Ventura – Latest Apple News

Apple Computer in 2023: A Mixed Bag

tigaman webdesign — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 15:35:29 +0000

Apple Computer had a mixed bag of results in 2023. On the one hand, the company released a number of new products and software updates that were well-received by critics and consumers alike. On the other hand, Apple’s sales of Mac computers declined in the first half of the year, and the company faced some challenges in the global supply chain.

New Products and Software

Apple’s biggest product launch of 2023 was the M2 chip, which powers the new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini. The M2 is a significant upgrade over the previous generation of Apple silicon, with up to 20% faster CPU performance and up to 35% faster GPU performance.

In addition to the M2, Apple also released a number of other new products in 2023, including:

A new 15-inch MacBook Air with an M2 chip
A new Mac Studio with an M2 Max or M2 Ultra chip
A new HomePod with a larger display and improved sound quality
A new version of macOS called Ventura
A new version of iOS called 17
A new version of iPadOS called 17

Sales Decline

Despite the positive reception of its new products and software, Apple’s sales of Mac computers declined in the first half of 2023. The company shipped 40.5% fewer Macs in the first quarter of 2023 than it did in the first quarter of 2022.

There are a number of factors that could have contributed to Apple’s Mac sales decline, including the global chip shortage, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the rising cost of living.

Supply Chain Challenges

Apple also faced some challenges in the global supply chain in 2023. The chip shortage and the war in Ukraine disrupted Apple’s supply of components, leading to delays in the production and shipping of its products.

Despite these challenges, Apple is still a major player in the computer industry. The company’s new products and software are well-received by critics and consumers alike, and Apple is still one of the most valuable companies in the world.

Outlook for 2024

Apple is expected to release a number of new products in 2024, including a new MacBook Pro with an M3 chip, a new Mac Pro, and a new version of iOS. The company is also expected to continue to face challenges in the global supply chain, but it is still well-positioned to remain a leader in the computer industry.

Apple’s 15-inch M2 MacBook Air is an easy decision for any creative who wants a larger beautiful display

tigaman webdesign — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 20:01:23 +0000

Apple in June introduced the 15-inch MacBook Air, the world’s best 15-inch laptop. With an expansive 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display, the incredible performance of M2, up to 18 hours of battery life, and a silent, fanless design, the new MacBook Air brings power and portability — all in the world’s thinnest 15-inch laptop.

15-inch M2 MacBook Air’s keyboard and trackpad

With an all-new six-speaker sound system, the 15-inch MacBook Air delivers immersive Spatial Audio, along with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, MagSafe charging, and the power and ease of macOS Ventura for an unrivaled experience. the 15-inch MacBook Air is now available for order.

Gareth Bevan for Digital Camera World:

With the introduction of Apple Silicon starting with the M1 chip, Apple really kicked the MacBook Air up a notch and made it a serious contender as the best laptop for photo editors who wanted the most portable machine possible that also had the power to get things done.

For years, Apple users have been asking for a larger version of the MacBook Air, and finally, Apple has relented to pressure (or market forces) and given fans what they want with the introduction of the MacBook Air 15-inch model, which Apple’s current M2 generation of Apple Silicon.

It is pretty clear Apple wants creators to spend on its MacBook Pro lineup, but when the M2 chip in the Air series is this good, anyone except high-end creators would be more than catered for by either size of the MacBook Air.

Apple continues to knock it out of the park with its screens. The 15-inch screen on the Air 15 is simply stunning, full of deep rich color and showing off MacOS’ blend of smooth yet sharp UI. The 15-inch screen is a dream to edit photos and videos on, with the additional space, it is easier to get Photoshop, Premiere, and Lightroom’s ever-expanding selection of panels and windows all on screen at once, making it faster and more convenient to edit more directly from the laptop…

The MacBook Air 15 is probably the best laptop currently on the market for most people, and a superb decision for any photographer, videographer, or creative who wants a larger gorgeous screen, combined with enough power to comfortably run the latest editing software, and all wrapped up in a lightweight package that can easily slip into a backpack.

MacDailyNews Take: Even better, the Apple Store on Amazon is currently offering the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air starting at $1,199 (8% off).

Please help support MacDailyNews. Click or tap here to support our independent tech blog. Thank you!

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The post Apple’s 15-inch M2 MacBook Air is an easy decision for any creative who wants a larger beautiful display appeared first on MacDailyNews.

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 15 Rumor Roundup

tigaman webdesign — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 17:53:49 +0000

On this week’s episode of The MacRumors Show, we catch up on the latest rumors about Apple’s iPhone 15 lineup.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos

Apple’s ‌iPhone 15‌ lineup is expected to be announced in around two months. A growing pool of rumors about the devices present an increasingly clear picture of what to expect: The ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus are set to gain the Dynamic Island, the A16 Bionic chip, a USB-C port in place of Lightning, and support for 15W wireless charging with third-party chargers. The iPhone 15 Pro and ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ Max are expected to offer even further upgrades with features like a new titanium frame, thinner bezels, the A17 Bionic chip, a new periscope telephoto camera with 6x optical zoom on the Pro Max, and a mute button in place of the existing switch. The Pro models could also see a price increase compared to their predecessors.

