What's New - Sep 19, 2001

Introduction

What's new for the Mac in the previous month:

• General issues, workarounds and fixes
• New Software and hardware
• Software and hardware updates/patches

September 11, 2001

From an Akamai press release: "Akamai Technologies mourns the loss of co-founder and CTO Daniel Lewin. American Airlines confirmed that he was on board the Boston to Los Angeles flight that crashed in New York City... Danny was 31 years old and is survived by his wife and two sons."

Apple Expo 2001 in Paris canceled. Read more

Seybold not canceled.

As MacCentral reports, an Apple spokesman has, today, stated:

"Apple is donating one million dollars to the families of the firefighters, police and other emergency response personnel who lost their lives, through the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. In addition, we will donate one iBook to each of these families with children this holiday season."

Joy of Geek commentary

More comic commentaries

New Software

4D Server 6.7.5 is the latest release of the 4th Dimension relational database server. This version is native for Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server, and requires no code changes for migration from Mac OS 9. (A 4D 6.7.x native Mac OS X client is currently under development and is expected to ship before the end of the year.)

Metrowerks CodeWarrior Pro 7.0 is the preferred programming environment for the Mac. This version allows you to develop on and build for BOTH Classic Mac OS and Mac OS X (C/C++, Java, Carbon, or Cocoa).

Apple CarbonLib 1.4 is a library for using Carbon under Mac OS 8 and 9. This version is also installed as part of Mac OS 9.2.1. Among what's new in this version (as taken from the note in the SDK for 1.4): Support for Mac OS X-style bundled CFM applications using data-fork-based resources; support for data-fork-based resource files on 8.6 and later (previously were only supported on 9.1 and later).

Apple iMac Power Management Update is an update only for iMacs released in 2001. It extends the PRAM battery life.

CrushFTP 3.0b12 is a beta update to this "FTP server with users/groups, ratios, quotas, bandwidth limiters, remote admin, virtual serving, redundancy, load balancing, virtual directories, and can even discover your WAN IP if your behind a NAT firewall."

Extension Overload 5.9.1 is an extensions, control panels, control strip modules and contextual menus management application. It offers detail information of 5100 extensions and control panels, control strip modules and contextual menu items in your system. It is now compatible with Mac OS 9.2.1.

File Buddy 6.1.3 is an update to this file/folder editing and task tool.

File Freak 3.4 can list, open, or move files based on dynamic search criteria.

FileGeek 3.3 is a tool for viewing/editing file attributes.

G4Strip 1.2 is a Control Strip module to control the cache and clock speed of the G4 processor (PowerBook and Tower).

Interarchy 5.0 (formerly Anarchie) is a powerful FTP file transfer and network information utility. Carbonized.

IomegaWare 3.0.4 is an update to this software for Iomega Zip and Jaz drives.

Jerry's Finder 9 Patch 1.4 adds keyboard shortcuts and more for the Finder (up to 9.2.1).

Jon's Mac OS 9.2.x mods is a collection of ResEdit hacks for OS 9.2.x, which include additional keyboard shortcuts, a Quit command, enlarged Open and Save dialogs, recolored screens, reduced delay on check disk following an improper shutdown, and more.

Keep It Up 2.4.5 monitors applications and can restart them if they crash.

ListSTAR 2.3b1 is a mail list server.

MacAnalysis 2.0b7 is a network and security tool.

MacGhostView 2.3 is the latest release of this general purpose PostScript & PDF previewer.

MacPerl 5.6.1a5 is the first new version of MacPerl since 1998. It brings MacPerl up to date with the Unix version of perl.

QuickDNS Pro 3.5.1 is the latest version of this DNS server software.

Quicken 2002 Following months of beta testing, Intuit has announced the shipping of a release version of Quicken 2002 Deluxe 1.0. It will run in Mac OS 9 and X.

