None of the cool Apple Intelligence tricks are in first iOS 18, macOS Sequoia betas
iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and iPadOS 18 betas leave out Apple Intelligence. Hold off on installation to avoid disappointment. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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These are the remaining Intel Macs that can run macOS Sequoia
Macworld When Apple announced it was going to stop using Intel processors in Macs, the company said it would support those Intel-based Macs for a number of years. It’s been four years since Apple silicon was introduced, so as WWDC arrives each year with its unveiling of the new version of macOS, users wait to see if the Intel Mac they use will be on the compatibility list. You can find the macOS Sequoia compatibility list on Apple’s website. But it lists Macs by the model year, not whether it has Intel or Apple silicon. To help you figure it out, here’s the list of Intel-based Macs compatible with macOS Sequoia listed by release year and Model Identifier. Mac modelRelease yearModel IdentifierMacBook Air2020MacBookAir9,1MacBook Pro2018, 2019, 2020MacBookPro15,1MacBookPro15,2MacBookPro15,3MacBookPro15,4MacBookPro16,1MacBookPro16,2MacBookPro16,3MacBookPro16,4Mac mini2018Macmini8,1iMac2019, 2020iMac19,1iMac19,2iMac20,1iMac20,2iMac Pro2017iMacPro1,1Mac Pro2019MacPro7,1 So, we have one model from 2017, the iMac Pro that started at $4,999 and was something of a stop-gap between the cylindrical Mac Pro and modular tower. Otherwise, it’s likely the last year of support for the 2018 Mac mini and 2019 iMac, leaving at most a handful of intel laptops able to support macOS 16. To find out the Model Identifier of your Mac, go to Applications > Utilities and launch the System Information app. Then select Hardware at the very top of the left column, and look for Model Identifier in the main window. If you can’t find the Model Identifier, open About this Mac and you should see the year the Mac was released–use that info to check. Learn more about how to identify your Mac. Will my Intel Mac run macOS Sequoia iPhone Mirroring? iPhone Mirroring is a new feature in macOS Sequoia where your Mac and iPhone connect wirelessly and you can see your iPhone on the Mac display and use it. To use this feature on an Intel Mac, the Mac must have a T2 Security Chip. These are the Sequoia-compatible Intel Macs with T2: 2020 Intel MacBook Air 2018 or later Intel MacBook Pro 2018 Intel Mac mini 2020 27-inch Retina 5K Intel iMac 2017 Intel iMac Pro 2019 Intel Mac Pro So nearly all of the Intel Macs support this feature, aside from the iMac from 2019. Will my Intel Mac run Apple Intelligence? No. Any feature that falls under Apple Intelligence (Image Playground, Siri, Writing Tools, and more) requires an M-series chip. Read our Apple Intelligence FAQ to learn more. What other macOS Sequoia features won’t work? While previous versions of macOS have included numerous features exclusive to Apple silicon Macs, Seqioua includes just one feature you won’t get on Intel Macs: Live audio transcription: in the Notes app on M-series Macs, you can make audio recordings and it will create a written transcript. Learn more about the next Mac update coming this fall in our macOS Sequoia superguide. Mac, MacOS

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Apple ID to Be Renamed to Apple Account, Disrupting Independent Documentation
Starting later this year, Apple will replace all instances of “Apple ID” in its operating systems and documentation with “Apple Account.” Documentation that covers multiple versions of Apple operating systems will become more awkward.

