Some TikTok users can now upload 60-minute videos, introducing long-form content to the home of video shorts
TikTok is weighing major changes to the type of content it serves up, as evidenced by a new test rolling out today. Per Aisha Malik at TechCrunch, the test enables some users to upload videos up to a duration of 60 minutes in length. This is a massive increase over the current 3-minute limitation and may carry big implications for TikTok’s future ambitions. more…

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Best iPhone chargers: How to pick the right USB-C power adapter
Macworld If you’ve ordered a new iPhone recently, you’ll notice that the box is a whole lot slimmer than in previous years. That’s because the bulkiest accessory is gone: the power adapter. Apple has removed the charger from all iPhones it sells, so whether you’re spending $429/£429 on an iPhone SE or $1,599/£1,599 on a maxed-out iPhone 15 Pro Max, you need to bring your own charger. Any old charger you have lying around will work, of course. But if you’ve been using Apple’s feeble old 5W adapter, it’s a perfect time to upgrade. Apple now supplies a cable in all iPhone boxes to allow for fast charging, so all you need is the right charger. Here we list our favorite trusted iPhone chargers—many of which do more than the plain Apple-branded chargers. Lightning or USB-C When we talk here about USB-C chargers, we mean the port on the charger, not on the iPhone. Starting with the iPhone 15 family, Apple has switched the port on its iPhone from Lightning to USB-C. But iPhones older than the 15 with the Lightning port should still hunt out a charger with a USB-C port as only these offer fast iPhone charging. Older phones will use a USB-C-to-Lightning cable, while the iPhone 15 series will have USB-C at both ends. Watch the wattage The most important thing to consider when buying a new charger is the amount of wattage it will provide to your device. For years, Apple supplied “good-enough” 5-watt chargers in the iPhone box, which take about 2.5 hours to fill up your iPhone. That was fine for the iPhone 5 and earlier, which didn’t support fast charging, but the newest iPhone models require a charger that can handle 20 watts or greater for fast charging. You can fill up about 50 percent of an iPhone 15’s battery in about 30 minutes with the right adapter. You should get a USB-C charger that’s capable of delivering at least a 20W charge—30W will charge even faster. Quite frankly, it’s harder to find one that doesn’t than one that does, but you’ll want to make sure you’re at least getting the bare minimum to allow for maximum iPhone fast charging. You’ll also want to make sure the charger supports USB Power Delivery, which any third-party charger almost certainly will do. Wired and wireless Whether you charge your iPhone wirelessly or not, you still need a wall charger to supply the power, and even wireless requires a cable from that power adapter to the charging pad. While Apple ships a cable with each iPhone for wired charging, most of the chargers tested here don’t come with a cable. From the iPhone 15 on, Lightning is out and you get a USB-C to USB-C cable included. Of course, you’ll need a spare so read our roundup of the best USB-C cables for iPhone and best Lightning cables. From the iPhone 8 on, iPhones have the ability to be charged wirelessly. The iPhone 12 and later also feature Apple’s superior MagSafe wireless charging technology that uses magnets to make the connection with the wireless charging pad more efficient; check out our roundup of the best MagSafe chargers, most of which require one of the USB-C wall chargers tested here. Charging with a cable plugged into the iPhone will always be faster than wireless. Check the size and the specs Apple’s chargers have always been light, small, and portable, but some third-party adapters make Apple’s seem downright bulky. That’s due to the newest charging tech, gallium nitride (GaN), which allows for adapters that are significantly smaller and more power-efficient. Count the ports Many adapters offer multiple ports on a single wall charger. If you’re going to be regularly charging more than one device at a time, buy an adapter with at least two ports—some have as many as four ports. You can even get a mix of USB-C and USB-A, depending on your needs. Plugs: To fold or not to fold After you decide how much power and how many ports you need, just one question remains: Do you want the plug to fold or not? Some chargers have folding pins to protect the adapter as well as other items if you toss it in a bag, but