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   OS X 10.11.4 Improves Notes, iBooks, and Live Photo Support

   Josh Centers

   Apple has released [1]OS X El Capitan 10.11.4, with the main new
   features being improvements to Notes, including password-protected
   data, note sorting, and import from Evernote and text files. The update
   also enables iBooks to store PDFs in iCloud for sharing between devices
   and makes it possible to share Live Photos between iOS and OS X via
   AirDrop and Messages. You can install the 1.44 GB update via Software
   Update, and we expect standalone downloads will appear soon on Apple's
   [2]Support Downloads page.

   As in iOS 9.3 (see '[3]iOS 9.3 Works the Night Shift, Protects Notes,
   and More,' 21 March 2016), you can now protect notes in the Notes app.
   To do so, select a note and choose Notes > Password Protect Note.
   You're prompted to enter and verify a password and password hint. Keep
   in mind that if you set a password for a note, you can't view that note
   in iOS unless that device is running iOS 9.3 or later.

   [4][tn_locked-note-prompt.jpg]

   After you set a Notes password, that password will be used for all
   notes you protect with a password. There are also a few new commands
   under the Notes menu:
     * Change Password: As you'd expect, this changes the password for all
       protected notes.
     * Reset Password: If you forget your password, this command changes
       the password for notes going forward, but the password for
       already-protected notes remains the same.
     * Close All Locked Notes: This locks protected notes, prompting you
       to enter the password if you try to view them. They're also locked
       when you quit Notes, of course.

   You can now import files into Notes, under File > Import Notes. You can
   import plain text and rich text documents, including folders of such
   documents, as well as exported notes from Evernote.

   OS X 10.11.4 also improves support for Live Photos captured with the
   iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. Previously, AirDrop and Messages for Mac
   stripped out the videos from Live Photos, but no longer. In Messages,
   Live Photos are denoted with concentric circles in the upper left of
   the image attachment. Click the photo to open it in a separate window,
   and then click the Live Photo button to play the embedded video.

   The 10.11.4 update also fixes a number of bugs including problems with:
     * Performance when opening raw images in Photos
     * Twitter's t.co URLs failing to load in Safari
     * JavaScript dialogs blocking access to other Web pages in Safari
     * Apple Mail's VIP mailbox not working with Gmail
     * USB audio devices disconnecting
     * Compatibility and reliability of the Apple USB-C Multiport Adapter

   Also addressed are a handful of enterprise-related issues, such as:
     * A black screen after logging in as the root user
     * Problems clicking the Allow or Always Allow buttons in Keychain
       Access while using screen sharing
     * A problem with Migration Assistant failing to open when automatic
       login was disabled via a configuration profile
     * A bug that prevented Mail from showing the date and time of certain
       Microsoft Exchange calendar events
     * Compatibility with the Cisco AnyConnect VPN client
     * Improved reliability when connecting to a Personal Hotspot via
       Wi-Fi

   OS X 10.11.4 bundles in [5]38 security fixes, including one for a
   vulnerability in Messages discovered by Johns Hopkins security
   researchers that warranted [6]coverage in The Washington Post today.

   As always, we don't recommend you jump on this update right away, as
   we're doing, because it's worth waiting for earlier adopters to see if
   there are any concerns. But don't wait more than a week or two, since
   it includes important security fixes that everyone should have to
   improve the herd immunity of the Mac ecosystem. We'll let you know if
   there's a reason to hold off further.

References

   1. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205750
   2. https://support.apple.com/downloads/
   3. http://tidbits.com/article/16329
   4. http://tidbits.com/resources/2016-03/locked-note-prompt.png
   5. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206167
   6. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/johns-hopkins-researchers-discovered-encryption-flaw-in-apples-imessage/2016/03/20/a323f9a0-eca7-11e5-a6f3-21ccdbc5f74e_story.html

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