O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: 2nd

  • Apple releases macOS Sonoma operating system

    Apple releases macOS Sonoma operating system

    You’ve been waiting for it and it’s here.

    Apple on Tuesday released macOS 14 Sonoma, the newest version of its operating system for the Mac.

    macOS Sonoma has been in beta testing for several months, and it is compatible with the 2019 and later iMac, the ‌iMac‌ Pro, the 2018 and later Mac mini, the 2018 and later MacBook Pro, the 2019 and later Mac Pro, and the Mac Studio.

    The new operating system offers the following range of new features, fixes, and changes, among others:

    Screen Savers:
    Stunning screen savers of locations from around the world seamlessly become your desktop wallpaper when you log in

    • Shuffle settings for rotating through screensavers by theme including Landscape, Cityscape, Underwater, and Earth

    Widgets:

    • Widgets can be placed anywhere on the desktop and adapt to the color of your wallpaper while working in apps
    • iPhone widgets can be added to your Mac when your iPhone is nearby or on the same Wi-Fi network
    • Interactive widgets let you take actions directly from the widget such as running a shortcut, pausing media, and more

    Video Conferencing:

    • Presenter Overlay keeps you front and center while sharing your screen in FaceTime or third-party video conferencing apps (Mac with Apple Silicon)
    • Reactions layer 3D effects like hearts, balloons, confetti, and more around you in video calls and can be triggered with gestures (Mac with Apple silicon, Continuity Camera with iPhone 12 and later)

    Safari and Passwords:

    • Profiles keep your browsing separate for topics like work and personal, separating your history, cookies, extensions, Tab Groups, and favorites
    • Web apps let you use any website like an app, complete with an icon in the Dock for faster access and a simplified toolbar for easier browsing
    • Enhanced Private Browsing locks your private browsing windows when you’re not using them, blocks known trackers from loading, and removes tracking that identifies you from URLs
    • Password and passkey sharing allows you to easily share accounts with trusted contacts

    Messages:

    • Live Stickers sync from iOS and iPadOS to macOS, giving you access to the Live Stickers you create on your iPhone and iPad
    • Search filters for people, keywords, and content types like photos or links help you more easily find what you are looking for
    • Swipe to reply inline on any iMessage bubble

    Gaming:

    • Game Mode gives games the highest priority on the CPU and GPU, delivering more consistent frame rates and lower latency to wireless controllers and AirPods (Mac with Apple silicon)

    Keyboard:

    • Improved autocorrect accuracy makes typing even easier by leveraging a more powerful transformer-based language model
    • Inline predictive text shows single- and multi-word predictions that you can add by pressing the Space bar
    • Improved Dictation experience supports using your voice and keyboard together to enter and edit text

    AirPods:

    • Adaptive Audio delivers a new listening mode that dynamically blends Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency to tailor the noise control experience based on the conditions of your environment (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with the latest firmware)
    • Personalized Volume adjusts the volume of your media in response to your environment and listening preferences over time (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with the latest firmware)
    • Conversation Awareness lowers your media volume and enhances the voices of the people in front of the user, all while reducing background noise (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with the latest firmware)
    • Press to mute and unmute your microphone by pressing the AirPods stem or the Digital Crown on AirPods Max when on a call (AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd generation), or AirPods Max with the latest firmware)
    • Improved AirPods automatic switching now detects Mac up to 2X faster (AirPods (2nd and 3rd generation), AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd generation), AirPods Max with the latest firmware)

    Privacy:

    • Sensitive Content Warnings can be enabled to help prevent users from unexpectedly viewing sensitive images in Messages
    • Expanded Communication Safety protections for children now detect videos containing nudity in addition to photos shared through Messages and the system Photos picker
    • Improved sharing permissions let you choose which photos to share and add calendar events without providing access to your entire photo library or calendar

    Accessibility:

    • Live Speech lets you type what you want to say and reads it aloud in FaceTime calls or in-person conversations
    • Personal Voice helps users at risk of speech loss create a voice that sounds like them in a private and secure way using on-device machine learning
    • Made for iPhone-compatible hearing devices can be paired and used with Mac (MacBook Pro (2021), Mac Studio (2022), and Mac computers with M2 chip)

    This release also includes other features and improvements:

    • One-Time verification code AutoFill from Mail helps you quickly sign into sites in Safari, without leaving the browser
    • Inline PDFs and document scans in Notes are presented full-width making them easy to view
    • Grocery Lists in Reminders automatically group related items into sections as you add them
    • Visual Look Up for recipes helps you find similar dishes from photo
    • Visual Look Up in video helps you learn about objects that appear in paused video frames
    • Pets in the People album in Photos surfaces individual pets just like friends or family members
    • Option to say “Siri” in addition to “Hey Siri” for a more natural way to activate Siri (Mac with Apple silicon, AirPods Pro (2nd generation))
    • High-performance mode in Screen Sharing supports color workflows and improves responsiveness while remotely accessing a Mac (Mac with Apple silicon)
    • Item sharing in Find My allows you to share an AirTag with up to five other people
    • Activity History in Home displays a recent history of events for door locks, garage doors, security systems, and contact sensors
    • Battery health management updated on 13-inch MacBook Air with M2 chip to better optimize long-term battery health

    The ‌‌macOS Sonoma‌ update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings.

    Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices.

