Apple today released macOS Catalina 10.15.7, the latest update to the macOS Catalina software. macOS Catalina 10.15.7 fixes several major bugs that Mac users have been experiencing, and it comes a month after the latest macOS Catalina release.
The macOS Catalina 10.15.6 Supplemental Update can be downloaded from the Mac App Store using the Update feature in the System Preferences app.
According to Apple's release notes, macOS Catalina 10.15.7 addresses an issue where macOS would not automatically connect to WiFi, it fixes a bug that could prevent files from syncing through iCloud Drive, and most notably for new iMac owners, it fixes an issue that was causing a small white flashing line to appear on machines equipped with the Radeon Pro 5700 XT.
macOS Catalina 10.15.7 provides important security updates and bug fixes for your Mac.
- Resolves an issue where macOS would not automatically connect to Wi-Fi networks - Fixes an issue that could prevent files syncing through iCloud Drive - Addresses a graphic issue that may occur on iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020) with Radeon Pro 5700 XT
Some features may not be available for all regions, or on all Apple devices. For detailed information about the security content of this update, please visit: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
Since the launch of the 27-inch iMac in August, there have been complaints about a graphical glitch with the model that includes the higher-end a 5700 XT GPU. Many users have reported seeing flashes of a horizontal white line, and while it was unclear if it was a software or hardware issue, today's fix indicates that it was indeed a software-related bug.
Indeed, there has not been a 10.x.7 release since Snow Leopard in 2011.
God I miss those years. Bertrand Serlet was the head OS X engineer for 10.4 - 10.6 and also headed the Intel transition. Snow Leopard will always be the holy grail of OS X releases.
Apple should return to two year cycles. I remember having to wipe my Mac Pro with each biweekly development release and install each fresh. It allowed for proper debugging by eliminating possible third party apps and plugins from interfering in properly ironing out OS bugs while allowing developers plenty of time to work on their apps. Then Cook wanted to cash in on the Mac App Store by aligning OS X releases to iOS annual cycles to entice more developers and cash in on a new revenue stream with the Mac App Store.
Unfortunately, rushing release cycles lead to more bugs and less polish. I’d rather spend $129 for a proper OS release than free annual system updates that need more time for a proper release, especially as Apple began developing more variants of MacBooks and iMacs and Macbook Air’s and Mac mini’s and Mac Pro’s.
the genius of Jobs was his ability to see simplicity and make it work. When he returned to Apple in the late 90’s he slashed Scully era projects and created the now infamous Quadrant focusing on core products:
Consumer Professional
Laptop iBook/MacBook PowerBook
Desktop eMac/iMac PowerMac/Mac Pro
simple. No product fragmentation. Reasonably priced systems that balanced form and function perfectly. Jony Ive made his visions come to life and Cook ran the financials. It was the perfect trio.
Now we have three iPhone sizes and each have different features, iPad/iPad mini/iPad Air/iPad Pro 11 and 12, MacBoo Air, MacBook Pro 13/16, mac minis, but only one 27” iMac and a $6000 Mac Pro. Then Apple Watches with endless bands, HomePods, AppleTV and AppleTV 4K, iPod Touch, etc etc etc
I miss the three dedicated displays that ranged from 20”, 23”, and the award winning 30” ACD professionals used that didn’t cost $5999 without a stand.
Then they ditch their airport line instead of moving to mesh systems while pushing harder into streaming services. If 90% of your product line and services depend on wireless networking, why ditch a stellar network product line? Update it or buy out a company producing next gen mesh systems and bring them in house. Add mesh networking into HomePods and AppleTV’s as they’re already HomeKit hubs. Don’t wipe a central product line and sell third party systems that are hit or miss in working with the very products that depend on them to function. I knew Cook had to have made that decision as it‘s very typical of CFO’s to see only what may be and not what can be, thinking primarily about cutting divisions shortterm while not understanding the longterm consequences. Ever since they ditched their AirPort line consumers have had to fend for themselves in finding systems that work with Apple products.
I feared Cook would run Apple like Scully and he is only focused on one thing: stocks and marketshare. Jobs knew to create stellar products first and everything else would follow. He brought Apple out of bankruptcy and paved the way in reshaping numerous markets. Before the iPhone, cellular companies would not allow mobile device manufacturers to run their own software. It had to be Verizons or Sprints. AT&T was the only carrier who agreed to Jobs’ insistence on running iPhoneOS on Apple’s first iphones. After the success, Verizon agreed followed by other carriers and soon Android came out and the days of mobile phones running carrier OS’s became a distant memory.
Jobs was difficult but he knew exactly how to make it work.
First recent macOS release with a 10.x.7 update. I think the last time this happened was when we were on two year upgrade cycles.
Indeed, there has not been a 10.x.7 release since Snow Leopard in 2011.
I realize things are odd this year due to Covid, but I'm glad Apple is staggering releases a bit more this season. I hope they consider returning to longer development cycles and spacing out releases during the year as they used to, thus (hopefully) shipping better software and allowing products to reach further maturity through updates before the next version ships. They are trying to throw too much stuff out the door at the same time every year and it is impossible for any organization to do that well. One or two things at a time, please!
