MacRumors

Several weeks ago, word surfaced that recent developer builds of Mac OS X 10.6.2 had ceased to support Intel's Atom processors, the basis of many netbook systems popular with those who wish to modify non-Apple systems to run OS X. The news set off a tremendous amount of discussion about the change until additional news surfaced that Atom compatibility had resurfaced in a subsequent developer seed, Build 10C535, released in late October.

A new post by developer and Tumblr user stellarola who has been monitoring the situation indicates that the claim of restored Atom support in Build 10C535 had been faked. He claims to have received confirmation from multiple sources that Atom is not supported in the latest developer seed, known as Build 10C540, released last week.

I spoke to another colleague of mine and he noticed the date of the kernel. He sent me a picture of his kernel information from 10.6.1, which uses the same kernel as 10.6.0. (The name has been removed for privacy purposes)

As you can see the date is exactly the same as the old kernel. Now, let's take a look at my gf's Core2Duo system that's running 10.6.2 Build 10C535. (The name has been removed for privacy purposes)

Obviously the date is different than the previous two. Anyone can tell the first image from "MachVoluM" is a fake. My sources still tell me the Atom CPU is still unsupported even in the latest 10.6.2 build 10C540.

A video has also been posted showing an MSI Wind netbook attempting to boot on the latest 10.6.2 seed, but being unable to do so.

Antivirus firm Sophos details the first known iPhone worm in the wild, which surfaced in Australia late last week. The worm affects users who have jailbroken their iPhones and installed SSH without then changing the default password and is currently a harmless exploit that simply changes the user's iPhone background to an image of singer Rick Astley, but could be used for much more malicious purposes.

The worm, which could have spread to other countries although we have no confirmed reports outside Australia, is capable of breaking into jailbroken iPhones if their owners have not changed the default password after installing SSH. Once in place, the worm appears to attempt to find other iPhones on the mobile phone network that are similarly vulnerable, and installs itself again.

In analyzing the worm, Sophos has found multiple variants, as well as numerous comments within the code suggesting that the worm is an experiment to draw attention to the risks faced by users who have not taken appropriate steps to secure their devices.

The source code is littered with comments from the author suggesting the worm has been written as an experiment. One of the comments berates affected users for not following instructions when installing SSH, because if they had changed the default password the worm would not have been able to infect them.

A forum poster known as ike_x on the Australian forum where the worm was first discussed has taken credit for the exploit and has been assisting affected users with removing it from their systems.

Apple has issued a 3.0.1 update to the Apple TV to address an issue that causes content to temporarily disappear from the device. They sent out this email notifying customers:

Dear Customer,
If you've installed the Apple TV 3.0 software update, you should immediately update to version 3.0.1. This prevents content from temporarily disappearing until it is resynced.

To update your Apple TV software:

1. Reboot your Apple TV (unplug the power cord and plug it back in)
2. Select Settings > General from the main menu
3. Select Update Software
4. Select Download and Install

Note: Your Apple TV will conduct a restart, which is followed by the Apple logo and a status bar.
For more information, please refer to this article: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3116

If you need further assistance with your Apple TV, contact AppleCare.
Sincerely,
Apple TV Team

Apple launched the 3.0 software update for Apple TV last week which overhauled the Apple TV interface and added compatibility for iTunes LPs and iTunes Extras.

A new report from OTR Global relayed by AppleInsider indicates that Apple is planning on manufacturing new hybrid iPhones that will support both Verizon's CDMA2000 network as well as the UMTS 3G network. Only the UMTS network is supported by the current version of the iPhone and is used by AT&T and much of the rest of the world.

Qualcomm's new hybrid CDMA/WCDMA chip offers the potential for a single, global iPhone that users can take to any major carrier, solving the network fractionalization problem. It also solves other issues that had served as roadblocks, including the issue of user confusion that would result from Apple selling separate CDMA and GSM/UMTS versions of the iPhone.

The reason behind building in such support would seem primarily to extend the iPhone's compatibility with Verizon in the U.S. The move is expected to take place by the 3rd quarter of 2010. Conveniently, AT&T's exclusivity contract with Apple is believed to expire in mid 2010.

The report also indicates the new model's screen will also shrink in size from 3.5" to 2.8" diagonally. Curiously, this is not the first time the possibility of a 2.8" iPhone has emerged with iLounge previously publishing photos of 2.8" screens that were believed to be for use in future Apple devices.

In a brief press release today, RadioShack announced that it will begin selling the iPhone starting with the Dallas-Fort Worth and New York City markets later this month. RadioShack plans to sell the iPhone across the U.S. in 2010.

"As part of its ongoing mobility strategy, RadioShack is pleased to announce that it will introduce Apple's iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS in a limited number of company-owned stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth and New York City metropolitan areas beginning later this month. RadioShack expects to introduce iPhone in stores nationwide in 2010. For more information about exact store locations and product availability, visit www.radioshack.com. For more information about iPhone, visit www.apple.com/iphone."

