• Introduction with Ron Sharp
• " "Using Reminders and Calendars" with Ron Sharp
Location:
by Zoom online
MAGIC Minutes for July 16 2025
by Secretary Wendy Shimada, MAGIC*
At 4:02 p.m. President Mike Turnbull welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order with 18 attendees present within a few moments. Mike wanted to point out to members that you don't need to pay for a Zoom account to join the MAGIC meetings. You only need an account if you host a meeting. Just click the link you receive before the monthly meeting to join the meeting.
Today's presentation by Robert Elphick will be a tour of MAGIC's website, followed by Q&As, including questions previously emailed in to MAGIC as well as any questions that attending members have. Ron Sharp is not present to help today with the Q&A but Robert is ready, willing and able.
The next meeting is September 17, which Ron will host as Mike will not be available. Ron will be presenting on Using Reminders and Calendars, followed by Q&As.
Carol Heimgartner gave the Treasurer's report, showing a balance of $4366.28 after the monthly Whidbey Telecom bill was deducted. Carol noted that she had filed the annual WA Non profit Annual Report, with $20 fee, paid on her credit card but she is donating that to MAGIC.
In his interesting presentation, "The MAGIC Site In All its Glory", Robert gave everyone a tour of where to find what on the MAGIC website, from how to find the monthly video presentations to Tips & Tricks, past newsletters, etc.
After the presentation, Robert answered members' questions, and the meeting was adjourned at 5 p.m.
MAGIC Musings
Hello MAGIC members,
Magic wants you to know you do not have to pay for a Zoom account to attend Magic Zoom meetings. You only need to pay for a Zoom account if you are going to host Zoom meetings.
This month's Magic Zoom meeting will center around the recently updated Apple Calendar app, as presented by Ron.
This month, I'll be away and trying out a new eSIM app (Airalo) for my IPhone. This app enables the IPhone to access Apple and Google maps immediately upon my arrival in Vancouver, B.C. A new learning curve to be developed.
Looking forward to seeing you at the October 15th Zoom meeting next month, where the presentation will focus on the Apple Music app.
Mike Turnbull
MAGIC President
Note: This Software Update section of the newsletter lists the most relevant Apple updates. Not all updates are listed for all products. Additionally, I'll add other pertinent updates on occasion.
iOS 18.6.2 Security Update Released for iPhone & iPad to Patch Image File Exploit
from osxdaily
Apple has issued important security updates for iPhone and iPad, versioned as iOS 18.6.2 and iPadOS 18.6.2. The security update addresses an actively exploited security hole pertaining to malicious image files, and given the huge number of people who share and receive funny pictures, memes, gifs, and other image files online, it's a good idea to install this update as soon as you can onto your devices. With all that said, it's unlikely that most people are impacted by this particular exploit, but nonetheless it's still good security practice to install these type of updates right away when possible.
The same security patch is also available for older iPad users with iPadOS 17.7.10, along with Mac users versioned as MacOS Sequoia 15.6.1, MacOS Sonoma 14.7.8, and macOS Ventura 13.7.8.
No new features or other changes are included in the update, it is strictly security oriented.
Be sure you backup iPhone or iPad to iCloud before anything else. Then installing the update is easy:
Open the "Settings" app on your iPhone or iPad
Go to "General", and then go to "Software Update"
Select to "Update Now" to download and install iOS 18.6.2 onto iPhone or iPadOS 18.6.2 on iPad
iOS 18.6.2 and iPadOS 18.6.2 update
The iOS 18.6.2 update is reasonably small, but it requires a reboot to complete, and it may take a little while to install. Just be patient and let it complete on your device.
iOS 18.6.2 Release Notes & Security Notes
Release notes with the download for iOS 18.6.2 and iPadOS 18.6.2 are brief, mentioning the important security fix:
This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
https://support.apple.com/100100
The security specific notes offer more details about the exploit which has been patched:
Processing a malicious image file may result in memory corruption. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/124925
Given the nature of the exploit, it's a good idea to update all of your eligible Apple devices.
MacOS Sequoia 15.6.1 Security Update Released for Mac to Patch Image File Exploit
from oxdaily
Apple has issued macOS Sequoia 15.6.1 as a security update for Mac users running the Sequoia operating system. Apple says the update contains "important security fixes" and is therefore recommended for all users.
