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WWDC 2018: Apple announces macOS Mojave

macOS Mojave

At WWDC 2018, Apple announced the next version of its desktop operating system for Macs, macOS Mojave. Here's what's new!

MACOS MOJAVE FEATURES

  • Apple starts by showing off a new Dark Mode for macOS. It changes the color of the app windows, toolbars, dock, and more.
  • Dynamic Desktop is a feature where your desktop wallpaper subtley changes throughout the day based on the time.
  • Desktop Stacks is a feature that groups all of the files, folders, and tags to auto-organize your desktop. Stack icons are also scrubbable.
  • The Finder gets a new view called Gallery view. Makes it easy to preview images, videos, PDFs, documents, etc.
  • New Finder sidebar to see the full metadata of any file(s) you have selected, along with quick actions along the bottom of the sidebar.
  • Markup has been added to Quick Look
  • New screenshots functionality - similar to iOS, the screenshot appears in the bottom corner of the screen, and when you click on it, you get a Quick Look with a bunch of readily-available tools
  • A new screenshot tool also allows for quick video recording
  • New Continuity Camerea feature allows you to use your iOS device as a camera to insert photos into Mac documents. This can also be used for document scanning from an iOS device into a Mac doc.
  • Enhanced eGPU support

APPS

  • The Apple News app is coming to the Mac in macOS Mojave
  • The Stocks app is also coming to the Mac in Mojave
  • Voice Memos will be part of Mojave as well, with iCloud syncing
  • Apple's Home app will ship with macOS Mojave, allowing you to control your smart home devices, along with Siri support

SECURITY AND PRIVACY

  • Apple is extending protection to Cameras, Microphones, Backups, Message history, and much more
  • In Safari, Apple is auto-hiding even more tracking scripts connected to like buttons and comment fields
  • Safari is also making it harder for trackers to create a fingerprint of your device, so your Mac appears to look like everyone else's Mac, making it harder for ad companies to track you

MAC APP STORE

  • Apple has completely redesigned the Mac App Store
  • Similar to iOS, the Mac App Store will feature editorials and stories
  • Videos of apps are built in to give a better idea of how the apps look and feel
  • More categories like Create, Work, Play, and Develop to easier find groups of apps
  • Microsoft is bringing Office 365 to the Mac App Store
  • Panic is bringing Transmit
  • BareBones bringing BBEdit
  • Adobe is bringing Lightroom

Apple also answered the question of whether they are merging macOS and iOS - the answer is "No!" However, Apple will be allowing iOS apps on the Mac through a new set of UI instructions. It starts in 2018 with News, Stocks, Home, and Voice Memos. In 2019, developers will have access to these tools as well.


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Hands on with the new Oculus Go and Lenovo Mirage Solo portable VR headsets - Geared Up!

The Geared Up Giveaway is back! We're giving Geared Up subscribers the chance to win an Oculus Go headset. See the bottom of this post for details on how to enter the giveaway.

The VR hype is starting to get real. Just in the past two weeks, Facebook's Oculus launched the highly affordable and convenient Oculus Go while Lenovo debuted its more sophisticated by pricey Mirage Solo, both more convenient devices than their powerful but bulky predecessors. So how do the two new headsets compare? We've been testing them out and on this episode, we go hands-on with both devices to give our reviews.

Plus, we're offering Geared Up subscribers the chance to win an Oculus Go headset -- just subscribe to Geared Up in your favorite podcast app and use the widget at the bottom of the page to enter. In other news, Apple is facing a class-action lawsuit over the controversial MacBook keyboard and Microsoft announced a second generation of the Surface Hub, its huge wall-mounted PC. HP also made headlines this week with its announcement of several new laptops and desktops.

Win an Oculus Go VR Headset from Geared Up!

