Joseph Hinkle at MyITForum.com

This really does have to be some kind of record.  Two .1 releases within three months of launch?

From the link:

Rumor has it that the operating system update, the second on a list of many scheduled for Tiger, could be released within the next 45 days.

So far there is no word on which key enhancements Mac OS X 10.4.2 is expected to deliver, but tipsters said builds of the operating system should begin to surface within a week's time.

Source: AppleInsider | News Flash: Mac OS X 10.4.2 around the corner

From the link:

First, Microsoft will ship Update Rollup 1 (UR1) for Windows 2000--you know, that "thing" that replaces Win2K Service Pack 5 (SP5)--on June 1. On June 6, the company will release Windows Server Update Services (WSUS, formerly Software Update

Source: Bink.nu | Windows 2000 UR1, WSUS Coming in Early June

A very old error message that I ran into today.  I had completely forgotten about it.

From the link:

SYMPTOMS

When you close the Offline Folder Settings dialog box, you may receive the following error message: One or more folders could not be made available offline. Please try again later.

CAUSE

This error is caused when a Favorites public folder in one of your Quick Synchronization groups is removed from the computer. The folder no longer appears in the group, but the message is displayed anyway.

Source: OL2000: (CW) Error Message: One

Situation:
This document outlines compatibility between Symantec products and Mac OS X 10.4 (code named Tiger).

Solution:
The only Symantec product currently compatible with Mac OS X 10.4 is Norton AntiVirus for Macintosh 10.0.

Source: Symantec product compatibility with Mac OS X 10.4 (code named Tiger)

I think Joe is right on.  I'm pretty tired of clicking through wizards to do just about everything.  Sometimes, a single panel can tell the whole story without confusion.  Its even more fun when Microsoft as much as admits it by allowing us to opt out of the wizard for some functions in several MMC snap-ins. 

Wizards were much more useful when the idea first originated.  Things were pretty complex to set up, so breaking it down into small, manageable parts with detailed explanations was a wonderful thing for end users.  It still is in many cases,  like the Home Network Setup wizard in Windows XP.  Users do need that detailed explanation for some things.

In most cases, users don't want to be asked anything.  Every prompt they receive is an "error message".  Simple things make life better for all of us!

From the link:

Windows has so many hidden capabilities that aren't meant to be hidden. Microsoft could better expose the capabilities by designing first for "plug it in and it works for most people." If the company can lock down the browser and server software as the default setting, then surely it could set default settings for more peripherals and product features. It's impossible to satisfy all customers, so don't try. Better approach would be removing the greatest degree of complexity for the most customers.

Source: Microsoft Monitor: Wizards are for Dungeons and Dragons

Some called the arrival of Microsoft's command-line shell and scripting language, code-named Monad, the death of DOS after it was unveiled at the Professional Developers Conference in 2003. Now, the software giant is set to release its first operating system with Monad capabilities. While Monad is expected in Longhorn, the next-generation of the Windows operating system, it will also be incorporated into Windows Server 2003 R2 later this year, said analyst Peter Pawlak, of Directions on Microsoft, in Kirkland, Wash.

Source: MSFN - Monad to make a pre-Longhorn appearance

Microsoft Corp. last week officially confirmed that Office 12, the next version of its desktop productivity suite, will go into beta testing this fall and is expected to ship in the second half of next year.

Source: MSFN - Gates Announces Office 12 Timetable

The one thing I dislike the most is working on an old Installshield installer.  We recently changed our process for installing Illustrator 10 and Photoshop 7, so I'm going back and creating SMS packages to install them.  I've worked on a plethora of Adobe installations, so I didn't think it would be a big deal, but I was wrong.

As most of you know, Adobe used Abcpy.ini to provide information and configure their installers, particularly in the generation of products mentioned above.  Armed with that knowledge, I merrily set off to build my installer script.  I filled in all of the pertinent information, turned off the appropriate screens in Abcpy.ini, and fired up the installer with the /r switch to generate setup.iss for the installation.  Curiously, the installation failed.

I turned the user information screen back on, only to find that it wasn't pulling the serial number from the INI file.  After running backthrough and plugging the serial in, the install ran ok.  Off to testing, I ran the install with the ISS file in silent mode.  Installcode 0 appeared in the log, but, of course, no Illustrator. 

