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23 April 2012
Posted in
Apple
Adobe has officially announced Creative Suite 6, including pricing for the suite. Pricing for the latest Creative Suite to date come in at the same pricing levels as the previous Creative Suite, with the Master Collection tallying up to US $2599 in the US, with local prices being AU $3949 for the full version of the CS6 Master Collection. If an outright purchase for the Creative Suite isn't an option to you, there's also the subscription-based system, with a one-year membership to Creative Cloud starting at AU $62. The Verge reports that pre-orders have also opened up for the product, with estimated delivery by May 7th.
Microsoft has pulled the Office 2011 SP2 update from their AutoUpdate software, but users who still wish to download and install the update can still do so manually from the Microsoft website. The update was pulled over issues with the Outlook database, which affected a small number of users.
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22 April 2012
Posted in
Apple
A new report has been unveiled which describes how 650,000 Macs are still infected with the Flashback trojan, contrary to the 140,000 number reported by Symantec just last week. Dr Web, the original discoverer of the Flashback trojan, has revealed their analysis of the infection — and while their report says the overall number of infected machines has declined ever since Apple released their tools and updates to patch the Java vulnerability, there are still quite a number of Macs infected, with new Macs also being infected despite Apple's updates.
Valve has spoken out on account of the reported meeting between Valve Executives and Tim Cook never happening, according to Valve CEO Gabe Newell. Newell was interviewed in a recent podcast, where he revealed that no meeting between gaming giants Valve and consumer technology specialist Apple never happened. Newell did express a want to see Apple do more things with games, though.
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19 April 2012
Posted in
Apple
Apple wants MobileMe users to make the jump to iCloud, and they're sending out free Snow Leopard DVDs to ease the transition to OS X Lion. Users who haven't yet made the switch to iCloud have been emailed instructions detailing a three step process to receive their free DVD, which will be mailed to them completely free of charge. The process to upgrade to Lion is also detailed in the email as if users are currently running Leopard, as the instructions tells users to install Snow Leopard first, upgrade to the latest version, and then install Lion from the Mac App Store.
Tim Cook has made the list of TIME's 2012 list of the world's most influential people. Al Gore was the one who wrote the story on Tim Cook for TIME, and the former US Vice President had nothing but praise for Cook, saying that "Cook knows his commitment to excellence is inseparable from the incredible ensemble he leads at Apple".
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18 April 2012
Posted in
Apple
A report from AppleInsider says Apple are working on new power management technology for future Macs. The basis for the power management technology speculation is a new job position titled "Senior DC-DC Power System Design Engineer", a position based in Apple's Cupertino headquarters in California, and the job description mentions the improvement of power metric performance optimisation with a focus on efficiency.
Hitachi has released their G-Technology G-RAID Thunderbolt drives to the public after previewing them at CES, and the Thunderbolt-equipped version of the external hard drive enclosure with Hitachi drives already inside. The G-RAID Thunderbolt drive can be bought in different specs, ranging from 4-8TB of space, and the enclosures themselves have two Thunderbolt ports so you can daisy-chain them with other Thunderbolt devices.
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17 April 2012
Posted in
Apple
A new security threat has been discovered that infects machines via an exploit found in Microsoft Word. LuckyCat targets a security flaw in Microsoft Word, which then spreads its payload via Java exploits — and this particular piece of malware is much more malicious than Flashback, as LuckyCat leaves behind a payload that allows remote access of the machine's contents. There are very few details known about LuckyCat thus far, but here's hoping the patch comes quickly.
Apple has removed the iWork and Aperture trials from its website, directing users to the Mac App Store in order to purchase copies of Pages, Keynote, Numbers, as well as Aperture. There are essentially two ways this should be taken: the very mundane fact taht Aperture and iWork are going to be updated very soon, or the more enticing prospect: that software trials are coming to the Mac App Store in the near future.
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16 April 2012
Posted in
Apple
Apple has lost a court appeal in Germany relating to iCloud patent infringement and have now been ordered to pay Motorola Mobility damages, although the exact figure for said damages is currently unknown. What this means is that iCloud users in Germany will no longer have access to push email with the iCloud/MobileMe email service for the foreseeable future, although the limitation is only on iOS devices — Macs and other compatible products are unaffected.
In an unprecedented move, Apple has shared plans for a major Final Cut Pro X update this year which includes features such as multichannel audio editing, dual viewers, as well as support for the RED camera and more. The supposed changes are due to a meeting with video consultant and trainer Larry Jordan, who shared a few details of the forthcoming update.
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15 April 2012
Posted in
Apple
It used to be not that long ago that an Apple ID was only used for a few, very specific Apple services, with the phrase "Apple ID" all but unused. Now it seems that almost everyone who owns and iPhone, iPad or Mac has an Apple ID for purchasing apps, and consequently, increased account compromises have become prevalent. The good news is, Apple has begun enhancing Apple ID security by asking users to set security questions and answers in case their account is ever compromised — in addition to a secure, unique password, this should help keep Apple ID accounts secure.
Intel has laid out a roadmap for retina display PCs. 2013 will apparently be the year when pixel rich displays, like the one first seen on the iPhone 4 become common on desktop and other computers, and Intel are saying high pixel density won't be limited to just mobiles and tablets, with laptops and all-in-one PCs also getting displays with higher pixel densities than currently available.
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12 April 2012
Posted in
Apple
Apple has now put up a support article about Flashback malware that has affected sever hundred thousand Mac computers. It includes information such as how Apple has already updated their version of Java with the fix for the security vulnerability, as well as the fact that Apple themselves are developing software that will detect and remove the Flashback malware from infected systems. Additionally, Apple are also working with ISPs to disable the Flashback malware botnet.
The 1080p capable Apple TV was recently taken apart by Chipworks, who discovered the A5X included in it was based on a shrunken process. The iPhone 4S uses an A5 chip that's based on a 45nm process, and the new Apple TV (as well as the new, lower-priced iPad 2) both have a 32nm A5X SoC. Anandtech do a little digging and examine a few more details.
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11 April 2012
Posted in
Apple
Jason Snell from Macworld says it's time to right the syncing ship that is iTunes. Discontent around iTunes' apparently bloated-ness has been around ever since people starting thinking it was doing too much, and now Snell says it just isn't the simplistic jukebox app it used to be. Maybe there needs to be a new program for syncing iOS devices, or maybe the whole thing just needs to be rethought.
When it comes to open source, there are a plethora of great Mac apps available. This is handy for two reasons: one, it proves that open source software can be extremely good, and two, that great software doesn't have to cost an exorbitant amount. Mac AppStorm's roundup of 30 great open source Mac apps just goes to prove the point.
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10 April 2012
Posted in
Apple
Rumours are saying that updated iMacs with Ivy Bridge processors are set to launch in June, according to suppliers. The report also claims Apple will be using their new anti-glare glass on the new iMac, and there's also word about updated MacBook Pro models due at the end of the second quarter. As with all rumours, these should be taken with the requisite grain of salt — doubly so, seeing as the source MacRumors cites doesn't have a particularly good track record.
Meanwhile, Mac Pro users are still stuck without any word on updates. At best, it was thought that the Mac Pro would receive an update when updated processors are released, but that date has already come and gone. Intel's Xeon E5 processors are already available, and yet nothing from Apple. Here's hoping the online store will be quietly update in the coming weeks.