What's New - Nov 16, 2005

By: Mike Yocom - Revised: 2006-05-25 devin

Download Slides – PDF-File, 2.1 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

WaveBurner 1.1.2 — Addresses isolated reliability issues. The update is highly recommended for all users of WaveBurner 1.1.

Pro Application Support 3.1 (Panther & Tiger) — This update improves general user interface reliability for Apple's professional applications and is recommended for all users of Final Cut Studio, Final Cut Pro, Motion, Soundtrack Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Soundtrack, Logic Pro and Logic Express.

Final Cut Express HD 3.0.1 — Delivers improved compatibility with Macintosh computers using a PCI Express graphics controller.

Final Cut Pro 5 Updates — The latest updates to all Final Cut Pro 5 applications: Final Cut Pro 5, Cinema Tools 3, LiveType 2, Compressor 2.

Mac OS X 10.4.3 (Combo, Delta, Server Combo, and Sever Delta — The 10.4.3 Update delivers overall improved reliability and compatibility for Mac OS X v10.4 and is recommended for all users.

AirPort Update 2005-001 — This update fixes reliability and resolves AirPort compatibility issues with certain third party 802.11 cards and access points for Mac OS X v10.4.3 and later.

AirPort Extreme Driver Update 2005-001 — This update resolves AirPort compatibility issues with certain third party 802.11 cards and access points for OS X 10.3.3 through 10.3.9.

WebObjects 5.3.1 for Mac OS X Server 10.4 — This installer updates the Application Server components in Mac OS X Server 10.4 to WebObjects 5.3.1.

New Third Party Software

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

Anti-Virus Updates
  • Intego VirusBarrier X4 10.4.1
  • Symantec NAV virus def Nov 9
  • Virex 7 DAT 051109
Adobe GoLive CS2 8.0.1

Camino 1.0b1

Dantz Retrospect 6 Driver Update 6.1.1.101

FileBuddy 8.1.9

FinderCleaner 1.6

Firefox 1.5rc2

GraphicConverter X 5.7.3

Intego Personal Backup X4 10.4.1

InterMapper 4.4.1

MacScan X 2.0b3

Microsoft Office 2004 11.2.1

OmniDiskSweeper 1.5 beta 1

OmniWeb 5.1.2 beta 3

Samba 3.0.21rc1

StuffIt Deluxe 10.0.1

StuffIt Expander 10.0.1

ThinkFree Office 3.0.0628.60

Hardware News

Wacom Intuos 3 6x11
  • Tablet designed for widescreen monitors or dual-4:3 monitors
  • Dimensions: 16.5″ × 10.3″ × 0.6″
  • Pressure Levels: 1 024
  • Resolution: 5 080 lpi
  • Accuracy: ± 0.01″
  • Tilt Range: ± 60°
Small Tree 10Gb Ethernet Card
  • 10GbE PCI-X 133 MHz
  • Multi-mode fiber support (802.3ae compliant)
  • Jumb Frame Support (up to 16KB in size)
  • 802.3X Flow Control
Mactel Machines as early as January? — A number of sources are reporting/speculating that Apple will release the first Intel-based Macs at Macworld Expo in January. Exactly which models will be first remains debated, and includes the PowerBook, Mac mini, and iMac. Rumors are also flying that a 13″ widescreen iBook — which may or may not be Intel-based — is also slated for a Macworld release.

Retail News

Australia has been added to the ITMS. Songs are priced at AU$1.69 (US$1.25) each, and most albums are priced at AU$16.69 (US$12.50) each. Just like with the recent ITMS Japan launch, ITMS Australia does not include artists from the Sony BMG label — Sony being the loudest proponent of variable and/or higher music prices.

iPodNN is reporting that Apple has added a wide selection of Chinese music to the ITMS — ranging from traditional/cultural music to the latest Chinese rock. This was made possible through a deal with The Orchard, the leading distributor of independent music in the world.

Market watchers are indicating that Apple is working to increase its supply of NAND flash chips, used in the iPod shuffle and iPod nano, probably in anticipation of the upcoming holiday buying season. Current suppliers are Samsung and Toshiba, but Hynix may soon be joining that list, and Samsung may be about to increase its commitment to provide DAP-rival Apple with parts for the iPod.

$15K worth of iPods were stolen from Orem-based Mac Something last Wednesday. By Friday police, tipped off by one of the thieves' mother, who noticed her son acting strangely the day after the robbery, and found a brand-new iPod in his room, had made arrests of two minors, an eighteen-year old and a nineteen-year old and returned most of the stolen items to Mac Something.

