Wednesday, April 23, 2014

IMPORTANT Apple Security Update 2014-002

Security Update 2014-002 is out (as of yesterday) and it contains some extremely important vulnerability fixes.

You can read all about it from Apple at the link above.

Components:

  • CFNetwork HTTPProtocol
  • CoreServicesUIAgent
  • FontParser
  • Heimdal Kerberos
  • ImageIO
  • Intel Graphics Driver
  • IOKit Kernel
  • Kernel
  • Power Management
  • Ruby
  • Security - Secure Transport
  • WindowServer

feature updates for various operating systems from 10.7.x through 10.9.2, although each component is not updated for all operating systems. The key risks associated with not updating include creation of WindowServer sessions by sandboxed apps, man-in-the-middle attacks for SSL, situations where screen lock does not occur when it should, buffer overrun issues that could allow maliciously crafted applications, images and PDFs to execute code arbitrarily, user access to kernel pointers that defeats memory space randomization, and potential access to unprotected cookie content (and, therefore, access to secure sites) by stopping an in-progress HTTP header transfer before security data is finalized.

For Mavericks users, this update also contains the security content of Safari 7.0.3. Issues addressed in this release of Safari cover multiple memory corruption issues existing in WebKit.

Click here to launch the Mac App Store’s Updates

Remember, on Mavericks all updates default to automatic, but system updates require a restart and if an app is loaded it cannot update. Check the Notification Center to see if you have missed an alert. The Mac App Store updates tab will also show all updates installed in the last 30 days, in order of most recent first.

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FYI, this is the device I use to keep my iMac device batteries charged. It is many levels above the typical retail device, and now it is available for 30% off what I paid!

 

 

Saturday, April 5, 2014

The Little Low-Cost Bluetooth Speaker That Rocks - Oontz Angle Ultra-portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

If you’ve been in any retailer recently, you’ve surely seen a row of portable speakers. From the as-seen-on-tv variety for $20-$30 on up to the highest quality Bose units, it can be overwhelming to make a decision.

I’m happy to share the best value for your money after wasting my own money on some real lousy units over the past few years.

Many people are hesitant to spend top dollar for the highest quality models from Bose, and most reviews on popular electronics sites read more like a sales pitch than true reviews. The $100-$200 range is filled with products with confirmed clarity and loudness as well as some that are no better than the cheapest products that can be found in a dollar store or truck stop. Expensive units like the Beats by Dre are very popular, and they work well, but for much less you can get a comparable level of clear, loud sound.

My personal favorite is available on Amazon for $39.99, the Oontz Angle. I’ve never been so happy with a tech purchase at $40!

First, it isn't the loudest device and quite a bit of the sound quality depends on the source, as I can compare low bitrate streams from my iPhone and my own high quality encoded music. If you don't have the budget for a Bose or Beats by Dre, this is as loud and clear (with the right source) as many of the speakers that sell for $150-$200. Don't put it in the category of the other < $50 speakers. I've had several and they all had problems, from sound quality to length of life. At least two of my other < $50 purchases stopped working within a few months.

The sound booms well enough to play in the bathroom and hear over the shower water in the mornings.

The unit works well with smartphones and tablets, and for audio engineering like I do on my MacBook Pro, it’s a perfect separate monitor. The loudness is impressive, especially with a quality audio source.

Don’t get me wrong, if you have the money for a high end system, there’s no debating that you get better sound from a $400+ unit. However, for under $100, there is nothing that compares to the rich sound of this device.

Final notes:

10 hour rechargeable battery (I’ve gotten 11 hours on an audiobook, listening to the entire book over three days via the speaker)

Recharges via included USB cable

Comes with audio cable for direct connect, carrying case is sold separately

Total weight 9 ounces, I carry it from room to room often

When paired with smartphones, it functions as a speakerphone (I felt the volume output from my iPhone was too low for use in a car, but fine for the office)

Full list of Portable Speakers at Amazon.com

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

MacHeist Apple Design Award Bundle 2014

Awesome MacHeist bundle - $19.99 for some amazing apps, I’ve used BoinxTV and MacJournal for years. In fact, this very post is being written in MacJournal for my blog.

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The hidden app at the bottom could be iStopMotion 3 or some other video recording tool. I’m looking forward to trying out Toon Boom Studio myself.

Enjoy!