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Updated September 2026: in 2021 I wished my Mac could warn me when my iPhone or iPad battery was running low, since I often worked for hours at the Mac and found my phone drained afterwards. I have rewritten it with the ways to see and manage device batteries from a Mac today.

I spend long hours at my MacBook, and my iPhone would often run flat without my noticing. I wanted the Mac to show the iPhone's battery level and notify me when it was low, since the two already worked so closely together.

Can a Mac show your iPhone's battery level?

Yes, in several ways. With iPhone Mirroring, on recent macOS and iOS versions, you can see and use your iPhone's screen, including its battery, from the Mac. When a Personal Hotspot connection is available, the Wi-Fi menu shows the iPhone's battery. AirPods and some accessories show their battery in the Mac's Bluetooth or Control Centre menus.

Is there a battery widget?

The Batteries widget on iPhone and iPad shows connected devices such as AirPods and Apple Watch. On the Mac, iPhone widgets can appear on the desktop with recent macOS versions, which can surface battery information from the phone. Features depend on your devices and software versions.

How do you stop your iPhone draining while you work?

• Charge at your desk: keep a charger or MagSafe stand beside the Mac.
• Use Low Power Mode when you will not be near a charger.
• Check Battery settings for apps using unusual power.
• Use Focus modes to reduce notifications during work.

Can you get a low-battery alert on the Mac?

Not as a standard system notification for the iPhone. A simple workaround is a Shortcuts automation on the iPhone that sends a message or notification when the battery falls below a level, which you will see on your Mac through Messages.

Why does this matter?

Because a dead phone at the end of a work day means missed calls and no access to two-factor codes. A charger at the desk solves most of it; the integrations are a bonus.

Keep reading

• Apple Watch Charging Woes: Is MagSafe the Answer?
• Hoped for a Cheaper iPhone? What Apple Offers Now
• Replacing an Old First-Generation Chromecast

Updated September 2026: in 2021 I was put off Apple One by its price and the lack of an annual plan, since I prefer paying yearly to avoid monthly charges. I have rewritten it into a guide to choosing between monthly and annual subscriptions.

Once people start a subscription, they tend to keep it for years. When I looked at Apple One, the price felt high and there was no yearly option. I usually prefer annual plans, to avoid recurring monthly payments and often to pay less overall.

Does Apple One offer an annual plan?

Apple One has been sold as a monthly subscription. Some individual Apple services, such as iCloud+ and Apple TV+ in certain regions, have offered annual options. Check the current plans in India in your Apple Account settings, since options change.

When is an annual plan better?

• You are sure to use the service all year.
• The annual price is noticeably cheaper than twelve months.
• You want fewer payments to track.

When is monthly better?

• You use the service in bursts, such as a streaming app when a new season arrives.
• You are trying a service for the first time.
• The discount for annual is small.

How do recurring payments work in India?

Under RBI rules on recurring card payments, many subscriptions use e-mandates, and you receive a notification before each charge above a limit. UPI AutoPay works similarly. These make it easier to see and cancel subscriptions from your bank or UPI app.

Can you switch from monthly to annual later?

Usually, yes. Many services let you change the plan in account settings, with the new billing starting at the next renewal. Start monthly while you decide, then switch if you find yourself using the service every month.

How do you avoid paying for forgotten subscriptions?

Keep a list of subscriptions and renewal dates, review it every few months, and cancel anything you have not used in the last month. Check your bank and UPI mandate lists, which often reveal subscriptions you had forgotten.

Was I right to hesitate?

Yes. Without an annual discount, a bundle is worth it only if you use most of what it includes, every month.

Keep reading

• AI Budgeting Apps Are Smart, But Don't Trust Them Blindly
• Apple Music and Apple Arcade: Who They Suit
• Frustration with Apple's 5GB Basic iCloud Storage Plan

Updated September 2026: in 2021 I followed up my Apple One review with the other two services in the bundle: Apple Music, my favourite for lossless and Dolby Atmos, and Apple Arcade. I have rewritten it into a look at what Apple Music and Arcade offer and who they suit.

After covering iCloud storage and Apple TV+ in the Apple One bundle, I looked at the remaining two. Apple Music was the service I would pick anyway, for lossless audio across the catalogue and Dolby Atmos. Apple Arcade was the one I was less sure about.

What does Apple Music offer?

• A large catalogue, including Indian music, with lossless audio at no extra cost.
• Dolby Atmos spatial audio on supported tracks.
• Apple Music Classical, a separate app for classical listening, included.
• Real-time lyrics and a karaoke-style Sing feature on supported devices.

What is Apple Arcade?

