Apple Updates Roundup

ByMike Moffit

As promised, Apple today launched iOS 5 and iCloud. Accompanying these, Apple today also released a slew of updates and apps for iOS devices and Mac. Here is a rundown of what’s new:

iOS 5
iOS 5—the new operating system for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch—brings over 200 new features to iOS devices. For a look at our overview of the top ten new and enhanced features click here. One of the most anticipated new features is the ability to wirelessly sync iOS devices with computers for updating software, backing up data and performing other necessary tasks.

Details on iOS 5 and the security features of the update are available on Apple’s support site. The iOS 5 update is available via iTunes—just connect your device to your computer using the dock to USB cable and follow the instructions in iTunes.

iCloud
iCloud—Apple’s new service for wirelessly storing music, photos and documents and syncing them across your devices—is free for iOS 5 users, who can set up their iCloud account using their Apple ID at icloud.com. 5GB of storage comes free with your iCloud account, and neither your purchased music, apps, books and TV shows, nor your Photo Stream count toward that 5GB. Should you need more than 5GB of storage for your mail, documents and Camera Roll, three storage upgrade options are available for purchase right from your device: 10GB for $20/year, 20GB for $40/year or $50GB for $100/year.

Our overview of the top features in iCloud is available here. For information on setting up iCloud on all of your devices—including your Mac or Windows PC—visit Apple’s website.

Lion 10.7.2
The Lion 10.7.2 update includes support for iCloud as well as includes several fixes recommended for all Lion users.

Apple lists the following iCloud features as included in the Lion 10.7.2 update:

  • iCloud stores your email, calendars, contacts, Safari bookmarks, and Safari Reading List and automatically pushes them to all your devices.
  • Back to My Mac provides remote access to your Mac from another Mac anywhere on the Internet.
  • Find My Mac helps find a missing Mac by locating it on a map and allows you to remotely lock the Mac or wipe all its data.

According to Apple, in addition to iCloud support, the update also includes Safari 5.1.1 and fixes for all Lion users that:

  • Allow reordering of desktop spaces and full screen apps in Mission Control.
  • Enable dragging files between desktop spaces and full screen apps.
  • Address an issue that causes the menu bar to not appear in full screen apps.
  • Improve the compatibility of Google contact syncing in Address Book.
  • Address an issue that causes Keynote to become temporarily unresponsive.
  • Improve VoiceOver compatibility with Launchpad.
  • Address an issue that causes a delay in accessing the network after waking from sleep.
  • Enable booting in to Lion Recovery from a locally attached Time Machine backup drive.
  • Resolve an issue that causes screen zoom to stop working.
  • Improve Active Directory integration.

Mac users running Lion can download the update via Software Update or by selecting the appropriate upgrade for their machine from Apple’s support site, which includes full details of the update and included security features.

Find My Friends
This free app allows friends and family members to share their locations with each other (when connected to a Wi-Fi or 3G network). Users can choose to share their locations for temporary periods of time that are customizable. Add friends via the app and see their locations on a map. Users who want to keep their whereabouts to themselves can choose to not be visible. Parental controls are available under Settings on your iOS device.

Find My Friends is available in the iTunes App Store and requires iOS 5.

AirPort Utility
This free app allows iOS device users to manage settings, passwords and features for their Wi-Fi networks and AirPort base stations (AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule) from their iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. The AirPort Utility app is compatible with all Apple 802.11n Wi-Fi base stations.

AirPort Utility is available in the iTunes App Store and requires iOS 5.



iPhoto 9.2
This update to iPhoto ’11 includes support for iCloud and iOS 5. In addition, the update addresses several other issues, making it a recommended update for all iPhoto ’11 users. According to Apple, the update includes the following fixes:

  • Left and right swipe gestures can now be used to navigate between photos in Magnify (1-up) view
  • Previously imported photos are now displayed in a separate section of the Import window
  • Book/calendar themes and card categories can now be selected using a pop-up menu in the carousel view
  • Resolves an issue that could cause some pages of books to print incorrectly
  • Rebuilding a library now correctly preserves saved slideshows and books 

Mac users running OS X 10.6.8 or later or 10.7.2 or later can download the update via Software Update or on Apple’s support site. Please note that compatibility with iCloud requires OS X 10.7 Lion.

