We got the release candidate for the 26.4 updates this week as well as the first "Background Security Update." Also, new AirPods Max 2: same design, better sound, same chip as AirPods Pro.
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📰 News and Opinion
Your Super Power is Thinking About Stuff
I would encourage everyone to spend time introspecting. Then act. Don’t just act without thinking, and don’t only introspect.
A Week with MacBook Neo
When the MacBook Neo was announced last week, I found myself very curious about this new entrant into Apple’s lineup, from an enterprise perspective. Could this be the new entry-level laptop? Could we save $500 a pop by switching some workloads to this machine instead? Let’s find out.
⚙️ Apple Updates
Managing Background Security Improvements for macOS using Blueprints in Jamf Pro
Rich Trouton:
As part of Apple’s unveiling of Declarative Device Management (DDM) at WWDC 2023, Apple announced that DDM management included the ability to manage software updates. Jamf Pro’s Blueprints leverages this capability to support to support managing software updates, including Background Security Improvements.
What is a Background Security Improvement, and how does it work?
Rather than building that into a full update to 26.3.2, because it only requires changes in the cryptex containing Safari and WebKit, this BSI swaps out the existing App cryptex and replaces it with a patched one.
Declare and Secure: Enforcing macOS Background Security Update installation using DDM
Philip Ross:
DDM Software Update plans have the capability to enforce installation of Background Security Improvements.
🔐 Security and Privacy
A DarkSword hangs over unpatched iPhones
DarkSword combines six vulnerabilities in iOS and Safari to deploy malware on the device. It demonstrates, once again, how important it is to keep up with updates.
Researchers found font-rendering trick to hide malicious commands
Imagine a book where the visible text is harmless, but hidden between the lines is a second message written in special, human-only ink. Humans can see both layers. AI can’t, and it only reads the visible part.
🔨 Support and Tutorials
How to survive the loss of Rosetta
One of the new features coming in the next update to Tahoe, taking it to macOS 26.4, is a Rosetta warning. When you run Intel code on an Apple silicon Mac, macOS will start warning you that you won’t be able to do that in the future.
Going with the Flow
what i want to talk about is the engine underneath it: the Okta Workflows system that made the whole thing run itself.
From Manual to Automated-Managing: Jamf Title Editor at Scale
we rely on Jamf Title Editor — a separate Jamf-hosted service (built on Mondada’s Kinobi technology, acquired by Jamf in 2021) that acts as a custom external patch source.
Self-service app requests from the Terminal
That gives teams a safe, auditable way to let developers install GUI apps without handing out sudo.
How macOS 26 Tahoe updates: 4 Download, preparation and installation
In my account of how Tahoe updates macOS, I had reached the stage when Rosetta and the main update had started downloading from Pallas, Apple’s software update server
🤖 Scripting and Automation
torarnv/tart-image-bakery: Not Your Grandma's Pies
Automated macOS virtual machines for Tart using HashiCorp Packer, with provisioning via shell script or Ansible.
karthikeyan-mac/AxMJamfSync
Sync AppleCare warranty coverage from Apple Business Manager / Apple School Manager into Jamf Pro
♻️ Updates and Releases
- utiluti 1.5
- SupportCompanion 2.4.0.81094
- MACE v0.0.23-alpha
- Terraform Provider for Jamf Pro v0.36.0, Jamf Platform v0.14.2
- IBM Data Shift 1.4.0 Build 216
- Munki 7.0.10, v6.7.1, 7.1 beta 5
- pseudo v1.0.0-beta4
- Support App 3.0.2
- Mac Health Check (3.2.0b1)
- Mactracker 8.1.2 for macOS, 4.14.1 for iOS/iPadOS
🎧 Listen
Mac Admins Europe
This April 30th, Mac Admins Europe launches for the first time in Leiden, Netherlands. Mischa van der Bent is here to tell us all about why this event exists, what to expect at the very first instance, and how the world is changing for Mac Admins.
Native apps with a cloud backing
AJ from Daylite joins the show to talk about native macOS apps, local AI compute, and the future of macOS software.
🎈Just for Fun
3D Print Your Own Lil Finder
After a week of tinkering with design files and babysitting my 3D printer, I have an adorable new coworker.