Apple made some big waves on the first day of WWDC, announcing a new Mac Pro, new MacBook Air models, new AirPort base stations, iWork for iCloud, and — most notably — the surfing-inspired OS X 10.9 Mavericks and the redesigned iOS 7. The TidBITS team has been pushing hard the entire day to bring you all the juicy details, so read on! While you’re waiting for the fall release of Mavericks, note that Apple has updated Mountain Lion to version 10.8.4, finally fixing an annoying bug in Messages, along with a variety of other minor issues. Looking past Apple, the technical drawing and illustration app Canvas is returning to the Mac after a long hiatus; the developers of the popular Instacast podcast app for iOS have brought it to the Mac, with some interesting syncing features; and Jean MacDonald of Smile has launched the nonprofit App Camp for Girls to teach girls how to code. Finally, we wrap the issue with another edition of FunBITS, featuring Nimble Quest for iOS and Mac, which turns the classic game Snake into a fantasy adventure. Notable software releases this week include LaunchBar 5.5, Aperture 3.4.5, iTunes 11.0.4, BBEdit 10.5.4, TextWrangler 4.5.2, and Security Update 2013-002 for Snow Leopard and Lion.
Looking like the love child of Darth Vader and R2-D2 (but in a good way), Apple’s new Mac Pro can literally roll out later this year — it’s a sleek and shiny cylinder with no drive bays but ports galore.
Apple used its WWDC podium to introduce a new set of AirPort base stations with a new, taller design and the faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard, plus a refreshed MacBook Air with faster processors and significantly longer battery life for both the 11- and 13-inch models.
Among the high-profile announcements of OS X 10.9 Mavericks and iOS 7, Apple also announced iWork for iCloud, which enables iCloud users to run Pages, Numbers, and Keynote in a Web browser on a Mac or PC. Why? We’re not sure.
With iOS 7, Apple’s mobile OS is being rebuilt from the ground up. Josh Centers takes you on a tour of the new visual design and features, but don’t get too excited, since you won’t be able to get your hands on it until the fall.
At WWDC, Apple unveiled OS X 10.9 Mavericks, which appears to be a well-considered update to OS X that combines Mac-specific features, parity with the forthcoming iOS 7, and performance-enhancing technologies under the hood. Apple hasn’t said how much it will cost or what Macs will be able to run it, but you can look forward to seeing it “this fall.”
Apple has released OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.4, with a long-awaited fix for jumbled Messages and a new version of Safari with numerous security fixes.
After a many-year hiatus, the venerable graphics program is coming back to the Mac. But not for a year.
Concerned by a lack of female developers, several women in the Apple world have joined forces to start a national nonprofit camp program.
The venerable iOS podcast client comes to the Mac, offering Instacast fans syncing among Apple devices and Mac-specific features.
Nimble Quest takes the classic Snake game and gives it an RPG twist.
Notable software releases this week include LaunchBar 5.5, Aperture 3.4.5, iTunes 11.0.4, BBEdit 10.5.4, TextWrangler 4.5.2, and Security Update 2013-002 for Snow Leopard and Lion.
We have a handful of potent ExtraBITS this week, including the stunning claim that the U.S. National Security Agency has been partnering with the world’s biggest tech companies, including Apple, to spy on the world through an initiative called PRISM. That’s not Apple’s only problem, as it’s also on trial, accused of colluding with publishers to raise ebook prices. If your iPhone battery life is suffering, then another alleged PRISM collaborator, Facebook, may be to blame. Hopefully the NSA will update PRISM to be more power-efficient. In happier news, the Apple Store now repairs iPhone 5 screens for $149.