A subscription for a catalogue of games on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV, with no ads or in-app purchases. Games can be downloaded and played offline, and a family plan shares access with up to five others.

Who is Apple Arcade good for?

Families with children, because games have no ads or purchase prompts, and casual players who want variety without buying games individually. Serious gamers may find the catalogue lighter than console or PC libraries.

Is Apple Music reason enough for Apple One?

Only if you would also use at least one more service, such as iCloud storage or Apple TV+. Otherwise, Apple Music alone is cheaper. Arcade adds value mainly for families with children.

Can you share Apple Music with family?

Yes, through an Apple Music family plan or Apple One Family, with up to six people using Family Sharing. Each person gets their own library and recommendations, which is better than sharing one account.

How do you try before deciding?

Apple usually offers free trials for new subscribers. Use Apple Music and Arcade during the trial, note how often you open each, and cancel anything unused before the trial ends.

Did my 2021 view hold?

Yes for Apple Music, which has only added features since. Arcade remains a family-friendly extra rather than a reason to subscribe on its own.

Keep reading

• Monthly or Annual Subscription: How to Choose
• Frustration with Apple's 5GB Basic iCloud Storage Plan
• Hoped for a Cheaper iPhone? What Apple Offers Now

Updated September 2026: in 2021 I wanted an online sheet for my business where staff entered daily sales and expenses, my partner saw everything, and staff saw only their parts, but could not find a way to lock and collaborate in Excel with my Microsoft 365 plan. I have rewritten it into a guide to sharing a spreadsheet with restricted access.

My Microsoft 365 family plan gave me OneDrive and Office apps. I wanted one online sheet for business users to record daily sales and expenses, accessible to my partner, with restricted access for staff. I could not work out how to share it that way.

Can you restrict parts of a shared Excel file?

Partly. Excel lets you protect sheets and lock specific cells so others cannot edit them, and you can hide sheets. But anyone who can open the file can usually see its content, and protection is not strong security. Sharing permissions in OneDrive apply to the whole file, not individual sheets.

What is a better setup for staff entries?

• Microsoft Forms: staff submit daily figures through a form; responses flow into an Excel sheet that only you and your partner can open.
• Separate files: one file per staff member or location, combined into a summary only owners can see.
• Protected input sheet: staff edit only unlocked input cells; formulas and summaries stay locked.

Is a family plan right for business use?

Not really. Microsoft 365 Family and Personal plans are licensed for personal, non-commercial use. For a business, Microsoft 365 Business plans add proper user accounts, sharing controls and admin tools. They are the correct licence for staff.

What about Google Sheets?

Google Sheets has similar options: protected ranges, Google Forms for input and file-level sharing. Many small businesses use a form feeding a private sheet, which is simple and works well.

How do you lock cells in Excel?

Select the cells staff should edit, open Format Cells, and clear the Locked option under Protection. Then use Review, Protect Sheet, with a password. Everything else becomes read-only. It prevents accidental changes, though it is not a substitute for proper access control.

How do you keep financial data safe?

Share only with named accounts, not "anyone with the link", review access regularly and remove staff who leave. Keep backups of the master file.

Keep reading

• WhatsApp Storage Data Should Sync with OneDrive
• Moving From Windows To Mac: What Actually Ports
• AI Budgeting Apps Are Smart, But Don't Trust Them Blindly

Updated September 2026: in May 2021 I predicted Apple's next Mac chip would be called M1X rather than M2, would appear only in new MacBooks, and would be faster than the M1. I have rewritten it to compare those guesses with what Apple released.

Rumours in 2021 said Apple was preparing its next Mac chip for later that year. I guessed Apple would build on the M1's success with a name like M1X, used only in newer MacBook models, with a clear speed increase.

What did Apple actually release?

In October 2021 Apple launched the M1 Pro and M1 Max in redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros. They were far more powerful versions of the M1 for professional machines, which is close to the "M1X" idea. The M2 arrived in June 2022 in a redesigned MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Which predictions were right?

• Name: partly. Not M1X, but M1 Pro and M1 Max extended the M1 family as expected.
• Only in new MacBooks: right at first; they debuted in new MacBook Pros, and later appeared in the Mac Studio.
• Faster: right; the Pro and Max chips added more performance and graphics cores.

How has Apple's chip naming settled?

Each generation has a base chip and more powerful Pro, Max and sometimes Ultra versions. The M-series has progressed through M2, M3, M4 and M5. The same chips also power iPads, which is why iPad Pro and Mac performance are now closely matched.

Does chip generation matter when buying a Mac?

Less than people think. For everyday work, any Apple silicon chip is fast. Memory, storage and screen size matter more to daily experience. Choose Pro or Max chips only for demanding work like video editing or large software builds.

