More iOS 10 woes: Some users can’t sync music between devices

from thenextweb.com

This morning has basically been a disaster for Apple. First its highly-anticipated roll-out of iOS 10 welcomed users with a bricked device. Now, following the release of iOS 12.5.1, users report they can no longer connect to iCloud Music Library — the lynchpin required to sync music across supported devices.

iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or Windows (and Linux) PC users are all susceptible to whatever is causing the issue and many are finding their content inaccessible while the service is down.

When attempting to access the feature after today’s update, users are met with the following error message. After clicking ‘OK’ the message disappears, only to reappear seconds later.

We’ve reached out to Apple for comment and we’ll update if necessary.

Warning: iOS 10 is reportedly screwing up people’s phones

from thenextweb.com

After releasing iOS 10 earlier today, some users are reporting ‘bricked’ devices after attempting to update to the new operating system. Most of the issues seem to come from over-the-air (OTA) updates, meaning a device that attempts to download and install the update without plugging it in — something Apple used to require.

The issues seem fairly widespread. The OTA update begins and leaves users staring at a ‘Connect to iTunes’ screen that forces a complete firmware re-install. If you forego the wiping and re-installation of iOS from your iPhone or iPad, you’re left with a bricked and completely useless device.

Not all users are having the issue though. I updated from the last beta version of iOS 10 to the launch version this morning without incident.

A Twitter search for iOS 10-related keywords show the problem could be affecting a significant portion of those upgrading. In fact, nearly all of the iOS 10-related update problems appear to be the same issue, a bricked device after a prompt to connect to iTunes.

For what it’s worth, Apple claims the problem has since been fixed, according to a 9to5 Mac tweet.

Users, however, are still reporting the problem, so maybe Apple isn’t quite done remedying the issue just yet. Still, if you absolutely have to have iOS 10 today, it’s never a bad idea to do a fresh backup before you make the upgrade.

Apple's Core Problem Is That It Can No Longer Innovate

from forbes.com
Oh, how we laughed when Microsoft unveiled a tablet device with an expensive snap-on keyboard. And, when Steve Jobs declared that the stylus was complete folly and a thing of the past in 2007, we cheered. The tech industry has a very short memory it seems.

Roll forward to 2015 and Tim Cook showed an expectant audience much of the same that we’ve seen before, and like previous years we have grown to accept that the polish and style of delivery masks a growing problem at Cupertino: Apple has run out of juice.



iPhone 6S and 6S Plus

There was nothing here we didn’t already know or even expect, given the many leaks beforehand. Another mid-life iPhone facelift ahead of next year’s iPhone 7, with camera and processor spec bumps. The new iPhone was the last to be announced at the Apple Event because there was nothing to announce. The only attraction this time was Force Touch, something which will definitely kill off the Home Button on the next iteration when Apple figures out how to do fingerprint recognition from the screen for Apple Pay and Touch ID. Tim Cook struggled to make the ubiquitous device seem anything but more of the same. Live Photos? Sounds like a cross between Vine and what Google Photos has been doing for a while now. The 6S Plus is more of a curious beast though, because it almost heralds the death of the iPad Mini. but Apple won’t admit this yet.

iPad Mini 4

Here’s a device which received some treatment before it disappears from the iPad family-photo album entirely. Apple knows exactly how to capitalize on the runt of the litter, and a little extra gloss will definitely sell a few more numbers but with a 6S Plus in the Apple Store there is no real reason to own an Mini anymore. And it gets worse now Big Brother has arrived.

iPad Pro

This is where things get interesting. Apple unveiled a device clearly aimed at the more business and prosumer market. With a price point at the higher end to make laptop buyers weep, coupled with an expensive $169 snap-on keyboard and a ludicrous $99 Apple Pencil (i.e. a stylus) it was the clearest indication that Cupertino couldn’t innovate but only imitate competitor strategy. This was almost an admission that Microsoft got it right with the Surface, but just couldn’t market it like Apple hardware. The Pro is aimed at the enterprise market, a smart move by Apple (which has cut deals with IBM and Cisco for distribution of hardware and apps) in a time of slowing consumer tablet sales. But what could the Pro do the consumer laptop sales at Apple? Much like the 6S Plus will eat away at the iPad Mini, the iPad Pro will cut into sales of the Macbook Air. The Pro’s speed and screen resolution (it beats a Retina display on a MacBook Pro) will make many think twice about getting an Air, which until now has been Apple’s least expensive way to balance portability and performance.

