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TidBITS#1165/18-Mar-2013

The big news this week came from Google, not with something new, but with the cancellation of something old: Google Reader. Josh Centers offers some suggestions for alternatives, if you’re accustomed to reading RSS news feeds via Google Reader or syncing them between devices with other RSS apps. And Adam Engst takes advantage of the opportunity to look more deeply into what the shuttering of Google Reader means in terms of tools versus platforms, publishers versus distributors, and the infinitude of Internet information. Bringing things back down to earth, Adam also looks at the OS X 10.8.3 update, and Joe Kissell introduces FlippedBITS, a new column aimed at correcting technology misconceptions, with the first installment aimed at explaining what to watch out for when booting from a duplicate of your hard disk. Notable software releases this week include Security Update 2013-001 for Snow Leopard and Lion, MacBook Pro Retina SMC Update 1.1, Pear Note 3.1, LaunchBar 5.4.2, Microsoft Office 2011 14.3.2 and 2008 12.3.6, Default Folder X 4.5.8, and Dropbox 2.0.

Joe Kissell 21 comments

FlippedBITS: Booting Your Mac from a Duplicate

Bootable duplicates are an important part of a complete backup strategy. But when you have to boot a Mac from such a disk — even if only temporarily — things may not always behave as you expect. Joe Kissell sheds light on some of the common points of pain and confusion when starting a Mac from a duplicate.

TidBITS Staff No comments

ExtraBITS for 18 March 2013

On the Web this week, Andy Rubin of Google’s Android team steps aside, Adam Engst talks about the demise of Google Reader and how tools are becoming platforms on MacVoices, Microsoft walks back a strict and unfriendly licensing scheme for Office for Mac 2011, and our brainboxes are puzzling the implications of Dropbox buying Mailbox.