Tips and Tricks

Always nice to welcome a new high-end application to Apple’s computing platforms, and this one

Apple has updated its Boot Camp drivers, software which enables Intel Macs to boot up into Windows XP and Vista.

Boot Camp users must source their own copy of Microsoft Windows to employ within Boot Camp.

The 23.87MB update doesn

We received word this morning of what could be a brand new phishing attack that

Google has confirmed its intent to deliver a beta version of its Google Chrome browser for the Mac by the end of the year, and expects to deliver the software in December.

Slightly eclipsed by the release of 10.6.2, Apple last night also released important security updates for older OS X systems and introduced new software for its newly-introduced Wireless Keyboard.

Wireless Keyboard Update 2.0 requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later to be installed and switches on the special features of the keyboard. It

Apple just released 10.6.2 so go hit that Software Update (unless you are on a Atom-based Netbook that is).  500MB later, how are you rolling?  Snappy

We

A slight upgrade for music makers out there, Apple has introduced WaveBurner 1.6.1, an update to the component application included within Logic Studio.

The upgrade resolves a number of niggles which had been impacting users of the CD mastering and authoring tool. Musicians use this to produce demo discs, premasters, Red Book

Update: Firefox has also (coincidentally?) released their 3.6 beta today.

 Watch out, there’s a new (Mac) browser heading to town, Camino 2.0.

The browser has reached its fourth beta version, and while developers warn it may not be stable and probably isn’t suitable for daily use, though you can stick with Safari or give Camino 1.6.10 a try, if you wish.

The browser is a lot like Safari and developed by Mozilla. This will be the last beta, and while there’s a healthy list of known bugs, this version’s in distribution to ensure no critical problems remain in advance of final release.

There’s a goodly list of new and exciting features, including tabbed browsing, new security features, content zoom, download notifications, support for Full Keyboard Access the capacity to block Flash apps by default (unless you want to watch particular ones), new AppleScript features – there’s loads, so we could go on.

Camino is an open source web browser which uses the Gecko rendering engine. The Camino Project works to create a browser that is as functional and elegant as the computers it runs on. The Camino web browser is powerful, secure, and ready to meet the needs of all users while remaining simple and elegant in its design.

Go and grab the beta here (illustration is of current stable 1.6.10 build).

Verizon FiOS Mac customers might be interested in this one: Verizon is now offering a conduit for your iPhoto and iTunes to work through your FiOS DVR.  You need to have reasonably recent versions of Mac software and a FiOS DVR.  It is sort of like a (more) crippled AppleTV.   Want more information?  The nice young lady below will explain it to you as if you were a two year old:

http://www36.verizon.com/fiostv/web/Resources/V_101509_1049/Flash/playerCode.swf

Verizon doesn’t explain whether or not iTunes videos will work, or maybe it did and we couldn’t listen to the whole thing.

[Via Engadget]

Disappointing reports claiming the 27-inch iMac may suffer performance problems have begun emerging, emanating from Apple’s Discussion Forums.

It’s not at all clear what the root cause of the problem is, but we’ve noticed a big uptick in people complaining about performance issues on new 27-inch iMacs on Apple’s support boards.

The most common symptom seems to be incredibly slow Flash video playback, others complain there’s a bug forcing the hard drive to spin down. There’s even reports these Macs ship with a corrupted Snow Leopard build installed on the computer.

“I just upgraded my 24" iMac to the new 27" iMacs that just came out. Well, now every flash-based site like youtube or hulu runs unbelievably slow. Looking at activity monitor, Flash is hitting about 100-110% of my cpu. It basically makes the browser unresponsive and the video is choppy,” one user claims on the Apple forums.

It must be stressed these reports do not claim all new 27-inch iMacs are so affected, it seems to be a problem (or series of problems) which afflict only some units at this time.

Apple Discussions

Topic : Flash video causing 105% CPU usage spikes

Topic : New 27" iMac — Slow Flash Video

Via: Engadget

Apple’s latest pre-release Mac OS X 10.6.2 beta (Build 10C535) is now in distribution to developers.

