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VMware View delivers virtual Windows machines on Linux, OS X and Kindle Fire
There are very few places left in this world where you can't access a virtualized Windows PC. VMware has its, well, wares available on almost every platform imaginable. Its View client, for connecting to remotely-hosted enterprise servers has become a particularly integral part of the company's plan to put powerful virtualization tools at the tips of your fingers. After debuting on the iPad back in March, followed shortly afterwards by an Android edition, VMware View is now coming to Mac and Linux machines as well as the Kindle Fire. The feature set doesn't contain many surprises, but full screen support in Lion makes a welcome appearance in the list. The app should already be appearing in the Amazon App Store and the Ubuntu Software Center, though you wont find it in the Mac App Store... at least not yet. Check out the complete PR after the break.
Apple seeds OS X Lion 10.7.3 to testers
Apple has seeded another build of OS X Lion 10.7.3 to testers. According to 9to5Mac, this third build of 10.7.3 addresses issues with Address Book, iCal, Mail, Spotlight, and Safari. Apple lists no known issues with this build of 10.7.3, and it may be the last developer build issued before the 10.7.3 update goes public with the usual bug fixes and enhancements to OS X.
Poll: Which version of Mac OS X are you running?
According to Chitika, an analytics company, Mac OS X Lion only holds 16% of the Mac OS market share, trailing behind Snow Leopard (56%) and Leopard (22%) -- indicating poor adoption of the newest operating system in comparison to previous releases. Even though Apple announced over a million downloads of Mac OS X Lion with in the first day of its release, and in October Tim Cook announced that Apple had sold 6 million copies of Lion since its launch, claiming a massive 80% growth over Snow Leopard, according to Chitika, that pace has significantly slowed down. Chitika cites stability issues (Wi-Fi and MacBook Pro battery performance) and dislike of the iOS-like UI features as reasons for the supposed slow adoption of the new OS. Now we've all had our gripes with Lion, but from where we're standing, we're pretty much happy with what the OS has to offer. So we thought it would be great to see just how many of our TUAW readers are running Mac OS X Lion, as opposed to Snow Leopard, Tiger or another operating system. [Via BGR] %Poll-70868%
Apple addresses Lion server issues with new technotes
If you run Lion server and have problems with podcast streaming or want to view local volumes on your server, you'll want to read two new technotes on Apple's support site. Spotted by MacNN, they will tell you how to setup https to serve up podcasts and how you can tweak your settings to view a mounted local volume or a shared folder via SMB. One article (Technote TS4126) addresses podcast streaming and SSL certificates, a problem which arose in OS X server 10.7.2. Unlike earlier versions, this version of Lion server streams podcasts using a secure https connection. In this issue, users visiting your Lion server cannot view podcast thumbnails. When they try to playback content, the thumbnail is missing and only a blank window appears. To fix this issue, server administrators can either purchase a signed security certificate from an established Certificate Authority or use a self-signed certificate. If the admin chooses the self-signed route, users attempting to view a podcast will be presented with a warning about an untrusted certificate. Once the user accepts this certificate as coming from a trusted source, they can gain access to the podcast content. The other technote HT5028 has two command-line tweaks for server administrators. The first will let admins view any volumes mounted locally on the server and the second will let them access shared folders over SMB. Once entered, admins will have to reboot the server to make these changes stick.
Apple now requiring Mac App Store applications to be sandboxed by March 2012
Apple's already made OS X more like iOS in more ways than one, and it looks like it will soon be taking another step in that direction. As of March 1st, 2012, Apple will require all apps available in the Mac App Store to be "sandboxed," which Apple says is "a great way to protect systems and users by limiting the resources apps can access and making it more difficult for malicious software to compromise users' systems." The other side of that coin is that by limiting access to said system resources, applications are also more limited in what they can do, which has left some developers facing a tough decision: either comply and get in the App Store, or go it alone. They will be able to request access to some resources, but they'll have to provide a justification for it to Apple as part of the submission process. As TUAW notes, however, this isn't a completely new development -- Apple had actually intended to implement the requirement this month, but it's apparently decided to give devs a bit more time to get used to it.