Subscribe to the Geared Up podcast:


So, what is an Ultrabook anyway?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Editorial, Microsoft, PC / Laptop,

Lenovo yoga ultrabook

If you've been shopping for a laptop lately, you may have a vague idea that "ultrabook" means "lightweight" and "small" but otherwise you may be a little confused about why some laptops are called ultrabooks and others aren't. It's understandable – this is one of those areas where names sort of caught on and many different manufacturers started using it, often with different ideas about what it meant. Here are the major points that define an ultrabook, and more importantly the top ultrabooks, and why they matter if you are getting ready to buy a computer.

Click to continue reading So, what is an Ultrabook anyway?


Bleeding Edge TV 586: Apple MacBook (2016) Review [1.3GHz Core m7]

The new 2016 Apple MacBook brings with it a number of hardware upgrades, as well as a new Rose Gold color. We get into all the changes, including up-close looks at the Gold and rose gold colors, benchmarks on the faster SSD, Intel graphics chip, and RAM. Is this the best Mac laptop that you can buy when looking for a mix or portability, power, and a great display? Find out in our MacBook review.

You can pick up the Apple MacBook now.

Don't forget to subscribe to Gear Live's YouTube channel--also, we are giving away awesome perks for our Patreon backers - thanks for your support!

 

Click to continue reading Bleeding Edge TV 586: Apple MacBook (2016) Review [1.3GHz Core m7]


Apple OS X 10.11 El Capitan now available, here’s what’s new!

OS X El Capitan download

Apple has released OS X 10.11 El Capitan to the public, and all users with compatible Macs are able to download the updated version of Apple’s desktop operating system for free from the Mac App Store. Just launch the Mac App Store to grab the download, or if you don’t see it, you can use this link to take you right to it: OS X El Capitan

OS X El Capitan brings with it a slew of bug fixes and performance improvements, tightening up everything from last year’s Yosemite release. That said, there are still quite a few user-facing improvements as well. These include:

Click to continue reading Apple OS X 10.11 El Capitan now available, here’s what’s new!


OS X 10.11 El Capitan will be released on September 30

OS X El Capitan Beta 5 download

During a demo of the new iPhone 6s 3D Touch feature at the Hey Siri, Give Us A Hint event, Apple's Craig Federighi opened an email on his iPhone 6s from Phil Schiller that announced that OS X El Capitan would be released on September 30th. Apple's latest OS X 10.11 Mac operating system has been in beta since WWDC 2015 in June. Thanks to that peek at Federighi's email, we now know that all Mac users with compatible computers will be able to update to El Capitan three weeks from today, completely for free.

Click to continue reading OS X 10.11 El Capitan will be released on September 30


This is Apple’s new gold MacBook

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Design, PC / Laptop,

Apple Gold MacBook open

Apple’s Spring Forward event is where the company unveiled the brand new MacBook with 12-inch Retina display. We’ve already gone through the specs and major changes, but one other subtle change is that this is the first Apple notebook that will be available in a gold hue. Actually, the MacBook will come in silver, gold, and space gray—the same three colors that you’ll find the iPhone and iPad come in as well, but the gold is particularly intriguing, as it's not a color you see on the everyday notebook computer. Take a look at the images for a glimpse of the new style. You can buy the new MacBook starting April 10th.

Click to continue reading This is Apple’s new gold MacBook


Apple announces new MacBook with 12-inch Retina display

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, PC / Laptop,

New Apple MacBook Retina

Apple just announced a brand new MacBook, which features an all new 12-inch Retina display, at this morning's Spring Forward event. While the Retina display is impressive with a 2304 x 1440 resolution, there's much more to the MacBook that warrants discussion. The smallest Apple notebook was previously the 11-inch MacBook Air, and the new MacBook has stolen that crown, even while having a larger display. It's 24% thinner than the MacBook Air, and it the first Apple notebook that has an all metal enclosure. The keyboard is full-sized, but redesigned with a new butterfly mechanism that makes typing more precise. The new Force Touch trackpad supports a new gesture, called Force Click. This is similar to what Apple announced for the Apple Watch - the trackpad is pressure senitive and can tell the difference between a light tap and a strong tap, and can do different things based on the force of the tap input.