Apple’s 20W charger and a few others have protruding prongs. It’s a small thing, but it could make a big difference in your travel bag. As any traveler knows, plugs come in all shapes and sizes around the globe. We’ve tried to cover the most used types here. Some USB-C power adapters even come with different prong sets so you can leave the multi-holed travel adapter at home when you travel. Best iPhone chargers reviewed In summary, our favorite single-port iPhone chargers is the Anker Nano 30W USB-C Charger (U.S. and U.K.) but both the Ugreen Nexode 30W GaN Charger (U.S. and U.K.) and Plugable 30W USB-C GaN Charger (U.S. only) are worthy of your attention, too. In AU/NZ, the only real premium option is Apple’s 20W adapter but we also like the AU-pinned Ugreen 20W mini charger. But read on for more in-depth reviews of our favorite USB-C iPhone chargers. Official Apple iPhone charger: Apple 20W USB-C Power Adapter Pros Official Apple charger Foldable prongs on U.K. model Cons No foldable prongs on U.S./AU models One port Price When Reviewed: $19 Best Prices Today: $14.98 at Amazon$14.99 at Target $16.17 at Walmart Why we love it: Apple’s 20W USB-C power adapter is as basic as it gets. It’s one of the bulkiest chargers on this list as well as one of the heaviest, it won’t charge a laptop, and you can’t charge more than one device at a time. However, if you want to keep your chargers in the family, it’s a solid option for $19/£19. In our testing, it won’t charge your phone noticeably faster than the old Apple 18W plug, but it is noticeably cheaper than the model it replaces. We’d like it better if Apple offered a half-price option for iPhone buyers, but even at full price, it’s not a terrible value at all. The U.S. and Australian models don’t feature a folding plug, but the more cube-like U.K. model does, despite the larger plug type, and is a much cleaner design as a result. The hideaway pins on the U.K. model make it our favorite single-port iPhone charger in that country. While 20W is the minimum for fast charging, we recommend a 30W charger for newer iPhones. Best single-port iPhone charger: Anker 30W Nano Charger 511 Pros Smallest, lightest 30W charger 30W Foldable plug Multiple color options Cons One port Price When Reviewed: $19.99 Best Prices Today: $13.99 at Amazon$19.99 at Anker Why we love it: Measuring just 1.12 × 1.12 × 1.39 inches (U.S. model), the 30W Anker USB-C Nano 3 Charger 511 is the smallest 30W USB-C charger we’ve had in our labs for testing. It weighs just 1.3oz (36g). We recommend you buy a 30W charger over 20W as it will charge newer iPhones even faster. The iPhone 15 Pro models will probably fare better with 35W for the fastest iPhone charging, so owners of the very latest iPhones should look at the two-port 40W Anker Nano Pro charger reviewed lower down. Earlier iPhones should be fine with 30W chargers such as this one. It’s available in a range of pastel colors, including Misty Blue, Lilac Purple, Phantom Black, Aurora White and Natural Green. The U.K. Anker Nano 3 (511) model is larger and doesn’t feature foldable prongs—so for U.K. buyers, we recommend the equally incredibly light and powerful Anker Nano USB-C Wall Charger (30W), pictured above, that does have foldable prongs. Ugreen Nexode 30W USB-C GaN Charger Pros Small size 30W Foldable plug Cons One port Price When Reviewed: $19.99 Best Prices Today: $11.99 at Walmart$19.99 at Amazon$19.99 at Ugreen Why we love it: At 1.26 x 1.26 x 1.57 inches and 48g (U.S. model), the tiny Ugreen Nexode 30W GaN Charger is slightly larger than the similar Anker Nano (reviewed above). To make it even more portable both U.S. and U.K models feature foldable prongs. That extra power won’t make much difference with many iPhones as 20W is enough for fast charging. But if you have an iPhone Pro or Max, a 30W charger will allow it to charge a little faster (27W), and it certainly won’t hurt to have the added power on other models. At 30W, It could even recharge a 13-inch MacBook Air! Plugable 30W USB-C GaN Charger Pros Small 30W Foldable plug Available in white or black Cons One port Price When Reviewed: $19.95 Best Prices Today: $15.95 at Walmart$19.95 at Amazon$19.95 at B&H Why we love it: This is another new-generation USB-C charger that measures just 1.22 × 1.26 × 1.37 inches—only marginally larger than the 30W Anker Nano and about the same as the Ugreen Nexode. It weighs just 45g—although you’ll likely not notice the difference with the 36g Anker Nano or 50g Ugreen Nexode. Available in either white or black, it’s not available outside of North America. Budget iPhone