Apple Releases Updates: 10.5.3, iPhone SDK Beta 6, and More

Today, Apple released its long-awaited 10.5.3 update to their Leopard operating system. Weighing in a 420MB, this update includes fixes for .Mac, Address Book, AirPort, Automator, iCal, iChat, Back To My Mac, Mail, Time Machine, Time Capsole, and many more. Updates to Logic Express and RAW compatibility for iPhoto '08 and Aperture 2 were pushed as well to the appropriate users.

I ran the update on my MacBook, and had to reboot twice. I was fortunate enough not to have any nagging issues from 10.5.2, so I can't personally comment on fixed bugs, but I haven't run into any compatibility issues. Some users are reporting issues with SIMBL plug-ins (as with some previous updates), but there is a fix for the problem. If (and only if) you own an iPhone or an iPod touch, a new feature in Address Book allows you to sync Gmail contacts with your iPhone, as it already does with .Mac and Yahoo! contacts.

The company also released a new version of the iPhone SDK, but no information partarning to the update was included. Presumably, this will be the last verison of the "beta" iPhone SDK before Apple's World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC), beginning June 9. The new SDK is tied to 10.5.3, so there is likely some code linking the two, which could be a technical reason or a clue to a new feature that has yet to be announced.

Apple released the Mac OS X 10.5.3 update today. The latest update to Leopard should appear in your Mac OS X Software Update.

The 10.5.3 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Leopard and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac.

Besides releasing Mac OS X 10.5.3 today, Apple also released a new version of the iPhone SDK (Beta 6). No details have been posted. Apple should be wrapping up development of the iPhone SDK which is expected to be complete by late June. Apple will be covering many aspects of the iPhone SDK during their Worldwide Development Conference which starts on June 9th.

Source: MacRumors

DS now stands for Digital Sketchbook

If you're like me and haven't touched your Nintendo DS in ages, or you have several because they come in so many colors, you can now turn your DS into a Digital Sketchbook! Jason Dunn at jasonrdunn.com has some examples of what is possible on the DS, provided you actually have the talent up front.

Here is an excerpt from the instructions:

The lower screen is used as the painting surface, while the upper screen displays the image at normal size. You paint with the stylus, but you can use just about anything as a brush. A full-size Wacom stylus works just fine on it. The color picker and brush settings are revealed with the L1 key, and you can choose a hard or soft brush and adjust the pressure and size settings. You can also assign pressure input to size and/or opacity of the brush.

Beware however, there is no UNDO, but there's also no undo with real paint, so real artists will have no issue with this. However those of us who are lucky to be able to draw the turtle from the art school test, may find this more challenging.

You can find complete instructions and software downloads at Wired.com

Source: Wired.com

May 28th Tech Roundup

Motherboards & Processors
• Asus P5Q Deluxe vs MSI P45 Diamond - Overclock3D

Displays & Video Cards
• ASUS EN9600GT Silent - Elite Bastards
• Sparkle Calibre GeForce 9600 GT - InsideHW

Memory & Storage
• Aeneon XTune 2GB DDR3-1600 - Big Bruin
• Aeneon XTune 2GB DDR3-1600 - Overclockers Club
• MemoRight GT Series 32GB SSDs in RAID 0 - TweakTown
• OCZ PC2-8500 Reaper HPC DDR2-1066 4GB Edition - 3D Xtreme

Peripherals & Gadgets
• Cyber Snipa Sonar 5.1 USB Surround Headset - TweakNews
• Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 4GB USB Stick - Madshrimps
• Logitech Driving Force GT - Gaming Nexus

Cooling
• Apack Zerotherm FZ120 Heatsink - FrostyTech
• Coolermaster Z600 - XS Reviews
• Noctua NF-P12 Silent Fan - Tech-Reviews
• Spire Fourier IV CPU Cooler - Techware Labs
• ZEROtherm ZEN FZ 120 CPU Cooler - Think Computers

Chassis & Power Supplies
• Biostar TPower N750 - Overclockers Online
• FSP Everest 800W - Technic3D

Competitions, Complete Systems & Et cetera
• Dell's XPS 730 H2C Gaming Rig Rocks the Lab - HotHardware
• Hypersonic Avenger AG2 12.1" Notebook - Legit Reviews
• Microsoft Zune 80GB - Digital Trends
• VIA Unveils New OpenBook UMPC Reference Design - HotHardware