Month: August 2024
iFixit put the landfill-bound Samsung Galaxy Ring through a CT scanner
iFixit took apart Samsung’s Galaxy Ring, scrutinized its components and wrote its findings, which could make you think twice about buying the device. It warned that the Galaxy Ring is “100 percent disposable” which is to say: once the battery died, the whole thing becomes junk. It “isn’t designed to last more than two years,” iFixit warned.
To be fair the website did say that “all smart rings like it” are disposable, because they can’t be non-destructively opened. It explained that lithium ion batteries “have a shelf life,” and while they could be replaced on other devices, it’s not possible to dismantle a smart ring to do that without wrecking the device completely. If the battery dies in the ring, you’ll have to throw it away.
The website also put the Galaxy Ring through a CT scanner found that Samsung used a press connector to attach the battery to a circuit board. A press connector, as its name implies, connects components inside a device without solder. iFixit said it typically loves press connectors, because they make replacing individual parts easier. However, the one inside the Galaxy Ring is apparently sealed and doesn’t make the device repairable. It said that the company most likely used a connector instead of soldering the components for its own benefit, because the parts came from different production facilities.
We gave the Galaxy Ring a score of 80 in our review; we found it basic and expensive at $400 — $100 more than its competitor, the Oura Ring. That said, Oura charges $6 a month to use its software, which does add up over time. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/ifixit-put-the-landfill-bound-samsung-galaxy-ring-through-a-ct-scanner-131529577.html?src=rss
iFixit took apart Samsung’s Galaxy Ring, scrutinized its components and wrote its findings, which could make you think twice about buying the device. It warned that the Galaxy Ring is “100 percent disposable” which is to say: once the battery died, the whole thing becomes junk. It “isn’t designed to last more than two years,” iFixit warned.
To be fair the website did say that “all smart rings like it” are disposable, because they can’t be non-destructively opened. It explained that lithium ion batteries “have a shelf life,” and while they could be replaced on other devices, it’s not possible to dismantle a smart ring to do that without wrecking the device completely. If the battery dies in the ring, you’ll have to throw it away.
The website also put the Galaxy Ring through a CT scanner found that Samsung used a press connector to attach the battery to a circuit board. A press connector, as its name implies, connects components inside a device without solder. iFixit said it typically loves press connectors, because they make replacing individual parts easier. However, the one inside the Galaxy Ring is apparently sealed and doesn’t make the device repairable. It said that the company most likely used a connector instead of soldering the components for its own benefit, because the parts came from different production facilities.
We gave the Galaxy Ring a score of 80 in our review; we found it basic and expensive at $400 — $100 more than its competitor, the Oura Ring. That said, Oura charges $6 a month to use its software, which does add up over time.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/ifixit-put-the-landfill-bound-samsung-galaxy-ring-through-a-ct-scanner-131529577.html?src=rss
Apple Podcasts Losing Market Share to YouTube and Spotify
Apple Podcasts, once the dominant platform for podcast listening, is experiencing a significant decline in popularity as competitors like YouTube and Spotify gain ground, according to a recent study by Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights.
“Podcast” is a portmanteau of “iPod” and “broadcast,” indicating the format’s indebtedness to Apple. However, the study reveals that the podcast landscape has changed dramatically since the company first popularized the medium in 2005 with the release of iTunes 4.9. YouTube is now the most popular platform for podcast consumption in the United States, with 31% of respondents reporting it as their primary choice. Spotify follows at 21%, while Apple Podcasts has dropped to third place with only 12% of the market share.
This is in stark contrast to Apple’s position just a few years ago. In July 2019, 29% of weekly podcast listeners primarily used Apple Podcasts. Several factors appear to be contributing to Apple Podcasts’ waning popularity. Apple Podcasts didn’t generate direct revenue for the company until recently, when in 2021 it introduced podcast subscriptions, of which Apple takes a cut.
Additionally, Apple Podcasts was historically not available on Android or Windows devices, limiting its reach, although the launch earlier this week of an Apple Podcasts web app may go some way to mitigate this issue.
