Filed under: Software Update

Well, it's Tuesday, and that's Apple's favorite day to update software.

Today we get an iLife '09 update, and a bunch of camera RAW updates.

Here's what Apple has to say about the iLife update:

Provides system software resources that are shared by iLife and other applications. This update improves overall stability for the Media Browser and iPhoto slideshows. It also provides compatibility between Aperture 3 and the Media Browser.

The update is recommended for all users of iLife '09, iWork '09, and Aperture.

And the camera updates:

This update extends RAW image compatibility for Aperture 3 and iPhoto '09 for the following cameras and formats:

Canon PowerShot S90
Canon sRAW
Canon mRAW
Leica D-LUX 4
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3

It's not earthshaking, but will be welcome for heavy iLife '09 users. You can get these from the software update option under the Apple menu.

[Thanks Michael for the tip]

It certainly caused a lot of excitement when the Apple web store went down this morning. No, it wasn't an updated MacBook Pro line but Aperture 3, Apple's high-end photo editing and image management software.

The latest version is U.S. $199.00, and upgrades are available for any existing Aperture users for $99.00.

Apple says Aperture 3 has "more than 200 new features", including Faces and Places, brought over from iPhoto '09. There is an enhanced tool called Brushes, which allows photographers to paint adjustments and filters directly onto their images using new enhanced edge detection.

This latest version of Aperture runs in 64 bit on Snow Leopard and 64 bit processors.

Aperture has been in a long features war with Adobe Lightroom, a similar and very popular application. Aperture was last updated in February, 2008.

We'll have a close look at Aperture 3 when we get our hands on it. Apple has a free 30 day download for people who want an advance look, but as of this writing download links haven't yet been provided. Aperture 3 needs an intel-based Mac, so older machines like the G5 are out of luck.

Amid rumors that Apple has halted production of the 27-inch iMac due to display issues, Apple has released a second firmware update. The update, which is for iMac (27-inch, Late 2009) only:

Updates the display firmware on 27-inch iMac systems to address issues that may cause intermittent display flickering.

The update weighs in at 294KB and can be downloaded here or through Software Update.

The first 27-inch iMac update was released on December 21, 2009 that updated "the graphics firmware on ATI Radeon HD 4670 and 4850 graphics cards to address issues that may cause image corruption or display flickering."

iTunes 9.0.3 is out now for download on Software Update and in the usual places. The update features the option to remember your password when purchasing items in iTunes (finally!), fixes problems with Smart Playlists and podcast synching on iPod, and resolves a few bugs and issues. There's no word of any updates in compatibility for iPad, but it's probably just too soon for that yet.

That "remember my password" fix will definitely come in handy, though. Get it while the gettin's good!

The third major update to Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard is getting closer to appearing in Software Update. A new beta of Mac OS X 10.6.3 (build 10D538) was released to a limited number of Apple developers last Friday.

The Friday beta includes an update to QuickTime X that enhances reliability, security, and compatibility. The release also provides performance-enhancing tweaks for Apple's 64-bit Logic Pro audio suite, better compatibility with a host of printers, and applications that use OpenGL.

Apple is asking developers to evaluate other core system components in their testing, including VoiceOver, AirPort, and graphics drivers. There's a known issue with the beta when viewing photo albums using Front Row, but the approximately 670 MB release should arrive for the rest of us within the next six weeks.

Although past performance is not necessarily an indicator of future releases, both 10.4.3 and 10.5.3 were released about 110 days after the earlier versions. That would put the release of 10.6.3 near the end of February, 2010.

[via AppleInsider]

If you've been waiting with bated breath to dual-boot Windows 7 on your Mac, your time has come. File under "better late than never": Apple has now updated Boot Camp with support for Windows 7.

With separate downloads for 64-bit and 32-bit versions of Windows 7, the download also requires an authentic copy of Windows 7 or Windows 7 upgrade, and is only supported on more recent Intel-based Macs; no Macs produced before 2007 will support Windows 7, as outlined in this Apple support page.

If you're upgrading your Mac's other side from Windows Vista to Windows 7, you'll first want to download and install the Boot Camp Utility for Windows 7, which "safely unmounts the read-only Macintosh volume on Microsoft Vista."

Let us know in the comments if you have any issues with the update.

Note: If you are already running Windows 7 on your Mac in Boot Camp, you can simply run Apple Software Update while booted into Windows to get the updated Win7-friendly drivers.

[Hat tip to MacRumors and the Apple Support RSS Twitter feed]

Mac Pro and Xserve owners, take note -- Apple has released the following updates today:

Xserve EFI Firmware Update 1.2 for Xserve (Early 2009)

• Improved compatibility with virtualization products utilizing VT-d
• Improved system reliability during the boot process

• Restoration CD for the following products: Mac Pro (Early 2009), Xserve (Early 2009).

• Addresses reliability issues, targeting the use of multiple Unitors.

Two pieces of Apple's Logic Studio suite for Mac, Logic Pro and MainStage, have been updated today and the new versions are available immediately through Software Update or the links below.

The Logic Pro 9.1 update includes support for 64-bit native mode, compatibility with 64-bit Audio Unit plug-ins, and support for file names over 32 characters long. According to the update notes, samples are now mapped correctly when using the "Contiguous Zones" opetion in the EXS editor. The full release notes are available for viewing here.

MainStage 2.1 also includes 64-bit native mode and compatibility with the 64-bit Audio Unit plug-ins. Other fixes and improvements include better compatibility with MainStage 1.x documents, improved recording when using the Loopback plug-in, and multiple playback plug-ins in the same group now sync reliably. Full release notes are available here.

