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leopard posts

Mac OS X 10.6.2 update out on the prowl (update: Atom support is gone)

by Ross Miller posted Nov 9th 2009 at 8:33PM

It's been awhile, but we've got ourselves a brand spanking new OS X update in the mix, 10.6.2 for Snow Leopard. So far the biggest change here seems to be fixing that nagging guest account deletion bug -- and thank goodness for that. As for whether or not it supports Intel Atom processors, last we heard this morning it wasn't going to be there, but we're gonna have wait and see now that it's officially hit the nets. Leopard users who haven't made the upgrade also get a gift today, in the form of a security update. 10.6.2 release notes after the break.

Update: We just installed it -- it took forever and a day on one of our machines, and sped by reasonably quick on another. Everything seems okay otherwise, how about you?

Update 2: We've gotten enough reports to call it -- Atom support is out. Sorry, hackintosh community.

[Via Mac Rumors, thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Read - 10.6.2 notes
Read - Intel Atom still unsupported on Mac OS X 10.6.2 seeds

Continue reading Mac OS X 10.6.2 update out on the prowl (update: Atom support is gone)

Orb for Mac finally arrives, streams media from OS X to any internet-connected device

by Darren Murph posted Nov 6th 2009 at 8:43AM

Wow, where've you been, Orb? It's been a full year since we heard anything from the once-adored media streaming outfit, and while it's been streaming out content to iPhones for quite some time, those relying on Macs to do it have been left in the damp night air. Until now, that is. Orb for Macintosh has finally hit the streets, bringing with it OS X 10.5 and 10.6 compatibility that enables any and all media from iTunes to be sent out over the internet and consumed on any outside device with access to the web. We're talking laptops, UMPCs, smartphones and even that ancient PC your grandmother still uses with Windows ME. There's no mention of any DRM restrictions, and it'll even allow you to stream live TV if you can manage to connect a tuner card to your Apple. Oh, and did we mention that Orb is completely free? Hit the download link below to get your weekend started off right.

Read - Download Orb
Read - Press release

ZFS open source project abruptly shuts down, Snow Leopard weeps icy tears

by Darren Murph posted Oct 24th 2009 at 2:09PM

The on-again / off-again love affair between Apple and ZFS seems to be all but over, with a brief but potent message on the Mac OS Forge project site stating the following: "The ZFS project has been discontinued. The mailing list and repository will also be removed shortly." If you'll recall, the implementation of the ZFS file system within Snow Leopard server was so close to happening that Apple actually published it as a feature of the forthcoming OS back in June of 2008. Now, however, all hope has presumably been lost. We'd bother explaining the rumors behind why all of this has suddenly crumbled, but honestly, will knowing the reasons really help the pain? No, no it won't.

[Via TUAW]

How would you change Snow Leopard?

by Darren Murph posted Oct 2nd 2009 at 11:39PM

Ah, Snow Leopard. It's the same cat you're used to caressing (or beating, as the case may be), but in a much, much colder climate. Or something like that. OS X 10.6 promised Leopard users a "refined" experience, and one that would only cost upgrading users $29. At that price, most Apple fanatics figured that picking it up on launch day was a no-brainer, but as we've come to sadly expect from Cupertino's software labs these days, all wasn't perfectly well with the big snowy cat. Even now, users are still kvetching about broken functionality and mental pains that are literally indescribable. Even if you're not in that camp, we're eager to hear how your Snow Leopard experience has been. Are you satisfied with the upgrade? Will you never, ever install an Apple update again before a million others try it first? Are you already looking forward to ~~10.7~~ Windows 7? Tell all in comments below -- you never know who could be tuning in.

Snow Leopard: what's broken (or working) for you?

by Darren Murph posted Aug 31st 2009 at 2:23PM

Remember that time you installed Windows XP before it even hit the market? Remember how your AGP video card would only display a maximum resolution of 800 x 600 and your audio card would only emit bleeps and bloops? Ah, those were the days. Quite a bit has happened since XP landed to wash away the awful stain that was Windows ME, though it's still no shock to hear that new operating systems leave more than a few applications broken. Over the past few days, we've seen oodles of gripes from across the web from loyal Mac users who just can't believe Snow Leopard has borked their favorite software, but we're wondering how things have been on your machine. Have you realized that your Optimus Maximus no longer boogies with OS X 10.6? Are you bummed that iStat pro isn't giving you the details it used to? What kind of hell has broken loose since you threw caution in the garbage and updated your machine?

