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Apple News app kept crashing after iOS 12.2 update
The rollout of Apple News+ has not gone as planned for Apple. While the new subscription news service is supposed to be available in the Apple News app following the update to iOS 12.2, a number of users have taken to social media to complain about the app crashing repeatedly. Apple has reportedly issued a server-side fix to address the issue, according to 9to5Mac.
Microsoft is fixing a Windows 10 bug that causes Chrome to freeze
Since the Windows 10 April update, some users have been dealing with frozen systems when they're running apps including Chrome or using the "Hey, Cortana" command. The good news is Microsoft's working on a fix, which may be ready in time for next week's scheduled patch.
DJI offers crash insurance for drones
What often gets lost in the excitement of buying a drone is that there's a solid chance you're going to crash and destroy it. Since that would be $500-plus down the drain, DJI has launched DJI Care, an insurance program for its Phantom 3 and Inspire 1 drones. One year of coverage costs $129 for the $499 Phantom 3 Standard and maxes out at $699 for the $3,099 Inspire 1 v2.0 drone. For that sum, you'll be covered for "dropping, squeezing or crashing caused by operator error or other accidents," according to DJI. The coverage extends to the aircraft, gimbal or camera, but not to accessories like the propellers, battery or remote control.
Study says Android 4.0 and iOS 8 are most likely to crash your apps
Ever had the feeling that certain phone operating systems are more likely to crash your apps than others? It's not just you. Crittercism has posted its latest breakdown of crash reports from about 20,000 apps, and it's clear that certain operating systems aren't as friendly as others. On Android, Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) is most likely to wreck your day; KitKat (4.4) is close behind, while Lollipop's early reputation for glitches apparently doesn't affect apps. With Apple devices, however, the tables turn. While iOS' app crash rate is lower overall, iOS 8 is a bit more problematic than its predecessor. That's not surprising given that Apple hasn't had as much time to tackle issues in 8, but you may feel better if you're still holding on to 7.
WWE 2K15's 'My Career' mode crashing Xbox One systems
WWE 2K15 launched off the top ropes and into Xbox One and PS4 systems this week, and was met with a number of technical issues as it landed. Polygon reported that Xbox One versions of the game crashed during multiple attempts to play My Career mode, a game-breaking problem listed by others on 2K's official support forums. One player discovered a trick that appeared to solve the issue: Disconnecting their system from the Internet seemed to make My Career mode available to them. 2K's support team addressed other concerns, such as instances where PS4 players are unable to download add-on content like the Sting and Hulk Hogan characters. Additionally, the publisher offered a guide for players stuck on the game's demo match, which happens for those downloading the launch update at the same time. We've reached out to 2K for information on the game's early issues and will update as we learn more. [Image: 2K]
Battlefield 4 PC update addresses server crashes, frame rate issues [Update: Issues tracker added]
DICE updated Battlefield 4 on PC this week to address a number of server and client crashing issues. The developer patched the game yesterday, addressing "one of the most frequently occurring client crashes" in addition to other bugs related to frame rate and collisions. The update rectifies one particular bug where players were able to be shot while behind cover and changing their characters' stance, as the transitions between poses would occasionally lead to a "multiple frame desync." Among the other fixes introduced in this week's patch is the issue of grenades bouncing back from containers with open doors. Additionally, DICE fixed a bug that awarded teams a win in a round of Defuse mode by killing every attacker without disarming the bomb, providing it was disarmed in the previous round. The developer issued patches for Battlefield 4's PS4 and PS3 versions last week following EA's statement of commitment to fixing the game's numerous issues. DICE already patched up a one-hit-kill glitch in the game on both PS4 and PC. Update: Additionally, DICE rolled out a Battlefield 4 issues tracker thread in its official forums. The forum post includes a rather large list of problems in the game, the platforms each issue affects and their statuses. The status sections include three levels: "investigating," "fixing" and "fix live." The developer noted that the issue tracker is not a comprehensive list of problems in the game, and that while it has always maintained such a tracker behind the scenes in its projects, this is the first time it opted to make it public.
