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Parallels Desktop for Mac Beta Build 5600 Released
09 May 2008 10:24 EST
Chris Barylick

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On Wednesday, virtualization software maker Parallels released a public beta of Parallels Desktop for Mac 3.0 build 5600. The new build adds the following fixes and changes:
-Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 with the Boot Camp support - added.
-Microsoft Windows XP SP3 with the Boot Camp support - added.
-Kernel panic on Mac Book Air - fixed.
-Accidental Mac OS X high CPU usage and bad responsiveness ("IPI stat: rescheduled X CPUs out of Y" issue) - fixed.
-Kernel panic when switching on CPUs using CPUPalette - fixed.
-SmartSelect: ability to use user-defined Shared Folders instead of using All Mac disks or Home folder - added.

Shared Folders improvement:
- Improved transfer speed for SmartSelect.
- Inability to copy folders with a custom icon - fixed.
- Sharing support for removable drives - added.
-Accidental inability to mount Windows disk on the Mac desktop - fixed.
-Incorrect installation of MacFUSE - fixed.

Parallels Desktop for Mac 3.0 requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later to run and retails for US$79.99.

Let us know how the build works for you in the comments or forums.


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El Gato to Release EyeTV 3.0.2 Update
08 May 2008 01:39 EST
Chris Barylick

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On Tuesday, software company El Gato announced that it would release version 3.0.2 of its EyeTV video recording and playback software in the near term.

The update, which is not yet available for download, will provide the following fixes and changes:
-Full support for h.264 broadcasts.
-Closed Captions Support in QuickTime Format Exports (North America only)
-Separate Deinterlacing Options for Standard TV and HDTV
-Improved On Screen Menus
-Unplayed Recordings Badge
-Support has been added for the TerraTec Cinergy T USB XXS.
The overall stability and reliability of EyeTV has been improved.
-EyeTV 3.0.2 now automatically updates the built-in EyeConnect server. If you are using EyeTV 3's shared archive feature, this requires updating to EyeTV 3.0.2 on all computers.
-A problem that caused MPEG Program Stream exports to be corrupted has been resolved.
-A problem where Smart Guides would not update if two Smart Guides used the same criteria for "Any field" has been resolved.
-A problem which caused the Smart Guide searches to be 1 hour off has been resolved.

Click the jump for the full story...


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KeyRemap4MacBook 5.0 Released
07 May 2008 09:01 EST
Chris Barylick

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Late Monday, developer Takayama Fumihiko released KeyRemap4MacBook 5.0, the latest version of his free keyboard remapping utility for Mac OS X.

The new version, a 244.3 kilobyte download, adds the following fixes and changes:
-Added the multi-user support.
-Added the multiple settings per user.
-Added remappings which are effective at only specific applications. (ex. Return -> CMD+O only in Finder).
-"Emacs Mode" will be disabled in Terminal.app and Emacs.app automatically.
Added new +80 remappings.

KeyRemap4MacBook 5.0 can be used on any Mac and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later to install and run.

If you've played around with the program to any extent, let us know how it went over in the comments of forums.


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VMware Opens First Public Beta for Fusion 2.0 Software
06 May 2008 12:22 EST
Chris Barylick

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On Tuesday, software company VMware announced the first public beta of its upcoming Fusion 2.0 virtualization software.

The software, which allows users of Intel-based Mac to run Windows or other operating systems in virtual machines alongside Mac OS X without having to reboot, will sport the following fixes and changes:

True Multiple Display Support:

-Use up to 10 displays with VMware Fusion

-VMware Fusion automatically detects multiple displays by default

-Each display shows up as separate distinct “logical” display in Windows VMs—not a single very large display

-Handles changes to resolution and display orientation automatically. Rotated displays show up rotated in the virtual machine

-Option to use one or all displays in Full Screen mode

-Unity windows can now be dragged between displays, and will maximize correctly to just the display they're on

-Correctly handles plugging & unplugging display

-3D supported on primary display

-DirectX 9.0 with Shader Model 2 graphics

-VMware was the first to add 3D graphics to virtual machines and now takes 3D in a virtual machine to the next level with support for DirectX 9.0 with Shader Model 2 graphics.

