OS X - page 3

Apple rehires cryptography expert to tighten security 

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Apple is ready to tighten security.
Photo: Milo Kahney/Cult of Mac

Renowned practical cryptography expert Jon Callas is returning to Apple to help the iPhone-maker stay ahead of hackers and the FBI in its on going battle with security. 

Callas co-founded well known secure communications companies such as Silent Circle, Blackphone, and PGP Corp. This will be his third stint at Apple where he is expected to ramp up security features across Apple’s wide ranging product line up.

First iOS 9.3.3 beta arrives for developers

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iPhone
Don’t miss out on iOS 13. Ditch your old iPhone now.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has seeded a new iOS beta to developers today just a week after the company dropped iOS 9.3.2 on the public. The new update likely contains a number of under the hood improvements and bug fixes, but Apple may surprise us with a few other tweaks.

Siri for Mac icons leak ahead of WWDC

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Sorry, Alexa: Siri still the most widespread AI assistant
Siri is coming to Mac.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s digital assistant Siri is expected to finally arrive on Macs later this year with the next OS X update, and now it appears that we already know what the new icons will be.

Screenshots of the upcoming Siri for Mac features were leaked online today, revealing the multi-colored wave icon that will soon rest on your dock, along with a new menu bar icon for Siri.

This is what Siri will look like on the Mac:

Microsoft can’t even give away Windows 10

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Microsoft-Surface
Windows 10 is almost a year old, and Windows 7 still rules.
Photo: Microsoft

I like Windows 10. There, I said it. But unfortunately for Microsoft, millions of others have no interest in it.

Despite being free for almost a year, the company’s latest upgrade hasn’t been able to put any significant dent in Windows 7’s user base. It has only just overtaken the universally despised Windows 8.1 release.

How to secure your Notes in OS X

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Password Protect Notes Mac
Keep your notes secure in OS X.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Lots of us were excited to keep our Notes private when iOS 9.3 added the feature to Apple’s mobile devices. We all store private details in our notes such as bank details, pin numbers and more within the notes app for convince. Knowing this information is now more secure than ever is one less thing to worry about.

But did you know that you can do the same on your Mac?

In this week’s Quick Tips video, I’m going to help you with your peace of mind and show you how to secure your notes in OS X.

Check out the video below.

Apple seeds fresh batch of betas to devs and public

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Click here for the new hotness.
New beta software is here.
Photo: Apple

Developers and public beta testers alike can download the latest El Capitan starting today now that Apple has seeded the third beta of OS X 10.11.5, plus the public version of iOS 9.3.2 beta 3.

The new updates come a week after Apple released the second beta builds of the new operating systems. Testers can grab the new software through the Mac App Store if you’re signed up for Apple’s Public Beta Program, but Apple has a couple extra goodies for developers as well.

FBI shares its first iOS and OS X vulnerability tip with Apple

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google-facebook-and-others-following-apples-lead-on-encryption-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201601iPhone-6s-Live-Photos-jpg
What Bizarro World is this where the FBI helps Apple?
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The FBI has informed Apple of a vulnerability affecting older iPhones and Macs. It’s the first time such information has been shared with Apple by the feds under a White House “Vulnerability Equities Process” intended to disclose security weaknesses when they are discovered.

The Vulnerability Equities Process is designed to act as a balance between the desire of law enforcement and U.S. intelligence services to be able to hack into devices and the public interest in warning companies of weaknesses in their systems that may be exploited by criminals.

Will WWDC 2016 be another Apple snooze-fest? [Friday Night Fights]

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fnf
Are you excited?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s most recent keynotes have been a little… boring. Even die-hard fans have been left disappointed by the lack of action and surprises, but with WWDC 2016 right around the corner, many have high hopes that Apple’s about to buck that trend.

FNF-bugApple’s keynote will offer our first sneak peeks at iOS 10 and the next big upgrades to OS X, watchOS, and tvOS — plus possible refreshes for Apple Watch and various Macs. Will these things make up for the lack of excitement?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we talk about (argue over) all things WWDC!

Now you can try Apple’s latest batch of betas

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Get your iOS device up to date fast and easy.
Get your iOS device up to date fast and easy.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Members of Apple’s public beta testing program can now get their hands on all the new software updates Apple dropped on developers yesterday.

New betas for iOS, tvOS, watchOS and OS X have been seeded to the public, bringing a bunch of bug fixes for every Apple platform, as well as some new features on iPhone.

