Having charging problems with a 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro? Apple has instituted a repair program to replace those Macs’ batteries for free when they won’t charge past 1%. macOS 11.2.1 Big Sur and macOS Catalina 10.15.7 Supplemental Update address the bug that causes the charging problem and patch a vulnerability in the sudo command. If you’re thinking about upgrading to Big Sur, make sure you have enough free space or you could end up in a difficult-to-fix boot loop. We wrap up the issue with a slew of fun gadgets: Adam Engst offers a first look—complete with a video of him snowshoeing—at the Insta360 ONE X2 steady cam, and Jeff Porten shares more neat gizmos from CES. Notable Mac app releases this week include macOS Catalina 10.15.7 Supplemental Update and Security Update 2021-002 (Mojave), ChronoSync 4.9.13 and ChronoAgent 1.9.9, Adobe Acrobat DC and Reader DC 21.001.20135, and Default Folder X 5.5.6.
If your 2016 or 2017 MacBook Pro won’t charge past 1%, Apple will replace the battery for free, and the company recommends installing macOS 11.2.1 Big Sur or macOS Catalina 10.15.7 Supplemental Update to prevent it from happening to other devices.
Apple has updated macOS 11 Big Sur to fix a single bug and block three security vulnerabilities. It’s not an urgent install for most people.
If you initiate an upgrade to Big Sur from a previous version of macOS but don’t have sufficient free space—at least 35.5 GB—you could end up in a Boot Recovery Assistant loop that can be exceedingly difficult to escape. Never update macOS without enough space or a current backup!
Wouldn’t it be nice to make videos with a camera that records both you and everything around you and allows you to edit all the footage together after the fact? That’s what the Insta360 ONE X2 steady cam enables, thanks to 360º filming and a powerful editing app.
Jeff Porten hits the startup breakout area of CES and reports back on a nifty iPad case, Mac SSD upgrades, 3-D-printed eyeglasses, immersion blenders for boats, more flying cars, and AR for motorcyclists, among other things.
Watchlist
Patches security vulnerabilities in Catalina and Mojave. (Free, various sizes, macOS 10.15.7 and 10.14.6)
Synchronization and backup tool addresses several issues with Big Sur. (49.99 new for ChronoSync, $14.99 new for ChronoAgent; free updates; 67.3 MB, 26.7 MB)
Patches numerous security vulnerabilities in the PDF creation and reading apps. (Free updates, various sizes, macOS 10.13+)
Works around a Big Sur bug to ensure the width of the sidebar in file dialogs is now saved and restored. ($34.95 new, free update, 15.7 MB, macOS 10.10+)
