Category Archives: Apple Software

Apple releases iTunes 10.5.2

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iTunes 10Apple has released a new version of iTunes for Macintosh and Windows computers. In addition to miscellaneous security patches, iTunes 10.5.2 includes several improvements for iTunes Match and fixes an audio distortion problem when playing or importing certain CDs.

Last month, Apple issues iTunes 10.5.1 which gave customers (US only at this point) the option to subscribe to iTunes Match – a $25/year service offering cloud-based matching and upload of users’ complete iTunes libraries (not just the stuff you originally purchased from iTunes) … available via Software Update as well as direct download …

iTunes 10.5.2 (also available via Software Update) for the Mac requires Mac OS X 10.5, QuickTime 7.6, and Safari 4.0.3 or later. No Tiger 10.4 support.

Apple patches Safari web browser

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Apple has posted Safari 5.1.2 – its web browser for Mac and Windows operating systems.

The update plugs various security holes, plus:

  • Improves stability
  • Addresses issues that could cause hangs and excessive memory usage
  • Addresses issues that could cause webpages to flash white
  • Allows PDFs to be displayed within web content

Apple Safari 5.1.2 requires Mac OS X Lion 10.7.2 or Snow Leopard 10.6.8 and can be applied via Software Update.

Safari 5.0.4 for Windows requires Windows 7, Vista, or XP SP2; a minimum of 256 Mb of memory; and a system with at least a 500 MHz Intel Pentium processor (using Top Sites and Cover Flow features require a compatible DirectX 9.0 video card with 64MB of video RAM).

Apple issues 10.6.8 Supplemental Update

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For those who decided to stay with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard a little longer, Apple has issued a supplemental patch to its last version. Snow Leopard 10.6.8 v 1.1 corrects a number of issues, including:

  • Certain network printers that pause print jobs immediately and fail to complete
  • System audio that stops working when using HDMI or optical audio out
  • Transferring personal data, settings, and compatible applications from a Mac running Mac OS X Snow Leopard to a new Mac running Mac OS X Lion

Users who have already updated to 10.6.8 can use the 10 Mb Supplemental Patch. Those with 10.6.7 and earlier should use the 1.09 Gb 10.6.8 v1.1 Combo Updater.

Similar updates are available for Snow Leopard Server.

Mac OS X Lion Release Wrap-Up

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Lots of news all over the internet today about the much-anticipated release of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. Here’s a small recap, plus a few things you may have missed:

Mac OS X 10.7 Lion

#1 – It’s Out

Mac OS X 10.7 Lion became available at approximately 8:30am EDT this morning at the Mac App Store. You will need at least Mac OS X 10.6.7 already installed and an iTunes/App Store account to purchase and download the $29.99 3.5 Gb upgrade. Please note that this is a significant upgrade in many respects. A lot has changed. If you are not sure whether or not you are ready, check out my prior posts on the subject.

#2 Alternatives to Direct Download

If you have a slow internet connection and the thought of downloading 3.5 Gb worth of update is just too painful – or you work for a company with less than twenty Mac installations and security policies in place that prohibit you from having iTunes accounts on your office computer … well, you need to wait a few more weeks. At that point, Apple will be selling a packaged version of Lion (on a USB thumb drive – no more DVDs) for $69.00. No word yet on how many licensed installations that covers for the additional 40 bucks above direct download.

If you are a part of a vast corporate enterprise with more than 20 Mac installations, have your IT guy secure a Volume License Plan.

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Apple releases iLife ’11 Updates

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Today, Apple released incremental updates to its iLife ’11 suite of consumer media applications: iMovie 9.0.4, iPhoto 9.1.5, and GarageBand 6.0.4. All three apps incorporate the new full-screen capability made possible with the upcoming MacOS X 10.7 Lion and overall stability improvements in addition to the following individual software fixes/enhancements:

iMovie 9.0.4 (614 Mb Update):

  • Adds support for opening projects imported from iMovie for iOS.
  • Fixes an issue where some audio adjustments were not preserved.
  • Addresses a performance issue when using large quantities of video clips with keywords.
  • Resolves issue with slow application launch when working with large iPhoto libraries.

iPhoto 9.1.5 (106 Mb Update):

  • Addresses an issue that could cause the Photos view to scroll incorrectly when Event Titles are displayed.
  • Fixes a problem that could prevent Ken Burns animations from being applied correctly on photos in a saved Classic slideshow.
  • The date range of each event now updates correctly to reflect changes made to photos using the Adjust Time and Date command.
  • Deleting photos from a web album using the contextual menu now removes them from the album without deleting them from the library.
  • Addresses an issue that could prevent a crop adjustment from being removed from a photo when using the Revert to Original command.

GarageBand 6.0.4 (48 Mb Update):

  • Fixes an issue with the GarageBand Lesson Store not completing single or multiple lesson downloads.
  • Corrects issues with some tempo-based effects falling out of sync with main song tempo.
  • Resolves problems with Magic GarageBand project files not opening up correctly in the GarageBand tracks view.

Updates are available from the Apple App Store, via Software Update, and the Apple Support Download page.