macOS 13.3 Update Resolves Network File Sharing Issues
Apple has released macOS 13.3, an update which addresses network file sharing problems that users have been experiencing. This update comes after numerous reports of issues with file sharing on macOS networks. Users had been facing difficulties with sharing files over local networks, with many encountering slow file transfers, frequent disconnects, and other frustrating issues. [...] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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An AirTag helped the DEA in a narcotics investigation
A search warrant has revealed how the Drug Enforcement Agency used an AirTag in an investigation, the first federal agency known to do so.AirTags can be used for good or illIn May 2022, border agents seized two packages from Shanghai, China. Inside one was a pill press, a machine used to compress materials into tablets, and some pill dyes were in the other. Read more...

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An AirTag allegedly helped the DEA pull off a drug bust, but is that supposed to work?
Apple’s AirTag item trackers have apparently caught the attention of the United States Drug Enforcement Agency. According to a new report from Forbes, the DEA recently used an AirTag to track the movements of a pill press machine, after it was intercepted by border agents. According to the report, which is based on a search warrant obtained by Forbes, the pill press machine was inside one of two packages from Shanghai, China that border agents intercepted last May. Those border agents called in the DEA, believing the packages were “destined for an illegal narcotics manufacturer.” more… The post appeared first on 9to5Mac.

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IFTTT adding AI-based automations for Pro+ subscribers
The popular automation platform IFTTT is taking a next step to help users increase productivity. With its latest update, IFTTT Pro+ subscribers now have access to AI-based automations for generating content. more… The post appeared first on 9to5Mac.

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Spigen’s Spiffy AirPods Pro Fabric Case is 40% Off
Tired of your AirPods Pro looking the same as everyone else’s? Grab a new and unique case for your earbuds case. Today, the Spigen Urban Fit AirPods Pro Fabric Case is down to just $17.39 from its original price of $30 on Amazon. Wrap the Urban Fit around your AirPods Pro charging case and it [...] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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MLB Friday Night Baseball starts April 7
Season 23 of the Major League Baseball is well underway, and Apple TV+ subscribers will be able to watch premier games on the Apple TV app. MLS Season Pass is different from Friday Night Baseball in several ways. MLS Season Pass requires additional payment to unlock all the available MLS games, while Friday Night Baseball [...] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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New rule could let you cancel subscriptions with a single click
The FTC proposed a "click to cancel” rule that would make it easy for consumers to escape recurring subscriptions and memberships. (via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

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AirTag stops potential grand theft auto in Chicago
CWBChicago recently reported a foiled car theft attempt with an AirTag. The news said that a carjacking attempt failed when the suspect discovered the vehicle to run on a manual transmission. He did not know how to drive a stick and carried the victim’s keys which had an AirTag. Andrew Moran, 25, said that he [...] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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iPhone Apple Music users experience data leak bug
A number of Apple Music subscribers are saying that their playlists have been altered or switched with somebody else’s collection. Apple’s music service seems to have an issue with cloud server sync problems, with the result mixing people’s playlists with one another. The data leak bug is not yet proven to be the work of [...] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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Epic CEO fears Apple's influence over the metaverse
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney believes Apple is a major "roadblock in the way of Epic's vision for a metaverse."Credit: Epic GamesOn Thursday, Epic Games discussed its plans for the metaverse at the Game Developers Conference 2023. The company believes the metaverse should be open and that "it can't be another walled garden." Read more...

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Apple increases number of ‘Apple Car’ test drivers for its autonomous fleet
According to the California DMV, where you can see "good enough for government work" exemplified on a daily basis, Apple has increased… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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9to5Mac Happy Hour 426: iOS 16.4 features, SiriGPT, Apple TV+ theatrical ambitions
Benjamin and Zac discuss all the cool features coming in iOS 16.4, and what old macOS habits they’ve carried across to the modern day. Zac gives his thoughts on the Kindle Scribe, and Apple dips its toe into the neural network language model hype train with a new Siri framework hidden in the tvOS beta. Plus, Apple TV+ wants to make a big splash in cinemas with plans for wide theatrical distribution of its original films going forward. Sponsored by Mkeke (Em-Key Key): Since 2015 Mkeke has been a top iPhone case brand specializing in designing exquisite, diverse and comfortable iPhone cases. Sponsored by Zocdoc: Go to Zocdoc.com/happyhour and download the Zocdoc app to sign-up for free and book a top-rated doctor. Many are available as soon as today. Sponsored by Wildgrain: Get $30 off your first box plus free croissants in every box when you go to Wildgrain.com/happyhour to start your subscription. more… The post appeared first on 9to5Mac.

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Matter-enabled Nanoleaf smart lights come with one HomeKit catch
Matter lets the products work with all smart-home platforms, but it doesn't yet support HomeKit-exclusive adaptive lighting. (via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

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Apple Watch Series 8 & Ultra propelled growth in China
Apple was one of the only companies to grow its wearables business in China in 2022, with the Apple Watch Ultra helping to create a new segment for professional smartwatches.Apple Watch Ultra created demand for professional devicesChina's smartwatch shipments decreased by 9.3% year-over-year in 2022, primarily due to the impact of the COVID-zero policy. As a result, the market shrank to pre-COVID levels, with only quarter one of 2022 registering a quarterly year-over-year shipment growth. Read more...

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Sonos may launch Move 2 portable speaker with line-in in time for summer
This spring Sonos has launched its all-new Era 300 and Era 100 flagship speakers plus a new black option for its wired Outdoor Speakers. Now the next product the company is aiming to release is the second-generation Move speaker. Here are the upgrades that may come with the large, portable from Sonos. more… The post appeared first on 9to5Mac.

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Epic CEO Tim Sweeney claims Apple will either ‘try to crush the metaverse’ or ‘extract all the profit from it’
Apple and Epic Games have more than their fair share of differences, particularly when it comes to the App Store. As both companies push forward with new augmented reality and virtual reality platforms, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney is already sounding the alarm about Apple’s behavior. more… The post appeared first on 9to5Mac.

