Listen up, Mac users! Apple is gearing up to release its first public beta of OS X Yosemite tomorrow, July 24, giving those without a developer account the opportunity to get their hands on it for the first time. Only the first 1 million people who sign up will gain access to the pre-release software, however, so if you haven’t already, submit your details today.
Europeans get new roaming options in iOS 8 beta 4
If you’re an iPhone user based in Europe, you’re going to have greater control over data roaming when iOS 8 makes its public debut this fall. Apple has added the ability to toggle Internet connectivity specifically alongside the general data roaming switch in its latest iOS 8 beta.
Destiny pre-orders get early beta access on PS4 and Xbox One
Arguably the most-anticipated game for the new generation of consoles, Destiny aims to be a sci-fi first-person shooter from the same folks who all but created the genre with Halo back in 2001.
Today, Bungie put out the call: pre-order the game now (which is set to launch to retail in September) and get early, exclusive access to the Destiny beta.
PlayStation 4 owners will get to play first, with a July 17th beta launch date, while Xbox One gamers will get to play just a week out on July 23rd. The beta itself will terminate on July 26, with a special event for all gamers who show up on the games servers before the end of the day.
Check out the trailer below for some gorgeous visuals along with a few details.
My OS X Yosemite nightmare (and how you can avoid a similar fate)
An overwhelming sense of eagerness overtook me after Apple showed off OS X Yosemite at WWDC. The redesigned interface and accompanying features, like a spruced-up Spotlight and the ability to take phone calls on your Mac, made downloading the beta version too intriguing to pass up.
Little did I know that moments after finalizing the installation, I would encounter a massive problem that would send me on an emotional ride.
Apple Seeds OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 Beta 3 To Developers
Apple is releasing new Mavericks betas like clockwork with the last three coming one week apart from each other. Developers can now download the latest Mavericks update, OS X 10.9.3 beta 3 from the Mac Dev Center or via Software Update.
The first OS X 10.9.3 beta added support for a full range of Retina scaling modes for 4k monitors. The other have mostly focused on bug fixes with the latest seed note asking devs to focus on graphics drivers, audio, Safari, and contacts & calendar sync over USB in iTunes.
An iTunes 11.1.6 beta was also released this afternoon to devs that restores the ability to sync contacts and calendars to USB after Apple removed the option in favor of an iCloud-only approach.
Source: Apple
Apple Seeds Second OS X 10.9.3 Beta To Developers
One week after seeding the first beta of OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 Apple has released a second beta build of the update to developers this afternoon.
The last beta added support for a full range of Retina scaling modes for 4K monitors, but release notes for the second beta are light on details of new features – if there are any at all. However, it does ask developers to focus on graphics drivers and audio.
OS X 10.9.3 build 13D17 is available for devs in the Mac Dev Center or via the Mac App Store.
New F.lux Beta Balances Your Mac’s Color To Help You Get To Sleep
Those who live their lives glued to their computers love f.lux, a cone-saving app that automatically adjusts the color balance of your Mac (or jailbroken iPhone or iPad’s) display at sunset or sunrise so it’s easier to read.
For f.lux lovers, though, the app just got a lot better on the Mac. Previously, F.lux’s only consideration was whether the sun had risen or set, but now, it takes into account your body’s circadian rhtyhm. You can actually train f.lux to take into account when you go to sleep and wake up.
Open Sandbox Space Sim Drifter Makes The Jump To Mac On Steam
I’ve had my eye on Celsius Game Studios since I first heard about their in-development space simulator game, Drifter, back in 2012. Since then, developer Colin Walsh has continued to pour on the awesomesauce to create a game that–while still in active beta–impresses on every level.
Drifter takes place in a procedurally-generated galaxy that contains 100,000 light years worth of star systems to explore (that’s a lot of star systems–tens of thousands). The soundtrack is by indie-darling composer Danny Baranowsky (Super Meat Boy, The Blinding of Isaac) and it will thrill you in all the right places. Take a look at the trailer below to get a sense of how it looks and sounds.
Apple Releases iOS 7.1 Beta 5 To Developers
Apple has released a fifth beta build of iOS 7.1 to developers this morning, two weeks after dropping the last iOS 7.1 beta was seeded.
iOS 7.1 beta 5 is available to developers in the Dev Center or via an OTA update for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Like last time, Apple has also released a new beta for Apple TV as well as XCode 5.1.
The release notes only mention the addition of new natural-sounding Siri voice for English (Australia), English (United Kingdom), Japanese, and Chinese (Mandarin – China). We’ll update you on any other new changes once we get it downloaded on our devices. Feel free to yell at us on Twitter (@cultofmac) if you come across anything yourself.
Here are the download links:
iOS 7.1 Beta 4 Seeded To Partners Ahead Of Possible Dev Release Tomorrow [Rumor]
Apple has reportedly seeded its fourth iOS 7.1 beta build to testing partners ahead of a possible developer release tomorrow. The update is said to include “various fixes” for keyboard issues and problems with the Contacts app, as well as some more changes to the user interface inside the Phone app.
OS X Mavericks 10.9.2 Beta 2 Is Now Available For Developers
Apple released the second beta build OS X 10.9.2 to developers today, nearly a month after the first beta was released. Developers can grab Build 13C39 from the Mac Dev Center, or by running a software update if you’re already running the first beta.
The seed notes don’t list any new features, but ask devs to focus on Mail, Messages, graphics drives, VoiceOver, VPN and SMB2. The last beta added FaceTime over audio to the Messages and FaceTime apps. Apple also seeded the first beta of Safari 6.1.2 to developers that looks like it’s mostly filled with bug fixes.
