Apple is distributing new developer betas of Safari 7.1 for OS X Mavericks and Safari 6.2 for OS X Mountain Lion. In release notes for both, the company is asking developers to test AutoFill, extension compatibility, and "general website compatibility." The updates' main feature though will be WebGL, making it possible to run 3D content without third-party plugins.
Apple on Thursday seeded new betas of Safari for OS X Mavericks (10.9.x) and OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.x), number as versions 7.1 and 6.2 respectively, that feature a new build of WebKit with a number of improved and new features. The betas, once released to the public, will help bring the Safari used with those versions closer to the expected updated Safari that will ship with OS X 10.10 Yosemite in the fall. Among the improvements are Web-GL powered 3D rendering, support for IndexedDB for web applications and more.
This week, MacNN Forum members assist others with troubleshooting Applescript problems, updating Flash issues with Safari, and more. One Fresh-Faced Recruit has been having problems with an Applescript after upgrading to Mavericks from Mountain Lion, and he hopes that others might be able to assist in figuring out why. Today, "jeff k" was asking fellow forum-goers if they could figure out why Safari would keep asking him to do a Flash update after he has already updated Flash.
In addition to iOS 7.1.2, Apple has issued the final version of OS X 10.9.4 via Mavericks' Software Update feature. Like its sibling, v10.9.4 deals exclusively with bugfixes. It solves a glitch preventing Macs from automatically connecting to recognized Wi-Fi networks, as well as the reliability of waking a computer from sleep mode.
The second iOS 8 beta includes some minor but still important changes, users note. Podcasts, for instance, is no longer a separate app, but supplied with the OS and impossible to remove, as with iBooks since beta 1. Apple initially spun Podcasts off of the core Music app in a previous edition of iOS.
Apple's iOS 8 will make it simpler to log into apps by pulling usernames and passwords saved via Safari's AutoFill feature, beta users note. A given example is Facebook; if login information from the website is already saved in Safari, people will be able to simply tap on the appropriate login when loading the Facebook app. Developers will, however, have to enable the function by adding a file to their website and a new entitlement in their iOS app.
Two weeks after its initial OS X 10.9.4 Mavericks beta, Apple has sent out a second one for both the client and OS X Server versions. The latest Mavericks developer build, 13E16, expands areas of interest for developer testing beyond the usual graphics drivers and Safari to include Bluetooth, audio drivers, the App Store and Finder. A Safari 6.1.5 beta for older systems was also issued, with requests for testers to focus on general website and extension compatibility.
People watching Netflix in OS X Yosemite will now be able to stream video via HTML5 instead of Silverlight, according to an official blog post. The service says it has been "working closely with Apple" to implement HTML5 Premium Video Extensions in Yosemite's edition of Safari. This allows viewers to start watching videos instantly, instead of having to install the Silverlight plugin first, as in OS X Mavericks.
(Updated for Safari 6.1.4) Apple has issued a minor update to Safari, v7.0.4. The patch is in fact much smaller than most, solving only a security flaw in WebKit, the rendering engine that underlies the browser. Memory corruption problems in v7.0.3 could've potentially let hackers use malicious websites to assume control of a computer.
Following a long beta period, Apple has released the final version of OS X 10.9.3. The update makes relatively few changes, but does improve support for 4K displays on 2013 models of the Mac Pro and 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro. It also restores the ability to sync contacts and calendars between a Mac and an iOS device using USB, instead of alternatives like iCloud.
According to reports from testers, the recently-updated beta of Safari contains within it an accelerated version of Webkit's "Nitro" JavaScript engine that could surpass current efforts in rival browsers, once fully developed. The new upgrades to Nitro, dubbed "FTLJIT," are not enabled by default in the OS X version of WebKit at present, but can be enabled through the command line, and offer substantial speed benefits.
In an unusual move, Apple has released a tenth version of the forthcoming OS X 10.9.3 beta to developers, in a slightly different build than one distributed internally to AppleCare representatives earlier on Wednesday. Testers are also being offered a new beta of the Safari web browser, version 7.0.4.
Apple has released Security Update 2014-002, an OS X patch that addresses various security flaws. The software applies to Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks. More significantly it comes bundled with Safari 7.0.3, which in addition to improved security includes some minor feature additions and bugfixes.
