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Opera's ex-CEO releases his finished web browser for power users
Do you miss the days when it felt like Opera was focused more on avid web surfers than the broader public? So does Opera's former CEO Jon von Tetzchner. He just released the finished version of Vivaldi, a web browser that caters primarily to power users that thrive on customization and shortcuts. It has Opera mainstays like Speed Dial (quick access to favorite sites from new tabs), but it also has tab stacks, mouse gestures, annotation, browser sessions and even the option to view websites in a sidebar. In short, it's all about removing clutter and speeding things up. Vivaldi even supports Chrome extensions (it's based on Chromium), so you shouldn't have to scrounge for replacement add-ons.
Google tests native desktop notifications for Chrome on Mac
Google Chrome already has its own desktop notifications for Windows and Mac to alert you to new Gmail messages and other updates. However, those pop-ups on Apple machines act independently from all of the other OS X notifications, so you can't employ that handy Do Not Disturb option to keep them hidden or peruse 'em from the Notification Center.
Apple's latest Safari browser is built for developers
You no longer have to try an OS X beta (or a WebKit nightly build) to see where Apple is going with Safari's under-the-hood features. The tech firm has released a Safari Technology Preview that helps developers work with the latest in web technology. Don't expect to see any major interface shake-ups as a result -- the big improvements in the initial version revolve around newer, faster JavaScript support, and the rest are smaller things like minor HTML updates and a better web inspector. If you craft websites for a living, though, this makes it easy to test your work without living too close to the bleeding edge.
Recently patched security flaw bypassed OS X's new defenses
Theoretically, the System Integrity Protection introduced in OS X El Capitan makes it very hard to completely compromise a Mac. The feature prevents software from modifying protected files even if you have root access, preventing most software-based attacks from working. However, it's now clear that even this safeguard isn't airtight. SentinelOne's Pedro Vilaça has discovered a security flaw that -- combined with access gained via another method, like a phishing attack or browser vulnerability -- lets you run any code you like on a Mac, even with SIP in effect. The vulnerability takes advantage of a corruption bug in OS X to give a program full control over your system; since certain programs need full privileges for OS X to work (you couldn't update your system otherwise), the intruder just has to target the right file to hijack your computer.
Google is giving Chrome's app launcher the axe
Folks who favor launching Chrome apps from their dock on OSX or the taskbar on Windows rather than through the browser itself are bound to be disappointed by today's news. Google has announced that the Chrome App Launcher will be removed from the Apple, Linux and Microsoft operating systems. It's still safe on Chrome OS, though.
First known Mac ransomware reaches the wild
While ransomware has sadly been a reality on smartphones and Windows PCs for a while, you haven't really had to worry about it on a Mac... until now, that is. Palo Alto Networks claims to have discovered the first known instance of OS X-oriented ransomware in the wild, "KeRanger." If you install software infected with the code (in this case, a version of the BitTorrent client Transmission), it'll encrypt your files after three days and demand that you pay a digital currency ransom to regain control.
Malware hints that Hacking Team is back
Hacking Team has largely stayed under the radar after a gigantic leak exposed its spyware-selling ways, but the company might be on the rebound. Security researchers have noticed that recent Mac malware installs a version of Hacking Team's Remote Code Systems tool from around October, or three months after the outfit was publicly torn apart. There is a chance that a third-party group simply obtained and reworked some of the leaked source code, but clues suggest that this wasn't the work of amateurs.
Siri is reportedly coming to the Mac this year
Ever since Apple introduced Siri voice control in the iPhone 4S, Mac users have been wondering: when's our turn? Well, that day might finally be near. Sources for 9to5Mac claim that Siri will be a "tentpole" feature of OS X 10.12, which is expected to show at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (usually in June) and release a few months later. Supposedly, it's almost as straightforward as what you see on iOS -- you only have to click a menu bar item or say "hey, Siri" to start issuing commands. It's not clear if there will be any Mac-specific features, but the tipsters warn that the interface could easily change between now and the introduction.
Web link crashes Safari on your iPhone or Mac
You've probably run into websites (or buggy browsers) that have inadvertently bogged down your devices, but there's one lurking out there that causes very intentional grief. If you visit crashsafari.com (we're not going to link it, for obvious reasons), the site will generate an ever-larger character string that creates a lot of problems. As the name implies, it'll reliably crash Apple's Safari browser on Macs -- and on iOS devices, you'll probably need to reboot. The code also appears to affect Chrome on Android and PCs, although not to such a severe and predictable degree.
Apple buys AI firm that detects emotions in facial cues
If it wasn't already clear that Apple is getting serious about artificial intelligence, it is now. The company has confirmed that it bought Emotient, a fledgling outfit that uses AI to gauge emotions based on facial expressions. As usual, the Cupertino crew isn't saying what its plans are. However, Emotient's specialty is in detecting your overall sentiment, like contentedness or frustration. Combined with the AI-powered assistant tech from VocalIQ, it wouldn't be shocking if Apple is working on helper software that genuinely understands your moods and reactions. There's certainly pressure to do so -- with both Facebook and Google working on AI-driven chat assistants, Apple might not want to feel left out. [Image credit: Getty Images]
Apple makes its Swift programming language open source
Earlier this year, Apple said it would be making its programming language Swift open source. And now the company's making good on that promise to developers, specifically those who want to make apps for OS X, iOS and watchOS. Swift, which Apple describes as powerful and easy to use, will be open source under the Apache License, giving devs access to a full set of tools to create anything from 3D games to social networking apps.More importantly, Swift was built to play nice with Objective-C, allowing developers to create projects that blend existing code with Apple's new programming language. If you're interested in playing around with it, Apple's Swift.org site has more information -- although it appears to be down right now.
