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iNews Review.
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
News & Opinion
Apple Updates
Tech Trends
Products & Services
Software
News & Opinion
Does an SSD in a FireWire Case Make Sense?
Hardmac's Lionel notes that many disk manufacturers currently make
external SSDs with a USB 3.0 interface, but Macs have no built-in USB
3.0 (nor eSATA, for that matter), so he wondered what an SSD could do
if it were connected through FireWire 800, since that interface is
present on nearly every Mac.
To find out, he borrowed a Safedisk Mini II case, installed a 60 GB
Vertex 2 SSD, and compared performance with a 5400 rpm 750 GB hard disk
in an external case. In short, he found that SSD is somewhat faster and
more consistent in its speed, although FireWire 800 is a limiting
factor.
Link: Is an SSD in a
FireWire Case Any Good?
Apple Releases Safari 5.0.4
The Safari 5.0.4 for Mac update contains improvements to stability,
compatibility, accessibility, and security, including the
following:
- Improved stability for webpages with multiple instances of plugin
content
- Improved compatibility with webpages with image reflections and
transition effects
- A fix for an issue that could cause some webpages to print with
incorrect layouts
- A fix for an issue that could cause content to display incorrectly
on webpages with plugins
- A fix for an issue that could cause a Screen Saver to appear while
video is playing in Safari
- Improved compatibility with VoiceOver on webpages with text input
areas and lists with selectable items
- Improved stability when using VoiceOver
The Safari 5.0.4 update is available in distinct versions for
Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
and OS X 10.5 Leopard. (See below
for information on Safari 4.1.3 for Tiger.)
The Safari 5.0.4 Windows update contains improvements to stability,
compatibility, accessibility and security, including the following:
- Improved compatibility with webpages with transition effects
- A fix for an issue that could cause some webpages to print with
incorrect layouts
- A fix for an issue that could prevent HTML5 video from playing on
www.youtube.com
- A fix for an issue that could cause content to display incorrectly
on webpages with plugins
Link: Safari 5.0.4
Run OS X 10.7 Lion Developer Preview on Core Duo
Macs
Cult of Mac's Adam Rosen says:
"For those of you who like living on the Bleeding Age while running
on older hardware Cult of Mac received this tip from reader Matt Briggs
about getting his Core Duo based MacBook running the Lion Developer
Preview installation of Mac OS X 10.7...."
This requires installing Lion to an external USB drive from a
supported Mac and then removing a specific file.
Link: Run Lion 10.7
Developer Preview on Unsupported Core Duo Macs
Identifying and Managing PowerPC Applications on
Intel Macs
MacFixIt's Topher Kessler says:
"Apple made the transition [from PowerPC] to Intel's x86 and x64
architectures very smooth with the use of Rosetta and
Universal Binary applications, but this effort also resulted in a lot
of remaining PowerPC code that is either still being used or is being
packaged with Intel code in Universal Binary applications.
"This is not a problem for most users, but since Apple is finally
doing away with all PowerPC support in OS X 10.7 Lion, people who may
still be using older older PowerPC code will find no option to run it.
In addition, some people might wish to get rid of the unused PowerPC
code in Universal Binary applications."
Publisher's note: If you no longer have or use PowerPC Macs, you may
save a bit of hard drive space by removing PPC code from Universal
Binary apps. The real problem will be replacing those PowerPC programs
that you're still using, which could be an incentive to stick with
Leopard or Snow Leopard and not migrate to Lion. dk
Link: Managing PowerPC
Applications on Intel Macs
Apple Updates
Apple Releases Safari 4.1.3 for
Tiger
The 'ol Tiger's not dead yet! Thanks, Apple, for continuing
up-to-date browser support for Mac
OS X 10.4 for at least one more update. I'm still using Tiger
on my two old PowerBook
Pismos, and very productively.
I'm planning to try out Safari 4.1.3 as a possible replacement for
Opera 10.63 - the last Tiger-compatible Opera browser version. Opera
10.63 is nice and fast, but it has a bug with text entry in Web page
fields (acknowledged by Opera) that causes long hangs. The holdup is
that Safari 10.63 requires OS X Security Update 2008-005, which I
had not gotten around to installing.
Safari 4.1.3 for Tiger contains improvements to usability,
compatibility, stability, accessibility and security, including the
following:
- More accurate Top Hit results in the Address Field
- More accurate results in Top Sites
- Fixes an issue that could cause content delivered with the Flash
10.1 plugin to overlap webpage content
- More reliable popup blocking
- Improved stability when typing into search and text input fields on
www.netflix.com and www.facebook.com
- Improved stability when using VoiceOver with Safari
System Requirements: Mac OS X 10.4.11
Supported Languages: Deutsch, English, Français
Link: Safari 4.1.3 for Tiger
Apple No Longer Shipping TechTool Deluxe with
AppleCare
9 to 5 Mac's Aaron Kramer reports that Apple will no longer bundle
TechTool Deluxe disk diagnostic and repair CDs with it's AppleCare
package boxes. This is assumed to be another indication that Apple will
soon move entirely into the Cloud for software distribution.
