Apple today released macOS Monterey 12.3 which adds Universal Control so you can use a single mouse and keyboard across your Mac and iPad. This release also includes new emoji, dynamic head tracking for Music, and other features and bug fixes for your Mac.
macOS Monterey 12.3 release notes:
Universal Control (beta)
• Universal Control allows you to use a single mouse and keyboard across iPad and Mac
• Text can be typed on either Mac or iPad and you can drag and drop files between them
Spatial Audio
• Dynamic head tracking is available in Music with supported AirPods on Mac computers with the M1 chip
• Customizable spatial audio settings for Off, Fixed, and Head Tracked are now in Control Center with supported AirPods on Mac computers with the M1 chip
Emoji
• New emoji including faces, hand gestures, and household objects are available in emoji keyboard
• Handshake emoji allows you to choose separate skin tones for each hand
This release also includes the following enhancements for your Mac:
• Siri now includes an additional voice, expanding the diversity of options
• Podcasts app adds episode filter for seasons, played, unplayed, saved, or downloaded episodes
• Safari webpage translation adds support for Italian and Chinese (Traditional)
• Shortcuts now supports adding, removing, or querying tags with Reminders
• Saved passwords can now include your own notes
• Battery capacity readings have improved accuracy
This release also includes bug fixes for your Mac:
• News widgets in Today View may not open articles when clicked
• Audio may sound distorted while watching video in the Apple TV app
• Some photos and videos may be unintentionally moved when organizing albums in Photos
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Universal access is insanely cool
Universal Control is too. Other companies will follow, but Apple leads where it counts in bringing features that just work in new and better ways. The copiers will copy. Apple sees others try to figure something out, like XR headsets, folding smartphones and tables, smart watches and other ideas, and then works on figuring out how to deliver that feature in a way that is simple, easy and that people really want to use.
So far that strategy has worked really well for Apple. There was a time it was denying it was working on a phone, or a tablet, or a stylus, of a smaller tablet, or figuring out how to merge iPadOS and MacOS on one foldable device, or whatever it is they are working on but denying they’re working on.