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Genius Scan for iOS gets auto expense reports, doc type detection, more
Award-winning iOS app Genius Scan is out with a valuable update today for iPhone and iPad. The new release brings automatic PDF/Excel expense reports, document type detection, a scan edit UI, and more. more… The post appeared first on 9to5Mac.

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Best Mac Router 2023: Improve your connection with a new wireless router
Macworld It’s hardly surprising that sales of routers and mesh Wi-Fi systems have soared in the last couple of years. The ‘new normal’ has seen many of us working and studying at home, and making Zoom calls on a daily basis. And, of course, the long months of lockdown saw a huge growth in the number of people signing up to streaming video services and playing online games. And now, just as things seem to be settling down a little, there’s another reason to think about buying a new router. For many years, our computers, routers and other devices have all used a Wi-Fi standard known as 802.11ac– which has recently been renamed Wi-Fi 5, as the industry’s marketing brains decided that sounds a bit more user-friendly. Wi-Fi 5 transmits a signal on two frequency bands–2.4GHz and 5.0GHz–which is known as dual-band Wi-Fi. However, some more expensive tri-band routers are also able to transmit with two separate 5.0GHz signals, giving Wi-Fi 5 a maximum speed of 6.9 gigabits per second (Gbps). Just remember that the Wi-Fi speeds quoted by manufacturers are the theoretical maximum, and you won’t get those speeds in real-life. However, the most widely used form of Wi-Fi at the moment is probably the newer Wi-Fi 6–also known as 802.11ax–which has been standard on most Macs, iPhones and iPads over the last couple of years. This uses the same 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequencies as Wi-Fi 5, but is a lot faster, with a top speed of 9.6Gbps. In addition, Wi-Fi 6 is also more efficient when transmitting data to lots of different devices all at the same time–including smart devices such as lights, speakers and security cameras, in addition to all your computers and mobile devices. If you’re still using an old Wi-Fi 5 router then it’s definitely worth upgrading to a new router that has Wi-Fi 6. However, Wi-Fi technology is developing so quickly that there’s already a new kid in town, called Wi-Fi 6E – and, looming on the horizon is Wi-Fi 7 too. Wi-Fi 6E is a definite step forward, as it adds a new 6.0GHz frequency band alongside the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands used by Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6. But while routers with Wi-Fi 6E have been available for more than a year now, Apple and other manufacturers haven’t been in a rush to add it to their own products. In fact, Apple only introduced Wi-Fi 6E with some of the latest Mac and iPad models at the start of 2023. So while we’d certainly recommend upgrading to a router with Wi-Fi 6, it’s not really essential to pay even higher prices for Wi-Fi 6E at the moment–especially as it won’t be long before Wi-Fi 7 arrives too. There are a handful of routers available that offer Wi-Fi 7 at the moment, promising blazing speeds of up to 46Gbps, which are designed for next-generation applications such as VR and streaming 8K video. However, Wi-Fi 7 probably won’t be widely available until the end of 2023, and neither Apple nor any of its PC rivals currently support Wi-Fi 7 in their products, so there’s certainly no rush to upgrade at the moment. In the meantime, here’s our selection of some of the best routers that currently support Wi-Fi 5, 6 and 6E. Updated March 23, 2023 with Linksys Hyrda Pro 6E D-Link DIR-X1560 – Best for beginners Price When Reviewed: $99.99 Best Prices Today: $74.00 at Amazon$99.99 at D-Link It’s a bit basic, but if you shop around online you can probably pick up D-Link’s DIR-X1560 for a lot less than the manufacturer’s recommended price, so it’s a good option if you want to upgrade to Wi-Fi 6 without spending too much money. The DIR-X1560 is a dual-band router that transmits on the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands, running Wi-Fi 6 with a top speed of 1500Mbps. That’s not going to win any awards, but if – like me – you have home broadband that tops out at 100Mbps then the DIR-X1560 will provide all the speed you need for web browsing and streaming music and video. The router also includes five Gigabit Ethernet ports – which is pretty good at this price – with one being used to connect to your existing broadband modem or router, while the others provide wired connections for laptops, games consoles and other devices that need it. We were pleased to see that the router comes with a two-year warranty, and there’s also an option to get it professionally installed if you’re not too keen on tackling it yourself. You shouldn’t have too much trouble getting started, though, as the D-Link WiFi app is very easy to use. You can simply scan a QR code provided with the router, and the app will set everything up for you. There’s also a web browser interface provided for more advanced users who prefer to set things up for themselves. The app provides a decent set of basic features, providing a network map that shows all the devices connected to your network. You can set up a guest network, and there’s an option to create schedules to control your children’s access to the Internet, or to simply pause Internet access for a while when you need to get them round the dinner table. Asus RT-AX56U – Best for larger homes Price When Reviewed: $149.99 Best Prices Today: $149.99 at Asus$183.00 at Amazon The RT-AX56U is an affordable WiFi 6 router, offering dual-band WiFi on the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands, with a top speed of 1800Mbps. That’s a relatively modest speed for WiFi 6, but should still be perfectly adequate for streaming music and video, and at just £115.00 