Apple TV

The bedroom hobby project has been trying to become a serious hobby for years. It has still failed to be anything else, and yesterday’s announcement seemed very odd indeed. Apps are not the future of TV, in fact making consumers sit and watch more TV is not the future of the human race. And certainly owning a separate box to appify television is not the answer. Apple wants us to believe that their black beauty is what we need to make the living room come alive again, but every last-gen and current console has been doing what an Apple TV can do for a few years now, and more. If Apple really wanted to make this a serious concern, it would have baked tvOS into a television unit itself, or licensed it to one major OEM. But it won’t. Given that smart TVs already have apps that cater for the same content as Apple TV, together with consoles, Chromecast, Amazon FireStick, and voice interaction already exists, there is no killer reason to own an Apple TV on top. And as a casual games proposition? Please. Even the wording on the website makes it sound like Apple has singlehandedly reinvented the games industry.

iOS8 Update Recalled Following Rampant Problems

from billboard.com

Apple has stopped providing an update to its new iOS 8 mobile operating software, following complaints that the update interferes with users' ability to make phone calls.

The iOS 8.0.1 update released Wednesday morning was intended to fix some earlier glitches in the new software for iPhones and iPads that Apple released last week.

But along with blocking calls, some users have also complained the update interferes with Apple's Touch ID system, which lets people unlock their phones with their fingerprint.

Apple says it's pulling back the update as it investigates the reports. The company says it plans to issue advice to users "as quickly as we can."

Meantime, users are still able to the upgrade older phones to last week's version of iOS 8.

82% of enterprise Mac users not getting security updates

from nakedsecurity.sophos.com

Last week I saw a post by Computerworld journalist Gregg Keizer about the fragmentation of OS X versions and how it flew in the face of Apple's plans to unite users onto OS X Mavericks.

I have worked with Gregg for years and immediately began to think of the security implications.

Paul Ducklin wrote of the security fixes included in Mavericks, but strangely it appeared that Apple had not released similar fixes for OS X 10.6, 10.7 and 10.8.

The Net Applications data Gregg quoted was interesting, but I thought I would look into how Sophos customers have approached Mavericks.

Enterprise IT departments are often far more hesitant to deploy new operating system versions quickly and this time it might come along with some rather risky security consequences.

As you can see in the charts, 55% of Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition (Free!) users have upgraded to OS X Mavericks, whereas only 18% of enterprise users have jumped on board.

After only 77 days these numbers reflect one of the highest adoption rates of a new OS I have seen. Unfortunately, that may not be good enough.

Without saying it in so many words, or any words for that matter, Apple appears to have stopped releasing security updates for OS X 10.6.8, 10.7.5 and 10.8.5.

It is a nice gesture that OS X 10.9 Mavericks is a free upgrade, but not everyone can upgrade. OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion has only been available for 15 months and is apparently already orphaned.

Microsoft has been taking heat for discontinuing Windows XP after supporting it for more than 12 years. I think Apple might be able to do a little better than 15 months.

If you are an Apple user, please update to OS X Mavericks or if you can't, perhaps install Windows 7 or Linux.

If you must run an older version of OS X, you may want to follow the advice Duck and I had in a recent Techknow for Windows XP users to minimize the risk of compromise.

Apple's iPhone 4S Battery Troubles Now Joined By New Problems

You still think I'm pretty right???

Apple says it's still investigating battery drain issues with the iPhone 4S after some users complained that the iOS 5.0.1 update didn't solve their problems. But now Apple is facing new gripes that the iOS 5.0.1 update is causing more problems with the iPhone 4S including; microphone failures, Wi-Fi signal loss, and cellular network reception issues, according to reports.

"The recent iOS software update addressed many of the battery issues that some customers experienced on their iOS 5 devices," Apple said in a statement to All Things Digital. "We continue to investigate a few remaining issues."

Apple released iOS 5.0.1 on Thursday, claiming that it would fix iPhone 4S battery drain. The update also added multitouch gestures for the original iPad and fixed a few other issues. While some iPhone users said the update solved their battery problems, others said the battery suckage was just as bad, or worse, than before.

Some users may never be happy with iPhone 4S battery life, because as I've explained before, smartphone batteries are fundamentally sub-par. But Apple is at least confirming that it hasn't completely solved the problem.

Meanwhile, some users are complaining of new problems with iOS 5.0.1. According to GigaOM, some users have experienced microphone failures, Wi-Fi signal loss and cellular network reception issues. A report from The Startup Foundry says the update is forgetting to list contact names when the user receives a text message or phone call. (A partial fix for the latter issue is available on The Startup Foundry's Website.) Apple didn't specify whether these new bugs are part of the "few remaining issues" that the company is investigating now.

On the bright side, whenever Apple does release a new patch, it'll be easy to get thanks to over the air updates.

----------------

OTA updates, you mean like Android has had all along?

Apple iPhone 4S / iOS 5.0.1 battery-life fix FAIL!

from ComputerWorld.com

"He's dead Jim..."

The iPhone 4S battery-life problem doesn't seem to be fixed in the iOS 5.0.1 patch; some users are even complaining that it's worse than before. Has Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) made a mess of the first OTA update? Many users are still reporting rotten-to-the-core power performance. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers troll frustrated fanbois.
  
Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment. Not to mention: They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: We will remember them... 


Gregg Keizer reports:

iOS 5.0.1 was the first update that Apple delivered "over-the-air"...without requiring users to [plug in] their devices. ... Apple did not spell out the specific battery-related patches.
...
Almost immediately after the launch of the iPhone 4S, owners began reporting that the phone was exhausting its battery at a prodigious rate.
...
[It's] too early for results reports to appear on Apple's support forum..    

  
Oh no it isn't, says Adrian Kingsley-Hughes:

[M]ost...are claiming that the update is a dud, and some [say] it makes the problem worse. ... Apple’s support forum is...abuzz with complaints.
...
It’s hard to find users who are happy with the new update. ... [I]t’s hard to pin down...whether this is a configuration issue, a app issue, or an issue specific to certain handsets.    

Mark Chubb adds:

iOS users who have updated to iOS 5.0.1 and have had their hopes of a better battery life dashed. ... Most complaints [say] battery life is still draining pretty much as it was before.    

And Paul Hontz finds more problems:

My iPhone...no longer remember[s] the names of any of my contacts! ... [They're] still there but if I got a text or a call my iPhone would have a sudden bout of amnesia.
...
It’s even more bizarre when you’re trying to create a new text. ... In the message pane...[it] forget[s] my contact’s name and just shows the number.
...
I mentioned this on Twitter and many of my followers had similar experiences.    

Nick Farrell is on good, sarcastic form this morning:

Apple did everything it could...including rushing out a patch and firing the incompetent people [responsible].
...
Actually, it denied there ever was a problem until there was enough press coverage.
...
The update also fixes some other problems...such as a flaw in the OS that may allow hackers to build apps that secretly install programs. ... Apple was told about this flaw recently and responded by kicking the developer who found it out of the walled garden of delights.    

Meanwhile, William Bastone tells us how not to react:

Michael Alan Skopec, 48, dialed [911] five times to beef about his malfunctioning Apple [iPhone].
...
Cops traced the calls to Skopec’s home, where he was arrested around 1 AM...according to a sheriff’s spokesperson. Skopec...was charged with obstructing or resisting a peace officer.
...
It is unclear what Skopec thought cops could do about his malfunctioning smartphone. ... Released on his own recognizance, Skopec is next due in court on November 18.    

Nicolò Martini complains on the Apple support forum:

I've updated to 5.0.1 and my battery still drains dramatically. ... [In] Settings->General->Usage, the Usage time is always more than 60% of Standby-time, even if I don't touch the phone, and with all settings turned off ... and no background application running.    

As does Beachgall:

I tried to update my iPhone 4s...and it got hung up in iTunes and said I need to restore the phone to factory settings. ... Then the phone came up as DEACTIVATED! ... Verizon doesn't open until the morning and I'm stuck without cellphone service.    

And Morbo42, too:

Before the 5.0.1 update I...didn't have any battery problems on my iPhone 4S. But...I now seem to have one. ... The phone was charging over night...now after 20min of ... reading some news...and 1h 26min of standby, it is already down to 92%. ... Up until yesterday it was at 97-98% at this time of day.     

New Apple TV Update Bricks Some Systems

from TFTS

[Just Six Days After The 4.4 Update, Apple Releases 4.4.1 With Several Problems Reported From Those Installing It, Leads To Apple Pulling The Update]

If you’re shaking your head right now and wondering why I’m talking about an Apple TV update when I just put up a story about an Apple TV update, your observant nature has shown that something is up. I assure you there are two good reasons to do this: one, this is update 4.4.1, and two, it seems to be having some adverse effects for users that install it.


Apple’s 4.4.1 update for Apple TV was geared toward fixing bugs in the 4.4 update, but as it turned out, it caused more problems than it solved, the biggest of which was reducing your Apple TV box to a paperweight. While in many cases the bricking didn’t seem permanent–many reported that they could fix it with relative ease by plugging it into a USB port and reverting to the 4.4 update, though it does seem a lot easier here just to not install 4.4.1 in the first place and let them fix the update that was set to fix the update.


The problems, however, don’t seem to be universal, with more than a few folks reporting that 4.4.1 went on their system without incident and improved 4.4 nicely. Though at last report, Apple seems to have pulled the 4.4.1 update entirely, so the reports of bricking must have ultimately outweighed the reports that nothing went wrong while having this installed. Either way, it’s part of a strange set of recent failings for Apple–between the reports of poor battery life and yellowing screens on the iPhone 4S and now this, things have been going oddly wrong of late for them.


But what about you guys? Anyone out there install the 4.4.1 update on their systems? Are you finding it’s improved your Apple TV system, or has it made things worse? The more user stories we can hear about this one the better, especially when it comes to making sure our home theater products work as well as they might. So help your fellow Apple TV users out and head on down to the comments section to tell us what you think!