NVIDIA announced today the expansion of its award-winning line of NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics solutions to the Mac platform, bringing the computational and visualization breakthroughs enabled by NVIDIA Fermi architecture to Mac Pro users.

For professional users operating on Mac OS X Snow Leopard, this means the wait is over. The NVIDIA Quadro 4000 graphics processing unit (GPU) for Mac is optimized to accelerate workflows and drive a range of top professional applications. For example, the Adobe Mercury Playback Engine in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 software leverages NVIDIA CUDA parallel processing technology to enable film and video professionals to work unconstrained. Other examples include visual effects and image processing applications from The Foundry, including NUKE and STORM, and MATLAB from MathWorks.

Months after bringing to the world an updated lineup of iMacs, Mac Pro workstations, and Macbooks barring the Macbook Air, Apple has finally given its due, with a new updated Macbook Air. Apple's ultra-thin, and ultra-light notebook is now available in two sizes, 13-inch and 11-inch. Internally, there are no radical changes. It still uses a Core 2 Duo, clocked at 1.40 or 1.60 GHz for the 11-inch and 1.80 GHz or 2.13 GHz for the 13-inch version with 3 MB (11-inch) or 6 MB (13-inch) of L2 cache , 2 GB of DDR3 memory (with the option to choose 4 GB), and NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics. Unlike with the older generation, the new Macbook Air uses SSDs on all available variants, it's hardwired on its motherboard (apparently to minimize space), and comes in capacities of 64~128 GB (11-inch) or 128~256 GB (13-inch).

It is over the hood that most changes are made. The unit is now thinner at 0.11-0.68 inch (0.3-1.7 cm), lighter at 1.06 kg for the 11-inch and 1.32 kg for the 13-inch. Apple claims to have learned a lot from iPad's design. It's given the new Macbook Air a larger glass trackpad that uses high-precision multi-touch surface used in Apple's touch products, which enhance the user-interface beyond just doing the work of a pointing device. The screen used has high pixel density, with 1440 x 900 pixels for the 13-inch and 1366 x 768 pixels for the 11-inch model. A high-resolution Facetime web-camera is fitted. The Macbook Air provides all the software capabilities of any other Mac, the Mac OS X Snow Leopard OS and iLife are bundled. Battery life has also gone up, 5 hours for the 11-inch and 7 hours for the 13-inch. Prices start at US $999 for the 11-inch model and $1,299 for the 13-inch one, and go up depending on the optional components chosen.

Designed to address the explosive worldwide demand for digital storage, Seagate today launched the world's first 1.5 terabyte (TB) 2.5-inch portable external drive. Available immediately, the new 1.5TB FreeAgent GoFlex ultra-portable drive delivers an all-in-one, technically advanced solution to help store, share and enjoy libraries of digital content in one's preferred medium-whether on a Mac or PC, or a television, at home or on the go. With 1.5TB of capacity people can now store and carry up to 60 HD movies, 750 video games, thousands of photos or countless hours of digital music.

"Today's announcement is a 'triple-crown' of consumer technology-packaging record breaking capacity, blazingly fast USB 3.0 connectivity and the bonus of movie entertainment-making the 1.5TB GoFlex ultra-portable drive an unprecedented and innovative solution," said Darcy Clarkson, vice president of Global Retail Sales and Marketing for Seagate. "Bringing this solution to market on the heels of our 3TB GoFlex Desk drive and the Momentus XT solid state hybrid drive is proof of Seagate's continuing technology leadership and tradition of setting storage industry milestones."

Transcend announced the StoreJet 25D2-W, a portable hard drive designed to complement Mac computers. Featuring a sleek glossy white finish and certified compatibility with Mac laptop and desktop computers, this brand new Apple friendly drive is a must have for fashion-minded users-especially Mac enthusiasts.

The compact StoreJet 25D2-W portable hard drive is stylish, rugged and ultra-portable. Its shiny gloss-white lacquer finish resembles the classic Apple style, making it look good with any Mac computer, including MacBooks, iMacs, MacBook Mini, etc. With full certification for use with all Mac systems, the StoreJet 25D2-W bears the "Compatible with Mac OS X" logo that gives Mac users extra piece of mind. Thanks to its trendy design and multi-platform compatibility, both Windows and Mac users now have a fantastic choice for storing and carrying their data with style.

Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, today announced it has begun shipping the ultra-portable Lexar Echo SE and Lexar Echo ZE flash-based drives to traditional and online retail channels. Netbook and notebook users can now automatically and conveniently back up files while on the go, using the plug-and-stay, low-profile ZE or the high-capacity, high-performance SE drive.

