The update also bring other fixes. Users can download the update directly at the links below or by using the Software Update feature built into OS X, which you find under the Apple Menu.

The MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.3 not only enables the Internet recovery of Lion but also fixes a problem where the system might restart if you press the power button right after your computer wakes from a deep sleep. Get the update here.

If you have a 2010 MacBook Pro, then you get the MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 2.6, which you can download from Apple’s support site. It only addresses the recovery feature. 2010 iMac’s get an update to version 1.8 with a download found here.

For those who might now remember, the Internet Recover feature of Lion creates a sector on the hard drive that runs a special operating system installation that will connect your computer to the Internet, download Lion from Apple’s servers, and install it on your computer. You don’t need to carry around a USB or DVD to recover your computer so long as your hard drive doesn’t stop functioning.

If you don’t have OS X Lion, you can purchase an upgrade in the Mac App Store for $29.99 to gain the ability to restore form the Internet and many other features. If you purchased your 2010 MacBook Pro as a refurbished unit from Apple, it may have come with the ability to upgrade for free.

Apple Updates 2010 MacBooks EFI Firmware for Internet Recovery is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

Apple took down that update after users said their systems became unstable and applications began crashing. As a result Apple now would rather have users update with a large 1.3GB file which they will have to manually download and apply instead of using Software Update from the Apple menu with OS X.

A second snafu came about when a security update caused problems with Rosetta, the virtual interface that runs older PowerPC applications on top of OS X made for Intel based Macs. Users can run older software that doesn’t run natively on the Intel compatible version of the Apple operating system. A second version of the security fix came out that shouldn’t break Rosetta.

Apple normally doesn’t send out updates that cause this much trouble, causing the folks at The Inquirer to speculate that Apple moved some quality control people over to the iOS. Apple released financial earnings showing that iOS provides a larger percentage of their earnings, so it would be natural that they would move people to that side of their business, the post says.

That’s highly speculative and we have no evidence this is true. One failure doesn’t make a pattern. It does mean that Apple needs watch their updates carefully if they don’t want to tarnish their previously good reputation for stability.

To get the new full 1.3GB update from Apple, download it or check out the support page with the “client combo” file.

Via The Inquirer

Apple Takes Down OSX Updates Due to Stability Issues is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

Run MacTubes and search for a video. If you already have the URL, just enter it into the search box in the upper right corner of the program. If not, search for the kinds of videos you want. I entered the URL of a video I uploaded to YouTube and it found it without difficulty. I also tried searching for video by entering a search phrase and it returned what I was looking for on YouTube.

You can preview the videos from within MacTubes to make sure you found the right one. The included player has all the controls you would expect since it’s just a wrapper for the online video.

Right-click the video you want to download and a menu pops up.

From the pop-up menu you can play, search for other videos, add to a playlist of videos you wish to download, get the video’s information or download it. If you choose the Download option, the menu expands with all the available video formats. MacTubes won’t transcode the video but will download it in the available formats. In the example above the video had three formats available – flash video (FLV) or MPEG 4 (MP4). You can also choose between the two kinds of HD content (720p or 1080p).

Choose the video format you wish to download and MacTubes saves it by default to the desktop. You can change the locations in the Settings menu accessed from the MacTubes menu.

With MacTubes you can view the list of videos it finds in a list view with details or in a grid of thumbnails.

The program works well. I occasionally wish to show videos I’ve found online in my teaching at church or graduate school. This simplifies the process.

Download MacTubes for free.

How To Download YouTube Videos To Your Mac with MacTubes is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

I picked up the NP300U1A-A01US model over the holidays for a steal for only $350, which is part of why I am impressed with this machine. Sadly the price jumped back up to $699 after Christmas, but if you look around you can get this nice little laptop for a lot less than retail. The Series 3 11.6″ Notebook is worth it for mobile users with simple business needs.

$500 budget notebooks are a dime a dozen these days. I like the Samsung Series 3 machine because it has decent power, sufficient battery life and a comfortable keyboard. Unfortunately a few of the features come up short.

