Thousands of prominent Web sites — including Yahoo, Dropbox, Instagram, Netflix, and Minecraft — have proved vulnerable to the recently discovered Heartbleed bug, called “catastrophic” by a leading security expert. TidBITS Publisher Adam Engst teamed up with Security Editor Rich Mogull to explain the bug and what it means for normal Internet users. A more staid risk of computer use is neck strain, a problem that the ultra-portable Roost laptop stand seeks to solve — coffee shop patron Jeff Carlson offers an in-depth look. If you spend most of your time in places with Wi-Fi access, you may be able to avoid paying for a mobile phone entirely; we explain how to use an iPod touch or iPad as a phone. Josh also shares his impressions of being a Macworld Expo newbie, and in this week’s FunBITS, he reviews the new iPad adaptation of previous pick FTL: Faster Than Light. Notable software releases this week include OmniOutliner 4.0.4, PCalc 4, FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Pro Advanced 13.0.2, and BBEdit 10.5.10 and TextWrangler 4.5.8.
The Heartbleed bug that exposes memory on vulnerable servers to attackers is one of the worst security problems ever to hit the Internet. Adam Engst and security analyst Rich Mogull explain what Heartbleed is, what it means for normal Internet users, and what you can do to protect yourself (unfortunately, not much at the moment).
The Roost laptop stand resembles scaffolding more than the typical slabs available to raise your portable computer, but its light weight and compact storage hide a sturdy lift.
Tired of your expensive cellular bill? You can break free with an iPad or iPod touch and still make phone calls and send text messages, but there are a few catches.
2014 marked the 30th year of Macworld Expo, but the first visit by TidBITS Managing Editor Josh Centers. How does it compare to previous Managing Editor Jeff Carlson’s first visit in 1997?
Josh Centers jumps back into FTL, the unforgiving, roguelike space simulator, to see how it fits on the iPad and to give a quick look of what’s new in the Advanced Edition expansion for all the platforms on which FTL runs.
Notable software releases this week include OmniOutliner 4.0.4, PCalc 4, FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Pro Advanced 13.0.2, and BBEdit 10.5.10 and TextWrangler 4.5.8.
In this week’s ExtraBITS, we have a profile of legendary Macintosh icon artist Susan Kare and recollections of Steve Jobs from Don Melton, the creator of Safari. Microsoft poked a bit of fun at itself with an Escape from XP game, NPR has arrived on iTunes Radio, and a former Apple Genius tells you how to maximize your iPhone’s battery life without turning off every feature. Finally, Managing Editor Josh Centers was interviewed on the Ask TUAW Live and The Tech Night Owl podcasts.