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First Quarter PC Sales: Windows Down 2%, Mac (Including iPad) up 250+%
Mac OS X: Make Snow Leopard (And Apple's Other Cats) Roar Like Lion
Google Chrome Browser Final Updated To Version 10.0.648.205
OS X Update And The MacBook Air's 3D Graphics Performance Tested
Change OS X Mail Settings To Save Hard Drive Space
OWC Offers Fix For 2011 17 MBP SATA Problems
Dropbox 1.1.23 Update Released
Apple Launches Apple Support Communities
Security Update Available For Adobe Flash Player
Quicksilver 59 Application Launcher (And Much More) Released
Sleek, Energy Efficient, MSI X370 Notebook Powered by AMD Accelerated Processor Arrives in North America
First Quarter PC Sales: Windows Down 2%, Mac (Including iPad) up 250+%
Writing in his Asymco blog, Horace Dediu cites Charles Arthur of The Guardian's concise understated observation that PC sales "may have passed their peak," Gartner's Mikako Kitagawa noting a third consecutive quarter of mobile PC shipment declines in the US in a media release last week, and IDC suggesting that part of the PC sales downturn might have to do with something called media tablets, although theyqualify that with expressed belief that "other factors" have played equally significant roles.
Didiu contends that there are several problems with both IDC's and Gartner's market analysis, noting that it's difficult to discern causality from their data with its separation by vendor but not by operating system and exclusion of devices hired to do the same jobs as PCs.
Consequently Didiu has endeavoured to construct his own analysis, using Gartner's public statements on the overall market and then layering actual Mac and iPad units sold, plus his my estimates for just ended 2011 Q1 to complete the picture. He has thereby produced a graph chart showing the market growth rates of the various platforms isolated from each other. The result is a graph that one is likely obliged to scroll over unless they have a very high res. or portrait orientation monitor in order to include the iPad's near vertical growth curve.
His analysis shows that the Mac is not doing shabbily either, and nicely isolating itself from the Windows PC negative growth trend. However, the main takeaway is that the near tripling of unit iPad unit sales is symptomatic of fundamental change that cannot be ignored, as much as some analysts appear to be attempting, the bottom line being that Windows PC computer units are down 2.0% while OSX-based computer units (including the iOS-based iPad, but not the iPhone and iPod touch) are up 272 percent, and the weight of evidence beginning to be conclusive that the iPad is the new PC.
For the full analysis, and the fascinating "giraffe" graph, see:
http://bit.ly/hjbUfX
Mac OS X: Make Snow Leopard (And Apple's Other Cats) Roar Like Lion
Computerworld's Ryan Faas notes that Apple's upcoming Mac OS X 10.7 Lion will include several new features, some crossing over from the iOS,such as Launchpad, a new Mission Control feature that combines the Mac OS X Dashboard, Expos and Spaces features and more, auto-save and auto-resume, a Versions feature that saves multiple copies of files over time, a new, streamlined backup feature called AirDrop, expanded use of multitouch gestures, and more.
However, Faas notes that while Lion is still months away, there are free or low-cost third-party applications and services available now for older versions of the Mac OS that can address the same challenges Apple will with Lion's Launchpad, Mission Control, systemwide auto-save, Versions, some of them that even work with OS X 10.4 Tiger. Faas presents a profile of these add-ons, including a section on alternatives for Leopard and Tiger users who don't have access to the Mac App Store.
You can check it out at:
http://bit.ly/fxTY1T
Google Chrome Browser Final Updated To Version 10.0.648.205
New in Google Chrome version 10.0.648.205 are an updated version of the Adobe Flash player to address the security vulnerability revealed earlier this week, plus other security fixes.
If you're already using Chrome 10, you can check to see if Chrome has downloaded the automatic update by opening the "About Chrome" sheet from the Chrome menu.
System requirements:
Mac OS X 10.5 and up (Intel only).
