We’ll be skipping next week’s email issue to give Managing Editor Josh Centers time to welcome his first daughter into the world—keep reading our articles on the Web and look for our next issue on 28 June 2021. In the meantime, Apple has released a surprise 12.5.4 update to fix some security vulnerabilities. In sadder news, Mailplane has stopped selling new licenses and is offering refunds to recent purchasers due to new security restrictions in Gmail. Curious about the state of the MagSafe accessory world? Julio Ojeda-Zapata reviews seven MagSafe accessories that strive to improve your tech life. Apple continues to beat the privacy drum, so Glenn Fleishman dives in to provide an overview of Apple’s promised privacy protections. Finally, we look closely at the system requirements for Apple’s upcoming operating systems, going beyond the generalities to call out the specific requirements for particular new features. Notable Mac app releases this week include Cardhop 2.0.3, MoneyWell 3.1.2, Bookends 13.5.5, RAW Power 3.3.2, and GraphicConverter 11.5.
We’re taking a brief break from building an email issue of TidBITS next week to make way for the latest addition to the Centers family, so look for the next issue in your mailbox on 28 June 2021.
Apple has released what is essentially a security update for iOS 12 to address three security vulnerabilities, including two that are actively being exploited in the wild.
Faced with the inability to find an official solution to Google blocking embedded browsers from its login page, the developers of the Gmail-specific email client Mailplane have stopped selling licenses and are offering refunds to those who purchased in the last 60 days.
Apple’s upcoming operating systems have an impressively long list of supported models, but devils dance in the details. Older devices won’t be able to take advantage of all the new features, reasonably enough, but you should be aware of what you might be missing.
New services and features in operating systems coming later this year will improve security and privacy for everyone using Apple products, even outside the Apple walled-garden ecosystem. iCloud+ even adds anonymized browsing.
Apple designed MagSafe to improve wireless iPhone charging by adding magnets for snap-in-place positioning. The company’s own MagSafe accessories are a mixed bag, but third-party makers have come to the rescue. Julio Ojeda-Zapata tested a handful of MagSafe products that improve the experience.
Watchlist
Maintenance release with fixes and improvements for the recently upgraded contact manager. ($39.96 annual subscription, free update from version 2, 29.6 MB, macOS 10.13.2+)
Provides fixes to support USAA’s new Direct Connect method. ($60 new, free update, 13.9 MB, macOS 10.11+)
Restores direct downloading of PDFs from publishers that use ScienceDirect. ($59.99 new, free update, 97.8 MB, macOS 10.13+)
New Extended RAW feature adds support for cameras beyond those offered by Apple’s RAW engine. ($39.99 new, free update, 53.7 MB, macOS 10.14+)
Brings a variety of improvements and bug features to the Swiss Army knife of graphics programs. ($39.95 new, free update, 260 MB, macOS 10.9+)
