Apple tries to thaw freezing iMacs

iMac Software Update 1.2 (Tiger) and iMac Software Update 1.3 (Leopard)

Has worked for some, but apparently not everyone.

Some users also if they applied the 1.2 Tiger update before installing Leopard got stuck in a login loop.

Apple has released iMac Software Update 1.2.1 (Tiger)

This update is for 20-inch and 24-inch aluminum iMac computers with 2.0, 2.4, or 2.8 GHz processors running Mac OS X Tiger.

If you already installed Leopard you need to re-install doing an archive and install and then apply the iMac Software Update 1.3 for Leopard

Condensation in new iMacs.

Apple quietly updates Macs

MacBook Pro's offer two new build-to-order options for the high-end 15-inch MacBook Pro and the 17-inch MacBook Pro models.

2.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor for $250 (up from 2.4 GHz)

250 GB hard drive running at 5400 rpm for $150.

MacBook Mid- and high-end updated

2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor (was 2.16 GHz).

Max of 4 GB (up from 2 GB)

800 MHz frontside bus, up from 667 MHz;

Intel GMA X3100 graphics chip with 144 MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory (replaces Intel GMA 950 with 64 MB).

New media control keys along the function key row.

I find it annoying that there is no "spaces" function key.

Can't use the default F8 for spaces if you have function keys enabled in the System Preferences

Larger rear vent with wider spacing between the vent fins.

Despite the ArsTechnic report this is likely NOT the "Santa Rosa" architecture, unless they have switch to Intel Wi-Fi?

MacBook Pro Software Update 1.2

Released last Thursday

Firmware upgrade improves stability and is recommended for the mid-2007 2.2 GHz and 2.4 GHz MacBook Pro laptops running Mac OS X 10.4.x (Tiger).

AT&T adds flat rate International Data

No more $3,000 iPhone bills?

50Mb of data for $60/mo. or 20MB of data for $25/mo.

Plans are on top of the domestic iPhone voice and data plan.

Not sure if the plans require a contract or not.

O2 loosens bandwidth 'fair-use'

When the iPhone launched in the UK on the 9th they were expected to limit the "unlimited" bandwidth useage to 200MB/mo.

According to TUAW, the Telegraph newspaper now says that O2 has forgone that limitation opting for a case by case evaluation.

O2's terms and conditions page now states. "There is no limit on the monthly network usage. However if we feel that your activities are so excessive that other customers are detrimentally affected, we may give you a written warning (by email or otherwise). In extreme circumstances, if the levels of activity do not immediately decrease after the warning, we may terminate or suspend your Services."

According to O2 CEO Matthew Key, O2 expects to sell 200,000 iPhones before the end of the year.

1.1.2 iPhone software on Euro iPhones

The T3 Gadget Website has their hands on an early review unit and it has the 1.1.2 software

Adds support for dozens of languages including specialized keyboard layouts

Closes the TIFF exploit that has allowed the latest rounds of jail-breaking

Quicktime and iTunes Updated

Apple released iTunes 7.5

Ability to activate iPhone wherever service is offered

Support for Phase (on iTunes for $4.99), a new interactive music game designed exclusively for iPod nano (third generation), iPod classic, and iPod (fifth generation).

Looks like a form of Guitar Hero or Dance Dane Revolution (or Tap Tap Revolution) using the Click-wheels Left, Center, and Right buttons.

Bug fixes to improve stability and performance

QuickTime 7.3

Addresses at least 5 majority critical security issues

Support for iTunes 7.5

Updated support for creating iPhone-compatible web content

Updated JavaScript support in the QuickTime Web Plug-in

Numerous bug fixes

Ars Technica is reporting that iTunes 7.6 will be "a much bigger deal..."

"bringing a number of "highly-anticipated" features to the software and the iTunes Store relating to video goodies."

Serious Data bug found in Leopard

MacNN is reporting on a Leopard bug discovered by Tom Karpik and reported on his blog

Leopard Data Loss

According to some reports, a form of the bug was apparently around in Mac OS 10.1

Happens when you are moving (not copying) data between volumes and the destination devices disappears

Move is accomplished by holding down the Command key while dragging a folder or files from one volume to another.

The trouble is the original files and possibly the source directory are removed

The only fix seems to be a Terminal 'cp' of the source before the Finder error dialog is cleared.

Researchers and Analysts question Leopard Security

Problems with the Firewall as mentioned in the last Maccast

Daring Fireball points out that Steven Fisher recently discovered that deleted apps will launch from Time Machine backups when triggered from the finder or a web protocol handler (skype, itunes, adium, etc).

A flawed app that was removed would continue to launch from backup.

Can enter time machine and use contextual menu to remove all instances of the app or file

My experience with screen sharing

I seem to be able to connect to my local iMac without a password

If my .Mac info is in the account settings with Back to My Mac turned off.

Possibly a keychain thing? Doesn't seem to work on all Macs

First Leopard patch on the way?

AppleInsider is reporting that 10.5.1 is beginning to make the rounds internally at Apple.

Wider testing is expected to begin this week.

