Guide to Mac, iPod, iPad and iPhone news and reviews
‘Cherry Season’ is the title of this week’s featured iPad painting. It was painted by Pilar Humada, using the Sketch Club app. I’ve been a huge fan of Pilar’s iPad artwork ever since I saw some of her first creations on the iPad back in 2013. Her work is equally stunning when she paints cityscapes […]
Much has been said about the iPhone 6 Plus already, and there are plenty of thorough reviews describing the hardware, the design, camera, and every other little improvement and detail of the device. After using one for a week, two things in particular …
As expected, there are tons of apps being updated for iOS 8 in these first few weeks after its release. One of the more notable ones that updated this week for iOS 8 is Dashlane Password Manager. Dashlane is an excellent password manager, with a superb set of features and a handsome UI that makes […]
Who doesn’t like great iPad apps? At iPad Insight we definitely do. With that in mind, we offer up a quick review of an excellent iPad app, or a few great iPad apps, here each week. Our weekly picks for Best iPad App of the Week are published here every Saturday. Check out all out […]
The biggest news of the week was iPhones bending and iOS 8.0.1 being some kinda broken. But were the problems overblown or were they real? And if they were real, what’s the fix? What other newness happened this week? Let’s have a look.
Over the last couple of days you may have heard of the looming danger of “Shellshock” to Mac users. This new tech scare centers on Bash, a behind-the-scenes tool that’s been used for many years now on Unix- and Linux-powered machines. Essentially, the root of the problem is an exploit that allows outside users to run code on your machine without your consent, and it could thus has devastating consequences if tackled by unscrupulous individuals. But the good news is that even though OS X runs on Unix, Apple itself says the bulk of us don’t have to worry about it.
Specifically, in a statement to Engadget, Apple claimed that “the vast majority of OS X users are not at risk…With OS X, systems are safe by default and not exposed to remote exploits of bash unless users configure advanced Unix services.” In other words, if you’re not even sure what all this talk of Unix and Bash means, you shouldn’t be in danger.
Source: Robert Graham
Still, Apple said in another statement to iMore that it’s creating a patch to help those who might still be affected by it. You’re reportedly not in danger if you’re using OS X Yosemite, but you might be at risk if you’re still using Mavericks.
Cult of Mac also provided a handy method of checking to see if your OS X unit is at risk. Simply open your terminal, and copy and paste the following command into the interface:
env x=’() { :;}; echo vulnerable’ bash -c ‘echo hello’
If you’re not at risk, the Terminal should reply with:
bash: warning: x: ignoring function definition attempt bash: error importing function definition for `x’ hello
Follow this article’s writer, Leif Johnson, on Twitter.
HealthKit is easily one of the best selling points of iOS 8, but Apple fizzled some of that enthusiasm when it pulled HealthKit-enabled apps from its store not long after the operating system was loosed on the public. Apple did, however, claim that suc…
After a tumultuous couple of days, Apple was finally able to push an update to iOS 8 that fixed the fairly egregious error with causing iPhone 6 and 6 Plus owners to lose cell service and Touch ID. By this morning, you were probably already prompted to update. Within a few hours of the update […]
I’m hoping you weren’t one of the people who was affected by the brief rollout of 8.0.1 this past week, but if so, 8.0.2 should fix any cellular issues you may have experienced. I updated my iPad Air from the iOS 8 GM to 8.0.2 last night and did a few practical tests. The main thing I […]
Between bending phones, iOS 8.0.1, and the Bash security flaw on OS X, Apple seems to be taking it on the chin from nearly every front — but that isn’t stopping Cupertino from keeping its eye on the prize, with the iPhone 6 going on sale today as scheduled in 22 more locales. Our Friday Morning Report also looks at iOS 8.0.2 and a new home automation solution from Loxone, so let’s dive right in…
Well, that was quick: Apple wasted no time releasing iOS 8.0.2 on Thursday evening, just a day after the previous iOS 8.0.1 update wreaked havoc on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models, causing them to lose cellular connectivity and Touch ID.
“iOS 8.0.2 is now available for users, it fixes an issue that affected iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who downloaded iOS 8.0.1, and includes improvements and bug fixes originally in iOS 8.0.1,” Apple told TechCrunch in a statement. “We apologize for inconveniencing the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who were impacted by the bug in iOS 8.0.1.”
According to CNBC Tech’s Twitter feed, Apple claims “less than 40,000” iPhone 6 devices were affected by the iOS 8.0.1 snafu, which was yanked shortly after being first released on Wednesday.
Apple is just barely keeping up with demand for the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models in the US, but that isn’t stopping Cupertino from blazing a trail forward. Tthe new smartphone models went on sale around midnight local time in a long list of other countries, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
Right out of the gate, a report from MacRumors noted shipping estimates of five to seven days for “all colors, carriers, and capacities,” which isn’t much of a surprise given Apple’s announcement touting 10 million iPhone 6 models shipped last weekend in the United States, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, and Singapore.