    If you’ve had a chance to try the macOS Sonoma operating system, either in beta, or through its official release, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via MacRumors

  • WWDC: Apple announces iPadOS 17, highlights upcoming features and changes

    WWDC: Apple announces iPadOS 17, highlights upcoming features and changes

    On Monday, Apple announced its iPadOS 17 operating system during the WWDC keynote, and highlighted the following new features and changes:

    Lock Screen: Like iOS 17, the new Lock Screen will offer a way to personalize the area. Users can choose an image, or multiple images, to appear on the Lock Screen. This image could be a Live Photo and Apple will synthesize additional frames to create a slow-mo effect when the iPad wakes. Fonts and colors can also be customized within the feature.

    Stage Manager: iPadOS will see significant improvements to its Stage Manager feature so that the size of windows can be more easily adjusted and users get more control over the workspace. The feature will support built-in cameras on an external display.

    Live Activities: Users will be able to see notifications for events such as sports scores, travel details, or a food delivery order, in real-time on the Lock Screen.

    Widgets: Widgets will be able to appear on the Lock Screen and perform actions such as turning on the lights or playing a song. Interactive widgets can also be placed on the Home Screen, which they blend in with, according to Apple, thanks to “adaptive tinting”.

    New PDF tools: Users will be able to have greater PDF functionality with the ability to use AutoFill with PDF documents. The iPad will use machine learning to identify and fill in the fields in forms intelligently. Other new features include being able to add notes and edit PDFs collaboratively in real-time with other users.

    Messages: Similar to the iOS feature, users will be able to lift subjects out of their photos and add Live Stickers and special effects. Live stickers are available wherever you can access emoji. The Messages app will also receive a new expandable menu where users can see frequently used iMessage apps. Users will also be able to jump to the last message you missed in a group chat. Other new features include an improved search engine for Messages, the ability to display your location live for the duration of your Messages conversation, and the ability to see a transcription of incoming audio messages.

    FaceTime: FaceTime will be undergoing changes, and users will be able to leave audio and video messages as well as use Reactions such as animations like fireworks and balloons that appear in the background. These Reactions can be triggered with a simple gesture, like a thumbs up. These animations will be available in other video-calling apps.

    Safari: Apple’s web browser will be gaining a Profiles feature that can be used to separate work-related browsing from private browsing. Profiles can be tied to Tab Groups and Favorites.

    Health app: The Health app will finally be surfacing on the iPad, and HealthKit will be available for developers to take advantage of the iPad screen.

    Finally, where compatibility is concerned, the following iPads will be able to install and run iPadOS 17:

    • iPad Pro 12.9 (5th, 4th, 3rd and 2nd gen)
    • iPad Pro 11 (3rd, 2nd and 1st gen)
    • iPad Pro 10.5
    • iPad (10th, 9th, 8th, 7th and 6th gen)
    • iPad mini (5th and 6th gen)
    • iPad Air (5th, 4th and 3rd gen)

    The following iPads will not be able to support the new operating system:

    • 2016 iPad Pro 9.7-inch (A9X chip)
    • 2015 iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st generation) (A9X chip)
    • 2017 iPad (5th generation) which runs on an even slower A9 processor.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via Macworld

  • Apple offers up to $200 gift cards with purchase of eligible products from Black Friday through Cyber Monday

    The first of the Black Friday announcements are here, and Apple has announced that its Black Friday sale will run from Black Friday (Friday, November 29th) through Cyber Monday (Monday, December 2nd).

    Apple has also announced that it will be offering up to $200 gift cards with the purchase of eligible Apple products like iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

    The exact details of the offer are yet to be announced. Apple says that gift card values vary based on products purchased. It’s likely that some of Apple’s newest products will be ineligible for any gift card at all.

    The Apple Shopping Event is taking place in many regions around the world, with up to £160 gift cards in the UK, 200 euros in Europe, and CAD$280 in Canada.

    As always, have a great Thanksgiving week and stay tuned for additional details and deals as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac

  • Apple to have iPhone X units available in limited quantities at Apple Store locations on November 3rd

    This is one of those times where it might just pay to camp outside an Apple Store.

    Apple on Tuesday announced that it will have limited inventory of the iPhone X available for walk-in customers on November 3rd. Still, the company added that customers are “encouraged to arrive early” given limited inventory.

    The iPhone X launches in more than 55 countries and territories on Nov. 3, where it will be available in Apple retail stores starting at 8 a.m. local time. Preorders start this Friday, Oct. 27, at 12:01 a.m. Pacific, 3:01 a.m. Eastern.

    (more…)

  • iOS alarm bug resolved under newer versions of iOS, Apple recommends updating if possible

    Sometimes Apple can pin things down from their end.

    Per The Unofficial Apple Weblog, a problem with iOS alarms breaking on January 1st or the 2nd appears to been solved by Apple, at least in part. In 2011 the glitch caused some iOS devices to stay silent despite alarms being toggled on in the Clock app. Most iOS 5 devices have been working normally in 2012.

    Still vulnerable though are devices running iOS 4.2.1. The gap is important mainly because v4.2.1 is last version of iOS supported by the iPhone 3G and the second-generation iPod touch. Those devices will likely never have fully-functional alarms, since Apple has never retroactively updated iOS, unlike OS X.

    Stay tuned for additional details and if you’ve seen this bug on your end, please let us know.