Apple has just rolled out version 10.8.5 of OS X in order to remedy a number of recent issues with Mountain Lion. The update packs fixes for WiFi file transfers over 802.11ac, message display issues in Mail and unwanted screen saver appearances, along with the usual less-specific tweaks. If you haven't already seen the App Store notification in your Dock, a quick trip to that repository should reveal the fix after a required restart.
Cupertino has been known to share a stat or two during its WWDC keynotes, so it's hardly a surprise that the company just dropped some sales figures for its Mountain Lion. According to Tim Cook, 28 million copies of the OS have shipped, making it the best-selling Mac release of all time. Cook also said that about 35 percent of users have updated, compared to less than five percent for Windows 8. And Apple wasn't just talking Mountain Lion to brag; those numbers were part of a build-up to announcing the latest desktop-based software: OS X Mavericks. Hit up that link for more info.
It's certainly been a long time coming, but the latest version (2.2.1) of Twitter for Mac finally brings support for Notification Center in OS X Mountain Lion. Aside from the side-pane pings for your @replies and DMs, a number of fixes have been implemented that should stabilize your experience some more. Most notably, Growl users on Lion and Mountain Lion can enjoy receiving notifications again. The update is available directly from the Mac App Store right now, so hit the source link if you're interested.
Filed under: Internet, Software
Via: 9to5Mac
Source: Mac App Store
Code in the latest 10.8.4 beta version of Mountain Lion discovered by a 9to5 Mac tipster shows OS X support for 802.11ac WiFi, meaning next-gen Macs might contain the tech. Also dubbed 5G, 802.11ac brings speeds as high as 1.3Gbps thanks to beamforming, while also offering more range and robustness compared to its 802.11n predecessor. To date we've seen oodles of routers packing the still-uncertified wireless format, but only a single notebook with the tech has passed through our doors -- the Asus G75VW gaming notebook. That might change with a reference to the standard in the "WiFi-frameworks" folder in Mountain Lion's latest beta, 10.8.4, which was recently sent to developers. Of course, until we see a real Cupertino product packing such a radio, it's just that -- code.
[Image credit: 9to5 Mac]
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Apple
Source: 9to5 Mac
We've some good news to share for Mountain Lion users: OS X 10.8.3 is now available for download. As you'd expect, the new software brings a number of fixes and enhancements, but in a delicious twist of irony, the most substantial may very well be for Windows users. That's because version 10.8.3 introduces official support for Boot Camp with Windows 8, and it also brings compatibility for Boot Camp on Macs with hard drives larger than 3TB. Meanwhile, OS X users will benefit from Safari 6.0.3 and the ability to redeem iTunes gift cards in the Mac App Store by using the built-in iSight camera. OS X 10.8.3 is also said to resolve an audio stutter issue for 2011 iMacs and correct any unresponsive plugins that Logic Pro users might've noticed. You'll find the complete list of improvements after the break, but while you read, you might wanna dig into that Apple menu and get downloading.
Via: MacRumors
Source: Apple
Apple's 'Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 4.04' is out, and although we rarely report on these frequent releases, there are a few notable shooters named in this particular version. Available for Macs running OS X Lion 10.7.5 and above, or Mountain Lion 10.8.2 and above, the update now allows RAW snaps from Sony's compact Cyber-shot RX1 and Nikon's D5200 SLR to play nice with Aperture and iPhoto software. Plenty of other cameras are also on the changelog: Leica's X2, V-Lux 4 and D-Lux 6, as well as Pentax's Q, K-30, K-5 II and IIs. A quick trip to the App Store will get you on the latest version and have you cooking something up in Aperture before you can say "medium-rare." Bon appétit.
Filed under: Cameras, Software, Apple
Via: CNET
Source: Apple
October 23rd was mostly the iPad mini's coming out party; an event with one major headliner. But that newborn product didn't enter Apple's ecosystem alone. Amidst the flurry of announcements, there was one other wee hardware relative on hand ready to join in on the launch festivities: a refreshed 2012 Mac mini. Addressing criticisms of last year's model, Apple added USB 3.0 ports, upgraded to third-generation Ivy Bridge Core processors and boosted the standard RAM allotment to 4GB (you can configure it with up to 16 gigs). Perhaps most interestingly, it's now offering a hybrid storage option, the so-called FusionDrive, which combines flash memory with a SATA HDD.
One quirk still remains, though: the product's demographic leanings. Just who is the Mac mini for? Is it the go-anywhere, portable desktop best integrated in yachts, airports, automobiles and living rooms? Or, with a starting price of $599, is it the perfect, low-cost migration assistant (pun intended) for consumers making the switch from a Windows desktop? Follow on to see which hat this not-quite-an-HTPC wears best.
Continue reading Mac mini review (2012)
Mac mini review (2012) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Nov 2012 15:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mac fans not keen on picking up a new iMac to get that best-of-all-worlds Fusion Drive might not have to consider a full-on system swap if they're brave enough. Knowing how Apple's approach unites an SSD and a spinning hard drive in a single logical volume, developer Patrick Stein has used command line code to do just that inside his Mac Pro and prove that it works. His series of experiments with organized data shows the effect on storage speeds and that the pseudo-Fusion should even work with less common ZFS formatting. The publicly available instructions could well be tempting to Mac fans who want speed and storage all at once, although we might personally take a pass -- there's more than a fair share of risk in using an unofficial hack to recreate a storage technique that Apple hasn't even shipped.
Mac Pro owner crafts an example Fusion Drive, shows the fearless how it's done originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Nov 2012 05:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Look down the aisles at any Apple launch event, across the laps of dozens of journalists liveblogging or in some other way documenting the goings-on, and it's inevitable that you'll see MacBooks. A lot of MacBooks. And, since many of those laps are irrevocably linked to owners who spend their days jetting around the globe to other companies' events, those laptops are quite often the travel-friendly MacBook Air. So, while we were excited to see a thinner, lighter 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display unveiled earlier this year, many of us were left asking one question: "Where's the 13-inch version?"
Now, a little over four months later, here it is. Why the wait from one to the next? That's for Apple to know and us to speculate about (supply chain concerns? engineering issues?), but the important thing is that it's available now and it is, in many ways, an uncompromised, slightly smaller rendition of the 15-inch version that came before. It's thinner and it's lighter than the current 13-inch Pro but promises better internals and the same battery life as the 13-inch Air. Perfect portions of portability and performance? Let's find out.
Continue reading MacBook Pro with Retina display review (13-inch, late 2012)
MacBook Pro with Retina display review (13-inch, late 2012) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Not every update Apple makes to its RAW support in OS X merits attention, but when a new revision covers several of the biggest camera launches of the year in one fell swoop, we'll have our eyebrows raised. The company's not very elegantly titled Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 4.01 supports the unprocessed photos from Nikon's 'starter' full-frame DSLR, the D600, as well as a handful of hotter mirrorless cameras like the Canon EOS M, Nikon 1 J2, Panasonic Lumix G5 and Sony NEX-F3. Those who aren't keen on swapping lenses still get native RAW support for higher-end compacts like Canon's PowerShot G15 and Sony's Cyber-shot RX100. Provided you're running the necessary OS X Lion or Mountain Lion, Apple just gave you free rein to pick a cutting-edge camera and shoot (in full detail) to your heart's content.
Filed under: Cameras, Software, Apple, Sony, Nikon, Canon
Apple camera RAW update for OS X supports Canon EOS M, Nikon D600, compulsive photography originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Oct 2012 10:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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