EA deploys Battlefield 4 patch on PS4 to combat crashing
EA has issued an update for Battlefield 4 on the PS4 just now. This update is primarily aimed at curbing the rampant crashes players have been experiencing, but also addresses single-player campaign save file corruption issues and a particular connection bug involving PlayStation Plus. Battlefield 4 has had a rough go at it on PS4. Since the console's debut, the PS4 version has suffered from numerous crashes. This resulted in EA announcing a fan appreciation event for this coming weekend, where all online players will get double XP and a special M1911 pistol scope previously only available for use by the DICE team.
Obscure OS X Mountain Lion bug makes many apps crash
TUAW reader Don McC pointed us to this Next Web write-up about an obscure Mountain Lion crash. If you type File: followed by /// in many apps, they will crash. There are 8 characters in total and the F must be capitalized. I tested this and managed to crash a bunch of apps. Echofon, QuickTime, Safari, and Notes all fell before the 8-character text, although Firefox did not . Most amusingly, when I attempted to open the crash logs in TextEdit, the logs killed the app! So what's going on? Here's what my system log reports: Feb 2 22:18:37 Esopus-Spitzenburg.local TextEdit[8417]: assertion on /SourceCache/DataDetectorsCore/DataDetectorsCore-269.1/Sources/PushDown/DDResultExtraction.c:1576 "CFStringHasPrefix(urlVal, CFSTR("file://"))" failed :wrong extraction: File:/// As the Next Web explains, it's an issue with a built in assertion. Assertions allow programmers to mandate expected behavior, validating input to assure its correctness. In this case, automated data detectors see what appears to be a malformed URL and send off an application exception reporting the internal inconsistency. The exception crashes the application because there's no built-in handler. I tried out the recommended solution (disabling spelling correction and symbol substitution) but it didn't work for me personally. TUAW submitted a bug report to Apple.
Chrome 20 browser released: exclusive 64-bit Linux Flash, fewer MacBook crashes
If your new MacBook is having kernel panics, or you're forced to run a 32-bit browser in Linux because you need Flash, Google's brought relief with version 20 of Chrome. While acting sheepish about "yet another release," the Chrome Blog said "hundreds of bugs" were fixed, including a MacBook resource leak issue which was temporarily patched by disabling some GPU features. Also, Linux users will finally get full 64-bit support for Flash with Adobe's PPAPI "Pepper" version, but since it was made exclusively for Chrome, Penguin users will be stuck with that browser if they want the feature. To get it, check the source after the br... oh, right, background update. Nevermind.
MacBook Pro crashes: Apple disables Turbo Boost under Windows?
Apple may have been aware for some time of the problem of new MacBook Pros crashing under heavy loads. According to the UK's PC Pro magazine, Apple appears to have deliberately turned off Turbo Boost for the top-end 13" model (with a dual-core 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7-2620M processor) when running Windows under Boot Camp. The magazine originally thought that Turbo Boost had been disabled under OS X as well, but then tests by AnandTech showed that it was only disabled under Windows. "We first noticed a problem when the benchmarks finished five full runs and the results popped up on screen: the times taken to complete several of the most intensive tests were rising with each run" says PC Pro. "This would suggest an overheating problem, so we ran a temperature monitor to find out how hot this Sandy Bridge CPU was getting." In fact, the CPU was reaching around 93°C -- almost 200°F. "93°C is not necessarily too high for a modern CPU, but it is the root cause of the bigger performance problem." PC Pro says they're sure the processor isn't turning off Turbo Boost dynamically, since it didn't work at all during their week of testing no matter what the CPU temperature was. Also, the cheaper model with the i5 processor did use Turbo Boost, as did the i7 model under OS X. And after measuring the underside temperature of the top-end model at 60°C -- 140°F -- they conclude that it might actually be a better deal to buy the cheaper 13-inch MacBook Pro. If Turbo Boost is disabled on the higher model, the lower-end version will actually run Windows faster than the more expensive MacBook Pro. (Edited to make clear that the problem as tested manifested in i7 13" MacBook Pros).
