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Adware found in MacUpdate's Skype Installer package
Long-trusted software site MacUpdate has apparently gone the way of its competitors: It has been tainted by adware. A Twitter user tried to download a Skype Installer package from the site and discovered that all was not as it appeared. The file looks normal at first and when opened you're prompted with a user agreement that people generally just click past, but it's here that gives the installer the right to change browser settings and add a "search-assist" browser extension. This type of software-trickery is identical to those used by InstallCore adware and as soon as the Skype agreement is confirmed, an InstallCore browser is added to Safari. It's usually wise to download software from the developer's site but the appeal of MacUpdate was that it acted like a one-stop-shop of sorts, carrying with it a strong reputation for reliable downloads. Now, with this news coming to light, maybe it will have to be added to the boycott list right under Download.com and Softonic.
Enter to win MacUpdate's Spring Bundle
I bought the MacUpdate Spring Bundle last week and it includes some great software (listed below). As usual, bundles are a great way to quickly grab a group of applications for an ultra-low price. In this case, the full bundle costs as much as just one of these pieces of software -- MotionComposer alone is $149. If you've been wanting to try virtualization, Parallels is included in this bundle (although you'll need your own copy of Windows if you plan to install it). MacUpdate's own service is included for six months. The handy MacUpdate app will scan your Applications folder for files and alert you when one of them needs an update. If, like me, you wind up buying a lot of stuff outside the Mac App Store, this is a valuable service. Here's the full list of applications we'll be giving away, and we're giving away three of these bundles! Just follow the instructions below. First, the apps (and their full prices): Parallels Desktop 8 - $79.99 - The best way to run Windows on your Mac. DEVONthink Pro 2 - $79.95 - A powerful information organizer. Prizmo 2 - $49.95 - Scan/OCR any document or photo. MotionComposer 1.6 - $149.00 - Create professional HTML5 and Flash Web animations. 1000 OpenTypeFonts Collection - $99.00 - Complete with commercial-use and WebFont licenses. iStat Menus 4 - $16.00 - Monitor your Mac from the menubar; a power user's dream. PhotoStyler 6 - $29.99 - Add dazzling effects and personalize your photos. DiskAid 6 - $29.90 - A must-have utility for iPhone, iPad, or iPod owners. Intego Mac Internet Security 2013 (3-Pack) - $74.98 - The #1 malware solution, rebuilt for 2013. MacUpdate Desktop (6 months) - $10.00 - The best way to keep all your apps up-to-date. Now, how to enter: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before March 19, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time. You may enter only once. Three winners will be selected and will receive a MacUpdate Spring Bundle valued at $50. Click here for official rules. Winners have been selected.
Apple says no Java for you, removes plugin from browsers on OS X 10.7 and up
Apple has recently released a Mac update for OS X Lion and Mountain Lion that removes its Java plugin from all OS X browsers. If you install the update, you'll find a region labeled "Missing plug-in" in place of a Java applet; of course, Apple can't stop you from clicking on it to download a Java plug-in directly from Oracle. The Cupertino-based company had previously halted pre-installing Java in OS X partially due to the exploitable factors of the platform, so this update signifies further distancing from Larry Ellison's pride and joy.
MacUpdate bundle includes Parallels, Civ, ScreenFlow, ending soon
There's only about a day left as of this posting in the latest MacUpdate Bundle, and it's a phenomenal deal for sure. For $49.99, they're offering a cornucopia of great desktop software: Parallels 7, ScreenFlow 3, Civilization V (!), stream recorder Jaksta, encrypter Espionage 3, Speed Download 5, Attachment Tamer 3, KeyCue 6, A Better Finder Rename 9, and My Living Desktop 5. Any two of those apps are probably worth that price, but for this bundle, you can grab all of them together. The bundle lasts through Friday, so don't wait if you're thinking about picking it up. There's also a demo bundle for download if you want to try some of these apps out, and there are a few other deals in there too: Picking up the bundle gets you a discount on the Civ 5 Gods and Kings expansion, and for just spreading the word about the bundle, you can get Mac locking app Red Hand for completely free.