The rising popularity of video podcasts has also given platforms like YouTube a significant advantage, while Apple Podcasts has shown no willingness to push video at all. Indeed, it’s unclear whether the company is working on any major updates or features to compete more effectively with the more visual take on the medium offered by YouTube and Spotify.
Despite the decline, Apple Podcasts still has the advantage of coming pre-installed on all Apple devices, giving it a large potential user base. However, Apple may need to rethink its strategy by emphasizing video podcast content, adding more monetization options for podcasters, and attracting new and younger listeners to the platform.
In iOS 18, Apple’s Podcasts app now shows chapter segments of a podcast when you scrub through a currently playing episode, making it easier to browse through the audio content, but there are no major new podcast features in the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system. Tag: Apple PodcastsThis article, “Apple Podcasts Losing Market Share to YouTube and Spotify” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Apple Podcasts, once the dominant platform for podcast listening, is experiencing a significant decline in popularity as competitors like YouTube and Spotify gain ground, according to a recent study by Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights.
“Podcast” is a portmanteau of “iPod” and “broadcast,” indicating the format’s indebtedness to Apple. However, the study reveals that the podcast landscape has changed dramatically since the company first popularized the medium in 2005 with the release of iTunes 4.9. YouTube is now the most popular platform for podcast consumption in the United States, with 31% of respondents reporting it as their primary choice. Spotify follows at 21%, while Apple Podcasts has dropped to third place with only 12% of the market share.
This is in stark contrast to Apple’s position just a few years ago. In July 2019, 29% of weekly podcast listeners primarily used Apple Podcasts. Several factors appear to be contributing to Apple Podcasts’ waning popularity. Apple Podcasts didn’t generate direct revenue for the company until recently, when in 2021 it introduced podcast subscriptions, of which Apple takes a cut.
Additionally, Apple Podcasts was historically not available on Android or Windows devices, limiting its reach, although the launch earlier this week of an Apple Podcasts web app may go some way to mitigate this issue.
The rising popularity of video podcasts has also given platforms like YouTube a significant advantage, while Apple Podcasts has shown no willingness to push video at all. Indeed, it’s unclear whether the company is working on any major updates or features to compete more effectively with the more visual take on the medium offered by YouTube and Spotify.
Despite the decline, Apple Podcasts still has the advantage of coming pre-installed on all Apple devices, giving it a large potential user base. However, Apple may need to rethink its strategy by emphasizing video podcast content, adding more monetization options for podcasters, and attracting new and younger listeners to the platform.
In iOS 18, Apple’s Podcasts app now shows chapter segments of a podcast when you scrub through a currently playing episode, making it easier to browse through the audio content, but there are no major new podcast features in the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system.
This article, “Apple Podcasts Losing Market Share to YouTube and Spotify” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
Watch out — Google Chrome details can be stolen by this clever new ransomware
Qlin ransomware attack could have been avoided with password managers and MFA.
The Qilin ransomware variant has been spotted successfully exfiltrating sensitive data stored in the Google Chrome browser.
In its writeup, researchers from Sophos revealed how a criminal group used previously compromised credentials to enter the IT infrastructure of an unnamed organization. The credentials were for a Virtual Private Network (VPN) portal, which lacked multi-factor authentication (MFA), and as such was relatively easy to access.
It is unknown if the initial breach was made by an Initial Access Broker (IAB) and then handed over to the ransomware operators, or if it was all done by a single organization.
En masse credential theft
In any case, the group dwelled for more than two weeks (18 days) before moving laterally to a domain controller using the compromised credentials. While the crooks were spotted on a single domain controller within their target’s Active Directory domain, other domain controllers in that AD domain were infected, the researchers concluded. They were, however, affected differently.
Qilin is a classic ransomware operation that engages in the usual double-extortion attack – it first steals as much information as possible, before encrypting the compromised device and asking for payment in exchange for the decryption key. However, what makes this operation relatively unique, the researchers claim, is the way it targets Google Chrome.
