MacOS Mojave is out: Dark Mode, Stacks, plus

Apple has released macOS Mojave, the latest version of its Mac operating system, bringing with it a new dark mode and paving the way for support for iOS applications. The update, free for existing Mac users, also offers a new dynamic desktop feature with Stacks, which promises to enhance your digital workspace.

It's the dark mode that will be the most obvious change, of course. The new dark color scheme is optional, an alternative to the usual light color scheme, familiar with previous versions of macOS. It is designed to be easier to watch for the user, especially when working in low light conditions.

Dark mode is supported on all Apple native Mac applications, such as Mail, Maps, Calendar, and Photos. However, it is up to third-party developers to activate the support of their software, if they wish.

Stacks, meanwhile, aims to tidy up the office. Based on the idea that the macOS home screen may end up messing with icons and files because it is used as a temporary but never managed trading center, Stacks automatically organizes files into groups based on content. For example, Stacks groups images, presentations, text documents, and PDF files, but it can be configured to sort by other attributes such as date or tags.

You may want to activate Stacks, if only to see the new dynamic office. Rather than a single wallpaper, it now includes a set of images that change according to the time. For the launch, it is, unsurprisingly, the Mojave desert, which passes from dawn to morning and noon until dusk and finally evening.

The changes are not aesthetic, however. The updated Finder, for example, now includes a gallery view and a preview pane, the first one for visual viewing while the second one provides metadata without having to right-click and select the desired preview. first "Info". There are now quick actions in the preview pane, to create PDF files (including password-protected PDFs), and to perform custom Automator actions. Quick Look supports rotating and trimming images, creating PDF files, and trimming video and audio clips, all without previewing.

In screen captures, there is now video recording and easier access to editing tools. Press shift-command-5 to display a series of controls for capturing still images and video, and you can now set a timer.

If you are an iPhone user, Continuity Camera is even more blurred between iOS and MacOS. You can use the new "Import From" option in Pages, Keynote, Numbers, Note, Mail, and other applications to turn the iPhone camera into a convenient scanner. This is not the only iOS integration, however: news, stocks, voice memos and the homepage are all newly added to macOS, actually using iOS code. Apple says third-party developers will be able to migrate their iOS apps to macOS in 2019.

Elsewhere, there is a new Mac App Store that promises to make it easy to find the software you need and to highlight new applications you may not have heard of. With Intelligent Tracking Prevention, Safari stops the "I Like" and "Share" buttons from social networks and comment widgets to share information about you between sites. Web site icons have been added to the optional browser tabs to identify which tab contains which site is simpler.

Siri acquires control of HomeKit, as well as broader knowledge on a variety of topics, and there is an Emoji menu in Mail. Many other changes under the surface promise to make your existing Mac hardware faster.

macOS Mojave is a free update, available on the Mac App Store. You'll need a Mac released mid-2012 or later, or a Mac Pro 2010 or 2012 with one of Apple's recommended metal-compatible graphics cards.