Pros

The computer has a decent display, comfortable keyboard and decent performance for an Intel Core i3 notebook at an affordable price.

Cons

You’re not going to do much multimedia work and the battery doesn’t last as long as many ultraportables. The keyboard’s extra keys feel cramped and the touchpad is not up to task.

Quick Specs

My Samsung Series 3 came with an Intel Core i3 2357M processor, 4GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive. With Intel GMA HD graphics and a 1366 x 768 screen resolution on the 11.6″ display, you get bare minimum HD 720p. The b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0 provide basic wireless connectivity. You can hook the notebook up to a TV or projector via HDMI output or VGA. There are 3 USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, and an SD card reader. If you want to watch movies you’ll have to stream them or download them, as there is no DVD drive.

Who is the Samsung Series 3 For?

Mobile users who don’t have very demanding needs will enjoy this little system. It fits nicely between all the tiny netbooks amd heavier systems with 14 or 15-inch screens. If playing Angry Birds or Bejeweled satisfies your gaming needs, then you will feel at home using the Samsung Series 3 NP-300U1A.

Video Review

Design and Build

The Samsung Series 3 feels pretty sturdy for a small computer. The brushed aluminum lid has a slightly two-tone black/dark great finish that looks nice even if it does attract finger prints. The Series 3 isn’t as thin as the Series 9, but it’s still a sleek and attractive looking notebook.

Along the front (see above) you have the SD card slot on the left and the fan two fan vents that you can’t even see when the computer sits on a flat surface. That’s because of the tapered design of the bottom of the chassis.

The left side (see above from left to right) includes the power connector port, which is smaller than most laptops. The Ethernet port folds out, thanks to the thinness of the computer’s base. In between a USB port and the HDMI out port you get another exhaust fan. Closest to the front is a dual mic/headphone jack.

Along the right side you only see two USB ports and the VGA port. The back only has the hinge.

On the bottom you have a door that covers the memory and the standard battery. If you wish to change out the hard drive, you would have to remove the entire bottom case.

Keyboard and Touchpad

As expected, the keyboard is a little small on this 11.6 inch notebook, but I was still able to touch type without much effort. The key travel was good and the Series 3 doesn’t have a mushy keyboard. The chiclet style keys feel good, and while I wouldn’t want to write a 10 page report in one sitting or use this as my primary machine, it is great for when you need to answer emails, work on part of a document or surf the web while on the go.

I did have a problem using the arrow keys and the CTRL, Fn, and ALT keys due to the placement, causing me to look down at the keyboard when I needed them.

The touchpad is another story. I have to admit that I used to hate touchpads before I started using MacBooks. The atrocious touchpad on the Samsung Series 3 reinforced my opinion of touchpads on Windows notebooks.

It’s tiny and only has one button, which I hate. Give me two buttons! Finally, for no reason, the tap-to-click feature just goes away. I uninstalled and reinstalled the driver software, which only fixed the problem temporarily. The driver configuration software doesn’t fix it either. A reboot sometimes solves the problem and other times it doesn’t. You can still use the buttons, but I prefer to tap.

You’ll want to invest in a good travel mouse to go along with this system.

On the wrist rest you have a pair of LEDs near the front left. One shows the charge status when plugged in and the other shows if the computer is powered on or in sleep mode. Along the back of the keyboard you have the speaker grill. Three LEDs show the status of the Wi-Fi, caps lock, and hard drive activity. The power button is on the right.

The same bushed aluminum pattern on the lid gives the silver keyboard area a texture. The wrist rest has a speckled texture that feels good as you type.

Display

I’m pleased with the display. It’s plenty bright enough for most environments. The glossy screen ruins outdoor viewing, but even in brightly lit rooms I could view text and images without issue. Notice below that the viewing angle allows more than a couple of people to view the screen with you as you share a YouTube video or a website with friends.

I do wish glossy screens would go away, but I’ve used plenty of displays that were harder to view than this one. Colors seemed faithful and images and video look good. Text was clear enough to read.

