Skip to main content

OS X

See All Stories
Site default logo image

Apple releases security update ‘2017-001’ for OS X Yosemite and El Capitan

Apple has released a new security update for OS X Yosemite and El Capitan, or OS X 10.10 and 10.11, the operating system released two years and one year ago. Apple hasn’t yet detailed what security fixes are included beyond these release notes:

Security Update 2017-001 is recommended for all users and improves the security of OS X.

The update could be related to recent security vulnerabilities detailed in the news or routine maintenance for older versions. macOS 10.12.4 is the latest version of the Mac operating system for compatible machines and was released earlier today.


How-To: Understand the Wireless Diagnostics app on your Mac to analyze and improve your Wi-Fi network

wireless-diagnostics

Apple ships a little-known utility app that helps you analyze and diagnose your Wi-Fi connection, called Wireless Diagnostics. Open the app by option-clicking on the Wi-Fi indicator in the menu bar and select ‘Open Wireless Diagnostics …’. Although the app contains a lot of useful information, it isn’t intuitively clear what you are supposed to do with it.

Frustrated by bad WiFi on Mac OS X? This guide may help you get better WiFi on your computer.


Expand
Expanding
Close

How-To: Show the size of folders in the Finder on Mac [Video]

Site default logo image

Show Finder Folder Size

The Finder’s list view is my favorite way to view the folders and files within the macOS Finder, because it provides a wealth of information via columns that can be sorted on.

One thing that you won’t find when using the Finder’s default list view is the cumulative size of the Folders contained within. But there’s an easy way to view the sizes of Folders directly within the Finder; watch our video tutorial to see how.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple issues fourth iOS 9.3.3, tvOS 9.2.2, and OS X 10.11.6 betas

Site default logo image

Apple Unveils New iPad Models

We’re anxiously awaiting iOS 10 beta 2 after just over two weeks with the initial beta version, but Apple has released a fourth beta for any iOS 9.3.3 update testers. Changes so far haven’t been noticeable as the update is likely focused on security enhancements and bug fix improvements.

Apple last released an iOS 9.3.3 beta eight days ago, suggesting its public release is imminent. For Apple TV developers, tvOS 9.2.2 beta 4 is also now available for anyone not already testing tvOS 10 beta. Apple’s OS X 10.11.6 beta 4 is also out today. All three software releases are available to developers and public beta testers.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Apple issues OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 developer beta 2 for Mac + tvOS 9.2.2 beta 2 for Apple TV

New MacBooks

[UPDATE 6/7: OS X 10.11.6 is now available for public beta testers as well.]

Apple has released the second OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 preview through the Mac App Store for developer testing. The software update to the Mac likely includes further bug fixes and performance improvements following similar releases throughout the year.


Expand
Expanding
Close

WWDC 2016 Preview Rumors: No new hardware but plenty of Siri, iMessage may get money transfers via Apple Pay, more

Site default logo image

WWDC-Wallpaper-2016

Recently departed (but still friend of the site!) Mark Gurman went on the Jay and Farhad Show podcast this evening and gave his predictions for WWDC 2016 and beyond. Most of the conversation material was either posted previously on 9to5Mac or elsewhere but there were certainly some new “whispers”…
Expand
Expanding
Close

OS X 10.12 & Mac: What will Apple show off for Mac at WWDC 2016?

SiriFullMac

Apple’s WWDC 2016 will be light on new hardware announcements this year, but that will give the company plenty of stage time to show off big new releases on the software side. Siri for Mac, a Siri SDK for developers, an Apple Music and iTunes refresh, Touch ID features, and possibly a first look at new Macs, Apple has a lot of interesting in-development projects it could show off for Macs and OS X 10.12 at WWDC 2016. Below we roundup the rumored features for the next release of Apple’s Mac operating system and explore some of the possible new hardware we might see at the event later this month.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Poll: Would you prefer an OLED touch bar instead of traditional function keys?

Site default logo image

main-2

Many people have been eagerly waiting for Apple to refreshed its entire MacBook Pro lineup with a thinner design, faster internals, Siri support, and more. A report yesterday said all of that is coming later this year in Q4, but added an additional detail: an OLED touch bar above the keyboard that would replace the row of function keys.

This is a new idea that hasn’t really been suggested for Apple’s MacBook Pro lineup before, but it has a variety of interesting possibilities. But with a significant change like that comes a steep, steep learning curve. The quick shortcuts we’ve all become accustomed to using throughout OS X would have an added twist, but could they potentially become easier to access in the long run? In the end, however, it would all come down to whether or not the OLED touch bar improved navigation enough to warrant a few weeks of relearning how to use your MacBook Pro’s keyboard.


Expand
Expanding
Close

10 reasons to seriously consider the 2016 Retina MacBook

Site default logo image

10 Awesome MacBook Features

Yesterday, I bought a 12″ MacBook, and after playing with it for 10 minutes, I immediately knew that I made the right decision. 24 hours later, I’m convinced that this is the best laptop for me, and a much better portable workhorse than something like a 12.9″ iPad Pro. Here are 10 reasons why you should consider going with a MacBook if you’re in the market for something powerful, yet portable.
Expand
Expanding
Close

How-To: Automatically show the desktop bar by using Hot Corners to invoke Mission Control [Video]

Site default logo image

Mission Control Hot Corners

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.
Expand
Expanding
Close

How-To: Group Mission Control windows by application on OS X [Video]

Group Mission Control Windows

Mission Control is a tool that I use every day on my Mac to quickly locate open app windows. In my opinion, though, finding a specific window in the Mission Control view can be a challenge if you have many app windows open at once.

The good news is that it’s easy to group like applications while using Mission Control. More importantly, enabling grouping places the relevant app icon near groups and single windows. Having an app icon displayed makes it even easier to identify a particular app window while using Mission Control.
Expand
Expanding
Close

How-To: Enable Aero Snap-like window snapping on your Mac [Video]

BetterSnapTool Custom Snap Areas

Yesterday, we wrote a post about hiding the menu bar, and in the corresponding video tutorial, we used window snapping to highlight one of the benefits of a hidden menu bar. Afterwards, I received several tweets and emails asking how to perform window snapping, since this is not a feature that appears natively in OS X.

Window snapping allows you to position windows in specific areas of the screen, usually by dragging the window to the edge of the screen, causing the window to “snap” into place. This feature was first popularized by Microsoft’s Aero Snap on Windows. Even though Apple doesn’t natively support it, window snapping is available on the Mac via a variety of third-party apps.
Expand
Expanding
Close

How-To: Find your MacBook’s battery cycle count and learn what it means about its battery life

MacBook Pro with Retina Display back cover battery exposed

Recently I noticed that my Late 2013 MacBook Pro with Retina Display seemed to be dying at a faster clip. Naturally, I assumed that the battery might be going bad.

After checking the battery cycle count, I learned that I was probably wrong about the battery being bad, as the cycle count was still well within the normal life span of my MacBook. Here’s how I was able to verify that everything was okay with my MacBook’s battery.


Expand
Expanding
Close