Changes to XProtect and XProtect Remediator in macOS 27 can appear puzzling. And why does it still get MRT from 2022? Plus details of firmware and Recovery systems.
Apple silicon
If it’s not the date or features of a new version of macOS that come as a surprise, then what is? It’s what birders refer to as jizz, or its feel. What should we look for in Golden Gate?
If you updated to Sequoia 15.7.9 or Sonoma 14.8.9 before 17 August, their mBoot firmware should be 18000.161.9. If you updated later, it should be 18000.161.10 instead. This explains why.
Mac prices have risen because supply of their high-speed memory, NAND chips for SSDs, and their SoCs has been outstripped by demand for data centres. When will this improve?
What to try if your Mac doesn’t enter Recovery Mode when you want it to. For Apple silicon Macs, there’s Fallback Recovery, while Intel Macs have two forms of internet or remote recovery to choose from.
Before the T2, EFI firmware in Intel Macs was complicated. Then simplicity arrived: all Macs running the current version of a supported version of macOS had the same firmware. Not any more they don’t.
A close examination of CPU %, GPU % and Energy Impact measurements in Activity Monitor, compared with reference values, demonstrates their current shortcomings.
A complete guide to using this new version, with explanations of how to keep XProtect up to date, which updates the app will install, and where to get further information.
First full release of SilentKnight designed and optimised for Apple silicon Macs running macOS 15.6 Sequoia or later, including Golden Gate betas. Clean and simple to use, with sophisticated features such as JSON report exporting.
How different parts of a Mac acquired their own memory, such as VRAM, and why Apple silicon chips have unified that, and the limitations that brings.