“During a recent investigation of a Qilin ransomware breach, the Sophos X-Ops team identified attacker activity leading to en masse theft of credentials stored in Google Chrome browsers on a subset of the network’s endpoints – a credential-harvesting technique with potential implications far beyond the original victim’s organization,” the researchers explained. “This is an unusual tactic, and one that could be a bonus multiplier for the chaos already inherent in ransomware situations.”
In other words, Qilin would harvest the credentials saved in Chrome browsers on machines connected to the same network as the initially compromised one.
Cybercriminals continue to evolve their tactics, Sophos concluded, stressing that organizations need to rely on password managers more, and make sure to enable MFA wherever possible, to minimize the chances of falling prey.
More from TechRadar Pro
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I used to hate Samsung’s bloatware on laptops and phones – but it’s Windows 11 and Android’s best bet to take on Apple
Samsung’s Galaxy Book4 laptops and Galaxy S24 smartphones have done something Microsoft has constantly failed at: challenging Apple’s ecosystem.
Samsung has always made some of the best smartphones, and recently it’s been putting out some of the best laptops you can currently buy as well, but one thing has always put me off its products: the amount of bloatware that comes pre-installed.
The company’s attempts to get me to use apps like Samsung Internet Browser, Samsung Wallet and Samsung Notes, when there are perfectly good Android alternatives, was one of the reasons why, when it was time to trade in my otherwise well-loved Galaxy Note 9, I decided to switch to the Pixel 7 Pro. Pixel handsets come with the least amount of bloatware, because they’re made by Google, the company behind Android and the likes of Chrome, Google Wallet, and Google Keep – all apps and services I actually use.
However, after my Pixel 7 Pro met with an untimely demise (basically, it was run over by a car), I went back to Samsung, buying the Galaxy S24 Ultra, chiefly because it’s one of the best camera phones you can buy – but I was dreading a return of the bloat. However, I discovered that things have changed – and Samsung’s pushing of its own software is starting to make a lot more sense.
(Image credit: Samsung)
Oh, there’s still bloat
When I say things have changed, I don’t mean that Samsung has dropped the bloatware – it’s still there, and I had to spend more time than I would have liked either removing or changing a lot of the default apps and services before I even started using the phone.
What has changed, however, is that Samsung is making a better argument for how its various products can work together, and create an almost seamless ecosystem, which is something Apple excels at, but which other laptop and phone manufacturers have failed to do. It was something that became clear when I started using the new Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge laptop alongside my S24 Ultra.
If you own a range of Apple products, then you might take for granted how well they work together – from seeing your iPhone’s messages (and soon, its screen) on your Mac, to turning an iPad into a second display for your MacBook by simply placing the two devices close together.
Apple’s ecosystem might seem restrictive at first (there’s no chance that I’d buy an Apple Watch, no matter if it’s the best smartwatch out there for my needs, as it doesn’t work without an iPhone), but that tight control over its hardware and software means that if you go all-in on Apple’s devices, you’re going to get a seamless and user-friendly experience that Apple’s rivals have struggled to replicate.
The main reason for Apple’s success is because it not only builds all of its devices, such as iPhones, iPads, and Macs, but also makes the software that runs on those devices, which makes things a lot smoother when you want to create an ecosystem of integrated products.
Samsung, like pretty much all PC makers, doesn’t have that luxury. Its hardware is put together by a broader range of manufacturers, its phones and tablets run on Android, an operating system made by Google, and its laptops run on Windows 11, made by Microsoft.
While Windows 11 is increasingly playing better with Android devices, mainly thanks to the excellent Phone Link app that allows you to access messages, photos and even apps from your phone within Windows 11, it still doesn’t offer the smooth experience you get when using a Mac and iPhone.
Samsung’s answer to this is to offer its own apps for most regular tasks (calendar, notes, messages, and so on), with Windows 11 and Android versions. It’s not the most elegant solution – it means you have to use the Samsung apps and keep them installed on your devices, and you also need to have a Samsung account.
