Apple promised to bring back missing features in its revamped iWork apps and has starting making good on that promise this week with minor updates to Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. The Apple TV also gained a couple of welcome new channels: PBS and Yahoo. Speaking of which, the latest chapter of Josh Centers’s “Take Control of Apple TV” is now out for TidBITS members, explaining the ins and outs of AirPlay. Alicia Katz-Pollock takes an extensive look at what you can do with Contacts in Mavericks, and in this week’s FunBITS article, Josh digs into Google Play Music, now available for the iPhone. Notable software releases this week include ChronoSync 4.4.3 and ChronoAgent 1.4.4, Evernote 5.4.3, AirPort Base Station Firmware Update 7.7.2, CloudPull 2.5.3, Mactracker 7.2.1, iMovie 10.0.1, 1Password 4.0.9, Mailplane 3.1, and Microsoft Office 2011 14.3.9.
If you’re using the new versions of Pages, Keynote, and Numbers, the first update to bring back features from the iWork ’09 versions is out, giving you the capability to customize the toolbar once again.
The Apple TV’s lineup expands with PBS and Yahoo Screen. And for you “Downton Abbey” fans, Josh Centers has the inside scoop on what’s available.
Apple’s AirPlay technology may not seem sexy, but it’s the utterly useful glue that ties together Macs, iOS devices, and the Apple TV. In this chapter from “Take Control of Apple TV,” Josh Centers focuses on how you use AirPlay to send content from your Mac or iPad to the Apple TV, or even from your Apple TV to AirPlay-capable speakers.
Apple’s Contacts app is much more than Grandma’s little black book, and its integration with your Mac gives it a lot of flexibility. For what it can’t do, others have picked up the slack.
With the release of an iPhone client, Google Play Music has become a compelling option for Apple users who want an alternative to iTunes Match, Rdio, or Spotify.
Notable software releases this week include ChronoSync 4.4.3 and ChronoAgent 1.4.4, Evernote 5.4.3, AirPort Base Station Firmware Update 7.7.2, CloudPull 2.5.3, Mactracker 7.2.1, iMovie 10.0.1, 1Password 4.0.9, Mailplane 3.1, and Microsoft Office 2011 14.3.9.
There’s a lot to celebrate in this week’s ExtraBITS: Adam and Tonya Engst discuss ten years of Take Control with Chuck Joiner on the MacVoices podcast, Google commemorates 50 years of “Doctor Who” with a special doodle, and Joe Kissell joined the Panel podcast to talk Thanksgiving turkey. We also take a look at how the iPhone 5s stacks up to its forebears, the purpose of Snapchat, Apple paying for water-damaged devices, and Google’s self-driving car.