charger: Anker PowerPort III 20W Cube Fast Charger Pros Small size Foldable plug on U.S. model Available in white or black Cons No foldable plug on U.K. model One port Price When Reviewed: $14.99 Best Prices Today: $12.99 at Amazon$14.99 at Anker Why we love it: At 1.23 x 1.25 x 1.3 inches, the compact GaN-tech Anker PowerPort III is also pretty tiny and may be found cheaper than the 30W USB-C chargers as it is rated at the lower 20W. The U.K. model is less flexible due to the size of the U.K. plug that here doesn’t allow for foldable prongs, so we prefer the Anker Nano or the even finer Apple 20W Charger in that country only. However, if you can afford it we recommend you go for a 30W charger if your iPhone is a version 13 or later. Best two-port iPhone charger: Ugreen 2-Port Nexode 45W Charger Pros Two ports 45W Price When Reviewed: $39.99 Best Prices Today: $39.99 at Ugreen Why we love it: The Ugreen Nexode 45W GaN Wall Charger 2-Ports Charger has more ports and power than the Anker 511 Nano Pro, but at 1.57 x 1.57 x 1.93 inches isn’t much larger. Each USB-C port is rated at 45W, although note that 45W is the maximum total output—you can just choose either port to supply it. Using both ports, one will give 25W and the other 20W. It’s a great choice for homes with a couple of iPhones in need of a power boost. Best four-port charger: Minix NEO P3 100W Turbo Pros Four ports Up to 100W U.S./U.K./EU pins Foldable plug Cons May be overkill for just a phone Price When Reviewed: $65.99 Best Prices Today: $59.90 at Amazon Why we love it: The Minix NEO P3 100W Turbo packs a lot of power and has four ports: three USB-C and one old-school USB-A. Two of the USB-C ports can charge at 100W, although obviously not at the same time. That means you can use this power adapter to charge a laptop as large as the 16-inch MacBook Pro as well as tablets and phones. The third USB-C is perfect for fast iPhone charging at 20W, as is the 18W USB-A port if you have an older charging cable. Using two ports at the same time it supports one 65W and one 30W feed. Using three supports 45W, 30W, and 20W charges. With all four, it supports, 45W, 30W, and two 7.5W feeds. Like Apple’s dual-port charger, this adapter features intelligent power allocation, automatically adjusting the power output of each port depending on the devices connected to it. The U.S. plug folds, making it a tidy package for carrying around, and the U.K. and EU pin converters simply slide onto the U.S. pins to make this a great home charger in those territories and a useful international travel companion. Best travel adapter charger: OneAdaptr OneWorld 65 Pros Five ports Travel plug adapter 65W PD Cons Total output limited to 5 ports Price When Reviewed: $74.99 Best Prices Today: $74.99 at OneAdaptr Why we love it: The OneWorld 65 is an international adapter that also boasts a built-in 65W PD Charger that can charge up to six devices simultaneously. It features one 65W USB-C PD port, one 20W USB-C PD port, another USB-C charging port, and two USB-A charging ports—the non-PD USB-C port and two USB-A ports share 15W of power. Note that the maximum power output is 65W so if you are charging a mid-sized laptop in full use, there won’t be much spare juice for fas-charging your iPhone. But the real benefit of the OneWorld 65 is that as well as all the USB ports you can also use this as a travel adapter. Sliding connectors will fit into U.S., European, Australian/Chinese, and British wall sockets so covering over 200 countries, and you can plug a similar range of plugs into the OneWorld 65 from the other side. OneAdaptr has a few versions of this handy travel adapter—all with the sliding international prongs and an AC socket. The $39 entry-level OneWorld30 features one 20W USB-C PD port, 2x 15W USB-C and 2x 15W USB-A ports; the $69 OneWorld65 reviewed here; the $89 OneWorld100 features two 60W USB-C PD ports and 2x 15W USB-A ports; and the $109 OneWorld135 features two 100W USB-C PD ports, 1x 20W USB-C and 1x 18W USB-A port. Colorful two-port iPhone charger: Casetify 33W Fast Charger Pros Small size Two ports Foldable plug on U.S. model International plug heads Cute Pink/Blue model Cons Expensive Price When Reviewed: $42 Best Prices Today: $42 at Casetify Why we love it: The biggest selling point of the Casetify Fast Charger is its cute Pink/Blue flavor, although it is also available in plain white. Its 33W beats standard 30W chargers—enough for an iPhone fast charge and AirPods or Apple Watch at the same time. This two-port charger (USB-C and USB-A) is not as tiny as some other chargers but at 1.3 