OS X 10.10, otherwise known as Yosemite, is the 11th iteration of the operating system that powers the desktops and laptops created by Apple. This update, expected to be released later today, marks the second version of OS X whose code name is based on a California location instead of a species of cat — and the second time Apple has let loose a major update for free.

Yosemite also offers some interesting firsts: It will be the first version of the Mac operating system to have a public beta (downloadable here) since The Public Beta of OS X released in September 2000. Yosemite also marks the first release of OS X to inherit the interface theme that debuted in iOS 7 and is the first to feature Continuity, a set of services utilizing the built-in wireless networking protocols to enable useful interactions between Apple devices.

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