Stan's List

Security Update 2008-005 addresses one of the most talked about vulnerabilities

Security Update 2008-005 is recommended for all users and improves the security of Mac OS X. Previous security updates have been incorporated into this security update.

Macworld’s Apple’s unforgivable DNS delay

According to the words we long to hear:

iTunes 7.7.1 includes fixes to improve stability and performance.

Available only via Software Update. Was not listed on the Apple Downloads page (8:00 P.M.)

RealPlayer has patched a number security vulnerabilities, a good number critical. As for Mac, the update addresses a buffer overflow due to an error in handing Shockwave Flash files, the rest are mainly for the darkside. Download

Attempting to do damage control, Apple is providing MobileMe status updates. The first status report is dated Friday, and states a further update for this weekend, and update about every two days.

The report includes details of the mail outage caused by a server blocking certain members, even permanently loosing email. Also, some details of the launch difficulties, and as guessed, Apple failed to anticipate the level of traffic. Increasing server capacity and fixing over 70 bugs likely contributed to more reliable operation a couple of days later.

The page has an RSS feed, which I recommend MobileMe members use as you can see when new posts are made.

Apollo, Hubble, space station and Earth, part of 21 marvelous NASA collections, has been made available. In partnership with the non-profit Internet Archive, all the images are accessed by either a search, time line or general categories, like space, planets and astronauts.

Just made available, the server(s) are being overwhelmed, and following message appears:

NASA Images is experiencing high load, please wait 30 seconds and reload.

In fact, other than the main page, that is all I am viewing. Don’t give up, just come back in a few days.

Apple Care: If one or more of your Safari Bookmarks is an RSS feed, MobileMe Sync will not sync the number of read/unread articles between Mac OS X 10.4 and Mac OS X 10.5.

Oh well, this is arguably one of the briefest descriptions yet:

What’s new about AirPort Extreme Update 2008-002:

This update is recommended for all Intel-based Macintosh computers and improves the reliability of AirPort connections.

This is an airplane that’s stuck on the runway for hours with no food or working bathroom. And the pilot doesn’t come on the P.A. system to tell the customers what the problem is, what’s being done to fix it, how much longer they might be stuck, and how he empathizes with their plight. Instead, he comes on once every three hours to repeat the same thing: ‘We apologize for the inconvenience.’ MobileMess, indeed. New York Times: Pogue’s Posts

A mail and newsgroup reader, the update addresses some low to moderate security issues.

Mac 101: VoiceOver

Mac 101: TextEdit

Mac 101: iChat

Mac 101: iCal

Mac 101: Automator

Mac 101: Address Book

Mac 101: Mac Essentials

Mac 101: Modify Your Windows

Mac 101: The Desktop

Mac 101: The Finder

Mac 101: Spotlight

Mac 101: Safari

Mac 101: QuickTime Player

Mac 101: Preview

Mac 101: Mail

Mac 101: iTunes

Mac 101: iSync

Mac OS X: How to Share a Computer With Other Users