Apple on Thursday released a minor maintenance update for its photo-editing software, Aperture. Version 3.2.4 is said to improve stability when operating in Mac OS X Snow Leopard. The update also resolves an issue that sometimes prevented the Viewer from correctly updating after a photo had been modified in an external editor.
Yesterday in the MacNN forums, ghporter asks "is it worth upgrading from Snow Leopard to Lion?" read more here. Also yesterday one Senior User discovered they were having problems copying and pasting from e-mails and have turned to the forums for some advice.
Accompanying the just-released OS X 10.7.4 update, Apple has also posted several new versions of other products -- including Safari, Remote Desktop, the server version of Lion's Server Admin Tools and a security update for Snow Leopard users. The Safari and Remote Desktop updates apply to both Lion and Snow Leopard, and should be available through Software Update. The Safari update is available for both Mac and Windows users.
Apple is now preparing a pair of Java 6 runtime updates for OS X 10.6 and 10.7 that will mark the last Apple-custom versions of Java, handing over all future development and responsibility for Java on the Mac platform directly to Oracle. Apple had already stopped shipping a default version of Java with new Macs beginning with the release of Lion last summer, but had made in-house versions available to Lion users as well as continued supporting the Snow Leopard version.
Users of Intel Macs that have not, for one reason or another, yet upgraded to either Snow Leopard or Lion may be rewarded for their lethargy: an e-mail sent out to qualifying MobileMe customers offers them a free copy of Snow Leopard so that they can then upgrade to Lion and maintain their MobileMe account and address through iCloud. Respondent simply click on a special link to log into their MobileMe accounts and are directed to a registration form.
Apple has posted a new version of Safari, v5.1.5. The update is a minor one, simply resolving a glitch that "could affect website usability" when running in 32-bit mode. Separate Windows, Lion, and Snow Leopard downloads are available.
Apple late yesterday took an unusual step in posting a software update specifically for Snow Leopard users that resolves an issue where certain Apple software fails to install properly. The update is for users on the last version of Snow Leopard, 10.6.8, and is recommended for all such users. It will show up automatically in Software Update on qualifying machines, and is available from Apple's support website with a filesize of 1.34MB.
Apple has posted several new articles in its support database, including two that address specific issues. One deals with upgrading to Lion from Snow Leopard from a RAID volume, while the other explains some unexpected XSan Admin behavior when inconsistent or missing-name server records are used. XSan users also got a tutorial on advanced mounting options, while a fourth deals with restoring Lion Server from a Time Machine backup.
Late today Apple has updated almost all Epson printer drivers with built-in support for Snow Leopard and Lion, and has posted a minor update to its pro-photography tool Aperture to grant it the ability to delete photos from Photo Stream, an iCloud feature that can be set to wirelessly copy photos from mobile devices to desktop and notebooks and vice versa. The Epson update is number v2.9, while Aperture is now v3.2.3.
A new variant of the Flashback Trojan is infecting Macs, says security firm Intego. Dubbed Flashback.G, the malware is reported to use three different methods to try and infect a Mac. The first two involve Java vulnerabilities, which are stopped if a computer's Java installation is up to date. If a system has an outdated version of Java however, the Trojan may be able to install itself without a chance to intervene.
A problem with the previous 2012-001 Security Update posted for users of Snow Leopard (client and server) that caused Rosetta-based apps to misbehave or fail entirely has been corrected, and the company is pushing a "v1.1" edition of the update through its Software Update servers (support web page not yet updated). Over the next 24 hours, users who installed the previous security patch for 10.6.8 systems should see the update available.
The separate Security Update 2012-001 download for Snow Leopard users is breaking apps that depend on Rosetta, according to complaints. Rosetta allows PowerPC-based apps to operate within Snow Leopard. Programs such as Eudora 6, Acrobat Pro 7, Quicken 2007, and Office 2004 will reportedly crash, freeze, or exhibit other unexpected behavior, such as failing to print documents.
Today in the MacNN forums Grizzled Veteran sdilley14 asks other members for good reasons to purchase an Apple TV since they already have a PS3 and a XBox 360. One Posting Junkie has had a "troubling amount of pageouts in Snow Leopard" and has turned to the forums for some guidance.