For best 3D performance, users with virtual machines not created with VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1 need to do two things:

Click the jump for the full story...


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Mozilla Releases Thunderbird 2.0.0.14
01 May 2008 12:11 EST
Chris Barylick

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Mozilla.org, creators of the Firefox web browser, has just released version 2.0.0.14 of Thunderbird, its free e-mail client. The new program, an 18.6 megabyte download, sports the following fixes and new features:

-MFSA 2008-15 Crashes with evidence of memory corruption (rv:1.8.1.13).
-MFSA 2008-14 JavaScript privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution.

Thunderbird 2.0.0.14 requires Mac OS X 10.2 or later to run and is programmed as a Universal Binary, allowing for native speeds on both PowerPC and Intel-based hardware.

As always, if you've played with the new version and have any feedback, positive or negative, let us know.


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Adium X Reaches 1.2.5
01 May 2008 08:00 EST
Chris Barylick

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Adium, the open source instant message chat client with support for multiple programs (including AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ, Jabber, MSN, Yahoo! Google Talk, Bonjour, etc.) has been updated to version 1.2.5.

The new version, a 20.8 megabyte download, adds the following fixes and changes:
-Fixed Yahoo! Japan connectivity.
-Fixed ICQ connectivity for some accounts with large contact lists.
-Improved rate limiting management for AIM and ICQ accounts.
-Fixed a longstanding bug in which contact list tooltips could appear while on a different Space (workspace or virtual desktop) or while the contact list is obscured by other windows (#1156).
-Fixed repeating / stuttering event sounds on G5 machines (#8828).
-Fixed display of chat transcripts which contain HTML codes in their content (#9591).
-Fixed negotiation of XMPP authentication over SASL when one mechanism fails but another can succeed, as when the server support GSSAPI, Adium is not authorized to connect via GSSAPI, but Adium has a valid username/password combination to use instead. (#9492)

Click the jump for the full story...


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Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.5.3 build 9D25 to Developer Community
30 April 2008 08:30 EST
Chris Barylick

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On Monday, Apple released build 9D25 of its upcoming Mac OS X 10.5.3 operating system update. The build, which kept the same core evaluation areas, tacked on almost two dozen additional bug fixes, bringing the total number of enhancements and code corrections included within Mac OS X 10.5.3 to over 200.

According to AppleInsider, some of the latest fixes target sequential write errors in the Finder, column views in Mail.app, 802.1X AirPort issues, problems with AFP Server hanging and problems with MCX Client.

The update currently stands at 415 megabytes for the bare bones distribution and is expected to be released within the next two weeks.

If you've heard anything on your end or have a fix you'd like to see, let us know over in the comments or forums.


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Apple Releases Java for Mac OS X 10.5 Update 1
30 April 2008 08:00 EST
Chris Barylick

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Late Monday, Apple released the Java for Mac OS X 10.5 Update 1 (a.k.a. Apple Java for OS X 10.5 Update 1 - 1.6.0_05). The update, a 57 megabyte download, adds Java SE 6 version 1.6.0_05 compatibility to your Mac.

Beyond this, Apple is vague about precise modifications and changes within the software.

Like most system updates, the software can be located, downloaded and installed through Mac OS X's Software Update program.

The update requires Mac OS X 10.5.2 or later and a 64-bit processor to install and run.

If anyone's tried the update and noticed any changes, positive or negative, let us know over in the comments or forums.


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Users Reporting Problems Installing Boot Camp 2.1 Update
29 April 2008 10:53 EST
Chris Barylick

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Since I'm having this problem as well, it's nice to know I haven't completely lost my mind.

According to MacFixIt, a number of users are apparently unable to install the Boot Camp 2.1 update which Apple released last week. While the update needs to be launched in the Windows partition, users are experiencing problems when attempting to install the update via Windows Software Update or through the standalone installers.

