Spotlight On Apple’s Upcoming Desktop Search Engine
- Spotlight resides in Tiger's menu bar and is indicated by a
magnifying glass icon. And unlike Internet-based search engines,
Spotlight query results begin appearing as soon as the user starts
typing, instead of waiting until the Enter key is pressed. Results are
also "up-to-the-moment accurate." Do Not Underestimate The Power Of Automator
- Since the latest Power Mac was announced a couple of weeks before
WWDC, the hardware wow-factor was left entirely to the new displays.
Had the Dual 2.5GHz been launched in the keynote, I wonder how the
crowd would have responded--the promised 3GHz not delivered. I suspect
it is this fact more than any other which has caused the perceived
disappointment in the latest batch of keynote goodies
Widget wars: thoughts on the Konfabulator-Dashboard brouhaha
- The Konfabulator-Dashboard issue is a public relations nightmare for
Apple. The company should have seen it coming and did nothing to
diffuse it (couldn’t they have at least considered using another term
besides “widgets”?). However, after culling through all the info I can
get my hands on and speaking to some industry folks, I’ve concluded
that there are enough differences between the two utilities that
Apple’s biggest snafu is exhibiting a major lack of tact.
Screens from Apple's Mac OS X 10.4, aka Tiger
- Mac programmers attending Apple Computer Inc.'s recent Worldwide
Developers Conference in San Francisco found a special treat tucked
into their knapsacks: A preview copy of Mac OS X 10.4, aka "Tiger."
Software Makes a Tiger of Panther
- But to users of some third-party Mac utilities, not all the nifty
data-hunting features demonstrated in Tiger were wholly new. Existing
utilities stir some Tiger-like features into current versions of OS X,
and they provide some of the potency of next-generation search well
before Tiger makes it official.
Apple's Human Interface Issues
- There used to be a time when the user interface came first at
Apple. The Mac OS was the model of what a GUI should be. Many years and
millions of dollars were spent designing the interface to be as simple,
non-obtrusive, and consistent as possible. Unfortunately all that time
and money went to waste when OSX came out. Apple threw out many of the
rules that had made the Mac so simple to use
Apple Releases Rendezvous for Windows Technology Preview
- Rendezvous is Apple's Open Source-based networking technology.
Rendezvous allows for zero-configuration networking between
applications, computers, printers, and other devices
Why you WANT a 64-bit Mac OS X 10.4
- But why is 64-bit computing so important? Other than the latest
version of Adobe Photoshop, no Mac OS program takes advantage of the
newer G5 processors. So let’s look (briefly) at what 64-bit processing
means to the Mac market, and why you want it.
Apple Lets Cat out of the Bag
- Users will be able to use queries to create smart folders that
automatically archive new material corresponding to specified search
terms. Jobs showed Spotlight working in Apple's Mail application; a
smart "Paris" folder archived messages mentioning the French capital,
and new messages would be added as they arrive, he said
Apple unveils faster searching tool
- Spotlight can scour through more than 100,000 files in less a second.
It achieves this by using special classifying information known as
"metadata", which is automatically tagged to documents to provide a
simple description
OSX 10.4 preview: hits and misses
- The news of banners poking fun at Microsoft made people think that
the new operating system would be something to contend with. With
statements like "This should keep Redmond busy", one would expect some
radical improvement to this new OS... but most of the changes were
under the hood and most of them showed a company that seems to be on
the defensive. Let's look at what they offered and what are the hits
and misses in this new OS
Apple Previews Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger"
- Developers in attendance at the WWDC were very impressed with the new
technologies and tools built into Mac OS X. Video Units, Image Units,
Spotlight, the new iChat version, Safari RSS, the .Mac SDK...all of
these announcements were greeted warmly by the packed ha
Apple Previews Mac OS X Server “Tiger”
- “ With more than 200 new features, Tiger Server is the best release
of Mac OS X Server ever,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice
president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Tiger Server combines over
100 of the best solutions from the open source world with Apple’s
legendary ease-of-use to create the easiest way to deploy powerful open
source server solutions.”
Is Mac OS X Going to Go Open Source? -
Its effects on the long-term development of Mac OS X have been
astounding. Just five years ago, there was little hope in sight for the
Mac OS to become a modern operating system. Yet, thanks to Darwin, this
vision was realised despite the fantastic failures of some of Mac OS
X's predecessors. What's been missing from the Mac OS X open source
equation is Mac OS X's frameworks and UI
Release the Tigers! A Top Ten Wishlist
- Here are some predictions. Firstly, people will complain that they
will have to pay for it. They'll say we bought 10.1, we bought Jaguar
and then Panther. They'll whine and complain and talk about how much it
costs. To these trouble-makers I have a very simple response. Don't buy
it. Last time I checked car manufactures make you pay for that new
improved car released months after you purchased your new car. It costs
money to pay people to innovate. Enough said.
Apple's Next Operating System
- Jobs got my attention as well with something called "Automator," an
application that will make it much easier for regular folks to wire
together various functions from various applications, to save time and
automate repetitive activities. An example from Monday's show was a
series of automated steps downloading photos from a relative's Web
site, putting them into the Mac iPhoto image-organizing, then loading
them into DVD-making software and, finally, creating a DVD slide show
complete with a soundtrack
Mac OS X Tiger: Overview
- Tiger keeps up Apple’s blazing pace of innovation with more than 150
breakthrough new features, including Spotlight, a revolutionary new way
to find files and information on your personal computer; Safari RSS, a
new version of Apple’s innovative web browser that provides instant
access to the most current RSS information on the web; Dashboard, a
dazzling new way to get in and out of a collection of new all-purpose
“widgets” quickly; and iChat AV multi-way video and audio conferencing,
the industry’s first consumer solution with a stunning 3D interface.
