Widgetsmith updated for iOS 18 with aesthetic new ‘Actions’ system
Widgetsmith, everyone’s favorite aesthetic app, is getting a big update today to take advantage of iOS 18. As detailed in a blog post, Widgetsmith 7 “takes device customization to all-new levels.” The update focuses on new customizable Actions that can be added to the Control Center, Lock Screen, and Home Screen. more…

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Apple Maps introduces new ways to explore the world
With the release of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and watchOS 11 today, Apple Maps is introducing new features to help users explore… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Apple releases tvOS 18 for Apple TV
Today, tvOS 18 introduces intelligent features like InSight, which displays timely information about actors, characters, and music from… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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watchOS 11 finally lets users change their Apple Watch ringtone
With watchOS 11, users will get a bunch of new features, including health and fitness improvements, Live Activities, the Translate app, and new watch faces. But the watchOS 11 update also comes with another new feature that wasn’t explicitly mentioned by Apple, and that’s the ability to change the default ringtone. more…

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The 10th-gen iPad is ready for iPadOS 18 and just $299 today
Macworld iPadOS 18 is here with a host of new features and if you’re looking for an iPad to run it, your search is over. The 10th-gen iPad is on sale for $299 at Amazon, which means you’re getting it for the best price we’ve ever seen. There are so many things we loved about the 10th-gen iPad when we reviewed it, starting with the improved cameras and the fact that there’s support for the Magic Keyboard Folio, something that turns the tablet into a potential work tool when needed. Running on a speedy A14 Bionic chip, this tablet will easily go from one app to another, load games in no time, and allow you to have a great time whatever you choose to do while using it. The 10.9-inch Liquid Retina Display is absolutely gorgeous, with vivid colors and deep contrast. It’s also pretty bright, so it will do well even when you’re out and about in direct sunlight. The 10th-gen iPad is a super choice for those who are looking for a new tablet, but perhaps not that much of an upgrade for those who already have the 9th gen. Still, it’s a gorgeous tablet that will last you for years of updates, so go ahead and get one for yourself for $299 at Amazon while it’s still on sale. The 10th gen iPad is only $299Buy it now at Amazon

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Apple releases iOS 18 for iPhone
iOS 18 is now available, bringing iPhone users around the world new ways to personalize their iPhone with deeper customization to the… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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iOS 18 brings RCS to major carrier iPhones, but prepaid plans are still waiting
A future iOS update may be needed to unlock better Apple-to-Android messages.

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macOS 14 Sonoma superguide: Everything you need to know
Macworld macOS 14, a.k.a. Sonoma (named after the Californian wine region), has been available since September 2023. It brought new features to Macs including changes to widgets, a new Game Mode, the ability to easily turn web pages into web apps, and fun additions to video conferencing apps. Read on for the lowdown on all the new features and further improvements coming throughout 2024. Sonoma won’t be the latest version of macOS for long now though: Apple unveiled macOS Sequoia at WWDC in June, and that will be arriving on Macs in the fall, but the development of macOS 14 Sonoma will continue and security updates will be issued even after macOS Sequoia arrives later in 2024. Update September 16, 2024: Apple released the macOS 14.7 update with security patches. macOS 14 Sonoma: Latest version The full version of macOS 14 was released to the general public on Tuesday, September 26 (the earliest macOS release date since 2018). That was version 14.0. Many smaller point updates have been released since then, including: The latest version is macOS Sonoma 14.7. Released on September 16, 2024, the update contains security patches and bug fixes. macOS Sonoma 14.6.1, which was released on August 7. it contains a fix for a bug in Advanced Data Protection, which encrypts iCloud data. macOS Sonoma 14.6 was made available on July 29. It includes the ability for the M3 MacBook Pro to run two external displays in clamshell mode and is an update of security patches and bug fixes. Apple has a complete list of all the security updates available on its security notes webpage. Read: You can finally run dual external displays on the M3 MacBook Pro and Air: Here’s how. Also read: How to connect two or more external displays to an M1, M2, or M3 