Apple's OS X Yosemite embraces encryption

Apple’s senior software engineering veep Craig Federighi told the faithful at the WWDC in San Francisco Monday how the company’s OS developer team took a trip.

They went first to Oxnard, in Southern California. Then Rancho Cucamonga. Then Weed.

The team, Federighi said, then landed in Yosemite.

Welcome, OS X Yosemite. (And sorry, cannabis fans, who would have loved to see “OS X Weed.”)

With Yosemite, users are now able to send and receive encrypted emails and files, the latter up to 5 gigs in size. With a slick video slide presentation behind him, Federighi rattled off a list of new features designed to integrate the best of the previous version, OS X Mavericks, into the Yosemite interface.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook emphasized that the focus in the development of Yosemite was clarity and usability. So encryption, a long time coming, was a welcome feature that nearly received a standing ovation.

The encryption component is vital. And expected. With global fear that the NSA is spying on you, users can now feel easier that their email communications are protected.

It appears that Apple is taking encryption seriously, which is good for you and good for me. But it’s bad for the NSA and those nefarious hackers.