MacRumors

Microsoft's Mac BU and FrontLine Systems have announced that Solver for Excel 2008 is now available for the Mac as a free download.

Frontline Systems developed the original Solver for Excel on both Macintosh and Windows. For many years, we've offered Solver upgrades for Windows users, that have gotten more and more powerful over time -- but we haven't been active on the Mac. We're now applying more development resources to the Macintosh, motivated by the Mac's resurgence in the market and the move to Intel processors. But the catalyst for this move has been Microsoft's Mac Excel team.

Solver is an Excel add-in that allows linear programming / analysis tool for Excel which was initially released for the Mac when Excel 2004 shipped but was dropped from Excel 2008 due to its dependency on Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) support.

Microsoft has previously announced that VBA support will be coming back to Mac Office in the next version.

RoughlyDrafted reports on details of the iPhone 2.0.2 firmware 3G connectivity improvements. According to a "source close to AT&T," the connectivity issues have been caused by iPhones demanding that cell towers devote more power than necessary to their connections. When a "critical mass" of iPhones, all demanding excessive amounts of power, are connected to a cell tower, the transmitter runs out of power and begins dropping calls and degrading data delivery. The 2.0.2 firmware update is said to address this issue via modifications to the power control algorithm.

The source also clarifies that iPhones running 2.0 and 2.0.1 firmware are continuing to cause problems for all users, which explains why many users have reported that connection issues persisted after they updated their iPhones. This also explains the advertising push for the 2.0.2 update seen with Apple adding a banner ad to the iPhone App Store and AT&T sending text messages to users encouraging them to update their iPhones.

This is one of the reasons why AT&T has been sending text messages to users to persuade them to upgrade to the 2.0.2 software. In a mixed environment where users are running 2.0, 2.0.1, and 2.0.2, the power control problems of 2.0 and 2.0.1 will affect the 2.0.2 users.

It is not the network that is fault but the interaction of the bad power control algorithm in 2.0 and 2.0.1 software and the network that is at fault. The sooner everybody is running 2.0.2 software the better things will be. Having seen the graphs the 2.0.2 software has already started to make difference.

Apple is due to release a software update for the iPhone in September, but it is not known whether it will include changes to further address the connectivity issues.

Gizmodo reports on an alleged email Steve Jobs sent to one of their readers. The email was in response to a complaint that AT&T is not offering a tethering option for the iPhone, even though it is offered on other smartphones as a $30/month add-on. The response acknowledged Apple and AT&T were discussing the option:

We agree, and are discussing it with ATT.

Steve

'Tethering' allows users to connect their laptops to the internet by using their mobile phone as the internet connection. The lack of a tethering option for the iPhone was highlighted recently due to the enormous interest in Nullriver's Netshare application which was temporarily available through the App Store.

As mentioned above, AT&T does offer an official tethering option for many of its smartphones as an additional $30/month charge.

Apple today released ProRes QuickTime Decoder 1.0, which allows Mac and PC users to view Apple ProRes files through QuickTime. ProRes, released as part of Final Cut Pro 6 in April 2007, is a post-production format targeted at video editors and offering uncompressed high-definition quality at standard-definition file sizes.

The Apple ProRes QuickTime Decoder software allows both Mac and Windows users to play Apple ProRes files through QuickTime. Apple ProRes is a visually lossless format that provides uncompressed HD quality at SD data rates.

It is an excellent choice for mastering and can easily be transcoded to distribution formats like H.264. With new support for playback on both Mac and Windows computers, Apple ProRes can also be used for review and approval of Final Cut Studio sequences.

Apple previously published a white paper (PDF) detailing the features and benefits of the format.

The update is available in a Mac version weighing in at 369 KB and requiring OS X 10.4 or 10.5 and a Windows version weighing in at 273 KB and requiring Windows XP (SP2) or later. Both versions also require QuickTime 7.5 or later.

According to Macworld, Apple has confirmed the security flaw that was publicized yesterday that could allow unauthorized individuals to circumvent the passcode locking system on the iPhone.

The minor iPhone security issue which surfaced this week is fixed in a software update which will be released in September, Apple representative, Jennifer Bowcock, said in an email to Macworld.