PrefsOverload 3.0 is a utility for managing the Preferences folder. This update adds the ability to search for damaged preference files, and support for Mac OS X preferences.

PrintToPDF 2.2.5 is a shareware Macintosh printer driver that creates PDF files. You do not need to have the full Acrobat package installed for PrintToPDF to work.

REALbasic 3.5.1, a basic programming language (similar to Visual Basic). New features in this MacFixIt Toolbox Award-winning utility include Microsoft Office Automation, RbScript, a 3D engine, a regular expression engine, a new tips window, and much more.

Retrospect client 1.0.426 for OS X is out. "During the public beta period, any Retrospect 4.3 application can back up computers running Mac OS X Server 10.0 as Retrospect Clients."

Retrospect Driver Update and Extensions Updater which together enable support for most internal CD-RW drives installed by Apple and the Disc Burner application. Internal drive models can be identified by the Apple System Profiler.

Sawmill 6.2.2 is a server log analysis utility.

Smile 1.8.4 is both an AppleScript editor for beginners, and an integrated environment for AppleScript developers. Smile is scriptable, attachable (its objects have scripts), recordable, and factored (internally scripted).

Sorenson Broadcaster 1.1.1b2 adds support for USB audio.

Shift Key Suite 1.0.6 disables the Shift key at startup so you cannot use it to bypass extension loading. It also has other features.

Startup Security 1.1 allows you to enable firmware security using Mac OS 9 or X. You can also enable further security measures such as asking for a password during startup and disabling the shift key at startup.

Toast Titanium 5.0.2, CD and DVD burning.

ZipIt 2.1 updated for Mac OS 9.2.1.

Full listing for 8-13 to 9-18 (716 K file):
Or see: versiontracker.com

Software Notes

Microsoft's Office v. X will be available in November. Office v. X is a native OS X application. Office 2001 is the last OS 9.x version of Office. Upgrade price: $299. Standard version: $499. Licensed users have a limited time upgrade price of $149.

OS X 10.1 being released next week at Seybold Conference?

OSL and the Office of General Counsel are negotiating with Archway for the free site-license of VersaCAD.

Ticker

Watch the stock market with this cool application: Ticker (available with the BinCalc -- see below).

BinCalc

Coolest calculator I have seen: BinCalc

G4Strip - Go back to top

Change your cache, view performance with G4Strip.

Hardware News

Apple server hardware changed. Multiprocessor G4s removed from Apple Store. Replaced with a 733 MHz QuickSilver unit. See http://store.apple.com/.

PowerBook price cuts.
Public: G4/400 - $2,199; G4/500 $2,999
Qualifying education individuals: G4/400 - $2,067; G4/500 $2,819
Qualifying education institutions: G4/400 - $1,979; G4/500 - $2,699.
Read more.

From Macfixit:
"New PowerBooks on the horizon? A reader who works for a Mac retailer claims that all PowerBooks in their inventory have been put on D (for Discontinued) status. Assuming the report is accurate (which we could not confirm as yet), this typically signals that new models will soon be announced."

Motorola has a new chip making technique that should make chips 35 times faster, combining silicon with optical components. The technology could take 2 years before it is used in consumer products. Read more.

3 non-compatible recordable DVD standards will soon be released to consumers (remember VHS and BETA...). DVD+RW format endorsed by Dell and others, opposed to DVD-RW format used in Apple's SuperDrive. Read more - Read more.

Thinking of buying a Video Camera? Read this first.

FireWire vs. USB 2... FireWire IEEE 1394 (400 mbps) may become the PC standard instead of USB 2 (480 mbps). Texas Instruments working on IEEE 1394.b (800 mbps). Read more.

Apple wins an Emmy for its FireWire technology. It has displaced expensive specialized film-editing equipment and made its hardware and software common in the TV industry. Read more.

G5 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 Ghz chips on the horizon? Read more - read more.

