Mac OS X Mavericks Requirements

OS X Mavericks is to be the next major release by Apple for desktop and server operating systems for Mac computers.  OS X Mavericks is the next step for the Mac OS after Mountain Lion.  OS X Mavericks is scheduled to be released this fall but is currently available in beta version for developers.  To upgrade to OS X Mavericks some requirements must be met.

One of the first requirements is that you will need to have OS X Snow Leopard or later.  OS X Snow Leopard or later is required because it needs to be downloaded via the Mac App Store.  In addition, the system requirements call for 64-bit, Intel-based Macs with 8GB of free disk space for installation.

The list of Macs that will run Mavericks is similar to those that were able to use OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion.The following is a list of Macs and OS X Mavericks compatibility:

• MacBook Pro - you'll need to have either a 13-inch from mid-2009, 15-inch from mid/late 2007 or 17-inch from late 2007 or later
• MacBook - 13-inch 2008 from 2008 in aluminum, early 2009 or later
• iMac - it needs to be mid 2007 or newer
• MacBook Air - it needs to be at 2008 or newer
• Mac Mini - it needs to be early 2009 or newer
• Mac Pro - it needs to be early 2008 or newer
• Xserve - early 2009

The list of Macs that won't be able to upgrade to Mavericks is long.  MacBooks pre 2008, pre mid 2007 MacBook Pros and Mac Mini/iMac and most notably the original MacBook Air will not be able to be upgraded.  

References:
http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/06/11/macs-capable-of-running-os-x-mountain-lion-likely-compatible-with-os-x-109-mavericks
http://www.techradar.com/us/news/computing/apple/os-x-mountain-lion-compatibility-will-your-mac-take-it-1064310

New Features of Mac OS X Mavericks

The release of OS X Mavericks will bring more than 200 new features over and above those in OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. As with Mountain Lion, there's further integration with the company's mobile operating system iOS.  The update places emphasis on battery life,  Finder enhancements, other enhancements for power users, and continued iCloud integration, as well as bringing more of Apple's iOS apps to the OS X platform.  Of the many new feature in OS X Mavericks, I will highlight a few of them.

One of the new features of OS X Mavericks is multiple monitors.  OS X Mavericks now makes the dock and menu bar follow the user on whatever screen they're working.  Also each display can now be shown independently.  Mavericks also added the ability for desktop activity to be wirelessly sent to a HDTV via an Apple TV box and Airplay.

Notifications is another new feature of OS X Mavericks.  You can now see notifications without closing the app that you are currently in.  You can also respond in the notification itself.  Now you can sign up with websites to get notifications regarding such things as news or sports.  All of this can be done without Safari running.  iOS notifications sync with OS X so that users can alerts sent to the computer or the mobile device.

Another new feature involves OS X Safari.  Apple claims that Safari has become smoother, and outperforms its rivals in energy and memory efficiency, and JavaScript performance.  Apple also claims that its changes has made Safari more responsive, stable and secure.

Finder tabs have been added to OS X Mavericks.  Finder Tabs makes it possible to declutter your desktop by consolidating multiple Finder windows into one.   Finder tabs position a plus symbol to the top right of Finder that allows new tabs to be opened or dragged into other positions.  Users can customize views for individual tabs, move files between tabs, and run the Finder with multiple tabs open in full-screen.

References:

https://www.apple.com/osx/preview/

http://lifehacker.com/how-to-get-the-best-features-of-os-x-mavericks-right-no-512602094

Important Steps in Upgrading to OS X Mountain Lion

The process of updating your Mac is a relatively easy process as long as you are running Mac OS Lion.  If you are skipping Mac OS Lion it will be a bit more complicated.

The first thing you want to do is check to see if your Mac compatible.  If you’re running Mac OS X 10.7 “Lion” or Mac OX 10.6 “Snow Leopard,” the answer is most likely yes. If you’re running an older Mac with Mac OS 10.5 “Leopard” or Mac OS X 10.4 “Tiger,” the answer is maybe.  Running an older Mac probably will mean your path to Mountain Lion will be a bit complicated.

Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion requires a Mac with at least an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, an “advanced” graphics processor, and (since Mountain Lion is 64-bit through and through) a logic board that can support a 64-bit kernel.  The following systems will support Mountain Lion: iMac (mid 2007 or newer), MacBook (2008 or newer), MacBook Pro (2007 or newer), MacBook Air (2008 or newer),  Mac mini (2009 or newer), and Mac pro (2008 or newer).

In order to get Mountain Lion you will have to purchase it online from the Mac App Store since it will not be available on DVD.  The file is around four GB in size and costs approximately $19.99.  If you have a high bandwith internet connection the download will be quick, but if your bandwith is low it may take a few hours to download.  To be able to access the Mac App Store you must Mac OS X 10.6.8 or newer, an Apple ID, and either App Store credit or payment information (like a credit card) on file.

Before installing Mountain Lion, you will want to make a bootable duplicate of your existing Mac OS X system to a separate hard drive or partition.  The purpose of this is so that you can return your Mac to its previous version in case something goes wrong.  Once you make a bootable backup you will want to test it to make sure it works.

Prior to upgrading to Mountain Lion you should check to see if your everyday software will work with it. This tends to be more of an issue if you’re upgrading from Mac OS X 10.6 or earlier, but if If you’re already using Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, you should not have many problems.  

References:

http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-prep-your-mac-for-os-x-mountain-lion/

https://www.apple.com/osx/how-to-upgrade/

5 Hidden Features of iOS 6

With the release of iOS 6 came several known updates,such as Maps, Siri,and Passbook, that Apple advertised when they introduced their new mobile operating system.  Along with those features came several other lesser known ones that Apple did not advertise.

1. Pull to Refresh

iOS 6 finally allows you to pull down to refresh your mail accounts and various other data sources.


2. Many New Emojis

Emojis are the icons you can add to messages, emails, or really anywhere that accepts text in iOS. Apple just added new options. If you have your emoji keyboard enabled already, you don't have to do anything. If not, you can enable it in the Settings app.


3. Limit Ad Tracking

This feature makes it possible to stop advertisers from tracking your activity and serving up targeted ads. iOS 6 lets you turn off tracking with a simple switch. In order to limit ad tracking, head to Settings > General > About > Advertising and flip the switch to On.

4. Alarm Songs

Apple has finally added the option to select alarm songs from your iTunes library on your device. Prior to iOS 6 you had to download a third party app to accomplish this.

5. Late Night Listening

This feature is a new EQ setting that allows you to lower bass levels and attempts to make your music less-intrusive in the evening so you can listen and fall asleep easily without being distracted by anything too obnoxious.



References:
http://smartphones.wonderhowto.com/how-to/10-handy-but-hidden-features-ios-6-0139290/
http://lifehacker.com/5944961/top-10-secret-features-of-ios-6

New Features of Mac OS Mountain Lion

Mac OS Mountain Lion is a major release of OS X for Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers.  OS X Mountain Lion was released on July 25th, 2012 where it was available for purchase or download through the Mac App Store.  There are several new changes that were included with OS X Mountain Lion.  Of the many new features of OS X Mountain Lion, I will highlight a few of them.

One of the new features is Messages.  With Messages you can send messages to anyone on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 5.  Some of the things you can do is send videos, photos, documents, and contacts.  You can also see when someone receives your message, is typing a reply, and they can see when you read their message.

Another new feature is Notes.  Notes is a built-in application and part of the iCloud system preferences. When you have your notes set to work with iCloud on your iPhone or iPad, they will stay in sync.  Some of the things you can do with notes are: add, delete, flip through them, search through them, share them, and pin them to the desktop.

Notification Center is another new feature.  With Notification Center, a banner appears in the top right hand corner of the computer screen when you receive an e-mail, a message, a software update, or a calendar alert.  You receive a preview of the message so you don't have to stop what you were doing in order to see what's inside of the message is.

AirPlay Mirroring is another feature added to OS X Mountain Lion.  AirPlay Mirroring you can connect laptop to a television or other projection device in order to share what you have on your computer.  This can only be accomplished by using the right adapters.  This can be great for both the home and business.
AirPlay Mirroring is a feature that was present on iPad 2 and Apple TV before migrating to OS X Mountain Lion.