A fix is promised for September to address the security issue. In the meanwhile, users are being told to set their double-tap preferences to direct to the home screen rather than favorites. This will prevent the flaw from being exploitable.

The promised September iPhone update will have to live up to high expectations. The list of issues to be addressed or new features to be released is ever increasing. The list now includes this security fix, fix for iPhone app crashing, 3G connectivity improvements (partially addressed by 2.0.2), and "push" background services for applications.

An Apple patent application published today rehashes some concepts and diagrams from 2006 patent but generates continued interest due to persistant rumors that Apple may release a multi-touch tablet Mac.

AppleInsider details some of the techniques in accessing small user interface controls when using your fingers on a multi-touch tablet Mac:

Apple explains that on a tablet Mac, the buttons of a control box may be smaller than a users finger and located close together. Therefore it may be difficult for the user to make a selection directly without possibly pressing an undesirable button. To solve this problem, at least a portion of the control box would be enlarged, including the buttons therein when the user places their thumb over the control box.

Apple also details the use of swipe and scrolling to manipulate on screen lists as well as the implementation of a full screen multi-touch keyboard.:

While we've heard rumors of a tablet Mac for years, this year we've heard claims that either a tablet or mini-tablet Mac could be coming soon.

AppleInsider recaps many of the circulating rumors which expect both iPod and Mac notebook updates in the coming months. Some rumors have pegged September 9th as the possible day for at least some of the updates.

The iPod Nano and iPod touch are expected to see revisions, and long standing MacBook and MacBook Pro rumors point to revised case designs (MacBook, MacBook Pro) that adopt an aluminum/tapered look.

Newly reported, however, are expectations that the Apple iMac will see a refresh prior to the holiday season:

Separately, Apple is also planning to refresh its line of 20- and 24-inch iMac seasons ahead of the holidays. People familiar with these plans have described the refresh to consist of 'speed bumps' rather than major internal or external changes. Based on the roadmap presented to AppleInsider, these systems would debut later this fall following the release of the new MacBooks, making their way to market with little fanfare.

An iMac update would be contrary to expectations as the iMac is the most recently updated Mac. The iMac was updated in April of this year and introduced early Montevina-like technology. As a result, there would be only marginal improvements if it were updated to the most recently released Penryn/Montevina chipsets.

As previously reported, Psystar is planning on countersuing Apple for anticompetitive business practices, as reported by CNet. Psystar is a small company that made headlines when it started selling Mac-compatible PCs in April. Apple filed a lawsuit against the company based on a copyright infringement claim.

Psystar defends its actions and describes Apple's claims as "misinformed and mischaracterized."

Psystar argues that its OpenComputer product is shipped with a fully licensed, unmodified copy of Mac OS X, and that the company has simply "leveraged open source-licensed code including Apple's OS" to enable a PC to run the Mac operating system.

Psystar will reportedly countersue Apple and invoke the Sherman Antitrust Act and the Clayton Antitrust Act to prove that Apple's tying of Mac OS X to Apple-labeled hardware as "an anticompetitive restrain of trade". Experts have said that such an argument will be hard to make.

Gizmodo publicizes an iPhone security flaw that was publicly posted last night to MacRumors' Discussion Forum. The vulnerability allows individuals to easily bypass the built-in passcode protection offered by Apple to lock your iPhone.

The workaround allows unauthorized individuals access to the iPhone's Safari, Contacts list, SMS, Maps, and Mail.

MacRumors has been told that this security flaw was already reported to Apple earlier this month and has been acknowledged as an issue. A fix will presumably be included in a future firmware update.

Update: A simple fix is available in the meanwhile. Users should set their "Home Button" double-click preference to "Home" or "iPod" rather than the default "iPhone Favorites".

The Guardian reports that a television ad for the Apple iPhone has been banned by the U.K.'s Advertising Standards Authority after receiving complains about misleading claims.

The television ad which can be viewed online claims that "all the parts of the internet are on the iPhone." The complaints about the ad pointed out that the iPhone does not support Flash or Java which may be required for some websites. The Advertising Standards Authority concluded that "the ad gave a misleading impression of the internet capabilities of the iPhone".

Apple responded by saying that the purpose of the ad was to point the iPhone's ability to access standard websites and that it could not ensure compatibility with "every third-party technology in the marketplace".