it’s a good way of stepping up to WiFi 6 without spending too much money. It doesn’t cut too many corners, though, despite the low price. There’s one Gigabit Ethernet port for connecting to your existing broadband modem or router, and four additional Ethernet ports that can be used to connect a laptop, games console, or other devices that work better with a lag-free wired connection. It even has two USB ports – one each for USB 2.0 and 3.0 – that will allow you to connect USB storage devices that you can then share on the network. That’s all straightforward enough, but it’s the router’s versatile software and features that really provide good value for money. Newcomers can use the Asus Router app, which helps you to get started quickly and easily, but there’s also a web browser interface provided for more advanced users who want to fine-tune their network settings for themselves. The app can monitor your network to watch out for attempted cyber-attacks and also provides some useful parental controls, such as the ability to block unsuitable web sites. Some of Asus’ rivals require an additional subscription for security and parental controls (Netgear, we’re looking at you…) so it’s good to see that Asus provides these features at no extra charge. The RT-AX56U also supports Asus’ AiMesh technology, which allows it to form a mesh network with other Asus routers, so you can easily upgrade and extend your home network in the future if you need to. Linksys Hydra Pro 6E – Best for new Macs/iPads Price When Reviewed: $349.99 Best Prices Today: $269.99 at Amazon$299.99 at Best Buy$349.99 at Dell Home Apple only introduced the new Wi-Fi 6E on a handful of the latest Macs in January 2023, and to iPads in late 2022, so it’s not an essential upgrade for most of us just yet. However, this new version of Wi-Fi is a big step forward, so it’s worth considering a new router with Wi-Fi 6E if you own any Macs, iPads or other devices that also support Wi-Fi 6E. The Hydra Pro 6E is fairly expensive, and its design is classic boring black box, but it’s packed with state-of-the-art features for both wireless and wired networking. The ‘E’ in Wi-Fi 6E stands for extended as it adds a new 6.0GHz frequency band to the standard 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands used by previous versions of Wi-Fi. If you’ve got a Mac or iPad that supports Wi-Fi 6E then the advantage here is that they can use the new–and uncongested–6.0GHz band all to themselves in order to provide maximum performance, while all your other devices have to compete for a slice of bandwidth on the busier 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands. The Hydra Pro 6E also provides a top speed of 6.6Gbps, which is more than fast enough for most home and business users, for streaming music and video, remote working, or some online gaming. It provides high-speed wired connections too, with a 5Gbps Ethernet port for high-speed broadband, and four Gigabit Ethernet ports to provide wired connections for devices such as laptops or games consoles. On its own, the Hydra Pro 6E can cover areas of up to 2,700 sq.ft, but it can also be used with other Linksys routers to create a wider mesh network, so you’ve got a future upgrade path as well. Getting started is very straightforward, as the Linksys app (iOS/Android) uses Bluetooth to connect to the router during the initial set-up process and then prompts you to enter a name and password for your new network. The only disappointment is that the app’s parental controls are a bit basic. The app does allow you to create a schedule to control your children’s Internet use, but there are no content filters to block unsuitable material, and the app takes the easy way out by leaving you to type in the addresses of millions of dodgy web sites for yourself. Linksys MR8300 – Best for WiFi 5 Price When Reviewed: $199.95 Best Prices Today: $99.00 at Amazon$199.99 at Best Buy$199.99 at Dell Small Business The Linksys MR8300 aka Max-Stream is not, admittedly, the most elegant design we’ve come across – the MR8300 is essentially a large slab of black plastic, with four big antennae sticking up out of it. The router provides strong performance, though, transmitting 802.11ac Wi-Fi on 2.4GHz and two separate 5GHz bands. That allows the MR8300 to provide a top speed of 2200Mb/s, and it also supports MU-MIMO (multi-user, multiple input/multiple output), which helps it to stream efficiently to several devices at once. There are five ethernet ports on the back of the router for wired connections – although one of those ports will be needed to connect it to your existing broadband modem or router – and a USB 3.0 port that allows you to share a hard drive or printer on your home network. The MR8300 is also compatible with Linksys’ Velop range of mesh routers, so you can extend your Wi-Fi network over a larger area by buying a Velop and placing it in part of your home that has trouble getting a good signal. The Linksys app is easy to use, and provides a guest network and basic parental controls, but watch out as the company requires a subscription for the router’s more advanced parental controls, such as ‘age-appropriate blockers’. TP-Link Archer C6 – Best budget buy Price When Reviewed: $56 Best Prices Today: $45.98 at Amazon The Archer range of routers from TP-Link is always good value for money, and the company’s Archer C6 is one of the most affordable 802.11ac routers currently available. It’s been one of TP-Link’s top sellers and we’ve seen it available online for much less than TP-Link’s price; it’ll be a good upgrade for anyone that’s struggling with an old router provided by their ISP. You’re not going to get top-of-the-range speed at that price, and the Archer C6 is just a dual-band router offering 802.11ac Wi-Fi on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Its top speed is rated at 1200Mb/s, which is certainly modest compared to more expensive routers, but most homes only have broadband speeds