11/09, 4:55pm
Also corrects litany of lesser-known bugs
Apple has at last released Mac OS X 10.6.2, a key update to Snow Leopard. The patch addresses a variety of technical problems, most notably one which would permanently delete data when logging into a main account after having just used a guest one. The bug has been known since at least early October. Other resolved account problems include unexpected logouts, and difficulty authenticating as an administrator.
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09/28, 12:15pm
May impact prevalence of Macs in schools
Apple has made major alterations to its educational licensing program, ones which could potentially raise the cost of Macs for schools. The company is said to be abandoning a previous volume licensing scheme, which allowed institutions to buy Mac OS X at costs of $39 to $59 per copy, depending the amount of licenses ordered. Instead, schools must now pay for annual license renewals.
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08/03, 8:45pm
GarageBand 5.1 update
Apple today released the GarageBand 5.1 update, which it says addresses general compatibility issues, improves overall stability, and fixes a number of other minor issues along with an addressing an important security issue that allowed third-party to track usage of the app. According to the documentation, the specific issues addressed include the ability to add GarageBand track effects and Audio Units to a guitar track, improved support for Apogee audio interfaces, faster switching to full screen in Magic GarageBand, and improved access to audio monitoring settings. Apple says the update is recommended for all users of GarageBand 09.
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06/04, 4:55pm
Apple iLife, RAW updates
Using Mac OS X's Software Update feature, Apple has released updates to several key pieces of software. Among these is Digital Camera Raw 2.6, which extends RAW format support within Aperture 2.x and the '08 and '09 editions of iPhoto. Compatible cameras now include the Nikon D5000 and the Olympus E-30, as well as Canon's EOS-500D, Rebel T1i and EOS Kiss Digital X3.
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05/21, 8:55pm
Friar Pro Font
In brief: A new iTunes visualizer, TRAKART has been released as a public alpha. The visualizer builds slideshows based on a song's lyrics, analyzing each track to extract keywords which it then uses to search Flickr. Images are then arranged into a slideshow which plays along with the song. Three guides have been released by Peachpit which teach users how to make better use of iLife '09, iWork '09 and GarageBand '09. The guides cover the basics of using each application, along with tips to create more professional products. Meanwhile, Ascender has released a new font style that is based on one of Goudy's original typefaces. The Friar Pro font is based on the original Friar typeface that was lost in a fire at Goudy's studio in 1939.
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03/26, 5:15pm
Apple updates iLife, iWork
Apple has released maintenance updates for iPhoto, iWeb and iMovie, along with general support updates for the iLife and iWork '09 software suites. The iPhoto 8.0.2 update improves overall stability, while addressing minor issues in Faces, Places, photo sharing, slideshows and other parts of the software. The download weighs in at 87.86MB. The iWeb 3.0.1 update is 14.23MB in size and fixes issues related to publishing to an FTP server and other minor bugs. iMovie 8.0.1 is a stability and usability fix, and is contained in a 24.53MB file.
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03/03, 10:55pm
iLife and iPhoto updates
Apple on Tuesday released two new application updates, iLife Support 9.0.1 and iPhoto 8.0.1. iLife Support 9.0.1 is designed to improve overall stability while addressing a number of minor bugs. The new version is recommended for all users of Aperture, iLife '09, and iWork '09. The iPhoto 8.0.1 update also provides improvements to overall stability, with specific enhancements in areas such as Internet connectivity, keyword import, and slideshow export.
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02/17, 3:50pm
iMovie 09, video editor
Two versions ago, iMovie HD 6 offered powerful video editing for novices. For iMovie 08, Apple completely rewrote the program to focus on making video editing simpler, but at the sacrifice of its more sophisticated editing features. When users howled their disapproval, Apple quickly made the original iMovie HD app available as a free download. Now with iMovie 09, Apple has combined the simplicity of iMovie 08 with the powerful editing capabilities of iMovie HD.
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02/10, 7:45am
Android Multi-Touch Pulled
Google may have consciously stripped multi-touch input from its Android mobile operating system solely to avoid a conflict with Apple over patents, a member of the Android development team claims. The iPhone maker reportedly asked Google not to use multi-finger input and, according to the source for VentureBeat, was granted its wish. The exact reason isn't known, though Apple has both the incentive of an early competitive advantage as well as patents that might have forced it either to negotiate a patent license or else challenge one of its closest partners in court.
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02/03, 9:55pm
iLife going Intel only
Although the iLife '09 suite offers a variety of new features and capabilities, PowerPC owners will be disappointed to learn that certain functions now require an Intel-based system, according to Ars Technica. The company has made an effort to develop recent software with support for both processor types, but one of the notable features in GarageBand '09 has proved to be an exception. Users wishing to view a Learn to Play music lesson from Sarah Mclaughlin or Sting will need to run the software on an Intel-based Mac with a dual-core processor or better.
