MacNewsBlog

Leopard users rejoice! SuperDuper! 2.5 is finally here to backup your Hard Drive!

After a lot of hard work and many days and hours of testing, the ShirtPocket team has released the best option to backup your data and now it's Leopard compatible at last!

If you've used SuperDuper! before, you already know what a valuable tool it is for creating exact duplicates of your exisiting hard drives. Those of you who have never used SuperDuper must be asking, whats the big deal? We already have Time Machine!

The big difference between Time Machine and what SuperDuper does via cloning is that it preserves your entire HD and makes a bootable copy. If and when your master drive fails, all you have to do is boot up from the SuperDuper! backup and Presto, you're back in business again!

Sounds too good to be true? You can download SuperDuper! v2.5 right now and back up and clone your drives for free -- forever!

After much testing, Apple released Mac OS X 10.5.2 Leopard update!

As of this writing, It has not been released as a stand alone installer. You can only get it via Software Update. If you want the stand-alone installer, keep checking this page here.

Here's a list of things that were fixed in this software update:
Active Directory

* Addresses issues which could hinder or prevent binding Mac OS X 10.5.x clients to Active Directory domains.

AirPort

* Improves connection reliability and stability
* Includes 802.1X improvements
* Resolves certain kernel panics

Back to my Mac

* Adds support for more third-party routers, as detailed in this article

Dashboard

* Improves performance of certain Apple Dashboard widgets (such as Dictionary)
* Addresses an issue in which Dashboard widgets may no longer be accessible after switching to or from an account that has Parental Controls enabled

Dock

* Updates Stacks with a List view option, a Folder view option, and an updated background for Grid view

Desktop
* Addresses legibility issues with the menu bar with an option to turn off transparency in Desktop & Screen Saver preferences
* Adjusts menus to be slightly-less translucent overall

iCal

* Improves iCal so that it accurately reflects responses to recurring meetings
* Addresses an issue in which a meeting may remain on the calendar after being cancelled
* Addresses stability issues related to .Mac syncing of iCal calendars
* Resolves an intermittent issue in which editing an event with attendees would cause the event to shrink and not register that the event was updated

iChat

* Addresses an issue with simultaneously-logged in accounts in which iChat sounds generated from one account might be heard in another account
* Fixes an issue in which iChat idle time is affected by Time Machine backups
* Improves connectivity when running iChat behind a router that doesn't preserve ports
* Enables logged chats from previous versions of iChat to open faster and more reliably
* Addresses an issue with text chats in which users may be unable to receive messages from the sender
* Addresses an issue that may prevent rejoining an AIM chat room without reopening iChat
* Addresses video chat compatibility issues with AIM 6 and third-party routers
* Fixes an issue with case-sensitivity of AIM handles

iSync

* Adds support for Samsung D600E and D900i phones

Finder
* Addresses an issue in which Finder could unexpectedly quit when displaying folder contents in Column view
* Addresses an issue in which Finder could unexpectedly quit when accessing Users and Groups in a Get Info pane
* Resolves an issue that prevented setting permissions on a folder alias
* Resolves an issue in which the Eject command could write to a disc in the optical drive
* Fixes an issue in which the scroll bar might disappear when deleting a file within a folder that includes files that are out of view
* Fixes an issue in the Sharing & Permissions section of Get Info windows, in which the gear icon appears to be gray/disabled after authentication
* Addresses an issue in which the Show Icon Preview preference might not be not saved when turning it off
* Fixes an issue that could occur when trying to print an image from the Finder

Mail
* Addresses an issue with Message menu's Mark > As Read choice
* Fixes an issue in which duplicate On My Mac folders may appear in the sidebar after upgrading to Leopard
* Improves the accuracy of the Data Detectors feature
* Resolves an issue with scrolling through a Note that is displayed using the split view in the message window
* Fixes an issue with deleting messages located in the Drafts folder
* Fixes an issue in which dragging the icon in the Safari URL field into a Mail message creates an attachment instead of a link
* Addresses an issue found when opening a item in the Notes folder that is not a Note
* Fixes an issue that may prevent RSS feeds from being delivered in Mail
* Resolves an issue in which a selected message could "flash" from blue to gray when in Organize by Thread mode
* Fixes an issue with scrolling between multiple To Dos in an email message
* Fixes an issue in which the body of email messages with certain MIME structures may not be displayed
* Improves performance with America Online (AOL) account-based messages in Mail
* Addresses issues with some ISPs during automatic set-up in Mail
* Addresses an issue in which Mail might not send mail on some networks to some SMTP servers
* Mail now automatically disables the (unsupported) third-party plugin GrowlMail version 1.1.2 or earlier to avoid issues
* Adds an option to view large icons in the Mailbox list