Source: Apple
The Shift Keys In iOS 7.1 Beta 3 Are Confusing As Hell
The iOS 7.1 beta seems to be way more in flux than previous betas, adding odd little experiments (f.lux-style white-point adjustment) and handy – and surely temporary – little tweaks for developers (manual deleting of install files). But one thing that has been going crazy throughout the betas 1–3 is the keyboard.
And man is the keyboard in iOS 7.1 beta 3 a pain in the ass.
Apple Releases iOS 7.1 Beta 3 To Developers
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 7.1 to developers today as a direct download and OTA update. The release comes after beta 2 was seeded in the Apple Dev Center on December 13.
Apple hasn’t said what new features are in beta 3, but rest assured that we’ll let you know. New betas for the Apple TV and Xcode were also released alongside 7.1 beta 3 today. The public release of iOS 7.1 hasn’t been revealed, but this new beta is a sign that the software is getting closer to prime time.
Apple Releases First Developer Beta Of OS X 10.9.2 With FaceTime Audio
It’s been three days since Apple released OS X 10.9.1 to the public, and today developers received the first beta of 10.9.2. No new features are named by Apple, but devs are asked to focus on Mail, Messages, VPN, Graphics Drivers, and VoiceOver.
This Mavericks beta will likely undergo several updates for devs before Apple releases it in the coming months to everyone in the Mac App Store.
Update: FaceTime over Audio has been discovered in today’s beta. Here’s what it looks like:
The Five Biggest Changes Apple Made To iOS 7.1 Today
Apple seeded the second beta of iOS 7.1 to developers nearly a month after 7.1 beta 1 was released. Once again, Apple’s beta doesn’t contain any major new features but there are a couple useful tweaks that you’ll enjoy hidden among all the bug fixes, performance improvements and speedier animations.
Here are the five biggest changes Apple made to iOS 7.1 today:
Mail Pilot Is Now Available For Mac In Public Beta
One of the more popular app Kickstarter campaigns in recent memory is the one for Mail Pilot, an app that allows you to tame your inbox by treating it like a to-do list. In April, Mail Pilot was released for iOS, and users were told that a public beta was coming soon. And now it’s here!
BBM Channels Exits Beta, Coming To Android & iOS Soon
BBM Channels, the latest addition to BlackBerry’s popular messaging platform, which made its public debut earlier today after more than six months in beta, is coming to Android and iOS “in the coming months.”
VSCO Adds Following To Grid, Turns Into Social Network
VSCO, the iPhoneography app which retro-fies your pictures and turns all blacks into shades of dark gray, has taken what looks like the final step to become a social network: The VSCO Grid, a place for you to group and display your best work in – yes – a grid, is now followable. As in Twitter or Instagram-like followable.
Apple Seeds New Beta Build Of OS X 10.9.1 To Developers
Following last week’s first beta of OS X 10.9.1, Apple has seeded a new version of the beta – Build 13B35 – to developers this afternoon.
The new build of OS X 10.9.1 packs a couple of bug fixes for Gmail integration in the OS X Mail app. There are also some fixes for an emoji bug and improvements to Safari’s sharing capabilities. Developers can grab the new beta from the Mac Dev Center.
Apple also released second beta builds of Safari 6.1.1 and Safari 7.0.1 along with some firmware updates for the AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule base stations.
Source: Apple
All The Changes In iOS 7.1 Beta You’ll Actually Notice
This morning Apple released its first major beta build of iOS 7 to developers since the release of iOS 7 in September. On the surface the update seems to be just a bunch of bug fixes and performance improvements for a number of apps, but once you dig into the new software a little more there are a couple UI changes and new features that we’ve found.
Here are the new changes to iOS 7.1 that you might actually notice:
iOS 7 Beta Expiration Bricks Developer Devices, But Here’s The Fix
As you may know, every iOS beta has an expiration date. What happens, though, when you let that beta expire without upgrading to a more recent version? As thousands of people discovered over the weekend, your device gets bricked. If it happened to you, though, don’t sweat it: there’s a fix.
BlackBerry Resumes BBM Beta Testing Ahead Of Cross-Platform Launch
Had BlackBerry’s cross-platform BBM launch gone as originally planned, we’d all be BBM-ing each other on Android and iOS by now. Of course, that didn’t happen, and so we’re not. But the Canadian company is still working hard to deliver BBM to its rivals.
Earlier this week BlackBerry promised that it was “100% committed to bringing BBM to Android and iPhone,” and it just resumed beta testing on Android with a brand new release.
iOS 7.0.3 Update To Bring More Fixes Next Week [Rumor]
Apple is expected to release another minor iOS 7 update next week to address more bugs and early teething problems. The Cupertino company released iOS 7.0.2 late last week to fix a lock screen security vulnerability, but that introduced new problems of its own that are likely to be addressed with iOS 7.0.3.
Apple Seeds OS X Mavericks Preview 8 To Developers
Apple has seeded the OS X v10.9 Developer Preview 8 to developers this afternoon. The 8th Mavericks beta is coming to developers nearly two weeks after the 7th preview was released that came with new wallpapers. Developers can download the new beta build via the Software Update tool in the Mac App Store or directly from the Mac Dev Center.
Apple Seeds OS X 10.8.5 Build 12F36 To Developers
Apple seeded a the latest beta of OS X 10.8.5 to developers this afternoon with Build 12F36. Devs can pick up the update from the Developer Center or Mac App Store.
The latest beta build comes more than a month after Apple’s last beta for OS X Mountain Lion. The seed notes asks developers to focus on Wi-fi, Graphics, Wake From Sleep, PDF viewing, and Mobile Device Management. Developers will also find a new beta of Safari 6.1 in the Mac Dev Center that’s focused towards testing extensions for compatibility with Safari 6.1.
Source: Apple