MacBook. macOS Sonoma 14.5 arrived on May 13. It includes a new daily word game called Quartiles which is part of Apple News+ and a Scoreboard in the News app for access to crosswords and other games. macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 arrived on March 25 and brought several important bug fixes. These include an inability to recognize USB hubs connected to external displays (see the entry for Sonoma 14.4, below), and Java apps quitting unexpectedly. The macOS Sonoma 14.4 update, released on March 7, brought new emoji, updates to the Podcast app, an icons only option for the Safari Favorite Bar, and security and bug fixes. However, it appears this version included a Java bug and a USB problem, with users complaining that external displays with USB hubs connected have stopped working. There was also an iCloud Drive bug, with iCloud Drive no longer preserving saved versions of a file. If you are experiencing these issues you can follow our guide to revert a macOS update. macOS Sonoma 14.3.1 arrived on February 8 and fixed a problem where “text may unexpectedly duplicate or overlap while typing.” macOS Sonoma 14.3 arrived on January 22 and brought Collaborative Playlists for Apple Music. It also includes a patch for a zero-day vulnerability that may have been exploited in the wild. macOS Sonoma 14.2 arrived on December 11, 2023, and brought Enhanced AutoFill, Contact Key Verification, and various app updates. More details about what’s new are below. macOS Sonoma 14.1.2 arrived on November 30 and fixed two exploited zero-day WebKit flaws that were also patched in iOS and iPadOS with 17.1.2. Apple also released Safari 17.1.2 for Ventura and older to address the same exploits. Previously, macOS Sonoma 14.1.1 arrived on November 7. It includes bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users. Before that macOS Sonoma 14.1, was released on October 25. There will be a lot of updates over the coming months, both minor point releases for bug fixes and security updates and major releases that add some of the Sonoma features that weren’t available at launch. macOS 14 Sonoma beta: Latest version and release date Since macOS Sonoma arrived in September 2023, Apple has continued to develop new features for the operating system. The company regularly issues updates to the developer version and public version of the beta. On June 17 Apple released macOS 14.6 beta 1. On July 16, Apple released macOS 14.6 beta 4. If you’d like to join the beta for the next version of macOS read this: How to join Apple’s beta program and try out new software. macOS 14.6: New features Even with the release of the macOS 14.6 beta 4, no new features are apparent. This article will be updated if any new features are discovered. macOS 14.5: New features macOS 14.5 only really brought new features to Apple News+ subscribers. These included the new Quartiles game, which joins the Crossword and Crossword mini games in the Puzzles section, and a Scoreboard to view all your mini games data. macOS 14.4: New features As we said above, there are a few problems with the macOS 14.4 update, including a Java bug, a USB problem, and an iCloud Drive problem, so if you haven’t updated yet you might want to wait. If you are experiencing these issues follow our guide to revert a macOS update. As for what new features macOS 14.4 brings: New emoji: including Broken Chain, Brown Mushroom, Head Shaking Horizontally, Head Shaking Vertically, Lime, and Phoenix, as well as several alternative direction emoji. Updates to the Podcast app. An icons only option for the Safari Favorite Bar. iMessage update: Apple is introducing a new iMessage protocol that will use post-quantum cryptography to encrypt for conversations. Fixes: There are also various fixes coming that should resolve issues with CreateML, the Finder, Messages, and Passkeys. An issue where it wasn’t possible to update to macOS 14.4 from macOS 11.0-12.3.1 is also addressed. Read more about macOS 14.4 here. macOS 14.3: New features macOS 14.3 brought the following new features: Collaborative Playlists for Apple Music. Emoji reactions for tracks in collaborative playlists. AppleCare & Warranty in Settings shows details of all your eligible devices. StoreKit: new features and bug fixes for developers. SwiftUI: new features and bug fixes for developers. Apple has also revealed there will be several bug fixes coming in the update. In the 14.4 beta release notes the company lists fixes for an issue with CreateML, a resolution for a Finder issue, an issue with stickers in Messages. Updates from macOS 11.0–12.3.1 to Sonoma may not work, in which case Apple recommends updating to macOS 12.4 first. macOS 14.2: New features New features in macOS 14.2 include: iMessage Contact Key Verification: Improved security for contact key verification users. StoreKit: Price, currency, and currencyCode are now available on Transaction. PDFs: An Enhanced AutoFill feature uses Contacts data to fill out a PDF or scanned document. While the new Journal app is a feature of iOS 