Retail News

Apple's chief financial officer, Fred Anderson, said its retail division is on track to turn a profit next year after breaking even in the final quarter of this year. Read more.

"The best notebook in the world."

Lots of new Apple Stores (Florida, Massachusetts, Ohio, and more).

New Apple Store for Federal Government http://applefederal.apple.com/store/

Apple has been sued for alleged infringement of computer patents owned by BIAX Corp. The patents in question improve the efficiency and speed of CPU parallel processing. Read more.

Apple joins other big names in getting rid of the $20-billion "gray market", which buys new hardware, swaps good components with low-grade components, and then resells the altered hardware as "new". Read more.

From a wired.com article: "Music and record industry lobbyists are quietly readying an all-out assault on Congress this fall in hopes of dramatically rewriting copyright laws. They hope to embed copy-protection controls in nearly all consumer electronic devices and PCs. All types of digital content, including music, video and e-books, are covered." It's called the Security Systems Standards and Certification Act.

Casady & Greene has an online store sale: "Get 40% off on any product listed in our store." Ends September 30.

Palm acquires Be OS for $11 million in stock, in a move aimed at strengthening its operating system to compete against Microsoft. Read more - read about Be OS (an OS that came very close to being the basis for Mac OS X).

Palm in financial trouble. Read more.

Should Apple acquire Palm? Read more.

The Bush administration is giving Microsoft an easy time. States may pursue Microsoft on their own. Microsoft may try to settle.

From the New York Times look at Windows XP comes this all too familiar quote: "Windows XP couldn't look much more like Apple's Mac OS X if you ran it through a copying machine." Read more - read more - read more.

Very strange Microsoft ad...

Issues

Security Problems

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. Section 512 allows an ISP can disabled your internet access if they believe that your IP is distributing movies illegally, even if your IP was spoofed. Read more.

The securemac.com site has posted a utility, called FWSucker, that can supposedly extract and decrypt an Open Firmware password. Read more - read more.

A BBC article notes: "Hackers have exposed a security flaw which allows you to read other people's emails in Hotmail."Read more.

AirSnort and NetStumbler are wireless hacker utilities (not on Mac as far as I know). NetStumbler is point and click, making it easy for anyone to hack into wireless networks. Read more.

HINT: Prevent snooping by using VPN. Prevent unauthorized access by using MAC address restrictions.

Internet Explorer 5.5 and Plugins

Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows, versions 5.5 SP2 and 6.0 no longer support Netscape-style plug-ins, instead Explorer uses ActiveX controls.

ActiveX links desktop applications to the browser. One could say ActiveX is a challenger to Java, which Explorer is also dropping support in Windows XP and IE 6.

ActiveX, in typical Microsoft fashion, is a serious security risk and requires constant updates and patches. "Unfortunately, SP2 for IE 5.5 was a service pack with a hidden agenda. It may have had a security fix or two in it, but was also designed to remove non-Microsoft product compatibility." Read more.

If you have any content that requires a plugin on any webpages, you need to find out if an ActiveX plugin exists and modify the webpage's code so that the ActiveX code will execute properly.

Example for QuickTime:

Old syntax:

<EMBED src="sample.mov" width="160" height="144" autoplay="true" CONTROLLER="false" PLUGINSPAGE="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/"> </EMBED>

The new syntax is as follows:

<OBJECT CLASSID="clsid:02BF25D5-8C17-4B23-BC80-D3488ABDDC6B" width="160" height="144" CODEBASE="http://www.apple.com/qtactivex/qtplugin.cab">
<param name="src" value="sample.mov">
<param name="autoplay" value="true">
<param name="controller" value="false">
<embed src="sample.mov" width="160" height="144" autoplay="true" CONTROLLER="false" PLUGINSPAGE="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/"></EMBED> </OBJECT>

ADDITIONAL READING

For more information on the OBJECT element, see:
The W3C Web site
Apple's Internet development webpage.
Apple's QuickTime Compatibility webpage (the source of this information).