This new build focuses on graphics drivers, trackpad preferences and virtual machine creation. Good news: like the preceeding beta, this new version lists no known issues, reinforcing expectation Apple will ship the new OS imminently.

As previously reported, one serious bug fixed in this release is the one in which guest account problems could see users losing all the data held in their regular accounts. The update also ushers in native support for the new Magic Mouse.

Tweaked components include: AppleBacklight, Battery Menu, Dictionary, Expose, FileSync, Family Controls, Fonts, Front Row, HFS, Inkwell, iPhoto, MobileMe, OpenCL, Parental Controls, QuickTime, Screen Sharing, Spell Checker, Spotlight, Time Machine, and USB.

Via: AI

For those of you lucky enough to be picking up a new iMac, you may want to bump up the memory a little bit from Apple’s standard configurations. Apple is notoriously pricey (though less so recently) when it comes to memory upgrades so you may want to consider a doing it yourself. No worries. Apple has you covered there too. 

Apple’s new support document HT3918 covers the easy steps to upgrading your RAM (spoiler – it is exactly how you’d think you’d do it).  Apple requires the same 1066MHz SDRAM that were in previous models.  You can pick this up at Amazon (2x2GB)4GB for $80 or the 8GB (2x4GB) upgrade for about $600-$700.

Pasted installation below:

To install memory into the bottom slot, follow these instructions:

1. Turn off your computer by choosing Shut Down from the Apple (?) menu.
2. Disconnect all cables and the power cord from your computer.
3. Place a soft, clean towel or cloth on the desk or other flat surface to prevent scratching the LCD display.
4. Hold the sides of the computer and slowly lay the computer face-down.
5. Using a Philips screwdriver, remove the RAM access door in the bottom of your computer.

   

6. Remove the access door and set it aside.
7. Untuck the tab in the memory compartment. If you are replacing a memory module, gently pull the tab to eject any installed memory module.

   

8. Insert your new or replacement SO-DIMM into the empty slot, keeping in mind the orientation of the keyway of the SO-DIMM as shown below.
9. Once inserted, press the DIMM up into the slot. There should be a slight click when the memory is seated correctly.

   

10. Tuck the tabs above the memory DIMMs, and re-install the memory access door.
    
11. Stand the computer in its upright position, reconnect the power cord and all other cables to the computer, then start up the computer.

Update – Crucial has the 8GB set for $640

Sure, Microsoft Office may be the de facto standard for word processing, spreadsheets and all that sort of work-related thing, but does it have to be? After all, even the student edition sets you back $126.99 – isn’t that cash safer and happier in your pocket, or even spent on one of our regularly updated bargain Toys?

If you’re looking for an alternative, there’s a new free toy in town, where NeoOffice.org has introduced a new version of popular, OS X-friendly, open source office suite, NeoOffice.

This adds Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard support, and includes NeoOffice Mobile, which provides a way to securely share NeoOffice files with other users and other computers.

“In Mac OS X 10.6, Apple made many changes that caused all previous versions of NeoOffice to fail to install or fail to launch,” the team of developers in charge with the suite says. “This release is the first NeoOffice release that should install and launch on Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.”

NeoOffice is a fully-featured set of office applications (including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and drawing programs) for Mac OS X.

Based on the OpenOffice.org office suite, NeoOffice incorporates dozens of native Mac features and can import, edit, and exchange files with other popular office programs such as Microsoft Office. Unlike previous releases (bar v.3) it doesn’t require use of the X11 windowing system.

Here are some key features of "NeoOffice":

· Uses the Native Mac OS X Spellchecker
Unlike OpenOffice.org, NeoOffice has an enhanced spellchecker that uses the Mac OS X spellchecking dictionary. With this enhanced spellchecker, users no longer need to download and install spellchecking dictionaries if Mac OS X already has a dictionary for their language.

· Uses the Native Mac OS X Address Book
NeoOffice has included the ability to use the Mac OS X address book as a data source. This feature, which was developed by OpenOffice.org, is expected to be in their OpenOffice.org 2.3 release.

