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The Issue-is-Fixed Edition Friday, April 1, 2022

Apple Has Released Monterey 12.3.1 Update, by Howard Oakley, Eclectic Light Company

It claims to address two issues: for Mac mini 2018 systems, it ensures that a USB-C or Thunderbolt display used as a second display turns on properly, and it fixes an incompatibility between some Beats headphones and other Bluetooth devices such as game controllers, which may disconnect after playing audio through the headphones.

Apple Fixes iOS 15.4 Battery-drain Issue With Software Update, by Samuel Axon, Ars Technica

Apple released a small iPhone software update Thursday to address an issue iPhone users have struggled with since iOS 15.4 reached devices. Users took to forums, Reddit, social media platforms, and Apple support channels to complain that their iPhones' batteries were draining unusually quickly after updating to iOS 15.4. With the update, Apple now says the issue is fixed, along with a couple of issues with accessibility features.

Apple Rushes Out Patches For Two Zero-days Threatening iOS And macOS Users, by Dan Goodin, Ars Technica

The first vulnerability, CVE-2022-22675, resides in macOS for Monterey and in iOS or iPadOS for most iPhone and iPad models. The flaw, which stems from an out-of-bounds write issue, gives hackers the ability to execute malicious code that runs with privileges of the kernel, the most security-sensitive region of the OS. CVE-2022-22674, meanwhile, also results from an out-of-bounds read issue that can lead to the disclosure of kernel memory.

Apple Releases HomePod 15.4.1 Software With Siri Fix, by Juli Clover, MacRumors

According to Apple’s release notes, the ‌HomePod‌ 15.4.1 software update fixes an issue that could cause some HomeKit accessories to fail to respond when controlled via Siri voice commands.

Apple Releases watchOS 8.5.1 With Security Updates And Bug Fixes, by Juli Clover, MacRumors

According to Apple’s release notes for the update, watchOS 8.5.1 adds security updates and bug fixes for the Apple Watch.

Stuff

Apple Business Essentials Is Now Available To All Small Businesses In The US, Google Workspace Integration Coming This Spring, by Bradley Chambers, 9to5Mac

After a beta period with thousands of businesses, Apple is ready to extend simplified device management, iCloud Drive storage, and device repair solution to all small businesses. Originally launching in beta in November of 2021, Apple Business Essentials is designed to take the headache out of device management for growing organizations using Apple.

Audio Hijack 4 Arrives: The Definitive Mac Audio Utility Just Got Better, by Jason Snell, Six Colors

Rogue Amoeba has built a JavaScript-based scripting system into the app itself. It’s accessible from the new Script Library window. Scripts can be run manually, or automatically on a per-session basis based on starting or stopping of sessions or recordings. The scripting engine lets you turn sessions and even individual blocks within a session on and off, and while it doesn’t reach into every single setting in every single block yet, it covers a lot of ground.

Adobe CC Express Update Brings Quick Actions And Productivity Features, by Darryl Boxberger, AppleInsider

Customizable basic shapes are now available, allowing users to select from a library of shapes that can be resized while keeping the design consistent.

The new Adobe Color integration allows users access to a large collection of preset palettes and themes. Users can also search and see suggestions by Adobe to fit different themes and moods.

AirBuddy Review: Effortless Audio Control For Apple And Beats Devices, by Glenn Fleishman, Macworld

The AirBuddy app offers a low-effort way in macOS to view the status of your Apple and Beats audio devices, quickly connect their audio to your Mac, and stay on top of their current charges. It’s a nearly frictionless addition to macOS, one that makes you wonder (as many Mac Gems do) why Apple hasn’t built in these controls.

Schlage’s Latest Smart Lock Makes Unlocking Your Door As Easy As Using Apple Pay, by Dan Seifert, The Verge

As one of the first smart locks to take advantage of Apple’s Home Key standard announced at WWDC 2021, unlocking the Encode Plus is as simple as tapping your phone or watch against the keypad and waiting a moment for the green light. You don’t have to open an app, tap a button, or even unlock your phone. The whole process is similar to, but even simpler than, buying something with Apple Pay.

Develop

Independence Day, by John Siracusa, Hypercritical

Over the past few years, something has started to change. When I’ve been presented with interesting opportunities that I’ve had to turn down (“Sorry, I’m at my maximum capacity right now…”) it has started to feel less like disciplined life-management and more like disappointment. It’s felt similarly lousy when I’ve had to reject my own ideas for new things I’d like to try. And when I’ve ignored those feelings and said yes when I knew I should say no (e.g., when I decided to make two Mac apps in two months), I’ve quickly bumped into my limits yet again—both physical and mental.

A few years ago, I started to question some of my assumptions. My decades of work on my “second career” had slowly built it up to the point where it was plausibly viable on its own. Was my day job really necessary? I started formulating a plan to quit.

The Real Reason To ‘Learn To Code’? Automating Your Life, by Clive Thompson, Medium

If you’re thinking you want to learn to program because you want to do it full-time — to change your career, and work as a developer — then sure, you could. But learning to develop software at that level isn’t easy. You have to really want to. I wouldn’t tell someone “no” outright, but if their goal is to shift full-time into software development, they should prepare for a really long period of transition. They’d ideally want to do some formal education, or at least block aside a year or two to make a serious transition.

So, it’s not something you’d do lightly.

But there’s a whole other possibility — which is to learn just a bit of coding.

Notes

Apple Wields Its Lobbying Might Against LGBTQ Laws, by Emily Birnbaum, Politico

Apple is quietly mobilizing its vast resources to lobby against anti-LGBTQ legislation proliferating across the country — an unusual push by one of the world’s most valuable companies into a consequential political debate.

The company, whose CEO, Tim Cook, is the nation’s most visible gay executive, has deployed its lobbyists to oppose legislation that limits protections for trans and gay people or their families in Iowa, Florida, Texas and at least six other states.

Apple, Meta And Amazon Drop Off Comparably’s 2022 Best Company Cultures List After Topping Last Year’s Ranking—here’s Why, by Morgan Smith, CNBC

On Comparably, Apple received a "C" rating for its office culture, and ranked 6th in office culture among its competitors — IBM, Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Samsung are all ranked higher.

Workers at several Apple stores throughout the U.S. are planning to unionize, the Washington Post reported last month, pointing to stagnant wages and a lack of professional development opportunities.

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We are still doing April Fools news articles and launching Gmails?

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