2011 MacBook Pros reportedly crashing under heavy loads
Last week we reported that the new Intel Sandy Bridge-based early 2011 MacBook Pros are experiencing issues with iTunes Home Sharing. Now it appears that the top-of-the-line MacBooks are also having issues when users are trying to put the new processor to the test. When operated under heavy load conditions, such as compiling code, running a virtual machine or rendering 3D images, the machines operate at very high temperatures and then lock up. A user describing the issue in the MacRumors forum noted that the machine appears to be completely locked -- no mouse control or keyboard response -- although it can be accessed via SSH. There's a very long thread in the Apple support discussion forums with a huge number of posts by unhappy users. Fortunately, the problem is very reproducible, which is useful in finding root cause for the issue. It's thought that the problem is related either to the graphics driver or the power management subsystem, which means that the solution could be as simple as a firmware update from Apple. The company is apparently aware of the issue, raising it to priority status and assigning engineering resources to finding a solution quickly. Until a fix is found, it may be best to quit as many open apps as possible when performing CPU-intensive tasks to avoid running into a freeze situation.
Stardock CEO apologizes for lashing out over Elemental pre-launch criticisms
Stardock CEO Brad Wardell has apologized for statements he made on the Quarter to Three forums, which PC Gamer subsequently referenced as evidence that folks should wait to purchase Elemental: War of Magic. In the statement to Joystiq, Wardell expressed that after a "lengthy and heated debate" over issues in the pre-launch version of the game, he spoke hastily and says, "As a result, I want to apologize to our fans for speaking so harshly. It should be said that some of the issues in question from the PC Gamer UK article, in fact, did not appear in any of our beta testing. We were surprised by these issues and, after working days on end with little sleep, I was very frustrated. I should not have engaged in an online debate about these issues, as my haste to defend what we feel is a great product only served to hurt the fans who have supported us and the team who has been so dedicated to this project." The PC Gamer piece urges its readers not to purchase Stardock's latest release. "We've held off from finishing our review because of the launch problems, but felt this warranted an early warning," PC Gamer's Tom Francis says, claiming the launch version of Elemental "on two very different machines with the latest drivers for everything ... crashed or hit a game-breaking bug every ten minutes." It should be noted that while our staff experienced similar issues in the game's beta version, we never encountered those bugs in the retail copy. A large patch issued last night is said to have fixed the frequent crashes, though it allegedly made tactical battles unplayable. Additionally, multiplayer servers are said to be running, but the mode won't be turned on until sometime next week due to "team exhaustion," a rep on the game's forums said. "The early release meant a lot of people who were expecting this weekend off to rest from the grueling last few weeks had to come in. So we're going to let them get a couple of days off later this week and open up the MP next week." With that in mind, it may be a few days before another patch arrives for Elemental. We've placed Wardell's full statement to Joystiq after the break, along with a poll asking for players to let us know if they've run into these bugs.
PS3 Dragon Age players report crashing with Firmware 3.30
What's the next feature to be removed from the PS3 through a firmware update? According to some posters on the Bioware forums, it's the ability to play Dragon Age: Origins. Several users have reported frequent crashes or freezes while playing the RPG after installing PS3 Firmware 3.30. "The game has crashed like 7 times in an hour just after the update," complained forum poster "scorpgul." Another poster, "eugeni_dodonov," reported that "it never ever froze before, but since 3.30 it is freezing like every 15 minutes." Players claim to be experiencing the issue on both original and "slim" PS3 models in the US and Europe. On Friday, online producer Fernando Melo indicated that BioWare was working with Sony to correct the issue, which he called "a bit out of the blue for us." We suppose your Warden could use a couple days off anyway.
