Hardware 
Stacking the deck: Google wins again
The Macalope regrets to announce that for the 10 billionth time running… Google has won again. Someone please shut the lights out in Cupertino. You know, for all the times that Google’s been declared the winner, it’s kind of amazing … Continue reading
How to disable Apple’s HEIF and HEVC formats in iOS
Apple introduced two high-efficiency multimedia formats in iOS 11 and macOS 10.13 High Sierra: HEIF and HEVC. They take up substantially less storage for the same quality of image as comparable JPEG, PNG, and H.264 video. However, they’re not very … Continue reading
Where oh where can the Mac updates be?
Even before Tim Cook took the stage, there was little expectation that this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference would focus on anything other than software. But now, with it in our rearview mirror and a new iPhone announcement likely not far … Continue reading
Apple introduces keyboard service program for Mac laptops with ‘butterfly’ keyboards
The new “butterfly” keyboard featured on the MacBook and MacBook Pro has been contentious to say the least. Users don’t like the key action and travel or the noise it makes. Perhaps more importantly, the keyboard appears to have some … Continue reading
Make your bulbs brighter with $30 off the Philips Hue White Ambiance starter kit
Smart bulbs add convenience and control to your home lighting system, and right now one of our favorites is on sale on Amazon.The Philips Hue White Ambiance A19 starter kit is $120 today, down from a list price of $150 … Continue reading
The Humble Store is giving cyberpunk RPG Shadowrun Returns away for free
The Humble Store is giving away Shadowrun Returns through Saturday morning, and selling the sequels for dirt cheap.
What to do when your two-step Apple ID account is locked
I woke up on a Friday morning, groggy with allergies, a mild cold, and a message on my iPhone. I needed to enter my password to proceed. I did so, but only after checking that it wasn’t some kind of … Continue reading
No good deed goes unpunished: The Apple blame game
WWDC is long over but The Macalope has still not dug out from under the backlog of BLAZZLEFROZZLE that erupted in the wake of Apple’s keynote. Writing for The New York Times, Farhad Manjoo said after WWDC “Apple Shuns the … Continue reading
4 ways Android Messages for web is better than Apple Messages on the Mac (and 4 ways it’s not)
Google has finally launched Android Messages on the web, letting users send and receive texts from their PC. But is it better than Apple’s Messages on the Mac?
GarageBand 10.3 update makes Artist Lessons free and adds 1,000 new loops
Apple’s free music creation software, GarageBand, hasn’t been updated for about a year. Last summer, with version 10.2, the Mac app got a totally redesigned interface, Touch Bar support, and the ability to sync and edit projects between Mac and … Continue reading