We also discuss the launch of Threads, Meta’s new Twitter competitor, our current perspective on iPhone cases, and the state of foldables following the debut of the Google Pixel Fold. Listen to The MacRumors Show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, Google Podcasts, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player. Watch a video version of the show on the MacRumors YouTube channel.

If you haven’t already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, where we ponder some of the devices and apps we wish Apple would make.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for more episodes, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by exciting guests like Andru Edwards, Kevin Nether, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Mark Gurman, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, Quinn Nelson, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Sara Dietschy, Luke Miani, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, iJustine, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, Jon Rettinger, and Rene Ritchie. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the show, and let us know what subjects you would like the podcast to cover in the future.

Tag: The MacRumors Show

This article, "The MacRumors Show: iPhone 15 Rumor Roundup" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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macOS Sonoma beta 3 now ready for developers

tigaman webdesign — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 17:51:09 +0000

Macworld

If you don’t want to wait to install the next version of macOS – which we now know will be called Sonoma after Apple revealed all the details at WWDC in June, you can join the beta program and try it out on your Mac before it is released to the public in September or October.

The developer beta of macOS 14 Sonoma is already available to download. This year the developer beta isn’t just available to developers who have paid to join Apple’s Developer Program (which costs $99/£79), Apple has opened it up to anyone who is a registered developer. We explain how to get a free developer account below.

The slightly more stable public beta version will be available for anyone to sign up for the public beta program around the beginning of July.

Even though macOS 14 is now in beta, the beta program is still running for macOS 13 with testers currently running macOS 13.5. If you would prefer to run that beta you can do so.

In this article, we’ll run through what you need to do to get your hands on the beta of the next version of the Mac operating system, how to install it, and what you should bear in mind if you don’t want to end up in a pickle. If you would prefer to wait for the full version of macOS Sonoma here’s how to update macOS on your Mac.

Update 7/5/23: Apple has released the beta 3 of macOS Sonoma to developers.

macOS Sonoma beta release date

The first version of the developer beta of Ventura arrived after the WWDC keynote on June 5, 2023 as expected. On July 5, Apple released the third developer beta.

The surprise was that Apple made this Developer Beta available to anyone who had registered as a developer, even if they weren’t a paid-up member of Apple’s Developer Program. As a result, people who have a basic free developer account are able to download the macOS Sonoma developer beta already, and we will show you how to register below.

Foundry

Whether you should download the developer beta if you aren’t a developer is another question. We don’t recommend you install the developer beta if you aren’t a developer. Instead, our recommendation is to wait a few more weeks until the public beta arrives.

macOS Sonoma public beta release date and differences

The public beta of Ventura was released on July 11, 2022, so we expect a similar timescale for macOS Sonoma, perhaps July 10, 2023.

There are a few differences between the public and developer betas. The public beta is not the same as the beta that is released through the developer program.

Developers get updates to their beta first, and possibly more frequently. But you should keep in mind that betas are by nature not stable, and because the public beta comes after the developer beta it could be a little safer to install.

The most significant difference is probably the motive of the testers: Developers usually have the aim of ensuring their apps work when the updated macOS is released to the general public, while public beta testers are essentially helping Apple detect bugs and offering feedback on the features. Because of this developers may get to test new features not available in the public beta.

If you want to get the public beta the first thing you need to do, if you haven’t already, is join Apple’s beta programs read this for more information: How to become an Apple beta tester.

Apple

How to get a free developer account

If you just want a free Apple Developer account so you can access the beta you can get this via Xcode or the Apple Developer app in iOS. Here’s how to do it via the Apple Developer app on an iPhone:

Get the Apple Developer App from the App Store.
Open the app on your iPhone.
Tap on Account.
Tap on Sign In.
Sign in using your usual Apple ID.

If you wish to actually publish applications to the App Store or receive support, you’ll need to pay $99/£79 per year for a paid account. You can compare the free and paid accounts here.

How to get the macOS Sonoma beta

The Sonoma developer beta should show up on your Mac if you are running macOS Ventura 13.4 or later, have paid $99/£79 to enroll in Apple’s Developer program (here) or if you have a free developer account (follow the instructions above).

When the Public Beta becomes available it will also show up on your Mac in macOS Ventura 13.4, as long as you have signed up for the Public Beta program on Apple’s beta webpage, signed the NDA, and enrolled your Mac.

Before you download a few warnings:

We strongly advise that if you aren’t a developer you don’t download the developer beta.
We also strongly recommend that you back up your Mac before you upgrade to the Sonoma beta.
We recommend that you do not run Sonoma on your primary Mac; ideally, you run it in a separate volume. This should minimize any risks to you.

