TidBITS#876/23-Apr-07
=====================
Issue link: <http://db.tidbits.com/issue/876>
Security news has overtaken us once again, with a $10,000 challenge
to break Mac OS X's security that looks like it will be collected,
Apple's release of Security Update 2007-004, and a DealBITS drawing
in which you could win a copy of the DoorStop X Security Suite by
Open Door Networks. But those are all short bits, so for more
thoughtful coverage this week, we talk with a group of TidBITS
readers about how they provide Mac tech support for their families.
Then, we turn to Michael E. Cohen for a detailed review of
Mark/Space's new SyncTogether, which provides many of the same
features as .Mac syncing, but for multiple users and without an
annual subscription fee.
Articles
Security Update 2007-004 Released
Money Meets Mouth on Mac Exploits
DealBITS Drawing: DoorStop X Security Suite
InterviewBITS: Family Tech Support
Everybody Sync Now: SyncTogether Stands in for .Mac Sync
Take Control News/23-Apr-07
Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk/23-Apr-07
------------ This issue of TidBITS sponsored in part by: --------------
* READERS LIKE YOU! Support TidBITS with a contribution today!
<http://www.tidbits.com/about/support/contributors.html>
Special thanks this week to Marc Chavannes, William Lesllie,
Craig Sutherland, and Bob Dain for their generous support!
* SMALL DOG ELECTRONICS: TidBITS Exclusive for Apr 23-Apr 30:
17" PowerBook G4, 1.67 GHz, 120 GB hard drive, SuperDrive,
AP/BT, Tiger + Classic, Apple refurbished, one-year warranty
Free shipping, $1389! Order at <http://www.smalldog.com/tb/>
* GET FETCH 5 FOR FREE! Fetch Softworks makes Fetch, the original
Macintosh FTP client, free for educational and charitable use.
Fetch 5.2 includes WebView, FTPS, and droplet shortcuts.
Apply today at <http://fetchsoftworks.com/edapply>!
* WebCrossing Neighbors Creates Private Social Networks
Create a complete social network with your company or group's
own look. Scalable, extensible and extremely customizable.
Take a guided tour today <http://www.webcrossing.com/tour>
* MARK/SPACE, INC: New, from the makers of The Missing Sync, comes
SyncTogether, a brand new app for syncing contacts, calendars,
notes and more between multiple Macs and one or more user
accounts. $49.95 for 3 Macs. <http://www.markspace.com/bits>
* Microsoft's MacBU: Supporting Mac users with Office 2004.
Supporting the Mac community through tech support newsgroups,
user group appearances, our new team blog, and more!
Check out our team blog at <http://blogs.msdn.com/macmojo/>
* DealBITS: Get the word out about your product AND generate sales!
It's easy: give away a few copies and offer a discount to entrants.
A DealBITS drawing is quick to set up and can easily pay for itself.
For more info and rates, visit <http://www.tidbits.com/dealbits/>.
---------- Help support TidBITS by supporting our sponsors ------------
Security Update 2007-004 Released
---------------------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/8958>
Apple has released Security Update 2007-004, which fixes a wide
variety of obscure security holes and includes new versions of
several open source components of Mac OS X, including fetchmail and
ftpd. Of particular interest are fixes to Mac OS X's file sharing
client software, the elimination of several bugs identified by the
Month of Apple Bugs project, and fixes for holes in the Login Window
authentication dialog. Academic users should also note that Security
Update 2007-004 addresses three different exploits aimed at the
Kerberos secure authentication support in Mac OS X. The update is
available in four versions, for Mac OS X 10.4 for PowerPC-based Macs
(9.3 MB) and for Intel-based Macs (16.1 MB), and for Mac OS X 10.3.9
Client (37.6 MB) and Server (54.1 MB). Or just let Software Update
do the job for you.
<http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305391>
<http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/securityupdate2007004ppc.html>
<http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/securityupdate2007004universal.html>
<http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/securityupdate20070041039client.html>
<http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/securityupdate20070041039server.html>
Money Meets Mouth on Mac Exploits
---------------------------------
by Glenn Fleishman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/8957>
Two hackers were able to meet a challenge at CanSecWest by gaining
access to one of two fully patched MacBook Pros (one 15-inch, one
17-inch). The computers were updated with the latest security
release from Apple (Security Update 2007-004, released 2007-04-19).
