MacRumors' Mac Blog: Mac Apps, News and Rumors

Earth Day was over three months ago, on April 22, yet Apple today uploaded another quirky Earth Day video outlining the company's plan to ensure almost one million acres of forests are responsibly managed by 2020. The one-minute ad was shared on Apple's own YouTube channel today, and later tweeted by Apple's environmental chief Lisa Jackson. Apple's 2017 Earth Day video campaign began...

Earlier in March, WikiLeaks began "Vault 7," a project focused on sharing exploits created and used by the United States Central Intelligence Agency, beginning with leaking 8,761 documents discovered within an isolated network in Langley, Virginia. Following the release of iOS-related documents, as well as some Mac exploits, Vault 7's publications didn't specifically include Apple products for...

Members of the Trump administration have begun contacting technology, education, and business leaders to ask for advice on "shaping funding approaches" for education related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in United States schools (via Bloomberg). Ivanka Trump is said to be involved in the effort, along with the president's special assistant for technology initiatives,...

Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced one year ago in March of 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari. Safari Technology Preview release 36 includes fixes and improvements for JavaScript, CSS, WebRTC, Web Driver, Rendering, Media, ...

Google today released Chrome 60, introducing support for the Touch Bar built into 2016 and 2017 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models. After installing Chrome 60, MacBook Pro owners are able to add, remove, and rearrange Chrome shortcuts. The Touch Bar settings can be accessed by through the Menu bar by going to View -> Customize Touch Bar. The new settings can be combined with existing Touch Bar...

Earlier this year, researchers from security firm Malwarebytes discovered a piece of Mac malware called Fruitfly that reportedly spied on computers in medical research centers for years before being detected. Apple has since updated macOS to automatically detect the malware, safeguarding users. However, a new variant of the Fruitfly malware has recently been discovered by Patrick Wardle, a...

Last November, Adobe previewed its next-generation photo editor, Project Nimbus, which boasts a focus on cloud storage and simplified editing controls, telling users to expect a beta sometime in 2017. Although that beta has yet to arrive, some users of Adobe's Creative Cloud recently had access to an "internal only" download of Project Nimbus on both Mac and Windows devices. Since a few...

Over the past few months, I've taken a look at a number of Thunderbolt 3 docks that all hit the market around the same time, including models from OWC, CalDigit, Belkin, and Kensington. There's at least one more major player in the market, so today I'm sharing my thoughts on Elgato's $300 Thunderbolt 3 Dock. Elgato's dock has a lot in common with many of its competitors, including a slim...

Microsoft and Johnson Controls today revealed a new product partnership in a smart thermostat called "GLAS." The thermostat has been built by Johnson Controls, the company that made the first electric thermostat, with Microsoft providing all of the internal software, including the ability for users to awake and control its functions with smart AI assistant Cortana (via The Verge). In the...

In June, Apple was ranked as #3 on the 2017 Fortune 500 annual list of the top U.S. corporations based on gross revenue. Today, the Fortune Global 500 rankings have been released, using the same data collected in the earlier rankings but expanding it and adding in companies on a global scale, resulting in a list that shares the 500 largest companies in the world. Apple sits at #9 on the list...

Popular note-taking platform Bear received an update on Wednesday across Mac and iOS that adds a number of community-requested features to the Apple Notes rival. Top of the feature list in version 1.2.2 is the ability to highlight parts of notes in a neon color to indicate importance, by bracketing text in "::" tags. Over on the Mac, it's now possible to break out Bear notes into separate...

Alongside the release of macOS Sierra 10.12.6, which came after a two month beta testing period, Apple has introduced a new version of iTunes, iTunes 12.6.2. iTunes 12.6.2 is a minor update, with Apple's release notes saying only that it introduces minor app and performance improvements. Today's iTunes update can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for free using the Software Update...

Panic today announced the launch of Transmit 5, the newest version of its popular Mac-based file transfer app. Transmit 5 is a massive update, introducing an improved UI, new features, additional servers, and a Panic Sync feature. According to Panic, everything from the core file transfer engine to the "Get Info" experience was entirely rethought, overhauled, and improved, for an even better...

Apple today updated its professional audio editing software Logic Pro X to version 10.3.2, introducing bug fixes, performance improvements, and a couple of new features. Today's update brings three new Drummers able to play percussion in the styles of Pop, Songwriter, and Latin, and the new Drummer loops can be added to songs and customized with performance controls. Apple has also improved ...

Neonode today announced that AirBar for the 13-inch MacBook Air is now available to purchase for $99 at select retailers in the United States, including Fry's Electronics and Evine.com. It'll also be available online through Amazon, Best Buy, and Staples, but it doesn't appear to be in stock on those websites yet. AirBar, a CES 2017 Innovation Awards Honoree, is a thin aluminum bar that...

Google today announced the launch of Backup and Sync, a new app for Macs and PCs that's designed to back up files and photos safely in Google Drive and Google Photos. The new app is meant to replace the existing Google Photos desktop uploader and Drive for Mac/PC. To use Backup and Sync, Google Drive/Photos users just need to download the app and then choose the folders they want to back up....

Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced more than a year ago in March of 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari. Safari Technology Preview release 35 includes fixes and improvements for Media, Web Inspector, JavaScript,...

Flexibits today debuted Fantastical 2.4 for Mac, which the company says is the biggest Fantastical update since Fantastical 2 for Mac was introduced. Today's update, which is free for all existing users, introduces everything from attachments to travel time to undo and redo tools. Attachments, one of the most notable new features in Fantastical 2 for Mac, can be viewed, edited, and created on...