Have you taken a screenshot yet under Mojave? If you have, then you may have noticed a funny little floating thumbnail appear after you did. If you don’t like this behavior, come read today’s Quick Tip!
The Origins of macOS: Steve Jobs and NeXTSTEP
It’s easy to forget where and when macOS had its earliest origins. Its tumultuous path had its earliest start with Steve Jobs at NeXT. “NeXTStep was developed primarily by Avie Tevanian. The coder previously worked on the Mach microkernel, a supercharged version of UNIX, at Carnegie Mellon University. Jobs convinced Tevanian to join NeXT instead of taking what, in the short term, would have been a far more lucrative job at Microsoft.” This is a nifty, concise history of how it all started.
Cloudflare Works to Make the Web More Private With ESNI
Cloudflare is implementing a feature that encrypts your Server Name Indication (SNI). The new technology will be called ESNI.
But, today, as HTTPS covers nearly 80% of all web traffic, the fact that SNI leaks every site you go to online to your ISP and anyone else listening on the line has become a glaring privacy hole. Knowing what sites you visit can build a very accurate picture of who you are, creating both privacy and security risks.
This is a big change. Basically it will stop ISPs, rogue apps, and advertising companies from collecting and selling your browsing history. ESNI will hide the identities of the websites you visit.
macOS Mojave: How to Fix Blurry Mac Fonts
Some Mac users are noticing blurry fonts after updating to macOS Mojave, but luckily there’s something you can do using Terminal.
iPhone XS First Impressions - TMO Daily Observations 2018-09-25
Adam Christianson from the Maccast and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to talk follow up yesterday’s Apple Watch Series 4 first impressions with their thoughts on the new iPhone XS.
The Secret is Out: Apple Uses This Tool to Clean iMac Screens
There’s a tool called Vinyl Buddy that is used to clean vinyl records. But it can also be used to clean your Mac’s screen. Mac Geek Gab listener Everett says this is what Apple uses to clean iMac screens by getting the dust off the inside of the screen when reassembling them after repair. And others have confirmed. Instead of using a microfiber cloth, try this tool. It’s a small roller that attracts dust and other small debris. Once it’s full of dust, you just rinse it under running water and use it again. I’m guessing it’s an electrostatic effect because the roller doesn’t have any sort of adhesive on it. You could also try it on your iPhone or iPad, although it might not remove fingerprints. And of course, like the name suggests, it can pick up dust from in between the grooves of vinyl records. We found the tool on Amazon for US$14.99.
MacSentry VPN 2-Year Subscription: $29
We’ve got a deal on a 2-year subscription to MacSentry VPN. This service is based in Belize, i.e. not in an “Enemy of the Internet” or “14 Eyes” country. It features AES-256 to 4096 bit handshake encryption, unlimited bandwidth, and you can use it on up to five devices, including Android, Windows, and Linux. The 2-year subscription is $29 through our deal.
PSA: You Can't Use Two CDMA SIMs in the New iPhones
The new iPhones introduced eSIM technology into the line for the first time. But you can’t use two CDMA SIMs in your device.
How Apple Engineered the iPhone XS Battery
The iPhone XS battery, as well as that of the iPhone XS Max, are composed of two different lithium-ion cells formed in the shape of an L (in the phone, not your forehead).
By having one big battery instead of two conjoined, you can ditch a little bit of packaging and eliminate the small gap between them, maximizing your capacity. Picture two small train cars in a row. Next to those, put another car that’s as long as both small cars combined. You can fit more into the single, because you’re eliminating two walls and some in-between space. The same principle applies.
We all tease Apple about all of its products getting thinner, but it takes incredible feats of engineering to actually do that. Featured image credit goes to iFixit.
Why I Think Optimize Mac Storage is Infuriating
When you turn it on, it automatically deletes things when your Mac is running low on space. But it angers Andrew.