Originally published at: https://appletalk.com.au/2018/09/monday-morning-news030918/
Over the weekend, Apple released the twelfth beta of iOS 12 and tenth public beta to resolve an issue with pop-up messages continually alerting users to update from the iOS 12 beta, despite there being no update available at the time. The tenth developer betas of watchOS 5 and tvOS 12 were also released.
Apple has started an iPhone 8 Logic Board Replacement Program, saying that affected devices sold between September 2017 and March 2018 may experience unexpected restarts, a frozen screen, or won’t turn on. As per usual, you can put your serial number into the online serial number checker to see if your device is eligible for a free repair under the program, which covers just the iPhone 8 (and not the iPhone 8 Plus) for a period of up to three years after the first retail sale of the unit.
With the addition of the 11 and 13-inch 2012 MacBook Air to Apple’s vintage and obsolete list, Apple has also started piloting a program to allow certain repairs well into the vintage period subject to parts availability. Both models of 2012 MacBook Air will remain eligible for service at Apple Authorised Service Providers and Apple Stores worldwide until August 31, 2020, with MacRumors pointing out this is the first time an extended repair period has been made available outside of the US and Turkey.
The Melbourne City Council has rejected the revised plans for Apple’s proposed retail location in Federation Square. As reported by The Age, a number of new concerns were raised regarding the building, including apparently taking issue with the lack of supporting food and beverage offerings to enliven adjacent public spaces, as well as a “departure from the architecturally unified approach of the buildings in Federation Square”, with additional reporting by 9to5Mac regarding design details of the store itself.
Apple has advised developers that as of October 3, any app uploaded for sale or beta testing must include a privacy policy, particularly around what user information is collected and how it is used. I remain unconvinced this will change attitudes towards blatant information collection and nefarious user tracking, particularly in the case of bigger tech companies with large legal backing, but sure, maybe it’ll help some smaller indie developers re-think what they’re doing with your data.
Felix Schwarz warns us of the impending AppleEvent sandboxing apocalypse, where macOS Mojave lacks the proper APIs to provide a user experience on par with what Sierra and High Sierra offer. Even though Apple has made improvements in AppleEvent APIs since Mojave was announced at WWDC earlier this year, there’s still some nice-to-haves that we currently don’t have.
Macworld’s Glenn Fleishman says there’s no reliable way to pass power from older Apple Cinema or Thunderbolt displays to newer Mac laptops that feature USB-C. While those displays include MagSafe power connectors, any adapter that you might find is certainly uncertified by Apple, given that Apple has never licensed its MagSafe connectors to third parties.
A quick tip from MacRumors tells us about how to output audio to two devices at the same time. By creating an aggregate multi-output device using the Audio MIDI Setup utility, you can send audio output from your Mac to any two devices.
AppleInsider has a quick run-down of the features that will make watchOS 5 a worthy upgrade when it’s released. Podcasts and workouts get the most love this time around, with Siri and Walkie-Talkie also being nice features.
Interestingly, the Apple Watch Pride watch face is blocked in Russia, or more specifically, if the paired iPhone is using the Russian locale. Speculation says this is due to Russia’s anti-LGBTQ laws.