For more information, visit:
http://www.google.com/chrome/
OS X Update And The MacBook Air's 3D Graphics Performance Tested
Macworld's James Galbraith notes that the latest OS X 10.6.7 update,, among other things, improved reliability of Back to My Mac, fixed problems with transferring files to certain SMB servers, and resolved issues with the Mac App Store, but that Macworld Lab stumbled across a problem introduced by the 10.6.7 update on the mid-2010 MacBook Airs and have decided to share their findings, the takeaway being that that if you're using a mid-2010 MacBook Air, installing the 10.6.7 update may result in an unwanted decrease in the systems graphics performance.
You can check it out at:
http://bit.ly/hdLG9S
Change OS X Mail Settings To Save Hard Drive Space
MacFixIt's Joe Aimonetti shares a handy tip he discovered that could save you an extremely large amount of hard drive space on your Mac if you're an OS X Mail user.
You can check it out at:
http://cnet.co/hjxPTS
OWC Offers Fix For 2011 17 MBP SATA Problems
OWC blogger Larry says:
In preparation for our official OWC Mercury EXTREME Pro 6G SSD introduction next week, our team has been focused of all aspects of performance of it and including (of course) that offered by the Apple MacBook Pro 2011 laptops, Apple's first computers with a SATA 3.0 (6.0Gb/s) drive port. For over a month, weve been following reports from some MacBook Pro 2011 model users almost exclusively those with 17 models, where issues with other brand 6Gb/s SSDs have been encountered. The main issue reported was that the drive simply wasnt being seen/working.
After investigation, OWC has concluded that this is not a drive related problem, but rather appears to be an internal issue in the MacBook Pros in question, only observed with the 2011 17 MacBook Pros, with 15 and 13 models so far found to be free of the performance drops or sporadic drive recognition, and with confirmed end-user reports with other brand 6.0Gb/s SSDs also appearing confined to the 2011 17 model, and some users reporting that swapping the SATA cable resolved the issue, while others found replacing the cable offered no improvement. They've determined that the cause of the problem seems to be interference possibly related to the battery indicator cable on the 17 models, and that
fortunately the fix is extremely simple, addressab le with a new OWC Shielding Kit available for $9.99.
You can check it out at:
http://bit.ly/h7sU7q
Dropbox 1.1.23 Update Released
Dropbox is an application that creates a special Finder folder that automatically syncs online and between your computers. It allows you to both backup files and keep them up-to-date between systems.
Dropbox gives you access to files are the same no matter where you're working from. This means that you can start working on a computer at school or the office, and finish from your home computer. Never email yourself a file again. Dropbox lets you work from any computer or phone with the confidence that you'll always have everything you need, at least as long as you have Internet access.
Even in the unlikely even of your computer suffering a meltdown, your critical stuff is safe in Dropbox and can be restored easily. Dropbox also lets you undo mistakes and undelete files you might accidentally trash.
You must first sign up to use Dropbox (2GB storage free).
The Dropbox application is available for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux.
Version 1.1.23:
• Translations for Latin American Spanish, French, German, and Japanese.
• Redesigned preferences UI.
• New notification interface for users that don't have growl installed.
• Stability fixes.
System requirements:
• PPC / Intel, Mac OS X 10.4 or later
For more information, visit:
http://bit.ly/g4IwXe
Downloads from:
http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/28731/dropbox
Apple Launches Apple Support Communities
Apple has launched a new site where users can share tips and solutions with others from all around the world.
There are community subsets for various Apple products - both hardware and software.
You can check it out here:
https://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa
A tutorial on how Apple Support Communities works is here:
http://bit.ly/fwwtnH
Security Update Available For Adobe Flash Player
A critical vulnerability has been identified in Adobe Flash Player 10.2.153.1 and earlier versions (Adobe Flash Player 10.2.154.25 and earlier for Chrome users) for Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and Solaris, and Adobe Flash Player 10.2.156.12 and earlier versions for Android. This vulnerability (CVE-2011-0611), as referenced in Security Advisory APSA11-02, could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. There are reports that this vulnerability is being exploited in the wild in targeted attacks via a malicious Web page, or a Flash (.swf) file embedded in a Microsoft Word (.doc) or Microsoft Excel (.xls) file delivered as an email attachment, targeting the Windows platform.
