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Software
News & Opinion
Mac OS X 10.6.7 Released
This week, Apple released the Mac OS X 10.6.7 Update, largely a
bugfix along with the usual slate of security patches and a few feature
enhancements. The update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.
Apple recommends that before updating your system you should do a
global backup of your files using Time Machine. Other backup utilities
such as Carbon Copy Cloner (my
personal fave, recently updated to version 3.3.7) can also be used.
Letting Software Update handle installing the update is quick and
easy, but doing some system maintenance and running a standalone update
installer the best policy for avoiding problems with system updates,
and is my preferred option, ideally using the Combo installer version
even if I'm only going up one fractional version increment. For good
measure, I also try to squeeze in running a slate of system maintenance
routines before installing the update.
Software Update method (if you must)
Choose Software Update from the Apple menu to automatically check
for the latest Apple software using the Internet, including this
update. If your computer is not up-to-date, other software updates
available for your computer may appear which you should install. Note
that an update's size may vary from computer to computer when installed
using Software Update. Also, some updates must be installed prior to
others, so you should run Software Update more than once to make sure
you have all available updates.
The preferred-by-me standalone update installer option is especially
useful when you need to update multiple computers but only want to
download the update once, and I also find it convenient to keep a
current update installer on hand in case one needs to do a complete
system reinstall. The several standalone installer variants are
available from Apple Support Downloads (see link below).
New in Mac OS X 10.6.7:
- Improves the reliability of Back to My Mac.
- Resolves an issue when transferring files to certain SMB
servers.
- Addresses various minor Mac App Store issues.
Additional improvements:
- For information about the security content of this update, visit
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222
- Includes all the improvements in the previous Mac OS X v10.6.1,
10.6.2, 10.6.3, 10.6.4, 10.6.5, and 10.6.6 updates.
- Includes Safari 5.0.4.
- Includes RAW image compatibility for additional digital
cameras.
- Resolves a window resizing issue with X-Plane 9 on Macs with ATI
graphics
- Addresses an issue with MacBook Air (Mid 2010) computers that could
cause a kernel panic.
- Address issues in the AirPort driver for certain devices.
- Improves brightness on external displays and projectors.
- Addresses an issue where DVD Player may display black video on some
Macs using the 64-bit kernel.
- Addresses an issue with some NEC displays in which the screen may
appear black when connected to a Mac Pro (Mid 2010).
- Resolves an issue in which some Multiple Master (MM) fonts were
missing from Mac Pro (Mid 2010), MacBook Pro (15" & 17" Mid 2010),
and iMac (Mid 2010) computers.
- Addresses various issues with MacBook Air (Mid 2010) computer
performance.
- Resolves an issue in which clicking the Updates tab in the Mac App
Store could cause the Mac App Store to become unresponsive.
- Fixes a problem opening an afp:// URL that points to a file, and
changes the AFP mount path to conform to previous Mac OS X releases.
For details, see article HT4538.
- Includes the ability to repair certain issues that may prevent
hardware RAID volumes from mounting. For more information, see article
TS3631.
- Fixes a rare issue in Mac OS X v10.6.5 that could cause user
accounts to disappear from the Login window and System Preferences
after putting the system to sleep.
- Improves the reliability of dragging files or folders to the Trash
when using an NFS home directory.
Several versions of the Mac OS X 10.6.7 Update are available as
standalone installers, as well as through Software Update. For most Mac
OS client users who prefer not to use the Software Update option, the
most common versions will be the 1.12 GB (1007.2 MB) Mac OS X v10.6.7
Update Delta (incremental) and the Mac OS X v10.6.7 Update Combo
Mac OS X v10.6.7 Update
The 10.6.7 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Snow
Leopard and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the
stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac.
File Size: 475 MB
System Requirements: Mac OS X v10.6.6
Link: About the Mac OS
X v10.6.7 Update (download)
Security Update 2011-001 for OS X 10.5.8 Leopard
Client and Server
Security Update 2011-001 is recommended for all users and improves
the security of Mac OS X. Previous security updates have been
incorporated into this security update.
For information on the security content of this update, visit this
website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222
File Size: 241.35 MB
Security Update 2011-001 (Leopard - Client)
System Requirements: Mac OS X 10.5.8 Client
Download: https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1366
Security Update 2011-001 (Leopard - Server)
File Size: 473.23 MB
System Requirements: Mac OS X 10.5.8 Server
Download: https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1367
How Did a British Polytechnic Grad Become the
Design Genius Behind Apple?
The Daily Mail's Rob Waugh reports on the rise of Jonathan Ive, the
remarkable 44-year-old graduate of Newcastle Polytechnic, who helped
turn Apple into the second biggest company in the world, with a higher
turnover than Google or Microsoft.