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02/02, 3:55pm
First Look iPhoto '09
The flagship title in the iLife '09 suite is arguably iPhoto '09. The original 2002 version helped to shape the way people store and organize digital photos, and the newest version carries on the tradition of making it fun and easy to generate personal libraries.
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01/29, 3:00pm
First Look iWeb '09
There are plenty of options for creating webpages. Professionals typically opt for editors like DreamWeaver, while hardcore designers may choose to dive into the HTML code. It's theoretically possible to use ordinary word processors, but the resulting pages are often too simplistic. For the average person who wants to create professional-quality pages without taking design classes -- or learning the vulgarities of HTML code -- Apple offers the much simpler iWeb '09, a part of the new iLife '09 suite.
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01/26, 12:30am
Apple ships iLife
Apple has begun shipping orders for iLife '09, falling in line with the initial estimate of late-January, according to MacRumors. iPhoto now integrates facial-recognition technology, allowing the images to be automatically sorted or searched by the name of individuals. Geotagging support can be used to filter photos by location, while albums can be generated around particular people and single locations or vacations that pass through different areas.
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01/08, 5:40pm
Mac iLife promo
In brief: Toon Boom has now reached an agreement and acquired Intellectual Property from Cambridge Animation Systems. Apple has released a new iLife up-to-date program for customers purchasing a new Mac in the next couple of months. If the computer does not include iLife 09 customers will be able to upgrade to the new software for $10. Meanwhile, nova media has released the latest update to its iSync plugins that add Mac OS X support for cell phones that are currently unsupported by Apples iSync.
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01/06, 5:40pm
A closer look at iLife '09
We have a slew of photos from iLife '09 which was being shown at the Apple Booth at the Expo, which was announced Tuesday morning with updated versions of iPhoto, iDVD, iWeb, and GarageBand (with new tutorials and self-learning functions). It is expected to ship by the end of the month and will be included as part of Apple's Mac Box Set bundle, which is also set to ship in the same time frame. iLife's iPhoto has added a Faces option for navigation using facial recognition, which is now built in to the application and has learning capabilities. Slideshows have been upgraded in iPhoto and Geo-tagging allows users to search for photos by location. iMovie has added image stabilization and new precision editing capabilities, GarageBand has added music lessons hosted by major musicians and iWeb has added widgets, allowing users to quickly integrate timers, HTML code, iSight links and more.
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01/06, 2:55pm
Apple's Mac Box Set debuts
Without any mention of next-generation Mac OS X Snow Leopard operating system, Apple's Phil Schiller on Tuesday morning quietly introduced a new bundle box set: the Mac Box Set, which includes the current generation OS, Mac OS X Leopard, as well as the new iLife '09 and iWork '09 updates--each of which are available separately for $129 (Leopard), $79 (iLife '09), and $79 (iWork '09). The latter require the former, thus making it more economical for those who have not
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01/06, 12:55pm
iLife '09 shown at MW09
In opening up its Macworld 2009 keynote, Apple today revealed iLife '09, an update to its core application package for Macs. Changes to the suite begin with iPhoto '09, whose new Faces feature lets users sort images by the people. After running face detection, the app lets users assign names to each of the people involved, and sort photo collections accordingly. Places, meanwhile, now lets users filter photos through geotagging, and can pull information directly from cameras such as Nikon's Coolpix series or that of the iPhone. Smart albums can be generated to include particular people and locations.
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12/26, 6:20pm
Now Playing, MyTracks
Floola 4.4 (free) is a utility that allows a user to manage their iPod or Motorola phone. Floola can copy, rename, delete music, videos and photos, add artwork and lyrics, manage playlists and keep podcasts up-to-date. It can also convert files like YouTube videos to a format that is compatible with the designated device. Version 4.4 addresses several bugs dealing with the interface, photos and Google Calendar and also adds a used in playlist feature. [Download - 15.3MB]
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11/10, 6:10pm
iLife Support security
Apple has released the latest update to iLife Support, version 8.3.1, which addresses several security vulnerabilities that existed in the imageIO framework. Memory initialization has been corrected, and image validation improved, preventing application failure or arbitrary code execution when viewing TIFF images that contain malicious code. Processing of TIFF images has also been changed to avoid a memory corruption problem that could cause similar problems.
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08/13, 6:50pm
Themes for Keynote, iWeb
KeynoteUser and iPresentee have released new products for Apple's iWork and iLife application suites today. KeynoteUser has announced its new Gradient Pack 08 theme set for Keynote '08, while iPresentee has launched iWeb Themes 2.0 for iWeb 2.0.
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