Macworld UK October 2022

Apple has released a bunch of critical security updates, so whether you’re reading this on a Mac, iPhone, iPad or even an Apple Watch, it probably needs an update. iOS 15.6.1: Apple released a small update to iPhones that includes two important security patches affecting Kernel and WebKit. Both updates could lead to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges and may have been actively exploited. Head over to the Settings on your iPhone and tap General then Software Update to install it. iPadOS 15.6.1: The same security updates that are on iOS are included in the iPadOS 15.6.1 update. To update, go to the Settings app on your iPad, then General and Software Update. macOS Monterey 12.5.1: macOS Monterey 12.5.1 also includes two important security updates for the Kernel (CVE-2022-32894)…

Apple’s 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are powerful laptops with great battery life. But the next generation could get even better processing speed and battery life, thanks to M2 Pro chips that could be the first in Apple’s line-up built with the 3nm process. According to the Commercial Times in Taiwan, the company that manufactures Apple’s chips, TSMC, will start making 3nm chips for Apple by the end of this year. (Previously, the Commercial Times reported that production would start by the end of September.) The first 3nm Apple chip may be the M2 Pro (and presumably the M2 Max as well), followed by the A17 later in 2023. Eventually, the M3 and subsequent Apple chips will used the 3nm process. In July, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple…

Apple has released an update to Boot Camp, which allows Intel-based Macs to run Windows. Version 6.1.19 of Boot Camp includes security updates and an update to the Precision Touchpad driver. With the Precision Touchpad, Windows users can use multitouch gestures on a Mac’s trackpad. To install the update, launch Windows in Boot Camp, and run the Apple Software Update app. The new drivers will then be installed. The 6.1.19 update comes after Apple released Boot Camp 6.1.16 a little over a week ago. Apple included Wi-Fi WPA3 support and a Bluetooth fix for a sleep/hibernation problem in that update. Boot Camp is a major feature but it does not work with Macs that use Apple’s M-series processors, which may make some users hesitate when it comes to buying a…

Apple has always maintained that the best approach for most customers is to get their products repaired by the company itself or by an authorized partner. But following years of pressure, it recently softened its stance on DIY repairs, announcing an iPhone self‑repair programme in November and last month expanding it to cover MacBooks. But has Apple genuinely been converted to a belief in the right to repair, or is it selling ice cream in winter for an easy PR win? Is it just pretending to be okay with customers doing their own repairs because it’s worried about antitrust regulators? We’ve written before about the high costs and significant stress of the Self Service Repair programme, and it looks like at least one of the new MacBook options follows a…

Buying a new Mac is usually pretty straightforward. It’s always best to wait when the current model has been around for a couple of years, but if you can’t, you probably won’t have any buyer’s remorse. Most of the time, the update is just a processor upgrade that a majority of users will be fine with missing out on. And even in the case of a redesign like the recent M2 MacBook Air, you’ll probably save a few pounds buying the current model. It’s a little different with the Mac mini. The current M1 model is getting close to two years since it was released, and based on the recent arrival of the M2 chip, it’s clearly due for an update. But the update could be a major one that…

Apple’s release of the new MacBook Air was highly anticipated, mostly for two reasons: its highly anticipated redesign and the introduction of the M2 processor, the next generation of Apple’s M-series of chips. As expected, the reviews for the M2 MacBook Air have been favourable, with Macworld’s Jason Cross calling it “a success” and “delightful everyday computer for most users”. But the praise for the MacBook Air has been overshadowed by reports of throttled performance. Article after article warns of a performance ‘shortcoming’, ‘severe’ throttling and how it ‘can’t handle the heat’, and video after video demonstrates what’s supposedly wrong with the new laptop. It might lead some people to question whether it’s worth their money and wonder what Apple was thinking. Here’s the thing: we’ve been here before, people.…