Mac System Fun

I came across two very different configurations for Mac OS based systems this week. One is a mod and the other a conceptual study. The first hails form the Steampunk world which brought you the Steampunk Keyboard. The other is a conceptual rendering of a curved, future iMac. The Steampunk Mac Mini is a physical modification of the Mac Mini and peripherals into what looks like a Mac conceived under Victorian technological sensibilities ... kinda cool actually. The mod has been featured at the Steampunk Workshop. Well worth a look if you ask me. I especially like the Mac Mini case — it looks like an antique biscuit tin. The curved, widescreen iMac concept is more mundane in comparison, but still pretty cool. The rendering was produced by Nuno Teixeira and features two screens as well as other cool gear and accessories. More info can be found in the article at alltechnoblog.com. All photos courtesy of the source sites. Cool stuff.

BBCi Player Planned For Macs

The BBC have revealed their plan to release a BBCi player for Mac OS-X. BBC director general, Mark Thompson, has promised that iPlayer will be working on Macs by the end of the year. This should silence the large number of OS-X stalwarts who have been bemoaning the lack of support for their chosen operating system.

Mac OS X Updated To 10.4.10

OS X 10.4.10 has officially been released for consumption. 10.4.10 addresses a number of issues which Apple officially listed as being in the following areas: Bluetooth Addresses an issue in which a Bluetooth headset may show up as an available device for sound output in the Sound preference pane after it had been removed from Bluetooth preferences. Third-party Adds RAW image decoding support for the following cameras: Panasonic DMC-LX1, Panasonic DMC-LX2, Leica M8, Leica D-LUX 2, Leica D-LUX 3, Fuji S5 Pro, Nikon D40x, and Canon EOS 1D Mk III. Also resolves an issue in which some DNG images may appear tinted or distorted. Improves compatibility of Mathematica 6 with 64-bit Macs. USB Improves reliability when using the IR remote control after waking from sleep. Improves reliability when mounting external USB hard drives. Resolves an issue in which a TomTom GO 910 may not be recognized when connected via USB to an Intel-based Mac. Other Improves responsiveness when using the Control-Eject key combination to display a shutdown dialogue. Addresses a specific issue in which users importing video from a DV camera may experience dropped frames. Includes recent Apple security updates. Addresses issues with calendar calculations in certain applications. Addresses issues when rounding decimal numbers for display in certain applications. For Motion, addresses an issue on Intel-based Macs in which some texture corruption could appear in Motion if VRAM is full. This update comes ahead of the proposed release of Leopard. For more info visit the updates Info Page at Apple

Mac OS X Patch Fixes 25 Security Concerns

Apple have issued a security update that deals with 25 security flaws in its Mac OS X operating system. The security update deals with a trio of zero-day bugs that were disclosed in January. Some third-party components such as the Kerberos authentication technology are also dealt with. The most serious of the vulnerabilities could allow an attacker to gain complete control over an unpatched Mac.

Apple Mac Pros Now Available With 8 Cores

Apple have released their first Octo-core Mac Pro. Prices start at $2,499 for 2.66GHz quad-core systems or for an additional $1,498 you can get yourself an 8-core Mac Pro running at 3GHz. Quite the machine, if you ask me...