of 100Mb/s or less, so it should still be more than adequate for streaming Netflix or a spot of online gaming or Zooming. Its four large external antennae – and a fifth antenna hidden inside the shiny black case – also support MU-MIMO (multi-user, multiple input, multiple output), which helps to stream data smoothly to several devices simultaneously when everyone is online in the evenings. The C6 also has five ethernet ports for wired connections – with one being needed to connect it to your existing broadband modem or router – and the only real sign of cost-cutting is that there are no USB ports for sharing a printer or hard drive on your home network. And, if you’re on a really tight budget, there’s a model called the Archer A5 that provides similar speed and features for half the price. However, the A5 model lacks MU-MIMO, so it will only really be suitable for homes with just a few connected devices that are using the internet at the same time. Netgear RAX20 – Best for Wi-Fi 6 Price When Reviewed: $150 Best Prices Today: $49.99 at Amazon Netgear was one of the first companies to launch new routers based on the latest 802.11ax technology – also known as Wi-Fi 6 (with existing 802.11ac routers being retroactively renamed ‘Wi-Fi 5’). Admittedly, it’s only been in the past few years that iPhone models have supported Wi-Fi 6, so this isn’t a must-have upgrade right now. However, more and more devices will be supporting this new standard in the coming months, so buying a Wi-Fi 6 router now will ensure that you’ve future-proofed your home network for years to come. And while some of Netgear’s AX range of Wi-Fi 6 routers are really expensive, the entry-level RAX20 provides an affordable Wi-Fi 6 upgrade for less than £150/$150. In some respects the RAX20 is fairly conventional – it’s a dual-band router that transmits Wi-Fi on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, with a total speed of 1800Mb/s. It also includes four ethernet ports for wired connections, and a handy USB 3.0 port that can be used for connecting a hard drive for back-ups or storing music, photos and videos. It doesn’t include a modem, though, so you’ll need to connect it to your existing router. Of course, that 1800Mb/s speed isn’t much faster than existing routers that use 802.11ac, but the great strength of Wi-Fi 6 is that it introduces new features such as OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiple access) that help to improve performance when streaming data to lots of devices all at once. Netgear claims the RAX20 is ideal for homes with up to 20 connected devices, and other models in the AX range are designed to work with 50 or more devices all connected at once. Routers buying advice: What to look for We’ve listed our favourite choices and explained why they’re worth your consideration. But speaking more generally, what features should you be looking for in a router? Speed vs capacity Speed is always an important factor, of course, and it’s certainly worth buying the fastest router you can afford without totally busting your budget. You don’t need to get too obsessed about speed, though. Bear in mind that home broadband services – particularly in the U.K. – tend to run at speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mb/s) or less, so you really don’t need to spend $300/£300+ on a top-of-the-range router specced at several gigabits per second. A router like that will just sit there twiddling its thumbs most of the time, waiting for your internet connection to keep up. But there’s a catch when figuring out how much speed you need from your router. Just as important as speed is capacity – the ability to stream data efficiently to several computers or other devices at the same time. That’s especially important now that entire households are spending so much time indoors with several family members or flatmates all computing for bandwidth on Zoom, Netflix, Spotify and all those new streaming video services. There are several factors that can affect the performance of a router when it’s streaming data to lots of different devices simultaneously. Cheaper routers tend to be ‘dual-band’ models, which means they actually transmit two Wi-Fi signals on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands. However, more expensive models may offer ‘tri-band’ Wi-Fi, which adds a second 5GHz band. As you’d expect, having that extra frequency band available helps the router to stream data to lots of devices more efficiently, as each individual band gets less cluttered than it would on a comparable dual-band router. It’s also worth checking the spec sheet of any new router to see if it supports features such as ‘beamforming’ or MU-MIMO (multi-user, multiple input, multiple output), which are specifically designed to improve performance when streaming data to several devices at the same time (when in doubt, just look for lots of big, pointy antennae sticking out all over the place). And just as important as the router’s hardware design is the app that each manufacturer provides with its routers. As well as helping you to set up the router, a good app will provide additional features, such as parental controls that allow you to keep an eye on your children’s internet use, or additional security features to prevent evil hackers from gaining access to your home network and vital personal data. Mesh networking No matter how fast your router is, there are many larger homes, and older buildings with thick walls that can block the signal, where a conventional router simply can’t provide good Wi-Fi that reaches every single room. If that’s the case in your home then you might want to consider a ‘mesh networking’ system, which uses two or more routers that link together to create a wider and more reliable network. However, mesh routers are really a different category, so we cover those in a separate article for people that need them: pop over to Best mesh routers for Mac to browse our advice. Antivirus, Mac

