![]() ![]() Now, you can do that on the Mac as well by pulling out the Today panel from the right. On iOS devices, you can swipe down from the top to get nuggets to help you through the day - calendar appointments, weather conditions, stock quotes and more. And as you type in search terms, you also get Spotlight's Web suggestions. ![]() A menu pops out when you click there, with choices that sync with those on your iPhone and other devices. While most browsers now combine the box for Web addresses and search, Safari moves bookmarks and frequently visited sites there, too. The Safari browser that comes with Yosemite simplifies all that by consolidating many basic functions into a single box. Web browsers have gotten more powerful over the years, but added functionality also leads to complexity. I can get directions with just one click. A search for "Empire State Building" delivered news and map results. Yosemite goes further by pulling related items from the Web as well, similar to a feature Microsoft introduced last year with Windows 8.1.Ī search for "Lady Gaga" got me not just an email receipt for an album I bought (I'm busted!), but also her Wikipedia entry, Twitter account and other albums I can buy on iTunes. The Mac's Spotlight feature already is good about finding various documents on your computer, no matter where you stored them. Currently, you're limited to reaching other Apple users through iMessage chats. With the iOS 8.1 update coming Monday, you'll be able to send regular texts from the Mac, too. The phone and the Mac must be on the same Wi-Fi network. It won't replicate a landline, but it's useful when your phone is charging in another room. In my tests, call quality was comparable to what you'd get over a speakerphone. You don't get video, and there's a slight lag with audio. The recipient sees Mac calls as coming from the iPhone's number. ![]() Yosemite connects wirelessly to your iPhone to make and receive calls. With Yosemite, you can make voice calls to anyone. Mac computers already come with a FaceTime app for videoconferencing, but that's limited to calling other FaceTime users. You can also start tasks on a Mac and continue on an iPhone or iPad. This feature came in handy as I was chatting with a friend through Messages and got tired of pecking on the iPhone's small keyboard. The Maps app launches to the location you were viewing. The Safari Web browser opens to the specific page being viewed on the other device. What you've already started on the iPad automatically appears on the Mac, including the "Sent from my iPad" footer. You can just click an icon on the lower left corner of the Mac and continue there. Let's say you're writing a lengthy email on your iPad and would prefer the Mac's keyboard. But it continues a trend of breaking down barriers between the various devices as people depend more on smartphones and tablets for their everyday computing. Yosemite still has plenty of touches that make a Mac a Mac. There's also new functionality to make Macs act more like iPhones. The Yosemite update to Apple's OS X system, available as a free download, adds several features to bring the Mac in line with last month's iOS 8 update for mobile devices. – If you've upgraded your iPhone or iPad to iOS 8, the new software update for Mac computers will seem familiar. ![]()
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