Apple has released ļ£æOS 26.6 with fixes for a few bugs and numerous security vulnerabilities, though none of the vulnerabilities are currently being exploited in the wild. Adam Engst reviews ohSnapās Snap Grip, a cleverly designed MagSafe iPhone holder that solves a problem he seldom has, and offers detailed guidance for developers on how to pitch apps to TidBITS in an era when AI is writing most outreach emails. We briefly link to Simon Willisonās analysis of OpenAIās alarming sandbox escape incident. Notable Mac app releases this week include Fantastical 4.1.17, MarsEdit 5.4.4, ScreenFloat 2.3.9, SoundSource 6.1, and TextExpander 8.4.5.
Appleās latest updates patch an unprecedented number of security vulnerabilities while optimizing the Spotlight index in preparation for ļ£æOS 27 and fixing bugs affecting Messages screenshots, Intel-based app notifications, and HealthKit data. None of the vulnerabilities is being exploited in the wild.
The ohSnap Snap Grip is a cleverly designed MagSafe accessory that helps you hold your iPhone more securely. After months of testing, Adam Engst found it most useful for one specific situation: reading in bed at night.
AI has made it vastly easier to build apps and pitch them to publications like TidBITS for review. But we donāt have the time or brain space to look at everything, so hereās how developers can improve their chances of catching our attention.
Watchlist
Brings added emoji functionality and improved sync reliability for shared iCloud calendars. ($57 annual subscription, free update, 73.3 MB, macOS 12+)
Blogging app updated with improvements for animated GIFs. ($59.95 new, free update, 23.7 MB, macOS 10.15.4+)
Screen capture tool provides more control over shadows in window captures. ($17.99 new, free update, 34.3 MB, macOS 12.3+)
Bundles dozens of refinements and bug fixes into the audio control utility. ($49 new, free update, 54.4 MB, macOS 15+)
Makes improvements to the text expansion utility's Inline Search. ($40 annual subscription, free update, 38.3 MB, macOS 11.1+)
