The Micro-Byte - December 2025

 

Gifting Apple this Holiday?

Being a kid during the Holidays was always great! There were parties, events, days off from school, and, oh yes, presents. It was a month of joy unlike any other on the calendar. And then we became adults. It all changed. Now we had to organize the parties and events, host the fancy dinners, and, yes, purchase and source all the presents. It's still fun in a way within the stressed-out "need to make it happen" type of chaos. So, if you are thinking of gifting anything from Apple this year, we have your back. Tech is personal, and trying to buy an iPhone or iPad for someone when you don't know how they will use is or what device they are coming from is hard. To that end, here are three easy wins for you to consider. AirPods Pro 3 Apple knocked it out of the park with the latest version of their AirPods Pro. Everybody, and I mean everybody loves them – even the Android people. They are seen as the gold standard of earbuds. Noise cancelling is vastly improved; they have a built-in heart rate monitor; and the live translate feature is a game changer. If your giftee doesn't have a pair, then these are a solid choice. To learn more about the AirPods Pro 3, visit: https://www.apple.com/airpods-pro/ MacBook Air 13-Inch - 512 GB Storage Trying to choose a computer for someone when you don't know how they are using their current machine is very difficult, but the MacBook Air hits the sweet-spot. The M4 chip is ridiculously powerful and can run just about every application out there, aside from the very high-end 3D modeling software, and highly complex design apps. Yes, you can do 8K video editing on one. Yes, you can run the basic parts of Adobe Creative Cloud. And most importantly, they come in several colors. The $1,199 model with the 512 GB of storage is a safe bet. It's not as powerful as a MacBook Pro or Mac Studio, but for many users, it's way more than enough. To learn more about the MacBook Air, visit: https://www.apple.com/macbook-air/ Apple Gift-Card Or just leave the decision up to them and get them an Apple Gift Card. It's not cheating at all. In fact it also absolves you from picking the wrong color, storage, or whatever. Here is a link to the Apple Gift Card page: https://www.apple.com/shop/gift-cards

Monthly Min-Bytes - December 2025

 

Avoiding Scams on Amazon Well, we all probably knew that it would happen someday. It used to be easy. Need something? Just queue it up on Amazon and get it delivered lickety-split. But those days are long gone, and it's too bad in a way. Amazon is not the only outlet that sells on Amazon. Pull up any product and look to the right and in fine print you will see something that says "Sold By." Amazon allows other businesses to use their platform to sell items. You buy the item on the site. It's shipped by Amazon, most often in an Amazon box. But the seller is not Amazon. Now this is not necessarily a bad thing, but what has been cropping up lately are a series of seller scams that can not only find you purchasing fake products, but also spending 10 times what the item actually sells for on other outlets. Then there are the fake reviews. And there are a lot of them. It's easy now to pay click farms to stuff in product reviews. The other scam is to rename a page with overall positive reviews with a totally different product altogether. So how can you protect yourself? Purchase only from Amazon listed in the "Sold By," unless you are familiar with the seller. Cross-shop your product at other websites. You may find it cheaper. For example, printers usually come in much less at Staples than at Amazon. Mind the Price: As you are cross-shopping see what the actual retail price is. That way you don't overpay. Make sure you that can return whatever you purchased. Amazon has a very liberal return policy, so use that as another layer of protection.

macOS Tahoe and the Slow Upgrade

macOS Tahoe is good, speedy, and relatively stable. Yes, the Liquid Glass clear over clear design is garbage, but for the most part Tahoe is a solid update. If you have an M-Series processor it will squeeze even more speed out of your already speedy machine. But the update can be slow and appear to hang. This is especially the case right now if you are upgrading directly to the latest 26.1 release. It may sit at that "5 Minutes Remaining" for an eternity – sometimes taking another 30 to 40 minutes to complete. It's not a problem, but it can appear that your upgrade is hanging. It's not. Just go get yourself a beverage or snack and stop back in a bit. It should finish up just fine. But, just make sure you have a backup before you start... as always. To learn more about macOS Tahoe visit: https://www.apple.com/os/macos/