Issues

Mac OS X 10.4.3
  • The DivXNetwork codec in /Library/Application Support/ appears to cause problems with Classic.
  • Address Book data may disappear after the update, so back it up first.
  • Some people have reported problems mounting optical discs (CDs & DVDs), which seems to be fixed by re-applying the 10.4.3 update.
  • Three extra lines are added to windowserver.log every time Command-Tab is used, which can cause this log to become swollen if you frequently use Command-Tab to switch apps.
  • Some have reported having problems with external FireWire drives. No information yet how widespread this might be.
High-Res Powerbooks
  • It appears that some hard drives don't work in the USB ports of the newest PowerBooks, unless the drive is also connected to an external power source.
  • There have been reports of AirPort problems, ranging from frequent disconnections to system slow-downs and erratic pointer behavior unless AirPort is turned off. Upgrading to 10.4.3 seems to fix it for some, and re-seating the RAM fixes it for others.

Mac OS X in Brief

One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is a non-profit corporation to produce the $100 laptop designed by MIT for mass-sale to third-world governments, who would then distribute the laptops to school children. The idea is that the laptops, which are equipped to take either battery modules or a hand crank for areas that lack electricity, would be used by the students as information and research tools to learn valuable job skills — sort of the "teach a man to fish" concept. Apple approached OLPC with an offer of free Mac OS X licenses, but were turned down in favor of Red Hat Linux as it is completely open-source.

MacNN is reporting on a New "Mac" Record Label, aimed at getting independent musicians wider circulation. The press release specifically cites MacJams.com as the primary recruiting grounds.

As reported in BusinessWeek, Windows users are switching to the Mac OS in unexpectedly high numbers. About a year ago, analyst Charles Wolf created a model in which eleven percent of Windows users that bought iPods would make their next computer purchase a Mac. This would generate as many as 500 000 switchers in 2005, but it looks like as many as 1 million have already switched in the first three quarters, and the holiday shopping season hasn't started. The article considers non-iPod reasons for switching, like security concerns with Windows.

General News

An attempt by Sony to include anti-piracy software on music CDs has met with a flurry of negative press over the multitude of security holes it introduces. First it came to light that the special player on each disc installs cloaked software that was discovered using a rootkit discovery program. Next, it was discovered that the rootkit also phones home. Then, other ingenious miscreants started finding ways to use the rootkit for other things, such as: Cheating in World of WarCraft and making malware invisible to anything except a rootkit finder. Then it was found that the CDs also contain DRM software for the Mac, which includes a couple of kernel extensions. The software also appears to contain code lifted from the LAME MP3 encoder, which is covered by the LGPL, without indicating as such or including the source code, which violates the LGPL. Several class action lawsuits were filed against Sony, and a Department of Homeland Security official even indicated that some in the industry had gone too far. Finally, in small steps, Sony retracted the DRM software, first by halting production of the CDs, then by also pulling already-made DRM CDs from store shelves, then by even offering exchanges and a utility to un-cloak the software (but not uninstall it outright). Unfortunately, it's been found that Sony's patch opens yet more security holes. Microsoft has gotten involved by labeling the DRM as "malware" and adding its signature to the Windows AntiSpyware beta. The final fallout seems to be that an absolute minimum of over half a million computers have been infected by the XCP DRM rootkit, and new holes opened by the software continue to be found.

According to ZDNet UK, research firm Gartner recommends that IT staff "Ignore Vista Until 2008", because so many of the improvements in Vista are already widely available through third-party utilities.

A number of countries recently began to question US control of internet, stating that it was too easy for the US to take unilateral action in regards to Internet technical decisions (like when it vetoed a proposed ".xxx" domain in August). A compromise was reached today when all parties involved agreed to the creation of an international forum to address concerns.

Humor

Joy of Tech
  • Shoot the Computer
  • Injured by Apple Computer?
  • Video iPod Porn

Events

MacEnterprise Webcast: LANDesk
  • Presenters: Kent Prows and Bill Smith, LANDesk
  • Moderator: Fred Reynolds, Apple Computer
  • Date: November 15, 2005
DV Expo
  • Location: Los Angeles, CA
  • Dates: December 6—9, 2005
  • Schedule
  • Registration
Macworld Conference & Expo
  • Location: San Francisco, CA
  • Dates: January 9—13, 2005
  • Schedule
  • Registration
Local Events
  • Why Macintosh? An Introduction for PC Users
    • Nov 16, 6:00 PM, CompUSA 1830 S 389 W
    • Nov 30, 6:00 PM, CompUSA 1830 S 389 W
  • Apple Store
    • Grand Opening: Nov 19, 10:00 AM, The Gateway 10 South Rio Grande, Suite B