After digging around, it appears that this is a known issue and repackaging is the only solution.  Anyone else run into this and found a different solution?

With one click you’ll be able to subscribe to different feeds and have them automatically delivered to your iPod without using a third-party app like iPodder. You’ll be able to search through a directory of available podcasts (producers will be able to register their podcasts with the iTunes Music Store), but users will have the option of adding whatever feeds they want to iTunes.

Source: iTunes 4.9 adding support for podcasts - Engadget - www.engadget.com.

Edit:  Tim beat me to it by an hour.  I feel so slow.  We really want you to be secure.

From the link:

A day after launching Netscape 8 and touting the browser's security features, Netscape has released an update to fix several serious security flaws. The original Netscape 8, released early Thursday, is based on version 1.0.3 of the open-source Firefox browser. Netscape thought the new browser was immune to security vulnerabilities in the Firefox software that were fixed last week in Firefox 1.0.4. It turns out Netscape 8 is vulnerable.

Source: MSFN - Netscape patches 1-day-old browser

More overheating batteries.  Woo hoo!

From the link:

The recall covers roughly 128,000 units in the U.S. and was prompted by six reports worldwide (two in the U.S.) of the batteries overheating. The recalled lithium ion batteries are used with the following computers: 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch PowerBook G4. The recalled batteries include those with model numbers A1061, A1078 and A1079 and serial numbers that begin with HQ441 through HQ507 or 3X446 through 3X510.

Source: MacNN | Apple announces recall of laptop batteries

Apple released a document detailing the security problems in Tiger that were fixed in the 10.4.1 release.  There are some pretty nasty ones, including the one below.  I'm glad they told us after the fact.  It's like saying "Here's a big security update.  You need it.  Trust us."

(Via  Mac News Network)

From the link:

SecurityAgent

CVE-ID: CAN-2005-1473

Available for: Mac OS X v10.4, Mac OS X Server v10.4

Impact: Users with physical access to a system with a locked screensaver can start background applications

Description: A contextual menu feature in Mac OS X 10.4 allows URLs to be opened from a text input field. This could be used to launch an application behind a locked screensaver window. This update addresses the issue by removing the contextual menu from screensaver text input fields.

Source: About the security content of the Mac OS X 10.4.1 Update

Did I ever mention that I really like Google's products?  I hope this ties together all of the technologies they've been showing off for the last year or so.  It seems to be a good first step.

From the link:

Google is launching a personalized home page tonight, which you can view now by going to the URL below. It's basically a custom portal of your own Google services, like a Gmail preview and Google News highlihgts, as well as Word of the Day, Weather, and Wired News updates (they must be pretty happy about that).

Source: Gizmodo

There's a nice article at MacDevCenter about some of the major features in Tiger.  There were a few things I hadn't heard or seen, so it might be worth a look.

But that's not all there is to Tiger. The major features have nuances that haven't gotten much press, and there are a zillion minor tweaks to discuss. My goal in this article is to explore 20 new Tiger tips that you probably haven't heard about before. Even if you've had the opportunity to play with Tiger yourself, I bet you'll discover some new tricks herein.

Source: MacDevCenter.com: 20 Cool Tiger Features You Might Not Have Heard About

I'm a week late posting this, but hey, what can a guy do.  Life has been a bit busy.  I know, I know, most of you who care about the Mac already know this.

AppleInsider | Apple releases Mac OS X 10.4.1 Update

Oops.

From the link:

Apparently, if you publish your iCal, anyone can view it if they know what to plug in to Google. Check it out for yourself. Click on a result to view the calendar, addresses, appointments, and all. Unfortunately, many users will publish a calendar on the web to share with friends, family, or co-workers, not knowing that it would become available for all to see. Perusing through the search results, you can find personal addresses and phone numbers - things I am sure the users probably didn’t mean to broadcast across the interweb.

(via Gear Live | Google Can Dig Up Personal iCal Information)

From the link:

Currently, it is possible to have an ActiveSync session over a Wi-Fi wireless network. In the version that will be available soon, ActiveSync 4.0, this isn't possible, according to Pocket PC Thoughts.
And it isn't just Wi-Fi; Microsoft has removed the ability to ActiveSync over any form of remote TCP/IP connection, including VPN, GPRS, and others.

