AppleTalk Thursday #21

Howdy everyone and welcome to another edition of AppleTalk Thursday. We got a lot of Apple news to cover so let's dig right in.

New iMacs Hard Drive Upgrades Need Custom Installation

Due to the configuration of the new Thunderbolt-based iMacs, doing a hard drive update on your own may not be as easy as it was on previous systems and you may need to consider having a professional do the job. It has to do with a new custom 7-pin serial ATA connector and proprietary temperature control system.

Is Apple Stock being Manipulated Illegally?

That is the theory of Philip Elmer-DeWitt regarding Apple's stock price, using a series of charts, Mr. Elmer-DeWitt illustrates that something is being done to manipulate the stock price of Apple. Read the article and judge for yourself.

Twitter revamps mobile Website and Mac application

Twitter has a new refreshing look when it comes to accessing it via... on the iPhone and iPod touch. It looks more like an app than a web page and I think Twitter has done a good job with it. Judge for yourself.

Not to be outdone, it also has updated its Mac desktop application that now allows you to open multiple windows. I love this new feature.

More Lion Updates

Well, it's getting closer to Summer which means it is closer to the release of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. One of the new features in the update is a feature called Mission Control and Cult of Mac has a guided tour of it over on their site. Another possible feature is Nuance partnership with Apple to bring its popular voice recognition features to not just iOS 5 but in Lion as well.

Course as I mentioned, iOS 5 is expected to have deep voice recognition features in it as well and there is a video which might give you an idea of how that may look.

Get Flash off your Mac

Ok so say for whatever reason you are tired of Flash on your Mac but you don't know how to rid yourself of this pesky processor intense program. Well, worry no more, the good folks at The Unofficial Apple Weblog will walk you through the process of ma...

Mac Malware Roundup

Let's talk about Malware, yes I know this is an Apple blog so why should we be concerned about Malware, that's for WIndows! Well, the basic fact is the Mac OS is no longer just a niche operating system anymore and as more and more Macs are being sold and used, it has reached a point in popularity where evildoers are now targeting are trusted Macs. Don't take my word for it, there have been quite a few stories making the rounds about it and here are just a few.

To help explain just what is going on, I have asked my friend David to contribute to this edition of AppleTalk Thursday. Take it away David!

Rob asked for me to send him a message regarding the recent virus attacks on the Mac os.   The two variant rouge viruses are called macprotector or macdefender.  Those behind the malware used SEO poisoning to make links to the software show up at the top of search results in Google and other search engines. Clicking the links that show up in search results brings up a fake Windows screen that tells the user a virus has been "detected," another clue that something is fishy. JavaScript code then automatically downloads a zipped installer for MAC Defender.

If the "Open 'safe' files after downloading" option is turned on in Safari, the installer will be unzipped and run. Since the installer requires a user password, it won't install without user interaction. However, inexperienced users may be fooled into thinking the software is legitimate.

The application is visually well designed and doesn't have numerous misspellings or other errors common to such malware on Windows, though it does seem to contain some sketchy grammar. The software will periodically display Growl alerts that various fake malware has been detected, and also periodically opens porn websites in the default browser, perhaps leading a user to believe the detected malware "threats" are real. Users are then directed to an insecure website to pay for a license and "clean" the malware infections. However, buying the license merely stops the fake alerts from popping up, but your money and credit card info is now in the hands of hackers.

There are instructions on the removal of the virus on the web however that will not remove the entire virus as it seeds itself through the os.   The only way to get rid of it is with the help of an anti virus program such as Eset Cybersecurity, Norton Antivirus for mac or intego virus barrier.  There are free ones out there but unfortunately these are not updated consistently and will not detect all of the viruses.  I my self use Eset which is updated daily and also defends against windows and UNIX based viruses therefore preventing the dreaded Typhoid Mary syndrome.  

So in closing turn off the "Open 'safe' files after downloading" option in safari and buy protection.

David Putnam
ACMT Macmall Senior Service Rep. 

P.S. We charge $60 for a one shot virus scan Eset costs 39.99 for 1 year of protection (you do the math).

Thanks David! Below is a screen grab from one of the articles I linked above.

iPhone 4S Roundup News

So it is another week of news, rumors, and speculation surrounding the next iPhone and what it may or may not have. Here is what we know this week. We won't be seeing an LTE based iPhone this year and we may not see Near-Field Communications on one this year either. We will see an updated iPhone this year, possibly labeled iPhone 4S and it may have new carriers such as Sprint and T-Mobile carrying it. The confusing part is where Digitimes is claiming the LTE iPhone next year will also be called 4S. Confused? Yeah, so am I.

iPhone thumping Android in Enterprise

One thing not as confusing is the apparent iPhone popularity in the Enterprise sector. Course stats are a snap shot of current market conditions and are subject to change, but it is great to have some bragging rights in an area of Enterprise.

iPad as a Camera

One of the selling features of the iPad 2 is how it features cameras on both the front and back of it. I can see where this can come in handy on FaceTime chats, but a rear camera? Well, apparently I am not alone on this. The whole idea of holding up an iPad to take a picture just seems weird, makes sense on an iPhone, but on an iPad, I don't get it.

Retina Display iPad?

Now that Samsung has the first in industry 2560 x 1600 LCD 10.1" LCD display and they also make the screen for the iPad, many are wondering when the iPad retina display will be coming out? Yes, I would be one of those people! I love the retina display on my iPhone and when I go over to my iPad I feel like I have bad eye sight with the contrast especially when reading something for long periods of time.

Happy Birthday Apple Retail

Finally, this weekend will mark the 10th anniversary of the opening of the first Apple Retail stores. To celebrate, Apple is outfitting store staff with iPads to assist ... which may or may not replace the iPod touch check out systems they currently use.

iOS App Reviews

WiScale (FREE) - If you use a Withings Body Scale, you know that one of the features it has is WiFi but it also has an app for both the iPhone/iPod touch and a version for the iPad where you can easily monitor your weight progress. I have been using it and it is awesome. Just step off the scale and fire up your iOS device of choice and look at your numbers.

Restaurant Nutrition (FREE) - If you are on the go and want to know what is a healthier thing to eat at a chain eatery, then this app is right up your alley. It is updated often with new food information and will help you to make smart decisions on which foods to buy and which to stay away from.

Fahrenheit (99 cents) - Yeah I know, yet another weather app, but what I like about this one is it puts the current temperature of the place you are in as a badge count so all you have to do is glance at your home screen to get the temp and not even launching the app.

CountDown (FREE) - Ever have something you have scheduled and want to see just how long it is down to the second? Well, there is a nice app called CountDown that will do that. I have my 5K run in there now and as I look at it right now I see I am 2 weeks and 2 days away from it.

PhotoComic ($1.99) - This is a nice fun app! It allows you to use a photo from your library or take a new picture and apply your own comic speech bubbles above the photos like in comic books, you can even create multiple photos with borders between them for one shot. Pretty fun stuff.

Well, that is going to do it for this extended version of AppleTalk Thursday. See you all next week for maybe a more regular post, but you never know what Apple will spring on us.