Apple releases macOS 10.12 Sierra to the public as a free update

Apple has announced macOS Sierra, the latest major release of their operating system for Mac devices. The update brings the capabilities that Siri had on handheld devices, to the Mac. New features meant specifically for the desktop include Universal Clipboard, iCloud Desktop and Documents, Auto Unlock, and Apple Pay on the web. The Photos app has been updated with a memories feature that automatically generates collections from photos and videos. [caption id=“attachment_336374” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Universal Clipboard allows for copying content between devices[/caption] Some of the tasks Siri can perform on the Mac include searching the web, sending emails and adjusting the settings. Siri results can be saved in documents or pinned in the desktop for later reference. Universal Clipboard allows for text and images to be copied on one Apple device, and pasted into another Apple device. Desktop files can be accessed from Apple smartphones or Tablets because of the integration of Apple Cloud. A paired Apple watch lets you automatically log in to a Mac. [caption id=“attachment_336375” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  The Auto Unlock feature logs you in to the Mac if you are wearing an authenticated Apple Watch[/caption] Apple Pay allows transactions on the web now. There are more than 300,000 partner web sites that support this mode of payment, through an Apple Pay button at checkout. The transaction can be authenticated using Touch ID on an iPhone or with the Apple watch. The new Memories feature automatically makes collections from photos and videos. The faces, objects and scenes in an image are identified by computer vision. This allows users to search through their database according to the contents of the images. There is a Brilliance editing tool that makes photos more vibrant, much like the auto-enhance function on your iPhone. [caption id=“attachment_336376” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Authenticating an Apple Pay transaction on the web with Touch ID[/caption] Messages has received an update that allows users to preview linked content or playback videos within the app itself. Mac apps including Maps, Mail, Pages, and TextEdit now support multiple tabs. The feature is available in third part apps as well. There is a floating window for video that can be pinned to corners and resized. macOS Sierra is available as a free update for all Macs released after 2009.