Skype fixes instant-crash messaging bug, Fantastical comes to Apple Watch
Skype on Wednesday fixed a bug causing its apps to crash with a single message, while Flexibits released a new version of Fantastical 2 for the iPhone, adding an Apple Watch app.
The vulnerability drew comparisons to an iMessage bug which is still active, and leads iOS' Messages app to crash and/or trigger a device reboot. A more complex set of characters is needed to cause the problem, however. In the meantime Apple has offered a workaround and promised a permanent fix in a later iOS update.
The latest versions of the Skype clients for affected platforms should fix the issue, Skype said. There is no need to perform a fresh install.
Available with v2.3 of Fantastical 2, the Watch app's main feature is actually its Glance, which shows an overview of all the events in a day and details on the next one. The app itself does however display all calendar items for the next two weeks, and tapping on one will present more information.
A Reminders option can be used to see to-do items and check them off. The way calendars, reminders, and Glances are presented can be adjusted through the iPhone app's Settings menu.
Fantastical 2 costs $5 and runs on iPhones with iOS 8.0 or later.
Skype quashes messaging bug
Just recently discovered, the bug would cause Skype for Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android to crash if someone sent an instant message including "http://" and nothing else. The only remedy involved reinstalling the app after asking the message's sender to delete the original text.The vulnerability drew comparisons to an iMessage bug which is still active, and leads iOS' Messages app to crash and/or trigger a device reboot. A more complex set of characters is needed to cause the problem, however. In the meantime Apple has offered a workaround and promised a permanent fix in a later iOS update.
The latest versions of the Skype clients for affected platforms should fix the issue, Skype said. There is no need to perform a fresh install.
Fantastical 2 on Apple Watch
Available with v2.3 of Fantastical 2, the Watch app's main feature is actually its Glance, which shows an overview of all the events in a day and details on the next one. The app itself does however display all calendar items for the next two weeks, and tapping on one will present more information.
A Reminders option can be used to see to-do items and check them off. The way calendars, reminders, and Glances are presented can be adjusted through the iPhone app's Settings menu.
Fantastical 2 costs $5 and runs on iPhones with iOS 8.0 or later.
Comments
Sorry, can't stand Skype.
If someone doesn't have an Apple device for FaceTime, I'd rather send them a Fax!
Apple just does everything better!
And for the things they don't, maps, cloud storage, etc., I'll just wait for their usual successive improvements.
Even Apple's worst products still have the added advantage of seamless integration.
I remember people complaining about Apple Mail way back when and yet I loved just adding a photo directly from iPhoto in 2 clicks. Try doing that with Hotmail! Ugh!
Best
I remember people complaining about Apple Mail way back when and yet I loved just adding a photo directly from iPhoto in 2 clicks. Try doing that with Hotmail! Ugh!
Maybe, but after 10 versions of OS X, the way Mail handles attachments still sucks.
Sorry, can't stand Skype.
If someone doesn't have an Apple device for FaceTime, I'd rather send them a Fax!
Apple just does everything better!
And for the things they don't, maps, cloud storage, etc., I'll just wait for their usual successive improvements.
Even Apple's worst products still have the added advantage of seamless integration.
I remember people complaining about Apple Mail way back when and yet I loved just adding a photo directly from iPhoto in 2 clicks. Try doing that with Hotmail! Ugh!
Best
I like Skype. I use it all the time. It does a few things that Apple communication apps do not. For one, I can use it as an international telephone to call business land lines for pennies a minute. I mostly use it because it is cross platform and ubiquitous, especially in Asia where I do a lot of collaboration. I almost never use video, mostly voice and txt so it is nice that it is integrated into a single app. You can also transfer files within Skype, not that I have used that feature very often. Before MS bought it, the iOS app was a little buggy, but now it seems very solid.
Advantage: can now do conference calls
Disadvantage: Beholden to Microsofts bandwidth and monitoring