Networking

* Addresses a hanging issue that may occur when connecting to an AFP network volume

Parental Controls

* Improves stability when opening the Parental Controls System Preferences pane
* Fixes an issue that may prevent changes to the email address for permission requests
* Addresses an issue with printer administration for a guest account enabled with Parental Controls
* Addresses an issue with setting printer administration privileges from another Mac on the local network
* Fixes an issue that could prevent certain applications from being allowed
* Addresses accuracy issues with the web content filter

Preview

* Improves stability when scrolling through a PDF document
* Fixes an issue that prevents tabbing within a PDF document after clicking on the PDF
* Improves the Mail Document feature so that email attachments are more reliably created from Print Preview

Printing

* Addresses an issue in which remote printers may be deleted when the computer is put to sleep
* Improves printing performance when using some Microsoft Office applications
* Resolves an issue with some printing options, such as landscape orientation, number of copies, two-sided printing, and so forth that may not have functioned with some printers shared by Microsoft Windows
* Adds support for certain printers connected to the USB port of an AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express base station
* Resolves a stalling issue that could occur when installing certain Canon printing software from a disc

RAW Image

* Adds RAW image support for several cameras, as detailed in this article

Safari

* Addresses issues with Safari reliably resolving certain domains

Login and Setup Assistant

* Addresses an issue in which Setup Assistant could unexpectedly appear each time Mac OS X 10.5 starts up
* Improves stability and performance during log in

System

* Improves the accuracy of the grammar checker
* The computer will now shut down if an automatic disk repair does not succeed during startup

Time Machine

* Adds a menu bar option for accessing Time Machine features (the menu extra can be enabled in Time Machine preferences)
* Improves backup reliability when computer name contains slash or non-ASCII characters
* Fixes an issue in which the backup disk displayed in the Finder may be out of sync with the disk chosen for Time Machine
* Addresses issues in which some external drives are not recognized by Time Machine
* The status menu now appears by default

Other

* Improves general stability when running third-party applications
* Addresses an issue in which the incorrect search results may be displayed for certain Automator Find/Filter actions
* Addresses an issue with the Latvian and Russian keyboard layouts
* Addresses an issue in which the backlight could turn off before Energy Saver's backlight setting

If you use FontExplorer X to manage your fonts and you've just updated your mac to Leopard 10.5.2, you may be in for a crash! Apparently something has changed in the new Leopard update causing FontExplorer X to crash various applications and wreak havoc on any Mac that tries to launch it!

Don't delay! Download the update that was released today that squashes this Leopard 10.5.2 bug! Download Linotype FontExplorer X update here.

We've been hearing over the past few days that folks have been clamoring for the new Multi-touch trackpad found in the MacBook Air. We've tried it ourselves and found it extremely cool and useful, especially in iPhoto!

It seems that adding Multi touch to current MacBooks and MacBook Pro would be as easy as a software update although none are planned at this time according to an Apple spokesperson. This is interesting especially since the current trackpads can sense 2 touch points.

Whether or not we'll see a "software update" to allow this feature remains to be seen. I personally think we'll see new MacBooks and MacBook Pro's with larger touchpads and features from the Air before we see that update come to any older models though.

And no, I seriously doubt Apple will be using multi-touch ON something like an iMac, and here's why: Try touching your screen for 5 minutes over and over again. You'll be having some serious shoulder issues before you know it!

We were wondering when they'd do this as it seemed like the logical next step. Anyone who follows Apple closely sees the pattern! Apple has cut the price of their original 1GB iPod Shuffle while releasing an even cheaper 2GB Shuffle, making the entry point to owning an Apple iPod even lower!

The dimunitive shuffle is Apple's smallest iPod weighing in at just half an ounce and only a cubic inch in size. Now they have moved the price from $79 to $49 and added a 2GB model for $69, $10 lower than the original 1GB model!

