Netgear started the week by launching a Wi-Fi router primarily tailored to Mac users. The Wireless Extreme has the cosmetic looks, but it purportedly has native support for Time Machine with drives plugged into the USB port. Dedicated software lets USB printers share properly on Macs and other platforms even if they don't completely work within Mac OS X's usual support.
Apple gave developers a full view of iCloud integration in Mac OS X for the first time with an unusual Sunday release of a new Mac OS X 10.7.2 beta. The new 11C55 build already includes iCloud instead of requiring a separate install, like in earlier releases. No known bugs exist with the build, but users are expected to test both iCloud itself as well as Address Book, iCal, Mail, Safari, and legacy MobileMe support.
Some Mac owners are being prevented from installing OS X Lion, talk on Apple's support forums shows. In select instances users will pick a destination drive and be given an error message, such as "this disk cannot be used to start up your computer," or "this disk is used for Time Machine backups," even though the target was previously used to boot up Snow Leopard. The issue can happen regardless of how much space is on the drive, and whether or not a Mac meets other Lion system requirements.
Apple's upcoming Time Capsule update could have more ambitious plans for remote storage based on an unverified rumor. Although it might not store iOS firmware, it would purportedly make Time Machine backups available online and let iCloud users sync their home folders between Macs. The approach Cult of Mac described would save Apple bandwidth at its North Carolina datacenter but still give an incentive to use the service.
Three months after first mention, Buffalo on Monday shipped the CloudStor. The network-attached storage is one of the first third party drives to use Pogoplug's remote sharing service and turns the built in hard drive to a remotely accessible drive. The service is free and just requires controls to set what files are accessible.
A leak Wednesday has uncovered plans for Windows 8 to imitate the behavior of Time Machine in Mac OS X. Nicknamed History Vault, it would use the Shadow Copies feature that came as early as Vista but give it a proper visual interface for restoring older files. The WinRumors shot doesn't provide many details of the restoration process but shows that users could use both real and virtual drives to make a History Vault archive.
Western Digital put out one of the largest capacity dual-disk external drives on Thursday by introducing a 6TB version of the My Book Studio Edition II. The drive pairs two of the still-rare 3TB drives, optionally in a RAID mirror or stripe, and is aimed primarily at creative pros who deal with very large photos or videos on a regular basis. It comes pre-formatted for Macs; it can be reformatted for Windows, but it needs at least Vista or 7 to see more than 2.1TB.
Freecom has unveiled the thinnest external hard drive on the market with the Mobile Drive Mg range. It is designed specifically to match Apple MacBooks, and is housed in a lightweight magnesium enclosure. The drive is just 10mm (0.39in) thick, earning it the claimed distinction of being the thinnest in the world.
Apple has won 19 patents from the US Patent and Trademark Office, reports say. Some of the more prominent ones document the iPhone's treatment of audio playback and conference calls, as well as display, sale and downloading of media at the iTunes Store. A few of the iTunes concepts are noted to have been implemented as far back as 2004.
Buffalo Technology is in the process of revamping its consumer-oriented network storage solution offerings, introducing a new V-series set of drives that feature higher transfer speeds than most competing NAS drives, as well as WebAccess i apps for iOS devices, giving users ways to stream and upload digital content directly to and from their mobile devices. Future models in the line will also feature RAID redundancy, and all the drives in the V-series feature Time Machine and iTunes compatibility along with built-in FTP and print server software.
Western Digital has unveiled its new My Book Live home network drive that delivers transfer speeds of up to 100MBps using gigabit Ethernet connectivity. The new drive offers video streaming via its built-in DLNA media server and includes automatic back-up software for Windows machines. It is also compatible with Apple’s Time Machine.
Data Robotics has launched its DroboPro FS, a networkable file sharing and backup storage unit with up to 16TB capacity. The DroboPro FS is designed to give the small-to-medium business market redundant storage, networked backup, and file sharing over dual gigabit Ethernet ports and with VPN support. Unlike the Drobo FS, introduced earlier this year, the DroboPro FS offers native support for Time Machine, and supports Windows (XP/Vista/7/2003 Server/2008 Server), Mac (Intel processors and Leopard or later), and Unix/Linux. Storage can be expanded by adding SATA I and SATA II hard drives to fill up to eight bays.
Apple is fighting the outcome of Mirror Worlds' recent legal victory, Bloomberg now says. The company has asked US District Judge Leonard Davis for an emergency stay on the verdict, which could potentially result in a damage payment as high as $625.5 million. Despite earlier uncertainty, Mirror Worlds is believed to be claiming $208.5 million for each infringed patent.
