mactastic

Time Machine Available on AirPort Extreme Base Station with wireless-n

2008-03-19T16:05:00.000-07:00

Apple released new AirPort drivers along with a firmware update to the AEBS (version 7.3.1) with wireless-n today. These two updates have finally enabled the previously-advertised Time Machine backup to AirDisk feature in Leopard. The AirPort update changes the Leopard build as it adds updated kernel files. The AirPort update can be downloaded via software update while the AEBS firmware is available through the AirPort utility. See pictures below for details.

Time Capsule Information

2008-03-01T11:49:00.000-08:00

Apple's new Time Capsule began arriving to customers on Friday. According to reports from users, Time Capsule can not only be used by Leopard's Time Machine to back up to its internal drive but to external drives connected via its USB port, as well. Time Capsule's firmware version is at 7.3 while the AirPort Extreme Base Station (w/ 802.11n) is at 7.2.1. If users of the AEBS are lucky, Apple will release a firmware update for these routers to include Time Machine support for AirDisks. Time Capsule can be configured through an updated version of AirPort Utility 5.3. This will probably be released to all users via a Software Update.

For pictures of a Time Capsule disassembly, visit nakedmac's flickr account.

iPhoto 7.1.3 Update

2008-02-28T13:05:00.000-08:00

The update is available via Software Update. According to Apple, "This update addresses issues with wire-bound books and cards."

VLC 0.8.6e Released

2008-02-28T02:47:00.000-08:00

VLC has been updated to version 0.8.6e. According to the change log, support for OS X 10.3.9 has returned. Bugs and security issues have been addressed as well. The new version is available for download on VLC's site.

Apple Event to Be Held March 6th: iPhone SDK Information

2008-02-28T02:42:00.000-08:00

According to the guys over at Mac Rumors, Apple will be holding a special invitation-only event on March 6th. It appears that they will be disclosing information about the long-awaited iPhone SDK. It is interesting to note that they will also be focusing on the Enterprise market segment. Apple may soon become a more viable competitor to RIM and Windows Mobile devices.

New MacBook and MacBook Pro Models

2008-02-26T22:29:00.000-08:00

As expected, Apple released new versions of their MacBook and MacBook Pro lines. There were no form factor revisions this time around, however. New 45 nm Penryn Core 2 Duo processors are available on both the entry level MacBook and high-end MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro, much like the MacBook Air, now features a multi-touch trackpad and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR. Environment-friendly LED backlighting is now available as an option on the 17 in model while it is now standard on the 15 in model. The MacBook does not feature the new multi-touch trackpad as the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. The Bluetooth hardware has not been upgraded to version 2.1. More information is available on Apple's Site.

iPhone Firmware 1.1.4 Released

2008-02-26T21:59:00.000-08:00

Apple released a new version of the iPhone firmware, version 1.1.4, today. Although the the only changes listed are bugfixes, according to Mac Rumors, some users have reported that the camera appears to have a higher frame rate, bluetooth connectivity issues have been resolved, safari tabs maintain page information more often, and the OS feels more responsive.

The update is available via iTunes.

iTunes 7.3: Subtle UI Changes

2007-06-30T18:18:00.000-07:00

Along with iPhone support and CoverFlow UI fix for MacBooks, iTunes 7.2 included some small interface changes and help it look more like the current GUI in leopard.

The blue sidebar button is back (gone is the experimental black, shiny color).

Podcasts gets Album and CoverFlow views

Party Mix goes blue as well

Bottom buttons are brighter just like Leopard's

Leopard Feature: External Display Restrictions Gone

2007-06-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

iMac and iBook owners who have tried to use a dual-monitor setup have probably realized that they are limited to the display mirroring feature. The extended desktop feature can be used with screen spanning doctor or one of several hacks available online. But wouldn't it be nice if Apple just enabled this feature by default? Seems like they finally did in Leopard. Finally, no restrictions on dual-monitor setups even if your video card is slow by today's standards.

Leopard Feature: Two-Finger Touchpad Right Click

2007-06-28T23:01:00.000-07:00

Sources indicate that the new beta of Leopard features the useful yet seemingly forgotten two-fingered right-click for previously unsupported iBook and PowerBook users. My guess is that this feature will only be available on machines supporting two-fingered scrolling and newer. I'm sure this is one of the 250 features included in Leopard. Although this feature is just a small checkbox in your trackpad settings, it means no more having to hold the CTRL key in order to right-click on an iBook or PowerBook.

Leopard Icons, Wallpapers, and Movie Widget

2007-06-24T23:10:00.000-07:00

Apple revealed OS X 10.5's new interface at the WWDC this June. Along with a unified look, Apple created some new icons for Leopard. The grass wallpaper used during OS X demonstrations is only one of a couple new wallpapers included with the beta build of Leopard. A new fandango movie widget was also created for dashboard. So what do all these things have in common? Well, a little birdie told me that all these things (maybe even the Leopard Beta ISO) are available online somewhere... perhaps as a torrent? At a bay full of pirates? Perhaps... I don't want the Apple lawyers sending me cease and desist emails, so I'll try to keep this post as "safe" as possible.

Icons
The icons included are ripped directly from Leopard and look pretty nice even in Tiger's dated brushed metal Finder. Some of the icons included in the package are the new Leopard folders, new Sidebar icons, Mac computer icons ranging from old G4 iMacs and iBooks to MacBook Pros and Mac Pros. I must say, the new folder icons have a nice, soft look and feel to them. Although there have been many negative reactions to the new folder icons, I think they're a lot easier on the eyes than the current aqua folder icons in Tiger. For those who don't know this already, many icons in Tiger can be easily replaced using CandyBar 2.

Wallpapers
Seven wallpapers are included in this package. Three are located in a "Plants" folder, and four in a "Nature" folder. I noticed that two of the wallpapers are of historic areas in Kyoto, Japan. One is of the golden pavilion while the other is a famous rock garden. The infamous grass wallpaper is in the "Plants" folder.

Widget
The fandango movie widget works just fine in TIger. Movie titles and accompanying theater locations and times are accurate and well organized. Although this widget isn't groundbreaking, it is very handy when you're looking for, well, movie times and theater locations.

Safari 3 - Public Beta

2007-06-12T04:31:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it, the public beta for Safari 3 is released for both Windows and OS X. If you're already running OS X, running software update will not list Safari 3, so you'll have to download it manually.

Download it here!

Make a Mulit-Page PDF in OS X

2007-04-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the lack of news updates. I've been busy with college and my internship.

Preview is a great application in OS X that lets you view images, PDFs, and several other file formats. It also lets you do really basic image and file editting. However, unlike Acrobat Professional, it won't let you merge PDF files together to create a multi-page PDF...well, at least not through the GUI. This feature is actually available through Automator for FREE (unlike Acrobat Professional). So, I've created a simple Workflow and saved it as an application. You simply pick the PDF files in the order you'd like them merged and select Continue.

Create Multi-page PDF (125 KB)
(Zip File)

Not sure if it'll run on Intel machines. If not, email me for workflow instructions.

Apple Updates

2007-03-14T01:17:00.000-07:00

The AirPort Extreme Update fixes slow connections issues on the C2D iMac. Front Row still works on machines using Front Row Enabler after updating to OS X 10.4.9. The iSync update listed earlier still works as well. iTunes 7.1 brings Apple TV support and full screen CoverFlow.

Mac OS X 10.4.9 Combo Update (Intel (310 MB)
Mac OS X 10.4.9 Combo Update (PPC) (163 MB)
AirPort Extreme Update 2007-002 (6.5 MB)
iTunes 7.1 for Mac (28 MB)
Quicktime 7.1.5 for Mac (41.4 MB)
Backup 3.1.1 (5.5 MB)
DVD Studio Pro 4.1.2 (9.9 MB)
Final Cut Pro 5.1.4 (38 MB)

Internet Radio in FrontRow

2007-02-20T02:01:00.000-08:00

Nothing special here. Just storing radio m3u files into a playlist and renaming the playlist. This is pretty basic, but at least somebody wrote up instructions. Head on over to EntertainMac for detailed instructions.

WWAN Support Update 1.0

2007-02-20T01:56:00.000-08:00

The WWAN Support Update v1.0 provides SW support for the following WWAN products:

Available on the Cingular network:
•Novatel Merlin XU870 ExpressCard (HSDPA)

Available on the Sprint network:
•Novatel Wireless Merlin EX720 Express Card (EVDO Rev. A)
•Novatel Wireless Ovation U720 USB Modem (USB Adapter, EVDO Rev. A)

Available on the Verizon network:
•Novatel XV620 ExpressCard (EVDO Rev. 0)
•Novatel V740 ExpressCard (EVDO Rev. A)
•Novatel Wireless Ovation U720 (USB Adapter, EVDO Rev. A)

WWAN Support Update 1.0 (350 KB)

Security Update 2007-002

2007-02-20T01:52:00.000-08:00

PPC/Universal: This update is recommended for all users and improves the security of the CoreServices, iChat, and UserNotificationCenter components.

Panther: This update is recommended for all users and improves the security of the iChat and UserNotificationCenter components.

Security Update 2007-002 (PPC) (3.8 MB)
Security Update 2007-002 (Univeresal) (6.6 MB)
Security Update 2007-002 (Panther) (1.4 MB)

Final Cut Pro 5.1.3

2007-02-20T01:45:00.000-08:00

Final Cut Pro 5.1.3 provides important bug fixes. This update is recommended for all Final Cut Pro 5.1, 5.1.1, and 5.1.2 customers.

