mac

Time Machine is Apple's built-in backup solution for OS X that creates hourly backups of all files on the system. Unlike a clone of the drive, the backups are not directly bootable, but they can be used to restore any instance of your OS installation and file structure to the drive. This makes it convenient for restoring data to a recently repaired system, migrating to a new one, or undoing a recent configuration change that is causing problems.

This backup solution is quite useful to have and is easy to set up, but there may be instances where Time … Read more

A new piece of Mac malware has been discovered on a Web site linked to the Dalai Lama, using a well-documented Java exploit to install a Trojan on visitors' computers and steal personal information.

Dubbed "Dockster," the malware was found lurking on Gyalwarinpoche.com, according to security research firm F-Secure. The malware takes advantage of the same vulnerability exploited by the "Flashback" malware to install a basic backdoor that allows the attacker to download files and log keystrokes.

(For more technical information about how the malware operates, see this report by my colleague Topher Kessler.)

Although &… Read more

Security company Intego is reporting the discovery of a new malware package for OS X. The package is a Trojan horse called OSX/Dockster.A, that appears to have keylogging features to record what is being typed on an infected system in addition to remote-access features for backdoor access into the system. When installed, the Trojan attempts to contact the server "itsec.eicp.net," likely to receive instructions for allowing remote access to the system.

As with other recent malware for OS X, Dockster is a Java-based threat that will not run unless you have Java installed on … Read more

Last week Apple released the much anticipated, and delayed, update to iTunes. iTunes 11 has a new look and feel, as well as some new features such as "Up Next." Along with the new look and feel comes new methods of interacting and accomplishing once familiar tasks in iTunes. One of those tasks, managing downloads, isn't as obvious as it used to be.

When iTunes 11 was first released I had a few apps with updates available, so I started the downloads. In the previous version(s) of iTunes you could manage active downloads in the sidebar, … Read more

Tubalr has been making a buzz among the Web community quite recently by bringing a service everyone has been asking for but has never been quite fulfilled until now. This simple Web app lets you create playlists from YouTube videos. Simply input a search term, select between 'only' and 'similar' depending on how much you want to narrow down your options, and Tubalr will auto-generate a video playlist according to your search. The 'only' function will bring up videos directly relevant to your key term while hitting 'similar' can bring up a variety of related videos.

For example, we started … Read more

How do I like my software?

Bundled.

For not much more than the price of a single app, you can often get as many as 10 of them, usually with a combined value in the hundreds of dollars. In fact, I've got three such bundles for you to check out right now.

They're all for Mac users, who already paid a premium for their hardware, and therefore deserve a break on software. Here's a rundown of the three bundles, followed by my pick for the best of the bunch.

1. Macbundler: Nine apps for $45

The nine … Read more

Intel is on a mission to cut the power consumption of its chips. But that's not only future silicon. The current Ivy Bridge chip will get throttled down too.

Intel will cut power consumption "significantly" for future versions of the chip, an industry source familiar with the chipmaker's plans told CNET.

Intel's most power efficient Ivy Bridge chips today -- used widely in Windows ultrabooks and Apple's MacBook Air -- are rated at 17 watts.

A future version of Ivy Bridge would be rated well below this, the source said. Processors able to throttle … Read more

Could Apple be assembling some new iMacs in the U.S.? A teardown of a new model introduced on Thursday shows an iMac with this marking.

A teardown by iFixit revealed markings on the back of an iMac that say, "Designed by Apple in California, Assembled in USA."

What isn't clear at this point is whether this is a new Apple policy to assemble new products in the U.S. or imprecise Apple labeling.

Refurbished products and some custom-ordered Apple products are modified in the U.S. -- but that's different than assembling a standard product … Read more

Apple has re-issued its 10.8.2 update for specific Mac systems after having pulled it over a week ago.

OS X 10.8.2 has been available for Mac systems since mid-September, but in mid-November Apple pulled a specific version of the updater for the 2012 Mac Mini, iMac, and 13-inch MacBook Pro models, resulting in the inability for those with these systems to be updated to the latest version of OS X.

The reasons for the pulled update were not made public. When users attempted to install the Combo updater for OS X 10.8.2 on their … Read more