Tag Archives: OS X

OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.3, Security Update 2013-001 now available.

Posted by isenze on

Apple has released OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.3 and the first security update of 2013. The update includes a number of good improvements including:

  • The ability to redeem iTunes gift cards in the Mac App Store using the built-in camera on a Mac.
  • Boot Camp support for installing Windows 8 and Macs with a 3 TB hard drive.
  • Various fixes for issues that cause a URL to quit apps unexpectedly, that might cause Logic Pro to become unresponsive and stuttering audio on 2011 iMacs.
  • The update also includes Safari 6.0.3.

The update is available via Software Update or through the Mac App Store. You can find the full support document on Apple’s support site.

Source: TUAW.

Late 2012 Macs Unable to Re-Install OS X Mountain Lion or Restore from Time Machine Backups.

Posted by isenze on

If you’re a proud owner of one of Apple’s late-2012 Macs, including the latest Mac Mini, the new ultra-thin iMacs, and the 13-inch and 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, you may have a more difficult time than usual re-installing Mountain Lion on your Mac, or restoring from a Time Machine backup.

Yawning-lion

A strange issue affecting these Macs renders it impossible to re-download the OS X Mountain Lion installer from the Mac App Store, resulting in an error stating that your Mac is not compatible with Mountain Lion (despite the fact that it shipped with Mountain Lion in the first place). Further, if you happen to have the latest version of the OS X Mountain Lion installer on hand, you won’t be able to use it, as the same error is displayed upon launching the installer.

Screen Shot 2013-02-25 at 11.18.32 PM

The issue doesn’t stop at preventing you from downloading or using the downloaded OS X Mountain Lion installer, however – it also prevents you from re-installing Mountain Lion using the Recovery partition. I was able to work around that specific issue by repairing the install volume permissions immediately before attempting to reinstall, however.

Screen Shot 2013-02-26 at 10.35.44 AM

Worse still, the issue also prevents users from restoring from a Time Machine backup using the Recovery partition. Any attempt to do so results in a message stating “An error occurred while adding a recovery system to the destination disk.” The message directs users to restart their Macs and try again – but unfortunately, restarting does not make a difference in the slightest. Instead of using the Recovery partition to restore from a Time Machine backup, users must use the Migration Assistant app from within a complete OS X Mountain Lion install.

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Previously, a seemingly related issue prevented users of late 2012 Macs from updating to OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.2. Apple released Supplemental Update 2 to address the issue – but even with that update installed, the issue persists. This issue is also much broader than the 10.8.2 update issue, as it also affects using the Recovery partition and restoring from a backup.

I’ve verified the issue with my own 27-inch iMac, and made calls to several Apple Authorized Resellers (thanks to the staff at Simply Mac and Weber State University!), all of whom confirmed that the issue is present on all of their display units of the new 2012 iMacs and Mac Minis. I was unable to verify the issue on the 13-inch and 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro – but I have heard reports that the issue ranges to those devices as well.

Screen Shot 2013-02-26 at 11.03.26 AM

It’s unclear just how long this issue has been present – it may well have existed ever since the affected Macs were first launched. Even reinstalling the OS X 10.8.2 Combo Update fails to address the issue, presenting the same “incompatibility” error. We’ve reached out to Apple for comment, but so far have not received a response. Apple has been testing the OS X 10.8.3 update since November of 2012, which will hopefully address this issue.

It’s concerning that Apple hasn’t manage to patch the apparent long-term issue in meantime however, leaving their customers in a sticky situation after spending their hard-earned cash on new Macs. Disappointing indeed. I guess spending thousands of dollars simply isn’t enough to ensure that you’ll end up with a product that “just works”…

Source:MacTrast.

Find The Download Manager Again In iTunes 11.

Posted by isenze on

Find The Download Manager Again In iTunes 11 [OS X Tips]

Look, iTunes 11, I love you and all, but where’s all my stuff? First I needed to figure out the Up Nextthing, retool my Search habits, figure out how to make a Genius playlist again, and now I can’t even find the Downloads window. What gives?

If you’re in the same boat, we’re here to help. If you have re-enabled the Sidebar, you’ll notice that there’s no way to click on Downloads any more. Even when there’s a download happening. Here’s the thing: the Downloads window will never be there. iTunes 11 has moved it. Here’s how to find it again.

Don’t bother looking for the Downloads window in any of the menus. It isn’t there. Nope. The only way to get to it, oddly enough, is when you’re actually downloading something. Odd, right?

Anyway, to test this out, find a free TV show or something, and get it downloading. You’ll notice a new little arrow, facing downward, showing up in the upper right corner of your (maximized) iTunes 11 window. It won’t show up in the mini-player.