Shane Macaulay and Dino Dai Zovi combined efforts to compromise one
of the Macs. Dai Zovi developed the exploit off-site, relaying it to
Macaulay at the conference. (Other reports indicate that remote
attackers were also eligible, but later reporting seems to
contradict that.)
<http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/04/20/HNmachackedatconference_1.html>
<http://cansecwest.com/>
<http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305391>
<http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6178131.html>
The contest was originally set up to offer attendees a chance to win
either of the two MacBook Pro laptops, but 3Com's TippingPoint
division upped the ante by adding a $10,000 prize after the
challenge started. TippingPoint hasn't yet confirmed that it will
award its prize. The company told ZDNet it needs to determine that
the exploit was previously unknown.
The first challenge originally required the winner to retrieve a
file protected with root permission on the root filesystem. The
organizer planned to change the computers' configuration each day,
adding behaviors like polling a wiki page every five minutes or
checking email.
<http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/142/464216/30/0/threaded>
After TippingPoint put its money on the line and the challenge
progressed to include riskier behavior, the winning exploit
appeared, requiring that a URL received via email was opened using
the default Safari Web browser (relying on user interaction was a
change from the original rules, after no one had been able to break
in previously). However, the exploit wasn't based on Safari's "Open
'safe' files after downloading" preference, as was originally
suspected. According to security researcher Thomas Ptacek, the
attack was based on a flaw in Java, which would affect other Mac
browsers as well; turning off the Enable Java preference in Safari
or other browsers will protect against the vulnerability.
<http://www.matasano.com/log/806/hot-off-the-matasano-sms-queue-cansec-macbook-challenge-won/>
The malicious page caused Mac OS X to give user-level privileges to
the attacker, if I read the explanation at the conference site
correctly. Dai Zovi told ZDNet he discovered the exploit and
implemented it in about nine hours overnight. The second computer is
still unexploited, and requires that root privileges be obtained.
<http://cansecwest.com/post/2007-04-20-14:54:00.First_Mac_Hacked_Cancel_Or_Allow>
The contest was apparently designed to tweak Apple for what one
organizer said was its lack of participation in the security
industry. Dragos Ruiu told InfoWorld, "I hear a lot of people
bragging about how easy it is to break into Macs," and this contest
gave them a chance to show their stuff.
3Com's TippingPoint offers bounties via its Zero Day Initiative,
which tries to reward researchers by providing exploits that could
be immediately put to use in a malicious fashion. TippingPoint then
updates its own security software and notifies the affected vendor.
The firm later notifies its competitors, too.
<http://www.zerodayinitiative.com/>
DealBITS Drawing: DoorStop X Security Suite
-------------------------------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/8959>
Despite the CanSecWest exploit (see "Money Meets Mouth on Mac
Exploits," 2007-04-23), Macs have proven remarkably secure in
comparison with the myriad problems that afflict Windows. But anyone
who wants to increase their level of security and knowledge about
attacks and vulnerabilities can turn to tools like the DoorStop X
Security Suite, from Open Door Networks. It brings together the
recently updated DoorStop X Firewall 2.0, Who's There? Firewall
Advisor 2.1, and an updated version of the accompanying ebook,
"Internet Security for Your Macintosh: A Guide for the Rest of Us."
(For what's new, see "Open Door Networks Updates Security Products,"
2007-02-05.)
<http://db.tidbits.com/article/8958>
<http://www.opendoor.com/doorstopsuite/>
<http://db.tidbits.com/article/8846>
In this week's DealBITS drawing, you can enter to win one of two
copies of DoorStop X Security Suite, each worth $79. Entrants who
aren't among our lucky winners will receive a discount on DoorStop X
Security Suite, so be sure to enter at the DealBITS page. All
information gathered is covered by our comprehensive privacy policy.
Be careful with your spam filters and challenge-response systems,
since you must be able to receive email from my address to learn if
you've won. Remember too, that if someone you refer to this drawing
wins, you'll receive the same prize as a reward for spreading the
word.
