O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: 14.4

  • Iconfactory’s Tapestry goes live, functions as aggregator for macOS

    Iconfactory’s Tapestry goes live, functions as aggregator for macOS

    For years, the cool cats at Iconfactory have dispensed some incredibly nifty apps an utilities for the Mac. The company’s newest one, Tapestry, functions as an aggregator that works with some of your favorite sources across the Web. The app taps into sources such as Tumblr, Mastodon, RSS, as well as third-party connectors to offer an elegant stream of scrollable content.

    Tapestry is available for free via the Mac App Store and requires macOS Sonoma 14.4 and a Mac with an M1 chip or later to install and run.

    If you’ve had a chance to try Tapestry out, please let us know what you think in the comments.

    Via usetapestry.com and the Mac App Store

  • Apple releases macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, macOS Ventura 13.6.6 updates, focuses on USB hub connectivity, Java, other features

    Apple releases macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, macOS Ventura 13.6.6 updates, focuses on USB hub connectivity, Java, other features

    If you’ve been hankering for a way out of the macOS Sonoma 14.4 update disaster, it’s here.

    Apple on Monday released macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 as well as macOS Ventura 13.6.6, two small updates for their associated operating systems.

    Per Apple’s release notes, the update offers the following fixes and changes:

    • USB hubs connected to external displays may not be recognized
    • Copy-protected Audio Unit plug-ins designed for professional music apps may not open or pass validation
    • Apps that include Java may quit unexpectedly

    As always, the updates can be located, downloaded, and installed by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

    If you’ve had a chance to test the new updates, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via MacRumors

  • Users report iCloud Drive issue, lost previous version data following macOS Sonoma 14.4 update

    Users report iCloud Drive issue, lost previous version data following macOS Sonoma 14.4 update

    There are times when Apple’s significant operating system updates go just fine, there are few if any problems, and things generally continue apace with the company’s user base.

    And then there are updates like macOS Sonoma 14.4, which appears to have created a new bug that wipes saved versions of files stored on iCloud Drive.

    A fair number of software applications on the market offer the ability to save earlier versions of files that the user can revert back to if need be. Apple’s update appears to have broken this functionality for users saving their documents to their iCloud Drive accounts.

    Per a post on Monday, the Eclectic Light Company warns that users of macOS Sonoma 14.4 who save files to iCloud Drive and have Optimize Mac Storage enabled are in particular danger.

    Generally, if a file is removed from the local version of iCloud Drive using the contextual menu’s “Remove Download” option, the file is deleted locally but saved versions are preserved. When the file is downloaded again from iCloud Drive, the versions saved on that Mac were still accessible.

    This doesn’t seem to be the case following the macOS Sonoma 14.4 update, and versions are deleted along with the main file. These versions cannot be recovered after a redownload from iCloud Drive as before. While no official fix has been issued from Apple, it’s recommended that users disable Optimize Mac Storage, so that documents stored in the local iCloud Drive aren’t automatically removed, causing the bug to occur.

    Other issues with the macOS Sonoma 14.4 update include a bug wherein USB hubs embedded in monitors were no longer working following the update. Two days later on March 14, issues with printers were uncovered, including the corruption of drivers. Finally, Oracle stepped in on March 16, advising users who need to run Java to avoid updating to macOS Sonoma 14.4, since it causes Java to terminate unexpectedly.

    Apple has yet to comment as to when a patch or update might be expected.

    If you’ve seen these or other issues on your Mac since the macOS Sonoma 14.4 update, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via AppleInsider and Eclectic Light Company

  • Oracle offers a warning about macOS Sonoma 14.4 update, says Java processes could terminate unexpectedly

    Oracle offers a warning about macOS Sonoma 14.4 update, says Java processes could terminate unexpectedly

    Late last week, developer Oracle warned that Apple’s recently released macOS Sonoma 14.4 update can cause Java processes to “terminate unexpectedly.”

    In a blog post on Friday, Oracle’s Senior Director of Product Management Aurelio Garcia-Ribeyro recommended that Apple silicon Mac users who rely on Java avoid updating to macOS 14.4 until Apple resolves the issue.

    Per the blog post:

    “An issue introduced by macOS 14.4, which causes Java process[es] to terminate unexpectedly, is affecting all Java versions from Java 8 to the early access builds of JDK 22. There is no workaround available, and since there is no easy way to revert a macOS update, affected users might be unable to return to a stable configuration unless they have a complete backup of their systems before the OS update.”

    The post and bug report also include more technical details about the issue.

    Oracle has stated that it has notified Apple about the issue. Apple, in turn, has not publicly commented about the issue.

    Reports have also surfaced that the macOS Sonoma 14.4 update has compatibility issues with audio plugins protected by PACE/iLok.

    If you’ve tried the update, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via MacRumors, blogs.oracle.com, and bugs.oracle.com

  • Apple releases GarageBand update, addresses security issue in the process

    Apple releases GarageBand update, addresses security issue in the process

    Following a string of hefty operating system updates and honing in on hundreds of security fixes last week, Apple this week updated a specific vulnerability in its GarageBand audio editing application.

    The GarageBand 10.4.11 update is for users running the app in macOS 13 Ventura and macOS 14 Sonoma and wasn’t patched in macOS 14.4 or 13.6.5 last week.

    The security description for the update offers the following information:

    Available for: macOS Ventura and macOS Sonoma

    Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted file may lead to unexpected app termination or arbitrary code execution

    Description: A use-after-free issue was addressed with improved memory management.

    CVE-2024-23300: Marc Schoenefeld, Dr. rer. nat.

    The update addresses a very specific security flaw, and it’s rare for Apple to offer standalone updates without new features. Long story short, open up your App Store application and snag the GarageBand update, it’ll be worth it.

    Via Macworld