Click on that arrow icon and you’ll get the Downloads window, complete with the ability to sort by kind, name, or status. You can use the buttons at the bottom of the Downloads window to Pause all the downloaded items, allow or disallow simultaneous downloads, or click on yet another downward-facing arrow to check for available downloads that are probably actually downloading at the same time, which is so comprehensive it’s almost redundant. Once your download is finished, the Downloads window stays up. Once you close it, however, it’s game over until you start a new download. Why? I don’t know. Because Apple, that’s why.

Anyway, now you can get to the Downloads Manager, manage your downloads, and do the things you’ve always done with them. Like watch that little blue line slowly crawl across your screen. I wonder how much of my life I’ve actually spent, cumulatively, staring at progress bars like that. I probably don’t want to know.

Source:Cult of Mac.

Mac Users Just Can’t Stop Themselves From Updating To The Latest Version Of OS X.

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Mac Users Just Can’t Stop Themselves From Updating To The Latest Version Of OS X

One of the things I’ve always appreciated about Apple is how they approach upgrades. While companies like Microsoft sell their operating systems at an exorbitant licensing cost, Apple has favored an approach in which they release their operating system upgrades either for free (as with iOS) or at a low cost that anyone can afford.

The benefits are big. Updated versions of operating systems tend to be more secure, which helps guarantee OS X’s lead over Windows when it comes to malware. Naturally, then, Mac users tend to adopt new versions of OS X faster than Windows users upgrade, but the statistical disparity might surprise you.

According to a new study by Net Applications measuring operating system and browser adoption rates amongst visitors of about 40,000 web sites, Lion and Mountain Lion were both installed on 29% of all Macs within five months of release. Snow Leopard fared slightly better and was installed on 32 percent of all Macs within five months.

How does Windows compare? Not well. The best-selling version of Windows to date is Windows 7, which was installed on only 11% of all PICs after five months. Vista fared even worse, having showed up on only 5% of all PCs after five months.

What about Windows 8? Well, it’s too early to say, but it looks like it’s more a Vista than a 7. No surprise, really, given what a huge paradigm shift it is from the standard Windows experience.

Source:Cult of Mac.

How to Activate and Use the Paper Tape in OS X’s Calculator App.

Posted by isenze on

Apple’s Calculator app, included in OS X, is a handy tool for performing both quick calculations as well as more advanced functions. When calculating several numbers at once, however, it can become tedious to keep track of them, especially if you make a mistake at some point in the sequence.

Thankfully, Apple includes a paper tape feature that many new (and even some veteran) Mac users have not yet discovered. To display your paper tape, press Command – T or go to Window > Show Paper Tape.

Apple OS X Calculator Show Paper Tape

A paper tape window will appear next to your calculator and will proceed to keep track of and display previous calculations and results.

Here, for example, we’ll add up some receipts from a business trip. As we enter each dollar amount and press Return, the calculation and its solution are displayed from top to bottom in the paper tape window. If a mistake is made, or if you need to stop entering calculations to tend to something else, the paper tape makes it easy to go back to the last correct calculation and resume from there.

Apple OS X Paper Tape

The paper tape will also keep track of multiple calculations as they are performed, allowing you to easily reference, or carry forward, previous results. Once all of your calculations are complete, press “Clear” at the bottom of the paper tape window to clear all entries.

Addition is most basic example of the benefits of the paper tape. Its value is enhanced further as more advanced calculations are performed.

So if you’ve ever found yourself jotting down numbers in TextEdit or, heaven forbid, on a piece of paper, stop and immediately turn on Calculator’s paper tape function!

Source:The Mac Observer.

MacGameStore App now available for OS X gamers. Free!

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The Mac App Store has been a huge success for Apple, but do you want to bother all of those productivity apps and utilities when all you really want is a solid gaming session?  MacGameStore.com has released the Mac Game Store app. The free download allows you to easily find, purchase and download Mac games.

The name should be familiar to Mac gamers, as MacGameStore.com was providing a place to find and download digital content before app stores were a glimmer in Apple’s eye.

From the press release:

Mac Game Store has an extensive library of Mac Games with new games being added daily. This new app offers a greater insight to games by providing game screenshots, game trailers, community reviews, and game ratings. Mac Game Store App utilizes the cloud so games are downloaded extremely quickly. In addition, the app allows the option for customers to store their games in the cloud.

The new App has many features such as its Game Space Manager, where you can organize all of your Mac games in one easy place. Visitors can get this small 3MB App for free from the MacGameStore website. The free App is also included when downloading any game from the website. The MacGameStore App is your best one stop shop for all the latest Mac games.

The MacGameStore app is available for free, requires OS X v10.5.8 or later.

 

Source: macgamestore.