Latest news with #MacOS
Man of Many
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Man of Many
The Best Ways to Game on a Mac
By Dean Blake - News Published: 30 May 2025 |Last Updated: 29 May 2025 Share Copy Link Readtime: 8 min Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here. Look, we've all heard the jokes. Gaming on Mac is definitely not as easy, robust, or well supported as on almost any other system, especially when compared to gaming on Windows, but I'm a firm believer in using what you've got. If you want to kill some time and already own a Mac, there are plenty of fantastic games you can run natively, and even more you can get going with a little bit of technical know-how or a can-do attitude. I'd never tell you to buy a Mac for gaming, but as a secondary feature it can be surprisingly robust. The easiest way to game on a Mac would be to launch the App Store and pick something from there. It's literally pre-loaded onto every computer that Apple launches, and the games featured there are optimised very well to run on MacOS. If you're looking for a bigger range of options, or even to play games that aren't supposed to run on your laptop, though, you've come to the right place. Here, we'll outline the options you have to get the most out of the surprisingly powerful piece of Apple Silicon sitting inside your computer. Assassin's Creed Shadows | Image: Ubisoft Apple's App Store and Apple Arcade As I said above, it's incredibly easy to just open the App Store and browse the list of games available for download. An issue with the App Store, though, is that any purchase you make on that storefront is locked to the Apple eco-system. This is fine if you're a diehard Apple user, but if you even glance at a different OS you'll be starting from scratch again. It's also worth noting that games, on average, tend to be more expensive through the App Store. Still, App Store games are often compatible across MacOS, tvOS, iOS and iPadOS, so if you're living in that world you'll get quite a bit of potential play across multiple devices. Here are some of the best games available on Apple's App Store: Plus, Apple launched its own game subscription service in 2024, Apple Arcade, which costs AUD$9.99 per month and gives you access to over 200 games to play across each of your Apple devices. It's definitely not a bad deal, and there are some great games in there, but you'll need to go digging past a lot of chaff to get to the wheat. Here are some winners on Apple Arcade for your consideration: MacBook Air (2025) playing Tunic through Steam | Image: Dean Blake/Man of Many Third-Party Options: Steam, Epic, GOG, and Game Pass Now we get to the meat. As with any other PC, you can download third-party storefronts onto a Mac and get access to a far wider range of games. Not every game on these storefronts are Mac compatible – in fact, most aren't – though you'll usually be warned before buying something incompatible with whatever system you're browsing on. Still, it's worth taking a look at the major storefronts out there and what they bring to the table. Steam is, hands down, the biggest gaming service in the world right now. When people brag about PC gaming, they're usually talking about Steam, and it's just about the best place to buy Mac games as well. Here, you'll find the biggest range of games available for purchase and play, as well as frequent flash sales. There are plenty of games available on Steam for Mac, which makes it a fantastic place to start building a collection. If you're coming from a Windows PC, think you might build a gaming desktop, or are dreaming of grabbing a gaming handheld at some point in the future, Steam will probably be a cornerstone of your gaming experience. The Epic Store, on the other hand, has far fewer Mac-centric games, and it's big hitter, Fortnite, isn't available on most Apple devices thanks to the company's ongoing lawsuit with Apple. I'm sure it'll get there eventually, and Epic definitely worth keeping an eye on for monthly freebies and a bunch of exclusives that you can't get on Steam (though those are rarely Mac compatible), but it's unlikely to serve as the backbone of your gaming world just yet. If you're more interested in older titles, GOG, or Good Old Games, could be the best port of call. It's a far smaller operation than either Steam or Epic, and is run by the folks over at CD Projekt Red: the developer that brought you The Witcher III and Cyberpunk 2077. GOG is focused on delivering both new and old games, and tends to be more interested in giving you those games in a DRM-free manner, meaning you can buy the game and own it on your hard drive rather than needing a third-party launcher to access what you've paid for. You can use its launcher, GOG Galaxy, if you prefer though. Plenty of games that would otherwise have been lost to time have ended up available on GOG, and there are a lot that will work well on any modern Mac. Finally, there's Xbox's streaming service, Xbox Game Pass, which allows anyone with a subscription to stream available games to whatever device they're using: yes, including your Mac. You can potentially get access to a much wider variety of games using Game Pass than any of the above options, since technically they don't need to run on Mac for you to access them, but it comes with the downside of streaming the games to your laptop, rather than running locally. This does mean the quality of the gameplay will be partially dependent on whatever internet you're hooked up to, and can lead to lag spikes and dropped connections in the worst-case scenario. However, if you're playing stuff that doesn't require fast reflexes, Game Pass is a very solid and easy option to get running. Image: Rockstar Games CrossOver, Wine, and Whisky Heres the complicated part. Yes, there are plenty of games that aren't compatible with MacOS—but what if I told you that you actually could play them on your Mac with a little bit of tinkering? Programs like CrossOver, Wine, or Whisky create a compatibility layer that essentially force a third-party storefront to think it's running in Windows. It doesn't always work perfectly, and you might need to do some troubleshooting to get games running well, but you'd be surprised how well you can get even relatively new titles running on modern Macs with a bit of elbow grease. Getting these programs working is pretty simple, but it can definitely