Always Use FaceID Out in Public

Your iPhone is no longer just a phone. It is the key to your entire life, for the most part. It has your email, passwords, texts, and all types of personal information that you must protect. Having a passcode and enabling FaceID is extremely important. But using FaceID when out in public is a must. If you enter in your passcode, someone can see, swipe your phone, and then they are in. In a few moments they can lock you out of your life. Scary? Yes. Avoidable? Absolutely! Always, always use FaceID to unlock your iPhone. If you need to enter your passcode, do it stealthily, like entering your PIN at an ATM. And also make sure that you have physical control over your phone. Don't leave it on a restaurant table or on a bar. It's almost more important than your wallet, so keep it just as safe.

The Micro-Byte - November 2025

 

Techy Travel Tips

'Tis the season for travel, and before spending precious time with friends and family we need to brave delayed flights, crowded roads, and maybe even frightful weather. But fear not as your Apple devices can have your back and help you get through the challenges of everything from planes, to trains, to automobiles. Here are some tips to get you through it all. Boarding Passes We already know that we can get our boarding passes in the iPhone's Apple Wallet, but did you also know that if you have an Apple Watch your boarding pass is available there, too? Open the Wallet app on your Apple Watch and with a flick of your wrist you can scan and board your flight. One word of advice: Print out a paper hard-copy of your boarding pass just in case the tech fails you. It happens, and when it does you will be ready. For more info visit https://support.apple.com/en-us/123179 Triple Up on Maps If you are in to science, then you know that more is always better. And that's true when it comes to mapping apps on your iPhone. It's very important to be able to cross-reference from one to the other, as one will show a blocked road, while another may not. In addition to the pre-installed Apple Maps, download a copy of Google Maps along with Waze. Be sure to double-check your route in at least one other app. It may seem like overkill, but I have been directed to incorrect locations along closed roads before. Taking a minute to verify your track can save you a lot of time and stress. Pro-Tip for Flight Tracking Going back to the theme of double-checks and confirmations, just using your airline's app to get info on your flight doesn't give you the whole story. Downloading an app like FlightAware can show you your plane's entire daily itinerary, including its exact location, and if it is delayed or early. Medication & Supplement Reminders Being in a different country or time zone can totally mess with your medication and supplement schedule. Apple gives you the ability to track your meds in the Health app and even schedule reminders. To learn more, visit https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/track-your-medications-iph811670c81/ios Calendar Entries When traveling to a different time zone, be wary of how you enter in calendar entries. Depending on your settings in Calendar, or even with invites you receive, they may not show up at the correct time that you expect. A tip is to put the actual expected time, and even which time zone, in the title. Then when you get back home, you can make sure they line up with the time that they are supposed to happen.

Monthly Mini-Bytes - November 2025

 

Is iCloud Going to Delete Your Photos? We've all got the emails or the texts that say that we are out of iCloud Storage and Apple will delete all our photos unless we renew, or pay 2 Bitcoin, or whatever. It's all a scam -- every single one of them. And they are getting more frequent, more aggressive, and even more convincing. But they still are a scam -- totally fake. None of the major cloud storage companies whether Google or Apple will delete any of your data if you run out of space. They will just not allow you to upload any more data, or in extreme cases, require you to renew your subscription prior to accessing saved data on the cloud. That's it. If you are out of iCloud Storage, your photos will not sync, but remain on your phone, iPad or computer until you pay for more storage, or clean off enough room for the process to restart. Here is a quick way to check on your iCloud Storage: On your iPhone go to Settings -> [Your Name] -> iCloud. Right at the very top it will show you your storage and how much you are using. It's a super simple way to put your mind at rest and if you do need more space you can choose the Storage section and have the option to Change Your Plan on the next screen.

macOS Tahoe May Break Your Printer

Well, it won't really physically break your printer, but many printers in fact are not compatible with macOS Tahoe. After upgrading you may find that you cannot print and your beloved old printer is no longer supported. It's frustrating and there's really only one fix... to buy a new printer. If you are considering a new laser printer, whether color or otherwise, consider a Brother. They are very good and have been extremely reliable. If you are looking for an inkjet, then the Epson Workforce series continues to be a solid option. Usually you can find a good one on sale for around $100. To learn more about macOS Tahoe visit: https://www.apple.com/os/macos/

Should You Renew AppleCare?

