MacInTouch

heat issues ...

smart playlist tip, washed iPhone ...

".Mac" groups end ...

Top Sites control, compatibility issues, other notes ...

Robert Mohns reviews the second-generation iPod Touch, covering its fast hardware, OS 2 software, App Store, compatibility issues, applications and much more. ...

The latest Xcode release "provides additional GCC and LLVM compiler options, general bug fixes, and must be installed on Leopard, Mac OS X 10.5.0 and higher." ...

The SDK contains the Xcode IDE, Instruments, iPhone simulator, frameworks and samples, compilers, Shark analysis tool, and more. ...

This utility makes it possible to create, maintain, encrypt, and push configuration profiles, track and install provisioning profiles and authorized applications, and capture device information including console logs. ...

Addresses "incompatibilities between Safari 4.0 and iPhoto '09, including Places and Facebook publishing." ...

The update "provides bug fixes and better compatibility with the Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse and Apple Wireless Keyboard" for Macs using the Broadcom Bluetooth chipset. ...

The virtualization software guest OS support for Mac OS X Server on Nehalem Xeons, the beginnings of 32-bit Snow Leopard support, reduced CPU use when idle, and other changes. ...

Adobe release updates for InDesign and InCopy CS4, Lightroom, Camera Raw for CS4, and the DNG Software Development Kit. ...

"...addresses an issue reported by a small number of customers using drives based on the SATA 3Gbps specification with the June 2009 MacBook Pro." ...

Ecamm Network's BT-1 Bluetooth wireless webcam streams H.264 video and AAC audio with 640x480 resolution, four-hour talk time, automatic pairing, and compatibility with iChat, Skype, and other programs. ...

HAMSoft's source code search and management utility adds XML, ASP, Cold Fusion, and REALbasic Native Version Control Format code files to the supported file types, preferences for Code Preview fonts and colors, a keyboard command for Find Next in Code Preview, and other changes. ...

This firmware update for Time Capsule, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Express base stations includes connectivity fixes and other updates. ...

"...improves real-time playback capabilities with Mac Pro (Early 2009) models and Xserve (Early 2009) models when working with complex sequences or high-bandwidth media formats." ...

update problems, 64-bit memory issues ...

The update includes gesture control from an iPhone or iPod Touch, Flickr search, and more. ...

PremiumSoft released Navicat Premium, a new entry in its line of database administration tools that supports management of MySQL, Oracle, and PostgreSQL all in one program. ...

VelOCRaptor is a drag-and-drop OCR program that converts an image to a PDF with images and text. ...

SintraWorks' PDF handling utility adds support for reordering all annotation types, a full-screen option independent of remote control, optional kiosk mode in full-screen mode, and other changes. ...

IGG Software's personal finance manager adds iPhone sync via Wi-Fi or any WebDAV server, faster launches and searches, more flexible assignment of amounts to split transactions, and other improvements. ...

BrushPilot enables you to preview brushes, installed or not, for Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. ...

Startly Technologies' automation software adds abbreviations, Web Actions to automate web site pages and web applications in Safari, a QuicKeys Anywhere remote control app for the iPhone/iPod Touch, batch processing, and more. ...

killer update, networking problems ...

unexpected dismounts ...

WiFi issues, plus Calendar features, battery life and more ...

Xcode cross-platform ...

voice control, WiFi performance and reselling old iPhones ...

Amazon is now shipping the 13" MacBook Pro at a discount, while the aluminum MacBook is just $1094! Get close-out deals on the MacBook Air, too. Snag a speedy iPod Touch (2G) from Amazon at a discount, and also save money on the popular new Mini, iMacs and latest Mac Pro ...

Quicken, Quickbooks, Rosetta and Leopard... ...

GPS, Aeroplan ...

song server discussion ...

update problems ...

magicJack to Russia ...

The SDK contains the Xcode IDE, Instruments, iPhone simulator, frameworks and samples, compilers, Shark analysis tool, and more. ...

MacSpeech Dictate Medical is a new edition of MacSpeech's Dictate voice dictation and navigation software that comes with built-in support for medical and dental terminology. ...

