Mac users beware - the first ever ARDAgent-based Trojan malware was recently identified by SecureMac, compromising the security of the normally airtight Mac OS X system. Known as "AppleScript.THT", the Trojan exploits a vulnerability in the Apple Remote Desktop Agent and allows malicious users complete access to the system. More details about the Trojan can be found in our full article.

Apple's known for keeping secrets, though rumors about new MacBook SKUs soon to hit retail got out. Just a day after fellow blogger Tim Y. reported on a plausible product list hinting at the new models, the Cupertino-based company decided it was high time to make it official. The 2008 line of MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops have been introduced, with specifications updated for the current mobile generation.

We shared with you yesterday an article concerning Blizzard's World of Warcraft being playable and Apple's iPhone. It was about a hack that allows users to run the MMO on the mobile phone, albeit with limited features. Some of you said it's fake while the others found it amazing, to say the least.

We briefly mentioned in that same article the third-party program iPhone Remote (aka Telekinesis) that made the trick possible. To settle this once and for all, let us discuss further what the said application is. Telekinesis was created by a team of coders headed by jnjitkoff and gmurphy. Other members include ksmarshall, bwhitman, and dmaclach.

In a nutshell, this application allows users to remotely access their Mac through a collection of mini web applications on iPhone. The good thing about Telekinesis, though, is that it sports a wide range of other remarkable features. Some of which include:

• Stream music and videos from your computer learn how
• Screen capture with mouse click and basic typing support
• Simple iTunes Remote control
• Browse your files
• Run applescript remotely
• iSight image capture
• Easily create and add more apps

Take note that this build, v0.9.16 Alpha, is just a developer prototype and is intended as a demo to introduce the program to the public. And as such, there are certain security considerations that you have to keep in mind should you intend to use it. The following were provided by the developers themselves.

• It will have the same access privileges as your user account
• The login and password you specify will be stored on disk, so should be different, but as strong as your account password.
• Don't leave it running if you aren't using it

The download package below doesn't not contain a Readme file so you may want to refer first to our Source link before using this on your Mac and iPhone.

Download: Telekinesis (iPhone Remote v0.9.16 Alpha)

We're sure you've already heard of Boot Camp, this amazing tool that lets you natively run Windows on your Mac laptops and computers. Yep (for the uninitiated) Boot Camp lets you install Windows without moving your Mac data, or burning a CD with all the required drivers for Windows.

Boot Camp public installer has been made available months ago, and now Apple has released a new version of Boot Camp. Boot Camp 1.2 beta includes some improvements, and it can be used by new and previous Boot Camp beta users. The following are the changes available on 1.2 beta:

• Support for Windows Vista (32-bit)
• Updated drivers, including but not limited to trackpad, Apple Time (synch), audio, graphics, modem, iSight camera
• Support the Apple Remote (works with iTunes and Windows Media Player)
• A Windows system tray icon for easy access to Boot Camp information and actions
• Improved keyboard support  for Korean, Chinese, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Russian, and French Canadian
• Improved Windows driver installation experience
• Updated documentation and Boot Camp on-line help in Windows
• Apple Software Update (for Windows XP and Vista)

If you've previously installed Boot Camp and would like to update, there's no need to partition your hard drive nor reinstall your Macintosh and Windows software and documents. Just update the Boot Camp Assistant software, create a new Mac Drivers CD, and install the updated software it contains onto Windows. Anyway the full installation instructions as well as the downloadable Boot Camp beta 1.2 software awaits when you follow the source link.

According to a study conducted a few months back, the iconic Apple thingamajig - the iPod - has edged beer guzzling as the most "in" thing among college students. Maybe this next thing we're going to write about is a ploy to make the malt product more popular than the iPod again.

This beer can from Estonian brewer Saku is sporting an unusual albeit familiar-looking logo at the bottom of its label. Yup, that thing you see there is unmistakably the Apple logo. Trademark infringement? Well we really don't know, our Estonian is no good.

But we know that one of the purpose of the U.S. trademark law is to prevent confusing the consumers; basically, we don't think anyone would buy it thinking that they would get a new Apple iSight or something. So they may not be breaking any trademark laws, or we could be wrong you know.

It seems that Saku is just promoting a contest wherein they are giving away a free MacBook plus 500,000 Estonian Kroon (around US$40, 520). Are they violating any trademark laws here? Well, your guesses are as good, maybe even better, than ours.

The news is out that the latest build of Microsoft's upcoming operating system, Vista, now works on all Intel Macs running Boot Camp v1.1. In case you haven't heard, Boot Camp allows Intel-based Mac users to run Windows on their Macs using an original copy of Windows to install.