One error report reads as follows:


"The installer encountered errors before boot camp could be configured"
"Error applying transforms. Verify that the specified transform paths are valid."
Some users are experiencing an issue wherein the Boot Camp 2.1 updater .exe file downloaded from Apple's Web site briefly launches then does nothing.

Upon attempting the update, one user reported the following:


"The update does appear in the updater Apple Software Update, is downloaded, but then gives an error message advising to download only and not install immediately. I then tried the stand alone installer from the web. This one reports "preparing installation", then disappears en nothing happens. My guess is a file extraction problem (disabled firewall protection, by the way)."

In my case, Windows tries to launch the file and does nothing.

Yep a mighty operating system, that Windows XP with every update under the sun.

If you've seen this on your end or discovered a workaround or solution, please let us know in the comments or forums.


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OnyX Updated to 1.9.4
29 April 2008 10:14 EST
Chris Barylick

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Onyx, Titanium Software's popular freeware multifunction utility for Mac OS X, has been updated to version 1.9.4. The new version, an 18.9 megabyte download, adds the following fixes and changes and a bold-lettered warning:

-New Utilities > Manuals panel allowing to display the man pages.
-The Desktop is saved before relaunching the Finder.
-Enable/disable single window mode in Safari.
-Enable/disable printing Headers and Footers in Safari.
-Deleting Logs improved.
-Deleting the User Caches improved.
-Deleting the Internet Caches improved.
-Safari's Debug Menu obsolete replaced by the Develop Menu.
-Enable Web Inspector option removed (obsolete).
-Enabling/disabling the Safari Cache modified.
-Show/hide the alert message before quitting X11.
-Deleting the Fonts Cache of Gimp improved.
-Deleting option of recent items (Cleaning > Misc & Automation).
-OnyX returns to the foreground after relaunching the Finder.
-Localizations improved.
-Bug in the Dutch beta version corrected.
-Searching update modified.
-OnyX works only on an Administrator account.
-Download (theoretically) more fast ;-).
-Help updated and improved.
-Uninstaller updated.
-Czech localization of Uninstaller.

OnyX is available for free and requires Mac OS X 10.5 or later to run.

If you've tried the new version and have any kind of feedback on it, let us know over in the comments or forums.


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Apple Releases Boot Camp 2.1 Update
25 April 2008 08:00 EST
Chris Barylick

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Late Thursday, Apple released Boot Camp 2.1, the latest version of a package of software that allows Macs to run Windows XP or Vista on a separate partition of their computers. The new version, which can be downloaded from here, arrives as three updaters - one for Windows XP, one for 32-bit Vista operating systems and one for 64-bit Vista operating systems.

Apple has stated that each update “addresses issues and improves compatibility” and that Boot Camp 2.1 is required before installing Microsoft's Windows XP Service Pack 3 update.

If any of you have tried this update and can provide any feedback, positive or negative, let us know over in the comments or forums.


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Opera 9.50 Beta 2 Out the Door
24 April 2008 11:48 EST
Chris Barylick

opera.jpg

On Thursday, Opera Software ASA released version 9.50 beta 2 of its popular web browser.

The new version, a 14.3 megabyte download, adds the following fixes and changes:
-Full text history search is now part of the address field, with better results and better performance.
-Introduced a new security notification scheme in the address field; see Security.
-Added alternative tab-closing behaviors. The preferences now include the following options when closing a tab:
Activate the last active tab (default)
Activate the next tab
Activate first tab opened from current tab
-New spatial navigation highlighting, similar to the one used in Opera Mini 4 and the Wii browser.

Opera 9.27 requires Mac OS X 10.2 or later to run and is coded as a Universal Binary capable of running at native speeds on both PowerPC and Intel-based hardware.

If you've tried the new version and have any kind of feedback about it, let us know in the comments or forums.


