Latest issue 16 Oct 2026

423: Homeward Bound

Home-centered new hardware, tutorials, scripts, tools and automations.

Apple heads homewards with new hardware, fourth betas for 27.2, some nice scripts and automations, as well as lots of updates.

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Homeward Bound

Apple has released a new “HomeView” alongside new HomePod mini, Apple TV, and some smart home accessories.

⚙️ Apple Updates

When to expect updates to macOS 27 Golden Gate

Howard Oakley:

Updates to macOS 27 Golden Gate are going to be a bit more confusing than last year’s cycle for Tahoe.

Weird numbering changes aside, Apple’s release schedule for the minor updates has been quite consistent and predictable since macOS Sierra 10.12. (The pandemic years had a few outliers.)

🔨 Support and Tutorials

Not today, macOS: Demystifying OS update deferrals across Apple platforms

Philip Ross:

An in-depth look at OS update deferrals across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Exploring how deferral windows behave to help you navigate nuances and maintain fleet compliance.

Determining log retention periods for macOS unified logging

Rich Trouton:

Every so often when working with the unified logging system, you need to know how far back the current logging goes.

How local network privacy could affect you

Howard Oakley:

Of all the privacy protections in macOS, those for local networking are among the most recent and the least understood. Introduced in macOS Sequoia, they’re related to protection introduced earlier in iOS and iPadOS version 14, but different, and could trip you up when you’re least expecting yet another privacy prompt.

Try on-device AI with fm

Howard Oakley:

This article shows how you can start exploring Apple’s on-device AFM 3 Core and its Advanced version when available on your Mac

🤖 Scripting and Automation

Automating Mac App Store License Assignments and Reclamation

Marriott Library, Apple Infrastructure:

For IT teams, a paid Mac App Store title is not simply another package to deploy. A limited Apps and Books license pool must be assigned only when a Mac needs it