When software updates roll out for Windows, Android, iOS, or macOS these days, you’re probably used to getting it for free. But once upon a time companies used to charge for those sorts of updates. In fact, Apple didn’t start offering free updates to Mac users until OS X 10.9 Mavericks was released in 2013. Prior to that, the company used to charge users a fee to upgrade.
One weird side effect is that while Apple continued offering a few older versions of OS X for users to download and install on older hardware that couldn’t support more recent versions of OS X or macOS, the company was still charging a $20 fee. Last week Apple finally dropped that fee, so if you’ve got an older Mac in need of a fresh install or upgrade of a of a decade-old operating system, now’s the time to grab it.

Here’s a roundup of tech news from around the web.
- Apple Makes OS X Lion and Mountain Lion Free to Download [MacRumors]
Apple has continued to offers OS X 10.7 Lion and OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion for download for users with older Macs that don’t support the latest macOS versions. But up until recently you had to pay $20 for a license. Now download codes are available for free. - What’s coming in Windows 11 Accessibility [Windows Blogs]
Microsoft outlines new & improved accessibility features in Windows 11 including new or redesigned Dark, High Contrast, and Closed Caption themes, Voice Typing, and updated Accessibility settings. Accessibility also extends to Windows Subsystem for Linux. - A Fitbit Ring Could Monitor Oxygen Saturation [ZatzNotFunny]
Fitbit files a patent for a ring that can do things like track SpO2 (blood oxygen saturation) using a light sensor, motion sensor, and wireless technology to transmit data to a phone or watch. There’s no guarantee this’ll ever become a real product though. - Windows 11 on AYA and GPD handheld gaming PCs [Taki Udon/YouTube]
This video showing Windows 11 running on an AYA Neo and several other handheld gaming PCs shows that Microsoft’s improvements to touchscreen support will be handy for small-screen devices.
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