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Apple Releases iPhone SDK Beta 4
24 April 2008 08:30 EST
Chris Barylick

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Early Thursday, Apple released version 5 of its iPhone/iPod touch software development kit.

The new version, a 1.15 gigabyte download, repairs bugs from the previous version, adds support for the latest iPhone operating system version and adds the following tools/components:
-Xcode IDE
-iPhone simulator with Open GL ES support
-Interface Builder
-Instruments
-Frameworks
-Samples
-Compilers
-Shark analysis tool

The software requires an Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.5 ("Leopard") or later to install and run.

If you've downloaded the latest version of the SDK and noticed any major changes, let us know in the comments or forums.


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VMWare Releases Fusion 1.1.2
24 April 2008 06:58 EST
Chris Barylick

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On Tuesday, virtualization softare maker VMWare released version 1.1.62573 of its Fusion software for the Mac.

Similar to other virtualization software packages, VMWare allows users to run alternate operating systems such as Windows and Linux distributions on Intel-based Macs at native speeds. Other features, such as Unity, allow users to run and minimize Windows applications from the Mac OS X Dock.

The new version, a 176.8 megabyte download, adds the following features and bug fixes:
-Corrects a problem in which the remapping of keyboard shortcuts in Full Screen or Single Window view could not be disabled. Deselecting Enable Mac OS keyboard shortcuts now works as expected.
-Fixes a problem that could arise when the user attempted to run a virtual machine with the virtual CD drive connected but without a drive connected to the Mac. This problem was most likely to happen on a MacBook Air. The virtual machine no longer fails in this situation.
-Adds support for Windows XP SP3 when importing a Boot Camp partition as a virtual machine.
-Fixes a problem that prevented the user from being able to burn CDs with a USB Superdrive on the MacBook Air.

Click the jump for the full story...


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Camino Reaches Version 1.6
18 April 2008 11:25 EST
Chris Barylick

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Late Thursday, the Camino Project released version 1.6 of Camino, its free, open source web browser.

The new version, a 14.9 megabyte download, adds the following fixes and changes:
-Automatic software updates - Camino now checks for new releases automatically.
-Improved tabbed browsing - When more tabs are open than can be displayed in the tab bar, arrows appear at the right and left edges to allow scrolling the bar. As part of this change, the tab overflow menu has been replaced by a menu displaying all open tabs in the current window.
-Keychain compatibility - Camino can now store information in the Keychain for multiple accounts at the same site.
-Improved toolbar search - The search field in the toolbar now includes a simple editor that allows deleting, renaming, and reordering search engines. Camino now supports OpenSearch search engine plug-ins. New search engines can be added to the toolbar’s search field by automatic discovery or by web pages that provide links to OpenSearch plug-ins.
-Streamlined Find interface - The Find panel has been replaced by a Find toolbar that appears near the bottom of the browser window.
-Enhanced AppleScript capabilities - AppleScripts can now refer to individual tabs and windows. It is now possible to add, open, and delete bookmarks via AppleScript.
-Camino now supports custom toolbar items written in AppleScript.
-Additional feed reader options - Camino can now pass feeds to certain web-based feed readers.
-User interface polish - Camino 1.6 includes a number of new toolbar icons and interface enhancements to fit more closely with the visual style of Mac OS X 10.5.

Camino requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later to run.

If you've tried the new version of Camino and have any kind of feedback about it, let us know in the comments or forums.


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Firefox 2.0.0.14 Released
17 April 2008 08:30 EST
Chris Barylick

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Late Wednesday, Mozilla.org released version 2.0.0.14 of its Firefox web browser.

The new version, a 17 megabyte download, offers a fix to a crash in the program's JavaScript collector.

Firefox requires Mac OS X 10.2 or later to run and is available for free.

If you've tried the new version and seen either positive or negative changes, let us know in the forums.


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Apple Releases Safari 3.1.1 Update
17 April 2008 08:00 EST
Chris Barylick

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Late Wednesday, Apple released version 3.1.1 of its Safari web browser. The new version, which weighs in at just under a 40 megabyte download, provides improvements to stability, compatibility and security.