Adobe recommends users of Adobe Flash Player 10.2.153.1 and earlier versions (Adobe Flash Player 10.2.154.25 and earlier versions for Chrome users) for Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and Solaris update to Adobe Flash Player 10.2.159.1 (Adobe Flash Player 10.2.154.27 for Chrome users). Adobe recommends users of Adobe AIR 2.6.19120 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh and Linux update to Adobe AIR 2.6.19140. Adobe expects to make available an update for Adobe Flash Player 10.2.156.12 and earlier versions for Android no later than the week of April 25, 2011.
Affected software versions
• Adobe Flash Player 10.2.153.1 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and Solaris operating systems
• Adobe Flash Player 10.2.154.25 and earlier versions for Chrome users
• Adobe Flash Player 10.2.156.12 and earlier for Android
• Adobe AIR 2.6.19120 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh and Linux
To verify the version of Adobe Flash Player installed on your system, access the About Flash Player page, or right-click on content running in Flash Player and select "About Adobe (or Macromedia) Flash Player" from the menu. If you use multiple browsers, perform the check for each browser you have installed on your system.
Adobe recommends all users of Adobe Flash Player 10.2.153.1 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and Solaris upgrade to the newest version 10.2.159.1 by downloading it from the Adobe Flash Player Download Center. Windows users can install the update via the auto-update mechanism within the product when prompted.
Google Chrome users can update to Chrome version 10.0.648.205 or later.
Adobe recommends users of Adobe AIR 2.6.19120 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh and Linux update to Adobe AIR 2.6.19140.
Adobe expects to make available an update for Adobe Flash Player 10.2.156.12 and earlier versions for Android no later than the week of April 25, 2011.
Severity rating
Adobe categorizes these as critical updates and recommends affected users update their installations to the newest versions.
Details
A critical vulnerability has been identified in Adobe Flash Player 10.2.153.1 and earlier versions (Adobe Flash Player 10.2.154.25 and earlier for Chrome users) for Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and Solaris, and Adobe Flash Player 10.2.156.12 and earlier versions for Android. This vulnerability (CVE-2011-0611), as referenced in Security Advisory APSA11-02, could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. There are reports that this vulnerability is being exploited in the wild in targeted attacks via a malicious Web page, or a Flash (.swf) file embedded in a Microsoft Word (.doc) or Microsoft Excel (.xls) file delivered as an email attachment, targeting the Windows platform.
These updates resolves a memory corruption vulnerability that could lead to code execution (CVE-2011-0611).
Adobe recommends users of Adobe Flash Player 10.2.153.1 and earlier versions (Adobe Flash Player 10.2.154.25 and earlier versions for Chrome users) for Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and Solaris update to Adobe Flash Player 10.2.159.1 (Adobe Flash Player 10.2.154.27 for Chrome users). Adobe recommends users of Adobe AIR 2.6.19120 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh and Linux update to Adobe AIR 2.6.19140. Adobe expects to make available an update for Adobe Flash Player 10.2.156.12 and earlier versions for Android no later than the week of April 25, 2011.
For more information, visit:
http://www.adobe.com/support/security/advisories/apsa11-02.html
Quicksilver 59 Application Launcher (And Much More) Released
Quicksilver is a unified, extensible interface for working with applications, contacts, music, and other data.
Anyone using a computer (and the Macintosh is no exception) spends a lot of time locating files and applications, and then carrying out actions on those items. The Finder is a reasonably good tool for getting a visual overview of the contents of your disk, but it isn't ideal for quickly locating and manipulating files, especially if you have a deep and complicated folder structure, or if you prefer keyboard navigation to using the mouse.
Quicksilver is a light, fast and free Mac OS X application that gives you the power to control your Mac with keystrokes alone.
Want to start the Mail application? Just type "mail" and hit return. Too much typing? Just type m and select Mail from the list of results. Quicksilver learns what you mean by certain abbreviations as you use them. Do this a couple of times and Mail will become the top result.
This isn't limited to applications. It applies to anything in Quicksilver's catalog.
Launching Is A Gateway Drug
Saying that Quicksilver is an application launcher is like saying a car is a drink holder. You can do a wide variety of other things with Quicksilver. Quicksilver blurs the line between thinking about something and simply having it done.