· Handles Most Microsoft Office 2007 Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Files
NeoOffice includes the ODF Add-in for Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The ODF Add-in is an open source project that makes it possible for NeoOffice to open, edit, and save most files in the Office 2007 Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats. This feature is not available in current Mac versions of Microsoft Office and will not be available until Office 2008 for the Mac is released.

· Handles Macros in Excel Files
NeoOffice includes the Excel macro support developed by Novell’s ooo-build project. The ooo-build project is an open source project that continually develops feature enhancements to OpenOffice.org.

· Uses Mac OS X fonts
NeoOffice uses the same fonts that all of your other Mac OS X applications use.

· Handles international keyboards
Unlike OpenOffice.org, NeoOffice will use any keyboard layout that you use. Also, if you switch your keyboard layout while NeoOffice is running, NeoOffice will automatically switch as well.

· Native printing support
NeoOffice supports printing using Mac OS X’s native printing functionality. Like other Mac OS X applications, you can use NeoOffice to print, preview, or save a document to a PDF file.

· Native copy and paste support
NeoOffice supports copying and pasting using Mac OS X’s native clipboard so you can copy and paste text and images between NeoOffice and other Mac OS X applications.

· Native drag-and-drop support
NeoOffice supports native drag-and-drop so you can drag and drop text and images between NeoOffice and other Mac OS X applications.

There you have it – fewer bells, whistles and extra features you’ll never see or use, but a whole heap cheaper on your pocket, NeoOffice 3.0.1
 

With Windows 7 out the breech and Snow Leopard already purring on many Macs, news that VMWare Fusion 3.0 ships today, October 27, is well-timed.

You may have missed the brilliant weekend deal which enabled you to pick up a copy of this sophisticated virtual machine software for just c.$27 this weekend…however, it is available now through Amazon in the US at $5 off book price, $74.99. (Steeper discount on a higher price in the UK, where you can pick up a copy for £58.99, as against the £68.46 book price).

We have been impressed by the speed and parity with which the virtualisation software runs guest OS’s on the Mac. The Unity engine is extremely stable (as far as we can tell), the integration between the OS’s impresses, and it opens your Mac up for Open GL and Directx support.

Better still, if you plan switching to Mac and have an old WIndows install disk, using the built-in Migration Assistant for Windows, VMware Fusion 3 can convert your entire PC and bring it over to your Mac in a few easy steps, giving you access to your Windows applications, documents and other files. Just install a simple application on your PC, connect it to your Mac with a cable or wirelessly, and VMware Fusion will guide you through the rest.

Additional features:
    •    VMware Fusion 3 provides the ultimate Windows experience on the Mac
    •    Optimized for Mac OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard
    •    64-bit native and advanced 3D graphics
    •    Windows 7 support including Windows Aero and Flip 3D animations
    •    Ultra-fast Migration Assistant for Windows to transfer your entire PC to your Mac wirelessly or using an Ethernet cable.

Oh, and it’s not just Windows, the software lets you run a host of guest OS’s, including multiple Linux distros.

Apple has unleashed a pair of important software updates, one for users of its professional applications, the other for Mac OS X server admins (whose numbers recently begun to swell on the release of the Mac mini server configuration).

Pro Applications Update 2009-01 is for users of Apple’s professional video- and audio-production suite, Final Cut Studio. Information on the update is available below.

Server Diagnostics 3X106 is a free package of tools that test your server for hardware issues. “Apple Server Diagnostics (AXD) runs a customizable set of tests to help you diagnose issues with server components,” Apple states. Components include the Boot ROM, Ethernet controller, fan, hard drive, memory, power supply, processor, sensor, USB ports, and the video controller.

“You can run AXD in Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI), which is referred to as AXD EFI tools, or in Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server,” the company adds. This software is available here.

About Pro Applications Update 2009-01

Pro Applications Update 2009-01 is a revision to Final Cut Studio (2009).

This update includes Final Cut Pro 7.0.1, Motion 4.0.1, Soundtrack Pro 3.0.1, Color 1.5.1, and Compressor 3.5.1. The software addresses general compatibility issues, improves overall stability, and addresses a number of other minor issues.

