After a botched iOS 8.0.1 update that disabled cellular connectivity and Touch ID for many iPhone users, Apple quickly released iOS 8.0.2 to fix those issues, along with other iOS 8.0 problems. But that wasn’t the end of Apple’s software concerns for the week: a long-standing vulnerability in the ubiquitous Bash shell could leave some systems exposed, as Rich Mogull explains. In a Jeff/Geoff op-ed trifecta, Jeff Carlson explains why Apple kept 16 GB iPhones in the lineup and dropped 32 GB models, Jeff Porten expounds on why he’s not impressed with Apple’s latest offerings, and Geoff Duncan investigates Apple’s new commitment to privacy. Finally, in FunBITS this week, Josh Centers tours Epic Zen Garden, which isn’t so much a game as a visually stunning demonstration of the iPhone 6’s power. Notable software releases this week include OS X Server 3.2.1, Evernote 5.6, SpamSieve 2.9.16, Sandvox 2.9, PopChar X 6.7, and Typinator 6.2.
The second try is the charm as Apple releases an iOS 8.0.2 update that offers the fixes in iOS 8.0.1 without disabling cellular service or Touch ID.
Although all Macs are vulnerable to the recently disclosed Bash shell vulnerability, it’s highly unlikely that they’ll be exploited. Security Editor Rich Mogull tells you why.
Wondering why configurations for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus start at a pathetic 16 GB instead of jumping to the more logical 32 GB? The answer is most certainly profit for Apple, and that higher profit comes from a bit of clever psychological marketing.
Apple’s new privacy site emphasizes that Apple users are always in charge of their own data — and Apple thinks that’s a critical advantage over Google.
Jeff Porten came away from the Apple keynote feeling uncharacteristically unimpressed, so he shares his thoughts about what he doesn’t quite get about Apple’s direction.
While it’s more of a technology demo than a game, Epic Zen Garden is a great way to show off a new iPhone.
Notable software releases this week include OS X Server 3.2.1, Evernote 5.6, SpamSieve 2.9.16, Sandvox 2.9, PopChar X 6.7, and Typinator 6.2.
In this week’s collection of ExtraBITS links, we look at the viability of Mac OS 9 in 2014, why old security vulnerabilities just won’t die, and Apple’s iPhone stress-testing process.