Archive for: bug
- December 31, 2010 9:36 pm
Tonight, Twitter is quickly filling with reports of a new iOS alarm bug plaguing Apple’s iOS devices. Specifically, single-use alarms are failing to work once the calendar rolls around to 1/1/11. If you recall, back in November after Daylight Savings Time went into effect, we saw a similar alarm issue. Though at that time it was the exact opposite scenario — only recurring alarms were broken.
For now, users can get by the problem by setting recurring alarms and then deactivating it when not needed — not ideal, but better than nothing we suppose. We’ve shot off an email to Apple for clarification as well as to inquire about any ETA on a fix.
With the last DST bug, Apple wasn’t particularly quick to issue an update as they allowed the bug to live on several weeks until the iOS 4.2.1 update dropped. Hopefully they don’t take the same approach again.
Update:
Looks like we won’t have to wait for Apple to fix this alarm issue. 9to5Mac is reporting that come January 3rd, the alarm bug will apparently fix itself. There isn’t any exact explanation as to how it fixes itself, but January 3rd is now less than 48 hours away. Stay tuned…
- December 13, 2010 7:34 am
Macbook Air users typically fall into the most mobile of categories, and ultimately favor portability and mobility over creature comforts. Realizing that, Apple designed the Macbook Air without an Ethernet port, because in reality, the Air is a secondary machine. However, in instances when you do need to hook up to a landline, a simple USB-to-Ethernet adapter can be used. But according to a growing number of reports, said solution isn’t working.
A growing thread in Apple’s own user support forums points to an apparent issue with the $29 Apple-certified USB-to-Ethernet adapter not actually working. When plugged into the right USB port, the adapter will work for a short time before saying that it has become disconnected. The left USB port supposedly doesn’t work at all. Plugging the same adapter into a Macbook or Macbook Pro results in a properly working adapter, pointing to a software issue on the Macbook Air itself.
For now, users experiencing issues relating to USB-to-Ethernet adapters on the Macbook Air need to disable automatic connection setup, delete the current connection OS X has assigned the adapter, and create a new one from scratch.
Let’s hope Apple pushes out an update sooner rather than later.
In our daily travels through the interwebbs, our computers are silently attacked by faceless villains across the world. Helping us make the journey safely are a bevy of anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-malware programs. But every once in a while, a computer becomes unusable not because of the latest and greatest virus, but because of the very software that is supposed to protect us. With that said, users of popular anti-virus software, AVG, will be waking up to a potentially nasty surprise — an un-bootable computer.
The culprit is the latest virus database update, version 271.1.1/3292 (432/3292), which was released at 12.53am CET. The error message being seen:
STOP: c0000135 The program can’t start because %hs is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem.
According to AVG, it’s not as bad as it seems. The fix as it stands now comes in a few flavors. Perhaps the quickest and least involved option is to boot into safe mode and do a system restore to a restore point that was made before the latest AVG update. If you are unable to boot into safe mode, proceed to option two which AVG highlights in detail here. Basically, it involves using an AVG Resource CD and renaming a buried system file. A third option involves using Windows 7 Startup Repair. Lastly, a fourth and final fix requires that you read this article before you restart following the update. If you do, find the “. preparations” folder located at C:\Program files (x86)\AVG\AVG10 (64-bit systems) and delete it. Then, continue on with the reboot as normal. You can also use the AVG program itself to delete all of the temporary update files as well.
As of writing, AVG has announced that they’ve removed the update from their servers, and that it is ok to go ahead and update your AVG software once again. Furthermore, AVG will be releasing a tool to help affected users within the next couple of days. Though if that’s not good enough and/or the above methods aren’t working, try taking a look at this thread in AVG’s forums which has several more detailed options to bring your computer back to life.
Anyone’s PC go down because of the update?
Update
Commenter “ako” below found another method to try and fix the AVG problem
This helps me:
Navigate to:
Program FilesAVGAVG10 (32bit operating system)
Program Files (x86)AVGAVG10 (64bit operating system)
Find the following files:
avgrsx.exe or avgrsa.exe
avgchsvx.exe or avgchsva.exe
Delete the Files and reboot
http://www.avg.com/de-de/faq.num-4079#num-4079
Update 2
Could it be internal sabotage by a disgruntled employee? Apparently AVG just went through some “internal restructuring” the day before yesterday. On that note, when “sabotage by former employee” is mentioned, I always become skeptical myself. Far too often such a claim is made that in the end turns out to be completely false. Although, going by the tipster’s account of the two botched updates occurring in the same day (and a mere day and a half after massive layoffs no less) is certainly eye raising in and of itself.