appear complicated at first blush. You need to install the program itself onto your Mac (I've used Whisky, you might prefer a different one), and then use it to install a Windows version of whichever programs you want to run – likely Steam, Epic, GOG Galaxy, or more a specific game executable. You'll have to make sure you've downloaded a Windows-specific version of the program. Once you have the program you're after installed through that translation program, you have a version of Steam (or whatever program you want to run) on your Mac that thinks it's running in Windows. There's a lot of black magic happening in the background to make this work, but the important part is that it actually does work, and it's completely legal. Using this method, you can get games that aren't otherwise able to run on a Mac doing so. Games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remake, or any of the Dark Souls series will run well, though Elden Ring can be a bit hit or miss depending on your expectations. Now, a M4 Max-equipped Mac Studio isn't going to be delivering resolutions or frame rates equal to incredibly expensive gaming PCs, but you'd be surprised how well many games can play on a system it was never optimised for. Plus, an incredibly expensive gaming PC is probably about 10x the size of a Mac Studio. If you're interested in knowing a bit more about how best to get stuck into gaming on a Mac, there's a slew of topics over on the r/macgaming subreddit that can help you figure out what works and what doesn't – plus, you can always ask for advice if you get really stuck. God speed!
CNET
5 days ago
- General
- CNET
I Was Locked Out of My Own Wi-Fi. These Windows and Mac Hacks Saved Me
Your Wi-Fi password protects your information and ensures that nobody can steal your internet connection without asking. Unlike picking a password for your email account, most routers come with a password, and unless you change it yourself, they are notoriously hard to remember. A good password manager makes retrieving your password easy. But if you didn't save it or don't use one, you might be looking for the easiest way to recover your Wi-Fi password. If you can't remember your Wi-Fi password, you can always check the back of your router if you never created your own custom password. If you can't find the password on the back of your router, don't sweat it. Somewhere on your computer there's a place that stores the passwords to ALL the Wi-Fi networks you've ever connected to. As long as your Windows or Mac computer has connected to that network before, the Wi-Fi password is permanently stored in your settings. It may require some digging on your part, but all the passwords are saved and ready to be shared with anyone who wants to connect to Wi-Fi. Find Forgotten Wi-Fi Passwords for Previously Used Networks Find Forgotten Wi-Fi Passwords for Previously Used Networks Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 4:03 Loaded : 9.76% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 4:03 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Find Forgotten Wi-Fi Passwords for Previously Used Networks Here's how to find the passwords to all of the Wi-Fi networks you've ever connected to on MacOS and Windows. How to find Wi-Fi passwords in MacOS Every password you've entered and saved on a Mac is stored in Keychain Access, the password management system for MacOS. And that includes Wi-Fi network passwords. To start, use the search feature to open the Keychain Access app and do the following: 1. Click on System under System Keychains in the sidebar. 2. Next, click on Passwords at the top of the window. 3. Find the Wi-Fi network you want the password for and double-click on it. 4. Finally, check the box next to Show password and enter your password when prompted. Find all your stored Wi-Fi passwords in the Keychain Access app on MacOS. Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET The password field will then show the password you used to log in to that Wi-Fi network. You can double-click in the password field to select the password and copy it to your clipboard if needed. How to find Wi-Fi passwords on Windows Finding the password to the Wi-Fi network you're currently connected to is simple on Windows, but getting your hands on all stored Wi-Fi passwords takes a bit of work, so we'll discuss both methods below. To find the password to the Wi-Fi network you're currently connected to on Windows: 1. Click the Start button and then go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center (Windows 11) or Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network and Sharing Center (Windows 10). 2. Next to Connections, click your Wi-Fi network name highlighted in blue. 3. In the Wi-Fi Status page that opens, click Wireless Properties and then on the Security tab. 4. Finally, check the box next to Show characters to display your Wi-Fi network password above it. You can easily find the password for the Wi-Fi network you're currently connected to on Windows. Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET However, this isn't the only way to find your Wi-Fi network passwords. The method above only allows you to view the password to whatever Wi-Fi network you're currently connected to, but there is a way to find the passwords to all the Wi-Fi networks you've ever connected to on your Windows computer. To find all your Wi-Fi network passwords on Windows: 1. Right-click on the Windows icon in the taskbar on your desktop. 2. Click Windows Terminal (Admin). 3. Type in netsh wlan show profile and hit Enter on your keyboard to view every Wi-Fi network you've connected to. 4. Once you find the Wi-Fi network you want the password for, type in netsh wlan show profile "(Wi-Fi network name)" key=clear (for example, netsh wlan show profile "Netgear667" key=clear), and then hit the Enter key. You can use Windows Terminal to find all your Wi-Fi network passwords. Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET Settings for profile, connectivity, security and more will appear. The Wi-Fi network password will appear under Security settings, and next to Key Content. In addition to Windows Terminal, you can also use the Command Prompt application to type in the commands listed above to find your Wi-Fi passwords. If you want to read more about passwords, whether on your computer or your smartphone, check out the best password managers to use.
