What's New - May 19, 2004

By: Mikio Moriyasu - Revised: 2006-07-03 devin

Download Slides – PDF-File, 2.7 MB

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


New Apple Software

AirPort Update 3.4.1 - Turbocharged with the latest wireless technology, 802.11g, to deliver data rates of up to 54 megabits per second (Mbps).

Apple CHUD Tools 3.5.1 - This is a set of utilities that can be invaluable in solving some troubleshooting issues. CHUD stands for Computer Hardware Understanding Development.

Backup 2.0.2 - Adds performance and stability improvements to scheduled backups and is recommended for all Backup 2.0 users.

Final Cut Pro HD 4.5 - This is highly recommended for all Final Cut Pro 4 users.

FireWire Audio Driver Update 1.0.8 - Recommended for users of FireWire audio devices built on the BridgeCo Enhanced Breakout Box (BeBoB), including the FA-101 from Roland/Edirol.

GarageBand 1.1 - Addresses isolated performance and stability issues.

iBook G4 Graphics Update 1.0 - This update fixes a compatibility issue that may exist with applications that use OpenGL and is recommended for the 12-inch 1GHz, and 14-inch 1.2GHz iBook G4.

iMovie for Mac OS X 4.0.1 - This update is highly recommended for all uses of iMovie 4.

iPod Update 2004-04-28 - iPod Update 2004-04-28 supports all models of iPod and iPod mini introduced before April 28, 2004.

iTunes 4.5 - Already the best jukebox software in the world, with the best music store inside — and it keeps getting better.

Java Update 1.4.2 - Provides support for Sun’s Java 1.4.2 APIs.

Security Update 2004-05-03 (10.3.3 Client) - Delivers a number of security enhancements and is recommended for all Macintosh users.

Security Update 2004-05-03 (10.2.8 Client) - Delivers a number of security enhancements and is recommended for all Macintosh users.

Security Update 2004-05-03 (10.3.3 Server) - Delivers a number of security enhancements and is recommended for all Macintosh users.

Security Update 2004-05-03 (10.2.8 Server) - Delivers a number of security enhancements and is recommended for all Macintosh users.

SoftRAID 3.0.3 is server quality RAID software. The new version provides performance enhancements

QuickTime Update 6.3.1 - Delivers enhanced support for iTunes and other QuickTime-based applications. For Mac OS X v.10.1.5 users.

QuickTime 6.5.1 - Apple’s award-winning software for creating, playing, and streaming high-quality audio and video over the Internet.

New Third Party Software

(Updates are assumed to be for Mac OS X, not much is being updated for Mac OS 9 nowadays...)

DragThing 5.1.1 is a launcher palette for files, folders, disks, servers, URLs. This release works round a reported problem with the recent McAfee Virex 7.5 beta which could cause DragThing not to quit properly on shutdown, restart or logout.

Firewalk X 2.3.6 is a full featured firewall. The new release fixes possible kernel extension cache corruption which may have caused panics after uninstallation

HyperEdit 1.0 is an HTML and PHP editor for Mac OS X. It uses a "split" view with one side a preview pane to display the web page live as a user types.

JellyfiSSH 3.1.2 is a SSH login helper utility.

Link Checker 1.3 goes through your web site and finds any broken links or images. The new release has -Interface improvements and loop bug fixes in the link parser.

Mozilla 1.7rc1 is Mozilla.org's Web browser. The latest release has a new option to prevent sites using Javascript to block the browser's context menu.

OmniWeb 5.0 beta 6 is a web browser based on the same Webcore as Safari.

Opera 7.50b1 is a Web browser.

Path Finder 3.2.0 is a Finder-like file manager with integrated utilities. The new release has built-in media burning capability and a new "Connect to Server" mechanism.

REALbasic 5.5.2 is an object-oriented visual programming environment

Synchronize! Pro X 3.4.2 provides bootable system backups and syncs files. The new release fixes a crash which could occur when opening the application.