Punakea is a tag-based information manager for files that includes Spotlight-searchable tags, tag browser and tag cloud, tag search, and more. ...

The Mozilla-based open source music player adds automatic organization of files in the library (including custom folder structures based on metadata), two-way exchange of tracks and playlists with iTunes, a 10-band equalizer, and other changes. ...

Addresses "incompatibilities between Safari 4.0 and iPhoto '09, including Places and Facebook publishing." ...

The update "provides bug fixes and better compatibility with the Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse and Apple Wireless Keyboard" for Macs using the Broadcom Bluetooth chipset. ...

Apple is now selling OS 3.0 for iPod Touch owners at $9.95 and distributing it free of charge for iPhone owners. The update includes many security patches.... ...

CodeWeavers' software for running Windows programs without Windows adds new support for Quicken 2009, Internet Explorer 7, and Photoshop CS2, updates and fixes for Office 2003, Office 2007, Outlook 2000, and FrameMaker, and more. ...

Apple issues Java updates for Tiger and Leopard to fix several security problems. ...

Strata's 3D modeling, rendering, and animation application gains rendering up to 500% faster, a new rendering dialog with easy access to effects like fuzzy reflections and transparency, a revamped texturing system with an Adobe-like interface, new polygon modeling tools, and more. ...

The story writing program for novelists and screenwriters adds a new collage mode in the storyboard, a full-screen editing mode, split views, multiple windows for multiple monitors, workspace snapshots, sticky-style comments, and more. ...

The updated software for Blackmagic Design's video switching router adds support for a new Pushbutton interface, plus general stability and performance improvements. ...

This utility makes it possible to create, maintain, encrypt, and push configuration profiles, track and install provisioning profiles and authorized applications, and capture device information including console logs. ...

memory cards and new computer choices ...

20th Anniversary Mac pricing, G4/USB sleep problem ...

Adobe released updates for Versions 7, 8, and 9 of Acrobat Pro and Adobe Reader in order to address critical vulnerabilities that could cause the applications to crash and potentially allow an attacker to control the affected system. ...

Mozilla released Firefox 3.5b99, also listed as "Firefox 3.5 Preview," a security and stability update available through the Firefox Help menu (Check Updates). ...

"Safari prior to version 4 may permit malicious web pages to steal files from the local system simply by accessing a web page without further interaction." ...

The free office suite gains speed improvements in calculation of spreadsheet formulas and menu bar display, a fix for a problem where spreadsheets embedded in Writer documents are stretched when using Export as PDF, and other improvements. ...

A hands-on tour of SketchUp and its 3D tools, with real-world examples, including how to place objects in Google Earth. ...

MailForge is a Eudora-style POP3 and IMAP email client that offers both a classic Eudora multi-window interface and a unified multi-pane interface with tabs. ...

The RocketRAID eSATA for Mac is a dual eSATA port PCI-E RAID controller that features PCI-Express x4 bus speed for transfer rates up to 1000 MB/second for the Mac Pro. ...

"...fixes for vulnerabilities that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of your computer's memory with malicious code." ...

The envelope-based personal finance manager adds an improved reports section with additional types of reports, optional display of a small bar graph on each envelope to display balance vs. budgeted expense ratio, and stability improvements. ...

MacPaw's disk space recovery utility updates the interface, improves performance, adds new cleaners (for plug-ins and preference panes), reduces memory use, and makes other changes. ...

This update addresses security issues that include JavaScript chrome privilege escalation and URL spoofing with invalid Unicode characters. ...

photography/power, SSD question ...

analog video-to-DVD conversion ...

Time Machine hard drive tip, plus dead Airport Express ...

guest network bug and workaround ...

archiving format? ...

Vemedio's Snowtape can play Internet radio, record what it plays to disk with automatic cuts at track boundaries, and export its recordings to iTunes. ...

Premiere Pro gets support for REDCODE and Avid-captured DV or IMX footage and other improvements, while After Effects gets a stability update. ...

The free open source rich text editor and word processor adds the ability to use a found match in the Replace field in regular expressions, Find All/Replace All in multiple text selections, and more. ...

