If you're a regular visitor to the Apple support downloads website, then you might have noticed a change last night. In addition to releasing two updates, Apple also redesigned the site.

If you've used the update website before, then you know what a challenge it was to find any useful information. Before, Apple just showed a list of updates (with the newest ones at the top); now you are able to browse by specific product. By clicking a product link at the top, you can see updates for iPhone, iPod, Desktop Computers, Portable Computers, Mac OS and Software, Peripherals, Servers and Enterprise Software, and Internet (.Mac, MobileMe, Safari, Photo Services).

Two interesting notes on the new design: First, Apple doesn't use the word "Mac" after Desktop and Portable, but instead uses "Computer." Second, Safari is categorized under their "Internet" group alongside MobileMe; they also still have updates for .Mac despite the branding change to MobileMe. You can see the new site, and get your new updates, by clicking here.

• Ability to selectively download and prioritize files
  
• Torrent file creation
  
• Speed and CPU load improvements
  
• Better rechecking of torrents that have many files

• Overlay when dragging torrent files, URLs, and data files onto window
  
• Ability to set an amount of time to consider a transfer stalled
  
• More progress bar colors
  
• Various smaller interface improvements
  
• Italian, Korean, and Russian translations

The problem with downloading audio and video through Safari is that if you paste the link directly into the Address bar, the resources load into the Safari window. They don't download directly to disk.

The easiest way to handle this is by right-clicking (control-clicking) a music or video link and selecting Download Linked File from the pop-up menu. However if you get your URL outside Safari and don't have a link to right-click, that method won't work. In the ringtones example, the URL was copied from a text file.

To download a URL directly then, go into Safari and select Window -> Downloads. The Downloads windows open. Select it and paste your URL (Edit -> Paste or just type Command-V). The download begins immediately without having to open the file in an intermediate window and then save to disk.

This trick has been tested with Safari 3, and several people have told me that it works for them in Safari 2. Let me know in the comments how it works for you. I tried it out in Firefox and can confirm it does not work there.

Apple just posted a bunch of software updates over at its download site. Updates include Final Cut Pro 6.0.1, Motion 3.0.1 (improves stability, resolves performance issues), Color 1.0.1, Compressor 3.0.1, Soundtrack Pro 2.0.1, a combo-style Pro Applications Update, and a SuperDrive Firmware Update 2.1 (improves readability of certain CD media).

Thanks Mason Jagel.

Of all the products Apple has been rolling out in the past few years, the Apple TV is easily one of the most debated. While I haven't seen any specific figures from Apple on how well or poorly the device is selling, Apple's first foray into the living room seems to be getting off to at least a decent start. Jobs made another uncharacteristic move in revealing upcoming plans to support YouTube next month. But could the Apple TV be a dud? CNN Money's Brent Schlender sure thinks so. In fact, Mr. Schlender goes so far as to take a jab at the Apple TV's development: "Apple TV is so Zune-like, you'd think Jobs was so busy with the iPhone that he outsourced the Apple TV project to the folks up in Redmond." He then follows with a list of the largest complaints against the device, which includes:

• No DVD drive
• The perceived requirement of an HDTV (though we know that to be not-quite-true) even though you can't buy full HD content from the iTunes Store
• The fact that you can't shop the iTS right from the Apple TV despite its internet connection
• The annoying conundrum with only being able to use images from one computer's photo library, even though most people's pictures are probably the one batch of HD-ready media that isn't rights-managed in any way and completely sharable over a network and amongst friends or even strangers

Schlender is quick to point out, however, that the one other device everyone expected to be able to shop online via its wireless connection - Microsoft's Zune - can't do that either.