Final Cut Pro 5.1.3 (42 MB)

WebObjects 5.3.3

2007-02-20T01:43:00.000-08:00

This installer updates WebObjects 5.3 systems to observe the Daylight Saving Time (DST) and 2007 time zone changes as of January 8, 2007.

WebObjects 5.3.3 (41 MB)

Java for Mac OS X 10.4 Release 5 / Mac OS X 10.3 Update 5

2007-02-20T01:34:00.000-08:00

OS X 10.4: This update adds support for the latest Daylight Saving Time (DST) and time zone information as of January 8, 2007 and delivers improved reliability and compatibility for Java 2 Platform Standard Edition 5.0 and Java 1.4.

OS X 10.3: This update adds support for the latest Daylight Saving Time (DST) and time zone information as of January 8, 2007 and addresses a problem where some Java applications fail to launch.

Java for Mac OS X 10.4 Release 5 (83 MB)
Java for Mac OS X 10.3 Update 5 (38 MB)

Daylight Saving Time Update

2007-02-20T01:24:00.000-08:00

This update addresses recent changes in the way Daylight Saving Time will be observed in the U.S. and Canada beginning in March 2007 and includes the latest time zone information for the rest of the world.

Daylight Saving Time Update (Tiger) (8.6 MB)
Daylight Saving Time Update (Panther) (4.3 MB)

Chax 1.4.7 Final

2007-02-03T23:18:00.000-08:00

Chax 1.4.7 is now final. Chax is an iChat plug-in that allows for tabbed IM windows and several other features you'd wish were in iChat. Until an updated of version of iChat is released along with Leopard, Chax will provide the features absent in the current version.

(New) Option to quickly send SMS messages over AIM to any user with a cell phone number in the Address Book.
(New) Added an option to reveal log files in the Finder to the log viewer. Right-click the log viewer toolbar and select “Customize Toolbar…” to add the new toolbar item.
(New) The “More Info” option has been added to the Buddies menu.
(Feature improvement) The log viewer text view will now remember its display settings separate from chat messages.
(Feature improvement) Deleting logs in the log viewer now moves the log to the trash rather that immediately deleting it.
(Change) Automatic updates are now checked for every ten days
(Change) Updated to newer version of PSMTabBarControl class.
(Bug) Fixed a crash when closing messages after being torn-off
(Bug) Fixed a minor problem when deleting the last log from a user in the log viewer
(Bug) Fixed a display bug when using tear-off tabs with the tab bar position set to the top of the window
(Bug) Yes/No buttons on the quit warning alert are now localized
(Bug) The log viewer window now remembers size and position between launches.
(Bug) Improved URL highlighting in the More Info window.
(Bug) More info window should now be positioned better when using multiple displays.
(Bug) Log viewer now shows when a search is active.
(Bug) Improved behavior of the new message indicator on the overflow menu.

Chax 1.4.7 (1.1 MB)

Skype High-quality video calls

2007-02-02T16:32:00.000-08:00

A nice hack to enable 640x480 (up from 320x240) video calls in Skype via an XML file.
Instructions are available on SkypeGarage/SkypeForMacExperimental.

The latest version of Skype 2.5 is required for this hack.

Adium X 1.0 Final Released

2007-02-02T16:25:00.000-08:00

After 24 beta builds, Adium X 1.0 has gone final.

With over 600 enhancements and bug fixes, Adium 1.0 is the culmination of over a year and a half of development. New features include a shiny new default appearance, an installation setup assistant, improved account management, privacy management, iTunes Now Playing status, optional Dock-like hiding of the contact list, grouping of saved status messages, a redesigned chat transcript viewer with improved searching, and much more. Adium 1.0 includes service-specific improvements such as AIM file transfer and Direct Connect image transfer improvements, Yahoo invisible status, receiving of MSN custom emoticons, and Google Talk buddy icons and typing indication support.

Adium 1.0 also adds QQ messaging support to its repertoire of 13 services which include AIM, MSN, Google Talk, and Yahoo. It is fast, lightweight, highly customizable, and has now been translated into 20 languages in addition to its native English.

The full change log can be found here.

Adium X 1.0 (14.3 MB)

Skype 2.5 Final

2007-01-31T17:53:00.000-08:00

Skype 2.5 (build 2.5.0.85) is out of beta! This build brings bugfixes and ever-so-slight interface tweaks (mostly with text). The only new feature in this build is birthday notifications.

31.01.2007 Skype for Mac version 2.5.0.85

* new feature: birthday notifications
*improvement: new Video codec
*improvement: updated Localizations
*improvement: added voicemail expiry date into MySkype area
*improvement: added "Send SMS" to the context menu of history list
*change: enabled "Send File" and "Send Contacts" menu items when multiple contacts selected in the contact list
*change: "Mark All Missed Events as Viewed" confirmation dialog now has a "do not show this again" checkbox
*change: renamed "Delete From Call List" to "Delete This Entry" and "Delete Selected Entries"
*change: removing chats from history list doesn't delete the chats itself anymore (use "Delete All Chat Messages" command in the Chat menu to delete the chats altogether)
*change: double-click on a voicemail in the history starts playback now
*change: animations disabled during calls
*bugfix: Skype.framework: isSkypeAvailable returned YES even when user signed out
*bugfix: API: Calling invalid number error was not sent to API clients.
*bugfix: API: isSkypeAvailable returned YES even when user signed out
*bugfix: API: implemented CONTACTS FOCUSED notification
*bugfix: API: BTN_RELEASED * and # didn't work when there was no call going on
*bugfix: answering an incoming call with Ipevo phone, did not open call window.
*bugfix: unread chats were not loaded after signing in as another user
*bugfix: there were Growl notifications of blocked Skype contacts coming online and offline
*bugfix: the text after EULA link in the Create Account dialog was not clickable
*bugfix: the phone number field of the SkypeOut dialler was not cleared when the window was re-opened
*bugfix: sometimes quickfiltering was not performed after a contact was added
*bugfix: sometimes a part of a link in mood message was unclickable
*bugfix: SMS button in Prefs were changing to Skype name instead of Mobile phone.
*bugfix: mood message shifted 1px to te left when highlighted in compact view
*bugfix: link color was wrong
*bugfix: incoming authorization requests will not steal focus anymore
*bugfix: double-click on a SkypeOut contact opens a SMS window now, in case you have specified double-click to start a chat in your prefs
*bugfix: days until SkypeIn service expires was incorrect in the My Skype panel under certain circumstances
*bugfix: clicking on an unread chat in the system menu bar menu will now open that chat
*bugfix: clicking on a missed call in the system menu bar menu will now select the call in the history list
*bugfix: after deleting a new voicemail, sometimes the count of missed events was not correct anymore
*bugfix: "Request Authorization" window did not appear in list of Skype windows

Skype 2.5.0.85 (23 MB)

iPod shuffle released in 4 new colors

2007-01-30T12:45:00.000-08:00

Apple released 4 new colors of the current 2G iPod shuffle. The new color offerings on top of the exisiting silver are blue, pink, green, and, for the first time since the introduction of colored iPods, orange. There is no code (red) edition or black color this time around.

Apple - iPod shuffle

MacosXrumors: Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.9 build 8P2122 seeded to developers

2007-01-25T20:46:00.000-08:00

Apple has reportedly seeded a new build of Tiger to developers this week.

The new build, labelled "8P2122" has three known issues including stability issues with Wacom v600-3 drivers, iMovie and Entourage. Meanwhile, Apple itemizes a number of bug fixes with OpenGL, USB, File Manager, CoreAudio and CoreImage.

It weights 164MB and 70.3MB, respectively for the Intel and PowerPC versions.

The last build, "8P2120", was seeded just last week. At current rate of seeds, we may expect the release of this update for the next few days.

It's been a while since we've seen an update to Tiger. Though new functionality is rarely included in these updates, which Apple user isn't happy to get see an update for their Mac?
Read the original post at MacosXrumors

AirPort Extreme Update 2007-001

2007-01-25T20:44:00.000-08:00

An update for Intel Macs is now availabe via Apple Downloads (and presumably through Software Update). Apple's change log is not very descriptive on this update.

About AirPort Extreme Update 2007-001
This update is recommended for all Intel-based Macintosh computers and provides compatibility with AirPort Extreme base stations and networks.

AirPort Extreme Update 2007-001 (6.5 MB)

Security Update 2007-001

2007-01-23T23:31:00.000-08:00

A new Quicktime security update was released today for Tiger (OS X 10.4) and Panther (OS X 10.3). The update can be obtained via Software Update or through Apple Downloads.

Description: A buffer overflow exists in QuickTime's handling of RTSP URLs. By enticing a user to access a maliciously-crafted RTSP URL, an attacker can trigger the buffer overflow, which may lead to arbitrary code execution. A QTL file that triggers this issue has been published on the Month of Apple Bugs web site (MOAB-01-01-2007). This update addresses the issue by performing additional validation of RTSP URLs.

Security Update 2007-001 (Universal) (4.9 MB)
Security Update 2007-001 (Panther) (2.4 MB)

Adium X 1.0 beta 24

2007-01-23T23:28:00.000-08:00

A bit of old news, but beta 24 of Adium X was released on January 13 over at Adium Beta.