Toast Titanium 6.0.5 is a CD and DVD burning solution. In the new release an Auto-Play option has been added to DVD Video. The new release adds support for 12x and 16x DVD recorders.

VersionTracker Pro 3.5 is a desktop app that finds, downloads, installs software updates. The latest release has download sharing via Rendezvous and a new preview pane.

Software Notes

Apple has announced a new contest for users of its Keynote presentation software. "Show Apple what you love. Create a killer presentation expressing your favorite passion, using Keynote - Apple's innovative presentation tool. You could win a 23-inch HD Cinema Display or up to $1,000 from the iTunes Music Store." Read More.

FileMaker Pro (7.0v1) - MacFixit reports that words in a text field are split (not divided) at the right edge of a text field with the text aligned left. Changing the font size/alignment only creates new splits in different words. FileMaker support document #109043 offers a fix for this issue.

They are either unable to update to the new version or burning a new DiskWarrior 3.0.3 startup CD with the new version. While there is no official solution for the update issues, for users experiencing burn problems, Alsoft offers the following suggestion:
  • If the Update utility appears to have successfully updated the image, but simply refuses to burn a new CD, do not quit the Update utility yet. First choose Go -> Go to Folder... in the Finder. Type /private/tmp and click the Go button. This will take you to the /private/tmp folder.
  • There should be a disk image file (ending in .dmg) in that folder. Copy or move it to your Desktop. (After doing this, it's safe to quit the Update utility.)
  • Launch Disk Utility (/Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility).
  • In Disk Utility, choose Images -> Burn..., choose the disk image file you just copied to the Desktop, and click Open.
  • Burn the image to disc.
According to a Mac Observer story, Virtual PC 7, originally announced as part of Microsoft Office 2004, will not be available until "the second half of 2004." Read more.

The French Mac site, MacBidouille, reports that Virtual PC 7.0 will support dual processor Macintosh systems in addition to featuring G5 compatibility and optimization. The software is also said to boast improved support and management of peripherals, with an increased focus on USB peripherals. The new version will manage and support graphic cards, natively.

QuickTime 6.5.1 fixes a security flaw originally discovered by eEye Digital Security where playing a problematic .mov file can cause QuickTime to quit. the vulnerability is reportedly caused due to an integer overflow within a routine used for copying Sample-to-Chunk table entries from the 'stsc' atom data in a QuickTime-format movie ('.mov') into an array. This can be exploited via a specially crafted movie to cause a heap overflow by specifying an overly long value in the 'number of entries' field. Read More.

Hardware News

eWeek columnist Jim Louderback proclaims that Apple should stop selling its highly profitable Macintosh line of computers in favor of a number of alternative devices, including the "iHome OS" and the "NewtPhone." Read More.

Another eWeek columnist steps to the Mac's defense; "But why doesn't Apple enjoy a larger market share? Well, anecdotal evidence would point to the lifespan of Apple's older hardware - it just stays functional for too long." Read More.

Japanese electronics conglomerate Hitachi says its supply of 1.0-inch disk drives was running behind demand and that it would ramp up output at its Thailand plant as soon as possible to avert further delays of Apple's iPod mini Read More.

Dr. Bott has commenced shipment of the VGAtor which lets you use all PowerBooks with a built-in VGA port as well as PC notebooks with Apple's family of ADC flat-panel displays. VGAtor is priced at US$300. Read More.

Apple has updated the FAQ for its iBook logic board repair extension program. Specific iBook models manufactured between May 2002 and October 2003 that are experiencing specific component failures are now eligible for the program. Read More.

Daystar has begun shipping its new MAChSPEED G4 433 Mhz upgrade for PowerBook Lombard systems. The upgrade requires Lombards to be shipped to Daystart for installation. Standard pricing for the upgrade is US $259. Read More.

An editor for MacFixIt resent the Power Manager of his PowerMac G5 to fix a video card issue. The G5 would start but would not engage the video card. He went through the usual troubleshooting steps: booting off a CD, safe boot, zapping PRAM, resetting NVRAM, and even used a different video card without success.