<http://www.tidbits.com/dealbits/doorstop1/>
<http://www.tidbits.com/about/privacy.html>
InterviewBITS: Family Tech Support
----------------------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/8954>
Robert Movin's recent article "Switching My Mother to the Mac"
(2007-04-02) generated a number of nice comments from people who had
engineered similar switches for family members. That got me thinking
about how many of us act as unofficial tech support for our
Mac-using friends and family (and occasionally for Windows users as
well). But I wondered how similar the experience was for different
people, so I picked a few TidBITS readers and asked them to share
how many members of their extended families they regularly provide
tech support for. I also asked how they generally perform that
support - in person, over the phone, or via remote control software
- and what their last support job was. And just so you know I'm in
exactly the same situation as everyone else, I'll lead off.
<http://db.tidbits.com/article/8922>
**Adam C. Engst** -- Publisher, TidBITS and Take Control Books
<http://www.tidbits.com/>
<http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/>
My parents have an aging Power Mac G4 Cube and a 14-inch iBook G4
that they use for all the usual personal tasks. My mother also reads
her work email from home at times and works on Word and Excel
documents at home as well, transferring them back and forth to her
PC by sending them to herself in email.
Even though they're primarily PC users, my sister and her husband,
who have a two-year-old son, recently bought a Mac mini with an
iSight camera for video iChats; it's a great way for the whole
family to communicate, particularly with the little one (who wants
to say that he also uses the Mac to look at pictures of rhinos).
Plus, my aunt and uncle have a 20-inch iMac and a 14-inch iBook, and
both of Tonya's sisters use laptop Macs. I also provide personal
tidbits.com email accounts for a number of relatives, mostly because
I started doing it well before there were good free alternatives
like Yahoo Mail and Google Gmail. On the whole, everyone is pretty
good with their Macs, and I never feel as though I'm explaining the
obvious.
Since my parents are local, they occasionally call with urgent
problems, but more commonly, they invite us out for a weekend dinner
with the warning that they have some computer questions. The last
problem I solved involved Dad's iBook refusing to boot normally. I
couldn't fix it, but I verified it was a hardware problem that would
be covered by AppleCare. Luckily, I was able to boot the machine in
FireWire Target Disk mode and make a full backup before Dad sent it
in, since Apple replaced the hard disk along with other parts, even
though that was almost certainly not the problem. Other relatives
usually call with problems, although a visit to my aunt and uncle is
never complete until I've answered any questions that have arisen
since the last visit.
Of course, Tonya uses the Mac constantly as well, and as much as
she's highly capable, she last worked in tech support before Mac OS
X appeared, so I end up dealing with any unusual problems she runs
into, along with maintaining our network, keeping the backup system
working, and fussing with the Internet connection whenever
necessary.
**Peter N Lewis** -- CEO, Stairways Software
<http://www.stairways.com/>
My parents and my sister both have Macs, and I regularly help my
folks with tech support, although my Dad is pretty good at figuring
things out himself. My most recent tech support job was purchasing a
second-hand 12-inch iBook and setting it up for him (clean install
of course, never trust a used computer's installation!), and showing
him how to use it in FireWire Target Disk Mode to transfer files to
it from his old iMac.
I do most of my support in person as my folks live only a short
distance away. Tech support over the email or the phone is always a
challenge, and most problems can wait a few days until I next see
them.
**Naomi Pearce** -- Owner, Pearce Communications
<http://pearce.com/>
Both my parents use Macs, and my brother and random extended family
members are also Mac users. Thankfully, my brother splits parental
support duties with me, almost all of which take place over the
phone.
The last situation I remember having to help them with was fixing
the settings when their DSL goes down; every time it drops, the
settings in the DSL modem get all flubbed up.
The most interesting note regarding my support-providing experience
actually stems from a turnaround moment. My husband and I noticed
that one of the MacMania cruises left from San Diego, which is
within driving distance from my parents' house. We thought it would
be a once in a lifetime experience to take them on a cruise, in
style, and let them peek into our world a little bit. Cruises allow
taking a vacation together without being too together or too apart.
<http://www.geekcruises.com/>
So, after months and months of lobbying to convince my mother to go
(another story altogether), we hiked the gangway to one of the most
wonderful vacation experiences ever. Mom and Dad were encouraged to
experience the inimitable Andy Ihnatko's Mac OS X overview sessions,
and Janet Hill's "Life is Good, iLife Makes it Better" class.