Software Problems

Mac Unicorn Software selling bogus enhancement software? Read more - read more.

Mac OS X Server will currently not run on dual 800 MHz Power Mac G4's (QuickSilver). Read more.

GoMac and Adobe problems. Read more.

Virex error with September definitions, use the latest definition. Read more.

Old beta version of Peak may delete random files. Read more.

Quicken is mentioned on Macfixit too much to provide links. If you use it, read Macfixit often.

Hardware Problems

New iBooks might have a dead pixel. Try rubbing it or sharply slapping the screen (not responsible if you break it...).

The new iBook's internal antenna signal cable, if not routed just right, can get pinched when the display is opened, thus cutting off the antenna's range dramatically, and possibly breaking the internal cable. The cable can get mis-routed during assembly, or if the bottom casing is taken off to upgrade the hard disk. Read more.

Apple's new 128-bit AirPort cards may prevent startup. Generally, removing the card restores functionality. New iBooks appear especially likely to have this problem. Read more.

AppleCare UK has confirmed that the speaker hiss problem is present on all QuickSilver G4s. It is considered a hardware design fault. Apple is aware of the problem and is 'working on a solution.'"

G4's may crash if a remote client connects on the internal model. This is a known issue and the workaround is to use an external model.

Last production-models of the Pismo FireWire PowerBook G3 contain 'bad' LG drives. Get Apple to replace the drive with a Matshusita drive instead of an LG one, although Apple appears reluctant to do this. Read more - read more - read more.

Apple Studio Display 17: "An occasional popping or cracking sound comes from inside the monitor. This may be accompanied by a visible electrical discharge." If you have this symptom, Apple may replace it, even if the monitor is out of warranty.

QuickSilver G4's and PCI cards conflicting, prevent wake from sleep. Read more.

B&W G3 & FireWire hard disk not reliable. Read more.

Using a Keyspan USB Twin Serial Adapter conflicts with Epson Stylus Photo EX connected by a Keyspan Adapter. Read more.

Viruses and more

Atlanta, Ga. - Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control confirmed that hoof-and-mouth disease cannot be spread by Microsoft's Outlook email application, believed to be the first time the program has ever failed to propagate a major virus.

SirCam still alive and propagating well (if you use Virtual PC and Microsoft email applications). Read more.

WildPackets had posted a free Code Red virus detection plug-in for EtherPeek.

Test your ports: Shields UP! - click on the links for Shields UP. It is designed for Windows users, but the main tests work for Mac users as well.

Macfixit says "We were amused by this note, following a test of our own connection: 'All attempts to get any information from your computer have FAILED. (This is very uncommon for a Windows networking-based PC.).'"

More PC fun: Code Red looks like a preschool toy compared to Nimda! Read more - read more - read more - read more.

Cool Stuff

There are a few places you can go to get wireless access in the Salt Lake area:

Free access: iLounge in Park City

Subscribers only (unless you want to test AirSnort or NetStumbler).
Airport (terminal 1: gates A1 - A3). Salt Lake Airport Hilton
Wyndham Hotel, Salt Lake
Best Western, North Salt Lake
Hilton, Salt Lake

More coming:
Suburban Lodge, Salt Lake/Midvale
Suburban Lodge, South Salt Lake

Read more

"Star Wars: The Phantom Edit" was done entirely on a G4/400, using Final Cut Pro. Read more

Get rid of that 2 minute "Done" button after the Disk First Aid check after a crash with ResEdit or System 9.2.1 No Wait Patch 1.0.

Webpages and pdf's with serious studies that discuss the benefits of Macs over Windows: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16

Humor

Joy of Tech:

• Dance Monkeyboy 1
• X-Specs
• Microsoft Lobbyists
• Dance Monkeyboy 2
• mr_sensitive
• Dance Monkeyboy 3
• Tech Support Hell?
• America's Most Hated Man