Mac users beware - the first ever ARDAgent-based Trojan malware was recently identified by SecureMac, compromising the security of the normally airtight Mac OS X system. Known as "AppleScript.THT", the Trojan exploits a vulnerability in the Apple Remote Desktop Agent and allows malicious users complete access to the system. More details about the Trojan can be found in our full article.

It wasn't that long ago when Apple released Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.2, but chances are a lot of you are already looking forward to the next one. Here's some good news for you: version 10.5.3 has already started testing this week. Check out the full article to find out what's currently happening in the testing stage of the update.

We're letting the Apple fans know that the company has released updates for its Aperture and GarageBand applications. The updates will cover mostly stability and compatibility issues that were found in each application's previous build. Details are in the full article.

We shared with you yesterday an article concerning Blizzard's World of Warcraft being playable and Apple's iPhone. It was about a hack that allows users to run the MMO on the mobile phone, albeit with limited features. Some of you said it's fake while the others found it amazing, to say the least.

We briefly mentioned in that same article the third-party program iPhone Remote (aka Telekinesis) that made the trick possible. To settle this once and for all, let us discuss further what the said application is. Telekinesis was created by a team of coders headed by jnjitkoff and gmurphy. Other members include ksmarshall, bwhitman, and dmaclach.

In a nutshell, this application allows users to remotely access their Mac through a collection of mini web applications on iPhone. The good thing about Telekinesis, though, is that it sports a wide range of other remarkable features. Some of which include:

• Stream music and videos from your computer learn how
• Screen capture with mouse click and basic typing support
• Simple iTunes Remote control
• Browse your files
• Run applescript remotely
• iSight image capture
• Easily create and add more apps

Take note that this build, v0.9.16 Alpha, is just a developer prototype and is intended as a demo to introduce the program to the public. And as such, there are certain security considerations that you have to keep in mind should you intend to use it. The following were provided by the developers themselves.

• It will have the same access privileges as your user account
• The login and password you specify will be stored on disk, so should be different, but as strong as your account password.
• Don't leave it running if you aren't using it

The download package below doesn't not contain a Readme file so you may want to refer first to our Source link before using this on your Mac and iPhone.

Download: Telekinesis (iPhone Remote v0.9.16 Alpha)

Apple is slowly but surely opening the seals on the details regarding its upcoming Mac OS X platform release. One of the interesting revelations is about iChat, a messaging tool which will change the way you think about software of its kind.

The iChat application will be much more than a run-off the mill instant messenger. Aside from the ability to send quick messages, users can stream videos, 3D images and slide shows along with digital audio.

Apple says that developers are putting in the last screws to the iChat package, but it also revealed that AppleScript makes the software easy to modify for updates in the future.

"One of the powerful capabilities that the Instant Message framework gives you is the ability to determine if a contact in a user's buddy list is online or not," said the company in a technology overview and adds "you can also get the Address Book data for that contact as well as other status information."

On the techy side, Apple says that developers and users can take advantage of the 'presence' function, which allows the identification of your buddies whenever they're online to alert them of a Theater event or other what nots. iChat may have a few more months before rolling out, but these details already have Mac-heads drooling for more. For more details, follow the read URL.

You know, if we knew a little more about Mac programming, this would be a pretty cool app and source code to mess around with. Hiroaki made a Mac application that can potentially allow users to control other programs using your Wiimote.

Called the DarwiinRemote, it's an app that sends and receives data to and from the Wiimote. Currently, the DarwiinRemote can only support single mouse and AppleRemote modes, but Hiroaki is hoping to put a lot of other features in future versions of his work. It requires Mac OS X 10.4 and above and Universal Binary though, so make sure you have those as well before testing this.

Of course, he does remind you that this is called DarwiinRemote v0.1a for a reason. It's new, experimental, and probably unstable, so you'd best use caution when tweaking stuff on it. If you'd like to see the basic instructions for getting the app to work with your Wiimote, as well as the key mappings and plans for future revisions, we've also listed them for you. Be sure to send Hiroaki some love over at his blog as well!

Enjoy the download, and let's see if Hiroaki's DarwiinRemote v0.1a can bring about an evolution in Wiimote use.

Download: [DarwiinRemote v0.1a]
Download: [DarwiinRemote v0.1a (sources)]

Xcode 2.4.1 - the latest version of Apple Computer's integrated development environment for Mac OS X - has been released. Xcode is a user-friendly app that contains all the tools necessary to create, debug, and optimize Universal applications for both Intel and PowerPC platforms.