The particular exploit that has been patched pertains to malicious image files, and given that a huge number of people regularly encounter image files and share things like memes and funny pictures that are found online, it's a good idea to install these updates as soon as you can on your Apple devices. While it's unlikely that you have been impacted by this particular exploit, it's still good practice to install these type of security updates onto your devices right away.
The same security patches are also available for other MacOS versions including MacOS Sonoma 14.7.8 and macOS Ventura 13.7.8, along with iPhone and iPad versioned as iOS 18.6.2 and iPadOS 18.6.2.
How to Download & Install MacOS Sequoia 15.6.1 Security Update
Backup your Mac with Time Machine before beginning the system software update:
From the Apple menu, choose "System Settings"
Select "General", and then choose "Software Update"
Choose to "Update Now" for "macOS Sequoia 15.6.1" to download and install the security update on your Mac
MacOS Sequoia 15.6.1 update
Despite being a small security patch, the update itself is around 1.6gb on the Mac. The Mac also must restart ot finish installation.
If your Mac is running MacOS Sonoma or MacOS Ventura, security updates for those system software versions will be available instead.
Apple considers Google Gemini to power next-gen Siri, internal AI 'bake-off' underway
by Zac Hall, 9to5mac
Apple seems open to anything and everything when it comes to delivering the next generation of Siri. After reports that it could be powered by OpenAI or Anthropic, Google has entered the conversation.
The iPhone maker recently approached Alphabet Inc.'s Google to explore building a custom AI model that would serve as the foundation of the new Siri next year, according to people familiar with the matter. Google has started training a model that could run on Apple's servers, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private.
Gurman, who originally reported that Apple was considering OpenAI and Anthropic as solutions, says no decision has been reached yet, but Apple is putting the models head-to-head against its own models:
Internally, Apple is holding a bake-off to see which approach will work best. The company is simultaneously developing two versions of the new Siri: one dubbed Linwood that is powered by its models and another code-named Glenwood that runs on outside technology.
Gemini currently powers Android's AI system as well as Samsung's. The tool is also used to make AI features in lots of services and apps possible, including in third-party software that runs on Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
Claude AI model maker Anthropic has reportedly been viewed as the favorite by Apple, but the AI firm may be asking too high a price for powering the new Siri.
Separately, Gurman reports that some Apple leaders have considered using non-Apple models to power features under the Apple Intelligence umbrella, but Apple is only actively considering sourcing a possible Siri model provider for now.
Meanwhile, Apple has reportedly begun testing its first trillion parameter model that would be much more powerful than its existing 150 billion parameter models in use on Apple servers today.
To recap, Apple first announced an all-new Siri experience in June 2024 that it promised to deliver in iOS 18. After major roadblocks, leadership reorganization, and starting over with a new system, Apple delayed the original announcement with a new deadline of sometime in 2026. Apple is said to be targeting a spring release.
Stats suggest Apple's slow rollout of AI agent capabilities may be wise
by Ben Lovejoy, 9to5mac
One of the many delayed Apple Intelligence features is known as App Intents, and we're starting to see evidence that taking an extremely cautious approach to the rollout may be no bad thing.
Before the comments catch fire, I should stress that I'm most assuredly not giving Apple a free pass on the slow rollout of new Siri capabilities in general. There are a great many capabilities which should very definitely have been launched years ago. Indeed, I've argued that the delay is now so embarrassing that Apple should probably allow us to choose our own chatbot to stand in for Siri, and the majority of you agreed with me. But when it comes to AI agents, taking things slowly may be the right approach …
The power of AI agents
It's now almost a decade since I first described what I would like Siri to be able to do. I gave the example of the instruction, "arrange lunch with Sam next week."
Siri knows who Sam is, so that bit's fine. It has access to my calendar, so knows when I have free lunch slots. Next, it needs to know when Sam has free lunch slots. That requires Sam to have granted me access to her calendar at a simple busy/free level. My iPhone checks Sam's iCloud calendar for free lunch slots and matches them with mine. It finds we're both free on Wednesday so schedules the lunch.
And it could do even more. My iPhone could easily note my favourite eateries, and Sam's, and find one we both like. It could then go online to the restaurant's reservation system to make the booking.
Fast-forward to today and Google has introduced the restaurant booking part of this. We've also seen this kind of AI agent capability rolled out on a number of other platforms, especially in the enterprise sector.