Change Log:
Dropping an image onto the message view no longer results in a blank message
Reduced the size of Adium by about two megabytes
Localization updates
Fixed a common crash introduced in beta 23

Adium X 1.0 beta 24 (17.4 MB)

Adium X 1.0 beta 23

2007-01-13T15:09:00.000-08:00

SVN revision number: [18692]
Fixed a crash when responding to certain windows, including Direct IM prompts
Fixed indication of blocked status via status icons in the contact list
Fixed a crash when searching through chat transcripts
Fixed issues with resizing of the source list in the log viewer
Fixed a crash when getting the list of blocked contacts for a disconnected account
Fixed QQ connectivity
Added extensive debugging for a crash specific to UPNP routers. If you crash when initiating an AIM file transfer, please send your debug log or contact us.
Fixed a crash when selecting an empty status group
Added Finnish localization
Upgraded to Growl 0.7.6

Adium X beta 23 (17.7 MB)

Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.3.3 Update

2007-01-10T20:37:00.000-08:00

This update can be obtained using the Microsoft AutoUpdate utility included with Office 2004.

Change log info can be found here.

Google Earth 4 Released

2007-01-10T20:32:00.000-08:00

Not too sure on the change log for this version. I remember better support for certain Radeon cards being added to this version, but that's about all I can remember. If anybody could post a link to the change log, that would be great!

Google Earth for Mac, PC, and Linux

Adium X 1.0 beta 22

2007-01-10T20:27:00.000-08:00

SVN revision number: [18656]

* Fixed erroneous hiding of some contacts when Show Groups is not active (#5901)
* Fixed retrieval of the roster and initial presence for Live Journal, Oracle, and other Jabber servers (#6037)
* Fixed retrieval and display of blocked contacts (#6110)
* Fixed a common crash after disconnecting a Jabber account
* Improved performance when initiating an AIM file transfer
* Fixed a crash when messaging an AIM chat room in some situations
* Fixed an issue which could cause the message view to disappear after sending an initial message (#5795)
* Fixed a crash when attempting to set a QQ buddy icon (which is not supported at this time) (#6108)
* Fixed positioning glitches in the Edit Status Group and the Privacy Settings windows
* Allow Yahoo account names to be entered with an @yahoo.com suffix
* Localization updates

Adium X beta 22 (17.7 MB)

3 New Apple Products

2007-01-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

The biggest announcement at the Macworld keynote this year was the iPhone. It seems like many of the iPod and iPhone assumptions and rumors were true, though they appeared in one device. The iPhone has built-in wi-fi, GSM, and features a widescreen display. However, the capacity is limited to 4 and 8 GB. I wouldn't be too surprised if Apple decided to release a 6G iPod with the iPhone display but without any phone and internet-specific features. Below is an image of the iPhone and specs.

iPhone $499 4GB, $599 8GB Cingular Wireless

The next major announcement was the iTV, renamed Apple TV. It is pretty much identical to the version displayed last year during the special Apple Showtime event. It appears that the USB port is only for servicing, though it would make more sense to allow external drives to be connected through the USB port for additional storage. The Apple TV will sync with one computer just as an iPod (by sync, we mean copying data from the chosen computer and storing it on the Apple TV's 40 GB drive). The Apple TV can also stream data from up to 5 computers; not bad. My only issue with the iTV is its lack of DVD support (maybe in the 2G version). Apple TV is only for users with TVs that support Component or HDMI connections (this limits the number of potential users). Though 720p was announced as the max resolution, the specifications page states that up to 1080i is supported.

Apple TV $299

The final product, which wasn't announced, is an updated AirPort Extreme. The AirPort Extreme now has an Apple TV form factor. It supports 802.11 a/b/g/draft-n, features 3 ethernet ports, USB printing AND external drive sharing, AND support for USB hubs, which allow for multiple printers/drives! It will include an 802.11n enabler for Macs with support chipsets.

AirPort Extreme $179

Macworld Expo 2007 (Update)

2007-01-07T22:05:00.000-08:00

Macworld 2007 is slated to begin tomorrow, January 8, 2007. However, the Steve Jobs keynote will not begin until Tuesday, January 9, 2007, 9 AM. This year, Jobs is given 2 hours to complete his keynote address; perhaps there are several announcements planned this year. You'll able to find information on Macworld products after they're announced here on mactastic. For live updates as they're released, though, I highly recommend MacRumors.com. If you can't wait till Tuesday, there are some Macworld 2007 pictures floating around. Here's a preview:

MacRumors.com - Live Event Coverage
Macworld Expo 2007 Pictures
Macworld Expo 2007 Pictures (MacProf Set)
Watch the Keynote after it's over

Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard 9A321 Screenshots

2007-01-07T21:55:00.000-08:00

The title says it all. A bit of old news, but a link to the screenshots was not previously posted on mactastic.

See the rest of the screenshots at Think Secret: Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard 9A321

iWork 07 Spreadsheet Application?

2007-01-07T21:50:00.000-08:00

The guys over at Think Secret have a screenshot and an icon of what appears to be Apple's new spreadsheet application to be included in the expected iWork 07 refresh.

Since our initial and follow-up reports on Lasso, sources have managed to provide images of the application's icon and default blank interface. It is uknown, however, from what stage of Lasso's development these images date from, and sources caution the final shipping version may differ considerably.

Think Secret: iWork '07 nears release with new spreadsheet app

iChat Update 1.0

2007-01-07T21:41:00.000-08:00

There has been large speculation that this iChat update adds support for the mythical Apple phone. Seems unlikely for an update weighing in at a measly 2.3~3.9 MB.

This update renews the .Mac certificate required by iChat for encrypting text, audio and video conferences.

iChat Update 1.0 (PPC) (2.3 MB)
iChat Update 1.0 (Universal) (3.9 MB)

iPod shuffle Reset Utility 1.0.1 for Mac (Old)

2007-01-07T21:38:00.000-08:00

The 1.0.1 update to the iPod Shuffle Reset Utility was released on Apple Downloads on December 21, 2006. This version reinstalls version 1.1.5 of the 1G iPod Shuffle firmware.

The iPod shuffle Reset Utility restores First Generation iPod shuffle.

iPod shuffle Reset Utility 1.0.1 for Mac (2.1 MB)

Security Update 2006-008 (Old)

2007-01-07T21:32:00.000-08:00

This update was released on Software Update and Apple Downloads on December 19, 2006.

Improves the security of Quartz Composer and QuickTime for Java.

Security Update 2006-008 (PPC) (1.5 MB)
Security Update 2006-008 (Universal) (1.8 MB)

Skype 2.5.0.63 Beta Update

2007-01-07T21:14:00.000-08:00

A fairly large update to the Skype 2.5 beta was released on December 14, 2006. The most notable and well-received update is the increase of video resolution for 1.25 GHz+ G4s. They are now at the same resolution as G5s and Intel-based macs. This is great news for me as I never experienced video issues in the past on my 1.33 GHz iBook G4.

14.12.2006: Skype for Mac version 2.6.0.63

*known issue: A data file gets written to the hard disk when in a call. This file grows bigger whilst in the video call and is reset to 0 each video call
*known issue: Fullscreen video calls on G4's can cause your computer to appear to have 'hung'. Once the call is hung up, system is responsive again.
*new feature: links in mood messages
*new feature: 8 new emoticons
*improvement: video resolution on G4 1.25ghz+ and any Dual G4 is now the same as G5, Intel. (Increased)
*improvement: updated localizations
*improvement: sometimes adding an event to history list took too long time and caused Skype to freeze for a couple of seconds
*improvement: resizing of conference call window improved
*improvement: number of Skype contacts shown in the Edit Profile window
*improvement: in the Create Account window, limited the length of Skype Name field to 32 characters
*improvement: improved handling of errors during Entourage, Palm contacts import
*improvement: country flags in the SkypeOut dialler window
*improvement: compact mode of conference call participants
*improvement: better error messages instead of some misc error numbers
*improvement: added "Create Account" menu item to the Account menu for novice users
*improvement: SkypeIn number displayed in the services area of the My Skype panel
*changed: "Calls Forwarded" icon updated
*change: remember advanced search settings
*change: disabled editing Call Forwarding settings when offline
*change: chat timestamp for today shows only time now
*bugfix: API: GET AUDIO_OUT generated an error
*bugfix: API: some commands were not handled if the command string was lowercase
*bugfix: API: Applescript API didn't answer to PING
*bugfix: API: no notification was posted when audio in or out devices were manually changed in the preferences
*bugfix: Voicemail prefs are now disabled when no voicemail capability
*bugfix: using the IPEVO phone to redial and hang up quickly caused call window to malfunction
*bugfix: unable to send sms/ft/sc etc from chat drawer
*bugfix: top menu item in the SkypeOut dialler window disappeared
*bugfix: tooltip of the "Show History" button was sometimes incorrect
*bugfix: tooltip of mute button in full screen video was "Start Chat..."
*bugfix: title of the header was "History by Date" when only missed events were shown
*bugfix: two warnings when deleting a voicemail
*bugfix: some old calls showed up as missed calls after upgrading from 2.0 to 2.5
*bugfix: Sign In as Another User menu didn't contain previously used usernames
*bugfix: sometimes clicking magnify glass in address bar displayed the options for history list when in fact contact list was shown in main window
*bugfix: SMS Address Book plugin didn't handle phone numbers without country code
*bugfix: Skype Test Service (echo123) didn't talk in correct language in localized versions
*bugfix: 'Show Skype' button did not work in a SkypeCast Safari Window
*bugfix: selecting emoticon roster and then deselecting it opened the roster again
*bugfix: selecting "Edit Mood Message" from the "Account" menu didn't open the mood message area if services area was open previously
*bugfix: Poland and Portugal flag emoticons were not shown
*bugfix: marking all missed events as viewed in main window didn't remove red badges from chat drawer
*bugfix: it was not possible to add a contact that ended with a hyphen (-)
*bugfix: in rare cases call window disappeared but call was not hung up properly
*bugfix: improved cursor tracking in emoticon roster
*bugfix: honour user settings for SMS window notifications
*bugfix: full screen video didn't appear on secondary monitor
*bugfix: font size problems in prefs and chat window
*bugfix: flags in the SkypeOut dialler were cut off 1 pixel from the bottom
*bugfix: file sent notification not showing up in chat window
*bugfix: editing voicemail greeting didn't work sometimes
*bugfix: drawing of SMS message was messed up when creating really long SMS messages
*bugfix: crash when resizing the main column of history list
*bugfix: country flag disappeared from SkypeOut dialer under certain circumstances
*bugfix: copy-pasting an URL to a chat became something completely different when viewed
*bugfix: context menus of conference call participants didn't work in compact mode
*bugfix: chats were not opened automatically after login with other version and other username
*bugfix: sometimes chats dissappeared from chat drawer after quitting Skype
*bugfix: chat didn't handle emoticons that were not separated by whitespace
*bugfix: Buy Credit instead of price of the SMS was in status bar
*bugfix: avatars set from Pocket PC Skype were not shown properly
*bugfix: after signing in as another user, some missed events of previous user were displayed
*bugfix: advanced option "Enable Animations" didn't take effect immediately
*bugfix: error message for wrong SMS verification code was incorrect