The first issue resolved addresses a heap buffer overflow that could occur in the program's WebKit framework for handling JavaScript regular expressions.

The second issue resolved focused on WebKit's handling of URLs containing a colon character in the host name. By exploiting that vulnerability, a hacker could use a maliciously crafted URL to lead a cross-site scripting attack, Apple said.

Two additional issues resolved repaired errors for the Windows version of the browser. One of those issues made it possible for a maliciously crafted website to control the contents of a user's address bar, while the other made it possible for maliciously crafted website to cause arbitrary code execution or the Safari application to unexpectedly quit. 


Like similar system and program updates, users can locate and install the update via Mac OS X's Software Update feature.

Safari 3.1.1 requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later to install and run and requires a reboot after installation.

If you've tried the newest version and noticed any changes whatsoever, please let us know over in the comments or forums.


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Apple Releases Two Additional Seed Builds of Mac OS X 10.5.3 Update
16 April 2008 08:00 EST
Chris Barylick

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Over the past few days, Apple has provided additional seed releases of its Mac OS X 10.5.3 system update to members of its developer community in the form of two additional builds.

According to AppleInsider, builds 9D19 and 9D20 of Mac OS X 10.5.3, which arrived on Friday and Tuesday, incorporate a number of code corrections expected to bring the number of fixes within the update to approximately 150.

With respect to Build 9D20, Apple is reported to have relaxed the number of core focus areas from 24 to 18 with developers being requested to test the performance of Adobe Flash media within Apple's Safari web browser.

The Mac OS X 10.5.3 update is purported to include a fix for graphics issues that have plagued a number of Intel-based Macs, particularly the latest versions of the MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks.

Sources close to the story have stated that the latest build includes just two known issues, the first focusing on the need to possibly reset VPN settings following installation while the other centers around localization support of Mac OS X 10.5.3 having yet to be completed.

If you've heard anything about the latest builds or would like to sound off about which fixes you'd like to see present in Mac OS X 10.5.3, let us know over in the comments or forums.


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Signal Reaches Version 1.1.1
14 April 2008 08:15 EST
Chris Barylick

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Signal, Alloysoft's shareware utility that allows iPhone users to remotely access their iTunes libraries on their Mac via a web browser, has been updated to version 1.1.1 The new version, a 2.7 megabyte download, offers the following fixes and changes:
-Albums are now sorted by disc number before track number.
-When adding or playing an artist with only one album tracks are now sorted in disc and track order.
-Resolved issue with path handling for files on some remote volumes.
-Many other minor bug fixes and performance improvements.

Signal retails for a US$24.95 registration fee and requires Mac OS X 10.3 or later to install and run.

If you've tried the new version and have any feedback about it, let us know in the comments or forums.


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Adobe Releases Photoshop Lightroom 1.4.1 Update
11 April 2008 08:30 EST
Chris Barylick

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The latest in the series of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom updates (and one retracted update), Adobe has released its Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.4.1 update. The update, a 42.8 megabyte update (courtesy of VersionTracker), provides the following fixes and changes:
-Additional camera support for the Canon EOS 450D (Digital Rebel XSi/EOS Kiss X2), Nikon D60, Sony A350 and more.
-Updated printer driver compatibility for Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard).
-Includes several corrections for issues introduced by the Lightroom 1.4 release.

The update requires Mac OS X 10.4.3 or later to install and run. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom retails for US$299.

If you've installed the update and noticed any changes, let us know over in the comments or forums.


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Apple Releases Pro Application Support 2008-001 Update
11 April 2008 08:00 EST
Chris Barylick

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Early Friday, Apple released its Pro Application Support 2008-001 update. The update, a 63.7 megabyte download, includes Final Cut Pro 6.0.3, Compressor 3.0.3, Apple HDV Codec 1.4, PlugInManager 1.7.3 and a cumulative update of share technology components from the Pro Applications Update 2007-001 on.