Publisher's note: In a related development, Micromat just announced
TechTool Pro 6 - more below. dk
Link: Apple No Longer
Shipping TechTool Deluxe with AppleCare
Tech Trends
iPad a Factor in $4.3 Billion Hard Disk Drive Maker
Deal
Forbes' Brian Caulfield says the Apple iPad phenomenon appears to be
one of the factors catalyzing Western Digital's acquisition of
Hitachi's Global Storage Technologies unit for $4.3 billion, noting
that last week tech market research firm iSuppli reported that surging
tablet computer sales are hurting notebook PC sales, resulting in a
sales decline for traditional hard disk drives and an accelerating a
shift towards solid state disk drives in other markets.
That would include Apple's new all-SSD MacBook Airs, which
represented some 40% (1.1 million units) of Apple notebook sales in Q4
2010 (see this week's 'Book Review
for more information) - and they weren't even available for the
first three weeks of October.
Link: Apple's iPad
Behind $4.3 Billion Hard Disk Drive Maker Deal
Western Digital to Acquire Hitachi Global Storage,
Combining the Industry's First and Third Largest Hard Drive Makers
PR: Western Digital and Hitachi, Ltd. announced Monday that
they have entered into a definitive agreement whereby WD will acquire
Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi GST), a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., in a cash and stock transaction valued at
approximately $4.3 billion. The company says the proposed combination
of the largest and third-largest makers of hard disk drives (WD c.31%,
Seagate Technology c.29%, Hitachi GST c.18%, Toshiba c.11%, and Samsung
also c.11% based on market research firms iSuppli data) will result in
a customer-focused storage company with significant operating scale,
strong global talent, and the industry's broadest product lineup backed
by a rich technology portfolio. Buying Hitachi GST will also give WD
more reach in Apple's Macs, since Hitachi has been a major hard drive
supplier to Apple.
Under terms of the agreement, WD will acquire Hitachi GST for $3.5
billion in cash and 25 million WD common shares valued at $750 million,
based on a WD closing stock price of $30.01 as of March 4, 2011.
Hitachi, Ltd. will own approximately 10% of Western Digital shares
outstanding after issuance of the shares, and two representatives of
Hitachi will be added to the WD board of directors at closing. The
transaction has been approved by the board of directors of each company
and is expected to close during the third calendar quarter of 2011,
subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory
approvals. WD plans to fund the transaction with a combination of
existing cash and total debt of approximately $2.5 billion.
WD expects the transaction to be immediately accretive to its
earnings per share on a non-GAAP basis, excluding acquisition-related
expenses, restructuring charges and amortization of intangibles.
The resulting company will retain the Western Digital name and
remain headquartered in Irvine, California. John Coyne will remain
chief executive officer of WD, Tim Leyden chief operating officer and
Wolfgang Nickl chief financial officer. Steve Milligan, president and
chief executive officer of Hitachi GST, will join WD at closing as
president, reporting to John Coyne.
"The acquisition of Hitachi GST is a unique opportunity for WD to
create further value for our customers, stockholders, employees,
suppliers and the communities in which we operate," commented WD
president and CEO Coyne on the acquisition announcement. "We believe
this step will result in several key benefits-enhanced R&D
capabilities, innovation and expansion of a rich product portfolio,
comprehensive market coverage and scale that will enhance our cost
structure and ability to compete in a dynamic marketplace. The skills
and contributions of both workforces were key considerations in
assessing this compelling opportunity. We will be relying on the proven
integration capabilities of both companies to assure the ongoing
satisfaction of our customers and to bring this combination to
successful fruition."
"This brings together two industry leaders with consistent track
records of strong execution and industry outperformance," said Hitachi
Global Storage Technologies president and CEO Steve Milligan. "Together
we can provide customers worldwide with the industry's most compelling
and diverse set of products and services, from innovative personal
storage to solid state drives for the enterprise."
Hiroaki Nakanishi, president, Hitachi, Ltd. observed that "As the
former CEO of Hitachi GST, I always believed in the potential of
Hitachi GST to become a larger and more agile company. This is a
strategic combination of two industry leaders, both growing and
profitable. It provides an opportunity for the new company to increase
customer and shareholder value and expand into new markets.
Additionally, it is important to us that WD shares common values with
Hitachi GST to create a more global company that is well positioned to
define a broader role in the evolving storage industry."
