mavericks

102 'mavericks' stories June 2013 - November 2013

How-To: Start using Maps in OS X Mavericks

Nov 24 2013 - 12:00 pm PT

Apple has finally implemented a maps app in the OS X platform, and it seems to have been worth the wait. After being noticeably missing from the system, Maps (and iBooks) are helping achieve a greater consistency between the iOS and OS X platforms. After running the free Mavericks update, the Maps app icon will automatically be added to your dock.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to use the new app for everything from searching for locations to getting turn-by-turn directions set directly to your iPhone.

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Apple seeds first OS X Mavericks 10.9.1 beta to developers with focus on Mail, Graphics

Mark Gurman Nov 15 2013 - 12:41 pm PT

10 Comments

Today, Apple has provided the first seed of the upcoming OS X Mavericks 10.9.1 to registered developers. We previously reported that Apple had seeded the 10.9.1 update to its employees along with a future 10.9.2 release. It’s currently unclear when those operating systems will reach the Macs of customers. Apple asks developers to focus on Mail, Graphics Drivers, and VoiceOver in their testing. Apple previously seeded an update to customers to fix Mavericks Mail problems. The 10.9.1 seed is labeled as build 13B27.

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Apple seeds Safari 6.1.1, 7.0.1 updates to developers following internal testing

Mark Gurman Nov 14 2013 - 1:31 pm PT

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Earlier this month, we reported that Apple has seeded a new version of Safari to Apple employees for internal testing. Now, Apple has provided that update to developers via the Developer Center.

Versions for OS X Mavericks, OS X Mountain Lion, and OS X Lion are all available, and Apple asks developers to focus on the following during their testing:

General website compatibility, Accessibility, Viewing and annotating PDFs, Login autofill, Password autofill, Setting and using break points in Web Inspector

Apple has not said when the new release will become available for customers, but based on the increase in testing, the release will likely occur within the next couple of weeks. Apple is also internally testing updates to OS X Mavericks: 10.9.1 and 10.9.2.

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Concept imagines a much needed redesign of Apple’s Messages app for OS X

Jordan Kahn Nov 12 2013 - 6:07 pm PT

34 Comments

Messages-Concept-01

It’s no secret that Messages on OS X, Apple’s IM app that’s integrated with its iMessage service on iOS devices, has long been a frustration for users. The app has received a name change and slightly new look since the iChat days, but it hasn’t improved much in terms of functionality or reliability– some would say it’s gotten worse. While many of you would probably settle for a Messages app that simply works reliably, app developer Denis Pakhaliuk just sent over his concept of a completely revamped Messaging app for OS X.

On top of a redesigned UI that implements “Smart Colors” and some iOS 7-style translucency, the concept imagines a Messages app with much needed filter and sync features, truly instant sync between devices, new indicators for statuses, media uploads, and more.

Head below for the full gallery:

Apple releases iBooks for Mac 1.0.1 with bug fixes and stabilty improvements

Mike Beasley Nov 7 2013 - 2:14 pm PT

5 Comments

As we reported earlier this week, Apple has been preparing updates for Mail, iBooks, and other built-in apps on OS X Mavericks to address several issues noticed by users after the operating system’s launch. Earlier today the company released a fix for Gmail-related problems in Mail. Now they have also released an update for iBooks that addresses performance and stability problems as well as other miscellaneous bugs.

The update is only 14 MB and is available for free in the Software Update tab of the Mac App Store.

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Apple releases fix for OS X Mavericks Gmail bugs to customers

Mark Gurman Nov 7 2013 - 1:14 pm PT

26 Comments

Apple has released a Mail Update for Mavericks that is designed to resolve many of the bugs that users of the OS X Mavericks Mail application have experienced since launch.

Mail Update for Mavericks includes improvements to general stability and compatibility with Gmail, including the following:

Fixes an issue that prevents deleting, moving, and archiving messages for users with custom Gmail settings

Addresses an issue that may cause unread counts to be inaccurate

Includes additional fixes that improve the compatibility and stability of Mail

The update was released to Apple employees last week, and subsequently to registered Mac Developers earlier this week. The update is in the form of a patch to the Mail update already in Mavericks.

Instructions on installing the update, below:

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Mac Developers also have access to upcoming OS X Mavericks Mail update

Mark Gurman Nov 6 2013 - 9:29 pm PT

3 Comments

Last week, we reported that Apple had provided its employees with an update to the Mavericks Mail app that solves several issues relating to Gmail account compatibility. While this has seemed to stay under the radar, Apple has also provided the update to registered Mac Developers. Apple says that the update became available on October 31st, but we have not heard any sightings of this update until now. The update should be available for all users in the coming weeks. Thanks, Hunter!

