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Adam Engst 15 comments

Apple’s Q3 2026 Earnings—Record Revenue and Marketing to the Street

In Tim Cook’s final earnings call as CEO, Apple posted a record $109.4 billion quarter, but behind Apple’s AI hype and “phenomenal” reviews lie supply constraints driven by poor predictions, skyrocketing memory costs, and a Siri AI that’s still finding its feet.

Adam Engst 23 comments

Apple Upgrade Replaces and Extends iPhone Upgrade Program

Apple’s new Apple Upgrade program, run through Klarna, lets US customers lease iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and Macs for monthly fees. It replaces the iPhone Upgrade Program, but unlike that program, you never own the device outright. Be sure to read the FAQ and fine print for all the details!

Adam Engst 27 comments

OS 26.6 Delivers Massive Number of Security Fixes

Apple’s latest updates patch an unprecedented number of security vulnerabilities while optimizing the Spotlight index in preparation for OS 27 and fixing bugs affecting Messages screenshots, Intel-based app notifications, and HealthKit data. None of the vulnerabilities is being exploited in the wild.

Adam Engst 6 comments

Snap Grip Solves a Problem You May Not Have

The ohSnap Snap Grip is a cleverly designed MagSafe accessory that helps you hold your iPhone more securely. After months of testing, Adam Engst found it most useful for one specific situation: reading in bed at night.

Adam Engst 27 comments

Simon Willison Breaks Down OpenAI’s Sandbox Escape Incident

An OpenAI model being tested for cybersecurity capabilities decided to cheat rather than solve its assigned test, breaking out of its sandbox and hacking into Hugging Face to steal the answers. Simon Willison calls it “science fiction that happened.”

Adam Engst 7 comments

How to Pitch Apps to TidBITS in the AI Era

AI has made it vastly easier to build apps and pitch them to publications like TidBITS for review. But we don’t have the time or brain space to look at everything, so here’s how developers can improve their chances of catching our attention.

Adam Engst 12 comments

Apple Opens Public Betas for OS 27

Ready for a glimpse into our future as Apple users? Public betas for macOS 27 Golden Gate, iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and other major Apple operating systems are now available—but beware of bugs and be sure to back up your devices first.

Adam Engst 9 comments

The Real System Requirements for OS 27

Apple has finally completed its silicon transition: macOS 27 drops all Intel-based Macs, and iPadOS 27 and watchOS 27 each leave five models by the wayside, whereas the iPhone compatibility list remains unchanged.

Adam Engst 16 comments

Apple Increases Apple Music, Apple One, and AppleCare+ Prices

Apple has raised prices for Apple Music and most Apple One bundles, citing rising licensing costs. AppleCare+ prices also increased, presumably to keep pace with rising component costs.

Adam Engst 3 comments

Taming Email Overload: Avec Makes iPhone Email Triage Almost Fun

Tired of clunky email triage on your iPhone? Avec’s swipe-based interface lets you quickly sort important messages from noise, using AI to prioritize what matters. It’s Gmail-only and iPhone-only for now, but IMAP support is promised and a desktop version is coming.

Adam Engst 9 comments

OpenAI Shuffles ChatGPT Apps, Kills Atlas Browser, Improves Voice

OpenAI has replaced its Mac apps with a confusing 1.45 GB amalgamation, killed its ChatGPT Atlas Web browser after less than a year, and boosted ChatGPT Voice by backing it with more capable models.

Adam Engst 47 comments

Beyond Streaming: Why and How to Download Videos from YouTube

Can’t stream a YouTube video on a plane? Worried that a rare concert recording will disappear? Need to edit a clip for a presentation? Here’s why TidBITS Talk readers download YouTube videos—and which apps they recommend.

Adam Engst 54 comments

How Planning Made My Second Long EV Trip Stress-Free

After a mostly successful first EV road trip, Adam Engst refined his approach for a weekend drive to Boston. The result was a boring, stress-free experience—exactly what you want from travel logistics.

Adam Engst 11 comments

AppBITS: Fidelia Offers Audiophiles Precise Control over Music Playback

Audiofile Engineering’s Fidelia plays your music collection with bit-perfect accuracy and lets you shape the sound through Audio Units, equalization, and headphone virtualization. It’s not for everyone—but audiophiles will appreciate its depth.

Adam Engst 34 comments

Do You Use It? Clear and Tinted Icons Are a Hard Pass

Our poll results are in: virtually no TidBITS readers use clear or tinted icons on the Mac or the iPhone. But the real issue isn’t color—it’s that Apple’s mandatory squircle shape strips icons of their distinctive personalities, making them harder to differentiate.