January 2026

There were 1,518 posts published in January 2026 (this is page 23 of 152).

How to Set a Different Volume Level for Each App on Your Mac

By default, your Mac doesn’t allow you to control the volume levels of individual apps, something Windows has offered for years. If your alerts from messaging apps are too loud, you can either put the Mac in do-not-disturb mode to mute those alerts, or lower the system volume, but that’s it. It’s not ideal, since lowering system volume also impacts media volume, which can sometimes make it hard to listen to music or hear dialogue in TV shows or movies. If you could separately toggle volume levels per app, that would be ideal. Fortunately, some third-party apps allow you to do this, and this guide highlights the best of them.

FineTune: A free Mac app for per-app sound control


Credit: Pranay Parab

A free app that lets you lower or mute alert tones while maintaining media volume, FineTune is good enough for most people. It’s open-source, and has a few simple sliders that let you control each app’s volume level. My previous pick for this job—BackgroundMusic—no longer works well, as it hasn’t been updated in a while. FineTune’s come in to fill that gap nicely, and it does what it says on the tin.

Once you install the app, you can click its menu bar icon to finetune any individual app’s volume. When an app starts playing audio on your Mac, it’ll appear in FineTune’s interface. And once you’re done moving your sliders to change volume levels, you’ll quickly discover a couple of other useful features, such as controlling the volume levels of each of your output device (speakers, headphones, etc.), and an equalizer for each app on your computer. You can also send audio from one app to a specific speaker or headphone. I’ve used these features to lower my AirPods’ volume while keeping my Mac’s speaker louder, and to set a bass-friendly EQ preset on those AirPods. You can play around with these tools to get the job done according to your needs, too.

FineTune also has a convenient volume boost feature, which lets you increase the volume up to 400% on a per-app basis. This is good for files where the volume levels are almost inaudible, but I’d be choosy about how you use it.

SoundSource: A paid app for advanced volume control


Credit: Pranay Parab

Most people will be happy with FineTune’s feature set and lack of a price tag. However, if you need an app that can control AirPlay devices in your house, send audio to multiple devices at once, enable a per-app EQ with two dozen presets, set a preferred device order for audio output, and much more, then you should consider SoundSource 6 ($49). The app’s been around for over a decade, and the newest version released towards the end of 2025.

With SoundSource, the basic functionality lets you control the audio levels of each app, but it also has a few other neat touches. My favorite feature is the one that lets you mute all sound effects with just one click. I’m not sure about you, but alert sounds from messaging apps tend to make me a bit anxious. Some of my friends tend to send multiple short texts at once, too, which makes my Mac’s speaker go off like a siren. I’ve tried putting my Mac on do-not-disturb mode, but that hides those alerts altogether, which isn’t ideal either. Ever since I got SoundSource, I’ve just muted all sound effects. This lets me receive notifications without the annoying tones, and it allows me to watch movies sans interruptions from alert tones.

You can also group multiple devices in SoundSource, and send audio to all of them at once, which is an easy way to create a multi-room audio setup. Of course, you can’t have your audio 100% in sync, so don’t get your hopes up about creating a surround sound system with five cheap Bluetooth speakers. However, it’s good enough if you just want to have music playing in every room of your house while you cook, clean, or just move around. SoundSource’s support for AirPlay devices means that you can send audio to your HomePod and other AirPlay devices like TVs or speakers, too.

SoundSource also has granular controls for various features. As an example, you can set up a keyboard shortcut to increase or decrease your microphone’s volume, or to mute the mic altogether. Another interesting feature lets you set up a mute timer, which sets the volume to zero for up to 2 minutes for specific apps or output devices. It’s clear by now that SoundSource has lots of great features under the hood, which is amazing for power users, but probably overkill for anyone who just wants to set separate volume levels for a couple apps. The good news is that SoundSource offers a free trial that lets you use all of its features for up to 20 minutes at a time, so you can try it out to see if it’s worth buying.

These ‘Obsolete’ iPhones Just Received a New Update

Many of us choose to upgrade our smartphones every two or three years, while others pick up the latest model every year. But just because it’s the norm to swap out your smartphone on a regular basis, that doesn’t mean all of us do. Smartphones can last a long time, especially if you maintain it with the occasional battery replacement.

But no piece of technology lasts forever. Eventually, something gives out—even if it’s just the company that makes it. Even Apple, which usually offers its iPhones a number of years of updates after their original release, drops support for new features after some time. That’s why your iPhone XS can’t run iOS 26: Apple drew the line here this year. But iPhones like the XS can still receive updates, even if they aren’t the latest and greatest version of iOS. Instead, Apple tends to issue security and stability patches to older iPhones, to ensure the users who still rely on them can do so safely and securely. It might be in Apple’s best financial interest to persuade you to buy a new iPhone, but not at the cost of putting a large number of users at risk of cyber attacks.

Apple’s latest update patches very old iPhones

Apple dropped new updates for an assortment of devices on Monday. That includes its latest devices, of course, which can now install iOS 26.2.1. But a host of older devices also received new updates, some of which are particularly surprising, considering their age.

