Updates to the Macs

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Apple Releases macOS Monterey 12.3

15 MARCH 2022 - Pairing nicely with Monday’s iPadOS update is the release of macOS Monterey 12.3. Pairing, I say, because of its inclusion of Universal Control. Explaining it from the computer-shaped computer side, MacRumors says:

Universal Control‌ is designed to allow you to use a single mouse/trackpad and keyboard across multiple Macs and iPads (with iPads running iPadOS 15.4). After updating your devices to macOS 12.3 and iPadOS 15.4, ‌Universal Control‌ works automatically, allowing your Mac's cursor and keyboard to work on the iPad and vice versa.

Also landing on Apple’s most recent Macs, support for Spatial Audio. Apple says, “Dynamic head tracking is available in Music with supported AirPods on Mac computers with the M1 chip…” My three-year-old Mac will not support that, but my iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV 4K do and boy is that a crazy thing. The company’s also put controls in Control Center for spatial audio for people who don’t want it or only want it now and then. 

The update also includes either lots of new emoji or lots and lots of new emoji, depending who you ask. Another neat feature - the update lets users add customized notes to saved passwords, bringing password management in Apple’s ecosystem closer to features found in third-party password managers. 

Plenty more where that came from, including a few bug fixes and 45 security issues addressed, according to Apple’s security page. macOS Monterey 12.3 is a free update. It’s available now through settings on an eligible Mac. 

Security for the Stay Behinds

Some Macs can’t handle the latest version of macOS. Others are owned by people who simply won’t take them to Monterey. Whatever the reason they’re not making the trip, Apple’s released some security focused updates for them. macOS Big Sur 11.6.5 hit Monday, packing 19 security fixes and nothing else as far as I know. Hopping a little further back in time, Apple’s security update site brings word of Security Update 2022-003 Catalina. That one’s for machines that run Catalina, tackling 16 security issues, by my count.