MacRumors' Mac Blog: Mac Apps, News and Rumors

Over the past week, there have been an increasing number hints that the long-awaited iMac revisions are indeed imminent. Resellers have had low stocks of iMacs and educational Apple sales reps have been authorized to give special pricing on the current iMacs. One image sent to us even claims that new Apple marketing materials describe the new iMacs with "High-performance NVIDIA graphics": ...

ITExaminer.com revives rumors that an announcement regarding the iPhone coming to Verizon Wireless will be made in the near future. While the deal is so secret that Apple will not even hint that it is happening, the outfit had been trying to find EVDO and CDMA Engineers for months in their online Iphone job postings. While EVDO could cover a wide range of 3G skills, it is more likely that Apple...

Apple has begun airing a new iPod touch television commercial, entitled More Fun. The ad, which features the iPod touch as a gaming device, features brief clips of over a dozen games available in the App Store, with Franz Ferdinand's No You Girls [iTunes Store] serving as music accompaniment. The new commercial, which is also available on Apple's iPod touch ad gallery, continues Apple's...

Apple has released MacBook SMC Update 1.3 for the latest white polycarbonate MacBooks. Polycarbonate MacBook computers released in early 2009 may display slower performance when started up using battery power only. Restarting using battery power may not clear the condition. You can resolve this issue by downloading and applying this update. Apple quietly updated the entry-level white MacBook...

Valleyway claims that Steve jobs may have started writing his autobiography. "Steve Jobs has started writing a book," a plugged-in tipster tells me. It's the barest of rumors, but the book industry is already eagerly anticipating the Apple CEO's autobiography.Jobs recently took leave from Apple due to medical reasons and expects to return in June. In order to take myself out of the limelight and...

Apple today released MobileMe Control Panel 1.3 (for Windows). The MobileMe Control Panel 1.3 update delivers faster syncing of contacts and calendars between MobileMe and Microsoft Outlook. With this update, contacts and calendars automatically sync whenever a change is made in Outlook, and likewise when a change is made on the web or from another device. A new tray icon also indicates...

Tinycomb reports `that Apple Retail stores no longer offer access to FaceBook.com, a popular social networking site: In an effort to thwart off time-theft and loiterers, Apple has decided to add Facebook to the list of banned websites at retail locations nationwide. When I asked some of the genius today whether or not anyone noticed the change, they all said that Facebook stopped working sometime ...

Apple has issued a software update for Garageband '09. This update improves overall stability and addresses specific issues with downloading lessons from the Learn to Play Lesson Store. It is recommended for all GarageBand 09 users.GarageBand '09 was released as part of the iLife '09 suite in...

Apple has issued software updates for the applications that come with iWork '08. These include Numbers, Pages, and Keynote. The updates simply address "compatibility...

Apple today released QuickTime Broadcaster 1.5.3, an update to Apple's software that allows users to easily produce live video broadcasts. Whats New in this Version - Improves audio/video synchronization when recording broadcasts to disk.Full details on QuickTime Broadcaster can be found on Apple's site....

iMovie HD 6, previously available as a free download for iLife '08 users, has been removed from Apple's site. The application, which had been part of the iLife '06 suite, was made available amidst public outcry after a complete rewrite of the application as iMovie '08 resulted in the loss of a number of features that users had come to rely on. iMovie HD 6 was available through Apple's site to ...

In addition to today's release of NVIDIA Graphics Update 2009, Apple released two other minor updates: iDVD 7.0.3, which weighs in at 27.42 MB and requires OS X 10.4.11 or 10.5.6 or later, addresses several unnamed minor issues and also improves overall stability. iLife Media Browser Update, recommended for all users of Aperture, iLife '08, iWork '08 and OS X 10.5.6 or later, similarly...

Apple released an update for owners of NVIDIA (unibody) MacBooks, MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs. This update improves cursor movement when using the Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI adapter with the Mini DisplayPort enabled MacBook Air, MacBook and MacBook Pro. It also improves playback of HD video running on systems with NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT or GeForce 9600M graphics.The update should ...

Apple today released Server Admin Tools 10.5.6, which enables remote administration of Mac OS X 10.5.6 Server. Full details on the package contents can be found on Apple's download page and on their corresponding support page. Server Admin Tools 10.5.6 contain remote administration tools, documentation, and utilities that you can install on a computer other than your server. This version is...

Taiwanese blog Apple.pro reports (Google translation) that Apple is developing larger versions of the MacBook Air, speculating that a 15" version could be in the works. The report provides little information other than that the new MacBook Air would be based on new ultra-low voltage Core 2 processors from Intel, but they promise that more information will be forthcoming in the second half of...

Macworld.com reports that Feral Interactive is bringing Bioshock to the Mac platform. I talked to a couple of Ferals representatives, who confirmed the dystopic adventure first-person shooter [Bioshock] is coming to Mac. Mac gamers can look forward to playing through the underwater city of Rapture, full of homicidal gene splicers, creepy little girls, ghosts, and one doozy of a story arc.Biosho...

Apple has posted details about its iLife '09 Up-to-Date program, which allows those purchasing qualifying Mac computers to get the iLife '09 upgrade for a nominal fee ($9.95). Customers who purchase a qualifying new Mac computer or an Apple Certified Refurbished computer on or after January 6, 2009, that does not include iLife 09 can upgrade to iLife 09 for US$9.95 plus tax.* The program ends...

The possibility of Apple attending CES has been the subject of speculation ever since Apple announced they would no longer be attending future Macworld events. And sure enough, Cult of Mac has a source that claims to have "friends who work at Apple" who insist that Apple will exhibit at CES next year. While an interesting possibility, this would go against Apple's explanation about why they...