During the month of May 2010, the Echo SE and ZE drives will be available exclusively through online retailer Amazon.com in the U.S. The Echo line will also be available for purchase through brick-and-mortar outlets in select countries worldwide, including Staples in the United Kingdom, FNAC in France, Media Markt in Germany, and top consumer electronics stores in Italy.

WD, the world's leader in external storage solutions, today introduced its new My Passport Studio portable drives featuring the super-fast FireWire 800 interface and a customizable e-label that's always visible, even when the drive is unplugged. Sporting a sleek and stylish design, the new high-performance My Passport Studio drives are formatted for Mac computers, compatible with Apple TimeMachine software, and feature automatic and continuous backup with WD SmartWare software, and 256-bit hardware-based encryption. Available now at select retailers and shopwd.com, the new My Passport Studio drives are offered in capacities of 320 GB, 500 GB and 640 GB.

WD's My Passport Studio drives are designed for creative professionals and Mac enthusiasts. Their production and use of many large files require the fast transfers from computer to My Passport Studio drives that FireWire 800 provides. Professionals such as photographers also benefit from the e-labeling system to effectively organize their work.

One device, two integrated interfaces: with the new Combo Portable Hard Drive, Verbatim is combining the advantages of a Powered eSATA high-speed connection with the user-friendliness of a USB drive. The truly Portable Hard Drive comes in a rugged aluminium enclosure weighing only 205 grams and delivers ultra fast eSATA data transfer speeds up to 3Gbit/sec. The new Verbatim eSATA/USB 2.0 Combo HDD 500GB is available from specialist retailers now and costs £89.99 (RRP).

Verbatim's new portable hard drive delivers ultra fast data transfer on the go. With USB 2.0 and powered eSATA connectivity it is extremely versatile. Data can be transferred via the powered eSATA port at a maximum speed of 3Gbit/sec, providing the other device also features eSATA connectivity. In terms of data transfer, the powered eSATA port is six times faster than USB 2.0.

Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, announced today the launch of the Lexar JumpDrive SAFE S3000 FIPS and JumpDrive SAFE S3000 USB flash drives. The FIPS 140-2, Level 3-validated, enterprise-class drives, co-developed with Gemalto, are the first to protect critical data with smart card-based security featuring continuous AES 256-bit hardware encryption and a waterproof composite metal housing that meets military 810-F waterproof standards. These security features offer unparalleled data protection without requiring driver or software installation and are an ideal data storage solution for military, government, and enterprise organizations.

"The JumpDrive SAFE S3000 line of secure USB flash drives safeguard information with unsurpassed data protection technology and enterprise-class features that can be easily integrated into any business environment," explained Jyh Chau, senior product marketing manager, Lexar Media. "The receipt of the FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validation is further proof that the advanced data security capabilities, coupled with the smart card technology, make the JumpDrive SAFE S3000 line among the most secure USB flash drives available today."

Professional videographers face continuous pressure to deliver high quality work under tight deadlines. To ease that burden and enable greater levels of creativity, NVIDIA today announced the availability of GPU-accelerated plug-in solutions for Adobe Creative Suite 4 (CS4) users, optimized to run on a wide range of NVIDIA Quadro graphics solutions.

NVIDIA is offering exclusive discounts of up to 50 percent on plug-ins from Elemental Technologies, Boris FX, Red Giant Software and proDAD when purchased at NVIDIA.com.

Among the plug-ins being offered is the NVIDIA CUDA architecture-based Elemental Accelerator 2.0 for Windows from Elemental Technologies (MSRP $499 discounted to $249). By leveraging the CUDA parallel computing architecture, this new plug-in offloads H.264 video encoding to the Quadro GPU, enabling Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 users to experience a performance increase of up to 11X when compared to CPU-only video encoders. Now available on a range of Quadro GPUs, Elemental Accelerator 2.0 supports the creation of Blu-ray DVDs and web content using Flash. In addition, NVIDIA and Elemental Technologies are bringing accelerated H.264 video encoding capabilities to Mac Pro users for the first time with the new Elemental Accelerator 1.2 for Mac OS X running on the Quadro FX 4800 for Mac.

Delivering on the specialized requirements of the Mac community, Seagate today introduced an advanced line-up of mobile and desktop FreeAgent for Mac storage solutions and accessories: the FreeAgent Go for Mac with USB, FreeAgent Go Pro for Mac, the 2TB FreeAgent Desk for Mac and FreeAgent Go Dock+, a powered USB hub and dock for the FreeAgent Go.Providing a complete storage toolkit for today's creative professionals, such as web designers, musicians and graphic artists, as well as multimedia enthusiasts, these enhanced FreeAgent for Mac external hard drives each include performance and capacity improvements to help store, record, protect and share creative inspirations.

