After several weeks of developer and public beta versions, Apple today has officially released OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 through the Mac App Store for all users. The latest software update to OS X El Capitan will likely be the last before Apple releases macOS Sierra 10.12 with new features including Siri later this fall.
When you invoke Mission Control on OS X El Capitan using the typical gesture on your Mac’s trackpad or via a keyboard shortcut, you’ve probably noticed that the desktop bar at the top of the interface appears minimized. Although this yields additional real estate for the app windows below the desktop bar, it means that you no longer get to see the handy thumbnails that represent each desktop without moving your mouse to the desktop bar area.
There are some workarounds to defeating this OS X El Capitan change, including an open source utility called Force Full Desktop Bar. But for those of you who don’t wish to go through the trouble of installing a separate utility, which also requires you to disable El Capitan’s System Integrity Protection, try this handy Hot Corner shortcut instead.
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Apple has released the fourth beta of its iOS 9.3.2 update to both developers and public beta testers today. OS X El Capitan 10.11.5 and tvOS 9.2.1 also saw a fourth beta release for developers today. The latest developer and public betas haven’t seen any major changes as it appears they are turning out to be more bug fix releases than anything. Simultaneous use of Low Power Mode and Night Shift had been reactivated as of iOS 9.3.2 beta 2.
Apple has officially released the OS X 10.11.4 El Capitan update through the Mac App Store. The software update is available for all Macs capable of running OS X 10.11. The Mac update delivers new features including Live Photo viewing and sharing through iMessage using the Messages app as well as secure password support for individual notes in the Notes app.
Apple has released the fourth OS X 10.11.4 preview for registered developers to test ahead of its expected release next month. The software update to the Mac will likely be released around next month’s March 15th event and is expected to coincide with a new version of iTunes. For Mac users, the latest version of OS X El Capitan adds enhancements like being able to view and share Live Photos originally taken on the iPhone 6s or 6s Plus as well as the ability to lock notes behind a secure password. We’re check out the latest beta and update with any changes.
Apple has released the third OS X 10.11.4 beta today to testers. The latest developer preview can be found in the Updates section of the Mac App Store. Previous versions have added new features to the Mac including the ability to view and share Live Photos shot on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus using Messages, and the ability to password protect Notes. We’ll check out the latest beta version of the upcoming release and highlight any changes below.
In addition to iOS 9.2.1 beta 1, Apple has released OS X 10.11.3 developer beta 1 through the Mac App Store.
OS X El Capitan 10.11.2 is now available in the Mac App Store for all users capable of running the latest Mac operating system. The software update has been in testing through the developer and public beta program since late October, going through five pre-release versions.
Apple is continuing to develop the upcoming OS X El Capitan 10.11.2 update, and today released the latest test version. OS X El Capitan Update Developer Beta 4 is now available in the Mac App Store. Public beta testers can also find the new version today. Check the Updates tab to download, install, and restart your Mac if you’re testing the latest beta version.
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Apple delivered a major upgrade to Maps in iOS 9, OS X El Capitan, and watchOS 2 with the addition of transit directions in select cities, and now its rolling out additional cities and transportation methods to bolster that feature. In addition to expanding transit, Apple has found a new partner in Canada to provide rich local business data for use in Maps.
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We all know the features of OS X El Capitan pretty well by now: Split View multitasking, new San Francisco system font, overhauled Notes app, and smaller changes throughout. Before anyone upgrades to El Cap, however, we’re all faced with the usual scrolling wall of text that we’re asked to read and agree to before ever using OS X: the licensing agreement.
I’m guessing virtually no one reads beyond the first paragraph if even that, but Robb Schecter, a self-described programmer/lawyer, took for one the team this year and translated El Cap’s license into plain English. These 7 points tell me more than I admittedly knew before:
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As expected, Apple’s release of OS X El Capitan for Macs was less about adding major new features than “refining the experience and improving performance” from Yosemite — in other words, under-the-hood optimizations to make any Mac run more reliably than before. Thanks to El Capitan, my older (mid-2011) 27″ iMac is running better than it has in years: fast, quiet, and cool enough that it might as well be fanless. Rarely does the volume level in my office climb above a whisper, an experience I’ve come to love so much that I’d never want to return to a loud computer.
“WAIT!,” you might be saying. “My Mac’s fan is on all the time. Apple didn’t start selling iMacs with silent solid state drives (SSDs) or hybrid Fusion Drives until late 2012. How could your older Mac be that quiet?”
Below, I’ll walk you through seven steps that will help you bring your older Mac to a hushed, zen-like state. The first four involve mostly free software, and the last three are small hardware upgrades…
A little later than some expected, Apple has released new versions of the iWork suite of apps for iPhone and iPad with iOS 9 and iPhone 6s features. Pages, Keynote, and Numbers now all support iPad multitasking features including Split View on iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4, and iPad Pro, as well as 3D Touch on iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. The iWork apps also gained new versions on the Mac with OS X El Capitan features and much more. Details below:
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Apple is set to release OS X El Capitan to the world tomorrow, and as is usually the case with its new operating systems, the company has finally given reviewers the greenlight to make their opinions public.