Waugh notes that for nearly 14 years Ive has been Apple's star
designer, who by designing the original gumdrop iMac in 1998 and its
ever more sleek successors, then the iPod, iPhone and iPad, has helped
turn Apple Inc. from an also-ran popular chiefly with designers into
the second biggest company in the world, with a higher turnover than
Google or Microsoft, while living quietly with his family in San
Francisco and taking the short drive to Apple daily in his Bentley
Brooklands.
This fascinating mini-biography of Jonathan Ive exploring his body
of work and his relationship with Steve Jobs.
Link: How Did a British Polytechnic
Graduate Become the Design Genius Behind £200 Billion
Apple?
Bertrand Serlet, Mac Software Boss, Leaving
Apple
PR: Apple on Wednesday announced that Bertrand Serlet, the
company's senior vice president of Mac Software Engineering, will be
leaving the company. Craig Federighi, Apple's vice president of Mac
Software Engineering, will assume Serlet's responsibilities and report
to Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. Federighi is responsible for the
development of Mac OS X and has been managing the Mac OS software
engineering group for the past two years.
"I've worked with Steve for 22 years and have had an incredible time
developing products at both NeXT and Apple, but at this point, I want
to focus less on products and more on science," said Bertrand Serlet,
Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering. "Craig has done
a great job managing the Mac OS team for the past two years, Lion is a
great release and the transition should be seamless."
Federighi worked at NeXT, followed by Apple, and then spent a decade
at Ariba where he held several roles including vice president of
Internet Services and chief technology officer. He returned to Apple in
2009 to lead Mac OS X engineering. Federighi holds a Master of Science
degree in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical
Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California,
Berkeley.
Bertrand Serlet joined Apple in 1997, and has been involved in the
definition, development and creation of Mac OS X, the world's most
advanced operating system. Before joining Apple, Serlet spent four
years at Xerox PARC, then joined NeXT in 1989. He holds a doctorate in
Computer Science from the University of Orsay, France.
Link: Bertrand Serlet
to Leave Apple
iMac with Sandy Bridge and Thunderbolt Just Weeks
Away?
macnews.de's Flavio Trillo says that it now seems the likely date
for an iMac refresh incorporating Sandy Bridge CPUs and Thunderbolt I/O
support will be in April or May, a slight modification of Apple's usual
product cycle, since that slot is usually taken by the spring notebook
refresh, which came early this year.
Trillo cites a tweet from Brian Tong of Cnet predicting the iMac
update coming in late April or the first week of May in the US,
mentioning only the new CPU silicon and high-speed interface as likely
changes.
He also suggests an Apple event to present the refresh is unlikely,
and, as with the recent MacBook Pro update, it's expected that Apple
will choose for this "minor" upgrade to be a "silent update".
Link: iMac-Update Teil 2: Mai,
Thunderbolt, Sandy Bridge (German-to-English
translation via Google Translate)
Software
Open Source LibreOffice 3.3.2 Office Suite
Available
PR: The Document Foundation has launched LibreOffice 3.3, a
maintenance release of their open source office suite for Linux,
Windows and Macintosh platforms. The next major release, LibreOffice
3.4 is projected for release in mid-May.
LibreOffice is
a comprehensive, professional-quality productivity suite that you can
download and install for free - available in more than 30 languages and
for all major operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X,
and Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Mandriva, Suse, etc.).
You can download, install, and distribute LibreOffice freely, with
no fear of copyright infringement.
Why LibreOffice?
Well, the price is right, with no worry about license costs or
annual fees, and LibreOffice is a feature-packed and mature desktop
productivity package with some other significant advantages.
You can use LibreOffice, customize it, hack it and copy it with free
user support and developer support from our active worldwide community
and our large and experienced developer team. The software is tested
and used daily by a large and devoted user community
The roots of LibreOffice go back 20 years, and this long history
means it's a stable and functional product. Thousands of users
worldwide regularly take part in beta testing of new LibreOffice
versions. Because the development process is completely open,
LibreOffice has been extensively tested by security experts, giving you
security and peace of mind.
LibreOffice is user-friendly, with a simple-to-use yet powerful
interface that is easy to personalize. Microsoft Office users should
find the switch relatively easy and painless, with a familiar look and
feel to what they're used to.
LibreOffice is Compatible with all major competitors' file formats.
You can easily import files from Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint
and many other formats, and can save to Microsoft Office and other
formats when needed.
LibreOffice is supported by a big worldwide community: volunteers
help newcomers, and advanced users and developers can collaborate with
you to find solutions to complex issues.