Apple's own offerings, meantime, are nowhere to be seen.
App Intents
Apple's approach is to introduce this kind of capability through a mechanism known as App Intents. The starting point is to allow Siri to pull information from apps, something the company demonstrated back in 2022. We're currently expecting to have to wait until next spring before this is launched.
But the bigger goal here is to give iPhones AI agent capabilities, so that they can carry out more involved tasks on our behalf.
But AI agents are not yet very reliable
The problem, not just for Apple but for the entire tech industry, is that AI agents are not currently very reliable. Google notably goes as far as entering all of the information in the restaurant booking form before requiring the user to double check it and submit the booking.
AI Mode will directly link to the booking page so you can finalize the reservation.
TNW's Calum Chase pointed to a couple of rather worrying statistics:
More than half of companies (51%) have deployed AI agents
80% of them have disclosed that their AI agents have made rogue decisions
Worse, he says many businesses are being very gung-ho about using these agents without proper oversight.
Giving them autonomy with minimal checks is like handing the company keys to an intoxicated graduate. They are enthusiastic, intelligent, and malleable, but also erratic and in need of supervision.
And yet, what large enterprises are failing to recognise is that this is exactly what they are doing. AI agents are being "seamlessly" plugged into operations with little more than a demo and a disclaimer.
In this one area, a slow rollout may be smart
Even the more basic usage of App Intents, namely pulling information from an app and presenting it to the user, could be fraught with peril if that information isn't accurate and users rely on it.
Carrying out tasks on our behalf becomes exponentially more dangerous. With individual users perhaps even more likely than businesses to just assume that Apple Intelligence will do what they have asked, maybe the company taking more time to do more testing in this one area is no bad thing.
macOS Tahoe adds three new apps to your Mac, here's what's coming
by Ryan Christoffel, 9to5mac
Apple's next major software update for the Mac is macOS Tahoe, also known as macOS 26. Alongside the new Liquid Glass design and major Spotlight upgrades, macOS Tahoe will bring three new Apple apps to the Mac. Here's what's coming.
Journal
Journal
Apple's Journal app first arrived on iPhone with iOS 17.2 in late 2023. It's been exclusive to iOS ever since then, but that's changing this year.
Journal is coming to the Mac in macOS Tahoe, and also the iPad in iPadOS 26.
All your journal entries will sync over iCloud automatically, and Journal offers a two-panel layout on the Mac that's better suited for larger screens. Personally, I'm most excited about having a proper keyboard to journal with, as the iPhone's software keyboard isn't great for longer entries.
Journal's existing iPhone feature set is of course supported, and new this year are the ability to create multiple separate journals, view entries on a map based on where you wrote them, and more.
Phone
Continuity ties between the Mac and iPhone are expanding once again in macOS Tahoe.
For years, the Mac has supported answering calls that were coming from your iPhone. And last year, iPhone Mirroring provided full access to the Phone app via your Mac.
But in macOS Tahoe, Apple is adding a proper Phone app directly to the Mac. Here are the details:
The Phone app on Mac has the familiar features of the Phone app on iPhone — including Recents, Favorites, and Voicemails — and the latest updates like Call Screening and Hold Assist. Call Screening automatically answers calls from unknown numbers and asks the caller for information so a user can decide whether or not to answer. And when a user is stuck on hold, Hold Assist allows them to keep their spot in line while they wait for a live agent, so users can continue working on their Mac.
Considering all the ways Macs have been able to support phone calls in the past, it makes sense to finally have a dedicated Phone app on the platform.
Apple Games
Apple offers a strong ecosystem of cross-platform media apps, such as the Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Podcasts apps.
This year there's a brand new addition: Apple Games.
The new Games app will arrive simultaneously in macOS Tahoe, iOS 26, and iPadOS 26 as a one-stop hub for all your gaming needs.
New macOS Tahoe apps: wrap-up
Just a few years ago, the Mac would regularly lag behind Apple's other platforms in getting new cross-platform apps. Apple tended to prioritize the iPhone and iPad in its app development, with the Mac lagging behind a year or two. Fortunately, things have started to change in recent years, and macOS Tahoe's three new apps are the latest evidence of that.
Which of macOS Tahoe's new apps are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments.
Apple Music migration tool will finally help U.S. Spotify users switch
by Malcolm Owen, Appleinsider
The Apple Music migration tool is finally rolling out in the United States to help Spotify users switch music streaming services.
