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Apple has released the iOS 7.1.2 update. The update brings with it some bug fixes and security updates. The update includes:Improved iBeacon connectivity and stabilityFixes a bug with data transfer for some 3rd party accessories, including barcode scannersCorrects an issue with data protection class of Mail attachmentsThe update is around 28-30MB depending upon the device, if you download on the device itself. Along with iOS, Apple also pushed an update for OS X, bumping it to 10.9.4. This one has more useful changes and something you'd actually notice, including:Fixes an issue that prevented some Macs from automatically connecting to known Wi-Fi networksFixes issue causing the background or Apple logo to appear incorrectly on startupImproves the reliability of waking from sleepIncludes Safari 7.0.5The 10.9.4 update is around 90MB and can be downloaded from the Mac App Store. Source

Apple has just announced the latest version of its desktop operating system, Mac OS X Yosemite. Continuing the naming scheme of famous California landmarks introduced with OS X Mavericks, Yosemite introduces translucent windows menus, redesigned dock icons, an updated Spotlight search feature, iCloud Drive cloud storage integration, and a new widget bar. Mac OS X Yosemite features a fair amount of new visual flair. Besides the aforementioned translucent window menus and iOS-style icons, there’s a new “dark mode” for fans of a less obtrusive black color scheme. But it’s not just cosmetic – Apple has been hard at work at integrating iOS and Mac OS features as well. You can now access open web pages, documents, and even use your Mac to accept incoming calls made to your iPhone – even if that device is charging in another room in the house. There’s even a new feature called Handoff – allowing you to start an email on your iPhone and then finish it on your Mac with as little effort as a single click (as long as both are on the same network, of course). Also, the notification center now features widgets for weather, stocks, calculator and others. You get notifications for calendar, reminders and news all in one place as well, including your schedule and other personalized information – think mobile notifications, a one stop shop for all of them. Spotlight, the Mac OS search feature, now comes front and center in all Yosemite operations. A search bar gives you and index of not only your local documents and apps, but does internet searches as well. Just typing in a current movie title will bring up local showtimes combined with news and streaming services, while typing in a contact name will display scheduled appointments and conversations. Mac OS X Yosemite will be made available for as a free public beta this summer (not typical for new Mac OS releases in quite some time), with a full release coming later in the fall. A developer preview is available immediately. Source

Viber has released a new version of its desktop app for Windows, OS X and Linux that puts a lot of efforts and focus into stickers. The messaging company has also announced an important milestone – more than 100 million users are now using its service. For those of you that aren’t familiar with Viber stickers these are basically emoticons on steroids that are downloaded in sets – some of which are free and others cost a few bucks. Now that the new Viber for desktop is released users can dock a sticker menu alongside their conversations and even search for stickers within the app. The Viber desktop app has seen a design overhaul as well and offers upgraded video quality and performance. The Viber support site is also now available in Spanish and Portuguese. Viber has been evolving rapidly for some time now. The messaging service recently set to challenge Skype with its Viber Out calling service. The messaging service world is particularly cutthroat nowadays with giants like WhatsApp and Facebook fighting the likes of Skype and BlackBerry Messenger. Apple has its iMessage (which recently benefited from some out of the box thinking), Google has its Hangouts and now Viber. The end user gets a lot of cool services for free though so we’re grateful. Homepage Source

