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News & Opinion
Safari 5.1.7 for Snow Leopard and Lion Blocks
Outdated Flash
Apple says Safari 5.1.7 contains improvements to performance,
stability, compatibility, and security, including changes that:
- Improve the browser's responsiveness when the system is low on
memory
- Fix an issue that could prevent webpages from responding after
using a pinch to zoom gesture
- Fix an issue that could affect websites using forms to authenticate
users
- Disable versions of Adobe Flash Player that do not include the
latest security updates and provide the option to get the current
version from Adobe's website.
New in version 5.1.7:
- Improve the browser's responsiveness when the system is low on
memory
- Fix an issue that could prevent webpages from responding after
using a pinch to zoom gesture
- Fix an issue that could affect websites using forms to authenticate
users
- Disable versions of Adobe Flash Player that do not include the
latest security updates and provide the option to get the current
version from Adobe's website.
For information on the security content of this update, visit
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222
Requirements: Mac OS X 10.6.8, 10.7.3, or later
Link: About Safari 5.1.7
Link: Safari 5.1.7
OS X Lion 10.7.4 Released
The OS X Lion Update 10.7.4 update is recommended by Apple for all
OS X Lion users and includes general operating system fixes that Apple
says will improve the stability, compatibility, and security of your
Mac. The OS X Lion v10.7.4 Update includes fixes that:
- Resolve an issue in which the "Reopen windows when logging back in"
setting is always enabled.
- Improve compatibility with certain British third-party USB
keyboards
- Address an issue that may prevent files from being saved to a
server
- Improve the reliability of copying files to an SMB server
- Addresses permission issues that may be caused if you use the Get
Info inspector function "Apply to enclosed items" on your home
directory. For more information, see this article.
- Improve Internet sharing of PPPoE connections.
- Improve using a proxy auto-configuration (PAC) file.
- Address an issue that may prevent files from being saved to an SMB
server.
- Improve printing to an SMB print queue.
- Improve performance when connecting to a WebDAV server.
- Enable automatic login for NIS accounts.
- Include RAW image compatibility for additional digital
cameras.
- Improve the reliability of binding and logging into Active
Directory accounts.
The OS X Lion v10.7.4 Update includes Safari 5.1.6, which contains
stability improvements.
For information on the security content of this update, visit
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222
System Requirements : OS X Lion 10.7.3
Note that you can manually download the update installer - a useful
option when you need to update multiple computers but only want to
download the update once. These versions of the standalone installers
are available from Apple Support Downloads.
Link: About the OS X Lion v10.7.4
Update
Link: OS X Lion Update
10.7.4 (Client)
Apple Extends MobileMe to iCloud Migration Deadline
to September 30
Japanese Apple-watcher site reports that Apple now will provide a 20
GB addition storage plan after the iCloud shift for MobileMe users for
free until June 30, 2012, but extends the period of use to September
30, 2012.
The iCloud service is free for iOS 5 and OS X Lion users. More
information is available at http://www.apple.com/icloud
The core services provided by MobileMe have been completely
rewritten and are now part of iCloud. MobileMe will no longer be
available after June 30th, 2012. To continue to have mail, contacts,
and calendars kept up to date automatically and free of charge, and to
access the new services that iCloud provides, MobileMe members must
move their accounts to iCloud before June 30th, 2012. For more
information, visit http://www.apple.com/mobileme/transition.html
MobileMe services available in iCloud include:
- Mail
- Contacts
- Calendar
- Bookmarks
- Find My iPhone
- Back to My Mac
No longer Available are:
- iWeb publishing
- Gallery
- iDisk
iCloud includes the following new services:
- iTunes in the Cloud
- Photo Stream
- Documents in the Cloud
- Automatic downloads and purchase history for apps and books
- Backup and restore
You can continue publishing iWeb sites to MobileMe through June
30th, 2012, even after moving to iCloud. After June 30th, websites
published to MobileMe will no longer be available. However, with iWeb
you can easily move a site published to MobileMe to another web hosting
service. For more information, visit https://support.apple.com/kb/HT4686
You can continue using MobileMe Gallery through June 30th, 2012,
even after moving to iCloud. After June 30th, your gallery will no
longer be available. You should save copies of all photos published to
your gallery before that date. Apple notes that if you have a Mac, it's
likely that most of your gallery photos are already in iPhoto. If not,
you can sync the gallery photos to your iPhoto library. For more
information, visit https://support.apple.com/kb/HT4702
You can continue using MobileMe iDisk through June 30th, 2012, even
after moving to iCloud. After June 30th, iDisk will no longer be
available. You should save copies of all files stored on iDisk before
that date. Read this article for details https://support.apple.com/kb/HT4701
System Requirements:
- iOS 5 or later on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
- OS X Lion v10.7.2 or later on a Mac
- Microsoft Windows 7 or Vista (Service Pack 2 or later) on a PC
For OS X 10,5 Leopard users, Apple is giving away free copies of
Snow Leopard that will enable you up to upgrade to OS X Lion if your
Mac is supported by the current Mac OS: For details see https://secure.me.com/account/?flow=snowleopard
As of May 1, you can choose to keep using your mail after MobileMe
ends, even on devices that don't meet the iCloud system requirements.