Performance

When you remember that Samsung made this for people with simple computing needs, it performs quite nicely. My kids seldom bother to turn on the TV anymore, fighting over the Samsung for Hulu and Netflix. They enjoy watching videos with it.

Video ran smoothly and programs start up and shut down responsively. I’d love to see how well it runs on an SSD, but with the 5400 rpm hard drive, it worked well.

You’ll be satisfied with the Series 3 while running office apps, online stuff and watching video. You won’t be satisfied if you want to do anything more than very light multimedia editing or gaming.

Battery Life

The battery on the Samsung Series 3 lasted 3:50 using the Laptop Magazine Battery Test, which repeatedly opens web pages with Firefox over Wi-Fi with the screen brightness at 40% and Bluetooth turned off. That’s not bad. It will get you through a morning of meetings and then charge up over lunch to last most of the afternoon. You can take it to class and have time for typing papers in the library afterwards, but I wish it would run for maybe an hour longer at this price point.

Software

Samsung loads up their systems with the typical crapware – Norton junk and proprietary tools for turning things like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on/off. You get a nice update feature and in the short time I’ve owned the laptop I’ve received updates on two occasions, so at least they are still supporting this system despite releasing it more than 6 months ago.

A free copy of Microsoft Home and Student 2010 added a lot of value to this budget system. It isn’t the Starter version that accompanies most systems these days. You get Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote along with trial versions of Outlook and Access. After the trial ends you still have the first four programs. That’s a nice addition for an budget system.

Amazon Kindle readers will like that it comes pre-installed with their PC Kindle app as well.

Competition

Samsung released the Samsung Series 3 notebook before the Ultrabook craze hit. I’d rather have one of those, but at two to three times the price budget buyers get a great deal. For the mobile-minded user who wants a decent computer without paying Apple prices, the Samsung Series 3 is a good option. If you like what you saw you might want to compare it to the HP 3115M or the Gateway NV55S05U.

Few other ultra-portable notebooks in this price range come with a free copy of Microsoft Office making this a great option for those who don’t already have a retail copy of the office suite.

Gallery

Samsung Series 3 11.6″ Notebook Review is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

The AirPort Utility handles your Mac Wi-Fi radio. This update brings compatibility with Apple’s AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule devices all of which are networking devices produced by the company.

For all the details, check out the description of the update below the screenshot:

Use AirPort Utility to set up and manage your Wi-Fi network and AirPort base stations, including AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and Time Capsule. See a graphical overview of your Wi-Fi network and devices. Change base station and network settings, or manage advanced features such as security modes, wireless channels, and more.

For the latest information on AirPort software, check Software Update in System Preferences or the following Apple website: Apple Support Downloads.

Learn more about Apple Wi-Fi at: http://www.apple.com/wifi/.

The Mac OS X Update brings the OS to OS X 10.7.3 and includes an update for Safari (version 5.1.3) which adds some international language support to Apple’s browser and fixes issues in the OS with smart cards, directory services and Windows file sharing. Read the description of the update below the image:

The 10.7.3 update is recommended for all OS X Lion users and includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac including fixes that:

• Add Catalan, Croatian, Greek, Hebrew, Romanian, Slovak, Thai, and Ukrainian language support
• Address issues when using smart cards to log into OS X
• Resolve issues authenticating with directory services
• Address compatibility issues with Windows file sharing

For detailed information on this update, please visit this website:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5048.

For information on the security content of this update, please visit:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.

Download these updates by clicking on the Apple menu and choosing Software Update.

OSX 10.7.3 Safari and AirPort Utility Updates Available is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

The monitor connects to your laptop via a USB 3.0 port. It adds a full 1080p HD display (1920×1080 resolution) that tilts, swivels and rotates between landscape and portrait modes. It adds a pair of USB 3.0 ports for a fast external hard drive or two and another pair of USB 2.0 ports for other accessories like a mouse, a full-size desktop style keyboard or your digital camera.

