PHANTOM
🇮🇳 IN
Skip to content
Thoughtful, detailed coverage of everything Apple for 35 years
and the TidBITS Content Network for Apple professionals
Adam Engst 26 comments

Should 1Password’s Price Hike Push You to Apple’s Passwords?

1Password is raising prices for the first time in ten years. With Apple’s free Passwords app maturing into a capable alternative, is it finally time to consider switching—or do 1Password’s features still justify its cost?

Adam Engst 6 comments

Apple in 2025: The Six Colors Report Card

Jason Snell’s annual Apple Report Card shows Hardware Reliability topping the list again, but the controversial Liquid Glass design dragged software scores to new lows, and Tim Cook’s relationship with the Trump administration caused Apple’s Impact on the World category to crater.

Adam Engst 10 comments

Dialed Game Tests Your Color Memory

Think you can accurately recall colors? Dialed, a simple browser game, reveals just how unreliable human color memory really is. It offers easy and hard modes, as well as multiplayer competition.

Julio Ojeda-Zapata 22 comments

Third-Party Gadgets Bring Find My Tracking to Wallets, Chargers, and More

Apple’s AirTags are indispensable for tracking down a missing purse or wayward suitcase, but the large lozenge shape isn’t ideal for all Find My scenarios. Third-party accessory makers have stepped in with a range of Find My trackers—Julio Ojeda-Zapata looks at a wallet, several wallet cards, a mobile charger, and a travel lock.

Adam Engst No comments

VidBITS: A Hookmark Walkthrough with Luc Beaudoin

Hookmark brings hyperlinking to your Mac, letting you connect files, emails, PDFs, and more. In this hour-long video demo, CogSciApps founder Luc Beaudoin shows how to copy links, create bidirectional hooks, and navigate your workspace efficiently.

Adam Engst 5 comments

LittleBITS: Rebooting Our VidBITS Column

We’re reviving VidBITS with a new format—informal video conversations where developers demo their apps while Adam Engst asks the questions TidBITS readers would want answered. Here’s what to expect.

Adam Engst 4 comments

PageMaker Creator Paul Brainerd Dies at 78

Paul Brainerd, whose PageMaker revolutionized desktop publishing in the 1980s, has died at age 78. His software gave millions the power to create professionally printed pages, and he also left a lasting legacy in environmental philanthropy.

Adam Engst 17 comments

Apple Announces Unusual Multi-City “Apple Experience” for March 4

Apple has invited select media outlets to a “special Apple Experience” on March 4 in New York, London, and Shanghai—an unusual approach that has sparked speculation about rumored new MacBooks, the iPhone 17e, and more. We’ll know soon enough.

Adam Engst 29 comments

AppBITS: Drink More with HiWater

After a fainting spell left Adam Engst with a doctor’s order to drink 100 ounces daily, he turned to HiWater. This elegant iPhone and Apple Watch app tracks hydration and nags you to drink—sometimes too well.

Adam Engst 25 comments

OS 26.3 Updates Focus on Bug and Security Fixes

Don’t expect new features in Apple’s OS 26.3 updates, but be sure to install them soon. They patch dozens of security vulnerabilities and address an actively exploited flaw Apple says was used in sophisticated spyware attacks.

Adam Engst 11 comments

Support for Old Apple Home Architecture Ends

If you’ve been putting off the Home architecture upgrade introduced several years ago, it’s time to act. Support for the previous version ends on 10 February 2026, and you may be automatically upgraded.

Adam Engst 43 comments

How Siri Could Become the Mac’s New Help System

Apple’s help systems have never quite worked out. But with large language models and richer app metadata, a more helpful Siri could finally become the knowledgeable guide that explains the software we’re already using.

Adam Engst 83 comments

Pages, Keynote, and Numbers 15 Go Freemium

Apple has folded Pages, Keynote, and Numbers into its Creator Studio subscription bundle, but the upgrade process has been confusing and the App Store ratings have cratered. Here’s what happened, what’s actually behind the paywall, and what you should do.

Adam Engst 15 comments

Apple’s Certificate-Extension Updates Continue for Older Operating Systems

Apple’s latest updates for older operating systems extend certificates so iMessage, FaceTime, and device activation continue to work after January 2027. Meanwhile, iOS 16.7.14 may address a Telstra network issue affecting older iPhones in Australia.

Adam Engst 16 comments

Do You Use It? TidBITS Reader Subscription Habits Revealed

How many subscriptions do you pay for, and are you typical? Our poll results reveal surprising patterns in subscription spending, along with thoughts about why different subscription types provoke such different reactions.