macOS Sierra

macOS 10.12.4 properly displays icons for Windows executable files in Finder

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 26, 2017

Yesterday's beta release of what would become the fourth major software update to macOS Sierra doesn't just bring iOS's Night Shift mode to your Mac. Aside from that feature and things like an updated PDF API, expanded Dictation support or the ability for Siri to look up cricket scores and rosters, macOS Sierra 10.12.4 includes better handling of Windows executable files in the Finder.

As discovered by Microsoft's Mac product designer Vaclav Vancura, rather than use a generic icon to represent Windows executables like before, macOS Sierra 10.12.4 now actually parses .EXE files for native Windows resources such as icons.

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Apple releases iOS 10.3 and macOS Sierra 4 for public beta testing

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 26, 2017

Following yesterday's release of developer-only previews of the upcoming iOS 10.3 and macOS Sierra 10.12.4 software updates, Apple today made the new betas available to public beta testers who are enrolled in Apple Beta Software Program.

iOS 10.3 public beta can be installed via the Software Update mechanism on iOS devices with an appropriate configuration profile installed. macOS Sierra 10.12.4 public beta can be downloaded on your Mac through Mac App Store's Updates tab.

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How to use Travel Time in Calendar on iPhone and Mac

Steffen Reich ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

Travel Time is a nifty addition to Apple’s Calendar app, capable of precisely estimating the duration of your upcoming trip based on parameters such as milage and traffic. Used properly, it can notably ease some of your daily scheduling woes, but paradoxically, a large contingent of regular Calendar users still routinely overlook the feature.

Formerly introduced as frequent locations and traffic conditions widgets, the service has only slowly gained traction amongst users. Travel Time today however has come of age and is now neatly integrated into one of the most popular productivity applications both on iOS and macOS. So if you didn’t get the memo on the virtues of Travel Time in Calendar, here’s what you need to know.

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How to convert music tracks to Audiobook in iTunes

Steffen Reich ∙ Updated May 23, 2018

Venturing into the depths of iTunes is no longer an activity for the faint-hearted, as Apple’s gold mine is famously becoming more convoluted with every update. It is by no means impossible to keep up with the changes, but staying on top of every small cosmetic shift does pose a decent challenge today.

As somebody very fond of the spoken word on iTunes, I can attest that this general rule holds true for audiobooks as well. So as I was fiddling around with some old school CDs the other day and trying to move audio files within my iTunes library to the Audiobooks tab, I noticed my old methods were already outdated again. If you’re not up to speed on iTunes, here’s a refresher on how to get your talking book to properly identify as Audiobooks inside the application, followed by an encore for CD enthusiasts with regard to joining tracks during import.

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How to check if your Mac supports Auto Unlock

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 25, 2023

macOS Sierra debuted a new feature called Auto Unlock that lets you get into your Mac without typing your account password simply by wearing a passcode-protected Apple Watch. With Auto Unlock, you just wake up your Mac and if it senses you're nearby and wearing your watch, it'll log you in automatically. Yes, it just works!

Auto Unlock imposes certain hardware pre-requisites in terms of modern Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chipsets. Here's how you can quickly check if your Mac supports Auto Unlock.

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Apple launches beta 2 of iOS 10.2.1 and macOS Sierra 10.12.3

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 20, 2016

Apple on Tuesday seeded to members of the Apple Developer Program a second beta of iOS 10.2 and a second beta of what would become the third major update to macOS Sierra. iOS 10.2.1 beta 2 (build 14D15) and macOS Sierra 10.12.3 beta 2 (build 16D17a) are now available to install over-the-air via Settings → General → Software Update on iOS devices and under the Mac App Store's Updates tab on the Mac.

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Deliveries for Mac gains full Sierra compatibility, Touch Bar shortcuts & other new features

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 19, 2016

After refreshing Deliveries for iOS with full iOS 10 and watchOS 3 support and other nice-to-haves four days ago, Deliveries for Mac was updated on the Mac App Store with full support for macOS Sierra, Touch Bar shortcuts on the new MacBook Pro and more.

Touch Bar shortcuts can be customized for features like shipping company suggestions when you add a delivery, auto-complete for email addresses, a 1Password button when it's appropriate and more.

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

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 19, 2016

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.

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Apple took no specific steps to improve MacBook Pro battery life with macOS Sierra 10.12.2

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 16, 2016

The macOS Sierra 10.12.2 software update, released three days ago, removes your Mac battery's time remaining indicator but owners of the new MacBook Pro won't see any improvements to their notebook's battery life as a result of the update.

As ArsTechnica noted, the company “told us repeatedly and emphatically that it had taken no specific steps to improve MacBook Pro battery life” with macOS Sierra 10.12.2.

Now, some people have reported seeing improved battery performance after installing the update on their MacBook Pro, but there's a reasonable explanation for that.

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iOS 10.2.1 and macOS Sierra 10.12.3 now available to public beta testers

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 15, 2016

After seeding iOS 10.2.1 beta 1 and macOS Sierra 10.12.3 beta 1 to members of the Apple Developer Program yesterday, Apple today released versions of these software updates for public beta-testing. If you sign up at the Apple Beta Software Program website to become a beta tester and install an appropriate configuration profile on your device, you too will be able to install the first beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.3 on your Mac and take iOS 10.2.1 for a spin on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

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Apple seeds first beta of iOS 10.2.1, macOS Sierra 10.12.3 and tvOS 10.1.1 to developers

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 14, 2016

Following yesterday's public releases of iOS 10.2, macOS Sierra 10.12.2, watchOS 3.1.1 and tvOS 10.1, Apple on Thursday seeded to its registered developers first betas of what would become minor software updates in the form of iOS 10.2.1 beta 1 (build 14D10), macOS Sierra 10.12.3 beta 1 (build 16D12b) and tvOS 10.1.1 beta 1 (build 14U707). These betas are available via Apple's portal for developers and can be installed over the air on devices with an appropriate configuration profile installed.

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