"At just $49, the iPod shuffle is the most affordable iPod ever. The new 2GB model lets music lovers bring even more songs everywhere they go in the impossibly small iPod shuffle." said Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing.

Now just about anyone can own an iPod at this price. Next prediciton? 16GB iPod nano in the next 3 months.

Rumors are flying that a special event thats going to take place at the end of February will host Linkin Park. No one knows for sure if there will be a special Apple event scheduled, but we're hedging our bets that we will indeed see one next week sometime.

AppleInsider is reporting that Linkin Park will be the featured guests at this event, since Mike Shinoda, one of the groups members wrote on their website:

"Looking forward to our first show at Madison Square Garden this week (sold out)!," he wrote. "Also, look forward to a special show that we're doing in NYC in conjunction with Apple...shh...it's a secret..."

What do we think we'll see at this event? Apple iPhone SDK for sure, and who knows what Steve has up his sleeve?

With the arrival and installation of Leopard and Time Machine on my PowerBook G4, it was just a matter of time that I would be needing an external hard drive enclosure. I know that nowadays its probably more economical to buy an off-the-shelf product, but I had a spare 500 GB hard drive on hand and figured that now was a good time to use it as ever.

So, I set out to do some research online and the pickings were a little slim. I guess that since a lot of the manufacturers already make their own enclosures, the market for "roll your own" enclosure has shrunken a lot in the past years. A few years ago, I recall the enclosures were easy to find and now, its really hard to get your hands on a reliable one. In any case, in the past, I've always known that Other World Computing or OWC has pretty good products, so I decided to visit their site. The one that seemed to fit my budget and specifications was the MiniStack v2, they also produce a MiniStack v3, but it was more expensive and included features such as eSATA that I didn't need. Also, as a side note, normally I like enclosures that are vertical, but the MiniStack sits horizontally, I decided to make this an exception.

As far as the specifications, this enclosure could accommodate ATA drives up to 750 GB and it had 2 Firewire (1394) ports and 3 USB ports. It also apparently had an "intelligent" fan and seemed to get pretty good reviews online. Newer provided all the screws that were needed and also a short USB and Firewire cable.

Also included in the box were: the power adapter, the manual, the enclosure cover and some tape (for taping down the hard drive's heat sensor). The instructions were straightforward and there were lots of pictures illustrating how to assemble the enclosure. I think total assembly time was approximately 30 min. or so. The only problem that I had was that the enclosure cover was made of plastic and didn't fit well, mostly because it was such a tight fit.

Anyway, I've been using this enclosure for about a week and I can say so far that I don't have any issues with it. It works flawlessly for what I wanted it to do and I find that the on/off switch to be a good feature. That being said, I really like this enclosure and would recommend it to anyone who has a spare HD lying around and are looking for an external enclosure, however, if you are in the market for an external drive, the more economical solution would be to buy an external drive/enclosure ready made.

According to market research data from NPD, iTunes Store is now the #2 music retailer in the US right behind Wal-mart.

"We'd like to thank the over 50 million music lovers who have helped the iTunes Store reach this incredible milestone," said Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of iTunes. "We continue to add great new features like iTunes Movie Rentals to give our customers even more reason to love iTunes."

According to the press releases, iTunes Store sold 20 million songs on Christmas day alone, has over 50 million customers and has sold 4 billion songs!

Congrats iTunes! I wonder how much more it will take to beat the giant Wal-mart?

Today as many of the fan sites predicted, Apple updated both of its MacBook and MacBook Pro lines. In a nutshell, the update brings the latest Intel Penryn CPUs to both laptops and the same multi-touch trackpad that the MacBook Air has to the MacBook Pro.

For the most part, the MacBook and the MacBook Pro share the same form factors and price points, but the MacBook Pro also gets an updated NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor with 512MB of VRAM. Additionally, standard ram configuration has been bumped up to 2GB.

From Apple's Tech Specs: "The Intel Core 2 Duo runs on 45-nm process technology at speeds up to 2.6GHz with up to 6MB of L2 cache. Its SSE4 vector engine handles 128-bit computations in a single clock cycle, accelerating data manipulation by simultaneously applying a single instruction to multiple data."

So far, this seems like a good update to an already solid line of laptops, however there have been some reports online that say that battery life has been reduced from approximately 6 hours to 4.5 hours. This is unusual as the Penryn chips are supposed to be better at energy consumption. We will have to wait for the final verdict.