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AirTag and Apple Pencil deals include Pencil 2 for $50 off
If you head over to Amazon, you can score deals on AirTag and Apple Pencil -- including the excellent Pencil 2 for a big 50 bucks off. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Apple Vision Pro is changing disabled users’ lives
The Apple Vision Pro spatial computer is already changing disabled users’ lives, allowing them to do and experience things that were once… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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This new Apple TV+ heist film reunites Matt Damon with ‘The Bourne Identity’ director
Apple TV+ offers a diverse array of TV series, with comedies like Ted Lasso and Shrinking, dramas like Presumed Innocent and The Morning Show, and sci-fi series galore. But when it comes to films—not counting limited-time offerings from other studios—the service has largely focused on Oscar contenders. Most of the biggest TV+ original movies—CODA, Killers of the Flower Moon, Napoleon—lean toward serious subject matter. But later this summer, a new comedic heist film looks set to offer a lot of fun and reunite Matt Damon with his former director of The Bourne Identity. The movie is called The Instigators, and Apple just released a full trailer. more…

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Man ludicrously blames Apple for his wife catching him communicating with prostitutes
A British man is ridiculously attempting to sue Apple following a divorce, caused by his wife finding messages to a prostitute he deleted from his iPhone that were still accessible on an iMac.Messages can be deleted, but be thorough in checking it's gone from all your devices. In the last years of his marriage, a man referred to as "Richard" started to use the services of prostitutes, without his wife's knowledge. To try and keep the communications secret, he used iMessages on his iPhone, but then deleted the messages.Despite being careful on his iPhone to cover his tracks, he didn't count on Apple's ecosystem automatically synchronizing his messaging history with the family iMac. Apparently, he wasn't careful enough to use Family Sharing for iCloud, or discrete user accounts on the Mac. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Here’s how to turn on iPhone Eye Tracking in iOS 18
iOS 18 includes several new accessibility features for iPhone with the headlining one being the ability to control the smartphone with just your eyes. Whether you have an accessibility need or just want to tinker with the new feature, here’s how to turn on iPhone Eye Tracking in iOS 18. more…

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Soon you’ll be able to tailor AirPods Pro’s Adaptive Audio to your liking
Apple announced several new features coming to AirPods later this year, like detection of head nods and shakes, voice isolation, and a special dynamic tracking feature for gaming. One change it didn’t announce, but which is available in the latest AirPods firmware beta, is the ability to tailor last year’s Adaptive Audio feature to your exact liking. more…

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Price drop: grab Apple's M2 MacBook Air 13″ for $829
Apple resellers are clearing out MacBook Air inventory, with the M2 models dropping to $829 and the latest M3 spec available for as low as $899.Take advantage of fresh price drops on Apple's MacBook Air.We're following aggressive discounts on Apple's MacBook Air today, with the M2 standard configuration dropping to $829. This spec features the M2 chip with an 8-core GPU, along with 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage, making it a viable choice for web surfing and streaming content.All four color options are eligible for the $170 discount at Amazon today, but prices and availability are subject to change. See how much you can save on every configuration in our M2 MacBook Air 13-inch Price Guide. Continue Reading on AppleInsider

