Apple is working to fix a security flaw in Safari that could allow a web site to grab names, email addresses and other info from visitors, no matter if the visitor volunteers the the info or not.

The AutoFill feature in Safari is very convenient, and is turned on by default, but has recently been exploited in a “lab setting”. Autofill works by filling in fields based on the letter or letters typed into the field. For example, If I type “C” into a name field, AutoFill will fill in Charles, or Charles Lindauer depending on the context. This information is pulled from the Address Book application data. Other browsers autofill from info previously entered on web forms.

There’s no evidence that this flaw has been used to steal information, but it’s not terribly difficult to do, and the flaw has been around for a while.

I opened Safari preferences, chose AutoFill and unclicked the boxes. Now I have to fill in forms the hard way, but my personal information is safer.

Apple will, hopefully, have a solution for this flaw released soon. I’ll post any updates as they are released.

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This tip comes from Macworld, and makes easy to add a web site or article to your iPhone/iPod (running iOS4) or your iPad.

Add PDFs to iTunes for easy syncing

by Whitson Gordon, Macworld.com

If you have iTunes 9.2 and iOS4 installed on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, the iBooks app can view PDF files in addition to other e-book formats. That means you can easily bring any PDF with you for reading on-the-go. An anonymous MacOSXHints.com reader found an easy way to add almost any kind of document to iTunes’s Books collection:

If you want to quickly add a document or a Web page to your Books collection in iTunes, all you need to do is to create an alias of iTunes.app and drag it to ~/Library/PDF Services. (You can create the folder if it doesn’t already exist.) Now, when you’re browsing the Web or viewing documents and you decide that you want to read them later on a portable Apple device, just hit Print, click the PDF button on the bottom left corner of the window and choose iTunes. iTunes will launch and receive the PDF. Next time you sync your device, the document will be synced as well.

Reader horkstow points out that if you plug the Web site into Safari’s Reader function before sending it as a PDF, it will be in a much more iBook-friendly format. If you’d prefer not to mess around in the ~/Library folder, reader dute lets us know that you can also click Edit Menu from the Print PDF drop down, hit the plus sign, and add the iTunes application that way. The advantage of adding the alias manually in ~/Library is that you can rename it to something like Send PDF to iTunes, which will then appear in the PDF menu. Finally, script-wizard Doug Adams posted a link to his PDF Adder collection of AppleScripts; among them: Add as PDF to iTunes, a PDF Service workflow that does much the same thing as this tip.

I’ve been using the “Save as PDF” (in the Print dialogue box, click the PDF button and select “Save as PDF”) function for years, saving important documents digitally rather than printing them. Saves paper, and makes it easier and quicker to find the docs.

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When I travel I always carry photocopies of my passport, drivers license, travelers checks, credit cards, etc. I mentioned this in a newsletter recently, and Richard Gordon emailed me with an addendum…

The value of copying the contents of your wallet, passport, and other important identity papers is obvious… as is the idea of photocopying same. BUT!! If you are traveling, especially out of the country, and lose everything you will also lose the photocopies.

For that reason I upload copies of all my important documents under a coded heading to my email account. Worse case scenario I can at least go to an internet cafe (or computer at the embassy) and download my copies for identification purposes, and to follow the advice you gave regarding notification and self protection.

Great tip, Richard. Thank you!

I have a MobileMe account, and a DropBox account, and both would allow Internet connection to collect copies of important documents remotely. There are other vendors… you get the idea.

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The hold button is gone from the iPhone 4, but you can still put a call on hold.

Press the Mute button and hold it down for a few seconds. If you tap the Mute button, it simply cuts of audio from your phone’s mike. Hold cuts off audio from both sides of the call.

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Tip: Show Apple menu ‘recent items’ in the Finder

Thanks to MacFixIt and Tohper Kessler for this great tip

One of the most common uses for the Apple menu has been to quickly launch utilities, system settings, and programs. Starting with its early implementations in the classic Mac OS, you used it to access the control panel, the calculator, keycaps, and other accessories. With later versions Apple added the ability to launch recent applications and documents–a feature that has carried over to OS X today.

