Tag Archives: 10.6 Snow Leopard

Flashback trojan finally detected by built-in OSX malware detection

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Apple introduced built-in Malware Detection in OSX 10.6 Snow Leopard (and OSX 10.7 Lion also of course). This works very good and updates automatically whenever your connected to the internet and Apple releases new malware definitions…

…this week (online) news sources were warning Mac-users that Apple still hasn’t updated for the latest expoit of Java by the Flashback trojan horse malware…

Today however the Java update was released by Apple :

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5228

As always : to install this update, just use OSX’s built-in Software update feature (find it under the Apple-icon menu in the left top corner of your screen).

 

BEWARE ! : MAC Defender = malware ! don’t install ! remove it !

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Since some of you might not know… just a quick note to inform you :

Your Mac is not completely immune to viruses and malware (and never has been). The  weakest link in the security chain of Mac-protection is often the user himself…

A program called “MAC Defender” claims to be your best protection, but do not install it ! If you really need a reliable virus-protection app for you Mac, go only with the renowned ones like Sophos, Kasperski, Norton, ClamXav or VirusBarrier (downloads available via MacUpdate.com, or from their respective brand’s websites).

MAC Defender is a fake AntiVirus-app ! It’s a trojan horse intended for phishing your valuable data, passwords and credit card info.

Apple has put info on how to avoid or remove MAC Defender online here :

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4650?

…but still : best remedy is not to install it at all !

fixed : upgrading Airport to WiFi-N on mid-2007 Mac mini

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The mid-2007 Mac mini (model A1176) was a very interesting update for the Mac mini, because it got upgraded to a Core 2 Duo processor. There is however one thing that should also have been upgraded, but wasn’t (for some strange reason – cost reduction ?) : the AirPort card ; that stayed a WiFi-B/G compatible one only… even though all other Macs had WiFi-B/G/N at that time…

Luckily it is possible to upgrade the AirPort card to a WiFi-N compatible model.

I found one for a relatively good price on Amazon.de : the Atheros AR9280. Both MacOSX 10.6 Snow Leopard and MacOSX 10.7 Lion recognize it as a genuine AirPort-N card, so in 10.7 Lion the new AirDrop feature is also supported.

I used the installing directions from iFixit.com :

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing-Mac-mini-Model-A1176-AirPort-Extreme/1112/1

It works perfectly, even with only one antenna (FYI : normally a WiFi-N card should have 3 antennas, but the WiFi-B/G card that was originally installed came with just one…)

tip : make your own iPhone ringtones with QuickTime 7 Pro

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How to create an iPhone ringtone with Quicktime 7 Pro

With Quicktime 7 Pro you can transform any audio file into an iPhone ringtone – for free.

  • Open Quicktime 7 Pro and load an audio file that you want to convert (AAC or mp3)
  • Adjust the sliders to mark the part of the song that you want to use with the left and right locater in the time bar. NOTE : The length cannot be longer than 30 seconds (29 seconds max)
  • Go to the Edit menu and trim the file to the marked length
  • Go to the File menu and select “Export”
  • Change the export format preset to “iPhone”, that will export to a file with the .m4v file extension
  • Manually change the file extension to .m4r ; when asked “Are you sure…?” click “Use .m4r” (the the text in the file icon will now change from “MPEG 4” to “Ring” or the entire icon will change into a black square music icon)
  • Drag the .m4r-file onto your iTunes music library (check under “Ringtones” to see if it’s been imported)
  • Sync your iPhone to get the new ringtone on your iPhone (make sure you’ve selected “Sync Ringtones” before syncing)
  • Then on your iPhone change the ringtone to your self made ringtone

fixed : premature timeout of TimeCapsule-connected USB-printers

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Solving the premature timeout-problem of TimeCapsule-connected printers

Some printers work fine when connected directly on the USB-port of your Mac, but when you connect them to a Time Capsule they choke on large files. They will print part of your document, and then suddenly end by printing a nearly blank page with an error message “SPL-C ERROR – Including Corrupted Data”. This is caused by a pre-mature timeout of connection between the printer and the Time Capsule.

Two simple solutions, and a 3rd ‘DareDevil-solution’ that’s more complex :

  1. your USB-cable is too long ; replace the USB-cable with a shorter one (standard length is 1.8 meters, shorter ones are hard to find)
  2. your USB-cable is too thin ; replace the USB-cable with a thicker, more rigid one
  3. If the above options are not possible to implement in your case, try this (if you dare) :

Edit the .gz-file

  • find the .gz-file for your printer in Library / Printers / PPDs / Contents / Resources / [printer diver name].gz
  • for failure-protection, duplicate it and rename it from [printer driver name].gz to [printer driver name](orig).gz
  • double click the initial .gz-file to unpack it
  • then, in the same folder, find the file with the same name, without the .gz-extention
  • open this file in the application TextEdit
  • find this line :

*Throughput: “[number]”

  • change the “[number]” to “60” (or something at least twice as big as the initial number)
  • save the file ; make sure the name is the same as when you opened it (omit the .txt-extention ; if you fail to do that while saving, rename the file in the Finder, but omit the .txt-extention)
  • download a GZIP-encoder ; for instance The Zipper :

http://lipidity.com/software/zippit/

  • use the GZIP-encoder to turn the [printer driver name] file into a [printer driver name].gz file
  • make sure this new [printer driver name].gz file is located in Library / Printers / PPDs / Contents / Resources /
  • you’re done… …on this computer at least…
  • now you have to got to each of the other Mac’s on your network and replace the old Library / Printers / PPDs / Contents / Resources / [printer diver name].gz by the new one…

…time-consuming isn’t it ?

