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Series: April Fools

Adam Engst Josh Centers 3 comments

TidBITS Watchlist for 1 April 2014

Notable software releases today include Firefox 104, Mac Pro ATS Update 1.0, Pages 5.1.1, and Jamiroquai 5.2.143.78.1.

Adam Engst Jeff Carlson 1 comment

ExtraBITS for 1 April 2014

We have three quick ExtraBITS for you today, starting with the return to the App Store of the essential password utility PassScreen, Apple finally giving a nod to the wearable market, and “Take Control of Your Passwords” author Joe Kissell talking about password security on Oprah.

Rich Mogull 17 comments

iCloud for Families Debuts

Apple has released an unexpected update to iCloud with a host of useful features for managing the complexities of modern family life. Some of the capabilities of iCloud for Families will no doubt generate controversy, but overall, we expect that parents will welcome the additional communication and control.

Adam Engst 6 comments

App Store 2.0 Policies Address Developer Complaints

Never let it be said that Apple is deaf to developer concerns! With a quiet update to the iTunes Connect Web portal for managing submissions to the iOS App Store and Mac App Store, Apple has addressed the top three developer complaints: paid upgrades, trial versions, and the capability to engage with customers.

Matt Neuburg 55 comments

OS X 10.8.3 Checkbox Restores Snow Leopard Document Saving

With no fanfare, Apple has restored a major aspect of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard behavior to OS X 10.8.3 Mountain Lion.

Joe Kissell 36 comments

Mac Pro Replaced by Mac Prime

Apple’s new high-end desktop Mac breaks all the rules — and smashes all previous performance barriers.

Adam Engst 11 comments

Dropbox to Become iOS File System for Real?

With dissatisfaction over document and data sharing in iOS growing, and Google Drive and Microsoft SkyDrive providing better options for competing mobile operating systems, rumors are suggesting that Apple is trying to acquire the cloud file-sharing service Dropbox.

Adam Engst 7 comments

Help Write “Take Control of Crowd Sourcing”

We’re trying something new with Take Control to bring in new voices — lots of them, including you! Our next book, called “Take Control of Crowdsourcing,” will be written and edited not by our standard authors and editors, but by anyone who wants to contribute a small or large amount of time to the effort. All profits will go to the Wikimedia Foundation.

Michael E. Cohen 2 comments

Apple Plans Auction for Contested WWDC 2013 Registration Spots

Every year, the mad scramble among developers gets crazier, as registrations for Apple’s developer conference sell out within hours — usually to those living in earlier time zones. Apple has a plan to change that.

Adam Engst 5 comments

Our Favorite April Fools Jokes for 2012

The number of April Fools jokes may have been reduced this year, due to April 1st falling on a Sunday. But there were still plenty of good ones — here are a few of our favorites.

Jeff Carlson 8 comments

Lioness Auto-Saves Lion Users’ Sanity

The new system-wide Auto Save feature of Mac OS X Lion is great for most people, but what about those of us who have taught ourselves to press Command-S reflexively in order to avoid losing work when applications crash? Many Tricks’s Lioness has a solution.

Adam Engst 6 comments

Apple to Offer Subscription Service and Subscription-Based Mac

Subscriptions are coming to the iTunes Store in the next year, but if you think Apple is going to settle for simply copying other music subscription services, you’re not giving Steve Jobs and company credit for wanting to change the world.

Tonya Engst 13 comments

Microsoft Word 5.1 Returns… to the iPad

Microsoft Word 5 for the Mac was abandoned long ago, giving way to more feature-laden versions of the program, but now Microsoft has revived the software, realizing that the smaller code base is fairly easy to port to iOS, as compared to its later, larger versions.

Michael E. Cohen 6 comments

Bartleby, For When You Prefer Not To

New software from Scrivener creator Literature & Latte fights writer’s overdrive.

Rich Mogull 19 comments

Text Vulnerability Discovered in iPhone and iPad

A newly discovered vulnerability affects nearly all Apple products. Rich Mogull has the details, including how to protect yourself until Apple issues a patch.