O'Grady's PowerPage

Category: News

  • Little Snitch 6.0 released, offers expanded DNS encryption, easier network visualization, other new features

    Little Snitch 6.0 released, offers expanded DNS encryption, easier network visualization, other new features

    One of the coolest bits of shareware just got a hefty update.

    Little Snitch, which monitors Mac network traffic for suspicious activity, has reached version 6.0, remains focused around the easy blacklisting and whitelisting of apps and services, and offers the following of new fixes and features:

    • DNS Encryption: Let Little Snitch encrypt your server name queries to shield your online activities from prying eyes.
    • Integrated Blocklists: Effortlessly select from a curated list of blocklists. Install them with a single click to add an extra layer of protection against unwanted connections.
    • Control Center in Menu Bar: Quickly access essential network information, recent activity charts, and recently blocked connections at a glance, directly from the menu bar.
    • Hierarchical Connection Grouping: Group connections by application, domain, server, or country to gain deeper insights into network traffic.
    • Advanced Search and Filters: Swiftly locate specific connections or firewall rules with enhanced search capabilities.
    • Usage Statistics: Track and optimize your firewall rules based on usage frequency.
    • Sound Notifications: Stay informed about network activities through customizable acoustic notifications, just by listening. Make connections not only visible but also audible!
    • Rule Groups: Organize firewall rules by topic to conveniently turn related rules on or off together.
    • Enhanced Web Application Support: Gain better and more precise control over external connections initiated by websites.
    • Improved Firewall Rules: Use of cryptographic code signing identifiers for better process identification, resistant to renaming or moving of apps.
    • Enhanced Xcode Simulator Support: Enjoy smoother development experiences with improved handling of processes in Xcode’s Simulator app.

    Little Snitch 6 retails for $59 as a one-off fee, and is also available as a $39 upgrade for existing users. Users who bought a license earlier this year can snag the upgrade for free.

    If you’ve had a chance to try Little Snitch 6, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via 9to5Mac and Objective Development

  • Passe Navigo support added for iPhone and Apple Watch, allow for contactless public transportation access in and around Paris

    Passe Navigo support added for iPhone and Apple Watch, allow for contactless public transportation access in and around Paris

    If you’re headed to Paris this summer, you’re going to like this.

    Passe Navigo, the travelcard used for Metro, bus, rail, and tram access in Paris, has arrived for Apple Wallet, allowing users to use their iPhone and Apple Watch as opposed to a physical card.

    Passe Navigo – the travelcard used for Metro, bus, rail, and tram journeys in Paris – has finally come to Apple Wallet, allowing users to use their iPhone and Apple Watch instead of a physical card.

    Cards can be loaded with individual tickets, carnets, and weekly and monthly travelcards. The pass can also be loaded in the Apple Wallet app, allowing for easy access through Metro and train barriers as well as contactless tap access to buses and trams. The arrangement was negotiated by Apple and Île-de-France Mobilités.

    Users can add value to their card via their iPhone and the following steps:

    • Press the + sign at the top right
    • Click on the “Transport Card and Navigo” tab
    • Choose your transport ticket (single ticket, booklet of 10 t+ tickets, ticket for airports, Navigo day package)
    • If you want to add another plan on your iPhone, you will have to go through the Île-de-France Mobilités application.
    • Open the application
    • Go to “Buy” and choose to add the ticket or pass on your iPhone or Apple Watch
    • Once this is done, you can enable the Passe Navigo in the Wallet app.

    If you get a chance to try this in Paris and its surrounding areas, please let us know about the experience in the comments.

    Via 9to5Mac and BMFTV

  • iFixit posts teardown of M4 iPad Pro, Apple Pencil Pro, discusses components and assembly

    iFixit posts teardown of M4 iPad Pro, Apple Pencil Pro, discusses components and assembly

    If you’re looking to get to the components of the new Apple Pencil Pro, it’ll take time, patience, and an ultrasonic cutter. Apple’s new M4-based iPad Pro, on the other hand, got quite a bit easier to repair.