Snow Leopard review

by Joshua Topolsky posted Aug 26th 2009 at 9:01PM

Snow Leopard. Even the name seems to underpromise -- it's the first "big cat" OS X codename to reference the previous version of the OS, and the list of big-ticket new features is seemingly pretty short for a version-number jump. Maybe that's why Apple's priced the 10.6 upgrade disc at just $29 -- appearances and expectations matter, and there's simply not enough glitz on this kitty to warrant the usual $129.

But underneath the customary OS X fit and finish there's a lot of new plumbing at work here. The entire OS is now 64-bit, meaning apps can address massive amounts of RAM and other tasks go much faster. The Finder has been entirely re-written in Cocoa, which Mac fans have been clamoring for since 10.0. There's a new version of QuickTime, which affects media playback on almost every level of the system. And on top of all that, there's now Exchange support in Mail, iCal, and Address Book, making OS X finally play nice with corporate networks out of the box.

So you won't notice much new when you first restart into 10.6 -- apart from some minor visual tweaks here and there there's just not that much that stands out. But in a way that means the pressure's on even more: Apple took the unusual and somewhat daring step of slowing feature creep in a major OS to focus on speed, reliability, and stability, and if Snow Leopard doesn't deliver on those fronts, it's not worth $30... it's not worth anything. So did Apple pull it off? Read on to find out!

Continue reading Snow Leopard review

Snow Leopard packing antivirus software?

by Ross Miller posted Aug 25th 2009 at 8:28PM

If the online chatter is to be believed, Apple's very soon to be released Snow Leopard has in its code new protection for fighting malware. According to the picture above corroborated by other online reports, a DMG downloaded by Safari was checked by the OS and found to contain the "RSPlug.A" Trojan. The system promptly suggests you eject the disk image to avoid damage. Should Apple really be treading down this path, it begs the question of how often and how comprehensive / aggressive the company will be updating its antivirus logs. If nothing else, it's a certainly a notable symbolic gesture that the one-time underdog might be gaining enough market share to catch the attention of the darker side of the internet -- and all of a sudden, David Puddy isn't looking nearly as bad.

[Thanks, David]

Lucky Mac mini buyer got Snow Leopard disc in the box?

by Paul Miller posted Aug 22nd 2009 at 12:29PM

If his story is to be believed (and it seems pretty believable), an anonymous tipster to Engadget Japanese got a nice surprise with his recent Mac mini purchase: a Snow Leopard install disc. It's one of those vanilla hardware-specific install discs, dubbing itself Mac OS version 10.6, and clearly packing the goods if the screenshots don't lie. This only adds confusion to the ship date, which has been listed as August 28th on Apple's online store, dubbed as "September" elsewhere, and obviously been totally disregarded in this specific case. No matter what, it looks like we won't have long to wait. Hit up the read link for a couple of Japanese-infused screencaps.

Snow Leopard shipping August 28th, says Apple's UK online store (update: US too)

by Ross Miller posted Aug 20th 2009 at 11:33PM

We've heard whispers that Apple might be unleashing Snow Leopard to the unwashed masses a bit earlier than September, but this listing in the company's UK online store is the most concrete evidence we've seen to date. Still up as of this writing, the page clearly says Snow Leopard is shipping by next Friday, August 28th. No way to actually order it at this point and no clue whether or not this is just some glitch, but if the gang at Cupertino are really planning to launch in a week's time, we wouldn't be surprised to hear something official sooner rather than later.

Update: A pair of tipsters have revealed the same August 28th ship date for the US Up-To-Date program. Screenshot of a shipping confirmation after the break.

[Via TUAW, thanks Will G.]

Continue reading Snow Leopard shipping August 28th, says Apple's UK online store (update: US too)

Snow Leopard box set makes short-lived cameo in Apple's online store

by Ross Miller posted Aug 19th 2009 at 11:06PM

Whether or not Snow Leopard build 10A432 is really the ready-for-shipment "golden master," Apple's own site is giving hope to the masses that its next platform iteration is gearing up for a launch sooner rather than later. MacRumors is reporting that a Mac Box Set containing OS X 10.6 , iLife '09, and iWork '09 popped up on Apple's online store today priced at $169 for single users and shipping within 24 hours. The page itself no longer exists, although not before Google's spiders managed to pick up on it. It's probably wishful thinking to think this is indicative of a release before its projected September launch window -- and really, at this point, that's only a couple of weeks away -- if you were gonna hope for it anyway, here's some fodder for ya.

