macOS Catalina is the latest version of Apple’s operating system for Mac computers. From three new apps for managing music, podcasts, and your favorite movies and TV shows to productivity- and creativity-boosting programs, Catalina offers a myriad of exciting features that will enhance overall user experience. Read on to find out more.

Music, Podcast, and Apple TV apps

At the 2019 Worldwide Developers Conference in June, Apple announced the end of iTunes. In lieu of the soon-to-be-defunct music service and software program, three new apps for music, TV, and podcasts will be introduced in macOS Catalina.

With an interface similar to iTunes’, Apple Music gives you access to your existing music library (even songs from CDs you burned) so you can easily import or stream your music. You can even look up the lyrics of the song you’re listening to in the Now Playing section.

Meanwhile, the Apple TV app works as your all-in-one hub for movies and TV shows: it lets you stream and download content from streaming services and subscription channels like HBO and Showtime. You can also use the app to rent or buy new movies or TV shows.

Apple Podcasts brings you hundreds of thousands of free podcasts, including those you’re subscribed to or have added to iTunes. Get episode updates on your Mac to keep up with your favorite podcasters, and look up episodes by guest, host, or topic with the app’s improved search function.

Sidecar

Turn your iPad into a second monitor for your Mac and extend your workspace with Sidecar. Just connect your devices via cable or wirelessly, and you can mirror your Mac’s desktop so your iPad shows the same apps and content as your Mac. And if your apps support Touch Bar, Sidecar enables touch input even if your Mac doesn’t have a Touch Bar. You can also use your iPad as a drawing tablet for your Mac if you have an Apple Pencil stylus.

Project Catalyst

Project Catalyst will soon make iPad and iPhone apps available on Macs and Macbooks. Catalyst makes it possible for app developers to port their iOS apps over to macOS, bringing an array of new tools and programs to your Mac.

The development tool is still a work in progress, though, so there are only a few universal iOS and macOS apps right now. These include Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Podcasts but you can expect to see a few more roll out with Catalina later this year.

Find My

Find My app combines Find My Friends and Find My iPhone into one seamless program. Aside from all the tools found in the individual apps, Find My offers new ones that work over Bluetooth, as well as Wi-Fi and cellular data, to find your or other people’s devices even when they’re offline. And because Find My uses a system that encrypts the location of lost or stolen devices, you’ll be the only one who can see it. This makes finding your Macbook, iPhone, or iPad more secure, not to mention easier.

Voice Control

Manage every aspect of your Mac with Voice Control. This accessibility feature built on the Siri speech recognition engine lets you dictate notes and messages and edit these as you go along. What’s more, Voice Control is smart enough to differentiate between dictations and commands. So if you say, “Buy milk. Click send,” only “Buy milk” will be typed out and sent as a message.

There are many more features and capabilities in the latest macOS, all of them designed to improve the way users work and play. If you want to learn more about how Catalina will enhance your productivity, drop us a line today.

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Just updated to iOS 12, Apple’s latest software for iPhone and iPad? Have you checked out its new security and privacy settings? It’s a good idea to set these up right now so you can take full advantage of your device’s robust features.

Set a stronger passcode

iOS 12 now requires six-digit passcodes, and this means hackers will have a harder time cracking your passcode through a brute force attack.

That’s because you can now go above and beyond that by setting a passcode with 8, 12, or more digits, or even a combination of numbers and letters. To do this, go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode (or Face ID & Passcode on iPhones and iPads with Face ID) and enter your current passcode. Next, tap on Change Passcode and from Passcode Options, choose between Custom Numeric Code and Custom Alphanumeric Code.

Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)

With 2FA, you’re required to input both your password and a unique code sent to your device as an extra layer of security. The latter is considered by many as the most annoying thing about 2FA. But iOS 12’s built-in 2FA feature eliminates this step by sending the code to your device’s keypad, where it should appear as an Autofill option. Simply tap on the code to auto-fill the security field.

To set up 2FA on your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Password & Security > Two-Factor Authentication, and follow the prompts.

Keep track of and change your reused passwords

You don’t need to be told what a security nightmare using the same passwords for multiple websites, apps, and devices is. Luckily, your iOS 12 device has a feature that will check for password reuse so you can finally kick this dangerous habit.

To use this feature, go to Settings > Passwords & Accounts > Website & App Passwords and enter your passcode or authenticate with Face ID. You’ll see a list of all the passwords that you’ve used, and iOS will tell you whether you’ve used certain passwords before for various sites and apps.

A small warning symbol will appear next to each account with a reused password. Change the password by tapping on Change Password on Website, and keep your device protected from password reuse attacks called “credential stuffing.”

Turn on USB Restricted Mode

This feature makes hacking into your iOS device through USB cables next to impossible. It’s not an entirely new feature, though, as you first saw it in iOS 11. Essentially, USB Restricted Mode locks down the charging port into power-only mode to prevent attempts to breach your iPhone’s or iPad’s security while it’s connected to a computer. However, the iOS 12 version does this after just one hour of being locked — far shorter than the seven days it takes the iOS 11 version to do so.

To enjoy this feature, go to Settings > Touch ID (or Face ID) & Passcode, and turn off the USB Accessories setting.

Enable automatic iOS updates

You probably don’t think about updating your device unless Apple releases a major one. But by not updating regularly, you may be exposing yourself to a raft of security risks. You may also be missing out on cool and exciting new features, just like iOS 12’s auto-update feature.

Go to Settings > General > Software Update and turn on automatic updates to get patches as soon as they’re released.

With iOS 12, Apple has made massive improvements in the way you can keep your device and the data it holds safe and secure. For more tips on securing your iOS device and personal data, call us today.

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