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OS X Lion rumors: Do we want to believe 'em or not?
I don't know if you've noticed a trend, but at TUAW we've been trying to downplay a lot of the Mac OS X 10.7 Lion / MacBook Air refresh rumors that have been flooding a lot of other sites lately. The occasional one squeaks in, but for the most part we're trying to stay away from the daily "IT'S COMING TOMORROW!!!!" posts that have been so common over the last few weeks on some other Apple sites. Why? Frankly, it's because we're bored to death by the same rumors that have been coming out day after day after day. Not to say that we're not wondering ourselves about Lion and those new MacBook Airs, but let's face it: is it really necessary to post rumors every day? That being said, there are some indications that Wednesday may finally be the day that Cupertino blesses us with new hardware and operating system software. We received an anonymous email from an Apple Store employee who told us about new marketing materials (see photo above) that were sent to the store last week in a "Visual Merchandising" container, filled with materials used to market a new notebook computer. MacBook Air? MacBook? Who knows. There are also persistent rumors of Mac mini and Mac Pro updates, which our source didn't see in the marketing bin. The same source noted that his/her Apple Store was down to "less than two dozen MacBook Airs, with no shipments on the horizon." Yes, we believe that there are new MacBook Airs coming out. As for the exact day? We have no clue. Until or unless a helpful (possibly disgruntled) Apple Store employee sends us a photo of the specs from a new MBA, we're as much in the dark as the rest of the world. Our compatriots at MacRumors and AppleInsider are venturing that all of the new hardware and OS X Lion are going to arrive at 8:30 AM EDT on Wednesday, July 20. Will it happen? I guess we'll have to wait until Wednesday morning to be sure. MacRumors has reported that Apple Retail Stores are receiving copies of Lion on hard disks that have been sent to the stores for distribution onto the Macs in each store. Fortunately, the wise Arnold Kim at MacRumors is hedging his bets by stating that "This, of course, doesn't guarantee a specific launch date, but brings Apple one step closer to launch." The TUAW response to all of this? We're preparing for launch, and we'll push the button when we actually see something new. Are we playing it safe? Yes. But we're also trying to avoid the repetition of "It's coming out TOMORROW!!!" rumors that have been bouncing around for the last three weeks. When Lion and refreshed Macs get here, then we'll let you know. Cheers!
TUAW Talkcast: The Lion schleps tonight at 10 PM EDT
Sung to the tune of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" Cupertino, oh Cupertino, Will Lion ship this week? Oh Steve Jobso, Let OS Lion go, And make us happy geek(s)! Refrain: Windowsaway, windowsaway, windowsaway, windowsaway Windowsaway, windowsaway, windowsaway, windowsaway Infinite Loop, Oh, Infinite Loop, New MacBook Airs are niii-ice, Or Steve Jobso, Minis and Mac Pros, Would make us happy twiii-ice! (Refrain) Yeah, we're probably going to talk about that [ROARDACTED] operating system again tonight, unless there are some Iconfactory employees who'd like to talk about Kootol and other patent trolls. Perhaps we can have a singalong! Or not! The call starts at 10 PM EDT / 7 PM PDT / 4 PM HST. Your calls and questions help make the show the best it can be, otherwise I'm just talking to myself! To participate, you can use the browser-only Talkshoe client, the embedded Facebook app, or download the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the Talkshoe Web button on our profile page at 4 HI/7 PDT/10 pm EDT Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (Viva free weekend minutes!): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac, you can connect via the free Blink or X-Lite SIP clients, basic instructions are here. (If you like Blink, the pro version is available in the Mac App Store.) Talk to you tonight!
