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Mix up 'Rocket League' action with Rumble Mode and item trading
We're still waiting to see fully cross-platform Rocket League, but the game just made some other adjustments to keep things fresh for regular players. Dubbed Rumble Mode, the new 3v3 gameplay variant tosses in everything from a grappling hook to a tornado. Even better, more people can enjoy it now that the game has a beta version available on Linux and OS X, and at least on Steam, the game and all DLC are available for 25 percent off. One thing to note: Psyonix says it is aware of framerate issues post-patch and is "actively investigating."
Recently patched iOS security flaw also affects OS X
Last week Apple rolled out a patch for iOS that closed a security flaw that could give attackers control over a device by having a user click a single link. Now, Apple is patching the same hole in the Safari web browser on the desktop, with new updates for the browser as well as OS X Yosemite and El Capitan. Lookout Security and Citizenlab identified the flaw based on a link sent to a human rights activist, and believe the "cyber war" organization NSO Group was selling the exploit to governments like the UAE.
Unofficial BitTorrent app once again linked to Mac malware
The developers of Transmission can't catch a break. Just months after their BitTorrent app was linked to the first known instance of Mac ransomware, security researchers at ESET have pinpointed another form of malware taking advantage of Transmission to infect Mac users. Keydnap, as it's called, takes advantage of a modified version of Transmission (planted on the developer's site without its knowledge) to attack your computer. It's similar to the ransomware's approach in more ways than just its choice of host app -- it even uses a signing key to trick Apple's Gatekeeper safeguard into letting it through.
Creating and sharing GIFs with Giphy Capture is dead simple
While we might not be able to agree on the correct pronunciation of "GIF" (hint: it's the one that doesn't sound like the peanut butter brand chosen by choosy moms), we can find some common ground on the animated image format's utility. Giphy, the internet's preeminent GIF repository, has dabbled with custom-GIF tools before, but its GIF Maker is a web app and is pretty basic in terms of functionality. With the latest version of Giphy Capture, the outfit is looking to streamline the creation process from any video source and add a few bits that it didn't have prior.
Microsoft Office for Mac gets 64-bit support for better performance
Microsoft announced in April that it would make the transition from 32-bit to 64-bit for Office 2016 for Mac. Well, the time has come. The update is rolling out to those who are running Microsoft's productivity suite on OS X. Apple's desktop operating system has been 64-bit for a while now, but Windows still allows users to to choose between 32- and 64-bit versions. With this latest update, Office 2016 for Mac is making the permanent switch to 64-bit support which Microsoft says will boost performance and allow for new features.
Security bugs put Apple devices running iOS and Mac OS X at risk
Multiple security vulnerabilities were revealed by Cisco's Talos security team earlier this week, identifying areas at risk of possible exploits in iOS devices and Mac OS X. Some experts believe the exploits to be complex to pull off and likely not worth the time to attack. Regardless, the bugs have already been fixed in the latest versions of both operating systems.
Apple details its latest desktop operating system: macOS Sierra
It wouldn't be WWDC without Apple detailing a new version of OS X. Oh wait, scratch that: Cupertino's desktop operating system is now named macOS, as had been rumored in recent weeks. But the name change isn't the only thing being discussed at the developers conference. For starters, Apple is bringing Siri to the Mac, giving users hands-free access to their computer. There's a new feature called Auto Unlock too, which will allow you to unlock your Mac with via an Apple Watch.
OS X is now macOS
After 15 years of large cats and a few California landmarks, Apple's OS X is getting a new name that's actually an old name. Apple's senior VP of software engineering, Craig Federighi announced that, henceforth, the operating system on desktop and laptops will be called macOS.
Siri hints at upcoming Mac support
Apple may have inadvertently erased doubts that Siri would come to the Mac. Brian Roemmele has discovered that asking iOS' Siri the right question (such as "open settings in the window") sometimes produces a response saying that the voice assistant can't find the Finder app -- you know, a crucial part of the Mac's interface. Barring the inclusion of a full-on file manager in iOS 10 (not very likely), this hints that Apple is laying the groundwork for Siri in OS X.
Apple hints at OS X rebrand in the App Store
If you think about it, OS X isn't really a great name for Apple's Mac operating system. It was just meant to be the next OS after Mac OS 9, but because it has a nice round (roman) number and used all-new UNIX-based tech, Apple has stuck with the name for nigh on 17 years. According to the rumor mill and apparent slip-up on the App Store, that's about to change, however. It now seems likely that Apple will change OS X to macOS, essentially reverting to its pre-1999 naming scheme.