Alongside updates for the iWork apps for iCloud, OS X and iOS, Apple on Tuesday released version 7.0.3 (for Mavericks) and 6.1.3 (for Mountain Lion) of its Safari browser. The new release, which only had two betas released to developers before going final, adds enhanced push notification settings and direct support for some new top-level domains (which could previously only be accessed through a search). The update also addresses a few credit card autofill and security issues.
Apple has begun seeding its second betas of Safari 7.0.3 and 6.1.3 to developers. Apple is once asking for testing to be focused on push notifications, extension compatibility, overall website compatibility, and login AutoFill. For v7.0.3 exclusively, developers are asked to examine credit card AutoFill.
Following its release earlier today of a 10.9.3 Mavericks preview and iTunes 11.1.6 beta, Apple has added new Safari betas for developers to test. The pre-release builds, versions 6.1.3 and 7.0.3 (Lion/Mountain Lion and Mavericks, respectively), are expected to accompany the release of OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 when it emerges from beta.
At this week's Pwn2Own hacking contest, a group calling itself the Chinese Keen Team successfully used two vulnerabilities to run arbitrary code through Safari, according to ThreatPost. The exploit is reported to have been executed via a flaw in Safari's WebKit engine and a bypass of the sandboxing in recent versions of OS X. One member of Keen, Liang Chen, comments however that OS X is "regarded as very safe and has a very good security architecture," and that what vulnerabilities there are are "very difficult to exploit."
(Updated with Safari, security updates for Lion, Mountain Lion) Following a long beta-testing period, Apple has released the finished v10.9.2 update for owners of OS X Mavericks. The software primarily adds support for FaceTime audio calls in both the FaceTime app and Messages. The two apps have also gained contact blocking, allowing people to screen out individual users.
Apple has secured the rights to several ".guru" domains, registration checks show. Recently ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) opened up a number of new top-level domains. Apple appears to have already acquired "apple.guru," "iphone.guru," "ipad.guru," and "mac.guru." A few other domains -- "appletv.guru," "macbook.guru," and "ipod.guru" -- are blocked from registration, most likely per request from Apple.
Flipboard, a 'social magazine' app, has released an update for its iOS version. Flipboard allows users to read and view content related to their interests in a magazine format. Offering space to save and collect images and articles in the form of magazines, Flipboard includes news, photos, audio and social network content in a paginated layout that requires a 'flip' gesture of the virtual page.
An unusual URL redirect bug suggests that iCloud.com may soon get access to iCloud Bookmarks. The feature lets people sync Safari bookmarks across platforms, including not just different versions of Safari but also Chrome and Firefox. Currently, people trying to install the Chrome extension from the iCloud Control Panel for Windows will briefly see "iCloud Bookmarks are coming soon. Please check back later" at this URL before being shunted to the Chrome Web Store.
Amidst a slew of other updates, Apple has also issued a new beta version of OS X 10.9.2 Mavericks alongside a new beta of Safari 6.1.2. This third revision of Apple's new OS is build 13C44, and MacNN has learned that it is likely nowhere near a final, bug-free public release.
Privacy activists have won the right to sue Google in England over fooling Safari into accepting cookies, according to reports. Some time ago, Apple updated Safari to allow people to block cookie-based tracking. Google developed a workaround, but was discovered, and punished with multiple fines by the US government. An American class action lawsuit was tossed out of court in October because the judge ruled no one could prove they'd been harmed.
Google is reportedly calling for a UK privacy lawsuit to be dismissed, arguing that the case should be heard in its home state of California, according to a Guardian report. The company has been sued by a group of users who accuse the company of illegally monitoring their online habits by circumventing security settings on the desktop and mobile versions of Apple's Safari browser.
Microsoft's Internet Explorer 11 web browser more than doubled its share of the worldwide browser market in the month of November. This according to new figures from research firm Net Applications, which showed Internet Explorer 11 at 3.27 percent of the worldwide web browser market. The November surge saw IE11 leaving Opera far behind, and the Microsoft-made browser is now approaching Apple's Safari browser in terms of market share.
Apple has issued an update to its pro-level photo management app Aperture, bringing it up to version 3.5.1 in a free update that corrects several flaws, most notably fixing Temperature & Tint White Balance so that it works correctly. For developers, Apple is now seeding two new Safari betas - one for Lion and Mountain Lion (10.7 and 10.8 respectively) and one for OS X Mavericks (10.9). The Safari betas, which are not yet officially released, focus on viewing and annotating PDF files, along with password autofill troubleshooting.