Find It Fast
Quicksilver gives you quick access to the stuff thats important to you. With only a few keystrokes, you can get to your applications, files, contacts, bookmarks, music, etc. But dont get distracted. Quicksilver is about doing, not finding. Finding things is simply a necessary prerequisite (that it happens to handle extremely well).
Type It Like You Think It
Using something like Spotlight to find an Address Book entry for John Smith would require you to search for part of the name, like John. What if you want to find it just by typing js? Quicksilver lets you abbreviate using letters from anywhere in the name. And that means anywhere, not just the beginning of words. Use ps to find Photoshop or tun to find iTunes. Use abbreviations that make sense to you.
Stay Where You Are
There's no need to stop what youre doing and switch applications for simple tasks. Move the file you just downloaded to your Documents folder without ever leaving your web browser. Paste a URL into an e-mail message without switching to your web browser and without copying and pasting. Add something to your To Do List as soon as you think of it and get right back to what youre doing.
Grab And Go
Select files or text and do something with them immediately. Quicksilver can grab the current selection from almost any application. Use text to search the web or append it to a file. Grab files and delete them, move them or send them.
Do It Backwards
Many actions are reversible. You can select a search engine then enter some text to find. But if you already have the text selected (or copied to the clipboard), you can do the reverse: grab the text then select a search engine to send it to.
You can select a contact and e-mail them a file, or you can select a file and e-mail it to a contact.
No thinking. No planning. No adjusting. Just doing.
Keep Finder At Arms Length
Quicksilver allows you to do all sorts of things with files, including moving, copying, renaming and deleting. It also allows you to navigate your entire file system (including hidden files) whether the files are in its catalog or not. Just add a few important top-level folders to the catalog and you can drill down from there as needed.
Still Not Fast Enough?
If you find yourself doing something frequently, you can speed up the task even more by assigning a trigger to it. Triggers can be activated by keyboard shortcuts or mouse movements.
Do more
There are many plug-ins that extend the functionality even further. Change the interface appearance. Access information from web-based services. Access your browsers bookmarks and history.
What About Spotlight?
Spotlight is fantastic and it certainly has its place, but it's no substitute for Quicksilver. Spotlight knows about everything. Quicksilver concentrates on just the things you care about. Spotlight is about finding things. Quicksilver is about finding things (faster) and then doing something with what youve found. Spotlight only deals with files. Quicksilver gives you access to things that dont necessarily exist as a file. Spotlight can show your dads entry in the Address Book. Quicksilver can show your dads work phone number. Spotlight forces you to think when you search. Quicksilver allows you to just start typing and get what you want. Maybe not the first time you type it, but the third or fourth time for sure.
New in version 59:
- PLUGIN: Items labelled with this tag are for plugins available from http://qsapp.com/plugins
- NEW: New 'Latest Download' proxy, corresponding to the latest file in the ~/Downloads folder (Bug #70)
- NEW: Auto Update of Application using QSApp.com (this is the last time you'll ever have to go looking for a new release!)