Enabling 64-bit native mode for both applications requires Mac OS X 10.6.2 or later.

[A tip of the studio professional hat to TUAW reader samw for letting us know about the update]

For management of large Mac deployments, one of the more venerable tools for administrators is Apple Remote Desktop. The application not only provides information on the status of every Mac on a network, but allows admins to push software loads, remotely control machines, and do detailed asset management.

Yesterday, Apple updated Apple Remote Desktop to version 3.3.2. The new update provides better performance in terms of the remote management tools, as well as better overall stability. There's an update (4.21 MB) to the client software (which is part of the OS and enabled in System Preferences), as well as a much larger update to the administrative software (51.41 MB). The updates require Mac OS X 10.6 or later, Mac OS X 10.5.7 or later, or Mac OS X 10.4.11, or the equivalent Mac OS X Server version. The update requires at least Apple Remote Desktop 3.0 to be installed, although there is some limited compatibility with 2.x client software.

So, what's fixed in 3.3.2? Setup is improved, with additional support for clients using Network Address Translation (NAT) and better reliability when new client computers are being authenticated to the admin software. Previous versions had issues with reporting failed software installations, issues with reporting of MacBook Air MAC addresses, and some problems with reliability of reporting systems configured with AirPort. Those issues have been addressed in 3.3.2.

The fix also provides improvements with the remote assistance features, particularly with systems with dual graphics processors or two displays. Mouse cursor tracking while controlling remote systems has been improved, and there's more reliable drag-and-drop file copy to remote Macs. You can download the update at Apple's Support Downloads page, and it is also being delivered via Software Update.

[via Macworld]

In response to a Macworld article, TidBits' Chris Pepper elaborated on ways to run Software Update, Apple's means of delivering updates and patches, on your own schedule. Beginning with the fact that Software Update schedules its next update based on the time it's currently being run, setting the time for the next update is as easy as running it manually at the time you want it to be scheduled for in the future.

Later, Pepper delves into the command line method of updating, using the softwareupdate tool (which we've talked about on TUAW, too) to run it from Terminal. Taking that a step further, it's suggested that you run the command from cron, a UNIX command for scheduling tasks, to automate the command-line updates. However, while it still works fine and is perfectly capable of the task, cron has technically been deprecated in OS X since Tiger. I thought I'd mention the newfangled "Mac OS X way" of handling scheduled tasks, and demonstrate a little of its flexibility.

Launchd is Apple's replacement for several UNIX ways of doing things, including init, rc.d scripts and cron. It provides a uniform, XML configuration method and -- in many cases -- is more secure than the replaced methods. Launchd can trigger applications and scripts at boot time, at intervals or even when a file or the contents of a folder change. It can also make sure a daemon or an application keeps running, with the ability to respawn and throttle it. If that's just a bunch of nerd-speak to you, don't worry, this isn't going to be an overly technical post. You can read more specifics about launchd on Apple's developer site, if you want more geeky goodness.

Apple released a Bonjour update today that is suppose to improve the connections between iTunes and the Apple TV. For those who have downloaded it and own an Apple TV, have you seen any improvements? Please let us know in the comments.

Bonjour Update 2010-001 is available now via Software Update. It is not yet available through Apple's support downloads site.

Thanks to all those who sent in the tip!

Chitika Research, a company that helps deliver online advertising, has released numbers from its network that claim 45% of iPod touch users still haven't upgraded to the iPhone 3.x firmware. Only 55% of the users measured have paid the cash to upgrade to the latest version (because of accounting regulations around subscriptions, iPod touch users have to pay for an upgrade that iPhone users get for free). And actually, the story is even worse than you think: Chitika points out that since mid-June, every single iPod touch sold has had 3.x pre-installed on it anyway. That means the percentage of users who owned iPod touches before June but haven't yet upgraded is even higher than the overall numbers show.

So how can Apple fix this (and they probably should -- lots of their best and brightest apps require 3.0, not to mention developers have spent a good amount of time upgrading them for the new firmware)? First, and maybe even only step, is to get rid of that fee, and Apple is already working on that one. Of course, education might be another issue -- it's possible that iPod touch users just don't know that there's an upgrade waiting for them. But I have an inkling that the fee is the real issue here. People may scoff at a $10 app, and I'm sure that they're doing exactly that for an upgrade to the firmware.

[via CultofMac]

Updates the graphics firmware on ATI Radeon HD 4670 and 4850 graphics cards to address issues that may cause image corruption or display flickering.

Apple yesterday posted a few new server-related updates for Xsan and Mac OS X Server.

The first, Xsan 2.2.1, improves file system reliability and cvfsck repair utility. This update is available for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. There's also an updated version of the Xsan uninstaller.

Next, Mail Services Update 1.0 addresses issues affecting overall mail service reliability and performance. This update is available and recommend for all users on Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.

These updates are available in Software Update, or from Apple's Support Downloads page.

Apple today released a new digital RAW compatibility update for some Canon and Nikon cameras that shoot photos in RAW format.

This update extends RAW image compatibility for Aperture 2, iPhoto '08 and iPhoto '09 for the following cameras:

• Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
• Canon EOS 7D
• Canon PowerShot G11
• Nikon D3S
• Nikon D300S
• Nikon D3000

If you have one of these cameras, you should check out this update to work with your photos shot in RAW format with any of these applications. As always, this update is available through Software Update, but it doesn't seem to be posted anywhere on apple.com yet.