x 1.9 x 1.5 inches it isn’t much larger. It comes with U.K. and E.U. plug heads that slip over the foldable U.S. prongs, so makes a great travel charger, too. Apple 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter Pros Two ports U.S. models have a foldable plug Cons Non-U.S. models don't have a foldable plug Expensive Price When Reviewed: $59 Best Prices Today: $59 at Adorama$59 at B&H$59 at Best Buy Why we love it: Apple offers its own dual-port USB-C charger in two models. As far as we can tell they are identical in everything except shape and size. As an Apple product, it’s reassuringly expensive but also a little smarter than most power adapters. The neat 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter is aimed at iPhone users, and the larger non-compact model is called the 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter, which is the one built for the newer MacBook Air models. Both U.S. chargers feature foldable plugs. The larger version is maybe only preferable if you prefer the ports pointing straight on rather than below the plug itself. As it was designed to work with an iPhone and also something as energy-hungry as an M2/M3 MacBook Air, it needs to be able to distinguish which device needs what. When you connect two devices, power is automatically distributed between them based on their power requirements. In most cases, it will give each device 17.5W, but if you connect a MacBook or iPhone and an Apple Watch or AirPods, it will receive up to 27.5W and the Watch/AirPods gets up to 7.5W. Apple doesn’t say so, but we expect that it uses GaN technology to keep its size to a minimum. Plugable Wall Outlet Extender Pros Adds two ports, keeps AC socket 30W Cons North America only Price When Reviewed: $19.95 Best Prices Today: $24.95 at Amazon$24.95 at B&H Why we love it: If you are short on power sockets, adding a wall charger leaves you with one less place to connect a plug for another device. You could add an extension strip—such as the Ugreen GaN Power Strip reviewed below—but the Plugable Wall Outlet Extender is smaller and neater, giving you two USB ports and a passthrough power socket. The USB-C socket can power an iPhone at up to 30W, and there’s another USB-A port that can handle 12W. Note, though, that the combined USB power output is 32W, so if you use both, that USB-C port might get pegged back to just 20W. UGreen 100W USB-C GaN Power Strip Pros 4 USB ports and 3 AC power sockets 100W Cons Bulky Price When Reviewed: $99.99 Best Prices Today: $99.99 at Amazon$99.99 at Ugreen Why we love it: This power strip is both a desktop charger and AC extender with three power sockets, and includes four USB ports (3x USB-C, 1x USB-A), two of which are PD compatible at 100W so powerful enough to charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro or super-fast-charge the latest iPhones. This is great for adding all sorts of device-charging on or underneath your desk. The other USB-C port and the USB-A port can each fast-charge an iPhone at 22.5W. Maximum output on the USB ports is 100W, and for the three power plugs (one on the top, and two behind) 1,870W. Amazon Amazon Amazon FAQ 1. What’s the best iPhone charging cable? Apple still includes a cable in the box with a new iPhone. But you can never have enough charging cables, right? From the iPhone 15 onwards, you need a USB-C to USB-C cable. Older iPhones require a USB-C to Lightning cable. If you need a spare, make sure you buy a USB-C to Lightning cable that’s certified Made for iPhone (MFI). Anker makes several of our recommended iPhone chargers, and its MFI-certified USB-C to Lightning cable is a little cheaper than Apple’s own cable and is twice as long. Anker has a bunch of USB-C to Lightning cables in various lengths and colors on its U.S. Amazon Store and at Amazon UK. We also rate UGreen’s USB-C to Lightning iPhone charge cables. For more detail, read our roundup of the best Lightning cables. 2. What about USB-C to USB-C cables? From the iPhone 15 onwards—or until Apple offers only wireless charging—Apple has replaced the iPhone’s Lightning port with a standard USB-C port. The new iPhones ship with the correct cable so you don’t need to go looking for a new one unless you require a spare—and, let’s face it, most of us need several. Check out PCWorld’s list of the best USB-C cables. For more advice on charging your iPhone read: iPhone Clean Energy Charging: How it works and why you want to keep it on, How to charge an iPhone properly and What’s the fastest way to charge an iPhone. Mobile Phone Accessories, Mobile Phone Chargers, Power