The 3D painting tool for creating artistic impressions of 3D models adds display of cutouts as true images rather than outlines, an enhanced color palette with load and save, recording of brush strokes to replay later, and other features. ...

The fundraising software for nonprofits adds enhancements to the Event Management module and drop its price by $1000 through September 1. ...

This beta release of Synium Software's screen movie capture program adds a restructured interface, level meters for audio inputs, a red frame around the selected area during recording, stability improvements, and other changes. ...

The Little App Factory's video conversion program no longer requires changes to iTunes preferences and adds M4V support, improved embed detection for sites without auto-starting videos, and other changes. ...

This remote admin tools package "requires Mac OS X 10.5.7 and is required to administer Mac OS X Server version 10.5.7 remotely." ...

Computer Orchestration Tips and Tricks provides a basic understanding of the principles of orchestration along with coverage of creating realistic-sounding orchestras, creating scores for real players, and software tips and tricks. ...

possible sources of "gunshot" noise ...

Juniper Visa, TOSLINK ...

Mac Mini dual display question ...

iTunes Digital Copy ...

"...adjusts the fan behavior in MacBook Pro systems (15-inch and 17-inch) when running under high workload conditions." ...

"...improves reliability when saving some iWork documents and when playing some presentations more than once per Keynote session." ...

The full-featured eBay auction manager gets support for eBay's revised item page, automatic archiving of finished auction pages, Twitter support and other tweaks. ...

Arten Science released the REALbasic Starter Kit, which provides an example application that demonstrates and documents a module of predefined functions useful for new and intermediate REALbasic developers. ...

Thursby Software introduced ADmitMac for PIV, which securely integrates U.S. government Personal Identity Verification (PIV) cards with Macs, providing single sign-on with verification of a PIV card against a centralized network authority. ...

Canto's digital asset management products add the Cumulus image editor, improved search, interface updates, multithreaded cataloging and metadata assignment, built-in watermarking and noise protections, and more. ...

Excel Software's secure licensing software for developers introduces a new automated release and restore process that enables owners to move a protected software license from one computer to another easily. ...

Brinscall Software's weight and postage software adds support for more USB digital scales, an option to have the weight spoken, and some interface enhancements, along with a 10% discount for MacInTouch readers. ...

The noise reduction plug-in for Aperture adds manual fine-tuning, a graphical equalizer for noise profiles, a built-in calibration target, improved metadata (EXIF) compatibility with newest Nikon DSLR and compact cameras, and other improvements. ...

Video site hulu.com has released a beta version of Hulu Desktop for Mac OS X, a desktop client for viewing hulu.com videos without a web browser. ...

This remote admin tools package "requires Mac OS X 10.5.7 and is required to administer Mac OS X Server version 10.5.7 remotely." ...

Computer Orchestration Tips and Tricks provides a basic understanding of the principles of orchestration along with coverage of creating realistic-sounding orchestras, creating scores for real players, and software tips and tricks. ...

Roxio introduced Easy VHS to DVD, a hardware/software combo for turning VHS tapes into DVDs. ...

VolnaTech's software development kit for the iPhone platform makes it possible to develop iPhone applications using just HTML and Javascript. ...

The video recording software adds an all-new interface, recording support for HD 1080i and 1080p devices, higher quality audio capture, a new Preview function, and more. ...

The Little App Factory's Evom can convert video from movie files, folders of files, or web URLs dragged from your browser into formats suitable for iTunes, iPods, Apple TV, You Tube uploads, or saving into folders on disk. ...

Aquafadas' digital video management and cataloging application adds a completely rewritten Capture Module that takes advantage of more modern Quicktime functions, drag-and-drop of frames between clips, end-of-tape detection, and other changes. ...

The file search tool introduces an "any text" search criterion as well as two new result views (grid and CoverFlow). ...

The free, open source CD/DVD burner introduces a new method for creating Audio-CD discs, faster DVD-Video disc image creation and burning, improved DVD-Audio creation, support for multi-channel audio files used for DVD-Audio discs, and other changes. ...