Products & Services
Blu-ray for the Mac from FastMac
PR: Thought it was impossible to watch Blu-ray movies on your
Mac? Think again. FastMac now offers an external SuperDrive that not
only allows you to burn conventional CDs and DVDs, but also gives you
the ability to watch commercial Blu-ray movies on your Mac.
How does it work you ask? Well, it's
simple. Even though Mac OS X currently lacks software to play
Blu-ray movies, you can run Boot Camp on your Mac
and use PowerDVD
in Windows to play your Blu-ray movie.
Lightweight and compact, this external drive can go with you
anywhere and will make life easier and a lot more fun.
Note: Apple's QuickTime software does not (yet) support the decoding
and playback of encrypted Blu-ray movies. Therefore you cannot watch
commercial (Hollywood) Blu-ray movies using Mac OS X. However, if
you have Windows XP or Vista installed on your Macintosh, you can use
PowerDVD software to decrypt and watch commercial Blu-ray movies via
Apple's Boot Camp environment. You will need to ensure you have the
latest graphics card drivers for your version of Windows and a HDCP
compliant monitor to enjoy the full high definition experience.
Features
- Blu-ray Movie Playback (Using Boot Camp and Windows)
- 2x BD-ROM reading
- 5x DVD-RAM Writing
- 8x DVD-R Writing
- 2x DVD-R DL Writing
- 4x DVD-RW Writing
- 4x BD-R
- 8x BD-ROM reading
- 2.4x DVD+R DL Writing
- 4x DVD+RW Writing
- 8x CD-R Writing
- 8x CD-RW Writing
$139.95
Link: FastMac Blu-ray Drive Upgrade for
Mac
PrayerGroup.org Launches Christian Social
Network
PR: PrayerGroup, a social media company, announces the launch
of a new faith-based online community, complete with online Bible, at
prayergroup.org. Building on the need for a worldwide Christian social
network, PrayerGroup has developed content beyond traditional online
communities by offering a variety of faith-based content including
Christian music, prayer groups, international prayer request forums,
Christian chat, and videos. The network offers its community free of
charge to members across the globe.
"Our goal is to provide Christians with a community they can call
their own," says Vince Jensen, PrayerGroups founder. "Unlike other
social networks where faith is not the focus, PrayerGroup is a place
for members to socialize, learn about and discuss faith with others who
share common values, he said. It's also a place for members to simply
connect by sharing their music, photos, videos and prayer requests with
friends and family who will enjoy them."
With the slogan "Where Christians Come Together," PrayerGroups
mainstream feel is centered on a Christian lifestyle. It is noticeably
rich with media content such as blogs, music and videos, but remains
equally focused on worship through its online bible, prayer and count
your blessings forums. The community also offers real-time prayer
through its Christian chat feature.
At the heart of PrayerGroup.org is its mission to unite the world by
expanding human compassion and the gift of prayer. Its international
prayer request forum creates a worldwide prayer group using social
media.
Imagine the power of a million people praying for a common cause,
said Mr. Jensen. We are now at a point where we could do just this
where you can instantly see that people around the world have heard
your prayer request and have responded in kindness.
With the launch of its Christian social network, PrayerGroup.org is
currently underway with its ThinkPrayer campaign designed to promote
the Christian lifestyle through online faith-based media.
"PrayerGroups community is different from others because our members
have one fundamental thing in common - Faith", says Mr. Jensen. "Unlike
other social networks where people connect because they already know
each other members in PrayerGroup connect because they have the Lord in
common and want to share their faith with other Christians."
Link: PrayerGroup.org
Software
Micromat Announces the Release of
TechTool Pro 6
PR: Micromat, Inc. announces the release of TechTool Pro 6.
For 20 years, Mac users have relied on TechTool for diagnostics,
maintenance, and drive repair. In this new version, Micromat has added
features to help Mac users diagnose hardware problems and make it
easier to fix issues on their hard drives, including those with
internal solid state drives (SSDs or flash storage), plus provide for
dependable backup and recovery of Mac volumes.
TechTool Pro 6 can now create an emergency startup volume on the
active hard drive using its eDrive technology, eliminating the need for
using a boot DVD for most users or having to burn an eDrive on a
secondary source to repair a Mac's internal drive. Plus, TechTool Pro's
upgraded eDrive technology no longer requires Apple's boot disk updates
to keep the software current.
"With this new version of TechTool Pro, you no longer need to boot
from a DVD, so preventative maintenance or repairing corrupt Mac
volumes is faster and easier than ever before," says Christian Pickman,
Micromat's Product Manager for TechTool Pro. "Removing the boot DVD
requirement means we can deliver by download, greatly speeding up
access to those who need drive repair."
