O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: Power Nap

  • Apple releases OS X 10.8.2 Update for 13″ Macbook Pro with Retina Display, late 2012 21.5″ iMac and Mac mini models

    Where new hardware is released, the software updates will follow.

    Per AppleInsider, only one day following the announcement of new iMac, MacBook Pro and Mac mini models, Apple on Wednesday released an OS X Mountain Lion update built specifically for those devices.

    While the download is called OS X 10.8.2, just like the most recent update to Apple’s current operating system for all other Macs, Wednesday’s release is “for 13″ Macbook Pro with Retina Display, 21.5″ iMac (Late 2012)Mac mini (Late 2012).”

    A quick look at the release notes doesn’t yield much in the way of new information, possibly pointing to issues the new 2012 units are facing with some features in 10.8.2. Of note is the update’s compatibility with the 21.5-inch iMac, a model that has yet to be released, though the no mention was made of the 27-inch version.

    The update, a 654 megabyte download, adds the following fixes and changes:

    Facebook:
    – Single sign on for Facebook.
    – Facebook as an option when sharing links and photos.
    – Facebook friends’ contact information and profile pictures in Contacts.
    – Facebook notifications in Notification Center.

    Game Center:
    – Share scores to Facebook, Twitter, Mail, or Messages.
    – Facebook friends are included in Game Center friend recommendations.
    – Facebook Like button for games.
    – Challenge friends to beat your score or achievement.

    Other new features:
    – Power Nap support for MacBook Air (Late 2010).
    – iMessages sent to your phone number now appear in Messages on your Mac.
    – From Safari and Mail on your Mac you can add passes to Passbook on your iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 6.
    – New shared Reminders lists.
    – FaceTime now receives calls sent to your phone number.
    – New sort options allow you to sort notes by title, the date you edited them, and when you created them.
    – Dictation now supports Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, Korean, Canadian English, Canadian French, and Italian.
    – The Dictionary application now includes a French definition dictionary.
    – Sina Weibo profile photos can now be added to Contacts.

    This update also includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac, including the following fixes:
    – An option to discard the changes in the original document when choosing Save As.
    – Unsent drafts are opened automatically when launching Mail.
    – Receive Twitter notifications for mentions and replies from anyone
    – URLs are shortened when sending tweets from Notification Center
    – Notifications are disabled when AirPlay Mirroring is being used
    – SSL support for Google searches from the Smart Search Field in Safari
    – New preference to have Safari launch with previously open webpages
    – Graphics performance and reliability enhancements
    – USB 3.0 reliability enhancements

    As always, the update can be located and installed via the Mac App Store or OS X’s built-in Software Update feature.

  • Apple releases firmware updates for late-2010 MacBook Air, mid-2012 MacBook Air, mid-2012 MacBook Pro and mid-2012 Retina Display MacBook Pro

    Pretty much everything in the known universe was updated on Wednesday.

    And assorted firmware updates for your MacBook…those tend to be important, so let’s go through them.

    On Wednesday, Apple released MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 2.9 for its mid-2012 MacBook Pro notebook. The update, a 4 megabyte download, resolves an issue which can cause the system to hang during heavy processor loads and requires an Intel-based mid-2012 MacBook Pro running Mac OS X 10.7.4 or later to install and run.

    The company also released MacBook Air SMC Update 1.7 for its late-2010 MacBook Air notebook. The update, a 668 kilobyte download, enables Power Nap support on MacBook Air (Late 2010) computers, is recommended for all users running OS X v10.8.2 or later and requires an Intel-based late-2010 MacBook Air running OS X 10.8.2 or later to install and run.

    Second to last, the company also released MacBook Pro Retina EFI Update 1.0 for its mid-2012 MacBook Pro Retina Display notebook. The update, a 5.2 megabyte download, resolves an issue which can cause the system to hang during heavy processor loads, and resolves an issue where NetBoot does not function properly when using an Ethernet adapter and requires an Intel-based MacBook Pro with Retina Display running Mac OS X 10.7.4 or later to install and run.

    Finally, the company also released MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.5 for its mid-2012 MacBook Air notebook. The update, a 5 megabyte download, fixes an issue where Turbo Boost does not activate when using Boot Camp, and resolves an issue where NetBoot does not function properly when using an Ethernet adapter and requires an Intel-based mid-2012 MacBook Air running Mac OS X 10.7.4 or later to install and run.

    As always, these updates can be located, snagged and installed via Mac OS X’s Software Update feature. Be sure your computer is plugged in while the firmware updates take place and you should be home free.

    If you’ve tried the firmware updates and have any feedback to offer, please let us know in the comments.

  • Apple releases OS X 10.8.2 update

    You’ve been hankering for this for a while now.