Dear Aunt TUAW: How do I enable AirDrop on my older Mac?
Dear Aunt TUAW, I want to use AirDrop between my older iMac and my new MacBook Air. How can I do this? They're both running Lion but AirDrop is only enabled on the MBA. Your loving nephew, Fredrik Dear Fredrik, You can enable AirDrop for many older Lion systems at the Terminal command line. Enter: defaults write com.apple.NetworkBrowser BrowseAllInterfaces 1 After setting the defaults, you'll need to restart Finder: killall Finder Once you do, you should be able to use AirDrop on your local Wi-Fi network. Auntie is currently using AirDrop from her early 2009 Mac mini without any trouble. Hugs, Auntie T.
Apple to require sandboxing in Mac App Store apps as of March 2012
Apple sent an email to registered developers today that's bound to ruffle some feathers -- again. As of March 2012, Apple will require all apps submitted to the Mac App Store to implement sandboxing. This isn't a new development, as Apple was initially going to require sandboxing starting in November of this year. Apple has apparently delayed implementing the rule for another few months, but the requirement itself may cause challenges for some Mac developers. Apple's motivation behind requiring sandboxing is all about security: "Sandboxing your app is a great way to protect systems and users by limiting the resources apps can access and making it more difficult for malicious software to compromise users' systems." But the company's all-or-nothing approach is potentially problematic; "As of March 1, 2012 all apps submitted to the Mac App Store must implement sandboxing," Apple says. Over the past few months, developers ranging from Daniel Jalkut to Dr. Drang to Real Studio to Peter Sichel have pointed to flaws and shortcomings in the sandboxing approach, including a buggy Carbon implementation and questionable support for most AppleScript-centric automation tools. Jason Snell and Andy Ihnatko have weighed in as well, concerned that sandboxing may lead to a dumbing down of Mac App Store options or the death of AppleScript itself. (Not all developers are upset, to be sure.) The sort-of good news is Apple does allow for some exceptions to its pending sandboxing policy. "If your app requires access to sandboxed system resources you will need to include justification for using those entitlements as part of the submission to the Mac App Store," Apple says. But then there's the bad news: "Apps that are being re-engineered to be sandbox compatible may request additional temporary entitlements. These entitlements are granted on a short-term basis and will be phased out over time." Before the inevitable complaints about this policy kick in, it's worth taking a step back and remembering that unlike the iOS platform, the Mac App Store isn't the only legitimate way to get apps onto a Mac. That's probably cold comfort to developers who have found the Mac App Store an easier and more lucrative channel for app distribution than the traditional methods. There's also the fact that any discussion that begins with "The Mac App Store isn't the only way to get apps on a Mac" inevitably ends with the ominous pronouncement "yet." That said, just like some iOS App Store restrictions, this new policy seems a bit on the extreme side. Just like the "no third-party IDEs" rule for the iOS platform last year, it also seems like a policy born in committee that may have sounded like a good idea to Apple at the time but is eventually destined to be modified or deprecated once its real-world implications for the Mac platform become clear. The fact that Apple has already delayed implementing the sandbox requirement by five months could mean further reprieves or workarounds for developers with affected products.
OS X Lion has a hidden 'drop box' for easy file syncing between Macs
Mac OS X Hints has discovered that Macs running OS X Lion and registered with iCloud have a hidden "drop box" in the user's Library folder that allows for easy document and file syncing between Macs. A folder within ~/Library (which Lion hides by default) called "Mobile Documents" contains iWork documents synced with iOS devices via iCloud (something our own Erica Sadun discovered quite a while ago.) "What is of use is that any files put into the ~/Library/Mobile Documents folder will automatically upload to iCloud and push to any other Mac you have that is signed in to the same iCloud account and has the 'Document & Data' iCloud preference checked," says Mac OS X Hints member CHM. "Lion even notifies you of version conflicts and allows you to resolve them when you open the document." This functionality is broadly similar to the third-party file syncing service Dropbox, but having the service buried within a hidden user folder makes it far less useful. Files manually added to the Mobile Documents folder also apparently don't sync to iOS devices, which is another feature Dropbox does provide via its iOS app. What's interesting about this hidden folder is that it shows that iCloud and OS X Lion have already laid the groundwork for an easy-to-use and official method for syncing files between Macs (and possibly iOS devices). This discovery makes it seem as though a very simple software update could enable the current Mac versions of iWork's applications to sync with iCloud quite easily. iCloud is still a relatively new service, having been in public release for less than a month as of this writing. Hidden features like the Mobile Documents folder seem to indicate that Apple has broader aspirations in mind than the relatively simplistic iOS-only, iWork-only document syncing the service supports thus far.