Sandvox updated for Lion; Karelia wants to lure iWeb orphans
If the impending loss of MobileMe has you wondering how you will maintain and create websites, Sandvox is worth a look. It's more powerful than iWeb, but still easy enough for most beginners. We took a look at Sandvox in May, and now the folks at Karelia are offering a pretty painless path to switch. iWeb users can get 25% off the US $77.00 toll through the end of this month. Just use the coupon code 'iWeb Graduate' when you purchase. Karelia also offers clear advice on how to transfer from iWeb to Sandvox. Of course with MobileMe going away, you're going to need a new place to host that site, and there are a lot of good alternatives that Steve Sande wrote about last month. There's more good news from Sandvox today. An update just released (version 2.1) is Lion ready, has some speed increases, and a boatload of fixes and enhancements. You can get details on the latest version here. iWeb isn't dead of course, but with MobileMe going away next year, there's no telling how long the application will be around.
Waiting for Lion: On your mark, get set, geek out
Waiting for Lion to show up in App Store? We are too. Here's how we are checking. When you want to pull a URL from Mac App Store, you need to emulate its user agent. curl -silent -A "iMacAppStore/1.0.1 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.6.7; en) AppleWebKit/533.20.25" will do that for you. Want to search the store? Same idea, but give it a query like this: curl -A "iMacAppStore/1.0.1 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.6.7; en) AppleWebKit/533.20.25" -H "X-Apple-Store-Front: 143441-1,13" 'http://ax.search.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/search?q=SEARCH_PHRASE_HERE' The search phrase must be URL-escaped, e.g. "OS X Lion" is "OS%20X%20Lion". Then do a little grep-fu, namely grep -iv 'killer' | grep 'mt=12' | grep 'class=.name' These steps search for app listings only whose name does not include "killer", as in "Killer Guide for OS X Lion". Who knew? I threw together a few utilities to help with this. Lionscanner is a command line app that performs this search (or, if you give it an argument searches for that instead of "OS X Lion") and then processes the results to kill everything but in-line text, i.e. no XML tags, following the greps I mentioned above. If you run it without arguments it hunts for "OS X Lion". If it finds nothing, there's no "OS X Lion" product in App Store. Presumably. That's why I've also included the basic how-to. So you can create your own tools that are a little more flexible in case Apple doesn't name it quite "OS X Lion". Second, I have my handy-dandy-age-of-the-dinosaurs-csh-script as always, the one you readers always mock me for. Still works, still csh, you still need to run it with something like repeat 5000 ./doLionCheck: #! /bin/csh ./lionscanner | grep -i "lion" > /dev/null if ($? == 0) then echo "Available" say "LION MAY BE AVAILABLE" else echo "Nada" endif sleep 600 Okay, that's everything you need. Don't forget to make stuff executable (chmod 755). Now go forth and build some better tools for us.
New MacBook Airs reportedly to feature backlit keyboards
Besides a faster processor and Thunderbolt support, the next generation MacBook Air models may also include a backlit keyboard. This feature was present on the first MacBook Air model introduced in 2008 and dropped from the 2010 line. This removal was widely criticized by Mac owners accustomed to the backlit keyboard of their MacBook Pro. The new 2011 Air models may be introduced in the next few weeks either at the same time or shortly after OS X Lion is introduced. Apple reportedly has 400,000 units sitting in a warehouse waiting for the Lion to be finalized and installed on the hardware.
Apple to allow license-free virtualization with OS X Lion, developers roar with delight
Developers and IT managers have reason to smile today, because it looks like Apple is changing its approach to virtualization. According to Mac Rumors, users who download the client version of OS X Lion will be able to run one or two virtualized copies on a single Mac, using tools like VMware or Parallels. This functionality first surfaced with Leopard, but was only available to users who obtained a pricey OS X Server license. The EULA for 10.7, however, suggests that Lion owners won't need any extra licenses to tinker away in an alternate OS universe. It's news that the enterprise community will certainly welcome, but we'll have to wait a little longer before riding the Lion into a virtual realm, later this month.