In May, following a period of beta-testing, Apple introduced the Apple Music migration tool in Australia and New Zealand. Months after that initial release, Apple has finally brought it to the United States.
An Apple Support document update spotted by MacRumors says the migration tool is now available in the UK, Canada, Brazil, France, Germany, and Mexico, as well as Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
While the U.S. wasn't the first country to get to use the tool, the overall territory list seems to be where you would expect Apple to initially release software products. As usual, a wider rollout to more countries is likely to occur in the future.
A Spotify shift-over
A collaboration with the SongShift transfer service, the tool is used to get users to move their saved playlist, liked songs and albums, and their overall saved music library from Spotify and other music services, over to Apple Music.
Apple warns that what can be transferred will vary between services that the user is moving from. It also doesn't affect the existing libraries on the non-Apple service, so they will remain intact.
The tool can be accessed by opening Apple Music on an iPhone, iPad, or Android device, opening Settings, and selecting Transfer Music from Other Music Services. Users are then prompted to select the music service, sign into their account for that provider, select what to transfer, and then to tap Add to Library.
This is also possible to run via a browser. Accessing music.apple.com, users can select their profile photo or monogram, then Transfer Music
The tool doesn't transfer actual music tracks, but does what it can to find matches to their selected tracks from within Apple Music's extensive catalog.
In cases where the tool cannot find an exact match, users are offered alternates that they can add to playlists and libraries instead. Users can take up to 30 days following the initial transfer to review any unmatched music and alternates.
Enjoy a Peacock Feather Apple Wallpaper to Celebrate India Store Opening
from osxdaily
Apple has a routine of opening new stores and celebrating those store openings with custom wallpapers, and they're back at it again. This time around, Apple is opening a new store in Hebbal, India, and has released a nifty peacock feather Apple logo wallpaper to go along for the ride.
Apple peacock feather wallpaper from Hebbal india store opening
Live Text is a system that allows text to be extracted from an image.
Live Text is available on Macintosh computers, iPhones, and iPads.
To enable Live Text, navigate to the menu System Settings, and select General. Scroll down to Language & Region and select it (shown here on an iPhone, but same for iPads and Macs):
and then toggle on "Live Text":
For photos, open the Photos app, select an image with text like a business card or sign—and tap the Live Text button (a square with three lines) in the bottom-right corner. Touch and hold a word, drag to select more text, or tap Select All, then choose Copy to paste into apps like Notes or Pages.
For real-time text, open the Camera app, point it at a document or menu, and tap the Live Text button when it appears to highlight text for copying, translation, or actions like opening URLs.
Live Text also works in videos since iPadOS 16 and iOS 16 - pause a video, tap the Live Text button, and extract text from the frame.
How to stop iPhone calls and FaceTime alerts from appearing on your iPad
by Chip Loder, appleinsider
Notifications for iPhone calls and FaceTime can appear on your iPad, and can be quite intrusive. Here's how to turn them off so they don't appear in iPadOS.
Cross-device alerts are a convenient feature on iOS devices. They allow you to get alerts about incoming messages and calls for one device on another that you own.
But if you're using your iPad for, say, reading a book, you might not want to be interrupted by incoming messages from your iPhone.
Most of these cross-device notifications are delivered via iCloud - at least in the case of the Messages and FaceTime apps. Phone call alerts can also be forwarded to your iPad via a setting, which is on by default on a new iPad.
How to turn off iPhone's Messages and FaceTime notifications on other devices
Apple turns on Messages and FaceTime iCloud integration by default on iOS. If you want these turned off, you'll need to access the iCloud settings on your iPhone.
This assumes, of course, you are already logged into your Apple Account in the Settings app in iOS on your phone.
To turn off Messages notifications from your iPhone to your iPad, open the Settings app on your iPhone, tap your Apple Account name at the top of the Settings list, then tap iCloud. On the next pane that appears turn off the Use on this iPhone toggle switch.
Note that when you do this, any messages from your iPhone that are already stored in iCloud will be deleted.
The label on the toggle is slightly misleading, as it really means "Store this iPhone's Messages in iCloud". When you turn this off, you'll stop receiving Messages on all other devices attached to the same Apple Account that are logged in and have iCloud turned on.
Unfortunately, there's no way to turn iCloud Messages storage on or off on a per-device basis.
