OS X

A closer look at Differential Privacy in iOS 10 and macOS Sierra

Making Apple services even smarter and more personalized entails processing troves of information because intelligence is driven by big data. The fact that iOS 9's proactive features don't tap into the cloud has served Apple well thus far. But since Google Assistant came to light, people have been wondering if Apple can compete without resorting to raw data collection Google is infamous for.

iOS 10 and macOS Sierra represent Apple's refined approach to privacy, which revolves around new techniques collectively known as Differential Privacy. An en vogue statistical method, Differential Privacy helps Apple deliver smarter services without compromising privacy of their users.

It's a relatively unproven technique with lots of potential which hasn’t been used to boost Apple's services before iOS 10 and macOS Sierra. Here's a closer look at Differential Privacy, how it powers intelligence and proactiveness and why it should serve Apple better than Google's bulk data collection and analysis.

Apple confirms its new Differential Privacy feature will be opt-in only

iOS 10 and macOS Sierra tap into an interesting technology, called Differential Privacy, which makes possible data collection from a large number of users without compromising individual user's security and privacy. Re/code has now learned from Apple that Differential Privacy will be opt-in only, meaning privacy-minded folks won't be required to use the feature unless they specifically want to.

Bottom line: Apple won’t collect your data to make its services a lot smarter unless you specifically let it.

macOS Sierra preview: Universal Clipboard + Desktop & Documents sync

Our ongoing macOS Sierra previews continue unabated as Andrew and I take a closer look at two new useful features in Sierra: Universal Clipboard and shared Desktop. You're definitely going to use Universal Clipboard quite a bit: in addition to being a great time-saver, it “just works”.

Universal Clipboard lets you copy and paste items across your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch devices and Mac computers like a boss. Sierra also puts your iCloud storage to good use by keeping any Desktop items along with the files within the Documents folder synchronized across your other devices.

Tip: customizing the toolbar of your Mac’s Mail app

Your Mac's Mail app is a powerful email client, and for many, the default app configuration in plenty for getting day-to-day email tasks done.

But for those who demand more power and functionality, it's a great idea to customize the toolbar at the top of the Mail app so you have quick and easy access to the functions you use the most.

In this tutorial, we'll show you how to customize the toolbar at the top of your Mac's Mail app so you can get more out of it.

Apple seeds beta 3 of iOS 9.3.3, OS X 10.11.6 and tvOS 9.2.2

Apple on Tuesday seeded the third beta for iOS 9.3.3 to both developers and public testers. The beta can be installed via the over-the-air update mechanism in iOS, or it can be downloaded from either Apple's dev center or the Beta Software Program website.

The update comes two weeks after the second iOS 9.3.3 beta was released, and it’s mostly bug fixes. Apple is obviously trying to iron out a few remaining bugs in iOS 9.3 so it can turn its attention to iOS 10, which arrived in beta form last week during WWDC.

How to add a new printer to your Mac

When it comes to using your Mac for day-to-day activities, you may want to set up a printer with it so you can print documents, shipping labels, photos, and other important pieces of information.

In macOS, Apple has made it really easy to add a new printer to your Mac. In this tutorial, we'll show you how you can add a new printer to Mac whether it's wired or wireless.

How to create PDF files from your Mac’s printer menu

Lots of times you may want to print something, only to find that you have no printer ink or that you aren't near a printer. Your Mac comes with a useful function in the macOS printing menu that lets you save anything you want to print as a PDF file to print or share later. We'll show you how you can make a PDF out of anything you intend to print in this tutorial.

More ‘macOS’ rebranding evidence discovered on Apple’s developer website

More evidence has surfaced that Apple is planning to rebrand OS X to macOS in the near future. As noted by MacRumors, a reference to the name-change has been spotted on a developer FAQ page outlining the new App Store revenue sharing policies.

The news follows a March sighting of a macOS reference hidden inside OS X code, and a similar slip-up in April on Apple's website. The change has long been speculated about, as it would bring the desktop OS in line with its younger platform siblings.