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Lion will introduce new sharing options in QuickTime X
When Apple came out with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, the company unveiled a whole new version of QuickTime Player (and also jumped a couple of version numbers in the process -- going from "7" to "X," or 10). The player component of QuickTime X was much sleeker than QuickTime Player 7, but it lacked a lot of the added features that version 7 had (like Play Selection Only, Loop Back and Forth, etc). While it doesn't appear that Apple has added any of those features back into QuickTime X yet, the Lion Developer Preview 2 released today sports a new QuickTime X player (version 10.1) with additional sharing options. In the QuickTime X player that shipped with Snow Leopard (version 10.0), Apple allowed you to share your videos right from QuickTime Player to iTunes, MobileMe or YouTube. Now, with the forthcoming player that will ship with Lion, Apple is enabling additional sharing options, including sharing with Apple's Mail.app and the websites Vimeo, Facebook and Flickr. It's nice to see Apple improving QuickTime X, and hopefully it will eventually get around to adding back all the features of QuickTime Player 7. Until then, there's always the QuickTime Player X plug-in, which adds some functionality back to the current version of QuickTime X. You can also keep a copy of the QuickTime 7 Player, which is an optional Snow Leopard install. [via Fairerplatform]
10.7 Lion Developer Preview 2 update released
There's a new cat in town: registered Mac OS X developers can now hit Software Update for the just-revised latest update to Lion Developer Preview 2. The prerelease version of Mac OS X 10.7 works with XCode 4.1 Developer Preview 3. If you're a developer but you haven't yet downloaded your Lion installer (and why not?) you can pick up your redemption code in the Mac Dev Center and then download Lion from the Mac App Store at your leisure.
Scroll Reverser brings Lion, iOS reverse scrolling to Snow Leopard
One of the more surprising features of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion has been the change to reverse scrolling. With reverse scrolling, your hand actually moves up to scroll down a page. This is contrary to the common method of scrolling that is used in most major operating systems, where the hand moves down to scroll down. Reverse scrolling is used on iOS devices, where it feels very natural -- it's like you're moving a piece of paper up and down in a frame to reveal the content on it. While reverse scrolling can be turned off in Lion through System Preferences, many developers who are beginning to work with the Lion developer preview find that they prefer this very iOS-like way of interfacing with their Macs. Those developers are at a disadvantage when they switch back to earlier versions of Mac OS X -- they basically have to remember what OS they're working with and make a mental switch to the proper scrolling direction. Now, developer Nick Moore has created a small utility to reverse the scrolling on Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.6. Scroll Reverser (free) adds a menu bar item allowing the direction of scrolling to be toggled. That's perfect for developers who want to keep their Macs as Lion-like as possible, but would like the ability to go back to the tried-and-true direct scroll when necessary. If you aren't a developer and would like to get a taste of what reverse scrolling feels like, download the utility and give it a try. [via Mac OS X Daily]
Do-not-track feature coming to Safari
The latest developer release of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion includes a Safari web browser with do-not-track features built in. Do-not-track features in a web browser allow that browser to send messages to websites and advertising networks informing them that the user wishes not to be tracked. However, the feature is only effective if the advertiser or website agrees to not track a specific user, and right now advertisers and web sites are not legally required to honor the wishes of users using do-not-track features in browsers. As to be expected, major online advertising networks are dragging their heels saying they haven't yet agreed on how to implement do-not-track systems effectively. With the do-not-track feature built into Safari in Lion, Apple joins the ranks of Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox as do-not-track browsers. Google's Chrome is the only major do-not-track holdout. That should come as a shock to no one, considering Google is in the ad business. However, if you do use Chrome, you can download the free do-not-track extension Keep My Opt-Outs.
