At a Glance
- Swipey Rogue Mac Os Catalina
- Swipey Rogue Mac Os Update
- Swipey Rogue Mac Os X
- Swipey Rogue Mac Os Download
Expert's Rating
Pros
- The Problem: The equipment I wanted to combine is a Motu Microbook II external sound interface, 2 monitors and an LG DVD receiver (preferably connected via it's digital input), under Yosemite 10.10.5 OS. I mention the brands in case it matters.
- I wanted to play a rogue-like dungeon crawler on my phone, but I wanted something fast and engaging like an arcade runner or flyer. From these desires Swipey Rogue was born! While the target platform is definitely mobile devices, I intend to make PC/Mac/Linux builds as well.
- Mystery double key presses are a well-documented issue with some MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook computers, and while it's not clear what causes the issue or how widespread the problem is, if you're encountering the double typing issue yourself, you may find a settings change in Mac OS can help reduce the frequency, or even fix it entirely.
Swipey Rogue is an Arcade Mashup of Swipe-Action Auto-Running & Dungeon-Crawling Room-Puzzling. Master and Explore endless rooms in Mythical, Dungeonous, Dwarven Mines while controlling your always running hero with simple direction swipes. Boot into your Mac's 'Recovery' Environment. To boot to the Mac's 'Recovery' environment, press and hold the Touch ID or power button on your Mac.
- Lets you listen to iTunes plug-ins and effects via AirPort Express
- Couldn't-be-simpler broadcasting of non-iTunes audio to an AirPort Express
Cons
- Can broadcast to only a single AirPort Express at once
- If you choose not to install Instant Hijack component, requires that applications be relaunched to broadcast their audio
- Can't broadcast audio from multiple applications at the same time
Our Verdict
If you've got an Apple AirPort Express, you can use iTunes to 'broadcast' your music, wirelessly, to speakers connected to the Express; Apple calls this technology AirTunes . Unfortunately, AirTunes has several drawbacks, the most significant of which is that it can broadcast only audio playing in iTunes. If you want to listen to audio that isn't supported by iTunes—for example, Real Audio, Windows Media files, or audio being played in a Web browser—you're out of luck.
Well, sort of. Rogue Amoeba's $40 Nicecast (for Mac OS X) is a cool little utility that provides the ability to stream audio from an application over the Internet. As it turns out, since iTunes can listen to streaming audio, you can use Nicecast to stream audio from other applications into iTunes, which can then send that audio to an AirPort Express. Presto—AirTunes for any application. (Our sister publication, Macworld , even awarded Nicecast a 2004 Eddy Award for this capability.) But this is really just a clever kludge, and it's a bit of a hassle to get working: First you have to set up the audio stream, then you have to configure iTunes to 'receive' it, then you have to broadcast to your AirPort Express.
This isn't intended to be criticism of Nicecast—the application wasn't originally designed to perform such iTunes trickery. Nevertheless, the folks at Rogue Amoeba realized that they had discovered something quite useful, so they set out to make it easier to use. The result is the new $25 ($20 introductory price through the end of March) Airfoil (for Mac OS X). Put simply, Airfoil lets you stream audio from any single application directly to a chosen AirPort Express. And it couldn't be easier to use.
How it Works
In Airfoil's main window, you first choose the running application—from the Select pop-up menu—that's providing the audio you wish to transmit. (The menu also lists recent applications used in Airfoil, as well as a Select Application item that lets you choose an application that isn't currently running. If you option+click the menu, hidden applications are also shown.) You then select the AirPort Express unit to which you wish to transmit. (If you've got only one, it will be selected by default.) Finally, you click the Transmit button—the application's audio will begin playing through your AirPort Express (or should I say, through any speakers connected to that AirPort Express). You can control the volume level of the signal via Airfoil or, if you prefer, you can set Airfoil's preferences so that it links its own volume level to your Mac's volume control.
Using Airfoil, you can easily broadcast audio from Windows Media Player, Real Player, MPlayer, QuickTime Player, or any other application that produces audio, including games and Web browsers. The latter makes Airfoil a great way to listen to Web broadcasts of sporting events on your home stereo. However, keep in mind that just like iTunes, there's a slight delay between when a sound is produced by an application and when it's played back by your AirPort Express, so don't expect to watch a DVD on your computer while playing the audio back through your stereo. (Actually, this is possible, though not without glitches: The free MPlayer OS X and VLC media player have audio offset/de-sync features that let you manually sync the audio and video of a DVD; the Airfoil Help system provides details on setting this up.)
