Friday, August 24, 2012

Thursday Recap: OS X 10.8.1, Facebook for iOS 5.0, New Microsoft Logo

Mac and iOS users alike were blessed with updates today, with Apple pushing out the first update to OS X Mountain Lion, while Facebook finally made good on promises of a faster, higher performance mobile app at last. Meanwhile, Amazon is ready to make a big announcement on September 6 and hey, Microsoft has a new look! Read on to find out what's new for this Thursday, August 23, 2012.

Apple Releases OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.1

Right on the heels of this morning's report about OS X 10.8.2 being seeded to select users, Apple has officially pushed OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.1 out the door, which is now available as a 24.2MB download from the Mac App Store. The release notes specifically cite resolutions for eight different issues ranging from Migration Assistant failure to Microsoft Exchange connection in Mail.app, audio playing through a Thunderbolt display and an issue with iMessages not being sent. There have also been early reports that the update improves battery life on 2012 MacBook models, so even if your specific issue isn't listed, it might be worth installing the update just to see if it fixes what ails you.

Facebook for iOS Finally Speeds Up, Now Bundles Messenger

Facebook is aiming to win back iOS users with an extensive version 5.0 update today. Claiming the app the has been rebuilt from the ground up to be "faster and easier to use," the universal Facebook 5.0 also brings improvements to scrolling through the news feed, a new banner for quickly seeing more stories without a refresh, faster opening of photos and instant access to notifications. The update also finally brings Timeline view to the iPad, although Facebook's release notes don't expressly note this rather big change. At any rate, the performance improvements alone make this a worthwhile update, so head to the App Store and grab it now. Or, you know, when you're done reading the recap...

Microsoft Gets a New Logo After 25 Years

The Official Microsoft Blog has announced a big change up in Redmond, but this time it's for the company itself rather than one of its flagship products. "In advance of one of the most significant waves of product launches in Microsoft’s history, today we are unveiling a new logo for the company," writes Microsoft's Jeffrey Meisner, who notes it's been 25 years since the last time the Windows maker tinkered with its logo. We'd have to agree that it's a good time for a refresh, considering virtually all of the company's products have received (or are about to receive) a facelift this year. So what do you think, Mac fans? Do you like the new look?

OnLive Faced "Imminent Shutdown" Prior to Financial Bailout

MercuryNews.com is reporting that the very public meltdown of OnLive nearly a week ago was apparently only the tip of the iceberg. According to Insolvency Service Group CEO Joel Weinberg, OnLive was facing "a complete shutdown of its services," with between $30 and $40 million owed to various creditors. "It was a company that was in dire straits," Weinberg explains. "It only had days to live in terms of cash flow and the like. Something had to be done immediately or there would have been a hard shutdown, which would have been a disaster." ISG is the assignee for OnLive's assignment for the benefit of creditors, which is a California alternative to bankruptcy.

Amazon Holding Press Conference September 6

Details are scarce, but AllThingsD is reporting that e-tailer Amazon.com has sent out invitations to the media for a September 6 press conference to be held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.

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