In iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma, turning off iCloud Drive no longer impacts third-party apps that use Apple's iCloud database to sync their data, a notable change that is likely to be welcomed by both developers and users. In previous versions of macOS and iOS, when iCloud Drive is manually disabled in System Settings or the Settings app, this also turns off iCloud (i.e. CloudKit) database access for third-party apps, even if they don't use an iCloud Drive folder. This is despite the fact that iCloud syncing of Apple's own stock apps remains unaffected. This behavior is not made clear in Apple's user-facing settings, which confusingly include separate switches to turn iCloud on and off individually for iCloud Drive, system…

Macworld Apple has unveiled some of the new features coming to iOS in the fall. Journal – Brand new app that builds on Memories in Photos to bring a new way to relive special moments. New way to remember and write about experiences with text, location and photos and more. You chose what to include. Suggestions API for developers to use in their apps. StandBy – Borrows from the Apple Watch. Put the phone on a stand at night and see the time with a clock and a range of clock styles. Shuffles through best shots. Uses widgets. You can also see Live Activities, like game scores. StandBy adapts to red light – red tone to help you sleep. Contact…

Macworld While the higher-end MacBooks with M1 Pro and M2 Pro and M1 Max and M2 Max chips support multiple external displays, Apple’s lower-end range of MacBooks that use a standard M1 or M2 processor cannot natively connect more than one external monitor. This is a massive limitation compared to the previous Intel-based generation of Mac laptops that could run two displays when connected to a USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 docking station or hub that we hope will be rectified with the M3. Here are the external display specs for Apple’s current laptops: M1 MacBook Air: Maximum one external display M2 MacBook Air: Maximum one external display M2 MacBook Pro: Maximum one external display M2 Pro MacBook Pro: Maximum two…

Windows users will want to make sure that they are running the latest version of iTunes, iTunes 12.12.9, in order to gain protection from a recently uncovered security vulnerability. Apple released iTunes 12.12.9 on May 23, and it fixes an issue that could allow malicious apps to gain elevated privileges to install malware on a Windows machine. While the vulnerability was addressed last week, Synopsys, the security company that discovered the problem, today shared some details on how it worked. iTunes had a privileged folder with weak access control, allowing a malicious person to redirect the folder creation to the Windows system directory, which could then be used to obtain a higher-privileged system shell.The iTunes application creates a folder, SC…

Macworld Each year Apple releases a major update for iOS, the operating system on your iPhone. The current version, released last year, is iOS 16, and it doesn’t take a genius to predict that 2023 will see the launch of iOS 17. This free software update will bring a raft of interface tweaks, bug fixes, and new features. It’s like getting a new iPhone without paying a penny. In this article, we discuss everything you need to know about iOS 17. We cover its release schedule and when you can expect the beta and final versions to come out; how to get it when it does; the models of iPhone that are likely to be able to run iOS; and…

Toolbars in macOS make performing common tasks much easier in apps, but you can make them better. He's how to arrange them to your liking.Ever since the Mac debuted in 1984, macOS windows have displayed useful info in them to help determine folder and storage contents. But when Mac OS X was released in 2000, Apple added toolbars and sidebars to Mac windows, creating shortcuts and other tools.Today, macOS allows you to customize toolbars in macOS windows, as well as status and path bars which provide additional info. Read more...