Disable that Mac OS X Internet download warning
Mac OS X 10.5 introduced a new feature that warned users when they first opened a file downloaded from the Internet. It's a protection mechanism to prevent users from opening potentially harmful files. It's also extremely annoying for users who download many files from known trustworthy. Thanks to a script from Creative Bits, disabling this feature just became a whole lot easier. When this download warning first debuted, Macworld detailed a few terminal commands to disable this feature. You could either disable it permanently which removed all protection from accidentally downloaded files or disable it on a case-by-case basis. Running the command on demand lets you decide when you want to disable this protection, but you have to remember the command each time you wanted to turn it off. Having to look up the command was almost inconvenient as responding to the warning dialog in the first place. To make it easier, Ivan from Creative Bits has created an Automator script that you can place in your Dock. Every time you need to download a bunch of files, you can simply click this script to disable the warning. You can download the script from Creative Bits website to try it yourself. It should work on Mac OS X 10.6 and 10.7 Lion.
How would you change Apple's OS X 10.7 (Lion)?
Apple's most highly sophisticated OS yet? Cupertino would have you think so, but as with any major update, there have been plenty of quirks to work through in the months following the introduction of Lion. For those of you who've made the 0.2 leap from 10.6.8 (or from further back, actually), we're interested in learning how your overall experience has been. A good move? Still regretting it? What apps have broken on you? Has your workflow changed at all? Do you prefer "natural" scrolling? How would you tweak Lion if given the chance? What apps would you overhaul? What factory settings would you alter? Carefully considered thoughts are welcome in comments below.
10.7.2 update adds some Lion interface tweaks
Amid the flurry of software updates Apple released yesterday was OS X Lion 10.7.2. The big feature of the latest delta release of Lion was, of course, iCloud. But the 10.7.2 update also brought other features, such as a speedier Safari web browser and stability improvements. However, there are also some small, very welcome, interface changes I've been noticing as I've been using 10.7.2 over the last 24 hours: Launchpad icons got bigger. The most noticeable UI change is that the size of the icons in Launchpad got much larger. About 60% larger actually. This is a very welcome improvement for those with less than perfect eyesight. It makes finding and launching an app in Launchpad that much easier and faster. Desktop preferences got iPhoto Places country flags. Another small, but useful, tweak is in the Desktop & Screen Saver System Preferences pane. Since OS X 10.6, you have been able to navigate your iPhoto photos by Places in the Desktop pane, but now under 10.7.2 Apple has added country flags that sort where you photos were taken. You can then navigate down through the hierarchy by State/territory (highway sign icon), city (building icon), and location of interest (globe icon). Before 10.7.2 you had the navigation hierarchy, but it was much harder to distinguish between countries because of the lack of flags. Remove apps from purchase history in the Mac App Store. A final tweak I've noticed is that now you can remove purchases from your Purchased history in the Mac App Store. Click the Purchased button at the top of the store then move your cursor over an app from your purchase list. You'll see a small X appear at the far right. Click it to delete the app from your purchase history. Deleting a currently-installed app from your purchase history won't delete it from your computer. If you've found any other unadvertised interface tweaks in 10.7.2 let us know in the comments!