MacUpdate bundle offers a variety of Mac apps in time for Christmas
For those looking to gift a suite of Mac apps to others, or to yourself, for Christmas, MacUpdate has its December bundle running through Dec. 21. The included apps this time are TechTool Pro 6, TotalFinder, Postbox 3, FontPack Pro Master Collection + FontBoss Font Management Utility, Labels & Addresses, Mac DVDRipper Pro 3, Hear, Back In Focus, iClip 5, FoldersSynchronizer and Neverwinter Nights 2. The first 15,000 buyers will also get IconBox. The bundle is $49.99, a savings of 94 percent over buying the apps individually. Check out more on the current promotion here.
Daily Update for Sept. 7, 2011
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes, which is perfect for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen.
MacUpdate bundle offers 11 apps for $49
MacUpdate is doing it again. That is, they're offering a bunch of great Mac software in one single bundle that costs just $49.99. So what's in the bundle? Here we go: Toast 11 Titanium, Data Rescue 3, FX Photo Studio Pro 2.0, Fantastical, iStat Menus, PhoneView, Concealer, EarthDesk, Mellel and Bookends. And if you're one of the first 10,000 to purchase the bundle, you'll get Printopia thrown in with it, too. Now that's some great software. All the apps are Mac OS Lion compatible, and you'll get the very latest release of each version. Not to throw you a sales pitch, but if you were to buy all of these apps separately you'd spend $487. Which means if you purchase the MacUpdate bundle, you'll be getting yourself a 90% discount. In these austere times, that's not something to sneeze at -- especially if you've recently purchased a new Mac and you're looking to load it up with some nifty apps. The MacUpdate offer expires in just over 14 days, which gives you more than enough time to count your pennies. Click here for details on all the apps over at MacUpdate
MacUpdate Spring Bundle details and giveaway
MacUpdate is offering an incredible Spring Bundle for the next five days, and we want one TUAW reader to get it for free! The Spring Bundle's $49.99 offer features 11 apps valued at $381, which is a whopping 87% discount. For your fifty bucks, you get: Parallels Desktop 6.0 Divvy (only available to the first 30,000 buyers) 1Password MacUpdate Desktop DVDRemaster Pro 7 Mac DVD Ripper 2 Hands Off! App Tamer TechTool Pro 5 Civilization IV A Better Finder Rename While I have some of these apps already and no use for some of the others, I'm buying the Spring Bundle for just two packages: Parallels Desktop 6.0 ($79 retail) and TechTool Pro 5 ($98 retail). I'm sure TUAW readers will find similar reasons to pick up the Spring Bundle from MacUpdate. We're also giving you a chance to win a free bundle courtesy of MacUpdate. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, leave a comment telling us which app in the MacUpdate Spring Bundle is your favorite. The comment must be left before Sunday, March 27, 2011 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive a copy of the MacUpdate Spring Bundle, valued at $49.99. Click Here for complete Official Rules.