17.2, which arrived on the same day, it is not (yet) a Mac app. The following features, which also arrived in iOS 17.2, will be available in the equivalent apps on macOS: News app: The News app will support Live Activities. Apple Music: You will also be able to disable the listening history in Apple Music so it doesn’t impact Apple Music suggestions. TV app: There will no longer be separate Movies and TV Shows tabs. Just a Store tab. Messages: You can react to iMessages with any emoji or sticker. Warning for stickers if you have enabled it for Messages. Weather: You can now see wind and rain on a map. Clock: You can run multiple timers. macOS 14.1: New features The macOS 14.1 update included: Apple Music: New Favorites playlist. Coverage section in the General System Settings that includes Apple Care information. Fix for an issue with Remote Widgets. Addressed issues with Wallet and WidgetKit. There’s more detail about what’s in macOS Sonoma–and what’s coming–below. How to install macOS 14 Sonoma We cover how to install macOS Sonoma in a separate article, we also cover some of the issues you might encounter installing Sonoma, so if you do have any difficulties check out that article. It should be simple enough to install macOS Sonoma though. Go to System Settings (System Preferences in older versions of macOS). Click on General. Click on Software Update and your Mac will search for the update. If it’s the day that Sonoma arrives, you may have to wait a while before it shows up. Click on Upgrade Now and wait for the macOS installer to download. Once the installer has downloaded click on Install and wait while the software is installed on your Mac (during which time you won’t be able to use the Mac.) macOS 14 Sonoma: How to install and remove the beta If you are a beta tester you may want to stop receiving beta updates once the full version of Sonoma arrives. In this case, you can go to Software Updates, click on the (i) beside Beta updates, and turn them off–that way you shouldn’t receive any more beta versions of the software and will be able to update to the full version of macOS 14. This process is a little more complicated if you want to downgrade from the iOS 17 beta to iOS 16, or from a subsequent beta of iOS 17 to the original version. If you then want to uninstall the beta, we have a guide for that: How to remove macOS Sonoma beta. If you haven’t been part of the beta but want to join, installing the beta is simple, especially since Apple changed the beta process in macOS 13.4. It used to be necessary to download the Beta Access Utility for every device, but now you only need to register your Apple ID for the beta program to install betas on every Apple device that is signed into that account. Then when you go to Software Update, you’ll see a new tab for Beta Updates, which will list the beta versions that are available to you. If you want to install the public beta, select macOS 14 Public Beta. Just remember: betas are not as stable as the official version–features may be implemented and then withdrawn, or they may not work properly, UI can change, and third-party app compatibility isn’t guaranteed. If you want to install the beta, follow our macOS beta installation guide. For more on joining the beta program read: How to join Apple’s beta program and try out new software. macOS Sonoma compatibility: Which Macs will be able to run macOS 14? Apple dropped support for some 2017 Macs from the Sonoma compatibility list. These are the Macs that are able to run macOS Sonoma: iMac from 2019 and later Mac Pro from 2019 and later iMac Pro from 2017 Mac Studio from 2022 and later MacBook Air from 2018 and later Mac mini from 2018 and later MacBook Pro from 2018 and later When Apple released macOS Ventura, the following Macs could run it: MacBook models from 2017 or later MacBook Air models from 2018 or later MacBook Pro models from 2017 or later Mac mini models from 2018 or later iMac models from 2017 or later iMac Pro (all models) Mac Pro models from 2019 or later Mac Studio (all models) A Mac may be compatible with macOS 14, but unable to run some of the new features. Some new features require Apple chips and do not run on Intel-based Macs. To find out which version of macOS older Macs can run take a look at our macOS compatibility list. macOS 14 Sonoma features Here are the new features in macOS Sonoma. Some arrived with the first release and others will come later. Read our comparison of macOS Sonoma and macOS Ventura for more details about what’s changed and find out which Sonoma features are coming later to find out which ones will arrive later. Apple Apple Apple Login Screen changes From the moment that your Mac starts up in Sonoma you will notice the difference. Apple has redesigned the login screen so that you enter your password at the bottom rather than the middle of the screen. We explain how to navigate the new Lock Screen and set your preferences here: How to customize and navigate the new login screen. Desktop widgets You’ll be able to add more Widgets from