New iPads make it much easier to manage battery health
Up to now, checking an iPad's battery health was no simple task. But a new menu makes it easier in the new M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Apple Watch golfing functionality highlighted by Apple, ten years on
A new Apple press release highlights Apple Watch golfing apps, as Golfshot launches a new tool to analyse your golf swing on the range. The latest feature has been made possible by the high-frequency motion API Apple added in watchOS 10 … more…

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This wireless CarPlay adapter lets you watch videos on your car’s screen
Get turn-by-turn navigation, listen to YouTube and watch movies with this wireless CarPlay adapter and in-car streaming device. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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iOS 17.5 is allegedly resurfacing pictures that were deleted years ago for some users
A bug in iOS 17.5 is allegedly resurfacing photos that were deleted years ago for some iPhone users, according to posts on Reddit. The affected iPhone users say that after updating to iOS 17.5 – which was released on Monday – there are a number of pictures in the Photos app that were deleted years ago. more…

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New iPad Pro has larger magnets in different places and new speakers
The thin case of the new iPad Pro hides a redesign that sees brand new speakers alongside larger magnets for attaching to peripherals.Apple's new iPad ProApple's new iPad Pro is significantly thinner than its predecessor, and it now appears that in part to achieve that, its interior magnets and speaker arrangement have been redesigned. The iPad Pro still has quad speakers, one in each corner, and the magnets are used for attaching it to peripherals such as the Magic Keyboard.Magnets pic.twitter.com/zwHcVnICCR— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) May 15, 2024 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Skip Apple’s pricey Pencils and get this iPad stylus for just $20
Macworld Apple’s pencils are undeniably excellent, but they come with a hefty price tag. If you’re someone who often misplaces their stylus or simply can’t justify spending over $79 on a tablet pen, the Jamjake stylus is a wallet-friendly alternative currently priced at just $20 on Amazon, a 33 percent discount from its regular price and it’s a steal for those looking to save.  Let’s start with the basics. The Jamjake stylus is designed to work seamlessly with a wide range of iPad models. Whether you own an iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air, or iPad Mini released after 2018, this stylus is for you. It’s important to note that it won’t function with older models or the latest 2024 iPads, for which you’ll still need the Apple Pencil Pro.  The Jamjake stylus will provide the accuracy you need when writing or drawing because it features a 1.5mm tip, which is slightly larger than the original Apple ones but still similar enough that you shouldn’t feel much of a difference. The tips are super easy to change, and there are plenty of extras in the package.  Despite being super affordable, it functions like an Apple Pencil, with an ergonomic design, precision writing, and palm rejection so you’ll be able to rest your hand on the screen without any accidental touches on the screen. The Jamjake stylus’s battery life is also comparable to that of Apple’s original models. A full charge takes about 15-20 minutes, and you can use it for upwards of 10 hours. While we haven’t had the opportunity to test this model ourselves, the product has garnered close to 87,000 reviews on Amazon alone, with an impressive 4.4/5 stars. The majority of users praise the quality of the product and its ease of use. One recent purchaser shared their experience, expressing their initial hesitation about using a stylus with their iPad. However, they were pleasantly surprised by the Jamjake stylus and concluded that there was no need to invest in the more expensive Apple originals.  Apple’s models are also on sale if you’re still unsure about getting the Jamjake stylus for $20. The Apple Pencil USB-C is $69 ($10 off), while the 2nd gen Apple Pencil is $79 ($50 off).  Snatch a $20 stylus pen for your iPad from Amazon Tablet Accessories

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Apple’s M2 iPad Air: ‘All the iPad most people will need’ – Ars Technica
Apple this month revealed the redesigned 11-inch and all-new 13-inch iPad Air, supercharged by the M2 chip. Now available… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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How to clear disk space on a Mac
Macworld Back in the days when Macs had hard drives we all had tons of space on our Macs, but the SSDs that feature in our Macs now are more limited in capacity, and high-res video, photos, music and other essential files take up more storage than ever. Running out of space can really hamper your computing: if you want your Mac to run quickly you need to make sure you’ve got something like 10 percent of your storage free at all times otherwise your Mac can really slow down (read: How to speed up a Mac). At worst if you don’t delete some of the things taking up storage space on your Mac you may even find you can’t start it up one day because the startup disk is full! You may already be seeing warnings that your start-up disk is almost full – you shouldn’t ignore them. You may also need to clear some space on your Mac if you are installing a macOS update. When Apple released macOS Big Sur in 2020, for example, a lot of Mac users found that they didn’t have enough free space to install the new macOS. We are anticipating similar problems when the next version of macOS arrives in September or October. Under those circumstances, you are likely to look for a quick and easy way to free up space on a Mac–so finding how to find out what is taking up the space on your Mac, and the best way to remove it, will be your priority. PROMOTIONCleanMyMac X | Clear your Mac’s disk Use CleanMyMac X to find hidden junk and free up the unseen cache files. Locatelarge old folders, background apps, and heavy memory consumers. Tune your Macfor maximum speed, keep it malware-free and secure. Make sure you use the Smart Scan weekly to help your computer stay productive all year round. Download Free Edition If you aren’t sure how to see how much disk space your Mac has read: How to check how much space you have on your Mac. In this article, we walk you through simple steps that will help you identify what is taking up space on your Mac, what you can and can’t delete, the safest way to remove the biggest space hogs, and how to manage the storage on your Mac so that you never run out of space again.  