News — Catalina
New Back Tap Feature in iOS 14 Provides Two Customizable Shortcuts
Posted by Laurie Berg on
What’s the Deal with All the Privacy Requests in Catalina?
Posted by Laurie Berg on
- Tags: Catalina
Find Files in the Finder Better by Specifying a Search Scope
Posted by Laurie Berg on
This isn’t about periscopes or mouthwash—when it comes to searching, a scope is the area in which a search takes place. When you use the Search field in a Finder window to look for files and folders, you have the choice of two scopes: This Mac or the current folder. You can always switch the scope after starting the search by clicking the other choice near the top of the window, but it’s easier to set the default search scope in Finder > Preferences > Advanced so it’s set right to start. From the “When performing a search” pop-up menu,...
Got a Mac Laptop? Here’s What You Need to Know about Battery Health Management in Catalina
Posted by Laurie Berg on
We all want Mac laptops that can run for days on a single charge and never need their batteries serviced. Sadly, we’re always going to be disappointed. Battery and power management technologies continually improve, but those improvements are matched by more powerful processors and smaller designs with less room for battery cells. And, because physics is a harsh mistress, current lithium-ion batteries are always going to age chemically, so they hold less of a charge over time. In the just-released macOS 10.15.5 Catalina, Apple has introduced a new battery health management feature that promises to increase the effective lifespan of...
Approve App Authentication Requests with Your Apple Watch in Catalina
Posted by Laurie Berg on
Tired of typing your admin account password whenever you try to install software or change security settings on your Mac? A new feature in macOS 10.15 Catalina removes that requirement for Apple Watch owners. In System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General, select the checkbox for “Use your Apple Watch to unlock apps and your Mac.” Then, whenever an app asks for your account credentials, you can instead just double-press the side button on your Apple Watch. Of course, if you forgot to wear it or its battery has died, you can always fall back on entering your password....