If you are running macOS Ventura 13.4 or later:

Open Software Updates on your Mac. (System Settings > General > Software Updates.)
You should see two options: Automatic Updates and Beta Updates. Click on the (i) beside Beta Updates.
You can now turn on Beta Updates (if they weren’t already on).
Choose the beta you want to download.
If your developer account is tied to a different Apple ID to your usual one you can change that here.
Click Done.
Now your Mac will Check for updates and eventually show the Sonoma Developer Beta as an upgrade. Click on Upgrade Now.

Foundry

If you are running macOS Ventura 13.3 or earlier:

Apple changed the way it delivers betas in Ventura 13.4. If you aren’t yet running that version of macOS you will need to download the macOS Developer Beta Access Utility or macOS Public Beta Access Utility.

If you were already running an earlier macOS Public Beta you’ll find the new macOS beta as an upgrade via Software Update. Just click on Upgrade Now. You may have to update to the latest version of your current beta before you can do so, if not follow the steps below to get the beta access utility.

If you are enrolled in the Developer Program, go to Apple’s beta download page. Click on Install Profile to download the new macOS Developer Beta Access Utility to your Mac.
If you are enrolled as a public beta tester, download the macOS Public Beta Access Utility.
Go to Downloads on your Mac and click on the macOS Beta Access Utility to open it.
Double-click on the dmg file and the installer will run.
Once the new macOS beta is installed Software Update will check to see if there are any updates. Click Update and the latest version will download.
You’ll see a prompt to install the latest macOS beta, click on Continue.
Agree to the Ts&Cs (more on them below).
Click Install.

How to update macOS beta versions

Once you are running the beta the updates will come through to your Mac automatically, you just need to click to install.

You will receive a notification when the next update to the beta is available.
Updates will be available via Software Update (in System Settings/System Preferences)

Everything else you need to know about beta testing

That covers how to get the betas, but once you have them what can you do, and what should you do? We’ll cover that below.

Is the macOS beta stable?

By its nature, a beta has the potential to be unstable. Therefore it’s not advised that you install it on a Mac that you rely on. If you have a second Mac that isn’t mission-critical then install it there. We strongly recommend that you don’t risk all by putting the macOS beta on your primary macOS, especially not in the early days of the beta development.

If you don’t have a second Mac there are a couple of ways you could run macOS beta on your Mac without running the risk of losing data or finding your Mac stops working:

We recommend installing it on a partition – which these days is really a volume (and is much easier to create than a partition was). Read about how to do that here: How to dual-boot Mac: Run two versions of macOS on a Mac.
Alternatively, you could install the macOS beta on an external drive and run it on that.

We discuss the safety of the macOS beta and the risks you might be taking in more detail in a separate article.

If the stability of the beta worries you then you are probably better off waiting until the final version is out, or at least waiting until testing has been happening for a few months before getting the beta.

How to prepare your Mac for the beta

Update your software: We recommend you have the latest full version of macOS installed, although Apple says that the macOS Developer Beta Access Utility requires macOS 10.8 or later.

Make space: We’d recommend at least 15GB of available space because the macOS betas tend to be very large. If you end up requiring more space read: How to free up space on Mac . Note that we always recommend that you have at least 10% space free on your Mac at any time, so if you don’t have that expect problems!

Back up: Before you install a beta on your Mac you should make a backup of your data and files. You can find out how to use Time Machine to back up your Mac. We also have a round-up of suitable backup solutions.

How to send feedback to Apple

Should you come across an error or a bug you should use the Feedback Assistant app to provide feedback to Apple. Launch the app and follow the appropriate steps, selecting the area about which you’re providing feedback and then any specific sub-area. Then describe your issue in a single sentence, before providing a more detailed description, including any specific steps that reproduce the issue. You’ll also be able to attach other files.

You’ll also have to give permission for the Feedback Assistant app to collect diagnostic information from your Mac.

It won’t always be obvious whether something is a bug or just not as easy to use as you might have hoped. Either way, if your feedback is that something appears to work in an illogical way, Apple will want to know that.

If you are having trouble with a third-party app you can let Apple know by reporting it through the 3rd-party Application Compatibility category in the Feedback Assistant. However, we’d suggest that you also provide feedback to the app’s developer who will no doubt be grateful.

Will I be able to update from macOS beta to the final version?

Beta users will be able to install the final build of the OS on release day without needing to reformat or reinstall.

Can I talk about the beta publicly?

According to Apple and the license agreement all beta testers must agree to, the beta is “Apple confidential information”. By accepting those terms, you agree not to discuss your use of the software with anyone who isn’t also in the Beta Software Program. That means you can’t “blog, post screenshots, tweet, or publicly post information about the public beta software.”

However, you can discuss any information that Apple has publicly disclosed; the company says that information is no longer considered confidential.

How to downgrade from the macOS beta

You can always revert to an earlier version of macOS, though depending on how you back up, it’s not necessarily a painless process.

Start by making sure the data on your drive is backed up, then erase the drive and install the latest public version of macOS. When you first startup your Mac you can use the Migration Assistant to import your data from the backup. Here’s a more detailed tutorial on downgrading from the macOS beta we also have a tutorial on downgrading to an older version of the Mac OS.

