It’s finally official — Apple has pulled the plug on its line of AirPort routers, and we have some recommendations for how to deal with the loss. Apple also shipped iOS 11.3.1, a focused update aimed at fixing iPhone 8 units with third-party replacement displays rendered unusable by iOS 11.3. In last week’s survey, we asked you how often you use Apple News, and it turns out that you either love it or don’t use it at all. Gmail has revamped its Web interface, and Julio Ojeda-Zapata joins us this week to explain the changes and how to give them a try. Finally, in our ongoing series on home automation, Josh Centers takes an in-depth look at the Ecobee 4 smart thermostat. Notable Mac app releases this week include Security Update 2018-001 (High Sierra), GraphicConverter 10.6, Fantastical 2.4.9, Safari 11.1 (Build 1×605.1.33.1.4), Carbon Copy Cloner 5.1, BBEdit 12.1.3, and Farrago 1.1.
Apple has released iOS 11.3.1 to address a problem where iOS 11.3 disabled touch input on iPhone 8 models that had received third-party screen repairs. It also provides security fixes for everyone.
Long a mainstay of wireless networking for Mac users, Apple’s line of Wi-Fi routers — the AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express, and AirPort Time Capsule — have been officially discontinued.
When it comes to Apple News, TidBITS readers either use it or they don’t — there isn’t a lot of middle ground. Some of that is due to geographic limitations. What’s your opinion?
Gmail, Google’s popular email service, has undergone a revamp that includes visual tweaks and a battery of new features, some focused on usability, others on security.
Josh Centers is back to smartening up his home with a smart thermostat, the Ecobee 4. But it may be more than he bargained for and way more than he needed.
Watchlist
Patches vulnerabilities in macOS 10.13.4 High Sierra. (Free, 970 MB)
Brings a number of improvements to the "Swiss Army Knife" of image editing utilities. ($39.95 new, free update, 183 MB)
Fixes a bug that prevented some users from adding Google accounts. ($49.99 new, free update, 15.5 MB)
Supplemental edition of Safari 11.1 eliminates two WebKit-related memory corruption vulnerabilities. (Free)
Introduces support for using and working with APFS snapshots. ($39.99 new, free update, 14.9 MB)
Maintenance release with a lengthy list of fixes and improvements for the venerable text editor. ($49.99 new, free update, 13.8 MB)
Maintenance update brings a number of enhancements to Rogue Amoeba's new soundboard app. ($39 new, free update, 14.5 MB)