Mac

Why didn't Apple think of that?

For all the wonderful things that OS X does, flipping through folders while opening and saving documents remains a hassle. Default Folder X is an award-winning app that attaches a toolbar to the side of all your Open and Save dialogs, providing quick access to multiple folders and commands. You also can create favorite folders, making it easy to save-to or open-from your most used folders quickly.

Also this week we have TimeMachineEditor, the simple utility that lets you adjust when Time Machine backs up your data. Our game this week is In-Poculous Mahjong, the tile-matching game with fun twists … Read more

Adobe Creative Suite to abandon PowerPC Macs

It's probably time you said goodbye to your PowerPC-based Mac.

Adobe confirmed Tuesday that future versions of its Creative Suite will run only on Intel-based Mac computers. There will be no support offered for PowerPC-based systems.

The company's decision follows Apple's announcement in June that it was discontinuing support for the PowerPC in its new operating systems, starting beginning with Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard). With Apple's future development focused on Intel Macs, Adobe is aligning its resources accordingly.

According to Adobe, existing customers who own Creative Suite 3 and Creative Suite 4 will … Read more

Apple updates Safari, AirPort, and Multi-Touch

It was a busy Tuesday for Apple's software team. The company released updates for its Safari Web browser, its wireless AirPort client, and the Multi-Touch trackpad for users who have Windows installed on their Mac.

Safari 4.0.3 comes just six days after Apple released an upgrade for Safari 4.0.2 as part of its Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.8 update, indicating fixes were not implemented in the previous version or problems were caused by its release.

Among the changes in Safari 4.0.3 are several stability improvements, including enhancements for Web pages that … Read more

Apple adds antiglare to 15-inch MacBook Pro

Apple on Tuesday added an antiglare upgrade option to its 15-inch MacBook Pro line of notebooks.

The option of an antiglare display has already been available on the 17-inch MacBook Pro. The 13-inch counterpart continues to offer only a glossy display.

First reported by AppleInsider and confirmed for CNET by Apple, the antiglare display is a $50 upgrade via Apple's online store.

The glossy versus antiglare debate has been ongoing since the glossy version was first introduced on notebooks. For some, it's a matter of aesthetics or eye strain. And then there are creative professionals who maintain that … Read more

Inside CNET Labs 55: Free Blick!

We don't do this often on the show, but I wanted to bring to everyone' s attention the current plight of Blick. Blick is a man wrongly accused of being something he is not. We'd just like to set the record straight that he is not a pile of bricks, and the more people who accept this, the sooner justice will be done upon him.

Also, I tell a couple of gym stories involving yellow tank tops, interracial bromancing, and pull-up spotting.

Then, ribs. Delicious barbecue ribs. Who among my fellow carnivores doesn't love ribs? Dong talks … Read more

Apple working on software fix for MacBook Pro hard drives

Owners of Apple MacBook Pro notebooks with 7200rpm 500GB hard drives have been complaining for months of clicking sounds followed by temporary stalling. According to Apple, a fix is in the works.

"We are aware of the issue and are working on a software update," Apple representative Bill Evans, told CNET News on Monday. He gave no time frame for the release of the software update.

People have been reporting that they hear a beep from the computer shortly before the hard drive clicks and then the computer stops responding. The computer is unresponsive for 10 seconds or … Read more

When one Dock isn't enough

As an integral part of the Mac OS X interface from the beginning, all Mac users know the Dock is where people can launch their most-used software and check to see which programs are currently running. I always find it interesting to see how people use the Dock on their Macs because its inherent flexibility makes it something personal for every user. Everyone has a specific way they work or play, and the Dock is easily customized to fit each person's style.

A program I discovered today makes the Dock in Leopard even more flexible and customizable for the … Read more

Apple wins laptop tech-support showdown

If a top-notch customer support program is high on your list of features when buying a new computer, you should be looking at a Mac, according to a new ranking.

Laptop magazine's Tech Support Showdown 2009 rates 10 computer companies' tech support, with Apple coming out the overall winner. Apple's overall grade for 2009 was an "A," scoring an "A" for both phone and Web support.

"Apple has consistently offered some of the best Web and phone support of any computer vendor, and this year was no different," the magazine said in … Read more

Need to run Windows on your Mac?

Need to run Windows on your Mac? Check out VirtualBox, a free virtualization software that lets you run Windows or just about any operating system without the need to reboot. Handy wizards help you through the setup process so you can set up multiple environments to suit your needs. Note: you'll need the full version of the operating system you want to install in order to run it in the virtual environment.

Also this week we have the latest version of Mactracker, the comprehensive searchable database for almost every Mac product ever made. Our game this week is Turret Wars Retro, … Read more

Apple fixes hole with Mac OS X image viewing

Apple on Wednesday issued a security update that fixes 18 vulnerabilities including several that put computers running Mac OS X at risk of remote code execution if a maliciously crafted image is viewed.

In addition to fixing a problem with how PNG images are handled, Security Update 2009-003 fixes issues related to ImageIO's handling of OpenEXR images, EXIF metadata, as well as Canon RAW images and images with an embedded ColorSync profile.

The update, which arrives as part of the release of Mac OS X v10.5.8, extends the list of content types the Mac OS X will … Read more