After the disastrous MobileMe launch, Steve Jobs sent a mea culpa email ('https://www.cultofmac.com/495868/today-in-apple-history-steve-jobs-acknowledges-mobileme-failure/'), including the following:
It was a mistake to launch MobileMe at the same time as iPhone 3G, iPhone 2.0 software and the App Store. We all had more than enough to do, and MobileMe could have been delayed without consequence.
Apple has more than enough to do with each major OS release. Slow it down, stagger the releases, and get stuff right.
First recent macOS release with a 10.x.7 update. I think the last time this happened was when we were on two year upgrade cycles.
EDIT: Yep, I was right. Last time we had a release go past 10.x.6 was Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.8, of which was the last macOS release on a two year upgrade cycle (and still supported the first Rosetta, mind you!). Catalina has really been a crapshoot. For perspective, first time this has happened in over TEN years. C'mon Apple & Craig Federighi. Hoping Big Sur will be better.
Glad to know you know everything that goes on inside of Apple on a daily basis...
I think I know Apple pretty well. I have been a developer since the developer program cost $1500/yr and MPW came in 3-ring binders. I worked for an Apple dealer (long before Apple Stores came about) and I have exhibited at MacWorld. Steve was deeply connected to almost every significant decision in the company.
Friday March 11, 2022 12:54 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Immediately after Apple's "Peek performance" event on Tuesday in which it unveiled the Mac Studio and 27-inch Studio Display, Apple quietly discontinued the Intel-powered 27-inch iMac. This left some observers wondering whether we'll see a new larger iMac sooner or later, or if the existing 24-inch iMac is as big and as powerful as it gets for the foreseeable future. After unveiling the Mac ...
Tuesday January 25, 2022 3:31 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Dropbox today announced that users who update to macOS 12.3 once that software version becomes available may temporarily encounter issues with opening online-only files in some third-party apps on their Mac.
In a support document and an email to customers, Dropbox said it is actively working on full support for online-only files on macOS 12.3 and will begin rolling out an updated version of...
Wednesday March 23, 2022 4:30 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Following the macOS 12.3 update that was released on March 14, some Mac users have run into issues with game controllers after installing the new software.
Complaints on the Apple Developer Forums and Reddit suggest that some Xbox, PlayStation, and other third-party controllers are not functioning over Bluetooth. Not all users appear to be affected, as some people have said that their...
Apple today released a new Safari 14.1.2 update that's available for macOS Catalina and macOS Mojave users.
The update likely includes important security fixes, but Apple has yet to outline what these fixes might be.
New Safari updates are normally introduced alongside new macOS updates for the current version of macOS and security updates for older versions of macOS, but the Safari...
Wednesday October 27, 2021 2:28 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today released Safari 15.1 for macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina, giving Mac users who do not have macOS Monterey installed access to the latest Safari features.
Safari 15.1 reintroduces the previous tab design that was available prior to Safari 15. With Monterey and Safari 15, Apple introduced a new "Compact" look that changed the design of the tabs and unified them with the URL bar,...
Tuesday February 8, 2022 12:39 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Following the release of macOS Monterey 12.2 last month, some Mac users who installed the software update started to experience excessive battery drain during sleep mode, seemingly due to Bluetooth accessories frequently waking up the machines. The issue appears to affect Macs running the first beta of macOS 12.3 as well.
Many affected users found their Mac's battery life dropped from 100%...
Following the launch of the new Mac Studio and Studio Display, Apple has discontinued the 27-inch iMac.
The 27-inch iMac had remained in the iMac line alongside the smaller 24-inch iMac with Apple silicon and was one of just a few Macs that still featured an Intel processor.
Now with the 27-inch Studio Display that can be connected to any Mac, Apple has seemingly felt there is no need for ...
Friday October 1, 2021 10:50 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple on late Thursday seeded the first beta of Safari 15.1 for macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina to developers for testing. Safari 15.1 beta is also included in the eighth beta of macOS Monterey seeded earlier this week.
The release notes for the Safari 15.1 beta are largely recycled from the initial release of Safari 15, but in our own testing, the beta appears to fix an issue where...
The Apple Watch Series 8 could feature an all-new design with a flat display, according to the leaker known as "ShrimpApplePro."
In his latest video on the YouTube channel Front Page Tech, Jon Prosser highlighted information from ShrimpApplePro that suggests the Apple Watch Series 8 could feature a flat display in what seems to be a design originally rumored for the Apple Watch Series 7. ...
While Apple's early M1-based Macs can only officially support a single external display, there are ways around the limitation. Anker is launching a new 10-in-1 USB-C docking station today which delivers just that.
The Anker 563 USB-C dock includes two HDMI ports and a DisplayPort port, and it leverages DisplayLink to carry multiple video signals over a single connection. Given that this hub...
Apple today released macOS Monterey 12.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Monterey operating system that launched in October 2021. macOS Monterey 12.4 comes over two months after the launch of macOS Monterey 12.3, an update that added Universal Control.
