Apple recently released the first build of the new Mac OS X 10.5.5 software. However, the new release comes with an ominous caveat not to install the software on Macs with integrated graphics chips. The update takes care of numerous bugs noted since the release of the previous OS X version. Find out more about the new 9F5 build in our full article after the jump.

It wasn't that long ago when Apple released Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.2, but chances are a lot of you are already looking forward to the next one. Here's some good news for you: version 10.5.3 has already started testing this week. Check out the full article to find out what's currently happening in the testing stage of the update.

Reports have it that Apple has already finalized all of the features for its next operating system Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. We also got word that its current OS, Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, has just received its final maintenance and security updates.

This is consistent to earlier reports that Leopard has finally reached the release candidate stage. Furthermore, AppleInsider points out that Apple has started giving out hand-outs and training materials to its staff to prepare for the Leopard launch.

According to speculations, Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard will be available in the week of October 22 with October 26 targeted as the official launch. Meanwhile, the above mentioned updates come in two packages - build 8S161 for Power PC Macs and build 8S2161 for Intel Macs.

These two focused primarily on Dashboard with fixes provided on the software's underlying Webkit foundation and number-oriented widgets. Apple, however, keeps mum on the matter. The only official things dished out by the company are the seeds update for Leopard named 9A557/9A559 designed to fix wireless networking and RAW image viewing.

Apple's upcoming operating system Leopard wouldn't be available until October this year but even this early, we've been hearing a lot about its features and how it differs from the current OS Tiger. And just like in previous OS updates, some consumers are wondering how to emulate those features on Tiger.

Online site AppleTell has an interesting article about the above mentioned "problem" and divulged that there are a couple of existing third party applications that provide users some solution. For starters, here are some of the features that you can add to your Tiger and give it some "spots" so to speak to make it look like Leopard:

• Time Machine: Unfortunately, no current application truly lives up to Time Machine, but an app called SuperDuper seems to do the trick pretty well.
• Spaces: Although Virtual Desktops have been around for a while, Spaces brings them to a whole new level. Fortunately, we don't have to wait until October to use virtual desktops, as two current apps do the job already, VirtueDesktops and Desktop Manager
• Stacks: Even though LeopardÂ?s stacks cannot truly be emulated with an app, thereÂ?s a simple trick to getting a piece of stacks in Tiger.
• UI: You can modify Tiger's UI to look like Leopard's with a theme called Liger. Just install ShapeShifter and ClearDock from Unsanity, and download Liger.
• Finder: here are such things as "Finder replacements" that will give your current file browsing experience a boost. Some of these Finder replacements include Path Finder, Macintosh Explorer, and Forklift
• iChat: ChatFX brings many Photo Booth-like effects and the famed blue screen effect over to iChat on Tiger. Although a bit unstable at times, ChatFX gives you a taste of iChat on Leopard.
• Dashboard: With Leopard, you can now clip parts of web pages and put them in Dashboard, thanks to a new feature called Web Clip. Tiger users can clip web pages as well with a widget.

Apple's iPhone won't be released before June 29 but certain individuals are already planning to develop web-based applications and optimize web sites for it. In fact, an event is being planned by BarCamp from July 6 to 8 in the Bay Area (that's in California) just for that purpose.

If you are not familiar with BarCamp, it is actually an ad-hoc gathering for people to share and learn in an open environment. So, attendees of this so-called iPhone Developers Camp will include web designers, developers, testers, and iPhone owners. The major objectives of the said event will involve:

• Create new web applications for iPhone.
• Optimize existing web applications for iPhone.
• Migrate Dashboard Widgets to web-based widgets for iPhone.
• Test and optimize web sites for iPhone.

If you are planning to attend, please take note that this is a "working camp". That means that being an iPhone owner is not enough to get into the developers camp. While it is free, you should be able to build and launch web-based applications and sites for the new mobile phone.

Our Read link will take you to BarCamp's official page for the iPhone Developers Camp. It will provide you with more details regarding lodging, things to bring, status of the project, and a couple of presentations. Also, please take note that this event is in no way related to Apple.

In this year's World Wide Developers Conference, Apple announced the winners of the Apple Design Awards. This award, which was first handed out a good 12 years ago, is said to "recognize technical excellence and outstanding achievement in Mac OS X software design and development."

