Apple released iOS 14.7, watchOS 7.6, HomePod Software 14.7, and tvOS 14.7 with a few small enhancements and bug fixes—we expect iPadOS 14.7 and macOS 11.5 Big Sur soon. If you’re in the market for earbuds or headphones, you’ll appreciate Julio Ojeda-Zapata’s comparison of everything available from Apple and Beats, backed up with an elaborate chart comparing the features of each. Speaking of elaborate, do you use SFTP to transfer files to your Web server or other remote machines? Glenn Fleishman provides step-by-step instructions that explain how you can increase both security and ease of use by switching from a password to private-key authentication. Finally, Consumer Reports and The Verge are teaming up to survey American Internet access. We tell you how you can participate, with the hope that the results will encourage positive change. Notable Mac app releases this week include Fantastical 3.4.2, EagleFiler 1.9.5, Logic Pro 10.6.3, and iStat Menus 6.6.
iOS 14.7 brings support for the MagSafe Battery Pack and shared Apple Card credit limits. Apple also released watchOS 7.6, HomePod Software 14.7, and tvOS 14.7 with minor changes.
Consumer Reports and The Verge are conducting a survey of Internet access in the United States, and they’re asking users to perform speed tests and upload PDFs of their bills.
Anyone using FTP or SFTP to connect to their Web site or other servers should consider a tweaky but significant security upgrade that swaps passwords for encryption keys.
Choosing Apple earbuds or headphones becomes more complicated when you factor in gear from Apple subsidiary Beats by Dre. To wrap his head around all the options, Julio Ojeda-Zapata constructed a huge comparison chart. This companion article separates the various Apple and Beats devices into categories to assist you in your decision.
Watchlist
Adds options for custom app icons in the Dock and support for Working Elsewhere availability in Exchange. ($39.99 annual subscription, free update, 53.1 MB, macOS 10.13.2+)
Works around a change in the macOS 12 Monterey public beta that caused a crash in the document organization and archiving app. ($40 new, free update, 31.4 MB, macOS 10.12+)
Maintenance release for the professional audio app fixes a couple of crashes. ($199.99 new, free update, 1.1 GB, macOS 10.15.7+)
Improves support for M1-based Macs and the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. ($9.99 new, free update, 28.9 MB, macOS 10.11+)