Updates for everything, Parallels, iWorks, OS X - lots and lots

I'm writing this against the clock, time is ticking past as recent slew of updates are downloaded and installed. Most of the iLife apps are getting an update to integrate with the new aperture.

I wrote about the iTunes 7.1 update last week. It has indeed delivered performance gains, my smart play list is pretty snappy now.



I read there was a Parallels update, build 1920. Parallels for those that don't know is the program I use to run the dread Windows in a window on my mac. This allows me access to a windows box, for testing mainly. Or running that odd application like Napster that I still subscribe to that doesn't have a windows version.

On Napster, I can't see me holding out much longer. More and more of their collection is turning into just 30 second clips. Well I'm not paying a subscription for just extracts of tracks - so that I believe will go soon.


This is just installing the Keynote update of 3.3 megs. Should still have a few minutes it's gotta download the OS update of 211 megs yet.

I also updated Vista with a few patches. Remember ANYONE running Internet Explorer, how ever fully patched your system is. You need to be aware of the new Zero Day VML exploit on Internet Explorer. Firefox, ignores this type of file. Safari and Mac OS X - well I'm not going to cover old ground.

XP When I had it open also got some new bits and bobs added. A significant update I saw was the icon that tell you you have downloaded a program from the internet. Great to see Uncle Bill has his priorities in order.



On the mac side also, MSN Messenger for mac had an update, about time too I hear you all cry. It's nice. Still doesn't have audio / video support but there is a very interesting post on the Mac Business Unit's blog over at Microsoft about this. From what I gather internally there are two audio and video standards fighting it out and the Mac Messenger people not doing anything until there is a winner.



I am quite enjoying this blog. The recent post on automation testing and color coded food alert system was awesome. Anyone who knows what I'm like at work knows I do pretty much the same think. Hanging out like a vulture on the look out for spare food.



Adium my preferred IRC client for cross service integration also had an update this week. Mainly a bunch of stability stuff. Errors that would occur in only the most obscure circumstances. In my opinion anyway.

I lost some code at work this week which is hyper annoying because it looked very cool. Investigators have pretty much ruled out foul play. It made me even more adamant I wanted a decent CVS on the server I work from. It was mainly annoying because now I'm behind whereas I thought I was on top of things for a go live in two weeks. The deadline can't shift so I now have to re do the work over again, in a rush.

I should point out that revision3 relaunched this week, with a new website and a party at everyones favorite San Francisco club Mighty on Utah street. I sound like one of the hip kids but I only know it because Google, the proud sponsors of the Future of Web apps evening party hired it out the other week whilst I was there.



I'm going to sign off now, as the Software update starts growing little green ticks and will soon want a reboot - I have a little wonder about some the mixture of posts on the parallels forums about 10.4.8 and parallels and Cisco VPN. Will report back later.