LibreOffice Modules
Writer is the word processor inside LibreOffice, useful for
everything from dashing off a quick letter to producing an entire book
with tables of contents, embedded illustrations, bibliographies and
diagrams. The while-you-type auto-completion, auto-formatting and
automatic spelling checking features make difficult tasks easy (but are
easy to disable if you prefer). Writer is powerful enough to tackle
desktop publishing tasks such as creating multicolumn newsletters and
brochures.
LibreOffice Calc tames your numbers and helps with difficult
decisions when you're weighing the alternatives. You can analyze your
data with Calc and then use it to present your final output. Charts and
analysis tools help bring transparency to your conclusions. A fully
integrated help system makes easier work of entering complex formulas.
Add data from external databases such as SQL or Oracle, then sort and
filter them to produce statistical analyses. Use the graphing functions
to display large number of 2D and 3D graphics from 13 categories,
including line, area, bar, pie, X-Y, and net with the dozens of
variations available, you're sure to find one that suits your
project.
LibreOffice Impress is the the suite's presentation module for
creating multimedia presentations. It supports animation and special
effects to help you convince your audience and create presentations
that professional.
LibreOffice Draw lets you build diagrams and sketches from scratch,
from simple illustrations with box and line diagrams to dynamic 3D
illustrations and special effects.
LibreOffice Base is the database front-end of the LibreOffice suite.
With Base, you can seamlessly integrate your existing database
structures into the other components of LibreOffice, or create an
interface to use and administer your data as a stand-alone application.
You can use imported and linked tables and queries from MySQL,
PostgreSQL or Microsoft Access and many other data sources, or design
your own with Base, to build powerful front-ends with sophisticated
forms, reports and views. Support is built-in or easily addable for a
very wide range of database products, notably the standardly-provided
HSQL, MySQL, Adabas D, Microsoft Access and PostgreSQL.
LibreOffice Math is a simple equation editor that lets you layout
and display your mathematical, chemical, electrical or scientific
equations quickly in standard written notation.
LibreOffice also comes configured with a PDF file creator, so you
can distribute documents that you're sure can be opened and read by
users of almost any computing device or operating system.
New in LibreOffice 3.3.2 Final
This is the second update to the stable version of LibreOffice. It
contains only safe code fixes and translation updates, and is
considered safe for production use.
The following notes apply:
- This release is bit-for-bit identical to the 3.3.2 Release
Candidate 2, so you don't need to download or reinstall if you have
that version already.
- The distribution for Windows is an international build, so you can
choose the user interface language that you prefer. Help content is
available via an online service, or alternatively as a separate
install.
- For Windows users that have OpenOffice.org installed, we advise
uninstalling that beforehand, because it registers the same file type
associations.
- If you run Windows 2000, you may require this update before being
able to install LibreOffice.
- If you run Linux, the GCJ Java variant has known issues with
LibreOffice, we advise to e.g. use OpenJDK instead.
- LibreOffice contains all the security fixes from OpenOffice.org in
3.3.0, and perhaps more as a side-effect of the code cleanups.
- There are a few non-critical issues still contained in this
release, which will be addressed soon with upcoming bugfix
versions.
If you install third-party extensions that bring their own help, you
may only be able to view that after installing the separate help packs
on Windows.
The Mac version is available for both PowerPC and Intel hardware and
requires Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
or newer.
Link: LibreOffice
NeoOffice 3.2 Beta Available
PR: NeoOffice is a full-featured set of office applications
(including word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation programs) for
Mac OS X - an office suite adapted to the unique needs of Mac users by
taking the features in Oracle's OpenOffice.org office suite (which
still supports OS X 10.4 Tiger) and adding improvements.
New in NeoOffice 3.2 Beta
This release adds several new features including:
New
Mac OS X 10.7 Lion compatible code- Apple's upcoming Mac OS X 10.7 Lion release is expected to have
many significant changes so the NeoOffice engineers have completely
reimplemented the following NeoOffice features to ensure that these
features will be fully compatible with Mac OS X 10.7 Lion:
- Text layout and rendering
- Copy and paste
- Drag and drop
- Expanded font support
- NeoOffice now uses Apple's "CoreText" text layout and rendering
functions. In contrast, OpenOffice.org and previous versions of
NeoOffice use Apple's older "ATSUI" functions. While users that only
use the fonts that Apple bundles with Mac OS X, Apple's "CoreText"
functions provides improved text layout and rendering for many Windows
OpenType fonts.
- Significant reduction in size of PDF files
PDF files exported from NeoOffice that contain mostly text are now
50% to 75% smaller than the same files exported from previous versions
of NeoOffice. The NeoOffice engineers implemented this significant
reduction in PDF file size by using a more compact method of specifying
the position of font glyphs within PDF files.
System requirements:
- Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.6
- Separate PowerPC and Intel versions
Link: NeoOffice 3.2 is
available in beta. There is also a NeoOffice 3.1.2
Update
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