The Queue: Almost our celestial anniversary
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Today's Queue is brought to you by Mathew McCurley and the letter F. Yay, I get to write The Queue today! With a patch 4.1 release candidate on the PTR, as well as the one-year anniversary (April 15) of the Celestial Steed, it seems that we should be expecting many things happening within the next few weeks in WoW. Oh, boy! We live in exciting times. Sparkle pony, it was almost one year since I wrote about your majesty, your grace and starry beauty. How could anyone say no to the steed from the stars? Now, we have your successor, the winged guardian, a presumably Uldum-esque creature that soars through the cataclysmic skies with the strength of the desert it has been unearthed from. I hope part of the story involves Harrison Jones finding a secret factory under the Temple of Uldum, where 5 million winged guardians await, ready to be sold and taken home "off the lot," as it were. walkerspace asked: Dear Queue, There seems to be an increase in bot activity (while I'm herbing; I want it all!). Is there anything Bizzard can do about it? Or, is the perceived activity simply more characters in the game fighting over the same limited resource?
Apple updates Dictionary app in Lion, still has a way to go
AppleInsider has spotlighted some improvements Apple has made to the built-in Dictionary app in Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. Among the new features, the actual dictionary files used in the app have been updated from the second edition (2005) of the New Oxford American English Dictionary to the third (2010) edition. The third (2010) edition of the British Oxford Dictionary of English is also included along with the British Oxford Thesaurus of English. The Shogakukan Japanese dictionaries and Apple's own dictionary of trademark and product names have been updated as well. The app now also uses a two-pane display, which makes it easier to navigate between words or phrases. Previously, you would be presented with only a list and have to click back and forth to the list in order to select a new word. Another welcome feature is a pop-up definition preview when a word is searched for using Spotlight. Now, hovering over the word in a Spotlight list displays the full definitions of the word instead of just the first few words of the definition. Apple has also added a new multi-touch trackpad command to its built-in dictionary. Now clicking on a word using three fingers will open up the in-line dictionary panel for that word or open that word in the dictionary app itself (depending on your Dictionary settings). As a writer, I geek out over any improvements Apple makes with its dictionary features. However, I will not rest until Apple adds access to the excellent OneLook Reverse Dictionary from within the Dictionary app itself (much the same way you can access Wikipedia within the app). Sometimes you just want to see a list of words describing "red fruit" without having to manually think of every such word; alternatively, you may know the definition of a word, but not the word itself (such as "urge to travel"). Besides adding a reverse dictionary, I would also love to be able to bookmark favorite words and create word lists where I can group similar words together for quick access. For example, it would be nice to create a list of words or phrases I could possibly use to describe someone who is angrily shouting. I guess I can only hope Apple reads my words.
Mac OS X Lion to tone down the Aqua
The Aqua interface has been a staple of Mac OS X since version 10.0, but now it appears that Apple is toning down the Aqua appearance of its operating system in Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. As you can see from the screen shot above, Apple has removed a lot of the Aqua trimmings from drop-down menus; it has also taken the pill-shaped Aqua buttons and given them a more flat, rectangular appearance. In addition to the changes above, Lion has also stripped out OS X's Aqua scroll bars and replaced them with iOS-like scroll bars that fade away when not in use. The white pill button found in the upper-right corner of a Finder or app's window, which shows or hides a window's toolbar, has also now been replaced with a full-screen button. I'm a fan of the new look myself. I'm glad Apple hasn't totally abandoned the Aqua interface, but it's nice that it's been toned down. If you want to see more of the subtle changes listed above, click on over to AppleInsider, which posted the above images.
