MacRumors' Mac Blog: Mac Apps, News and Rumors

Flexibits, the developers behind the popular line of Fantastical calendar apps for iOS and Mac, today posted a teaser revealing the launch date of Fantastical 2 for Mac, which is going to be released on March 25. Fantastical 2 for the iPhone and the iPad have been available since 2013, but Fantastical for Mac, first released in 2011, has yet to receive a major 2.0 update. Flexibits has not...

Twelve South today revealed the BaseLift for MacBook, a "super-thin, microfiber-layered pad" that attaches to the bottom of any MacBook and can instantly fold up, similar to an iPad Smart Cover, to provide an elevated screen and angled keyboard to users on either a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. Once attached, BaseLift for MacBook stays connected to the MacBook, and is thin enough to fit into "most...

Apple today released Safari 8.0.4 for OS X Yosemite, bringing stability and security improvements to the browser. Apple has also released Safari 7.1.4 and Safari 6.2.4 for Mavericks and Mountain Lion users, respectively. In addition to bringing stability improvements, the update fixes vulnerabilities in WebKit, which could allow a malicious website to unexpectedly terminate an application or...

Apple announced a new 13-inch MacBook Pro and new MacBook Air models on Monday, which means prices for older models are dropping rapidly. Best Buy has discounted much of its iPad Air 2 stock, dropping prices by $50 to $100, so it's an excellent time to pick up a new iPad if you've been waiting for a deal. We've also got discounts on a range of Apple accessories like a monitor stand and a...

Aspyr today released classic Command & Conquer game Command & Conquer: Generals Deluxe Edition in the Mac App Store, letting fans of the title play the game on modern Macs for the first time in years. The Mac App Store bundle includes the original Command & Conquer: Generals game and the Zero Hour expansion pack. First released in 2003, Command & Conquer: Generals stands apart from other games ...

First announced back in January as an interstellar continuation of Civilization: Beyond Earth, Firaxis' Sid Meier's Starships today launches for iPad, PC, and Mac (via iMore). Developed by Firaxis in conjunction with 2K Games and Meier himself, Starships places players at the helm of a fleet of starships and tasks them with building a thriving interplanetary federation. Image via GameSpot ...

Popular Apple accessory maker Belkin today announced a line of new cables and adapters designed to work with the newly announced 12-inch Retina MacBook, which ships with a single USB-C port. Most notably, the company has announced a USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter, which will allow the 12-inch MacBook to be connected to Gigabit Ethernet networks using its USB-C port. Apple is not offering...

Apple Stores' ability to generate a high rate of foot traffic in malls is allowing Apple to win "sweetheart deals" from mall operators while increasing mall sales 10%, according to a new Wall Street Journal report. Apple draws so many shoppers that its stores single-handedly lift sales by 10% at the malls in which they operate, according to Green Street Advisors, a real-estate research firm....

LaCie on Tuesday announced the Porsche Design Mobile Drive as the world's first external hard drive with a built-in USB-C port. The LaCie Mobile Drive features a reversible cable that supports Apple's latest MacBook with USB-C technology, delivering data transfer speeds up to 100 MB/s for quickly transferring photos, videos and other files or backing up with Time Machine."The LaCie™ Mobile...

Just under a week after researchers uncovered a security flaw referred to as "FREAK" (Factoring Attack on RSA-EXPORT Keys) that left many devices vulnerable to hacking attempts, Apple has issued fixes for all of its platforms. The fix is available in Apple TV 7.1 for Apple TV 3rd generation and later, iOS 8.2 for iPhone 4s and later, iPod touch 5th generation and later and iPad 2 and later....

Announced in conjunction with the new line of MacBooks revealed at today's "Spring Forward" event in San Francisco, the USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adaptor will allow users a dock-like experience with included HDMI, USB 3.1, and USB-C inputs located on the device. Mainly featured will be the ability to mirror a MacBook's display onto an HDMI-connected screen. The adapter will allow users to...

Following today's media event where Apple unveiled the 12-inch MacBook and new details on the Apple Watch, the company has released a minor update to iMovie for Mac that adds in support for Photos. With the new Photos integration in iMovie, it's now possible for iMovie users to browse Moments, Collections, Favorites, and Albums that have been stored in Photos, using the Photos app to insert...

Today at Apple's special media event, HBO CEO Richard Plepler took the stage with Apple CEO Tim Cook to announce HBO Now, HBO's new standalone streaming service. The announcement comes just under a week after it was first reported. The new service is exclusive for Apple TV and other Apple devices for $14.99 a month. The service will be ready in time for the series premiere of HBO hit show Gam...

Apple's "Spring Forward" media event will be kicking off in just a few hours, and as usual some MacRumors readers are interested in avoiding all of the announcements and waiting until Apple posts the recorded video of the event so as to experience it without already knowing the outcome. For those individuals, we've posted this news story, which will be updated with a link to the...

For our second giveaway here at MacRumors, we've partnered with Pad & Quill, the maker of premium MacBook, iPhone, and iPad cases along with other accessories. Pad & Quill is graciously offering The Messenger Bag as our prize for this giveaway. The Messenger Bag is made of leather and waxed canvas and features a padded laptop pocket that will fit a 15-inch MacBook Pro Retina and a 25-year...

A total of 379 companies, including Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, and Google, have joined together to urge the Supreme Court to rule in favor of blanketed nationwide support for marriage equality (via The Verge). The companies filed an amicus brief yesterday, represented by law firm Morgan Lewis, in the on-going Obergefell v. Hodges case, wherein two men are arguing that the state of Ohio...

Following several months of experimentation with how it curates the music portion of its iTunes Store, Apple has rolled back some of those changes to restore an emphasis on editorial rather than sales-based criteria, according to Billboard. The news comes after a few independent record labels voiced concern over their artists being lost under the better-performing singers and albums of bigger...

iCloud Photos is Apple's service that allows users to store their photo and video libraries in the cloud, making them accessible on all Apple devices and on the web through the iCloud.com website. ‌iCloud‌ ‌Photos‌ simplifies the photo taking and storing process by allowing users to get to their images no matter which of their devices are in use. Turning on iCloud Photo Library iOS:...