Apple releases macOS Sierra as free upgrade

Apple releases macOS Sierra as free upgrade

Apples Mac computers -- MacBook, iMac, Mac Pro, and Mac mini -- are works of art. Not only is the hardware beautiful, but the included operating system is visually impressive too. Today, after a series of Beta releases, the final 10.12 version of the desktop operating system formerly known as OS X -- now known as macOS -- is available for download. Apple dubs the latest version of the desktop operating system Sierra, after a mountain range in the companys home state of California.
 
While Windows 10 is a great operating system for productivity, Microsoft simply cannot match the visual beauty of macOS. Still, Microsofts latest operating system does offer some unique features, such as the voice assistant Cortana -- something that Apples desktop did not offer. Today, this changes, as the legendary Siri comes to macOS Sierra. Best of all? As usual, this is a free upgrade for owners of compatible Mac computers!
 
"Siri on the Mac can help send messages and email, find documents, look up information, search a user�s photo library, adjust system preferences and more. Users can also drag and drop Siri results into documents or pin them into their Today view for later reference. Universal Clipboard allows users to copy content from an app on one Apple device and paste it into another app on a different Apple device. With iCloud Desktop and Documents users can now access the files on their Desktop from iPhone and iPad. And Auto Unlock lets users automatically log into their Mac when they are wearing an authenticated Apple Watch", says Apple.
 
The iPhone-maker further says, "Photos introduces Memories, which highlights favorite and forgotten moments in users� photo libraries by automatically creating curated collections of occasions like birthday parties or family vacations. Photos uses advanced computer vision to identify faces, objects and scenes in your images, so photos can be searched by who and what is in them. An all-new Brilliance editing tool brightens dark areas and pulls in highlights to make photos look richer and more vibrant".
 

 

One of the biggest pain points of online shopping is the need to enter your information, such as name and address, on every merchant you use. Then, you have to find your credit card and enter those numbers too. It is a real chore. Sometimes I will buy a product on Amazon as opposed to saving money on a new site, simply because it is easier.
 

 

Apple Pay on the web for Safari, new to macOS Sierra, solves this dilemma as it makes shopping even easier. If a merchant supports the feature, you can checkout and pay using your Apple Pay information -- creating an account with the online retailer is not necessary. For added security, the transaction must be verified using an iPhone or Apple Watch. By leveraging a second device, it arguably makes the overall experience safer.
 

 

What else is new in the operating system? Apple shares the following.

• Messages makes conversations more interesting, allowing users to preview web links and play video clips from right within the app; respond to messages with a Tapback like a heart, thumbs up and more directly onto a message bubble; and send bigger emoji for more message impact.
• Tabs are now available across Mac apps that support multiple windows, including Maps, Mail, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, TextEdit, and even third-party apps.
• Picture in Picture floats video from Safari or iTunes in a window over the desktop. The window can be resized, dragged and pinned to any corner of the screen so users can watch video while they work.
• Optimized Storage frees up space when a Mac starts getting full by storing infrequently used items in the cloud and helping users remove apps and files they no longer need.
• Apple Music in iTunes makes it even easier to discover new music and browse exclusives and new releases.

 

This upgrade also blocks applications from improperly accessing the accessibility settings in the operating system. This was most infamously leveraged by Dropbox, and you can read more about it here. While the cloud storage company had good intentions, there was fear that it could be used as a loophole for more nefarious apps -- Apple is wise to close it. If you are a Dropbox user, do not worry -- the company addresses macOS Sierra here.

 
If you own a compatible Mac, you can download macOS Sierra immediately from the App Store here. It looks incredible, so you should definitely not hesitate. Once you download it, please tell me what you think in the comments below.
  
~ Brian Fagioli

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Apple is smart to enlist hackers and iPhone 7 jailbreakers to secure iOS and macOS

Apple is smart to enlist hackers and iPhone 7 jailbreakers to secure iOS and macOS

 

Apple has historically been very guarded and secretive. While this is still true today, the company has definitely become more open after Steve Jobs death. Quite frankly, the fact that there are now public betas for both iOS and macOS is mind-blowing for the Apple faithful. Last month, the company even launched its first bug bounty program! Why did Apple soften its guarded position? It had to. As the technology market advances, and security becomes a bigger focus, it is not possible to catch all bugs and vulnerabilities in house.
 
While the bug bounty and public betas were very wise moves, the company is apparently taking things a step further. According to Forbes, Apple is enlisting iPhone jailbreakers and other hackers (such as Luca Todesco, Nicholas Allegra and Patrick Wardle) to bolster the security of its products using the aforementioned bug bounty program. In fact, it is rumored to be happening at a secret meeting. If true, is the company smart to trust these people?
 
Many iPhone users like jailbreaking their devices, and yeah, I can understand the appeal. You can make your phone do things that Apple did not intend, including fun customizations. The problem? It makes your iPhone or iPad less secure. Every time an exploit is discovered that allows jailbreaking, or a vulnerability is discovered in macOS, it highlights a bug that Apple missed -- it is embarrassing for the company.
 
Some bugs and vulnerabilities can be exploited by malware, as we saw last month. While the iPhone is viewed by many as secure, hackers were found to be spying on people. It was quickly patched with iOS 9.3.5, but there is no telling how long the vulnerability had been in the wild. This malware in particular highlights why Apple must do whatever it can to secure its products -- including working with known hackers.
 
