2513_Weekly Tech Report: Chaos in the Digital Jungle – From Meta Quest to iOS Crises

The past week (February 24, 2025 to March 2, 2025) once again demonstrated how volatile our digital everyday life can be. Numerous disruptions across the Apple ecosystem, Meta products, and various apps make it clear that not only hardware but also software is being pushed to its limits in many areas. Every single reported bug – from quirky Siri responses to outdated app versions – raises fundamental questions regarding the quality and reliability of current updates and services.

Summary of the Key Incidents

• In the Apple ecosystem and with the iOS Beta 18.4 (version 22E5200s), critical issues such as faulty Siri activations, unwanted voice responses, and inconsistent iMessage synchronization have been observed. • In the realm of Meta products, outdated Meta Desktop Mac app versions and variable download IDs caused confusion, while the Meta Quest controllers provided unclear battery status indicators. • On the Apple TV, severe disruptions occurred: the Kino.de App demands a location with no proper manual input or internal location selection, and the NASA App displays multilingual error messages (“Media offline”) starting at minute 13:04. • Disruptions in the Congstar service resulted in unwanted log-offs, black screens, and incorrect mobile data usage displays, while public transportation was also affected by delayed buses and trains.

Apple Ecosystem and iOS Beta Crisis

Problems in the Apple ecosystem have been mounting since the beginning of the week: – The iOS Beta 18.4 (version 22E5200s) is once again causing headaches. For instance, Siri reacts to a side-button press but fails to speak the displayed text – even when the Siri side-button activation function is explicitly enabled. Additionally, Siri activates spontaneously at inopportune moments, such as in the bathroom. – When deleting messages in iMessage, the iPhone only shows the option “Delete Message”, whereas on the iPad the same message indicates that it will be removed from all devices. Furthermore, there are delays in delivery and synchronization, causing received messages to appear staggered or even “disappear” – until they eventually appear in the chat after a waiting period. – Critical incidents such as the crash of an iPhone 16 Pro Max and a failed restart attempt on an iPhone 15 Pro (which instead produced only a screenshot) underscore the instability of the beta software. – FaceTime video calls in landscape mode, particularly when the device is placed on a MagSafe charging station, also show clear disruptions.

Meta Products and Outdated Software

Significant issues also occur in the Meta sector: – Users of the Meta Desktop Mac reported that the app version available on the official Meta website is outdated. After installation, a message appears stating that a newer version is available – however, variable file names (Meta Quest Remote Desktop.pkg) and different IDs in the download links make unambiguous identification difficult. – With the Meta Quest, there have been unclear battery status indications: the controllers suddenly switch from “weak” to “poor” even when there is still sufficient power, calling the reliability of the display into question. – Another incident involved restarting the Mac: after a manual restart via the menu, a warning message appeared stating that the computer had shut down due to a problem, further contributing to uncertainty.

Apple TV, NASA App, and Other App Disruptions

Disruptions are also increasingly evident in the entertainment sector: – The Kino.de App on the Apple TV strictly requires a location, with manual entry or internal location selection not working properly. – A particularly perplexing incident occurred with the NASA App: beginning at minute 13:04, a frame is displayed during playback that shows the error message “Media offline” in several languages – including Japanese, French, Spanish, and others. – Additionally, users reported that the feed in the LinkedIn App does not automatically update when reaching the end.

Customer Service, Congstar, and Transportation Issues

The technical disruptions affect not only the digital realm but also impact customer service and public transportation: – The Congstar App repeatedly logs users out unexpectedly, shows black screens, and incorrectly displays mobile data usage. Particularly alarming is an unexpectedly high bill of €145 for the month of January. – In public transportation, delays were observed: a bus in Böblingen was delayed by at least 6 minutes – in an area where alternative connections are not available until 30 minutes later. Similarly, a delayed bus caused one user to miss the S-Bahn in Mannheim, resulting in an additional delay of 15 minutes on the commute. – Another incident involved a train in Mannheim that was delayed by 60 minutes due to a stalled freight train. In this case, an announcement in English further contributed to confusion.

Other Technical Irregularities

Other observations include: – Some users reported receiving error messages when attempting to send iMessage messages (“I can’t send an iMessage right now”), while WhatsApp reactions initially failed to register properly. – When sending photos via Email, a brief white screen on the iPhone resulted in a temporary function failure. – The AirDrop feature on the iPhone 14 Pro displays inconsistent status indicators, as the activation status is not correctly transmitted to the Notification Center. – When opening the settings immediately after unlocking the iPad, a black screen appears – initially only a weak 5G signal is visible, before the WLAN connection stabilizes after approximately 10 seconds. – Another curious incident: Siri responds with inappropriate outputs (e.g., “Hallihallo. How can I help?”), causing confusion.