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Best Mac Router 2023: Improve your connection with a new wireless router
Macworld It’s hardly surprising that sales of routers and mesh Wi-Fi systems have soared in the last couple of years. The ‘new normal’ has seen many of us working and studying at home, and making Zoom calls on a daily basis. And, of course, the long months of lockdown saw a huge growth in the number of people signing up to streaming video services and playing online games. And now, just as things seem to be settling down a little, there’s another reason to think about buying a new router. For many years, our computers, routers and other devices have all used a Wi-Fi standard known as 802.11ac– which has recently been renamed Wi-Fi 5, as the industry’s marketing brains decided that sounds a bit more user-friendly. Wi-Fi 5 transmits a signal on two frequency bands–2.4GHz and 5.0GHz–which is known as dual-band Wi-Fi. However, some more expensive tri-band routers are also able to transmit with two separate 5.0GHz signals, giving Wi-Fi 5 a maximum speed of 6.9 gigabits per second (Gbps). Just remember that the Wi-Fi speeds quoted by manufacturers are the theoretical maximum, and you won’t get those speeds in real-life. However, the most widely used form of Wi-Fi at the moment is probably the newer Wi-Fi 6–also known as 802.11ax–which has been standard on most Macs, iPhones and iPads over the last couple of years. This uses the same 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequencies as Wi-Fi 5, but is a lot faster, with a top speed of 9.6Gbps. In addition, Wi-Fi 6 is also more efficient when transmitting data to lots of different devices all at the same time–including smart devices such as lights, speakers and security cameras, in addition to all your computers and mobile devices. If you’re still using an old Wi-Fi 5 router then it’s definitely worth upgrading to a new router that has Wi-Fi 6. However, Wi-Fi technology is developing so quickly that there’s already a new kid in town, called Wi-Fi 6E – and, looming on the horizon is Wi-Fi 7 too. Wi-Fi 6E is a definite step forward, as it adds a new 6.0GHz frequency band alongside the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands used by Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6. But while routers with Wi-Fi 6E have been available for more than a year now, Apple and other manufacturers haven’t been in a rush to add it to their own products. In fact, Apple only introduced Wi-Fi 6E with some of the latest Mac and iPad models at the start of 2023. So while we’d certainly recommend upgrading to a router with Wi-Fi 6, it’s not really essential to pay even higher prices for Wi-Fi 6E at the moment–especially as it won’t be long before Wi-Fi 7 arrives too. There are a handful of routers available that offer Wi-Fi 7 at the moment, promising blazing speeds of up to 46Gbps, which are designed for next-generation applications such as VR and streaming 8K video. However, Wi-Fi 7 probably won’t be widely available until the end of 2023, and neither Apple nor any of its PC rivals currently support Wi-Fi 7 in their products, so there’s certainly no rush to upgrade at the moment. In the meantime, here’s our selection of some of the best routers that currently support Wi-Fi 5, 6 and 6E. Updated March 23, 2023 with Linksys Hyrda Pro 6E D-Link DIR-X1560 – Best for beginners Price When Reviewed: $99.99 Best Prices Today: $74.00 at Amazon$99.99 at D-Link It’s a bit basic, but if you shop around online you can probably pick up D-Link’s DIR-X1560 for a lot less than the manufacturer’s recommended price, so it’s a good option if you want to upgrade to Wi-Fi 6 without spending too much money. The DIR-X1560 is a dual-band router that transmits on the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands, running Wi-Fi 6 with a top speed of 1500Mbps. That’s not going to win any awards, but if – like me – you have home broadband that tops out at 100Mbps then the DIR-X1560 will provide all the speed you need for web browsing and streaming music and video. The router also includes five Gigabit Ethernet ports – which is pretty good at this price – with one being used to connect to your existing broadband modem or router, while the others provide wired connections for laptops, games consoles and other devices that need it. We were pleased to see that the router comes with a two-year warranty, and there’s also an option to get it professionally installed if you’re not too keen on tackling it yourself. You shouldn’t have too much trouble getting started, though, as the D-Link WiFi app is very easy to use. You can simply scan a QR code provided with the router, and the app will set everything up for you. There’s also a web browser interface provided for more advanced users who prefer to set things up for themselves. The app provides a decent set of basic features, providing a network map that shows all the devices connected to your network. You can set up a guest network, and there’s an option to create schedules to control your children’s access to the Internet, or to simply pause Internet access for a while when you need to get them round the dinner table. Asus RT-AX56U – Best for larger homes Price When Reviewed: $149.99 Best Prices Today: $149.99 at Asus$183.00 at Amazon The RT-AX56U is an affordable WiFi 6 router, offering dual-band WiFi on the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands, with a top speed of 1800Mbps. That’s a relatively modest speed for WiFi 6, but should still be perfectly adequate for streaming music and video, and at just £115.00 it’s a good way of stepping up to WiFi 6 without spending too much money. It doesn’t cut too many corners, though, despite the low price. There’s one Gigabit Ethernet port for connecting to your existing broadband modem or router, and four additional Ethernet ports that can be used to connect a laptop, games console, or other devices that work better with a lag-free wired connection. It even has two USB ports – one each for USB 2.0 and 3.0 – that will allow you to connect USB storage devices that you can then share on the network. That’s all straightforward enough, but it’s the router’s versatile software and features that really provide good value for money. Newcomers can use the Asus Router app, which helps you to get started quickly and easily, but there’s also a web browser interface provided for more advanced users who want to fine-tune their network settings for themselves. The app can monitor your network to watch out for attempted cyber-attacks and also provides some useful parental controls, such as the ability to block unsuitable web sites. Some of Asus’ rivals require an additional subscription for security and parental controls (Netgear, we’re looking at you…) so it’s good to see that Asus provides these features at no extra charge. The RT-AX56U also supports Asus’ AiMesh technology, which allows it to form a mesh network with other Asus routers, so you can easily upgrade and extend your home network in the future if you need to. Linksys Hydra Pro 6E – Best for new Macs/iPads Price When Reviewed: $349.99 Best Prices Today: $269.99 at Amazon$299.99 at Best Buy$349.99 at Dell Home Apple only introduced the new Wi-Fi 6E on a handful of the latest Macs in January 2023, and to iPads in late 2022, so it’s not an essential upgrade for most of us just yet. However, this new version of Wi-Fi is a big step forward, so it’s worth considering a new router with Wi-Fi 6E if you own any Macs, iPads or other devices that also support Wi-Fi 6E. The Hydra Pro 6E is fairly expensive, and its design is classic boring black box, but it’s packed with state-of-the-art features for both wireless and wired networking. The ‘E’ in Wi-Fi 6E stands for extended as it adds a new 6.0GHz frequency band to the standard 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands used by previous versions of Wi-Fi. If you’ve got a Mac or iPad that supports Wi-Fi 6E then the advantage here is that they can use the new–and uncongested–6.0GHz band all to themselves in order to provide maximum performance, while all your other devices have to compete for a slice of bandwidth on the busier 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands. The Hydra Pro 6E also provides a top speed of 6.6Gbps, which is more than fast enough for most home and business users, for streaming music and video, remote working, or some online gaming. It provides high-speed wired connections too, with a 5Gbps Ethernet port for high-speed broadband, and four Gigabit Ethernet ports to provide wired connections for devices such as laptops or games consoles. On its own, the Hydra Pro 6E can cover areas of up to 2,700 sq.ft, but it can also be used with other Linksys routers to