As always, we recommend performing a full backup of your iOS device or computer before upgrading your operating system.

Similar Posts

  • iTunes Radio

    Move on over Pandora here comes iTunes Radio. Now some of you may be like wait, didn’t iTunes already have a radio. Well,…

  • Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.7 Lion

    On Wednesday, Apple released the highly anticipated Mac OS X 10.7 Lion via the Mac App Store. The eighth major release of OS X, Lion marks the first version of the world’s most advanced operating system available exclusively through the Mac App Store. Bypassing the traditional CD/DVD format of past releases, Mac OS X Lion is a significant step forward both in terms of its new features and in how operating systems are acquired and installed.

    Introducing over 250 new features, Lion is an enticing upgrade—especially given its very affordable $29.99 price point. The scale of Wednesday’s release is in line with the shift from Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard in the fall of 2007. While Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard acted as a bridge between Leopard and Lion, it was more of a refinement of the features already introduced in 10.5. Given this, Mac users have been waiting patiently for nearly four years for an upgrade of Lion’s scale, and thankfully it doesn’t disappoint.

    Lion includes many groundbreaking new features including: enhanced Multi-Touch gestures, support for full screen apps, Mission Control, Launchpad, the Mac App Store and a completely redesigned version of Mail. As mentioned during keynotes and media events throughout its development, many of these new features are directly inspired by, or even copies of, features of Apple’s iOS mobile operating system. Due to this amalgamation, Lion has been toted as a synthesis of the best aspects of Mac OS X and iOS.

    Almost as amazing as its new features is the way Lion is acquired and installed. No longer is a trip to the store to purchase a boxed version of the OS required. Users running Mac OS X 10.6.8 with compatible Intel Macs can download Lion from the convenience of their homes and offices through the Mac App Store. What many are already referring to as the simplest install of OS X ever, Lion can be installed and configured with just a few clicks. Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing contributed the following on Lion’s release and the ease of its install:

    “Lion is the best version of OS X yet, and we’re thrilled that users around the world can download it starting today. Lion makes upgrading a Mac easier than ever before; just launch the Mac App Store, buy Lion with your iTunes account, and the download and install process will begin automatically.”

    Supplementing the aforementioned features, Lion includes a series of refinements which look to radically change the way OS X is experienced and used. Among these Resume, Auto Save and Versions effectively eliminate the need to save files as they automatically preserve your Mac’s state prior to a restart or shutdown, continuously save your documents in the background and even keep a running history your of files as you work. Lion also introduces AirDrop, which revolutionizes file transfers to nearby Macs, making Sneakernet flash drive exchanges a thing of the past.

    Mac OS X 10.7 Lion is now available on the Mac App Store, and retails for $29.99. To ensure your Mac is compatible and ready to upgrade, click here.

    To purchase Lion, click here. (opens the Mac App Store)

    System Requirements:

    • Intel-based Mac with a Core 2 Duo, i3, 15, i7 or Xeon processor
    • Mac OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard
    • 2GB of RAM
    • 4GB available hard drive space

  • iTunes WiFi Music Store

    During the last Apple keynote, Steve Jobs said that the iPod touch and iPhone would be able to browse and purchase music from…

  • Minor Update for White MacBook!

    Today Apple updated the specifications on the base model white MacBook: Processor speed upgraded from 2.0 GHz to 2.13 GHz. RAM bumped from…

  • New iPod Games!

    Apple released some new iPod games. 2 new games have been added, Suduko and Solitaire. Solitaire includes 10 different modes (Canfield, Klondike, Peaks,…