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How to know if your Mac has been hacked
Macworld It’s a long-held belief of Mac users that their computers are immune to the kind of malware and viruses that plague Windows PCs. While there is some credibility in this idea, we shouldn’t get over-confident when it comes to Mac security, as there are exploits that criminals can use to hack your Mac and leave it like a wide-open door through which they can steal your data or worse. In this article, we take a look at whether Macs can be hacked, how to tell if your Mac has been hacked or if someone is spying on your Mac, and what you can do if your Mac is being remotely accessed. Here’s what you need to know – and what you need to do. Can Macs get hacked? Apple has gone to great lengths to make it difficult for hackers to gain access to Macs. With the protections offered by Gatekeeper, the Secure Enclave features of the M1, M2 and M3-series of chips, and the T1 or T2 chip in some Intel-powered Macs, plus Apple’s built-in antivirus XProtect, targeting Macs may well be considered too much effort by hackers. We discuss this in more detail here: How secure is a Mac? and in Do Macs need antivirus software? PROMOTIONAntivirus Deal: Intego Mac Premium Bundle Get Intego’s Mac Premium Bundle X9 with antivirus, firewall, backup and system performance tools for just $29.99 (down from $84.99) for the first year. Get Deal However, from time to time security vulnerabilities are detected that could be used by hackers to exploit Macs. These vulnerabilities are sometimes referred to as back doors or as a zero-day vulnerability. When these are identified by security researchers (or friendly hackers) they usually alert Apple to them in the hope that the company will quickly close the vulnerability, quickly – or within zero days – before it is exploited.  Such vulnerabilities, though rare, could allow an attacker root access to your Mac. Apple is usually quick to fix, but there have been cases where Apple has been criticized for being slow to respond to the threat once it’s been identified. For example, in August 2023 a software developer released details about a flaw in App Management, a security feature introduced in macOS Ventura designed to prevent malicious software modifications and alerting the user in such an instance. The developer had discovered the issue before the release of Ventura in October 2022, but a fix was not immediately issued, so, in August 2023, the developer went public with details of the flaw which meant that apps could bypass the check by App Management. More here. In another example, researcher Filippo Cavallarin found a Gatekeeper vulnerability in 2019 that he alerted Apple to. Having had no response from Apple within 90 days he went public with details of the vulnerability. In December 2023, a group of university researchers alerted Apple to a vulnerability in Apple’s M-series chips that can be exploited to gain access to cryptographic keys. Dubbed “GoFetch,” the vulnerability could be used by an attacker to access a user’s encrypted files. As of June 2024, Apple is yet to issue a fix, perhaps because of its effect on performance. Those pointing out vulnerabilities aren’t always ignored by Apple. In 2021, Apple paid a student $100,000 after he discovered a dangerous vulnerability relating to Macs and reported it to Apple. The vulnerability, which could enable a hacker to gain control of a Mac user’s camera, was identified by Ryan Pickren in July 2021 and fixed by Apple in macOS Monterey 12.0.1 on October 25, 2021. More information here: Hacker ‘could take over any Apple webcam’. It’s not always a flaw in Apple’s software that can leave Macs vulnerable. In August 2023 a serious vulnerability that affects Intel processors was highlighted. Affected devices included Intel-powered Macs from 2015 onwards (M-series Macs were all ok). According to researcher Daniel Moghimi: “Downfall attacks target a critical weakness found in billions of modern processors used in personal and cloud computers.” Intel released a patch, but it’s not the first time this has happened. Back in 2018, in a similar case, Meltdown and Spectre attacked vulnerabilities in Intel and ARM processors. That risk was mitigated by updates to the operating system which closed off the areas that were exposed. Do Macs get hacked? It may be rare when compared to Windows, but yes, there have been cases where Macs have been accessed by hackers. This can take various forms and there are various types of Mac malware that have been discovered ‘in the wild’ on Macs as you can see from our run-through of the various threats affecting macOS: List of Mac viruses, malware and security flaws. Soon after launch, Malware targetted the M1 Mac – read about Silver Sparrow and the first cases of malware for M1 Macs. And in April 2024 Apple alerted some users via an email, suggesting that they may have been the target of spyware. “Apple detected that you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID -xxx-,” read the email, as detailed here: Apple warns users in 92 countries of spyware attack. This kind of attack isn’t likely to affect the general public though, so if you aren’t protecting state secrets or heavily invested in cryptocurrency you are unlikely to fall fowl of such an attack. How Apple protects Macs from hackers Apple is kept busy patching these security flaws as and when they arise, but it used to be reliant on users to install them. Before Apple launched macOS Ventura in 2022 an update to the operating system was required to get the important security component on a Mac. Since some people delay installing operating system updates this was problematic so Apple changed the way security updates are applied to Macs. These important security updates can now be delivered as background updates that can be automatically installed on a Mac without the user having to do anything–although we recommend you check the following to ensure it is set up on your Mac: Open System Settings. Choose General. Click on the i beside Automatic Updates. Make sure that the option to Install Security Responses and system files is selected, even if you choose not to select the others (although we recommend you do). If you aren’t running Ventura or later then when Apple issues a macOS update with a security component it is important to install it as soon as possible. You can still set your Mac to automatically download and update the operating system – just follow these steps: Open System Preferences. Click on Software Update. Click on Advanced. Make sure that the option to Install system data files and security updates is selected. Now your Mac will check for updates, download the update, and install the update without you needing to do anything. Can a Mac camera be hacked? Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Once a hacker has access to your Mac there are various ways in which they might try to gain information about you or use the processing power of your Mac for their own purposes. As we mentioned above, in the case of spyware the hacker might attempt to install a keylogger so that it can record what you are typing and look out for your password. The hacker could also attempt to hijack your mic or video camera. Theoretically, this shouldn’t be possible: since macOS Catalina launched in 2019 Apple has protected Mac users from these types of exploits by ensuring that you have to give your permission before the mic or video camera is used, or before a screen recording can take place. And if your video camera is being used you will always see a green light next to it. However, the example we mentioned above, where Ryan Pickren alerted Apple to a vulnerability that could enable a hacker to gain control of a Mac user’s camera, suggests that Apple’s alert wasn’t enough to stop the camera from being accessed. There was also a camera-related vulnerability that affected Mac users of the video conferencing service Zoom. In this case, hackers could add users to video calls without them knowing and then activate their webcams but keep the light turned off. This would enable any potential hackers (or law enforcement bodies) to monitor your activities and you wouldn’t have any idea that the camera was watching you. Zoom patched the vulnerability, but only after it became public knowledge when the person who found it reported that the flaw had been left in place for three months after the company had been privately informed of the risk. For more information read: How to stop your Mac webcam being hacked. Wondering about whether FaceTime is secure? Read Is Apple FaceTime safe? How to tell if your Mac has been hacked If you think your Mac has been hacked there are a few ways to find out. First of all look for the signs: Has your Mac slowed down? Is your web connection painfully slow? Do the ads you are seeing look a bit more dodgy than usual? Have you noticed anything strange on your bank statements?  If you think an account might have been hacked then check the website haveibeenpwned.com and pop in your email address to see if it’s featured in a data breach. If it has been then change your password! This doesn’t mean you have been hacked, but it’s certainly possible that if this information is out there you could be. Another way to tell if there is some strange activity going on would be to check Activity Monitor and look specifically at network activity. You could also go to System Settings > General > Sharing (or System Preferences > Sharing pre Ventura) and check if anyone suspicious has access to anything such as Screen Sharing or Remote Management. Your best bet is to run a sweep of your system with some kind of security software that can check for any viruses or malware that may have made it onto your system. We have a round-up of the best Mac antivirus apps, where we recommend Intego as our top choice. You may also like to read our guide on how to remove a virus from a Mac. How to protect your Mac from hackers macOS is a very secure system, so there’s no need to panic, but if you want to reduce the chances of being compromised then there are a few things to do. The first is to only download software from either the Mac App Store or the official websites of manufacturers. You should also avoid clicking on links in emails in case they lead you to spoof websites and malware. Don’t use USB cables, other cables, or memory sticks, that if you can’t be sure that they are safe. When you are browsing the web surf in private or incognito mode. If you ever receive a ransomware request or a phishing email do not respond as all this does is confirm that you exist. Another is to make sure you download updates to macOS as soon as they become available as they usually include security patches. In fact, you can set up your Mac to automatically download such updates. Turn on Automatic Updates in System Settings > Software Update, click on the i beside Automatic Updates and select all the options. Pre-Ventura, go to System Preferences > Software Update and click beside Automatically keep my Mac up to date pre-Ventura. Finally, consider using a dedicated security software package. You’ll find our pick of the current offerings in best Mac antivirus. Right now our top choices are Intego Mac Internet Security X9, but we also like McAfee Total Protection 2021, and Norton 360 Deluxe. You should also consider using a password manager, as this will allow you to have multiple, complicated login details across all your accounts without having to remember them. Here our recommendations are LastPass, 1Password, and NordPass. Glossary of terms We’ll run through the types of hacks that are more pertinent to the hacking of Macs below: Cryptojacking: This is where someone uses your Mac’s processor and RAM to mine cryptocurrency. If your Mac has slowed right down this could be the culprit. Spyware: Here hackers attempt to gather sensitive data about you, such as your log in details. They might use key loggers to record what you type and eventually have the information they need to log in to your accounts. In one example, the OSX/OpinionSpy spyware was stealing data from infected Macs and selling it on the dark web. Ransomware: Some criminals use Ransomware to try and extort money from you. In cases like KeRanger hackers could have encrypted files on Macs and then demand money to unencrypt them. Luckily Security researchers identified KeRanger before it started infecting Macs so it was addressed before it became a serious threat. In April 2023 security researchers warned that a collective known as LockBit was working on ransomware encryptors that work on both Macs using Apple M-series chips and Intel processors. Botnet: In this case, your computer becomes a remotely operated spam machine. In the case of the Trojan Horse botnet OSX.FlashBack over 600,000 Mac computers. Proof-of-concept: Sometimes the threat isn’t actually seen in the wild, but is a proof of concept based on a loophole or vulnerability in Apple’s code. While this is less of a threat the concern is that if Apple isn’t quick enough to close the vulnerability it could be utilized by criminals. In one example Google’s Project Zero team designed a proof-of-concept known as Buggy Cos which was able to gain access to parts of macOS thanks to a bug in macOS’ memory manager. Port exploits: It’s not always the case that the hack is made possible by some sort of malware downloaded onto the Mac. In some cases, Macs have been hacked after something is plugged into a port. It is possible that Macs could be hacked via the USB and by the Thunderbolt port – which is a good reason to always be careful about what you plug into your Mac or leave your Mac unattended. For example, in the checkm8 exploit it could have been possible for hackers to gain access to the T2 chip by plugging in a modified USB-C cable. Similarly, in the case of Thunderspy a serious vulnerability with the Thunderbolt port could have granted a hacker access to a Mac. Feeling more secure now? Learn even more by reading the helpful tips in How to keep your Mac secure. Antivirus, Mac, MacOS, Security Software and Services