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Apple seeds a pair of OS X Mavericks updates internally

Mark Gurman Nov 6 2013 - 5:47 pm PT

10 Comments

Apple has seeded two software upgrades for OS X Mavericks internally, according to a source with knowledge of the upcoming updates. This person says that the updates are labeled as OS X 10.9.1 and OS X 10.9.2. The first update is expected to be released later this month, and it will serve as an update to squash bugs that accompanied the OS X 10.9.0 release of Mavericks last month. Many users have complained about issues relating to the Mail and iBooks applications, and Apple is preparing to release individual bug-fix updates for those apps in the coming days…

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Apple readies iBooks, Safari, Remote Desktop, and Mail bug fix updates for Mavericks

Mark Gurman Nov 4 2013 - 8:33 am PT

13 Comments

In addition to the incoming OS X Mavericks Mail Update that we reported on previously, sources say that Apple is readying a slew of performance and bug fix updates for several other OS X Mavericks applications. According to the updates seeded today to Apple employees, Apple is preparing updates for iBooks, Safari, and the Remote Desktop Client apps:

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Apple testing Mail update for OS X Mavericks to fix Gmail, stability, and smart mailbox issues

Mark Gurman Oct 31 2013 - 4:52 pm PT

35 Comments

Since the launch of OS X Mavericks last week, many users have been reporting widespread, various, consistent issues within Apple’s bundled Mail application.

Many of the issues have mainly affected users of Google’s Gmail email service, and some of the issues have to do with receiving messages, sorting messages into folders, and deleting messages.

Apple is aware of the issue and is testing a fix for the problem…

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How-to: Setup and use iCloud Keychain for Mavericks and iOS 7

Sarah Guarino Oct 26 2013 - 9:00 am PT

26 Comments

iCloud Keychain is a brand-new cloud service in OS X Mavericks and iOS 7.0.3 and launched with the new operating systems on October 22nd. iCloud Keychain stores your usernames, passwords, Wi-Fi networks, and credit card information so that you can easily fill in forms or logins whenever you need. This will sync across Safari and with third party apps that support iCloud Keychain. Your information is securely protected using 256-bit AES encryption, preventing unauthorized use of your information. iCloud Keychain also includes a powerful password generator, which will create unique passwords for your online accounts so that you no longer have to come up with secure or hard-to-guess passwords.

This article will teach you how to setup and use iCloud Keychain for iOS and OS X.

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New iWork & iLife apps go for simplicity, upset power users all over again

Jordan Kahn Oct 25 2013 - 9:33 am PT

119 Comments

Following the introduction of Apple’s new iWork apps at its iPad Air event earlier this week, an increasing number of users have taken to Apple’s support forums to voice concerns over the removal of features as the apps receive new simplified user interfaces that bring them more in line with the iOS versions. Several pages of complaints from users in Apple’s forums point out that many features, those mostly used by power users, have been removed from Apple’s new redesigned version of Pages:

Why does Apple get rid of so many useful features in new pages? iWork 13 has been a huge disappointment and nothing more than a downgrade to match the capabilities of the iOS iWork apps. If Apple simply made performance upgrades to iWork 09 I would have been happy. I hope there is a way to get back to the most up to date version of iWork 09.

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It comes down to this. Apple has discontinued Pages in its entirety. You can no longer download it or purchase it, and Apple won’t support it. Apple has simultaneously introduced a completely new and different product, also called Pages, that is designed for different users and different use cases. Despite the name, it is not a successor to Pages (old), except in the licensing terms, it is completely a completely different species of animal. Those of us who depended on Pages (old) cannot use Pages (new). We have to save all our Pages files in a widely used format and import them into a new word processor that supports the formatting.

Pages isn’t the only app, users are also hitting Apple’s forums to list features that have been removed from the redesigned versions of Keynote, Numbers, and iMovie:
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Apple promoting automated continuous integration to iOS developers, providing free OS X Server copies

Mark Gurman Oct 24 2013 - 4:59 pm PT

2 Comments

Via email, Apple is now promoting Xcode 5.0.1’s new automated continuous integration feature to developers.

As an iOS developer, you can now take advantage of continuous integration in Xcode by creating bots with OS X Server for Mavericks that automate the process of building, analyzing, testing, and archiving your apps. As the bots do their work on the remote Mac, Xcode on your development machine displays the build and test reports. Bots can generate a regular release for your QA team, be configured to execute on every check-in, and even test your apps on connected iOS devices.

Continuous integration via automated bots in the new Xcode will multiple developers working on different aspects of a software product to integrate their code with the other projects in development. This eases up the development procedure of pulling parts of an app together to make the final copy…

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How to get your free iWork apps for Macs purchased after Oct. 1

Jordan Kahn Oct 24 2013 - 3:41 pm PT

3 Comments

iWork-Up-to-date-program

When Apple unveiled its updated iWork suite during its iPad Air event earlier this week, it also confirmed that it would be making the apps free for all new Mac purchases. That means new Macs shipping with Mavericks would allow users to download Pages, Keynote, and Numbers– previously $20 each– for free from the Mac App Store. That offer also extends to Macs purchased on or after Oct. 1 and yesterday Apple made an Up-To-Date Program available on its website for those that purchased qualifying Mac.