    On Wednesday, Apple released version 10.8.2 of its OS X Mountain Lion operating system. The new version, a 665 megabyte download, offers the following fixes and changes:

    Facebook:
    – Single sign on for Facebook.
    – Adds Facebook as an option when sharing links and photos.
    – See Facebook friends’ contact information and profile pictures in Contacts.
    – Facebook notifications now appear in Notification Center.

    Game Center:
    – Share scores to Facebook, Twitter, Mail, or Messages.
    – Facebook friends are included in Game Center friend recommendations.
    – Added Facebook “Like” button for games.
    – Challenge friends to beat your score or achievement.

    Other new features:
    – Adds Power Nap support for MacBook Air (Late 2010).
    – iMessages sent to your phone number now appear in Messages on your Mac.
    – You can now add passes to Passbook (on your iPhone or iPod touch) from – Safari and Mail on your Mac.
    – FaceTime can now receive calls sent to your phone number.
    – New shared Reminders lists.
    – New sort options allow you to sort notes by title, the date you edited them, and when you created them.
    – Dictation now supports additional languages: Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, Korean, Canadian English, Canadian French, and Italian.
    – Dictionary app now includes a French definition dictionary.
    – Sina Weibo profile photos can now be added to Contacts.

    General fixes:
    – Adds an option to discard the changes in the original document when choosing Save As.
    – Unsent drafts are now opened automatically when launching Mail.
    – Receive Twitter notifications for mentions and replies from anyone.
    – URLs are shortened when sending tweets from Notification Center.
    – Notifications are disabled when AirPlay Mirroring is being used.
    – Adds SSL support for Google searches from the Smart Search Field in Safari.
    – Adds a new preference to have Safari launch with previously open webpages.
    – Resolves an issue that may cause the “Enable Autodiscover” checkbox to always remain checked.
    – Enables access to the Mac App Store when Parental Controls are enabled.
    – Support for @icloud.com email addresses.
    – Resolves a video issue with some VGA projectors when connected to certain Mac notebooks.
    – Addresses an issue that may prevent Active Directory accounts from being locked out.
    – Resolves an issue that may cause the policy banner to re-appear prior to logging in.
    – Improvements to SMB.
    – Addresses an issue with NIS users when auto-login is enabled.
    – Addresses an issue in which the Keychain may not be accessible.
    – Ability to pre-authenticate a FileVault protected system.
    – Addresses an issue that may cause Xsan to not automatically start after migrating from Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

    OS X 10.8.2 requires an Intel-based Mac running OS X 10.8 to install and run, the update itself being attainable by using OS X’s Software Update feature.

    If you’ve tried the new operating system and have any feedback, please let us know in the comments.

  • OS X 10.8.2 beta focuses on improving Power Nap, other features

    Come OS X 10.8.2, your Mac will take more efficient naps.

    Per AppleInsider, Apple seeded a new OS X 10.8.2 beta on Wednesday, asking developers to focus on a number of areas including the Power Nap feature introduced with Mountain Lion.

    Build 12C43 of OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.2 beta was seeded with no known issues, however it appears Apple is looking to improve operability of the Power Nap feature introduced with the operating system in July.

    Power Nap enables Macs to stay up to date and allows for the automatic backup of data while the computer is in sleep mode. Time Machine and iCloud syncing are supported, though compatibility is limited to mid-2011 or later MacBook Airs and the MacBook Pro with Retina display.

    The newest 12C43 build comes one week after Apple seeded the second 10.8.2 beta, asking developers to focus on system-wide Facebook sharing integration.

    As always, if you’ve gotten your mitts on an early copy of the beta, please let us know what you make of it in the comments.

  • Apple releases MacBook Pro Retina SMC Update v1.0, adds Power Nap feature to Retina Display MacBook Pro notebooks

    In the wake of an enormous operating system release, you can always expect some updates.

    Per MacRumors, Apple on Friday rolled out a firmware update for the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display enabling Mountain Lion’s new Power Nap feature two days following the new operating system’s release.

    The update, a 190 kilobyte download entitled “MacBook Pro Retina SMC Update,” comes on the heels of a Thursday firmware release which brought the same functionality to mid-2011 MacBook Airs and is available via OS X 10.8’s Software Update feature and enables the new Power Nap feature that comes with Mountain Lion.

    Limited to newer MacBook Air models and the MacBook Pro with Retina display, Power Nap keeps Macs up to date and allows for the automatic backup of data while the machine is sleeping. The automatic data-refreshing service, which handles Time Machine and iCloud syncing, is both silent and power-efficient.

    This update fixes several sleep/wake issues to improve the stability of MacBook Pro with Retina display (Mid 2012) computers and is recommended for all users running OS X v10.7.4. It also enables Power Nap support for users running OS X v10.8 or later.

    If you’ve tried the update and have any feedback to offer, please let us know in the comments.