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Security and privacy are hallmarks of Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence is the personal artificial intelligence system for iPhone, iPad, and Mac that combines the power of generative AI models… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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How to download the watchOS 11 developer beta
You can download the watchOS 11 Developer Beta for free. You can try out the great new Fitness features coming to Apple Watch. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Apple Watch Series 9 GPS + Cell $100 off, M3 Pro Max MacBook $300 off, AirPods from $80, and more
Today’s roundup of the best Apple gear deals has arrived with straight up $100 price drops on Apple Watch Series 9, but this time we are focused on the GPS + Cellular models with both aluminum and stainless steel cases. Then we head over to the high-end laptop space with a new all-time low on the M3 Pro Max 16-inch MacBook Pro at $300 off followed by AirPods 2nd Gen back at the best price of the year (alongside other models) and hundreds in savings on Premium Renewed unlocked iPhone 14/15 Pro models. Head below for a closer look at today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break. more…

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Matt Damon’s Boston heist goes wicked wrong in The Instigators [Apple TV+ trailer]
In "The Instigators" trailer on Apple TV+, Matt Damon and Casey Affleck team up in a star-studded Boston crime caper gone wrong. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Forget how to turn off your iPhone? iOS 18 now offers a dedicated power button
Have you ever forgotten how to turn off your iPhone? You’re not the only one. It might seem silly needing to Google search how to turn your device off, but plenty of people do it. But Apple is making a change in iOS 18 that will hopefully make this problem a thing of the past. more…

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Resident Evil 7: Biohazard infects iPhone and Mac in July
Get ready for the terrifying world of 'Resident Evil 7: Biohazard' on iPhone 15 Pro, top-tier iPads and Mac. Experience the horror. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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