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TidBITS#853/30-Oct-06

Most of the news this week revolves around Apple’s portable Macs, as the company releases new Core 2 Duo-powered MacBook Pros and a firmware update for the MacBook that fixes sudden shutdowns. Plus, Glenn Fleishman looks at a new Bluetooth-related security exploit that’s likely to affect only laptop users (if anyone at all). Also with an eye toward helping you improve your security, Joe Kissell contributes a look at the humble but essential login password; this is an excerpt from his just-released ebook, “Take Control of Passwords in Mac OS X.” In other news, Adobe releases a beta audio tool called Soundbooth, we announce a new sponsor, .Mac’s webmail interface receives a major makeover, and we release the second and third editions, respectively, of “Take Control of Buying a Mac” and “Take Control of Buying a Digital Camera.”

Mark H. Anbinder No comments

MacBook Pro Gets Core 2 Duo, FireWire 800

Apple upgraded its entire MacBook Pro line of professional laptops last week, incorporating Intel's new Core 2 Duo processor instead of the Core Duo processor introduced early this year (see "Intel-Based iMac and MacBook Pro Ship Earlier than Expected," 16-Jan-06)

Jeff Carlson No comments

Adobe Releases Soundbooth Beta

Adobe has been burning the development oil lately. After garnering attention with its Photoshop Lightroom beta, last week it released a public beta of Adobe Soundbooth, an apparent competitor to Apple's Soundtrack Pro that is "focused on creative professionals without audio expertise, or those who prefer an application focused on making short work of the most common tasks they handle every day

Adam Engst No comments

Microsoft Sponsoring TidBITS

Halloween, at least in the United States, is upon us, and we're pleased to welcome, along with the usual bunch of trick-or-treating kids, our latest long-term sponsor, Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit, more commonly known as MacBU and pronounced, at least for Halloween, as MacBOO! (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Microsoft has sponsored TidBITS at various times over our 16-year history, but I hadn't known the current folks in the MacBU before the conversations that led to this sponsorship, conversations that started in response to their desire to make the MacBU a more active member of the Macintosh community

Joe Kissell No comments

.Mac Webmail Gets a Makeover

Last week Apple rolled out a major overhaul to the email portion of the .Mac Web site. With the changes, the .Mac webmail interface looks and acts strikingly similar to Apple's Mail application

Glenn Fleishman No comments

Unpatched Macs Face Bluetooth Root Exploit

Security software developer Intego last week issued a press release about a significant proof-of-concept Bluetooth exploit that has been dubbed "Inqtana.d Bluetooth." This exploit works via a flaw in the Bluetooth short-range wireless networking standard, and could affect only Macs running unpatched versions of Mac OS X 10.3 Panther and Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger (which is why we recommend installing Apple's security updates!)

Adam Engst No comments

Take Control News/30-Oct-06

Move to a New Mac with Adam's Latest Ebook -- Last week, we released the second edition of my "Take Control of Buying a Mac," which now features complete details about the Intel-based Macs that have taken over Apple's product line