One of the biggest features Lion introduces is the addition of several multi-touch gestures that will allow Mac users to control their applications and software in a more intuitive way. For individuals who already use Apple iOS devices, such as the iPad and the iPhone, many of the new gestures will likely seem like second nature. Just like the mobile devices, Lion will allow computer users to pinch to zoom and swipe to navigate through pages. Additional gestures include tap to zoom, a feature that quickly zooms in on whatever you are viewing with the simple tap of your fingers.

Another exciting innovation Lion will be incorporating is full-screen applications. This allows users to easily use every single pixel on their screens, without wasting a single centimeter of screen space on cumbersome menus or icons. Multi-touch gestures will allow you to easily switch from full-screen mode to standard mode, making it simple to change applications.

Mission Control is perhaps one of the most exciting features of the new operating system. By swiping three fingers down on your keypad, you will be given a bird’s eye view of your entire system. All of your open windows and applications will be visible in this space, and specially designed spaces at the top of the control center allow you to place shortcuts to frequently used programs and applications. Accessing any part of your system requires nothing more than a click of your keypad.

Beyond Mission Control, Apple is also introducing a new feature known as Launchpad. This screen will display all of your computer’s applications, all of which can be arranged as you see fit. Furthermore, new applications will automatically appear in this area of your computer, making it easy to keep track of everything on your system.

Resume is another incredible feature Lion is bringing to the Mac. This great option allows you to easily jump back into your work after restarting your computer. Furthermore, applications open to whatever you were working on previously. Auto Save and Versions further solidify the new concept of continuing wherever you last left off without an user input required.

In addition to all of the great features available in the latest release of the Mac OS, Apple has changed the delivery method for users who choose to upgrade to Lion. Instead of the traditional CDs that contain the necessary data for your computer, Lion can be downloaded through the Mac App Store. As soon as it becomes available, existing Mac users can download Lion immediately and begin experiencing all of these great features for themselves.

David Kocher has released an update to his popular open-source FTP client for the Mac, Cyberduck 3.3. This latest version adds much anticipated Snow Leopard support in 64-bits. Built on the Rococoa framework, other changes include a freshly redesigned icon, restored Power PC support, an Octal input field for permissions and new protocols such as Rackspace Cloud Files and Amazon CloudFront. Various bug fixes have also been issued.

Existing Cyberduck users will be notified of this update or can download it from the website. Cyberduck 3.3 requires Mac OS X 10.5 or later.

Here are some specific fixes this release covers:

• Runs on 64-bit
• Two times faster music search
• Music search menu no longer displays podcasts, movies and TV shows
• Updated artwork for iTunes 9
• No longer displays now playing notifications if iTunes is the frontmost application

If you don’t already know about this little gem, CoverSutra is a handy and attractive way to control iTunes without having to leave your current application. Music search from the menu bar, control iTunes from a slick translucent controller that can be trigged with a key-combination and even scrobble to last.fm. CoverSutra is a fantastic app that makes listening to music on your Mac a much more pleasing experience.

Source: Sophiestication Software Blog

• Improves compatibility with some Sierra Wireless 3G modems
• Addresses an issue in which some printer compatibility drivers might not appear properly in the Add Printer browser
• Addresses an issue that might cause DVD playback to stop unexpectedly
• Addresses an issue that might make it difficult to remove an item from the Dock
• Resolves an issue in which the Command-Option-T keyboard shortcut would sometimes bring up the special characters menu in applications such as Mail and TextEdit
• Addresses instances in which auto account setup in Mail might not work
• Resolves issues when sending mail with certain SMTP servers
• Addresses an issue in which Motion 4 could become unresponsive
• Includes an update to Adobe Flash Player plug-in version 10.0.32.18

This update addresses an important security issue, the update to Flash Player 10.0.32.18. Snow Leopard had been recently criticized for shipping with and out-of-date and vulnerable version on Flash Player.