Requirements to install all Final Cut Studio applications include a Mac computer with an Intel processor, as well as the following specs and software:

– 1GB of RAM (2GB of RAM recommended when working with compressed HD and uncompressed SD sources; 4GB of RAM recommended when working with uncompressed HD sources);
– ATI or NVIDIA graphics processor (integrated Intel graphics processors not supported);
– 128MB of VRAM;
– Display with 1280-by-800 resolution or higher;
– Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later;
– QuickTime 7.6.2 or later;
– DVD drive for installation;
– 4GB of disk space required to install all applications (Final Cut Pro, Motion, Soundtrack Pro, Color, Compressor, DVD Studio Pro, Cinema Tools, and Apple Qmaster);
– 46GB of disk space required for optional content;
– 9GB for DVD Studio Pro content;
– 7GB for Motion templates;
– 22GB for audio content;
– 8GB for LiveFonts.

Download this update here.
 

Time Machine is good, but sometimes glitchy, with remote disks connected to AirPort Extreme behaving erratically, and other limitations to what you can do – not least that you can’t back your data up online. And that’s where new cross platform backup solution, CrashPlan steps in.

Developers, Code 42 Software offer the solution, making it available free to consumer and small business users, with the more powerful and robust CrashPlan+ service introduced yesterday for enterprise users (which costs $59 US for real-time backup and web restores). In other words, this easy-to-use solution scales for every user, from individual to enterprise users.

The software will automatically back your data up to other computers, external hard drives or even the company’s eminently affordable online back-up service. (And it’s all protected by hardcore security protocols – CrashPlan+ offers 448-bit encryption).

Online service, CrashPlan Central, offers unlimited online backup/storage and costs from as little as $3.50 US per month for individuals and under $5.00 for a family plan (there’s a free 30-day trial, also). You’re not required to sign up to CrashPlan Central though, because CrashPlan can back up to friends’ computers for free.

The software is widely compatible – Windows, OS X, Linux or even Solaris platforms are all covered. Users can backup in multiple ways: locally, remotely and online. CrashPlan also offers automatic backup, which the company claims to be so efficient users won’t even be able to tell it’s going on.

The solution reduces file size by using advanced compression technology. It identifies duplicate files and parts of files and stores them only once. When files change, only the new information is backed up.

Once your files are backed up, CrashPlan continuously checks your files are 100% healthy and ready to restore when you need them. If it finds any problems, it fixes them.

CrahPlan+ offers version retention – the ability to specify rules for removing versions and files from your backup after you no longer care about them. It’s also pretty easy to set the frequency of backups and the number of versions to keep, using slider controls to specify versions to retain over specific periods.

The user can set the frequency of backup, for example: hourly for the first week, while a file is being worked on, then retaining fewer versions as the file gets older.

Code 42’s co-founder Matthew Dornquast said, "Relying on cloud computing as your only backup can be dangerous, as Sidekick users recently found out. CrashPlan can back up to local disk, a friend’s disk, and the cloud in the form of CrashPlan Central. Spreading the risk this way make your data safer."
"Other backup systems use disk space in a comparatively wasteful way. CrashPlan’s frugal approach means less disk space and backups are faster and much more efficient."

CrashPlan works on PCs, Macs, Linux and Solaris. It will also back up from any of the operating systems listed to any other platform it supports.
 

Elgato today announced the new EyeTV DTT Deluxe, a tiny DVB-T stick that’s barely larger than a USB connector.

For the European market, EyeTV DTT Deluxe offers Freeview reception and is available now for €89.95 / £79.95. It ships with Elgato’s Mac TV software, EyeTV 3. The package also includes drivers for Windows 7 and ships with TerraTec’s Home Cinema software for Windows.

The great advantage of the newly-introduced product is that because it it so small it slips easily into the USB port of any MacBook without blocking the neighboring USB slot for use by other devices.

The product also includes a miniature telescopic aerial that attaches to the end of the TV stick without wires or cables, and a larger portable rod antenna is also included as an alternative.

For really weak signal areas, the pack also includes an IEC-MCX adapter which will connect any type of independently-powered active aerial or any standard rooftop aerial. The EyeTV DTT Deluxe ships with an infrared remote control. The new product’s available now direct from the company, through the Apple Store and many retailers.