MacMania classes are relatively small, so people can ask questions,
even outside of class should a question dawn later on. Participants
are essentially in a week-long computer camp at sea, with the
teachers right there, and I know for sure my father availed himself
of the experts outside of class.
And now that you ask about it, I just realized that I haven't
received a support question since that MacMania trip. So, anybody
who fancies an Alaskan adventure, particularly if their parents need
Mac class and they're also interested in Aperture and real
photography, might want to consider trying a last-minute sign-up for
May, while there are still glaciers to see! Of course, the Panama
MacMania looks fun too.
<http://www.geekcruises.com/top_b/mm06_top.html>
<http://www.geekcruises.com/top_b/mm07_top.html>
**Chris Pepper** -- [Chris Pepper babysits Unix systems at Rockefeller
University for a living, and is still pleased and amused that a Mac
is the best tool for his work.]
<http://www.reppep.com/~pepper/>
My least computer-savvy family member has a grape iMac, which
replaced a Mac Plus, largely because it would still run Word 5.1a.
Her discomfort with the computer is best encapsulated by this quote:
"I know the computer isn't really going to blow up on me, but I like
the mouse because I know if it did it would just blow my hand off,
while if the whole computer blew up, it would really hurt me, just
like my car would kill me if it blew up."
Her last few questions were: "Why can't I print?" Answer: Restart.
"Why is my computer frozen?" (Luckily a rare occurrence.) Answer:
Restart.
She normally apologizes when she calls me at work, and sometimes
calls my work voicemail at night to avoid disturbing me, but she's
so stressed that everything feels like a crisis, especially since
she tends to avoid updating her documents (teaching materials) until
they're needed.
My father, who has long read TidBITS, is, yes, Dr. Pepper. As a
psychiatrist, he's also an MD, even though he doesn't really treat
physical problems. So when I was growing up, every family gathering
included at least one relative asking him about bunions or a bad
back or a hurt finger. For a few years in and after college, when I
still went to lots of these events, I briefly and shockingly became
more popular, as those same relatives instead asked questions about
what computer they should get, what the Internet was, or why their
PC was misbehaving.
**David Shayer** -- iPod Software Engineer, Apple Computer
<http://www.apple.com/ipod/>
My wife, my sister, and my mom use Macs. My kids use PCs, because
they think more games are available. When they decided to get PCs
instead of Macs, I told them they were pretty much on their own for
tech support. They're pretty smart and are usually able to resolve
their own problems.
My sister is pretty tech savvy and rarely needs tech support.
My wife can usually figure stuff out, and when I have to help her,
being next to her so I can see the screen is invaluable. I
occasionally have to help her with work email problems, because the
IT people at Stanford can be slow.
My mom is a very smart person, but just isn't computer savvy. I
usually can't see her screen, since I generally help her over the
phone. She doesn't know what specific user interface elements are
called, but she knows the terminology, so she starts randomly
throwing in "window" and "desktop" thinking she's helping, but she
actually confuses me more. I suppose I should try Fog Creek's
Copilot or other remote assistance software.
<https://www.copilot.com/>
Last night, my mom called with a Quicken question. As far as I could
tell she was doing the same thing I do, but not getting the same
result. So obviously she was doing something different, but I never
figured out what.
Apple Stores are a godsend, because anyone can go in and get free,
competent technical advice. This lets me redirect casual friends to
good tech support without feeling like I'm abandoning them.
Unfortunately, around here the Apple Stores have become so popular
that you have to make a reservation to avoid long waits.
Last week, by coincidence, I met a dozen newly hired Apple Geniuses
from around the country, who were in Cupertino for their initial
training. I was impressed by how smart, dedicated, and serious they
all were.
**Eric Ullman** -- Director of Marketing, Mark/Space
<http://www.markspace.com/>
Not as many members of my extended family use Macs as I would
prefer. It's somewhere around half: My mom, my in-laws,
brother-in-law's family, one step-sibling's family. On the PC side
are my dad and his wife, brother's family, my two other
step-siblings' families.
The step-siblings have knowledgeable users who handle support in
those families, and my dad and his wife use their small business
support person. I am the IT guy for everyone else, including the PC
users (either you get computers in general, or you don't - the same
troubleshooting principles apply to Macs and PCs alike). I also
provide "weekend support" for the five PCs and one Mac at the small
office where my wife works and for many of my Mac-using friends.
