Former lead editor at Macworld, Jason Snell has covered Apple and other tech companies for two decades. You can find him at Six Colors, and the The Incomparable, Upgrade, and Clockwise podcasts.

*/

/*–>*/

/*–>*/

Imagine Apple without the iPhone.

In Garfield Minus Garfield, Dan Walsh removes Garfield from his own comic strip, transforming Jim Davis’s strip about a fat cat who hates Mondays into a bizarre story of a man riddled with existential despair. It’s amazing what can happen, and how your perspective can shift, when you take the weightiest part of something — sorry, Garfield — out of the equation.

So now imagine Apple without the iPhone.

A tough proposition

It’s not easy, even if you try. The iPhone dominates Apple’s product sales and its balance sheet. And like a star exerting gravitational influence over its planets, many aspects of Apple’s business are perturbed by the existence of the iPhone.

Yet the iPhone shines so bright that it sometimes mak…

Contradicting earlier reports, the FBI is now said to have paid under $1 million for the method it used to unlock the iPhone in the San Bernardino shooting case. The Bureau will also apparently be able to use the same technique to unlock other phones, specifically iPhone 5c units running iOS 9.

From Reuters:

The FBI paid under $1 million for the technique used to unlock the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters – a figure smaller than the $1.3 million the agency’s chief initially indicated the hack cost, several U.S. government sources said on Thursday.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation will be able to use the technique to unlock other iPhone 5C models running iOS 9 – the specifications of the shooter’s phone – without additional payment to the contractor who provided it, these people added.

The report also claims that FBI Director James Comey may not even know who supplied the Bureau with the workaround, though it is thought to be Israeli mobile forensics…

Fido has introduced Fido Roam to its Pulse plans, which allows customers to roam in the U.S. and other international destinations without worrying about the cost. For the U.S. it is a flat $5 per day, and other destinations are $10 per day. Previously, when you were roaming you were charged for whatever you used, and things could get really pricey when using your phone outside of Canada.

With this new plan, you know exactly how much the roaming will cost you, and you can stay relaxed knowing you won’t be hit with a huge surprise bill at the end of the month.

Press release:

Fido Pulse Plan Customers Can Now Roam Worry Free

Fido changes the game for customers by adding Fido RoamTM to Fido Pulse plans – $5 / per day in the U.S. and $10 / per day in tons of international destinations

TORONTO (April 29, 2016) Fido Roam is coming soon to Fido Pulse plans so customers can stay connected while travelling without sweating the bill. Launching in mid-May, new and existing Fido Pulse pla…

We spoke with Talkshow-creator Michael Sippey on Talkshow.

Talkshow is a new app that lets you have what amounts to an iMessage conversation in public. It sounded a little strange at first, but we were curious. After playing around with the app for a bit (I didn’t want to look like a rookie in front of the head honcho), I interviewed Sippey on Talkshow.

When we weren’t talking about Beyoncé’s Lemonade or iPad Pro keyboards, he told me about the shows that most surprised him, the thinking behind a public text conversation, and his advice on what makes a great show.

You can check out that conversation right here:

If you’d like to learn more about Talkshow or just need some help figuring it out, we’ve got a Talkshow how-to for you.
…

Get your audio and video playback just the way you like it with a few manual tweaks in the Settings app.

One of the major conveniences of Apple TV is that it handles most of the setup work for you: It automatically detects audio and video hardware, and adjusts those settings accordingly. If, however, things don’t quite look or sound right, you can manually make minor adjustments yourself. Here’s how.

How to change the speaker output on Apple TV
How to change the surround sound on Apple TV
How to enable 16-bit audio output on Apple TV
How to change the HDMI output on Apple TV
How to change the resolution on Apple TV

How to change the speaker output on Apple TV

You can either use the default audio connection to your TV, piggyback audio from a third-generation Apple TV or AirPort, or hook up a home entertainment sound system.

Open the Settings app.
Select Audio and Video.

Select Audio Output.
Select your preferred speaker output.

How to change the surround sound on Apple TV
…

How do you share your location and direction on iPhone or iPad? With Maps!

Sometimes it’s not enough for you to know where you are or where you’re going. Sometimes you need to let other people know. Maybe you want to share a great new coffee shop you’ve found, maybe you got separated at the park, or maybe you need to be picked up where your car broke down. Sure, there’s Find my Friends for sharing location all the time but, when you need to share location any time, there’s Maps.

Updated December 2016: This now reflects the proper steps for iOS 10.

How to share your location with Maps for iPhone and iPad
How to add your location to Notes with Maps for iPhone and iPad
How to share your location via AirDrop with Maps for iPhone and iPad
How to share your location via Messages with Maps for iPhone and iPad
How to share directions with Maps for iPhone and iPad
How to open directions in Google Maps with Maps for iPhone and iPad

How to share your location with Maps for iPhone and iPad
…

The iPhone 6S Plus is large enough to begin with, and adding a case for daily use can make it even bigger and harder to hold. This leather belt clip from Story Leather gives you a safe place to keep the phone when it isn’t in your hands and doesn’t add bulk to your regular use. You can pick one up for $34.95 today, a savings of $25.
…