Apple is preparing updates to several core apps in OS X Mavericks, sources say. The people note that Apple is now seeding new versions of Safari, iBooks, and Remote Desktop to its workers, as well as a previously-rumored Mail update. The Safari code is identified as v7.0.1, and expected to provide a number of bugfixes. The same description applies to iBooks 1.0.1, and Remote Desktop 3.7.1.
Flash is now a sandboxed plugin in OS X Mavericks, according to an Adobe blog post. Using the OS' App Sandbox feature, Adobe says it has been able to limit Flash's file read/write access and what assets the plugin can find in the first place. It can no longer reach local connections to device resources and IPC (interprocess communications) channels, for instance, and network privileges are restricted such that Flash-based malware can't communicate with servers set up by hackers.
In addition to a plethora of new products and updates, Apple included a software update for users who will be sticking with Mountain Lion for a while longer -- an updated Safari for Mountain Lion to match the one that comes with Mavericks. Safari version 6.1 offers many of the same features, including Shared Links support, a revamped Sidebar, Safari Power Saver to increase battery efficiency and more -- though some features will be reserved for Mavericks only.
Some prominent websites are already beginning to push Safari notifications, even though the feature requires OS X Mavericks, reports note. These include sites like NBA.com and the New York Times. The option allows Mavericks users to receive alerts from websites even when Safari is closed; at the moment, the only way to see notifications is with the Mavericks GM available to developers.
US District Judge Sue Robinson from the Delaware federal court has dismissed a class-action suit against Google, ruling that the class could not prove that Google's cookie deposition policies actually generated any harm. The plaintiffs, users of Apple's Safari and Microsoft's Internet Explorer alleged that Google had bypassed the respective firms' browser settings on cookie usage, and as a result were served targeted advertisements based on ill-gotten data from searches and web browsing habits.
Apple is distributing new pre-release builds of iTunes, Safari, Java, and the OS X 10.8.5 Supplemental Update amongst employees, a report says. The Supplemental Update is said to have reached build 12F45, as opposed to the 12F42 code seen during an initial leak. Safari 6.1 is meanwhile up to build 537A134.
Adobe has released minor updates for Edge Reflow CC and Edge Code CC, two of its website creation tools. In both cases the company has added support for CSS Regions, a feature built into the iOS 7 version of Safari. Regions allow designers to separate layout and content, in turn making it possible to produce magazine-style flowable layouts that can resize for any screen. Safari is, at the moment, one of the few browsers to support the technology.
[Update: more details added, including iTunes 11.1] A day early, Apple has seeded another "Developer Preview" of OS X 10.9 Mavericks, two weeks after the previous release. Registered developers can obtain the new version by signing into the Mac App Store with their developer account Apple IDs. In addition, Apple released a new Safari 6.1 beta for Lion and Mountain Lion, as well as an updated build of iTunes 11.1. Mavericks DP7 also continues to list iCloud Keychain as an area for testing, with several bugs still existing in its implementation. Current speculation has Mavericks on track to be released alongside updated Mac models sometime in mid to late October.
In addition to the latest update to OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5), Apple on Thursday also updated Snow Leopard's Safari 5.1 for a flaw that fixes a potential security hole in JavaScript. The problem, identified by Certified Secure and Vitaliy Toropov working with HP's Zero Day Initiative, could lead to unexpected quits or arbitrary code execution in Safari when visiting a maliciously-crafted website. The company also issued security updates for Snow Leopard (10.6) and Lion (10.7), with security fixes for Mountain Lion included in the 10.8.5 update.
While the forthcoming release of OS X Mavericks (10.9) will include a new version of Safari, many of the improvements of that unreleased update are making their way into an incremental update primarily aimed at Mountain Lion users. Safari 6.1 Seed 7, which we first reported on Tuesday, is compatible with both Lion and Mountain Lion, but several features of the update are reserved for Mountain Lion only. These included Shared Links, continuous reading in the Reading List and Shared Links, easy retweet of Shared Links, iCloud Tabs autocomplete and more.
Apple on Wednesday sent out an email to developers reminding them about a forthcoming feature in the next upgrade of OS X, known as Mavericks (10.9). The feature, Safari Push Notifications, allows websites to send non-advertising messages to users, even when Safari isn't running -- a news site sending headlines at the user's request, for example, or an auction site notifying a user when their bid has been surpassed. Mountain Lion's Notification Center is mostly limited to installed apps, but Mavericks will bring widespread, persistent web notification to OS X for the first time.
