Mac News: OS X

Apple Pounds Palm, Sets Sights on Redmond
June 15, 2009

Apple is making an impressively strong statement that it can survive Steve Jobs' departure. While I still don't think it has the magic that Steve Jobs brings to the table in terms of execution, it is actually doing better at the moment than when he was there and active. Palm just took a major shot at its base and missed, and Apple is going after it with blood in its eyes.

Clampdown Week: iPhone vs. Pre, China vs. Web, FTC vs. Worst ISP Ever
June 12, 2009

Google doesn't want you to use Bing to search the Web, and it would much rather see you using Gmail and Google Docs than Hotmail and MS Word. But if you want to use Google's Chrome browser, you have to run Microsoft's Windows operating system. Does the irony just kill you? Don't worry -- it's all temporary. Google has released versions of Chrome for the Mac and Linux platforms.

WWDC: iPhone Invigorated, Snow Leopard Spruced, AT&T Tarnished
June 12, 2009

The hottest news in the Apple-focused blogosphere this week all started with Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote. On Monday, the company -- sans still-on-hiatus CEO Steve Jobs -- announced the faster iPhone 3G S, multiple MacBook upgrades, and its next Mac OS X -- aka "Snow Leopard." All these announcments gave the online world plenty to talk about.

Snow Leopard to Claw at Enterprise Front Doors
June 10, 2009

In what looks to be a bid to penetrate the corporate environment, Apple has provided Snow Leopard, its upcoming version of Mac OS X, with the ability to sync with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. On Tuesday, Apple previewed Mac OS X 10.6, aka "Snow Leopard," at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.

Apple Launches Speedy New iPhone, Cuts a Bunch of Prices
June 09, 2009

Apple used the first day of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference to focus on power, speed and price-slashing regarding its hot-selling iPhone. Monday's keynote speech and demonstrations introduced the new iPhone 3G S that is supposed to be faster in terms of download and connection speeds and more robust when it comes to juggling applications.

Mac Bloggers Pine for Steve, Patch Systems, Protest Stunted Sling Software
May 15, 2009

Some of the biggest news in the Apple-focused blogosphere this week centers around Apple's upcoming June 8 Worldwide Developers Conference. There's the news, certainly, of what Apple said it'll deliver, and then there are the predictions of what might or might not show up -- a new iPhone, perhaps?

Apple Goes Gaga on Security With OS X Update
May 13, 2009

With the release of Mac OS X 10.5.7 Wednesday, Apple appears to have acknowledged a raft of security issues surrounding its operating system. The latest updated version of the Mac operating system addresses bugs, improves support, and contains 47 security fixes, by the count of security software vendor Intego.

Mac OS X vs. Windows: Does Soul Matter?
April 16, 2009

Ask a Mac OS X fan or a Windows fan what the difference is between the two operating systems, and the short answer might be something like, "The difference is, the one I use doesn't stink." That response may underscore the emotional pull an operating system has with a particular sort of computer user, but it is not very helpful for getting at the heart of the matter.

Upcoming Snow Leopard May Put Macs on the Map
February 06, 2009

While Apple has said that the next version of its Mac OS X operating system, dubbed "Snow Leopard," will be more of a performance-based release rather than a cornucopia of new features, the latest builds of the OS that Apple has released to developers indicate it may include new location-based tools that can determine a Mac's location, as well as new multi-touch capabilities.

Apple Update Swats Bugs Large and Small
December 16, 2008

Apple has released its latest update for Mac OS X, bringing the version numbers up to 10.5.6. Depending on a user's destination Mac, the update ranges from 190 MB or so up to a staggering 668 MB "combo" update, which tends to be used in organizations that plan to update multiple different Macs. The update includes dozens of general operating system fixes that enhance stability, compatibility and security.

Psystar Takes Another Nip at Apple's Heels
December 11, 2008

A Florida-based company that makes Mac clones has upped the ante in its ongoing copyright litigation against Apple. In its latest claim in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Psystar claims that Apple has injected code into a version of its Mac OS X software that makes it impossible for unauthorized third-party computers to run the operating system.

Snow Leopard Sharpens Claws on New OpenCL Standard
December 09, 2008

The Khronos Group has released OpenCL 1.0, a new open, royalty-free specification standard for cross-platform parallel programming for modern processors. To put it more simply, OpenCL is the key that's going to unlock processors and help Apple unleash Snow Leopard, the company's next Mac OS X version.

Parallels 4.0 Bridges OS Universes
November 14, 2008

Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac became available recently. If you live mostly in one computing environment but need access to life on another operating system, say hello to a product that could well become your new BFF. This latest release marks the fourth generation of Parallels' hypervisor-based desktop virtualization program.

It's Dangerous to Assume People Are Stupid
November 03, 2008

In the current US election, I would argue the winner actually will benefit from the excessive negative campaigning done by his opponent, who sacrificed trust and in many cases implied the U.S. voter was too stupid to go to the Web and look things up. The well-executed Mac vs. Windows ads, while at least funny and entertaining, drifted from solid hits to outright hypocrisy.

Mac Bloggers Get Leg Up on OS X Update, Scratch Heads Over ARM's Future
September 19, 2008

Now that Apple is reaching out into so many areas lately, bloggers following Cupertino's every move are looking at topics all over the map. However, there were a few important subjects that rose to the top this week: Apple's notebook share in the U.S. has surged, speculation over the next MacBooks and MacBook Pros is heating up, and PA Semi might be working on ARM iPhone processors.

The Quiet Little Pop of the Mac Security Bubble
June 26, 2008

A Trojan targeting Mac computers in the wild used to be a rarity, but this type of malware is now turning up with alarming frequency. The latest Trojan is rudimentary, at best, although when coupled with a Mac platform vulnerability that came to light earlier this week, it could deliver an extra wallop. The Trojan is masquerading as a program for Mac OS X called "PokerGame."