HEIF

With the official release of iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra, Apple introduced support for a new image format called HEIF. Apple sees HEIF as a worthy successor to the JPEG format. So what makes it so good that it can replace an industry standard that's been in use for almost 25 years? What is HEIF? HEIF stands for High Efficiency Image Format and can be considered the still-image version of the HEVC video codec that Apple's ecosystem now officially supports. (You can learn more about HEVC here.) The HEIF standard wasn't made by Apple – it was developed in 2015 by the MPEG group, which also invented the AAC audio format used in iTunes. Benefits of HEIF Over JPEG As the name implies, HEIF is a more streamlined method of storing image data and offers better quality than the traditional JPEG format. For example, HEIF supports image transparency and can capture a more extended color range than JPEG (16-bit versus 8-bit), which should increase the accuracy of photos taken on Apple's latest iPhones. At the same time, a HEIF-encoded image should be around half the file size of an equivalent-quality JPEG, so users will be able to keep twice the number of shots on their Apple devices (or in iCloud) before they max out their storage capacity. In addition, HEIF files include a 320x240 embedded thumbnail that's four times the resolution but only twice the file size of a standard JPEG thumbnail. HEIF images can also be rotated and cropped without altering the image or re-saving them, all of which makes working with HEIF files that much faster than JPEG on both Mac and iOS

Pixelmator has been updated for Mac to include support for the new HEIF image standard in macOS High Sierra. Once users have updated to Pixelmator 3.7, they'll also be able to make full use of the new Photo app integration available in Apple's latest desktop operating system. In macOS High Sierra, it's possible to open a photo in a third-party app right from within the Photos Library using the "Edit With..." menu option, after which Pixelmator should appear following the update. Subsequently, any edits made within Pixelmator will be automatically saved back to the Photos library. Added support for the new HEIF image standard includes the ability to import photos from iPhone 7, iPhone 8, and iPhone X, which save in the more efficient compression format by default. You can find out more about HEIF here. Other improvements in the 3.7 update to Pixelmator include enhanced support for Photoshop PSD files, an improved Repair Tool, and a return of the ability to drag image assets from Photos and Safari directly into Pixelmator. Pixelmator is available to buy on the Mac App Store for

Parallels Desktop 13 for Mac received an update on Thursday to include full compatibility with the new Apple File System (APFS) and HEVC video standard included in macOS High Sierra. With APFS support, Parallels Desktop 13.1 can take advantage of Apple's cross-platform replacement for HFS+, bringing more security and better performance on devices with flash memory. New HEVC video support means the virtualization software will be able to benefit from more efficient compression of video files and smoother playback. You can learn more about Apple's new HEVC video codec here. Elsewhere, there are a host of stability and performance fixes, as listed in Parallels' knowledge database update summary. They include the following: Enables the user to create a new Boot Camp® virtual machine on a Mac® with macOS® High Sierra. Enables the user to install a High Sierra virtual machine from the Recovery partition on their High Sierra Mac. Resolves an issue with some Windows shortcuts not working (for example, "Control+Shift+"+"/"-" in Microsoft Excel). Resolves an issue with installing Parallels Tools on Windows XP (Note: Parallels Tools are used for Windows and macOS integration. Do not confuse them with Parallels® Toolbox.) Resolves an issue with Windows not starting when opening a file associated with a Windows application on macOS. Resolves an issue with crashes of BIMcollab ZOOM and TopSolid CAD. Resolves an issue with Zoom In and Zoom Out in APEX 3. Resolves an issue with “Sending as Attachment” not working for Windows files and Mac