Keeping your Mac apps up-to-date without the Mac App Store
One of the great features of the Mac App Store is the notification system that tells you when there is an update to one of you apps. However as we've seen, unless you buy all your apps through the Mac App Store, you won't receive notice of updates to apps purchased or download outside the store. Luckily there is a very handy widget I've used for years (and that we've noted before) that automatically scours the net for updates to installed apps on your Mac. AppUpdate is the brainchild of Georg Kaindl and with the click of a button searches three software tracking sites: Apple's (soon to be defunct) Downloads page, MacUpdate, and Version Tracker (now owned by Cnet). After running the widget, you'll see links all the updates to the apps on your Mac. You'll still have to click the links to go to the app's download pages, but running this widget is a lot less time-consuming than going to all of the software tracking sites and entering your apps manually, or even running the "Check for Updates" menu command that many apps offer. (If you prefer a non-widget update manager, both Cnet's TechTracker Free and the under-development Appfresh are worth checking out.) The developer notes that he knows Version Tracker has been rolled into Cnet, and that he will be updating the widget to scan Cnet's Download pages in the future. As for the Apple Downloads pages, the scanning works for now. But even without these two sources, I've found MacUpdate always offers the most current listings of any app updates. AppUpdate is a free download -- best of all it works on any Mac that is running Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
Win one of three copies of the MacUpdate Bundle
This one's pretty simple. Check out the list of software titles in the current MacUpdate Bundle -- 13 of them! Come back here, leave a comment telling us which app you want the most and you're entered! Read the full rules, of course, as we can't give the prizes to minors and to most of the world (Sorry, Moldava). Even if you don't win, the bundle costs only US$49.99 and is quite a deal. Oh, and if you're OK with spamming your tweeps, you can get Jumsoft's Process ($39 value) for Tweeting about the current bundle. Happy holidays! Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter leave a comment . The comment must be left before Monday, December 20, 2010, 11:59PM Eastern Time. You may enter only once. Three winners will be selected in a random drawing. Prize: One MacUpdate Bundle (Value: US$49.99 ) Click Here for complete Official Rules.
MacUpdate bundle gets Toasty, TUAW readers can win
The MacUpdate Promo bundle is back again -- this edition features the marquee player of Roxio's Toast 10 Titanium, for all your CD and DVD burning needs. Blu-ray and HD capabilities, if you need them, require the separate US$19.95 plugin from Roxio, but that's still only $70 for all the mojo of an app that would normally run $130. Plus, the bundle includes other winners like MindNode Pro, ShareTool [TUAW review] and Voila. Total retail value of the apps: over $400. There are two giveaway apps for the first 20K buyers (Vitamin-R and Compartments) but it looks like those are almost sold out already. TUAW has a couple of bundle licenses to give away, and we're eager to do so. All you need to do: enter a comment below, telling us which of the apps in the bundle is most intriguing, or most useful, or appealing, or which one makes you say "I can't imagine ever using that, but to each their own." Two comments will be selected at random as winners. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and of Canada (excluding Quebec), who are 18 and older. To enter leave a comment on this post discussing the MacUpdate bundle offerings. The comment must be left before Wednesday, September 22, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. Two winners will be selected in a random drawing. Prize: One bundle license for the MacUpdate Promo September 2010 bundle (ARV $49.95) Click Here for complete Official Rules.
VersionTracker.com officially 'absorbed' by CNET
Have you been to VersionTracker.com lately? If you try today, you'll be redirected to the CNET site, where you'll get a brief explanation that the venerable VersionTracker site is now a branded part of the CNET empire. VersionTracker Pro, a paid feature, will be discontinued after the current subscriptions run out. The VersionTracker newsletters will continue, but they will be rebranded as CNET products. CNET has put up a page explaining the changes. This process actually began in 2007, when CNET acquired VersionTracker, MacFixIt, and iPhone Atlas. VersionTracker goes back to 1995, when it was a Mac only site. Over time, the content expanded to include Windows software. The familiar layout of VersionTracker has been changed, and it may startle a few users. I don't think MacFixIt was improved any by the CNET takeover, and I don't have high hopes for VersionTracker, either, but I'm going to keep an open mind. CNET was acquired by CBS two years ago. Other than the irritating and frequent plugs for CBS TV, the site is still useful and continues to aggressively cover all things related to tech. If you need an alternative to VersionTracker, MacUpdate is still around, and AppFresh (based on i use this) and Logiciel are worth a look. There is also a Dashboard Widget called App Update that will check for software updates. [via Daring Fireball]
MacUpdate bundle offers Parallels 5, we offer chance to win
If you want an economical way to buy into the reigning speed champion of virtualization apps, the MacUpdate Promo Spring Bundle may be just the ticket. At $49.99, the 11-app bargain basket is headlined by Parallels Desktop 5 (normally $79 alone). The rest of the lineup is solid as well: Bee Docs Timeline 3D ($65) Spell Catcher ($39.95) Hydra ($79.95) Back-In-Time ($29) ForeverSave ($14.95) Hyperspaces ($12.95) Web Snapper ($15) Mac DVDRipper Pro ($9.95) MacScan ($29.99) If you're buying the bundle early enough (within the first 20,000 purchases -- as of right now they are edging towards 14K), you get Metakine's DVD Remaster Pro as a bonus app. The bundle sale runs for 12 more days, but you've only got 2 days to get in on our 2-bundle giveaway; MacUpdate has reserved one bundle each for two lucky TUAW readers. See details by clicking "Read more" below!
