Apple released macOS Sierra 10.12.1 Monday (in addition to iOS 10.1). The first new feature that jumped out at me was “Improves reliability of Auto Unlock with Apple Watch,” a feature I love but is inconsistent. It also includes auto smart album of photos that use the newly unlocked Portrait Camera feature on iPhone 7 Plus, and some bug fixes.
Product News
Apple Releases iOS 10.1 with Portrait Camera for iPhone 7 Plus, Replay iMessage Effects, More
Apple released iOS 10.1 to consumers on Monday. The update includes beta support for Portrait Camera on iPhone 7 Plus, as well as the ability to replay iMessage bubble and full-screen effects. There are also new features for Apple Watch, transit-related features in Maps, and other improvements to camera functionality and the Photos app.
MacBook Pro Refresh May Still Happen in October
If you’re counting on an major refresh for the MacBook Pro in October, don’t give up hope yet. A new report says updated models are still on the way and they’ll launch before the end of the month.
Kenu Stance Compact Tripod for iPhone
Stance, by Kenu, is a $24.95 compact tripod for iPhones that attaches via Lightning connector. Find out why it earned a spot on Dr. Mac’s keychain.
Apple Fixes Cellular Connectivity Problem with iOS 10.0.3
Apple released iOS 10.0.3 Monday. The company’s patch notes specify that it addresses “an issue where some users could temporarily lose cellular connectivity.”
Nike+ Apple Watch Series 2 Available Oct 28
If you’ve been holding out for the Nike+ Apple Watch Series 2, you can finally put a date on your calendar. Apple will start selling the sports and fitness-focused version of its smartwatch on October 28.
Fujitsu Begins ScanSnap Fixes for macOS Sierra
Fujitsu announced a schedule for ScanSnap updates to correct issues in macOS Sierra. The company has been dealing with compatibility problems that threatened PDF content for Apple’s newest Mac operating system. Futjitsu pushed updates to some users on Thursday and unveiled a schedule for other devices later in October.
PDFpen Adds macOS Sierra Tabbed Window Support, More
Smile’s PDFpen and PDFpen Pro just got updates to version 8.2 that add support for macOS Sierra’s tabbed window feature. The update also adds iCloud file sync support for users for all users—a feature that previously was available only if you purchased PDFpen through Apple’s Mac App Store.
Siri Turns 5 Years Old, Feel Free to Sing to Her
Siri turned five years old Tuesday, having been launched on October 4th, 2011. She’s changed a lot in that time, grown up a bit. But she’s not too old to appreciate us singing to her.
macOS Sierra Now Auto-downloading, but not Auto-installing
If you haven’t upgraded to macOS Sierra yet, get ready for Apple to push it to your Mac automatically. That doesn’t, however, mean Apple is forcing you to upgrade because the automatically downloaded update isn’t auto-installing.
CW Shows Come to Apple TV, No Cable Subscription Required
The CW made good on its promise to bring shows like Supergirl, The Flash, and iZombie to Apple TV for free. The network’s Apple TV app is available now, and doesn’t require a cable or satellite subscription to watch, or need any sort of login.
Fujitsu Plans ScanSnap Fix for Sierra by Middle October
Futjitsu issued another update for ScanSnap customers and macOS 10.12 Sierra. The company narrowed down the circumstances and features of ScanSnap that cause a problem in Sierra to three (below). More importantly, Fujitsu said, “A fix for the above problems is expected to be made available in the middle of October, 2016.”
ScanSnap on Sierra Update: Fujitsu Warns of Data Loss In 'Specific Circumstances'
Fujitsu updated ScanSnap users Friday on Sierra compatibility, warning of data loss in “specific circumstances.” This is an escalation from an earlier advisory that ScanSnap users should not update to macOS 10.12 Sierra.
iOS 10.0.2 Fixes Headphone Audio Controls, More
Apple released iOS 10.0.2 Friday. The headline feature is a fix for an issue that kept some headphone audio controls from working. A Photos bug was also fixed, as well as a problem with app extensions.
TASCAM Users: Don't Upgrade to macOS Sierra Yet
As has become unfortunately typical from TASCAM, macOS Sierra-compatible drivers for much of their audio hardware are not yet available. Previous years have seen a three-to-six month wait after the release of each new build of OS X for TASCAM to finally put out even preliminary public beta drivers.
TL;DR: if you use TASCAM audio hardware, don’t upgrade to macOS Sierra yet. Check back around Christmas. Maybe.
Apple Releases Safari 10 for OS X El Capitan and Yosemite
Apple released Safari 10 for OS X El Capitan and Yosemite on Tuesday. The release was timed with the release of macOS Sierra, and it includes several new features, as well as 21 security fixes. Bryan Chaffin explains what’s what.
Apple Ships macOS Sierra
Apple released macOS Sierra on Tuesday. The successor to OS X El Capitan, Sierra brings Universal Clipboard, iCloud Desktop and Documents, Auto Unlock and Apple Pay to the Mac. It also features Siri integration, as well as other improvements. The update is free.
PSA: ScanSnap Users Should Not Upgrade to macOS Sierra [Updated with Fujitsu Statement]
Fujitsu issues a major warning about ScanSnap compatibility in macOS Sierra. The take away is that if you use ScanSnap to create PDFs, don’t upgrade to Sierra. As of this writing, Fujitsu PDFs generated by ScanSnap could become blank if opened in Sierra. [Update: this article was updated with a statement from Samsung.]
Apple Patches 2 Critical Security Flaws in OS X Yosemite and El Capitan
Apple released separate security updates for OS X Yosemite and OS X El Capitan on Thursday. Both updates patch the same two critical security flaws. One flaw potentially exposed kernel memory, and the other allowed a maliciously crafted app to take over your system.
Sonos's Future: Opening Up Control to Alexa and Third-Party Apps
On Tuesday, wireless speaker manufacturer Sonos summoned the press to Manhattan to show off some new software features they’ve been working on and, in doing so, painted a picture of a more open Sonos experience. Demonstrating Amazon Alexa voice control and Spotify app integration, Sonos showed a not-too-distant future where customers have the ability to control their Sonos products in a variety of new ways without sacrificing any of the existing benefits of the Sonos platform.
Google Brings Higher Resolution Satellite Imagery to Google Earth and Maps
Google announced Monday the rollout of new imagery for Google Earth, and by extension Google Maps. The company said it was incorporating a new cloud-free mosaic of Earth in Google Earth utilizing higher-resolution images from Landsat 8, a satellite deployed by the USGS and NASA in 2013.