Step 1: Clear space on your Mac quickly There are lots of ideas below for freeing up disk space below, but if you are in a hurry and you don’t need a lot of space, or if you aren’t too bothered about making sure you don’t run out of space again, here are a few things you can do right now:  Click on your Downloads folder in the Dock, open it in the Finder and select the contents, or any files you don’t need, right-click and choose Move to Bin/Trash. Open the Finder and navigate to your Home folder (press Shift-command-H). Now press Command-F to open a search window. Click on the first drop-down and choose ‘File Size’. Now in the next dropdown choose ‘is greater than’. Change file size to MB and type 100 into the box besides that. You can sort by Size to make it easier. Now select anything that you don’t need that’s bigger than 100MB and chose Move to Bin/Trash. (We found a number of Payloads files here, but we don’t recommend deleting them because they are part of the macOS Install Data and deleting them may stop your Mac from performing optimally – if you do want to delete any of these files we recommend making a back up first!) You could set up a similar search to delete files you haven’t opened in the past year or longer. Instead of searching for File Size, choose Last opened date. Next choose ‘before’ and change the date to a year ago. Select and right-click on files you are sure you won’t need again and choose Move to Bin/Trash. If your Desktop is a dumping ground, open the Finder again and choose the Desktop folder. Sort by Size and delete anything you don’t need that’s particularly large. Alternatively sort by Kind to quickly locate all the Screenshots (which will be PNG files). Or by date to find the year’s old files. Select those you want to delete and choose Move to Bin/Trash. Another way to delete screenshots is to go to your Desktop and if you haven’t already done so go to the menu and choose View > Use Stacks (you’ll need to have the Desktop selected). Now find your Screenshot folder. Click on it to open it up and then select as many Screenshots as you are comfortable deleting. You can click and drag these to the Trash/Bin. You could do the same with other files on your Desktop (it’s where most things end up after all). Now the final and most important step: Right-click on your Trash/Bin and choose Empty Trash/Empty Bin (we are doing this last as we’ve just added lots to the Trash!) This might recover a few GB for you, and if that’s all you need then job done! But if you need to get a lot more space, and if you want to avoid running low on space again then follow the steps below. Step 2: See what’s taking up space on your Mac If you are running out of space your Mac could be slowing down, which is bad enough, but if you run out of space on your Mac you may not even be able to start it up! Before you get to that stage take a look to see what it taking up the space on your Mac because that will determine what you should delete. There are several apps that will show you which files are taking up big chunks of disk space, or allow you to order files in the Finder based on their size. Free or cheap apps like GrandPerspective ($2.99/£2.99, buy it here) and DaisyDisk ($9.99/£9.99, buy it here) give good visual indications while the free OmniDiskSweeper uses the standard hierarchical file window to show the sizes of every file and folder. CleanMyMac X Read our review Price When Reviewed: $34.95 per year, free 7-day trial available Best Prices Today: $34.95 at MacPaw CleanMyMac X (which costs around $34.95/£29.95) shows disk usage as part of its cleanup features. Parallels Toolbox Read our review Price When Reviewed: $24.99 per year, free 7-day trial Best Prices Today: $24.99 at Parallels (annually) Parallels Toolbox ($24.99/£20.99) also has a Clean Drive tool along with lots of other useful tools. However, before you spend any money, it’s actually really easy to get an overview of what’s taking up the space on your Mac. This view shows you how much space certain things are taking up, but how do you delete the stuff that is taking up the space? Ventura and later Open System Settings. Click on General. Click on Storage. Wait for it to calculate the storage that is available. You’ll see different colored bars that represent the kind of data on your Mac. Hover over these to see what is taking up space. Foundry Foundry Foundry Pre Ventura Click on the Apple logo in the top left. Choose About This Mac. Click on the Storage tab and wait while it calculates. Eventually, you will see various bars indicating how much storage is given to certain things, and how much storage is available. Hover over the different bars to see what each represents and how much space they are taking up. For example, in the example below, yellow was Photos (you could have 100GB+ of Photos, if you do, we recommend using iCloud Photos to reduce what’s stored on your Mac). Foundry Foundry Foundry What are System, System Data, macOS and Other? Older versions of macOS had some strangely named divisions of storage including System and Other. Nowadays these types of files tend to fall under the label System Data and macOS (as seen above). If you are using an older version of macOS – which may well be the case if your Mac is a bit older and unable to support new versions – you may be confronted with almost 40GB of ‘Other’ (as we were, see below). We’ve heard of people having even more than 40GB Other storage. With a name like Other it’s no wonder that people are assuming this is redundant files that can be deleted. In some cases they can be – but you have to be careful. You may be wondering if you can delete Other. That isn’t something you can do easily – and nor should you. We explain How to delete Other on a Mac in a separate article though. The same goes for System/System Data. It would be unwise to delete the vast majority of your System files, but there are a few that you can probably do without, such as Time Machine snapshots, iOS backups, and so on. We also have a separate article about How to clear system data on Mac. MacCleaner Pro Read our review Price When Reviewed: $74.95 (one-time purchase), $29.95 (one year subscription) Best Prices Today: Free at Nektony (free trial) | $74.95 at Nektony Tools like CleanMyMac X can help you deal with these Other and System files – and also files that come under macOS in newer versions of the operating system. CleanMyMac is $34.95/£29.95/ ( here’s where you can download CleanMyMac). We also have a round-up of the Best Mac Cleaners in which we look at some alternatives to