This week, our minds turn to keeping your data safe. Glenn Fleishman follows up on security-related changes in the recently released Mac OS X 10.3.4, we look at Apple’s latest (and most important) security update, and David Shayer reviews Tech Tool Pro 4. If data integrity isn’t music to your ears, read Glenn’s coverage of Apple’s new AirPort Express with AirTunes, which brings music from your Mac to your stereo via Wi-Fi. We also note the releases of Six Degrees 2.0, Eudora 6.1.1, PowerMail 5, and Ergonis’s KeyCue.
Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.3.4 Update -- Apple has released Mac OS X 10.3.4, a free update for owners of Mac OS X 10.3 Panther. (A similar update was also released for Mac OS X Server 10.3.) Apple says the update addresses issues in Mail, Safari, Address Book, Stickies, QuickTime Player, and DVD Player; and improves behavior with iPods connected via USB 2.0, mass storage devices, and video cameras connected to PowerBooks via FireWire
Creo Six Degrees 2.0 Supports More Email Programs -- Creo has released a major update to Six Degrees, their utility for connecting related email messages, files, and people for coherent project management
Ergonis's KeyCue Offers Keyboard Shortcut Cheat Sheet -- KeyCue is a simple but ingenious Mac OS X application from Ergonis Software, makers of the invaluable PopChar X (see "Panther-Prepared PopChar Published" in TidBITS-699)
Eudora 6.1.1 Released -- Qualcomm has released Eudora 6.1.1, a minor update to the company's popular email program. Bug fixes include a fix to importing from Apple Mail, tweaks to Eudora's Bayesian-based spam filter, and other minor fixes
PowerMail 5 Released -- In other email news, CTM Development has shipped PowerMail 5, a major revision of their email client. PowerMail 5 features tight integration with Michael Tsai's excellent SpamSieve for spam filtering, significant performance improvements throughout, additional filter actions, automatic deletion of trashed mail after a user-specified number of days, support for long file names and aliases for attachments, fully customizable toolbars, multiple Undos for various message management actions, and more
Just as we were about to wrap this issue, including a brief bit about an update to Paranoid Android - Unsanity's hack for warning the user about the launching of unknown URL schemes - Apple released Security Update 2004-06-07, which claims to fix all of the recently identified security vulnerabilities in Mac OS X (see our articles on the topic in TidBITS-731 for full details on what was broken).
In short, the security update revises Launch Services so it alerts the user to applications that have not been explicitly launched before (with a dialog along the lines of the one Parano
Apple fixed two security gaps in the recent Mac OS X 10.3.4 release, and although they aren't at the level of the URL scheme failure documented in our last issue and now addressed by Security Update 2004-06-07 (covered earlier in this issue), it's worth mentioning a few details.
The first problem involved encrypted connections for AppleShare servers using the SSH (Secure Shell) protocol
What's slightly larger than a PowerBook power brick, has three ports, and talks Wi-Fi? Apple's latest wireless entry, the AirPort Express, a 6.7-ounce (189 gram) 802.11g base station
A few months ago in TidBITS I compared the various disk repair programs then available for Mac OS X: Norton Utilities 8.0 ($100), DiskWarrior 3.0 ($80), Drive 10 1.1.4 ($70), Disk Guardian 2.2 ($70), and Apple's Disk Utility (free)
The second URL below each thread description points to the discussion on our Web Crossing server, which will be much faster, though it doesn't yet use our preferred design.
Mac Browser Security Hole -- Readers continue to discuss the Mac OS X security vulnerabilities discovered over the past few weeks (23 messages)
Tactile Pro Keyboard feedback -- TidBITS sponsor Matias asks for reader opinion on offering a keyboard with modified Option and Control keys