Apple is being ordered to pay at least $208.5 million in damages after losing a lawsuit to a company called Mirror Worlds, reports say. The latter party has accused Apple of violating multiple patents: three describing a "document stream operating system," and a fourth showing an information management system based on the document streams. The concepts involved are said to be nearly identical to those employed by Apple's Cover Flow and Time Machine.
TRI-EDRE has launched two software updates, Back-in-Time 2 and Trash Magic 2. Back-in-Time provides access to all of the data backed up by Time Machine, organizing it with a visual record. Files and folders can be copied to any location via drag and drop. A specific item's backups can be traced by dragging it to the Back-in-Time item list, where earlier versions can be accessed by means of a date slider.
Seagate dipped into the world of simple network-attached storage by launching the GoFlex Home. The drive potentially avoids the common problems with future upgrades by using its own GoFlex system for the storage: the NAS has a modular base that takes any single disk, desktop-sized GoFlex drive for a swap up in capacity without having to replace the drive or open a bay door. Trumping some drives, the Home has its own Wi-Fi and doesn't need to be plugged in solely through Ethernet.
Data Robotics on Tuesday stepped into true network-attached storage with a new Drobo. The Drobo FS uses the same five-bay arrangement as the Drobo S but adds a gigabit Ethernet connection to put its data on a local network. Besides raw storage, it acts as a server for DLNA, iTunes and UPnP media and adds native AFP and SMB (Samba) support.
Buffalo on Wednesday introduced a newly updated version of its LinkStation Mini NAS. The dual-drive device features higher performance than the older model, and has near-silent operation. There is also a fresh UI and newfound support for RAID 0 (stripe) and RAID 1 (mirror) setups. The former allows for maximizing capacity, while the latter doubles up data for an added measure of reliability.
Most of Apple's networking peripherals sold only adequately during 2009, according to data from the NPD Group. The firm notes that Apple TV sales were up less than 10 percent in 2009, continuing a lethargic trend that emerged in 2008. The product has not been helped materially by the release of the Apple TV 3.0 firmware -- adding features like Internet radio -- or a price cut down to $229.
In amidst its launches today, HP updated its MediaSmart Server line with an unusually strong emphasis on Mac support. Even as they're based on Windows Home Server, the EX490 and EX495 both can be administrated over the network using the current version of Microsoft's Remote Desktop Client for Mac. They can also be used directly to recover a Mac from a Time Machine backup created on the server and have a new media aggregator that automatically pools content from Macs and Windows PCs based on the media type, the individual computer or a given folder.
Normally known for its notebook-sized external disks, Toshiba this afternoon leapt into full-size drives with its External HDD line. The new entries try to be more attractive than the typical drive with a rounded, black-and-chrome look that lines up with the look of most computers, including its own. All drives have not only USB but eSATA for a particularly high-speed link on those computers that support the format.
Synology America has released the beta version of Disk Station Manager 2.2. The firmware is used in unison with its storage server hardware to manage and access NAS servers over the network and the Internet. The latest version adds support of iSCSI and SNLA devices. The update also includes support for Apple's Time Machine backups, providing the ability to backup desktop data to their Disk Stations. The beta includes a built-in firewall function that users can decide which service or IP address will be allowed to access Disk Station. The firewall also blocks uninvited connections.
Verbatim today catered to those who want high-performance but portable hard drives through the SureFire. Every model has both FireWire 800 and USB 2 ports and will run the 2.5-inch drive inside solely on bus power, particularly suiting it to MacBook Pros that need the full 800Mbps of bandwidth. Their casing is both relatively sturdy and scratch-resistant aluminum.
Hitachi has released a compact adapter under its SimpleTech label that allows any USB hard drive, memory stick or SD card to become a network attached storage device. The SimpleNET USB/NAS adapter includes two USB ports and a 100Mbps Ethernet jack to bring external disks online. The device is Linux-based and does not require reformatting of USB drives. Any USB-based storage device will work with the adapter, but printers are not supported. Hitachi says the adapter works with most networkable backup clients, including Apple's Time Machine.
HP tonight officially unwrapped a key update to its MediaSmart Servers in the LX195. The new version of the Windows Home Server is more compact and power-efficient than earlier models by dropping the existing AMD Sempron and Intel Celeron processors in favor of a 1.6GHz Atom and by removing interior expansion: a single 640GB drive provides storage, with 4 USB ports on the back allowing for more space through external disks. It's also the first MediaSmart Server to support Time Machine backups over the network on Mac OS X in addition to Windows Home Server backups.
Seagate started its week today by launching a device which comes closest to replicating the behavior of Apple's Time Machine backup for Windows PCs. The Replica performs an automatic, continuous backup of an entire Windows system and lets users either restore all their third-party apps and documents after a crash or else return individual files that might have been deleted or lost. The drive maker promises a simple process where the drive will auto-install and configure itself over USB.