Economic Times
18-05-2025
- Economic Times
Google Chrome vulnerabilities expose millions — What should you do
Multiple vulnerabilities in Google Chrome for desktop can expose users to remotely executed cyberattacks, according to a warning issued by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). In a vulnerability note earlier this week, the nodel government cybersecurity agency warned that these vulnerabilities have been spotted in Chrome for Windows, MacOS and Linux. The CERT-In vulnerability note CIVN-2025-0099 refers to Google Chrome versions prior to 136.0.7103.113/.114 for Windows and Mac and 136.0.7103.113 for Linux. All individuals and organisations using Google Chrome for desktop via Windows, MacOS or Linux run systems are exposed to these vulnerabilities, CERT-In said."Multiple vulnerabilities exist in Google Chrome due to insufficient policy enforcement in Loader and Incorrect handle provided in unspecified circumstances in Mojo. A remote attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by persuading a victim to visit a specially crafted web page," the vulnerability note is a framework in that allows different processes within Chrome to communicate with each other. A remote attacker could use these loopholes to inject and run any code they want on the target system, compromising it. One of the vulnerabilities, dubbed CVE-2025-4664, is already being exploited in the wild, CERT-In said, urging users to urgently apply should users do CERT-In has asked users to immediately update to the latest versions of Google Chrome to shield against the security loopholes. The updates can be accessed through Chrome's built-in update system or the official Chrome Releases blogpost on May 14.
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Time of India
Google Chrome vulnerabilities expose millions — What should you do
Multiple vulnerabilities in Google Chrome for desktop can expose users to remotely executed cyberattacks, according to a warning issued by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team ( CERT-In ). In a vulnerability note earlier this week, the nodel government cybersecurity agency warned that these vulnerabilities have been spotted in Chrome for Windows, MacOS and Linux. The CERT-In vulnerability note CIVN-2025-0099 refers to Google Chrome versions prior to 136.0.7103.113/.114 for Windows and Mac and 136.0.7103.113 for Linux. All individuals and organisations using Google Chrome for desktop via Windows, MacOS or Linux run systems are exposed to these vulnerabilities, CERT-In said. "Multiple vulnerabilities exist in Google Chrome due to insufficient policy enforcement in Loader and Incorrect handle provided in unspecified circumstances in Mojo. A remote attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by persuading a victim to visit a specially crafted web page," the vulnerability note read. Mojo is a framework in that allows different processes within Chrome to communicate with each other. A remote attacker could use these loopholes to inject and run any code they want on the target system, compromising it. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories One of the vulnerabilities, dubbed CVE-2025-4664, is already being exploited in the wild, CERT-In said, urging users to urgently apply patches. What should users do CERT-In has asked users to immediately update to the latest versions of Google Chrome to shield against the security loopholes. The updates can be accessed through Chrome's built-in update system or the official Chrome Releases blogpost on May 14.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Best Free Antivirus Software for Device Protection in 2025
In 2025, most devices come with built-in antivirus software. These tools scan files you attempt to download, blocking anything they deem suspicious. They also perform automated scans to remove malicious files that make it onto your computer and may let you perform manual scans if you suspect there's an issue. However, they often lack advanced features like scan scheduling. You'll need a separate program if you want full control over your antivirus software or additional security software like safe browsing tools. Luckily, there are several free antivirus programs and some come bundled into free security suites with other safety tools. We've researched popular free antivirus software and brought the best options together on this list. Avira Free Antivirus is the best free antivirus software, offering real-time protection against malware like viruses, plus manual and automated scans. Avira Free Antivirus also provides protection from phishing -- a type of fraud involving sending emails or messages pretending to come from a reputable source to steal information -- and ransomware -- a type of malware that locks your computer and requires you to send a payment to unlock it. Avira Free Antivirus includes other security tools as well, including a software updater to automatically keep your apps and drivers up to date, a password manager, a browser extension for blocking malicious sites and ad trackers/third-party trackers. Best of all, you can use Avira Free Antivirus on most operating systems, including Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android. However, some features -- including the Software Updater program -- are available only for Windows PCs. Avira Free Antivirus uses the same antivirus engine as the paid version of Avira, which consistently receives high rankings in all AV-Test categories. You'll get real-time protection as well as the option to run manual scans and schedule scans on a daily