the Widget Gallery and place them anywhere on the screen. Apple has gone to lengths to make sure they aren’t distracting, they will essentially fade into the background. You will also be able to add Widgets from an iPhone using Continuity, the iPhone just needs to be nearby, on or same Wi-Fi network. Read: How Apple’s upcoming widget revolution will change our screens forever. Learn how to add widgets to the macOS Sonoma Desktop. Apple Music The ability to easily mark Favorites and create a Favorite Songs playlist arrived with macOS 14.1. macOS 14.3 is expected to bring Apple Music Playlist collaboration. Login screen Apple made some changes to the login screen and added a new immersive animation that leads into your desktop. Wallpapers Apple added some beautiful animated wallpapers showing locations from around the world. See: The best wallpapers included in macOS Sonoma. Personal Voice A new Personal Voice feature allows you to train your Mac to talk with your voice and then use that to convert text to speech. We explain how to use it here: macOS Sonoma: How to train your Mac to talk in your voice Game Mode This new mode ensures that games get the highest priority on GPU and CPU, which should help with playability. It will make gaming on Mac “more immersive,” according to Apple. Other changes should reduce latency with controllers and improve in-game responsiveness. Apple announced that more Mac games are coming, and demonstrated “Death Stranding: Directors Cut” (which is unfortunately not a new game). Apple also explained how it will help game developers bring their games to the Mac with a new Game Porting kit that includes tools that devs can use to quickly port their games to the Mac, significantly reducing the game development time. Read: Apple’s Game Porting Toolkit is the first real step to fixing Mac gaming. We also explain How to use Game Mode to boost performance. Read our round-up of the Best games for Mac. Video conferencing You will appear in front of your presentation. You will appear in front of your presentation.Apple You will appear in front of your presentation.Apple Apple When you share your screen during a presentation your presence can get lost. To fix this issue Apple has devised a new video effect called Presenter Overlay that will overlay your face over the presentation, separating you from the background. This can appear like the picture above, or be a smaller bubble with your face in (which may cover less of the presentation). Other new features include the ability to add a reaction to your video to show how you feel about something. For example, if you show two thumbs up a fireworks animation will play. These features can also be used as video effects with other video conferencing apps, so it’s not tied to FaceTime. Safari You will be able to create Safari Profiles so you can separate accounts between work and home/school profiles. Safari and WebKit gain new typography. Users will be able to block private browsing windows when they aren’t being used. It will be possible to share Passkeys and Passwords with family members. This will be end-to-end encrypted via iCloud Keychain. See: Safari 17: All the new features coming to your Mac this fall Web apps It will be easy to make a website you use a lot into a Web App. Just open the webpage and choose File > Add to Dock to add a webpage to the Dock as an icon and open it to get an app-like appearance for that web page that opens outside of Safari. Learn how to make and manage Web Apps in macOS Sonoma. PDFs and Notes The AutoFill for PDFs feature arrived with macOS 14.2 in December 2023. It works with Contacts to select the information needed and makes it easy to fill out PDFs faster and securely. You will also be able to view PDFs in Notes, link related notes, and open a Note in Pages to update it there. Apple Apple Apple Keyboard  Changes to the keyboard include improved Autocorrect accuracy and inline typing predictions. Messages  You can expect improved Search of the Messages app, being able to refine your search as you go.  There’s a new Sticker drawer, catchup for group conversations, and improvements to Messages in iCloud. There will be warnings about potentially sensitive videos and photos before you open them, and as of macOS 14.2 warnings about Stickers. Security Improvements to Lockdown Mode will help protect against cyber attacks. Lockdown Mode makes it easy to protect your Apple devices and your data if you are the victim of a cyberattack. In macOS Sonoma Apple simplified the use of 2FA on websites. Safari will automatically fill in the code you are sent (as a text or email) and automatically delete the email or text afterwards. Another security-related feature in Sonoma is a simplification of the process for sharing passwords with friends and family. Users can create a group and share a set of passwords to that group. It’s end-to-end encrypted. In Safari you can set a new Private Browsing Lock to appear on the screen to stop onlookers from viewing your screen when you aren’t present.