Loxone announced Friday the availability of Miniserver Go, a consumer-installable version of the company’s wireless home automation solution which acts as a central hub for iPhone, iPad, or Android apps to control thermostats, lamps, appliances, or other devices. Similar to Apple’s HomeKit, Miniserver Go converts “dumb” devices into intelligent ones, using Loxone Air’s Smart Socket Air, RGBW Dimmer Air, and Multi I/O Extension hardware. The USB-powered Miniserver Go is now available from the Loxone website for $329.
Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter
The iPad rumor mill is finally starting to churn a little more over the last couple of weeks – and it’s about time since October has become the new standard timeframe for new iPad launches. This week’s iPad rumors are in keeping with the general theme of low expectations for October iPad announcements. The gist […]
I wrote the other day about Fleksy and how great it feels to use, but now that I’ve given another keyboard, SwiftKey, more of a shot I think I know exactly what I like most about Fleksy on the iPad. Fleksy was my clear favourite out of all the keyboards that launched with iOS 8, but I […]
Adobe today released new versions of Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements, its lower-cost photo and video editing software aimed at consumers. Both Photoshop Elements 13 and Premiere Elements 13 have gained several new features, focusing on improved editing tools, additional guided techniques, and Elements Live, a new portal that offers tips and tricks directly within each app.
“Our customers don’t always have the time or the know-how to get the results they desire,” said Shanmugh Natarajan, senior director, engineering, core technologies and products at Adobe. “In Photoshop Elements 13 and Premiere Elements 13, we focused on developing tools that automate the process or guide customers through the steps to create the photos they’ll love and want to share.”
Photoshop Elements 13, Adobe’s image editing software, includes updates that Adobe says were inspired by customer request. One of the main new features is the Photomerge Compose tool, which is used alongside the Refine Selection Brush to allow users to seamlessly copy people or objects from one image to another with just a few clicks.
There are new tools to create matching Facebook cover and profile photos, customizable with text and graphics, plus there are new guided edits available for creating black and white photos with hits of color. Guided edits are Adobe’s interactive tutorials, which offer step-by-step instructions on completing various tasks in app.
Photoshop Elements 13 also gains new Effects Variations, offering extra options for each existing effect to give users up to 50 filters that can be applied with a click, and there are impressive new cropping tools that include crop suggestions. The Intelligent Crop Suggestions tool analyzes faces and photo composition to select the four best crops for a particular image.
Premiere Elements 13, Adobe’s video editing software, introduces new tools to minimize the time that users spend editing their footage. Favorite Moments can be used to mark the best spots in a video, which can then be automatically assembled into a short movie, and Video Story assembles various clips, adds in transitions, music, and applies a theme for a particular occasion like a birthday party. Simple themed slideshows can also be created.
Premiere Elements 13 offers improved shake stabilization to improve the look of videos shot with hand-held devices like smartphones, and there are new Guided Edits to help users add motion to movie titles and improve dramatic effects in one area of a scene using masking techniques.
Elements Live, available in both Photoshop and Premiere 13, includes content curated by Adobe, tips, tricks, and tutorials. It also lets users see what other people are using the software to create.
Both Photoshop Elements 13 and Premiere Elements 13 for Mac and Windows can be purchased separately on Adobe’s website for $99.99 each, with bundles available for $149.99. Existing users can upgrade for $79.99 or $119.99 for the bundle.
Apple has begun rolling out a new print ad on the back of magazines like Rolling Stone showing off how big the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are compared to older iPhone models, as noticed by The Mac Observer. The ad simply depicts both of the new…
The iPhone 6 Plus is impressively thin — but is it perhaps too thin? Since the device landed on shelves last week, several users have reported that the device has already started bending in their pockets. Lewis Hilsenteger of YouTube’s Unbox Therapy set out to find what kind of stress it takes for Apple’s newest device to warp, and he published the results in a video that runs just short of five minutes.
Hilsenteger, who claims he’d been using his device already for a couple of days, was surprised to find that his own phone had a slight bend toward the center of the unit. It’s very slight, as he shows in the video, and he states that it’s “inconclusive.” Enough people have posted photos of warped devices, however, that he took it upon himself to destroy his own phone. “For the sake of science,” of course.
Hilsenteger proceeds to bend his phone by applying his thumbs to the back of the unit, whereupon some extremely visible bending occurs just below the iPhone 6 Plus’s volume controls. It’s obvious he’s putting some serious pressure on the unit, though, and it’s unlikely that you’ll encounter that kind of force just keeping the device in your pocket.
“Bottom line here is, it’s an aluminum phone,” he says. “It is going to bend if you apply enough pressure like I just did.” He adds that achieving such results through everyday wear probably depends on factors such as how tight your jeans are.
Already bought one and want to make sure you don’t suffer the same fate? A good, sturdy case should help prevent such warping, and you might want to take it out of your pocket when bending over.
Follow this article’s writer, Leif Johnson, on Twitter.
iOS 8 has had an impressive first week, but it hasn’t been without bugs. Reports this morning revealed an impressive adoption rate for the new mobile operating system (even though it lags behind IOS 7’s), but so many of those first-week users are findi…
