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  • kevin_4e
    Earlier today Apple released the latest of the MacBook SMC Firmware updates. It “Improves the MacBook’s internal monitoring system and addresses issues with unexpected shutdowns. This update is recommended for all MacBook systems, including those that received warranty repair.”
     
    It’s very interesting how it is recommended for those who have already gotten repairs. Although new heat-sinks seem to have done the job earlier, this update claims to “resolve this issue.” More information can be found at Apple’s support page.
  • REVENGE

    DVD Jon's at it again!

    By REVENGE, in OSx86,

    We ran across this story last week, but after giving it some thought, decided that we wanted to hear the community response to this news.
     
    22 year old Jon Lech Johansen, the crazy hacker who ripped DVD encryption technology wide open at the age of 15 has now decided to declare war on Apple's iTunes FairPlay DRM technology. Specifically, he and his company DoubleTwist have developed programs to bypass FairPlay and allow encrypted music purchased from non-iTunes music stores to be played on the iPod.
     
    As early as 2004, Johansen had been working hard earlier at creating various "cracks" in the FairPlay DRM wall. Back in January of 04, he had successfully reverse engineered the technology and supplied the code used to develope the playfair utility. Later on, he released his own FairPlay removal utility called DeCRMS. An additional creation called FairKeys allowed DeCRMS to automatically retrieve keys from Apple's servers to use for decryption.
     
    Now, his new FairPlay "enabling-patch" is based on adding code that emulates FairPlay encryption to non-encrypted songs, fooling the iPod to play the music. In fact, he claims that this technology is 100% legal as it doesn't involve breaking the encryption. If this fact holds, Johansen has stated his intent to license this technology to digital music stores, allowing everyone to sell music to iPod users. If he succeeds, Johansen could possibly sidestep any of Apple's own future plans to license FairPlay DRM technology to music stores.
     
    It seems that Apple's DRM fishtank has sprung leaks...both ways.
  • sHARD>>
    The world of 'OSx86' gets more interesting every day. Kernel hacker semthex has found a way to build a 100% legal 10.4.8 kernel for OS X which runs on everyday PCs. How does it work? Simple, he, along with a few other talented coders including Vitaliy, who started the process, have successfully modified the open source Darwin kernel. Grab some sources, and check out more information on this forum thread.
     
    Of course, nothing is 100% perfect. Though the kernel itself is legal, it seems for full OS X functionality the kernel requires TPM functionality, which isn't including in semthex's legal source tree.
     
    Does this spell the end of the open source kernel? Hopefully it won't mean the end of Darwin. Cheers to giving the world an (almost) legal kernel!
     
    More details as we have them.
     
     
    Digg me!
  • suleiman
    Apple announced today the release of the all new MacBook Pro Core 2 Duos. The machines are the second in Apple's lineup to receive the Core 2 Duo upgrade, after the iMacs received the upgrade some months ago.
     
    While speculation had existed for sometime as to when Apple might upgrade its Pro series of laptops, an October release date by the company comes as quite a surprise.
     
    In addition to the upgpraded processors, the new machines boast processor speeds up to 2.33ghz, 200 gigabyte hard drives, 6x double-layer DVD drive burning, two firewire ports (one 400 and one 800), and a price tag starting at $1,999 for the low end model, and $2,799 for the 17-inch high end model.
     
    With all the sweet new upgrades on this baby one thing is for sure, I'll be making a purchase sometime before December.
     
    http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/
  • sHARD>>

    New AppleSearch Service

    By sHARD>>, in OSx86,

    I always hate to roll out an unfinished product, but after Google very recently announced their new Google Co-Op system, I had to give it a try. What resulted? A new test service of ours I like to call "AppleSearch", searching the best Apple-related material on the web. It's an impressive tool which allows you to find information both from common sites you trust as well as alternative sites you'd never expect.
     
    Here today, gone tomorrow? Who knows. Give it a try and tell us what you think. Just go to our main page and look for the AppleSearch box on the right side. We're interested to know if we should develop this service past the ugly page and mashed out graphics. With a bit of tweaking (and it surely could use some), it may become quite the service. And heck, it might just be able to replace our terrible slightly sub-par search system.
  • kevin_4e
    An iTunes playlist creator that you may find useful is Potion Factory’s Tangerine. What makes Tangerine unique is the way it uses beats per minute and beat intensity to create a smooth flowing playlist in a matter of seconds... If you’re looking for even more customization for the new iTunes, check out Aqua4iTunes, which gives the user more than six different themes and button layouts to choose from... For the video buffs among us, a video tutorial on making your own iPod Nano commercial might be of interest... With all the random shutdowns the new MacBooks have enjoyed, an annotated youd0ntkn0wwhoiam's flickr page such as this one will be useful to afflicted owners... Also, if you’ve ever wondered how Apple.com has looked during the past decade, visit this timeline...
     
    If you’re still wondering about those fancy new Leopard features, read up in the “What Have You Learned” thread from those who are actually working with it... The InsanelyMac community has enjoyed chatting about the meaning of Apple's hardware market share numbers... And finally, check out this old
    which holds every sales point except “It looks like the Mac OS!!!”. Does a free clock interest you?
  • Alex Oughton

    InsanelyMac At Mac Expo

    By Alex Oughton, in OSx86,

    Next week, MacExpo 2006 will be taking place at London's Olympia, and InsanelyMac will be there!
     
    "The UK’s leading exhibition and conference for the Mac community. With its doors open to both creative professionals and the public the show is the annual celebration of everything Mac and iPod."
     
    I will be there on Saturday the 28th, with cameraman in tow, so look forward to lots of great in-depth coverage from this year's show.
     
    Check out Mac Expo's site and join us next week!
  • sHARD>>
    ThinkSecret is reporting that Apple's upcoming Mac OS X 10.5 may support both the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray disk formats. After taking the Blu-Ray path, this would represent a shift in Apple's Hi-Def strategy. Is this Apple's way of making sure they choose the winning format, or is this another example of excellent pro user support? Being the only major pro media development system to support both formats could offer a world of Apple switchers. Futher evidence of this distinct advantage is found in future Final Cut Pro versions, which are also said to support both formats.
     
    Of course, from a consumer prospective supporting both formats is great. Don't want to deal with the format wars? Pop a Hi-Def disc into your Mac Pro and stream it through your gigabit network over to your iTV. Perhaps that's for the distant future, but the Hi-Def world looks great indeed.
  • sHARD>>
    Our friends at Engadget are reporting that some of the new 5.5G iPods have been shipped to consumers with an unexpected bonus feature: the RavMonE.exe Windows virus. Oops. It seems there was a screwup at the factory which lead to some unplanned virus deployment. Instructions for removing the virus are on Apple's website.
     
    Perhaps another reason to switch to OS X?
  • Colonel
    Just days after the release of the new red (RED) iPod, rumors have begun forming about red (RED) MacBooks and iMacs. Think secret has the scoop:


    While sources were unable to explain exactly why, Apple CEO Steve Jobs is said to have had reservations about billing the player as simply the iPod nano (RED), despite Bono's desire to keep the naming convention consistant with other (RED) products.
     
    Sources say the iPod's name was the final point of consideration in negotiations to bring the (RED) iPod to market.
     
    Still unknown is whether Apple will be bringing more products to the (RED) campaign, although that answer is likely to lie at least partially with how well the iPod nano sells. Sources have reported that Mr. Jobs and Bono have discussed bringing a (RED) iMac and (RED) MacBook to market, as well. Red Macs that are now capable of the Blue Screen of Death... and (according to environmentalists) aren't very green. Anyone else want to stick with white?
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