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Google Fi waiting on Apple to enable RCS for iPhone users
iOS 18 is rolling out today with RCS to improve the Android-iPhone messaging experience, but support is not yet enabled for all carriers, including Google Fi Wireless. more…

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macOS 13 Ventura superguide: Everything you need to know
Macworld All attention is now on macOS 15 Sequoia but Apple is still making improvements to, and fixing problems with, macOS 13 Ventura. Apple’s macOS Ventura has been available to install on Mac since Monday, October 24, 2022. But, Apple has continued to develop Ventura, so in the months since Ventura arrived, we have seen regular updates bringing new features and fixes. In this article, we’ll let you know what the latest version of macOS Ventura is and what new features it brought. And we’ll reveal what features will be coming in the next update to Ventura. Update September 16, 2024: Apple released version 13.7, which provides security patches. macOS Ventura: latest version macOS Ventura arrived on Macs on Monday, October 24, 2022. As with previous releases, it became available for download at 10 a.m. PT. However, that’s not the current version of Ventura. The latest version is macOS Ventura 13.7, which was released on September 16, 2024. The update included security patches. 13.6.1 arrived on October 25, 2023. 13.6 arrived on September 21, 2023. macOS Ventura 13.5.2 on September 7 included a security fix for an issue where a “maliciously crafted image may lead to arbitrary code execution.” That update came three weeks after macOS Ventura 13.5.1 which fixed a problem with System Settings that was causing location permissions not to appear for some users. Prior to that, macOS Ventura 13.5 was released on July 24. It contains bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users. macOS Ventura 13.4.1 was a crucial security update that Apple says contains “important security fixes and is recommended for all users.” It arrived on June 21. On May 18, Apple released macOS Ventura 13.4, which brought a couple of new features and a number of fixes for bugs including: A new ‘multi-view’ sports feature for the TV App, which gains a new Sports tab at the bottom of the screen. A new Sports tab in Apple News as well as a My Sports score and schedule cards linking to information about specific games. A fix for an issue where Auto Unlock with Apple Watch would not unlock a Mac. A fix for a Bluetooth issue where keyboards connect slowly to Mac after restarting. A fix for a VoiceOver issue relating to navigating to landmarks on webpages. A fix for an issue where Screen Time settings reset or did not sync across all devices. On May 2 Apple issued a Rapid Security Response update for macOS Ventura 13.3.1. Apple’s new Rapid Security Response system means it can patch security vulnerabilities quickly, rather than waiting for a larger version releases that can take weeks to test. The patch was for macOS 13.3.1 (as well as iOS 16.4.1 and iPadOS 16.4.1). Apple stated that: “This Rapid Security Response provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.” The update requires the Mac to shut down and restart and is about 310MB. If you have installed this update it will show on your Mac as macOS 13.3.1 (a). macOS Ventura 13.3.1 arrived on April 7, two weeks after macOS 13.3. That update includes bug fixes and security updates including a fix for the pushing hands emoji which did not show skin tone variations and an issue where Auto Unlock your Mac with Apple Watch might not work. macOS 13.3 arrived on March 27, 2023. It brought 21 new emoji, updates to the Freeform app, changes to the way Photos shows duplicates, extra translation support and keyboard layouts, a fix for an issue with Trackpad gestures and more. There is also an update to the Podcasts app with an improved Up Next queue, episode filtering and the ability to browse by season. macOS 13.3 also includes a number of security fixes. Unfortunately macOS 13.3 also introduced a number of problems including: an issue with Universal Control and Handoff not working, Quick Look not working, and a problem with Home directories saved to an external storage device. macOS Ventura 13.2.1, arrived on February 13 and included three critical security fixes, including one for a WebKit vulnerability that could lead to arbitrary code execution. macOS Ventura macOS 13.2 arrived on January 23 and included 22 security updates (many critical fixes) and several new features and fixes including