Originally published at: Sports and Bugs in tvOS 16.5, macOS 13.4 Ventura, iOS 16.5, iPadOS 16.5, watchOS 9.5, and HomePod Software 16.5 - TidBITS
The latest updates to Apple’s operating systems increase the visibility of sports in Apple News and bring four-up Multiview sports games to the Apple TV 4K. Otherwise, there are just a few bug fixes and a new Pride Celebration wallpaper and watch face. Most important are the security updates, which explain the Rapid Security Responses and address another zero-day exploit.
I remain a fan of Rapid Security Responses and encourage you to install any future ones immediately.
Well the fact that I need to install the RSR and the 13.4 update (in order to get rid of the badge, since there’s no option like there used to be to shush update indications), means I save actually nothing at all.
Now I get two reboots instead of one.
Sure, supposedly there’s something being exploited in the wild that’s big, bad, and threatening, and imperils my bodily safety, but all I have for that is Apple’s word. The same Apple that has a vested interest in everybody immediately installing whatever update they put out there. I know their marketing folks love to trumpet their update figures so I’d be a fool to just take their word for it as being in my best interest. I’ll also note that not a single one of the reported “fixes” is anything I’ve ever encountered before. OTOH several of the bugs I have noticed and reported (and we’ve discussed right here) are not listed.
Bottom line: I’m not joining the cheering bandwagon. I still need to wait for macOS 14 to see if the most annoying bugs get fixed and I’m still left rebooting my Mac and waiting ~30 min for it to recover from a system update (despite having one of the fastest CPUs available) that does nothing for me.
Skeptics of Apple’s security announcements can check here for additional confirmation:
A listserv that announces new threats as soon as they are added to the Catalog by CISA can be joined here:
https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCISA/subscriber/new?topic_id=USDHSCISA_136
Further, a good non-governmental source for infomation about Mac security, in addition to TidBITS, is The Eclectic Light Company, which is run by a well respected Mac technologist:
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No, installing 13.4 is all you need now. The RSR has been removed from the update server since it’s patches have been confirmed as contained in 13.4.
That’s because the installer includes a firmware update.
No, you also have the word of Clément Lecigne of Google’s Threat Analysis Group and Donncha Ó Cearbhaill of Amnesty International’s Security Lab, who notified Apple of the attack, according to the security documentation and there are also CVE’s that may give you additional information about the flaw and it’s severity.
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They talk about this with regards to major OS updates mainly in a developer context, to encourage the use of new APIs/features, etc. But these point updates which are largely about security are definitely in our best interests and are not part of some underhanded plot by Apple. It is literally Apple trying to fix mistakes in its OS (whether or not an individual’s pet bug gets addressed).
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I was in the middle of reporting the following to Apple, when the complication suddenly appeared on my watch. It appeared right after I enabled screenshots on the watch from my phone. Coincidence? Cause and effect? The complication now displays and works on the watch, but it does not display on the Infograph face in the “My Faces” list. But, it does display on the Infograph face when it is selected for editing. Really crazy.
watchOS 9.5 has disabled the Medications complication on my Series 6. No matter which position I set it to from my phone, that position on the watch is empty and does not respond to touch in any way.
I really don’t think marketing folks are going to do a big campaign around how quickly 13.4 is adopted.
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Apple doesn’t doesn’t charge for updates, and they don’t have any history of requirements that would force users to install an upgrade. IIRC they do have a history of developing upgrades that cover older devices longer than Google, etc.’s Android stuff does. And Apple is known for very quickly addressing safety threats.
And iPhones, iPads and Macs play very nicely with one another. Cooperation between different Android and Microsoft ecosystems is reputed not to be nearly as seamless or updates available as frequently. And Apple devices are known for having stronger privacy controls. Apple’s revenue streams aren’t focused on advertising. They do collect very little information, and they do not sell what data they collect.
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Meh. Not a sports fan so no rush to add features I don’t/won’t use. Ditto watch faces as I have too many now that I’ll never use.
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To correct my previous post…Apple Sports does collect information and uses it to sell advertising just for their very recently purchased Apple TV+ Major League Baseball acquisition:
Legal - My Sports & Privacy - Apple.
Comparatively speaking, they collect a microscopic amount of info, and it is focused on live MLB. It has nothing to do with sharing tracking on time or off time information, or browsing, outside calling or history, etc. But future remains to be seen.