The macOS Monterey 12.4 update can be downloaded on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System...
WhatsApp is working on a new feature that will allow users to "silently" leave group chats hosted by the messaging platform instead of all members of the group being notified when they do.
As it stands, when someone leaves a group chat, WhatsApp announces their exit to the entire group, making the act of leaving very public. It's not possible right now to leave a group quietly, but WhatsApp...
Apple today shared a new ad highlighting iPhone privacy features like App Tracking Transparency and Mail Privacy Protection that are designed to give users more transparency and control when it comes to their personal data being collected.
The ad revolves around a young woman named Ellie who discovers that her personal data is being sold at an auction house, with bids being placed on her...
Apple's AirPods ruptured the eardrums of a 12-year-old boy in 2020 when a loud Amber Alert was issued, according to a lawsuit filed against Apple in California (via Law360).
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Apple on May 16 released iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5, bringing improvements for Podcasts and Apple Cash, the ability to see Wi-Fi signal of HomePods, dozens of security fixes, and more.
Top Rated Comments
Apple should return to two year cycles. I remember having to wipe my Mac Pro with each biweekly development release and install each fresh. It allowed for proper debugging by eliminating possible third party apps and plugins from interfering in properly ironing out OS bugs while allowing developers plenty of time to work on their apps. Then Cook wanted to cash in on the Mac App Store by aligning OS X releases to iOS annual cycles to entice more developers and cash in on a new revenue stream with the Mac App Store.
Unfortunately, rushing release cycles lead to more bugs and less polish. I’d rather spend $129 for a proper OS release than free annual system updates that need more time for a proper release, especially as Apple began developing more variants of MacBooks and iMacs and Macbook Air’s and Mac mini’s and Mac Pro’s.
the genius of Jobs was his ability to see simplicity and make it work. When he returned to Apple in the late 90’s he slashed Scully era projects and created the now infamous Quadrant focusing on core products:
Consumer Professional
Laptop iBook/MacBook PowerBook
Desktop eMac/iMac PowerMac/Mac
Pro
simple. No product fragmentation. Reasonably priced systems that balanced form and function perfectly. Jony Ive made his visions come to life and Cook ran the financials. It was the perfect trio.
Now we have three iPhone sizes and each have different features, iPad/iPad mini/iPad Air/iPad Pro 11 and 12, MacBoo Air, MacBook Pro 13/16, mac minis, but only one 27” iMac and a $6000 Mac Pro. Then Apple Watches with endless bands, HomePods, AppleTV and AppleTV 4K, iPod Touch, etc etc etc
I miss the three dedicated displays that ranged from 20”, 23”, and the award winning 30” ACD professionals used that didn’t cost $5999 without a stand.
Then they ditch their airport line instead of moving to mesh systems while pushing harder into streaming services. If 90% of your product line and services depend on wireless networking, why ditch a stellar network product line? Update it or buy out a company producing next gen mesh systems and bring them in house. Add mesh networking into HomePods and AppleTV’s as they’re already HomeKit hubs. Don’t wipe a central product line and sell third party systems that are hit or miss in working with the very products that depend on them to function. I knew Cook had to have made that decision as it‘s very typical of CFO’s to see only what may be and not what can be, thinking primarily about cutting divisions shortterm while not understanding the longterm consequences. Ever since they ditched their AirPort line consumers have had to fend for themselves in finding systems that work with Apple products.
I feared Cook would run Apple like Scully and he is only focused on one thing: stocks and marketshare. Jobs knew to create stellar products first and everything else would follow. He brought Apple out of bankruptcy and paved the way in reshaping numerous markets. Before the iPhone, cellular companies would not allow mobile device manufacturers to run their own software. It had to be Verizons or Sprints. AT&T was the only carrier who agreed to Jobs’ insistence on running iPhoneOS on Apple’s first iphones. After the success, Verizon agreed followed by other carriers and soon Android came out and the days of mobile phones running carrier OS’s became a distant memory.
Jobs was difficult but he knew exactly how to make it work.
How I miss those days.
I realize things are odd this year due to Covid, but I'm glad Apple is staggering releases a bit more this season. I hope they consider returning to longer development cycles and spacing out releases during the year as they used to, thus (hopefully) shipping better software and allowing products to reach further maturity through updates before the next version ships. They are trying to throw too much stuff out the door at the same time every year and it is impossible for any organization to do that well. One or two things at a time, please!
After the disastrous MobileMe launch, Steve Jobs sent a mea culpa email ('https://www.cultofmac.com/495868/today-in-apple-history-steve-jobs-acknowledges-mobileme-failure/'), including the following:
Apple has more than enough to do with each major OS release. Slow it down, stagger the releases, and get stuff right.
EDIT: Yep, I was right. Last time we had a release go past 10.x.6 was Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.8, of which was the last macOS release on a two year upgrade cycle (and still supported the first Rosetta, mind you!). Catalina has really been a crapshoot. For perspective, first time this has happened in over TEN years. C'mon Apple & Craig Federighi. Hoping Big Sur will be better.