create a wider mesh network, so you’ve got a future upgrade path as well. Getting started is very straightforward, as the Linksys app (iOS/Android) uses Bluetooth to connect to the router during the initial set-up process and then prompts you to enter a name and password for your new network. The only disappointment is that the app’s parental controls are a bit basic. The app does allow you to create a schedule to control your children’s Internet use, but there are no content filters to block unsuitable material, and the app takes the easy way out by leaving you to type in the addresses of millions of dodgy web sites for yourself. Linksys MR8300 – Best for WiFi 5 Price When Reviewed: $199.95 Best Prices Today: $99.00 at Amazon$199.99 at Best Buy$199.99 at Dell Small Business The Linksys MR8300 aka Max-Stream is not, admittedly, the most elegant design we’ve come across – the MR8300 is essentially a large slab of black plastic, with four big antennae sticking up out of it. The router provides strong performance, though, transmitting 802.11ac Wi-Fi on 2.4GHz and two separate 5GHz bands. That allows the MR8300 to provide a top speed of 2200Mb/s, and it also supports MU-MIMO (multi-user, multiple input/multiple output), which helps it to stream efficiently to several devices at once. There are five ethernet ports on the back of the router for wired connections – although one of those ports will be needed to connect it to your existing broadband modem or router – and a USB 3.0 port that allows you to share a hard drive or printer on your home network. The MR8300 is also compatible with Linksys’ Velop range of mesh routers, so you can extend your Wi-Fi network over a larger area by buying a Velop and placing it in part of your home that has trouble getting a good signal. The Linksys app is easy to use, and provides a guest network and basic parental controls, but watch out as the company requires a subscription for the router’s more advanced parental controls, such as ‘age-appropriate blockers’. TP-Link Archer C6 – Best budget buy Price When Reviewed: $56 Best Prices Today: $45.98 at Amazon The Archer range of routers from TP-Link is always good value for money, and the company’s Archer C6 is one of the most affordable 802.11ac routers currently available. It’s been one of TP-Link’s top sellers and we’ve seen it available online for much less than TP-Link’s price; it’ll be a good upgrade for anyone that’s struggling with an old router provided by their ISP. You’re not going to get top-of-the-range speed at that price, and the Archer C6 is just a dual-band router offering 802.11ac Wi-Fi on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Its top speed is rated at 1200Mb/s, which is certainly modest compared to more expensive routers, but most homes only have broadband speeds of 100Mb/s or less, so it should still be more than adequate for streaming Netflix or a spot of online gaming or Zooming. Its four large external antennae – and a fifth antenna hidden inside the shiny black case – also support MU-MIMO (multi-user, multiple input, multiple output), which helps to stream data smoothly to several devices simultaneously when everyone is online in the evenings. The C6 also has five ethernet ports for wired connections – with one being needed to connect it to your existing broadband modem or router – and the only real sign of cost-cutting is that there are no USB ports for sharing a printer or hard drive on your home network. And, if you’re on a really tight budget, there’s a model called the Archer A5 that provides similar speed and features for half the price. However, the A5 model lacks MU-MIMO, so it will only really be suitable for homes with just a few connected devices that are using the internet at the same time. Netgear RAX20 – Best for Wi-Fi 6 Price When Reviewed: $150 Best Prices Today: $49.99 at Amazon Netgear was one of the first companies to launch new routers based on the latest 802.11ax technology – also known as Wi-Fi 6 (with existing 802.11ac routers being retroactively renamed ‘Wi-Fi 5’). Admittedly, it’s only been in the past few years that iPhone models have supported Wi-Fi 6, so this isn’t a must-have upgrade right now. However, more and more devices will be supporting this new standard in the coming months, so buying a Wi-Fi 6 router now will ensure that you’ve future-proofed your home network for years to come. And while some of Netgear’s AX range of Wi-Fi 6 routers are really expensive, the entry-level RAX20 provides an affordable Wi-Fi 6 upgrade for less than £150/$150. In some respects the RAX20 is fairly conventional – it’s a dual-band router that transmits Wi-Fi on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, with a total speed of 1800Mb/s. It also includes four ethernet ports for wired connections, and a handy USB 3.0 port that can be used for connecting a hard drive for back-ups or storing music, photos and videos. It doesn’t include a modem, though, so you’ll need to connect it to your existing router. Of course, that 1800Mb/s speed isn’t much faster than existing routers that use 802.11ac, but the great strength of Wi-Fi 6 is that it introduces new features such as OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiple access) that help to improve performance when streaming data to lots of devices all at once. Netgear claims the RAX20 is ideal for homes with up to 20 connected devices, and other models in the AX range are designed to work with 50 or more devices all connected at once. Routers buying advice: What to look for We’ve listed our favourite choices and explained why they’re worth your consideration. But speaking more generally, what features should you be looking for in a router? Speed vs capacity Speed is always an important factor, of course, and it’s certainly worth buying the fastest router you can afford without totally busting your budget. You don’t need to get too obsessed about speed, though. Bear in mind that home broadband services – particularly in the U.K. – tend to run at speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mb/s) or less, so you really don’t need to spend $300/£300+ on a top-of-the-range router specced at several gigabits per second. A router like that will just sit there twiddling its thumbs most of the time, waiting for your internet connection to keep up. But there’s a catch when figuring out how much speed you need from your router. Just as important as speed is capacity – the ability to stream data efficiently to several computers or other devices at the same time. That’s especially important now that entire households are spending so much time indoors with several family members or flatmates all computing for bandwidth on Zoom, Netflix, Spotify and all those new streaming video services. There are several factors that can affect the performance of a router when it’s streaming data to lots of different devices simultaneously. Cheaper routers tend to be ‘dual-band’ models, which means they actually transmit two Wi-Fi signals on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands. However, more expensive models may offer ‘tri-band’ Wi-Fi, which adds a second 5GHz band. As you’d expect, having that extra frequency band available helps the router to stream data to lots of devices more efficiently, as each individual band gets less cluttered than it would on a comparable dual-band router. It’s also worth checking the spec sheet of any new router to see if it supports features such as ‘beamforming’ or MU-MIMO (multi-user, multiple input, multiple output), which are specifically designed to improve performance when streaming data to several devices at the same time (when in doubt, just look for lots of big, pointy antennae sticking out all over the place). And just as important as the router’s hardware design is the app that each manufacturer provides with its routers. As well as helping you to set up the router, a good app will provide additional features, such as parental controls that allow you to keep an eye on your children’s internet use, or additional security features to prevent evil hackers from gaining access to your home network and vital personal data. Mesh networking No matter how fast your router is, there are many larger homes, and older buildings with thick walls that can block the signal, where a conventional router simply can’t provide good Wi-Fi that reaches every single room. If that’s the case in your home then you might want to consider a ‘mesh networking’ system, which uses two or more routers that link together to create a wider and more reliable network. However, mesh routers are really a different category, so we cover those in a separate article for people that need them: pop over to Best mesh routers for Mac to browse our advice. Antivirus, Mac

