os x yosemite

42 'os x yosemite' stories June 2014 - October 2014

Yosemite & iOS 8 How-to: Set up and use Instant Hotspot

Sarah Guarino Oct 26 2014 - 12:00 pm PT

Now that iOS 8.1 is out, with iOS 8.1 running on your iPhone, you can use your iPhone as a Instant Hotspot for your Mac (running Yosemite) and for your iPad or iPod Touch (also running iOS 8.1). This is one of the features of Continuity, which further integrates and connects your Mac and iOS devices. Continuity also includes Handoff, iPhone Cellular Calls, SMS Relay, and AirDrop.

When you are in an area with your Mac, iPad or iPod Touch that does not have Wi-Fi, they can connect to your phone’s personal hotspot when your iPhone is nearby. Now you do not even have to set up a personal hotspot on your iPhone and enter in the Wi-Fi Password for your personal hotspot. When you join the Wi-Fi network on your Mac, iPad or iPod Touch, the name of your phone will be listed automatically. All you have to do is join it. When you aren’t using your phone’s hotspot, your device will disconnect automatically to save battery life. Your device will remember the fact that you used your phone’s hotspot and the next time you want to go online when you do not have Wi-Fi, it automatically rejoins the hotspot.

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Yosemite & iOS 8 How-to: Set up and use SMS Relay

Sarah Guarino Oct 25 2014 - 9:00 am PT

57 Comments

Now that iOS 8.1 is out, with iOS 8.1 running on your iPhone, you can set up SMS Relay. This is one of the features of Continuity, which further integrates and connects your Mac and iOS devices, running Yosemite and iOS 8.1. Continuity also includes Handoff, iPhone Cellular Calls, Instant Hotspot, and AirDrop.

With iMessage, when you are messaging people using Apple devices they appear in blue bubbles. Those messages sync onto all of your Apple devices so that way you can text someone from your Mac, iPad or iPod Touch. Previously, the people you texted in green bubbles were not using iMessage because they were not on Apple devices. Those conversations were not syncing over to your Mac, iPad or iPod Touch, which forced you to respond back to them only on your iPhone. Now with SMS Relay, your non-Apple using friends’ messages will sync to your Mac, iPad or iPod Touch while all connected to the same Wi-Fi Network, so you can respond from whichever device you prefer.

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Yosemite & iOS 8 How-to: Send and receive phone calls from your Mac and iPad

Sarah Guarino Oct 19 2014 - 12:00 pm PT

124 Comments

Now that Yosemite is out, with iOS 8 running on your iPhone, you can send and receive phone calls from your Mac and your iPad (also running iOS 8). This is one of the features of Continuity, which further integrates and connects your Mac and iOS devices. Continuity also includes Handoff, Instant Hotspot, AirDrop and SMS Relay (as part of the iOS 8.1 update).

Sending and receiving phone calls from the Mac and iPad is a benefit because sometimes when your iPhone rings it’s not where you are, but instead you are on your Mac or iPad. Now you can pick up the phone call directly from the Mac or iPad and don’t have to worry about stopping what you are doing to rush and find the phone. In this how-to article I will discuss how to set up and disable Phone Relay, how to send and receive iPhone Cellular Calls.

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iBooks Author updated with ePub and InDesign importer, new templates, and more

Mike Beasley Oct 16 2014 - 10:11 pm PT

2 Comments

Apple has updated iBooks Author for OS X Yosemite and added support for new file formats and other enhancements. First among these is the ability to import Adobe InDesign and ePub files to a project. New blank templates have been added to accommodate custom designs, and authors can now use hyperlinks to jump to a specific location in other book or add a link to an image.

The app’s widgets have also gotten a few upgrades. Auto-play is now available for the media, Keynote, and HTML widgets, and the HTML widget can now be used directly on the page of a book. The Keynote widget gained improved translation support.

You can download iBooks Author for free on the Mac App Store. The change log is below.