support for physical FIDO-certified security keys that were announced as part of the Advanced Data Protection for iCloud. Advanced Data Protection also comes to users outside the U.S. for the first time. Apple also used the 13.2 beta to push the first Rapid Security Response updates to the Mac, which will allow Apple to push smaller, targeted releases are for security updates that arrive between full OS updates on Macs, iPhones, and iPads. macOS 13.1 arrived on December 13, 2022 and brought with it a new app called Freeform and iCloud Advanced Data Protection. Other new features include the ability to use a Mac to make an AirTag to play a sound so you can locate it, an improved Home app, better search in Messages, and fixes for various issues. That update came just over a month after macOS Ventura macOS 13.0.1, which arrived on Macs on November 9, 2022. The macOS Ventura 13.0.1 update included bug fixes and two security updates. The security updates includes fix for an issue where a remote user could cause unexpected app termination or arbitrary code execution. The name of the next version of macOS is Ventura. The name of the next version of macOS is Ventura. The name of the next version of macOS is Ventura. macOS Ventura: Latest beta version macOS 13.5 is now out of beta with the final version becoming available on July 24. Apple is now focused on the beta program for macOS 14, so any further updates to macOS 13 will likely be restricted to security and bug fixes. If you want to become a beta tester read: How to join Apple’s beta program and try out new software and How to install the macOS beta. macOS Ventura: Compatibility The following Macs are supported by macOS Ventura: MacBook models from 2017 or later MacBook Air models from 2018 or later MacBook Pro models from 2017 or later Mac mini models from 2018 or later iMac models from 2017 or later iMac Pro (all models) Mac Pro models from 2019 or later Mac Studio (all models) This means the following Macs, which were supported by Monterey, have now fallen off the list: iMac (models from 2015) MacBook Air (models from 2015 and 2017 models) MacBook Pro (2015 and 2016 models) Mac mini (2014 models) Mac Pro (2013 model – cylinder/trash can) MacBook (2016 model) The 2014 Mac mini was sold until 2018, the ‘trash can’ Mac Pro until 2019, and the 2017 MacBook Air was sold until July 2019. We had thought that Apple wouldn’t remove those Macs from the supported list, since people might have purchased the model just such a short time ago. At least they will still be supported by macOS Monterey for at least two more macOS generations. See: This is how long Apple supports Macs. To find out if your Mac will support Ventura read: macOS 13 Ventura compatibility: Can your Mac run the latest version? Some of the Macs that are supported by Ventura may not support all the new functions. Read: New macOS features that will only work on the newest Macs. Wondering how Ventura compares to Monterey? Read macOS Ventura vs Monterey. macOS Ventura: Problems, bugs and issues As issues and problems arise–and as Apple issues fixes–we will include them here. Malwarebytes has flagged an issue with Ventura that it claims “disables security software”, which appears to be related to the inability to grant Full Disk Access to the software. According to Malwarebytes “Apple is aware of the issue and has said that it will be fixed in macOS Ventura version 13.1.” Malwarebytes does offer a fix for the problem. A Wi-Fi bug is reportedly affecting some Mac users running macOS Monterey and Ventura, with M1 and M2 MacBook users complaining of lost Wi-Fi connections, slow internet performance in general, and dropped Zoom calls. This is according to San Francisco-based internet infrastructure provider Meter. More information here: Pesky Wi-Fi bug in M1 and M2 MacBooks is likely related to AirDrop. macOS 13.1 fixes an issue that causes some notes not to sync with iCloud after updates are made. macOS 13.1 fixes an issue where you may lose keyboard and mouse input in some apps and games. Universal Control and Handoff broken for some users in macOS 13.3. Several users claimed that Universal Control between a Mac and iPad no longer works, and that Handoff is unresponsive as well. Auto Unlock your Mac with Apple Watch may not work. Fixed in macOS Ventura 13.3.1. Problem with Home directories not being saved to an external storage device. Fixed in macOS Ventura 13.3.1. Issue where Auto Unlock with Apple Watch does not log you into your Mac. Fixed in macOS Ventura 13.4. Bluetooth issue where keyboards