iOS and OS X updates arrive with a ton of new emoji
If you've ever wanted to text taco pics from your iPhone or give the middle finger from your Mac, today's your lucky day. Apple has released iOS 9.1 and OS X El Capitan 10.11.1, both of which add a slew of new Unicode emoji ranging from Mexican food through to rude gestures. There are some important under-the-hood fixes, too. Your iPhone 6s or 6s Plus is now smart enough to stop recording Live Photos when you lower the device, and OS X shouldn't run into trouble with Office 2016. Whichever platform you're using, you'll likely want to update pronto -- if just to see the cutesy characters you'd otherwise miss. [Image credit: Emojipedia]
Twitter will finally update its OS X app later this year
While Twitter's iOS and Android apps have gotten regular updates, the OS X version has languished -- the company has shown it very little love in the past few years. But, today at Twitter's Flight developer conference, developer platform lead Jeff Seibert announced that the OS X application would be receiving a refresh before the end of the year. In particular, it'll have native gif and Vine playback, as well as a "dark mode." Hopefully that theme will make its way to the Android and iOS apps.
Good luck repairing anything in the new iMac
If you've read our review of the new iMac, you already know that a majority of what's really new about Apple's latest all-in-one is its accessories. The destructive folks over at iFixit say that the 21.5-inch model has what "looks like" an LG ultra-HD display and a Texas Instruments chip, while the fan and HDD are the same -- the speakers are too. The logic board is where the surprises come in, and they might not make you too happy. Configure a machine without flash storage or a Fusion Drive? You won't be able to add one at a later date because those don't include an onboard connector to do so.
Apple updates iWork productivity apps for OS X, iOS and the web
Now that OS X El Capitan and iOS 9 are available to everyone, Apple's updating its iWork productivity suite to take advantage of certain new features. The refreshed Keynote, Numbers and Pages apps come with support for 3D Touch and Force Touch, as well as Slide Over, Split View and Picture-in-Picture modes. But keep in mind some of these will only work if you have compatible hardware, including the iPhone 6s or 6s Plus and the ultra-thin MacBook -- either way, you'll need to have the latest versions of iOS and OS X installed. In addition to this, you can also preview shared Keynote, Numbers and Pages documents on iOS and Android browsers, while iWork '08 and '06 users get the ability to start opening and editing files. Lastly, Apple says iWork for iCloud is officially out of beta and there are "many new features" on the service, such as support for 10 extra languages and a way to comment on docs.
Apple buys an AI startup with eye on better photo management
Apple's acquired a startup with a keen focus on developing artificial intelligence systems that run locally on your device rather than at an offsite server farm. In Perceptio's case (why does every start-up sound like Aviato now?), it's using deep learning for photo classification rather than other mundane tasks, according to both Bloomberg and ReCode. The latter notes that Facebook and the like do this with cloud processing but Apple is incredibly big on not storing user-data offsite. So it makes sense that the company would be interested in bringing this sort of imaging tech to its handsets and computers -- especially considering that new camera the iPhone 6s series is sporting.
Mac exploit dodges Apple's anti-malware app check
If you've used a Mac running OS X Mountain Lion or later, you're well-acquainted with Gatekeeper: it's the security measure that prevents unsigned apps from running unless you want them to. Unfortunately, it turns out that this first line of defense isn't quite as secure as it's supposed to be. Synack security researcher Patrick Wardle has discovered a flaw that lets malware get around Gatekeeper and do what it wants with your system. The trick 'hijacks' a signed app to pretend that it's legit, and uses clever file packaging to launch hostile code once OS X declares the host app safe. Wardle only used one app in a proof of concept demonstration, but other apps should work. You could even use malicious plugins (say, Photoshop add-ons) to bypass Gatekeeper.
OS X El Capitan is now available for download
By now, you're likely read about the new version of Apple's OS X more than once. Today's the day you can get your hands on the final version. El Capitan is now available for download via the App Store on your Mac, delivering arrives new features like split-screen multitasking, speedier performance, handy tabs in Safari and updates to apps like Mail and Notes. If you gave the public beta a spin, you already have an idea of what to expect. However, if you weren't feeling adventurous, take a gander at our review for some in-depth impressions of all the changes.
Tim Cook: Apple won't merge iOS and OS X
Now that Apple is blurring the lines between its mobile tablets and PCs with the iPad Pro, it's tempting to imagine iOS and OS X merging into a single operating system (Windows 10-style) that works on virtually every device the company makes. You'll want to put any such ideas on hold, though. In a chat with Box's Aaron Levie, Apple chief Tim Cook dismissed the prospects of unifying iOS and OS X. It "subtracts from both," he said, arguing that you "don't get the best experience from either." This isn't a completely new idea from Apple (it once explained in detail why OS X doesn't have touch), but it's clear that Cook doesn't feel any pressure to follow in Microsoft's footsteps on this front.
OS X El Capitan review: A modest update, with some welcome changes
When I first previewed OS X El Capitan, Apple's latest Mac operating system, the software wasn't quite finished, and it also wasn't available to anybody without a developer account (that's most people). Since then, though, Apple has released El Capitan in a public beta program, so that anyone with the guts to install non-final software could try it out. Tomorrow, the OS will be available to the general public, and the version that ships will be virtually identical to the Gold Master build that early adopters are already using. That means for some of you, then, exactly nothing I've written in the following review will come as a surprise. But for folks who are perhaps more skittish about downloading a work in progress to use as their daily driver, I've endeavored to revisit El Capitan, taking care to clarify what's been added since my initial preview. Suffice to say, my thoughts remains the same: While this is clearly not as big a release as last year's update, all of the changes here are welcome, and a few were even overdue.