Personal Software

How to download macOS Sonoma beta: Version 3 now ready for developers

tigaman webdesign — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 17:51:09 +0000

Macworld

The slightly more stable public beta version will be available for anyone to sign up for the public beta program around the beginning of July.

Even though macOS 14 is now in beta, the beta program is still running for macOS 13 with testers currently running macOS 13.5. If you would prefer to run that beta you can do so.

Update 7/5/23: Apple has released the beta 3 of macOS Sonoma to developers.

macOS Sonoma beta release date

The first version of the developer beta of Ventura arrived after the WWDC keynote on June 5, 2023 as expected. On July 5, Apple released the third developer beta.

Foundry

macOS Sonoma public beta release date and differences

The public beta of Ventura was released on July 11, 2022, so we expect a similar timescale for macOS Sonoma, perhaps July 10, 2023.

There are a few differences between the public and developer betas. The public beta is not the same as the beta that is released through the developer program.

If you want to get the public beta the first thing you need to do, if you haven’t already, is join Apple’s beta programs read this for more information: How to become an Apple beta tester.

Apple

How to get a free developer account

Get the Apple Developer App from the App Store.
Open the app on your iPhone.
Tap on Account.
Tap on Sign In.
Sign in using your usual Apple ID.

If you wish to actually publish applications to the App Store or receive support, you’ll need to pay $99/£79 per year for a paid account. You can compare the free and paid accounts here.

How to get the macOS Sonoma beta

Before you download a few warnings:

We strongly advise that if you aren’t a developer you don’t download the developer beta.
We also strongly recommend that you back up your Mac before you upgrade to the Sonoma beta.
We recommend that you do not run Sonoma on your primary Mac; ideally, you run it in a separate volume. This should minimize any risks to you.

If you are running macOS Ventura 13.4 or later:

Open Software Updates on your Mac. (System Settings > General > Software Updates.)
You should see two options: Automatic Updates and Beta Updates. Click on the (i) beside Beta Updates.
You can now turn on Beta Updates (if they weren’t already on).
Choose the beta you want to download.
If your developer account is tied to a different Apple ID to your usual one you can change that here.
Click Done.
Now your Mac will Check for updates and eventually show the Sonoma Developer Beta as an upgrade. Click on Upgrade Now.

Foundry

If you are running macOS Ventura 13.3 or earlier:

If you are enrolled in the Developer Program, go to Apple’s beta download page. Click on Install Profile to download the new macOS Developer Beta Access Utility to your Mac.
If you are enrolled as a public beta tester, download the macOS Public Beta Access Utility.
Go to Downloads on your Mac and click on the macOS Beta Access Utility to open it.
Double-click on the dmg file and the installer will run.
Once the new macOS beta is installed Software Update will check to see if there are any updates. Click Update and the latest version will download.
You’ll see a prompt to install the latest macOS beta, click on Continue.
Agree to the Ts&Cs (more on them below).
Click Install.

How to update macOS beta versions

Once you are running the beta the updates will come through to your Mac automatically, you just need to click to install.

You will receive a notification when the next update to the beta is available.
Updates will be available via Software Update (in System Settings/System Preferences)

Everything else you need to know about beta testing

That covers how to get the betas, but once you have them what can you do, and what should you do? We’ll cover that below.

Is the macOS beta stable?

If you don’t have a second Mac there are a couple of ways you could run macOS beta on your Mac without running the risk of losing data or finding your Mac stops working:

We recommend installing it on a partition – which these days is really a volume (and is much easier to create than a partition was). Read about how to do that here: How to dual-boot Mac: Run two versions of macOS on a Mac.
Alternatively, you could install the macOS beta on an external drive and run it on that.

We discuss the safety of the macOS beta and the risks you might be taking in more detail in a separate article.

How to prepare your Mac for the beta

Update your software: We recommend you have the latest full version of macOS installed, although Apple says that the macOS Developer Beta Access Utility requires macOS 10.8 or later.

How to send feedback to Apple

You’ll also have to give permission for the Feedback Assistant app to collect diagnostic information from your Mac.

Will I be able to update from macOS beta to the final version?

Beta users will be able to install the final build of the OS on release day without needing to reformat or reinstall.

Can I talk about the beta publicly?

However, you can discuss any information that Apple has publicly disclosed; the company says that information is no longer considered confidential.

How to downgrade from the macOS beta

You can always revert to an earlier version of macOS, though depending on how you back up, it’s not necessarily a painless process.

Personal Software

15-inch MacBook Air only possible with Apple Silicon

tigaman webdesign — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 16:04:51 +0000

Only possible with Apple silicon, the 15-inch MacBook Air is the world’s best 15-inch laptop. It comes in four gorgeous finishes, including starlight, space gray, silver, and midnight.

