MacRumors' Mac Blog: Mac Apps, News and Rumors

Apple today released Performance Update 1.0, addressing hard drive pauses affecting a "small number of customers" on a number of different Mac models. The update is available in Snow Leopard (300 KB) and Leopard (322 KB) versions. This update addresses intermittent hard drive-related stalls reported by a small number of customers. For detailed information on this update, please visit this website....

Apple today released Logic Pro 9.0.2, addressing several bugs and enhancing overall stability on Apple's professional audio editing application. This update improves overall stability and provides numerous fixes and enhancements. Issues addressed include: - Flex Markers can align & snap to MIDI notes - Performing a punch-in recording with Replace Mode now behaves correctly - The I/O...

Microsoft today announced that it will extend Mainstream Support for Office 2004 for Mac through January 10th, 2012. The company had previously announced that support would end on October 13th, 2009, but in light of the significant number of users still using Office 2004 in order to take advantage of Visual Basic features missing in Office 2008, Microsoft has decided to extend support for Office ...

Apple yesterday released Epson Printer Drivers for Mac OS X v10.6.1 2.1, updating Snow Leopard compatibility for the company's line of printers and multifunction devices. Apple released a series of printer driver packages at Snow Leopard's launch and has continued to issue updates as additional support becomes available from the manufacturers. A full list of supported printer models for each...

Apple today released Apple RAID Card (Early 2009) Firmware Update 1.1, bringing several updates for the company's RAID card offered as an option on the Mac Pro and Xserve. The update is recommended for all Early 2009 Mac Pros and Xserves using the Apple RAID card. This update provides several fixes, including: - Reliability improvements during boot and power fail recovery - Improves...

Hardmac reports that Apple may be planning to introduce a revised version of its Final Cut Studio professional video editing software at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference in April 2010. According to the report's sources, the most recent version of Final Cut Studio, released just this past July, is actually a temporary version focused on providing Snow Leopard...

On his Deciphering Glyph blog, the founder of Twisted posts "unboxing" photos (via Gizmodo) of a job offer he recently received from Apple. The photos unsurprisingly reveal that the company that places such emphasis on design aesthetics for both products and packaging also appears to have put a fair amount of effort into its human resources materials, resulting in a sleek appearance likely to...

Gizmodo reports that Palm has released webOS 1.2.1, restoring iTunes media syncing ability to the Palm Pre. The release comes just days after the launch of webOS 1.2, which failed to re-enable iTunes syncing and also broke Exchange 2007 syncing for a number of users, necessitating the rapid follow-up update. The USB Implementers Forum raised questions several weeks ago about Palm's apparent...

The Associated Press reports that Apple and Eight Mile Style, Eminem's music publisher, have settled a lawsuit over distribution of the artist's music via the iTunes Store. "The case was settled to the satisfaction of all parties," Eight Mile attorney Richard Busch said. He said terms of the deal are confidential. The agreement was reached Thursday night after five days of trial in federal...

Intuit today announced the introduction of the Mac version of QuickBooks 2010, an update to the company's small business accounting software. Scheduled for launch on October 19th at a suggested price of $199.95, QuickBooks 2010 brings a number of enhancements to the software package. Available in late October, QuickBooks 2010 for Mac, from Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU), helps business owners: *...

Research in Motion today announced that it will be launching BlackBerry Desktop Manager for Mac on October 2nd, bringing an integrated syncing and device management tool for BlackBerry users to the Mac OS X platform. Plans for the software were announced earlier this year. The new BlackBerry Desktop Manager software allows Mac users to smoothly and seamlessly sync data from Mac applications like...

TechCrunch today noted that doubleTwist, the iTunes competitor launched last year by famed digital rights management hacker Jon Lech Johansen ("DVD Jon"), is preparing to launch a significant update to its software. As part of the promotional material for the release, which is scheduled for October 6th, doubleTwist has remade Apple's classic '1984' television commercial with a twist: a Steve...

Apple subsidiary FIlemaker today announced the release of Bento 3, a significant update to the company's personal database software. Priced at $49 for a single-user license or $99 for a five-user family pack, Bento 3 adds integration with iPhoto, sharing of libraries over local networks, and new options for viewing information. "Think of Bento 3 as a powerful, easy way to bring together all of...

PreCentral reports that Palm's webOS 1.2 has just been released, offering a number of improvements to the Palm Pre's operating system. Multiple posters in the PreCentral forums have noted, however, that the update does not re-enable media syncing via iTunes. Last week, rumors had suggested that the update would in fact re-enable iTunes syncing in the latest move in Apple and Palm's...

The Loop notes that Apple has expanded its GarageBand lesson offerings to add two Rush songs ("Tom Sawyer" and "Limelight") on guitar and one John Legend song ("Ordinary People") on piano. Rush's guitarist Alex Lifeson takes you through a simple way to play the intro riff to one of the band's most popular songs, "Tom Sawyer." After learning the opening riff, Lifeson then breaks down the rest of...

Google yesterday announced that it has released Picasa 3.5 for Mac and PC, bringing several new features to the free photo organization and editing software. The Mac version removes the "beta" tag that had distinguished it since its January launch, as Google now considers the Mac and PC versions to offer the same feature sets. The highest-profile change in Picasa 3.5 is the addition of facial ...

Apple today released a trio of updates for its professional-level audio applications, bringing stability improvements and a number of bug fixes. - Logic Pro 9.0.1 weighs in at 183 MB and requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later. This update improves overall stability and provides numerous fixes and enhancements. Issues addressed include: * Flex Markers can align & snap to MIDI notes *...

ifoAppleStore reports that employees of the Seattle-area Alderwood Mall Apple retail store in Lynwood, Washington are planning to stage a walk-out on October 3rd to protest employees' treatment by management and an unwillingness by higher-level Apple executives to appropriately address the "abusive" situation. Now, staffers at the Alderwood Mall (Wash.) retail store say their complaints about...