This update features bugfixes for a number of issues found in previous versions of Xcode including:

• Stability and security fixes in the Xcode IDE, cctools, debugger, and compiler
• CHUD has been updated to version 4.4.3.
• The 10.3.9 and 10.4u SDKs have been updated

The full Xcode package is is bundled with Interface Builder, AppleScript Studio, Java development support, and WebObjects development tools, among many others. For the latest Xcode information see the Xcode updated release notes page. It is available free to ADC members.

If you're a Mac user, you might be a bit disappointed with the available BitTorrent (BT) clients. They're not as many as compared to those for Windows machines. Being a Macuser myself, I know the plight we have to go through. But still, let's not lose hope. There are actually good BT clients out there. And Torrent Freak has given us a lowdown of the more popular ones.

1. BitTorrent OSX
This is the grandest daddy of them all. Kinda like your "default" BT client if ever they were to start packaging OS systems with one. It's like your most basic torrent app, and according to Torrent Freak, it's about as "feature-full as the Safari's download box." Well, that's not saying much, but still, some people (like me) wouldn't mind simple interfaces. Kinda like a "lesser features means lesser confusion" sort of thing.

2. Transmission
Transmission is an open-source project from HandBrake. What's neat about this client is that it allows you to see your download/upload rates right on the Dock without having to open the window itself. It also help the user with "cleaning up" .torrent files when they are done as it automatically trashes them from your desktop. One unfortunate thing though is that Demonoid (one of the leading torrent directories) has banned this application due to its supposed refusal to "adhere to standards." Well, you win some, you lose some.

Read on for the entire list.

Dear Apple,

I think the system-wide to-do service is quite wonderful. That’s good news for data integrity (and, thus, for user sanity), and it will provide third-party developers with an opportunity to transparently tie their own task management software into this system. It really does a lot to mainatain our sanity.

The addition of to-do’s and notes to Mail may indicate that Apple has some useful ideas for enhancing a “non-glamourous” application like Mail beyond just beautiful eye candy.

Hopefully, you'll continue going further on this direction by adding real workflows to Mail. I'm glad some functions that save the user a lot of effort (not to mention countless mouse clicks) are present on Rules, AppleScript, Automator, and third-party plug-ins like Scott Morrison’s superb Mail Act-On. However, they are still in need of improvements and I am hoping you'll work on them.

My wishlist?

• First, build (many) more Mail-related Automator actions, including very basic functionality like moving messages to a mailbox folder, or replying to a message;
• Second, use some of their UI design voodoo to come up with an elegant and effective way of triggering these workflows within Mail
  

These are just my opinions and I would be most grateful if you could act on them. I know other users have various ideas of their own for software improvements and it would be great if they could share them too. As for me, thanks a lot for taking time to take note of my requests.

Yours Truly,
Jochen Wolters

NOTE: This is just an imaginary letter inspired by Jochen Wolters' actual requests (snippets of it are used in this "imaginary letter", which are highlighted in italics)

Charles Schoenfeld gives us this freeware that serves as an Automator action for changing location-related settings and preferences. LocationSwitch v1.0 affects the settings of network location, sound volume, SMTP servers, automatic fetching of mail, enabling/disabling of individual e-mail accounts, and default printer selection.

The author of this app suggests that if you're routinely switching between two locations, better make two copies of this app - name each one to reflect your locations (e.g. SwitchHome and SwitchOffice). When starting up your computer from one location, click on your location's action to get started.

Customization is needed to have this software working. To apply personalized settings, LocationSwitch makes use of Applescript. Drag the icon for LocationSwitch onto the Automator icon and Automator will open, allowing you to customize it. Here's the detailed instructions from the download file:

In Steps 1 & 2:
Customize the alert and the network location to represent the relevant physical location.

In Step 3:
Customize your volume settings for the amount of ambient noise at the specified location.

In Step 4:
If you have more than two mail accounts set up, duplicate the line that changes the SMTP server as many times as necessary, editing the name of the account and the SMTP server for each.

In Steps 4 & 5 (yes, this also applies to Step 4):
Customize the names of your e-mail accounts (matching what you called them in Mail.app) and your SMTP servers.

In Steps 5 & 6 (yes, another instruction that applies to Step 5):
You may need to change some instances of the word "false" to "true" if you're trying to turn things on rather than off.

In Step 7:
Change "Home Queue" to the name of your default printer at the specified location (exactly matching the name of that printer in your Printer Setup Utility application).

Finally, delete any steps that you don't want to use. I recommend doing this last, so that the numbering of steps in the instructions above still makes sense. (Seasoned Applescripters will realize that I could have combined Steps 4–7 into a single step. This is why I didn't. Some people will not want to use every step, and separating them makes them easier to delete selectively.)

Download: [LocationSwitch]