iMarc

Microsoft: This Feels Desperate Now

Andrew Cunningham at Ars Technica has written a nearly 3,000 word article explaining how to remove advertisements and other annoyances from Windows 11 and Microsoft Edge. Microsoft are not alone in degrading the quality of their software in order to sell more services, Apple has been doing this as lot recently too. With Microsoft though…
Fixing Focus Modes on iOS

When Apple introduced Focus Modes and Focus Filters, I hoped it might finally mean the ability to cleanly separate work and personal life within iOS. Unfortunately, the system is flawed. Let’s briefly recap on how it works. Focus Modes are an extension of “Do Not Disturb” which has been with iOS since version 2011 (if…
Why Is My Apple Watch Not Charging to 100%?

Apple have recently introduced a new featured called “Optimized Charge Limit” which aims to lengthen the lifespan of the battery embedded within an Apple Watch: From Apple’s support pages: With watchOS 10, this feature is available on Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 6 and later, and Apple Watch Ultra and later. Optimized Charge Limit…
Now in the Fediverse

WordPress have enabled support for ActivtyPub. So you can now follow this blog on platforms such as Mastodon by searching for imarc.co.uk@imarc.co.uk – let me know if it works by replying to this post.
Microsoft to Discontinue Visual Studio for Mac

In a disappointing move, Microsoft have discontinued Visual Studio for the Mac. This comes not long after they rewrote the user interface to be faster and more fluid using native frameworks. Given the depressing state of Windows these days, the lack of a full-featured IDE does not bode well for the long-term future of .NET…
watchOS 10: Peaks and Troughs

Another year and another update to the venerable operating system that runs on millions of watches is here. This time though, it’s a mixed bag. It’s easy for us technology enthusiasts become complacent about the fact we get new features released each year for ‘free’. There is though unwritten contract between Apple and its user…
Cutting Though the AI Hype

There is so much hyperbole about Large Language Models (LLMs) in the media right now that I’m finding it can be overwhelming, and I am someone who works in the field of AI! From claims that AI will put people out of jobs to claims that it will takeover and enslave the human race, it’s…
In Praise of Apple Music (Yes, the Mac App)

Apple Music has a poor reputation these days. I’m not talking about the music streaming service here, nor the iOS apps that share the same name. I’m talking about the 22 year old application formally known as iTunes. You see it’s the same application really, only with a new name and a fresh coat of…
Sorting by Date Is Also an Algorithm

It’s a common refrain in tech circles when discussing Twitter to talk about “The Algorithm”. Take this Lifewire article: “How to Turn off the Twitter Timeline Algorithm“, or this one by TechCrunch: “Twitter makes algorithmic timeline default on iOS“. In the beginning the Twitter timeline was a simple list of posts by people you follow…
Microsoft OneDrive Causing Sleepless Nights (on My Mac)

My M1 Mac mini has been sleeping dreadfully recently. Perhaps it’s the thought of one day having macOS Ventura installed on it, or the knowledge that its younger M2 brethren beats it in both performance and power efficiency. Or perhaps, it was something else altogether. I could tell it wasn’t sleeping due to the fact…