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Missing someone? Pair iPhone with this creepy new kissing machine.
COVID-19 lockdowns in China didn't just mess up iPhone production, they inspired the invention of a bizarre new machine with fake lips. (via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

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Apple TV+ unveils first look at new comedy series ‘Platonic’ starring Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen; premieres globally May 24th
Apple TV+ today unveiled the premiere date and a first look at “Platonic,” starring Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen in a 10-episode comedy series… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Bluetti’s tiny new solar generator looks perfect for outdoor adventures
The AC60 is Bluetti's smallest, most portable solar generator yet. You can expand its capacity with B80 batteries for camping trips and more. (via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

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Apple TV+ releases trailer for ‘Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker’ docuseries premiering April 7th
Apple TV+ today released the official trailer for “Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker,” the new two-part documentary event from… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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This Rosetta Stone deal drops lifetime access to just $144.97
Discounted to $144.97 with coupon, this Rosetta Stone lifetime subscription offers access to 24 languages for a fraction of the retail cost.This Rosetta Stone deal offers over 50% in savings.The deal can be unlocked with promo code SPRING20, which knocks an additional 20% off the already reduced price of $179.97. With the discount, you can snap up lifetime access to Rosetta Stone for just $144.97. Read more...

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Today in Apple history: Macintosh LC II is the Mac mini of its day
March 23, 1992: The “headless” Macintosh LC II arrives, wooing value-oriented customers with a beguiling mix of updated internals and budget pricing. Designed to take up minimal space underneath a monitor (sold separately), the Mac LC II is destined to become a hit. In retrospect, the entry-level machine is roughly analogous to today’s Mac mini.This […] (via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

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Tesla Wireless Charging Platform review: A premium, Tesla-branded AirPower clone
Tesla has just released its latest fast charger. It isn't for your car, but rather for your iPhone and other Qi devices — and it's very different.The Tesla Wireless Charging PlatformAfter getting a sneak preview earlier this year, we finally get to thoroughly review Tesla's first multi-device wireless charger. Read more...

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Take $500 off 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro inside
Apple's 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro chip is down to its lowest-ever price of $1,999 after a massive $500 discount. (via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

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Apple Pencil 2 hits $90 in Thursday’s best deals, Apple Watch Link Bracelets from $236, more
All of Thursday’s best deals are now up for grabs courtesy of 9to5Toys, with a series of Apple price cuts on tap. Leading the way to join all of the iPad discounts earlier in the week is the Apple Pencil 2 at $90. It is complemented by the OG Apple Pencil with USB-C adapter at $80. Not to mention, rare discounts on official Apple Watch Link Bracelets from $236 and the best price of the year on AirPods 2 at $90. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break. more… The post appeared first on 9to5Mac.

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SoundHound bringing ChatGPT to its iOS and Android apps with tech to avoid ‘AI hallucinations’
SoundHound is the latest company to integrate OpenAI’s generative artificial intelligence. While it’s most well-known for its music recognition service, SoundHound is bringing ChatGPT to its Chat AI iOS and Android apps and adding its own special sauce to avoid “AI hallucinations.” more… The post appeared first on 9to5Mac.

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‘Truly horrific’ Apple Music bug could send your playlists to someone else’s library
Macworld When you launch Apple Music to choose one of your playlists, you expect to see a familiar list. But over the past few weeks, many Apple Music users have been seeing other people’s playlists among their own due to an increasingly widespread Apple Music bug. As spotlighted by Redditor adh1003, the Apple Music app has been arbitrarily deleting playlists in some users’ accounts and adding other users’ playlists into other accounts. The bugs are seemingly related–once Apple Music accidentally sends the wrong playlists into someone’s library, it’s deleted, which in turn syncs back to the original creator’s account and deletes the playlist from there, too. Depending on how the playlist was created, the action could also remove the songs from the user’s library if they’ve opted to add them to their library. It’s unclear whether Apple is aware of the bug, but there are numerous posts on Reddit as well as Apple’s community forums all describing the same issue. It’s seemingly an issue with iCloud sync, though it raises some concerns about a potential data leak. Playlists aren’t sensitive data, of course, but it could be part of a larger issue with the cloud service. There isn’t much you can do to stop the bug other than turning off iCloud Music Library, which will remove all Apple Music songs from your music library. The iOS Apple Music app doesn’t allow you to download playlists for safekeeping, but you can export playlists with Apple Music on the Mac as an XML file which can then be re-imported into Apple Music if it gets deleted. Apple is releasing iOS 16.4 next week as well as a new music app, Apple Music Classical, so it’s possible that any issues are cleared up with the update.  iOS

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Cryptojacking Mac malware “Honkbox” found in pirated apps
Honkbox, a cryptojacking Mac malware family, has been distributed via Trojanized software found on The Pirate Bay. Here is everything you need to know to protect yourself from this threat. The post appeared first on The Mac Security Blog.

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Who’s Behind the NetWire Remote Access Trojan?
A Croatian national has been arrested for allegedly operating NetWire, a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) marketed on cybercrime forums since 2012 as a stealthy way to spy on infected systems and siphon passwords. The arrest coincided with a seizure of the NetWire sales website by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). While the defendant in this case hasn’t yet been named publicly, the NetWire website has been leaking information about the likely true identity and location of its owner for the past 11 years.

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ScamBots and ScAmazon – Intego Mac Podcast Episode 282
ChatGPT is helping scammers create phishing emails that don't sound phony, and Amazon sells plenty of items that are scams. Scammers are using AI-generated voices to scam elderly people, and the EU wants messaging apps - including Apple's iMessage - to be interoperable. The post appeared first on The Mac Security Blog.

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What does your Mac do when it’s sleeping?
Your Mac does a lot when it is asleep. Find out what it does in the background, and what this means for your security and your battery life. The post appeared first on The Mac Security Blog.

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The Complete Guide to Apple Watch Bands
It's easy to change Apple Watch bands to suit your style. Here's an overview of the different types of bands Apple sells. The post appeared first on The Mac Security Blog.

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Sued by Meta, Freenom Halts Domain Registrations
The domain name registrar Freenom, whose free domain names have long been a draw for spammers and phishers, has stopped allowing new domain name registrations. The move comes just days after the Dutch registrar was sued by Meta, which alleges the company ignores abuse complaints about phishing websites while monetizing traffic to those abusive domains.

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Highlights from the New U.S. Cybersecurity Strategy
The Biden administration today issued its vision for beefing up the nation's collective cybersecurity posture, including calls for legislation establishing liability for software products and services that are sold with little regard for security. The White House's new national cybersecurity strategy also envisions a more active role by cloud providers and the U.S. military in disrupting cybercriminal infrastructure, and names China as the single biggest cyber threat to U.S. interests.

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Pirated Mac Apps Contain Malware, and iMessage Support on Windows (Sort of) – Intego Mac Podcast Episode 281
Mac malware is again found in pirated applications, LastPass was hacked via an employee's home computer running Plex, and hackers may be able to get into a bank account with an AI-generated voice. Microsoft makes a step toward supporting iMessage on Windows, and we look at a new Nokia phone that is easily repairable. The post appeared first on The Mac Security Blog.

