TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 22 May 2017

OmniOutliner Essentials and Pro 5.0.4 — With the release of version 5.0.4, the Omni Group continues to refine the two editions of OmniOutliner (Essentials and Pro) after the recent major upgrade (see “OmniOutliner Essentials and Pro 5.0.1,” 7 April 2017). Both editions of the outlining and information organization app improve clipboard functionality, enabling Paste to operate in the Save dialog and document name popover. That allows TextExpander to work in those areas, and both apps now correctly paste content
copied from Nisus Writer and Google Chrome’s address bar without styles.

The updates also fix issues related to exporting to Microsoft Word .docx and Excel .xlsx formats, count Note content in Document Stats when the column displaying the note icons is hidden, and ensure that password-protected documents exported to non-OmniOutliner file formats correctly leave the output unencrypted. OmniOutliner 5 is available from the Mac App Store as a free download (providing a 2-week free trial) with options for unlocking Essentials and Pro features at $9.99 and $59.99 respectively. ($9.99 new for Essentials, $59.99 for Pro, $4.99/$29.99 upgrades, free updates from version 5, 26.9 MB, release notes, 10.11+)

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TextExpander 6.2.1 — Smile has released TextExpander 6.2.1, a maintenance update with a smattering of bug fixes for the text-expansion utility. The release resolves issues with snippet expansion in the Slack app, partially fixes a bug with Unicode separator characters, sends a notification after snippets are changed when removing the group prefix override, and resolves issues with sending previous days’ statistics to the server. TextExpander 6 is available via a monthly or annual subscription, and Smile continues to offer TextExpander 5 as a standalone app for
$44.95 (TidBITS members receive a 20 percent discount only on the purchase of version 5). ($40 annual subscription, 6.4 MB, release notes, 10.10+)

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Things 3.0.2 — Cultured Code has unveiled Things 3.0, a major new release that introduces a redesigned user interface for improved workflows and clarity. The task manager gains a number of new features, including project headings that enable you to create categories, checklists to break down the details of a task, time-based reminders, and calendar integration for viewing your schedule for today and the upcoming week. The release also adds natural language recognition that autocompletes typing (such as “Tom(orrow)”), enables you to open multiple projects in their own windows, and adds app-wide tag filters that display
all items across all projects and areas.

Shortly after the 3.0 release, Cultured Code pushed out two maintenance releases — version 3.0.1 to address minor post-launch fixes and version 3.0.2 to fix several crashes and resolve an issue that prevented the OmniFocus import script from importing deferred projects.

For those with a Things 2 license, there is no upgrade pricing for Things 3. However, Cultured Code is offering Things 3 at $39.99 (a 20 percent discount) through 26 May 2017, and a 15-day free trial is available from the Cultured Code Web site. Cultured Code has also updated its iOS apps to version 3.0.2 and discounted them by 20 percent for the same time period as the Mac app discount. That prices Things 3 for iPhone at $7.99 and Things 3 for iPad at $15.99. You will have to upgrade all versions of Things to retain sync capabilities, which won’t work
between Things 2 and Things 3. ($49.99 new from the Mac App Store, 12.1 MB, release notes, 10.11+)

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Microsoft Office 2016 15.34 and Office 2011 14.7.4 — Microsoft has issued version 15.34 of its Office 2016 application suite, adding the Dubai font family to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Supporting both Western European languages as well as the major languages that use the Arabic script, the font family consists of four styles — Dubai Light, Dubai (regular), Dubai Medium and Dubai Bold (learn more from this Microsoft support document). Word also adds two
new backgrounds (Twilight and Polar Night) to Focus Mode, and Outlook now lets you view your top 10 groups (as well as read and reply to group conversations) from the Groups folder.

The OneNote note-keeping app also receives a redesigned user interface that’s aimed at simplifying navigation (especially for larger notebooks with more sections). It also provides a consistent design across all supported devices (see this Office blog post for more details).