Airfoil even offers advantages for those who are simply broadcasting iTunes audio. For example, whereas AirTunes mutes local audio when broadcasting, you can set Airfoil's preferences to play audio on the local computer while it's being played via your AirPort Express. (Note that because of the way AirPort Express audio transmission works, local and remote audio may be slightly out of sync.) And whereas audio effect plugins (such as the popular Volume Logic ) don't work with AirTunes, they do work via Airfoil. You simply need to set iTunes to play locally on your computer—not via AirTunes to your AirPort Express—and let Airfoil send the audio.
One quirk with Airfoil has to do with how it interacts with running applications. (I reluctantly call it a 'quirk,' as it's really a conscious decision by the developers, intended to address the concerns of users.) If you elect to install Airfoil's 'Instant Hijack' component—you're given the option the first time you launch the application, or you can install it at any time by choosing Airfoil -> Install Extras—then clicking the Transmit button commences the transmission immediately. However, Instant Hijack uses Unsanity's Application Enhancer technology. Some people refuse to use software that requires Application Enhancer, citing stability issues, so Rogue Amoeba has wisely devised a way for Airfoil to work without it. The drawback is that in order for this workaround to function, you need to either select the desired audio application in Airfoil before it's launched, or allow Airfoil to relaunch it if it's already running when you begin transmission. It's up to the user to decide which method—Application Enhancer or inconvenience—to choose.
Airfoil also offers a few hidden settings for advanced users, accessible by option+clicking the Transmit button. You can adjust the stream index; decide what happens when no audio is detected (stop the stream, add silence, or add noise); and customize audio device and channel settings. You can also choose the measurement displayed by Airfoil's audio meter by clicking on the meter and choosing the desired option (Off, In RMS, In Peak, Out RMS, or Out Peak) from the resulting pop-up menu.
Unfortunately, Airfoil can't currently overcome another significant drawback of AirTunes—like AirTunes, it can broadcast to only a single AirPort Express at a time. (Rogue Amoeba says that they're trying to incorporate the ability to send audio to multiple Express units simultaneously for a future version.) And it doesn't provide the ability to transmit all your computer's audio—a feature that would be useful for presentations. Finally, you need to disable the 'Speaker password' option on any AirPort Express you wish to use with Airfoil.
The Lowdown
Despite these issues, Airfoil brings AirTunes a few significant steps closer to its full potential–it unleashes AirTunes from iTunes and allows you to stream music from your Mac to your AirPort Express from the applications you choose. For this service (and the ease with which it delivers it), Airfoil is a Playlist Pick.
(Airfoil is currently available only for Mac OS X; however, Rogue Amoeba has hinted that they're considering porting the utility to Windows.)
Every major version of Mac OS X macOS has come with a new default wallpaper. As you can see, I have collected them all here.
While great in their day, the early wallpapers are now quite small in the world of 5K and 6K displays.
If you want to see detailed screenshots of every release of OS X, click here.
If you are looking for Mac OS 9 wallpapers, this page is for you.
Sponsored by Rogue Amoeba
Swipey Rogue Mac Os Catalina
Rogue Amoeba is proud to sponsor the 512 Pixels Wallpaper and Screenshot Library. We've been making high-quality native MacOS audio software since this was cutting edge, way back in 2002. If you need to do anything with audio on your Mac, Rogue Amoeba can help.
Visit our site to check out all our great audio utilities.
10.0 Cheetah & 10.1 Puma
The first two releases of Mac OS X shared the same wallpaper. The sweeping blue arcs and curves helped set the tone of the new Aqua interface.
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10.2 Jaguar
Jaguar took the same Aqua-inspired theme but added some depth and motion to things. In my head, the trails streaking across the screen were from a set of comets.
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10.3 Panther
While Panther inflicted Macs everywhere with Brushed Metal, its wallpaper stayed on brand, refreshing the original 10.0 image.
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10.4 Tiger
Many consider Tiger to be the best 'classic' version of Mac OS X. While that may or may not be true, it is my favorite Aqua-inspired wallpaper.