connect slowly to Mac after restarting. Fixed in macOS Ventura 13.4. VoiceOver issue with navigating to landmarks on webpages. Fixed in macOS Ventura 13.4. Issue where Screen Time settings may reset or not sync across all devices. Fixed in macOS Ventura 13.4. Various security flaws. Fixed in macOS Ventura 13.4. macOS Ventura: Features Here’s an overview of what’s coming in macOS 13 Ventura. Here’s an overview of what’s coming in macOS 13 Ventura. Here’s an overview of what’s coming in macOS 13 Ventura. Stage Manager Continuity continues to evolve with the introduction of Stage Manager – a new way to manage your desktop clutter that reminds us a little bit of Spaces, because it allows you to organize working areas and hide them away, albeit at the side of your screen, rather than the top. Here’s how to use Stage Manager to organize your windows. Continuity Camera Another continuity-related feature allows you to use your iPhone as a webcam as well as Handoff a FaceTime call from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac. Continuity Camera is a great way to benefit from the superior camera on the iPhone. One really impressive feature is Desk View, which displays two views to the person you are calling – your face and your desk. Using the iPhone camera means that Mac users can benefit from features like Portrait mode and Centre Stage and the new Studio Light feature. Read about how to use your iPhone as a webcam for your Mac. iCloud Shared Photo Library You can now set up an album in Photos that lets you select up to five people that can all add photos and videos and quickly share them with each other. Here’s how to set it up on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Advanced Data Protection for iCloud In macOS 13.1 Apple added more than 20 data categories protected using end-to-end encryption, including iCloud Backup, Notes, and Photos. Spotlight Apple’s method to search your Mac – Spotlight – also received a revamp. Quick Look allows you to preview files and you can search photos by location, objects, people, and more. Live Text improvements mean that you will be able to search text within images and videos. Users will even be able to create a new document, start a timer, or more, from within Spotlight. More information here: How Apple has improved Spotlight search in Ventura. Reminders In macOS Ventura, Apple has added several new features to make Reminders more helpful. You’ll be able to see your reminders grouped by time and date, you will be able to pin a list and save lists to be used as templates. Read about the new features in Reminders here: Reminders in macOS Ventura. System Settings System Settings is the new name for System Preferences. A name that iOS users will likely feel at home with. Read about how Apple has revamped System Preferences in macOS Ventura in our in-depth article. We also discuss Mac preferences that have a new location in Ventura’s System Settings, including Storage, Hot Corners, Extensions, Mission Control, Appearance, Time Machine and Warranty Information. Background noises You can play soothing white noise on your Mac in Ventura, including the sound of rain, the ocean, or a stream. Read: How to play soothing white noise in macOS Ventura. Gaming Expect gaming on the Mac to truly take off (well Apple does anyway). Apple says that every new Mac will be able to run AAA games “with ease”. Improvements in Metal 3, MetalFX Upscaling, and Fast Resource Loading API should benefit game developers. AirPods In macOS Monterey and earlier, users didn’t get to control much of the AirPod’s settings, but that’s changing in Ventura. When Ventura launches users will finally get access to the full complement of AirPods settings, just like in iOS. Read more here: Full AirPods settings coming to your Mac. macOS Ventura: App updates Over the years at the same time as Apple has updated the Mac operating system it has also made changes to various apps that ship with the Mac, and we can expect more this year. Several new features are coming to Safari and Mail along with updates to Weather, the Clock, new accessibility tools (such as Live Captions). Freeform This is a brand new app that arrived in macOS Ventura 13.1 in December 2022. The Freeform app is a whiteboard app for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac that lets you work across devices and share sketches, notes, files, web links, documents, photos, video, and audio in real time. Home In macOS 13.1 Apple redesigned the Home app and improved performance. Mail Mail now has improved search, but probably