Turn off iCloud Messages storage in Settings in iOS.
For FaceTime alerts, the process is similar: from the iCloud pane in Settings turn off the FaceTime toggle switch.
Phone calls and FaceTime
If you're using the Settings->Phone->Calls on other Devices feature, you'll want to turn that off as well.
Just be aware that doing so means you will only be able to make or answer calls on your iPhone itself. This setting isn't just for alerts - it allows you to actually make and answer calls from your iPad to your iPhone.
If you want to turn off alerts for phone calls and FaceTime on your iPad, you'll need to do so in the Settings app on your iPhone. To do so, open Settings, then select your Apple Account at the top of the list, then tap iCloud, then turn off the Phone & FaceTime toggle switch.
Unfortunately, there aren't two different switches for phone calls or FaceTime, so it's both settings for this one switch. In iOS 18, you can only turn them both on or off at the same time.
In iOS 18 one Settings switch turns on both phone and FaceTime iCloud alert sharing.
On your iPhone use the Settings app to turn phone and FaceTime calls on or off.
On your iPhone use the Settings app to turn phone and FaceTime calls on or off.
Turn off iCloud entirely
One other option to silence iPhone alerts on your iPad is to simply turn off iCloud completely. Note that when you do this, some data from your phone you might be sharing won't be saved in iCloud.
Also, be aware that turning off some individual iCloud settings causes data stored in iCloud for those apps to be lost, as mentioned above.
You can also use iOS's Do Not Disturb feature to silence alerts on your iPhone.
iOS 18 updated Control Center with new customization options.
The iPhone Control Center is a feature that hadn't changed all that much in recent years, but iOS 18 brought about some big improvements. Here's how to get the most out of it.
Control Center has long offered iPhone owners a quick and easy way to access and toggle features like Wi-Fi, cellular data, and more. But the number of options available to iPhone owners was previously limited and the layout was cramped with just a single page of buttons available.
That's all changed with iOS 18, with Apple adding multiple groups to separate buttons as well as support for more types of buttons — including support for third-party buttons from many of the apps that you use the most.
In some ways, Control Center hasn't changed, but in others, it's almost unrecognizable from what came before.
How to use Control Center
Accessing Control Center is done in the same way that iPhone users are familiar with.
Owners of iPhones with Face ID like the new iPhone 16 can swipe down from the top-right corner of the display.
Owners of iPhones with Touch ID can swipe up from the bottom of the display.
The new Control Center interface is broken into three groups as standard with the first playing host to your favorite controls. The second page shows media playback controls while the third is where you'll find controls for things like Wi-Fi, cellular data, Bluetooth, and more.
Some controls have more options available.
Editing Control Center
The real power of Control Center is unlocked when you customize it to meet your needs, adding controls for apps you use often and removing those for features you simply don't need. With Control Center's newfound support for third-party apps, the world really is your oyster here, and adding new controls couldn't be easier.
New iOS 18 controls add quick access to tools and apps.
Open Control Center using the method described earlier.
You can tap the — button to remove a control.
Controls can be moved by dragging them to a new location.
Controls can be resized by dragging the handle in the bottom right corner of the button.
Tap the + button in the top left corner of the screen.
Tap the Add a Control button at the bottom of the screen to open the controls gallery.
Tap the control that you want to add to Control Center, you can rearrange its position if required and even move it to another page by dragging it with your finger.
Swipe up from the bottom of the display to end your editing session.
Adding new groups of controls to Contol Center
Control Center groups allow similar controls to be placed together and are perfect for people who use a lot of them. Adding a new control group is simple, and requires just a couple of taps to do:
Tap the + button in the top left corner of the screen.
Tap the small circle along the right side of the display, below the existing Control Center groups.
Tap the Add a Control button at the bottom of the screen to open the controls gallery.
Tap the control that you want to add to the new group.
Repeat the process to add more controls or swipe up to end the editing session.
A redesigned Control Center was far from the only change brought about by iOS 18. That update was released in September 2024 and includes new Home Screen customization options, an all-new Photos app, and more. The subsequent iOS 18.1 update includes initial support for Apple Intelligence among other tweaks.
Electric cars are predicted to outsell gasoline cars by 2035 globally, and even sooner than that in the United States. Apple Maps needed to make changes to accommodate the growing number of electric car owners.