CleanMyMac including DaisyDisk, MacBooster, Parallels ToolBox, and MacCleaner Pro. Step 3: See how Apple recommends you save space on your Mac Apple offers some guidance regarding ways you can save space on your Mac, including Store in iCloud, Optimize Storage, Empty Bin Automatically, and Reduce Clutter. Again, the way this works depends on the version of macOS you are running. Ventura and later Open System Settings > General. Choose Storage. If there are recommendations about how to reduce your storage you will see them below the bar chart. These could include Store in iCloud, Optimize Storage and Empty Trash Automatically (but they won’t appear if you are already doing those things). We discuss these below. Pre Ventura Click on the Apple logo > About This Mac > Storage. Now click on Manage. You will see Recommendations, such as Store in iCloud, Optimize Storage and Empty Trash Automatically and a Reduce Clutter option. If these have already been done you will see confirmation of that, if you haven’t already done any we recommend that you do. More details about these options below. Step 4: Save space on your Mac by using iCloud We think the option to Store in iCloud should be your first port of call if you want to reclaim lots of space on your Mac. Instead of storing files, photos, and other things on your Mac, once this is turned on everything will be synced to the cloud; downloadable to your Mac when needed. If you pay for enough iCloud storage, you can sync all your photos and music and your Desktop and Documents folders to the cloud. This can save a lot of space on your Mac. We explain how much iCloud costs and how to use iCloud separately, but with up to 12TB iCloud storage available that’s a lot of disk space you will no longer need on your Mac. To set up iCloud on your Mac follow these steps: Open System Settings/System Preferences (depending on the version of macOS). Click on your Apple ID section. Click on iCloud. Click on the Manage button beside Account Storage. Click on Change Storage Plan. Select Optimize Mac Storage to ensure that files are only stored on the Mac if you have space. Alternatively, if you see the Store in iCloud option in Manage Storage, follow these steps: Click on the Store in iCloud option. This opens a window asking you to choose what you want to store in iCloud. This can be all the files on your Mac Desktop and your Documents folder and all your Photos. Select both. Click on Store in iCloud. Foundry Foundry Foundry If you want to store high-resolution versions of your photos in iCloud so that you can save space on your Mac you will want to turn on iCloud Photos. To sign up for iCloud Photos follow these steps: Open the Photos app. Click on Photos in the menu. Click Settings. Turn on iCloud Photos. Select Optimize Mac Storage. If you want to really cut back on the amount of space taken up by your photos read How to save space by moving photos from a Mac to iCloud. We also have more advise on this further down the article. Step 5: Optimize Storage on your Mac Optimize Storage is Apple’s next recommendation after Store in iCloud. Turning on Optimize Storage is a really easy way to stop your storage getting clogged up on your Mac. If you turn on Optimize Storage it will delete TV shows or films that you’ve watched and it old email attachments will be removed. You needn’t be afraid of losing either of these things because the emails will still be stored on the email server anyway, and the shows you had purchased from Apple can always be downloaded again for free. You will see the Optimize Storage option in Apple’s recommendations if you haven’t already switched it on. If you aren’t sure that you have Optimize Storage turned on you will see it in the Apple ID section of System Settings/System Preferences. Once you have chosen this option your storage will be optimized automatically. Step 6: Set your Mac to empty trash/bin automatically We already mentioned emptying the trash as one of the quick ways to get more storage on your Mac. The easiest way to empty your trash is to right-click on the trash can icon and choose Empty Trash/Empty Bin. It’s good practice to empty your Trash regularly though and Apple has a great way to automate this action. If you choose Apple’s Empty Trash Automatically recommendation it will empty files out of your Trash (or Bin if you are in the UK) after they have been there for 30 days. Here’s how to set it up: Ventura or later: Open the Finder. Click on Finder in the menu. Choose Settings. Click on Advanced. Now select Remove items from the Bin/Trash after 30 days. Foundry Foundry Foundry Pre Ventura: Switch this option on in About My Mac > Storage > Manage. Choose the Empty Trash Automatically option. Click Turn On… You will see an alert asking if you’re sure you want to erase Trash automatically. It should be pretty safe as 30 days is a long time to realize you didn’t mean to delete something, so we recommend you click Turn On. Step 7: Reduce Clutter on your Mac Reduce Clutter is Apple’s final Recommendation in the list above. On a pre-Ventura Mac you could click Review Files, or you could click on each of the options in the left-hand column (e.g. Applications, Documents) to see the files in that category. In Ventura and later you can also each of the options in the left-hand column to view the contents and decide what to delete. Foundry Foundry Foundry TIP: Rather than open files or documents to see what you are considering deleting, select the file and press the space bar to see a preview. Click on Review Files and you will be taken to a pane that shows tabs for Large Files, Downloads, Unsupported Apps, Containers and a File Browser (depending on which version of macOS you have). This is actually the same view you would see if you clicked on Documents in the side-bar on the left.  The first port of call is Large Files. You can determine whether to delete them or not based on the information provided, which includes when you accessed them last and their size. You may find that lots of dmg files will appear here. Next option is Downloads. This isn’t the same as your Downloads folder. It’s every file you have downloaded from the internet. Here you are also likely to find dmg files you can delete. We recommend sorting by Kind and deleting things like Zip archives that are likely to already have been unzipped and saved where you need them. The good thing about deleting files this way is that it won’t just move them to your Trash. If you delete via the Finder you will also need to Empty Trash too. But that’s a good reason to be cautious too! If you have any Unsupported Apps you will see them in that section. You might see old 32-bit apps here, for example. We’ll skip Containers as it’s unlikely that there will be anything in that view for you to delete. In File Browser you can quickly access folders for Pictures, Desktop, Music, Movies, Documents and so on. Those are the steps that Apple offers to help you manage the storage available on your Mac. We’ll now go into a bit more detail on some of the other ways to save space, of which there are many.  