Apple released iOS 18.7.4 for iPhones that either can’t or won’t update to iOS 26. In the former category, that basically includes the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR. Then, there’s iOS 16.7.13, for iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X, and iOS 15.8.6, for iPhone 6S, iPhone 7, and iPhone SE (first-gen). Those are some old iPhones, but that’s not what caught my eye today. In a twist, Apple dropped an update for iPhones running iOS 12, including iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus. These iPhones can now run iOS 12.5.8. For reference, Apple released iOS 12 back in 2018, so it’s pretty wild to see a new version in 2026.

These iPhones are even older. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus dropped all the way back in 2014, while the iPhone 5S released the year before that. As such, Apple just sent an update to 12-year-old iPhone. If you’re still rocking one of these devices, that new update must be quite the surprise. It’s even more than the age of the devices itself: Apple considers all three of these iPhones “obsolete,” as the company stopped selling them more than seven years ago. The company will not service the hardware for obsolete products, and largely omits them from future software releases. That’s why this is so interesting.

What’s new in iOS 12.5.8

iOS 12.5.8 is, of course, not a feature update, but it’s also not a security update, either. Instead, Apple extended the certificate required for features like iMessage, FaceTime, and device activation to continue working after January of next year. These iPhones might not have seen a new feature in years, but they’ll still be able to FaceTime in a year’s time—and that’s pretty great.

It’s not clear how many people are using these iPhones in 2026. But if you do, and it’s working for you, Apple gave you one more reason to keep your phone for another year.

Spurs star Victor Wembanyama condemns ‘murder of civilians’ by ICE agents in Minnesota: ‘I’m horrified’

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama refused to keep quiet after Veterans Affairs nurse Alex Pretti was shot and killed Saturday by ICE agents in Minnesota. Wembanyama spoke out on Pretti’s killing Tuesday, ignoring the team’s PR guidance to be “politically correct” about the issue.

Wembanyama issued a strong statement on what’s been going on in Minnesota, saying he’s “horrified” every day he wakes up and sees the news on television. 

His full statement read: 

“You know, PR has tried, but I’m not going to sit here and give some politically correct [answer]. Every day, I wake up and see the news and I’m horrified. I think that it’s crazy that some people make it sound like it’s acceptable, like the murder of civilians is acceptable. 

“I read the news and sometimes I’m asking very deep questions about my own life. I’m conscious also that saying everything that’s on my mind would have a cost that’s too great for me right now. So, I would rather not get into too many details.”

Wembanyama was then asked about the fear of speaking openly in the face of injustice. Wembanyama added, “It’s terrible. I know I’m a foreigner. I live in this country. I am concerned.” 

When asked whether his status as a foreigner played a role in his hesitancy to speak more on the issue, Wembanyama admitted that was the case. 

The 22-year-old Wembanyama was born and grew up in France. He spent his early basketball career in the Pro A and EuroLeague before the Spurs made him the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NBA Draft. Since then, Wembanyama has spent each NBA season living in the United States. 

Wembanyama is not the only prominent NBA name to speak out on the issue. Over the weekend, Karl-Anthony Towns, Steve Kerr, Chris Finch and Charles Barkley all issued strong words on ICE’s presence in Minnesota. Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton also commented on Pretti’s killing, calling it “murder.”

Wembanyama’s teammates De’Aaron Fox and Julian Champagnie, as well as coach Mitch Johnson, also issued comments on the situation when asked Sunday.

The NBPA was among the groups to put out a joint statement as well, saying it would “stand in solidarity with the people in Minnesota.” One of the members of the NBPA’s executive committee, Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, issued his own statement Tuesday, calling for “accountability” and “improvement in the tactics, the profiling, or whatever is going on.”

Athletes outside of the NBA have also been vocal on the situation. WNBA and Unrivaled star Breanna Stewart held up a sign before Sunday’s game calling for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be abolished. Denver Broncos offensive lineman Quinn Meinerz followed Stewart’s example, and Minnesota Twins players Bailey Ober and Simeon Woods Richardson sent out images of support for protesters in the state. 

Are these trends or traps? These teams need answers + biggest Unrivaled takeaways

Subscribe to The Dunker Spot
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It’s an action-packed episode of ‘The Dunker Spot’!

Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones break down whether what we’re seeing across the NBA is a ‘Trend’ or a ‘Trap’?

From there, the guys dive into the big questions that the Magic and the Bucks have to answer ahead of the trade deadline. Is it time for Milwaukee to move on from Giannis? The Rising Stars rosters are out! Who deserved the nod and who got snubbed?

To wrap things up, they take a look at the action from Unrivaled, corner threes, no calls, dunks and more!

If you ever have NBA or WNBA questions, email us at dunkerspot@yahoo.com.

(0:00) Welcome
(01:30) Trend or Trap?
(2:22) Trend or Trap: Cade Cunningham vs. traps
(28:54) Teams with the biggest question marks
(54:41) NBA Rising Stars announced
(1:00:54) Unrivaled takeaways

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 25: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons drives past Nique Clifford #5 of the Sacramento Kings during the second half at Little Caesars Arena on January 25, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – JANUARY 25: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons drives past Nique Clifford #5 of the Sacramento Kings during the second half at Little Caesars Arena on January 25, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

Rey Del Rio

🖥️ Watch this full episode on the Yahoo Sports NBA YouTube channel

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family athttps://apple.co/3zEuTQj or atyahoosports.tv

‘MLB the Show 26′ announces Yankees’ Aaron Judge as its cover athlete

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge has been announced as the cover athlete for “MLB The Show 26,” San Diego Studios announced Tuesday.