Charging stations are actually highly prevalent, but they can be hard to find. Gas stations typically have tall, light-up signs and big awnings to make them instantly identifiable from a mile away, whereas an Applebee's with a few chargers in the parking lot isn't going to be as easy to spot.
This Apple Maps feature makes it easier to find EV charging stations wherever you go.
1. Search for 'charging station' or 'car charge point'
Adding electric charging stop to directions in Apple Maps
If you are already following a route in Apple Maps, swipe up from the bottom to add a stop to your route.
After opening the Apple Maps app, you can type directly into the search field. If you already have turn-by-turn directions for your route, swipe up from the bottom of the app and hit Add Stop.
In my testing, searching for "charging station" will only show dedicated charging stops, like Tesla Superchargers, Electrify America and travel stops.
Typing in "car charge" autocompletes to "car charge point," which brings up a few dozen more results in my area. This term includes additional EV charging stations, including hotels, campgrounds and libraries that house electric car chargers on their lots.
2. Filter by speed and availability
Filtering results and viewing a charging station.
Use the filters to find the station you need.
After you find an EV charging station, you need to make sure the filters along the top of the Apple Maps app focus on relevant info. Set properly, they will show you which charging stations are open now, which offer fast charging, and which offer charging for free.
In the search results, you'll see how many EV chargers are at the location and how many are available.
3. Check for plug compatibility
Finally, you need to make sure you find an EV charger that works with your particular electric vehicle. To do so, tap on a charging station's name. In the detail view, you can see which type of EV connectors they offer, how many of each type there are, and the speeds they work at.
For reference, Combined Charging System, or CCS, is the modern plug standard in most of the world. Tesla's North American Charging Standard, or NACS, is popular in the United States and will soon be adopted by all other major brands. CHAdeMO is common on older vehicles.
Once you find an EV charging station with the appropriate connector for your electric car, tap Directions or Add Stop to get driving directions there.
EV charging stations in Apple Maps: A good start for electric car owners
These advanced search features are promising, but Apple could do a lot more.
Right now, for example, it's pretty easy to find gas stations in Apple Maps: There's a prominent shortcut in the app to search for gas stations along your route. But you can't change "gas stations" to "charging stations." If I had an electric car, I would be pretty peeved about that. Manually typing in "charging station" while you're behind the wheel would be considered distracted driving. And that's a serious traffic offense in a growing number of states and countries around the world.
Apple also could integrate Apple Maps more deeply with CarPlay in electric vehicles, tying in your destination with estimates on your vehicle's range. Perhaps it could automatically add charging stops to a long road trip. Or it could filter out charging stations outside your EV's current range.
Optimize iPhone Battery with Adaptive Power Mode (iOS 26)
by Amy Spitzfaden, iphonelife
One of the best practical uses of Apple Intelligence is the new Adaptive Power mode. Adaptive Power mode, new in iOS 26, allows your phone to adjust its resources and performance to optimize your battery life in situations of high power use. It's easy to turn on, and then you just let your iPhone do the rest. Let's learn how to enable Adaptive Power Mode.
Why You'll Love This Tip:
Find the perfect balance between performance and battery saving.
Allow your phone to adjust its settings based on your current usage.
How to Enable Adaptive Power Mode
System Requirements:
This tip requires an iPhone 15 Pro or later running iOS 26. Find out how to update to the latest version of iOS.
Adaptive Power Mode enables your phone to adjust its usage to optimize your battery power during times of high usage, doing things like automatically dimming your screen or slightly slowing down some apps. Unlike Low Power Mode, this mode doesn't go into power-saving measures 100% of the time. So, you can toggle this on and leave it running all the time, preserving performance when your phone isn't working as hard and helping you prevent battery drain well before the little icon turns red. For more ways to optimize Apple Intelligence, check out our free Tip of the Day newsletter. Here is how to toggle on Adaptive Power Mode:
1. Open your Settings app.
2. Tap Battery.
3. Tap Power Mode.
4. Toggle on Adaptive Power.
5. Tap the back arrow to return to Settings.
Now your iPhone will adjust its performance to optimize your battery when needed. If you want to turn this feature off, just follow the steps and toggle Adaptive Power off instead.
Apple TV+ is getting its best fall lineup ever, here's everything new
by Ryan Chritoffel, 9to5mac
Apple TV+ is having a very strong year, and this fall's lineup will continue that trend. From major returning series like Slow Horses and The Morning Show to compelling new shows like Pluribus, and several high-profile movies, there's a lot coming. Plus, Apple likely has releases planned it hasn't yet announced. But as of now, here's everything new coming to Apple TV+ this fall.
