Whether you’re a fan of Apple’s Web browser, or just having some problems with its competition, there’s now a new Safari update available just for you. Well, you and everybody else—you wouldn’t want them to feel left out, would you?

Safari 4.0.5, which is available for Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard, and Windows users, offers several performance and stability improvements: performance improvements to Top Sites; stability improvements for third party plug-ins; stability improvements for Websites with online forms and Scalable Vector Graphics; and a fix for an issue that prevented Safari from changing settings on some Linksys routers.

If you’re interested in Safari 4.0.5’s security fixes, the update addresses vulnerabilities with ColorSync, ImageIO, PubSub, Safari’s URL handling, and WebKit.

The update, available via Software Update, requires a Mac running OS X 10.4.11, 10.5.8, or 10.6.1 or higher. On the PC side you’ll need to be running Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7.

The Khronos group has released versions 4.0 and 3.3 of the OpenGL spec, the latest version of the cross-platform, royalty-free 2D and 3D graphics API used on all major desktop operating systems, including Mac OS X. It also serves as the basis for OpenGL ES for smart phones and the upcoming WebGL standard for Web browsers.

OpenGL 4.0 brings support for more advanced features like geometry tessellation as well as tighter integration with the OpenCL language, in order to match Microsoft's competing DirectX 11 API. This release continues to grant programmers the option of working with a smaller, streamlined "Core" API focused on modern features in lieu of the bloated, backwards compatible appropriately dubbed "Compatibility" API, first introduced in OpenGL 3.2. The full specification is available at the OpenGL registry.

Among the benefits OpenGL 4.0 brings to software developers are two new shader stages to allow the graphics card (GPU) to handle the previously processor-intensive task of geometry tessellation. It also grants the GPU the ability to draw data generated by OpenGL—or external APIs, such as OpenCL—without any intervention from the CPU. This helps reduce the load on your computer's processor by sharing the work with the graphics card—that means easier programming for game developers and better performance for you.

Granted, we won't see OpenGL 4.0 supported until the next generation of graphics hardware hits the market, so even if you buy a new Mac today, you're unlikely to see the benefits of all of OpenGL 4.0's new features and improvements. But never fear, that's what the OpenGL 3.3 specification is for. OpenGL 3.3 seeks to retrofit some features of the OpenGL 4.0 to run on today's hardware. That specification can also be found on the OpenGL registry.

Nvidia has already promised OpenGL 4.0 support for its upcoming Fermi-based graphics hardware, and competing graphics card maker ATI, as strong contributors and supporters of the spec, is highly likely to support it as well.

It is unknown exactly when Mac OS X users will see the benefits of OpenGL 4.0. Today, Mac OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard only support OpenGL 2.1 in full, and Snow Leopard only supports a subset of OpenGL 3.0. But it is a given that the benefits of OpenGL 4.0 will filter down to OpenGL ES for iPhones, iPads, and smartphones, as well as the upcoming WebGL spec, meaning better graphics on all platforms. And hopefully soon.

We’ve talked about the glory and promises of OnLive in the past—it’s the online gaming system that promises to let you play your favorite games whenever, wherever, and on whatever device you want. Now the gaming revolution has a street date, too: June 17, 2010.

At launch, OnLive will be available to Mac and PC users via a browser plug-in that will let them play games hosted from OnLive’s servers. OnLive also promises that public availability of its MicroConsole device, which will let you play games on your TV, will be announced later this year and other devices will be added subsequently. OnLive also allows for multiplayer between all of its users, regardless of platform.

In addition to the hardware and software, OnLive is a service: like other online gaming services, you’ll get gamer tags, profiles, the ability to make lists of friends, and chat—but the kicker is that all of this is done via live video. (That’s potentially a little off-putting to anybody who’s spent time on a service like Xbox Live—sometimes you want to kick back and play a game without feeling like you’re delving into the world of Chatroulette.)

Of course, services come at a cost. OnLive will run $15 per month, though deals such as multi-month pricing will be announced before the service officially launches in June. In addition, you’ll have to rent or purchase the titles that you want to play, though the company has not discussed specific pricing yet.

I have the greatest respect for the men and women behind Apple's tech support. Despite having one of the toughest jobs in the industry, they've always been extremely efficient and courteous in solving my own problems.

