14 DAY TRIAL // People on Apple’s payroll are beginning to receive pre-release builds of OS X 10.9.2, an anticipated maintenance update for the Mavericks operating system.
Leaked to AppleInsider, the changelog that will supposedly accompany the final version of OS X 10.9.2 indicates that Apple is not only fixing bugs, but also adding new features.
“The 10.9.2 update is recommended for all OS X Mavericks users and contains improvements to the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac,” Apple says.
According to the leaked documentation, the update adds the ability to make and receive FaceTime audio calls, includes call waiting support for FaceTime audio and video calls, allows users to block iMessages from people they don’t like, and improves the accuracy of unread counts in the Mail application.
An issue that prevented Mail.app from fetching new messages is also addressed, and the update improved “Autofill” capabilities in Safari. Other changes are listed below.
• A fix for an issue that could cause audio distortion • Improved reliability when connecting to a file server using SMB2 • A fix for an issue that could cause VPN connections to disconnect • Improved VoiceOver navigation in Mail and Finder
Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t mention security-centric fixes in the public release notes. Instead, the company will offer a link to specific documentation on its Support site where customers can learn exactly what vulnerabilities have been addressed this time around. Those links are yet to become active.
As reported earlier today, OS X 10.9.2 is widely expected to incorporate a vital security patch for an SSL/TSL flaw which security researchers have deemed as critical.
An Apple spokesperson told Reuters this weekend, “We are aware of this issue and already have a software fix that will be released very soon.” That software fix is believed to be the upcoming OS X 10.9.2.