Microsoft Revamps Edge

Microsoft Edge, the successor to Internet Explorer, is getting a pretty big update. Edge has long been the laughing stock of internet browsers, but Microsoft seems to be making strides in the right direction. This new update is built on the Chromium framework, which will display websites better. It will also be on macOS, which is the first time a Microsoft browser has been officially supported on macOS in 16 years. Since many PC users use Chrome over Edge, this may win some users back. I think the big deal is that it can be as good as Chrome, but without sending data to Google. If I trusted my data between Google and Microsoft, Microsoft would be the clear winner as of now. 

The Transition to 64-Bit Apps

64-bit apps have been the norm for iOS for some time now. 32-bit apps will no longer work on any iOS device running the latest software. This has mostly gone unnoticed to many, as most developers updated their apps to support this change. macOS is a different story. Because the Mac App Store is not the only way to install macOS software, macOS developers aren't always held to the standards that Apple sets for them. macOS Mojave is the last version of macOS that will support 32-bit apps, and that is a big leap. While most macOS apps these days are 64-bit, it takes just one vital app not supporting it to discourage someone from updating. While many apps will be updated, I have some apps that haven't been updated in years, and I doubt they will be. If you're curious which apps on your Mac are 32-bit, go to the Apple in the top left corner, select "About This Mac," and select "System Report..." In the left sidebar, scroll down and select "Applications." This will display all of your applications. You can tell under the column labeled "64-bit (Intel)" if a specific app is 32-bit. Make sure you can live without these apps before updating this fall.

Could Siri Shortcuts Replace Automator on macOS?

Siri Shortcuts always seemed like an iOS version of Automator from macOS. Automator has served as macOS's application for creating workflows. According to 9to5Mac, Siri Shortcuts could come to macOS, but that seems weird to stand alongside Automator, possibly suggesting that Siri Shortcuts could replace Automator. If that happens, and Automator is completely deprecated, it could ruin some people's workflows. If Apple decides to do this, it could have consequences who still use Automator. I think it's important if Apple finds a way to preserve Automator functionality in Siri Shortcuts. I'd like it even better if Apple removed Siri Shortcuts all together. They're so confusing and the execution is pretty terrible, at least from my experience. Siri's lines are awkward, remembering and summoning a shortcut is more difficult than doing the task yourself, and a lot of obvious commands are missing. This is not how the future of Siri should look.

Reset Advertising Identifier

With Mozilla's recent petition to get Apple to change how advertising identifiers are enabled out of box, here's a quick rundown of how to get advertisers to track you less. On iOS, go to Settings > Privacy > Advertising > and enable "Limit Ad Tracking." On macOS, go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Advertising > and check the box for "Limit Ad Tracking." Every once in a while, I also recommend hitting the "Reset Advertising Identifier" button under the "Limit Ad Tracking" button on both iOS and macOS. This should help limit advertiser tracking.

What a Loading Screen Can Tell You

The other day, I opened my Desktop folder and Finder had a minor hiccup where it hung for about 5 seconds. In those five seconds, it showed the infamous "Beach Ball of Death." After it disappeared, my day went on as normal. This is rare for a typical Mac, but it made me think of Windows. In Windows 10, without fail, opening my Downloads folder will result in the same hang, often for around 15-20 seconds. But instead of an indicator that says something is out of the ordinary, the window just says "Working on it..." And I think that one difference can speak volumes about the differences in macOS and Windows. The Beach Ball of Death occurs when something is out of the ordinary, while "Working on it..." is an office worker before they've had their morning coffee. It leads me to believe that this is something that Microsoft knew the user would encounter often. Maybe not. Maybe my PC is just slow, but I now have to assume that the average user will face this screen often. I think it's a bit ironic that the rarity of this in macOS is what reminded me of how often it occurs in Windows. macOS is so quick with it, you don't even realize it could hang.

Using Spotlight to Hold Copied Text

There are times where you need to copy multiple pieces of text on the computer. For example, one window may have a quote while another window may have a citation, and you need to paste both in another window. It can be annoying having to switch to window A, over to window C to paste the first text, then to window B, and back to window C to paste the second text. Instead, with macOS, you can go from A to B to C and have the same result. To do this, copy the first piece of text and open Spotlight with command-space. Paste it in Spotlight and close it with command-space. Then, go to window B and copy the next string of text. Now you can go to window C and paste window B's text, open Spotlight and copy the text from there, and paste that into window C as well. While it may seem like a pretty unique circumstance, I find myself doing this constantly with programming. I hope this helps!