If you commonly use the Apple menu to access recent items, you may also like to locate the files on the hard drive. There are many times when I would like to organize some of the common files and folders I use, and many times at least one file within those folders or next to them will be in the Apple menu.

One way to access one of the Recent Items files is to open the document, and then hold the Command key while clicking the document’s title to get the folder path for that file. From here you can select any parent folder to open it in the Finder. While this method works, will not do for Application and there is a delay while the application opens and loads the file.

An easier way to open the enclosing folder for a recent items file is to use the Apple menu itself. With the menu open, just hold the Command key down and any documents or applications in the “Recent Items” folder will change from its name to “Show (name) in the Finder.”

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Something new in iOS 4 is the ability for Locations Service to respect privacy controls.

Toggle on or off apps ability to use Locations Services by going to Settings -> General -> Location Services where any apps used in the last 24 hours will show an icon and a toggle switch to enable/disable the service.

The dialog box asking permission to use your current location will not appear, replaced by a warning that you can’t get current information if you’ve turned the service off for that app. If the app is enabled, you’ll see the arrow icon.

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Apple released the newest update to Mac OS X 10.6 yesterday. They have more info on this page.

Updating instructions from Apple:

Updating your system

You should back up your system before installation; you can use Time Machine.

Do not interrupt the installation process once you have started to update your system. You may experience unexpected results if you have third-party system software modifications installed, or if you’ve modified the operating system through other means.

Choose Software Update from the Apple () menu to check for the latest Apple software via the Internet, including this update.

If your computer is not up-to-date, other software updates available for your computer may appear, which you should install. When Software Updates states “Your software is up to date,” you can be sure that all available updates have been installed.

Note that an update size may vary from computer-to-computer when installed using Software Update. Also, some updates must be installed prior to others, so you should run Software Update more than once to make sure you have all available updates.

You can manually download the update installer. This is a useful option when you need to update multiple computers but only want to download the update once. These versions of the standalone installers are available from Apple Support Downloads.

I always recommend downloading the Combo Updater, as there is a small percentage of users who have issues updating through Software Update. Combo Updaters seem to be a trouble-free approach.

That said, I’ve used Software update regularly, and never had an issue. As I said, it’s a small percentage of updaters that have any problems.

General fixes and improvements

• improves compatibility with some Braille displays
• resolves an issue that causes the keyboard or trackpad to become unresponsive
• resolves an issue that may prevent some Adobe Creative Suite 3 applications from opening
• addresses issues copying, renaming, or deleting files on SMB file servers
• improves reliability of VPN connections
• resolves a playback issue in DVD Player when using Good Quality deinterlacing
• resolves an issue editing photos with iPhoto or Aperture in full screen view
• resolves an issue with Parental Controls Time Limits for Open Directory or Active Directory users
• resolves a display sleep issue with MacBook Pro (Early 2010) computers
• resolves an issue with MacBook Pro (Early 2010) computers in which the right speaker may sound louder than the left speaker
  includes Safari 5.0; for more information about Safari 5.0, see this webpage
• Security improvements; for information about the security content of this update, please visit this article

Fixes and improvements for Aperture 3

• adds tethered shooting support for additional digital camera models
• addresses IPTC metadata compatibility issues
• Fixes and improvements for external devices

RAW image compatibility for additional digital cameras

• resolves an issue with using third-party USB web cameras
• resolves an issue with noise when using some third-party FireWire audio devices
• resolves pairing issues with Apple remotes

Additional Information

This update also includes the improvements found in the Mac OS X v10.6.1, 10.6.2, and 10.6.3 updates.

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OK, it’s a workaround, but I just read a post at Macworld.com about a new HP feature that will let us print from our iDevices.

It’s called ePrint, and HP’s Inkjet and Laserjet product lines and other consumer and enterprise printers will have this capibility.