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Bag bargains on Apple accessories in Belkin Memorial Day Sale
To bag bargains on great Apple accessories, hit our links to the Belkin Memorial Day Sale. It launched ahead of the holiday this week. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Threads begins testing a TweetDeck-style interface with real-time posts
Threads has great news for users who want more power and flexibility from the social media platform. Starting today, the service is beginning to test a TweetDeck-style multi-column interface that’s fully customizable by each Threads user. more…

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Carbon Copy Cloner 7.0
Major new release for the drive cloning and backup utility loaded with new features and enhancements. ($49.99 new, $24.99 upgrade, free update, 23.6 MB, macOS 13+)

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1Password 8.10.32
Maintenance release brings a variety of improvements and bug fixes to the password manager. ($35.88 annual subscription, free update, 4.8 MB, macOS 10.15+)

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Vision Pro ‘one the the biggest steps’ for mainstream XR adoption, says Job Simulator studio
Apple Vision Pro may be taking a backseat while the has its day in the sun, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t big things brewing for the premium mixed reality headset. GamesIndustry.biz has interviewed Owlchemy Labs CEO Andrew Eiche about their experience bringing Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator to Apple Vision Pro, and their perspective on its role in the world is clear. more…

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BBEdit 15.1
Renames ChatGPT Worksheets to AI Chat Worksheet with preferences that provide settings to select alternative services. ($59.99 new, free update, 29.7 MB, macOS 11+

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Sci-fi king Apple TV+’s new ‘Dark Matter’ series is thrilling at every turn
The new nine-episode sci-fi thriller “Dark Matter,” is based on the blockbuster book by Blake Crouch and features… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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How to play Quartiles, the new daily word game in Apple News+
There’s a new daily word game for Apple News+ subscribers called Quartiles. Here's how to play it, plus tips to maximize your score. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Sony Music warns tech companies and music streamers against AI uses of its content
Artificial intelligence buzz is all over the news, but for all the technology’s potential, a key piece of the AI story that’s not covered enough is tech companies’ need for existing content to train AI models on—and sometimes using that content without its owners’ consent. According to a new report from Bloomberg, Sony Music Group is putting those companies on notice with a firm warning against unauthorized use of its content. more…

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Sports streaming bundle with ESPN/FOX/TNT under ex-Apple exec finally has a name and release date
On the heels of the Netflix, Peacock, and Apple TV+ streaming bundle news, the branding for an upcoming major sports bundle has been announced. Following the unveiling of the partnership earlier this year, ESPN, FOX, and Warner Bros. announced that their new offering – led by a former Apple executive – will be called “Venu Sports” plus an expected launch date. more…

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Hands-on: Finally, a magnetic stand that also wirelessly charges your M4 iPad Pro
Kuxiu has just debuted its brand-new X33 Pro MAX Magnetic Charging Stand—yes, it’s a mouthful. I have been waiting for a product like this to be released since I picked up the 2018 iPad Pro six years ago. Other companies have attempted similar products over the years, but there was always a sacrifice that had to be made in order to charge your iPad wirelessly. Most previous solutions required an iPad case that would block the main USB-C port, making it unusable while charging. Kuxiu is giving us the first-ever frictionless magnetic iPad charging stand, which lives up to the hype. more…

