Apple tests Safari, QuickTime, Pro App updates
Apple is currently testing updates to three pieces of software, sources note. The first is Safari 4.0.5, which is being tested in separate builds for Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard and Windows. The emphasis of the patch is said to be a regression in the browser's JavaScript engine, one which arose with the release of Safari 4.0.4. Some sections of code are also being transitioned from a Safari-native base to WebKit, for the sake of cross-platform compatibility....
published on Friday, the 5. March 2010, macintosh-news-network
Apple inches Mac OS X 10.6.3 closer to release
Apple on Friday distributed yet another beta of Mac OS X 10.6.3 to its developer community with no known issues, as the update to Snow Leopard moves closer to a public release.
published on Friday, the 5. March 2010, appleinsider
Intuit releases first new Mac Quicken version in four years
After missing numerous deadlines, Intuit has finally shipped a new, modern version of Quicken for Mac OS X, dubbed Quicken Essentials for Mac. Long-time Quicken users may be disappointed that many features, in particular stock tracking and online bill pay, are missing after waiting four years for a new version. However, the company says this release is just a first step in a major overhaul of its personal finance software. Quicken Essentials for Mac tosses aside the user interface from older versions of Quicken, opting for a cleaner, Cocoa-based, more "Mac-like" interface designed to be more intuitive and easy to use. It simplifies the process of connecting to your bank and credit card companies for automatic importing of transaction data from over 12,000 institutions, with another 6,000 expected to add compatibility in the coming months. The new version will also import data from Quicken for Mac 2005, 2006, and 2007; Quicken for Windows 2007, 2008, and 2009; and Microsoft Money. The latter is especially handy for switchers. Despite the much nicer looking graphs and tag clouds showing you where your money is going, though, there isn't much here for users with needs beyond the basics of tracking bank accounts, credit cards, loans, and spending habits. Quicken Essentials for Mac doesn't include integrated online bill paying, nor does it allowing detailed tracking of stocks and other investments. The latter is probably not a need of a majority of users, but the former has certainly become commonplace. Quicken Essentials for Mac also lacks the ability to export data to Intuit's own TurboTax software. Aaron Patzer, who became the new VP and general manager of Intuit's personal finance group after the acquisition of his online financial site Mint.com, agrees that Quicken Essentials for Mac isn't going to appeal to all users. "It's called 'Mac Essentials' because it's got the essential features used by 80 percent of the users we've surveyed and talked to," he told Macworld. "So we had to decide, do we want to put a product out that serves 80 percent of the market and is a vast improvement in so many ways, or do we delay it again?" A new version of Quicken for Mac was first demoed at Macworld Expo 2008, but it suffered a number of delays over the last two years. The long absence of an update of Quicken for Mac opened up an opportunity for a number of shareware tools to gain in popularity, including iBank, Cha-ching, and Money, to name a few. Quicken has an advantage with having support for the de facto standard format for financial data, but Intuit may have its work cut out for it to keep Mac users interested in its products. Patzer told Macworld that next year we can expect an updated version of Essentials as well as Quicken Deluxe for Mac, which is expected to include the missing functionality from the Essentials. Users that need those features now can either stick with Quicken for Mac 2007, or run a newer Windows version in Boot Camp or a virtual machine. Quicken Essentials for Mac is $70, and can be downloaded directly from Intuit's website. You'll need an Intel-based Mac and either Leopard or Snow Leopard to run it. Quicken for Mac 2007 is still available (also $70) for those running Tiger and/or PowerPC-based Macs. We'll be posting a more in-depth look at the new software as soon as we have a chance to spend some quality time with it.
published on Thursday, the 25. February 2010, ars-technica
Apple offers fix for audio-related Mac Pro performance issue
Apple has released a kernel extension to address unusual heat and performance issues related to audio tasks on Nehalem-based Mac Pros. Mac Pro Audio Update 1.0 is designed to address CPU utilization issues caused by tasks such as listening to tracks in iTunes or using FireWire or USB-based audio interfaces. The problem manifests as abnormally high amounts of power drain, heat generation, and performance loss when performing any task that relies on the Mac Pro's built-in audio hardware. Users had discovered the issue shortly after Nehalem-based Mac Pros began shipping, but Apple had generally ignored the issue when customers contacted Apple Care. We reported on the problems last week after users complained of frustration with trying to get Apple to acknowledge the problem. Days later, users were told that the issue was being investigated and that a fix was in the works. So far, the fix appears incomplete. The update is said to only apply to "Early 2009" Mac Pros, though speed-bumped Mac Pros ("Late 2009") also suffer from the problem—chances are it should work on those models as well, however. More vexing, though, is that the problem occurs under Mac OS X 10.5.8, and the patched kext will only work for Snow Leopard. Hopefully Apple will be able to offer a fix for users that haven't yet been able to upgrade to Snow Leopard.
