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/

Monthly Mini-Bytes - August 2025

 

The Increasing Cost of Streaming Apple just raised the monthly price of its AppleTV+ streaming service by 30% from $9.99 to $12.99. Considering it launched at $4.99 back in 2019, this latest increase is a trend that we are seeing across many streaming services. The top Netflix plan is a whopping $24.99 a month before taxes. If you add up all the other streamers it's quite apparent that cord-cutting is becoming just as expensive as cable and satellite services. But there is no reason to pay for each and every streamer every single month. Here is a strategy that you can employ to save some money. Verify Your Subscriptions The first thing is to determine what services for which you have subscriptions. The easiest way to do this is on your iPhone by going to Settings -> [Your Name] ->Subscriptions. Here you can see any active subscription that you have under your AppleID. No, it won't show you Netflix or other services that don't fall under what you can link to your AppleID, but it will at least give you an idea on what you are paying for each and every month to Apple. Implement Periodization The easiest way to save money with cord-cutting is to only subscribe to the services that you are actually using at any given time. If a show comes out on Paramount+ that you like, subscribe to it and watch things from their catalog. After the run of the show, you can cancel your subscription. It's not a big deal as you can just sign up again at any time. I'm not a big fan of Disney+, but I wanted to see Season 2 of Andor. So, I subscribed, watched the run of the show, and then cancelled my subscription. And no, we didn't finish Season 3 of The Mandalorian. Take Advantage of Family Sharing If you have family sharing enabled, your family members can share any active streaming subscription under your AppleID. This is a great way to cancel duplicate accounts to save a little cash.

New iPhone 17 Will Be Here Soon!

It's that time of year again when Apple will refresh the iPhone X (again) with a new chip, even bigger cameras, and new colors that you can obscure with the obligatory case. Yes, I am a little pessimistic. I, along with many in the tech universe, have been disappointed with Apple's lack of innovation over the past several years, and the current leaks about the updated iPhones don't sound all that exciting. Still, from a privacy, security, and usability perspective the iPhone has no equal. And although my eyes may wander to the Galaxy Fold and new Google Pixel, I know that I need something secure and reliable, and that is something that Apple does far better than anyone else. With the iPhone, security is simple to manage, it works across all my devices, and it is protected by Apple's stringent practices in accepting apps that can run on the platform. And if it is time for you to get a new iPhone, we recommend waiting until after the launch of the 17. It's not that you want to pay for the flagship model, but the current crop of phones will be discounted -- some heavily.  Which one to get? Well, we will wait and see. Stay tuned and we promise to cover the phones in an upcoming newsletter.

PayPal Scams Aplenty

Not a day has gone by over the past month where I haven't received one of those PayPal scam emails that claim I just bought an iPhone, a boat, a car, or three Bitcoin. They are annoying and not even convincing in the way that they are laid out, but do bring up something that we all need to be aware of -- old PayPal accounts. Just about all of us have had at least one or more PayPal accounts over the years, and with the rise of Venmo maybe you set up a new account and abandoned an old one. Well, these old PayPal accounts are a vulnerability. They contain financial information that you don't want to fall into the wrong hands. If you have an old PayPal account that you no longer need, then here is what to do: Log into the account -- recover or reset the password if needed Reset the password... if you didn't already do it along with Step 1 Remove any saved Credit Cards or Bank Accounts Delete the Account Remember that you may have set up accounts under old emails -- even ones that you no longer use. So, a little detective work may be needed. Still, it is time well spent to secure your information.

The Micro-Byte - August 2025

 

Passkeys: Are They Worth Using?

In the world of usernames, passwords, multi-factor authentication, biometrics, and all the rest that makes up the bitter stew of account logins comes the new kid on the block: Passkeys. Passkeys have been sold as the solution to the complexities of usernames and passwords, but I am here to tell you right now that they do none of that, but only add to the confusion and mess of it all. What are Passkeys? In the olden days, or before Passkeys... or right now, actually... websites, apps, and the like required a username and password combination for access. This combo was kept at the company that runs the website/app, and if and when their database was breached, both were stolen. The hackers then had full access to those accounts, since they had the two pieces to get in. With Passkeys there is a Public Key and a Private Key. The Public Key is held at the website/app and the Private Key is held by you. The Private Key is secured by biometrics (FaceID or TouchID) or your device/computer password. It is incredibly complex and near impossible to recreate. The Public Key has no information in it that could be used to re-create your Private Key. This means that if the Public Key is hacked, it's worthless. But Passwords are Still Here It sounds good, secure, and a whole lot easier than passwords, and in a world where Passkeys replaced passwords, that would be true, but they do not. You still need a username/password to create any account, and this combo is just as vulnerable as before. Passkeys do not resolve you of good password management. They are just another way to log in, and this adds complexity, which is always bad. Plus, many Passkeys still require you to go through multi-factor authentication. Should You Use Passkeys? Since Passkeys do not replace the old username/password combo, it just adds something else for you to manage. We have also seen where a broken Passkey can lock a user out of an account, even though they still have the old password way of logging in. Implementation has been poor. If you want to play around with Passkeys, use them in non-critical accounts and create the key in the Apple Passwords app. At the end of the day, Passkeys do more to protect the tech companies than they do to add much for the consumer at this point. If they are able to deploy Passkeys in the future to replace usernames and passwords, then they would be worth it. But right now it is all just additional noise in the increasingly cluttered world of technology.