or weekly basis. This last feature is particularly notable, as both Microsoft Defender and XProtect (the MacOS equivalent to Microsoft Defender) lack the ability to schedule scans. Other layers of protection include phishing protection, ransomware protection and a Software Updater that automatically updates apps and drivers. You'll also get a browser extension that blocks unsafe sites, ad tracking and other third-party trackers. A password manager is also included. None of these features are included with Microsoft Defender, XProtect or Bitdefender. AVG Free Antivirus includes some of these features, but lacks a password manager. Avira Free Antivirus is available for MacOS, iOS and Android, but certain features -- like the Software Updater -- only work with Windows. There are also many features listed in the dashboard that are only partially accessible without upgrading to a paid version. For example, if you run a System Speedup scan, Avira will find performance issues, but if you click on the option to fix them, you'll be told to upgrade. Avira Free Antivirus is the best free antivirus if you want a full security suite without spending a dime. The Software Updater makes it a particularly great choice if you're using Windows. See at Avira Microsoft Defender (formerly known as Windows Defender) is built into Windows 10 and 11 and enabled by default. Microsoft Defender consistently receives high marks from AV-Test, and the program is updated regularly to ensure protection against new malware. Defender provides real-time protection and runs automated scans. You can run manual scans if you're ever concerned about your computer's performance or a specific file or program you've downloaded. You can also set up Controlled Folder Access, which automatically stops apps from making unauthorized changes to your folders (you can manually exclude apps you trust). The one big drawback of Defender is that you can't schedule the scans yourself; you'll have to rely on the program's automatic scans or run an on-demand check. However, Defender can track when your system is idle and tends to run scans during this time. Windows 10 and 11 will automatically disable its own Windows Defender antivirus when you install third-party antivirus programs. If you uninstall the third-party protection, Windows will turn on its own antivirus again. Microsoft Defender is a good choice if you're looking for no-effort antivirus protection and you follow internet safety best practices. See at Microsoft Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition offers real-time protection against malware like viruses and spyware alongside ransomware protection. Bitdefender antivirus regularly earns a 6 out of 6 protection ranking from the AV-Test lab, plus high rankings for usability and performance. You can run manual scans and schedule daily, weekly or monthly scans to catch anything that makes it through Bitdefender's real-time protection. The free antivirus version covers one Windows or MacOS computer. You can also download Bitdefender apps for iOS and Android. For broader protection including parental controls and a VPN, you can choose Bitdefender Total Security or Bitdefender Antivirus Plus. Bitdefender is a great choice if you're looking for robust antivirus protection and you don't need or want any other cybersecurity tools. See at BitDefender AVG Antivirus Free and the paid AVG Internet Security app use the same antivirus cores -- the difference is that AVG Internet Security comes with a full suite of tools, like an enhanced firewall and webcam protection. Moreover, AVG consistently earns high scores in all three AV-Test categories, with the lowest recent ranking being a 5.5 out of 6 for performance. With AVG Antivirus Free, you'll get both real-time protection and the ability to manually run Deep Scans to find and remove malware that gets through the initial layer of protection. You can also schedule scans to run on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. AVG Antivirus Free guards against phishing and ransomware, plus provides a browser extension that blocks harmful sites and third-party tracking. You can get AVG Antivirus Free for Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android. The one drawback of the free version of AVG is the prominent upsells. You'll be directed to get a paid subscription if you click on certain features. Some of these upsells are rather sneaky, such as the one associated with the Smart Scan. You can run the Smart Scan and see issues it points out -- like vulnerabilities and settings configurations that might be harming your computer's performance -- but when you click 'Resolve All', you'll be hit with an upsell. AVG Antivirus Free is a great choice if you're looking for robust protection but you don't need the full suite of tools provided by Avira Free Antivirus. See at AVG Some particularly insidious malware is disguised as free antivirus software. You download something to protect your computer, and instead, you infect it, leading to stolen data or a locked device. You can avoid this malware by sticking with trusted antivirus companies. Choose a company from a vetted list like this one, read the third-party tests we link to and make sure the URL you're downloading from is authentic. Antivirus software typically offers two layers of protection: Scans that search your computer and remove malware. Some programs let you schedule these yourself, while others run them automatically when your computer is idle. You should also be able to manually run a scan at any time. Real-time protection that identifies and blocks