The primary shortcoming of iOS 6 for some people is Apple’s new Maps app. Sure, it’ll get better as more people use it and as Apple updates it, but if you’re highly dependent on reliable detailed maps right now you may not want to wait. An official Google Maps app for iOS is likely coming soon, but there’s already a good third party maps app available to iOS users that rivals Google in both detail, accuracy of listings, directions, and just about everything else, and it comes right from Microsoft.

We’re talking about Bing of course, a free app for both iPhone and iPad, and it provides full access to the excellent Bing Maps services. In some areas, Bing Maps even has greater clarity for aerial views in than Google, it’s directions are spot-on, and the listings all were accurate in our testing. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re inpatient with Apple’s offering:

• Get Bing for iPhone
• Get Bing for ipad

A primary complaint with Bing Maps is that it’s not an independent app and instead is part of the larger Bing app for iOS, this can make for some strange user experience mishaps by tapping unfamiliar things until you learn whats what The other annoyance is there’s no pin-dropping feature, though it can find your current location with precision and get directions based on that, just be sure to have a business name or address handy for the destination. All in all those complaints are fairly minor and Bing Maps is pretty good. So go ahead and update to iOS 6, try out Apple Maps, grab Bing, and keep on mapping.

If the only reason you aren’t updating to iOS 6 is Apple’s Maps, don’t let it hold you back. For one, Apple Maps isn’t as bad as people are saying, Bing Maps is actually pretty good, and hopefully soon Google Maps will be released as an app too. That means in the not too distant future, we’ll all have at least three choices for mapping in iOS, and then nobody will have anything to complain about.

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OS X Lion 10.7.5 has been released alongside iOS 6 and OS X 10.8.2. For those still using OS X Lion, the update brings the Gatekeeper security feature to Lion, fixes a variety of common bugs, resolves a wifi issue with iMacs, and is said to generally improve the stability of OS X.

OS X 10.7.5 can be downloaded through Software Update via the  Apple menu.

The release notes as shown in Software Update are below:

The 10.7.5 update is recommended for all OS X Lion users and includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac. It also includes Gatekeeper, a new security feature that helps you keep your Mac safe from malicious software by giving you more control over what apps are installed on your Mac.

The 10.7.5 update also includes fixes that:
Resolve an issue where icons in Launchpad may get rearranged after a restart
Improve Wi-Fi reliability for iMac (Late 2009 and newer)
Resolve an issue using Spotlight to search an SMB server
Improve compatibility connecting to Active Directory servers

A little off topic here, but if you’re still on Lion you should really consider upgrading to Mountain Lion. 10.8 is heaps and bounds better, brings back much-loved features that Lion lost, and is certainly worth the easy $20 upgrade.

iOS 6 is now available for everyone to download. Most users are best served updating to iOS 6 through OTA or iTunes, but advanced users can upgrade manually with firmware files. This has several advantages, particularly for those upgrading multiple devices in a household or institution, or for those updating from older versions of iOS.

The following firmware links are hosted directly by Apple, using IPSW files requires iTunes. You will want to have the latest version of iTunes installed before attempting a direct firmware update with IPSW.

• iPhone 5 GSM
• iPhone 5 CDMA
• iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4 GSM
• iPhone 4 CDMA
• iPhone 4 (3,2)
• iPhone 3GS
• iPad 3 LTE GSM
• iPad 3 LTE CDMA
• iPad 3 Wi-Fi
• iPad 2 3G GSM
• iPad 2 3G CDMA
• iPad 2 Wi-Fi
• iPad 2 (2,4)
• iPod touch 4th gen
• iPod touch 5th gen

Regardless of how you decide to upgrade to iOS 6, just remember to back up first. The likelihood of something going wrong is slim but it’s better safe than sorry.

OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.2 has been released alongside iOS 6. The update provides several new features and increased crossover compatibility with iOS, and also fixes a variety of bugs and complaints about previous versions of OS X 10.8.

New features include Facebook integration, PowerNap support to 2010 MacBook Air models, iMessage improvements, shared Reminder lists, URL shortening from Notification Center, a fix for Save As altering the original file, and more.

There is some speculation that OS X 10.8.2 resolves the battery life issues that many portable MacBook Air and MacBook Pro users have experienced, though this is currently unconfirmed and battery life is not mentioned in the release notes. Likewise, there is no mention of any lingering wi-fi issues, but there is also speculation that 10.8.2 resolves those too.

You can download OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.2 from the Mac App Store.

Apple has released iOS 6 for all compatible devices, this includes the iPhone 5, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad 2, iPad 3, iPod touch 4th gen, and iPod touch 5th gen. iOS 6 includes a variety of new features and refinements, makes Sharing possible with Photo Streams, adds Apple’s new Maps app and turn-by-turn directions, and brings Siri to devices like the iPad 3. Upgrading is simple, back up first and then use one of the following three methods to install the update.

Updating to iOS 6

Wait! Back Up First: Before beginning any iOS update, it’s a good idea to back up your device. The easiest way is with iCloud, which can be done through Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup > Back Up Now, but you can also backup through iTunes.