the most anticipated feature will be the ability to cancel delivery of an email after clicking send (we imagine there is a time limit here) and also schedule sending an email. Both are features offered by third parties, but it’s good to see them coming to Apple’s email software. Read How to unsend and schedule e-mail in Apple Mail for more information. There is some confusion over the inclusion of the Hide My Mail feature, which should mean that it isn’t a requirement to share your email with third parties. Initially, Apple referred to the feature, but this has since been erased from the webpage describing email features in Ventura, at least in some countries. Hide My Email isn’t new to Ventura – it arrived in Monterey in 2021, but in Ventura Apple was expected to extend it to third parties. Messages Like its iOS counterpart, Messages on the Mac will allow users to edit a message once sent and recover accidentally deleted messages. In macOS 13.1 Apple improved search in Messages allows you to find photos based on their content, like a dog, car, person, or text. Notes In macOS 13.1 Apple improved collaboration in Notes by adding Participant Cursors so you can see live indicators when others are making updates in a shared note. Safari Passkeys will be generated as a more secure means of identifying you and are associated with Touch ID or Face ID. These will replace passwords. Apple claims that “Passkeys are unique digital keys that stay on the device and are never stored on a web server,” therefore they are more secure because it is impossible to leak one, or for anyone to phish one from you. You may like to read about what to expect from Apple in 2023 as well the latest information about iOS 16.

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Apple releases iPadOS 18 for iPad
iPadOS 18 makes the iPad experience more versatile and intelligent than ever, and is available today as a free software update. iPadOS 18… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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PSA: iOS 18 adds new ‘Repair Assistant’ for configuring replacement parts
iOS 18 is rolling out to iPhone users, and it includes an all-new Repair Assistant feature. This feature allows iPhone users and repair professionals to configure new and used Apple parts on device. Here’s what this change will mean for millions of iPhone users… more…

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Today’s release of macOS Sequoia brings 70+ new security fixes
macOS Sequoia has officially launched with new features and improvements such as window tiling, iPhone Mirroring, the new Password app, and more. But under the hood, Apple delivered a staggering amount of patched bugs/vulnerabilities to Mac users. These are the 76 security patches that come with the first public release of macOS 15 Sequoia. more…

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Will iOS 18 make your iPhone slower? Here’s what you should know
Apple’s big new iPhone software update is here. iOS 18 was released today with a stacked list of new features. But the age-old question with new software is back again: will the update make your iPhone slower? Here’s what you should know. more…

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Apple releases watchOS 11 for Apple Watch
Apple today released watchOS 11, bringing powerful health and fitness insights, along with even more personalization, intelligence, and ways… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Apple releases visionOS 2 for Apple Vision Pro
visionOS 2 is available today, bringing new spatial computing experiences to Apple Vision Pro users around the world. Existing photos can… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Thoughts and Observations in the Wake of Apple’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ Keynote
Keynotes as a proxy for reflecting on Apple as a whole.

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The Things They Carried
Keynotes as a proxy for reflecting on Apple as a whole.

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The Things They Carried
Keynotes as a proxy for reflecting on Apple as a whole.

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AppBITS: adoc Studio Eases AsciiDoc Publishing 
Adam Engst looks at adoc Studio, a new app for creating and previewing AsciiDoc files. AsciiDoc is a markup language for long technical documents, and adoc Studio simplifies the process with a native Mac interface and numerous helpful features.

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