Are older M1 Macs still worth buying?

As bargains, sometimes. An M1 MacBook Air with enough memory remains a capable everyday laptop. Check how much memory it has, since 8 GB feels tight with modern apps, and remember that older models will stop receiving macOS updates sooner than newer ones.

What does this say about predicting Apple?

Apple usually follows a pattern once it starts one. After the M1, extending the family for professional machines was predictable; the exact names were not.

Keep reading

• Is a New Apple Watch Worth Upgrading To?
• Reading Laptop Battery Listings Online: What to Check
• Moving From Windows To Mac: What Actually Ports

Updated September 2026: in 2021 I searched Indian shopping sites for a replacement battery for my swollen MacBook Pro and found three kinds of listing: well-rated but expensive, cheap with bad ratings, and unrated. I have rewritten it into a guide to reading replacement battery listings safely.

My MacBook Pro's battery had swollen, and I decided to buy a replacement online. Finding a reliable one was frustrating. The trusted sites showed a few options: an expensive battery with high ratings, a cheap one with poor ratings, and an affordable one with no ratings at all.

How do you read a battery listing?

• Model number: match your laptop's model and the battery's part number exactly.
• Capacity: it should be close to the original specification; much higher claims are a warning sign.
• Brand and seller: a named manufacturer and a seller with a long record.
• Warranty: a clear warranty period and return process.

What do ratings tell you?

Look for reviews that mention months of use, not just delivery and first impressions. Batteries often fail after a few weeks, so early five-star reviews mean little. Poor ratings that mention swelling or overheating are reasons to avoid a listing entirely.

Is the expensive option worth it?

Usually, for a battery. The price difference is small compared with the laptop's value and the risk of a poor battery. A well-rated battery with a warranty is the safer choice.

Should you consider an unrated listing?

Only with caution. No ratings means no evidence either way. If the seller offers a clear warranty and the product details are complete, it may be fine, but it is a gamble with a component that can overheat.

Should a professional fit it?

For older MacBook Pros, many batteries are glued in and fitting them is fiddly. A repair shop can do it safely and often supply the battery with a warranty, which removes most of the listing guesswork.

What should you do with the old battery?

Take it to an e-waste collection point or hand it to the repair shop for disposal. Never put a swollen battery in household waste.

Keep reading

• Used EV Resale In India: Nobody Can Price The Battery
• Repair or Replace an Ageing Car? How to Decide
• Predicting Apple's Chips: M1X Guess vs M1 Pro and M2

Updated September 2026: the original 2021 post described how IT vendors typically execute an enterprise platform project: phases with sign-offs, a team of project manager, functional and technical consultants, and study of the "as-is" process. I have expanded it into a guide for business owners on what to expect and how to take part.

Once you have chosen an implementation partner for your enterprise platform, the project runs in phases, each ending with your sign-off. Understanding how it works helps you contribute at the right moments, which is what most determines success.

Who is on the vendor's team?

• Project manager: plans, tracks and reports progress.
• Functional consultants: study your processes and configure the platform to fit.
• Technical consultants: build integrations, reports, data migration and any custom work.

What are "as-is" and "to-be" processes?

The functional team first documents how your business works today, the "as-is" process. They then design how it will work on the new platform, the "to-be" process. Differences between the two, called gaps, are resolved by configuration, changes to your process or custom development.

What does each phase involve?

• Discovery and design: as-is study, to-be design and a signed design document.
• Build: configuration, integrations and data migration preparation.
• Testing: system testing by the vendor, then user acceptance testing by your team.
• Go-live: final data migration and switch-over.
• Support: intensive help in the first weeks.

Why do sign-offs matter?

Each sign-off confirms that the phase met what was agreed. After sign-off, changes usually cost extra. Read documents properly before signing, involve the people who will use the system, and ask questions while changes are still cheap.

What should the business provide?

Knowledgeable staff with time set aside, quick decisions on design questions, clean data and active participation in testing. A vendor cannot configure your processes correctly without your people.

How long does an implementation take?

It depends on scope. A small, standard deployment for one business unit can take a few months; a multi-country implementation with many integrations can take a year or more. Be wary of timelines that seem short for the scope, and ask how much time is planned for testing and data migration, which are the parts most often squeezed.

What are common warning signs?

Missed sign-off dates, growing lists of gaps and testing squeezed at the end. Raise these early with the project manager and steering committee.

Keep reading

• Moving From Windows To Mac: What Actually Ports
• Why IT Companies Must Expand Remote Work With AI Tools
• Sharing a Business Sheet With Restricted Access