Skype 2.5.0.63 (23 MB)

Adium X 1.0 beta 21

2007-01-07T20:59:00.000-08:00

The last beta release that I posted about was beta 17. Since then, 4 beta updates have been released by the Adium team.

1.0b21 - Friday, January 5th, 2007
SVN revision number: [18602]

* Fixed handling of default status icons
* Properly fixed Jabber roster request problems
* Fixed improper display of all address book contacts, even those not on the contact list, in Google Talk (#6070)
* May have also fixed improper display of authorized but unlisted contacts (#4670)
* Fixed a common AIM crash when disconnecting
* Fixed an AIM crash when disconnecting after a file transfer
* Set the status message for accounts signing on with an available or away message sooner in the sign-on process when possible
* Fixed issues with display of Signed On time / Online Since for contacts after they sign offline then back online (#6090)
* Fixed Spotlight importing of certain chat transcripts
* Updated Gadu-Gadu icons
* Ignored several harmless exceptions

Adium X beta 21 (17.7 MB)

Lack of Updates (2)

2007-01-07T20:57:00.001-08:00

Sorry (again) for the lack of updates! I was in Japan during the winter break and didn't have much time to get around posting updates. There are several updates that have been released since then, so I will post those up (even if they may be a bit old).

iPhone Announcement Monday?

2006-12-14T19:25:00.000-08:00

Brian Lam over at Gizmodo claims that the iPhone will be announced on the Monday. He even goes as far as guaranteeing it.

Gizmodo Knows: iPhone Will Be Announced On Monday

I guarantee it. It isn't what I expected at all. And I've already said too much. –Brian Lam

I wonder what he means by it not being what he expected at all? Perhaps it's not a true cellphone as many believe it will be. I have 2 speculations. It's either a portable iChat device and iPod combo, or it is a true cellphone device without iPod functionality. The latter would contradict Kevin Rose's announcement, though. I guess we'll all find out on Monday.

Chax 1.4.7b2

2006-12-14T19:07:00.000-08:00

A new version of Chax 1.4.7 is now available on MacUpdate.

Changelog:
* (New) Added an option to reveal log files in the Finder to the log viewer. Right-click the log viewer toolbar and select “Customize Toolbar…” to add the new toolbar item.
* (New) The “More Info” option has been added to the Buddies menu.
* (Feature improvement) The log viewer text view will now remember its display settings separate from chat messages.
* (Bug) Sending SMS messages to phone numbers formatted like +1-123-456-7890 should now work correctly.
* (Bug) The log viewer window now remembers size and position between launches.
* (Bug) Improved URL highlighting in the More Info window.
* (Bug) More info window should now be positioned better when using multiple displays.

Chax 1.4.7b2 (1.1 MB)

AirPort Update 2006-002

2006-12-14T18:53:00.000-08:00

A new AirPort update is available for the Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro (15 and 17-inch) and MacBook.

AirPort Update 2006-002 improves AirPort compatibility with MacBook Pro (15-inch Core 2 Duo) and MacBook Pro (17-inch Core 2 Duo) and MacBook (13-inch Core 2 Duo).

AirPort Update 2006-002 (1.3 MB)

Adium X 1.0 beta 17

2006-12-12T01:40:00.000-08:00

I missed beta 16 last week, and beta 17 is out now.

Changelogs for beta 17 and beta 16 from the Adium Beta site.

1.0b17 - Sunday, December 10th, 2006

SVN revision number: [18402]

Fixed a crash when authorization is requested
Fixed receiving images via AIM Direct IM
Fixed the account options tabs for AIM accounts
Fixed a localization issue affecting display of colons in Chinese and Japanese
Fix scaling of outgoing Direct IM images
Fixed online since information display for AIM contacts in tooltips
Fixed display of mobile status for mobile AIM contacts

1.0b16 - Friday, December 8th, 2006

SVN revision number: [18380] Hide

Switched back to the libgaim OSCAR library for AIM and .Mac connectivity
Fixed a crash when waking from sleep in certain situations
Enabled many informative messages in the chat window, including MSN nudges, Jabber group chat topic change notifications, and group chat join/kick notifications
Fixed a crash when registering a new Jabber account
Corrected the error displayed when unable to load an MSN profile (#3784)
Improved the Help files
Added support for the .mobi TLD when making links clickable (#5774)
Fixed spotlight importing of chat logs
Improved behavior is a service or status icon pack can't be set
Fixed a crash caused by the use of curly braces {} in message styles (#4716)
Fixed a long display while sleeping introduced in 1.0b15 (#5807)
Improved safety when writing log files
Fixed unintentional override of the Personal preference pane's icon by the Me address book card (#5765)
Improved performance and memory usage when loading recent messages in a chat window (#5773)
Worked around a bug in {{{NSHost}}} which could cause a crash when attempting to log in to Bonjour.Â Threadsafed its use, as well, which may reduce the incidence of the bug.
Improved Sparkle behavior when asking about sending anonymous usage data
Fixed display of the display name in the Personal preferences pane when it is changed elsewhere
Fixed menu item scaling in certain cases, including the emoticons menu (#5737)
Added safety against crashes when pasting data in certain situations
Fixed deletion of images in image picker views when the forward-delete key is pressed
Added support for {{{aim:BuddyIcon}}} links, which currently set your global buddy icon
Fixed a crash when loading the Customize Layout sheet with the Contact Bubbles (To Fit) window style and centered contact or group text alignment
Fixed phantom tooltips after closing tabs in certain situations (#5888)
Dutch, French, Russian, Turkish, and zh_CN translation updates

Aperture 1.5.2 Update

2006-12-12T00:44:00.000-08:00

Aperture 1.5.2 addresses issues related to overall reliability and performance in a number of areas, including:
• Contact sheet printing
• Smart Albums
• Watermarks
• Lift and stamp
• Image export
• Versions created using an external editor

Aperture 1.5.2 Update (131 MB)

VLC 0.8.6 media player Released

2006-12-12T00:27:00.000-08:00

"Building on feedback from the 29 million downloads of VLC media player 0.8.5, we bring you version 0.8.6 with many bugfixes, as well as a couple of new features we think you will truly enjoy. Most prominent are probably Windows Media Video 9 and Flash Video. Other important changes are improved H.264 decoding, better Windows Unicode support, a Fullscreen controller and Apple Remote support for Mac OS X."

Three versions are available for download: Universal Binary, Intel, and PPC.

New features and improvements:
Support for Windows Media Video 9 and VC-1
Support for VP5/VP6 and Flash video
Support for TTA and WavPack Lossless audio
Much improved H.264 support
Preliminary DVR-ms, MXF support
Shoutcast TV support
Windows unicode fixes
Apple Remote support
Apple Fullscreen controller
Universal Binary

Lack of Updates

2006-12-03T07:02:00.000-08:00

Apologies for lack of updates. It's finals week and I'm spending most of my time studying. Regular posting will resume in about a week.

6 Airlines to Begin Supporting iPod Connectivity

2006-11-18T03:25:00.000-08:00

According to an Apple press release, your iPod may soon never be in jeopardy of running out of batteries on six commercial airlines: Air France, Continental, Delta, Emirates, KLM, and United.

These six airlines will begin offering their passengers iPod seat connections which power and charge their iPods during flight and allow the video content on their iPods to be viewed on the seat back displays.

Consequently, it's my opinion that anyone who frequently flies with these airlines will probably end up buying an iPod if they haven't already. Heck, I'm craving a video iPod already.

This service will begin its availability mid-2007.

Apple Remote Desktop 3.1 Admin & Client Updates

2006-11-17T16:58:00.000-08:00

Detailed update information on the client and admin updates can be found here.

Apple Remote Desktop 3.1 Admin

What’s New in this Version
The 3.1 update is recommended for all users and addresses numerous issues related to overall reliability, usability and compatibility. It includes specific fixes for:

- remote lights out management of Xserve
- scanning computers on the local network
- installation of software meta-packages
- authentication when using directory services
- execution of AppleScript and Automator workflows
- compatibility with third party VNC viewers and servers

Apple Desktop 3.1 Client

About this update

The 3.1 client update is recommended for all users and addresses numerous issues related to overall reliability, usability and compatibility.