Once I was signed in on both the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge and my Galaxy 24 Ultra, I began having a play with ecosystem. QuickShare is Samsung’s take on AirDrop, allowing you to quickly send and receive files between the Galaxy Book and Galaxy phone, and it’s something that has proved to be very useful, as I’m often having to email myself documents from my phone to open on my PC.
(Image credit: Samsung)
Another cool feature is the ability to use the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra as a webcam for the Galaxy Book4 Edge. Thanks to the excellent cameras on the S24 Ultra, you can dramatically increase the image quality of your video calls compared to the built-in webcam of the Galaxy Book. Again, this is similar to a feature in macOS that allows you to use your iPhone as a webcam, and while there are existing methods for using a smartphone as a webcam in Windows 11, this is the first time I’ve seen it implemented in such a simple and user-friendly way.
With my S24 linked to the Galaxy Book4 Edge, I could also use the laptop’s keyboard and trackpad to control the phone, but perhaps the best feature I’ve tried so far is using a Galaxy Tab tablet as a second screen for the Galaxy Book4 Edge. This is an excellent and genuinely useful feature – I use Apple’s Sidecar feature, which enables me to use my iPad as a second display for my MacBook, a lot, and I’m really pleased to see a similar feature for Windows 11 and Android. While the implementation isn’t quite as seamless to as Sidecar (which detects when a MacBook and iPad with the same Apple ID are near each other and prompts you to extend your screen), it’s relatively easy to set up, and works well.
Of course, you need Samsung devices and apps installed, but what Samsung is offering is the closest thing I’ve seen to a cohesive ecosystem of devices and software that can match Apple’s. It means Windows 11 users with Android phones no longer have to regard Apple users with quite so much envy.
It’s good for Samsung as well, naturally, as it means that if you have a Samsung smartphone and are looking for a new laptop, a Samsung Galaxy Book is a compelling option. Case in point: I needed some new wireless earbuds, and the ability to quickly switch audio from my Galaxy S24 Ultra to the Galaxy Book4 Edge has made me put money down for the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.
It turns out that if you put in some effort to offer customers convenient and easy-to-use features, you can reap the rewards – and if manufacturers are going to preinstall apps on our devices, they need to give us a reason to use them. It’s a lesson that Samsung seems to have learned from Apple – and I’m hoping that other laptop makers will now learn from Samsung.
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Get one year of 1Password for 25 percent off
Managing the multiple subscriptions and accounts that comprise online life, and the complexity grows exponentially if you’re also looking out for family members’ digital security. Enter password managers. There are a lot of options for this service, but 1Password has consistently been a top performer and an Engadget favorite.
If you’re curious about trying the company’s service, now’s a good time to sign up. New subscribers can get a 25 percent discount to the 1Password Families plan. Normally a year of coverage under this plan costs $60, but in honor of back-to-school season, the price has been cut to $45. The reduced pricing is available through September 15. After the first discounted year, plans will renew at the regular cost.
The 1Password Families plan extends the company’s Individual tier benefits to up to five people, complete with admin controls for managing each relative’s account. Core features in this service are a password generator, login autofill and sharing, and access across unlimited devices. Mac, iOS, Windows, Android, Chrome OS, and Linux platforms are all supported. The Families plan also has shared vaults that let members easily share data between plan members. It also provides alerts when a user’s passwords may be at risk or when a website is compromised.
Last year, 1Password further strengthened its security by offering its customers use of passkeys, with Android support added in March. This tech has been increasingly popular for online services since it replaces a password that can be guessed or stolen with a locally stored digital authentication key.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-one-year-of-1password-for-25-percent-off-130035604.html?src=rss
Managing the multiple subscriptions and accounts that comprise online life, and the complexity grows exponentially if you’re also looking out for family members’ digital security. Enter password managers. There are a lot of options for this service, but 1Password has consistently been a top performer and an Engadget favorite.
