MacRumors' Mac Blog: Mac Apps, News and Rumors

Apple today seeded build 12D68 of OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.3 to developers, marking the tenth beta iteration of the newest version of Mountain Lion. 10.8.3 was first seeded to developers in November 2012. Build 12D68 comes roughly a week after build 12D65. Registered developers can download the update on Apple's Developer Page. This post originally referred to Build 12D68 as the eleventh...

Belkin is taking pre-orders for its $299 Thunderbolt Express Dock and is telling buyers that it should begin shipping next week. The Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock is an easy, powerful way to take advantage of Thunderbolt technology. The Thunderbolt Express Dock lets you use a single connection to create high-speed, reliable transfers between your laptop and up to eight other devices, including ...

Other World Computing has begun selling NewerTech's miniStack MAX, an ambitious all-in-one hard drive, Blu-Ray/CD/DVD reader/burner, SD card reader and USB hub in one compact enclosure meant to match the footprint of the Mac mini. There is also a version that reads Blu-Ray discs, but does not write them.A number of products designed to fit under the Mac mini have been released over the years,...

Apple today released MacBook Pro SMC Firmware Update 1.7, addressing an issue related to batteries with more than 1000 charge cycles. The update applies to Mid 2010 and Early 2011 models of the 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro and is a complement to earlier updates addressing the same issue for other machines.About MacBook Pro SMC Firmware Update 1.7 This update addresses a rare issue on some...

Microsoft yesterday released a new 14.3.1 update for Office for Mac 2011 to fix a bug in the licensing alerts, which caused Office applications to claim they were unlicensed. The problem was seemingly introduced during a previous bug-fix update.Stability is improved This update fixes an issue that may cause Office 2011 applications to report a problem with Licensing even though the applications...

The third week of Apple's "Get Stuff Done" Mac App Store promotion began today, dropping prices on a new set of apps. During the first week of the promotion Apple discounted several task management apps, and last week, several organizational apps went on sale. This week Apple is highlighting apps that fall into the Mac Utility category, such as login-saving app 1Password and popular calendar ...

Apple has released an updated version of its AirPort Utility wireless network manager, bringing it to version 6.2. The update contains the usual improvements and bug fixes, but Apple mentions three specific changes: - The ability to extend the Guest Wi-Fi network on a network that is configured with multiple AirPort Base Stations - The ability to add a WPS-capable Wi-Fi printer -...

Apple today seeded build 12D65 of OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.3 to developers, marking the ninth beta iteration of the newest version of Mountain Lion. 10.8.3 was first seeded to developers in November 2012. Build 12D65 comes exactly one week after build 12D61. As with build 12D61, build 12D65 continues to ask developers to focus on AirPlay, AirPort, Game Center, Graphics Drivers, and Safari....

Atlanta's first Vintage Computer Festival Southeast will feature an array of vintage Apple products in a 6,000 square foot display space that's being called the "Apple Pop-up Museum." The space will be organized into several different rooms, each focusing on a different era of Apple computers: -Pre-Apple Room -Apple I Room -Apple II Room -Turmoil Years Room -No Founders Left Room...

Rumors that Apple plans to open an online store in Russia have been given additional credence by a report on TechCrunch noting that the company has begun recruiting staff for the operation. The ad is for a Russian Chat Team Manager responsible for managing between 12 and 15 advisors. Although aimed at the Russian market, the role is actually based in Cork, Ireland. Apple is also advertising...

Dell today announced that it is officially going private in a $24.4 billion deal that will see the company owned by founder Michael Dell and investment firm Silver Lake Partners. The deal also involves a $2 billion loan from Microsoft."Michael Dell is a true visionary and one of the preeminent leaders of the global technology industry," said Egon Durban, a Silver Lake Managing Partner. "Silver...

The Next Web has dug up a video of Atari founder Nolan Bushnell's keynote presentation at Campus Party Brasil, where he spent time remembering Steve Jobs' work at Atari as well as talking about segments of his upcoming book "Finding the Next Steve Jobs." What is one of the characteristics that made Steve Jobs successful? He was creative, but you know what else was really important? He was a...

Kanex’s DualRole is an Ethernet hub that comes equipped with three USB 3.0 ports, a useful accessory for newer MacBooks which require an adapter to connect to a wired network. The DualRole is USB bus powered with an included 3-inch cable, but it also supports an additional 5V power adapter (not included) to provide extra power for intensive tasks like charging the iPad and the iPhone or...

Best Buy is offering special two-day pricing on MacBook Pro models as part of its Winter Doorbuster sale, following on its $200 promotion earlier this week on MacBook Air models.Amazon has reduced pricing to compete with Best Buy, though purchasers should take sales tax and convenience into account when making a purchase decision. Best Buy is also offering $20 off for buyers who buy online and...

The second week of Apple's 'Get Stuff Done' Mac App Store promotion began today, dropping the prices on a new set of productivity apps. Last week, task management apps like Clear and Things were discounted as part of the three week long promotion. This week's category is Organize, featuring organizing and cataloging apps like Gemini, which removes duplicate files and Compartments, which is...

Apple has issued updates for MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air notebook models to fix a rare battery issue. The updates are available via Apple's software updates page or through Software Update and the Mac App Store.This update addresses a rare issue on some Apple notebooks where a battery that has accumulated more than 1000 charge cycles may unexpectedly shut down or stop functioning.Updat...

Apple today seeded build 12D61 of OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.3 to developers, marking the eighth beta iteration of the newest version of Mountain Lion. 10.8.3 was first seeded to developers back in November. Build 12D61 has been released less than a week after build 12D58. The new build asks developers and testers to focus on AirPlay, AirPort, Game Center, Graphics Drivers, and Safari. As with ...

Bloomberg reports that Apple is to open its first store in Berlin, in the upmarket shopping district of Ku'damm. The store, for which Apple began hiring over a year ago, will be in a former movie theatre at Ku'damm 26, opposite the Hard Rock Cafe and close to the city's most famous department store, Kaufhaus des Westens. The area is home to Berlin's biggest concentration of luxury shops,...