malware from being downloaded onto your computer. Antivirus tools may also block malicious websites and protect you from threats like phishing, but these features are typically only included with premium programs. Similarly, antivirus tools may only provide limited scan scheduling. Most free antivirus software programs are created by companies that also produce paid antivirus tools. They typically use the same antivirus engines as the paid versions, so you'll get the same level of scanning and malware protection you'd get if you bought premium antivirus from the company. However, this protection is often only available for one device per person, whereas paid antivirus tools offer packages for five, 10 or even unlimited devices. Moreover, paid antivirus software usually comes with additional benefits, such as advanced ransomware and phishing protection. Many companies also offer full security suites that include things like VPNs and password managers alongside the antivirus tools. Check out our list of the best antivirus programs to learn more about these security suites. An antivirus tool's real-time protection shouldn't interfere with regular use of your computer. Deep scans will often slow things down by consuming RAM or CPU resources, but they shouldn't make your computer totally unusable. For years, Avast Antivirus for Windows was the gold standard of antivirus, with consistently high rankings on AV-Test. We've included its antivirus in our list of recommended security app options before. However, early in 2024, the Federal Trade Commission fined Avast $16.5 million to settle charges that from 2014 to 2020 the company had sold customer browsing information to more than 100 third parties. The FTC said that Avast allegedly collected the data through browser extensions and antivirus software and sold the data through its Jumpshot subsidiary. Then-Avast CEO Ondřej Vlček responded to the initial 2020 reports with a statement that he understood that his company's actions raised questions of trust in his company. To address these concerns, Avast terminated Jumpshot data collection in January 2020 and closed its operations. We hope there will be no further Jumpshot-style activities and that Avast returns to glory as one of the best antivirus software options. Until then, we recommend using one of the other free options on this list. Kaspersky has historically been another top antivirus provider, earning high marks and awards for virus and malware protection from independent labs. However, in June 2024, the US government announced a federal ban prohibiting Kaspersky from selling antivirus or cybersecurity software or services in the US or to US citizens due to alleged ties between Kaspersky and the Russian government. 'Russia has shown time and again they have the capability and intent to exploit Russian companies, like Kaspersky Lab, to collect and weaponize sensitive US information, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to safeguard US national security and the American people," Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in the official announcement of the ban. In a statement, Kaspersky said it "does not engage in activities which threaten US national security and, in fact, has made significant contributions with its reporting and protection from a variety of threat actors that targeted US interests and allies." We use a three-step process to vet antivirus tools. First, we look at product pages to ensure that a tool is 100% free, and we analyze each app's features. Next, we look through reviews of the antivirus software -- both from tech experts and from regular consumers on sites like Trustpilot -- to gauge how effective and user-friendly the software is. We also look for scam alerts or other indications of shady business practices at this point. Finally, we consult AV-Test, an independent company with testing labs for antivirus software. AV-Test runs tests every two or three months (the exact testing cycle varies based on the product and operating system) and provides rankings for protection, usability and performance. An antivirus tool must have at least a 5 out of 6 ranking in all three categories to qualify for one of our best lists. The free version of Malwarebytes is one of the best tools for finding and removing malware on your computer. You can use the Malwarebytes scanner if you're having performance issues and you think your regular antivirus software has missed something. However, Malwarebytes doesn't offer real-time protection in the free version, so you'll still need another antivirus software to protect your devices in the future. The best standalone free antivirus software is Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition. The best free digital security suite is AVG Antivirus Free. Yes, there are several 100% free antivirus programs available, including built-in antivirus software on Windows and MacOS devices, like Microsoft Defender and XProtect. Additionally, Bitdefender, AVG and Avira are all great options. Yes, it's OK to use free antivirus software, especially if you're strict about following internet safety rules. However, you might want to invest in paid antivirus software if you store personal data on your computer or use your computer for work. You'll probably be safe with a free antivirus tool if you're following basic internet safety rules. However, if you use your computer for work or store sensitive data on it, you may want to invest in paid antivirus software. Many paid antivirus tools also come with additional layers of protection, like password managers and VPNs.