"Performance is all that counts when I record," said Rami Jaffee, award-winning keyboard player for the Wallflowers and Foo Fighters. "I can depend on Seagate hard drives for quality and convenience. When recording, a song could take up to a few gigabytes, but the fact that I can have a whole record ready for me to attack and record on a slim external hard drive is so convenient that its value is immeasurable."

eGo Portable Hard Drive with Triple InterfaceIomega, an EMC company and a global leader in data protection, today announced the worldwide availability of the new Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drive for Mac users, featuring multiple interface connections, a stylish new aluminum design, superior ruggedness and a robust combination of software, all backed with a three-year limited warranty.

Available in three different colors and up to 500GB in capacity, the new Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drive for Mac users provides the dependability and versatility to meet today's on-the-go data storage needs.

Good news, Mac users, as it looks like Apple is kicking 10.5.7 update of Mac OS X Leopard. Apple recommends this update to all users running Mac OS X Leopard. This upgrade includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac. For detailed information on the update, please visit this website here. You can obtain the update from either the Software Update option found in your Apple menu, or from the links below:

• Mac OS X 10.5.7 regular update (442MB)
• Mac OS X 10.5.7 combo update (729MB)

As makers of the Mac OS X, Apple reserves the right to make it exclusive to the hardware it manufactures. The operating system goes on to drive the company's Mac desktops, workstations and notebooks. Manufacturers of Mac-alternatives (we don't mean PC by that), computers that use Mac OS X had started to mushroom. Due to the retail availability of Mac OS X, hardware manufacturers could easily get a hold of the software, and perhaps even evade measures by Apple to secure the software's exclusivity to its hardware, by means of trusted platform modules. Apple has either shut down, or is in the process of shutting down, such manufacturers.

Psystar is one of the few such companies left. Despite an ongoing legal battle with Apple, the company is continuing to make Mac-alternatives, and is ready with its latest offering: Open(3). The desktop comes with a wide range of components to choose from, to customize it before purchase, Mac Pro style. On offer are several models of Intel processors: Core 2 Duo E7400, E8400, Core 2 Quad Q8200, and Q8400. Up to 4 GB of RAM can be chosen. Entry-level NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards, up to 1 TB of storage, a 20X DVD Writer, with Blu ray drive as an option, make for the rest of the mix. Prices start at US $599, and can end up as high as $2000. Apple's move to go x86 surely made its legal team busier, not that there were no Mac-alternatives before that.

Apple released today a highly recommended security update 2009-001 for all versions of MacOS X. This updated improves the security of Mac OS X and fixes various operating system flaws. The security update is available for MacOS X Leopard, Leopard Server, Tiger for Intel Macs, Tiger for PowerPC-based Macs, Tiger Server for PowerPC-based Macs and Server Universal. In addition Apple has released two Java security updates that improve the security and compatibility of Java on MacOS X. All updates can be located and installed via Software Update or directly from Apple Downloads here. More information about the updates can be found here.

Apple on Monday released a software update that addresses issues when using the Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI adapter on MacBook Air, MacBook and MacBook Pro. More concrete, this update improves cursor movement and playback of HD videos running on systems with NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT or GeForce 9600M graphics. Mac OS X 10.5.6 or later is required to apply the update.

DOWNLOAD: Apple NVIDIA Graphics Update 2009

In the month of November, the market share of Microsoft Windows fell below the 90% mark, to 89.6%. This is a 15 year low in market share for the OS, according to market share data by Net Applications, sourced by TG Daily. The market share fell from its position same time, last year, at 92.4%.

One of the prime movers of this figure is the growth in market share of Apple's Mac OS X at 8.87%, slightly over 2% growth from its market share last year. According to the same data, Linux is still below the 1% mark.

Nowadays everyone will tell you that most virus, spyware, malware and other malicious definitions are written solely for Windows, but it appears that times have changed a bit. Security experts are warning now about a new Trojan horse released in the wild, targeting Apple operating systems or more specifically Mac OS X Tiger and Leopard (version 10.4 and 10.5). In addition to the usual stuff a trojan can do (run in background, open ports, steal your passwords, replicate etc.) this one can also log what you type in every moment, take screenshots of your active desktop and even take a picture of you using Mac's built-in iSight camera. Here's how it works: AppleScript.THT comes either as a 3.1MB application dubbed AStht_v06 or as a 60KB compiled AppleScript script called ASthtv05. Once started on a Mac OS system it adds itself to the System Login Items and thus runs with root privileges every time the OS is started. Once the system is infected AppleScript.THT also moves itself into the /Library/Caches/ folder. To protect your system against this threat, security experts advice to run SecureMac MacScan 2.5.2 anti-virus software with the latest Spyware Definitions update (2008011). More details on the malicious code and additional removal instructions are posted here.

