Apple released an update to Safari, plugging some security holes and bringing some performance upgrades as well.  Security patches should generally be applied quickly to keep your system free from hackers.  Webkit is the component of safari getting the overhaul, so Apple’s Mail program is being made safer with this update as well.

The update claims to have “Improved Javascript performance”.  There is no direct documentation of how much performance we will see, but more speed is always a good thing.  The final item listed is “Improved Full History Search performance”.  Spotlight in Mac OS 10.5 and 10.6 has been very fast everywhere else in the system, but many users (myself included) have found that searching Safari’s extensive history is painfully slow.  Hopefully this update addresses this problem.

The Safari 4.0.4 update is available via the Software Update program, or at http://support.apple.com/kb/DL877.

Our neighbors to the north are onto something. Grand Forks’ Ntractive has the Mac community buzzing with their Elements CRM 2.0 solution. Voted a “Staff Pick” by Apple this summer, the Mac cloud computing app provides a powerful feature set, in addition to cutting edge mobile accessibility on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

You won’t want to miss this opportunity to learn about Elements’ unique platform, not to mention the exclusive benefits it can provide your business or enterprise

About the Speakers

Jennie Satek is a Lead Sales Executive for Ntractive, LLC. Will Kusler is the company’s CFO and Director of the Ntractive Partner Program.

What You Will Learn

•   Learn about the Elements Hybrid Web Platform

•   Learn about the Elements CRM integration tools

•   Get a grand tour of the app and see its many benefits

Featured Solutions

•   Apple Desktops

•   Elements CRM

•   Elements Mail

•   Elements CRM for iPhone

•   Elements CRM for iPod Touch

Who Should Attend

•   Sales Managers and Company Executives interested in CRM Solutions

•   Members of any industry who love using Macs for business

•   Individuals interested in cloud computing

When, Where & How

November 19, 2009

3:00 - 4:00 + Q&A Session

The Foundation, Seminar Theater 

311 7th Ave. North | Suite 200 

Minneapolis, MN 55401

Apple Event Registration

Map of The Foundation

Call The Foundation at (612) 465-0700 if you have any questions or need directions.

By Erik Tollefsrud  |  erik@fndtn.com

Snow Leopard is a couple months old but I know there are a few people who have not upgraded yet and are still wondering if they should make the leap. As it is with every new product, software or hardware, there are plenty of good reasons for upgrading and plenty against. Snow Leopard is no exception.

Apple’s latest operating system promises some great new enhancements that should make everyone excited about it. The Snow Leopard website is full of positive descriptions like, “Better. Faster. Easier.” and, “Next-generation technologies.” If you’ve been paying attention to the past few operating system releases you’ll notice that Snow Leopard isn’t focused on new user features, but on optimizations and performance enhancements instead. Apple decided to make this release all about streamlining their code instead of slopping on new features that could potentially bog down performance. It is for this reason that Apple also decided to sell Snow Leopard for just $29.00 to anyone that already has Leopard. Bottom line, this means that you’ll get a sleeker, faster, and higher performing operating system for just $29.00 instead of the typical $129.00 that Apple normally charges for a new operating system.

But if you’re someone who has not yet upgraded, you’re probably not persuaded by shinny new anything anyway. I mean, new features and enhancements mean nothing if the code is still full of bugs, right? So are there bugs in Snow Leopard? Probably. In fact, Apple recently acknowledged that there is a bug after upgrading to Snow Leopard that could erase your home folder making all of your data unrecoverable.

Typically the caution minded folks wait until the first or second revision of an operating system, like version 10.6.1 or 10.6.2, before making the leap. I think we can all agree that an upgrade that speeds up your computer’s performance and cuts down on the space used on your hard drive and that only costs $29.00 is worth purchasing, but installing it and making it your primary operating system still carries a slight risk. Because there aren’t any I’ve got to have it features in Snow Leopard, it’s almost a toss-up between installing it and living in the fast lane, or holding off until version 10.6.2 or later which comes with the promise that you won’t have to deal with the new product bugs.

by Cory Elsmore |    cory@fndtn.com 

Back in 2005, Apple released Final Cut Studio, which bundled together all the wonderful video tools in Apple’s arsenal.  2007 saw the release of Final Cut Studio 2.  Now Apple has turned on their time machine and released the latest version of the Studio, returning the suite to its previous name: Final Cut Studio.

This latest version of Studio includes Final Cut Pro 7, Motion 4, Soundtrack Pro 3, Color 1.5, and Compressor 3.5.  The price tag also gets a reasonable reduction: now the entire package will set you back $999.  The upgrade price is a modest $299.

The flagship of the Studio, Final Cut, has gotten a pretty decent set of features added to it, including changes to the interface and simplifying exporting.  Apple has also spent a large amount of effort simplifying adding unique transitions.  

The other Apps have seen an update as well.  Motion adds support for generating 3D shadows, among other improvements.  Soundtrack Pro has seen its Noise Reduction features overhauled, and its memory usage significantly reduced.  Compressor now is able to render in the background a project from Final Cut, allowing you to continue working on the Final Cut project.

Overall the updated Final Cut Studio looks to be a very solid offering.  The folks in the video world that I have spoken with generally say they like the interface changes, and a reduced price tag is also always a welcome addition.  For those looking to graduate from lower-end video editing software, or those with previous versions of Final Cut, the new Final Cut Studio is sure to please.

If you have any questions about Final Cut Studio and how it may fit within your organization, please feel free to give The Foundation a call at (612) 465-0700.

Join us to learn how to get the most out of the new features in the FileMaker 10. Learn how FileMaker can be used to boost the speed of development, improve ease of use, and get the most for your money. We will uncover the new features and technologies in FileMaker 10, as well as see real-world applications and discover the techniques used to build them.

About the Speakers

Bill Kaiser is a Business Account Manager for FileMaker, Inc. covering the Central US.  Julie Sigfrinius is FileMaker’s Channel Account Manager for Eastern US.

What You Will Learn

• Tour the new features in the product line 
  
• Do “deep dives” to get a thorough understanding of the features 
  
• Learn what resources are available to help keep you up-to-date

Featured Solutions

• Apple Desktops and Servers 
  
• Mac OS X
  
• FileMaker Pro 10

Who Should Attend

• IT Managers looking to upgrade their FileMaker version
  
• Anyone interested in using a database and having fun while doing it

When, Where & How

September 17, 2009

3:00 - 4:00 + Q&A Session

The Foundation, Seminar Theater 

311 7th Ave. North | Suite 200 

Minneapolis, MN 55401

Register: seminars.apple.com 

Map: The Foundation 

Call The Foundation at (612) 465-0700 if you have any questions or need directions.