Jason Aten for Inc.:

I spoke with Laura Metz from Mac product marketing, and Thomas Tan, from Apple’s enterprise product marketing, about why Apple Silicon is helping the company better serve its customers by building the products they really want. The 15-inch MacBook Air is a great example.

“When we set out, we wanted to make a 15-inch MacBook Air,” Metz told me. “But when you think of what the designs looked like previously, it just didn’t work. It just did not say ‘Air’ to us. It was only with Apple Silicon where we were able to have all the right components to bring that larger display along with the battery life and performance that users would expect from a MacBook Air.”

“We knew there were users who wanted more screen real estate, but did not need the additional capabilities and performance of the 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro,” said Metz. “We also know that the 15-inch PC laptop market is significant–that carries over into the enterprise space as well, where users are interested in having that larger display.”

“Apple Silicon suddenly made MacBook Air that much more capable for business use,” said Tan. “So we’re certainly seeing a lot of customers making that wholesale switch that otherwise we wouldn’t have seen before. We’re seeing customers in retail industries adopting MacBook Air for everyday use, we’re seeing that in manufacturing, and we’re seeing that in health care. So we think Apple Silicon has broadened the appeal to enterprise customers by a significant margin.”

MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote just last week, “While our favorite road Mac, perhaps ever, is the 11-inch MacBook Air, the 15-inch MacBook Air, weighing just 3.3 pounds (1.51 kg), is calling our names as we debate moving back to Mac desktops for our desktops and MacBooks for the road. (Right now, we’re still using 16-inch MacBook Pro units everywhere which are just a bit big and heavy for the road, especially compared to the 2.38-pound (1.08 kg) 11-inch MBA units we used to carry.)”

Please help support MacDailyNews. Click or tap here to support our independent tech blog. Thank you!

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The post 15-inch MacBook Air only possible with Apple Silicon appeared first on MacDailyNews.

How to remove or change the phone number linked to your Apple ID

tigaman webdesign — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Macworld

Apple’s two-factor authentication system deflects access to your Apple ID account by requiring that in addition to your password you also have to provide a code that arrives either through a trusted device (an iPhone, iPad, or Mac) or a trusted phone number—one that’s been verified after having been added. Trusted devices are an easier set to manage, because they represent all devices logged into the same Apple ID for use with iCloud. Trusted numbers are a different matter.

I’ve long recommended adding not just your own cellular or other phone numbers as trusted numbers, but also that of someone trustworthy who is close to you, like a life partner or family member. That gives you a backup in validating your account should suffer a massive theft, an accident that destroys gear, or you lose all your hardware.

But I’ve received occasional correspondence, particularly from businesses, who want to remove trusted numbers because they no longer trust the person whose number it is or they no longer have an association with that person.

It’s simple to remove a trusted number, but you must be sure first that you still have access to trusted accounts for the account. Otherwise, you could lock yourself out.

When logging into your Apple ID in various places, you should receive an alert on your trusted devices.

You can test whether you have trusted devices associated properly by attempting to log into the Apple ID website. It always requires a second-factor code to access your account details if you don’t used a stored identity in versions of iOS, iPadOS, or macOS and Safari that support that. You should receive an alert on all trusted devices noting that someone is trying to access your account, with a small preview of a map and two buttons: Allow or Don’t Allow.

If you see this, tap or click Allow, enter the code that appears in the appropriate locations on the Apple ID site, and confirm the login was successful.

If you don’t receive the Allow/Don’t Allow prompt on any device, you should troubleshoot why that is. You may have set up two-factor authentication for an Apple ID account you don’t have logged into an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. I’ve recommended this as a way of dealing with Apple IDs used solely for purchasing media and apps, something many of us wound up with if we used Apple’s systems for a long time, as purchasing and cloud-based systems once used separate accounts.

In that scenario, you need to re-associate a trusted device with the account so you don’t unintentionally lose access when deleting a trusted phone number. I’ve recommended using a secondary account on a Mac that has its iCloud account set to be your purchasing Apple ID. (An iPhone or iPad can only be associated with a single Apple ID for iCloud; on a Mac, each account can have a separate iCloud-associated Apple ID, but they’re only active when you’re logged into that Mac account.)

If you’ve done that, log into that Mac account and see if you receive the two-factor prompt and code there. If not, you should use an existing trusted phone number under your control to set up that secondary Mac account.

Now you can remove trusted number you don’t want to keep active:

You can remove trusted numbers in several places, including here in macOS Ventura’s Apple ID management setting under Password & Security.

In iOS or iPadOS, go to Settings > account name > Password & Security, then tap Edit next to the Trusted Phone Numbers label. Tap the red remove button to the number’s list and then confirm removal.
In macOS 13 Ventura, go to System Settings > account name > Password & Security, select a trusted phone number, and click the minus (-) button to remove it.
In macOS 10.15 Catalina through 12 Monterey, go to System Preferences > Apple ID > Password & Security, click Edit next to the Trusted Phone Numbers label, select a trusted phone number, and then click the minus (-) button to remove it. Confirm its removal by clicking Remove.
In macOS 10.14 Mojave or earlier, go to System Preferences > iCloud > Account Details > Security, select a trusted phone number, and click the minus (-) button to remove it. Confirm its removal by clicking Remove.
At the Apple ID site, log into your account and then click the Edit button next to the Security section, click the “x” next to a trusted number to remove it, and finally confirm by clicking Remove.