On the security front, Microsoft has also released version 14.7.4 of Office 2011 to resolve critical vulnerabilities that could result in remote code execution if a maliciously crafted Office file were opened. ($149.99 for one-time purchase, free update through Microsoft AutoUpdate, release notes, 10.10+)

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Mellel 3.5.3 — RedleX has released Mellel 3.5.3, a maintenance release focused on fixing bugs in the word processor designed for long document writing. The update resolves an issue that caused text to scroll to the top of a document when invoking Replace Styles, rectifies a problem related to headers and footers that caused Mellel to produce un-openable files, fixes a bug that caused arrow keys to move the cursor around a table unexpectedly, and sorts out some typos and layout issues in the user interface and localizations. ($39 new from RedleX and the Mac App Store, free update, 128 MB, release notes, 10.6+)

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KeyCue 8.4 — Ergonis has released version 8.4 of its keyboard cheat sheet utility KeyCue, improving compatibility with macOS 10.12 Sierra by adding support for Command-click triggers on the menu bar icon and fixing a bug that prevented KeyCue from recognizing the current keyboard. The update also enables custom entries to override existing items, adds handling of non-standard URLs with characters outside the ASCII character set, and fixes a problem that resulted in an empty table when duplicate shortcuts were omitted by custom entries. (€19.99 new with a 25 percent discount for TidBITS members, free update, 5.2 MB, release notes, 10.6+)

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Airfoil 5.6 — Rogue Amoeba has released Airfoil 5.6, restoring full compatibility with all versions of Apple TV and supporting all security modes (Password, Passcode, First-Time Passcode, and Device Verification). In April, the company released the Airfoil Satellite TV app as a workaround for streaming audio to the fourth-generation Apple TV, but that app shouldn’t be needed now (see this Rogue Amoeba blog post
for more details).

The wireless audio broadcasting app also fixes a critical bug that could cause the local Computer output to lose sync, updates Instant On to version 8.4.2, improves the audio capture backend (now used by default when Instant On is installed), and ensures that Airfoil Satellite activates more reliably when you press the Show hotkey. ($29 new with a 20 percent discount for TidBITS members, free update, 14.3 MB, release notes, 10.9+)

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iTunes 12.6.1 — Apple has issued iTunes 12.6.1, which includes unspecified “minor app and performance improvements.” If you see any changes in user interface or behavior, let us know in the comments. In related news, Microsoft’s Build conference announced that Apple would make iTunes and Apple Music available on Windows 10 S via the Windows Store by the end of this year (see this Ars Technica article for more details). (Free, 270 MB via direct download or Software Update, release notes, 10.9.5+)

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Safari 10.1.1 — Apple has released Safari 10.1.1 for OS X 10.10.5 Yosemite and 10.11.6 El Capitan (macOS 10.12.5 Sierra also includes it; see “Apple Releases macOS 10.12.5, iOS 10.3.2, watchOS 3.2.2, and tvOS 10.2.1,” 15 May 2017). The update is focused solely on patching security vulnerabilities, addressing memory corruption issues in WebKit that could lead to arbitrary code execution, preventing address bar spoofing with improved state management, and resolving logic issues that existed in the handling of WebKit container
nodes. Safari 10.1 is available only via Software Update. (Free, 10.10+)

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Security Update 2017-002 (Yosemite and El Capitan) — Apple has released Security Update 2017-002 for OS X 10.10 Yosemite and 10.11 El Capitan, patching security vulnerabilities that the company also addressed in macOS 10.12.5 Sierra (see “Apple Releases macOS 10.12.5, iOS 10.3.2, watchOS 3.2.2, and tvOS 10.2.1,” 15 May 2017). Among much else, the security update addresses a memory consumption issue that could lead to arbitrary code execution, fixes validation issues that could allow an application to read restricted memory, and resolves a memory corruption issue that could allow an app to escape its sandbox. (Free. For
10.10.5 Yosemite, 421.1 MB; for 10.11.6 El Capitan, 710.6 MB; security content release notes)

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