OS X update could use the iPhone's Touch ID to unlock Macs
As we approach Apple's annual WWDC conference that starts on June 13th, the rumors about upcoming iOS and OS X features are sure to ramp up. This week, MacRumors is reporting that the company is working on a way for you to unlock a Mac using your iPhone's Touch ID feature. The security measure is said to bypass a typed log-in using Bluetooth when the phone is "in close proximity" to a computer running OS X. As MacRumors notes, there's a similar feature on the Apple Watch that allows an unlocked iPhone to provide access to the wearable without the need to enter a second password.
Chromebooks beat Mac sales in early 2016
According to research firm IDC, more Google Chromebooks were sold in the first quarter of 2016 than all of Apple's Mac line. The milestone marked the first time Google's Chrome OS moved more units than OS X in the United States.
GarageBand goes to China with new instruments and Live Loops
If you're looking to bring some new voices to the music you make in GarageBand, Apple's got you covered. The company has recently added a slew of Chinese instruments including the pipa and erhu to the app. That's in addition to some 300 loops of music inspired by the region, and a new pair of grid templates for Live Loops -- the ultra simple music creation feature Apple introduced earlier this year.
Opera's desktop web browser gets a low-power mode
Opera's bid to claim loads of web browser firsts isn't stopping any time soon -- the company has released what it says is the first major desktop browser with a power-saving mode. Grab the latest developer version of Opera and you'll have an option to scale back energy use by tweaking page redraw behavior, background tab activity and video playback. In Opera's tests, that gets you about 3 hours of extra surfing on a Windows 10 laptop (a Lenovo ThinkPad X250 with a Core i7 and 16GB of RAM, if you're curious) when compared to both earlier versions of Opera and Google Chrome.
Sunrise shuts down its calendar app on August 31st
If you guessed that Sunrise's calendar app wasn't long for this world after Microsoft bought the company... well, you guessed correctly. Sunrise has revealed that it's phasing out its fan-favorite software. The app itself will vanish from digital stores over the next few days, and it'll stop working entirely on August 31st. Like it or not, you can't keep it around for the sake of familiarity -- you'll either have to switch to Outlook (which has some of Sunrise's DNA) or find an alternative.
WhatsApp has a new desktop app for Windows and OS X
WhatsApp users now have a better way to stay in touch from their PC, as it has released a desktop app for Windows and Mac users. News of the desktop app leaked out early after it was detected by the Twitter account WABetaInfo, which tracks changes in the service's various clients. According to a company blog post, the desktop client is similar to WhatsApp Web in that it's meant to be an extension of your phone, with synchronized conversations and messages. WhatsApp avoided the app stores available on either platform, choosing to make its desktop available for direct downloading, as long as you're running Windows 8 (or newer) or OS X 10.9 (or newer).
Twitter for Mac lets you search for GIFs when a photo won't do
Twitter launched a handy GIF search tool inside its mobile apps back in February, and now the social network is bring the animated images to the desktop. With an update to the Mac software, users can expect to quickly find an appropriate GIF for the situation, so long as you're using the official Twitter application. The image search looks similar to the mobile version, where clicking the "GIF" button from the compose window brings up a smattering of categories. Of course, there's an old-fashioned search bar too, if you have something specific in mind.
Skype's chat bots come to Macs and the web
You no longer have to be quite so picky about where you chat with Skype's chat bots. The Skype team has made preview bots available on both the native Mac app and the web, giving you a way to ask AI for assistance on your platform of choice. The experience won't be much different than what you've seen in Windows, but there are two new preview bots to try: Murphy (which finds and creates images to answer questions) and Summarize (which recaps a web page). Give this a shot if you've been waiting for first-hand experience with Microsoft's software helpers.
Siri reveals Apple's WWDC event will begin June 13th
When it comes to announcing plans for an event, the folks in Cupertino typically send out invites and info via email. That's not the case this year, though, as Apple is relying on its virtual assistant to inform the masses about its annual WWDC soirée. Thanks to Siri, we know the developer conference is scheduled for June 13th through the 17th in San Francisco, the event where we'll hear details on new versions of OS X, iOS and WatchOS.
OS X update fixed 'simple' bug that could leak your iMessages
Researchers explained one large security hole in Apple's iMessage app that received a patch last month, but until now we didn't have details on another vulnerability fixed at the same time. By tricking users into clicking a specially-crafted link, hackers could gain access to the usually encrypted communications in OS X El Capitan's Messages. "You don't need a graduate degree in mathematics to exploit it, nor does it require advanced knowledge of memory management, shellcode or ROP chains," according to security researchers at Bishop Fox -- just knowledge of basic JavaScript.
