It’s time for another round of security updates for Apple’s active operating systems. Two of the fixed vulnerabilities have been exploited in the wild, so install soon. Also this week, Adam Engst explores the cautionary tale of a Canadian contract dispute that hinged on the interpretation of the thumbs-up emoji. He also looks at the small business payment service Melio, which has simplified the process of paying TidBITS writers. Finally, we have brief bits about Elon Musk renaming Twitter to X and what we did with in-between time before smartphones. Notable Mac app releases this week include GrandPerspective 3.4.1, CleanMyMac X 4.14, Lunar 6.2.1, and Final Cut Pro 10.6.7, Compressor 4.6.5, and Motion 5.6.5.
Updates to new and old versions of macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and HomePod Software address numerous security vulnerabilities, several of which have been exploited in the wild. Install them soon.
A Canadian court ruling that a thumbs-up emoji counted as a valid signature causes Adam Engst to ponder the difficulty of knowing what any given emoji might mean.
Faced with the desire to make it easier to pay TidBITS writers every month without a regular fee, Adam Engst discovers Melio, a payment service that offers ACH-based payments for free.
Watchlist
Revamps the the graphical disk usage utility's toolbar. (Free, 2.5 MB, macOS 11+)
Mac maintenance utility introduces an improved and rebranded security component. ($89.95 new, free update, 120 MB, macOS 10.13+)
Brings various improvements to the display brightness control utility. ($23 new, free update, 21.4 MB, macOS 11+)
Updates for Apple's professional video apps with a relatively short list of enhancements and bug fixes. ($299.99/$49.99/$49.99 new, free updates, various sizes, macOS 12.6+)
