Appletell

Today, Apple released version 5.3.2 of its AirPort Utility. The update includes versions for Leopard (8.8 MB), Tiger (9.3 MB) and Windows (10.3 MB), and all updates are reported by Apple to improve general stability, performance, and compatibility with AirPort Utility and AirPort Base Station Agent for the AirPort Extreme Base Station, Time Capsule, and AirPort Express. 

The download is available on the Apple Support website, and is recommended for anyone who using an AirPort Base Station.

Via [World Of Apple]

Though most seem to be happy with Mac OS X 10.5.2, a select few, Steve Jobs apparently included, aren’t. Mac OS X 10.5.3 is on the fast track to release, as yet another developer build was seeded over the weekend.

While 10.5.2 had widely publicized bugs it was fixing, 10.5.3 has but one: WiFi issues, most recently exemplified when New York schools halted Mac shipments due to the issue. Two other issues it is known to have fixed are shutdown hangs and system mode issues. The others are anybody guess. Or anybody’s guesses, as the list of bugs fixed by this update is apparently longer than 170. This specific build, 9D22, fixes 15, and has no known issues.

Update: After this writing was finished, Apple released Build 9D23, adding 8 more fixes. Once again, no known issues.

Given the rapid succession of build releases, the consensus is that 10.5.3 will be available by mid-May. Perhaps this will give way for 10.5.4 in June?

Have you had any 10.5.2 issues? Or would you just like them to leave well enough alone? Sound off below.

Via [World Of Apple]

According to a Mac Rumors report, Mac OS 10.5.3 could be very near.  On Friday, the update was seeded to developers.  Starting in february with 10.5.3 (9d10), Apple has slowly been seeding more and more updates to developers, this time with probably the final version (9d19).  No intended date of release has been announced, as it can take developers more then a month sometimes to completely work through a new update.

According to Arnold Kim of Mac Rumors, the update includes “31 bug fixes for the growing list of issues addressed in the upcoming release.  Features that are specifically targeted for focused testing AirPort, Back to my Mac, Spaces, Time Machine, and many others”.  Maybe, just maybe, this will fix the growing number of issues with Time Machine wireless backups. 

After a recent Firmware Update causing Time Machine preferences to see Hard Disks attached to Airport Extreme Base Stations, many AEBS owners were ecstatic over the Time Capsule-like ability to do wireless backups. But as I personally found out when the Disk refused to mount on the fifth backup, this solution is not fully baked and Apple recently announced that it is not supported at all.

With the announcement of Leopard, Apple said that backing up to AirDisks was supported. Then they pulled the feature, leaving those who had bought External Drives solely for this purpose in the lurch. Then they introduced Time Capsule, severely hindering hope of having the AirDisk feature replaced. This increased the anger, many feeling that Apple was trying to make a fast dollar off of them by forcing them to buy the new product. When Apple released the Update allowing Time Machine to see AirDisks, many thought Apple had listened to it’s customers. As backups start failing all over the place though, anger will grow.

A word to Apple: you need to get this fixed. It is already overdue, and you have many seething customers over this issue. While it may result in some loss in Time Capsule sales, those who want a seamless integrated backup will still buy Time Capsule, and you will retain your current Airport Extreme customers. You’re working on borrowed time here.

Sound off in the comments below if you are one of these customers, or you have had your backups fail.

Apple today rolled out a Time Machine and Airport combo update. It’s fixes some stuff, blah blah blah. But as soon as I saw “Firmware Updates,” I had a gut feeling that Apple had restored a long lost feature: backing up to Hard Drives attached to the Airport Extreme Base Station.

It turns out my gut feeling might have been right. TUAW is reporting that reader Peder was pleasantly astonished to find that “after downloading the latest Airport-update I checked for updates for my AirPort Extreme. After upgrading to version 7.3.1, Time Machine recognized the attached USB-drive.”

This means that those of you who rushed out to buy an external drive for wireless backups only to get shortchanged when Apple pulled the feature can now use that drive.

Please sound off in the comments with your results. Here’s hoping that this works for everyone!

Read [TUAW]

In an odd move for Apple, they today released the new Airport Express, with 802.11n networking. Usually, Apple releases products on a Tuesday, and it seems that they may have decided to release the product early due to Saturday’s leak.

The new Airport Express units are no different from previous iterations other than the new 802.11n wireless networking capabilities. It also remains with one 10/100 ethernet port, which is slower and older technology compared to the gigabit ethernet offered on all Macs and all other Airport products.

The Airport Express is priced at $99.

See the Airport Express product page at [Apple.com]

Visitors of the Airport Express Page on Switzerland’s online Apple Store may notice that they are greeted with a description of the Airport Express that clearly identifies it as a new model, as reported by MacGeneration.

“Connect to the Internet, print, and share music from iTunes with any room in the house. Everything without wires. Now with 802.11n as standard,” the description (which has now been removed) read, translated from its original French.

Apple promises as much as five times the speed as the earlier 802.11g standard with the new Airport Express, which is used by the current model for sale from Apple. The price, core USB printing, and disk sharing features also appear to be the same as the older model.

Apple is not known to make mistakes on any of its online stores, and while this possible leak is potentially real, it can also be some sort of joke or error on Apple’s part. Apple has now removed most of the “leaked” information, meaning that they might not have meant to display it in the first place.

The (accidental?) slip has not appeared on any of Apple’s other international online stores but would signal the likely change of the Airport Express hardware, which has remained the same since it was introduced by Apple in June 2004.

The Airport Express page on the Swiss Apple Store Online has been preemptively updated to show that the Airport Express has been updated with 802.11n wireless capabilities. As of now, all products in the Mac and Airport lines except for the Airport Express are wireless N compatible.

The 802.11n wireless networking protocol allows for more stable, secure and faster internet. 802.11n provides a greater range and speed of up to more than four times faster than 802.11g, it’s predecessor. It is currently available in Airport Extreme and Time Capsule, and has taken it’s good old time in getting to the Airport Express. Most likely, we will see this update on Tuesday.

Via [MacRumors]

A new update has just been released from Apple. AirPort Base Station Update 2008-001 was released midday Tuesday and as of this time is not available on Apple’s website.

According to Apple, the update “includes general fixes and compatibility updates for the following applications: AirPort Utility, AirPort Disk Utility, [and] AirPort Base Station Agent.”

With luck, this will fix the Airport issues many have been having with Leopard, but it does not appear to be the update hinted at by an Apple representative yesterday.

Download for Windows, Leopard, or Tiger.

Apple seems to have been changing their ways a bit recently. The iPhone price drop was where it all started. Then they gave us an upgrade to the iPod Touch that we should have had in the first place - but they charge existing customers $20. I’m not sure what’s going on in Cupertino - but I’m not liking it. I hope Apple makes up for all of these mishaps some time soon. Maybe refunding the $20 to everyone that paid, and giving it for free? It worked with the iPhone. The latest controversy with early adopters is from the Airport Extreme users. They are not too happy about Time Capsule. In the keynote, Steve promised that existing Airport Extreme base stations would be able to work with external hard drives and back up wirelessly. All of the Airport Extreme owners would have been looking forward to that features. Unfortunately, they found that there was no such thing.

I hope Apple does give an update to Leopard that allows wireless backups from an Airport Extreme base station. I don’t own one myself - but I know a lot of people that do. Apple gave absolutely no indication of releasing a new product like this, that would mean their current one is out of date and won’t work with a feature that was promised.

Via [MacUser]