(via Brighthand — Most Wireless ActiveSyncing Going Away)

An admin’s worst nightmare, but we all know its true.  Most users don’t feel the password to anything is all that sacred.

From the link:

Survey participants, for example, said they felt comfortable revealing their passwords, because they were not asked to share their user name or logon. And while other people were not willing to release their password, they were agreeable to giving out hints--such as their mother's maiden name or the name of their dog, which are also frequently used as a second source of identification by Web sites.
Those that revealed their password or gave hints received a $3 gift card for Starbucks--the price of a latte.

(via Coffee or password--which would you choose? | News.blog | CNET News.com)

Eileen Brown posted a link to Outlook-Tips.net in a post this morning.  There are some pretty interesting details, but also some things that are quite funny, like the ones below.

Taken from Eileen's post:

• The Calendar ends on August 31, 4500.
• The Places bar in Office 2003 can hold at least 150 places.
• Each folder can have 128 views.
• You can add 50 additional mailboxes to an Exchange profile

There is aso an RSS feed for Outlook-tips.net here.

I think people are overly hard on Microsoft.  They aren't the only ones that find bugs after software goes gold.  I think Blizzard may have had a patch for Diablo II on their website before it hit shelves (if I remember right).  This is pretty fast for a major operating system patch though.  Is two weeks some kind of record?

From the link:

Anonymous but reliable sources say that after a month in development, Mac OS X 10.4.1 Update, code-named "Atlanta," is ready to be deployed for rigorous and wide-spread testing. Its objective will be to rectify any and all outstanding issues present in the shipping version of Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger," which went on sale over the weekend.

(via AppleInsider)

Speaking of bugs…  Anyone know of an enterprise-ready solution for Mac patch management from a Windows/SMS server? 

From the link:

Apple today released Security Update 2005-005 for both Client and Server versions of Mac OS X Panther. The updates address more than 20 security flaws in Mac OS X 10.3.9 (both client and server versions).

(via MacNN | Apple releases Panther security update)

Ouch!  A lot of organizations use Thursby solutions, so that’s a pretty big show stopper.  Tiger just doesn’t seem like a good idea. 

From the link:

Microsoft says a patch for its Virtual PC software is due in 2-3 months, while Thursby says that a bug within the Tiger kernel will need to be repaired before it can issue its fix (due in August) for ADmitMac, which provides Active Directory integration, and DAVE, an SMB file/print-sharing product.

(via MacNN | Bugs, incompatibilities in Tiger affect enterprise)

Ron Crumbaker posted a great article that included a script to launch an unsolicited Remote Assistance session. Using his script as a guide, I went to work integrating Remote Assistance into some other tools that I wrote, but I ran into some issues with the Windows Firewall and Group Policy in testing.

Checking the Remote Assistance exception only does part of what is necessary for Remote Assistance. 
The following are also required:

• 135:TCP:*:Enabled:RPC (Port 135)
• %WINDIR%\SYSTEM32\Sessmgr.exe:*:Enabled:Remote Assistance
• %WINDIR%\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\Helpsvc.exe:*:Enabled:Offer Remote Assistance
• %WINDIR%\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\Helpctr.exe:*:Enabled:Remote Assistance - Windows Messenger and Voice

Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 301527 explains the process in detail, at least from the Windows Firewall perspective.

Also, for enterprise level administration, it would be desirable to set up the Helper options in Group Policy.

Offer Remote Assistance is disabled by default. If you want to allow experts to remotely control your computer you must enable Offer Remote Assistance using Group Policy. To do this, open the Group Policy editor on the computer to which you will be connecting and enable support for Offer Remote Assistance. The Group Policy setting can be found in Local Computer Policy\Administrative Templates\System\Remote Assistance. Select Offer Remote Assistance Setting and then select Enabled. The user who will be giving assistance must be a member of the Local Administrators Group on the receiving machine or added as a Helper in the Offer Remote Assistance Group Policy Setting.

To add User and Groups to Group Policy:

1. Go to Offer Remote Assistance Group Policy, and in the Helpers area, click Show.
2. Click Add and then enter the Domain\user account.

More details are here in question 2. I hope this saves you some time!