MacBooks get an update, Mountain Lion gets a ship date

11.06.2012

While Monday’s keynote recapped many features Apple had already talked about, the presentation covered a few new Mountain Lion capabilities—Dictation on the Mac and Power Nap. The former feature brings system-wide dictation to the Mac OS, working anywhere that you can type—including third-party apps. Power Nap will be exclusive to the new MacBook Air and Pro models; it keeps your Mac up-to-date when the laptop isn’t in use, syncing email, calendar appointments, notes, reminders, and Photo Stream.

Apple’s mobile operating system got some love as well on Monday. The company previewed iOS 6, which boasts 200 new features and enhancements, according to Apple. It will arrive this fall and will support the iPhone 3GS and later, the iPad 2 and later, and the fourth-generation iPod touch.

iOS 6 is highlighted by —including Siri support for the third-generation iPad—and changes to the Maps app. Apple says it built an entirely new map offering from the ground up, with local search, turn-by-turn navigation, and a 3D model called Flyover that showcases major metropolitan areas.

iOS 6 also features improvements to the phone app, FaceTime, Safari, and Mail. A new Passbook feature stores things like boarding passes, tickets, and affinity cards, while accessibility improves with Guided Access features.