It seems Consumer Reports subscribers feel the same way. In a survey with four categories—problem solved, phone waits, phone staff and online support—3,685 subscribers ranked Apple number one in laptop tech support and 3,711 ranked Apple number one in desktop tech support. The combined scores are ranked out of 100, with differences of 7 points not considered meaningful. Apple was the only company to earn the highest Consumer Reports individual rating (that coveted red circle with the little dot in the middle) for any category—and it earned them for all four categories for both desktops and laptops!

For laptop tech support, Apple scored 86 out of a possible 100, putting them above “very satisfied” (80) on average. In second was Lenovo for laptops at 63, followed by Toshiba at 60, Dell at 56, HP/Compaq at 53 and Acer/Gateway/eMachines dead last at 39.

For desktop tech support, the numbers were roughly the same, sometimes one point higher. Apple scored 87 out of 100, Dell was second at 55, HP/Compaq at 53 and Acer/Gateway/eMachines at 39.

Apple's numbers are slightly up from last year, but still within the Consumer Reports margin of error. For 2009, Apple scored 81 for desktops and 84 for laptops. Everybody else scored roughly the same within Consumer Reports' margin of error, except for Gateway, which dropped precipitously after merging with Acer and eMachines.

More detailed results for laptop tech support and desktop tech support are available to Consumer Reports subscribers only.

TextExpander from SmileOnMyMac is the ultimate macro tool. It lets you create snippets of frequently used text or images, then instantly paste said snippets into any app simply by typing an abbreviation. It’s like a rubber stamp for working on your Mac, and it just got a lot more...stampier—but in a good way.

TextExpander 3 offers a new snippet creation window accessible via a keyboard shortcut, which can save you time while you're creating a snippet that can save you even more time. It also introduces “fill-in snippets,” which are basically a 21st century version of your own customizable, powerful Mad Libs. After typing an abbreviation to expand a text snippet, users can proceed to “fill in the blanks” with custom information that doesn't fit into a template. This is great for personalizing e-mail templates on the fly or sending a customer a copy of their receipt.

A new search box lets users quickly find just the right snippet to expand or edit, and one-click sync options in TextExpander’s preferences now make it a snap to sync your snippets between Macs via your choice of MobileMe or Dropbox. Of course, the new version also syncs with TextExpander touch for iPhone and iPod touch.

TextExpander 3 also marks the demise of its previous existence as a System Preferences pane; it's now a stand-alone application (requiring Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard) that can hide its Dock icon and live entirely in the menubar. A 30-day demo is available to new users, and a full license costs $35. Owners of previous versions can upgrade for $15, though if you purchased after November 1, 2009, the upgrade is free.

The perils of malware and viruses are everywhere, and Mac users shouldn’t be complacent, especially if they’re also running Windows via Boot Camp or other virtualization software. To those ends, Intego has released VirusBarrier X6 Dual Protection, which offers all the features of its X6 product for both Mac and Windows operating systems running on your machine.

VirusBarrier X6 DP aims to be a comprehensive solution, defending you from viruses, malware, phishing, and spyware. You also get a two-way firewall (which keeps the baddies out, and your sensitive information in). On the Mac side, you’re protected by VirusBarrier X6, and on the Windows side, there’s Intego’s BitDefender 2010.

VirusBarrier X6 Dual Protection is available now. You’ll need an Intel Mac running OS X 10.5 or 10.6 and the software supports Windows 7, Vista, or XP running via Boot Camp, Parallels Desktop, or VMware Fusion.

As we reported recently, pricing was a little complicated with Intego’s X6 package, and that’s true for Dual Protection as well. The $60 standard license for X6 DP covers two Macs and one Windows installation. Bear in mind, however, that this price gives you a twelve-month subscription to the virus updates; after that, you’ll have to renew. Intego had not provided pricing information for renewal as of press time.

Meanwhile, the $85 family pack will protect five Macs (but still only one Windows installation). A full upgrade from X5 DP to X6 DP—which includes the latest and greatest BitDefender 2010 for Windows—is $55 for the standard license and $80 for the family pack.

Editor’s Note: The following article is reprinted from Macworld UK. Visit Macworld UK’s blog page for the latest Mac news from across the Atlantic.

Recently available in beta, LogMeIn has announced LogMeIn Pro2 remote access for Mac. The premium remote access service offers the the ability to remotely control a Mac from virtually anywhere.