Unfortunately, selling these bugs and exploits to nefarious groups and governments can be quite lucrative -- it is big business. In order for Apple to recruit these people into its program, it has to do one of two things -- outbid other entities that purchase them, or build a relationship with the hackers. If Apple has really invited these people as Forbes claims, they may be trying to do the latter.
 
Besides the previously mentioned invitees, who else is attending? Forbes says the following.

Forbes believes others who made the cut include noted iPhone and Mac hackers Francisco Alonso, Stefan Esser, Braden Thomas, Pedro Vilaca and Jonathan Zdziarski. Former Apple engineer Alex Ionescu, Steven De Franco (better known in the jailbreak community as ih8sn0w), and a member of the famous Pangu jailbreak crew, Hao Xu, are also amongst the invitees.

Whether or not this secret meeting pays off for Apple remains to be seen. If the maximum the iPhone-maker will pay is $200,000, and other groups (such as Cellebrite) will offer them more, these hackers and jailbreakers may be tempted to cut Apple out. Cash is king, right?
 
Tim Cook and company may want to consider higher bounty payments, or to take things further, hire these people full time. Yes, I am actually suggesting making these people official Apple employees. With that said, they will need to be vetted, of course. These folks are undoubtedly smart, but their trustworthiness and ability to adapt to the corporate world will need to be proven.
 
Do you think Apple is wise to work with jailbreakers and hackers or is it playing with fire? Tell me in the comments.
 
Photo Credit: Goncharenya Tanya/Shutterstock
 
~ Brian Fagioli

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Apple renames OS X to macOS upcoming Sierra version will get Siri Apple Pay and more

Apple renames OS X to macOS upcoming Sierra version will get Siri Apple Pay and more

If you are wanting a desktop operating system, you largely have two options -- Windows or OS X. To a lesser extent, consumers can opt for Linux-based operating systems, such as Chrome OS or Ubuntu, but Apple and Microsofts offerings reign supreme. While OS X is arguably more elegant than Windows, it only comes installed on Apples expensive hardware. Microsofts OS is the best option for those on a budget.
 
One thing that was not elegant about OS X, however, was the name. It was not in line with the companys other operating systems -- iOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Not to mention, the 15 year old "X" branding was getting a bit long in the tooth. Today, Apple renames it to macOS, while also designating a new code name to the upcoming version -- Sierra. It looks to be the best Mac operating system ever.
 
"Siri on the Mac is now just one click away. The familiar features of Siri are now on the Mac with brand-new capabilities specifically designed for the desktop. Easily accessible from the Dock, menu bar or keyboard, Siri lets you use your voice to search for information, find files and send messages. For example you can ask Siri to locate a specific document you worked on last night, add a meeting to your calendar or start a FaceTime call. With Siri on the Mac, you can also drag and drop items from Siri search results into your documents or emails, pin Siri search results in Notification Center to keep an eye on information like sports scores or stock prices, and even adjust system preferences, set reminders and search your Photos library", says Apple.
 
Duing the event, I was quite impressed with the demo of Siri on macOS. She is deeply integrated with finder, offering high-quality contextual search. The voice assistant doesnt just fetch the weather, but it finds your documents too. Taking things a step further, the drag-and-drop functionality worked wonderfully, allowing seamless workflow in the operating system.
 

 

The other big feature is Apple pay on the web. The company explains, "users love to shop online using their Macs and with macOS the shopping experience in Safari is now even better. Apple Pay on the web makes it easy to make secure and private purchases when shopping on participating websites. You no longer need to share credit or debit card numbers with an online merchant and actual card numbers are not stored on your device, nor on Apple servers. Just look for the Apple Pay button at checkout on many of your favorite shopping sites and complete your purchase with Touch ID on your iPhone or by using your Apple Watch. Strong encryption protects all communication between your devices and Apple Pay servers, and Apple Pay does not track your purchases".
 
Strangely, rather than highlight biometrics on the Mac, Apple wants you to verify transactions using your iPhone or Apple Watch. I hope this will change with future hardware -- the company is probably not be ready to discuss features of future computers. With that said, if upcoming Mac computers lack fingerprint readers, it will be a huge blunder. Not every Mac user owns other Apple hardware, and if they do, they may not always have it with them. Maybe Apple just wants to keep Apple users buying multiple devices.
 
Another great feature is the ability to automatically offload local documents to the cloud to conserve space with "Optimized Storage". This will allow those with smaller storage drives to have more breathing room. On paper it sounds like a great idea, but as more and more folks surf the web on metered connections and jetpacks with limited data, this could end up being a costly headache. Not to mention, increased iCloud Drive storage is yet another monthly cost for users that utilize the functionality.
 
The operating system is full of other features too, like universal copy and paste, allowing you to share a clipboard between iOS and macOS. Plus, the ability to use "picture in picture" to conveniently watch a video while multitasking. The company has even enabled program tabs on the OS level so any app can be easily managed without any work from the developer.
 
All in all, this is shaping up to be the best Mac operating system ever. Developers can download the preview today, while existing OS X end users can upgrade when macOS becomes available in the fall. More daring home users can grab the public beta in July.
 
Are you excited for macOS Sierra? Tell me in the comments.
 
~ Brian Fagioli

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