mac

FTP without the headaches

If you run your own Web site or design your own blog, you need a good FTP client to keep your site updated and running smoothly. Fetch has been around for more than a decade as the go-to FTP client for Mac and is a solid and tested option for all your file transferring needs. This latest version fixes bugs and improves on its stability.

Also this week, we have the latest version of Vuze, one of the best BitTorent clients for Mac, featuring the capability to view full HD video from within the software. Our game this week is … Read more

Snow Leopard 10.6.2: Unable to receive POP messages

Some users may experience an issue with their POP accounts after upgrading to Snow Leopard. When attempting to retrieve messages in Mail after updating it is possible that messages may no longer download. The 10.6.2 update to Snow Leopard has altered the process for authenticating POP accounts. Mail will only attempt to download messages using your selected authentication method, instead of attempting each method (as was the case in previous versions of Mac OS X).… Read more

Wrapping up Speeds and Feeds, part 2: Reliability

Personal computers have become much more reliable over the last 10 years or so, mostly due to the introduction of advanced operating systems with memory protection and hardware abstraction. The hardware itself has gotten better too; uncorrectable random errors are rare in PCs and extraordinarily rare in server-class systems.

These and other improvements have largely eliminated machine crashes. Blue-screen errors on Windows and kernel panics in Linux and Mac OS X still occur, but much more rarely.

Error-reporting services have become common, helping software developers figure out what went wrong. Most large developers now issue regular patches to fix newly … Read more

Apple updates Mac OS X Snow Leopard

Apple on Monday released an update for Mac OS X Snow Leopard, bringing the current version to 10.6.2.

An important issue that caused data to be deleted when using a guest account has been fixed, according to Apple. While the bug didn't affect all users, it was widespread enough to cause concerns for users over the past couple of weeks.

In addition to fixing a number of security issues, Mac OS X 10.6.2 also addresses 14 problems found in the operating system, including an issue that caused some users to be logged out of their … Read more

Apple plugs holes for domain spoofing, other attacks

Apple on Monday released a large security update for Mac OS X that fixes dozens of vulnerabilities and provides protection against potential attacks exploiting a weakness in the protocol used to verify that a domain is legitimate.

There are 43 specific issues addressed in the 2009-006 update, released the same day as Mac OS X v.10.6.2.

It plugs a variety of holes for the Mac OS X v10.5.8, 10.6, 10.6.1, and Mac OS X Server v10.6 and 10.6.1, many of which could lead to arbitrary code execution and allow … Read more

Get six Mac apps absolutely free

Remember MacHeist from earlier this year? For $39 you got nine complete, unlocked Macintosh programs worth about $600. And 25 percent of your payment went to one of several deserving charities.

I've got good news, better news, and bad news. The good news is that MacHeist is back, this time with a bundle of six Mac apps worth $154.

The better news is that this time, the bundle's free. Really. Just...free. Download it and be on your way.

The bad news, of course, is that there's no money for charity, nor even an option to make … Read more

Applications for your weekend: MacHeist nanoBundle is free

MacHeist, usually known for making available a bundle of Mac applications at heavily discounted prices, is offering a smaller bundle absolutely free. With a retail value of $154, this nanoBundle is being offered free of charge, a departure from MacHeist's usual twelve applications at a discounted price. But, users will have to hurry as there are only six days remaining to get the deal.… Read more

Multiple copies of Mail messages miff much maligned Mac users

MacFixIt reader "Bob D." sends us an issue with Snow Leopard's Mail where multiple copies of messages are downloaded to a user's inbox. For Bob, this started the day after upgrading to Snow Leopard. Over 300 replies to an Apple Support Discussions thread later, the issue still does not appear to have a permanent solution.… Read more

Blackra1n update adds unlock, Mac support

iPhone OS hacker, GeoHot, released an updated version of Blackra1n earlier this week, a jailbreak utility for iPhone OS 3.1.2 and iPhone baseband 05.11.07 that now includes a carrier unlock that lets you use the iPhone on any GSM carrier.

We covered the initial release of Blackra1n that was Windows only, but now a Mac version of Blackra1n is available. Mac users can use Blackra1n to jailbreak or unlock all iPhone and iPod Touch models regardless of its hardware generation.

Using the application is simple. You just connect the iPhone or iPod Touch using the standard … Read more