QuickPick update in limbo for Lion similarities
On Wednesday, QuickPick 2.0.3 was apparently ejected from the Mac App Store, according to a tweet from developer Seth Willits. A day later, Seth tweeted that the app is still in the store -- as of this writing that's the case -- but update 2.0.3 had been rejected, increasing his confusion. Additionally, he mentions that an Apple rep told him that QuickPick would be "removed from sale," citing a "confusingly similar" argument. For now, the app is in limbo. QuickPick is a full-screen application and document launcher which offers several features reportedly missing from Apple's app launcher -- as it exists today at least. For example, the app's dedicated preferences can set a global keyboard command or hot corner for activation, while users can identify their own most frequently used items to display and leave icons "scrambled" on screen to suit their own organizational style or lack thereof. Most importantly, QuickPick runs on Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Apple may perceive the app as direct competition to Launchpad, one of Lion's most highly touted new features. If users see low-cost alternatives to a potentially costly Mac OS X upgrade, they may be dissuaded from spending the time and money to make the leap to Lion when it arrives this summer (though one feature vs. all of Lion's improvements decreases this likelihood). Perhaps Apple is simply rejecting the app to prevent confusion in their own marketplace; an argument Willits isn't buying. "QuickPick existed years before Launchpad...[Version] 2.0.2 isn't any different than 2.0.3." Willits continues to plead his case with Apple. In the meantime, for US$10, QuickPick 2.0.2 is still available on the Mac App Store and version 2.0.3 is available through the Araelium Group website. [via MacNN]
Mac OS X 10.7 Lion features new System Information app
Searching for system information on a Mac running Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard can be confusing to the uninitiated. For example, if you're trying to figure out what RAM chips are installed in what slot on your device, you need to pop open About This Mac, click the More Info button, and then scroll down through the list of hardware, network and software items until you find the proper info. Even then, if you're looking for details on how to upgrade your system RAM, you'll need to do a web search for instructions. Mac OS X 10.7 Lion will have a new features that should make it easier for everyone to quickly find the system data they need. A new app, System Information (see above), is available from About This Mac, but provides Mac owners with information displayed in a much more graphical and understandable way. When launched, System Information initially shows two overview panes, one with data about the operating system and available software updates, and another displaying high-level info about the computer hardware. From the software pane, users can launch Software Update, while the old System Profiler can be launched by clicking the System Report button on the hardware pane.
Ask TUAW: Apple pricing, which cat is which, and laptop batteries you can't replace
Welcome to Ask TUAW, your favorite weekly question-and-answer column. Now, we can never have too many questions, so please, go to the comments of this post and ask away. To get fabulous answers, we need your fabulous questions. You can also email your questions directly to ask [at] tuaw.com, or ping us on Twitter. Now, off to the questions! David asks: Why doesn't Apple let me replace the battery myself in any of its current products?
Mac OS X 10.7 Lion Developer Preview Update 1 is out
The Lion just purred. Apple pushed out an update to the developer preview of the next Mac operating system today. Mac OS X 10.7 Lion Developer Preview Update 1 is available via Software Update and is the first update since the developer preview first came out on February 24, 2011. The update is minuscule -- 2.2 MB -- and according to the update notes "This update is required to redeem downloads of Mac OS X Lion seed builds from the Mac App Store." There you have it -- future updates of the seed builds will be done through the Mac App Store and not Software Update. The update follows recent reports that Apple was set to deploy a Golden Master release of the operating system, which means that the feature set for Lion could be close to being cast in stone.
Keeping SSDs in TRIM: doing the math
Love Apple gear? Like math? TUAW's Doing the Math series examines the numbers and the science that lie behind the hardware. One of the new features we first saw in the developer beta of Mac OS X Lion back in February is long-overdue in this correspondent's humble opinion: it finally supports TRIM on solid-state drives. TRIM (which, despite the capital letters, isn't an acronym) is a way to speed up SSD access by performing important housekeeping tasks in the background or on file deletes, rather than leaving it until the user is writing data to the drive. Since then, TRIM has also appeared in 10.6.6 for new Macs with Apple-supplied SSDs only, and with third-party tools, it's now possible to get TRIM running on any SSD under 10.6.7. This raises the question: what exactly is TRIM, and why does it matter? If you've been wondering what this seemingly arbitrary abbreviation is, and why it matters, then I'm here with my best Science Hat on to remove all that wonder (as we scientists so often do) and replace it with cold hard fact.
Apple set to deploy "GM1" release of Mac OS X Lion?
Tech Crunch reports that Apple is set to deploy a Gold Master release of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion in the near future. It's been just over a month since Apple released the Lion Developer Preview. A Gold Master is typically the final version of a software product that is then sent on to be mass produced on CD or DVDs (or delivered digitally). Once a software hits Gold Master, it is usually available to the general public within a matter of weeks. However, this next release of 10.7 Lion, while designated a Gold Master, will actually be labeled "GM1" according to TechCrunch. TechCrunch says this GM1 release will be "only the initial Golden Master candidate" with more to follow. Typically non-final GM candidates are called release candidates, but this is Apple and they always uses their own special naming conventions. However, an Apple GM1 candidate means we'll typically see all the feature tweaks Apple has planned for Lion locked in place, with successive "GM" releases solely focusing on bug fixes and compatibility issues. Mac OS X 10.7 is expected to be released later this summer.