Most of my help-desk-type support can be done over the phone, but I
also make use of VNC and Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection for
Mac. Networking and certain difficult or multi-computer issues
require an on-site presence.
<http://www.macminicolo.net/Mac_VNC_tutor.html>
<http://www.microsoft.com/mac/otherproducts/otherproducts.aspx?pid=remotedesktopclient>
The most recent support I provided was for my best friend of more
than 20 years, who just switched to the Mac. Specifically, I helped
him get a Windows-based flight bidding program for Southwest
Airlines pilots working in CodeWeavers's CrossOver for the Mac
(works great, by the way). That involved work (though mostly
corrective - he was off to a good start) with some trial and error
involved, so I performed it in person.
<http://www.codeweavers.com/products/cxmac/>
A week doesn't go by without handling at least two or three
requests, though most take less than five minutes over the phone. I
enjoy doing this kind of thing for friends and family, and covering
the Windows issues certainly keeps me on my toes and highly
appreciative of my Mac. I've also developed a general hatred of
anti-virus/spyware "solutions" on the Windows platform.
Everybody Sync Now: SyncTogether Stands in for .Mac Sync
--------------------------------------------------------
by Michael E. Cohen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/8950>
I'm a fan of Mark/Space's syncing products. The Missing Sync for
Palm OS, for example, has made my wife's digital life much more
pleasant now that she no longer has to deal with the
not-always-reliable collaboration between Apple's iSync and Palm's
HotSync conduit to get her Palm TX and her PowerBook G4 on the same
page. So I was delighted when Adam asked me to review SyncTogether,
the latest addition to Mark/Space's collection of syncing utilities.
<http://www.markspace.com/missingsync_palmos.php>
<http://www.markspace.com/synctogether.php>
Am I still delighted? Read on.
**One Sync-ular Sensation** -- The $50 SyncTogether is based on
MySync, an application that Mark/Space acquired last year from the
delightfully named MildMannered Industries.
Like its predecessor, SyncTogether lets you sync the same kinds of
information that Mac OS X's .Mac syncing service does, but it
eliminates the need for you to purchase a $100-per-year .Mac
subscription. For those of you who haven't made your way to the Sync
view in Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger's .Mac System Preference pane, these
kinds of information include such Apple offerings as iCal tasks and
events, Address Book contacts and groups, Safari bookmarks, and
various Mail settings. Items from other programs, such as Bare Bones
Software's Yojimbo, can appear in the list, too.
<http://www.barebones.com/products/yojimbo/>
What makes this all possible is Tiger's Sync Services, a set of
functions that Mac applications can use to sync information between
devices and between other Mac applications.
SyncTogether taps into the power of Sync Services to synchronize the
same types of information as .Mac syncing between Macs, between
different user accounts on the same Mac, or both. This capability to
sync between different people's Macs and between user accounts
enables SyncTogether to turn syncing into a form of data sharing - a
significant difference from basic .Mac syncing. (You can read much
more about Sync Services in my book, "Take Control of Syncing in
Tiger" (shameless plug!), or by consulting a Mark/Space knowledge
base article).
<http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/tiger-syncing.html?14@@!pt=TB876>
<http://support.markspace.com/?kb=2654>
The one notable exception in SyncTogether's set of
information-syncing capabilities is the Mac OS X keychain system:
although you can sync keychains between Macs using .Mac,
SyncTogether cannot. The SyncTogether documentation remains silent
on exactly why keychains are excluded from the syncing party, but
Mark/Space tells me that Apple does not provide third-party support
for keychain syncing. This is likely a security measure, and a
reasonable one, too - you don't want just any Tom, Dick, or Trojan
messing with your keychains, do you?
The license that accompanies SyncTogether allows up to three Macs to
sync their information. That's three _Macs_, not three user
accounts: it's possible to sync information from as many user
accounts as you care to create on the three Macs that you can
license. SyncTogether can also sync information over a local area
network (it's Bonjour-savvy), and across the Internet. You can add
more Macs to your SyncTogether sync-farm in groups of three by
purchasing additional licenses.