Apple has not yet patched a major vulnerability affecting Java-enabled web browsers on the Mac, and we strongly recommend disabling Java in all your browsers. (A sample exploit link is provided.) ...

The popular music notation program gets a major update with Magnetic Layout, versioning, Keyboard and Fretboard windows, a classroom management window, and ReWire support. ...

Frame from Kate Labs is a program designed for testing digital cameras and lenses, with analyses for exposure, color, resolution, vignetting, and noise. ...

Soma-zone's BackupLoupe makes it possible to browse Time Machine's incremental backups to identify files and folders that change frequently. ...

ACD Systems released a beta version of ACDSee Pro for Mac, the first Mac OS X release of its Pro image manager. ...

moisture problems ...

Bare Bones Software's all-around text editor adds a Sleep function, LassoScript support, Project enhancements, and more. ...

Google's photo organizer and editor increases the video upload limit for Picasa Web Albums and adds RAW support for 11 more cameras, include the Canon EOS 50D, the Nikon D90, and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1. ...

Elgato's Video Capture is a USB 2.0 device that can capture analog video from a VCR (or other source with composite or S-Video outputs) and convert it to H.264 or MPEG-4 formats. ...

The latest release of the open source office suite brings on-screen anti-aliasing, outline levels within paragraphs, much improved performance in Calc, macro applications in Base, and much more. ...

Mozilla's Prism, available as a standalone or a Firefox plug-in, makes it possible to split web applications out of the browser and run them from the desktop. ...

More security fixes for Adobe's PDF software... ...

Apple patches another pile 'o security issues and other bugs, while adding some more raw file support with the latest Leopard release, available in both client and server versions. ...

Apple issues new versions of Safari and Tiger to fix security issues. ...

Recent changes in Objective Development's network monitor and blocking software include support for guest accounts, better support for Fast User Switching, global rules, and better support for virtual network interfaces. ...

"Successful exploitation might lead to arbitrary code execution. Note that, depending on the application and configuration, PDF documents may be opened automatically upon download." ...

Soma-zone's BackupLoupe makes it possible to browse Time Machine's incremental backups to identify files and folders that change frequently. ...

App4mac released Twin, an online and offline backup program that supports Internet servers (including FTP, FTPS, SFTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, MobileMe) and external drives. ...

Norbyte's cross-platform image editing software adds Bloom and Laplace effects, a Clone tool, new Blend modes (Inverse Subtract, Color With Kept RGB Sum, Brightness Using RGB Sum), Flip and Scroll operations for selections, and other changes. ...

App4mac's system health monitor adds a new oscilloscope graph for network and processors; support and optimization for the most recent Macs; Firewire, USB, WiFi, Ethernet, and Bluetooth information; and fixes for all known bugs. ...

Houdah Software's geocoding application adds support for Bluetooth connections to the GlobalSat BT-335, support for Garmin Training Center log files, display of current camera time during camera setup, updated help, and reuse of nearby Places in iPhoto '09. ...

Frame from Kate Labs is a program designed for testing digital cameras and lenses, with analyses for exposure, color, resolution, vignetting, and noise. ...

"An attacker who successfully exploited any of these vulnerabilities could take complete control of an affected system.... The updates for Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac, Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac, Open XML File Format Converter for Mac, Microsoft Works 8.5, Microsoft Works 9.0 are still in development." ...

tips and experiences ...

Western Digital software and firmware ...

Apple has not yet patched a major vulnerability affecting Java-enabled web browsers on the Mac, and we strongly recommend disabling Java in all your browsers. (A sample exploit link is provided.) ...

The popular music notation program gets a major update with Magnetic Layout, versioning, Keyboard and Fretboard windows, a classroom management window, and ReWire support. ...

Dejal's snippet collector, available at a discount today, adds a Save PDF to Caboodle option to printing workflows, an option to import PDFs as attachments in new entries, preservation of folder hierarchies on import, options to export to HTML and Web Archive, and more. ...

Decimus Software's backup and synchronization program adds faster performance for the preview interface, better scanning performance, lower memory use for log entries, case-insensitive string comparisons in rules, and other changes. ...

