Your Mac syncs and updates stuff for you while you go about your business, even when idle

Jun 12, 2012 12:18 GMT  ·  By

During yesterday’s ceremonious unveiling of the polished OS X Mountain Lion, Apple revealed a few new features (as predicted by yours truly), including one that works even when the computer is sleeping.

No joke. Power Nap, as Apple affectionally calls this function, gets things done when your Mac goes to sleep.

“It periodically updates Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, Notes, Photo Stream, Find My Mac, and Documents in the Cloud,” says the company. “When your Mac is connected to a power source, it downloads software updates and makes backups with Time Machine.”

Apple assures customers that the system sounds will be silent and that no lights or fans will come on.

The Power Nap feature requires a Mac notebook with built-in flash storage, meaning only the newer MacBook Airs and the Retina-enabled MacBook Pro will use it. Apple also says it may also require a firmware update when OS X Mountain Lion ships next month.