    Per a new video teardown posted by the cool cats at iFixit, the Apple Pencil Pro required quite a bit of work and what the outfit called “destruction” of the stylus. The video shows significant changes to the design of the iPad Pro that make it more repairable, but the new Apple Pencil Pro’s design is quite the opposite.

    The video cites a “massive improvement” in replacing the battery of the new iPad Pro over previous versions of the tablet, as it no longer requires removing all the other components first.

    Following the iPad Pro teardown, the focus shifts to a teardown of the new Apple Pencil Pro. After trying to remove the “eraser” top of the Pencil Pro by cutting it off, the host is forced to use an ultrasonic cutter to slice open the plastic body of the stylus, rendering it un-restorable.

    The device’s components are eventually removed for closer examination, and include two sets of magnets as well as an inductive charging coil.

    The screws to separate the main circuit board are extremely difficult to find and remove. The taptic engine that provides the feedback on the device, however, is able to be separated from the rest of the electronics by simply breaking the micro-weld points.

    Where the Apple Pencil Pro’s repairability comes into question, the video cites a “slight” improvement over the first-generation Apple Pencil, which had all its parts epoxied into the body of the device. Still, the video cites the new Apple Pencil Pro as “an unrepairable pile of e-waste” once it is disassembled. iFixit, however, does praise Apple for its general “baby steps” towards more consumer repairability overall in its recent devices.

    If you’ve gotten your hands on the new Apple Pencil Pro and/or the new M4 iPad Pro, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via AppleInsider and iFixit

  • Apple releases iOS 17.5.1, iPadOS 17.5.1 updates, addresses reappearing photo bug

    Apple releases iOS 17.5.1, iPadOS 17.5.1 updates, addresses reappearing photo bug

    First comes the major update, then the follow-up bug fixes via the minor updates to smooth things out.

    Apple on Monday released both its iOS 17.5.1 and iPadOS 17.5.1 patches for its mobile operating systems. Per the release notes, the updates offer the following fixes and changes while largely focusing on the reappearing images/Photos bug:

    “This update provides important bug fixes and addresses a rare issue where photos that experienced database corruption could reappear in the Photos library even if they were deleted.”

    iOS 17.5.1 and iPadOS 17.5.1 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

    The updates follow a number of complaints from iPhone and iPad users who noticed their deleted photos resurfacing following the iOS 17.5 and/or iPadOS 17.5 installation.

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

    Via MacRumors

  • Assassin’s Creed Shadows to arrive for macOS in November, will launch on the same day as other platforms

    Assassin’s Creed Shadows to arrive for macOS in November, will launch on the same day as other platforms

    If you’re a fan of Assassin’s Creed, another installment in the series is en route to the Mac.

    Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” will be the first major AAA title to launch simultaneously on Macs with Apple Silicon through the Mac App Store. The game is set to arrive on November 15th and will be available on the same day that it arrives for other platforms as opposed to becoming available for the Mac long after its release on other platforms.

    Set for release on November 15th, the game features two main protagonists: a Shinobi assassin and a legendary samurai. The dual-character approach provides diverse gameplay mechanics and storylines, allowing players to switch between stealth and combat-oriented missions.

    The story takes place across various detailed Japanese landscapes, and both characters have distinct skill sets and abilities, which can be upgraded through progression, offering a tailored experience depending on the player’s preferred playstyle. Players can either use stealth tactics or engame in direct combat. The game features an open-world environment, encouraging exploration and discovery.

    From a technical end, the game is centered around the Apple Silicon hardware, which offers a killer suite of graphics and audio.

    The simultaneous release highlights the capabilities of Apple’s M-series chips in handling high-end gaming experiences, further solidifying the company’s presence in the gaming industry.

    Assassin’s Creed Shadows is exclusive to current-generation platforms like the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Luna, notably skipping older consoles like the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Pre-order the game on the Mac App Store today for $69.99.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and Ubisoft