NOTE:
It is recommended that Apple Remote Desktop version 3.1 Clients can only be managed by Apple Remote Desktop version 3.1 Administration software. Please ensure that have upgraded your Apple Remote Desktop Administration software to version 3.1 before upgrading your clients.

Adium X 1.0 Beta 15

2006-11-16T15:41:00.000-08:00

Seems like the betas are back on track. The beta section has moved to http://adiumx.com/beta/beta.html.

Changelog:

SVN revision number: [18201]

Fixed a major issue which caused Adium to sometimes use very large amounts of resources, #5512 (AIM), #5685 (Yahoo and others)
Fixed notification of status when a contact signs on as away in AIM #4390
AIM connectivity now works on Mac OS X 10.3.9 again
Fixed a regression that caused the contact list to draw incorrectly
Fixed the iTunes toolbar item in text-only mode #5752
Fixed a crash when reading certain message logs #5589
Fixed display of away messages in the Get Info window for contacts not on your contact list #5237
Improved connection monitoring to ignore disabled accounts
Improved connection monitoring to work correctly when no connection is available at startup
Log files now correctly open in Adium when doubleclicked
Improved saving the chat window position when multiple monitors are present
Fixed a crash that may have been occurring with ICQ
Made the buddy list synchronization error message localizable
Changed SparklePlus reporting to be better (runs much less often, less specific but more useful data collected)
Fixed an issue in which message history would trigger events incorrectly
Clicking a growl notification from Adium now brings Adium to the front
The status menu now updates correctly when an account is disabled or enabled
Slight efficiency improvements
Fixed account-specific statuses within status groups #5721
Improved grouping of chats by contact list group to handle group chats better
Idle times are now displayed better (1 day 2 hours instead of 26 hours, and so on)
The search field is now focused initially when showing the "add to address book" window #5698
Improved the UI for contact icons in the "get info" window
Improved handling of connection timeouts
Slightly improved status handling while accounts are connecting
@aol.com is now automatically removed from AIM screen names if present
Fixed issues involving deleting chat transcripts
Redesigned the Xtras Manager to use Apple's "Source List" UI concept, as well as other improvements #4807, #5677
Added support for .eu URLs #5595
Slightly improved localization support in a few places
Fixed a memory leak when using QQ
Turkish localization updates
Improved window positioning when using multiple different screen configurations
Metacontacts now work better with the "send later" feature #5649
Added contextual menu items for "Get AIM Info" and "Direct IM" for ICQ contacts #5560
Fixed determining who is already in an AIM group chat when accepting invitations #5627
Message history now assumes continuing a previous conversation rather than starting a new one if a chat is reopened within 5 minutes
Use the current iTunes icon rather than a (possibly obsolete) copy of it #5620
Improved memory usage during some operations
Setting a basic away state no longer sets a status message #5613
Jabber IDs are now lowercase, so as to work with iChat #5608
Metacontacts now work better with the offline group #5667

Adobe Flash Player 9.0.28.0

2006-11-16T11:37:00.000-08:00

The updated version is available on Adobe's Download center for Mac OS X.

What’s New in this Version
- Now supports full screen mode in the web players, enabling greater immersive experiences for Flash, Flex and Flash video content. For more information about how to use this feature, see Exploring full-screen mode in Flash Player 9.
- Addition of ADDED_TO_STAGE and REMOVED_FROM_STAGE events to allow a DisplayObject to monitor and know when it can or cannot access its stage property.
- Includes security enhancements

Skype 2.5 Beta for Mac Released

2006-11-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

The new beta build is 2.5.0.38.

New to this version:
Send SMS messages to your friends from Skype.
Reach your friends instantly whether they are offline or on the move.
Talk with up to ten people for free with Skype conference calls.

Skype 2.5 for Mac with SMS and ten-way conference calling is currently a beta version.

System requirements
Mac computer with G4 800 Mhz processor or faster
Mac OS X v10.3.9 Panther or newer
512 MB RAM
40 MB free disk space on your hard drive
Microphone
Webcam: Suggested webcams include Apple iSight, Philips SPC900NC, or Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000. Drivers for the Philips and Logitech webcams can be downloaded from http://webcam-osx.sourceforge.net/.
Internet connection (broadband is best, GPRS is not supported for voice calls, and results may vary on a satellite connection).

HUGE Changelog:
15.11.2006: Skype 2.5.0.38 for Mac Beta
new feature: SMS :)
new feature: improved history list in main window
new feature: ripple animation effects (Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) only)
new feature: ringing device selection to audio preferences
change: video resolution for G5 machines is now the same as Intel machines (increased)
change: view chat history with links for 1day, 1week, 1month...
change: upgraded Growl framework to 0.7.4
change: SkypeOut contacts and contacts with call forwarding are placed in front of offline contacts in the contact list (sorting)
change: removed Insert Emoticon submenu from Edit menu of main menu
change: quickfilter is cleared when toolbar is hidden
change: quickfilter is cleared when switching between history and contact list
change: picture-in-picture view is always fully visible
change: full screen video controls are always fully visible
change: improved error message when user tries to make a call while offline
change: improved error message in case of misc error #8401 (when user is signed out of Skype and tries to make a call)
change: contact will not be added to the contact list if user presses "cancel" button in the send auth request window
improvement: screensaver disabled when in full screen video mode
improvement: pressing ESC key in contact list will return focus to address bar
improvement: other call related sounds like busy, outgoing call etc are now sent to Skype output device (instead of system output device)
improvement: incoming call and incoming call waiting sounds are now sent to ringing device
improvement: new multichat leave icon
improvement: all other notifications sounds are now sent to system alert device instead of system output device
improvement: "Start Conference" window improved
improvement: "Leave Chat" dialog includes chat topic
bugfix: voice level indicator of self was not working on Panther
bugfix: sometimes two Skype items appeared on the system status bar
bugfix: sometimes icon for "mute" was shown instead of icon for "hold", while call was both held and muted
bugfix: SkypeOut calls were not hung up when user went offline
bugfix: setting front chat of chat window did not work if main chat win was closed before (grey blank chat window bug)
bugfix: Send File and Send Contacts menu items were sometimes disabled in conference call windows
bugfix: Send Contacts now accepts space (instead of comma) as separator for multiple recipients
bugfix: placeholder text on default avatar image was not localizable
bugfix: picture-in-picture view in video calls disappeared under certain circumstances
bugfix: number of missed events in the red badge was not updated when in "Do Not Disturb" mode
bugfix: number field of the SkypeOut Caller window was messed up on Panther
bugfix: it is not possible to accidentally reject an incoming call by pressing space-key when Full Keyboard Access is turned on for all controls
bugfix: invalid handling of "Incoming connections port" setting.
bugfix: incorrect display name shown in conference call window if there is a SkypeOut contact in the contact list and another Skype contact has the same phone number in her profile
bugfix: incoming conference calls crashed when the host hung up the call quickly
bugfix: incoming conference call was often shown as 1-on-1 call
bugfix: if you set an image with high dpi as your avatar then it was not resized properly
bugfix: if URL was followed with a comma or period, it was considered as part of the link
bugfix: icon was missing from send auth request sheet
bugfix: fixed a crash on sign in as another user with same username as already being logged in
bugfix: file transfer window labels were not clickable
bugfix: editable chat topic didn’t blur on mouse clicks elsewhere
bugfix: default ringtone of incoming calls was wrong (it was "call waiting" ringtone instead)
bugfix: crashes on plug-unplug headset
bugfix: crash when changing ringing device in preferences while incoming call is ringing
bugfix: contacts dragged into chat window drawer went to message centre not to the window they were dragged into
bugfix: contact list was messed up in certain cases when switching between compact and extended contact view
bugfix: chat window toolbar was hidden by default
bugfix: busy tone was played when an incoming call was declined
bugfix: bookmarked chat was not removed from Chat > Bookmarked Chats after leaving the chat
bugfix: after resuming a held full screen video call, background was green
bugfix: 1-on-1 chats were sometimes shown as multichats
API change: sendSkypeCommand returns info synchronously whenever possible (previously all info was returned by asynchronous callback skypeNotificationReceived)
API bugfix: quickfiltering was not performed after BTN_RELEASED commands
API bugfix: MUTE commands were not working
API bugfix: BTN_RELEASED NO didn't end voicemail recording

New Leopard Build: Images and Features

2006-11-15T03:01:00.000-08:00

World of Apple has posted a couple of images and descriptions of new features in the latest Leopard build on their site.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client 1.0.3 Update

2006-11-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

The latest version included with Microsoft Office 2004 for OS X is 1.0.2. Version 1.0.3 includes updated icons for the connection setup utility and appears to be more responsive when connected to a remote computer (based on my testing).

Changelog:
What's New: Remote Desktop Connection Client 1.0.3 for Mac provides improved stability when you minimize the client window and when you copy and paste data from the client window to Macintosh applications. Stability is also improved for users of Mac OS X 10.3 and later, and when Remote Desktop Connection Client is used on Macintosh computers with PowerPC G5 processors.

X11 Update 2006 1.1.3

2006-11-13T20:52:00.000-08:00

X11 Update 2006 1.1.3 (51 MB)
This update addresses several issues in the X11 for Mac OS X package, enabling it to better handle GLX stereo visuals and offscreen rendering to GLX Pbuffers and Pixmaps.

