macOS

There are new iOS 16.6.1, iPadOS 16.6.1, watchOS 9.6.2, and macOS 13.5.2 updates that you should install if you can. MacRumors has more details.

With the forthcoming macOS Sonoma update, you’ll apparently be able to do so from the Finder instead of having to install Apple Configurator (via MacRumors). Hopefully you’ll never have to worry about this, but if you do, soon there will be one less piece of the process you’ll have to remember to do.

Apple was granted a patent today for a “Light Recognition Module for Determining a User of a Computing Device” — aka an infrared light and scanner that could log you in to a MacBook or iMac.

Unfortunately, there’s no implication that this is actively on its way: the patent was filed back in 2019. We’ve gotten notches on MacBooks since then, and there’s no Face ID in sight.

YouTuber Luke Miani previously explained how Apple blocks easy storage swaps in the Mac Studio, but with an assist from dosdude1, now he is showing how to upgrade the storage of this 256GB M1 Mac mini running macOS Ventura (via Apple Insider).

Taking it to 2TB requires carefully removing the existing chips and soldering on a pair of blank NAND chips. The swap is cheap at $100, assuming you have the know-how and equipment, but not easy. But, if you can do it, Miani notes, you could always double down and upgrade your RAM the same way.

Windows is still the vast majority of gaming PCs — over 96 percent — but the Steam Deck has thrust Linux into second-place, according to Valve’s latest hardware survey.

A full 42 percent of those Linux gamers are on SteamOS Holo specifically, which (for now) only officially ships on the Steam Deck. Is it time for Apple to finally get gamers in gear?

If you’re a Safari user, Tab Groups can help. You can use these to separate your mountain of tabs into organized batches based on their purposes and use cases, which you can then open and close with a single click. Here’s your guide to creating and using Tab Groups on macOS and iOS.

Apple just released iOS 16.6 with “important bug fixes and security updates,” so go get your iPhones and such up to date. iPadOS 16.6, tvOS 16.6, macOS Ventura 13.5, and watchOS 9.6 are also available.

No specific features are mentioned in the release notes. You can update most Apple devices by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

If you’ve taken the leap and installed the macOS Sonoma public beta on your computer, I encourage you to tinker around with the Widgets feature. You — yes, you — can put a number of dynamic little squares on your desktop with just a few clicks. Here’s how.

Apple dropped new Rapid Security Response updates — the aptly-named updates that let it quickly address security issues — today that address potentially-active exploits:

Impact: Processing web content may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.

The new versions are iOS 16.5.1 (a), iPadOS 16.5.1 (a), and macOS Ventura 13.4.1 (a). Apple’s first such update went out in May.

In the release notes of Firefox 115, developers note that Windows 7 and Windows 8, as well as macOS 10.12, 10.13, and 10.14, are all being moved to an extended support release version so they can continue to receive security updates.

To update to 116 when it’s released, you’ll need a PC running Windows 10, macOS Catalina 10.15, or something newer.

Google Chrome dropped support for Windows 7/8 in February.

The 2022 13-inch MacBook Air launched with Bluetooth 5.0, but the tech specs page for the laptop now says it has version 5.3, as reported by MacRumors.

It doesn’t look like this is a quiet mid-cycle hardware swap, as the 2022 model’s Broadcom 4387 now supports Bluetooth 5.3.

So if your 2nd-gen AirPods Pro have been working a little better with your laptop lately, that might be why!

Update July 3rd, 3:24PM ET: Added a link to the last Internet Archive snapshot of the 2022 MacBook Air.

Apple recently announced a lot of nifty new hardware, and if you’re preparing to update your equipment, you may want to make room by trading-in your old Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Watch. We have a guide for how to wipe your device, and where you can trade it in for credit or cash.

ThisDoesNotCompute has a fun video on running Mac OS System 7 on a PocketChip, a handheld computer from 2016 that was powered by a board similar to a Raspberry Pi. Bonus: the video includes a bit of history about the PocketChip and the board inside of it, including the downfall of the company that made it.