Firmware Articles on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

Apple issues stability fix firmware update v1.2 for Thunderbolt

by Steven Sande (May 10th, 2013)

Have a Mac equipped with Thunderbolt? Then head on over to your friendly neighborhood Mac App Store this morning, click on Updates and get yourself a nice firmware update. Firmware update v1.2 for Thunderbolt "provides stability fixes for Thunderbolt and Target Disk Mode" and requires a machine ...

Apple issues SMC update to MacBook Pro with Retina display, fixes fan issue

by Michael Grothaus (Mar 14th, 2013)

In addition to the OS X 10.8.3 update, Apple has also issued an update for the Retina MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro Retina SMC Update v1.1 update addresses two major issues owners have been complaining about, including a rare issue where users may experience slow frame rates when playing ...

Apple releases MacBook Pro firmware update to fix battery issues

by Michael Grothaus (Feb 12th, 2013)

Apple has released the MacBook Pro SMC Firmware Update 1.7. The update addresses a very specific issue owners of the MacBook Pro (15- and 17-inch models, Early 2011) and MacBook Pro (15- and 17-inch models, Mid 2010) were having. Though rare, the issue would cause the laptops to unexpectedly ...

Apple issues new AirPort and Time Capsule firmware, Airport Utility

by Randy Nelson (Feb 7th, 2013)

It's a banner day for updates to all things AirPort. Apple has released version 7.6.3 of its AirPort Base Station and Time Capsule firmware, along with version 6.2 of the AirPort Utility for OS X 10.7.5 and later. The updated AirPort Base Station and Time Capsule firmware brings with it the ...

Apple rolls out firmware update to revive old, troubled batteries

by Mike Wehner (Jan 31st, 2013)

Yesterday, Apple rolled out a trio of firmware updates for MacBook users to help address a rare issue that can cause the batteries to malfunction. The update targets the System Management Controller in the MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, which can run into issues as the computer ages. As ...

Apple releases EFI Firmware Update 2.6 for mid-2012 MacBook Air

by Michael Grothaus (Jan 9th, 2013)

Apple has released an EFI Firmware Update 2.6 for mid-2012 MacBook Air models. The update fixes several annoying bugs that have been reported in Apple's online help discussion forums. From Apple's knowledge base article: About MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.6 This update is recommended ...

Apple releases 2012 MacBook and iMac firmware updates

by Michael Grothaus (Dec 18th, 2012)

Apple has released an EFI firmware update for 2012 iMac and 13-inch MacBook Pro models. The updates are available via Software Update or direct download at the links below. Here are the details: MacBook Pro Retina EFI Update v1.1 This update is recommended for all 13-inch MacBook Pro ...

Apple fixes HDMI flickering issues with Mac mini EFI Firmware Update

by Michael Grothaus (Dec 11th, 2012)

Apple has released EFI Firmware Update 1.7 for the Mac mini, which addresses the frustrating flickering external HDMI monitors bug. From the release notes: About Mac mini EFI Firmware Update 1.7 This update addresses HDMI video flicker issues on Mac mini (Late 2012) computers and is ...

Apple releases SMC updates to enable Power Nap in Mountain Lion

by Michael Rose (Jul 30th, 2012)

If you have a Mountain Lion machine eligible for Power Nap, one of OS X's new marquee features, you should check Software Update (via the Mac App Store) to make sure you've got the latest firmware. The enablers for the 2011 MacBook Air machines and the 2012 models were released on July 25, and ...

Redsn0w update lets iPad 2, new iPad, iPhone 4S downgrade to older firmware

by Kelly Hodgkins (May 14th, 2012)

The iPhone Dev Team released version 0.9.11b1 of redsn0w last week that lets you restore IPSWs directly to your iPad 2, iPad 3 and iPhone 4S. This means recent iOS device owners can now downgrade their firmware using the jailbreak tool. This is good news for folks who updated to iOS 5.1.1 or ...

Apple releases iMac Graphic, MacBook Pro EFI firmware updates

by Kelly Hodgkins (Mar 1st, 2012)

Apple recently released two firmware updates that address graphics problems in the iMac and select MacBook Pro models. The iMac update fixes a graphics issue in Lion that would lock up the all-in-one machine, while the MacBook Pro update targets 15-inch, late 2008 models with a flickering display. ...

MacBook Pro, AirPort Base Station and Time Capsule firmware updated

by Chris Rawson (Nov 10th, 2011)

Apple has released three new firmware updates all at once. MacBook Pro SMC Firmware Update 1.5 "resolves an issue where a MacBook Pro being used with a power adapter may unexpectedly shut down under heavy workload if the battery charge level is near empty." It's not entirely clear which models ...

Samsung requests iPhone 4S source code in Australian court

by Michael Grothaus (Nov 1st, 2011)

Samsung continues is counter-assault on Apple in Australia, now requesting that Apple show it the the subsidy agreements that the company has with the Australian carriers and also the source code to the iPhone 4S firmware. Samsung's attorneys told the court that the company needed both the ...

Apple releases Apple TV update 4.4.1 (Updated)

by Kelly Hodgkins (Oct 18th, 2011)

Update: It appears that many/most Apple TVs are still not seeing the 4.4.1 update, although Jeff Gamet reports he's spotted it in the wild. Mike Rose reported that he installed 4.4.1 Tuesday night via a tethered restore (USB connection) from iTunes, but that it took several tries to ...

Apple issues Thunderbolt Display firmware update

by Michael Grothaus (Sep 19th, 2011)

Apple has released a Thunderbolt Display firmware update for the new displays they started shipping just last week. The Thunderbolt Display Firmware Update 1.0 improves the stability of the Apple Thunderbolt Display. The update weighs in at just 923 KB and requires Mac OS X 10.6.8 or OS X Lion ...