New Apple TV 4K release date: Here's when to expect the next model
by Ryan Christoffel, 9to5mac
Apple last updated its Apple TV 4K set-top box in late 2022. So when is the next model coming? The wait won't be long. Here's when to expect the new Apple TV 4K to launch.
Next-gen Apple TV 4K launching 'toward the end' of 2025
Although rumors about the new Apple TV 4K have been minimal, we do know when to expect it thanks to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg.
Earlier this year, Gurman outlined Apple's big plans for 2025. Among those plans? A new Apple TV 4K model.
He writes that the next generation Apple TV 4K is "planned for release toward the end of the year."
Apple usually has a couple big launches in the fall:
September brings new iPhone and Apple Watch models, and sometimes AirPods
then October focuses on other products, such as the iPad and Mac
It sounds like, based on Gurman's report, the new Apple TV 4K may arrive in October or November.
However, it's always possible Apple could announce its new Apple TV 4K at the iPhone 17 event.
Particularly if Apple has an Apple TV+ promo video coming during that presentation, it might make sense to pair it with the new Apple TV hardware.
Whether it's September or later, this new model will arrive almost exactly three years after the last Apple TV update.
Features to expect from the new Apple TV 4K
So far, not a lot is known about what new features Apple is planning for its next-gen Apple TV 4K.
We know it's expected to include a new Apple-made Wi-Fi modem, which could lead to networking improvements with Apple's expanding Home device ecosystem.
tvOS 26 hints that a built-in camera could be coming to the new Apple TV 4K.
A recent code leak also indicated that A17 Pro will be the new model's chip.
Outside of that, support for some level of Apple Intelligence features is expected—and hoped for.
Though most current AI features aren't a good fit for tvOS, we should at least see a new, more capable Siri emerge.
Beyond these changes, however, there are a lot of unknowns still about the update.
What do you hope to see in the new Apple TV 4K? Let us know in the comments.
Apple Watch Ultra 3's software might be another reason to upgrade from Ultra 1
by Ryan Christoffel, 9to5mac
Two years after its predecessor launched, Apple Watch Ultra 3 is almost here. And in addition to the array of hardware upgrades coming, the Ultra 3 could also push Ultra 1 owners to upgrade with a variety of software features.
watchOS is getting even more features not supported by Apple Watch Ultra 1
When the Apple Watch Ultra 2 debuted in 2023, it was a fairly minor, iterative update over the original Ultra.
Now that more time has passed between hardware generations, Apple's forthcoming Ultra 3 model seems poised to offer much more enticing reasons to upgrade.
That's true even for Ultra 2 owners. But particularly if you've been holding on to an original Apple Watch Ultra, there are a handful of new watchOS features alongside hardware gains you'd get with an Ultra 3.
watchOS features not supported on Apple Watch Ultra 1 include:
Wrist flick, a new gesture for dismissing notifications, silencing timers, and more hands-free
More intelligent Smart Replies, powered by greater contextual awareness that improve Messages' reply suggestions
Live Translation, so you can message with people who speak another language
Automatic volume adjustment, making notifications, calls, and other noises an appropriate volume for your environment
Double tap, the existing gesture for navigating watchOS hands-free
Double tap has already been available in watchOS for nearly two years, but without supporting the Ultra 1.
But every other feature above is brand new in watchOS 26.
watchOS 26 expands the list of unsupported Ultra 1 features from just one to now five total.
Are wrist flick, better Smart Replies, Live Translation, or volume adjustment reason enough to upgrade to an Apple Watch Ultra 3?
For most, I'd guess the answer is an easy no.
But combine these software features with the list of rumored hardware upgrades in Ultra 3?
So far, Ultra 3 hardware rumors include a larger screen, faster chip, 5G support, satellite connectivity, high blood pressure detection, and more.
Software features alone may not motivate an upgrade, but pair them with a strong set of hardware updates, and Apple Watch Ultra 3 could prove harder to resist for Ultra 1 owners.
I just named my iPad "The Titanic"
...so when it syncs, iTunes tells me "The Titanic is syncing."
What do you get when you mix a Christmas tree and an IPad? A pineapple.