Last year The Boy Genius Report reported that Best Buy and Radio Shack would begin selling the iPhone. Best Buy began selling the iPhone in September 2008.

Apple has rolled out a new Reserve and Pick Up purchasing program for its retail stores, allowing customers to select and reserve products for later in-store purchase and pick up ahead of the holidays.

With Reserve and Pick Up, you can make sure the top things on your list are definitely under the tree. Reserve an iPod or Mac online today and it will be waiting for you to pick up and purchase at an Apple Retail Store from December 15 to 24. You can even have many products wrapped. It's just another way we make it even easier to get through the holiday crowds -- and your gift list.

The program looks to streamline the purchasing process for those who reserve hardware ahead of time and ensures that customers won't face out-of-stock issues encountered when attempting to purchase on the spot. The program also offers gift wrapping in the company's "signature gift box" for an additional $5.00 charge for iPods and notebook computers. The program is currently featured prominently on the company's retail store sites in the US, UK, and Australia, and also appears to be available in Canada.

Fortune reports that Apple has issued media invitations for a preview of the company's fourth Manhattan store scheduled to officially open in New York City's Upper West Side at Broadway and 67th Street on Saturday, November 14th.

The store, located on the Upper West Side at Broadway and 67th Street, is well-positioned to get attention from the crowds and the TV cameras that will line the avenue for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade less than two weeks later.

ifoAppleStore previewed the new store earlier this month, showing off the "curtain" barrier currently shielding the store from public view and a high-level view of the store's unique glass roof and curving faade.

The Upper West Side store opening is part of a rush of several such high-profile openings as the company prepares for the holiday shopping season. Apple's first French retail store opens in Paris tomorrow, with a second French store set to open in Montpellier the following weekend.

Apple today began notifying purchasers of its iTunes LP offerings that updated versions compatible with the new Apple TV 3.0 software are now available for download. Apple delivered the Apple TV 3.0 software update to users last week, bringing a number of new features including iTunes LPs, iTunes Extras, Genius Mixes, and Internet radio to the company's set-top television box.

With the latest versions of iTunes (9.0.2) and Apple TV software (3.0), you can now use iTunes LP on your Apple TV. We have updated the iTunes LP that was included with (your purchase) so that it can now be viewed on Apple TV in addition to your Mac or PC. It is available for you to download now, free of charge.

Apple introduced its iTunes LP offering of enhanced album content in early September, and evidence had suggested that the format was designed with the Apple TV in mind. It appears, however, that a slight tweak to Apple's original Apple TV 3.0 software plans required the company to alter the iTunes LP format. This in turn required users who downloaded early versions of iTunes LPs to update to the new revised versions compatible with the full range of Apple devices.

A few times a year, MacRumors partners with MacHeist to promote their Mac application bundle deal. Their app bundles typically deliver a dozen Mac applications at a significant discount. The latest bundle is a bit of a departure for MacHeist by delivering 6 Mac applications ($154 value) for Free.

- ShoveBox ($25) - easily capture important bits of information
- WriteRoom ($25) - a distraction free writing environment
- Twitterific ($15) - popular Twitter client
- TinyGrab ($14) - quickly share screenshots
- Hordes of Orcs ($25) - tower defense game
- Mariner Write* ($50) - fast, streamlined word processor

Mariner Write requires 500,000 total bundle participants to be "unlocked". This free bundle offer can be downloaded here. Each application offered represents full licenses. Enjoy.

Near Field Communications World reports (via 9 to 5 Mac) that Apple is rumored to be testing a prototype of its next-generation iPhone equipped with a radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip. The rumor comes from a "highly reliable source" who provided the information to Einar Rosenberg, Chief Technology Officer of Narian Technologies. Rosenberg writes:

Had to share this news. A highly reliable source has informed me that Apple has built some prototypes of the next gen iPhone with an RFID reader built in and they have seen it in action. So its not full NFC but its a start for real service discovery and I'm told that the reaction was very positive that we can expect this in the next gen iPhone.

Apple has filed several patent applications related to RFID, which uses low-power radio waves to allow devices to interact over short ranges. The technology is currently being used in a number of settings, including electronic vehicle toll and mass transit system fare collection and contactless credit card transaction implementations.

AppleInsider details a patent application from Apple published today describing a method offering simplified transfer of data between devices. The method would allow users to easily or automatically transfer certain types of such as files or even content within applications such as online maps or other web pages between devices, addressing the often complex mechanics and decision-making involved in syncing only limited amounts of data between devices.

Though a user may have access to two similarly capable electronic devices, sharing data between the two devices may involve a number of steps, each of which may vary in difficulty. The process of transferring data between the devices may include many user decisions, such as which data to save, where the data is saved, which formats each device may be capable of processing, how to interconnect the devices for a most effective data transfer, etc. Such complexity may increase the difficulty or time spent transferring data between two electronic devices.

In one embodiment of the invention, a "Grab & Go" iPhone application could be used to allow users to transfer such content as files and open browser windows from a desktop Mac or other device.