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Today in Apple history: PowerBook 540c is the best Mac laptop to date
On May 16, 1994, Apple launched the PowerBook 540c, one of the very best laptops in its history. This is what made it so special. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Apple's popular 1TB 14-inch MacBook Pro is $250 off today
A steeper price drop has been issued today on Apple's 14-inch MacBook Pro with an upgraded M3 Pro chip and 1TB of storage. Plus, take advantage of bonus perks like free 2-day shipping and a sales tax refund for store cardholders.The $250 markdown is in effect at Apple Authorized Reseller B&H Photo, bringing the Space Black 14-inch configuration down to $2,149 when optioned out with an upgraded M3 Pro chip with a 12-core CPU and 18-core GPU. This model also has a bump up to a 1TB SSD, double the amount of storage found in the standard model, which is also on sale.Buy for $2,149B&H also offers a few extra perks, such as free 2-day shipping within the contiguous U.S. on this MacBook Pro and thousands of other electronics. Payboo cardholders (B&H's store card) is also one of the best on the market due to the instant sales tax refund available in qualifying states. Continue Reading on AppleInsider

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Apple’s new 1TB 11-inch iPad Air with M2 $50 off, Apple Watch Series 9 GPS + Cell $100 off, AirPods, and more
Today’s best deals are headlined by an even better price drop on Apple’s new 1TB 11-inch iPad Air with M2. While we did see $30 deals on most configurations earlier this week, the maxed-out 11-inch is now $50 off for the best price yet. That deal joins Apple Watch Series 9 at $100 off, including 41mm, 45mm, and GPS + Cell models starting from $299, alongside ongoing Ultra 2 discounts, and AirPods offers. Head below for a closer look at today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break. more…

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Mac gaming lands big win with Assassin’s Creed Shadows launching same day as PC and consoles
Apple silicon’s arrival on the Mac has led to renewed hope of a robust macOS gaming market emerging. For as loved as Macs may be among the general population of users, when it comes to gaming, PCs and consoles have long proven necessary if you want to play the latest games. Apple’s success with gaming on iOS has not translated to the Mac. But things have started to shift. Last year Apple debuted a new porting tool that enabled PC games to more easily be brought to macOS, and we’ve started to see more AAA titles come to the Mac as a result. Typically though, those titles have launched only after extended runs on other platforms. Now, we may have evidence of even more hope for Mac gaming’s future, as one of this fall’s highly anticipated titles, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, is coming to the Mac day-and-date with the PC and consoles. more…