16 month-old bug continues to crash Flash
Matthew Dempsky has discovered a bug which will crash the Flash player on every supported platform. That might not seem like a huge deal, except that he discovered this bug in September of 2008 and has reported it to Adobe, which hasn't fixed it yet. 16 months later. If you'd like to test it for yourself, make sure there's nothing important open in your browser window and head to http://flashcrash.dempsky.org/. In Safari and Google Chrome, this crashes the plugin but not the browser. It took Firefox 3.6 down entirely. Why would Matthew post such a page? Isn't that reckless? Well, he explains on that page: "Regarding crashing, I can tell you that we don't ship Flash with any known crash bugs, and if there was such a widespread problem historically Flash could not have achieved its wide use today," Lynch wrote. "Addressing crash issues is a top priority in the engineering team, and currently there are open reports we are researching in Flash Player 10." (Source: PC Mag, "Adobe Defends Flash, Calls Apple Uncooperative") He goes on to say: This page exploits a bug that I reported to Adobe in September 2008, and has affected every release of Flash on every platform since then. Despite numerous email exchanges with the Flash product manager about the bug, the bug report being hidden from the public for "security" reasons, and [although] Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch's claims otherwise, it continues to be an issue. ...I'm not an Apple fan boy out to prove Steve Jobs right in Apple's decision not to support Flash on the iPhone / iPad. Instead, I'm just a software engineer who at one time had to deal with Adobe's sorry excuse for a development platform and made an earnest effort on several occasions at helping them improve it for everyone. (This issue is merely the tip of the iceberg of ridiculous bugs and random backwards and forwards incompatibilities known as Adobe's Flash Player plug-in.) After trying to work with them to fix this issue and experiencing nothing but frustration, I just don't give a damn anymore. Adobe has been able to rest on its laurels with Flash, because it was a de facto standard. Now that the platform is being left behind by new mobile devices and computing metaphors, Adobe is making an appeal to the public that Flash isn't that bad. Adobe's been able to do much the same with Photoshop and CS4. Even people who love the apps and use them every day have learned to live with the crashes and other problems. Adobe seemed not to be in too much of a rush to get Snow Leopard compatible versions out. Ditto for when Apple switched to Intel. I'm amazed by people who continue to defend Flash, including those who believe that alternatives will have a chance if web developers weren't pushed to start using newer alternatives like H.264 and HTML 5. (No, I'm not saying H.264/HTML 5 is a drop-in replacement for Flash, and I'm not even going to mention SVG.) If we all went with the "de facto standard" we'd be using Internet Explorer 6 on Windows. Actually, we'd probably be using Internet Explorer 4. No doubt that Flash has done some great things. At one time, it was cutting edge stuff. Now it's a dull butter knife. And I'd be remiss if I didn't remind you about ClickToFlash which I've reviewed previously. (Hat tip to Craig Hockenberry and Mike Damm for bringing this story to our attention.)
Unexpected crashes and downtime hit multiple servers
A sudden wave of crashes has hit the North American WoW servers, with the Emberstorm and Whirlwind Battlegroups especially hard hit. As of this writing, most of the affected servers are still down. Blizzard is aware of the issue and is looking into it, but has no further information to give at this time. We'll update this post when we hear more.UPDATE: According to Crygil, tonight's issue was out of Blizzard's control, but luckily things have resolved themselves. All realms should be up within the next half hour.[Thanks to everyone who gave us a heads up!]
Rumor: WipEout HD crashing for users with large friend lists
We're not talking the type of crashing you'd normally associate with WipEout, this is far more frustrating. Since the European PSN Store was updated earlier today we've been hearing reports of people experiencing crashes and game freezing whilst playing WipEout HD. Members of the official European PlayStation forums think they might have the answer. It seems to only be happening to the more sociable PSN users; those with over fifty friends in their friends lists. There's no word on a fix, other than signing out of the PlayStation Network while you're playing. Obviously, this will prevent you from playing online. PlayStation Forum moderators are looking into the issue as a matter of urgency and hopefully we'll see a solution soon. We've experienced the freezing ourselves (and yes, our friends list is massive, thanks for asking), but an official cause hasn't been confirmed by anything other than anecdotal evidence at this stage.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Patch postponed for AoC's US servers due to crashing issues
Since the European version of Age of Conan updates ahead of the US, they have already patched and their servers are back online... well, sort of. It turns out that today's patch has caused some server instability, leading to constant crashing and disconnects. In order to prevent this from being introduced to the US servers, the patch downtime has been postponed. It is unknown at the moment when the downtime will be able to go ahead.Update: The US servers will come down at 9AM EDT.
Urgent Maintenace
Tseric informs us that the realms Aegwynn, Akama, Chromaggus, Draka, Drak'thul, Garithos, Hakkar, Khaz Modan, Jubei'Thos, Kul Tiras, Korgath, Malorne, Mug'thol, Runetotem, and Thorium Brotherhood have been taken down for urgent, but unspecified, maintenance. Further the continent of Kalimdor seems to be having serious technical difficulties - reports in the general forums suggest that the continent may be crashing (or causing player disconnects) as frequently as every thirty seconds. Ouch. Thank goodness there's a lot of cool stuff in the Eastern Kingdoms - just hope you didn't log out in the wrong place...