If you’re curious about trying the company’s service, now’s a good time to sign up. New subscribers can get a 25 percent discount to the 1Password Families plan. Normally a year of coverage under this plan costs $60, but in honor of back-to-school season, the price has been cut to $45. The reduced pricing is available through September 15. After the first discounted year, plans will renew at the regular cost.
The 1Password Families plan extends the company’s Individual tier benefits to up to five people, complete with admin controls for managing each relative’s account. Core features in this service are a password generator, login autofill and sharing, and access across unlimited devices. Mac, iOS, Windows, Android, Chrome OS, and Linux platforms are all supported. The Families plan also has shared vaults that let members easily share data between plan members. It also provides alerts when a user’s passwords may be at risk or when a website is compromised.
Last year, 1Password further strengthened its security by offering its customers use of passkeys, with Android support added in March. This tech has been increasingly popular for online services since it replaces a password that can be guessed or stolen with a locally stored digital authentication key.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-one-year-of-1password-for-25-percent-off-130035604.html?src=rss
How to troubleshoot a Mac that won’t boot
Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge
If your Mac suddenly refuses to boot up properly, it can be frustrating — but you don’t have to immediately head to an Apple Store. There are a number of simple tricks you can try to get everything up and running again. I’ll take you through them here.
First, I’ll cover what to do if your computer starts but you only get a blank screen. Later, I’ll talk about some possible actions to take if you see a symbol on the screen or if the Mac doesn’t start at all.
(Problems like this are a reminder to keep everything backed up on macOS at all times. You’ll be thankful for it if you eventually need to replace your system drive or your entire computer.)
Your computer starts but shows a blank screen
Try a restart
If your Mac is showing signs of life at the start of the boot process but only displays a blank screen, then first, try a restart.
Press and hold the power button until the Mac turns off. (This may take up to 10 seconds.)
Press and release the power button to start up the system again.
If you’re in luck, your system was just experiencing a temporary blip. If that doesn’t work, your next port of call should be the macOS Recovery console.
Try the macOS Recovery console
How you get to this depends on how old your Mac is.
On newer Macs with Apple Silicon chipsets:
Press and hold the power button until your Mac turns off. (This may take up to 10 seconds.)
Press and hold the power button until you see the startup options screen, which should show a startup disk icon and a settings icon.
Select Options and then Continue.
Screenshot: Apple
The startup options screen on an Apple Silicon Mac.
On older Intel Macs:
Press and hold the power button until your Mac turns off. (This may take up to 10 seconds.)
Press and release the power button to boot the system again.
As soon as the boot starts, press and hold Cmd + R until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe.
On some systems, you may be asked to connect to a Wi-Fi network or an ethernet cable.
Whatever route you’ve taken, you should now see a list of utilities onscreen, including the option to reinstall macOS or restore from a backup.
Let Disk Utility help
From here, choose Disk Utility, a comprehensive disk checking and repair tool that may save you a reinstall.
When you have Disk Utility open:
Choose View > Show All Devices.
Select your startup disk on the left — it should be called “Macintosh HD,” unless you’ve changed it. If there are several volumes for the same disk, choose the lowest one in the list (see here for more on file systems).
Click First Aid and then Run.
Repeat the process for each volume on your disk.
Screenshot: Apple
The Disk Utility tool will do its best to fix your problem.
If your startup disk doesn’t show up to be selected, turn off your Mac, remove all peripherals, and go back into Disk Utility. If the system drive is still not showing up, a professional repair might be needed: the official Apple support page for the Disk Utility has more on this.
Assuming your disk is showing up, when you’re done, open the Apple menu and click Restart. If the repair worked, your Mac will boot up as normal. If not, the next step Apple recommends is a full reinstall.
Boot up in safe mode
You also have the option of loading up macOS safe mode, which starts the operating system with a limited number of apps and background processes. However, safe mode is more for investigating software and macOS crashes, rather than boot-up problems. You can try it if you’re not having any luck with Disk Utility, but Disk Utility is the more comprehensive option.