Apple 'launches Longhorn' with better search, graphics
- Many of the features due to appear Microsoft's Longhorn will appear a
year early in Mac OS X "Tiger", Apple claimed today. The next major
revision does indeed offer some benefits that OS vendors have been
talking about for more than a decade, such as real-time content
retrieval, and point and click scripting. But there are other
attractions amongst the ten CEO Steve Jobs showcased this morning at
Apple's Annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), such as APIs for
video and image manipulation libraries which will be bundled withe OS,
real 64-bit addressing, and iChat video conferencing. But the stars are
undoubtedly search and scripting
Jobs Unveils Tiger—for 2005
- Apple CEO Steve Jobs had good and bad news for software creators
Monday at the Worldwide Developers Conference here: While the next
version of Mac OS X will afford Mac developers plenty of new
capabilities for their applications, Apple won't spring the "Tiger"
release on end-users until the first half of 2005
Apple Previews Mac OS X “Tiger” -
Apple® today previewed Mac OS X version 10.4 “Tiger,” the fifth major
version of Mac OS X that will ship in the first half of 2005, extending
Apple’s leadership in software innovation. Tiger continues Apple’s
blazing pace of innovation with more than 150 breakthrough new features
including Spotlight, a revolutionary way to instantly find any file,
document or information created by any application on the Mac; Safari™
RSS, a new version of Apple’s acclaimed web browser that incorporates
instant access to RSS (Really Simple Syndication) data feeds on the
web; Dashboard, a dazzling new way to instantly access a new collection
of accessory “Widgets;” and a new version of Apple’s iChat instant
messaging client with the industry’s first multi-person audio and video
conferencing in a stunning 3D interface
Running Mac OS X Panther: Inside Mac OS X's Core
- James Davidson has targeted the advanced user who wants to learn
useful advanced Macintosh techniques, but does not want swim through a
1000 page technical reference. It's a pleasure to find a book that
covers complex material in a readable way, without losing focus amidst
a flood of geeky detail.
Best of 2004 - Operating System
- Panther's sleek interface and reliable performance are impressive.
Although we aren't suggesting that you ditch your hardware and buy a
Mac, Apple deserves credit for raising the bar for OSs. And we hope
Microsoft is paying attention as it works on the next Windows
Apple: X update tightens security
- Reports from security experts Secunia and Security Trackerboth offer
Apple's claims that the update repairs an "issue in NFS (Network File
System) logging when tracing system calls"
Tiger to Be Unleashed at Apple Event
- Apple Computer Inc. CEO Steve Jobs will let the company’s latest cat
out of the bag when he offers the details of Tiger—Mac OS X version
10.4—in his Worldwide Developers Conference keynote June 28 at San
Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center
Mac OS X "Panther" 10.3.4 update
- I typically wait a day or two after an OS update is released to see
what horrifying problems others encounter. I'd been checking the reader
report updates at MacInTouch and saw none of the problems people
reported would be show-stoppers for me
Mac OS X Multiple Unspecified Vulnerabilities - Apple has issued an updated version of Mac OS X, which fixes some unspecified vulnerabilities
Don't worry - just pay attention to OS X security
- I think that we've all been a bit lazy about security issues since OS
X shipped. Despite some some Henny Penny attitudes and details of
recent exploits - overblown Trojan Horse scares, the fake Microsoft
Office installer silliness, warnings from Secunia over URI (uniform
resource identifier) security holes - Mac OS X remains a sturdy
platform. But, no operating system with links to the outside world is
going to be perfectly secure, and we need to be more diligent - and
smarter - about securing our systems
Mac Office Suite: Upgrade or Wait?
- I'm trying to decide whether to move to the latest version of
Microsoft's Mac OS version of Office. Some of the comments over on
Macintouch are a little too worry-making.
Mac OS 10.3.4 Update has Bluetooth Caller ID
- I just tested it. You have to pair your bluetooth phone in address
book, and a little pop up comes up, like bluephonemenu. The dialog
choices are: add card/log call, sms reply, hang up, answer
Mac OS X update fails to fix vulnerability
- A major revision of Apple's Mac OS X operating system released this
week fails to come bundled with a vital, recently-issued security fix.
A security patch (2004-05-24) which guards against a vulnerability in
the Help viewer sub-system is absent from the Mac OS X version 10.3.4,
despite claims to the contrary by Apple
Introduction to Apple Software Design Guidelines
- These guidelines are intended to help guide you through the obstacles
that confront Mac OS X developers. They cover different aspects of the
design process and offers tips on how you can use Mac OS X features
effectively in your design
10.3.4 Update Is Happy Chocolate Fun Time.
- It's weird. The only one who didn't seem to think this was weird was
Masako. She installed it immediately and has been humming this little
tune all day
OS X Tools Help Westlake Interactive Bring Halo To The Mac
- Mac gamers have historically had a rough time of it; game makers
looking to make a buck normally won't develop a new game title for the
Mac because of low market share. Games appear on PCs first, then
theymight make it to the Mac. Lately, however, the gaming prospects on
the Mac have improved greatly. That's thanks in part to Westlake
Interactive, which has helped bring top notch games like Return to
Castle Wolfenstein, and Unreal Tournament 2004 to the Mac
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