Read - Snow Leopard box set briefly appears in Apple Online Store
Read - Google entry for now-defunct page

Apple OS X 10.5.7 released, updating to ensue

by Joshua Topolsky posted May 12th 2009 at 4:14PM

That's right Mac lovers -- your mildest dreams have come true. A new update of OS X is now available via your friendly Software Update window... a little something Apple likes to call 10.5.7. What are you waiting for? You know you love updates. Full list of fixes / tweaks after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Apple OS X 10.5.7 released, updating to ensue

New Snow Leopard beta build includes screen recording capabilities, a certain je ne sais quoi

by Joshua Topolsky posted Apr 25th 2009 at 5:40PM

If you're keeping track of Snow Leopard's progress, you'll be pleased to know that a new build (10A335) has been released into the hands of devs (and consequently, the world). Most interestingly, however, is that it seem this new iteration has a handy screen grab feature that hasn't made an appearance until now -- namely, the native ability (under QuickTime) to "record" your on-screen activities. There are other third-party apps that handle this duty, like the classily-named Snapz Pro X, but the inclusion in this latest beta will almost certainly mainstream the function. It should come in handy if you're constantly trying to tell you parents how to change their network settings, or if you're thinking about producing your own version of You Suck at Photoshop.

[Via Mac Rumors]

Leaked Snow Leopard image potentially indicates a 32 / 64-bit divide

by Nilay Patel posted Dec 28th 2008 at 2:14PM

Apple's said it's taking a break from adding flashy features to OS X to focus on the foundations and stability of the system with Snow Leopard, and this latest leaked screenshot might indicate that those foundations are moving to 64 bits -- it shows System Preferences saying it needs to restart in 32-bit mode to open the Network panel. That's certainly interesting, given the rumors that Apple's dropping support for non-Intel machines and maybe even 32-bit Intel processors with this release, but it could also just mean that whoever took this screenshot doesn't have a 64-bit-friendly version of that preference pane installed. (We're guessing the latter, since there are a lot of 32-bit only Core Duo Intel Macs out there.) Restarting apps to change modes seems pretty clunky, though -- shades of System 7 and the 32-bit Enabler, for the olds -- so we're hoping Apple's got a more elegant solution in the works. Macworld's just around the corner, we're sure we'll hear more from ~~Steve~~ Phil soon.

Mac OS X 10.5.6 now available via Software Update

by Darren Murph posted Dec 15th 2008 at 12:31PM

Headline pretty much says it all, and it's a big one. Tipping the scales at 377MB (or 190MB for some; see image after the break), the OS X 10.5.6 update is now available via Software Update. We're sucking it down and will report back with any changes. We strongly encourage you to do the same (if you dare).

Update: Apple has posted the official changelog. Here are the highlights:

Improves the reliability of AirPort connections, including improvements when roaming in large wireless networks with an Intel-based Mac.
Improves reliability of Address Book syncing with iPhone and other devices and applications.
Includes general improvements to gaming performance.
Includes fixes for possible graphics distortion issues with certain ATI graphics cards.
Contacts, calendars, and bookmarks on a Mac automatically sync within a minute of the change being made on the computer, another device, or the web at me.com.
Improves Apple File Service performance, especially when using a home directory hosted on an AFP server.
Improves reliability and performance for AT&T 3G cards.
Improves printing for USB-based Brother and Canon printers.
Fixes issues that could cause Time Machine to state the backup volume could not be found.
Improves Time Machine reliability with Time Capsule.
Adds a Trackpad System Preference pane for portable Macs.
Personal Engadget favorite: Improves the performance and reliability of Chess.
Nary a mention of Blu-ray. It's still hurting, we guess.

[Thanks, Fraser]

Continue reading Mac OS X 10.5.6 now available via Software Update

Oki's robot chair heralds a new age of robot-aided seating

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 5th 2008 at 11:20PM

The chair is a tool of extreme simplicity and antiquity, and many would argue that it's foolish to mess with something that obviously attained perfection with the advent of air conditioned seat cushions. Of course, those people have never seen Leopard, the high-tech "concept chair" that takes technology originally developed for Oki's Robot Leg (an entire robot with design principles based on the human leg) and places it under your posterior for "seating comfort akin to being held in someone's arms." This is a chair that adjusts itself to your back, cradles your bum, and gives you a helpful little boost when it's time to stand up. Sound wasteful? Extravagant? How about totally awesome? Hit the read link for more details, and feel free to check out the fun little picture of the Robot Leg after the break.

Continue reading Oki's robot chair heralds a new age of robot-aided seating