Just go to me.com/move and select the option to keep using your email
after MobileMe ends. Once you have completed this short process, your
mail will continue to work on devices that don't meet the iCloud
requirements after MobileMe ends on June 30th, 2012.
Publisher's note: If you're using MobileMe with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard on PowerPC Macs,
you're out of luck. Ditto if you're using Leopard or 10.6 Snow Leopard on a Core Duo Mac. If
you need iCloud, you need to buy a Mac that supports OS X 10.7 Lion. If you're running a
Core 2 Duo or newer Mac, you have no choice but to install Lion if you
want to use iCloud - you may want to consider creating a dual-boot Mac
so you can switch between Lion and Snow Leopard as necessary. (Or maybe
just add a second Mac.) Another option comes out of left field: Use
Parallels
Desktop for Mac or VMware Fusion
to virtualize Windows 7 or Vista on your Intel Mac. Kind of crazy how
Microsoft supports
older Macs better than Apple does, and that iCloud gives those
using older Macs a good excuse to install Windows. Bizarre!
dk
Link: Apple、MobileMeユーザーのiCloud移行後、年間3,400円の20GB追加ストレージプランの無料適用期間を9/30までに延長
(Japanese-to-English
translation by Google Translate)
Symantec Explains How Flashback Malware Works
Symantec has published a new blog post on the inner workings of the
Flashback malware that should be of interest to Mac users. The full
post and graphics can be found here:
How Flashback works.
The analysis provides a technical overview of this threat, which
used browser plugins to exploit a Java vulnerability on the Mac
platform, including:
- The infection and click-jacking processes employed to target Mac
owners
- The command and control server verification process, which are
employed to try to prevent the server from being taken down by security
vendors and/or law enforcement.
- The use of the two methods - domain generation algorithm and
specially crafted Twitter messages to communicate new command and
control servers
Link: OSX.FlashBack.K -
An Overview and Its Inner Workings
Why You Can't Dump Java Even Though You Want
To
InfoWorld's Roger A. Grimes observes that with so many recent
exploits using Java as their attack vector, you might conclude that
Java should be eliminated - but banishing Java is easier said than
done. Many enterprises live and thrive on Java, both pure Java programs
and runtime applets running in the browser, and therefore can't remove
it, and many websites and services also require Java.
Link: Why You Can't Dump
Java (Even Though You Want To)
How to Use Android with Your Mac
AppStorm's Alex Arena notes that as Mac users, we're often expected
to fit within the lines of the Apple ecosystem - a Mac, iPhone, and
maybe even an iPad. But Arena argues that the fact of the matter is
that for many people, using something other than an iOS device just
makes sense.
In that vein, Afrena tries to break down preconceived notions and
help you get the most out of your Android device by using it in
conjunction with your Mac, noting that he can almost guarantee you'll
be surprised by what Droid can do with the help of your Mac.
Publisher's note: As a longtime Palm user (to this day), I hear this
clearly. Since the advent of the iPhone, Apple has eliminated some of
the hooks that once made Palm the preferred
PDA platform for Mac users. While I love my iPhone, its apps, and
its 3G connectivity, there are a few things I like better on my Palm
Centro. Even though Android phones and tablets are a minority platform,
it's great to see the being supported on Macs. dk
Link: How to Use Android
with Your Mac
1-in-100 Chance a New Mac Pro Will Destroy Your
Data
The Register's Anna Leach reports that Apple is recalling a batch of
Mac Pro towers in the UK after a "small number" sold last month turned
out to have defective hard disks that may put data at risk according to
Apple in its recall notice, with the number of recalled computers in
the "single digits."
