Articles about macOS

Apple laptops are very good computers -- they even make solid makeshift desktops when you connect a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. While Apple's wireless Bluetooth keyboard is very good, it is also quite expensive. Apple charges a staggering $129 for the white model with number pad. Hilariously, it charges a $20 premium if you want the space gray color! Oh, Apple...

Today, Satechi launches a beautiful Apple-like wireless keyboard for macOS that features the coveted space gray color. It even charges with USB-C rather than Lightning. Best of all, Satechi's keyboard costs nearly half that of the Apple equivalent! Since the Mac mini doesn't come with a keyboard or mouse, this new product should be a good choice for Apple's diminutive desktop too.

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The latest version of macOS  -- 10.15 Catalina -- was released just a month ago, and introduced some big changes, including the break-up of iTunes, and dropping support for 32-bit apps, which unfortunately meant some popular third-party software stopped working.

It might not happen any time soon, but if Apple does eventually make the jump to macOS 11, it’s fair to say the operating system will get a fairly major overhaul at that point. If you’d like to see how it should look, we’ve got this stunning video to wow you.

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Apple is working to fix an issue that makes it possible to read portions of encrypted email in macOS after an IT specialist discovered a flaw in the way Mail's messages are handled by Siri. The problem affects macOS versions from Sierra to Catalina.

It is important to note that there are a number of criteria that have to be met for the issue to rear its head, but the fact that it is possible at all is still a concern. For a company that has just been shouting about its privacy policies, the timing is less than ideal -- particularly as Apple has been aware of the problem since July.

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Apple only released Catalina three weeks ago, and already there is a fairly significant update available -- macOS Catalina 10.15.1.

With this release, Apple adds support for the newly announced AirPods Pro as well as fixing a number of bugs. There are also new HomeKit options, enhanced privacy in Siri, and the arrival of more than 70 new or updated emoji, including gender-neutral options.

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Renowned open-source eBook management tool Calibre 4.2 has been released. The cross-platform app, also available in 32-bit form, makes it easy to organize, manage, view, convert and even edit eBooks.

Version 4.2 comes a fortnight after version 4.0 was released. This update promises improvements to macOS dark mode support and the Viewer application, including the generation of covers and table of contents.

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After a period of beta testing, Apple has released macOS 10.15 Catalina for everyone. There's quite a lot to the latest version of the operating system, including the break-up of iTunes, an update to Sidecar that lets you use your iPad as a second screen for your Mac, and numerous security updates.

However, the dropping of support for 32-bit apps (Catalina is fully 64-bit), means some people installing the free update are finding that the apps they rely on no longer work. More than this, Apple has even gone as far as warning people who are reliant on XML files -- such as DJs -- to hold off installing the update for the time being

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Earlier in the week, Variety reported about a mysterious problem with Macs in Hollywood. As the issues -- which prevented systems from rebooting -- affected television and film editors in LA, it was initially thought that the Avid Media Composer software was at fault.

But in fact, it was Google that was to blame. A buggy update for the company's Chrome browser caused issues for a number of Mac users whose systems met certain conditions. Google has published details of a workaround for those hit by the problem which saw the Chrome update damaging the macOS file system.

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Launching Thursday September 19, Apple Arcade is the iPhone-maker's new game subscription service. Dubbed the Netflix for games, it will set subscribers back $4.99 (or £4.99) each month, and will provide unlimited access to a library of games.

Apple Arcade is compatible with iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV, and at launch there are more than 100 games available through the service, and many of these will be exclusives. The service will compete with Google Play Pass when it eventually launches.

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Windows 95 has been enjoying a nostalgia-fueled revival in recent years. There have been concepts made for modern versions of the ancient OS on desktop and mobile and it’s even now possible to give an Apple iPhone a Windows 95 makeover.

Last year, developer Felix Rieseberg released Windows 95 as an Electron app and a few months later updated it to run gaming classics like Doom. Three months ago he gave the OS a welcome performance boost, and now it gets a smart new user interface and upgraded components.

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Parallels IP Holdings GmbH has released Parallels Desktop 15.0, the latest major update of its popular Mac virtualization tool.

Parallels Desktop 15 adds support for the forthcoming MacOS Catalina (10.15) release, plus taps into the Apple Metal framework in macOS 10.14 or later to deliver major graphics improvements alongside other performance tweaks and a smattering of new integration features.

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Bug bounty programs are a common way for companies to learn about problems with their hardware and software, while giving people the chance to get paid for finding them. Apple is one of the big names to run such a program, and it has at long last expanded it to included macOS.

The iPhone-maker made the announcement at the Black Hat security conference, where it also revealed that not only will its bug bounty program spread to tvOS, watchOS and iCloud as well, but also that the maximum reward is increasing to a cool $1 million.

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Emojis have proven to be one of the greatest additions to the written language. Regardless of which language in which you read/write, your communications can be greatly enhanced and improved with the use of these wonderful emojis. You see, since the written word lacks body language and general sense of emotion, it is easy for there to be a miscommunication. For instance, emails and text messages can be misinterpreted by the recipient, as they may incorrectly assume the emotion by the sender is negative. The addition of a smiling face emoji, for example, can make all the difference. Hopefully even proper books will incorporate emojis in the future.

Today, Apple announces 59 new emojis are coming to the upcoming iOS 13, iPadOS 13, watchOS 6, and macOS 10.15! There are many fun new additions, such as a flamingo, yo-yo, and waffle to new a few. Since Apple is such a progressive company, it is also using emojis as a platform to further its message of equality. Emojis showing people holding hands can now be customized with various genders and skin tones. Equally important from a social perspective is the focus on differently-abled people -- there is a guide dog and robotic/prosthetic arm too.

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Apple makes great hardware and operating systems, but when it comes to applications, the company has plenty of room for improvement. For productivity, Microsoft still reigns supreme. Apple's iWork, for instance, is passable, but it is largely garbage compared to Microsoft Office. Pages, Numbers, and Keynote may look great, but smart professionals will invest in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint -- they are far more powerful. Even the totally free LibreOffice bests Apple's iWork.

With all of that said, macOS users should be very happy that Microsoft supports Apple's operating system. Quite frankly, without Microsoft's excellent productivity software -- such as Office and OneNote -- Mac computers would be far less attractive to power users and professionals. Today, Microsoft brings another fine app to the macOS platform -- To-Do. It is chock-full of useful features, including the ability to add tags/hashtags by simply typing a #.

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For more than a year, macOS users have been without an official desktop Twitter client -- more on that shortly. But now, thanks to Project Catalyst for macOS 10.15 Catalina, a Twitter app is making its way back to Mac.

Twitter says that Apple's Project Catalyst means that it has been easy to use the code from the iOS version of the client to create a native macOS app. The company has also revealed just why it was the Mac Twitter client disappeared in the first place.

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At WWDC this week, Apple not only unveiled the new Mac Pro and an insanely expensive monitor stand, but also confirmed that iTunes is going away -- for Mac users, at least.

This did not come entirely as a surprise, but it has left iTunes users wondering just how the transition to the new Apple Music app will work, and what will happen to their music, playlists, credit and so on. Now Apple has explained how the whole process will work.

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