apple Apple released betas for its next major operating systems to the public today, making it relatively easy for intrepid users to download and install rough versions of the software that will begin powering Macs, iPhones, iPads and other devices starting in the fall. . We’ll be posting full reviews of these new operating systems when they’re officially released, but for Mac users who want to jump into the public betas today, we’ll cover a few features of macOS Ventura that we’ve learned in our time with the developer betas (the first public beta roughly corresponds to the third developer beta released last week). Instead of focusing on high-profile changes like the Continuity camera, search improvements, passwords, or the revamped Settings app, we’ve focused on smaller but important improvements, including some that show us where Apple is trying to take the Mac in the coming years . Public betas for iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, and other updates can be installed on supported hardware using Apple’s documentation here. As with installing any beta software, proceed with caution—make sure you have recent backups of your important files, and consider using trial hardware instead of installing betas on systems you rely on every day.

Faster, seamless security updates

Apple’s long list of Ventura features is called Rapid Security Response, and it’s pitched as a way for Apple to deliver smaller, more timely updates to macOS that don’t require a system reboot. But what exactly does this mean? To install updates like this, Ventura makes some additions to the Signed System Volume (SSV) security feature from Big Sur. To recap, SSV contains almost all macOS system files, and your Mac is only allowed to boot and run if the volume signature indicates that nothing in SSV has been modified or tampered with in any way. When updates are installed, SSV is placed in the background, files are patched, a new cryptographic signature is created for verification the next time your system boots, and a snapshot of this newly signed volume is created for use the next time the computer boots . Advertising
To allow installation of some smaller updates without a reboot, Ventura uses separate “cryptex” disk images for some applications and operating system files. As described by anonymous Twitter firmware engineer @never_released, cryptex images are treated by macOS as extensions of an existing volume. These images can be opened and modified independently of SSV, but in macOS and most of its applications, they will appear to be part of the system volume, just like any other system file. Ventura will be able to patch applications and other system files found in these cryptex images without having to touch SSV, including Safari-related frameworks, WebKit and JavaScript, and more. This will remove the need for a lengthy installation and reboot process, while maintaining the security benefits of SSV for most system files. Whether this actually leads to faster or more frequent security patches remains to be seen. More wide-ranging updates, including (possibly) major updates like 13.1 or 13.2, will likely continue to use the current restart-required approach.

Beyond the System Settings app

                    A redesigned Print dialog adds a new scrollable preview column on the left and changes the time-consuming drop-down menu to a scrollable settings sheet with expandable subsections.                                                                   Andrew Cunningham                                                                   Clarus the Dogcow makes a triumphant return to the Page Setup menu, for the apps that still have them.                                                                    Andrew Cunningham

Mac’s new System Settings app completely replaces the old System Preferences app, and it’s probably the biggest single change the app has made since the beginning of Mac OS X. But the work on long-standing pieces of the system’s user interface doesn’t stop there. Andrew Cunningham
Andrew Cunningham
For example, Ventura also completely redesigns the macOS Print dialog, ditching the multi-section drop-down menu in favor of a large page with multiple expandable sections, as well as a new independently scrollable continuous preview column on the left. Apps with a Page Configuration option will also reveal the presence of an old friend, a smooth high-resolution version of Clarus the Dogcow. This hearkens back to the old days of the LaserWriter, when the Clarus served a similar purpose. Zoom / Font Book switches to a tiled UI in Ventura, with a quick visual preview of multiple fonts. Andrew Cunningham Ventura also introduces the biggest redesign for Font Book since it was introduced back in macOS 10.3, moving from a multi-column design that previews just one font at a time to a more visually oriented font grid that provides smaller previews of dozens of fonts at a time. Unfortunately, Apple hasn’t decided to rethink all of its old built-in macOS apps. If you were hoping for an overhaul of TextEdit or Chess this year, you’ll have to keep waiting.