Use 1Password to Enter Your Mac Login Password

Use 1Password to Enter Your Mac Login Password

We think of 1Password as being helpful for entering passwords on websites and in iPhone and iPad apps. But its Universal Autofill feature has a hidden capability that lets 1Password enter your Mac login password when you have to provide it to change certain system settings, install apps, format drives in Disk Utility, and more. (But it won’t work to …

Use the Command Key to Rearrange and Remove Menu Bar Icons

Use the Command Key to Rearrange and Remove Menu Bar Icons

Is your Mac’s menu bar overwhelmed with icons? They’re helpful little critters, but finding one can be difficult when you have too many and they’re in no particular order. The hidden trick to cleaning up your menu bar relies on the Command key. Rearrange the menu bar icons in an order that makes sense to you by Command-dragging them around. …

Send Photos in Messages Faster with This Hidden Shortcut

Send Photos in Messages Faster with This Hidden Shortcut

On the iPhone and iPad, to send a photo to a Messages chat, tap the ⊕ button and then tap Photos in the list that appears to reveal the photo picker. That’s not difficult, but it requires an extra step you can avoid with this tip. If you’re running iOS 17 or iPadOS 17, instead of tapping the ⊕ button, …

The Importance of Staying Updated

The Importance of Staying Updated

Does it feel like your Apple devices are always asking you to install operating system updates? You’re not wrong—from September 2022 to January 2024, we saw the following releases in Apple’s previous set of operating systems: macOS 13 Ventura: 20 releases iOS 16: 25 releases iPadOS 16: 20 releases watchOS 9: 15 releases tvOS 16: 12 releases Apple issued many …

Changing Passwords Periodically Doesn’t Increase Security

Changing Passwords Periodically Doesn’t Increase Security

Does your organization or some financial website require you to create a new password periodically? This practice was recommended long ago, but some organizations haven’t kept up with current recommendations that discourage such policies. If you’re bound by a password expiration policy, you can use this article to encourage your IT department or financial institution to update its approach to …

Changing Passwords Periodically Doesn’t Increase Security

Changing Passwords Periodically Doesn’t Increase Security

Does your organization or some financial website require you to create a new password periodically? This practice was recommended long ago, but some organizations haven’t kept up with current recommendations that discourage such policies. If you’re bound by a password expiration policy, you can use this article to encourage your IT department or financial institution to update its approach to …

For the Best Mac Webcam, Use Your iPhone

For the Best Mac Webcam, Use Your iPhone

The near-ubiquity of videoconferencing is a lasting effect of the pandemic. The ease of gathering a group virtually usually more than makes up for the downsides. Despite that, many people still appear in video calls with low-resolution, poorly lit video that makes the call less effective. A better webcam is an easy way to improve your video, and the best …

For the Best Mac Webcam, Use Your iPhone

For the Best Mac Webcam, Use Your iPhone

The near-ubiquity of videoconferencing is a lasting effect of the pandemic. The ease of gathering a group virtually usually more than makes up for the downsides. Despite that, many people still appear in video calls with low-resolution, poorly lit video that makes the call less effective. A better webcam is an easy way to improve your video, and the best …

Loose Lips Sink Chips: Beware What You Say to AI Chatbots

Loose Lips Sink Chips: Beware What You Say to AI Chatbots

Generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Bing/CoPilot, and Google’s Gemini are the vanguard of a significant advance in computing. Among much else, they can be compelling tools for finding just the right word, drafting simple legal documents, starting awkward emails, and coding in unfamiliar languages. Much has been written about how AI chatbots “hallucinate,” making up plausible details that are …

Loose Lips Sink Chips: Beware What You Say to AI Chatbots

Loose Lips Sink Chips: Beware What You Say to AI Chatbots

Generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Bing/CoPilot, and Google’s Gemini are the vanguard of a significant advance in computing. Among much else, they can be compelling tools for finding just the right word, drafting simple legal documents, starting awkward emails, and coding in unfamiliar languages. Much has been written about how AI chatbots “hallucinate,” making up plausible details that are …