One way Apple was able to get the new MacBook so small and thin is by eliminating all of the ports, foregoing everything you're used to in exchange for USB Type-C. This port is able to drive USB accessories, video for external monitors, power for charging, and more. Apple has also removed all fans from the inside, making it quiet, and even thinner than it would be otherwise. It's the first fanless laptop from Apple.

As far as specs go, the new MacBook starts with a 1.1GHz Intel Core M processor, Intel HD 5300 graphics, 8GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD for $1299. If you want something faster, you can go with a 1.2GHz processor with a 512GB SSD for $1599. The new Apple MacBook will be available in one month, on April 10th.


Ask Andru: Which Macs can run OS X Yosemite?

OS X Yosemite

OS X 10.10, better known as Yosemite, represents the next-generation in Apple's desktop operating system. Yosemite brings a new look to the desktop experience, and also ties OS X and iOS together through a feature called Continuity that I bet will make work a lot easier for Apple users. With any big change, customers will wonder if their older hardware will be supported. We recently received this question from a reader named Steve:

Q: I'm excited to check out OS X Yosemite once it launches, the redesigned interface looks great! My MacBook Air is from 2010, and I was curious if you knew if it would run Yosemite without any issues, or if I have to upgrade my computer?

A: I agree--I think the look and feel of OS X Yosemite is a breath of fresh air. I've been using the Developer Preview since it was made available at WWDC 2014, and when I use a Mac that is running Mavericks or earlier, it already feels like a big step backwards from a design perspective. Now, on to system requirements! The nice thing about Yosemite is that Apple hasn't changed any of the system requirements from what was required to run Mavericks. In other words, all Macintosh products capable of running OS X Mavericks will be supported by Yosemite; as with Mavericks, 2 GB of RAM, 8 GB of available storage, and OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) or later are required to upgrade. To make it easier to figure out if you're specific Mac is compatible, here is a listing of all the Apple hardware that is Yosemite-capable:

  • iMac Mid-2007 or newer
  • MacBook (13-inch Aluminum, Late 2008), (13-inch, Early 2009 or later)
  • MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid-2009 or later), (15-inch, Mid/Late 2007 or later), (17-inch, Late 2007 or later)
  • MacBook Air (Late 2008 or later)
  • Mac Mini (Early 2009 or later)
  • Mac Pro (Early 2008 or later)
  • Xserve (Early 2009)

As you can see, anyone who has bought a Mac within the past five years is covered and will be able to run OS X Yosemite. Mac Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook aluminum buyers as far back as 2008 are also good. In fact, some MacBook Pro and iMac buyers from back in 2007 can even get in on the Yosemite action, and those computers are now 7 years old! This is a pretty large blanket of Mac users that will be able to enjoy the next generation of OS X, and I comment Apple for including as many Macs as it did.

OS X 10.10 Yosemite is set to launch later this fall, and will be available exclusively on the Mac App Store. At WWDC, Apple announced that it will be made available completely free to its users. Can't beat that!


Giveaway: Apple MacBook Air

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Hot Deals, PC / Laptop,

MacBook Air giveaway

Today in the Gear Live Deals Shop you can enter to win an 11-ich MacBook Air. You can get better than free, so this is our Deal of the Day.

Apple recently released an updated MacBook Air, and that's the one you'd end up walking away with if you win. That means a dual-core Intel Core i5 1.4GHz Haswell processor, 4GB RAM, 9-hour battery life, and blazing fast SSD storage. Ready to enter? Here you go:

Enter our MacBook Air giveaway

Don’t forget, if you’re looking for other deals, be sure to check out our Newegg Promo Code thread. Oh, and if you're on Twitter, be sure to follow @TechPromos for the latest deals.


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