Amazon introduces Amazon Cloud Drive desktop app with 5 GB of free online storage. The desktop app supports Windows Vista, Windows 7, Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard, and OSX 10.7 Lion.
Snow Leopard has arrived so I can move to iCloud.
I received a copy of Snow Leopard in the mail so that I can move my MobileMe account to iCloud. A Snow Leopard 10.6.3 DVD and a thick multi-language Software License Agreement booklet are packed in a brown padded envelope.
I personally will move my MobileMe account at the last moment possible because I still have some Macs that will never be able to run OS X Lion ever. Namely the PowerPC based Macs. In the meantime, I have been using a different iCloud account since Summer 2011.
Apple is committed to keep MobileMe service until June 30th, 2012.
Snow Leopard is on its way.
I have not moved my MobileMe account to iCloud yet for many reasons. Anyway, Apple offered me a free copy of Snow Leopard so I can upgrade to Lion. I already have OS X Lion on one of my Macs, but that’s beside the point. Let’s say I’m doing this for science.
Apple is mailing a copy of Mac OS X Snow Leopard to me and sent me the following email:
1. Get your free DVD of Snow Leopard
After you install Snow Leopard on your Mac, run Software Update from the Apple Menu to get Snow Leopard 10.6.8 with the Mac App Store.2. Next, upgrade to Lion
Open the Mac App Store from the Dock and purchase Lion for $29.99.* The installer will download to the Dock and automatically launch.3. You’re ready to move to iCloud
Your Mac is now ready for iCloud. Visit me.com/move from a Mac or PC to make the move to iCloud.
Mac OS X makes Time Travel a reality.
“It was so six minute ago.”
Perspectives
The news from the first week of April 2012:
- Flashback trojan reportedly controls half a million Macs and counting
- Half-million Mac infection estimate backed by new analysis
- Flashback Trojan infections estimated at 600,000 Macs
There seems to be a consensus of approximately 500,000 to 600,000 computers were affected by The Flashback Trojan. Forget about the possibility that some of the machines were running FreeBSD, Linux, Windows, or other operating systems. (Ars Technica)
After Apple released Java Update and Flashback malware removal tool there are two types of headlines:
- Flashback malware still on 140K Macs despite fix
- Flashback.K-infected Macs dropping rapidly, Symantec finds
Notice the language contrast between the two headlines. The prior sounds more negative then the latter.
Apple releases Java for OS X 2012-003 to address Flashback malware.
From Apple Support:
This Java security update removes the most common variants of the Flashback malware.
This update also configures the Java web plug-in to disable the automatic execution of Java applets. Users may re-enable automatic execution of Java applets using the Java Preferences application. If the Java web plug-in detects that no applets have been run for an extended period of time it will again disable Java applets.
Available for OS X Lion and Mac OS X Snow Leopard (Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 8).
It is recommended to disable Java in Safari. Go to Safari Preferences > Security > uncheck “Enable Java”
Apple no longer includes Java runtime with OS X Lion. If you never had any programs that required Java, OS X Lion will not prompt you to download and install the Java update.
Java for OS X 2012-002
Déjà vu? Apple released Java for OS X 2012-002
Java for OS X 2012-002 delivers improved compatibility, security, and reliability by updating Java SE 6 to 1.6.0_31.
Please quit any web browsers and Java applications before installing this update.
See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5055 for more details about this update.
See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222 for information about the security content of this update.
I’m pretty sure that Apple released Java for OS X 2012-001 on Tuesday April 3rd, 2012. On Apple Support Downloads page, Java for OS X 2012-001 has been replaced with Java for OS X 2012-002, and still dated on April 3rd, 2012.
