OS X Yosemite

How to use AirDrop between OS X Yosemite and iOS 8

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated November 1, 2014

AirDrop is a file transmission tool that first debuted in OS X Lion. Prior to iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, the AirDrop protocols between Mac and iOS were not compatible. This incompatibility made AirDrop worthless in the eyes of many, as most casual users would prefer to exchange data between a Mac and an iOS device, instead of two Macs.

The AirDrop issue has been solved in iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite. AirDrop now works beautifully between a Mac and an iPhone, or a Mac and an iPad. It’s a great way to make quick transmissions between local devices. Watch our video walkthrough after the break for a demonstration of AirDrop in action.

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How to use Handoff in OS X Yosemite

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated November 1, 2014

Handoff is one of the flagship features for both iOS and OS X. It allows you to seamlessly continue working where you left off on another device.

In this video tutorial, I'll walk you through making sure that Handoff is enabled for your device, and show you how it can be used. Step inside to learn more.

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New in OS X Yosemite: iCloud Drive

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated November 1, 2014

iCloud Drive is a new integrated cloud storage solution for Apple devices. It’s available on both iOS devices running iOS 8, and Macs with OS X Yosemite installed.

iCloud Drive taps into your existing iCloud Storage to act as a central hub for all of the files stored in iCloud. Watch our video walkthrough after the jump for additional insight...

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The Calendar app gets a new “Day View” for OS X Yosemite

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

The Calendar app receives a brand new Day view to highlight a full day’s events in OS X Yosemite. Again, this is a feature that originates on iOS, and has found its way back to the Mac.

If you have a lot of appointments scheduled on a daily basis, then the Calendar App’s new Day view could become an instrumental tool for you. It’s a great way to take in the breadth of the current day’s appointments from a single view.

Step inside and watch our hands-on walkthrough, which showcases the new Calendar view in action...

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OS X Yosemite ushers in a revamped iTunes

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated November 1, 2014

iTunes has been redesigned completely to coincide with OS X Yosemite’s design enhancements. The result is a much flatter and cleaner looking app that’s devoid of many of the shadows and layers present in previous iterations.

Just recently, the iTunes Store, which resides within the iTunes app, received an update to match the flatter appearance. This has resulted in a more consistent look across the entire app.

Check out our video walkthrough after the break, which highlights some of the changes in the latest version of iTunes— iTunes 12.

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Using predictive text in OS X Yosemite

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

The QuickType predictive text functionality found in iOS 8 would be hard to mimic on a desktop interface that uses a physical keyboard, but Apple has come up with a good way to suggest words that you may want to type next in OS X Yosemite. Check out our video walkthrough after the break and see how.

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A look at some of the Safari enhancements in OS X Yosemite

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated November 1, 2014

Safari has been given a big revamp in OS X Yosemite, and it's one of my favorite new updates to the operating system as a whole. The team working on Safari took a lot of the elements that makes Safari on iOS a success, and incorporated those into the OS X Yosemite version. The result is a much-improved favorite interface, simplified toolbar, and better tab navigation. Safari for OS X Yosemite is a win all the way around. Have a look at our video walkthrough showcasing these new features inside...

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How to manage group iMessages in OS X Yosemite

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Like iOS 8, OS X Yosemite brings tons of new features to the table when it comes to iMessage. You can now do interesting things like rename iMessage Conversations, add additional participants to a group message conversation, and leave a group iMessage conversation outright.

Have a look at our video walkthrough after the break, which showcases these three new group iMessage features in OS X Yosemite.

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Using Do Not Disturb in OS X Yosemite’s Messages app

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Like the Messages app in iOS 8, the Yosemite version of Messages allows you to mute specific conversations by enabling Do Not Disturb. Do Not Disturb ensures that you still receive messages, but you won’t be bothered by notifications when new messages arrive.

Have a look at our video walkthrough explaining the ins and outs of Do Not Disturb after the break.

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Translucency: a big part of OS X Yosemite’s new visual style

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Translucency is everywhere in OS X Yosemite. In Safari, you can see the subtle colorful translucent glow of a website behind its toolbar. In the Finder, you’ll see apps and wallpaper glow behind your list of favorites, and in the Dock, you’ll see the translucent visuals of any apps that are moved behind it.

Check inside, as we explore OS X Yosemite's translucent effects in our video walkthrough. We'll also show you how to disable translucency if you're not a fan of the effect.

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OS X Yosemite adoption rate slightly outpacing Mavericks in first week

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 11, 2018

Apple's just-released OS X Yosemite is thus far seeing slightly better adoption rates than last year's Mavericks launch. New stats from the research team at Chitika ad network show Yosemite was installed on approximately 12.8% of Macs in North America in the first week.

Additionally, Chitika notes that OS X Yosemite accounted for more than 1% of all North American Web traffic from OS X users on launch day. That's more than double the first-day adoption rates of Apple's prior Mac OS updates, OS X Mavericks and OS X Mountain Lion.

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