One of the best tools in Apple’s multi-device ecosystem is the ability to send messages. While Microsoft is currently stapling this ability to Windows 10 through Android, Apple’s solution has been around for years, and it shows.
There are two methods of messaging on a Mac: Via an associated iPhone with a valid phone number, or through an associated email address. The former allows users to text anyone with a mobile phone, while the latter locks communication to Apple devices.
But what if texting is too distracting on a Mac? What if you’d rather send texts primarily through an iPhone? This guide shows how to turn off iMessage on a Mac as well as disable notifications if you still need the texting capability.
Maybe, just maybe, you don’t want to completely sever ties between your Mac and your iPhone. As handy as texting from a Mac is, perhaps you just need a breather from all the texting notifications so you can focus on the task at hand.
Step 1: Click on the System Preferences icon on the Dock.
Step 2: Select Notifications. The icon is a bell with a red dot, as shown above.
Step 3: Scroll down, and select Messages listed on the left.
Step 4: On the right, click the Toggle next to Allow Notifications to disable notifications altogether.
If you’d rather customize notifications from Messages rather than disable them altogether, you have several options at your disposal. These include disabling notifications on the lock screen, disabling sounds, and so on.
Remember, to re-enable notifications, repeat the steps provided above and toggle notifications back on.
If you simply don’t plan to text from your Mac, turning the service off is extremely easy. Later on, if you want to re-enable this feature, just repeat the following steps.
Step 2: Click Messages listed on the menu bar.
Step 3: Select Preferences on the drop-down menu.
Step 4: In the pop-up window, click the iMessage tab.
Step 5: Click the Settings tab if it doesn’t open by default.
Step 6: Uncheck the box next to Enable Messages in iCloud. Alternatively, you can sign out of your Apple account or uncheck the box next to the number associated with your iPhone.
Mozilla is giving Firefox’s Smart Window two new tricks. If you haven’t tried it yet, Smart Window is an optional AI mode in Firefox with a built-in chat that helps you get things done while you browse. With this update, it can fill out online forms using details from your tabs and keep an eye on websites for you.
Tired of typing the same details into every form?
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.