Servicing My MacBook's Battery

My 2016 MacBook Pro has been losing charge very quickly in the past few months. In a 75 minute lecture, with just a few, low-power apps open, my MacBook Pro will go from 100 percent to between 40 and 60 percent. After the Service Battery notification popped up, I finally got the chance to bring it into an Apple Store. While iPhone battery replacements often take about an hour, a MacBook Pro battery replacement seems to take between 3 to 5 days. In addition, it will end up costing me about $200. The 2016 MacBook Pro batteries were flawed from the start, resulting in Consumer Reports being unable to recommend the laptop temporarily. These batteries also caused macOS to stop estimating the time left in one charge, because Apple no longer felt confident in the estimate. I can only hope that the replacements are of better quality than the batteries that shipped with the laptop.

OWC's Dock Eject App

I like docking systems for laptops, especially with the advent of USB-C. I plug in my MacBook Pro and it's charging, mirroring to a display, and connects all of my peripherals. However, if you have a docking system that connects things like hard drives, then ejecting everything can prove to be a pain. OWC is well known for their wide variety of docking systems. OWC released a handy tool recently that will eject all drives connected to an OWC dock in a single click. It's called Dock Ejector, and it's free for Mac and Windows. Based on the site, it seems to only work with OWC docks, so don't plan on using it if you don't own one of their docks.

iMac 4K/5K Displays Cannot Display iTunes Movies in 4K

Apple has been selling 4K movies for some time now. It's a pretty good deal considering that it comes standard with HD movies. But despite all of that 4K movies can only be played on an Apple TV 4K with a 4K TV. Apple iMacs have the capability to display movies in 4K, but users can only get up to 1080p. The same goes for any Mac or iPad connected to a 4K display. It seems a bit ridiculous to spend thousands of dollars on an iMac with a 4K/5K display when it can't display iTunes movies in 4K. I can understand that not everyone watches movies on the iMacs, but the functionality is such a simple addition.

macOS Mojave Accent Color

For decades, the accent color for macOS has been a blue color. This is seen everywhere, in things like colored buttons and selection lists. This was likely because of the Aqua theme introduced with Mac OS X so long ago. However, macOS Mojave lets you pick your own accent color. To do so, open System Preferences and go to General. You can use the radio buttons to pick your own accent color to give your Mac a bit more uniqueness to it.

macOS Mojave's Stacks

When it was first announced, I didn't think too much of the Stacks feature. It essentially groups up your files on the desktop by file type. I figured that's what folders were for and didn't think much of it. However, I now see how useful it can be. I usually just cleanup my desktop from time to time by either trashing files or sending them to an archive folder, but between file purges, my desktop can get very messy, especially during big projects. So, I find that Stacks come in handy often. To enable Stacks, just right click on the desktop and click "Use Stacks."

Google Chrome and Dark Mode

Google Chrome is one of the most popular web browsers, for both macOS and Windows. With macOS Mojave, Dark Mode is now available for apps that support it. To satisfy more users, it only makes sense to bring these two together. Thanks to a user on Reddit, we have reason to believe Dark Mode will come by early 2019. It should come out in Chrome 72. 

macOS Mojave Notorization

With the Mac App Store unable to compete with website distribution of macOS apps, Apple has created a program that will notarize apps. Similar to how Mac App Store apps must be approved before being published, notarizing a macOS app not on the Mac App Store will help give users piece of mind knowing the software isn't malicious. The software will be reviewed by Apple. Especially after some apps were found to be using computer power to mine for cryptocurrency earlier this year, it would be nice to have apps that followed this review process. It's totally optional for developers, but it doesn't hurt to try it.

The Current State of the Mac App Store

App stores on desktops are hard to pull off. Apple, Microsoft, and even Google have tried pulling it off. The need for an app store on a desktop isn't that necessary. On a smartphone, it makes sense, as it provides a safe and consistent environment for anyone to find an app. There's an even playing field. Mobile apps are constrained to smartphones and don't need the same capabilities as a desktop. Meanwhile, a desktop experience is much more demanding. You might need high-end or professional software. Users can make decisions for themselves and use Google to find these apps. Software developers can create websites that show the full extent of what their software can do through videos, demos, and links to reviews. This matters more with more expensive software. There are many other factors that I haven't pointed out, but it does question the point of the Mac App Store today. I haven't used it in the longest time. There are some great, small apps I've downloaded from smaller developers, and for them, I can imagine the Mac App Store is an ideal platform. But it's clear that in the post-PC era, App Stores are much more optimal on non-PC devices.