OTA Update: The best approach for most users is to update to iOS 6 using Over-the-Air, this can be done by opening Settings, tapping General, then tapping “Software Update” and then installing. This is generally the fastest method and it only downloads a delta update, meaning the changes between your current iOS version and iOS 6.

Updating through iTunes: iOS 6 can also be installed directly through iTunes. Be sure to have the latest version of Tunes 10.7 (or later) installed before doing so. Connecting the device to the computer and opening iTunes is generally sufficient.

Updating through IPSW: Considered more advanced, you will need to directly download iOS 6 firmware files from here and use them manually.

If your iPhone 5 pre-ordered through Apple still says “Preparing for Shipment” and it’s making you anxious, worry not, it has probably already shipped but Apple’s Order Status page just hasn’t updated yet. In fact, you can start tracking the iPhone right now even though Apple’s order page doesn’t provide a tracking number yet, here’s how:

• Go to the UPS Tracking webpage and click “Track By Reference”
• Enter the phone number used for ordering the iPhone 5, enter the delivery date range, enter the delivery country (USA), and your delivery zip code, then click “Track”
• Voila, your pre-order tracking number is revealed as is the current location of your iPhone 5

If you’re obsessive like many of us, you’ll probably want to save that tracking number so you can refresh it constantly on the 21st.

For about 85% of pre-orders the iPhone 5’s seem to be sitting at the giant UPS sorting center in Louisville, Kentucky, waiting for the 20th for their overnight shipping to take effect before landing on your doorstep on launch day.
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Teleport is a great free app that lets you share a single keyboard and mouse between multiple Macs, in addition to providing for a single clipboard and even the ability to drag and drop files between different Macs without using traditional file sharing. This is ideal solution for those of us who have a desk with a couple Macs and don’t want to constantly flip between different keyboards, mice, and trackpads, instead you can use a single Macs keyboard and trackpad/mouse and control them all.

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Notification Center in Mac OS X is great but it can act up every once in a while and either stop updating completely, alerts may not comet through, widgets may not load, or the entire thing can freeze up and become inaccessible.

If you encounter any such issue with Notifications in OS X, or modifications were made to Notification Center and just need to reset it so that changes take place, here’s all you need to do to restart the Notification Center process in OS X:

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If you missed out on the initial batch of sold out pre-orders and decided you don’t want to wait a couple weeks for iPhone 5 to be delivered to your door, your next option is to try and get one in a retail store. Sales start on the morning of September 21, if you plan on grabbing one on launch day you’ll probably want to aim for an early arrival and prepare to wait in a line. Below are your options for buying iPhone 5 in the USA.

Stores That Sell iPhone 5

Check the store locators and find which retailer works best for you:

• Apple Retail Stores – Apple Stores are likely to have the most stock, but they’ll also probably have the longest lines. Get there early enough and you’ll almost certainly get one though.
• AT&T Retail Store – All AT&T retail stores should have a decent stock of iPhone 5’s but they’re also likely to sell out quickly. Get there early!
• Verizon Retail Stores – Verizon retail will have iPhone 5 on hand but they may be the fastest to sell out due to the popularity of Verizon’s vast LTE network, as with others expect lines and get there early
• Sprint Stores – Sprint is the only carrier left to offer unlimited data for iPhone 5, making the their LTE network a very attractive offering. That also means they will be selling out quick, so you know what to do. Line up!
• Walmart – Walmart will have iPhone 5 in stock but the quantity will likely very greatly based on location, you’re best off calling the night before and making sure they’ll have some in stock. Ask to transfer to electronics/cell phones and try to speak with someone knowledgable. Walmart is also $10 cheaper than Apple!
• Target – Same story as Walmart, quantity of devices available is going to vary on location. Call ahead of time and speak with the appropriate staff. Not many people know they sell Apple gear, so Target is traditionally a great place to get otherwise sold-out Apple gear on launch days.
• Best Buy – Some people swear by Best Buy for launch day purchases, but the availability of iPhone 5 is going to vary greatly based on store locations just like the other retailers. Get there early and you’ll probably get one.
• Radio Shack – RadioShack is a bit like Target in the sense that not many people know they carry iPhones and iPads, therefore you can often get Apple gear here when everyone else is sold out. Call ahead and make sure your local store will have what you want, then show up and enjoy!

Each store will probably carry a variety of iPhone 5’s right away, and if you’re not picky on the precise model you get you’ll have a better chance of walking away with one sooner than later. We generally recommend buying the base 16GB model because it’s the cheapest at $199 ($189 at Walmart) and holds its resale value incredibly well, but they also tend to be the most popular option and sell out quickest.

Finally, don’t expect the pricey unlocked iPhone 5’s to be available right away at anywhere other than Apple Stores, and because of their ginormous resale value in locations around the globe they tend to get purchased right away by scalpers looking to flip them overseas for healthy profits.

Your Mac can verbally announce the time thanks to a little setting buried in the system preferences.

Though at first glance this may seem unnecessary, or even like pointless flare, it’s actually a great way to help manage your time be it through a variation of the Pomodoro method or just to let you know when durations of 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour is up.
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Mac OS X includes a powerful built-in spelling and grammar tool that runs automatically when you type in many apps, but a separate panel can be summoned from just about any text entry point or app that provides additional support for the feature.