"Apple has determined that the hard drives in a small
number of Mac Pro systems, built from late March to early April, have a
reliability issue that could cause data loss. Our records indicate that
the Mac Pro system you recently purchased may be affected. We would
like to replace the drive that shipped with your system or, if you
prefer, replace the entire Mac Pro system."
Link: Bought a New Mac
Pro? 1-in-100 Chance It'll Destroy Your Data
Tech Trends
Browser Trends: Chrome Passes Firefox for #2
Spot
DailyInfographic has posted an infographic showing browser
trends since the advent of Google Chrome, usage of which has
exploded since 2008, and the evolution of screen resolution during that
same time interval.
Chrome in 2012 is just behind Mozilla.org's Firefox in total usage.
With screen resolution, the trend has been unsurprisingly upwards.
Publisher's note: I hate bad infographics, and this is one of the
worst. EagerEyes notes that most people don't
understand pie charts - and donut charts (as used here by
DailyInfographic) are even worse. "The comparison between separate pie
or donut charts is also largely meaningless, and should be avoided. To
show progression over time, line and bar charts are much better
suited."
Far better is this line chart adapted from Stat
Owl showing month-by-month change from September 2008 through
January 2012:
Link:
Screen Resolution & Browser Trends [infographic]
Products & Services
Amazon Cloud Drive for Mac
PR: Amazon's new Cloud Drive Easy client software for the Mac
lets you quickly access its Cloud Drive service from your computer
to:
- Easily upload your photos, documents, videos and other files
- Drag and drop files and folders to the Cloud Drive icon
- Right-click any file or folder and send to Amazon Cloud Drive
- Easy download of one or more files and folders from Cloud
Drive
- Uploads and downloads run in the background
- Continue using your computer as you normally would, the app can
handle restarts and lost Internet connections without losing your
data
- Pause and resume at any time
Cloud Drive includes 5 GB of free cloud-based storage. Cloud Drive
Easy for Mac requires OS X 10.6 or later.
Link: Amazon
Releases Cloud Drive
iCloud Not Enough? Microsoft Says Try
SkyDrive
Microsoft SkyDrive supports Macs and iOS devices.
PR: Do you use Microsoft Office on a Mac or a PC and need to
work across devices or share with other people? If so, Microsoft
contends that its SkyDrive Cloud service is the best cloud for your
files. Reasons cited include:
Access Files and Office Docs, Anywhere
With iCloud, you can only access certain files across devices like
iWork files or photos you take on your iPhone.
With SkyDrive, you can access or manage any file from anywhere. It
doesn't matter whether the file is a document, photo, video, PDF, or
anything else - just drag files to the SkyDrive folder on your Mac and
they'll automatically be available on your iPhone, iPad, or PC. If you
don't have your devices with you, you can still access, view, or edit
any file by signing in to SkyDrive.com on any browser.
Share and Work Together with Anyone
With iCloud, you can only collaborate with people who have the right
software.
With SkyDrive, you can share any type of file - even big ones up to
2 GB - with anyone. SkyDrive works seamlessly with Office. Anyone you
share with can view or edit Word, PowerPoint, or Excel files using
Office for Mac, Office for Windows, or with Office Web Apps in their
browser
Your Notes, Everywhere
With iCloud, you can access notes across your devices but can't
share them.
SkyDrive and OneNote, both free, are integrated so you can take
notes, track to-dos and lists all in one place, and share your lists
with friends and family so they can coordinate shopping or other tasks
you're working on together. You can share and keep your lists
automatically updated from any device.
Of course, there's more to life than computers. There are also
phones, tablets, and the Web to consider. SkyDrive works and plays well
with others. Download the SkyDrive app to your favorite devices and let
SkyDrive keep your photos and files accessible from, automatically
synced with, and updated on all of those devices.
SkyDrive includes 7 GB of free cloud storage.
System requirements: Microsoft SkyDrive currently requires Mac OS X
10.7 Lion
Link: iCloud Not Enough?