TuneUp Media's iTunes companion for cleaning up song information and art adds a completely revamped interface, field-specific cleaning, an option to disable Greatest Hits compilations for matching, and an option to create playlists of cleaned and uncleaned songs. ...

tips, experiences and issues ...

DropBox, Drobo, Chronosync, procedures and more ...

reading in sunlight ...

cheap hosting, Verizon MiFi ...

discussing FireWire's future, licensing, etc. ...

Leopard firewall, automountd ...

attachment tips ...

We reviewed the original iPod Touch, complete with screenshots, photos and an extensive set of links to related information. ...

Other World Computing introduced a USB 2.0 Display Adapter, which makes it possible to add an extra display to Intel Macs or Windows PCs using any standard USB 2.0 port. ...

Highlights of this QuicKeys beta release include abbreviations, Web Actions to automate web pages in Safari, batch processing, a Clips Editor, and more. ...

Firefox 3.0.10 fixes a "major stability issue" and one security issue involving a crash in nsTextFrame::ClearTextRun(). ...

OCZ Technology announced the OCZ Z-Drive PCI-Express SSD, which combines 256MB of local cache, an onboard RAID controller, and from 250GB to 1TB of solid-state drives on a single PCI Express card. ...

Version 3.5 beta is based on the Gecko 1.9.1 rendering platform and adds a Private Browsing Mode, speculative parsing in the Gecko layout engine for faster content rendering, the ability to provide Location Aware Browsing using web standards for geolocation, and more. ...

Robert Mohns examines the quad-port SATA hard drive dock, with detailed performance benchmarks across FireWire 400/800, USB 2 and eSATA on a Mac Pro, finding it fast and effective for backup, testing and many other storage tasks. ...

Bare Bones Software's all-around text editor adds a Sleep function, LassoScript support, Project enhancements, and more. ...

Xnet Communications' VoIP software adds Cisco server support, direct access to customer details for DayLite users, durations in Call History, an option to send PUBLISH, and other changes. ...

Tension Software's mathematical expression solver gains a completely redesigned interface with a new layout, improvements to the variables table, a new Calc Log drawer area, and other changes. ...

GravityApps' control software for Apple and Keyspan remotes adds support for Boxee and Spotify, much improved presentation mode for ARTstor OIV, and improved support for EyeTV and XBMC. ...

Alec Hole's calendar program adds contextual menus for events, an option to filter the calendar view through the search field, and some bug fixes. ...

This beta release of the list, note, file and to-do manager adds extensive list display speed optimizations, improvements for collecting, improved tracking of processed items, and other changes. ...

The Internet radio player and recorder adds a mini controller, integration with RadioURL.com and iTunes Music Store, system-wide hot keys, improvements for Google Images album art search, and other changes. ...

fail, revive, fail again ...

drive docks and issues [re: related review] ...

Xserve LOM Firmware Update 1.2 brings fixes to the Lights-Out Management environment of the Xserve (Early 2008). ...

The virtualization software gains improved 3D graphics in Windows virtual machines, fixes for problems with shared networking on Snow Leopard hosts, and fixes for Palm synchronization in Windows virtual machines. ...

The web graphics editor gets improved stability plus some bug fixes. ...

Tesline-Service SRL's software that turns a flash drive into a security key now supports two-factor authentication. ...

FileMaker Inc.'s personal database gets updates for synchronization with Bento for iPhone, plus compatibility with Numbers '09 and other changes. ...

REAL Server gets a major update that includes a new scalable architecture, support for using all available CPU cores or sharing them with other applications, platform-specific optimizations for responsiveness, and much more. ...

The database and RAD (Rapid Application Development) software is now a Universal Binary and gains other improvements as well. ...

GeeThree rolls out pro plug-ins for Final Cut and Final Cut Express to create "Ken Burns" effects, slideshows and dissolves, with plenty of control and customization. ...

For $4.99 at the App Store, you get a mobile version of FileMaker's simple database app, designed to sync with the desktop version. ...

AR-media Plugin for Google SketchUp works with a webcam to enable 3D SketchUp models to be viewed and "handled" as if they were in the actual physical space seen by the webcam. ...