Do a full reinstall
This can be done by going back to the list of utilities using the methods above and then choosing Reinstall macOS from the list of options rather than Disk Utility. Follow the onscreen instructions. If the reinstall is successful, macOS will be reset and working again and all of your apps and data should still be in place.
For an even more comprehensive reinstall, you can wipe the system drive completely (including apps and data) and then put a fresh version of macOS on top. This process is also done through Disk Utility; Apple provides separate instructions for Apple Silicon Macs and Intel silicon Macs.
Your computer shows symbols onscreen
With some boot-up issues, you’ll see a symbol instead of a blank screen, all of which Apple has support documents for. You might see a question mark, or a circle with a line through it, or a globe with an alert symbol on it, or the Apple logo.
These symbols reflect different problems, like an incompatible Mac operating system, but the fixes are mostly the same as those covered above. You’ll need to check the support pages for full instructions, but you may want to try a repair via Disk Utility first.
Screenshot: Apple
One of the symbols you might see if macOS won’t boot.
Your computer doesn’t start at all
If you’re not even getting to a blank screen or any kind of symbol when your computer boots up and there are no signs of life (no lights and no whirring), then you might be looking at a more fundamental problem with your hardware.
Apple’s advice is to run some basic checks: make sure your Mac is connected to power and that you’re using a working power cable. (Try a different one or try the one you’re using on a different computer.)
With that done, remove all the peripherals that you don’t absolutely need to have connected to make sure they’re not interfering in some way. Press and hold the Mac’s power button until it turns off (which may take up to 10 seconds), then press the power button again to restart.
Should you still have problems, Apple suggests resetting the SMC (System Management Controller) chip as one last troubleshooting step. The steps are quite involved and vary depending on the Mac you have, but the full instructions are here.
If you’ve worked your way through all of that, you’re at a point where you need to contact Apple Support directly. You can get assistance over live chat or via a phone call, book an appointment at a local Apple Store, or schedule a repair — and hopefully find a way to get your Mac working again.
Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge
If your Mac suddenly refuses to boot up properly, it can be frustrating — but you don’t have to immediately head to an Apple Store. There are a number of simple tricks you can try to get everything up and running again. I’ll take you through them here.
First, I’ll cover what to do if your computer starts but you only get a blank screen. Later, I’ll talk about some possible actions to take if you see a symbol on the screen or if the Mac doesn’t start at all.
(Problems like this are a reminder to keep everything backed up on macOS at all times. You’ll be thankful for it if you eventually need to replace your system drive or your entire computer.)
Your computer starts but shows a blank screen
Try a restart
If your Mac is showing signs of life at the start of the boot process but only displays a blank screen, then first, try a restart.
Press and hold the power button until the Mac turns off. (This may take up to 10 seconds.)
Press and release the power button to start up the system again.
If you’re in luck, your system was just experiencing a temporary blip. If that doesn’t work, your next port of call should be the macOS Recovery console.
Try the macOS Recovery console
How you get to this depends on how old your Mac is.
On newer Macs with Apple Silicon chipsets:
Press and hold the power button until your Mac turns off. (This may take up to 10 seconds.)
Press and hold the power button until you see the startup options screen, which should show a startup disk icon and a settings icon.
Select Options and then Continue.
Screenshot: Apple
The startup options screen on an Apple Silicon Mac.
On older Intel Macs:
Press and hold the power button until your Mac turns off. (This may take up to 10 seconds.)
Press and release the power button to boot the system again.
As soon as the boot starts, press and hold Cmd + R until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe.
On some systems, you may be asked to connect to a Wi-Fi network or an ethernet cable.
Whatever route you’ve taken, you should now see a list of utilities onscreen, including the option to reinstall macOS or restore from a backup.
Let Disk Utility help
From here, choose Disk Utility, a comprehensive disk checking and repair tool that may save you a reinstall.
When you have Disk Utility open:
Choose View > Show All Devices.