This Mac 911 article is in response to a question submitted by an anonymous Macworld reader.

We also have the following articles that might be useful:

Ask Mac 911

We’ve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently along with answers and links to columns: read our super FAQ to see if your question is covered. If not, we’re always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours to mac911@macworld.com including screen captures as appropriate, and whether you want your full name used. Not every question will be answered, we don’t reply to email, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice.

Apple Inc, iCloud, iOS

The MacRumors Show: What New Devices Should Apple Make?

tigaman webdesign — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 16:50:29 +0000

On this week’s episode of The MacRumors Show, we ponder some of the devices and apps we wish Apple would make.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos

We discuss our wish lists, including some plausible ideas like a foldable iPhone, Apple TV soundbar, task manager and Notion-like productivity app, and even an Apple Books e-reader, as well as some outlandish devices like an Activity Rings fitness band and specific HomeKit appliances. Let us know what your dream Apple devices and apps are in the comments.

Listen to The MacRumors Show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, Google Podcasts, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player. Watch a video version of the show on the MacRumors YouTube channel.

If you haven’t already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, listen to our discussion about our experiences after spending two weeks using the beta versions of watchOS 10, iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, and tvOS 17.

Tag: The MacRumors Show

This article, "The MacRumors Show: What New Devices Should Apple Make?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Best free photo editing apps for Mac: Alternatives to Photos

tigaman webdesign — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 11:52:21 +0000

Macworld

Apple includes the free Photos app on all Macs, iPhones and iPads, but this app is primarily intended for organizing your photo collection and only has a limited selection of editing tools.

If you’re a keen photographer and want to have more creative control over your work–but don’t want to pay for the privilege–then take a look at the free photo editing apps for Mac below. We’ve taken a look at the best alternatives to Photos that provide a wider and more powerful set of photo-editing tools.

In this article, we round up the best free photo-editing programs for the Mac, including Adobe Express, Google Photos, Gimp and more. There is even a free version of Photoshop you can try out (currently in beta). If you don’t mind paying for a decent photo editing app then we recommend you take a look at our round-up of the Best photo editing software for Mac, which includes the likes of Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Photoshop Express, Pixelmator Pro, Affinity Photo and many more.

If you were hoping to get the full version of Photoshop for free read How to get Photoshop on a Mac, which includes some ways to get Photoshop for free.

Updated 30 June 2023 to add Photoshop on the web.

Best free photo editor for Mac

Apple Photos

Best Prices Today:

$0 at Apple Photos for iOS $0 at Apple Photos for macOS

Photos is the free photo editing and image library app on every Mac, iPhone and iPad. It’s completely free, easy to use, and has the benefit of syncing across all your devices if you take advantage of Apple’s iCloud Photo Library (for which you will need to pay for iCloud storage, from $0.99/£0.79 a month for 50GB).

Prior to 2015 Photos on the Mac was iPhoto. When Apple replaced iPhoto with Photos in 2015 it also stopped selling another photo app, Aperture, which offered more advanced image editing. Photos has more in common with Photos for iOS and very little in common with Aperture. It’s not a professional image editing app, but it is easy to use and will do for basic to moderate photo management, and quick image tweaking.

The app is a great tool for organizing your photos. It arranges your pictures and videos into the same Years, Collections and Moments as on iOS. You can assign photos to Albums and Shared Albums and Projects. Searching for images can be made easier by identifying People in them so that you can, for example, see every image featuring a particular person in your library. Add a year to the search to see every photo of that person in that year. You can also search for all your photos with cats, plants, or the sea in them, for example.

If it’s image editing features you are interested in you can apply the same Instagram-like filters as are available in the iOS version of the app, but you can also adjust light and color, switch to black & white, eliminate red-eye, adjust white balance, reduce noise and sharpen. There’s a Heal tool, but there’s an absence of pen or brush-based tools in the Edit toolkit. You can’t sharpen or blur individual spots in the picture, for example, or fix the brightness/darkness of regions of the picture. Nor can you add text or shapes, or make selections. For a quick edit you can click on the Auto Enhance icon, which adjusts color and contrast for the image–as a result images tend to look brighter and more colorful. For advice and help read How to edit in Photos for Mac.

Photos is both very easy to use and you can edit and improve images, and easily share them with friends and family directly (via Shared Albums) or to social networks like FaceBook. But if you want more in the way of editing tools you might need to look further–in which case, check out our alternative options below.

Read our full

Apple Photos review

Adobe Express

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Adobe describes Express–formerly known as Spark–as a tool for ‘social graphics and more’, but this online web app also includes a number of useful photo-editing tools that are available for free through any web browser.