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CleanMyMac X review
Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating ProsExcellent cleaning tools Large toolsetEasy to useConsUpdater feature still missed some app updatesMalware Removal still produces mixed resultsOur VerdictCleanMyMac X performs most of its functions admirably and provides an excellent means of clearing gigabytes of unused system detritus/gunk off your Mac. Unfortunately, the antivirus elements still aren’t up to scratch.  Price When Reviewed$34.95 per year, free 7-day trial available Best Prices Today: CleanMyMac X Retailer Price MacPaw $34.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket For years, MacPaw’s CleanMyMac X has been a good multi-purpose utility for the macOS operating system, and its bright, friendly user interface lends easy access to several handy utilities to clear up disk space, protect user privacy, optimize performance, update applications, uninstall software, and help prevent malware and adware. And while handy and worth keeping around, version 4.15.3, continues to suffer from the same overreach we mentioned previously when reviewing this software. Compare CleanMyMac to other Mac cleaner solutions – visit our round up of the Best Mac Cleaner software. What’s good Similar to past versions, CleanMyMac X 4.15.3 is as easy to download and install as ever, and it’s simple to either purchase the software for $34.95 for one Mac (usually $34.95), $54.95 for 2 Macs (usually $79.90), or $79.95 for 5 Macs (usually $199.75), or set up a seven-day trial in which MacPaw keeps your credit or debit card number on file. Once installed, simply assign permissions, allow the software and its modules to access various sections of your hard drive, and you’re off. The catch-all utility offers an assortment of modules with its core focus centered around identifying and cleaning out gigabytes upon gigabytes of unused system garbage. The modules are Smart Scan, System Junk, Mail Attachments, Trash Bins, Malware Removal, Privacy, Optimization, Maintenance, Uninstaller, Updater, Extensions, Space Lens, Large & Old Files, and Shredder. Each module performs various tasks. The Smart Scan is the overarching umbrella feature, hunting down extraneous files that can be deleted to clear drive space, performing a quick malware scan, and executing a speed test to look into optimization functions, such as freeing up RAM or quickly clearing system caches. The results from a CleanMyMac X Smart Scan. The results from a CleanMyMac X Smart Scan.Foundry The results from a CleanMyMac X Smart Scan.Foundry Foundry The other modules perform the functions they’re named after and offer a good level of customization. Still, CleanMyMac X’s standout features remain file cleanup, malware removal, privacy cleanup, easy access to system extensions, the app uninstaller, and the Large & Old Files locator, which helps hunt down multi-gigabyte files you forgot to delete and offers a quick means of deleting them to recover drive space. CleanMyMac X’s handy Large & Old Files module offers easy access to large files munching up space on your hard drive. CleanMyMac X’s handy Large & Old Files module offers easy access to large files munching up space on your hard drive.Foundry CleanMyMac X’s handy Large & Old Files module offers easy access to large files munching up space on your hard drive.Foundry Foundry The modules themselves generally live up to their purpose, and it’s handy to be able to do a general search for data that’s consuming large parts of your hard drive as well as drill down and enable or disable specific system-level extensions as needed. CleanMyMac X runs a handy set of maintenance scripts, such as clearing the DNS cache and repairing file permissions, which help to keep things in order. CleanMyMac X is routinely updated (in the 4.15 update in February 2024 the security components got a major update) and is well cared for by its developer. CleanMyMac X gained a handy Menu Bar item in version 4.11 that brought useful information, such as drive capacities, CPU speeds, system temperature, system load, and network activity readouts. This received a substantial update in 2023, bringing additional information such as your laptop’s battery, temperature, and health, your hard drive’s capacity and overall health, your free RAM capacity, and your CPU load and hardware temperature are on hand and readily accessible. The Space Lens feature that arrived with the 2023 update, and the Large & Old Files module, offer a quick and handy view as to what’s consuming the majority of your hard drive space, and it was easy to pick off large, forgotten multi-gigabyte video files as well as gigabytes upon gigabytes of unused language and cache files with the System Junk module. Click on the CleanMyMac X icon in the Menu Bar to access useful information such as remaining battery life, bandwidth, CPU load, and connected device information. It’s exceptionally easy to see what’s gobbling up the most space on your Mac’s hard drive. The features are well-integrated. To its credit, CleanMyMac X offers some nice surprises, and I was able to recover more than 30GB of drive space as the program found unused files and disk images galore via my iCloud storage. Other features such as the Disk Lens and Uninstaller offered a clear view as to which folders were consuming the most drive space and a quick means of removing applications.  Removing an app with CleanMyMac X’s Uninstall module. Removing an app with CleanMyMac X’s Uninstall module.Foundry Removing an app with CleanMyMac X’s Uninstall module.Foundry Foundry What’s not so good Unfortunately, it’s the same sticking points that I’ve mentioned in the past that seem to haunt CleanMyMacX 4.15. With Mac utilities, a multifaceted approach that offers several base functions can be excellent. But the danger is that the developer overextends themselves trying to be everything to everyone, and the result is that some features aren’t as good as others, making you wonder about the value of the total app. This is unfortunately the case with CleanMyMac X. CleanMyMac X has a couple of modules that are the app’s greatest hurdles: the Malware removal module and the Updater function. Both are well-intentioned and focused, but unfortunately, they don’t work as well as we hoped. Malware protection remains a mixed bag, and while the app works well with macOS’ Gatekeeper function in working to prevent malware installation on your Mac, it’s still possible to install a good amount of questionable software. Yes, the Malware Removal module was able to detect and quarantine several threats (such as OSX.EvilEgg, DazzleSpy, and parts of the AdWind malware), but it left segments of AdWind installed in tests, as well as missed the questionable WaveBrowser, a mock version of Adobe Flash Player Install Manager, Adobe album and the infamous MacSecurity app, which had to be removed with another application. This was disappointing considering MacPaw’s well-marketed and hyped use of the Moonlock Engine for this purpose. Other foibles within the Malware Removal module include the fact that while it’s easy to select for external volumes to be scanned upon mounting, there’s no clear display as to this happening, or an easy option to select a target volume and begin a scan, which would be a handy user interface option. For some better antivirus options, if that is what you are after read our round-up of the Best Antivirus for Mac. Malware protection settings in CleanMyMac X 4.15.3. Malware protection settings in CleanMyMac X 4.15.3.Foundry Malware protection settings in CleanMyMac X 4.15.3.Foundry Foundry If the Malware Removal module needs improvements, the Updater module is in even rougher shape. This section of the software feels as if almost nothing has been done with it, and the only update it was able to detect and install was a small screenshot AI update through Apple’s App Store. These scans missed significant app updates to critical programs such as GitHub, Slack, Google Chrome, Adobe Reader, VirtualBox, and others, and one wonders how it can be so hard to add support for these developers for the module to find and locate free updates that the developers would want the users to have in the first place? Verdict CleanMyMac X (version 4.15.3 at the time we updated this review) offers a good suite of utilities, but unless a major new version or upgrade is en route, MacPaw seems to be making the same mistakes again. Despite the company’s use of the Moonlock Engine for its Malware Removal module, it still left significant chunks of malware behind and this is concerning. The rough state of the Updater module once again leads one to consider the MacUpdater, which is $9.76 for an individual user, is tightly focused on its task, and has become my standby for locating just about every software update I could dream of for my Macs.  I don’t think MacPaw is ill-intentioned in its efforts by any stretch of the imagination and its customer service has always been responsive, but I do think it’s wandering into the same issues that any company has when it tries to make a Swiss Army knife of an application suite and keeps adding to its feature base. Some features invariably become better than others, and unless there’s a major new version or update that comes out, it seems as if these issues may not be fixed in short order. CleanMyMac X runs well, does its chief job of recovering space on a Mac superbly, and is available at a good price, but without a significant overhaul for its Malware Removal and Updater modules, it won’t be able to deliver on the vast amount it promises.  Cleaning and Data Recovery Software, MacOS