Malware Examples *
by Ron Sharp and Robert Elphick, MAGIC *
Here are some tips if you do respond to a scam email. Call your bank. Put a stop payment on your charge card if it is involved. Change your account password for whatever accounts are involved. If it's a PayPal account, log into that account and change the password. If you use a bank account online change that password. You can also set up email "rules" to block email from the sender if their email address shows. If you use Apples Mail app you'll find the "Rules" options in the Mail app Settings. You should also change the password to your email account that the scam email came to.
Whidbey spelt wrong! DO NOT CONTACT.
Philthy Phishing This one is not even from Whidbey.net. Also it is sent to a lot of people on the To section DO NOT CLICK..
Really scary Virus report in the internet It is bogus. Just Close the browser and then clear the History to get rid of it DO NOT CONTACT!
Not From McAfee see from address To lots off people - they all bought the software? I do not think so. DO NOT RESPOND
Message NOT from FedEx (see address at top) DO NOT RESPOND. It is evil
Internet Crime
Any one bothered by internet criminal activity should report it to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at this web page. This includes phishing, malware, spoofing, any demand for money.
Sell or Swap
by MAGIC
Got something you would like to sell or give away? Need something second hand or out of date? Contact MAGIC at this email .
FREE
G Drive 500GB external drive- Free USB 3.0, 7200 RPM drive
LaCie 160GB external drive- Free USB 2.0
2017 iPad Mini 2- Free Serial # F9FQWTU2FCM8 16 GB storage
Apple has started a live video shopping service in various locations. It's one of the many things they are setting up and expanding for future business and company service. With live video shopping customers can see products and communicate with Apple specialists without having to leave their homes.
Apple has also been preparing for and changing production locations due partly to tariffs. At least 25% of iPhone production takes place in India now, and that percentage is expected to rise.
Another change coming is Goldman Sachs stepping away from the Apple credit card and being taken over possibly by JPMorgan Chase. I use the Apple credit card and the Wallet app and have been very happy with it. Convenient as ever.
These are just a few areas Apple has been working on for service and sales to continue smoothly for the future. Details of their plans and progress can be found in the Apple magazine. But for immediate product news, Apple's September Event, Tuesday 9th, will introduce the iPhone 17, AirPods Pro 3 and Apple Watch Series 11, the Ultra 3 and the SE 3. The watch may have a blood pressure monitoring feature.
Other product news is only rumor as Apple remains secretive about their event news but a new Apple TV 4K and a HomePod mini 2 are probabilities. A new screen design called Liquid Glass will be part of the new iOS operating system. (See the video below for the Liquid Glass introduction. )The Apple event video will be uploaded to Apples website and available to watch a couple hours after the September 9th event ends.
It’s time consuming, annoying, and a real headache if you have to change your main email account. But it happens occasionally. Comcast happens to be making changes and is forcing some people to get new email accounts. This web searched text explains… "Starting in June 2025 and continuing into 2026, Comcast's Xfinity email service is transitioning to a new platform. Email users with comcast.net addresses will begin moving over to Yahoo Mail, which will take on the role of hosting those accounts going forward."
I changed my email account when Whidbey Telecom raised their web hosting rates. I switched to another web host, but that also eliminated my email account. So my main email account now is my Apple iCloud email account.
The headache is when you have to change all the accounts you had set up with your old address to the new one. Some accounts don’t even let you change email addresses and force you to create a whole new account. It takes many months to eventually get all your accounts switched over.
But the good news is that if you are using an Apple product you most likely have an Apple account. And if you have an Apple account you get a free email account. And Apple is good at filtering email. But there are other perks as well. You can create two other email addresses to use with your account. There will still only be one email account because the other addresses are aliases. That means other people only see the alias address and not your primary address. It can help to sort email into groups as well as possibly limit spam. With an Apple mail account you have an option to turn on Mail Privacy Protection that hides your IP (internet) address and loads remote content privately.
Apple email accounts end in @iCloud.com, although early email accounts often were @mac.com and @me.com. So now you know about Apple email accounts!
MAGIC, the Macintosh Appreciation Group of Island County, serves people who use Macintosh computers, software and peripherals. Our goal is to share information and get answers to questions to make us more productive with our use of technology. Our monthly meetings give us a chance to discuss computer problems and share ideas with other Mac users, feature speakers on specific topics, and to keep apprised of Apple news.