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It’s now easier than ever to quickly encrypt external disks and hard drives from Mac OS X, whether they are USB drives, Firewire, flash drives, or even SD cards.

While you can still use the traditional route to encrypt disks through Disk Utility, from modern versions of MacOS and Mac OS X the process is streamlined directly into the Finder and desktop, making it easier and faster.

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We’re all very excited about the iPhone 5 around here, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a good laugh at the expense of ourselves and the device itself. We already shared a pretty funny video of people who think an old iPhone 4S is an iPhone 5, but here’s a collection of iPhone 5 related humor that’s been circling the web recently. If you follow us on Facebook you’ve probably already seen a few of these, here’s a roundup for those who haven’t:

How Apple Made iPhone 5

Take an iPhone 4… add a popular little blue pill that you see advertised constantly during football games… and you have iPhone 5!

Banned iPhone 5 Promo Video

These are always funny and totally stupid, watch it embedded below for a quick laugh:

Check out a bunch more…
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The first benchmarks for iPhone 5 have appeared and show a processor that is nearly twice as fast in GeekBench scores as it’s predecessor, the iPhone 4S.

In the preliminary GeekBench score found by MacRumors the new iPhone 5 scores a 1601, while the previous model iPhone 4S scored a high of 851. This should translate into a very noticeable speed increase for just about everything, be it launching apps, editing photos and video, or even something as simple as taking a picture. For those who are upgrading from an iPhone 4 to the iPhone 5, they can expect a significant speed boost, as the iPhone 4’s GeekBench score averages around 380. No more deleting pictures to speed up that slow iPhone camera, the new processor and RAM will speed right through any actions.

To put this number into further perspective, a 1601 GeekBench score is about the same as a 6 year old Power Mac G5 tower, except obviously the iPhone 5 fits in the palm of your hand rather than taking up an entire desk.

The GeekBench entry reveals how the speed boosts are possible by giving us the first information about the iPhone 5’s A6 processor, it’s memory, and L2 cache. Apple isn’t one to traditionally boast about specs, but the hardware on the iPhone 5 is impressive:

• Dual-Core 1.02 Ghz ARMv7 Processor (A6)
• 1GB RAM
• 1MB L2 Cache

The iPhone 4S had 512MB RAM and a dual-core 800MHz A5 processor, while the iPhone 4 also had 512MB RAM but only a single core 800MHz A4 CPU.

Want to initiate Text to Speech with a keyboard shortcut on the Mac?

The excellent Mac OS text to speech function can be activated with a simple keystroke, but first you have to enable the feature. This is a great trick because it allows you to quickly speak what is in on the Mac screen like a document, PDF file, ebook, or web page, and all it takes is a keyboard shortcut to speak the text that is selected or in the active document.

This article will show you how to enable the Speak Selected Text keyboard shortcut on the Mac.

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AutoFill is a great feature that saves credentials to Safari to prevent you from having to enter a bunch of login details every time you browse around the web on your favorite sites. If you ever decide you don’t want to have an autofill password saved however, you’ll find that Safari for Mac OS X makes it easier than ever to manage and remove passwords stored for the various websites you visit from the Mac.

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This weeks featured setup is a really great two-for-one arrangement from Tim N., an investigator who was able to replace a bunch of different gadgets and hardware with some killer Apple gear both in the office and on the road.

First up is his office setup, which includes some great Mac gear:

• iMac 27″ (2011)
• 24″ Dell monitor
• Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Trackpad
• iPad 3 64GB
• iPhone 4S 64GB
• Creative Labs 2.1 speakers

But now things get even more interesting, because that iPad 3 and iPhone 4S also go on the road into a customized Nissan Titan truck setup to help Tim with his job:

The iPad alone now carries the mobile tech burden and allowed or consolidating a bunch of old separate hardware and gadgets, eliminating clutter and costing less by replacing a Garmin Nuvi GPS unit, ExpressRC XM receiver, Motorola Q, Parrot 6100 Bluetooth, Blackberry, and an iPod Classic for music. So what replaced all those physical gadgets? Apps on the iPad of course! Critical apps include Motion X GPS Drive, Pandora, Spotify, CalenGoo, Skype, and the standard iOS app suite for email and messaging.

How great is it that just an iPad can do all that?

Do you have an interesting Mac/Apple setup you want featured? Send in a list of hardware and what you use it for to osxdailycom@gmail.com

Did you know you can instantly open any file into Quick Look with just a simple gesture?

From the Finder in Mac OS (from OS X Mountain Lion onward), all you need to do is hover the cursor over the file in question, then do a three-fingered single tap on the file to immediately launch the document into Quick Look’s Finder preview.

This tap gesture even works to launch Quick Look from the Open and Save dialogs, just like the traditional spacebar command.

If you want to go further than Quick Look, once the file is previewed just right-click on the “Open With” menu to launch the file into any compatible app.

There are plenty of other great Quick Look tips to browse through too, so enjoy this amazing feature as you learn to master it.

Somehow this new little gesture completely escaped me, so heads up to MacGasm for the simple yet useful tip.