Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge When you boot up your Mac, you’ve probably noticed that a number of apps and tools are loading themselves into memory along with the operating system. There are advantages to this — it ensures that your files always stay in sync with the cloud and that certain plug-ins are always available. But there’s value in keeping a balance: having too many programs start up with macOS can be a drag on your system. Not only does it mean your Mac takes longer to get started and ready for use, but auto-starting apps can use up valuable memory space and processor time. It’s important to be selective about what can launch with macOS and…

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge When you boot up your Mac, you’ve probably noticed that a number of apps and tools are loading themselves into memory along with the operating system. There are advantages to this — it ensures that your files always stay in sync with the cloud and that certain plug-ins are always available. But there’s value in keeping a balance: having too many programs start up with macOS can be a drag on your system. Not only does it mean your Mac takes longer to get started and ready for use, but auto-starting apps can use up valuable memory space and processor time. It’s important to be selective about what can launch with macOS and…

The OLED display on the Inspire 3 is better than the monochrome screen on the previous model, even with the mammoth bezels. | Image: Victoria Song / The Verge In today’s day and age, it often feels like we’re constantly wanting our devices to offer more — more pixels, more sensors, more processing power. However, a back-to-the-basics fitness tracker like the Fitbit Inspire 3 can be a welcome change of pace, especially since it’s on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target right now for $79.95 ($20 off). The Inspire 3 is pretty bare-bones, but that’s by design. You won’t find built-in GPS or virtual assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant, but rather a color OLED screen and a colorful,…

The OLED display on the Inspire 3 is better than the monochrome screen on the previous model, even with the mammoth bezels. | Image: Victoria Song / The Verge In today’s day and age, it often feels like we’re constantly wanting our devices to offer more — more pixels, more sensors, more processing power. However, a back-to-the-basics fitness tracker like the Fitbit Inspire 3 can be a welcome change of pace, especially since it’s on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target right now for $79.95 ($20 off). The Inspire 3 is pretty bare-bones, but that’s by design. You won’t find built-in GPS or virtual assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant, but rather a color OLED screen and a colorful,…

Native VPN support is coming to tvOS 17 | Image: Chris Welch / The Verge Apple TVs will get native VPN app support in tvOS 17, according to an Apple press release (via 9to5Mac). It’s one of many features that didn’t make it into the keynote at WWDC 2023, but it could be a big deal for some folks. Assuming native VPN apps on Apple’s streaming box work as they do elsewhere, you might not have to wait to get home to catch up on streaming shows when traveling with an Apple TV 4K in tow. Right now, in tvOS 17, to use a VPN with your Apple TV, you’ll need to do something like install a VPN on your…

Native VPN support is coming to tvOS 17 | Image: Chris Welch / The Verge Apple TVs will get native VPN app support in tvOS 17, according to an Apple press release (via 9to5Mac). It’s one of many features that didn’t make it into the keynote at WWDC 2023, but it could be a big deal for some folks. Assuming native VPN apps on Apple’s streaming box work as they do elsewhere, you might not have to wait to get home to catch up on streaming shows when traveling with an Apple TV 4K in tow. Right now, in tvOS 17, to use a VPN with your Apple TV, you’ll need to do something like install a VPN on your…