AppleCare has undergone some major changes and we will cover this more in depth later, but for now many of us are getting prompted to renew our AppleCare on some of our devices. AppleCare extends Apple's warranty for 3 years for Macs and 2 years for mobile devices from the date of purchase. You also have a loss/damage option available on some plans, which is a nice thing if you accidentally run over your iPhone. But is it worth it to continue coverage after the initial period? Industry standard life cycle for a phone is two years and for a computer it's three. That doesn't sound like a lot, and most of us get a lot more life out of our devices. That being said, extending a warranty on your dollar past that period may not make a lot of sense. Something like a defect will usually show up within the first year, and especially after the end of the initial AppleCare window. So, you have to weigh the costs with your plans for your computer and your device. If the loss/damage protection is important, this may be your motivation, but you will need to balance the cost/benefit and risks as with any extended warranty. Personally, we do purchase AppleCare, but find that the initial coverage period is adequate protection for the way we use our Apple products.

The Micro-Byte - October 2025

 

macOS 26 Tahoe is... Okay

It's been over a month since Tim Cook's merry band of devs dropped the latest update for the Mac -- macOS 26 Tahoe -- and it's... okay. No, it's not the greatest thing since sliced apples, but it's okay, and in a tech world were every major update from every company seems to be a dumpster fire of epic proportions, Apple did well here. It will make your M-Series Mac a little snappier and play nicer with your iOS/iPadOS 26 powered devices. There are some significant visual changes that may be frustrating. Apple is leaning hard into the transparent text over a transparent background thing. Just like in iOS/iPadOS 26 you will need to spend some time tweaking the interface to get it to where you want it. I don't understand why they do this, but I did hear a rumor that macOS 27 Blythe will have a white on white theme. Stay tuned for that one... So, if you are a rank and file Apple user and don't employ any complex 3rd party software, then it's okay to update if you want. As always, make sure you have a backup of your Mac before proceeding just to be safe. A Time Machine Backup is your safety net if things go sideways. There are a few other things to consider before you hit the update button. Check Your Software, Especially Business Users If you use Quicken, Quickbooks, Parallels, Adobe, or any 3D or design software make sure that it will run in macOS Tahoe. Many developers are late to the train when prepping for a new Apple release, so check and double-check that your critical software will run in the new operating system. In fact, if you use your Mac for business, we suggest that you wait to update. macOS Sequoia is stable and if you are working, don't rock the boat. Backup, Backup, and then Backup Like I mentioned above, before any move to any new operating system make sure that you have a Time Machine Backup of your Mac. If stuff is going to go sideways, it will during a major system update. Having a backup will take the stress out of the whole process. It's just good insurance. Intel Mac Users Beware There are only a few Intel-powered Macs that are compatible with macOS Tahoe. If you have one we strongly recommend avoiding the update. The testing pool of those machines was so small, and given Apple's history of "decommissioning" old machines, you may find your old Intel Mac struggling with the new OS. With the 5th generation of the M-Series processor being announced this month, it is getting time to think about putting that old Intel Mac on the back burner.

