Category: News

I just finished watching the Lord of the Rings series for what feels like the hundredth time, and it still resonates deeply with me. One aspect that stands out is the immense sacrifice Arwen made to be with Aragorn.

This moment is captured beautifully in “The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen,” illustrating her choice to forsake Elvish immortality for love. Aragorn first met Arwen at the age of twenty while living under the protection of Elrond in Rivendell.

Arwen, at that time already over 2700 years old, had just returned from a stay with her grandmother, Lady Galadriel, in Lórien. Their love blossomed at first sight, and thirty years later, they reunited in Lórien, ultimately pledging themselves to one another on the mound of Cerin Amroth.

By choosing Aragorn, Arwen decided to remain in Middle-earth and abandon the path to the Undying Lands. Reflecting on the “Return of the King,” I am often moved by the profound story composition.

While I admit I sometimes skip the Frodo-Gollum arcs, I can never fast forward through key scenes like Samwise rescuing Frodo or Eowyn’s heartfelt journey of unrequited love for Aragorn. The moments of tension and triumph, from the lighting of the beacons to Aragorn’s rallying cry for Gondor, always bring spontaneous tears to my eyes.

Imagery from the film is etched into my mind—the stunning battle sequences, the thrill of Eowyn taking down the Witch-king, and Legolas single-handedly defeating an Oliphant. These epic scenes, underscored by themes of friendship, love, and sacrifice, solidify the series as a timeless masterpiece.

It’s an unforgettable journey that continues to inspire.

Hello everyone,

I appreciate any assistance you can provide. I recently purchased a 2021 M1 MacBook Pro 16 to replace my older 2019 MacBook Pro.

It’s a powerful upgrade, and I’ve typically relied on Migration Assistant for transferring data, but I’m encountering some issues this time. I am unable to get the 2019 MacBook Pro to show up in Target Disk Mode when connected to the new M1 MacBook Pro via a USB-C cable.

I’ve tested multiple cables, and the current one works perfectly with other devices, including my Mac adapter. In addition to the Target Disk Mode, I attempted to set up a temporary Admin account on the M1 Mac and tried transferring files over WiFi while both computers were on the same network.

Unfortunately, this method didn’t yield any results either, as the 2019 MacBook Pro did not appear. Any insights or solutions you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

If you’re looking to prevent your kids from downloading apps on your Apple TV, you can definitely manage this through privacy settings. While there isn’t a direct setting that requires a PIN or password for app downloads specifically, you can restrict access to the App Store entirely.

To do this, you should navigate to the Settings on your Apple TV. From there, go to the “General” section and then select “Restrictions.”

You will need to enable restrictions and create a passcode. Once restrictions are active, you can choose to disable the App Store, which will stop any app downloads altogether.

You may encounter an issue if some apps are already available on your other devices. In such cases, when you visit the App Store on your Apple TV, it might show a download option rather than “Get.”

This can lead to confusion, especially if your kids are seeing the option to download apps that are already linked to your account. To solve this, remember that even if the apps are on your other devices, restricting the App Store on your Apple TV will prevent any downloading.

You might also want to consider directly managing app downloads by not sharing your Apple ID with your children, which can help avoid future downloads across devices. Just ensure your devices are kept within your control to maintain the restrictions you’ve set in place.

Over the past two days, I’ve experienced persistent issues with both my watch and my phone. They have been incessantly requesting my location and asking for permissions related to the weather app and the weather widget.

Additionally, the watch face only partially displays the time. Whenever I switch to another watch face, the problem seems to persist.

It’s particularly frustrating that the ultra face, which shows the weather and sunset information on the second bar at the top, also appears to be malfunctioning. I’ve noticed numerous pop-up notifications concerning the weather, which have only added to my confusion.

I can’t pinpoint anything specific that I’ve changed or done to trigger this issue. In an attempt to resolve these problems, I’ve tried rebooting both my phone and my watch.

However, that hasn’t yielded any improvements. As of now, I haven’t undertaken a complete reset of either device, as I hope to find a simpler solution.

This situation has left me puzzled, as I’ve not made any recent adjustments that would warrant such behavior from my devices. I remain hopeful that a straightforward fix will soon become apparent, allowing both the watch and phone to function as intended.

With the iPhone 16 Pro running iOS 18.1, users have the ability to create shortcuts that adjust the charging settings of their device. Specifically, you can set a shortcut to change the battery charge limit from the standard 80% to the full 100%.

Additionally, it’s possible to disable the optimized battery charging feature temporarily, mimicking the “until tomorrow” option that iOS offers for one-time adjustments. This functionality would be greatly enhanced by the inclusion of a dedicated button in the Control Center.

Such a button could automate these command sequences, providing a seamless experience for users who wish to manage their battery settings quickly and efficiently. Being able to easily change battery charging limits and disable optimizing settings on demand would allow for greater flexibility, especially for those who may need their devices to be fully charged for specific tasks or trips.

Overall, these improvements could greatly enhance the user experience, making it more intuitive and convenient to manage battery health and performance. Having a simple, accessible option in the Control Center would empower users to take control of their device’s charging behavior without navigating through multiple settings menus.

Thank you for considering these suggestions, as they could lead to a stronger user experience for iPhone enthusiasts.

The iOS 18 Beta 3 was released on July 8, 2024. This beta version is identified by the build number 22A5307f and is based on Darwin Kernel Version 24.0.0, dated July 3, 2024. Following this, the revised build or public beta was made available on July 15, 2024, with the build number 22A5307i.