Step 8: Reduce your photo library If you have a large photo library you might be thinking that you could save some space by deleting the hundreds of blurry or not-so-good photos. While there are apps that will offer to delete duplicate photos on your Mac (such as the free Photos Duplicate Cleaner or MacPaw’s Gemini 2 ($19.95/£15.95), the latter of which can remove duplicate files from your Mac.) However, there is an effortless way to reduce the amount of photos on your Mac: move them to iCloud. We already touched on Photos above, when we mentioned that if you choose the Store in iCloud option and choose to store your photos in iCloud. Also read: How to move photos to iCloud to save space on an iPhone. The benefit of using iCloud Photos is that any photos you upload to your Mac in the future also appear on your other devices: iPhone, iPad and so on. Our Photo library (prior to turning on iCloud Photos) was 96GB we started off by paying for the 200GB of space Apple offers. Months later we had upgraded to the full 2TB as we were storing all our documents, desktop, photos and more in iCloud. The 2TB of iCloud storage can be shared on a Family account. You might have turned on iCloud Photos, but if you haven’t already you could do so in the Photos app. Go to Photos > Preferences. Check the box beside iCloud Photos. This is important: Select Optimize Mac Storage to make sure that your full-resolution photos are replaced with low-res versions (you can always download the full-res version if you need it). With that setting your library should eventually shrink as the high res versions of your images are switched for low-res versions. But note that you will also get low res versions of all the images you have on all of your devices, so it’s possible that you may not save a lot of space. Beware that if you delete photos from your Mac they will be deleted from iCloud too: iCloud is not a way to back up your photos so that you can delete them from your Mac. Read: How to delete photos from iPhone, but not from iCloud. If you want to remove your photo library to free up space look at our next suggestion. Step 9: Move photos to external storage Another option is to free up space on your Mac by moving your photo library to an external hard drive. We have a separate article that describes how to move your photo library from your Mac to an external drive, but we’ll summarise the steps below. Quit Photos. Copy your Photos Library to an external drive. (To save having to delete them again afterwards, press the Command key when you drag the files over so that they are moved, with the original files automatically deleted, rather than copied.) Once the files have finished copying, hold down the Option/Alt key while starting up Photos. In Photos select Photos > Preferences and in General choose Use as System Photo Library. If you have iCloud Photo Library enabled, the Mac may get busy as it works out which photos reside in iCloud, but if should eventually complete without requiring a massive data transfer. Step 10: Move your music library Your Music library (iTunes in older versions of macOS) might be another candidate for re-claiming disk space, especially if you spent a lot of time importing CDs many years ago. If your music library holds a few GB worth of music you have a few options. You can copy the whole thing from your Music directory to an external hard drive and point Music/iTunes to it from Preferences. That’s great if your Mac is a desktop model, but not ideal if it’s a notebook – unless you have a NAS drive to which you connect wirelessly. We have a separate tutorial on how to move your iTunes library to an external hard drive. Another option is to pay $25/£21.99 a year to subscribe to iTunes Match. Here’s how to set up iTunes Match. Note: If you have an Apple Music membership, you already get all of the benefits of iTunes Match, plus access to the entire Apple Music catalog. So you don’t need both. Once you’ve set it up, iTunes Match allows you to access all the music in your music Library on Apple’s servers, meaning you don’t have to have it stored locally at all. You’ll need to be connected to the internet in order to play music, but other than that, it’s just like using Music/iTunes with locally stored music. And, as a bonus, if you decide at a later date that you want to download your music from iTunes Match, you get 256-bit AAC files which are probably of better quality than the ones you had stored on your Mac. The final option here is to subscribe to Apple Music, Apple’s service that for $10.99/£10.99 a month gives you access to its whole music library, so assuming that all the music you enjoy is on Apple Music you can delete all your music from your Mac and just stream the music from Apple Music instead. If you decide not to subscribe anymore, you will be able to download, for free, any tracks you previously purchased from Apple. But, unless you have iTunes Match, you won’t be able to download tracks that you uploaded to your music library yourself–so don’t throw out those CDs just yet. Step 11: Remove unwanted apps There is an option in Mac > Storage > Manage to remove unsupported apps, but what about the other apps you have installed but don’t use and don’t need? Deleting apps is pretty simple on a Mac – normally – and we cover it in detail here: How to Uninstall Mac Apps. You can either delete an app from the Applications folder in the Finder: right-click on the app and choose Move to Bin/Trash. Or you can press F4 to open up Launchpad, find the app, press Alt/Option and hover over on the app. Click on the x to delete it. However, some macOS apps have preferences (plist) and application support files and these can exist in a number of places on your Mac. In those cases, the methods above won’t delete all the associated files and libraries associated with an app. If you want to make absolutely sure that every trace of an app is gone then you can try an app that deletes apps thoroughly. Some major apps include an uninstaller. For example, you’ll find one of these in the Additional Tools folder of Microsoft Office. Sometimes an app’s installer doubles as an uninstaller. But the lack of a dedicated uninstaller in macOS is a serious omission. Fortunately, there are a number of third-party options. AppCleaner (free, download