Monthly Mini-Bytes - September 2025

 

Mobile Updates are Here! iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS 26 have all been released. Your device may have automagically updated, as have ours, so they are here, and there is a lot to like. iOS 26 has made my iPhone 15 Pro much more lively and iPadOS now allows you to use apps in windows exactly like on our Mac computers. WatchOS adds a bunch of useful features, even for older devices. So, overall Apple did a fine job with the latest round of mobile device updates. Still, there are some issues. The animations can get annoying and the "Liquid Glass" transparency everywhere theme can make it difficult to see text, buttons, or even the clock. I assume that they will offer the ability to tone this down more in later updates, but here are some settings that you can change right now to make things pop just a little more. Go to Settings -> Accessibility then Display & Text Size. Turn on Bold Text, Reduce Transparency, and Increase Contrast. These three settings will make things much more clear, and hopefully they will offer more options later. Also, the updates can reset things like your Notification settings, watch faces, and even enable Private Relay. So, patience is important after the updates as you may need to spend some time getting your devices back to the way that you like them. To learn more about each release, see the links below. iOS 26: https://www.apple.com/os/ios/ iPadOS 26: https://www.apple.com/os/ipados/ watchOS 26: https://www.apple.com/os/watchos/

macOS Tahoe: Wait to Update

macOS Tahoe is out and your Mac may be pleading with you to update, but we recommend waiting. Your current software may not support it at this time, and even Adobe is late to the party with updating their apps for the latest Mac operating system. With Mac system updates like this it's always good to wait until the first major patch. This fixes most of the initial bugs and allows time for software developers to update their programs. Usually the first patch comes out within a month, so you won't have to wait too long. Just make sure your critical software will run in macOS Tahoe. Older versions of Quicken, Quickbooks, and Adobe may not. To learn more about macOS Tahoe visit: https://www.apple.com/os/macos/

Comcast/Xfinity Email Moves to Yahoo

If you have a Comcast email account then you should have received a communication from Xfinity that they will be moving hosting to Yahoo. This happened recently for Cox users and is a move that most ISPs and cable companies are doing around the country, as hosting mail these days with all the spoofing and scams is really difficult. But be wary of scams. Yes, scammers will jump on this to try to fool you into entering your Comcast email credentials, so tread lightly with links and urgent emails. To learn about the move, visit: https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/yahoo-email-migration-overview

The Micro-Byte - September 2025

 

The New iPhone 17s

Apple announced the new iPhone 17 family last week and here is our quick take on what's new, what's good, and what to consider if you are in the market for a new iPhone.  iPhone 17 The new phone is a slight bump in performance compared to the iPhone 16. It has a slightly larger screen, better cameras, but what is most significant is the big increase in battery performance. Apple is now claiming up to 30 hours of video playback compared to 22 on the old 16. That is significant. Of course there is a faster processor, and all those sort of things that we would expect in a new model. It is the workhorse of the new lineup and the one to consider if you just need a good, solid iPhone with great battery life and excellent performance. iPhone 17 Pros Both the regular and Max versions of the iPhone Pros are now made of aluminum instead of titanium. That is because they did a few things. One, the new A19 Pro chip is fast -- very fast and that means it generates heat. In fact, they had to develop a vapor cooling system just to keep it happy. Aluminum transfers heat much better than titanium. Second, the camera bump is not just a bump anymore. Apple calls it a Plateau. They were able to stuff all the phone components into that small portion of the phone, allowing for a huge battery. And as Pro models the cameras have been upgraded, as you would expect. This is the phone to get if you want maximum performance and the absolute best camera system short of a full DSLR. iPhone Air This is the odd duck in the lineup. It is thin -- very thin, but this is at the expense of battery life. In fact, Apple presented an external battery pack along with this phone in its keynote. That doesn't bode well for all day use, as they claim. They stuff all the phone bits into the Plateau so what's left is battery, but it's not enough considering how much we all use our iPhones. We think it is a prelude to a foldable, but at $1000 with the lack of a potent battery it just doesn't have much of a use case in our opinion. Still, if you want a super-thin iPhone and stay close to a charger... No, I just don't understand this one. Go for a regular 17 or one of the Pros instead. To learn more about the iPhone 17s visit: https://www.apple.com/iphone/