The written musings of a long-time Apple //e and Macintosh tech nerd. Opinions are my own.
Apple rolled out the first public beta of iOS 9.3.2 last night. iOS 9.3.2 is largely expected to be a maintenance release and not expected to include any new tentpole features such as Night Shift.
If your iOS device is already enrolled in the iOS 9 Public Beta program, you can download the over 1GB installer oner the air using the Software Update feature.
iOS 9.3.2 Public Beta 1 comes on the heals of iOS 9.3.1, which was released on March 31, and iOS 9.3, which was released on March 21.
Late last night, my father of all people, tipped me off to a story making the rounds on the Internet about a security vulnerability with an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus running iOS 9.3.1. The reported vulnerability allowed a malicious user to by-pass the iPhone’s lock screen using the hands free “Hey, Siri” command. When successfully executed, an attacker would be able to see all of the contacts and photos on the device.
Quartz has an article up on their site that starts off with:
“You might want to wait before downloading the latest version of Apple’s operating system for iPhones.
If you own an iPhone 6S or 6S Plus and have upgraded to iOS 9.3.1, other people can access your contacts and photos without entering a passcode to unlock the phone. It’s an elaborate and finicky but nonetheless startling loophole.”
With my iPhone 6s Plus unlocked and running iOS 9.3.1, the “finicky” exploit worked. However, if I repeated the process with my iPhone locked, the attack was stopped dead in it’s tracks.
This morning I tried to reproduce the attack, I received a notice from Siri that I needed to unlock my iPhone first. I made this short video that was posted to YouTube this afternoon.
Oddly, the security settings that AppleInsider.com reported as needing to be turned off to prevent the attack were still enabled on my iPhone. Curious.
So what happened?
This afternoon, Fortune.com has an article up that the Siri-related problem was corrected by Apple from Apple HQ.
“While initial reports and claims from the bug’s discoverers said that the issue was an iOS 9 glitch, it turns out it was a Siri problem. On Tuesday morning, after seeing the rash of reports on the issue, Apple issued an update to Siri fixing the problem. Therefore, users who were previously subject to the issue are now safe and do not require a software update to get the fix.”
Security and privacy conscious iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus users can go back to their day without further worry.
So, as you might have noticed, I finally upgraded to a new iMac 27-inch with 5K Retina display recently.
For Apple’s 40th anniversary today, I decided to get myself a gift. (Yes, I did just buy a new iMac 27-inch 5K Retina, but I get carried away!)
Below are some unboxing photos from the Apple 29 W Power Adapter, that can be used with the new, super slim, MacBook…and as it turns out…with iPad Pros to charge there large batteries much faster than the older 10 W and 12 W adapters can.
Michael Jurewitz has posted a picture to his Twitter account showing the original Mac development team’s pirate flag flying at the Apple campus today!
Awesome to see this flying over Apple for our 40th tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/MHazmzIusY— Michael Jurewitz (@Jury) April 1, 2016
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsThe Pirate flag was hoisted up last night in preparation of today’s anniversary of the founding of Apple Computer, Inc. Below is the iconic picture of the full Macintosh development team from 1984.
In honor of Apple’s 40th birthday today, I decided to help celebrate by listing out all of the Apple gear that I have either owned (my own personal hardware) or I have used at work (which was a big Mac shop until the mid-2000’s).
Items that I owned have a picture and the approximate year in which I started using it. All of the hardware listed below has been listed in chronological order by the year Apple released it.
ImageWriter II (1986)
PowerBook G4 (2004)
iPhone 2G (2010)
Apple Watch Sport (2015)
Today, OpenText and the Core team, released version 16.0 of the Core for iOS client.
Enhancements in Core 16.0 include support for new document upload targets, document metadata (Enterprise subscriptions only), new upload file size limited (Enterprise subscriptions only) and performance improvements.
For those who don’t know, Core is the web-based version and cousin to OpenText’s flagship document and information management and collaboration system, Content Server. Core subscriptions start at $5/mo for businesses and teams. A free tier is also available so you can try out Core without having to worry about timed trial deadlines.
For more information, visit the Core Website.
Disclaimer: I am a long time OpenText customer and administrator for Content Server, Archive Server, and ECM Everywhere. I use the free version of OpenText Core.
Earlier today, Apple released iOS 9.3.1, a minor 35MB update that fixes a linking issue in Safari and other installed apps.
iOS 9.3.1 is available now as an over-the-air update or by syncing your iOS device with iTunes on your Mac or Windows PC.
iOS 9.3 was released last week on Monday, March 21.
Today, Apple released Safari Technology Preview for Mac OS X El Capitan 10.11.4. Safari Technology Preview has been released for developers and the public and is available for download from the Apple website.
The Safari Technology Preview is described by Apple this way:
“Safari is the best way to see the sites on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Safari Technology Preview gives you an early look at upcoming web technologies in OS X and iOS including the latest layout technologies, visual effects, and developer tools so you can provide input on how they are implemented and deliver a best-in-class user experience on all Apple devices.”
What’s cool is that Safari Technology Preview is it’s own app and can run in parallel with the “shipping” version of the Safari web browser on your Mac. Safari Technology Preview is also signed by Apple, giving it the capability of participating in Apple’s web services like iCloud Drive, and bookmarks syncing. Safari Technology Preview also gives web developers new powerful tools and tech nerds a look at the technologies that will be coming to Safari and WebKit in the future.
For those who are interested in taking Preview out of a test drive, you can download it for free from the Apple Developer Website. Updates for Safari Technology Preview will be released every few weeks from the Mac App Store.
Today, I purchased a new Apple iMac 27-inch with 5K Retina display! This is my first new Mac since I purchased my beloved Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch.
My daughter Kaitlyn and my Dad where with me at the Trumbull, Connecticut Apple Store for the big day. Thanks, guys! (Katie also picked up three new iPhone 6/6s cases too. Thanks, Daddy!)
I love that years later, Apple is still printing “Macintosh Think Different” on their boxes. “Think Different” was the slogan from their iconic ad campaign from the 1990s. Today’s Macs don’t look anything like their beige box siblings, and are insanely more powerful, but “Think Different” still inspires me to always do my best.
Waiting is the hardest part of setting up a new Mac.
