Workable Windows Magic Mouse drivers have been extracted from Apple's Bluetooth update for Boot Camp. Uneasysilence has released both 32 and 64-bit versions of the software, enabling stand alone PCs to use the Magic Mouse outside of Boot Camp for the first time.

The Magic Mouse was the first-ever multi-touch enabled mouse. It allows users to navigate using intuitive finger gestures instead of scroll wheels, balls, or mechanical buttons. The top surface of the mouse is a multi-touch surface able to track the inputs of individual fingers. The Magic Mouse comes standard with the iMac and is also available as a standalone product.

Apple this week updated its Server Admin Tools for remote administration of Snow Leopard Server. The 10.6.2 update matches that of Mac OS X 10.6.2, released earlier this month.

The update includes the latest releases of iCal Server Utility, Podcast Composer, Server Admin, Server Monitor, Server Preferences, System Image Utility, Workgroup Manager and Xgrid Admin.

The 241.40MB update is available for download from Apple, and requires that Mac OS X 10.6.2 already be installed.

Apple released a new driver update for Boot Camp Thursday. The update, which weighs in at 23.87 MB, addresses issues with the trackpad and digital audio port. It also adds support for the Magic Mouse and wireless keyboard.

Boot Camp 2.1 must be installed before running the update, and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 must be installed on machines running it before installing the update.

Boot Camp was a feature first released with OS X Leopard that allows users with Intel-based Macs to install a copy of Windows on a separate partition.

An issue where the built-in iSight Camera on Apple's LED Cinema Display was not recognized by some applications has been addressed with a new firmware update released this week. LED Cinema Display iSight Firmware Update 1.0 is a 654KB file available for download from Apple. It requires Mac OS X 10.6.8 or Mac OS X 10.6.2.

To confirm that the update has been installed, choose "About this Mac" from the Apple menu, open the hardware section, select USB, and locate and select USB High Speed Bus. If the update has been installed, selecting Display iSight should list the version as 2.31.

Apple this week released four new printer drivers for Mac OS X 10.6. The latest updates apply to printers from Canon, Brother, HP and Lexmark. The updates require Mac OS X 10.6.1 or later.

The individual updates can be downloaded directly from Apple for Canon (274.59MB), Brother (99.9MB), HP (387.44MB) and Lexmark (117MB). A full list of printer and scanner compatibility is also available on Apple's support Web site.

Snow Leopard includes a number of printer-related features, including "Nearby Printers," a list of available printers that will appear right inside your printer dialog box. Users can simply connect a USB printer and the print queue will be automatically created.

Google is currently planning a beta launch of its Chrome Web browser for Mac OS X in December. Nick Baum, product manager for Chrome, gave the details in a post on the Google Groups page for browser extensions. The post encouraged developers to update their extensions to take advantage of the new Chrome user interface.

"Why make the switch now? The earlier you switch, the more time you will have to polish your experience for our Beta launch in early December," Baum said. "We realize this means dropping Mac support for a couple of weeks, but we already have people working on that. If you prioritize the Windows and Linux versions, we'll bring you cross-platform parity as soon as we can!"

In October, Google Chrome for Mac released the status of developer preview. The new version added QuickTime and printing compatibility.

Company officials had previously said they hope to release a final version of Chrome for Mac by the end of 2009. Currently, the Webkit-based browser is only available as a test version for developers, even though three versions of it have already been released on Windows.

Apple this week released a new update to support the latest Bluetooth Apple Wireless Keyboard. The update is not necessary for Snow Leopard users who upgrade to Mac OS X 10.6.2, as it is included in the operating system update.

The 10.95MB update allows use of the function key one-touch controls. It requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later to install.

Last month, Apple quietly updated its wireless keyboard to require one less AA battery. The new hardware requires only two batteries and costs $69.

Among all of the new hardware debuts Tuesday, Apple also quietly updated its wireless keyboard with a more energy-efficient model. The latest iteration of the Bluetooth Apple Wireless Keyboard requires two AA batteries, down one from the previous model.

"And its intelligent power management system conserves battery life," Apple said. "So when you’re not using it, the keyboard automatically powers down. The instant you start typing, your keyboard turns on."

The new hardware requires a Bluetooth-enabled Mac computer, Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later with the Aluminum Keyboard Software Update 2.0, and an existing keyboard and mouse for initial setup. It comes with two AA batteries and costs $69.



The new keyboard was first revealed in filings with the Federal Communications Commission earlier this month. It was approved at the same time as Apple's new Magic Mouse.

Parallels confirmed Friday that a new version of their virtualization software for Mac OS X is in the works. Specific details on Parallels Desktop for Mac 5.0 are said to be forthcoming.

"Our relentless drive to delight customers fuels our ongoing effort to deliver innovative solutions to our customers, as can be seen in our award winning Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac and our more recently delivered Parallels Desktop Switch to Mac Edition," said Stefan Prestele, senior director of Consumer Marketing for Parallels. "We haven’t stood still since the release of Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac and are committed to delivering additional innovations in our upcoming releases."

In August, Parallels released a new bundle that aims to ease the switch from PC to Mac. Parallels Desktop Switch to a Mac Edition allows users to bring their files and familiar applications from a Microsoft Windows-based PC. It relies on the Parallels Desktop 4.0 software to give users the ability to run their PC applications within OS X without running Boot Camp. It is available for $99.99 direct from Parallels.



Earlier this month, competitor VMWare announced Fusion 3, with more than 50 new features.

This week Apple released an update for Intel-based systems running Mac OS X versions 10.5 (Leopard) and 10.6 (Snow Leopard). Performance Update 1.0 is available direct from Apple for Snow Leopard and Leopard. It can also be downloaded via Software Update.

According to Apple's support page, the update "addresses intermittent hard drive related pauses reported by a small number of customers." It requires Mac OS X 10.6.1 or Mac OS X 10.5.8.

The products affected include: MacBook Air (Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.53GHz, Mid 2009), iMac (20-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009), MacBook (13-inch, Early 2009), MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008), MacBook Air (Late 2008), MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008), iMac (24-inch, Early 2009), iMac (20-inch, Early 2009), Mac mini (Early 2009)