Apple confirms iCloud web apps, impending death of iWeb and iDisk
MobileMe's complete disappearance is still a good ways off, but it's safe to say that the transition to iCloud is well underway at Cupertino (and Maiden, North Carolina, for that matter). A brief FAQ has emerged today over at Apple's site, detailing answers to a few burning questions about the future of MobileMe. As stated before, all MobileMe users who had an account prior to June 6, 2011 will see their service extended through June 30, 2012 at no extra cost, but what's new here is the amount of functionality that'll also be available from a website. Starting at an undisclosed time "this fall," icloud.com will allow users to access Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Bookmarks, Find My iPhone and Back to my Mac, relieving fears that iCloud was severing ties with the browser altogether. Unfortunately, iWeb, Gallery and iDisk aren't making the cut, and while it seems that previously stored files will still be accessible, we wouldn't count on being able to add anything new a year from now. Hit the source for the rest of the nitty-gritty.
Mac OS X Lion beta reveals "Restart to Safari" browser-only mode (update: honeypot)
MacRumors was digging through the latest developer beta of Mac OS X Lion when it found a rather intriguing new option -- if you choose "Restart to Safari" on the user lock screen, the computer will reboot into a mode which consists entirely of the web browser. If that sounds familiar, perhaps you've heard of Google's Chrome OS, a partially-fledged operating system that runs within the browser itself... but we haven't heard Apple express a desire for any such thing. Now, certainly we've seen a number of Windows desktops and laptops ship with a secondary, browser-centric OS like Splashtop in order to have an instant-on mode, but if you have to boot and reboot the computer to get to Safari, that doesn't sound like much of an improvement. Perhaps it's a way to let guests (or children) entertain themselves without giving them access to your files? All we know for certain is that it's a most mysterious option. Update: But perhaps not as mysterious as we thought -- 9to5 Mac spotted its genesis earlier this week, and it's a bona fide honeypot. If your Mac gets stolen, the idea goes, it'll need to be connected to the internet for you to be able to track it with Find My Mac or perform a remote wipe, so you'll let the thieves browse this guest account to keep them busy without letting them peruse your personal files. Cue the Admiral Ackbar, we suppose. [Thanks, Jamie]
OS X Lion launching in July for $29.99, Lion Server to run $49.99
Apple has been talking about OS X Lion for some time already, of course, but it's now filled in most if not all of the remaining key details at WWDC. Dubbed a "major release" with over 250 new features, the OS adds things like a slew of new multi-touch gestures and full-screen apps (including iPhoto, iMovie, Safari, etc.), plus the all new Mission Control, which unifies Expose and Spaces, and the iOS-esque Launchpad application launcher. It also includes a new system-wide Resume feature that lets you pick up exactly where you left off, a new auto-save feature that automatically saves different versions of documents, the new AirDrop peer-to-peer file-sharing system, and a brand new version of Mail that finally includes a conversation view. The big news revealed today, however, is that the OS will now only be available in the Mac App Store as a 4GB download -- which installs in place, no reboots -- and that it will run you just $29.99 for all of your authorized Macs. It will be available sometime in July, but developers can get the latest preview release today. Head on past the break for the official press release. Update: It didn't garner much fanfare, but Apple has also revealed that Lion Server will be available as an App Store download in July as well, with it set to run you $49.99 (a veritable bargain by Server standards). %Gallery-125426%
WWDC 2011 liveblog: Steve Jobs talks iOS 5, OS X Lion, iCloud and more!
You're in the right place! Bookmark this page and return on Monday at the times listed below to see Steve Jobs take the stage at Moscone West. WWDC 2011 promises a peek at iOS 5, OS X Lion, the iCloud music storage offering and who knows what else. The iPhone 5? Don't count on it, but also, don't count it out. Your town not listed? Shout your time in comments below! 07:00AM - Hawaii 10:00AM - Pacific 11:00AM - Mountain 12:00PM - Central 01:00PM - Eastern 06:00PM - London 07:00PM - Paris 09:00PM - Moscow 02:00AM - Tokyo (June 7th)
iTunes leak suggests 'Automatic Download' over-the-air updates are coming in iOS 5
In the lead-up to this year's WWDC, we so far know three things for sure: Apple will unveil OS X Lion, iCloud, and... automatic, over-the-air app updates for iOS 5, apparently. While searching for updates in iTunes, a MacRumors reader stumbled upon this page, which alludes to an "Automatic Download" feature that allows for wireless syncing. Also, the fact that Apple went out of its way to say "...if your device has Automatic Download enabled for apps" makes us wonder what else we'll soon be able to update over the air. The company has since pulled the tattletale page in iTunes, but MacRumors grabbed a screenshot while it was still live. Looks like the cat's out of the bag, but we'll let you know when Jobs & Co. make it official on Monday.
