O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: 2017

  • FCC to hold new neutrality vote on April 25

    FCC to hold new neutrality vote on April 25

    Following years of debate and controversy, the Federal Communications Commission is set to hold a new vote on April 25 that will likely reinstate net neutrality, restoring protections affecting broadband internet usage in the United States.

    Net Neutrality as a policy functions as the principle that internet providers should handle web traffic equally regardless of what kind of applications or sources are being used. These rules were introduced in 2015 and repealed in 2017, with the FCC considered to be on the verge of restoring them once again.

    The FCC announced on Tuesday that its April 25 meeting of commissioners will vote on the final form of net neutrality rules. Per Reuters, it already voted in October over the proposal to bring back the rules, with the result being 3-2 in favor.

    In this instance, the FCC isn’t planning to make any changes to what it had previously agreed on before the rules were pulled.

    Despite being in power since the end of 2020, the Biden administration wasn’t able to reinstitute Net Neutrality for the first three years, until it came under majority Democrat control in October. At that point, it had the opportunity to introduce a new vote on the matter.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and Reuters

  • Apple to release macOS Sonoma on Tuesday, September 26

    Apple to release macOS Sonoma on Tuesday, September 26

    If you’ve been hankering for Apple’s macOS Sonoma operating system upgrade, it arrives tomorrow.

    The company previously announced that the operating system would be released on Tuesday, September 26.

    Here are some of the new features, changes, and fixes you can expect from it:

    Desktop Widgets:

    macOS Sonoma Widgets
    macOS Sonoma brings widgets to the desktop on the Mac, and they are now fully interactive like on the iPhone. It is even possible to use widgets from your iPhone apps automatically, without having to install the corresponding Mac apps.

    Game Mode:

    macOS Sonoma features a new Game Mode that temporarily prioritizes CPU and GPU performance for gaming on Apple silicon Macs. Game Mode also reduces audio latency for AirPods and input latency for select game controllers connected via Bluetooth.

    Web Apps in Dock:

    On macOS Sonoma, any website can be added to the Dock as a web app for convenient access. To create a web app, load the website in Safari, open the File menu, and select Add to Dock. Web apps offer a simplified toolbar and support push notifications.

    New Screen Savers and Wallpapers:

    macOS Sonoma adds new Apple TV-like aerial screen savers that feature slow-motion videos of places around the world, such as Yosemite National Park and Dubai. Each screen saver can transition to a matching desktop wallpaper.

    Safari Profiles:

    The latest version of Safari introduced support for profiles, allowing you to keep your browsing separate for work, personal life, and more. Apple says each profile has separate history, cookies, extensions, Tab Groups, and favorites.

    macOS Sonoma is compatible with the following Macs:

    • MacBook Pro: 2018 and later
    • MacBook Air: 2018 and later
    • Mac mini: 2018 and later
    • iMac: 2019 and later
    • iMac Pro: 2017
    • Mac Studio: 2022 and later
    • Mac Pro: 2019 and later

    Other new features include the following:

    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

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

    MacOS Sonoma is expected to be released sometime around 10 AM Pacific Time/1 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday. Once the update is available, it can be installed from the System Settings app under General → Software Update.

    If you get a chance to install it early, please let us know about your experience with it in the comments.

    Via MacRumors

  • Apple to release macOS 14 Sonoma operating system on Tuesday, September 26

    Apple to release macOS 14 Sonoma operating system on Tuesday, September 26

    If you’re hankering for Apple’s upcoming macOS 14 Sonoma operating system, you don’t have long to wait. Following Monday’s “Wonderlust” media event, the company posted that macOS Sonoma will be released to the general public on September 26.

    Sonoma was first unveiled at WWDC earlier this year as the next iteration of Apple’s desktop operating system. It touts several new features, from interactive widgets and dynamic screen savers to big upgrades to Safari. Once September 26 comes around, users can find the update on their Macs under Settings -> General -> Software Update.


    These are the devices compatible with Sonoma, per Apple:

    • iMac 2019 and later
    • iMac Pro 2017
    • Mac Pro 2019 and later
    • Mac Studio 2022 and later
    • MacBook Air 2018 and later
    • MacBook Pro 2018 and later
    • Mac mini 2018 and later

    In the meantime, here are some of our a number of upcoming macOS Sonoma features:

    • Dynamic screen savers: Stunning slow-motion eye candy of landscapes, cityscapes, underwater scenes, overhead scenes, and more that play when you let your Mac sleep.
    • iPad-like Lock Screen: Sonoma fronts a slick new lock screen interface that takes a note from the iPad.
    • Safari profiles: Profiles allow users to partition information like history, cookies, and website data into specific profiles. This can allow for easier switching between work and personal browsing.
    • Widgets on desktop: You can now place interactive widgets on your desktop, giving you a quick glance at apps like music and weather.
    • Videoconferencing improvements: New presenter overlays that make for better screen sharing and new animations that activate via gestures captured by the camera.

    If you’ve had a chance to play with the recent macOS 14 Sonoma builds, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via 9to5Mac

  • Apple adds 2017 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro notebooks with Touch Bar feature to its vintage products list

    Apple adds 2017 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro notebooks with Touch Bar feature to its vintage products list

    It seems like it just came out and was nifty.

    Apple on Thursday added the 2017 models of the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro notebook with the Touch Bar feature to its vintage products list worldwide.

    Apple classifies a device as vintage five years after it was last distributed for sale. Vintage products are no longer guaranteed to be eligible for repairs at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers, with service subject to parts availability.

    Apple also added the Mid-2015 15-inch MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar to the list. The model sold from mid-2015 until 2018.

    The upcoming macOS Sonoma update is compatible with 2018 and newer MacBook Pro models.

    Apple first introduced the Touch Bar in 2016. The company later reverted to physical function keys with the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro in 2021.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and support.apple.com

  • Rumor: M3 Macs may debut in October

    Rumor: M3 Macs may debut in October

    With Apple’s September iPhone 15 event coming up, it’s seeming more and more likely that the M3-based Macs will probably debut in October.

    In his Sunday Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has stated that the first M3 Macs may debut at their own event in October:

    “The structure of the event, I’m told, will match the iPhone 14 launch: A prerecorded video will be shown online, as well as at an event at the company’s headquarters. There’s also another launch occurring in October — likely for the first M3 Macs — but it’s unclear if that will be positioned as a formal event.”

    It’s also likely that Apple may simply send out a press release to the new M3 Macs. The M2 MacBook Pro, and the M2 Mac mini models didn’t have an event, and, historically, most Intel MacBook Pro and iMac spec bumps after a new chassis debuted hit the street after a press release.

    Over the last ten years, Apple had October events in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2021. Full events in October didn’t happen in 2015, 2017, 2019, nor in 2022.

    Apple’s shift from the M2 to the M3 processor is expected to occur sometime this fall. The M3 Pro, M3 Max, and M3 Ultra launches will be further down the road.

    Apple tends to make the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the 13-inch MacBook Air, and the Mac mini the first models to ship in a chip generation, and they are still good candidates this time around. The M2 Mac mini was released in January 2023, so that may still wait a bit if Apple maintains a regular cadence.

    Apple’s 24-inch iMac is also awaiting an upgrade, and with the M3 en route, it seems that Apple may skip over the M2 generation for the desktop. There’s also less of a chance of an M3 15-inch MacBook Air since the M2 hasn’t been around that long.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and Bloomberg