Game makers Aspyr have re-released Doom 3, now in a version designed for modern Intel Macs. The game, first released on OS X in 2004, sports a rare (for the Mac platform) "M" rating for its nightmarish setting, violence and gore. The new version runs only on Intel Core2Duo or later chips under Snow Leopard or Lion, and does not work with the pre-Intel 3000HD integrated graphics chipsets. The engine for Doom 3 was released under the GPL last month.
Apple has released Safari 5.1.2, a bugfix release that contains several improvements, including addressing issues that can cause some webpages to flash white and other issues that would cause hangs and memory leaks. The new version improves stability and allows PDFs to be displayed within web content. The update is available for Lion (10.7.2), Snow Leopard (10.6.8) and Windows XP SP2 or later.
VMware will soon reverse an important change introduced with Fusion 4.1, according to an official blog post. Undocumented in the update was the ability to run virtualized copies of the Leopard and Snow Leopard clients. Apple's licensing normally restricts virtualization to Lion, Leopard Server and Snow Leopard Server.
VMware's Fusion 4.1 update has made an important, undocumented change, users have discovered. The software will now run virtualized Leopard and Snow Leopard clients, something that was previously blocked. The only requirement is that a user click "Continue" to assert that they have a license to run either OS on their system.
Apple has pushed out a new video update for MacBook Pros. The code is extremely narrow in focus, concentrating only on mid-2010 model 15-inch Pros still running Snow Leopard. It is however said to deal with serious graphical issues, including freezing or video disappearing entirely.
Adoption of Mac OS X Lion has slowed significantly in the past month, Chitika found in its latest web traffic results. While it was up to 14 percent in September after being available for two months, it had moved just two percent more by late October to hit 16 percent of the Mac user base. Snow Leopard still had a clear majority at 55 percent, while even the four years old Leopard was at 22 percent.
Apple has quietly posted a Java SE 6 update for Lion (version 1.6.0_29), as well as updating the Java runtime for Snow Leopard to the same version. The release fixes multiple security vulnerabilities that exist in Java 1.6.0_26.
A Mac Trojan now in circulation attempts to disable OS X's built-in anti-malware protection, known as XProtect, according to security firm F-Secure. Identified with the label OSX/Flashback.C, the Trojan first decrypts the paths of XProtectUpdater files, then unloads the XProtectUpdater daemon. To finish the job, the malware then overwrites the XProtectUpdater files with a blank character.
Apple concluded a series of major software updates yesterday by releasing Security Update 2011-006 for Snow Leopard and the iCloud Control Panel for Windows. The former mostly reflects security issues addressed by OS X 10.7.2, solving problems linked to: Apache, ATS, BIND, graphics, Jabber, Mailman, MediaKit, CoreFoundation, CoreMedia, PHP, Python, the application firewall, root certificates, HTTPS servers, QuickTime, Tomcat, X11, the App Store's help content, and finally the web server. The last fix is a part of the Server release of the Security Update.
Included with OS X 10.7.2 and also available for Windows is Safari 5.1.1, an update of Apple's signature web browser. The release adds iCloud support and is said to increase JavaScript performance by as much as 13 percent over Safari 5.1. Much of the upgrade, though, is dedicated to patching up bugs, such as ones causing hangs, excessive memory use, instability and opening links in windows instead of tabs.
Lion is still only the third most popular version of OS X, according to Chitika. New weekly data produced by the analytics firm puts Lion at just 14.18 percent of the market, compared with Snow Leopard, which remains dominant at 55.54 percent. Even Leopard -- now nearly four years old -- has greater representation at 22.23 percent.
As has become standard, Apple has quietly updated OS X definitions to counter a recently-publicized malware threat, checks show. Lion and Snow Leopard will now block a Trojan fronted by OSX/Revir.A, which in turn installs a backdoor program identified as OSX/Imuler.A. Although neither part of the Trojan is especially dangerous at the moment, Imuler could potentially be used at a later date to capture screenshots or steal files.
Apple has posted a trio of new software updates, the most important of which are Thunderbolt-related. The Thunderbolt Display Firmware Update fixes unspecified stability problems with Apple's latest product, and apart from the monitor requires a Mac running either OS X 10.6.8 or 10.7.1. A new Thunderbolt Software Update for Snow Leopard is required to use the Thunderbolt Display with the OS, and also fixes compatibility issues with other Thunderbolt devices. A matching Lion update was released late last week.
