Cult of Mac Today
Posts
Fix your hacked passwords

Fix your hacked passwords

iPhone makes it easy, and you should do it today.

Leander Kahney
December 28, 2023

Passwords are the bane of my life. I’ll bet they are for you, too.

I’m always getting wrong password notifications, and have multiple passwords saved for the same site or service — despite having used Apple’s iCloud Keychain for many years.

I also regularly get notices that this or that password has appeared in a data leak and I should change it.

Most of those warnings are for the same old password I’ve used for years to sign up for low-importance websites, like forums or sites that don’t have my credit card.

It’s a lazy strategy and an outdated one now that devices will automatically remember all my passwords for me.

Trouble is, I now have not dozens, but hundreds of crappy passwords I now need to clean up. TBH, the task is so daunting, I’d rather ignore just it! Of course, if I’d been paying attention, I wouldn’t be in this mess.

So if you have a bit of time during this slow time of the year, perhaps it is time to crack open iCloud Keychain and clean up your weak, stolen and reused passwords. Here’s how.

Also in today’s newsletter:

Here’s what to expect from Apple on the Mac front in 2024.
I’d love a laser engraver/cutter like the high-end iKier K1 Pro Max. Unfortunately, it’s let down by its software. Here’s our hands-on review.
If you got new AirPods or an Apple Watch this holiday, check out Elago’s great, fun accessories, like this Apple Watch charging stand shaped like a classic iPod. This clear case for AirPods Pro 2 is a personal favorite. There are a lot more here.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

Use your iPhone to find and change passwords that hackers stole

The end of the year is a good opportunity to change passwords that hackers stole because of some company's lax security.

Signs point to a slow, steady year for the Mac in 2024

New chips will roll out as spec bumps to the MacBook Air M3 and Mac mini M3 in 2024, with the Mac Studio and Mac Pro following later.

^{A message from the Cult of Mac Store}

Elago makes fun, functional Apple accessories, and we stock 173 of them

The company makes a staggering array of accessories for Apple products, from chargers to cases that look like classic gear from yesteryear.

Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 go back on sale ... for now

Apple resumed selling the wearables after a federal court paused the ITC ban on imports and sales in the U.S.

^{A message from Bay Area Times}

Learn how to use ChatGPT with this handy prompts guide

The Ultimate ChatGPT Prompts Guide will show you how to use the AI chatbot effectively for any project, from writing to organizing.

Hands-on with the iKier K1 Pro Max laser engraver and cutter [Review] ★★☆☆☆

The iKier K1 Pro Max is a top-of-the-line laser engraver that will etch your creations into wood. Unfortunately, the machine is complicated to set up and the software let me down.

Today in Apple history: Stock 'backdating' scandal hits Steve Jobs

On December 28, 2006, Apple became embroiled in a stock "backdating" scandal, which prompted some to suggest Steve Jobs could lose his job.

Tweet o’ the day

This is Apple Vision Pro's most underrated feature. You can just look at your mac's display and it'll automatically stream in 4k to your Vision Pro.
— AppleLeaker (@LeakerApple)
Dec 28, 2023

One more thing ...

❝

From the earliest days at Apple, I realized that we thrived when we created intellectual property. If people copied or stole our software, we’d be out of business. If it weren’t protected, there’d be no incentive for us to make new software or product designs. If protection of intellectual property begins to disappear, creative companies will disappear or never get started. But there’s a simpler reason: It’s wrong to steal. It hurts other people. And it hurts your own character.

— Steve Jobs, 2011.

Today’s poll

How disciplined is your password strategy?

Results from yesterday’s poll: Are you planning to buy the iPhone 16?

Best reader comments

Subscribe to The Weekender — Get the week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.

Join the conversation

or to participate.