Microsoft Says Try SkyDrive
Link: Download
SkyDrive
Link:
SkyDrive for iOS
Software
Free OS Track System Monitor
PR: OS Track is a monitoring system for your computer that
allows you to analyse your use of the resources of your OS over
time.
CPU, memory and network bandwidth are monitored constantly, giving
you a clear graphical representation of your use of these resources.
With this simple-to-use app, you will be able to supervise your
computer usage history and compare the effective impact of each of the
systems applications.
OS Track lets you quickly and easily which applications are using
the most network bandwidth and which are excessively occupying the CPU,
without needing to continuously monitor the system status: OsTrack
carries out this activity for you, giving you the ability to view
graphical representations of the functioning of individual apps at a
glance.
The app retains a 60-day history for your system, in addition to
allowing you to filter data using four major time intervals:
- 7 days
- 15 days
- 30 days
- 60 days
Analysing your history in this way makes it easy to see on which
days the system was put under stress and which applications contributed
to these events.
Easy-to-use filters at the top of the app allow you to filter
applications by name, while the tab All allows you to view a global
representation of all activities.
What's New in Version 1.03
- Improved Performance uses less CPU
- Several fixes
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.6 or later
Freeware
Link:
OS Track
Lion DiskMaker Freeware Lion Boot Disk Creation
Tool
PR: Guillaume Gète's Lion Disk Maker is a small
application programmed with AppleScript that you can use with Mac OS X
10.6 or 10.7 to burn a DVD or build a bootable USB drive from Mac OS X
Lion's installer program.
As soon as you launch Lion DiskMaker the application, it checks the
presence of Mac OS X Lion Install in the /Applications folder, or tries
to find one using Spotlight. Then, it proposes to build a DVD or create
a USB bootable install disk.
To burn the DVD, you'll need a SuperDrive and a writable DVD (single
layer, 4.7 GB). To build a bootable disk, you'll need a 4 GB
(minimum) USB or FireWire drive or an SD-Card.
WARNING!: The entire contents of the drive (including other
partition volumes, if any) will be erased. You must back up any
important data to another disk.
The Mac OS X Lion installer is automatically erased after you
upgrade from Snow Leopard to Lion. If you need to download it again,
open the Mac App Store, open the Purchase page while pressing Option
(Alt) key. You'll be able to download Mac OS X Lion Install again.
The best time to use Lion DiskMaker is when you just finish
downloading Lion from the Mac App Store. Create your disk with Lion
Disk Maker, then install Lion.
You can also use Lion DiskMaker with the latest MacBook Airs and Mac
minis that shipped with Lion (Summer 2011 models). If you've already
purchased Lion on the Mac App Store (and therefore have a valid copy of
the Mac OS X Lion Install application), you can download the full
10.7.2 installer from Mac App Store first. This installer is compatible
with Macs that came with Lion installed.
If you did not purchase Lion, but want to get an Install disc, there
is a way to get the InstallESD.dmg file for your Mac, albeit not simple
or straightforward. Check afp548.com for the full story. After you get
the InstallESD.dmg file, you can use it use it to build your flash
drive, DVD, FireWire or SD-Card boot disk with Lion DiskMaker.
Note that a DVD boot disk will always be slower than a USB flash
drive, and the developer says it seems Lion's disk image is not
optimized for use with optical disks, so if you can use a USB flash
drive it's recommended.
New in v1.7b1
- 4 GB USB drives again compatible with Lion 10.7.3. I had to regain
space by not copying AdditionalSpeechVoices.pkg (which is NOT
essential) if you choose to use a 4 GB USB thumb drive. Lion DiskMaker
will propose to copy AdditionalSpeechVoices.pkg on the Desktop after
creating the disk.
- Now you can use Lion DiskMaker to create a boot disk without
reformatting the WHOLE volume. Now, if you use a bigger-than-4-GB disk,
only the volume selected to install Lion DiskMaker will be erased. The
other volumes will be kept safe.
- If you use a more-than-4 GB drive, the disk will be visible in the
Startup control panel, with its real name but the disk will need to use
the GUID partition scheme.
- More languages : Lion DiskMaker is now translated in Italian and
Chinese ! A German version should arrive soon.
Note that Lion DiskMaker is not compatible with OS X Mountain Lion
Developer Preview. This should come in another version.
Lion DiskMaker is donationware.
Link: Lion DiskMaker
Desktop Mac
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