The new build is Vista Pre-RC1 (5536) and the installation is the same as it is was with Windows XP SP2, although it is important to note that not all the drivers in Boot Camp will work under Vista at this time - including the iSight and Apple Keyboard.

Reports are out that the new build is a significant improvement over the Beta 2 that was made available some months ago. It has even been reported that the bells and whistles are supported for both the MacBook Pro and plain MacBook.

Apple has released version 1.1 beta of their world-famous software that allows Intel-based Mac users to run Windows on their Macs. Boot Camp lets you install Windows XP without moving your Mac data, though you will need to bring your own copy to the table, as Apple Computer does not sell or support Microsoft Windows. Boot Camp will also burn a CD of all the required drivers for Windows so you don't have to scrounge around the Internet looking for them.

Boot Camp 1.1 beta includes:

• Support for the latest Intel-based Macintosh computers
• Easier partitioning using presets for popular sizes
• Ability to install Windows XP on any internal disk
• iSight camera support
• Support for built-in microphones
• Right-click when pressing the right-hand Apple key on Apple keyboards
• Improved Apple keyboard support including Delete, PrintScreen, NumLock, and ScrollLock keys

Apple advise current users yo Boot Camp to update to the latest version. You don't need to partition your hard drive again (unless you want to change its size) or reinstall your Macintosh and Windows software or documents, but it's very important to update the Boot Camp Assistant software, create a new Macintosh Drivers for Windows CD and install the updated software it contains on Windows XP.

You can find the 202 MB download over at Apple's dedicated Boot Camp site.

Who knew that an iSight Camera could be combo'd with a telescope to produce a contraption that would be perfect for star gazing with your significant other? This was actually done before with the aim of taking a smoking picture of Saturn, but the problem was the camera had to be held still and holding something still for a long time, could be quite a challenge. So with that, the guys responsible for this decided to embark on a mission-- produce an iSight Telescope Mount and capture the biggest planet in the Solar System-- Jupiter.

Mounting an iSight camera is no easy and cheap task...it takes tremendous amounts of patience, time, and money. When the mounting part is over, you'd have to slave for quite a while as you locate celestial bodies that you may want to capture, and sometimes the weather is a bit uncooperative so you'd have to wait for a proper time to take 'em photos.

This is the finish product of the iSight Telescope mount. As you can see it is plugged into the PowerBook and ready to take pictures. Fortunately, their hard work paid off as they were able to take a picture of the giant planet. Kudos to these guys!

 

Apple is on a mission to make a complete transition to the happy and reliable world of Intel processors, they will try to accomplish this by the end of 2006. Among the many now-Intel based Apple babies is the Apple iMac Core Dup 17-inch (which also has a cheaper, Education version). We earlier featured a review of the iMac Education variant which got favorable ratings amidst the downgrades it went through.

Now, the verdict is in for the  Apple iMac Core Duo 17-inch. As you can see, this baby is the bomb, aesthetically speaking. But now powered with Intel processors, a lot of people are expecting great things and improvements from this Apple contraptios. So with that, how did it fare in the review?

Well, according to the said review, Apple has a definite winner with this one. Faring well than other PowerPC and Intel-based Macs in business, media and general-use scenarios, the iMac Core Duo 17-inch is definitely not lagging behind in features and functions. It also mentioned that it's a good move that Apple stuck with the usual sexy design that Apple aficionados have grown to love and appreciate. It is a smooth operator too - runs quietly - with a hardware and operating system that are the most reliable around. The very plush and pretty screen is only a bonus to all that.

It is also praised for its built-in iSight, versatile all-in-one design, easy relocation for a desktop computer, and for being excellent for small workspaces (which we usually suffer from). But, every good machine has a mean bone too, nothing's all peach and roses in this world you know. But, the cons are obviously outweighed by the pros.

The not-so-good side of the iMac is its 8X SuperDrive which would be better had it been a 16X and the fact that it lagged in the iPhoto import speed test. So if you're in the market for a dependable and elegant-looking desktop computer, maybe you oughta consider the iMac Core Duo 17-inch, which has a price tag that ranges from $999-$1,300.

If you have a strange gut feeling that your boyfriend or girlfriend is cheating on you, but you can't just find any proof, then maybe this little trick using Quartz Composer will be of some assistance. It only works if you have Tiger and an iSight or another webcam.

Quartz Composer is a development tool provided with Mac OS X v10.4 for processing and rendering graphical data. There are only two components to this trick - the video input and the billboard to render it. Now what you do is drag a line from the video's input "Image" on to the Billboard's "Image" input. After that, use the inspector to set the width to two.Export this to a QuickTime movie, 320x240. Since only one application can use your camera at a time, you'll have to close Quartz Composer for QuickTime to play the video. When you like what you have done, just embed it in HTML. I'm sure he/she will make a confession in no time.