This sounds like a campfire folk tale, but here goes. A new report claims Apple—Steve Jobs, specifically—approached Sony about putting OS X on VAIO computers. The former Apple CEO allegedly admired Sony’s VAIO line so much that he was willing to strike a deal, despite Apple shutting down its Mac “clone” business many years earlier. Jobs even demoed Apple’s desktop OS running on a VAIO to demonstrate how everything would look. And it was super close to happening, too, according to the report. The information comes from ex-Sony president Kunitake Ando, via Japanese freelance writer Nobuyuki Hayashi. In 2001, Jobs and some Apple executives were playing a round of golf with some execs at Sony, and at the end of the 18th hole, that’s when Jobs pitched the idea, “holding [a] VAIO running Mac OS.” Jobs allegedly told Ando he was “willing to make an exception” and put Apple’s OS on its VAIO line—and it could have worked if not for the unfortunate timing. Jobs’s proposition came just as VAIO sales were taking off in the international market, meaning Sony didn’t have the resources to work on an OS X version of the computer. Imagine how Sony’s VAIO brand would have been shaped had it gone down the Apple route. Ando’s account actually lines up with OS X’s so-called “double life” as it was transitioning over from PowerPC to Intel; Jobs made a formal announcement of the transition in 2005. Jobs apparently greatly admired Sony, and was often seen visiting the Japanese company’s campus. Hayashi also mentions how interested Jobs was in Sony’s camera division—he liked to ask executives lots of questions—and how Jobs often shared his opinion on new Sony products, including the PSP. According to Ando, the inclusion of GPS in Sony camera products originated from Jobs. Meanwhile, Ando believes Jobs got the idea for Apple retail stores from him after having a discussion about Sony’s retail business. Hayashi’s report is fascinating, and sheds more light onto the relationship between Apple and Sony, and the mutual respect between the two companies. Had Sony been able to hit the market with an OS X VAIO, who knows how its PC brand would be shaped today. For that matter, where would Apple’s famous Mac lineup, which just turned 30, stand? Source

OS X 10.10, the next version of OS X which carries the code name of "Syrah", will take a few cues from iOS 7 with a somewhat flatter look compared to OS X Mavericks, but the changes will not result in as stark a look as seen on iOS 7, according to a new report from 9to5Mac. The report comes on the heels of comments from Apple executives reiterating that convergence of iOS and OS X is a "non-goal" for the company. Instead [of a complete iOS 7-like overhaul], I am expecting OS X 10.10 to have user-interface tweaks that will make the interface “flatter,” but not as stark as iOS 7′s look. I’d also expect some blur and translucency effects in a few places, but not in anyway that is central to the experience like it is on iOS. There will be a little bit more white space, more defined menu bars, and squared-off window controls, but I would not expect a full color palette change and redesigns for every single application and icon. The report indicates that internal build numbers for OS X 10.10 are currently around 14Z109 and that new features could include improved notifications, cross-platform AirDrop support to and from iOS 8, and possible Siri integration. MacRumors has been seeing fairly low levels of activity coming from machines running OS X 10.10 from Apple's network, and that activity has unsurprisingly been beginning to ramp up this month following the holiday break. With Apple having accelerated its OS X release cycles over the past several major updates, a public release for OS X 10.10 could come late this year or early next year. Source

January 11th, 2014, 21:30 GMT · By Silviu Stahie The UK government now says that Ubuntu 12.04 is the safest operating system available, way ahead of Windows 8 and Mac OS X. The Communications-Electronics Security Group (CESG) is the UK National Technical Authority for information assurance and they’ve done a series of tests to find out what is the most secure operating system available for the governmental apparatus. The security assessment made by CESG included the following categories: VPN, Disk Encryption, Authentication, Secure Boot, Platform Integrity and Application Sandboxing, Application Whitelisting, Malicious Code Detection and Prevention, Security Policy Enforcement, External Interface Protection, Device Update Policy, Event Collection for Enterprise Analysis, and Incident Response. Ubuntu 12.04 (Precise Pangolin) has been the operating system that passed most of the test, way ahead of Windows 8 or Mac OS X. “All in all Ubuntu 12.04 LTS stacks up as the most secure of the current desktop and mobile operating systems. Supported by Canonical with free security updates for 5 years, and without malware problems, it’s hard to beat in official public sector applications. “ “We are working hard to close the gap and make Ubuntu clearly stand out as the most trustworthy operating system for the future and we hope to make excellent progress before our next LTS release in April 2014, 14.04 LTS, which will be even better," said Darryl Weaver, Canonical Sale Engineer http://news.softpedia.com/news/Ubuntu-12-04-Is-More-Secure-Than-Windows-8-and-Mac-OS-X-Says-UK-Goverment-416016.shtml Also See: The GESG Security Assessment: http://insights.ubuntu.com/resources/article/ubuntu-scores-highest-in-uk-gov-security-assessment Report PDF http://insights.ubuntu.com/wp-content/uploads/UK-Gov-Report-Summary.pdf GESG End User Devices Security Guidance: Ubuntu 12.04 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/end-user-devices-security-guidance-ubuntu-1204/end-user-devices-security-guidance-ubuntu-1204