What’s New in Version 2.2

• Import ePub files
• Import Adobe InDesign IDML files
• Create customized books with new Blank templates
• New hyperlink options: link to a location in another book, link from an image, and more
• Improved transition support in Keynote widget
• Enable auto-play for media widget, Keynote widget, and HTML widget
• Readers can now interact with the HTML widget right on a book page

Apple updates iMovie and GarageBand for OS X Yosemite with new features and design

Mike Beasley Oct 16 2014 - 5:53 pm PT

3 Comments

Apple has pushed out updates for iMovie and GarageBand to add compatibility with OS X Yosemite and add new features for both apps. GarageBand 10.0.3 introduces a new Bass Amp Designer, tweaks to the zoom function, a new template for recording vocals, and other changes.

iMovie has also been updated with a new interface that fits with the new design in Yosemite, as well as to add support for new features like the ability to create iPhone app previews for the App Store and tweaks to the adjustments bar and other changes. There are also new options for exporting videos as custom H.264, ProRes, or just audio tracks.

The full logs for both apps are below:

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Getting ready for Yosemite: How to backup your Mac and set up OS X 10.10

Sarah Guarino Oct 16 2014 - 2:00 pm PT

31 Comments

Apple’s latest desktop operating system, OS X Yosemite, 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 or a Time Capsule with at least the same amount of storage as your hard drive. You’ll also need to make sure your Mac is capable of running Yosemite (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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KGI: 27″ Retina iMac ready to roll, 21″ next year, iPad Air 2 supply constrained, iPad minis to see minimal updates

Mike Beasley Oct 14 2014 - 8:48 pm PT

24 Comments

KGI has published a new research note indicating that the 27″ model of the new “Retina” iMac will begin shipping before the end of this year. However, according to the note, a 21-inch version which is currently in development will not be released until the beginning of 2015, probably alongside other products “early 2015” like the Apple Watch and Photos for Mac.

With regards to the iPad Air 2, KGI says that constrained supplies are likely, with a possible initial shipment of only 7-9 million. Compare that to the original iPad Air, which kicked of sales with 12 million units. The iPad mini will be updated, but the changes will be more conservative than those coming to the Air. A 12.9″ iPad is also said to be in development, though no timeline seems to have been set for its release.

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Apple begins rollout of redesigned iTunes Store ahead of OS X Yosemite launch

Mike Beasley Oct 10 2014 - 2:45 pm PT

26 Comments

Apple has started rolling out a redesigned version of the iTunes Store for users running iTunes 12 less than a week ahead of what’s expected to be the launch of OS X Yosemite. The new storefront takes design cues from the iTunes and App Store home pages on iOS devices, featuring a flattened, side-scrolling carousel at the top of the page in place of the old “card”-style header. This new header can be scrolled horizontally using two fingers or even dragged around with a mouse.

Individual pages for albums, TV shows, and iOS apps have also been redesigned and now feature more iOS-like controls throughout. Download buttons have been reduced to simple outlines. Shadows and textures have been removed throughout the store, putting the content directly on a stark white or dark gray background.

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Dropbox experimental build with OS X Yosemite icons available for download

Mark Gurman Oct 10 2014 - 9:06 am PT

7 Comments

Good news for Dropbox users running OS X Yosemite: Dropbox has made available an experimental build optimized for Yosemite’s new look (via Zach Kahn). The download brings a new Finder icon, new notification glyphs, and faster uploads for small files among other enhancements. Here’s the full list of what’s new:

New in 2.11.25

Updated Camera Uploads folder icon for Yosemite
Fixed Copy Link context menu option from the toolbar
More Finder integration bug fixes

New in the 2.11 series

Rewrite of the Windows & Linux UI. (1)
File identifiers. (2)
Windows long path support. (3)
New Linux headless setup flow.
Faster uploads for small files.
Updated splash screens.
New Finder icon overlays.
New Windows notification area icons.

You can update (at your own risk) using the download links here.

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Apple releases OS X Yosemite Developer Preview 7

Zac Hall Sep 2 2014 - 10:08 am PT

35 Comments

Apple today released the seventh developer preview of OS X Yosemite bringing the latest build to 14A343f. The previous developer preview (build 14A329f) was released two weeks ago. Xcode 6 beta 7 was also released alongside new builds for OS X Server 4.0 Developer Preview and Apple Configurator 1.6 beta 5. If you find something new, you can let us know at tips@9to5mac.com. The release version of Yosemite is currently scheduled for the later half of October, and it will ship separately from iOS 8. Here’s what’s new:
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Here are all of OS X Yosemite’s beautiful new wallpapers

Zac Hall Aug 18 2014 - 10:53 am PT

14 Comments

Apple released OS X 10.10 Yosemite Developer Preview 6 today as we reported ahead of its expected public debut in October, and four new beautiful wallpapers of Yosemite National Park have been included. Other changes include several redesigned icons in the System Preferences app, tweaked user interfaces throughout the operating system, and more. Read our coverage of the latest OS X Developer Preview here, and check below for each of the new Yosemite-inspired wallpapers below.
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Apple releasing OS X Yosemite public preview tomorrow for free Beta Program members

Zac Hall Jul 23 2014 - 6:17 am PT

15 Comments

As we reported earlier this week, Apple has shared that it will open the public beta version of OS X Yosemite tomorrow, July 24th, for users wanting to preview the upcoming version of the Mac operating system ahead of its release targeted for this fall. Users can sign up to be an OS X Beta Program member on Apple’s Beta Program site.