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Crazy-thin iPad Pro models hold up under early bend tests
Will "bendgate" return for M4 iPad Pro? It seems unlikely, given three new video tests showing the super-thin tablet's suprising strength. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Warning: iOS 17.5 may resurface previously deleted photos
Macworld After installing the iOS 17.5 or iPadOS 17.5 update, you may find a surprise or two (or three or four…) in your Photos. According to several user reports online, the 17.5 update may restore photos that you have deleted long after the 30-day restore period has expired. Which could make for an embarrassing situation. A post on Reddit said that some of the resurrected photos had “nsfw material,” and another post said, “my photos appeared on my OLD iPad I gave to a friend.” One user in the Reddit thread claims to be an Apple QA employee and says that what’s happening is that photos that have been sent through Messages are being saved to the Photo library, and the solution is to delete the old Messages. However, a separate user replied that their restored photos were not messaged to anyone. Also, some users with this problem are using iCloud Photos, while others aren’t. As others have pointed out (in the Reddit thread and in other reports), when you delete a file–including a photo–the file isn’t really wiped out. What happens is that the reference to it is gone, but the file is still there until another file is written over it. Though you’d think that if a photo was deleted years ago and you’re regularly shooting new ones, there would be many opportunities for that old photo to be overwritten. Apple has not commented on the issue, but you can probably expect a point-one update to address it soon. Several users have reported that this issue existed in the 17.5 betas, but it’s not known if this is a widespread issue. I installed the iOS 17.5 update after its release on Monday and have not had any old deleted photos come back to haunt me, thank goodness. iOS, iPad, iPhone

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