MacUpdate bundle on sale now
MacUpdate, one of my favorite websites for keeping up on Macintosh software, has taken eleven applications and rolled them up into one convenient package they like to call the Holiday Bundle. This is the third year they are offering such a deal. Total price individually of all these programs is $446.77, but in the bundle you get them all for the low low price of $49.95. But wait! There's more! If you are one of the first 10,000 to buy this bundle you get three additional programs for free! That's right, absolutely free! All you have to do is be one of the first 10,000 to purchase! Call now! Sorry. I have watched a lot of daytime television lately. I couldn't help myself. Much has been made of the "bundle" concept by developers. Some are against, saying that losing money selling software isn't the soundest of business decisions, and some are for, claiming the exposure is a benefit since there's not a computer software version of the store Apple has for that phone they make. Here are the bits of the bundle that got my attention: Path Finder (retail: $39.95) - Virtually replaces the Finder on your Mac. Just the bits I saw in the promo video had me reaching for my Visa. If I get one program this great and then I also get all these others too? Sign me up! DragThing (retail: $29) - Fantastic launcher-slash-Dock utility. It looks pretty flexible and with the different tabs and options I think this would save me time by the truckload (if you could measure time in truckloads). Yep (retail: $39) - Document management. I have needed this for so long. If nothing else I should get this just so I can wrangle my Documents folder once and for all. Tags for files is an idea whose time has come. Radio Gaga (retail: $39.99) - You can listen to and record LOADS of Internet radio stations. Did I say record? Oh yes. Quit missing shows you like, and time-shift them. This is TiVo for Internet radio. (Our own Brett Terpstra found it lovely) Keep in mind there are seven other programs that are part of this bundle, and it seems like a pretty good deal just on these four. If you need to streamline your workflow, play a few games, or just want to keep in touch with your social networks, there's at least one program for that in the MacUpdate Holiday Promo. Pro Tip: Got a Mac friend or recent switcher you think could use the help? Get a bundle for them too!
MacUpdate Desktop version 5.0.2 released, win a membership from TUAW
MacUpdate announced today the release of version 5.0.2 of the MacUpdate Desktop utility, which allows users to manage application and widget software updates on their Mac OS X machines. The new version of the application adds some features and bug fixes as well as support for more languages. MacUpdate Desktop can track software updates for 30,000 Mac applications, and it also provides update support for applications on the iPhone, although iTunes handles that pretty well. Updates can be triggered manually and individually, or set to install automatically when MacUpdate Desktop is open. It also provides support for updating screen savers and allows users to sort applications into "watch lists," so they can keep track of programs that are more important to keep current than others. The update includes improved handling of the software it tracks, such as version and application matching, as well as French, German, and Italian localization. Some of the bugs it fixes are community preferences, registration problems, and issues with extracting tar bzip2 and dmg.zip downloads. There are several update managers out there for Mac OS X (including AppFresh, LogicielMac, VersionTracker Pro, etc.) with fans and detractors of their own. If you've had great or not-so-great experiences with any of the updater tools, let us know in the comments. Want to win one of two subscriptions to MacUpdate Desktop, courtesy of MU and TUAW? Read on for details!