Apple has instructions on its website for applying for the Up-To-Date Program, which requires users to enter their Mac’s serial number, purchase date, and provide Apple with “an electronic copy of a dated, itemized sales receipt indicating the marketing part number(s) of the qualifying product(s) purchased.” Apple will then send codes to customers within 24 hours of confirming the purchase that can be redeemed on the Mac App Store to download the apps.

For those that purchased between Oct. 1 and Oct. 22, you’ll have to apply to the program by Nov. 21. Purchases made after Oct. 22 will have 30 days to qualify.

Apple also says that the program is only for the United States (50 states and the District of Columbia) and Canada, but it’s unclear if it will have similar programs for customers in other countries.

Apple publishes its improvements to the open-source components of Mavericks, as bound by the code licenses

Benjamin Mayo Oct 24 2013 - 7:03 am PT

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Today, Apple has made available the open-source components of OS X Mavericks’ code to the public. Apple regularly does this for both iOS and OS X as prescribed by the license agreements of the open source code Apple uses.

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Latest Mavericks Safari browser safer as Flash finally gets sandboxed

Ben Lovejoy Oct 24 2013 - 4:53 am PT

4 Comments

Safari 7, introduced with OS X Mavericks, is now better protected against malware and poorly-written Flash code as Flash is finally sandboxed.

Sandboxing means that OS X restricts what the code can do, stopping a badly-written app from crashing the entire browser and preventing malware from getting access to any other part of your Mac. Flash has been sandboxed for some time in Chrome, Firefox and even Internet Explorer.

In an Adobe blog post, Platform Security Strategist Peleus Uhley wrote:

For the technically minded, this means that there is a specific com.macromedia.Flash Player.plugin.sb file defining the security permissions for Flash Player when it runs within the sandboxed plugin process. As you might expect, Flash Player’s capabilities to read and write files will be limited to only those locations it needs to function properly. The sandbox also limits Flash Player’s local connections to device resources and inter-process communication (IPC) channels. Finally, the sandbox limits Flash Player’s networking privileges to prevent unnecessary connection capabilities.

Safari users on OS X Mavericks can view Flash Player content while benefiting from these added security protections. We’d like to thank the Apple security team for working with us to deliver this solution.

Via CNET

OS X Mavericks causing issues for DisplayLink USB displays

Jordan Kahn Oct 23 2013 - 11:23 am PT

25 Comments

Screen Shot 2013-10-23 at 2.20.05 PM

As noted by ArsTechnica, following yesterday’s release of OS X Mavericks, some users of USB-powered monitors that use DisplayLink drivers have experienced a variety of problems after updating.

The problems have already been identified by DisplayLink in a knowledge base article published on its website:

The following issues have been found on OS X 10.9 and do not currently have a resolution

Some applications can show severe flickering on DisplayLink screens. Examples of applications that show this issue are Safari, QuickTime and the App store.
Some applications can show corruption and/or missing contents while updating windows contents. Examples are Maps, iBooks and the Dock.
Display arrangement is not kept when using 2 or more DisplayLink displays.
All screens black and unusable after unplugging a DisplayLink screen. This is caused by Apple’s Window server crashing. This can be recovered by replugging the DisplayLink device.
On the Retina Macbook Pro, changing the layout to mirror logs the user out. Again this is caused by Apple’s Window server crashing.

DisplayLink is working on an update for some of the performance issue with Mavericks, but the company explained that the majority of bugs will have to be fixed by Apple:

Unfortunately there appear to be regressions in these interfaces in OS X 10.9 which are exposed when using DisplayLink screens. DisplayLink does not have workarounds to fix these issues and requires Apple to fix these problems in future 10.9 OS X updates.

DisplayLink has raised these bugs to Apple, but if you are a developer and affected by these problems, please also raise these bugs to Apple to help show fixes are required and it is affecting end users using DisplayLink products.

Receive desktop push notifications for any RSS feed with Pronto Push & Mavericks

Scott Buscemi Oct 22 2013 - 9:13 pm PT

13 Comments

Screen Shot 2013-10-22 at 9.00.44 PM

As part of the new OS X Mavericks, websites can now send push notifications to your computer. Back in June, we featured the first public website that took advantage of the native push notification feature. Today, the same developer, Connor LaCombe, released Pronto Push, a new service that allows you to receive push notifications for any RSS feed.