On Tuesday, Apple released the seventh Developer Preview beta of its forthcoming OS X Mavericks (10.9) update. Registered developers can obtain the new version by signing into the Mac App Store with their developer account Apple IDs. The update has a number of changes contained in it, including new wallpapers, a new format for screen recordings, and the optional ability of users with non-Admin accounts to install software from (only) the Mac App Store. In addition, Apple released new Remote Desktop 3.7, Xcode 5 and Safari 6.1 betas.
Apple is seeding updated betas of OS X Mavericks and the next version of Mountain Lion, 10.8.5. Mavericks has reached Developer Preview 5, which registered developers can download via the Mac App Store. Any further additions to the OS have yet to be documented; the completed version of the software should ship sometime this fall.
On the MacNN Forums, Mac Elite "FireWire" is trying to figure out why his iMac keeps shutting off when the CPU temp reaches 50°C in the thread titled "iMac doesn't adjust fan speed, and dies." Forum-goers are helping "Laminar" troubleshoot a problem in which Time Machine doesn't see his most recent backups.
At today's WWDC keynote, Apple today announced OS X Mavericks, the next version of its Mac operating system. The software makes a number of incremental feature improvements, such as adding tags and tabs to Finder; users can copy items between tabs by dragging them around. A feature called iCloud Keychain can sync logins, credit card numbers, and Wi-Fi networks; for many notifications people can now reply directly, including email and FaceTime messages. Other notification enhancements include a new Safari type, background app updates, and the ability to see a full set of missed notifications at the lockscreen.
Apple has released a completed v10.8.4 update for OS X Mountain Lion. The release solves numerous issues, such as compatibility problems when connecting to enterprise Wi-Fi networks, and support for Microsoft Exchange in Calendar. FaceTime calls should now properly connect to non-US phone numbers, and Macs should go to sleep after using Boot Camp.
Yesterday, Forum Regular "Nassifer" turned to the MacNN forums looking for help when they were no longer able to play videos in Safari. Junior Member "canadave" recently used Facetime for the first time and was trying to figure out why there wasn't two-way simultaneous audio, like on a phone call.
Yesterday in the MacNN forums, "cgc" was trying to figure out why they were having problems with certain websites after updating Safari and Java. Also yesterday, Professional Poster "badidea" was having a problem with the cursor remaining on screen while the iTunes visualizer is playing.
Apple on Tuesday updated both Java and its web browser Safari for users of OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) and higher. The updates now allow users to enable the Java web plug-in on a site-by-site basis, as opposed to the "active" or "inactive" options it had previously. Following a spate of serious issues, Apple forcibly disabled the Java plug-in because of malicious, in-use threats -- though users could reactivate Java once they updated.
Google has introduced its own browser rendering engine, Blink, that will serve as Chrome's alternative to the WebKit2 engine used by competing browsers such as Safari. The search giant suggests its WebKit-based engine will enable developers to streamline innovation, eliminating approximately 4.5 million lines of code and thousands of files that only serve to support WebKit2's features, according to an Ars Technica report.
A new Mac trojan is inserting ads into Safari, Chrome, and Firefox, says a Russian security firm, Doctor Web. Nicknamed "Trojan.Yontoo.1," the malware is so far being distributed through movie trailer pages, which prompt people to download a browser plugin, a media player, a video enhancer, or a download accelerator. When launched, the malware asks to be installed under a name such as "Free Twit Tube."
Following an unusually long development cycle, Apple has finally released the completed version of OS X 10.8.3. The software is mostly a maintenance update -- for instance fixing problems with stuttering sound on 2011 iMacs, Logic Pro freezing when using some plugins, and apps crashing when opening file URLs. It makes several enhancements as well however, such as adding Safari 6.0.3 and upgraded Boot Camp features. The latter now supports Windows 8, and can run on Macs with 3TB hard drives.
Google's Chrome OS managed to evade all intrusion attempts during the most recent Pwnium hacking competition. While Chrome OS survived intact, Chrome the web browser joined Firefox and Internet Explorer in being shown vulnerable to attack from hackers, during the Pwn2Own contest held at the CanSecWest security conference at the same time.
Apple has updated the plugin-blocking component in Safari to prevent earlier versions of Flash from being used, a new support document states. Lion, Mountain Lion, and Snow Leopard users are affected. The update comes in response to recently-discovered vulnerabilities in Flash that have already been patched by Adobe, but which could impact people who don't update on a regular basis.
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