- NEW: New menu bar icon
- NEW: French localisation for the Finder Module
- NEW: German localisation for actions
- NEW: an 'Open Url in Background action'. Also set as alternate action to 'Open URL' (hit CMD+RTN)
- NEW: Speed improvements through the use of 'fast enumeration' in Leopard and Snow Leopard
- NEW: Added 'descend into bundle' option for catalog entries (containing Mac OS X bundles)
- NEW: Changes to build Quicksilver as a 64 bit application in the future
- NEW: Proxy objects for applications and windows use the correct application's icon
- NEW: PPC build support removed
- PLUGIN: New Cyberduck Plugin
- PLUGIN: Mail Module fixed to allow right arrowing
- PLUGIN: UI Elements plugin updated to enable menu services (Bug #19)
- PLUGIN: Fix small clipboard leak
- PLUGIN: New Yojimbo plugin
- PLUGIN: New 1Password Module for interaction with 1Password
- PLUGIN: New Remote Hosts Module
- PLUGIN: Fixed Dictionary Plugin to work with 10.5+
- PLUGIN: Pinboard.in added to del.icio.us Plugin
- PLUGIN: Added 'Current Focused Window' proxy to UI Elements Plugin
- PLUGIN: Newly written documentation on plugin development (see Quicksilver Plugins source on GitHub)
- CHANGE: Framework and source code tidy up
- CHANGE: Updated deprecated NSFileManager actions (10.5+)
- CHANGE: Changed links to reflect change to QSApp.com website
- CHANGE: Quietened noisy logs, giving less (unwanted) console logs
- FIX: AppleScript 'Process Text' fix (Bug #144)
- FIX: 'Do Not Open At Login' action fixed (Bug #35)
- FIX: Proxy Objects now work again as previously (Bug #8 & more)
- FIX: A crash when installing an already installed plugin
- FIX: Application actions now work again (Bug #102 & #7)
- FIX: Calling AppleScripts now works as expected (revert old commit)
- FIX: Disabled items in catalog are now ignored
- FIX: Typos and incorrect tooltips (Bug #138 & more)
- FIX: 'Make Hard Link' and 'Make Link' actions fixed
- FIX: Memory leak fixes as returned by Clang checker
- FIX: Show Quicksilver Command Window when a result is required to be shown
- FIX: AppleScript actions now show the result in the Quicksilver Command Window
- FIX: Fixed build warnings within XCode, and made Source Code compiling much quicker and easier
- FIX: Crashes on interface rapid changing
- FIX: Make the 'Eject' action validate to reduce lag/wait times (Bug #56)
- FIX: Sizing of drawers in the Quicksilver preferences (Bug #71)
- FIX: Task viewer now reliably loads (Bug #119)
- FIX: Webkit fixes (Bug #113)
Several versions of Quicksilver exist for maximum compatibility with all Mac OS X operating systems. Download the recommended version for your operating system:
.
- Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
- Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, 10.4 Tiger
- Mac OS X 10.3 Panther
For more information, visit:
http://qsapp.com/
For a list of available plugins and plugin download links, see the plugins repository.
http://qsapp.com/plugins/
Sleek, Energy Efficient, MSI X370 Notebook Powered by AMD Accelerated Processor Arrives in North America
MSI Computer Corp. has announced that it's now shipping its X370, a 13.4 notebook powered by the efficient AMD Dual-Core E-350 APU platform, which helps this unit achieve up to ten hours of battery life and at the same time deliver exceptional graphics performance.
Despite the svelte design of this 3.1 pound unit, the MSI X370 notebook delivers HD multimedia entertainment experience powered by AMD Radeon HD 6310 Discrete-Class graphics with Microsoft DirectX 11 support. Additionally, the notebook's power saving LED backlit display provides bright color and enhances overall picture quality while extending battery life.
With the launch of the X370, MSI is also expanding its support for Smallbean, a Boston-based non-profit that helps cross the digital divide by bringing technology to the developing world. By donating ten X-Series notebooks to their effort, MSI is supporting the creation of an innovative educational and cultural hub in a rural community in Tanzania. The Smallbean ESCARGO prototype computer lab will be self-sufficient: it will generate revenue to support its operation through the rental of battery units to the community powered by excess solar capacity from solar panels on its own roof.
"The solar power captured on the roof of our computer lab in Tanzania charges the notebooks and provides clean, renewable energy for the village," says Sean Hewens, founder and executive director of Smallbean. "The MSI X370 is the perfect design for our use in areas where energy is scarce. You can't use just any notebook in these conditions. This project is coming to life because of the functionality that MSI created in its X Series notebooks."
"We designed the X370 for those who want a fully functioning notebook in a compact form, with long battery life," comments Andy Tung, vice president of sales for MSI US. "Most of us think of battery life in terms of convenience: time away from our office or power cord. Its innovators like Smallbean that remind us that longer battery life also means using less power, which is what truly makes a difference in rural areas, and around the world."
Specs for the X370 X-Slim notebook (MSRP $599.99) can be found here:
http://www.msimobile.com/level3_productpage.aspx?cid=4&id=293
The unit is available for purchase on Newegg.com and Amazon.com. For more information, visit:
http://www.msimobile.com/
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