Macintosh Tools - Software and Tools for Macs

Apple on Thursday released an update to Java for Mac OS X Leopard, this update delivers improved reliability, security, and compatibility for Java SE 6, J2SE 5.0 and J2SE 1.4.2. The update, number five, supersedes all previous updates and brings with it improved reliability, security, and compatibility for the cross-platform technology. This release updates Java [...]

It’s true. Apple has confirmed that Snow Leopard will be shipping early. Mac OS X 10.6, which is also known as Snow Leopard will be shipping even earlier than expected. The new release date is set for August 28. You can then expect to find the latest OS in Apple stores and through Apple resellers. [...]

Microsoft has made a few more announcements regarding the latest Office for Mac. The big news is that Entourage email client will be replaced with Outlook for Mac.  A web services edition of Entourage has also been deployed. The other new features will be primarily targeted at enterprise users. These include: Cocoa New Database Information [...]

Users of Apple’s MacBook Pro notebooks with 7200rpm 500GB hard drives have been complaining for months of clicking sounds followed by temporary stalling which has resulted in Apple finding a cure. Both brand-new and slightly older models of the Unibody MacBook computers may be affected, and currently there does not appear to be a fix [...]

Obtaining cool custom ringtones for the iPhone can be a real pain. Generally you need to purchase these from the iTunes store, even if you already own the song. This really sux. Luckily, there is a way better way to create your own custom ringtones and it can be done FREE. The guide is linked [...]

The word on the street is that Apple has been doing some testing on possible tablet and netbook designs. Apple has been purchasing screens ranging from 4-12 inches over the past couple of years. Some of these purchases have been quite large and they would indicate more than just testing. It could be possible that [...]

Rumours are spreading that Apple may be considering creating a competitor to eBay’s PayPal online payments system, allowing users to make purchases at third-party sites via their iTunes Store accounts. The reasoning behind the speculation is that Apple already has the iTunes system whereby consumers use credit cards and other prepaid payment forms to pay [...]

Apple on Thursday began shipping a two terabyte version of its Time Capsule backup system, double the storage capacity from what’s been available up to now. The new version is identical in every way to the 1TB version that was updated this past March, except it has twice the backup capacity. The new 2TB Time [...]

VLC Media Player is one of the best media players around and it’s FREE. The great thing about VLC is that it can play virtually any file format. I have yet to get stuck with trying to play a video in this player. The latest version 1.0.1 adds a few new improvements. Some of these [...]

The latest word on OS X is that 10.5.8 has just been released to the developers. The build that has just been passed across is 9L30, this comes just days after build 9L29. This latest build is only expected to contain a fix or two for some earlier issues to do with the system sleeping.  [...]

Found on Mac OSX 10.3 and later, FileVault is a great tool to make sure all your data is completely safe at all times. FileVault encrypts the files, as in it stores them as a Sparse Disc Image, which is essentially one large file and uses a key derived from the user’s password. It is [...]

The Mac Dock is one of the distinguishing features of the Mac OS. But there is more to it than most users are probably aware. Below you can learn more about the Mac Dock and some tricks that can be done with it. Mac Dock Tricks

We all know and love the Aqua GUI, so we have written an article briefly outlining the history and developments of this cool interface. Check it out below: Aqua GUI

A new version of Skype for Mac is the first official release to support screen-sharing and paid Wi-Fi access. The first major new addition, screen sharing, lets users share all or part of their screen to any other Skype user that’s running a video-capable version. Then there’s Skype Access, essentially you can now pay by [...]

If you are a user of Microsoft Office on the Mac, then you will be happy to know that Microsoft has just released Office 2008 for Mac SP2. This has some very nice new upgrades and performance enhancements, so there are noticeable changes and it is worth checking out. If you use either Sharepoint or [...]

Apple decided two years ago to change all of its screens on the entire Mac line from matte displays to the iPhone style glossy screen, but either due to bad publicity or sales they have decided to start offering anti-glare screens. The glossy screens look great in a room with no sunlight but many people [...]

If you are new to the Mac world or a long time user you would have noticed one of the differences between Mac and PC is the seemingly lack of right click on Mac’s. Well this is true that a Mac does not even have a right button, but that does not mean you cannot [...]

The new iPhone sales are hot all over the world – and so is it apparently. Just a week after the release of Apple’s new iPhone, a few owners have complained about the handset’s high temperatures, which in some cases are high enough to start browning the white plastic on the back of the phone. [...]

The CEO of Apple Steve Jobs is back at work this week after he underwent a liver transplant two months ago,  as reported by the Wall Street Journal on Saturday. The line from Apple since January was that Jobs was scheduled to be back by the end of June, something Apple’s spokesman Steve Dowling repeated [...]

Apple on Monday shipped updates to plug more than two dozen vulnerabilities in its version of Java, including a particularly dangerous flaw that Java maker Sun patched back in early December. The updates patch multiple versions of Java used in Mac OS X 10.5, aka Leopard, and Mac OS X 10.4, or Tiger, and bring [...]