When you log in to Express with your web browser, it starts by offering you a variety of templates designed for social media posts, or for creating documents such as posters, menus, or even a resume. But, if you just want to do some quick photo-editing work, then you can easily import photos of your own or use some of the free stock photos that are included with Express.

As you import a photo, Express allows you to quickly resize it or pan around in order to focus on a particular part of the image. You then enter the main Express workspace, which includes a selection of simple filter effects, as well as slider controls that allow you to quickly adjust brightness, contrast and other settings. You can import additional photos and superimpose them in order to create a collage, and you can also add text and graphics, including a number of ready-made logos and artwork for creating posters, fliers and other documents. Express even has simple layer controls, which allow you to edit photos, text and graphics elements individually.

The basic version of Express is free to use, but there is a Premium subscription plan that costs $9.99/£9.98 per month and includes some additional editing tools, as well as a huge library of stock photos, templates, and fonts. Adobe also offers discounts to students, teachers and non-profit organizations, and there’s a 30-day free trial for the Premium option also available.

Photoshop on the web

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Adobe already has a simple browser-based photo-editing tool called Express (see above), but it’s also working on a more advanced online editing tool called Photoshop on the web (currently in beta). As the name implies, Photoshop on the web aims to provide some of the more advanced editing tools found in the desktop version of Photoshop, making those tools available within a web browser so that you can start editing your photos on any device with an internet connection (and, presumably, a decent size screen).

At the moment, this online app is still in its beta test phase, and currently only works with the Chrome browser and Microsoft’s Edge, but we were able to use the Mac version of Edge with no problems at all on a MacBook Air running Ventura. Adobe also plans to add support for Firefox soon and, since so many creative users own Macs, we hope they’ll add Safari as well.

Photoshop is a powerful and complex editing tool, but this web version does provide some help for new users. There are some sample images on the app’s home page that you can experiment with (photoshop.adobe.com/import). And when you’re ready to upload your own photos you can also choose a number of Quick Actions – such as lighting effects or removing the background from an image – that are automatically applied to the photo as soon as it’s been uploaded.

After uploading your photo, you proceed to the main editing page, which is very much based on the familiar desktop version of Photoshop. There’s a set of editing tools running down the left-hand side of the window, including Selection tools, Paint Brush, Adjustments for color and lighting, and a Type tool for adding text. There’s more help here as well, as each tool has a quick video tutorial to show you how it works. Over on the right of the editing window there’s a more detailed set of tool palettes for working with layers, masks and effects, and a key feature of this web-based editing tool is a new palette that allows people to collaborate online by adding comments to their projects as well.

Photoshop on the web won’t replace the full desktop version of Photoshop, but it does provide lots of quick and easy editing tools to help you get started with simple photo-editing projects. But remember – it’s still in beta, and we did encounter a few bugs along the way, so make sure to keep a backup of your photos on your Mac’s own hard drive. And while this beta version is free to use at the moment–as long as you register for a free Adobe ID account–it may become part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud subscription plan in the future.

Seashore

Gimp (which we look at later in this article) may be free, but it’s not the most user-friendly program around. Seashore started life as a ‘fork’ of Gimp – a kind of clone that took Gimp as its starting point – but it has developed a distinct identity of its own over the years.

It doesn’t offer the same level of editing power as Gimp, but Seashore is a lot more straightforward to use. A simple toolbar running across the top of the editing window provides quick access to features such as a crop tool, pen, paintbrush, color dropper, and clone tool. There’s also a Text tool for adding captions and annotations.

As you select each tool, a second context-sensitive toolbar appears below it that offers additional options for that particular tool. So selecting the paintbrush will show options for adjusting the shape and size of the brush, along with features such as different materials and brush textures.

There’s a selection of color effects and filters, and – unusually for open-source software – it even provides a manual that explains how the various effects work to help you get started. More advanced tools include color adjustment, and controls for brightness and contrast, along with precise selection tools that allow you to apply edits just to specific areas of an image.

The app also supports layers for creating composite images, and alpha channels for adjusting transparency. The app’s interface is a little eccentric – such as the sneaky vanishing dialogue boxes that sometimes turn transparent while you’re using them – but Seashore is a great option for getting started with photo editing without spending a penny.

You can download it from the
Mac App Store.

Read our full

Seashore review

Google Photos

For some reason, Google decided to kill off its popular Picasa photo app a few years ago, and its photographic offerings now focus on the online Google Photos service.

This is essentially Google’s version of Apple’s Photos and iCloud. There’s a simple app available for Macs and iOS devices that allows you to upload your photos to the Google website – and videos too if you want – and then sync them across all your devices (as long as they’re signed into your Google account). You can view all your photos online using a web browser on your Mac, and organize them into albums for easy browsing.

The actual editing tools are pretty basic, limited to a selection of simple filters, and slider controls for adjusting lighting and color, along with tools for cropping, rotation and adjusting aspect ratio. You can also combine a set of photos to create a collage or animated slideshow, but Google Photos’ editing tools are certainly more limited than Photos on the Mac and most of the other photo-editing apps that we review here.

