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macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta 2 available to public testers

Just about 24 hours after releasing macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta 2 to developers, Apple has now pushed the software to public testers as well. Members of the public beta program can update to beta 2 directly from the Mac App Store.

macOS Sierra 10.12.2 doesn't seem to offer many new user-facing features besides a myriad of new emojis that are part of unicode 9. Other improvements are apparently under the hood, likely offering bug fixes and stability improvements.

How to try out the new MacBook Pro Touch Bar on any Mac

If you're really interested in that new Touch Bar that comes built into the top of the keyboard portion of the higher-end MacBook Pro, but don't have the dime to drop on an expensive new computer right now, then you're gonna love this.

A new hack has surfaced on Github that lets you simulate the Touch Bar on any Mac, and it's fully functional, sans the flashy OLED touch surface. We'll show you how to get it in this tutorial.

Apple seeds macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta 2 to developers

Apple today seeded a second beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.2, a major software update being worked on. macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta 2 (build 16C41b) is now available in Apple's portal for developers for members of the Apple Developer Program. The latest build can be installed over-the-air on computers with a prior beta using the Software Update mechanism via the Mac App Store's Updates tab.

In addition to the latest Sierra build, Apple also released iOS 10.2 beta 2 to public beta testers today following yesterday's developer-only release of iOS 10.2 beta 2.

Apple aggressively boosting MacBook Pro orders with 15M estimated shipments in 2016

As the Internet keeps whining about supposed lack of features on the new MacBook Pro (let's bring back the floppy drive, shall we?) and Apple's master plan to make us buy more dongles, the Cupertino firm appears confident in the face of strong criticism that its latest notebook is indeed going to appeal to the general public and mainstream users.

According to supply chain chatter echoed by Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes, Apple's been pretty “aggressive” in placing orders for the new MacBook Pros.

Video: Apple’s Craig Federighi on the new MacBook Pro, Touch Bar and a touchscreen Mac

The MacBook Pro controversy isn't dying down yet so Apple dispatched Craig Federighi, its Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, who discussed the new Pro and thinking behind the Touch Bar feature in a short video interview with CNET in which he also defends no-touchscreen Mac stance.

He goes on to reveal that Apple had in fact built several touchscreen prototypes that however didn't impress Apple executives enough to greenlight the project.

Does Apple care about the Mac?

In a piece for MacWorld, Jason Snell looks back at this lackluster year for the Mac where expectations were high, but where Apple failed to deliver on many levels. And where it delivered, it seems that it did so by alienating some of its core base of users while increasing prices on everybody else. 

Password manager LastPass makes multi-device sync a free option for all users

LastPass, a free of charge password manager for the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and the web, announced yesterday that all customers can now synchronize passwords across multiple devices at no additional charge.

Previously, the app required buying a $1 per month subscription to take advantage of multi-device sync. If you manage your passwords and logins in LastPass, this should be music to your ears as most people use multiple devices.

OWC’s new Thunderbolt 3 Dock adds 13 additional ports to your MacBook Pro

Other World Computing (OWC), a U.S.-based company and online store for Mac upgrades and accessories located at MacSales.com, today announced the ultimate docking station for your brand spanking new MacBook Pro.

With the new Pro the Cupertino firm is (rightly) betting on USB-C, effectively putting us in a dongle hell for now. Enter the new $279 Thunderbolt 3 Dock, a successor to OWC's Thunderbolt 2 Dock and USB-C Dock.

Billed as the best expansion solution they've ever made, it offers the speed of Thunderbolt 3 technology coupled with a whopping thirteen expansion ports to help get the most out of the new late-2016 MacBook Pro.