AppleOs
Latest
A look at the original Apple II disk operating system documents
A collection of documents detailing Apple's work on its first disk-based operating system recently surfaced at the DigiBarn computer museum, and CNET got a first-hand look at the compilation. The documents date back to the late 1970s and include contracts signed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, schematics and code. The documents were donated to Digibarn by Paul Laughton, who worked for Shepardson Microsystems at the time. Shephardson was contracted by Apple to write its first DOS for $13,000. This underlying system allowed the Apple II to use floppy disks, rather than depending on unreliable and slow cassette tapes for storage. This period was a formative time for Apple, with the company moving away from its hobby roots and into its role as a technology leader. You can read the full story behind these documents and view a gallery of them on CNET's website. [Via CNET]
Kaspersky exec calls Mac OS 'really vulnerable' (update: clarification from Kaspersky)
The Macintosh is an impenetrable fortress of malware-free computing, right? In recent years, we've certainly seen that image eroded a bit, thanks to a number of nasty outbreaks. And if you listen to Nikolay Grebennikov, the CTO of security software maker Kaspersky, things have the potential to be much worse. The executive told British site Computing that the company was invited to improve Cupertino's security, only to discover that, "Mac OS is really vulnerable." Grebennikov also had some rather unfortunate news for all the iPad and iPhone owners out there, telling the site, "Our experience tells us that in the near future, perhaps in a year or so, we will see the first malware targeting iOS." Update: So, this is turning into a whole "he said, they pubbed" situation. We reached out to Kaspersky earlier and just received a comment from the security company, which claims that the whole thing was simply taken out of context. Here's the statement. It's a doozy. On Monday, April 14, computing.co.uk published an article titled "Apple OS 'really vulnerable' claims Kaspersky Lab CTO" that includes an inaccurate quote regarding Apple and Kaspersky Lab. The article reports that Kaspersky Lab had "begun the process of analyzing the Mac OS platform at Apple's request" to identify vulnerabilities. This statement was taken out of context by the magazine – Apple did not invite or solicit Kaspersky Lab's assistance in analyzing the Mac OS X platform. Kaspersky Lab has contacted computing.co.uk to correct its article. Please refer to the statement below from Nikolay Grebennikov, Chief Technology Officer, Kaspersky Lab, which clarifies this misrepresentation: "As Mac OS X market share continues to increase, we expect cyber-criminals to continue to develop new types of malware and attack methods. In order to meet these new threats, Kaspersky Lab has been conducting an in-depth analysis of Mac OS X vulnerabilities and new forms of malware. This security analysis of Mac OS X was conducted independently of Apple; however, Apple is open to collaborating with us regarding new Mac OS X vulnerabilities and malware that we identify during our analysis. Kaspersky Lab is committed to providing the highest level of security for all of our customers, including Mac OS X, and we will continue to enhance our technologies in order to meet the ever-changing threat landscape. "
Mac App Store for OS X 10.6 and 10.7 unveiled, coming 'within 90 days'
Given its success with the iPhone / iPod touch's App Store, we can't say an OS X version is entirely crazy -- and neither can Apple, who just announced such an App Store for its 10.7 release, Lion. Here's what we know so far: multi-touch gestures, app home screens, full screen apps. "Every app on the iPad is a full screen app," says Steve. Auto save, apps resume when launched. Don't expect on-screen multitouch, as Jobs is very much against vertical touching. "Touch surfaces want to be horizontal" -- you can all but kiss those touchscreen iMac rumors goodbye. Just like iPad, there's automatic installation, auto-updates, a 70 / 30 revenue split for developers, one-click downloads, and the license works for all personal Macs. The App Store itself is a standalone app that looks a lot like iTunes. Apps are automatically dropped into the dock after download. Expect it to hit OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard users "within 90 days" from today. And developers? Apple's accepting app submissions starting in November. Update: Apple's main site and developer site have been updated with App Store information pages, although there isn't much new to see beyond what was announced at the event. Update 2: From the looks of that image above, individual iLife and iWork apps will be unbundled in the future for separate purchase. We're also wondering if this is the end of Apple Family Packs -- volume licensing that lets you install one copy of Apple software on up to five Apple-labeled computers -- after hearing Steve say that Mac App Store apps are "licensed for use on all your personal Macs?" Check out our liveblog of Apple's Back to the Mac event right here. %Gallery-105529%