from the Mac App Store here), AppDelete ($7.99) and AppZapper ($12.95) are good options, as are Daisy Disk, CleanMyMac X, Uninstaller and CleanApp ($14.99). Another tip is to make sure you quit apps running in the background. Quitting apps that have been open for several days or more, or even restarting your Mac on a regular basis, will also help free up disk space. Applications create temporary files to store data and the longer they run without quitting, the bigger those files become. When you quit the app, the cache files are deleted and the disk space returned. Step 12: Remove duplicate files Identifying and dumping duplicate files is another good way of freeing up disk space. Gemini costs $19.99/£15.95 on the Mac App Store and allows you to scan your Mac for duplicate files so you can dump one copy. How much of your precious hard drive space is being taken up by duplicate files? While hard drives may be getting bigger and cheaper, Apple’s direction is that of smaller, faster SSD drives. The problem is that these have smaller capacities so a higher level of filing discipline is essential. There are a number of reasons why you end up with so many dupe files. When you add songs to iTunes, if you have ‘Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library’ checked in the preferences, you keep the original. Instant duplication. A couple of thousand high quality songs and that’s anything up to 10GB hard drive space wasted. And that doesn’t include dupes within iTunes. If you use Apple Mail, remember that all attachments reside in Mail’s own download folder. This can be another source of duplication. More generic apps use various strategies and criteria to find duplicates and give you control over which ones to get rid of. Have a look at Tidy Up ($29.99) or Singlemizer (£9.99/$9.99 on the Mac App Store). Step 13: Remove extra languages macOS supports a range of languages, being localized for more than 25 languages all of which are included automatically during installation. Go to System Preferences > Language & Region; here languages can be put into preferred order making it easy to switch between them. Many major applications support multiple languages too, using the order from Language & Text to select one if the app doesn’t support your main language. The problem is that if you only want to use one or two languages, macOS and many of your apps are bloated with all the others. If you want to delete extra language files that you know you won’t be needing, go to the Resources folder and look for folders ending in .lproj. Each of those folders will include a language file. You should be able to trash these folders without any problems. Step 14: Remove unwanted code Getting rid of unwanted code is another disk-saving exercise. Monolingual (donation requested) lets you remove specific architectures from macOS along with specific languages. While it can claw back huge swathes of hard drive space, it can also render your Mac unbootable if you’re not careful. Use with caution. Step 15: Use Terminal to delete files and folders This is one for the pros, but if you want to make sure files are well and truly deleted Terminal is the way to do it. We explain the process here: How to delete files and folders using Terminal. Step 16: Use cloud storage space We’ve discussed iCloud already, but there are other cloud storage options. Read our best cloud storage services for Mac. Cloud storage services are great for making files available remotely, but they can also take up space on your Mac. Both Dropbox and OneDrive, for example, sync everything you store in them with your Mac by default – assuming you’ve installed the Dropbox/ OneDrive app. If you only have the default 2GB storage available for free from Dropbox, that’s not too much of a problem. But Microsoft gives Office 365 subscribers 1TB of space free, so if you use that to store lots of files, you could find yourself running out of disk space very quickly. The same is true if you pay for more space on Dropbox. In both cases, however, you can choose to sync only files and folders you specify. In Dropbox, click on the menu bar item, then click the cog and then Preferences. Click the Account tab, then click Change Settings. Now untick the files and folders you don’t want to sync with your Mac. In OneDrive, click the menu bar item, then Preferences. Click Choose Folders, then Choose Folders, then Choose Folders to sync. Untick folders, or click the expand arrow to access individual files and untick those. An alternative would be to sign up for more iCloud storage, as we mentioned earlier. Step 17: Archive or backup your Mac You might be thinking I need the space, but I don’t want to delete anything! If you really are the proverbial data squirrel, here are a few simple suggestions: Archive any files you’re unlikely to need regularly. Ctrl-click on a folder and select the compress option. (Here’s more info on how to zip Mac files.) The space saved will vary according to the type of file being archived: JPEGs and DMGs, for instance, are unlikely to compress very much. Once created, archives can either remain on your Mac or be saved to an external drive. Finally, if you do decide to delete files or folders, always back them up first. If you need an external drive read our round-up of the best hard drives and best SSDs for Mac. For more advice read our tips for cleaning up your Mac to make it run faster. Cleaning and Data Recovery Software, Mac, MacOS, Personal Software

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Dual-boot iPad would be nuts, says former Microsoft president
A number of commenters have made the point that iPad reviews haven’t really changed in years. Each generation, the hardware gets better, and the software gets left behind. That has led some to suggest a dual-boot iPad, which can switch between iPadOS and macOS as desired. However, former Microsoft exec Steven Sinofsky – who was President of the Windows division for several years – says this idea “is just nuts” … more…

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The best alternatives to Apple's Magic Keyboard for iPad
Apple's Magic Keyboard is probably the most popular choice for users looking for an iPad keyboard, but its premium price tag and specific feature set can be off-putting. Fortunately, there are other excellent options.The best Magic Keyboard alternatives for iPadWhether you need a keyboard with detachable versatility, rugged durability, superior connectivity, ergonomic comfort, or affordability, our selection has you covered. Here are some alternate iPad keyboards that we like. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Does MediaTek Have an Identity Crisis?