About this update

This update addresses several issues in the X11 for Mac OS X package, enabling it to better handle:

- GLX stereo visuals
- offscreen rendering to GLX Pbuffers and Pixmaps

To tell X11 to take advantage of stereo visuals, enter:
$ defaults write com.apple.x11 enable_stereo -bool true

This update also addresses font issues present in X11 1.1.2, and is recommended for all users

Digital Camera RAW Support Update 1.0.1

2006-11-13T20:44:00.000-08:00

This update improves RAW file format compatibility for the following digital SLR cameras:

-Canon Digital Rebel XTi / 400D / Kiss X Digital
-Nikon D80
-Pentax *ist DS

Other issues addressed:

-Handling of large Canon RAW files (.CRW)
-DNG compatibility on Intel-based Macs
-Lines sometimes appearing in images exported from Aperture

PPC Version (1.4 MB)
Universal Version (2.4 MB)
This update improves RAW file format compatibility for some digital SLR cameras.

Firmware Restoration CD 1.2 for Intel Macs

2006-11-13T20:42:00.000-08:00

Firmware Restoration CD 1.2 (20.5 MB)
The Firmware Restoration CD is used to restore the firmware of an Intel-based Macintosh computer.

EFI Firmware Updates for Intel Macs

2006-11-13T20:36:00.000-08:00

iMac EFI Firmware Update 1.1 (6.1 MB)
This EFI Firmware Update fixes several Boot Camp, start up, and wake-from-sleep issues on iMac computers.

MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.2 (2.7 MB)
This EFI Firmware Update fixes several Boot Camp, start up, and wake-from-sleep issues on MacBook Pro computers.

MacBook EFI Firmware Update 1.0 (1.6 MB)
This EFI Firmware Update fixes several Boot Camp, start up, and wake-from-sleep issues on MacBook computers.

Mac mini EFI Firmware Update 1.1 (1.6 MB)
This EFI Firmware Update fixes several Boot Camp, start up, and wake-from-sleep issues on Mac mini computers.

Mac Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.1 (1.6 MB)
This EFI Firmware Update fixes several Boot Camp and start up issues on Mac Pro computers.

Connect360: Share media between OS X and Xbox 360

2006-11-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

Nullriver software's Connect360 application allows you to share your iPhoto and iTunes content as well as WMV files created with Flip4Mac.

Chax 1.4.7b1 Available

2006-11-12T13:26:00.001-08:00

This new beta is available on MacUpdate.

Changelog:
* (New) Option to quickly send SMS messages over AIM to any user with a cell phone number in the Address Book.
* (Bug) Fixed a crash when closing messages after being torn-off
* (Bug) Fixed a minor problem when deleting the last log from a user in the log viewer
* (Bug) Fixed a display bug when using tear-off tabs with the tab bar position set to the top of the window
* (Bug) Yes/No buttons on the quit warning alert are now localized
* (Change) Automatic updates are now checked for every ten days

intel Core 2 Duo MacBooks Available

2006-11-08T09:43:00.000-08:00

The MacBooks with Core 2 Duo are now available from Apple!

Here's are the current specs:
13.3-inch glossy display
1.83GHz or 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Up to 2GB memory
Up to 200GB hard drive
Apple Remote with Front Row
Built-in iSight camera
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
Slot-loading optical drive
Built-in AirPort Extreme
FireWire 400 and two USB 2.0 ports
Gigabit Ethernet
Bluetooth 2.0+EDR

Mac mini in G4 Cube Case

2006-11-02T13:57:00.000-08:00

A great article on converting a G4 Cube into a Mac mini! Head over to 123Macmini.com to read the article!

Aperture 1.5.1 Update

2006-11-02T13:56:00.000-08:00

"Aperture 1.5.1 addresses numerous issues related to overall reliability and performance in all areas of the application."

Basically, it's an update with bug fixes. It comes in at a hefty 125 MB, though!
You can download the update here.

Digital Camera RAW Support Update

2006-11-02T12:06:00.000-08:00

"This update improves RAW file format compatibility for some digital SLR cameras"

This update is available in the Downloads section of Apple's Support Site.
There are two versions available:
Digital Camera RAW Support Update (PPC) (1.4 MB)
Digital Camera RAW Support Update (Universal) (2.4 MB)

X11 Update 2006 (1.1.2)

2006-11-01T13:25:00.000-08:00

This update addresses several issues in the X11 for Mac OS X package, enabling it to better handle:

GLX stereo visuals
offscreen rendering to GLX Pbuffers and Pixmaps
To tell X11 to take advantage of stereo visuals, enter:

$ defaults write com.apple.x11 enable_stereo -bool true

The update can be obtained via Software Update or on Apple's Support Site in the Downloads section.

iPod Nano 2G 1.1.1 Update Released

2006-10-31T22:07:00.000-08:00

The update can be obtained via iTunes.

From digg:
"Notes for the firmware say bug fixes and support for additional Nike+iPod voice packs."

XCode 2.4.1 Released

2006-10-31T22:05:00.000-08:00

XCode is available for download on the ADC Member Site Downloads section.

Changelog:
Xcode 2.4.1 addresses several issues in DWARF debugging and improves overall stability and security. It is recommended that all Xcode users install this update.

iTunes 7.0.2 Released

2006-10-31T15:21:00.001-08:00

Download here, or through Software Update.

What’s New in this Version
iTunes 7.0.2 adds support for the Second Generation iPod shuffle and addresses a variety of stability and performance issues found in iTunes 7 and 7.0.1.

Boot Camp Public Beta 1.1.2 Update

2006-10-30T19:20:00.000-08:00

Get the update here.

Changelog:

Changes in Boot Camp 1.1.2 beta

Boot Camp 1.1.2 beta contains several updates and is intended for all new and previous Boot Camp beta users.

Boot Camp 1.1.2 beta includes:

* Support for the latest Intel-based Macintosh computers
* Easier partitioning using presets for popular sizes
* Ability to install Windows XP on any internal disk
* Support for built-in iSight cameras
* Support for built-in microphones
* Support for the Apple USB Modem
* Trackpad scrolling and right-click support on Apple Laptops
* Improved Apple keyboard support including Delete, PrintScreen, NumLock, and ScrollLock keys
* Improved International Apple keyboard support

iSight is End Of Life

2006-10-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

The guys over a Hardmac have discovered that the iSight is end of life. They claim that the revised iSight will be a USB 2.0 version that may contain an integrated IR receiver and be bundled with an Apple Remote. This would make a lot of sense considering that both a webcam and an IR receiver are required to run Photo Booth and Front Row respectively. They claim a January 2007 release; however, I would like to see a release in time for the holidays. Another product I'd like to see updated is the Airport Express. With so many of these failing and the (soon-to-be-official) N standard, it's about time they get a refresh as well.

FairPlay DRM Hack Being Sold

2006-10-26T05:20:00.000-07:00

I appears that DVD Jon has broken Apple's FairPlay DRM encryption again. Not only that, but he is apparently marketing this code that circumvents FairPlay to other companies.

What does this mean? Using the code that DVD Jon has developed will enable people to load music they have purchased from the iTunes Store on as many computers as they want. Also, music purchased from the iTunes Store will not only be limited to use on iTunes and iPods, but will extend to other MP3 devices as well.

Thus, this is good news for companies who produce other MP3 devices, their users, and possibly even Apple. Many users do not want DRM-laden music, and this "hack" enables people without an iPod to utilize the iTunes Store. The best idea for Apple in my opinion would be to turn a blind eye to this, and not release iTunes updates that renders this new development moot.

Japan's Softbank offering free iPods

2006-10-26T04:47:00.000-07:00

Much thanks to John for the welcome. I'm currently studying in Tokyo, Japan. My 17" MacBook Pro is currently my only computer while I'm in Japan, and I'm very happy with it - being a "switcher" after using PCs for most of my life.

I will say that the Apple scene isn't as big in Japan as it is in the US or Europe, but in Tokyo it is indeed accessible, and there are Japanese magazines dedicated to Macs. The iPod, of course, is the most well-known Apple product here in Japan.

Anyway, Softbank (formerly Vodafone) has started to offer free iPods to people who sign up with Softbank for more than 26 months. In addition, Softbank has offered free calls to other Softbank subscribers in a push to gain market share in the very competitive cellphone market of Japan.

Personally, I have have AU by KDDI, and their "Lismo" music service has no support for Macs, despite being the first cell-phone music service in Japan. Also my W41CA cellphone has no driver (or anything else) support in OSX.

Welcome New Author

2006-10-25T13:25:00.000-07:00

Shambler (a good friend of mine) will be helping around mactastic starting today. He is currently in Japan and will be posting mac news from Japan (but not limited to Japanese news). Welcome aboard Shambler.

On another note, I'll be out of town Thursday through Sunday. I'll be attending a National Conference in Tampa, FL (I'm from Irvine/Los Angeles). I may or may not update the site depending on how busy I am on those days.

MacBook Pro (Core 2 Duo) Released

2006-10-24T17:49:00.000-07:00

Predictions on this release were finally accurate. Order your 64-bit Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros!

Firefox 2.0 Final

2006-10-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

Firefox 2.0 is now final on OS X (or so claims a member on digg.com).

Here is the download link.

I have yet to download this build. If someone has time to download and check the build information, please post a comment. Thanks!

Skype 2.0 Final (Gold)...worth the update?