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10.5 Leopard
Complete with a revised, unified user interface and shiny new Dock, 10.5 broke the Aqua mold. As such, Leopard was the first version of OS X to break from the Aqua-themed wallpaper. It ushered in the 'space era' of OS X wallpapers, which was used heavily in the new Time Machine interface as well.
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10.6 Snow Leopard
The 'no new features' mantra for Snow Leopard didn't ban a new wallpaper, thankfully. This starscape is still one of my favorites.
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10.6 Snow Leopard Server
The server version of Snow Leopard came with its own unique wallpaper that is a real treat:
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10.7 Lion
Lion kept up the space theme, this time showing off the Andromeda galaxy. The space nerd in me likes the idea, but the execution of this one leaves dead-last on my list of favorites.
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10.8 Mountain Lion
Just like Snow Leopard before it, with Mountain Lion, Apple opted to clean up and revise the existing theme as opposed to changing directions for what would be a less-impactful release of OS X.
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10.9 Mavericks
Mavericks marked the beginning of Apple's 'California location' naming scheme for Mac releases. The wave depicted looks as intimidating as the ones in the famous surfing location.
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10.10 Yosemite
Yosemite brought another UI refresh to the Mac, making things flatter and more modern. The wallpaper ushered in a new era based on … well … mountains.
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10.11 El Capitan
Named after a breathtaking spot in Yosemite National Park, El Capitan was a clean-up year after 10.10.
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10.12 Sierra
More mountains.
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10.13 High Sierra
Even more mountains.
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10.14 Mojave
No more mountains! Mojave brought a new system-wide Dark Mode, and the OS shipped with two versions of its default wallpaper to match. Users could even have macOS slowly fade between the two background images over the course of the day.
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Swipey Rogue Mac Os Update
10.15 Catalina
macOS Catalina brought big changes to the Mac, including the ability to run iPad apps natively, opening the platform up to a much larger number of developers than ever before. Catalina shipped with multiple variants of its default wallpaper, and the ability to shift between them as time progresses throughout the day:
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macOS Big Sur
10.5 Leopard
Complete with a revised, unified user interface and shiny new Dock, 10.5 broke the Aqua mold. As such, Leopard was the first version of OS X to break from the Aqua-themed wallpaper. It ushered in the 'space era' of OS X wallpapers, which was used heavily in the new Time Machine interface as well.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.6 Snow Leopard
The 'no new features' mantra for Snow Leopard didn't ban a new wallpaper, thankfully. This starscape is still one of my favorites.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.6 Snow Leopard Server
The server version of Snow Leopard came with its own unique wallpaper that is a real treat:
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.7 Lion
Lion kept up the space theme, this time showing off the Andromeda galaxy. The space nerd in me likes the idea, but the execution of this one leaves dead-last on my list of favorites.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.8 Mountain Lion
Just like Snow Leopard before it, with Mountain Lion, Apple opted to clean up and revise the existing theme as opposed to changing directions for what would be a less-impactful release of OS X.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.9 Mavericks
Mavericks marked the beginning of Apple's 'California location' naming scheme for Mac releases. The wave depicted looks as intimidating as the ones in the famous surfing location.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.10 Yosemite
Yosemite brought another UI refresh to the Mac, making things flatter and more modern. The wallpaper ushered in a new era based on … well … mountains.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.11 El Capitan
Named after a breathtaking spot in Yosemite National Park, El Capitan was a clean-up year after 10.10.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.12 Sierra
More mountains.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.13 High Sierra
Even more mountains.
Download 5K version.
Download 6K version.
10.14 Mojave
No more mountains! Mojave brought a new system-wide Dark Mode, and the OS shipped with two versions of its default wallpaper to match. Users could even have macOS slowly fade between the two background images over the course of the day.
Download 5K versions:
Download 6K versions:
Swipey Rogue Mac Os Update
10.15 Catalina
macOS Catalina brought big changes to the Mac, including the ability to run iPad apps natively, opening the platform up to a much larger number of developers than ever before. Catalina shipped with multiple variants of its default wallpaper, and the ability to shift between them as time progresses throughout the day:
Download 6K versions:
macOS Big Sur
Swipey Rogue Mac Os X
This version of macOS is such a big deal, Apple changed the version number to 11.0. It will be the OS that brings support for Apple Silicon-powered Macs, and features a brand new design.
Swipey Rogue Mac Os Download
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