Select your startup disk on the left — it should be called “Macintosh HD,” unless you’ve changed it. If there are several volumes for the same disk, choose the lowest one in the list (see here for more on file systems).
Click First Aid and then Run.
Repeat the process for each volume on your disk.
Screenshot: Apple
The Disk Utility tool will do its best to fix your problem.
If your startup disk doesn’t show up to be selected, turn off your Mac, remove all peripherals, and go back into Disk Utility. If the system drive is still not showing up, a professional repair might be needed: the official Apple support page for the Disk Utility has more on this.
Assuming your disk is showing up, when you’re done, open the Apple menu and click Restart. If the repair worked, your Mac will boot up as normal. If not, the next step Apple recommends is a full reinstall.
Boot up in safe mode
You also have the option of loading up macOS safe mode, which starts the operating system with a limited number of apps and background processes. However, safe mode is more for investigating software and macOS crashes, rather than boot-up problems. You can try it if you’re not having any luck with Disk Utility, but Disk Utility is the more comprehensive option.
Do a full reinstall
This can be done by going back to the list of utilities using the methods above and then choosing Reinstall macOS from the list of options rather than Disk Utility. Follow the onscreen instructions. If the reinstall is successful, macOS will be reset and working again and all of your apps and data should still be in place.
For an even more comprehensive reinstall, you can wipe the system drive completely (including apps and data) and then put a fresh version of macOS on top. This process is also done through Disk Utility; Apple provides separate instructions for Apple Silicon Macs and Intel silicon Macs.
Your computer shows symbols onscreen
With some boot-up issues, you’ll see a symbol instead of a blank screen, all of which Apple has support documents for. You might see a question mark, or a circle with a line through it, or a globe with an alert symbol on it, or the Apple logo.
These symbols reflect different problems, like an incompatible Mac operating system, but the fixes are mostly the same as those covered above. You’ll need to check the support pages for full instructions, but you may want to try a repair via Disk Utility first.
Screenshot: Apple
One of the symbols you might see if macOS won’t boot.
Your computer doesn’t start at all
If you’re not even getting to a blank screen or any kind of symbol when your computer boots up and there are no signs of life (no lights and no whirring), then you might be looking at a more fundamental problem with your hardware.
Apple’s advice is to run some basic checks: make sure your Mac is connected to power and that you’re using a working power cable. (Try a different one or try the one you’re using on a different computer.)
With that done, remove all the peripherals that you don’t absolutely need to have connected to make sure they’re not interfering in some way. Press and hold the Mac’s power button until it turns off (which may take up to 10 seconds), then press the power button again to restart.
Should you still have problems, Apple suggests resetting the SMC (System Management Controller) chip as one last troubleshooting step. The steps are quite involved and vary depending on the Mac you have, but the full instructions are here.
If you’ve worked your way through all of that, you’re at a point where you need to contact Apple Support directly. You can get assistance over live chat or via a phone call, book an appointment at a local Apple Store, or schedule a repair — and hopefully find a way to get your Mac working again.
Australian Competition Regulator To Monitor Domestic Air Fares
Australia’s competition regulator has announced that it will closely monitor domestic air fares between metropolitan cities after local carrier Regional Express withdrew from the market last month as it entered voluntary administration. From a report: Rex is the second domestic airline to take that route this year. Low-cost airline Bonza was the first. It said in April it had suspended flights, and would assess the viability of its business. The collapse of Bonza and the withdrawal of Rex between metropolitan cities means that no domestic route had more than two competing airline groups as of July, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Australia’s competition regulator has announced that it will closely monitor domestic air fares between metropolitan cities after local carrier Regional Express withdrew from the market last month as it entered voluntary administration. From a report: Rex is the second domestic airline to take that route this year. Low-cost airline Bonza was the first. It said in April it had suspended flights, and would assess the viability of its business. The collapse of Bonza and the withdrawal of Rex between metropolitan cities means that no domestic route had more than two competing airline groups as of July, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.