. 1Password offers the easiest migration option, but moving elsewhere is also possible.

Adam Engst 9 comments

How to Keep the User Library Folder Visible in macOS

Apple hides the user’s Library folder by default, but an obscure method to show it permanently lets you avoid pressing Option to access it in the Finder’s Go menu.

Adam Engst 32 comments

Do You Use It? Revisiting Websites with Windows, Bookmarks, Tabs, and Pinned Tabs

Our recent tab management poll revealed that many readers don’t fully understand pinned tabs and thus aren’t taking advantage of them. Adam Engst takes a deep look at the history and goals of Web navigation to explain where pinned tabs came from, why many people don’t use them, and how usage varies by browser.

Adam Engst 49 comments

Switching from a 27-inch iMac to a 14-inch MacBook Pro: A Fresh Start

After more than a decade using a 27-inch iMac and a 27-inch Thunderbolt Display, Adam Engst shares his experience transitioning to a 14-inch MacBook Pro, exploring how differences in input devices, cloud storage, and modern display options shaped his approach to setting up his new Mac.

Adam Engst 39 comments

AppBITS: Sorted Seems Moribund

Adam Engst explores how the unique approach to task management of Sorted matched his needs well, only to discover concerning signs that the app has been abandoned by its developers.

Adam Engst 16 comments

The Real System Requirements for OS 26

For the most part, Apple has only dropped a few older models from its compatibility lists. However, that includes several Intel-based Macs, and the company has also clarified how much longer the remaining supported models will receive updates.

Adam Engst 62 comments

Do You Use It? Apple Intelligence

A year after Apple Intelligence‘s introduction, we want to hear how these AI features have impacted your daily Apple experience. Share your thoughts in this week’s poll.

Adam Engst 15 comments

 A Farewell to Sharon Zardetto Aker, Doyenne of Mac Writers

Sharon Zardetto Aker, one of the earliest and most prolific writers in the Macintosh world, has died. Her work at MacUser and Macworld and in books like The Macintosh Bible, The Mac Almanac, and The PowerBook Companion—plus in TidBITS and Take Control—educated and entertained an untold number of Mac users.

Adam Engst 36 comments

Text Fragments Enable Deep Linking on Web Pages

After decades of only being able to link to the top of Web pages or specially prepared named anchors, modern browsers now support text fragment links that can scroll to and highlight any text on any page. This long-awaited feature brings us closer to Ted Nelson’s original vision for hypertext and makes sharing specific information dramatically more efficient.

Adam Engst 5 comments

New Tab Feature in Google Docs Improves Document Organization

Last year, Google Docs gained document tabs that let you break long documents into more manageable sections, making it easier to organize and navigate complex content. Adam Engst explains how to use these tabs, document types where they are especially useful, and some usage quirks.