Mac OS X gets wrong kind of attention
source: by Scott Bradner, Network World, 05/01/06
http://www.networkworld.com/columnists/2006/050106bradner.html
Recently there has been a growth industry in pundits whining about the security of the Apple Mac OS X operating system. To read some of the coverage, you would think someone deciding to use OS X instead of Windows would have to be dumber than a fence post. Methinks the security worries are rather misplaced and may be the result of hyperventilating, nontechnical reporters and some gloating on the part of Windows users.
....One would have to be dumber than a fence post to assert any set of software as complex as a computer operating system and all of its application programs could ever be totally secure. Programs are created by programmers, most of whom are human and therefore unlikely to generate perfect, bug-free code... (continued)

ALERT: Beta Software Unstable! Boot Camp freezes out MAC OS X
source: WIRED / ClubOfMac
http://blog.wired.com/cultofmac/
It's being reported by PC World that some users of Apple's Boot Camp software to install Windows XP are left with the most horrifying machine of all -- a Mac that can't boot into OS X. "This isn't a minor glitch, but a major problem. Barring erasing my drive and reinstalling OS X, I am stuck with an Apple laptop that only runs Windows," wrote a user. "I don't want solutions that entail using the command line. I would like something from Apple saying that they recognize the problem and are working on it." (continued)

Do Mac Users Start Thinking about beefing up their security?
source: By Erika Morphy/ www.MacNewsWorld.com / February 24, 2006
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86nFkzbL7f2gOU/Can-Mac-Users-Start-Thinking-Security.xhtml
Many Windows users have been told time and time again to ensure that their anti-virus software is updated daily," said Scott Carpenter, director of security labs at Secure Elements. "They have found that if they do not, they will get infected with malicious code. Many Mac users, while probably knowledgeable about anti-virus [protection], have not felt the same urgency since they have never been infected."
....Part of the reason Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) has been held in such high esteem by its users and, more significantly, by many software security experts, has been the Mac's virus free operating environment. However, since early January, predictions have been flying that 2006 would be the year Apple would be knocked off its pedestal. If the events of the last few weeks are any indication, it appears that scenario may play out.
....At least two worms have been discovered that target Mac OS X , Apple's latest operating system. Although they are relatively benign, few doubt that Apple malware issues will stay that way. Viruses and worms aimed at Macs are likely to accelerate in severity as well as in number. Hot on the heels of the worms came the announcement of a newly discovered vulnerability in Apple's Safari browser, for which the company has not yet introduced a patch. In short, how long Apple will remain safe has suddenly become moot. The new question is this: How long will Mac users remain in denial about security? (CONTINUED)

Apple Introduces the iPod Hi Fi
source: Apple
It was only a matter of time before Apple jumped into the Hi Fi stereo market. Just released is a self amplified hi fidelity speaker system from Apple that serves as a dock for the iPod. "For $349, iPod Hi-Fi delivers crystal-clear, audiophile-quality sound in a clean, compact design. Hear, hear." "Just slide your iPod(1) into the built-in Universal Dock to turn on and tune in to digital music as you've never heard it before. From pumping bass to bright treble, iPod Hi-Fi delivers natural, room-filling sound. Close your eyes and you'd think you were listening to a huge stack of speakers. But iPod Hi-Fi measures just 17.0" x 6.6" x 6.9." (go to Apples iPod WiFi page)

Browser puts Macs at risk
source: BLOOMBERG NEWS / Wednesday, February 22, 2006
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/260356_macvirius.html
A newfound flaw in Apple Computer Inc.'s Safari Internet browser can be used by hackers to install malicious code on Apple's Macintosh computers. Users can infect their computers when automatically opening "safe" files from Web sites, Symantec Corp., the No. 1 maker of anti-virus software, said in an e-mail. Safari automatically opens photos and movies the browser deems safe.
....Symantec gave the flaw a "high severity" rating and said it knows of no attacks. The Safari discovery follows two viruses unleashed last week on the most recent version of Apple's Mac OS X operating system, released last April.
....Vincent Weafer, senior director of Symantec security response, called those attacks "proof of concepts," or efforts by hackers to prove that software from Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple is vulnerable...(CONTINUED)

Apple downplays Mac OS X worm threat
source: MacNN.com / February 16, 2006
http://www.macnn.com/mobile/
....Apple today played down the threat posed by the first Mac OS X-based worm that surfaced earlier today. Although many of the major security vendors have labeled the threat as "low-risk"--most have already offered patches and protection from the malware--the fact remains that Mac users have been relatively isolated from the world of viruses, trojan, and malware, despite warnings by prominent security experts. Apple has played down the threat, saying that "Leap-A is not a virus, it is malicious software that requires a user to download the application and execute the resulting file. Apple always advises Macintosh users to only accept files from vendors and Web sites that they know and trust," an Apple spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal. "We have a guide to safely handling files received from the Internet." Earlier this year, security vendor Symantec reported a major flaw in all versions of its security and antivirus software, which affected Mac OS X users as well as others.
Virus attacking Apple Macintosh PCs found
source: REUTERS / Thu Feb 16, 2006 8:29 PM ET
....A malicious computer worm has been found that targets Apple Computer Inc.'s Mac OS X operating system, believed to be the first such virus aimed specifically at the Mac platform. The worm is called OSX/Leap-A, according to a posting on the Web site of antivirus software company Sophos, which said the worm is spread via instant messaging programs.
....The worm attempts to spread via Apple's iChat instant messaging program, which is compatible with America Online's popular AIM instant messaging program, according to the Sophos Web site. The worm sends itself to available contacts on the infected users' buddy list in a file called "latestpics.tgz," according to the Sophos Web site. The vast majority of malicious hacks are aimed at Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system and some of its products, largely because Microsoft has more than 90 percent of the market for computer operating systems.
...."This first Macintosh OS X threat is an example of the continuing spread of malicious code on to other platforms," said Vincent Weafer, senior director at Symantec Security Response, in a statement...(CONTINUED)

Apple ships MacBook Pro with speedier chips
source: by Tom Krazit / Staff Writer, CNET News.com / February 14, 2006
....Apple Computer is officially shipping its first notebooks with Intel processors, and it has thrown in faster versions of those chips at no charge. Starting this week, the MacBook Pro will ship to Apple retail stores and customers who ordered the notebook online, said David Moody, vice president of Mac hardware product marketing. Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs first unveiled the MacBook Pro at the Macworld Expo in January, but the notebooks have undergone a slight change since then.
....Two models were originally announced--one for $1,999 with Intel's 1.67GHz Core Duo processor and one for $2,499 with Intel's 1.83GHz processor. Apple will now include a 1.83GHz processor with the $1,999 system, and the $2,499 system will come with Intel's 2GHz Core Duo processor, Moody said. Customers will also be able to select a 2.16GHz processor for the $2,499...(CONTINUED)

Apple Releases OS X Update Version 10.4.5
Source: Apple.com - / 2.15.06
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106704
This combination update to the Tiger operating system includes numerous patches, upgrades and minor tweaks. It also includes the latest Apple Security Updates and all previous Tiger upgrades. It can be downloaded for free from Apple support site: http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosxupdate1045combo.html