The patent application also describes user-definable categories that could enable users to automatically grab only certain types of data from another device.

. . .a user may be sitting at their desk at work with an important spreadsheet open on their computer 58 when the user is called into an unexpected meeting. The user may have a number of other personal applications running. The preferences described above may allow the user to "grab" only files related to work from the user's work computer, such as only user data associated with productivity applications. In this way, the user may transfer only the important spreadsheet in the simplified data transfer 114, showing up to the meeting with only those files pertinent to work.

Additionally, the system permits users to define preferred methods of connection between devices, and security settings, as well as options to automatically convert files and content that would be unreadable on target devices to PDF format.

The patent application was filed on September 30th, 2008 and is credited to a total of seven inventors, including former Apple executive and "Father of the iPod" Tony Fadell.

Apple today announced [Google translation] that its first retail store in France will officially open on Saturday at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris. The two-level store will employ 150 staff members offering the full range of Apple retail store sales and service offerings typical of the company's retail stores.

"We are very pleased to extend the experience of the Apple Store in France, said Ron Johnson, Senior Vice President of Retail Apple. The new store is located below the famous Louvre Pyramid, in the Carrousel du Louvre. This is the place to go shopping, train and develop ideas."

French site MacGeneration attended a media preview [Google translation] of the new store and offers several photos of the interior.

MacGeneration has also posted a follow-up article [Google translation] offering additional photos from the media event.

Apple has plans for rapid expansion in France, with the opening of a second store scheduled for November 14th in Montpellier in the South of France. MacGeneration has also informed us that Ron Johnson indicated at the media event that a second Paris store is planned to open next summer near the Opra Garnier, approximately one mile from the Carrousel du Lourve location.

Fortune today named Apple CEO Steve Jobs "CEO of the Decade", highlighting his role in the remaking of multiple industries and propelling Apple to continued success despite difficult economic conditions. As part of the feature, Fortune profiles Jobs and offers an interactive timeline of major Apple events over the past ten years.

How's this for a gripping corporate story line: Youthful founder gets booted from his company in the 1980s, returns in the 1990s, and in the following decade survives two brushes with death, one securities-law scandal, an also-ran product lineup, and his own often unpleasant demeanor to become the dominant personality in four distinct industries, a billionaire many times over, and CEO of the most valuable company in Silicon Valley.

Also featured in the profile are a set of rare photos of Jobs over the years, a rundown of the "Top 10" moments in Jobs' career, and a series of testimonials from eight significant personalities in Jobs' industries describing what makes him unique.

Superlatives have attached themselves to Jobs since he was a young man. Now that he's 54, merely listing his achievements is sufficient explanation of why he's Fortune's CEO of the Decade (though the superlatives continue). In the past 10 years alone he has radically and lucratively reordered three markets -- music, movies, and mobile telephones -- and his impact on his original industry, computing, has only grown.

Apple today seeded a new version of Mac OS X 10.6.2, termed Build 10C540, to developers. The release comes one week after the release of the previous build.

As with the previous two developer seeds, Apple lists no known issues in the new build. Approximately a half dozen areas of change since the previous seed are documented, including fixes for issues related to AirPort on Apple's latest iMac models and VMware, as well as graphics-related issues affecting certain graphics cards and the Apple TV.

Mac OS X 10.6.2 reportedly addresses a serious bug involving Guest accounts that has resulted in some users losing all data from their regular user accounts. It also appears to bring full native support for Apple's new multi-touch Magic Mouse, allowing future purchasers of the mouse once the update is released to the public to skip the step of installing a separate software update to enable full Magic Mouse functionality.

Developer seeds of Mac OS X 10.6.2 have received significant attention this week after it was revealed that Apple had apparently disabled support for Intel's Atom processors that are power many netbooks modified by users to run OS X in a build released two weeks ago. Last week's released build, however, appears to have restored Atom compatibility, although the reasons behind the changes remain unknown.

Earlier this week, a report surfaced claiming that Apple had apparently disabled support for Intel's Atom processors in the latest developer build of Mac OS X 10.6.2. The revelation set off a firestorm around the Internet, riling many users who have modified their Atom-based netbook models to run OS X and sparking speculation that Apple may have been moving to hamper such "Hackintosh" netbook projects as it prepares to launch its much-rumored tablet computer.

In an update to his original blog post about the discovery, Tumblr user "stellarola" reveals that the latest Mac OS X 10.6.2 developer seed (Build 10C535) is apparently working just fine on his Atom-based netbook hardware.

Anyways, in the latest development build Atom appears to have resurrected itself zombie style in 10C535. The Atom lives another day, but nothing is concrete until the final version of 10.6.2 is out.

The original post describing the lack of Atom support was made on October 27th, one day before Apple seeded Build 10C535 to developers, meaning that the poster was experiencing difficulties on his Atom-based netbook with the then-current Build 10C531. It is unclear at this time whether the lack of Atom support in that build was intentional on Apple's part or if it was simply a bug that the company addressed in the next developer version.