The release notes for all five releases (there are two releases for Canon) list no specifics and simply describe themselves as the “latest” drivers for their respective versions of OS X/macOS.
Bryan Chaffin
Bryan Chaffin is the cofounder of The Mac Observer and currently serves as Afternoon Editor. He has contributed to MacAddict and MacFormat magazines, and co-authored the last two updates of iPad and iPad Pro for Dummies with Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus and Ed Baig. You can find out more about Bryan at his personal site, GeekTells, or find his Twitter link below.
Articles by Bryan Chaffin
The Complete iOS 11 Developer Course and iOS Mastery Bundle Goes on Pre-sale
Our friends at Stack Commerce have put together a pre-sale on the the Complete iOS 11 Developer Course and iOS Mastery Bundle. This bundle lets you get started learning how to code for iOS with courses for iOS and tvOS, but it also includes iOS 11 course material still in development. All told, there’s more than 230 hours of training material in the bundle, and it’s $29 through us.
Chinese Researches Find Way to Decrypt Satphone Calls in Near Real-Time
A new decryption method might allow people to decrypt satellite mobile phones—satphones—in near real-time. Chinese researchers published a paper describing a method that essentially finds shortcuts to decrypting the 64-bit encryption used by Inmarsat satphones, a popular brand. There’s all sorts of techno gobbledygook described in the paper (PDF, BibTeX Citation), but the short version is they built on German research from 2012. And the shorter version, as noted by ZDNet, is that, “encrypted data could be cracked in a fraction of a second.” According to the researchers, this is due to “serious security flaws in the GMR-2 cipher” used in those specific satphones. The significance here is that encryption is an ever-evolving frontier, and that not all encrypted communications are truly secure. This is why it’s important for companies like Apple to put our personal security at the forefront.
Apple Seeds 5th Developer Beta of tvOS 10.2.2
It’s a maintenance release, and registered developers can download the beta through the tvOS Software Update mechanism.
Steve Wozniak Will Headline 24-Day Luxury Cruise to Antarctica, Berths Start at $14,500
Berths for the cruise are priced at $14,499, $32,999, and one package priced at if-you-have-to-ask-you-can’t-afford-it.
Blue Microphones Ella Planar Magnetic Headphones Hands-on Review
If you’re planning to sit or lie down and listen to high fidelity songs, Ella will kiss your ears into a joyous state of bliss.
Chuck Joiner Interviews Bryan Chaffin on the Road to Macstock
Chuck Joiner interviewed me for his “On the Road to Macstock” series. I am speaking—as are Jeff Gamet and Dave Hamilton—at Macstock 2017, and Chuck asked me for a preview of my presentation. As Chuck put it, “Bryan Chaffin of The Mac Observer gives us a taste of the kind of timely analysis of events that he will deliver to the audience in Woodstock IL in July. This time, Bryan provides his thoughts on Project Titan, Apple’s automotive project, and what Tim Cook’s comments really mean. Bryan has a reputation for strong opinions, and this conversation is no exception.” Seems about right.
How to Get 1-Year of Apple Music for $85
You can get one year of Apple Music at a discount now that a one year option is available through iOS. Here’s how.
iOS 11 and AR, iBooks in Apple Stores, Listener Email - ACM 416
Where’s Apple going with ARKit in iOS 11? Bryan and Jeff weigh the pros and cons of mobile-device AR versus goggle/glasses AR. They also talk about Bryan’s cockamamie idea for iBooks inside Apple Stores, and go deep on some listener email on HomePod and Apple Car.
Pay What You Want for The World's Biggest Mac App Bundle
We have a new Pay What You Want app bundle for you called The World’s Biggest Mac App Bundle. The full bundle is 15 apps, and you can get all of them if you beat the average price ($13.01 as of this writing). Pay less than the average—even a penny—and you get two of the apps. Beat the leader’s price at any point and you’ll be entered into the a giveaway. Check it out!
Apple Seeds macOS Sierra 10.12.6 Developer Beta 4
The build number for macOS Sierra 10.12.6 Developer Beta 4 is (16G18a).
Paste Smart Cloud Clipboard History and Snippets Manager for Mac: $4.99
We have a deal for you on Paste, a smart cloud clipboard history and snippets manager for Mac. It’s a system-wide clipboard utility that can automatically identify and store text, images, links, files, and other types of content. It’s just $4.99 through us, half off retail.
Apple Exec Eddy Cue Charity Auction Hits $120,000 with 11 Days to Go
Proceeds from the auction will benefit the National Association of Basketball Coaches Foundation.
Scott Forstall Will Talk about 'How the iPhone Came to Be' on June 20th
This event has some interesting timing in that there’s a new book alleging Phil Schiller wanted a physical keyboard on the iPhone. Mr. Schiller denies that claim and Scott Forstall might clear it up
Canadian Regulators Put an End to Locked Cellphones
The regulations, “will erase millions in annual revenue for carriers” because locking phones is a completely arbitrary practice designed to lock consumes to a carrier.
Credit Card Sized Smartphone and Tablet Stand 3-Pack: $19.99
We have a deal on a 3-pack of credit-card sized smartphone and tablet stands. It’s designed to be easily portable and has front flap to adjust for the depth of your device. The 3-pack is $19.99 through us.
Wi-Fi HD Waterproof Endoscopic Camera: $32.99
We have a cool gadget for today’s deal, a WiFi HD Waterproof Endoscopic Camera. It features an 8-way adjustable LED, it’s waterproof, and has a 2 MP resolution camera designed to fit into tight places. And, it will send what it films via Wi-Fi. It’s $32.99 through our deal.
Mous Limitless Ultra-Slim iPhone Cases with Airo Shock Protection: $34.99
We have a deal on the Mous Limitless Ultra-Slim iPhone Case, an iPhone case made of Airo Shock. The company claims an iPhone in this case can survive a 45-foot drop, which may well be why it raised more than US$1.7 million Indiegogo. It’s shipping now, and we have it for $34.99.
Silicon Valley Company Towns and Going Deep on Tim Cook's Plans for Apple Car - ACM 414
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan have made a major donation to a group helping teachers buy homes near Facebook’s headquarters. Bryan and Jeff think Silicon Valley may need to think even bigger and build some company towns. They also dive deep into Tim Cook’s Apple Car plans, including his three vectors of autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, and ride sharing services.
John Kheit's Unboxing and Hands On with Apple's New iPad Pro 12.9-Inch
John Kheit just got himself a shiny, new iPad Pro 12.9-inch. He unboxes a maxed out 512GB cellular model, and offers his initial impressions. Highlights include the 120Hz refresh rates and the Touch ID button.
Apple Seeds Third Developer Beta of tvOS 10.2.2
It’s a maintenance release, and registered developers can download the beta through the tvOS Software Update mechanism.
Apple Seeds Third Developer Beta of watchOS 3.2.3
It’s a maintenance release, and registered developers can download the beta through the Watch app on their iPhone.
Apple Seeds Third Developer Beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.6
Remaining macOS Sierra releases are most likely to be maintenance and/or security-focused as the company ramps up to macOS High Sierra this fall.
Apple Seeds Third Developer Beta of iOS 10.3.3
It’s seen as a maintenance release, and any remaining iOS 10.3.x releases are likely to be security-related in the ramp-up to a Fall release for iOS 11.