Back to My Mac Being Discontinued

Back to My Mac has been around for a long time. It allowed users to perform file transfers and screen shares through iCloud. Apple will be shelving the feature with the release of macOS Mojave. I personally found Back to My Mac a bit complicated, with so many conditions that had to be met for it to work practically. There are other free alternatives, like TeamViewer, so not all is lost. Apple also mentions Apple Remote Desktop, which is $80 and receives few updates, so (while it's unlikely) we may finally see an update or a price cut.

H.265 Video and Compatibility

I've worked with Final Cut Pro for a while now. It's made by Apple works great on Apple hardware because it's made for Apple hardware. With the addition of HVEC or H.265 video capture on the latest iPhones, some Mac users who haven't upgraded to High Sierra yet may find some compatibility issues with video taken from a new iPhone. H.265 video will take up about half as much space as H.264, but it requires Macs to be on macOS High Sierra to properly watch it. For a quick and immediate workaround, use Handbrake to convert the video to the H.264 video codec. This should fix any compatibility issues. If you don't need an immediate fix, I recommend upgrading to macOS High Sierra. Regardless, you should upgrade to High Sierra when you're not in the middle of a project, as it will save you a lot of space in the long run.

Every Apple Wallpaper

Apple wallpapers are very nostalgic for many. It’s part of the reason the iPhone X had some remastered original iPhone wallpapers. Now, Nucleam on Reddit has posted an archive of every macOS and iOS wallpaper. These are a great way to give your device a retro feel. The macOS wallpapers date back to System 7 and the iOS ones go back to iPhone OS 3.

Apple's Photo Book Service to be Discontinued

Apple has had physical Photo Books available for purchase since 2002, and many people enjoy making and receiving them. Unfortunately, Apple will be discontinuing it later this year. Found by 9to5Mac, the service will be discontinued September 30, 2018. The service will be succeeded by extensions that the user installs, such as Shutterfly. This is unfortunate for me and my family, as we loved making these books, so I'll have to be sure to make at least one more before it's discontinued.

The 2018 MacBook Pro

Apple announced their 2018 MacBook Pro today. There are considerable spec bumps that look really nice. The following changes only affect models with Touch Bar. All 13-inch models now have quad core 8th-generation Intel processors and can now have up to 2 TB of SSD storage. The 15-inch models all have 6-core 8th-generation Intel processors (including the i9 chip) and can have up to 4 TB of SSD storage. Both the main display and Touch Bar have True Tone displays. They also feature a third-generation Butterfly keyboard, which is up for debate if that's a good thing. The new T2 chip brings "Hey Siri" to the MacBook Pro. Finally, the leather sleeve accessories for the MacBook are now coming to the MacBook Pro. Overall, it's good to see some Apple hardware news after such a long drought, especially for the Mac. We'll hear more about this in the coming days.

Mac App Store App 'Calendar 2' Mines Cryptocurrency

In recent years, and especially now, we have heard more and more about websites and apps using services like CoinHive, which utilize your CPU (knowingly or unknowingly) to contribute to a large cryptocurrency mining operation. With a declining sustainability of ad revenue (especially with the popularity of AdBlock), many have turned to this method. With strength in numbers, these mining operations can bring in a fair amount of revenue. It's tempting for many, but it is heavily frowned upon. Mac App Store app, Calendar 2, has taken advantage of this by offering it as a "payment" option [Source: Ars Technica]. In exchange for your processing power, you'll get all advanced features for free. In addition, you can disable all advanced features or simply pay for them with money. However, the app mines cryptocurrency by default. That's deceptive for multiple reasons, but that aside, how did this make its way onto the Mac App Store? That remains unknown, but we do know that the app has been taken down since. The developer of Calendar 2, Qbix, is working to remove the miner due to several bugs.

"We have decided to REMOVE the miner in the app. The next version will remove the option to get free features via mining. This is for three reasons:
1) The company which provided us the miner library did not disclose its source code, and it would take too long for them to fix the root cause of the CPU issue.
2) The rollout had a perfect storm of bugs which made it seem like our company *wanted* to mine crypto-currency without people's permission, and that goes against our whole ethos and vision for Qbix.
3) My own personal feeling that Proof of Work has a dangerous set of incentives which can lead to electricity waste on a global scale we've never seen before. We don't want to get sucked into this set of incentives, and hopefully our decision to ultimately remove the miner will set some sort of precedent for other apps as well."

Regardless of any stance on their statement, it raises an important topic of apps and websites using our processing power to mine crypto. So many reports state how developers have to retract or update these apps because they are using too much power. If that's the case for one app, what's stopping other apps from fighting for CPU? All while the user is blissfully unaware of any of this. It's becoming an epidemic fast.