With that said, the actual internal email sent out to AVG employees the morning of the layoffs is interesting nonetheless. The dots can certainly be connected in such a way to suggest some illicit dealings, though I’ll leave the final decision to each of you. Email after the jump…
- November 11, 2010 10:32 pm
Bad news bears for iOS 4.2 hopefuls who were planning on staying home from work tomorrow to update their iOS devices to version 4.2 — An apparent WiFi bug affecting the iPad has caused the update to be put on hold. Specifically, the iPad running the latest GM build of iOS 4.2 had a problem in which it would drop any WiFi connection after a few minutes. Supposedly Apple is already on top of it and has a second GM build ready to go for tomorrow. However, it will take several days of extensive testing to make sure any remaining bugs are removed for good, meaning we the people won’t see iOS 4.2 until sometime next week — most likely next Friday.
So no, this weekend won’t be spent pillaging through the inner sanctums of iOS 4.2 on your iPod Touch/iPad/iPhone. But it just gives us something to look forward to next weekend, right?
- November 11, 2010 12:59 pm
The Dell Venue Pro is in my book, the best looking Windows Phone 7 device currently on the market. It’s sleek, stylish, and highly functional with it’s classic design and sliding portrait keyboard. But early adopters of the Venue Pro experienced first hand some of the early adopter blues — a nasty WiFi bug that prevented the device from connecting to protected networks.
But all is well, Dell is fessing up. In their blog, Dell acknowledges the WiFi issue (as well as an issue with mislabled batteries), and says that it was a small glitch in a small number of early production units. Specifically, the range of affected models includes those purchased by consumers between November 8th and 9th. Though the bug has since been fixed, Dell advises that affected users return their phone beginning next week for a free replacement.
Anyone GS readers experience the WiFi bug first hand?
Just a helpful hint for all the Gadgetsteria readers out there — if you’re running an iOS device and have a recurring alarm set and want to wake up tomorrow morning at the correct time, delete it. Then create a new alarm and set repeat to “never”.
The now infamous iOS DST bug first came to light several weeks back when Australian and New Zealand iOS device owners all showed up for work an hour early. And then, last week European iOS owners had the same folly, except their alarm was an hour late. Early tomorrow morning, the same fate awaits countless North American users as various countries and states roll their clocks back an hour in preparation for winter.
Apple finally acknowledged the issue late last week. Yet oddly enough, they’re choosing to wait until after it inconveniences millions of more lives by holding off on the fix and instead packaging it with iOS 4.2. Why they didn’t issue a quick update before it affected more people is beyond me. And no, the argument of “just watch the news” doesn’t work. As much as we’d all like to believe, gadget lovers aren’t the majority. As such, there are going to be quite a few peeved iOS owners come tomorrow morning.
At least we’re ahead of the game…
Good news: It’s Friday. Some other good news: Apple has fixed the Mac FaceTime/AppleID security flaw. You know, the one that allowed anyone with access to your computer to commandeer your AppleID/account, password, security questions, and all? Talk about light on your feet.
From here on out, any would-be evil doers who try to access your account via the “View Account” will simply be redirected to the FaceTime Account Preferences pane.
Super.
If you’re one of the uber paranoid, the new FaceTime for Mac beta is probably something you want to avoid like the plague. You see, there’s a reported bug with the new beta, and it’s actually pretty serious. The way the story goes is that when you log into FaceTime, you can see all of the Apple User ID’s personal account information. Even worse, when logging out, the password is cached/stored in the password box and isn’t wiped, allowing the next person to sign in as you and potentially ruin your day.
The discovery comes by way of German Mac website, MacNotes.de:
Once you’ve logged into FaceTime you can have a look at all the account settings of the used Apple ID. Username, ID, place and birth date are shown as well as the security question and the answer to it – in plain text, without another password request…
…When you choose “Log Out” from the top menu, the password remains in the password field, even when restarting the application. That shouldn’t be the case tho: Applications should remove passwords from the password field as soon as the application is closed.
Seeing as this is a beta, expect this flaw to be patched pretty quickly. On a sidenote: anyone tried the new FaceTime beta yet?
Of all the instances of things slipping through the cracks or someone “going out with a bang”, Facebook’s July 29th 2010 snafu will forever stay in my memory. The snafu, discovered by a TechCrunch reader, apparently involved (note the past tense — Facebook has already fixed the glitch) a small issue when changing your Facebook profile’s main language to Spanish. Up in the top right where birthdays are announced, the words “Fuck you bitches” resided instead.
Not exactly the Happy Birthday we’re used to. But in the spirit of a good laugh, I can certainly appreciate Facebook’s attempts to make me laugh. It was fun while it lasted guys…