Apple has posted Security Update 2011-005, a new patch for OS X Lion and Snow Leopard. In each case the code is aimed at fixing just a single problem: fraudulent certificates issued by DigiNotar, a threat Microsoft dealt with on Wednesday. Apple notes that it has removed DigiNotar from the listed of trusted root and extended validation certificates. By default, OS X should now distrust any certificate connected to DigiNotar.
Apple has released updated drivers from Lexmark that cover all supported models under Snow Leopard and Lion, including all-in-one (AIO) models and scanner drivers. The company has only added support for one series -- the 6500e and 6500e Fax units -- but brings most updated drivers to version 10.6.4 or 10.7.0, the latter of which indicates support for Lion. In all, over 276 models or series of models have been updated.
Apple may be working on a Mac OS X 10.6.9 update to extend iCloud to Snow Leopard, an error message reveals. After upgrading a MobileMe account to iCloud, one developer says he encountered a unique error message in Tiger's .Mac preferences pane. "You will no longer be able to sync with this machine because you've upgraded to iCloud," it begins. "iCloud requires running Mac OS X Snow Leopard v10.6.9 or later for Contacts, Calendars, and Bookmarks."
Apple has released a new set of drivers for Epson printers. Now at v2.8, the drivers technically include both printing and scanning software. The download is a sizable 961.5MB, but is compatible with both Lion and Snow Leopard, and also supports a variety of languages.
Software Restore Solutions late Wednesday sued Apple (below) over claims Mac OS X copied its technology. According to the complaint, "at least" the Disk Utility feature in every version of Mac OS X from the 2001 original through to Snow Leopard copies one claim in a workgroup network manager patent from 1998. Apple supposedly knows the automated repair features could infringe on the patent but has shown "deliberate indifference" towards the consequences.
PowerUp is a new active task-management application, optimized for Snow Leopard and Lion, that lets users create to-do lists and easily update their progress. A reminder progress bar keeps users focused on the overall goal, and user can zero in on troublesome sections to change the progress bar to that one task. By checking off completed tasks but leaving them on the list, users gain motivation from accomplishment.
The Snow Leopard version of Safari is failing to block cookies properly, says security firm Sophos. Users running the browser on Mac OS X 10.6.8 in particular are reportedly seeing the software continue to keep some cookies active, even when settings have been changed to block all of them. Even the Safari 5.1 update hasn't solved the problem, according to Sophos.
Although Apple's own Time Machine is a good and easy-to-use solution for doing backups of user data, there are tasks it cannot do -- such as create a bootable external drive -- which are sometimes vital for troubleshooting, boot drive maintenance or other kinds of data restoration. Tri-Edre has timed the introduction its latest version of Clone X 4, which is now compatible with both Lion and Snow Leopard, to the introduction of Lion -- allowing users an easy way to clone their existing Snow Leopard installs before upgrading.
Apple has released a number of supplemental updates for Macs already running Snow Leopard v10.6.8, including the Server editions. The downloads are claimed to resolve issues related to data migration of personal files, settings, and applications as users upgrade to Mac OS X Lion. Other bug fixes focused on Snow Leopard functionality, addressing problems with network-attached printers and audio output via HDMI or optical connections.
Adobe has moved past Flash 10 technology for the first time in earnest with the posting of a Flash 11 beta and a corresponding AIR 3 beta. The two introduce Stage3D, a set of programming standards for "low-level" graphics acceleration. Nicknamed "Molehill," they allow for more advanced 3D in the plugin as well as better 2D performance.
Apple has released Java updates for Mac OS X, with separate downloads available for Leopard and Snow Leopard builds. Java for Mac OS X 10.5 Update 10 is said to bring improved reliability, security and compatibility for J2SE 5.0 and Java SE 6. The release no longer supports out-of-process Java applets, while J2SE 1.4.2 will not receive further bug fixes or security patches.
A bug discovered in the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Server update is causing the hardware monitoring daemon, hwmond, to consume up to 95 percent of CPU power on a variety of Xserves, according to an Apple forum thread. Member Arminhempel reports a CPU load up to 70 percent after every reboot on several Xserves he manages; Jean-Serge Remy has an Xserve Xeon showing an 84 percent hit, while InfraredAD is experiencing a 95 percent load on a 2008 quad-core Xserve, essentially wiping out an entire core. Both the combo and delta versions of the update have generated errors and, so far, the only reliable way to fix the issue is a downgrade to Mac OS X 10.6.7.