Each printer will have its own email address assigned, and a document emailed from a web-connected device goes first to HP’s data center. It’s reformatted, and sent to the printer. HP says it takes about a half a minute, and then the printer does its thing. Not instant hard-copy, but with no computer involved, it’s the next best thing.

This could be used by professional print and copy stores, too, so the businessman on the go can get printing done from the cab, on the way to the printeshop when he’s out of town, to be picked up when he gets there. In an ideal world, at least.

There are more possibilities, too. Photos could be sent to a printing shop or scan them themselves and send them to Google Docs or other web-based productivity tools. They could be accessed and printed by someone else using the printer’s touchscreen interface.

Google has Cloud Print coming later this year. It offers printer dialog interface for web apps to send directly to a printer over the Internet. This could be combined with HP’s new capabilities, as can third party applications, like Live Nation, which will have a special application to print concert tickets and logistical info.

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MacFixIt has a post today about another low-risk Mac malware appearance, written by Topher Kessler. I’m quoting it below:

Though not a grave security risk for
Mac users, a new Trojan horse called “OSX/HellRTS.D” has been identified by Intego (developers of VirusBarrier X). The new Trojan is a variant of a backdoor server called “HellRaiser,” which was developed to allow full control of an infected PC by a remote attacker.

As with many Trojan horses, this new one is a modification to previous code so hackers can hopefully get around current security measures and virus definitions.

Once installed it will duplicate itself and mask itself as legitimate applications that are already on the computer. It will then set up a server through which it can send e-mails, allow for remote connections, and communicate with remote servers.

The program is distributed as a file that must be installed by a user, and is being made available through user-provided download sources such as online forums and other less-than-legitimate Web sites, and the code is a universal binary file so it will work on both Intel and PowerPC Macs.

Since the installation of this Trojan requires you to manually install the first copy of it, the risk is relatively low, especially since the distribution is through forum postings and other unofficial download sites. As such, the easiest way to prevent infection is to only download programs from a legitimate source such as the developer’s direct site, or from a source like VersionTracker or CNET’s Download.com.

Unfortunately, in situations where there are many users for a machine, it is difficult to tell how the computer is being used and at times what is being installed (even standard users can install some applications to their own accounts). Apple provides parental controls, but users may still run across these programs and try to install them.

There are some steps you can take to ensure your system is safe:

1. Virus Scanning

   Active virus scanning is still not considered a requirement for OS X, but at least have a good scanner installed that you can run periodically. I use Sophos antivirus, but there are several others including MacScan, VirusBarrier, and ClamXav. Ensure your virus definitions are up to date, and if you do not want to manually scan your system periodically, have the program automatically run scans at times when you are not using your system.

2. Restrict administrative access

   It is unclear whether this Trojan requires administrative access to run (or at least run some of its features), but in general it is good practice to limit access to administrative rights, even for yourself. Set up an administrative account and then create a standard account for yourself for daily activities, and only use the administrative account to configure the system.

3. Set up incoming and outgoing firewalls

   Apple’s built-in application firewall is great for preventing access to your system; however, little prevents applications from sending information back out. In addition to regularly going over and removing application exceptions from the OS X firewall (done in the Security system preferences), install a program like Little Snitch, which will notify you of any program that is trying to send information out.

4. Avoid malware

   It is very easy to avoid malware. As previously mentioned, do not install items that you downloaded from forums, but also avoid special deals that are not directly from developers or reputable vendors. Avoid installing items obtained from “warez” and porn sites, and if your browser automatically downloads an installer file, delete it. If a Web site claims you need a plug-in for a specific function, research the plug-in and download it from the developer.

For more tips on increasing the security of your system, check out this article.

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Mac Power Users

Podcasts by By David Sparks and Katie Floyd

This page has 25 podcasts, playable through iTunes, that can really improve your Mac knowledge. Some may not interest you, others will… There’s something for everyone here!

The podcasts were published over the course of the past year, so are current. If you’re interested in getting the most from your Mac, check ‘em out!

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