As with any large company in a rapidly evolving industry, the question of an "identity crisis" can be multifaceted, involving public perception, market positioning, and internal strategy. This discussion explores whether MediaTek is experiencing such a crisis and, if so, what the implications might be. The post appeared first on TechNewsWorld.

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Apple says it is working on a fix for M4 iPad Pro HDR screen glitch
Macworld With sales of the new M4 iPad Pro beginning this week, accompanied by the first wave of reviews, Apple faces a badly timed bombshell: a screen glitch has been spotted. The Apple-focused news site iMore made the discovery while testing the 13-inch model, and reported it on Monday. It’s a niche issue that some users may not ever notice, but with the OLED screen central to marketing efforts for a device that starts at $1,299/£1,299, any “blemish in the beauty,” as iMore puts it, is troubling. The glitch should only be noticeable when you’re viewing HDR content. “In a relatively specific set of circumstances,” iMore reports, “HDR highlights are blown out on certain blue shades including navy and indigo to a point that they almost appear white on screen.” The site says the effect can seem like a shimmering web over the screen, or like an inky blob: either way, not exactly the flawless picture quality we were promised. iMore speculates that the image processing engine is getting confused in some way. iMore’s evidence: a strange image glitch was spotted while viewing Stranger Things on the 13-inch iPad Pro. iMore’s evidence: a strange image glitch was spotted while viewing Stranger Things on the 13-inch iPad Pro.iMore iMore’s evidence: a strange image glitch was spotted while viewing Stranger Things on the 13-inch iPad Pro.iMore iMore The site checked this wasn’t an issue with the test footage itself but couldn’t replicate the problem on numerous other displays, so it’s clearly down to the iPad’s screen. And Apple itself has acknowledged that it’s aware of the issue, iMore says, and is working on a software fix. The iPad Pro already had a day-one software update to fix issues with the new document scanner. The best strategy for M4 iPad Pro owners, then, will be to keep an eye on available iPadOS updates and install them in a timely fashion–which would be our advice in any case. Alternatively, you can select the option to have the iPad install updates automatically as soon as they become available. iPad

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M3/M4 Ultra Mac Pro: Everything you need to know
Macworld Apple last updated the Mac Pro in 2023 when it was the last Mac to be outfitted with an M-series chip–three years after Apple started to use its own silicon in Macs. The Mac Pro may be on a longer update cycle than the other Macs because it’s an expensive machine with features that address the needs of a niche audience. But if you’re part of that audience, you’ll want to know when the next model will arrive, so we’ll be tracking the news and rumors about the Mac Pro. This article includes information about the potential updates to the Mac Pro, as well as offers perspective on what those rumored updates mean to Apple’s Mac lineup. Mac Pro M3/M4: Release date In a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman about Apple’s plans for its AI-enhanced M4 chip, he reported that Apple could update the Mac Pro with an M4 variant in 2025 after the other Macs have been updated. Gurman’s report did not address the possibility of an M3 Ultra Mac Pro upgrade being released between now and then. This omission seems to indicate that Apple will skip the M3 cycle and stick with the M2 Ultra until next year, which seems even more likely since Apple has launched the M4 chip in the iPad Pro. Mac Pro M3/M4: Processor The biggest upgrade we expect in the new Mac Pro is of course the chip. While we originally expected the Mac Pro to get an M3 Ultra update this year, it’s now looking like the Mac Pro will skip the M3 generation entirely and jump to the M4. In his April 2024 report, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman stated that the Mac Pro will be part of Apple’s AI focus and will be upgraded with an M4 with enhanced AI capabilities. Gurman did not offer any details on how those AI enhancements will be implemented or any other specifications about the M4. At the time, Gurman said the M4 chip currently in testing was code-named Hidra. Since then, Apple unveiled the M4 chip in the iPad Pro with 6 efficiency cores, and 10 graphics processing cores. In tests, speeds were about 20 percent higher than the base M3, so the M4 Ultra, which is what will go in the Mac Pro, should be much faster than the M2 Ultra. We also know that it has an improved Neural Engine for AI features that will be discussed at WWDC. Presumably, Hidra is an M4 Ultra-type chip. Apple’s M1 Ultra and M2 Ultra chips are essentially two Max chips that work together, but there have been reports that Apple will be changing the processor’s architecture, so we could see higher performance than in previous Ultra chips. For example, the 256GB and 512GB iPad Pro’s M4 has just 3 CPU performance cores, the first time Apple has offered a version with fewer than four cores. Mac Pro M3/M4: Design and specs Gurman also reported that Apple wants to dramatically increase the maximum amount of unified memory in the high-end desktop M4 Macs to 512GB. The current limit on the M2 Ultra Mac Pro is 192GB. So, the M4 Ultra Mac Pro could support more than twice the memory as the current M2 Ultra Mac Pro. No other reports have been made about the inner workings of the upcoming Mac Pro. Because Apple wants to focus on AI, the Mac Pro could be marketed as an AI development workstation, so Apple could upgrade other components to accommodate these needs. No reports have been made about the design, either. The next Mac Pro upgrade is expected to keep the same design, but the internal components will likely change, with the key one being a possible M4 Ultra upgrade. The next Mac Pro upgrade is expected to keep the same design, but the internal components will likely change, with the key one being a possible M4 Ultra upgrade.Foundry The next Mac Pro upgrade is expected to keep the same design, but the internal components will likely change, with the key one being a possible M4 Ultra upgrade.Foundry Foundry MacBook Pro M3/M4: Price Here are the prices for the current standard base configurations of the M2 Ultra Mac Pro for reference. Apple expects customers to customer configure their orders, so prices will vary from these base specifications. $6,999/£7,199/CA$8,999/AU$11,999 Mac Pro Tower: M2 Ultra, 24-core CPU, 60-core GPU, 32-core Neural Engine, 64GB Unified Memory, 1TB SSD $7,499/£7,699/CA$9,599/AU$12,999 Mac Pro Rack: M2 Ultra, 24-core CPU, 60-core GPU, 32-core Neural Engine, 64GB Unified Memory, 1TB SSD Pricing for the new Mac Pro has not been reported, though we expect pricing to remain the same. Mac, Mac Pro