published on Thursday, the 11. February 2010, ars-technica
Aperture 3 adds Faces, Places, and improved local adjustment
After a long wait, Apple has released the next major update to its pro-class photo workflow application, Aperture 3. The new version boasts over 200 new features, including the addition of the successful facial recognition and geotagging features, Faces and Places, that were introduced with iPhoto '09. Version 3 also adds edge-detecting adjustment brushes for non-destructive localized editing and touch-ups. Along with numerous UI and performance improvements, Aperture 3 adds full 64-bit support on supported systems running Snow Leopard. Aperture has always had a focus on the workflow of professional photographers, but Apple also markets it for amateurs that want to move beyond the simplicity of iPhoto. Aperture 3 takes that even further, seemingly melding more power and advanced management with the features and ease of use of iPhoto.
published on Tuesday, the 9. February 2010, ars-technica
etc: Apple has just released its first Security Updates for 2010. They're available for Snow Leopard, Leopard, and Leopard Server. Staying up-to-date and secure is important, mmkay?
Apple has just released its first Security Updates for 2010. They're available for Snow Leopard, Leopard, and Leopard Server. Staying up-to-date and secure is important, mmkay? Read More: Snow Leopard, Leopard, Leopard Server
published on Tuesday, the 19. January 2010, ars-technica
Mac OS X security update addresses Flash vulnerabilities
Apple on Tuesday released security updates for Mac OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard. The updates address several issues including a CoreAudio vulnerability that left systems susceptible to attacks via MP4 audio files. The cupsd printing scheduler has also been modified to prevent malicious code from causing a remote denial of service....
published on Tuesday, the 19. January 2010, macintosh-news-network
PGP Desktop gains Boot Camp support
PGP Corporation has released an updated version of PGP Destkop, its enterprise-level encryption platform. PGP Whole Disk Encryption Desktop 10.0 is now available for Snow Leopard, and the platform as a whole now supports Boot Camp, finally allowing hybrid Mac/Windows systems to be encrypted. In the same vein, Mac, Linux and Windows PCs can all be used in the same environment....
published on Tuesday, the 19. January 2010, macintosh-news-network
Apple moves to improve OpenGL support in 10.6.3 builds
After taking a brief holiday break, Apple managed to release the first developer beta of Mac OS X 10.6.3 last week. Among the 221 code changes, there appears to be some initial support for parts of the OpenGL 3.0 spec, though Apple will have a long way to go before Snow Leopard is OpenGL 3-ready. OSx86 contributer netkas, known for his work in enabling graphics card support for non-Apple GPUs, noted over the weekend that the developer test build of 10.6.3 contained a number of OpenGL 3.0 extensions, as well as a few for the updated 3.1 and 3.2 specifications. Mac OS X has essentially been stuck at OpenGL 2.1 support for some time, even though GPUs in most newer Macs support the newer standards. Part of the issue with bringing OpenGL 3.0 support is that the newer versions deprecated many older functions from OpenGL 2.x in an attempt to modernize and simplify the overall API. All three revisions of OpenGL 3.x also include revisions to the shader language as well. Updating all the support requires work on Apple's part as well as the cooperation of GPU vendors to get drivers into shape. OpenGL 3.1 and 3.2 were released last year, well into Snow Leopard's development cycle, and drivers offering beta support for those versions of OpenGL were the norm on Windows Vista. For those who need OpenGL 3.x support, however, the good news is that most of the necessary functionality brought by OpenGL 3.0 is included by way of extensions. Shading language 1.30 still isn't supported, and support for 3.1 and 3.2 is still in the early stages. Later revisions of Snow Leopard may include full support for the updated standards, but chances are good that 10.7 will definitely include full support.
published on Tuesday, the 12. January 2010, ars-technica