The HP 2311c comes with a 720p HD webcam. You get Cyberlink’s YouCam webcam software and HP MyRoom business conferencing software, which also lets you share your desktop with people through the Net.

Below you’ll find HP’s demo video:

I’d like to know whether the connection to your laptop would work on a USB 2.0 notebook for those of us stuck on notebooks without USB 3.0 ports yet. I love the idea, but don’t want to buy a new computer just to use it with this display. I also wish it had an HDMI input so it could double as an HD TV when not connected to a computer.

HP threw in an Ethernet port, a VGA port for when you need to hook up a desktop computer or a second PC. The HP Smart AC adapter lets you also charge your HP laptop through the monitor. With an audio in/mic and a headphone/line out port you can hook up a set of speakers or headphones and a mic.

This looks like a nice solution. If the display quality measures up and the price is right, I think HP will have a hit with the 2311c.

HP says its “coming soon” and doesn’t have a price listed on their website. Their traditional 23″ HP 2311gt monitor without the docking station costs $269.99 directly from HP and most USB docking stations cost around $100, so you can bet it will cost close to $400 at least when it finally comes out.

Hp Crams a USB 3.0 Docking Station into the HP L2311c Monitor (Video) is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

The Professional Sleeve covers your MacBook with a black nylon fabric. The zippered sleeve closes to hold your computer and a pocket on the side holds all of your accessories. This sleeve will fit best for people who carry their computer around by itself on occasion but also throw it into another backpack or larger computer bag for protection.

The Vintage Sleeve goes retro with a khaki heavy-weight waxed canvas material accented in brown leather. The case closes with a snap down flap to cover the computer. The pull-tab makes it easy to retrieve from a backpack or bag. You can also carry it around from the looped tab. You’re not going to put a lot of extra accessories inside, so this fits best for this who just carry their computer around by itself.

The Sport Sleeve fits snugly with a slim zippered case offering extreme protection. The interior foam lining keeps your computer safe from short drops and dings or from jostling about as you move around. The black case with textured orange accents looks pretty cool. Like the Vintage Sleeve, it doesn’t have room for extras.

You could carry your MacBook Air or Pro in one of these cases by itself or as added protection in a regular backpack or brief case.

You will be able to get these three new sleeve cases for your MacBook sometime during the Spring of 2012. XtremeMac hasn’t named the price yet.

XtremeMac makes some nice Apple product accessories for the iPad and iPhone too.

XtremeMac Introduces 3 New Cases for MacBook Air and Pro is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

You can get the update by running Software Update from the Apple menu on your Mac or by going to iTunes.com on a Mac or PC to download the new version and install it yourself.

Here’s how Apple describes the update from Software Update:

iTunes 10.5.3 allows you to sync interactive iBooks textbooks to your iPad. These Multi-Touch textbooks are available for purchase from the iTunes Store on your Mac or from the iBookstore included with iBooks 2 on your iPad.

iBooks textbooks are created with iBooks Author — now available as a free download on the Mac App Store.

For information on the security content of this update, please visit: support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

iBooks received an update that lets you buy these new interactive textbooks announced at an Apple event today in New York City. The company released a new Mac OS X application in the Mac App Store to go along with this change. With iBooks Author you can create these multimedia-rich interactive textbooks and publish them to the iBooks bookstore. You can download the app for free.

In addition, a new iTunes U came out in app form. It combines the iTunes U lectures and podcasts that you downloaded from iTunes with some course tools in a single iPhone and iPad app you can get free from the iTunes App Store. Teachers can use the app to offer a syllabus, communication with students about things like schedules of classes and office hours, and it incorporates any notes or highlights you’ve added to the iBooks textbooks related to that course so you have all the material in one place ready for studying.

iTunes Update Syncs New iBooks Textbooks with Your Computer is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

When copying or pasting text, most people select the text and then use the Edit menu and choose the Copy command or the Cut command. Then they move their cursor to the new place they want to place the text and again use the Edit menu to find Paste. You don’t have to do it that way. Let me show you some tips for turbocharging your Cut, Copy and Paste in some OS X apps.