In terms of updates, the release notes for iOS 18 highlight some new issues alongside resolved problems and remaining concerns. Notably, a significant improvement has been made concerning the Mail app, which now accurately registers events for marking iCloud mail as read, unread, or trashed from other devices when Fetch New Data is set to “Push” in the settings. It’s important to note that even with these enhancements, a slight delay in fetching events may still occur.

Users participating in the beta are encouraged to report bugs via the Feedback app. If users prefer to disable beta settings, they can access the Feedback app through a specific URL entered in Safari. For installation, iOS 18 beta can be installed over-the-air or using a Mac.

When using a Mac, users must enable Beta Updates and ensure they are signed into the appropriate Apple Account. Make sure to back up data before installing the beta. Restoring an iPhone necessitates a stable internet connection and recommends a backup in case of data loss.

As for device compatibility, the beta supports a wide range of iPhone models from the latest iPhone 15 series to older versions like the iPhone XR and XS. Various carriers across different countries also back the beta, enhancing accessibility for global users.

I need to share my frustrations regarding the speech-to-text function, also known as dictation, on my device. Using the feature has been a challenge, and I believe it’s important for users to voice their concerns. One major issue I’ve encountered is the lag when activating the dictation function.

When you press the button on the keyboard, it takes an unusually long time to respond. Furthermore, once I begin speaking, the system often misses words or replaces them with nonsensical alternatives. This has been a persistent problem for me, and I can already see inaccuracies in the paragraphs I’ve dictated.

Apple, the situation is quite straightforward: if the upcoming iOS update does not address these issues, I will consider switching to an Android device. I find this feature especially important due to my disability, and if Apple can’t improve its functionality, I will choose an operating system that meets my needs effectively. I’ve used dictation on several Android devices and have found it to be far superior.

The discrepancies in accuracy and responsiveness have pushed me to rethink my loyalty. I apologize if this message contains errors; you can blame Apple, specifically the teams behind Siri and dictation. I sincerely hope changes are made to enhance this important feature in future updates because it affects many users, particularly those who rely on these tools for communication.

I own an M4 iPad Pro 13” and, after less than a year of usage, my maximum battery capacity has dropped to 89%, with 256 cycle counts. I’m curious if this is considered average. From my experience, iPads typically experience a significant initial drop in battery health that later stabilizes. I’ve tracked the health-to-cycles ratio, which tends to be poor for iPads at first.

For example, I started with 91% health after 320 cycles but fell to 85% after about 780 cycles. Generally, I’ve noticed that iPad battery health declines more rapidly than that of iPhones. It usually hovers around 85% after the first year and then remains stable for three to four years. While these numbers might look concerning, those of us who regularly install beta versions of iOS often find this is a problem experienced by many users.

For instance, my M4 iPad Pro has 158 cycles and is currently at 88%. I’ve noticed significant drops in battery health with the beta updates. It remained around 90-89% until I switched to the 18.3.x regular updates and then dropped lower with the 18.4 and 18.5 betas. Interestingly, others have different experiences.

One user mentioned having a similar cycle count but maintaining a higher battery health of 92%. Factors such as charging habits and daily usage also play a role in battery performance. For example, another user consistently keeps their iPad near a charger, which may help prolong its life. Ultimately, if you frequently install beta versions, you might want to ignore battery health, screen-on time, and other measurements to avoid disappointment.

The device powers off at an 80% charge, but information regarding its automatic restart is sparse. This absence of clarity suggests that the factors leading to it turning on again could vary based on battery health, usage habits, and other circumstances.

Starting with the iPhone 14 Series, the automatic restart feature has been removed. However, users can still achieve similar functionality by utilizing Automation within the Shortcuts app or by adding Low Power Mode to their Control Center for quick access.

To set up an automation for Low Power Mode, follow these steps:

First, open the Shortcuts app on your device. Once inside, navigate to the bottom of the screen and tap on “Automation.”

Next, select “Create Personal Automation.” In the list of options, choose “Battery Level” and set the threshold to “is 20%” or lower.

This configuration will ensure that the automation triggers when the battery drops to the specified level. After establishing the condition, tap “Add Action” and search for “Set Low Power Mode.”

Once you find it, select it to include it in your automation. This setup will help ensure that your device enters Low Power Mode automatically when the battery level reaches a critical low, helping to extend usage time until it can be charged again.

By customizing these settings, users can manage their battery life more effectively.

My iPhone SE has been giving me some trouble lately. It’s frequently prompting me to re-enter my SIM card PIN, which is quite annoying. Additionally, Siri has been responding very slowly. When I checked the settings app, I found a warning indicating that the battery is seriously degraded and requires service.

Interestingly, the battery still shows a maximum capacity of 82%, which makes the situation confusing. Generally, a battery’s capacity percentage provides a good indication of its health, but the warning suggests there may be underlying issues affecting performance. Now, I’m faced with a tough decision. If I choose not to replace the battery, is there a significant risk of failure?

I understand that a degraded battery can lead to more problems down the line, potentially affecting other functionalities of the phone. However, I’m also weighing whether it’s practical to invest in a battery replacement or if it’s time to consider purchasing a new device altogether. Batteries can lead to unexpected shutdowns or performance drops, especially if they’re deemed “seriously degraded.” Replacing the battery might restore functionality and extend the life of my phone, but I must also consider whether this investment is worthwhile for an older model.

Ultimately, deciding between a battery replacement and a new phone is challenging. I need to assess both the financial implications and the overall usability of my iPhone SE moving forward.