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Adam Engst 7 comments

Comcast Turns Wi-Fi Gateways into Motion Detectors

Comcast is promoting the WiFi Motion feature of its free Xfinity Shield service, which uses Wi-Fi signals to detect movement in your home. It’s opt-in, but the underlying technology could theoretically do far more than Comcast acknowledges—including identifying individuals.

Adam Engst 3 comments

Apple TV Subscriptions Jump from $12.99 to $14.99 Per Month

Apple has raised Apple TV subscription prices by $2 per month, marking the second significant increase in as many years. The annual plan jumps $20, from $99 to $119.

Adam Engst 2 comments

No Email Issue on 7 September 2026 for Labor Day

We’re taking a brief break from building an email issue of TidBITS next week for the Labor Day holiday in the United States, so look for the next issue in your mailbox on 14 September 2026. Check our website for coverage of Apple’s iPhone announcements on 9 September 2026.

Adam Engst 5 comments

Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” Event Set for 9 September 2026

Apple has announced its annual iPhone event for 9 September 2026. The “Surprise and Shine” event will be CEO John Ternus’s first product launch, with rumors pointing to a foldable iPhone alongside iPhone 18 Pro updates, new Apple Watch models, and the expected iOS 27 release.

Adam Engst 57 comments

Speed Limiters, Short Cables, and Other EV Road Trip Revelations

A Vermont road trip in the Hyundai IONIQ 5 revealed the joy of the car’s speed limiter feature, the frustration of short Tesla Supercharger cables on older stations, the importance of downloading offline maps before venturing into rural areas, and the utility of ChatGPT in finding a restaurant on the route.

Adam Engst 5 comments

David Pogue Presenting on Apple’s First 50 Years at NMUG

On 2 September 2026 at 11:30 AM EDT, veteran tech journalist David Pogue discusses his latest book, “Apple: The First 50 Years,” at a free NMUG presentation.

Adam Engst 31 comments

M6 and M5 Ultra Debut in Updated Mac mini and Mac Studio

Apple surprised everyone with a late August announcement of the M6 and M5 Ultra chips, along with updated Mac mini and Mac Studio models. The new Macs deliver substantial performance gains—but at prices that have increased even since June.

Adam Engst 23 comments

WhatCable Reports on USB-C Cable Power and Speed

USB-C cables look alike but vary wildly in capability. WhatCable, a free utility for Apple silicon Macs, shows you exactly what each cable supports for charging, data transfer, and display. The paid WhatCable Pro adds persistent cable naming and additional diagnostic options.

Adam Engst 29 comments

SetShot Tracks macOS Settings Changes

Have you ever suspected macOS of silently changing your settings during an update? Adam Engst’s free SetShot captures and compares snapshots of your Mac’s configuration so you can catch those changes—and maintain a journal of your own customizations.

Adam Engst 7 comments

Testing Jetpack Search’s AI Answers Feature on TidBITS

The TidBITS search engine now sports AI-generated summaries above the usual results, courtesy of a beta feature from Jetpack Search. The question is whether these AI Answers are worth the screen real estate—what do you think?

Adam Engst 18 comments

Apple Backpatches Beta Security Fixes into macOS 26.6.2, iOS/iPadOS 26.6.1, and iOS/iPadOS 18.7.10

Four new Apple security updates bring macOS 26.6.2 Tahoe, iOS/iPadOS 26.6.1, and iOS/iPadOS 18.7.10 into sync with fixes from the OS 27 betas. AI-assisted research contributed a notable share of the discoveries.

Adam Engst 55 comments

Decades After HyperCard, AI Is Democratizing Development Again

HyperCard once let non-programmers build real software, but nothing since has matched it—until now. Adam Engst discovers that AI development tools like Claude Code and Codex finally let him create the apps he has always imagined.

Adam Engst 14 comments

Mac Delivery Times Stretch to Months for Some Models

Need a new Mac? The global chip shortage means some configurations now take months to arrive. We look at Apple’s current delivery estimates and offer strategies for those who can’t afford to wait that long.

Adam Engst No comments

AppBITS: TerminalWidget Turns Scripted Output into Visual Widgets

Tired of checking Terminal to see if your script finished? TerminalWidget displays command line output, Shortcuts results, and AppleScript data as customizable widgets that sync across your Apple devices, giving power users a visual dashboard for their automations.

Adam Engst 31 comments

Apple Fixes Screen Sharing Vulnerability in Tahoe, Sequoia, and Sonoma

Apple has released updates to macOS 26.6.1, 15.7.9, and 14.8.9 to fix a Screen Sharing vulnerability that could let an attacker “on the network” connect without valid credentials. Update soon.