iCloud now features Find My Mac service
Find my iPhone and Find My iPad have been around for awhile via MobileMe, and we've heard dozens of success stories where people used the service to recover lost or stolen iOS devices. Macs have been reliant on third-party solutions or clever hacking to enable the same functionality -- until now. With iCloud comes Find My Mac, a feature that's essentially identical to what's been offered for iOS devices. If you have a free iCloud account and your Mac is running OS X Lion 10.7.2 or greater, has Wi-Fi access, has a recovery partition installed (more on that later) and has been set up beforehand in the iCloud preferences, you can use Find My Mac to locate your computer anywhere in the world using either iCloud.com or the Find My iPhone app on an iOS device. Find My Mac is not enabled by default (possibly out of privacy concerns), so once you've met all the relevant prerequisites, go into System Preferences on your Mac, navigate to the iCloud preference pane, and tick the checkbox next to Find My Mac to enable it. If you've used Find My iPhone before, you'll be familiar with how Find My Mac works. You can locate your device on a map with a fairly reasonable degree of precision, assuming it's connected to Wi-Fi. You can also "ping" it so that a message of your choosing will pop up on screen (along with a very loud sonar sound alert), or you can remote lock or remote wipe the device. Remote wiping the Mac should be a last resort, though, because after you pull that trigger you won't be able to use Find My Mac to locate it. If Find My Mac can't find your device right away, you can even tell the service to send you an email when it does finally locate your Mac. It's all quite slick, and it should bring peace of mind to MacBook Air and Pro owners in particular. Find My Mac requires your Mac to have a recovery partition installed on it in order for the service to work. If you downloaded OS X Lion from the Mac App Store and did a normal installation, you already have a recovery partition on your Mac, so you don't need to worry about that requirement. But if you're like me and you used a third-party app to clone your Lion installation from an old disk to a new one, you likely missed out on that recovery partition and won't be able to take advantage of Find My Mac until you install one. There are various hacky solutions to this problem, none of them particularly user-friendly, but I found it easiest to simply re-install Lion completely and start fresh. Since Macs don't have built-in 3G or persistent Wi-Fi when they're asleep (in most cases), iCloud is going to have a harder time locating stolen Macs than iPhones or iPads. It's still a very handy feature, and it significantly increases your chances of recovering a Mac that's mysteriously sprouted legs and gone walkabout.
Mac OS X 10.7.2 now in Software Update, includes iCloud
The iCloud-enabled Mac OS X Lion 10.7.2 update is now available via Software Update. Below is Apple's write-up of the contents for this new release. --- The 10.7.2 update is recommended for all OS X Lion users and includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac. It also includes support for iCloud, a breakthrough set of free cloud services that automatically and wirelessly store your content on iCloud and push it to all of your devices. iCloud on OS X Lion includes the following features: iCloud stores your email, calendars, contacts, Safari bookmarks, and Safari Reading List and automatically pushes them to all your devices. Back to My Mac provides remote access to your Mac from another Mac anywhere on the Internet. Find My Mac helps find a missing Mac by locating it on a map and allows you to remotely lock the Mac or wipe all its data. Getting started with iCloud is easy. After installing the update, OS X will automatically present an iCloud setup panel. Simply enter an existing Apple ID or create a new one and then follow the on screen instructions. To learn more about iCloud visit http://www.apple.com/icloud. The 10.7.2 update also includes Safari 5.1.1 as well as fixes that: Allow reordering of desktop spaces and full screen apps in Mission Control. Enable dragging files between desktop spaces and full screen apps. Address an issue that causes the menu bar to not appear in full screen apps. Improve the compatibility of Google contact syncing in Address Book. Address an issue that causes Keynote to become temporarily unresponsive. Improve VoiceOver compatibility with Launchpad. Address an issue that causes a delay in accessing the network after waking from sleep. Enable booting in to Lion Recovery from a locally attached Time Machine backup drive. Resolve an issue that causes screen zoom to stop working. Improve Active Directory integration. For detailed information about Safari 5.1.1, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4922. For detailed information on this update, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4767. For information on the security content of this update, please visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.