The update will have security and bug fixes not able to make it into the shipping builds of the new OS.

Should also fix many of the problems discovered by early Leopard adopters.

Intel use passes PPC

Data from Net Applications based on browser stats from more than 40,000 URLs

PPC Macs with 3.14 percent and Intel Macs with 3.41 percent

Combined market share is 6.55 percent is down slightly from 6.61 percent last month

The data also shows that Safari use is holding steady at about 5 percent of the market.

Safari 3.0 use has risen fractionally from 0.18 percent in June to 0.62 percent in October

Apple's Tablet Mac Confirmed?

C|Net UK says they have confirmation from inside Asus (the Taiwanese manufacturer for several Apple products), that they are developing a tablet Mac for Apple

Asus currently makes iBooks, PowerBooks and MacBooks for Apple

Apple filed a patent for a Tablet system back in May 2005.

I would assume the new design would take heavy advantage of multi-touch

No pricing, specs, or possible release date was mentioned in the C|Net article.

Is there a Market? The Axiotron ModBook (a hacked MacBook) sill hasn't shipped.

ModBook

Airport Issues after Leopard update

From MacNN

Apple has documented an issue in Leopard where after installing the Login and Keychain Update 1.0, the computer's AirPort card may not work.

Fix from Apple

Start up in Safe Mode by holding the Shift key during startup.

Once the computer has started in Safe Mode, simply restart again (without holding any keys).

Time Machine and Aperture don't play well together

Apple said that "running Time Machine backup or restore operations while Aperture is running may lead to inconsistencies in the Aperture database."

Set Time Machine to exclude the Aperture Library from automatic backups. To do so:

Open Time Machine.

Click the Options button.

Click the "+" button in the Do not back up window.

Use the resulting file browser to navigate to the location of your Aperture Library. The default location is ~/Pictures/Aperture Library (where "~" represents your home folder).

Click the Exclude button.

Click the Done button.

Fun with Leopard Icons

Props to Victor and MacWorld

In the Finder, navigate to System -> Library -> CoreServices.

In the CoreServices folder, control-click on CoreTypes.bundle and choose Show Package Contents from the pop-up menu.

In the new window that opens, navigate into Contents -> Resources.

Set your view mode to Cover Flow (View -> As Cover Flow, or Command-4). Resize the window so that the graphical area is large, then scroll down (in the list view area) and click on com.apple.emac.icns, and enjoy the HUGHE view.

You can use use the arrow keys (either left and right or up and down) to move through the icons, and see some others, like this one.

Copy these icons to use elsewhere

Double-click to open in Preview

Gives you multiple sized versions

Can save the icns file

Stacks kills nested folders in the dock

This is quite annoying actually

Adobe put's all there apps inside their own folders. Makes the application stack less useful

Running PC games on the Mac

Play question from Chris

Under BootCamp the Mac is spec for spec on par with any PC

Under Parallels or VM Ware you take a slight performance hit

Still need to deal with Windows

How hard core are you?

Apple helps Tiger users keep BootCamp

Derik DeLong from Mac User has pointed out an interesting Apple Support article

Apple sys to remove BootCamp after the BETA expiration period, just set back your system clock using Date & Time preferences.

So if you want to continue using it after expiration, there you go. Of course you are violating the EULA at that point.

Hack the Leopard Dock

Clever designers and hackers are trying to improve upon the Leopard dock

Check out some of the designs and download the files at leoparddocks.com

www.leoparddocks.com

Different textured shelves (wood, ice, patterns, etc) and different indicators (triangle, green, etc)

How to change

Go to Macintosh HD > /System/Library/Core Services/

Right-Click on "Dock" and select "Show Package Contents"

Go to /Contents/Resources/

Backup the files you are about to replace (Incase you did not listen, here they are)

Move those same original files to the trash

Move the files you downloaded to that folder

Open Terminal and type "killall Dock" (without the quotes)

View your nice new dock.

Make your own resource files

Instructions from Daffy_Duck on the AppleInsider forums

Hack the Leopard Dock

1. Locate and make backup copies of these 4 files located in /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock/Contents/Resources

scurve-l.png
scurve-m.png
scurve-sm.png
scurve-xl.png

2. Modify them in your favorite photo editor.

3. Replace the originals in Dock.app (at the path above).

4. Open Terminal and type "killall Dock" (without the quotes) to restart Dock.

5. Enjoy.

Leopard, missing Calendar widget

Listener Tal pointed this one out

The Calendar widget is gone after upgrading to Leopard

Has been replaced by the iCal widget which you need to use the "+" icon to re-add in the Dock

Use Spotlight to Calculate

You can type simple math formulas into Spotlight and the first result will be from Calculator with the result

Time Machine stops at 10GB, fix.

Listener George was hit by this one

Time Machine stops backing up

Some Leopard users have been experiencing an issue where TimeMachine stops after about 10 GB or more of data is backed up to an external disk.

In a tech support note, Apple explained that some external hard disks ship with a Master Boot Record partition type that is incompatible with Time Machine.

To fix the issue you will need to reformat the drive using Disk Utility (Mac OS Extended)