Apple drops new batch of betas for every platform

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ios-9-3-notes
IOS 9.3.2 beta 2 is here.
Photo: Apple

A fresh new batch of Apple beta software is now available for developers two weeks after the company dropped its last big set of new software.

New beta builds of iOS 9.3.2, watchOS 2.2.1, tvOS 9.2.1 and OS X 10.11.5 can be found in the Apple developer center, bringing a bunch of new bug fixes, and hopefully some feature improvements as well. 

Siri reveals WWDC 2016 dates

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Siri
When is WWDC 2016? Siri knows.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Update: Apple has confirmed that its Worldwide Developers Conference 2016 will take place June 13 through June 17 in San Francisco. The keynote address will rock the stage at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, with the remainder of the week’s sessions at Moscone Center West. See below for registration details.

While Apple has not yet made public the dates or location for this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, apparently Siri knows when and where the event will take place.

Apple might finally let you delete unwanted iOS apps

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iPhone SE next gen
Get ready to delete your unwanted Apple apps.
Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac

Get ready to say goodbye to that folder on your iPhone holding all the stock iOS apps you never use.

Code found in iTunes suggests Apple finally plans to give iPhone and iPad users the tools to delete unwanted iOS apps that come pre-installed on devices like the Compass, Tips, Stocks, Voice Memos, and more.

iOS-friendly flash drive makes sharing data simple [Reviews]

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This flash drive will connect to your Mac and your iPhone.
This flash drive will connect to your Mac and your iPhone.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Best List: Xtra Drive by Naztech

We’ve all been using flash drives on our Macs for ages, ever since Apple dropped the disk drives from its computer lineup.

iPhones and iPads don’t have a USB port, so it’s hard to use the same external thumb drives on the go.

The new Xtra Drive from Naztech is the best of both worlds, providing a single microSD card-based solution that has both a USB and a Lightning connector that will let me back up and transfer files from my iOS device to any computer.

You’ll be able to play PlayStation 4 games on Mac and PC tomorrow

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youll-be-able-to-play-playstation-4-games-on-mac-and-pc-tomorrow-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201604PS4-Remote-Play-PC-jpg
It's so close you can almost taste it!
Photo: Sony
PS4 Remote Play
It’s so close you can almost taste it! Photo: Sony

Sony is giving PlayStation 4 owners the ability to play their favorite games on Mac and PC. Its latest firmware update for the PS4, which will roll out to all tomorrow, introduces Remote Play for desktops for the first time — plus other new features.

Has Apple become boring in its middle age? [Friday Night Fights]

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fnf
Well... are you?!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is 40 years old today. In that time, the Cupertino company has delivered some incredible products and services, and revolutionized smartphones, tablets, and music players. But is it boring now?

Friday-Night-Fights-bug-2Some say Apple’s innovation has stalled in recent years, and it has become too predictable. The surprises we used to see during its big keynotes no longer show up, and despite its secrecy, you can almost predict its product roadmap for the next year.

Are those claims harsh? Is Apple really past its best, or will it deliver groundbreaking new products again that can shake up the consumer technology industry?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we fight over Apple at 40.

Apple’s dev edition Safari brings future WebKit to your Mac

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Safari will be kinder to MacBook Pro battery life.
Safari will be kinder to MacBook Pro battery life.
Photo: Apple

You can get a taste of the future of Safari on the Mac today, thanks to the release of the new Safari Technology Preview from Apple that gives regular users and developers an easy way to test new features and improvements that are coming soon to the web browser.

The new stand-alone app for OS X can be downloaded and used for free by anyone, and includes a cutting-edge version of the WebKit browser engine that is still in development. It’s a great way for web developers to get ahead on new features by testing them before they’re public.

Safari Technology Preview can be used side-by-side with the regular version of Safari to test for behavioral issues. It also includes new improvements for Web Inspector.

Here’s a list of the new features:

Infinite Tanks brings open-world destruction to your Apple devices

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Out for a relaxing city drive.
Photo: Atypical Games

There are times for precision racing games and times for, well, blowing the hell out of some giant vehicles. Guess which category Atypical Games’ newly-announced Infinite Tanks falls into?

Having previously made the entertaining Battle Supremacy and Sky Gamblers, Atypical’s Infinite Tanks is coming to iOS, tvOS and OS X this summer. Check out the trailer below: