Apple's Mountain Lion Launches Today

Apple says the next major version of its Mac operating system will roll out to consumers today. The news came tucked inside Apple's third-fiscal-quarter earnings release where Apple reported earnings of $9.32 per share on revenues of $35 billion. The company pulled the same announcement trick for OS X 10.7, announcing its next-day availability during a conference call last year.

As a quick recap, the $19.99 software update brings a handful of iOS features to Macs, including the notes and reminders apps. It adds a few other things, like Twitter integration, Apple's Game Center, and iMessage services. There's also a new security feature called Gatekeeper, designed to fend off malware by controlling what applications can and cannot be installed. The software was first announced in February and has undergone several rounds of beta testing from developers. Apple released a "golden master" version of the software to developers earlier this month, representing the final version that will be released in the Mac App Store today.