Expanding on its popular portable storage offerings, WD today introduced its new Mac-formatted My Passport Studio Portable Drives. The newest members of the My Passport family are designed for Mac users on-the-go and are equipped with both FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 interfaces, a clever capacity gauge, and include a soft drawstring carrying bag for protection from scratches and dirt. Available now at select retailers and at WD's online store, the My Passport Studio portable drives are offered in capacities of 320GB and 250GB.

Razer, the world's leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming and lifestyle electronics peripherals, has launched the Lunar White Razer DeathAdder, an ergonomic right-handed gaming mouse specifically built with the needs of Mac OS X gamers in mind.

Apple released a massive set of patches on Tuesday afternoon fixing more than 90 vulnerabilities in almost every component of its operating systems. Apple's "Patch Tuesday" patches fix bugs in both the client and server editions of Mac OS X Tiger and Leopard. The Leopard bundle included fixes for AFP Client, Apache, Application Firewall, ClamAV, CUPS, macs, Help Viewer, Image Raw, Kerberos, mDNSResponder, OpenSSH, pax archive, PHP, Podcast Producer, Preview, Printing, System Configuration, UDF, Wiki Server and X11. The Tiger update fixes holes in AFP Client, AFT Server, Apache, AppKit, CFNEtwork, ClamAV, CoreFoundation, CoreServices, CUPS, curl, Emacs, file, Foundation, Help Viewer, Kerberos, libc, notifyd, OpenSSH, PHP, System Configuration and X11. Security Update 2008-002 is available here for Mac OS X v10.4.11, Mac OS X Server v10.4.11, Mac OS X v10.5.2, Mac OS X Server v10.5.2. For detailed information, please visit this website.

Apple has shipped a major Security Update 2007-009 (10.4.11 Universal), recommended for all Mac OS X v10.4.11 and Mac OS X v10.5.1 users. This update corrects multiple critical flaws and improves the security of many Mac OS apps. Those wanting to know more about the updates may click here.

Apple today announced that it sold (or delivered in the case of maintenance agreements) over two million copies of Mac OS X Leopard since its release on Friday, far outpacing the first-weekend sales of Mac OS X Tiger, which was previously the most successful OS release in Apple's history. Sales included copies sold at Apple's retail stores, Apple Authorized Resellers, the online Apple Store, under maintenance agreements and bundled with new Mac computers. Leopard is the sixth major release of Mac OS X and is packed with more than 300 new features.

Just one day after its release, Apple's new OS X Leopard has already been hacked to work on standard Intel-based computers. Admittedly it isn't guaranteed to work 100% yet, and is more than likely illegal in some way, but all you need to give it a try is a patched DVD image, a zip file with a patch and a USB flash drive. After that you're just three easy steps away from running the new operating system on your Intel PC (SSE3 and later) but unfortunately there's no AMD support available yet. As many PC owners have a slight dislike for Macs this may not be too appealing to everyone, but you can take a look at the procedure here.

Despite its criticisms, Microsoft's latest operating system is gradually becoming more popular, with XP's market share now falling below 80%. In September the market share of Vista-based computers being used to browse the net rose to 7.38%, up by over one percent from the previous month, with Windows XP's market share falling by 1.16% to 79.32%. If Vista use continues to grow at this rate then it should account for over 10% of the market by December. Use of Mac operating systems also saw a rise, although it was less substantial than that of Vista, increasing from 6.15% to 6.61%.

Apple has issued a warning to Boot Camp users that their beta software is on track to expire this month. The company's latest tech support posting for the software warns: "As indicated in the license agreement for Boot Camp Beta, the Boot Camp Beta program expires when Mac OS 10.5 Leopard becomes available publicly in October, 2007." The note explains that the license to use Boot Camp Beta 1.2 or earlier expired on 30 September, requiring users to upgrade to Boot Camp 1.4, which will work a little longer. The Boot Camp 1.4 license is set to expire when Mac OS X 10.5 is made available to the public. Apple has not yet disclosed a date for this release. "To continue using Boot Camp at that time, upgrade to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard," the company warns. Previous reports have indicated Apple may release a version of Boot Camp for use with Mac OS X 10.4, but the company's existing technical support warning offers no information as to such future plans