On a related note, Apple recommends resetting the Power Manager on a PowerBook or iBook in similar situations. Apart from a few Knowledge Base references to older Power Mac G4 computers, however, Apple doesn't really mention resetting the Power Manager for newer desktop models.

The iPod and iPod mini both sport a 32MB RAM buffer. When a track commences, the iPod caches the audio (up to 25 minutes) in the buffer, allowing for uninterrupted play if the hard drive is disrupted. Unfortunately, if files exceed this 32MB buffer, the iPod has to re-access its hard drive, in some cases causing the audio dropout. One possible solution is to segment any audio file over 20Mb into smaller files.

A source indicates that the next generation iPod will have extensive video capabilities. According to the source, "When a user connects one end of the video-cable into the iPod's new dock connector and the other end into the TV, it will switch the iPod into video mode." In this mode, the player will somehow function in FireWire hard disk mode allowing users to display video clips located in the iPod's 'movies' directory - such as movie trailers and personal iMovie creations - on the television screen. Likewise, sources said that the new player, along with its rumored color screen, will also allow users manage or preview photos on the iPod display or TV screen. Support for the next generation iPod's "Home on iPod" technology is rumored to be released in a hefty update to Mac OS X 10.3 Panther, labeled Mac OS X 10.3.5.

For those with subscriptions, MacFixit has started to troubleshoot issues users have encountered while Apple's iPod and iPod-Mini.

Retail News

Macworld UK reports that the major labels, believing that iTunes songs are too cheap, want to increase the price of iTunes Music Store downloads to as much as $2.49. Experts predict the move could kill the service. Read More.

Apple flatly denied a report that the computer maker was planning to raise prices for songs bought on its iTunes online music store, which recently sold 3.3 million songs in a single week. Read More.

CBS MarketWatch notes that Alex Luke, director of music programming and label relations for the Cupertino, Calif.-based company's ITunes unit, is hunting down everything from out-of-print singles in a music company's vaults to songs that have never been released. Read More.

Apple is cutting more than 100 jobs, according to a Silicon.com report. "Apple said a reorganization of its sales and marketing efforts will result in 148 job cuts over the course of the current fiscal year, which ends in September." Read More.

Reuters notes that PalmOne last Friday unveiled its flagship store in Philadelphia's International Airport. It brings to 11 locations the Milpitas, California-based company has quietly opened since 2002. Read More.

Founder, one of the largest PC suppliers to the Chinese market, and Apple have announced that every Founder PC will come pre-installed with Apple's iTunes beginning next month.

Issues

For those with subscriptions, MacFixit has started to troubleshoot issues users have encountered while using the latest software and hardware updates from Apple including Security Update 1004-05-03, Airport 3.4.1, and QuickTime 6.5.1.

Macworld UK covers the malware for Mac OS X that is disguised as an installer for a "demo" version of Microsoft Word 2004. The malware is simply an AppleScript application with a custom installer icon. When the application is launched, it uses AppleScript's ability to execute Unix shell commands in order to run a command that deletes the user's home folder. Since the user is the owner of his/her home directory, no authentication is needed. Read More.

On a related note, Intego has announced that the latest virus definitions for its VirusBarrier X anti-virus utility have been updated to protect against this trojan. We expect other OS X anti-virus developers to announce similar updates soon. Read More.

Macfixit has previously noted an issue in which the display on some Powerbooks has areas that are brighter than others. They now report that machines that have been repaired are also exhibiting the same illumination inconsistencies. Other than having the affected machine serviced, no other solutions have been offered.

According to some users not all audio CDs recorded using iTunes will work in many CD players. While certain burning drive models may be more prone to producing incompatible audio CDs than others, there are measures that users can take to increase chances of broad compatibility from iTunes-burned CDs. The most important is to use high-quality brand-name media.