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Apple 13-inch MacBook Pros are on sale for $150 off MSRP
Amazon has 13″ MacBook Pros with Apple M2 processors in stock and on sale today for $150 off MSRP. Their prices are the lowest currently available these MacBook Pros. Be sure to purchase from Amazon rather than a third-party seller, and not that Amazon’s stock is likely to come and go, so check their site often: – 2022 13″ MacBook Pro M2 CPU/256GB SSD/Gray: $1149.99 […] The post first appeared on MacPrices.net.

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Apple Pro Display XDR with Nano-Texture Glass on sale for $500 off MSRP
Apple Authorized Retailer Adorama has the Pro Display XDR with Nano-Texture Glass on sale for $500 off MSRP today. Shipping is free: – Apple 27″ Pro Display XDR Nano-Texture Glass: $5499 $500 off MSRP Their price is the lowest available for this model from any Apple retailer. See our Pro Display XDR Price Tracker for the latest prices and sales from Apple and its resellers. The post first appeared on MacPrices.net.

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10-Core M1 Max Apple Mac Studio on sale for $1799, save $200
Adorama has the base 10-Core M1 Max Mac Studio in stock and on sale today for $1799 including free shipping. Their price is $200 off Apple’s MSRP, and it’s the lowest price available for a new Mac Studio from any Apple retailer. For the latest prices and sales, see our Mac Studio Price Tracker, updated daily. The post first appeared on MacPrices.net.

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Week’s Best MacBook Deals: 13″ M2 MacBook Airs at Apple with up to 24GB RAM and 2TB of storage ranging up to $250 off MSRP
Apple has standard-configuration 13″ M2 MacBook Airs in stock and on sale starting at only $1079, Certified Refurbished, and ranging up to $150 off MSRP. Apple also has numerous Airs with build-to-order options, including models with 16GB & 24GB of RAM and 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB of SSD storage available for up to $250 off MSRP (see below, full details here). These are the cheapest […] The post first appeared on MacPrices.net.

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Clearance 12.9-inch M1 iPad Pros in stock for up to $350 off original MSRP at Apple
Apple has Certified Refurbished 2021 12″ M1 iPad Pros available in their online store in a variety of configurations. Models start at $889 and range up to $350 off Apple’s original MSRP. Each iPad Pro comes with Apple’s standard one-year warranty, features a new outer case, and is in like-new condition. These iPads might be the right thing for you if you’re looking to save […] The post first appeared on MacPrices.net.

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Clearance 14-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pros available for up to $400 off original MSRP
B&H Photo has Apple’s previous-generation 14″ M1 Pro MacBook Pros on sale for as much as $400 off original MSRP, with prices available starting at $1799. Free 1-2 day shipping is available to most US addresses: – 14″ MacBook Pro M1 Pro/8-Core CPU/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/Gray: $1799, $200 off MSRP – 14″ MacBook Pro M1 Pro/10-Core CPU/16GB RAM/1TB SSD/Gray: $2099, $400 off MSRP See our 14″ […] The post first appeared on MacPrices.net.

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Clearance 11-inch M1 iPad Pros in stock for up to $310 off MSRP at Apple, Certified Refurbished
Apple has Certified Refurbished 2021 11″ M1 iPad Pros available starting at $639 and ranging up to $310 off Apple’s original MSRP. Each iPad Pro comes with Apple’s standard one-year warranty, features a new outer case, and is in like-new condition. See Apple’s site for the latest stock status: – 11″ 128GB WiFi iPad Pro: $639 $110 off – 11″ 256GB WiFi iPad Pro: $719 […] The post first appeared on MacPrices.net.

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9th generation 10.2″ 256GB Apple iPads are on sale for $389, save $90
Amazon has 10.2″ 9th generation 256GB WiFi iPads in stock and on sale today for $90 off Apple’s MSRP, only $389. Shipping is free. Note that stock (and prices) at Amazon can change quickly. These are the same iPads sold by Apple in their retail and online stores. For the latest prices & sales, keep an eye on our iPad Price Tracker, updated daily. The post first appeared on MacPrices.net.

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Apple has 24-inch M1 iMacs in stock and on sale starting at $1099, save up to $260
Apple has a full range of 24-inch M1 iMacs available today in their Certified Refurbished store. Models are available starting at only $1099 and range up to $260 off original MSRP. Each iMac is in like-new condition and comes with Apple’s standard one-year warranty. These are the cheapest iMacs for sale at Apple: – 24-inch M1 iMac 8-Core CPU/7-Core GPU (all colors): $1099, $200 off […] The post first appeared on MacPrices.net.

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M2 Mac mini with 512GB of storage on sale for $699, $100 off MSRP
Amazon has Apple’s M2-powered Mac mini with 512GB of SSD storage in stock and on sale today for $100 off MSRP including free delivery: – Mac mini M2/512GB SSD: $699.99, save $100 Amazon’s price is the lowest available for this mini from any Apple retailer. For the latest prices and sales, keep an eye on our Mac mini Price Tracker, updated daily. The post first appeared on MacPrices.net.

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Apple has 13-inch M2 MacBook Pros with 16GB of RAM in stock today for up to $190 off MSRP
Apple has standard-configuration 13″ MacBook Pros with M2 CPUs and 8GB of memory in stock and available today starting at $1169, Certified Refurbished, and ranging up to $150 off original MSRP. Upgrade to 16GB of RAM, and save up to $190 off MSRP with your choice of 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage. These are the cheapest 13″ M2 MacBook Pros with 16GB of memory […] The post first appeared on MacPrices.net.

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Apple Studio Display on sale for $1349, $150 off MSRP
Amazon has the Apple Studio Display on sale for $150 off MSRP for a limited time. Shipping is free: – Studio Display (Standard glass): $1349.99 $3150 off MSRP Their price for the model with Standard glass is the lowest currently available from any Apple retailer. For the latest prices and sales, see our Studio Display Price Tracker, updated daily. The post first appeared on MacPrices.net.

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