MacRumors' Mac Blog: Mac Apps, News and Rumors

Other World Computing (OWC) today announced the upcoming availability of its new Thunderbolt 2 dock. The OWC Thunderbolt 2 dock includes twelve ports, allowing for the connectivity of up to 78 direct and daisy-chained devices through a single Thunderbolt connection. Designed with Apple hardware aesthetics, the dock is compatible with Thunderbolt-equipped Macs in both form and function....

OWC today expanded its ThunderBay lineup of storage devices with the new ThunderBay 4 mini and ThunderBay 4 mini RAID 5 Edition. These new portable RAID devices are designed for 2K and 4K video editing with fast Thunderbolt 2 performance and SSD support."Our new ThunderBay 4 mini is perfect for mobile workflows involving demanding applications and large mission-critical files," said Jen Soulé,...

We've partnered up with GameAgent again this week to offer MacRumors readers a 25 percent discount on Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. Since it just launched in October, Pre-Sequel hasn't seen many discounts yet, making this a fantastic deal if you've been waiting for a sale before buying. With the discount, MacRumors readers can get Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel for Mac for $44.99, instead of...

Microsoft today announced a new beta version of Skype for Web that brings a plugin-free version of the service to all modern browsers. Skype for Web beta will be available now to a small number of users, with a broader public rollout planned in the coming months. Skye for Web relies on Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) APIs to provide real-time voice calling, video chat and instant...

Apple today released Thunderbolt Display Firmware Update 1.2, designed for the Thunderbolt Display that was released in 2011. According to the release notes, the update improves reliability when connecting devices to the Apple Thunderbolt Display and addresses a rare issue that may cause the display to go black. Thunderbolt Display owners can download the update from the Mac App Store....

Apple has released a new Safari 8.0.1 beta for developers running OS X Yosemite, along with a Safari 7.1.1 beta for Mavericks and a Safari 6.2.1 beta for older versions of OS X. The new Safari builds can be downloaded through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store. Safari 8.0.1 for OS X Yosemite requires OS X 10.10 or 10.10.1, while Safari 7.1.1 for OS X Mavericks requires OS X...

The MacRumors Folding@home team has contributed over two billion points to the distributed computing medical research project, reaching this milestone on November 12. It took 11.5 years for the MacRumors team to accumulate its first billion points, but the team completed its second billion points in only 12.5 months, thanks in large part to today's faster GPUs, as well as Quick Return Bonus Points...

Microsoft today announced that it is furthering its commitment to cross-platform development with an expanded open source program for its .NET platform and additional support for operating systems outside of Microsoft Windows. "With billions of devices in the market today, developers need tools that target many different form factors and platforms," said S. Somasegar, corporate vice president,...

Apple today seeded build 14B23 of OS X 10.10.1 to developers, one week after seeding the first OS X 10.10.1 beta, build 14B17, and nearly a month after first releasing OS X Yosemite to the public. The new beta is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store and through the Mac Dev Center. While it is unclear what improvements the first update to OS X Yosemite will...

Apple has updated its Support website, adding the option for users to schedule Genius Bar appointments at their local Apple retail stores within the Support site. Previously, users had to navigate to their local Apple Store's page to make appointments. The new option, first spotted by 9to5Mac, is presented after a user defines what kind of problem they're having with a particular product....

As the holidays approach, deals on iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple accessories will be picking up, culminating in a slew of deals around Black Friday. Some retailers have already begun offering discounts on Apple products, and this week, there are discounts on the Retina iMac, a range of older iPads, and various Apple accessories including Western Digital hard drives and Beats earphones. Retin...

Spotify on Friday added a new feature that allows subscribers to use an iPhone or iPad as a remote control for playback on their Mac. The new feature is available for free as part of Spotify's $9.99 monthly premium subscription.We've just released a great new Premium feature, which lets you play Spotify through your computer, using your phone or tablet as a remote. Use the Spotify app to control...

Other World Computing today announced the launch of new 1 TB (960 GB) solid state drive options for 2010-2012 models of the MacBook Air. Priced at $549 for the drive alone or $579 for a package including tools and an Envoy enclosure to repurpose the original drive for external storage, the new 1 TB option complements existing 120, 240, and 480 GB options for the various MacBook Air...

Popular Mac Photoshop alternative Pixelmator was today updated to version 3.3 "Limestone," introducing a redesigned interface, a repair tool extension, and support for several OS X Yosemite features including iCloud Drive and Handoff. The update also brings support for the new iMac with Retina 5K display. Pixelmator's subtle redesign was inspired by OS X Yosemite, bringing a flatter look and...

Apple today announced on its website (via ifoAppleStore) that it will be opening its store in Lille, France on Saturday, November 15. The store will be located on 1 Rue Faidherbe, which also hosts a number of other luxury retailers and outlets. The store itself will contain two levels and span 1400 square meters (15000 square feet) and wrap around the city block, offering a wide amount of space...

Microsoft today announced that it's opening signups for an early preview of Skype Translator, a real-time language translation feature that it first showed off earlier this year at Re/code's Code Conference. While the initial trial program will be limited to customers who own a Windows 8.1 computer or tablet, Microsoft is open to bringing Skype Translator to other platforms in the future. The ...

On December 11th, a fully functional original Apple-1 Personal Computer will go up for auction, reports Reuters. The rare machine, which Steve Jobs sold out of his parents' garage in 1976 for $600, is expected to sell for over half a million dollars. This particular Apple-1 is the only documented machine to have been sold directly by Jobs himself. Back in 1999, the computer was purchased by...

In celebration of the Halloween holiday, Apple, app developers, and retailers are all offering significant discounts on a range of movies, apps, and Apple accessories. We've rounded up some of the best of the holiday deals, which can be found below. Movies Apple has discounted a slew of scary movies to celebrate Halloween, offering both horror titles and more family-oriented Halloween-themed...