macOS Sierra 10.12.2

References to next-generation MacBook Pros with Kaby Lake chips found in Sierra code

A developer-only preview of what would become the macOS Sierra 10.12.4 software update references a total of eight next-generation MacBook Pro models with the latest Kaby Lake processors from Intel. First discovered by the Apple-centric blog named Pike’s Universum, the code strings in question point to unused IDs for three motherboard identifiers. Aside from other improvements, the Kaby Lake platform enables lower power consumption while possibly bringing support for 32GB RAM.

macOS Sierra 10.12.2 fixed vulnerability that let attackers obtain disk encryption password

Last week's macOS Sierra 10.12.2 software update squashed a number of bugs and patched a few newly discovered  vulnerabilities, among them one that allowed an attacker to obtain your FileVault disk encryption password by plugging in a $300 Thunderbolt device into a locked or sleeping Mac.

As detailed by security researcher Ulf Frisk, attackers must have physical access to your Mac in order to exploit the vulnerability. The obtained password may be used to unlock your Mac's disk and access everything on it.

Here’s why macOS Sierra 10.12.2 removes your battery’s estimated time remaining

Aside from a number of fixes, GPU improvements and a few new features in macOS Sierra 10.12.2, the update's introduced a significant change related to the Mac's Battery menu. Long story short, Macs with macOS Sierra 10.12.2 or later no longer display the battery's estimated time remaining in the Mac's menu bar.

Here's what prompted Apple to make this change, according to The Loop.

Apple releases macOS Sierra 10.12.2 update

Following yesterday's iOS 10.2, tvOS 10.1 and watchOS 3.1.1 releases, Apple today completed its OS updates by launching macOS 10.12.2 software update (build 16C67) for Sierra-compatible Macs. In addition to bug fixes and performance improvements, macOS Sierra 10.12.2 packs in 100+ new and redrawn emoji available across iOS 10.2 and watchOS 3.1.1 as well.

There's a new shortcut for taking screenshots of the Touch Bar and Chinese users can put a new Chinese Trackpad Handwriting button to the Touch Bar's Control Strip. If you use Boot Camp, Sierra now supports new installations of Windows 8 and Windows 7 on supported Macs.

Apple seeds macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta 6 to developers

Just 24 hours after iOS 10.2 beta 7 dropped and three days following macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta 5, Apple on Thursday issued a sixth beta of what would become the second major update to macOS Sierra. macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta 6 (build number 16C63a) is now available to registered developers.

The update can be deployed via the Mac App Store's Updates tab on Macs which are registered with the Apple Developer Program. The full installer is on Dev Center.

Apple seeds third beta of iOS 10.2, macOS Sierra 10.12.2, and tvOS 10.1 to developers

Apple on Monday seeded the third beta of iOS 10.2 to developers. Folks enrolled in Apple’s developer program can install the update via the over-the-air mechanism in the Settings app, or from the dev center.

Today's release comes just one week after beta 2, which added Apple's new TV app. In fact, iOS 10.2 features a lot of new stuff including emoji, wallpapers, settings, and improvements related to Emergency SOS.

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.

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 seeds minor update for macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta

Apple on Wednesday seeded what appears to be a small update for the latest macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta. The release comes just two days after the first 10.12.2 beta, and there's just a tiny difference in the build numbers (16C32f vs 16C32e), so we're guessing it just contains minor bug fixes.