Some users attempting to download and install the Mac OS X 10.5.6 update are are running into critical errors, discussions on Apple's support forums reveal. The most common problem consists of crashing or hanging, whether in the middle of an install or immediately thereafter. The crashes may be accompanied by kernel panics, though the contents of these panics can vary.
As anticipated last week, Apple has posted its latest update to Mac OS X, v10.5.6. Available through the Software Update service or direct download, the patch consists mostly of dozens of fixes and performance enhancements, for issues such as sync and graphics. Sync reliability has been improved for Address Book, portable home directories and most notably MobileMe, which should now propagate contact, calendar and bookmark changes within a minute of their being saved.
The next version of Mac OS X, v10.5.6, should address problems in MobileMe, Time Machine and Mail, a note to developers suggests. Supplied with the latest seed of v10.5.6, build 9G35, the note asks for help in testing automatic syncing with MobileMe, particularly in regards to performance on notebooks, and on networks with high lag or limited bandwidth. The aim is to have changes propagated from me.com to other devices in a "reasonable amount of time," and improve syncing performance in general. Apple asks for special attention to the possibility of excessive or abnormal syncs.
Apple is the process of developing a new Internet search technology, anonymous sources claim. It is uncertain what exactly this may imply, but it is believed that Apple may be unhappy with the way search is currently handled in Safari, whether for the desktop or iPod and iPhone versions. The browser currently defaults to a standard Google search, but Google CEO Eric Schmidt excuses himself from Apple board meetings involving mobiles, and is rumored to be considering leaving the board of directors permanently.
TRI-EDRE has released a beta version of Back-In-Time, a utility meant to act as a complement to Apple's Time Machine. Users are able to perform functions not directly supported within Time Machine, such as basic drag-and-drop copying of files from backup, and restoring to locations other than the original folders. It can also determine how many versions of a file are in storage, and when a file was deleted.
MildMannered Industries has posted a v1.4 update to Baseline, its Mac disk utility. The software is used to provide a detailed analysis of disk space, including not just drives but the amount consumed by individual files and folders. The software can also compare scans to detect changes in file structure, and similarly point out duplicate files for future deletion.
Newly-published patent applications may point to enhancements in Safari 4 or other versions of Apple's web browser. Originally submitted earlier this year, the filings depict two different browser-based technologies, beginning with the concept of a visual history. Apple notes that most browsers display history as a straight list of pages, something which may be "confusing." The company also comments that relying on forward and back buttons can be "cumbersome," and that histories may incorporate files not meant for web browsers.
Smith Micro says it has released StuffIt Deluxe 2009, an upgraded version of its popular compression program. The 2009 edition adds a variety of features, most notably support for more recent Apple technologies. These include Time Machine and Quick Look, the latter of which lets users examine an archive within Finder and other supporting applications, such as Mail.
Apple is beginning to pave significant paths into the corporate world, says the research firm Yankee Group. Following a recent web survey of 750 global IT administrators and C-level executives, the firm says it has discovered that approximately four out of every five businesses have Macs running on their network. In general, says Yankee analyst Laura DiDio, adoption of Apple computers is said to be growing at a "steady and sustained pace not seen since the late 1980s."
Forum roundup: MacNN forum goers' Time Machine questions are answered in The Offical Time Machine Q&A Thread covering everything from how Time Machine works and what it is for, to steps on how to resolve issues with Time Machine when it is not working properly. High pitched noises from one member's CRT monitor sparked a conversation about possible causes for this problem as well as provided suggestions for more energy efficient LCD replacements. One user inquires about Booting OS 8 on a G3 from an external USB DVD drive and gets advice from other members about possible options that they could try. Other users converse about different styles of carrying bags for MacBook and MacBook Pro as well as post pictures and compare prices in a thread dedicated to backpacks, bags and sleeves for Mac Notebooks. In the MacNN lounge, users discuss signs that John McCain is too old as well as debate the differences between democrat Barack Obama and republican John McCain.
Group Logic on Tuesday released ExtremeZ-IP 5.2, which extends support for the latest Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard capabilities, including Time Machine backups. This release also combines the functionality of company's leading ExtremeZ-IP File and Print Servers into a single solution, allowing all customers to leverage the ExtremeZ-IP Zidget that enables easy service discovery and setup without using the legacy AppleTalk protocol. Group Logic says that ExtremeZ-IP is "the only" Windows solution to deliver complete support for the Mac file and print sharing and that it is now also the only solution to enable Windows servers to be used for Time Machine backups.