Rather than waiting for your favorite websites’ developers to add the push notification feature, you can sign up for Pronto Push, type in the websites you’d like to receive notifications for, and immediately receive a push notification when a new post has been added. There’s no software to install, and managing your subscriptions is done through a simple web interface. You can even manage multiple Macs under one account.

Initial setup has to be completed with Safari 7, but after that clicking on notifications will open the related post in your default browser. Notifications come through immediately, so there’s no delay between when a new RSS item is added and when you receive the notification. You can also receive instantaneous Facebook notifications (since the native ones are usually delayed or don’t even appear).

Pronto Push is free and requires Mavericks.

Getting ready for Mavericks: How to backup your Mac and set up OS X 10.9

Sarah Guarino Oct 22 2013 - 12:28 pm PT

48 Comments

Apple’s latest desktop operating system, OS X Mavericks, is available today. In this post, we’ll take you through the steps required to protect your data by backing it up, upgrading the OS, and getting started with the latest version of OS X.

Before you get started, you’ll want to make sure you have everything you need. To backup your data, you’ll need an external hard drive with at least the same amount of storage as your hard drive (or a Time Capsule). You’ll also need to make sure your Mac is capable of running Mavericks (we’ll show you how below), and you’ll want to make sure you have an iTunes account to purchase the update.

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iTunes 11.1.2 update incoming with improved Mavericks support, more languages

Mark Gurman Oct 22 2013 - 12:07 pm PT

0 Comments

Apple has provided employees with iTunes 11.1.2, a bug fix update with improved OS X Mavericks compatibility, support for Hebrew and Arabic and improved performance. It should be rolling out for customers imminently.

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OS X Mavericks is out, walkthrough: iBooks, Maps, and more

Mike Beasley Oct 22 2013 - 11:53 am PT

8 Comments

Today Apple released version 10.9 of Mac OS X, codenamed “Mavericks.” The new OS includes several new features and enhancements over the previous version, “Mountain Lion.” The update is available for free for all compatible Macs from the App Store

Below you’ll find a closer look at some of the new features in 10.9.

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Apple announces OS X Mavericks available today for free

Jordan Kahn Oct 22 2013 - 10:25 am PT

3 Comments

Update: OS X Mavericks is available now as a free download on the Mac App Store.

Apple has done something it hasn’t done before with a major release of OS X, announcing today during its iPad event that it will release OS X Mavericks, the latest version of its desktop OS, later today for free to all users.

Mavericks is available starting today for iMac and MacBook Pros from 2007 or later, 2008 MacBook Air, MacBook, and Mac Pro or later, and the 2009 Mac mini or later.

Apple first showed off Mavericks back in June at its WWDC developer conference and has since seeded several betas as well as Golden Master release followed by silent update to the GM release that could likely be the version Apple ships later this month. Despite not receiving a radical visual overhaul like iOS 7, OS X Mavericks includes over 200 new features and many big new user facing features like iBooks, improved multiple display support, iCloud Keychain, new Finder features, Maps, quick reply and lock screen notifications, auto-updating apps, and a number of under the hood enhancements to improve battery life and performance. (Full press release below)
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Websites begin exposing Safari push notification support as Mavericks nears public release

Benjamin Mayo Oct 22 2013 - 5:34 am PT

2 Comments

With the launch of Mavericks imminent, a handful of major websites have begun supporting the Safari Push Notification feature. These sites include The New York Times, NBA.com and social network Pinterest. HTML 5 web notifications have been supported by all major browsers, including Safari, for a while. However, the HTML 5 native feature requires the page to be open for notifications to be sent, as noted by MacRumors.

Meanwhile, Safari Push Notifications mirror the user experience associated with native app push notifications. With user consent, a supporting website can send notifications to your Mac without the page (or even, Safari) being open. This is because this system uses Apple’s Push Notification Service servers — rather than the local client — to function. Because of this server-side integration, the utility of website notifications increases dramatically.

With major support already implemented by such big sites, it seems like this will be a big deal for end-users. More sites will undoubtedly roll out support in the coming days. For instance, CNN was used to demo the feature at WWDC but is yet to go live publicly. Mavericks is expected to launch by the end of the week. It is very likely Apple will confirm the OS’ launch date at its special media event later today.
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Apple will be live-streaming today’s launch event on web & Apple TV

Ben Lovejoy Oct 22 2013 - 4:01 am PT

7 Comments

Apple will be live streaming today’s launch event, first revealed by the Apple Events channel returning to Apple TV, the icon displaying the theme for the event and a message saying “tune in at 10 am for the live stream.”

The event will also be streamed on the web when it begins at 10am Pacific/1pm Eastern. As usual, live streaming requires Safari 4 or later on OS X v10.6 or later; Safari on iOS 4.2 or later. Streaming via Apple TV requires second- or third-generation Apple TV with software 5.0.2 or later.

Details below of what we’re expecting to see …
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