Apple says the OS X Yosemite beta will be updated less frequently for the OS X Beta Program than the version via the OS X Developer Program, but users running the public beta of OS X Yosemite will be able to install the final release of OS X Yosemite over the beta version when it’s readied for release in the fall. The beta version available to OS X Beta Program members will also allow users to easily submit feedback for issues with the Mac operating system ahead of its official public debut.
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Continuity Keypad adds a dialer to OS X Yosemite for iPhone Handoff calls

Zac Hall Jul 17 2014 - 10:35 am PT

41 Comments

Anyone testing iPhone Handoff calling on OS X Yosemite, Apple’s latest Mac operating system, have probably noticed one major detail missing: a dialer. Student developers Eytan Schulman and Harrison Weinerman have created a very useful utility called Continuity Keypad that solves that problem.

Essentially what the app does is bridge a gap created by Handoff and FaceTime when making calls on your Mac using your iPhone. It creates a dialer similar to the one found on your iPhone allowing you to easily call numbers using your iPhone from your Mac, and it uses transparency to fit in with the new look of OS X.
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iCloud Drive enables non-Mac App Store apps to use iCloud document storage

Zac Hall Jun 5 2014 - 7:40 am PT

9 Comments

Prior to OS X Yosemite and Apple’s new iCloud Drive announced on Monday, Mac developers were explicitly required to succumb to the restraints of the Mac App Store to allow their customers to use iCloud file storage within their apps.

Now with the introduction of iCloud Drive, which gives users much clearer access to content stored in iCloud, developers can distribute their apps outside of the Mac App Store and trust that their users can opt to use iCloud for document storage as if they were sold in the Mac App Store…
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OS X Yosemite: Top 5 features (Video)

Dom Esposito Jun 5 2014 - 7:37 am PT

48 Comments

Now that we’ve had some time to get used to OS X Yosemite, it’s time to explore some of its top features. This is a big step up from Mavericks when it comes to iOS integration and design. Yosemite isn’t quite the drastic change we saw from iOS 6 to iOS 7, but there are definitely visual differences. It’s no surprise that iOS 8 has plenty of exciting features available, but the same can be said about OS X Yosemite as well…

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WWDC 2014 keynote recap: Everything you need to know about iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite (Video)

Dom Esposito Jun 3 2014 - 7:07 am PT

23 Comments

Apple’s WWDC 2014 keynote was home to plenty of announcements including iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite. There was quite a bit of information covered during the two hour presentation, but luckily we didn’t miss a second of the action.

If you don’t feel like sitting through the entire keynote video, we’ve put together a condensed version to give you the rundown on everything that was announced. Find out all that you need to know about iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite in our keynote recap below…

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Polls: What are your first impressions of iOS 8 and Yosemite?

Ben Lovejoy Jun 3 2014 - 5:23 am PT

165 Comments

Now you’ve had a chance to catch up on our coverage of the main new features of iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, and seen our hands-on videos (iOS 8 overview, OS X Yosemite overview, iOS 8 Spotlight and iOS 8 interactive notifications), we’d like to hear your first impressions of each.

Whether you’re blown away by all the new features, disappointed by things you wanted but didn’t get, or just a bit underwhelmed, here’s your chance to let us know.

We’ve summarized the features Apple has chosen to highlight, and there are separate polls for each platform …
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Hands-on with the new Notification Center and Spotlight in OS X Yosemite (Video)

Michael Steeber Jun 2 2014 - 9:06 pm PT

13 Comments

Two of the great updated features in OS X Yosemite are improved versions of both Notification Center and Spotlight, both of which have become staples on OS X. Both of these features have received substantial updates, dropping their old user interfaces entirely, and gaining quite a few new features.

In this video, we’ll take you on a little tour of the new interfaces and their features.