Apple put out a security and stability update for OS X El Capitan on Tuesday. There are no new features, but quite a few stability and security tweaks.
The update, 10.11.3, is recommended for all users. It “fixes an issue that may prevent some Mac computers from waking from sleep when connected to certain 4K displays,” according to Apple, and also “improves the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac”.
It’s a maddeningly unspecific set of release notes, sure, but those who are interested can dive into Apple’s security notes about the update to see the many tweaks included. Quite a few element of the operating system were patched to prevent “arbitrary code with kernel privileges” from running, which is without question a good thing.
The update also comes with a patch for Safari, 9.0.3, which prevents malicious websites from arbitrarily running code. An update for Webkit, the engine that powers Safari, helps protect a potential privacy problem that could let websites “know if the user has visited a given link”.
If you’re yet to update to El Capitan, this update still means something for you: “Third-party .pkg file receipts stored in /var/db/receipts are now retained when upgrading from OS X Yosemite”, the release notes say. El Capitan clears out a lot of third-party tweaks when you upgrade, as part of their new “rootless” security structure. In some cases, El Capitan left no trace of such apps. This has presumably been a nightmare for IT folks, who at least now will have some record of their now-missing apps.
The updates is a 661 megabyte download, and installation requires a restart. The process took around 20 minutes for this reporter. As always, it’s a good idea to backup all of your data before upgrading your operating system.
Mozilla is giving Firefox’s Smart Window two new tricks. If you haven’t tried it yet, Smart Window is an optional AI mode in Firefox with a built-in chat that helps you get things done while you browse. With this update, it can fill out online forms using details from your tabs and keep an eye on websites for you.
Tired of typing the same details into every form?
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.