Science

Right on cue, Apple Music Classical is here to liven up your music library

The new Apple Music Classical is an extension of Apple’s existing music platform and offers more than 5 million pieces of music. If you’re a fan of Beethoven, Mozart, or any other composers, take a few minutes to learn how the app works. Apple Music Classical is free as part of a standard Apple Music subscription, and it’s not available to buy separately. It does, however, have a separate app for iOS. Apple says an Android version is “coming soon”…

Science

Set your computer to turn on and off on a schedule

Maybe you’re used to turning your computer on every day with the power button and off every evening with a few clicks—or perhaps you just leave it running around the clock. Instead, save yourself some time by making your computer turn on and shut down on a schedule. Not only will you save money on energy bills, but you’ll also have your PC or Mac booted up and waiting for you in the morning when you reach the office (or…

Science

Install a virtual machine to put a computer inside your computer

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more › Mac users sometimes need to use Windows software. Windows users might want to see what Linux is like. You might think, in both cases, that the only choice is to buy another computer (expensive) or set up dual-booting (complicated). There’s a third choice: virtual machines. A virtual machine is exactly what it sounds like: an entire computer running virtually on your…

Science

A Bitcoin Easter egg has been buried in macOS since 2018

The copy of the original white paper explaining Bitcoin’s technological, philosophical, and economic underpinnings has been available online since its publication in 2008—but for some reason, a file version is potentially also buried in every Apple product running MacOS. First spotted by the blogger Andy Baio, a simple copy-paste of the following commands entered into Terminal will reveal the cryptocurrency explainer tucked away within macOS systems folders:  open /System/Library/Image/ Capture/Devices/VirtualScanner.app/Contents/Resources/simpledoc.pdf PopSci can also confirm the PDF’s existence on Ventura 13.2.1…

Science

How to check if your computer has been tampered with

Whether you’re in an open office where colleagues regularly wander past, or live somewhere—like a college dorm—where you feel comfortable leaving your laptop unattended in the presence of relative strangers, it can be all too easy for someone else to sneak a look at your computer. If you want to keep your device secure in communal environments, your best bet is to stop unauthorized access in the first place. Still, there’s some detective work you can do if you suspect…

Science

You can now use your HomePod Mini as an indoor weather station

Apple unveiled the HomePod Mini in November 2020, and not long after that users discovered the smart speaker had an integrated temperature and humidity sensor that the company hadn’t told anyone about. With the rollout of the 16.3 software patch for iOS and iPadOS, you can now enable this sensor and use it to keep tabs on what’s happening in the room your speaker is in. You can also find a temperature and humidity sensor in the second-generation HomePod Apple…

Science

How a vertical monitor setup will change your life

With time, monitors have grown wider and wider to give us more space and more resolution for videos and gaming. Setting up your screen horizontally may come naturally to you—that’s how it’s shown on the box anyway—but it might not be the most efficient option when you’re working. Changing to a vertical monitor setup is easy to do and can make more efficient use of every single inch of your screen. When you’re using programs like Microsoft Word or Google…

Gadgets

Apple Watch comparison: Which one is right for you?

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more › The Apple Watch is still far and away the most popular line of wearable devices in the world. According to analyst Counterpoint Research, it accounted for more than 30 percent of all smartwatches sold in 2021. The wider range of Apple Watches also contains the best overall smartwatches you can get right now if you’re looking for a “lifestyle” watch that…

Gadgets

Your checklist for maximum smartphone security

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more › Everyone wants the data on their phone to stay private, and Android and iOS come with a variety of security features that will prevent other people from sneaking a peek. If you suspect someone is snooping on you, there are some simple steps you can follow to secure your information, as well as a few warning signs to look out for…

Science

Why you should update your iPhone ASAP, even if it is ancient

Over the past week, Apple has rolled out some important security updates—including updates to iOS 16, iOS 15, and even iOS 12 to protect iPhones from a major vulnerability that’s still in the wild. That extends to older iPhone models too. Although the iPhone 5s was released back in 2013 and discontinued in 2016, it still gets the occasional crucial software update from Apple. The newest software for these older devices, iOS 12.5.7, was released last week and patches a…

Science

Turn your iMessages into a chessboard with this new add-on

The chess purveyors at Chess.com just announced their latest strategic endeavor, and it could be a literal game changer for Apple users. On Wednesday, the popular go-to organization for all things chess publicly unveiled their Chess for iMessage app, a completely free download that integrates the ability to play directly into iOS texting. It’s simple, intuitive, and a great toolkit addition for leveling up your chess game. To access it, Apple device owners—sorry, Android—simply need to download it from the…

Science

This new iOS feature lets you share entire image libraries. Here’s how to set it up.

With the launch of iOS 16.1, Apple introduced a new way to share pics and videos with a small group of people. It’s called iCloud Shared Library and you can use it straight from your iPhone, but it’s also accessible from iPads and Mac computers. The old way of sharing photos and videos, Shared Albums, hasn’t gone away, but iCloud Shared Library is a more comprehensive option. It’ll give people the ability to not only see an image collection but…