For those wondering whether they should upgrade their Macs tomorrow afternoon, the reviewers generally agree that it’s well worth it, with big speed gains and improvements to usability making it easier than ever to get things done.
Below you’ll find a roundup of reviews for your perusal.
Flight tracking apps have been popular on iOS for as long as the platform had the App Store, and this fall Apple is baking a key function of those apps right into the operating system. A little known feature called ‘flights data detector’ is included in both iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan but was not highlighted on stage during Apple’s WWDC keynote. As one Reddit user highlighted, the feature lets iOS automatically detect when text is referencing a flight and allows users to actually check on the flight’s status and progress with an attractive interface. Here’s how it works on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac…
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We know the developer behind the popular RSS client Reeder has been working on a version 3.0 update for OS X 10.10 Yosemite as we last saw a teaser in April. Today users get the first chance to try out the redesigned RSS service reader as the first public beta for Reeder 3 has gone live. The updated version sports a user interface designed for Yosemite and beyond, more themes for making reading comfortable, and even a few OS X El Capitan features. Reeder says the new version will be available as a free update to current Reeder 2 customers when it’s completed.
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Following yesterday’s release of the OS X El Capitan public beta, Apple has pushed out a small update to the operating system to address issues that could cause 32-bit apps to crash. The update is available to users on the public beta and those on the separate developer preview.
Apple has published a new support document detailing its plans to revamp the existing two-factor authentication system that it first launched last year. The document is careful to differentiate the two systems, referring to the existing one as “two-step verification” and the newer one as “two-factor authentication.”
The latest update to the iOS 9 beta has introduced initial support for the new system, but most users, including those running the beta, will need to wait until later this year to gain access to it.
Although it’s light on new consumer-facing features, the latest release of the OS X El Capitan beta for developers hides references to a pair of future Apple hardware products: a new 4K version of the 21.5-inch iMac and a new Bluetooth Remote control…
At this year’s WWDC, Apple devoted a lot of onstage attention to a revamp of the Notes app in both iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan. One of my favorite additions is inline web link previews. Just paste a URL, and Notes will turn the link into a preview bubble with a thumbnail for the page, as well as a title and description.
This got me thinking about the possibility of applying the same functionality to other apps. The most obvious place to start, in my opinion, is Messages. I’m constantly sending and receiving links through iMessage throughout the day, whether it’s to a web page, an image, or even just a tweet. Having to flip back and forth between Safari and Messages just to see what the link I’ve been sent is removes me from the conversation and slows down my workflow.
Apple appears ready to allow third-party solid state drives (SSDs) to use TRIM, an OS-level tool for reclaiming unused space, as a new report claims that an at-your-own risk TRIM tool will debut in either OS X Yosemite 10.10.4 or OS X El Capitan 10.11. TRIM keeps SSDs running quickly as they get filled up with and purged of content, automatically reallocating deleted file space to be used by new files.
According to the report, MacRumors forum users experimenting with El Capitan’s new Rootless security system have discovered a new built-in tool called “Trimforce,” which force-enables TRIM for SSDs even if they weren’t “validated for data integrity while using that functionality.” The tool’s language suggests that the feature can be enabled at the user’s own risk: “By using this tool to enable TRIM, you agree that Apple is not liable for any consequences that may result, including but not limited to data loss or corruption.” Users of excellent third-party SSDs haven’t reported any issues with data loss or corruption under OS X.
Although a third-party app from Cindori called TRIM Enabler has enabled third-party SSDs to work properly under OS X, Apple partially blocked the app last year, forcing users to disable a new Yosemite security feature if they wanted TRIM support. In El Capitan, Trimforce can apparently be enabled without permanently disabling Rootless security. Cindori notes that “Apple has done a full 180 and opened up parts of their driver that allows you to access Trim functionality,” so updates will be coming soon to TRIM Enabler “to take advantage of the Apple sanctioned way of enabling Trim.”
There is some debate as to whether the Trimforce tool will make it into a late version of Yosemite or arrive first in El Capitan. A reader tip suggested that Trimforce is also found in the beta version of OS X Yosemite 10.10.4, but the aforementioned report claims that it is not yet in the beta code. In either case, easier third-party TRIM support is coming soon, a boon for Mac users interested in replacing their old iMac hard drives with SSDs for up to 5X speed increases.
Apple has just announced a new feature as part of the El Capitan software update that will allow Mac users to use multiple applications simultaneously using a split view. The new feature will let users run two Mac apps side-by-side and share content between them. Users can create new split views by dragging apps onto each other in the Mission Control view.