Since the focus of mainstream attention has remained almost squarely upon the progress of Apple's iOS 7 betas, it's rather easy to forget about OS X Mavericks 10.9, which is also currently being readied for prime time. While the name may have raised one or two eyebrows after a series of big cat releases, the changes made to the Mac operating system are very much business as usual, and the sixth developer preview doesn't appear to offer anything radically different from the previous offering.
Google's $35 Chromecast dongle has scarcely been out of the headlines since its release, and although it is rather limited in what it can currently offer, this hasn't prevented developers and general Android enthusiasts from pushing the boundaries in trying to improve the service. Dev Leon Nicholls is one such individual, and his new Fling app allows Chromecast owners to stream a variety of video formats from their PC or Mac straight to the device.
With Apple currently in the process of developing a bunch of new software products ready for release later on this year, the technology industry has been looking on with great intrigue. iOS 7 has, quite naturally, dominated the headlines, but OS X Mavericks 10.9 is also clocking up its fair share of preview releases ahead of its own debut, which should come significantly earlier than its mobile-tailored counterpart. In recent times, we've seen Apple bring quite a few of iOS's features over to its desktop OS in what has been dubbed an "iOS-ification," and whilst the changes to Mavericks don't seem to bear as many iOS hallmarks as Mountain Lion, designer Stu Crew has tried to paint a picture of what OS X Mavericks could look like if given the same design makeover as iOS 7.
With iOS 7's beta progress dominating most of the column inches within the blogosphere, the forthcoming version of OS X - Mavericks 10.9 - has been comparatively quiet in clocking up four preview releases so far. Today, OS X Mavericks 10.9 gets its fifth developer preview release, and although there's no real word on any of the changes yet aside from a new iBooks app for Mac, it brings us just that little bit closer to that final, end-user release.
Good news is amongst us all you game-loving, Mac owning folks. It may be well overdue and a long time coming, but EA has today officially announced that SimCity will be coming to the Mac platform on August 29th, as opposed to the previous SimCity release date. The open-ended, city building game has been an extremely popular addition to a gamer’s arsenal since its original launch, and although the latest version of the series was launched for Windows back in March, it has yet to make an appearance on the Mac App Store. With August 29th only just over three weeks away the time has nearly come.
Not so long ago, a computer was a computer, and a smartphone was a smartphone, but as the digital boom has continued to make strides, we've seen many a feature cross platform to ensure a more streamlined overall experience to the end user. Recognizing that checking one's device constantly whilst at the desk can be somewhat counterproductive, developers have sought to find ways to bridge the gap, bringing seamless controls of certain mobile features without the need to look away. Dialogue, a new app for OS X, follows this motif to the book, allowing you to control your smartphone while using your Mac.
Apple seems to be busily getting its developer releases out there today after the security breach which resulted in the entire system being dragged offline. Along with the news that iOS 7 beta 4 is finally making its appearance today, iTunes 11.1 has also been released to those registered to Apple's Developer Program. The updated iTunes 11.1 beta 1 is quite limited at this point, given that it only works on the fruit company’s very on OS X, but does include iTunes Radio integration for those living in the United States. More details can be found right after the jump.
When Apple announced the original iPhone back in 2007, perhaps the biggest thing that Steve Jobs spoke about at the time was the new way of inputting data onto the device. Before then, smartphones had clunky hardware keyboards and small screens but now, post-iPhone, things were going to change, with large screens and software keyboards becoming the norm.
Intel's astonishingly efficient Haswell processors have already worked wonders for the 2013 MacBook Air range, and KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo - one of the more reliable Apple analysts out there - seems to believe the iMac could be the recipient of the new chip in a refresh set to roll out as early as next month. Furthermore, Kuo also believes Apple plans to roll out new MacBook Pros in September, which are also expected to be powered by Haswell.
This year's Worldwide Developers Conference, and much of the time since, has been dominated by the talk and controversies of Apple's new mobile OS. Yet despite the significance of this major mobile release, lest we forget that OS X is also a pivotal component of the Cupertino's product line. OS X Mavericks 10.9 is also under constant development, and today, the fourth Developer preview of the upcoming Mac operating system has just been released.