iCloud opens to the masses, iOS 5 lurks near
Desktop or mobile access to Apple's iCloud will still require the absolute latest versions of OS X Lion and iOS 5 that haven't been officially released just yet, but you can get into the website right now. Line jumpers may have noticed the site opened up to all a few hours ago, and now the design has changed, dropping the beta tag for this more inviting storefront. Hit the source link below to check it out for yourself (we've got the full breakdown here), but have your Apple ID and password handy. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
5 iOS features that OS X needs
iOS 5 is set to launch this Wednesday and the beta testers I've talked to say it's a monumental leap forward. iOS 5 adds over 200 features to an already polished mobile operating system, which is arguably the best on the planet. As many Mac users know, Mac OS X Lion is no slouch either. Features like Mission Control, Launchpad, and full-screen apps make Lion the most powerful, intuitive OS Apple has ever released. However, that's not to say that Lion can't be improved. Apple only needs to look to iOS for further inspiration. Below is my list of five iOS features that I hope will migrate to OS X. Feel free to leave your requests in the comments. 5. iBooks I actually just added this one in because I know a lot of people have asked for it. Even paperback fans can't deny that ebooks are the future. Though they may not be quite up in Kindle territory, iBooks and the iBookstore are growing more popular by the day. While users can access their iBooks on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, there's no way to get them on the Mac...yet. This is one area where Apple needs to take a play from Amazon. Kindle owners can read their books on the Kindle, the iPhone, iPad and Android phones, as well as with Mac and Windows apps and a web browser. While reading an iBook on a desktop might not be the platform of choice, it would be nice if iBooks users had the option. This is especially true for people who buy research or school books through iBooks and want to reference the book on the same screen as an assignment in progress. 4. Notification Center The Notification Center is one of the big new features of iOS 5. It allows users to see all their texts, emails, news alerts -- nearly every kind of notification -- all in one place. Currently OS X relies on numbered icon badges to show users notifications on a per-app basis. And while there are third-party apps like Growl that do a good job at alerting users to notifications, a dedicated Notification Center would further solidify the link between iOS and OS X and make it easier for users to see the things they need to attend to all in one place. 3. Reminders The great thing about OS X's and iOS's Mail and Notes app is that a user's email messages and notes sync between iPhone and Mac. However, iOS 5 offers a dedicated Reminders app that allows users to set reminders with an impressive array of notification options. While a dedicated Reminders app makes infinitely more sense on a mobile device, OS X Reminders integration would be a welcome feature. After all, many of us will use the app to set reminders for tasks to be completed at our desks. Why not be reminded by the computer we are working on? I'm not suggesting a dedicated Reminders OS X app. But what I would like to see is the Reminders app features and UI built into OS X's Mail app, much like Notes is today. [Note: Many readers have rightly pointed out that Reminders.app reminders are synced with iCal on your Mac. However, my take on it is that the array of ways to set reminders in the iOS app and the app's UI should be integrated better with OS X.] 2. iMessage FaceTime was perhaps the coolest feature of iOS 4. When it first came out it allowed iPhone 4 users to video chat with each other. Then Apple added iPod touch support and iPad 2 support. But, for me, FaceTime didn't become really useful until Apple released the FaceTime app for OS X. When they did, FaceTime brought unity to the entire Apple ecosystem (which, incidentally, is the common theme of all my feature suggestions in this article). iMessage in iOS 5 is arguably cooler than FaceTime because many people text a heck of a lot more than video chat. iMessage is great because it allows free texting among iPhone owners. But what's even more impressive is that it also allows iOS users to text people on Wi-Fi-only iPod touches and iPads. Like FaceTime before it, the last piece of the puzzle is adding iMessages to OS X. It's a lot easier for me to reply to a text from my iMac while I'm working on it than to stop and pick up my iPhone. Of course, the arrival of iMessage and FaceTime presents somewhat of a problem. I've had a lot of people who aren't the most Mac-savvy users say they are confused about the differences between FaceTime and iChat's video conferencing. If Apple would add an OS X iMessage app, that would probably only broaden the confusion ("Is an iMessage the same thing as an AOL IM?"). While I think Apple needs to absolutely add iMessage functionality to OS X, it needs to do so without adding more clutter and confusion to its messaging (be it IM, video, or texting) apps. Do they scrap iChat in favor of an iMessage app? Or do they add iMessage support to iChat? Dedicated apps are simpler, but all-in-one apps are more convenient. It's a tough call. 1. Siri Siri, iOS 5's AI personal assistant, is the start of the future for smart phones. It takes dictation, and lets you do dozens of other things using only your voice. But it's not just voice recognition software. It's powerful AI that knows what you want based on syntax, history, and context. There are no rigid voice commands needed. You can talk to it like you do to a human being and it figures out what you want it to do. Right now Siri is only available on the iPhone 4S. That's because it requires quite a bit of horsepower under the hood to accomplish its tasks. Or, quite a bit of horsepower for a phone. Every Mac sold today has more than enough memory and processing power to support Siri integration. And when Apple adds Siri to OS X it will be the start of a revolution in personal computing. Indeed it may one day even lead to the elimination of (or drastic reduction of) the keyboard and mouse. And don't get me started (yet) on a Siri-integrated Apple television set. Goodbye remote control. But first, let's get Siri into OS X. Imagine being able to talk to your Mac like you do a person, saying things like: "Pull up the Keynote for my April meeting." "Take me to Apple's website." "Revert to the Version that I was working on last week." "Show me all the photos from my trip to Berlin." "Organize all my Word files into a folder and then sort them into sub-folders based on month created." The possibilities are almost endless. Hello OS X 10.8.