Apple to drop Samba networking tools from Lion
Changes to its licensing may lead Samba, an open source suite of tools for networking with Windows systems, to be chopped from Mac OS X Lion, according to a report from AppleInsider. Instead, Apple will develop its own solutions for interacting with neighboring Windows systems over a network. Samba's primary goal is to improve interoperability between PCs with Microsoft Windows and computers running other operating systems. Notably, the software enables UNIX-based systems like Mac OS X to speak the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol that Windows uses for file sharing and network directory services. Apple began integrating Samba into its operating systems in 2002 with the release of Mac OS X v10.2 "Jaguar." With Samba, Mac OS X's ability to interact with Windows has grown over the last several years, evolving from everyday file sharing between co-workers into Mac servers capable of hosting account profiles and entire home directories for Windows users to access from their networked PCs. As Mac OS X adopted more of Samba's tools, the team behind Samba gradually transformed the open source licensing for its software. The latest version of Samba is offered only with General Public License Version 3 (GPLv3) licensing, which includes restrictions that essentially prevent Apple from incorporating it into commercially packaged software like Mac OS X. Although Samba has been voted off Lion island, it's unlikely Apple will entirely drop support for Windows networking technologies. Apple is reportedly hard at work building a new suite of built-in tools that will allow Mac OS X Lion to continue dancing with Windows networks. Unlike Samba, however, Lion's networking tools will likely end support for NT domains, networking technology introduced by Microsoft in the late 1990s. Although some networks still rely on NT Domain Controller configurations, even Microsoft ended support for the aging technology with Windows 7. On the bright side, Apple will no longer by trapped by the limitations of Samba. For example, the version of Samba currently bundled with Mac OS X can run into issues with PCs running Windows 7 that are set to Microsoft's most secure options for file sharing. Apple now has the opportunity to address this shortcoming and perhaps introduce its own innovative improvements to networking between future versions of Mac OS X and Windows. For now, it's possible (and likely) the first version of Apple's tools for integrating with Windows networking technologies will face a few initial setbacks and limitations. In this event, Samba can potentially still be added to Mac OS X Lion by tech-savvy Mac users who can survive without a simple installer, graphical user interface and tight integration with the rest of Apple's software. Or Mac users who need Samba's toolset can hope an enterprising developer builds a compelling, easy-to-use Samba package before Mac OS X Lion ships this summer. [via CNET] Updated to note that Mac OS X can work with Win 7 sharing if security options are changed.
Mac OS X Lion offers high-quality, multilingual voices
Since the developer preview release of Mac OS X Lion, we've been able to see in action some of the exciting new features to expect from Apple's new, forthcoming operating system. Today, we've got even more exciting news to share. AppleInsider is reporting that Mac OS X Lion will feature 53 new high-quality voices with over 40 different dialects to boot. From about a third to over half a gigabyte each in size, the voices sound more human than ever (things have come along way since the early Mac voice from the late 1980s or even Victoria from the 90s), even old Alex from Mac OS X Leopard is put to shame by the new crowd: including American English speaking Jill, Samantha and Tom, Australian English Karen and Lee and the rather British English speaking Daniel, Emily and Serena. There's even a South African English speaking Tessa. But it's not only English that Mac OS X Lion will be speaking, the new OS will be able to speak Chinese, Saudi Arabian Arabic, French, Italian, Polish and Turkish to name a few, too. It's reported that the voices will be available for download directly from Apple, so your Mac only speaks the languages you want and need it to. Click here to listen to some samples provied by AppleInsider
Apple's developer preview NDA is a load of Lion poop