Get your thinking caps on, MacHeist is back
Software bundles seem to be all the rage nowadays, but in my humble opinion, MacHeist is still the best. It doesn't just lump a bunch of apps together for special price, but instead, it turns getting a discount into a game. As a recent Mac switcher, I was utterly confused by MacHeist 3, the first edition in which I participated. Someone told me to check out the MacHeist bundle, so I went to the web site to see what applications it contained. But the site didn't tell me. It soon became clear that I was going to have to work for my software! The whole idea, if you're not familiar with MacHeist, is that you need to complete a series of challenges, labeled "heists," in order to get free software. Yes, free. As in what lunches aren't. And the software isn't anything to sneeze at (neither are lunches, by the way), as there are always some real gems to be found. UPDATE: We took the 4 from the title as it is currently unknown whether this is actually MacHeist 4 or an early bundle offer.
MacUpdate Promo Spring Bundle revealed
The MacUpdate Promo Spring Bundle has been revealed, and it is, as the kids say, wicked (or sick, or whatever the kids say). This thing is packed with truly useful applications. If you were considering buying any one of these apps, the $49.99US pricetag makes the rest of them a high-value proposition. There's been some controversy surrounding bundles of this type, but I believe that it's great exposure for developers, and I'm hoping that everyone's getting a fair cut. MacUpdate is my current favorite source for great software deals and they've been doing a great job of providing really useful, intrinsically valuable apps. This bundle is no exception. I don't know much about the inner workings of bundle assembly, but I assume the bundle sponsor contacts developers and has some kind of engineered plan, even if it's just an inward bias toward certain genres of applications. Whereas the last MacHeist bundle had a somewhat "creative" bent, this MUpromo bundle has a definite technical angle, with a heavy dose of DVD ripping/remastering/viewing tools. Read on for the list of included apps...
Mac Update offers holiday bundle
In the midst of the holiday shopping season, MacUpdate is in the process of offering their Holiday Bundle. MacUpdate tells us that their new purchasing system now allows purchases to be gifted, and in this particular bundle if you purchase three copies, you'll receive a fourth free. The bundle is selling for $49.99US, and includes the following applications at a hefty discount: Drive Genius 2 RapidWeaver 4 DefaultFolder X 4 VirusBarrier X 10.5 MacGourmet Deluxe LittleSnitch 2 KeyCue 4 MacPilot 3 WhatSize 4 iVolume 3 If you're looking for a last minute holiday gift idea for the Mac user in your life, consider MacUpdate's Holiday Promo. The deal runs through December 18, and can be purchased/gifted through the MU Promo website.Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
More bundle fun with MacUpdate Promo Parallels deal
Must be software bundle season -- on the heels of the MacHeist bundle last week, the MacUpdate Parallels bundle is now on sale. MU is featuring the usual unlock scheme, whereby the top-line apps remain off the table until the requisite number of bundles have been sold.For this bundle, as you might have sussed out from the name, MU is headlining Parallels as the final unlockable app; other apps include Hazel, Art Text, Leap, Typinator, DVD Remaster Pro, and (still to be unlocked) Sound Studio and BannerZest. $64.99 for the lot of them (assuming the unlock thresholds are reached), less than the retail cost of Parallels alone -- not bad.As the value of a bundle decreases proportionally with the number of applications you already own, you might consider a bundle gift for the switcher in your life. Especially with Parallels in the mix, a new Mac user coming from Windows-land would probably be thrilled to get a whole pile of goodies.A heads-up for readers -- while MU has an affiliate-link program in place, please don't use our comments for linkfarming. Comments with affiliate links will be deleted.
MacUpdate adds SRS iWow 2 to bundle
Now that all of the bonus applications have been unlocked, MacUpdate is back with some surprises. Beginning today (December 13), the MacUpdate Promo bundle, also includes a license for SRS Labs iWow 2.0. The iTunes plug-in, which is especially great for anyone on a laptop, is now Leopard compatible and can really bring some extra oomph to your digital music files. The MacUpdate Promo is $49.99 and available until December 22. Buyers who have previously purchased this bundle should be receiving (or may have already received) a registration code via e-mail.