However, Google Photos does have one big strong point that might tempt you away from simply sticking with iCloud. High-res photos and video can take up a lot of storage space, and when you sign up for a Google account its Google Drive service gives you 15GB of free online storage for your files – compared to just 5GB for iCloud Drive (although, as we mentioned above, you can upgrade your iCloud Drive to 50GB for just $0.99p/£0.79 a month, which is actually pretty good value).

If you’re going on vacation and plan to take a stack of photos on your trip, then it might be worth signing up for Google Photos just for the extra storage, and then using Photos or another app to do some serious editing when you get back home.

Gimp

Gimp is a popular open-source photo editor that has been available for many years and runs on Macs, Windows and even Linux (its full name is GNU Image Manipulation Program, named after the GNU version of Linux). But while it’s free to download, Gimp’s powerful editing tools are light years beyond the simple selfie filters and effects that you find in most free apps. There are no ads and no in-app purchases to tempt cash out of you, either.

The downside of Gimp’s Linux background is that its interface will come as a bit of a shock to most Mac users. Instead of colorful icons and helpful tools, Gimp fills its main editing screen with dull grey icons and long menus and dialogue boxes containing annoyingly small text descriptions.

The app can also feel a little sluggish when applying some of its more complex effects, which suggests that it hasn’t been optimized to take advantage of Mac-specific technologies such as Apple’s Metal graphics system.

But if you’re determined to avoid spending any money at all then you’ll find that Gimp offers a range of powerful tools that are rarely found in a free app such as this.

There are dozens of filters and effects, with a handy split-screen view that gives you ‘before’ and ‘after’ views of your photos. There are even a few animated effects, such as ‘wave’ and ‘ripple’ that you can use to create GIF files for the web. Gimp also has many of the same editing tools as more expensive rivals such as Photoshop Elements, with precise selection tools, layers, clone brush, and a variety of transformation tools, such as crop, scale and shear. And, if you’re feeling really brave, you can delve into some very powerful and precise color and lighting controls too.

Gimp is undoubtedly a powerful and versatile photo editor, and it seems churlish to criticize a free app such as this – but the program’s unfriendly interface could deter quite a few people, so it might be worth parting with some cash if you’d rather work with something a little more user-friendly.

PhotoScape X

PhotoScape X is a relative newcomer when compared to photo-editing veterans like Photoshop Elements, but this free app has proved popular with many users on both Macs and Windows PCs. It’s also quite unusual, as it completely ignores the traditional interface design of most of its photo-editing rivals.

Instead of toolbars and palettes, PhotoScape X displays its main editing window with a series of tabs running along the top of the window. Each tab focuses on a specific task, starting with the Viewer tab which provides a quick preview of an entire folder of photos at once.

You can then select a specific photo that you want to work on and switch to the Editor tab. This includes a wide range of filters, effects and lighting controls, with a handy ‘Compare’ button that shows ‘before’ and ‘after’ versions of your photos. You can also tidy up your photos using options such as red-eye removal, and a ‘healing’ brush to eliminate scratches and other blemishes.

The other tabs at the top of the editing window tend to focus on working with multiple photos, including the Batch tab, which allows you to crop, resize or apply effects to a whole group of photos all at once. We also like the GIF tab, which allows you to quickly combine a series of photos into an animated GIF for use on the web.

One area where PhotoScape X does fall short is with its rather limited selection tools – which means that you generally have to apply edits and effects to an entire photo rather than selected areas within an image. There is a Pro version of the app available as an in-app purchase that provides additional editing tools for £38.99/$39.99, but that seems a little pricey when compared to affordable rivals such as Pixelmator.

You can download it from the
Mac App Store.

Personal Software

Best free photo editing apps for Mac: Alternatives to Photos

tigaman webdesign — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 11:52:21 +0000

Macworld

Apple includes the free Photos app on all Macs, iPhones and iPads, but this app is primarily intended for organizing your photo collection and only has a limited selection of editing tools.

If you were hoping to get the full version of Photoshop for free read How to get Photoshop on a Mac, which includes some ways to get Photoshop for free.

Updated 30 June 2023 to add Photoshop on the web.

Best free photo editor for Mac

Apple Photos

Best Prices Today:

$0 at Apple Photos for iOS $0 at Apple Photos for macOS

Read our full

Apple Photos review

Adobe Express

Best Prices Today:

$0 at Adobe Express Free

Photoshop on the web

Best Prices Today:

$0 at Adobe

Seashore

You can download it from the
Mac App Store.

Read our full

Seashore review

Google Photos

For some reason, Google decided to kill off its popular Picasa photo app a few years ago, and its photographic offerings now focus on the online Google Photos service.

Gimp

But if you’re determined to avoid spending any money at all then you’ll find that Gimp offers a range of powerful tools that are rarely found in a free app such as this.

PhotoScape X

You can download it from the
Mac App Store.

Personal Software