UPDATE: A few things to note here. 1. Anyone on TUAW staff who has signed an NDA will indeed honor it. 2. As a site, we are not going to shy away from covering features in Lion that have been reported elsewhere. 3. It's entirely possible that certain sites have been given permission by Apple to report on Lion -- and that's outside the purview of the NDA. Remember the anti-drug ad where the drug-using kid tries to use peer pressure to get the straight-laced kid to try some? "Everybody's doing it," he chides the square. In the case of Apple's silent PR police, it would appear that everyone is indeed breaking the non-disclosure agreement purportedly required to download and install a preview copy of Mac OS X 10.7, aka Lion. In fact, I can't recall a previous time when I've seen this much explicit hand-tipping of an upcoming product from Cupertino with absolutely no reprisals whatsoever. Can you? Apple is legendary for its secrecy. Many things have been written about the great lengths management will go to ensure secrecy of its products and plans, whether it be hardware, software or simple business moves. It's not like other companies don't have secrets -- after all, corporations have to keep plans as private as possible until they are ready to release info. This used to be a carefully calculated game. In the case of high-tech, it is even more so due to issues involving manufacturing, intellectual property (and the legal protections thereof) and good old-fashioned publicity planning. Once in a while someone will suggest that things like leaving an iPhone prototype in a bar is a calculated publicity move. I would suggest that, up until recently, Apple did not play those games. The culture at Apple is built upon secrecy, which leads to surprise, which inevitably leads to delight from customers and pundits alike. A major OS release for an already-mature product, however, is an entirely different animal. Considering the changes happening in Lion, I would posit that the formerly tight-lipped mothership is tacitly OK with the dribs and drabs and full-on explanations of Lion's new features. Why? Read on.
Mac OS X Lion hands-on preview
Apple announced Mac OS X Lion with considerable fanfare at its Back to the Mac event last October, and now it's dropped the first developer preview on the world -- giving us a chance to sample some of the big cat's new features and UI concepts. We installed the dev build on one of our MacBook Pros and used it over the weekend, and while we won't be able to see any huge changes in day-to-day workflow until our favorite apps are updated to take advantage of Lion, we did see plenty of interesting system-level features and additions -- and yes, iOS's influence is all over the place. Read on for a full breakdown of what's new! %Gallery-117806%
Video tour of Mac OS X Lion developer release
Ian Bauters presents an overview video of many of the new features in the developer release of Mac OS X 10.7, also known as OS X Lion. Many of the changes bring Mac OS X closer in appearance and behavior to iOS 4 on the iPad and iPhone. Some of features and changes covered include: Finder changes, including changing folder view with a slider Launchpad Safari 5.1 Dashboard Address Book iCal Quicklook Mission Control Preview For those of us that aren't developers (including me), this is a must-view. Note: Unfortunately, Apple has been pretty keen on going after these sorts of things, so the video has been taken down from YouTube.
Mac OS X Lion has TRIM support for SSDs, HiDPI resolutions for improved pixel density?
As you'd expect, developers have wasted no time in tearing apart the Mac OS X Lion preview, and in so doing they've allegedly discovered some intriguing things -- namely, support for the SSD-wiping TRIM command, and a series of high-DPI display modes which would allow for icons and UI elements with twice the graphical detail -- which could mean a PC-sized Retina Display. The former doesn't sound like the most exciting upgrade, but it's truly a boon for Mac users with solid state storage, as TRIM can greatly improve write speeds in compatible drives. As far as the improved pixel density rumors are concerned, it's not clear whether Apple's actually looking at doubling display resolutions in new computers (9to5Mac imagines a 15-inch MacBook Pro with a 2880 x 1800 screen) or whether Apple's simply moving to maintain icons that are precisely the same physical size across all its displays -- which would make fantastic sense for a touchscreen UI, by the way.
Apple invites security experts to review Lion developer preview
CNET reports that Apple has sent notice to a few big-time security experts, including some folks who've attacked OS X security in the past, to check out the developer preview of OS X Lion. "As you have reported Mac OS X security issues in the past," the letter reportedly tells the researchers, "I thought that you might be interested in taking a look at this. It contains several improvements in the area of security countermeasures." Note that this isn't actual consulting on the part of these researchers, though they are getting a preview copy of the OS for free. Dino Dai Zovi is one of the experts that Apple invited to check out the system, and he lauds the move on Twitter, stating that it "looks to be a step in the direction of opening up a bit and inviting more dialogue with external researchers." Good for Apple, in that case. Hopefully the outcome of all of this is a more secure operating system, and we can all appreciate that for sure. [via AppleInsider]