2006-10-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

Good and bad news from the folks over at Skype. Skype has now been updated to version 2.0.0.6. However, this was done at the expense of video quality. If you notice in the changelog below, video was reduced to 160x120 on ALL PowerPC machines. This includes older G3s, the now obsolete G4s, and the recently replaced G5s. This is terrible news. Numerous people are complaining on the forums (with reason). A PPC G3 cannot be compared to the power of a G5. There is no need to reduce the video quality on ALL PPC machines simply because a few older macs are unable to handle the video quality. My iBook G4 (1.33 GHz) has never had trouble with any of the Skype with Video Betas. This is a a very lazy move on Skype's part. They should have included an "enable/disable high quality video" option.

Changelog:

23.10.2006: Skype for Mac version 2.0.0.6

* change: Resolution of outgoing Video calls on PowerPC reduced to 160x120 (Reducing CPU load on these machines)
* improvement: Updated Video Engine codecs

In Search of Contributors

2006-10-22T23:51:00.000-07:00

Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone who has visited my site for, well, visiting my site. I never imagined I would get as many visitors as I have these past 5 months. I originally started this site to inform my friends when mac-related software updates were available and to share some cool findings with them. However, mactastic soon became listed as a top search result on google for various search terms. This plus some minor diggs on digg.com for news on my site helped spread the word. Some "collaboration" (by means of comment-posting) with Andrew Escobar regarding Front Row also brought in a lot of traffic. In any case, thanks again everybody!

Now, onto the main purpose of this post. I'm a 4th-year Computer Engineering major, and I'm becoming increasingly busy these days. I'm looking for a contributor or co-author for mactastic. If you feel that you can contribute quality posts on a weekly basis, please contact me. I'll continue to post on mactastic, but it would be nice if somebody would like to join. Obviously, I don't have the time to make a fancy Web 2.0-ish website (hence blogger). But if you'd like to udpate the site look, feel free to contact me about that as well.

Also, I'm looking for somebody who'd like to translate my site into Japanese. I can do this myself, but I really do not have the time to go through all my posts and translate them. This isn't a major necessity, but I would like to extend my reach into the Japanese Mac community. Perhaps mactastic:Japan? Looking forward to the emails! Thanks, guys!

AndrewEscobar.com Down

2006-10-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

As two people on mactastic have mentioned already, AndrewEscobar.com is currently down. The site has been down this past week and posisbly longer than that. The cached version of his site on google is not current, either. In the meantime, my instructions on how to install Front Row on 10.4.8 are still available. I have not checked the links to the latest enabler, but I will assume they are not working (as the enabler is located on Andrew Escobar's site). I have not received any word from Andrew explaining why is site is down nor when it will be back up. Fear, not! (soft of) I have uploaded Front Row Enabler 1.3.5 (along with several apps constantly being requested via email).

So here they are:

Front Row Enabler 1.3.5
Photo Booth 1.2
iSync 3.0

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me.

Enjoy!

Screenshots of latest Leopard Build

2006-10-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (tuaw) has posted screenshots of the latest leopard build. Screen shots include the updated iCal interface (brushed metal is GONE!), parental controls, icon previews, and anti-phishing capabilities of Safari.

Camino 1.1 Alpha 1 Released for testing

2006-10-18T18:00:00.000-07:00

"Camino 1.1 Alpha 1 is a preview release of what will become Camino 1.1."

Known Issues

* All known issues in Camino 1.0.3 also exist in Camino 1.1 Alpha 1.
* Some users have reported that their bookmarks have disappeared when relaunching Camino and that Camino’s bookmarks backup file is corrupted. Users are advised to make regular copies of their bookmarks.
* Some users have experienced a situation where pages would appear not to load after clicking on a link. In this case, resizing the browser window will cause the page to display properly.

Note: Before using this alpha version of Camino, create a backup copy of your profile folder (~/Library/Application Support/Camino/).

Major New Features

The following major features have been added to Camino 1.1 Alpha 1 and will be in Camino 1.1 when it is released. The full release notes are also available.

Note: Some of these features are not yet completely implemented.

* OS Support: Camino now only supports Mac OS X 10.3 and above.
* Feed handoff: Camino now puts a feed icon in the location bar, allowing users to hand off RSS/Atom feeds to their default feed reader.
* Spell-checking: Camino now has built-in spell-checking, which is on by default for multi-line text fields.
* Pop-up Blocking: Camino now blocks pop-ups by default. In addition, Camino has a brand new pop-up blocking notification which is more visible to users.
* Single Window Mode: Camino can now force links that would open in new windows to open in new tabs instead.
* Tab Jumpback: When closing a newly created foreground tab, Camino now jumps back to the previously selected tab if the user has not manually changed tabs.
* Download Manager: A new optional toolbar icon allows users to send the selected download to the trash. In addition, two new preferences were added: one to remove successfully completed downloads automatically and one to clear the download list upon quitting Camino.
* Search: Users can now resize the toolbar search field. In addition, Camino now has a new context menu option that performs a search with the selected text using the default search engine.
* Menus: Camino’s menu layout has been refined, and the “Go” menu has been renamed to “History.”
* Portable: Users can now specify a custom profile location, allowing Camino to be run with a profile stored on memory sticks or other portable devices.
* Bookmar Bar Access: Cmd-1 through Cmd-9 are now shortcuts for opening the first 9 bookmarks or tab groups in the Bookmark Bar.

Firefox 2.0 RC 3 Released

2006-10-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

The new release candidate can be obtained on Mozilla's Firefox Developer page. Release notes are available as well.

Chax 1.4.6 Released and Now Open Source

2006-10-16T23:23:00.000-07:00

The final version of Chax 1.4.6 has been released. Moreover, Chax is now open source under the MIT license.

Changelog:
* (New) Tear-off tabs allow for quick separation of chats through drag-and-drop
* (New) Options to show the AIM/Jabber/Bonjour contact lists when clicking the iChat dock icon
* (New) Activity log data can now be exported as an HTML table
* (Feature improvement) Tab overflow menu now animates when a new message has been received that is not visible
* (New) Polish localization, thanks to Piotr Chyliński
* (Feature improvement) Activity log now periodically saves to disk every hour
* (Bug) Log search results now sort properly
* (Bug) Using nicknames while sorting by availability and first name now works properly
* (Bug) Tabs now close in the correct order after being rearranged
* (Bug) Fixed visual problems when disabling close buttons on tabs
* (Bug) Improved iChat quit speed
* (Preference change) Confirm quit option moved from the General preferences tab to the Chats tab
* (Removed) “Move to Window” and “Move to Tab” options removed in favor of tear-off tabs

Apple Remote + KeySpan DMR IR Receiver

2006-10-16T00:08:00.000-07:00

jon doe over at AndrewEscobar.com posted an interesting link on how to use the Apple Remote + the KeySpan DMR IR Receiver on a mac with no built-in receiver to control Front Row. Instructions can be found at IBALL.

Front Row on Mac Pro

2006-10-16T00:02:00.000-07:00

Edward (AndrewEscobar.com visitor) posted instructions on how to install Front Row on a Mac Pro. I'm not sure if anybody reading this site actually owns a Mac Pro, but I figured I should share my find nonetheless. Front Row is actually already installed on Mac Pros; Edwards instructions show you how to enable the already-installed software. See his instructions here. Good job, Edward! I'm sure many Mac Pro users will be happy to enable Front Row on their machines thanks to your fix!

Microsoft Messenger for Mac 6.0.1 Update

2006-10-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

There are no release notes with this update, but it's safe to assume that it just contains security and/or bug fixes. The udpate is available on Microsoft's Mactopia site.

Microsoft Office 2004 Update

2006-10-11T13:28:00.000-07:00

A new update (~59MB) has been released by Microsoft for Office 2004. The update features bugfixes:

"This update contains several updates to enhance security and stability, including fixes for vulnerabilities that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of your computer's memory with malicious code. In addition, this update includes all of the improvements released in all previous Office 2004 updates."

The update can be obtained via Microsoft's "Microsoft AutoUpdate" utility, which is installed alongside Office 2004. Alternatively, the update can be downloaded from Microsoft's Mactopia site.

Chax 1.4.6 beta 3

2006-10-08T23:38:00.000-07:00

Chax is currently at version 1.4.6 beta 3. I was unaware that version 1.4.6 was already in beta stages. This version brings great new features and bugfixes to iChat.

Changelog:
(Bug) Sheets now display properly after a tab is torn off
(Bug) Fixed more crashes related to tear-off tabs
(Bug) Fixed more minor cosmetic issues with disabling close buttons on tabs
(Bug) Quitting iChat should now be much faster
(New) Added an option to disable tear-off tabs
“Move to Window” and “Move to Tab” options removed in favor of tear-off tabs

Firefox 2 RC2 Out!

2006-10-06T19:26:00.000-07:00

Get the new Release Candidate here.

Release notes are available here.

Skype 2.0.0.3 Beta Released

2006-10-04T12:58:00.000-07:00

A minor update (bugfix) to Skype 2.0 Beta has been released. Get version 2.0.0.3 here.