The Apple Design Awards has seven categories in which software developers, whether independent or otherwise, can take part in. The categories include: Leopard Application, User Experience, Developer Tool, Game, Scientific Computing Solution, Dashboard Widget, and Student Product. The winners of each category are as follows:

• Leopard Application:
• Delicious Library 2.0 (alpha) by Delicious Monster
• User Experience:
• Coda 1.0 by Panic Inc.
• Developer Tool:
• CSSEdit 2.5 by MacRabbit
• Game:
• World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade 2.0 by Blizzard Entertainment
• Scientific Computing Solution:
• Papers 1.0 by Alexander Griekspoor and Tom Groothuis
• Dashboard Widget:
• BART Widget 1.0 by Bret Victor
• Student Product:
• Picturesque 1.0 by Zac Cohen

Each of the said applications are pretty well-known among the Apple community and have really changed the computing landscape in its own way. For the listing of the runner-ups and a description of each program, click on our read link. Be sure to keep checking back here for the latest Apple updates.

 

Connect360">NullRiver Software released a new version of Connect360, tagged as Connect360 v3.0. Before we discuss the changelog for this new version, let's first take a look at what Connect360 is about.

Connect360 is an application that bridges the Mac to the Xbox 360 by allowing music playbacks and photo viewing on Microsoft's next-gen console. In previous versions, Connect360 has worked on the internet radio broadcast capabilities, as well as iPod libraries access on the Xbox 360. Apart from that, they also made the application compatible with Xbox's Spring dashboard update, and required Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.

On to what's in store for us in this new version:

• Choose where your videos are stored
• Support for H.264 and MPEG4 videos in MOV and MP4 containers
• Support for iTunes Podcasts in the above formats
• Bug fixes

If you're interested to get Connect360 v3.0, we suggest you follow our Read link below. As for the registration of your own Connect360 copy, you better prepare US$ 20 for it.

According to Mac News Network, Apple's recent patent application clued in a couple of images detailing the Mac OS X Dashboard and its ability to be manipulated in a 3D fashion. In addition to being able to flip the Dashboard to reveal several other faces of multiple Dashboards, each new face will sport different assortments of widgets as defined by the user of the system.

While it's a novel idea, the concept looks just as similar to Beryl, a breath-taking interface modification for users of supported flavors of Linux. In a similar fashion, Beryl allows Linux users to flip their entire desktop to reveal other different faces of the cube, and each new face also sports a different assortment of windows as set by the user.

Mere "coinkidink"? We'd like to say yes, but then the Apple patent doesn't rip off the concept of "Vista-killer" desktop interface to level against Microsoft's Aero interface. You can hop to the article in MacNN through the "Read" link below, but before you do, check out a demo of just what Beryl does and judge for yourself. Thanks to w00styl3 for the video.

 

At the rare times that you'd have to call Apple Support, you just might encounter a simple problem of recalling all those important numbers and details that might be asked of you. Especially if your computer is FUBAR'ed, then how the hell could you access all those info in your system? If you're the type to store all of your password notes and system serial numbers on your Dashboard care of some widget, then you're in trouble.

That's why Apple Support is extending its arms and helping you out. They've come up with a My Mac Cheat Sheet that you can print out and fill up. Sometimes, having a back-up hard copy of all your details is more useful than simply keeping it in 1s and 0s. Just make sure you heed the advice on top of the cheat sheet and never forget to hide it.

Download: My Mac Cheat Sheet pdf

If you've got a brand new Apple 802.11n AirPort Extreme (or if you're looking to get one soon), you might have noticed that it doesn't connect with the Xbox 360 - unless you bust out a few tweaks. A recent post on 25experts.com comes to the rescue of gamers who have yet to make the setup work.

There are actually two ways to do this: the easy way, and the safe way. If you don't give a rat's behind about wireless security and all that jazz, this is really easy. Just turn the wireless security feature off and you're good to go. Running an non-secure wireless networks is a bit of a risky move, though, so here's the nifty workaround from 25experts:

In Airport Utility, Option-Click (or alt click on windows keybaords) the radio setting button to get the hidden choices, and select "b/g compatible", NOT "n (b/g compatible), just straight b/g. That will limit each device to 54 Mbps, which is fine.

Next, Option-Click your encryption setting button and select "WPA Personal." Go into the Internet:DHCP settings (I think) and reserve an IP address for your 360 based on it's MAC settings to make sure it gets the same IP all the time. In the NAT options, select that IP as the "Default Host" so as to cause no issues with XBox Live functionality. Restart the Apple Extreme.

After it's up and running, start your XBox 360, go to the last blade of the Dashboard and select your network settings - it should let you select your new WPA-encrypted network and you're good to go.

Try it out and let us know if it works for you. Don't hesitate to leave a comment below.