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New iPad Air and iPad Pro available for immediate store pickup today
There’s good news if you didn’t place a pre-order but have now decided to buy one of the latest iPads. Both the new iPad Air and iPad Pro are available for immediate store pickup today in each of the locations we checked. Reasonably prompt delivery is also available, ranging from same-day in some locations to 2-5 days in others … more…

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How to get VMWare Fusion Pro 13 for free
Virtualization app VMWare Fusion Pro 13 is now free for personal use. Here's how to get it for your Mac.VMware Fusion Pro 13 running on a Mac Studio (Source: Broadcom)VMWare's new owner Broadcom announced that it was acquiring the company in 2022, and the deal was completed in November 2023. Now Broadcom says that it wants to simplify how it sells its Windows virtualization apps, and that includes for personal use."The most exciting part is that Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro will now have two license models," wrote Broadcom's Michael Roy in a blog post. "We now provide a Free Personal Use or a Paid Commercial Use subscription for our Pro apps... [so] everyday users who want a virtual lab on their Mac, Windows or Linux computer can do so for free simply by registering and downloading." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Are we in Apple’s post-iPad era?
Macworld The consensus about the new iPad Pro is in: the hardware is more powerful and impressive than ever, but it’s still largely hampered by software that just hasn’t managed to keep up. Such has been the story of the iPad Pro almost since its inception almost nine years ago, and despite moves that would seem to augur good things for the platform—like forking iPadOS off from iOS—Apple hasn’t exactly done a bang-up job of assuaging users about its commitment to making the tablet a full-fledged citizen of its lineup. But zooming out there’s a larger question at play here: what are the long-term prospects of the iPad? Once heralded the future of computing, the iPad seems to have fallen short of that promise and, in the process, become Apple’s most at-risk product line. And compared to the rest of Apple’s offerings, the iPad increasingly looks like it may be the one left standing when the music stops. iPhones to the left of me For many people, the smartphone is the most important device in their lives. It goes everywhere with them, serves as their primary communication device, their recorder of memories, and their omnipresent time-waster. When prompted to give up a single technological device, most people would probably pick anything but their phone. Can an iPad mini (or even the iPad) compete with an iPhone Plus or Pro Max? Can an iPad mini (or even the iPad) compete with an iPhone Plus or Pro Max?Chris Martin / Foundry Can an iPad mini (or even the iPad) compete with an iPhone Plus or Pro Max?Chris Martin / Foundry Chris Martin / Foundry As the smartphone has gotten more mature, it’s also gotten larger. Apple’s current biggest phones, the iPhone 15 Plus/Pro Max, have a 6.7-inch display compared to the 3.5-inch on the original iPhone. The current iPad mini, it should be pointed out, has an 8.3-inch screen, making it much closer in size to the larger iPhone than the current models are to Apple’s first phone. Today’s large iPhones would seem to push the limit of what works in someone’s hand. But rumor has it Apple has been investigating foldable screen technology, which might conceivably someday allow you to carry an iPhone-sized device that folds out into an iPad-sized device. While it might not be a powerhouse in the class of the iPad Pro, it does mean a possible world where the iPhone might start eating away at the low end of the iPad market. After all, why carry two devices when one might do? Macs to the right On the other end of the scale, the iPad Pro’s power and high price tag force a comparison with the Mac. After all, these devices have the same chip line (if, for the moment, newer in the iPad) along with similar amounts of RAM and storage. Only a few factors set them apart: first, the versatility of the iPad form factor; second, its touch interface; and third, the comparative flexibility of the Mac’s operating system and software. But just as iPad proponents might argue that, with time and effort, Apple could improve the tablet’s software capabilities to rival macOS, the analog is true on the Mac side: nothing stops Apple from bringing some of the flexibility of the iPad’s hardware to its laptops. MacBooks might someday boast cellular connectivity or perhaps even a touch interface. Could that extend to a detachable display that could be used as a tablet? It’s not impossible. Reports already suggest that touchscreen Macs are being tested inside Cupertino, and that shouldn’t cause any surprise; not investigating the possibility would be more shocking. A recent patent filed by Apple showed that the company is working on a touchscreen MacBook with a detachable display. A recent patent filed by Apple showed that the company is working on a touchscreen MacBook with a detachable display.Apple/USPTO A recent patent filed by Apple showed that the company is working on a touchscreen MacBook with a detachable display.Apple/USPTO