Skip to content
Thoughtful, detailed coverage of everything Apple for 33 years
and the TidBITS Content Network for Apple professionals
Show full articles

TidBITS#1229/30-Jun-2014

The OS X 10.9.4 Mavericks and iOS 7.1.2 updates kick off this issue of TidBITS, with the former including fixes for Wi-Fi and wake from sleep, and the latter improving iBeacon. Last week’s Google I/O conference unleashed a slew of product and service announcements that could reshape the tech landscape — we look at the highlights. Among Google’s releases is Android Wear, an operating system for watches and other wearables, and while it’s more real than Apple’s much-rumored iWatch, Steve McCabe takes a look at the market-leading Pebble smartwatch to see what it can do. In Take Control news, our latest title is something special — Joe Kissell’s “Take Control of Automating Your Mac” explains how anyone can find shortcuts to repetitive tasks. Plus, in the streamed “Take Control of OS X Server” for TidBITS members, Charles Edge looks at the Contacts, Calendar, and Messages services. In FunBITS this week, Josh reviews Leo’s Fortune, and explains why it sets a new bar for touch-based platform games. Notable software releases this week include Final Cut Pro X 10.1.2, Compressor 4.1.2, Motion 5.1.1, Default Folder X 4.6.6, and OmniOutliner 4.1.

Adam Engst No comments

Recruit Your Robots with “Take Control of Automating Your Mac”

If you use copy and paste, you’re taking advantage of an important shortcut. But did you realize that the Mac offers dozens of additional shortcuts that make tedious tasks quick, accurate, and repeatable? Author Joe Kissell reveals OS X’s many built-in shortcuts and examines the utilities that go further, offering concrete examples and extensive lists of possibilities.

Adam Engst No comments

Chapter 7 of “Take Control of OS X Server” Now Available

If you want to run your own Contacts, Calendar, and Messages services, Charles Edge explains how to do that in this chapter of “Take Control of OS X Server.” But perhaps more important, he explains the real-world reasons to venture down this path, since it’s not necessarily an easy road to follow once you’ve turned the services on.

Josh Centers No comments

Google I/O 2014 Focuses on Integration

With a plethora of promised products and services at its developer conference, Google is stepping up its competition with Apple. Announced at Google I/O 2014 were a fresh new design language, increased integration between devices, and a new push for the living room.

TidBITS Staff No comments

ExtraBITS for 30 June 2014

In this week’s ExtraBITS, we’re shocked, but not surprised, to learn that Apple is saying sayonara to iPhoto and Aperture. The company also lowered prices on its iPod touch lineup while introducing an updated 16 GB model, and beefed up the Apple TV with a few new apps, including ABC News and PBS Kids. Rich Mogull explains why Apple cares about your privacy, and it turns out that the Supreme Court does as well, ruling that warrants are necessary for cell phone searches (while also ruling against the Aereo streaming TV service).