Apple has posted Mac OS X 10.6.8, what may be the final major update of Snow Leopard. One of the key features of the code is in fact preparation of the Mac App Store for Mac OS X Lion, which will launch sometime in July. The update is also designed to close several security holes, scrub "known variants" of Mac Defender, and improve VPN reliability as well as support for IPv6 networking.
Shortly after Apple formally introduced Final Cut Pro X, the company posted a note on its support site urging users to update their systems to Mac OS X 10.6.8 when running the new video editing software. The latest Snow Leopard release, v10.6.7, is listed as a minimum requirement, however the v10.6.8 build is currently still in beta development.
Apple chief Steve Jobs in a reported message to a Mac user claimed that Mac OS X Lion might need a Snow Leopard disc for a clean install. On those systems that don't ship with Lion media, he said a user can "can clean install Snow Leopaard [sic] first." He didn't explicitly rule out the option of starting from scratch with Lion for the MacRumors reader but implied it might not always be supported.
Apple has released a fifth developer build of Mac OS X 10.6.8, reports say. The forthcoming update is now at build 10K540, and as before has no known issues. Apple is likewise asking developers to test the same components: AirPort, VPN, networking, QuickTime, graphics drivers and the Mac App Store.
Apple is seeding a fourth build of Mac OS X 10.6.8 to developers, 10K537. The file is 454MB in delta form, or 1GB as a combo update. Apple is reporting no known issues, but asking developers to test graphics drivers, QuickTime and the Mac App Store, as well as networking components including AirPort and VPN functions.
(Update 2: Back to School too?) A pair of leaks Saturday night by well-known source Chronic pointed to both features buried inside iOS 5 as well as hints that the upcoming MacBook Air refresh could happen next week. Internal, Apple-only builds of iOS 5 have settings for "Nuance Dictation" and "Nuance Long Endpoint," suggesting that the rumored Nuance voice recognition support thought to be coming at WWDC was just buried, not scrapped. The approach is still mostly mysterious but is expected to use Apple's acquisition of Siri to produce complex voice commands beyond what Voice Control did in 2009.
Legendary first-person shooter developer id Software was at the Bethesda booth for E3 2011 as part of its tie in with ZeniMax, and we got a chance to talk to the company's Rafael Brown, who handles much of the company's mobile work. He discussed the company's current hesitation on Android and gave us brief hints about iPad 2 and iPhone 5 plans, the Sony PSVita, and even hints of a Mac port of Rage.
A new study of password cracking by Vijay Devakumar has shown that modern graphics cards may have rendered even tough passwords easy to crack. Tools such as IGHASHGPU can reduce the time taken to break an NTLM password used on Windows networks from a virtually impossible period to a realistic period. Using a strictly mid-range chip like the Radeon HD 5770, a very tough nine-character password can shrink from 43 years to 48 days; a five-character alphanumeric but random password can be broken in as little as 24 seconds.
Two clues Sunday morning have hinted that Apple may have two product or feature launches in the aftermath of WWDC. The company is expected by a source to have a major "visual update" on June 7 that would include both the usual changes as well as a window change, usually a clue as to a major new campaign. Speculation from 9to5 is that it may represent the start of the back to school sale, although it could also be new AirPort and Time Capsule routers.
A newer variant of Mac Defender which bypassed Security Update 2011-003 on Tuesday has in turn been defeated by a definition update, an Italian website notes. A check of Snow Leopard's XProtect.plist file should now show an entry for "OSX.MacDefender.C." Definitions for A and B variants of the malware were included with the Security Update.
Malware coders have already managed to bypass the initial antivirus signatures implemented with Security Update 2011-003, a report notes. A new version of Mac Defender, linked to a file called Mdinstall.pkg, appears to have been deliberately crafted to go undetected by up-to-date copies of Snow Leopard. The file is even timestamped to Tuesday at 9:24PM Pacific time, meaning that less than eight hours elapsed before attackers managed to once again circumvent Mac OS' protections.
Apple has released Security Update 2011-003, a patch for Mac OS X Snow Leopard. The fix's main goal is protection against Mac Defender, a piece of malware that attempts to scam credit card numbers from people duped into installing it. A definition for Mac Defender has been added to File Quarantine, and when the code is detected Snow Leopard will try to remove it. The new safeguards cover both Mac Defender itself and unspecified variants.
