Apple OS X Mountain Lion 10.8 – Need to Know

Apple's latest iteration of OS X is further blurring the edges between iOS and its desktop operating system. Here are all the new features you need to know about before your Mac gobbles it up this summer.

Apple OS X Mountain Lion – Notification Center

Apple's iOS 5 received a weighty notification upgrade – and OS X Mountain Lion has followed suit with a handy dropdown notification list in the top right of the screen. Sliding two fingers from the right edge of your trackpad is a neat little trick to open up the list. It includes support for Twitter and (following a software update) Facebook, letting you update Facebook from within the Notification Center.

Apple OS X Mountain Lion – increased iCloud integration

iCloud plays a more dominant role in Mas OS X Lion – now you can sync calendars, emails and contacts across all of your iOS devices, as well as your notes, messages and reminders.

Apple OS X Mountain Lion – Dictation

Mountain Lion will feature Siri-style dictation, enabling you to dictate text into Apple and third-party apps. It's a neat way to make use of the dual mics featured in the next-generation MacBook Pro.

Apple OS X Mountain Lion – Messages

Goodbye iChat, hello Messages. This new unified messaging experience will let you IM on multiple accounts including Google Chat and AIM, as well as allowing you to share images and HD videos and launch FaceTime chat. It also enables you to send and receive iMessages sent to your iPhone or iPad using your Mac.

Apple OS X Mountain Lion – Sharing

Apps including Safari now feature a Share button which lets you send links and photos via Messages, email and Twitter. It also supports services including Facebook, Flickr and Vimeo – Facebook and Twitter notifications are included in the Notification Center.

Apple will also add Facebook integration to OS X Mountain Lion in a software update. Facebook friends will automatically appear in your contacts, and Facebook updates will appear in the Notification Center. You'll also be able to update Facebook from within the Notification Center.