The last feature I will be discussing is iCloud.  iCloud is what makes it possible for a Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch to work together.  With iCloud, when you add, change, or delete something from your Mac, it will also be deleted from your iPhone, iPad, and iPod as well.  In order to make iCloud work, all you do is sign in once and all the rest is automatic.


References
https://www.apple.com/osx/whats-new/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/wadefulton/2012/09/26/five-great-features-of-apples-os-x-10-8-mountain-lion/

Why Carbonite Should Be Used

Carbonite is an online backup service that is available to both Windows and Mac users.  With Carbonite you can backup documents, e-mails, photos, and settings in a secure location that is not on your computer. Carbonite was the first backup service to allow unlimited backup space for a fixed price while all other services were charging by the gigabyte.

One of the main reasons Carbonite should be used is that it is a good way to save important documents from your computer in a secure location that is not on your computer.  With Carbonite, computer failures are no longer a reason to fear losing important documents that are on your computer.

Another reason to use it is because of its easy to use scheduler.  The scheduler allows you to setup and perform automatic backups at a date and time of your choice.  Once your computer has been backed up, you can configure Carbonite to backup up your new and updated files by whatever interval you want, whether its by the hour or the day.

Carbonite's settings can be adjusted to automatically backup your files when your computer is not in use, or when the least amount of resources are being used.  When you do this valuable bandwith resources are not being used up while you are using the computer.  Files can be restored individually, all at once, or restore missing files to any computer as long as it can connect to the internet.

With Carbonite it is easy to know which files have been backed up from your computer by looking at the color of the status dot.  A green dot on a folder signifies that the contents of that folder has been backed up.  A yellow dot on a folder signifies that the contents of that folder are awaiting to be backed up.  The easy to understand color coding is a simple way to know which files on your computer have been backed up.

Carbonite is very secure.  It supports redundant storage and provides double encryption before the information leaves your computer.  You may also use your own encryption code if it makes you feel safer.
In order to access your information you must enter your password.  Remote access to your account may result in additional safe guards being used such as answering security questions and an approved e-mail address.



References
http://www.carbonite.com/
http://online-data-backup-review.toptenreviews.com/carbonite-review.html

New Features of iOS 6

iOS 6 is Apple's latest operating system for its mobile devices and was released on September 19th, 2012. Mobile devices such as iPhones, iPads, and iPods can all use iOS 6. Devices that did not come with iOS 6 installed on it can obtain it by downloading it through iTunes. Along with the release of iOS 6 came several new features and changes as well.

One of the new features is being able to link your Facebook account with iOS. This allows you to do such things as: allowing you to directly post photos from your photo album to Facebook, update your status from the notification center, and sync your contact list with each person's corresponding Facebook account.

Another new feature of iOS 6 is the ability to take panoramic photographs. Prior to iOS 6 apps existed for panoramic photos but now it's a built in feature of the iPhone camera. With the ability to take panoramic photos, you can now take photographs that span up to 240 degrees without installing additional apps on your phone.

Siri was improved with iOS 6 as well. Apple improved Siri by including the ability to make restaurant reservations, launch apps, dictate Facebook or Twitter updates, retrieve movie reviews and detailed sports statistics.  In addition to iPhone 4s, Siri is now supported on iPhone 5, fifth-generation iPod Touch, third- through fourth-generation iPad and iPad mini.

Passbook is another new feature in iOS 6.  With Passbook you have the ability to use your phone screen as a scannable gift card/plane ticket/voucher/etc.  By using Passbook you no longer need to have a wallet filled with a bunch of cards.  All you need to do is hand your phone to the clerk and have it scanned.

One of the changes brought with iOS 6 was the removal of Google Maps.  Apple instead created its own default mapping as an alleged improvement over Google Maps.  Some of the improvements include turn by turn navigation, vector based graphics, business information card, and the integration of Siri.

References

http://gizmodo.com/5944514/all-the-best-new-features-of-ios-6

https://www.apple.com/ios/whats-new/