🔄 OS Update: Mac Sonoma Upgrade

So for our first post to this channel we wanted to let you know, in case you haven't heard and if you didn't see Todd's email last week, that Apple has released the next version of their operating system called Sonoma. Per Todd's email we are asking that you wait a bit before upgrading in order to give our department a chance to evaluate it and make sure software and resources we use in the Library are compatible.  But to give you a taste of what it includes here are a few of the new features you can find in Sonoma and a link to an article listing 50 such new features.Features:

1. Presenter Overlay

When you're in a ‌FaceTime‌ or Zoom call, click-hold the green traffic light in the corner of an open app window and you'll see a screen sharing option, while a new Presenter Overlay feature can be used to keep you on screen and better able to point to details. When on a video call, you can either place yourself inside a movable bubble in the corner of the window or desktop that you're sharing, or you can bring on screen content into the background of your own environment so that it looks as if you're standing just in front of it.

1. Dock Web Apps

Thanks to a new option in Safari, you can now create standalone web apps and add them to your Dock, alongside your regular apps. All you have to do is visit a website in Safari and select File -> Add to Dock.... You can then give the web app a name and even change its icon. When you open a docked web app, it will open in its own separate window that includes back and forward buttons for simple navigation.

1. Caps Lock Is On

If the Caps Lock key on your keyboard is enabled in ‌macOS Sonoma‌, a handy indicator appears right near the cursor, so you're less likely to TYPE LIKE THIS BY ACCIDENT and get your passwords wrong. Apple has also made the text cursor a little thicker, and its color now changes relative to the active application, so you'll have a better idea of which window your text is going to appear in when you start typing.

1. iPhone Widgets on Your Mac

Thanks to Apple's Continuity feature and its ability to sync with your devices, the widget library includes widgets from your iPhone in all available sizes. So even if you don't have the corresponding Mac app, you can still use the iOS widget right on your desktop. Simply drag it from the gallery into an available space. If you have more than one ‌iPhone‌, you can also choose which widgets show up in your Mac's widgets library. Go to System Settings -> Desktop & Dock, and in the "‌Widgets‌" section, click the ‌iPhone‌ dropdown to select the device that you want to sync to.

1. Show/Hide Desktop

By default, ‌macOS Sonoma‌ hides all windows when you click on your wallpaper. This is handy if you tend to have a bunch of files on the screen that you need access to.

1. Text Prediction

Thanks to improved machine learning technology, Apple has made macOS a lot more helpful, because it can better predict what you're going to type next. Apple says it has adopted a "transformer language model" that can even personalize prediction for individual users, learning your personal preferences and word choices to be more useful when typing. As you type, the predicted text appears ahead of the cursor. If it has accurately predicted what you want to type, press the spacebar and macOS will fill it in for you. After using ‌‌‌macOS Sonoma‌‌‌ for a few weeks, you should notice that the suggestions are much better at predicting what you want to say and presenting words for you to autofill.https://www.macrumors.com/guide/50-new-macos-sonoma-features/