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VirtualBuddy runs macOS 12+ and ARM-based Linux virtual machines on Apple Silicon, automatically downloading or using custom IPSW/ISO images. It offers APFS-based snapshots, file and clipboard sharing, recovery mode, and beta device support via Xcode packages. You can customize hardware, save VM states, and build the app from source with Xcode 16.
- VirtualBuddy lets you run macOS 12+ and ARM Linux VMs on Apple Silicon, including beta OS versions, without extra physical hardware.
- Running newer beta hosts (like macOS 26) requires VirtualBuddy 2.2 beta 2+ and device support files pulled from Xcode 27 beta or Apple's developer portal.
- APFS cloning (Command+D in Finder) lets you duplicate VMs almost for free in disk space, making it easy to snapshot and reset a clean environment.
- File sharing/clipboard sync work via the VirtualBuddyGuest app, with virtiofs mounting required manually for shared folders on macOS 13+ hosts.
This article shows how macOS 27 includes a built-in LLM accessible via /usr/bin/fm that runs entirely offline and needs no account. The author tests it on an M1 MacBook Air, noting its limited memory, occasional inaccuracies, and a range of Terminal-based tricks.
- macOS 27 includes an offline, account-free LLM ("Apple Foundation Models") accessible via /usr/bin/fm in Terminal
- Runs smoothly on a base M1 MacBook Air with 8GB RAM, though it has limited memory and no awareness of current dates
- Useful for practical tasks like drafting emails, translation, summarizing Markdown, generating regex/SQL, and shell scripting help
- Prone to hallucinating dates or inventing functions when pushed beyond simple tasks
A Jamf survey shows more than 20% of organizations running macOS networks have lost money or been breached due to AI tool use, and about 60% expect future incidents. Shadow AI, agentic AI, vendor sprawl and usage-based billing are creating governance blind spots. Jamf urges early governance measures: regular audits, strict data-access policies and use of built-in tools.
- Over 20% of orgs running macOS networks have lost money or been breached due to AI tool use, and ~60% expect an incident soon
- Shadow AI (unapproved employee tools) is the top governance blind spot, compounded by agentic AI permission risks, vendor sprawl, and surprise usage-based billing
- Despite these risks, governance ranks only third in priority behind automating IT tasks and boosting productivity, with security improvements fifth
- Jamf recommends regular audits, strict data-access policies, early governance integration, and using built-in tools to manage risk
container is a Swift tool that runs OCI-compatible Linux containers as lightweight VMs on macOS 26 Apple Silicon. It lets you pull, build, push, and run standard container images, and provides scripts for install, upgrade, downgrade, and uninstall. The project uses the Containerization Swift package and is in active development with a stable API only within patch versions.
- Apple's own tool runs standard OCI containers as lightweight Linux VMs directly on Apple silicon Macs, using the virtualization framework instead of Docker-style shared-kernel containers.
- Requires macOS 26 specifically, and it's built on Apple's open-source Containerization Swift package.
- Still 0.x/actively developed, so breaking changes can happen between minor versions—only patch releases are guaranteed stable.
- Comes with full lifecycle tooling (install/upgrade/downgrade/uninstall scripts, CLI for pulling/building/pushing images) rather than being just a proof-of-concept.
Pearcleaner is an open-source Mac utility that uninstalls apps, removes leftover files and manages development and plugin environments. The maintainer is currently busy with full-time work and a new SaaS startup but welcomes PRs and plans to resume issue triage and feature work when time allows.
- Pearcleaner development is stalled because the maintainer took a full-time job at a friend's SaaS startup, but he'll resume issue triage when time allows.
- It's a free, source-available Mac cleaner (Apache 2.0 + Commons Clause) offering orphaned file detection, CLI/drag-and-drop uninstalls, Homebrew/PKG support, and a Sentinel Monitor that uses only ~2MB RAM.
- The Commons Clause license bars any commercial monetization of the app or derivatives.
- Requires macOS 13 (Ventura) or newer, installable via GitHub releases or `brew install --cask pearcleaner`.
This article lists nine free or one-time-purchase Mac apps that tackle little annoyances in macOS—from using the notch as a file shelf and hiding menu-bar clutter to boosting file transfers, window management, screenshots, local AI, and cleanup. Each tool solves a specific pain point so the system feels smoother without ongoing subscriptions.
- NotchNook turns the MacBook notch into a drag-and-drop file shelf, donation-priced with a perpetual license.
- Blip and DeskIn solve cross-platform transfer gaps AirDrop can't (Windows/Android support, 4K60 4:4:4 remote sessions).
- Loop and Dropover replace complex shortcut-based window/file management with simple cursor gestures (radial menu, shake-to-shelf).
- Msty enables local AI inference (e.g., Llama 4) on the Neural Engine with side-by-side model comparison, no terminal required.
Google’s Gemini macOS app runs on Apple Silicon and sits in your menu bar, ready with a global shortcut (Option + Space) for instant AI assistance. It can share your active window for context-aware answers, sync chat history across devices, and offers tools for image and video creation.
- Gemini's new native macOS app only works on Apple Silicon running macOS Sequoia 15.0+, leaving Intel Macs unsupported
- Global shortcuts (Option+Space and Option+Shift+Space) let you summon Gemini for quick chat or full window access from anywhere
- With Accessibility permissions enabled, Gemini can read your active window's content to give context-aware help on code, spreadsheets, or documents
- It integrates Nano Banana for image generation and Veo for video creation, plus syncs chat history and memory across devices via your Google account
The article critiques the icon design in macOS Tahoe, highlighting issues such as clutter, inconsistency, and poor usability. It argues that the proliferation of icons dilutes their effectiveness, making it harder for users to navigate and understand the interface. Additionally, the piece discusses how the small size and detail of icons contribute to confusion and frustration.
- macOS Tahoe's icon redesign introduces visual clutter and inconsistency across the system, making icons harder to distinguish at a glance.
- The sheer proliferation of icon styles and details dilutes their usefulness as quick visual identifiers, undermining their core purpose.
- Small icon sizes combined with excessive detail cause confusion, forcing users to work harder to recognize and navigate apps.