April 29 - 8:55pm EDT   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. [full story]

April 27 - 2:40pm EDT   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. [full story]

April 13 - 5:30pm EDT   TM Error Logger 1.2 (free) can display additional details related to Time Machine error messages. Whenever Time Machine reports an error one can use the software to find which file or folder caused the problem and be directly linked to that location in the Finder. Version 1.2 has added additional install instructions and fixed the Donate button for Intel Macs. [Download - 1.8MB] [full story]

January 23 - 11:35am EST   Currency Assistant 3.0 ($19) allows users to convert values between 174 world currencies (all major circulating currencies plus the 16 Eurozone legacy currencies). The software also automatically updates exchange rates over the Internet using the rates published by the European Central Bank, the Bank of Canada, the International Monetary Fund, and the Bank of Italy. In the latest release the software has been rewritten as a Universal Cocoa application, the currency conversion calculator has a fully revised interface and introduces several other new features. [Download - 2MB] [full story]

December 16 - 12:05pm EST   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. [full story]

December 15 - 1:10pm EST   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. [full story]

November 28 - 12:50pm EST  myTracks 1.3 (free) allows users relate GPS tracks and the photos taken along those tracks to each other. Users can import the GPS tracks from a GPS device for from a GPX file which are then displayed using Google Maps. Version 1.3 allows users to switch form Google to the OpenStreetMap family and also allows location information (City, State, Country, ISO Country Code) to be specified for photos. The timestamps of photos can also be shifted to remove time drift between GPS tracker and camera lock and photos can be manually reassigned to track points. [Download - 29.6MB] [full story]

November 13 - 3:05pm EST   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. [full story]

November 13 - 10:20am EST   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. [full story]

November 7 - 10:25am EST   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. [full story]

October 13 - 4:15pm EDT   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. [full story]

September 25 - 10:40am EDT   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. [full story]

September 17 - 3:00pm EDT   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. [full story]

August 5 - 11:30am EDT   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." [full story]

June 20 - 5:25pm EDT  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 ... [full story]