These don’t work in every app. For example, a couple of these tips don’t work in Safari. They do work in the Text Edit program or in Microsoft Office applications.

The Basics

If you’re even a bit experienced in using OS X, then you can probably skip to the next section because this is for beginners.

These work in nearly all OS X applications. Instead of using the application’s Edit menu each time, try the toolbar buttons or use the right-click menu. Some apps have a button for cutting, copying and pasting on the toolbar, like Microsoft Word 2011 for Mac does (see below).

Click the scissor button to cut text. The button next to it copies text. The button with the clipboard behind the image of a document performs the paste function, but you knew this. You might not know about the right-click menu.

On a trackpad, click or tap with two fingers after selecting the text you want to cut or copy. If that doesn’t work you may need to set it up in Settings. Choose the Trackpad applet and then click the Point & Click tab. Put a check mark in Secondary Click to enable the two finger right-click. Now you can tap or click the trackpad with two fingers to bring up the right-click menu. If you don’t want to do this, then use the Control + Click combo.

The right-click menu pops up with the Cut or Copy commands at the top. You will also see that there are keyboard shortcuts. Command + X cuts the text. Command + C copies it. Cut will remove the text so you can place it in a new place, a new document or a different app. Copy leaves the text behind but lets you place a copy in the new place. Pasting is placing it in the new place. Use the edit menu, the brush button on the toolbar or the Paste command on the right-click menu. The keyboard shortcut for pasting is Command + V.

Selecting Non-contiguous Text

Let’s say you want to copy a sentence from three different paragraphs or maybe certain words in multiple sentences. You can just Copy and Paste over and over, but that gets monotonous if you have a bunch of text to copy. Instead use the Command + Select combo. You hold down the Command button while you select the text with your mouse or trackpad. Select the various sentences, phrases or words that you wish to copy or cut. After you select the text, then copy/cut the text and paste it wherever you wish.

You can use this to select words you wish to look up and create definitions for a study session. You can also cut sentences to make a study sheet. There are plenty of uses.

Select Contiguous Text

Selecting contiguous text by using the Shift key held down while dragging to select the text. You can also use the keyboard arrow keys. To select a whole line place the cursor before the text on the line and use Shift + Command + Right Arrow. Select text before your insertion point using the Left Arrow.

Select a Block of Text

It is possible that you want to select a block of text in the middle of a paragraph (see the image below).

To do this, hold down the Option key and the select the box of text with your mouse or trackpad. You might want to do this to quickly grab a bunch of random text from a document in Word. This doesn’t work in Safari for some reason.

Source: Cult of Mac

OS X Shortcuts for Cutting Copying and Pasting is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

I’ve looked and longed for something like this since I got an Apple MacBook last year after they first showed up with the new Thunderbolt port. Thunderbolt offers a faster connection (up to 10Gbps) compared to present external device connections and this dock will add other connections to your Thunderbolt enabled Mac.

The dock will connect to the following:

• Gigabit Ethernet
• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• 1 FireWire 800 port
• 1 HDMI port
• 1 3.5mm Audio port
• 2 Thunderbolt ports

The two Thunderbolt ports will allow you to connect one device upstream and one device downstream, meaning you can daisy chain multiple devices. Thunderbolt allows you to connect many devices in series to one Thunderbolt port. For example, you could connect an Apple Thunderbolt Display to your computer’s port and then plug the dock into the display (upstream to the computer). A Thunderbolt hard drive could then be plugged into the other port (downstream) on the dock.

Thunderbolt accessories are expensive, since Apple and Intel introduced the technology last year and still only a few Macs sport the new port. When PCs start utilizing the connection later this year in the new Ultrabooks coming soon, we may find more manufacturers following Belkin’s lead and releasing Thunderbolt accessories. The larger the supply of Thunderbolt port accessories the greater the competition driving down prices. The licensing fees collected by Apple and Intel also drive prices up.

See the Belkin Press Release for more details.

Belkin Releasing Thunderbolt Express Dock in September (CES 2012) is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.