As promised, Apple released the new Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR last week, complete with astonishing specs and eye-watering prices—we have all the details. On the free side of Apple’s product line, check out what’s new in the company’s latest operating system updates: macOS 10.15.2 Catalina, iOS 13.3, iPadOS 13.3, watchOS 6.1.1, tvOS 13.3, and even iOS 13.3 for HomePod. This is our final email issue for 2019, so we have two reviews that might inform your last-minute holiday shopping: Julio Ojeda-Zapata looks at the AirPods Pro, and Adam Engst reviews a pair of iPhone 11 Pro wallet cases. Finally, for those who regularly share Dropbox files, we have a tip about how to replace a shared file without changing its link URL. Notable Mac app releases this week include Safari 13.0.4, TechTool Pro 12, Security Update 2019-002 (Mojave) and 2019-007 (High Sierra), iMovie 10.1.14, Final Cut Pro X 10.4.8, Compressor 4.4.6, and Motion 5.4.5, Cardhop 1.3.3, PopChar X 8.8, KeyCue 9.6, Pixelmator Pro 1.5.3, and Scrivener 3.1.5. See you in 2020!
In keeping with our tradition, we’re going to take off the last few weeks of the year to spend with family and friends, so look for the next email issue of TidBITS on 6 January 2020. Thanks for your attention in 2019, and we hope you’ve found our content useful, accurate, and enjoyable!
If you can read English and write in either Dutch or Japanese, we need your help in translating TidBITS!
If you have shared a file in Dropbox but now need to replace it without changing the previously shared link, don’t replace the file in the Finder. Adam Engst explains what to do instead.
Apple’s getting ready to hunker down for the holidays, so the company has updated all of its shipping operating systems with bug fixes and a few features.
As promised, Apple has released the powerful Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR before the end of 2019. Not by a lot, but if you get your order in soon, Apple will even deliver them before January. Just be prepared to pony up a chunk of change.
Looking for a wallet case for an iPhone 11 Pro? Adam Engst looks at a pair of wallet cases from Twelve South and Ekster that promise to protect your iPhone 11 Pro and let you leave your wallet at home.
Apple has expanded upon its hit AirPods with new AirPods Pro models. They fit and sound better, courtesy of silicone ear tips, and add audio features like noise cancellation and a “transparency mode." The previous generation AirPods aren’t going anywhere, though.
Watchlist
Patches two WebKit-related security vulnerabilities. (Free)
Major upgrade for the hard drive repair and system maintenance tool adds compatibility with macOS 10.15 Catalina. ($129 new, various upgrade prices)
Patches a pair of security vulnerabilities in Apple’s last two operating systems. (Free, various sizes)
Fixes a bug that prevented media from appearing in the Photos library browser when using iMovie in macOS 10.15 Catalina. (Free, 2.2 GB)
Maintenance updates with bug fixes and improvements for Apple's trio of professional video editing apps. ($299.99/$49.99/$49.99 new, free updates)
Maintenance update for the contact manager with a smattering of bug fixes and improvements. ($19.99 new, free update, 12.4 MB)
Adds a built-in layout for Emoji 12.0 and provides a workaround for a Dark mode issue in macOS 10.15 Catalina. (€29.99 new, free update, 4.8 MB)
Adds support for Emoji 12.0 and provides a workaround for a Dark mode issue in macOS 10.15 Catalina. (€19.99 new, free update, 4.0 MB)
Improves auto-save performance and fixes a few bugs. ($39.99 new, free update, 179 MB)
Serves up a feast of fixes for the festive season to the long-form writing tool. ($45 new, free update, 94.1 MB)