Volume Cloning was added to this new version, to quickly create
exact duplicates of volumes or disk images (.dmg) for trouble-free
volume recovery, archiving or for upgrading from a smaller size hard
drive to a larger drive.
TechTool Pro 6 features a new Local Network Tool, which shows the
active services and ports on each selected Mac or Bonjour supported
device on the local area network. This information is helpful when
strengthening security on a specific machine or on the overall LAN, and
since device history is tracked, it allows for tracking of machines or
devices that were in use in the past but are no longer available.
The new benefits in TechTool Pro 6 improves the capability for Mac
users to identify impending problems, provide ongoing maintenance and
fix hard drive issues on their own systems to help prevent costly
repairs in the future.
While maintaining previous version pricing, TechTool Pro 6 now ships
in a Family Pack that can be installed on up to 3 CPU's to fill the
needs of households using multiple Macs.
TechTool Pro 6 is available direct by download from Micromat, with
Family Packs for $99.99, and Family Pack upgrades for users of any
previous version of TechTool Pro, TechTool Deluxe or TechTool Platinum
priced at $39.99.
Business Packs (10 users) are $299.99 and can be ordered online or
direct from Micromat at 707-566-3831. Specially priced academic
versions for TechTool Pro 6 can be ordered for $39.99.
TechTool Pro 6 can also be purchased from popular resellers and
distributors worldwide, with localized versions available in Japanese,
French, German, Italian and Chinese.
Link: TechTool Pro
6
Get the OS X 10.7 Lion Launcher's Functionality Now with
QuickPick
PR: QuickPick is an application and document launcher
designed to feel as if it's part of Mac OS X itself. Just drag and
drop any number of applications or documents into the QuickPick window,
and they'll only ever be a mouse click, flick, or key press away.
QuickPick is a place to store documents and applications that you
use frequently. When it comes to launching, QuickPick replaces the
roles of Finder, Spotlight, Stacks, and the Dock with one quick and
easy interface that is fast to use with the keyboard or the mouse.
Why You Need a Launcher
The Dock in Mac OS X is a handy place to put the applications and
documents you use every day. Just one click, and you're ready to go.
But what if you have a lot of them, too many for the Dock? What about
the apps and documents you don't use quite as frequently, but still
want nearby? Navigating through the Finder can take far too many
clicks. Spotlight can be as helpful as a snail delivering rush order
packages. So what do you do?
Why You Need QuickPick
QuickPick keeps any number of applications a mouse flick (or
keyboard shortcut) away. When you activate QuickPick, all of the
windows on your system will zoom off into the distance, and the
documents and apps you want close by will fly right into view. It's
describes as like having a fourth dimension just for your files.
QuickPick
displays files, folders, and application as clickable icons which can
be arranged in any way you want by simply dragging them around, similar
to the Desktop in Finder. If you need even more space, just add more
pages. To launch an application or open a document from inside of
QuickPick, just click on it. You can also select and launch items with
the keyboard.
Requires Mac OS X 10.6.
QuickPick sells for $10.
Link: QuickPick (Mac
App Store download link)
6 Ways HyperStudio Is a New Age HyperCard
Mac 360's Natalia Nowak says:
"It's confession time. I last used Apple's legendary HyperCard while in middle school. Late in
the last century. Relative to today's Mac apps, I only know how great
it was from really old Mac users.
"HyperCard was hypermedia before the public Internet. Hyper-linked
pages contained everything from text, to movies, to photos, and data
fields. Is there anything like HyperCard today? Maybe....
"To put it simply, HyperStudio is not HyperCard. In many respects
its much better, though not as intuitive. HyperStudio has been around
for years but hasn't gained the popularity or notoriety of the
original.
"In many respects, HyperStudio really is a 21st century incarnation
of the promise of Apple's HyperCard."
Editor's Note: I guess I qualify as a really old Mac user, and I
loved HyperCard back in the day, although I haven't used it either
since late in the last century. However, I cut my graphics editing and
creation teeth in HyperCard, and it taught me the rudiments of
programming theory (in which I haven't really advanced past being able
to write simple AppleScripts). I haven't used HyperStudio, but it
sounds promising. cm
Link: Six Ways
HyperStudio Is a New Age HyperCard
Link: HyperStudio 5
(Mac
App Store download link)
Desktop Mac Deals
For deals on current and discontinued 'Books, see our 13" MacBook and MacBook Pro,
MacBook Air, 13" MacBook Pro, 15" MacBook Pro, 17" MacBook Pro, 12" PowerBook G4, 15" PowerBook G4, 17" PowerBook G4, titanium PowerBook G4,
iBook G4, PowerBook G3, and iBook G3 deals.
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