iCloud going live on October 12
Apple has announced that the long-awaited iCloud service will finally go live on October 12. The service will be free for Lion and iOS 5 users (the new mobile OS releases on the same day), and will enable cloud sharing of user contacts, pictures, and other pertinent user data across all of your Mac and iOS devices. Apple also went over iTunes Match functionality again, which will work in tandem with iCloud to deliver music to you directly from the iTunes store. For an extra fee ($24.99 a year), you can "match" any music in your library up to the tracks on iTunes servers, and then re-download those tracks as if you really owned them to any of your Mac or iOS devices. iTunes Match is set to go live with iCloud in the US on October 12, and then show up in the rest of the world later on this year. It's been a long wait, but Apple's full entry into the cloud is finally coming. Next week, we'll finally see for ourselves what iCloud has to offer.
6 million copies of Lion sold since July 20
Tim Cook announced today that Apple's OS X 10.7 Lion has sold more than 6 million copies since going on sale July 20. That's a whopping 80% more than Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. Another interesting bit of information Cook threw out there about Lion is that it only took Lion 2 weeks to reach ten percent of Apple's install user base. Windows 7 took 20 weeks to reach 10% of its install base.
Chrome hits version 14, adds Lion features
Google has issued a new stable, public release of its popular Chrome web browser. For developers, Chrome version 14 adds the new Web Audio API, which allows developers to add cool audio effects like room simulation and spatialization. However, the best things about Chrome 14 are the enhancements for OS X Lion users. Chrome 14 finally adds native Lion full-screen mode support. The browser also features a number of Lion "visual polishes" as well as support for Lion's overlay scroll bars. Google Chrome version 14 is a free download.
Stable release of Chrome 14 out now, brings a few upgrades for Lion users
The very latest software goodness from Google has arrived, with Chrome hitting its 14th iteration (celebration, anyone?). This one gives Mac OS X Lion users a little something extra, with access to overlay scrollbars within the browser. Chrome can also can also upsize itself now -- accessible with a tap of the full-screen button or the more conventional Ctrl+Shift+F. The new web audio API gives developers the ability to add fancy sound effects and adjustments, whilst native client is an open-source addition; though this only supports apps in Chrome's web store, it allows C and C++ code to be executed within the browser. Google adds that there's been the usual bug clear-out, with the whole thing benefitting from a bit more polish -- gotta keep up with those pesky web apps! If you're already running Chrome, the automatic update should have kicked in, and new users can nab the download from the source below. If it's good enough for Gaga... [Thanks, Michael]
Developers get a new build of 10.7.2
As 9to5Mac reports, there's a brand new build of Lion 10.7.2 out there in the wild for developers, featuring focused work on iCloud, the Mac App Store, MobileMe, and a few other places like Mail, Spotlight, Time Machine, and even things like the AddressBook and graphics drivers. This is build 11C57, coming only a few days after the last build, 11C55. We'd like to think that the increasing frequency of releases (along with the fact that there are no known issues in this build) means that a public release is right around the corner, but of course Apple is going to take its time. At any rate, devs, go check it out and make sure it's ship shape so the rest of us can see it soon.