Judge, who was previously the cover athlete for the game’s 2018 version, follows after last year’s cover athletes were Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz and Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson.

On Monday, SDS put out a statement that the 2026 game would not feature a “new cover athlete,” leading to speculation about whether a current or former MLB player would even grace the front of the video game.

In the SDS promotional materials, Judge is featured in both his Yankees uniform and Team USA gear. The World Baseball Classic will be part of Diamond Dynasty mode in “MLB The Show 26” after first being part of the game in 2023.

“MLB The Show 26” will be released March 17 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2.

Why hasn’t Giannis Antetokounmpo been traded yet?

We are beyond the NBA season’s ]

Meanwhile, the NBA’s trade deadline will pass on Feb. 5 and, despite reports of recent hope from other teams to the contrary, the likelier outcome is Antetokounmpo will remain a Buck throughout the remainder of the season, however gruesome it may get.

As for beyond this season, well, do not expect Antetokounmpo to stay a Buck any longer.

“No way they run it back,” one league source said.

So, why not trade Antetokounmpo now? One theory floating around NBA circles: “You trade Luka, you’ll never work again.” In other words, look at what has become of Nico Harrison since he dealt Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Absent a trade request, does Bucks general manager Jon Horst want to be The Guy Who Dealt Giannis Antetokounmpo, no matter the return? I wouldn’t want to be That Guy, either.

Not until the last minute, anyway, and this summer essentially yields the last minute, as Antetokounmpo will be entering the final year of his contract in the 2026-27 campaign. He will have far more influence over his next destination the closer the end of his deal comes.

As ESPN’s Shams Charania said, “I’ve spoken to about a dozen sources on and off for weeks. The tension that is in the air within that organization and within the front office and in that locker room is at an all-time high. There’s a splintering environment going on there.”

After all, it has been years since Antetokounmpo told The New York Times’ Tania Ganguli, “Winning a championship comes first. I don’t want to be 20 years on the same team and don’t win another championship.” The Bucks have failed to emerge from the first round of the playoffs in each season since, and it appears they could miss the postseason entirely.

It would only make sense that Antetokounmpo wants out. Only, “There will never be a chance, and there will never be a moment that I will come out and say, ‘I want a trade,’” Antetokounmpo recently told The Athletic’s Sam Amick. “That’s not … in … my … nature.”

Of course, even that he couched with the phrase, “As of today.”

They seem to have reached a stalemate, then. Neither Antetokounmpo nor Horst wants to alienate the fans in Milwaukee. But we have reached the boiling point. This team is not going to win another championship for the foreseeable future, and therefore the team is not providing Antetokounmpo with what he wants, which is the chance to contend again.

[Get more Bucks news: Milwaukee team feed]

None of this helps us solve the mystery of why Antetokounmpo has not yet been traded. In fact, it only leads us back to that question. There is, of course, more reason to wait until the offseason for a deal, most of it having to do with the salary cap. The first and second spending aprons make it awfully difficult for rival teams to make maneuvers midseason.

“Better in the summer,” said one source familiar with Milwaukee’s thinking. “More flexibility.”

Again: Look at what Harrison got for Dončić midway through the season. He obviously did not canvas the league for offers, or else he would have gotten something better than Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round draft pick. Wait until the summer, though, and the whole league would have moved heaven and earth for the opportunity to trade for Dončić.

The same may be true of Antetokounmpo, even at 31 years old. Even another calf injury “does not appear to be dissuading interested parties,” reported Substack’s Marc Stein.

But it is not easy to move heaven and earth midway through the season and still field a championship team around Antetokounmpo. He is, really, a non-shooter who uses more than a third of his team’s possessions. He needs a certain roster around him — mostly shooters everywhere, including the center position — to maximize his relentless attack.

There is an argument to be made that pulling off the Band-Aid now is what is best for the Bucks. Look at how quickly the Houston Rockets have bounced back since trading James Harden for a picks-heavy package in January 2021. Get the rebuild going as fast as you can.

Then again, Milwaukee will have a better idea of exactly what other teams can offer in the 2026 draft when this season is complete. The Atlanta Hawks, for example, own the better pick between the Bucks and the New Orleans Pelicans, and if that lands in the top four at season’s end, it may be the most valuable asset any team can trade for Antetokounmpo.

Whether that means Antetokounmpo will be dealt this season may have more to do with whether Horst wants the responsibility of being the one to trade him. What ever happened to fortune favoring the bold, then? The second apron. That’s what, I guess.

USDA Forest Service issues revised oil and gas leasing rule

(Washington, D.C., January 27, 2026) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service finalized revisions to its regulation governing federal oil and gas resources on National Forest System lands. The revision modernizes and streamlines the process for managing energy development across millions of acres.