Steve Jobs talks iCloud, iOS 5, OS X Lion and more at WWDC, liveblog starts at 10AM PT on June 6th!
Do you love music? Do you love it in the cloud? Are you still trying to figure out if "the cloud" is "your bag?" Regardless of your mixed emotions regarding the impending iCloud service, that's just a third (based on rough calculations) of what Steve Jobs will talk about on Monday, when WWDC 2011 kicks off in San Francisco. iOS 5 and OS X Lion will also be major topics of conversation, and while we've no evidence that new hardware will be kicking around backstage, we've got history at our backs giving us a sliver of hope. Naturally, we'll be there kicking out the facts as they happen, and you're encouraged to join us at this very link. Bookmark that and return at the times listed below, and if your neck of the woods ain't listed, shout it out in comments. Oh, and any predictions? Anything somewhat sane is welcome below. 07:00AM - Hawaii 10:00AM - Pacific 11:00AM - Mountain 12:00PM - Central 01:00PM - Eastern 06:00PM - London 07:00PM - Paris 09:00PM - Moscow 02:00AM - Tokyo (June 7th) Take a look through the archives with our past WWDC liveblogs! Live from WWDC 2010 Live from WWDC 2009 Live from WWDC 2008 Live from WWDC 2007 Live from WWDC 2006 Live from WWDC 2005
Apple to unveil iCloud, iOS 5 on Monday, June 6
Had some doubts that Apple was heading skyward? Those lingering concerns can now be put to rest. Apple has confirmed that it will be announcing iCloud on June 6th, what it's calling an "upcoming cloud services offering." That will be part of the keynote for this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, known to the cool kids as WWDC. This is, of course, where everyone has come to expect new iPhones to come to light, but this year we're thinking the focus will be more on software, and indeed Apple's event notice indicates that the big highlights will be Mac OS X Lion and the next version of its mobile operating system, iOS 5. This is a decidedly non-Apple way to announce something big like iCloud, making us wonder what other surprises Steve Jobs will have for us at the event -- yes, he'll be kicking things off. As ever you can find out as it happens here, live.
Rumor: Lion near to going live
Trusted sources tell TUAW that OS X 10.7 Lion has gone live for internal Apple testing as recently as last week. An internal testing release generally indicates that Lion is near to a real world debut. This suggests the new OS might possibly ship as early as WWDC with an "available today" mention at the keynote -- or it might not (keeping in mind that Apple has previously cited "Summer 2011" as the launch window for Lion, which doesn't begin until June 21 in the Northern Hemisphere). But Lion is looking to be one step closer to availability for Apple customers.
Apple sets dates for WWDC 2011: June 6-10
Apple announced the dates for WWDC 2011 this Monday morning. The Apple developers' conference will take place from June 6 to June 10 at Moscone West in San Francisco. As expected, Apple will "unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS" at the developers conference. Apple will also host hundreds of technical sessions and offer code-level assistance from Apple engineers. Besides details on iOS 5.0, WWDC is also expected to unveil the final details and availability of Mac OS X Lion. Apple may also introduce the iPhone 5, but recent rumors suggest a fall launch of iOS and the iPhone 5 instead of the traditional summer debut. Update: The Loop has chimed in with information that suggests WWDC this year will be a software-only event. No iPhone, iPad or Mac hardware will be introduced. Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg also cautions customers about getting caught up in this yearly cycle, "There is no reason for Apple to follow a predictable yearly pattern, and it keeps their competition off guard a little bit." [Via TechCrunch]
Mac OS X Lion features hidden tribute to Steve Jobs
Apple's latest version of OS X Lion contains a plethora of new features that are being uncovered piece by piece now that the preview version is in the hands of developers. One little gem recently discovered is a new section in the Finder called "All My Files." This feature helps you organize your files by criteria, such as file type, file creation date and last opened date. The icon for this new section is an image of a filing drawer stuffed with documents and dividers. Zooming in on the documents within this icon, one can see writing that is taken from notable quotes delivered by Steve Jobs and Apple. The individual pages contain the following quotes with the text included within the icon highlighted in bold: Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. -Apple Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works. -Steve Jobs What a neat hidden tribute to the man who founded Apple and led them back from the brink of disaster to one of the top tech companies in the world. Click here to view the full version of the icon.
Apple pushes out Mac OS X Lion developer preview via Mac App Store
While we're still a good few months away from OS X Lion's official debut, Apple's just released a developer preview for those itching to get their hands dirty on this forthcoming major OS release. Alas, you have to be a Mac Developer Program member in order to obtain this goodie from the Mac App Store, so this isn't a bad time to get friendly with your Mac developer pals. Press release after the break.
Apple Mac App Store: open for business starting January 6th
Consider the rumors quelled. Despite whispers that Apple would be starting up the Mac App Store in the final year of this decade (or the first of the next, depending on perspective), the Cupertino giant has just affirmed that it'll be 2011 before the general populace gets to dig their hands into it. January 6th is the opening date for the Mac App Store, and unfortunately for those still humming along on OS X 10.5, it'll be a Snow Leopard-only affair. Smack dab in the middle of CES, Apple plans to unleash the store in 90 countries, and it'll feature "paid and free apps in categories like Education, Games, Graphics & Design, Lifestyle, Productivity and Utilities." Naturally, it'll be a free update, and it'll work more or less exactly like the App Store does on your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. As with those outlets, developers are able to set their own prices and then keep 70 percent of the revenue (provided it's a paid app). So, who's ready to blow a little Santa cash to ring in the new year?
Things that Mac OS X could learn from the iPad and iPhone
It's kind of amazing how the iPad and iPhone have crept more and more into my digital life, slowly encroaching on my laptop use. Of course the iPad isn't very good for Photoshop or some of the high end programs I need to use at times, but I've noticed that over the holidays, with time at home, the iPad is getting about 90 percent of my computing attention. Checking the Web, email, weather, flight info, ... you name it, the iPad is doing it all quite nicely, backed up by the iPhone. It's also made me realize there are some things that iOS should bring to Mac OS X, and the sooner, the better. Lots of the innovations coming to Lion are going to improve matters, but here's what I'm looking for. When I'm back on my desktop or laptop, I find myself constantly double clicking on web pages to get them to zoom up in size. Of course, it's a no-go. I've gotten so used to that feature that I feel terribly deprived without it. I love the iOS software update notifications. Yes, the App Store is coming to the Mac, but it will never have pervasive control like the iPad, because lots of applications won't be sold that way; they'll depend on other methods to let you know an update has arrived. iOS lets me update everything at once. A couple of clicks and I'm done.
MacTech 2010: Andy Ihnatko on the coming of Lion
Commentator Andy Ihnatko took the stage at this week's MacTech conference here in Los Angeles today to give the conference keynote. In his talk, Ihnatko spoke about the upcoming new version of OS X, Lion, and specifically three different features of it. First, he talked about the Mac App Store, and what he thought would be the outcome of Apple bringing an App Store system to its desktop platform. Then, he spoke about what he called "unitasking," and how focusing on just one task at a time both changes the way computers work and the way we do, and finally he mentioned Apple's changing hardware, and how the new MacBook Air embodies Apple's ongoing curve in hardware creation and production. First up was Ihnatko's opinion on the Mac App Store so far, and he said that though he'd been "trying to get upset about it," he actually liked the idea. "The good news," he said, is that "Apple really doesn't care about" developers. Instead, it cares about users, and from users' point of view, the Mac App Store is actually a great idea. Though developers may have issues with it, Ihnatko said that anything that allows more than the around 200,000 (he estimated) Mac users out of 40 million to actually purchase and use apps will end up being a good thing.