Macfixit has been recording issue encountered by readers following the application of the Security Update 2004-05-03.
  • SMTP mail accounts - A variety of connectivity issues with Apple's Mail.app and MIcrosoft's Entourage. Some have had success by repairing disk permissions repair using Apple's Disk Utility or by deleting problematic applications' .plist files (located in ~/Library/Preferences).
  • Kernel panics that have no concrete triggering actions side from launching certain applications. Some have had success by repairing disk permissions repair using Apple's Disk Utility or by deleting problematic applications' .plist files (located in ~/Library/Preferences).
  • Broken Airport connectivity and/or Base Station connection instability
  • Issues opening specific (or all) applications. For some, deleting cache files with a utility like Cocktail or Panther Cache Cleaner restores functionality.
Comcast has unveiled a new service dubbed "Home Networking" that simply allows users to share the company's high-speed cable Internet connection, printers and other devices, and provide other functionality. According to the company's technical support department, official support is forthcoming.

Some users report that iMovie 4.0.x is unable to export digital video to some camcorders after specific Final Cut Pro updates - Pro Application Support and Final Cut Pro HD. Those affected receive the message "Lost Connection to Camera - iMovie lost its connection to the video camera. Please check the connections and try again." One reported fix calls for the removal of two files:
  • /Library/QuickTime/DesktopVideoOut.component
  • Library/QuickTime/DVCPROHDVideoOutput.component
While iMovie/DV camera functionality is regained, it is uncertain what this does to other apps including FCP.

An Apple Discussions forum thread discusses a very specific problem affecting users with AirPort Extreme cards and more than 1GB of RAM. The issue can result in wireless network slowdowns and disconnections, especially during periods of heavy network transfers. Some solutions that have worked include:
  • Dropping to 1 GB of RAM or less
  • Disabling all of the connections except AirPort in the Network pane of System Preferences
The issues does not appear to be specific to Apple's 802.11g networking hardware, and affects cards from other manufacturers as well.

Mac OS X in Brief

The Apple Developer connection has posted a new resource page on high performance Mac computing. Read More.

CNET News.com reports that Apple is attempting to protect it's GUI design through patent law versus copyright law. Read More.

Apple has officially announced that it will be previewing Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" at this year's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco. For full details, visit Apple's WWDC page.

A MacFixIt reader has provided a tutorial for converting older iDVD themes for use in iDVD 4. The procedure isn't simple, but if you have a number of older iDVD projects that use those themes, it may be worth a try. Read More.

eWeek asks the question "Will we ever see something like the Sasser worm for the Macintosh or Linux?" noting the announcement of several "extremely serious" vulnerabilities in Mac OS X. Read More.

General News

Reuters reports that investigators seized 200 computers across the globe to break up online piracy networks that distribute copyrighted music, movies and software. Read More.

Wired News profiles several Windows XP enthusiast sites that are attempting to replicate the Mac OS X look and feel through theme packages and other mechanisms. Read More.

Anxious investors are scrambling to determine the valuation of Google Inc. when it sells an estimated $2.7 billion in stock through a Dutch auction of previously unseen size. Read More.

On a related note, CNET has a round-up of coverage for Google's upcoming, projected US $2.7 billion IPO including information on how individual investors get in on the action. Read More.

WWDC conference schedule, pre-conference sessions Apple has posted preliminary conference schedule for WWDC, as well as a listing of the full slate of evening events planned. There are also a number of free pre-conference workshops scheduled for Sunday, but Apple says "space is limited, and these valuable bonus sessions are always popular." Read More.

Richard Glaser of University of Utah and Philip Rinehart of Yale University, two macosxlabs project steering members, will be presenting an Enterprise IT session on "Best Practices for Application Distribution" at Apple's WWDC 2004 in San Francisco, CA. For update-to-date information see the Enterprise IT schedule.

Cool Stuff

Someone has assembled a guitar using the Apple logo and a sleek, Jonathan Ive-inspired design. Based on the design of the PowerBook, the big Apple is carved into the wood plus the dot fret markers are indeed miniature Apples. Read More.