…and your out of luck : you have to go though this each and every time the printer drivers for your printer are being updated… (until the official Printer-driver will include a longer timeout-delay…)

so… isn’t replacing the USB-cable an easier option ?

fixed : export contacts database from AddressBook to Excel

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Question [1] : I’m new to Mac, I just switched to my first Mac, before I only used Windows PCs. How can I import my contacts from my Windows PC into my new Mac running OSX ?

Question [2] : I’m a Mac user myself, but I need to share my contacts database from Apple AddressBook with WindowsPC-users I’m working with. Since there is no Apple AddressBook for Windows, this seems impossible. What can I do ?

Answer to both [1] and [2] : It’s possible, and it isn’t that complicated either.

There are (free) MacOSX-applications that can do this for you.

! BEWARE ! there are 2 applications around that are extremely similar (and therefore easily confused) both in name and features :

Address Book Exporter 2.1.2 (from 2003 ; with a space in the name)

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/9312/address-book-exporter

AddressBook Exporter 1.0 (from 2005 ; without a space in the name)

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/17501/addressbook-exporter

The first one (from 2003 ; with a space in the name) is the best one. That’s the one that still works properly with Apple AddressBook from MacOSX 10.6 “Snow Leopard”.

How to install :

  • download the application (from 2003 ; with the space in the name)

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/9312/address-book-exporter

  • drag the application-icon to your Applications folder

How to use it :

  • startup the application “Address Book Exporter 2.1.2”
  • from the “Groups” list, choose “All” to start converting your entire AddressBook, or choose only the selection that you want to export
  • if you would like to convert / export a selection that is not listed, go back into your AddressBook and create a (temporary) group from your selection
  • now, in “Address Book Exporter 2.1.2” check the checkbox of “Export using current field settings”
  • click the “Configure Settings” button
  • in the pull-down menu that appears, check the checkboxes of everything that you would like to export, and click “OK”
  • click the “Export Address Book” button
  • if you like, you can change the name of the exported file
  • then choose a destination on your Mac where you will be able to easily find the exported file (e.g. “Desktop”) and click “Save”
  • quit “Address Book Exporter”
  • open “MS Excel”
  • drag the icon of the exported file (from the Desktop) onto the MS Excel icon in the Dock, to have it opened in Excel
  • and… here you are : all your contacts are in Excel now
  • from there you can “Save As” to have a .xls-file that you can share with WindowsPC-users

tip : changing the icon that is displayed for your printer

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If you do not like the way the printer icon for your printer looks in the “Print & Fax” System Preference or in the Dock on your Desktop, you can edit it yourself.

  1. First thing to do is upgrade the driver for your printer ; sometimes older drivers show a generic printer icon in OSX, and that might be updated in the new drivers also. Go to the support-part of your printer’s brand and download and install new printer drivers for your version of OSX
  2. If have an alias to your printer on your Desktop or in your Dock (a.k.a. a “Desktop Printer”), you can change the icon just like you can change any icon in OSX ; by selecting the icon in the Finder, right-clicking “Get Info”, selecting the icon in Get Info, and then pasting the desired picture onto it (you could use a proper icon, but any picture can be used)
  3. …or you can do the ‘DareDevil-method’ : [this example shows how to do it for the Samsung CLP-315 printer, but it is similar for any other printer]
  • start by delete the printer from the printer list in “Print & Fax” System Preference (a.k.a. “Print & Scan” – depending on which OSX-version you have)
  • then find this file :

/Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources/Samsung CLP-310 Series.gz

  • Note : this file is located in the “Library”-folder that is directly on your hard disk, it is NOT in the “Library”-folder that is in the “System”-folder within the “Users”-folder !
  • copy this file to the Desktop
  • and rename the original file to Samsung CLP-310 Series (orig).gz so you will have a backup just in case…
  • then go back to the Desktop and unzip the copied .gz-file by clicking on it
  • open the unzipped file in the TextEdit application
  • add this line into the code :

*APPrinterIconPath: “/Library/Printers/Samsung/Icons/CLP-310.icns”

  • this is at the beginning of the code, immediately after the block of code that starts with :

*APDialogExtension: “/Library/Printers/Samsung/CLP-310/PDEs/.…

  • and immediately preceding this line of code :

*Manufacturer: “Samsung”

  • double-check to make sure that the desired icon is located at “/Library/Printers/Samsung/Icons/CLP-310.icns” in the Finder
  • save the file (just use “Save” in TextEdit)
  • convert the file back into a .gz-file with this name : Samsung CLP-310 Series.gz
  • Note : you will need to use a dedicated application like the free “The Zipper” for this (you can download “The Zipper” from MacUpdate.com)
  • assign a color to the file using your right mouse-click (CMD-click)
  • drag the file back to the place where the original used to be
  • go back to the “Print & Fax” System Preference, and add your printer to the list again
  • do NOT use the pre-selected driver, but choose “Other” and select the .gz-file you’ve just made :/Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources/Samsung CLP-310 Series.gz