Changelog:
bugfix: Improper handling of URI arguments Skype Security Bulletin SKYPE-SB/2006-002

How to Install Front Row 1.3 on OS X 10.4.8 + Wirless Mighty Mouse (UPDATED)

2006-10-04T12:48:00.000-07:00

According to James, who submiited a comment over at Andrew Escobar's blog, when you install the updated Mighty Mouse drivers, it changes the bezel files in the following two folders, which are not common to ANY version of OS X 10.4.X:

/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/BezelServices.framework/
/System/Library/LoginPlugins/BezelServices.loginPlugin/

So why the change with the new drivers? And why do the new drivers still work after reverting these files back to the standard OS X 10.4.8 versions? James states that it simply adds bezels that activate when your Wireless Mighty Mouse is connected or disconnected. That's it! So that would explain why Andrew Escobar's patch has been corrupting these files! Of course, Andrew Escobar will be working on a patch to support the newer bezel services for the Wireless Mighty Mouse. Until then, the fix will have your system working nearly perfectly! The only thing missing will be a "Mouse Connected" Bezel when you connect the Wireless Mighty Mouse. The "Disconncted" bezel is still working, though. (What is a bezel? It's that white overlay when something happens to your system. i.e. indicator when adjusting volume).

So how do I get this working?

This will work for users with AND without previous versions of Front Row installed. Just follow it exactly. Mixing up some steps actually MAY DAMAGE YOUR SYSTEM and give you a system hang. Trust me. So follow them exactly.

1. (If you have a Wireless Mighty Mouse) Go ahead and install the drivers included on the CD.
2. (Borrowed/Adapted from Andrew Escobar. Original location here).
a. Download Mac OS X Update 10.4.8 Combo PPC from Apple.
b. Open the disk image
c. Download Pacifist and copy application to the Application folder.
d. Use Pacifist to open the Mac OS X Update Installer package file (which ends in .pkg)
e. Search for “bezel” and install only these two specific files folders:
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/BezelServices.framework/
/System/Library/LoginPlugins/BezelServices.loginPlugin/
f. Restart.
3. Download Front Row Update 1.3
4. Download Front Row Enabler 1.3.5
5. Open Front Row Enabler and Enable Installation
6. Open Front Row 1.3.5 Disk Image and place the package on your DESKTOP and install
7. Open Front Row Enabler and select Enable
8. Restart and Enjoy Front Row 1.3 with the new blue iTunes icon (Don't forget to enable the Front Row keyboard shortcut and Sound Preference in their respective preferences panes)

Any questions or comments, feel free to leave a comment or email me.

Front Row Enabler for OS X 10.4.8

2006-10-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

Andrew Escobar has released an updated Enabler (1.3.5) that supports only the latest update to OS X, 10.4.8, but not the updated Wireless Mighty Mouse drivers. There's not much to say about this Enabler other than it works great and enables the installation of Front Row 1.3 on unsupported Macs running OS X 10.4.8.

-EDIT-
From what I've seen in the comments on Andrew's Site regarding the updated Enabler, this enabler still suffers from not supporting the updated BezelServices files added by the Wireless Mighty Mouse drivers. So the fix I posted a while back (see here) still applies to this enabler. Except, you will have to use 10.4.8 instead of 10.4.7 and enabler 1.3.5 instead of 1.3. I'll re-post the ammended instructions.

Nic over at Andrew Escobar's site provided this information (which I previously mentioned in my fix as well): " Only side effect if you are a Bluetooth MM user is that the Bluetooth MM connected bezel no longer shows up though the disconnected one still does (thats the important one right :D)."

OS X 10.4.8 Update Breaks Front Row on Unsupported Macs

2006-10-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

The update breaks Front Row on unsupported Macs (i.e. those that have used Andrew Escobar's Front Row Enabler). The reason being is that it appears that the files that were updated by the Wireless Mighty Mouse driver are updated by the 10.4.8 update as well. Andrew is now working on patching these updated files so that Front Row can be installed on 10.4.8 machines. In the meantime, DO NOT use the Front Row Enabler NOR my fix if you have updated to 10.4.8. You have been warned. Here's to hoping for a quick release of an updated Enabler! Good luck Andrew!

Mac OS X 10.4.8 Update

2006-09-29T18:20:00.000-07:00

The new update is now available through Software Update and can also be obtained on Apple's Support page. The intel version is larger as it includes updates for Rosetta.

Changelog (PPC):
- sharing using AFP, SMB/CIFS, NFS and FTP file sharing protocols
- reliable access to Open Directory, LDAP and Active Directory services
- login and authentication in a variety of network environments
- file access and byte range locking with AFP file sharing
- network access when using proxy server automatic configuration files
- connecting to Cisco VPN servers using IP/Sec and NAT
- AirPort including connectivity to EAP-FAST networks
- Bluetooth wireless connectivity
- RAW camera support, including updated ATI and NVIDIA graphics drivers
- usability of Dashboard and widgets
- searching iWork ‘06 and Microsoft Office documents with Spotlight
- saving Word documents automatically when using a network home directory
- viewing of QuickTime streaming media behind a firewall
- audio playback in QuickTime, iTunes, Final Cut Pro, and Soundtrack applications
- ensuring icons are spaced correctly when viewed on desktop
- determining the space required to burn folders
- synchronizing contacts, bookmarks, and calendars to .Mac and mobile phones
- mounting and unmounting iDisk volumes
- time zone and daylight savings for 2006 and 2007
- using OpenType fonts in Microsoft Word
- Address Book, AppleScript, Automator, Dictionary, Font Book, iCal, iChat, DVD Player, Keynote, Mail, Preview, Safari, and Stickies
- Disk Utility, Keychain Access, Migration Assistant, and Software Update
- compatibility with third party applications and devices
- previous Mac OS X updates and standalone security updates

Changelog (intel):
- sharing using AFP, SMB/CIFS, NFS and FTP file sharing protocols
- reliable access to Open Directory, LDAP and Active Directory services
- login and authentication in a variety of network environments
- file access and byte range locking with AFP file sharing
- network access when using proxy server automatic configuration files
- connecting to Cisco VPN servers using IP/Sec and NAT
- AirPort including connectivity to EAP-FAST networks
- Bluetooth wireless connectivity
- RAW camera support, including updated ATI and NVIDIA graphics drivers
- usability of Dashboard and widgets
- searching iWork ‘06 and Microsoft Office documents with Spotlight
- saving Word documents automatically when using a network home directory
- viewing of QuickTime streaming media behind a firewall
- audio playback in QuickTime, iTunes, Final Cut Pro, and Soundtrack applications
- ensuring icons are spaced correctly when viewed on desktop
- determining the space required to burn folders
- synchronizing contacts, bookmarks, and calendars to .Mac and mobile phones
- mounting and unmounting iDisk volumes
- time zone and daylight savings for 2006 and 2007
- using OpenType fonts in Microsoft Word
- Address Book, AppleScript, Automator, Dictionary, Font Book, iCal, iChat, DVD Player, Keynote, Mail, Preview, Safari, and Stickies
- Disk Utility, Keychain Access, Migration Assistant, and Software Update
- compatibility with third party applications and devices
- previous Mac OS X updates and standalone security updates

Aperture 1.5 Update

2006-09-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

The Aperture 1.5 Update is now available via the Downloads section in Apple's Support page. The update weighs in at 125MB.

Changelog (summary):
Aperture 1.5 delivers more than 20 new and enhanced features that improve file management, metadata handling, and image adjustment.

Lots of Updates from Apple

2006-09-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

Most of the application updataes are to allow support for Aperture 1.5.
The updates can be obtained on Apple's Support Page or through Software Update.

Update Details

iMovie HD 6.0.3
This update addresses compatibility for accessing Aperture 1.5 content in iMovie HD. It also improves overall stability and addresses a number of other minor issues.

Keynote 3.0.2
This update addresses compatibility for accessing Aperture 1.5 content in Keynote.

Pages 2.0.2
This update addresses compatibility for accessing Aperture 1.5 content in Pages.

iWeb 1.1.2
This update addresses compatibility for accessing Aperture 1.5 content in iWeb.

iPhoto 6.0.5
This update to iPhoto contains 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.

iDVD 6.0.3
This update addresses compatibility for accessing Aperture 1.5 content in iDVD.

GarageBand 3.0.4
This update addresses compatibility for accessing Aperture 1.5 content in GarageBand.

Adium X 1.0 Beta 14

2006-09-28T00:21:00.000-07:00

Yet another beta build from our friends working over at Adium. Quite a large number of betas, but at least they're spending a lot of time fixing bugs before the initial release. As always, changelog below:

SVN revision number: [17847]

* Fixed a crash when opening message windows to specific contacts with whom invalidly-named log files have been written
* Fixed a crash when connecting to a non-SSL Jabber server. #5500, #5542, #5550.
* Allow an account-specific icon to work even if the global one is disabled. #5532
* Fixed remaining issues with improper linkification of incoming Jabber messages and potentially messages on other services. #5446
* Fixed display of contacts in the offline group when offline contacts are not being displayed but a contact signs off
* Fixed a crash when clearing recent images in the Recent Images picker in the contact list
* Fixed a crash when upgrading OTR fingerprints
* Fixed a crash when clicking the shortcut recorder in OS X 10.3.x
* Fixed a crash when we are unable to create a log file, and added a debug log to determine the cause. #5585
* Fixed "hide offline contacts" hiding more than just offline contacts. #4438.
* Possibly fixed a condition in which signing on with groups visible causes contacts to disappear. #4856
* Fixed handling of the Yahoo ignore list, loading it properly and not places its contents in the contact list. #5470
* Fixed updating of the encryption status in the toolbar when opening a chat. #4558
* Fixed several conditions in which graphical emoticons were improperly suppressed. #5594
* Fixed a crash when creating AIM group chats or inviting contacts to them. #5483. #3975
* Fixed a situation in which AIM buddy icons which could not be retrieved were infinitely re-requested
* Show the Send Later sheet when attempting to send contacts to offline accounts. #5555
* Corrected some issues with translation updates in 1.0b13