The update requires Mac OS X 10.4.11 for Mac OS X 10.4.x-based systems and Mac OS X 10.5.2 on Mac OS X 10.5.x-based systems and can also be found via Mac OS X's Software Update tool.

If you've installed the new updates and noticed any major differences, let us know in the comments or forums.


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OmniWeb 5.7 Out the Door
10 April 2008 08:30 EST
Chris Barylick

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Early Thursday, Omni version 5.7 of its OmniWeb web browser. The new version, a n 18 megabyte download, adds the following fixes and changes:

-OmniWeb is now based on the WebKit stability branch roughly equivalent to the version used by Safari 3.0. (Updating to the version of WebKit in use by Safari 3.1 is in the works.)
-On first launch your favicon database location will be set to our custom default. -Favicons may initially disappear, but should now persist between launches/restarts once repopulated.
-Use Leopard's new code signing technology to sign OmniWeb, so you can be prompted just once to give OmniWeb access to your keychain (rather than being prompted each time you download a new version).
-Images blocked by ad-blocking and then loaded, will no longer show the blocked image badge.

Click the jump for the full story...


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Apple Releases MacBook, MacBook Pro Firmware Updates
09 April 2008 09:00 EST
Chris Barylick

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On Wednesday, Apple released firmware updates for its consumer-level MacBook notebook as well as its professional-level MacBook Pro notebook.

Per the MacBook, the EFI Firmware 1.2 update, a 1.8 megabyte download, fixes several issues to help improve the stability of the MacBook. Once applied, the MacBook's Boot ROM version will be changed to MB31.008E.B02.

For the MacBook Pro, Apple has released its EFI Firmware 1.5 update. The update, a 3.1 megabyte download, fixes several issues to help improve the stability of the MacBook Pro. Upon successful installation, the update will change the notebook's Boot ROM version to MBP21.00A5.B08 or MBP31.0070.B0 depending on the exact model of the hardware.

Both updates can also be located through Mac OS X's Software Update feature and require an Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.5 or later to install and run.

If you've installed either update and noticed any major changes, please let us know over in the comments or forums.


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NetBlender to Allow Blu-Ray Devices to Be Controlled Via iPhone, iPod Touch
08 April 2008 10:46 EST
Chris Barylick

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This week, software company NetBlender is slated to announce a new technology that will link Blu-ray content to Apple devices such as the iPhone and iPod touch. According to Macworld UK, the software, known as BD Touch, will allow Blu-ray players to be remotely controlled by the handheld devices.

"The sophisticated user interface of the iPhone enables greater user interaction as well as the power to leverage the iPhone’s existing network. Search, e-commerce and advertising possibilities related to movie content abound when one imagines real-time communication between the iPhone and the content currently being displayed on a Blu-ray player," said company representatives.

NetBlender has stated that the BD Touch software will include features such as automatically updating film collections stored on an iPhone as well as have the Blu-ray device send a digital copy of a video to an iPhone.

The company is expected to officially announce the software on Thursday, April 10th.

As always, let us know what you think over in the comments or forums.


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Nova Media Releases Version 6.0 of iSync Phone Plugins
07 April 2008 08:49 EST
Chris Barylick

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It's not a huge software company, but they make some useful stuff.

Last Friday, utility company Nova Media releases version 6.0 of its iSync phone plugins. The new version, which retails for US$9.95, provides access to more than 153 additional cell phones.

The new cell phone models now supported within version 6.0 include the following:
Samsung:
SGH-i520
SGH-i550
SGH-i560
SGH-G800
SGH-U700
SGH-Z150

Nokia:
2600 classic
6263

Sony Ericsson:
P1i
W380i
W960i
Z555i
Z770i

The new version requires Mac OS X 10.4.9 or later on the Mac OS X 10.4.x ("Tiger) and Mac OS X 10.5.2 on the Mac OS X 10.5 ("Leopard") end.

If you've tried the new version and have either positive or negative feedback about it, let us know in the comments or forums.


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