The free R language and environment for statistical computing and graphics adds Matrix as a recommended package in the distribution, a useKerning argument for pdf() and postscript(), a recursive argument for file.copy(), and much more. ...

The free Mac OS X native version of OpenOffice gets fixes for a crash when copying a table and saving to a .doc file, a hang when pasting text into Base SQL window, and other problems. ...

For iMacs with the ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics, this update fixes issues with intermittent system freezes. ...

An unpatched vulnerability in JavaScript handling has an available exploit. ...

The popular scriptwriting software adds a new XML file format, a sortable floating Scene Navigator palette, a Scene Properties inspector, Scene View for a high-level outline overview, and more. ...

ReadPixel's WakeOnLan discovers all computers on a LAN and can wake or sleep any computers that have wired connections. ...

Side Effects Software's node-based 3D animation package adds Pyro FX tools for fire and smoke effects, support for viewport display and final rendering of stereoscopic 3D content, a progressive Interactive Photorealistic Rendering (IPR) feature, and more. ...

Recent changes in Sun's open source virtualization software include OVF (Open Virtualization Format) appliance import and export, host-only networking mode, Hypervisor optimizations, and preliminary support for Snow Leopard. ...

AutoDesk's Mudbox is a digital sculpting and texture painting application for 3D modelers and texture artists that uses brush-based 3D modeling. ...

"Successful exploitation might lead to arbitrary code execution. Note that, depending on the application and configuration, PDF documents may be opened automatically upon download." ...

Kindle 2 improves on the highly successful original version of the wireless media reader, bringing faster performance, better grayscale imaging, speech synthesis, and Apple-like design improvements. We also include audio samples, screen shots, comparison photos and lots of links to more info. ...

The new Shuffle has just one button: off/play. Everything else is controlled by earbuds, proprietary Apple controller chips and synthesized voices.... ...

We examine Fastmac's multifunction iPhone battery sleeve, which extends run-time, functions as a charger and even offers a fill light for the iPhone's camera. ...

Robert Mohns examines a unique storage system that protects your data in the event of a fire. ...

We examine fancy new features in Apple's latest creative-consumer software suite, as well as its user interface elements and its misfeatures/bugs.) ...

This unique hardware module creates an EFI boot environment for Mac OS X on cost-effective, high-performance PC hardware. (Includes performance benchmarks and links to additional information.) ...

Like an iPod for video recording, the MinoHD combines friendly simplicity with effective media processing in a remarkably tiny device at an attractive price. [Includes HD video sample.] ...

We have added photos and discussion about a matte screen film to our detailed review of the new, aluminum MacBook, which covers design, features, issues, performance, pros and cons, with links for more info, and a gallery of photos. ...

Robert Mohns's review of Apple's new iPhone 3G offers comparisons with the first iPhone, discussion of new features and enterprise support, a look at the new "ecosystem" Apple has built around the device, a screenshot and sample photo gallery and links for more information. ...

Our detailed Time Capsule review includes a "Best Practices" section and lots of other tips, plus performance benchmarks, feature analysis and more. ...

Our MacBook Air review digs into details of its design, features, performance, compatibility and suitability for various customers. Includes benchmark test results. ...

Robert Mohns examines features, performance, compatibility and more in his detailed review. ...

essential info, including data-loss bugs ...

Updated with new notes on possible locations for the bug (and consequent implications), plus warning about potential for problems in Finder automation scripts. ...

We dig into the technology and benefits of RAID storage systems, along with a number of issues involved, as we review SoftRAID, the leading application for configuring these systems on the Mac. ...

We delve into the details of VMware's new virtualization system for the Mac with some hands-on testing. ...

We've added some benchmark results charts (with more to come later) in a thorough review of Apple's latest laptop from Robert Mohns, covering technical advances, the overall experience, and an audio quality issue. ...

We have updated our in-depth Apple TV review from Robert Mohns, who covers set-up, features, performance, compatibility, omissions, hacking, competition and the overall experience and value, with links to more resources. ...

We have added a few more notes on Ethernet and Airport Disk performance to our comprehensive examination of Apple's new wireless base station (complete with benchmark test results. ...