by Terry McAdams | Jun 5, 2026 | MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Upgrade
If you have a college-bound student, it’s time to think about whether they need a new Mac. Perhaps their current computer is showing its age, or it was a high school loaner, or it would be better handed down to a younger sibling. Whatever the reason, navigating...
by Terry McAdams | Jun 5, 2026 | AI, Security
The latest generation of AI models has fundamentally changed how quickly security vulnerabilities can be found in software, for both defenders and attackers. Understanding what’s happening helps explain why we keep emphasizing the importance of keeping your devices...
by Terry McAdams | Jun 5, 2026 | AirPods, Apple TV, Apple Watch, HomePod, iPad, iPhone, Mac, Upgrade
The simple answer to “When should you upgrade?” is when your device no longer does what you need, or when you want something new. But that’s not helpful if you’re trying to make an informed decision—is there a sweet spot when it makes more sense to upgrade rather than...
by Terry McAdams | Jun 5, 2026 | AirPods, iPhone, productivity, Tip
Have you ever wanted to activate the shutter button for your iPhone’s camera—for either a still photo or a video—when you’re not holding it? Selfie sticks often come with Bluetooth buttons that can do that, and starting in iOS 26, you also can use your AirPods 4 or...
by Terry McAdams | Jun 5, 2026 | Mac, Tip, troubleshooting
Since the pandemic, video calls have become a fact of life for many of us, so much so that it’s now possible to sit down for a meeting without thinking about whether you’ve changed out of your pajamas or brushed your hair. (No judgment; we’ve all done it.) To ensure...
by Terry McAdams | Jun 5, 2026 | Mac, Tip, troubleshooting
If you’re still using Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac, on July 13, 2026, an expiring certificate will cause your copies of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook to enter “reduced functionality mode,” meaning you can view and print documents but cannot edit or create new...
by Terry McAdams | Jun 5, 2026 | Contacts, Dictation, iPad, iPhone, Mac, productivity, Tip, troubleshooting
Apple’s Dictation feature is a great way to avoid slow typing on the iPhone and iPad, and it can be welcome on the Mac as well. But it struggles with proper nouns—it guesses wildly at unfamiliar names and often fails to capitalize common words that are part of a name...
by Terry McAdams | May 4, 2026 | How-To, Security
Securing your home network might seem uninteresting or unimportant—after all, who would bother to target you? The answer is that criminal hackers are interested in your router for a range of disturbing purposes, including attacks on your employer if you connect to a...
by Terry McAdams | May 1, 2026 | How-To, iPad, iPhone, Mac, productivity
Silicon Valley thinks everyone wants to delegate writing to AI, which is why Apple Intelligence constantly suggests replies for you in Messages and Mail. But there’s an excellent way to supercharge your typing speed without sounding like a chirpy chatbot or resorting...
by Terry McAdams | May 1, 2026 | How-To, productivity
The Camera Control on iPhone 16 and later models lets you open the Camera app and take a photo with the press of a button. But it’s more than just a simple button—it features a touch-sensitive surface that lets you adjust a variety of settings without having to tap...
by Terry McAdams | May 1, 2026 | Finder, Mac, macOS, productivity
If you can work comfortably with the Mac’s four Finder views, you’ll enjoy an easier experience when you try to get to your folders and files. Each view has its pros and cons, so using the best view for the job at hand will make you more productive. Here’s a look at...
by Terry McAdams | May 1, 2026 | Battery, Tip
We always recommend buying from reputable manufacturers rather than no-name brands, especially for products with lithium-ion batteries, such as power banks, Bluetooth speakers, flashlights, power tools, e-bikes, and more. In a 2025 study, industrial scanning company...
by Terry McAdams | May 1, 2026 | iPad, Mac, productivity, Safari, Tip
Safari’s compact tab bar option, which saves vertical space by placing the address bar in the current tab, went missing in the initial releases of macOS 26 Tahoe and iPadOS 26. Only Apple knows why this helpful option disappeared (Liquid Glass?), but as of macOS 26.4...
by Terry McAdams | May 1, 2026 | Mac, Security, Tip
The latest scam to watch out for is fake websites that try to get you to open Script Editor directly from your browser with a pre-filled AppleScript. Don’t do this! Security researchers at Jamf Threat Labs documented an attack where a convincing Apple-themed page...
by Terry McAdams | May 1, 2026 | Finder, iPad, iPhone, productivity, Tip
On the Mac, every file type opens in a particular app by default, but it’s easy to open a PDF, image, or text file in a different app. In the Finder’s Get Info window, you can also reset the default app so that, for example, JPEGs open in Photoshop or Affinity instead...