Monthly Mini-Bytes - July 2025

 

How Powerful of a Computer Do You Need? If you are brave enough to walk un-escorted into an Apple Store these days, one thing that you will quickly realize is that Macs are very expensive. Sure, you can pick up a base Mac mini for around $600 and a MacBook Air for around $1K, but with iMacs, Studios, and some Mac Pros that can top out at over $12,000, it's so easy to overspend. Well, the dirty little secret is that Apple made their Silicon chips so powerful that even that lowly $600 Mac mini can do things a $5000 top-of-the-line Intel-powered iMac Pro could only dream of just a few years ago. And for the typical home or small business user, the base Macs are sometimes all that you need. If you are looking at video editing, 3D modeling, AI generative tasking, or transdimensional multiplicative divergence, then you do need to look at the higher end Macs. But if all that you do is email, photos, surfing the internet, Word, Excel, Quickbooks Online, and those types of things, then save yourself some money. The base M4 Macs with 16GB of RAM (Unified Memory) will serve the majority of Mac users very well, and be able to do so for years to come. The only thing to be wary of is storage. The base Macs only come with a scant 256GB of storage. Make sure you have enough space to fit in all of your data. These days we usually recommend 1TB of storage, although light users can be fine with 512GB. If you do opt for the Mac mini, you don't necessarily need to purchase the $1500 Apple Display. A basic 4K monitor can be had for around $300. Offerings from LG, Samsung, and Dell won't have the high end features, but can work depending on your needs. Bottom line is that you don't need to pay the Apple Tax to get into a new Mac and enjoy the power of the M-Series chips.

My iPhone is Too Big!

Yes, big phones are here and they are getting bigger. Why? Don't know, and as an aficionado of diminutive design, I too am frustrated by the increasing girth of the iPhones. The 17 line up is supposed to grow in size and the iPhone mini is long gone, unfortunately. And it's not just Apple -- from Samsung to Google, phones are increasing in size with every generation. So what can you do to try and live with these larger phones? Consider the Case Cases add thickness, weight, and bulk to already large phones. Think about what you need for protection. A thinner case can be an option, and there is always the choice to go caseless. This is of course risky if you are not careful, but I have gone without a case with my iPhone 15 Pro for almost two years. And yes, I do have AppleCare+. Leverage Your Apple Watch If you have an Apple Watch it can allow you to forgo keeping the phone close at hand. Battery life isn't the best and trying to answer a call on your watch in the middle of Whole Foods can be awkward. Still, the Apple Watch was designed so that you could leave your bulky phone behind, or in your purse, or backpack. Wait for the iPhone Foldable? Tim Cook's Apple loves to show up late to the party, and it seems that finally they will be developing a foldable iPhone. This will allow your big iPhone to fold in half. If you look at the Samsung Z-Flip, it's the best of both worlds -- a full-sized phone that folds into a pocketable size.

Reminder: Apple Has a Password App

With the likes of CNN, the Wall Street Journal, the AZ Republic, and Extreme Fishing Weekly pumping out articles that amount to ads for third-party password managers, just remember that Apple has one built into it's iCloud ecosystem. The Passwords app exists on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It allows you to save passwords and use them seamlessly across devices. You can share passwords, create password groups, and even get the app to create unique passwords for each and every login. It is extremely good and doesn't cost any money, since you already have it. To learn more about Passwords visit: https://support.apple.com/en-us/120758

The Micro-Byte: July 2025

 

macOS 26 Tahoe: Can Your Mac Run It?

macOS 26 Tahoe is on the horizon and as expected a whole host of old Intel machines will not support the new operating system. Anything newer than 2020 should run it without issue, but it's important to know that only two 2019 models will be able to handle Tahoe: the 2019 16-Inch MacBook Pro and the 2019 Mac Pro Desktop, also known as the cheese grater.  Apple is being very aggressive about pushing off the old Intel machines. At this rate with macOS 27 we wouldn't be surprised if only Apple Silicon Macs will be supported. Here is the official list of Macs that will support macOS 26 Tahoe: MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 and later) MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later) MacBook Pro (16‑inch, 2019) MacBook Pro (13‑inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) iMac (2020 and later) Mac mini (2020 and later) Mac Studio (2022 and later) Mac Pro (2019 and later) To learn more about macOS Tahoe visit Apple here: https://www.apple.com/os/macos/