Apple/USPTO As with the possibility of foldable iPhones eating away at the iPad’s low end, a convertible MacBook, were Apple to make one, could threaten the iPad Pro. If a Mac can offer what an iPad can and more, then once again, why carry two devices? Stuck in the middle with you There are a few wildcards as well. Take the Apple Vision Pro, which more than a few early reviewers have described as “an iPad you wear on your face.” One of the device’s more applauded uses is as an immersive media player, something that has traditionally been one of the iPad’s strengths. Might a more affordable and more ergonomic Vision Pro successor steal some of the iPad’s thunder? To be clear: none of this is intended to condemn the iPad. In the here and now, it’s still a popular and useful device—even in a quarter where the tablet didn’t fare particularly well, Apple still sold millions. But it wouldn’t be the first time that Apple has cannibalized one of its own product lines—the iPod once seemed unbeatable too. The question is one of the iPad’s future—and, specifically, where Apple sees its future. In a recent interview, an Apple executive told the Wall Street Journal that the company doesn’t view them “as competing devices. We see them as complementary devices.” Not that I’d expect Apple to say anything different; it would dearly love to sell everyone one of each. But it’s also hard to overcome the feeling that Apple’s slow development on the software side has hamstrung the iPad’s future with a steadfastness that borders on pathological. What could have been the computer for the rest of us instead feels like it might become an evolutionary cul-de-sac, an also-ran, a coulda-been-a-contender. That future isn’t written in stone, but the longer Apple goes without changing its tune, the more it looks like it doesn’t mind if the iPad’s time in this world is finite. iPad

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New iPad Air, iPad Pro models arrive today, will feature day-one iPadOS 17.5 software update
Apple’s new iPad Pro and iPad Air tables will hit retail shelves today, and the initial batch of the tablets will feature a special build of the iPadOS 17.4 operating system preinstalled. Still, an iPadOS 17.5 software update will be available through the Settings app right away. Per Aaron Perris, iPadOS 17.5 has a special […] Source

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Microsoft Office’s apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are now less than $25
Macworld Whether you’re a student, professional, or just a casual user, you’ve likely heard of Microsoft Office. Why? Because it’s the world’s leading productivity suite. If you’re looking to invest in lifelong tools or want to update an older device, this deal for Microsoft Office 2019 may interest you. Through May 22, lifetime subscriptions for Mac and Windows are less than $25. Although you won’t be getting the latest version of Microsoft Office, the 2019 edition may be sufficient for your needs, especially if you have an older or refurbished laptop or computer.  Upon your one-time purchase, you’ll get the following apps: the 2019 editions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. Create home or professional budgeting sheets with Excel, crisp slide decks with PowerPoint, or stay on top of email correspondence with OneNote. There are additional apps you’ll get depending on your device. For instance, Mac users will get Teams Classic 2019, an app designed to support virtual collaboration via video calls. Meanwhile, Windows users will gain the 2019 iterations of Access and Publisher. Just be sure that your device meets the system requirements for smooth installation. You have until May 22 at 11:59 PM Pacific to grab: Lifetime access to Microsoft Office Home and Business 2019 for Mac for just $24.97. Lifetime access to Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows for just $24.97.   Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac and Windows Only $24.97 at Macworld StackSocial prices subject to change. Accessories

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Rumor: Apple to expand Vision Pro to international markets following WWDC
Apple’s Vision Pro headset is expected to start shipping to overseas markets following WWDC. Per Bloomberg, Apple began recruiting Briefing Experience Specialists in Australia and Asia, these employees being trained to demonstrate the Apple Vision Pro to potential customers. That specific recruitment began in March, so hiring and training will have at least begun some […] Source

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Got a problem with your Mac, iPhone, or iPad? Macworld’s Mac 911 can help
Macworld With Macworld’s Mac 911 column, we take your questions and do our best to help. We love being the place you come to in order to find answers to nagging problems. The “Mac 911” name predates iOS, iPadOS, and iCloud, but we’re happy to answer questions about all those topics as well as macOS and any Apple hardware, software, or service. Ask Mac 911 We’re always looking for new problems to solve! If you have a problem with your Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or any other Apple device, let us know about it and we’ll try to help by responding with a Mac 911 column. You can also ask us general tech questions if you have them. Here’s how to send us your questions: Send an email to mac911@macworld.com Including screenshots when appropriate  Let us know if you want your full name used or not If you have a question that doesn’t include screenshots, you can submit it through the form below. Submit your question to Mac 911 Submit a form. Keep in mind that not every question will be answered, we don’t reply to email, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice. Check the Mac 911 FAQ Some questions we get more frequently than others. We’ve covered those questions in the Mac 911 FAQ. The FAQ covers topics involving: The Photos app and iCloud Photos macOS: erase, revive, restore, and reinstall Apple ID problems Siri misspellings and mispronunciations Apple TV, Apple Watch, iPad, iPhone, Mac

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