LogMeIn Pro2 promises secure file transfer and folder synchronisation, printing from a remote Mac to a local computer over the Web, on-demand desktop sharing with a remote use and more. LogMeIn Pro2 for Mac is available now with pricing starting at $70 per-year, per-Mac, with multi-computer discounts also available. Users can sign up for a free, 30-day trial.

LogMeIn adds that LogMeIn Free for Mac is still free. The software now comes with improved navigation, providing users with quicker and easier access to remote control settings, faster performance and expanded browser support, including 64-bit Safari.

LogMeIn also offers an iPhone application for accessing your Mac desktop or laptop on the go.

Don’t expect Jonathan Schwartz to go quietly.

The former CEO of Sun Microsystems has taken to his personal blog, provocatively titled “What I couldn’t say…,” to dish some industry dirt and tell his side of the story about the demise of Sun. He has already hinted at plans to write a book, and a new post Tuesday suggests a tell-all tome could indeed be in the offing.

“I feel for Google — Steve Jobs threatened to sue me, too,” Schwartz writes, apparently referring to Apple’s patent lawsuit against HTC, which makes Google’s Nexus One smartphone.

Read more...

Parallels, whose Desktop offering lets you run a variety of operating systems without ever having to leave Mac OS X, has updated Parallels Desktop 5.0 to include support for Google’s Chrome OS.

Previously, Parallels Desktop worked with Google's open source version of Chrome OS, dubbed Chromium OS, but with a few tweaks. With this development, Parallels claims that Parallels Desktop 5.0 will be able to run Chrome OS.

“There is already a huge amount of interest in Google’s new OS, even though it’s still just in beta, so we want to make sure our customers can try it out on their Macs without impacting their primary work environment on Mac OS X,” said Kim Johnston, Vice President of Marketing for Consumer, Business and Online at Parallels, in the press release announcing the new build of Desktop.

“It’s important to us that we continue to innovate to meet our customers’ needs, giving them the ability to use the broadest range of applications possible, whether on Mac, Windows, Linux or Chrome operating systems.”

It's not clear if Parallels is referring to Chrome OS, the yet to be released version for netbooks that has features that Chromium OS doesn't have, or Chromium OS, which is still in public beta.

In addition to Chrome support, Parallels Desktop 5.0 build 9344 features the usual laundry list of welcome fixes. Included in this update are several improvements to overall operation and performance in Windows, Linux and Mac OS X server 10.6.2 and 10.6.3 virtual machines, as well as support for Star Trek Online.

Microsoft rolled out minor updates to the 2004 and 2008 editions of its Office suite of productivity tools on Tuesday that patch a security vulnerability in the Excel spreadsheet application.

According to a Microsoft security bulletin, seven privately reported vulnerabilities in Excel could allow remote code execution if a user were to open a specially-crafted file. By exploiting those vulnerabilities, an attacker could gain the same user rights as a local user.

Those vulnerabilities are addressed with Tuesday’s dual release of Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac 12.2.4 Update and Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.5.8 Update. Both updates include fixes for what Microsoft describes as “vulnerabilities that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of your computer’s memory with malicious code.”

There’s more to the 12.2.4 update for Office 2008 than just a security patch, however. According to Microsoft’s release notes, the update also improves stability by fixing an issue that could cause Excel to close unexpectedly if corrupted fonts are present, a user inserts a row or value into a calculated column, or a user drags the scroll bar when Excel displays trendlines. In addition, the update promises to fix an issue that caused slow performance with certain printer drivers in Snow Leopard while also fixing an issue in which multiple line values in a single cell appear in separate rows when the contents are saved as a text file and then opened in Excel.

The 221MB 12.2.4 update for Office 2008 and the 9.7MB 11.5.8 update for Office 2004 are both available from Microsoft’s Website.

In addition to the two Office updates, Microsoft rolled out two other updates on Tuesday. Microsoft Entourage 2008 for Mac, Web Services Edition 13.0.4 now synchronizes notes, tasks, and categories with Exchange Server. The update released Tuesday—which is aimed at Office 2008, Entourage 2008, and Office 2008 Special Media Edition users—also enables logging that can be used for diagnostic purposes.

Microsoft Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 1.1.4 is an update to the utility that lets users convert Open XML files created in Office 2008 for Mac or Office 2007 for Windows. Microsoft’s release notes offer scant information on what’s new in this 45MB update.

Updated at 11:20 a.m. PT with more information on the Microsoft Entourage 2008 for Mac, Web Services Edition and Microsoft Open XML File Format Converter for Mac updates.