The coolest thing about Nippura's 'Blue Ocean' rear projection screens isn't their visual acuity but the fact that they've leveraged their extensive acrylic forming expertise to make screens that are not only frame-less, but can be molded into different shapes.

    Nippura Blue Ocean Projection Screens
    Nippura Curved Panel Design

EZQuest has produced a USB 2.0 drive that is only 'two-quarters long and two-quarters thick,' making it at least a contender for the title of smallest USB Flash Drive. 128MB versions will set you back $49, 256MB around $79, and the 512MB at $149. Read More.

NTT DoCoMo showed off a new concept phone with a swiveling screen that can be twisted into a widescreen mode, better suited for viewing movies and other media. It also has an iPod-like touch-sensitive control wheel. Read More.

the EMP-Z II, the follow up to Korea-based Eratech's EMP-Z is, a USB 1.1 Flash Drive, MP3 player, and picture viewer all packaged in "a nice looking shiny egg". The "wearable" device comes in 128/256/512MB storage varieties. Read More.

Researchers at Human Media Lab, Queen's University in Canada presented the ECSGlasses. These are eye contact sensing glasses that report when people look at their wearer. When eye contact is detected, the glasses stream this information to appliances to inform these about the wearer's engagement. Read More.

Humor

Joy of Tech
  • Kill Bill
  • Google IPO
  • iPodaganda
  • Mac OS X "Kitten"

Events

.Mac on-floor Demonstration
  • Location: CompUSA #194 - Orem Training Center
    366 East University Parkway, University Crossing Shopping Center, Orem, UT 84058
  • Date: May 20, 2004, from 06:00 PM - 07:00 PM US Mountain
  • Fee: Free Seminar
  • Registration Information: Click here
Introduction to iLife
  • Location: CompUSA #262. Training Center 6262 South State Street, Murray, UT 84113
  • Date: May 19, 2004, from 06:00 PM - 07:00 PM US Mountain
  • Fee: Free Seminar
  • Registration Information: Click here
iLife 04 on-floor Demonstration
  • Location: CompUSA #194 - Orem Training Center
    366 East University Parkway, University Crossing Shopping Center, Orem, UT 84058
  • Date: May 22, 2004, from 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM US Mountain
  • Fee: Free Seminar
  • Registration Information: Click here
macosxlabs.org Webcast - May
  • Subject: PSU Blast Image Config 2.0
  • Presenters: Justin Elliott, Information Technology Services, Penn State University & Daniel Ritter, School of Visual Arts, Penn State University
  • Moderator: Fred Reynolds, Apple Computer
  • Date: Monday May 24th, 2004
  • Time: 10:00 am - 11:30 am PDT
    1:00 pm - 2:30 pm EDT
    18:00 - 19:30 GMT
  • Click here for viewing instructions
Apple Keynote Software
  • Location: CompUSA #194 - Orem Training Center
    366 East University Parkway, University Crossing Shopping Center, Orem, UT 84058
  • Date: May 27, 2004, from 06:00 PM - 07:00 PM US Mountain
  • Fee: Free Seminar
  • Registration Information: Click here
.mac What its All About on-floor Demonstration
  • Location: CompUSA #194 - Orem Training Center
    366 East University Parkway, University Crossing Shopping Center, Orem, UT 84058
  • Date: May 29, 2004, from 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM US Mountain
  • Fee: Free Seminar
  • Registration Information: Click here
macosxlabs.org Webcast - June (Tentative)
  • Subject: ARD Update
  • Presenters: TBA
  • Date: June 15, 2004
  • Click here for time and viewing instructions
NECC 2004 - Jammin Jazz with Technology
  • Location: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Date: June 20-23, 2004
  • Registration Information: Click here
  • General Conference Program: Click here
Apple World Wide Developers Conference 2004
  • Location: San Francisco, California
  • Date: June 28-July 2, 2004
  • Registration Information: Click here
  • Technical Tracks Information: Click here