News for Friday, 29 September 2006

It looks like the problems met by MacPro users with Parallels Desktop are eventually reaching an end with the coming out of parallels RC2. The long expected bright new feature is full RAM support for MacPro and iMac Core 2 Duo, which means you don't need anymore to artificially limit your memory bank to 2GB.
Less expected but potentially interesting for developpers is support for Leopard and support attempt for Vista.
You can dowmload the update or the demo here, on Parallels website.

The Security Update for Panther (client & server) 10.3.9 is now available in the Software Update panel.

Security Update 2006-006 is recommended for all users and improves the security of the following components:
CFNetwork
Cyrus SASL
Flash Player Plug-in
QuickDraw
WebKit
Security Update 2006-006 (10.3.9 Client) SHA1 Digest:
SecUpd2006-006Pan.dmg=
fddff89d465bd850bb32573857a1dcc66b415a01
For detailed information on SHA 1 Digest, please visit this website: http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n75510
For detailed information on this Update, please visit this website: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61798
Additionally, Security Update 2006-004 has been incorporated into this security update.

And now this is the time of the Aperture update (v 1.5 - 125 Mb):

About this update
Aperture 1.5 delivers more than 20 new and enhanced features that improve file management, metadata handling, and image adjustment. This update also addresses numerous issues related to overall reliability, performance, and compatibility.

The self-immolating batteries affair is turning into a real "Sonygate".
Dell has decided to recall 100,000 more of these, Toshiba 830,000 and IBM/Lenovo more than 500,000. Which is pretty much the whole production... "Pretty much", because Sony itself has not recalled any of its own laptops yet.
So far, close to 8 million batteries have been recalled. Needless to say, this is huge and will have a colossal impact on the company's results.

The announced update of MacOS X 10.4.8 is now available in the Software Update panel.
The Intel version is way heavier than the PowerPC one: there's more to update on the Intel build (e.g. Rosetta).

The 10.4.8 Update is recommended for all users and includes general operating system fixes, as well as specific fixes for the following applications and technologies:
- connecting to wireless networks using the EAP-FAST protocol
- Apple USB modem reliability
- using OpenType fonts in Microsoft Word
- compatibility with 3rd party USB hubs
- scanner performance
- RAW camera support
- printing documents with Asian language names
- performance of the Translation widget
- broadband network performance
- security updates
For detailed information on this Update, please visit this website: http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n304200.
For detailed information on Security Updates, please visit this website: http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n61798.

Intel, once again, calls for tomorrow PCs to be not only more powerful, but sexier too... They want it so bad they even started a design contest with a $1,000,000 prize*.
To enter the contest, manufacturers have to propose a Core 2 Duo-based computer that has to be as beautiful and inovative as possible.
Funny enough, Intel is not enough is that Intel is touting its contest with the "Think outside the 'big, beige box'"** catchphrase, which reminds us something but we can't exactly say what.
[*moose: can I turn in my G5 iMac or my PowerBook and get the money?
**moose: BTW, somebody tells Mr Otelini to go and stop buying Macs... he hasn't noticed that most PCs now are not beige anymore, but tend to be black/gray or white]

Several readers have reported performance issues with the airport card installed in their Mac Pro.
We have performed some test, and results are clear: even located 1 meter away from a Airport Express station, the wifi signal captured by the Airport card in a Mac Pro is not getting to 100%...
Concerning data transfer speed, the Mac Pro hardly get more than 550KB/s while a MacBook Pro in the same conditions gets 3.3MB/s.
And the worst scenario, creating an Airport network from a Mac Pro, in this case a MacBook Pro can not get data transfer speed over than 150KB/s.
We have of course opened the Mac Pro and ensured that all antenna were plugged correctly. When booting the machine with WinXP, then the wifi signal is perfect as we would have expected it with OSX too. So this test confirms that the current issue with Airport card in Mac Pro is directly linked to dedicated driver in OSX.
If you remember, Apple had postponed the shipment of Airport-enable MacPro models (as BTO) for several weeks; one can bet that it was probably to try fixing the issue before delivering the computers.
We would be interested to get your feedback about this issue if you own a Mac Pro or a recent iMac Core 2 Duo: please react to our new hardmac forum: hardmac forum NEWS

A bunch of updates have popped up in Software Update. They all concern Aperture 1.5, near or far.
Let's start with iLife components :
- iPhoto 6.0.5 (new calendar, greeting card, and postcard themes for use with Apple print services, including a variety of holiday card designs. It also addresses compatibility for accessing Aperture 1.5 content in iPhoto)
- iMovie HD 6.0.3 (addresses compatibility for accessing Aperture 1.5 content in iMovie HD. It also improves overall stability and addresses a number of other minor issues)
- GarageBand 3.0.4 (addresses compatibility for accessing Aperture 1.5 content in GarageBand)
- iDVD 6.0.3 (addresses compatibility for accessing Aperture 1.5 content in iDVD)
- iWeb 1.1.2 (addresses compatibility for accessing Aperture 1.5 content in iWeb)
and iWork got its round of updates, too:
- Keynote 3.0.2 (addresses compatibility for accessing Aperture 1.5 content in Keynote)
- Pages 2.0.2 (addresses compatibility for accessing Aperture 1.5 content in Pages)
We are still waiting for Aperture 1.5, though.
[adapted by kurisu]

After more than 3 years of existence, providing you with news, analysis, articles, and pieces of opinion about Apple and the Mac, we have decided to launch our forum in order to enhance this interaction with you, our readers and visitors.
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This first version of the forum comes complete with 2 sections: "News" gives you the opportunity to comment on our daily news, and "Site and Forum Feedback" to contact Hardmac Team members, ask questions, and express your wishes or comments concerning the Hardmac website and forum (what you would like to see added, what you do not like, etc.).
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