VMWare Fusion 1.1.2 has been released, adding enhanced support for the MacBook Air. The new release also enables Time Machine backup of virtual machines, adds support for Windows XP SP3 Boot Camp partitions, and is now available in Simplified Chinese. In addition, VMWare can now properly disconnect USB devices connected to the virtual machine when shut down, making the USB devices available again to the Mac. It also addresses problem with wireless bridged networking in some cases not being able to obtain an IP address from the DHCP server.
On March 19th, Apple released a nonspecific update regarding its Airport ecosystem and Time Machine – simply stating optimizations and driver fixes – but it is revealed to allow Time Capsule-like functionality with standard Airport Extreme Base Stations. According to Macworld, the update allows users to back up using Time Machine to a standard USB hard drive that is connected to an Airport Extreme Base Station.
Apple is now facing its first lawsuit involving Time Machine, court filings show. The Texan company Mirror Worlds has accused Apple of infringing on four patents: three of these relate directly to a "document stream operating system," while the fourth covers an attached information management system. The document streams depicted group many different file types together, arranged chronologically and in piles; this most closely resembles the Time Machine backup software in Mac OS X Leopard, but may also cover the sorting system on iPods and iPhones, for chronological items like podcasts.
Apple today released a combination update for Time Machine, bundling with it Airport driver fixes. What the update actually fixes is unclear, simply stating "This update is recommended for all users and includes compatibility improvements for using Time Machine with Time Capsule, as well as AirPort driver fixes." The update is available through Software Update under the Apple menu, but Apple has not released its typical accompanying web pages on its support site.
While all new Macintosh computers come with Time Machine, Apple’s unique backup program that allows you to go back and retrieve previously deleted files or older versions of recently modified files, you can’t use Time Machine unless you also have a second volume. To take the guesswork out of which type of external hard disk to buy, Apple offers Time Capsule, a simple, fool-proof external hard disk specifically designed to work with Time Machine. The simplicity of Time Capsule is apparent when you open the box and find just four items: the Time Capsule unit, a power cord, an installation CD, and a printed setup manual.
Apple's Time Machine software, which serves as part of the company's recently-shipped Mac OS X 10.5 'Leopard' operating system, is a "no-fuss backup system" according to one review. Glenn Fleishman in the Seattle Times says Time Machine's "no-click solution" is key for average consumers who don't want to spend hours setting up a complicated backup system. "Time Machine doesn't have a button and doesn't occupy your attention while operating," Fleishman said. "It just backs up."
In brief: We have a review of mStation's 2.1 Stereo Orb, a Toon Boom Harmony update has been released, Rush Limbaugh complains about Time Machine, Back to My Mac, and there's a new fix for AppleScript's interaction with Google Desktop in Leopard ... We have posted a review of mStation's 2.1 Stereo Orb, which provides deep, rich bass and upscale features at a lower price than most other systems with a sub-woofer. This charming, yet innocuous little ball packs quite a punch. The matching colored plastic covered dock attachment is interchangeable with any of the six included iPod adapters. These are held in place by rubber rings, which is another sign of attention to audio detail, especially in a device that is designed to put out a lot of bass.
Sometimes backing up your crucial files is not enough. Ordinary backup programs may copy your files and Time Machine can retrieve files that you may have changed or deleted. Unfortunately, if your Macintosh hard disk completely fails, backups and Time Machine can only recover your data, but they won’t help get your Macintosh back up and running in a hurry. That’s where SuperDuper! comes in to save the day. Instead of just copying individual files, SuperDuper! clones your entire hard disk, preserving your complete Macintosh program settings and files. SuperDuper! can even share an external hard disk with Time Machine. Now Time Machine can protect individual files while SuperDuper! protects your entire hard disk.
Among the flurry of Apple patent applications that surfaced today, no less than 10 filings relate to the company's iChat and Time Machine. The Cupertino-based company's Time Machine-related patents cover methods and a computer program for providing a user interface that includes earlier versions of data, true to the software's ability to 'move through time' to prior versions of documents and files via a graphical user interface. iChat-related patents describe video communication systems and methods, as well as sharing graphical user interface output in a chat environment. Another iChat-oriented patent details sharing application output in a chat environment.
In brief: Japan's NTT DoCoMo telecommunications company is reportedly adding .Mac mail access, while Apple let slip a potential feature in a future revision of Time Machine. When DoCoMo launches its ConnectMail service next month, it will be adding .Mac email compatibility as well. According to Akihabara News, the service will allegedly act as an IMAP mail account, leaving the copy on the .Mac server proper. DoCoMo's ConnectMail service carries a yearly cost of ¥4800.