**Set Up... and Do It Again** -- SyncTogether requires you to run an
installer to get it on your Mac, and, even before you do that, you
really, really, really want to read the Read Me file, the first
section of which, labeled in bright red letters, strongly urges you
to back up your data. Since it's all too easy with any syncing
software to select the wrong option and blow away data, follow that
advice. The Read Me provides some hints for backing up your iCal
calendars and your Address Book contacts, and, once installed,
SyncTogether's built-in Help offers more hints for backing up other
kinds of data, such as your Safari bookmarks. I dutifully followed
the Read Me's advice and was glad that I did, as you'll see.
The installation procedure, while not time-consuming, is not
trivial, and odds are that you'll have to go through the final part
of it - the Setup Assistant - at least twice, since you have to
configure SyncTogether on at least two Macs (or on two user accounts
on a single Mac) to get any practical benefit.
For this review, I used my desktop iMac G5, my MacBook Core Duo, and
my almost-but-not-quite-retired 500 MHz iBook G3. All three machines
were running Mac OS X 10.4.9. SyncTogether requires version 10.4.7
or later, and claims to require at least a G4 processor, although it
did install without complaint on the venerable iBook G3. On each
machine, a SyncTogether folder was created in the Applications
folder, containing the application, Read Me files, and an
uninstaller.
The first time you launch the SyncTogether application, a Setup
Assistant also launches to help you configure the program. You can
run the Assistant again later by choosing Setup Assistant from
SyncTogether's Help menu.
When setting up SyncTogether, you first must specify whether your
Mac (called a "node" in SyncTogether parlance) will act as a
"client" or a "server" and whether it will join an existing "Sync
Group" or create a new group. These are new concepts for those who
are familiar only with .Mac syncing or iSync, but they aren't hard
to understand: a Sync Group is a set of individual nodes that sync
with each other, and a server is the one node in the sync group that
coordinates all the syncing with the client nodes. (In fact, iSync
and .Mac implicitly organize syncing this way, too: for iSync, the
Mac running iSync is the server and the devices connecting to that
Mac are the clients; for .Mac, Apple's .Mac service is the server,
and all the Macs that sync with it using the same .Mac account are
the clients.)
The Assistant enables you to set up SyncTogether nodes that aren't
on the same local network. For one of these "remote" nodes, you must
specify an IP address and a port number for the node. All the nodes
in a Sync Group must be accessible by either Bonjour or IP address;
if a firewall is present, the firewall must be set up to allow
traffic on the specified port number. By default, SyncTogether
chooses an available port number at random for you, though the
built-in Help does suggest that port 50001 is a reasonable choice if
you want to pick one manually.
The Assistant then asks you to set a password that is used for
encrypting the data among all nodes in the Sync Group.
Next you specify which types of information you want to sync.
SyncTogether uses plugins to handle the kinds of information it
syncs, and several of its plugins offer more fine-grained syncing
control than .Mac syncing offers. For example, you can choose to
sync specific iCal calendars or Address Book contact groups with
SyncTogether, instead of the all-or-nothing iCal and Address Book
syncing choices that .Mac offers. You can use this enhanced syncing
capability to create calendars and contact lists that, through the
magic of SyncTogether syncing, you can share among family members or
co-workers. For instance, now my wife and I can share our holiday
card address lists and family birthday calendars.
Once the Setup Assistant finishes its work you are ready for your
node's first sync... that is, if your node belongs to an existing
Sync Group. Otherwise, you have to set up at least one more node
because, obviously, a node can't sync if it's the only member of the
Sync Group.
**And Your Bird Can Sync** -- The SyncTogether application window
resembles the windows of other Mark/Space products: a metallic
window containing a customizable toolbar along the top, and a main
pane below it that can display several different views. In the case
of SyncTogether's window, the three views available in the main pane
are Plugins, Nodes, and Shop.
In the Plugins view you can change both the types of data being
synced and specific settings for some of the data types. In the Shop
view, you can order other Mark/Space and third-party products (my
copy is currently offering some twelve products).
The Node view is the one you should have showing when you run a
sync. It shows the status of the other nodes in your Sync Group, and
provides controls for enabling and scheduling syncs with each node.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2007-04/SyncTogether-window.jpg>
Mark/Space recommends that a node's first sync be done manually, and
that you have each node easily accessible during that sync so you
can respond to the dialogs and alerts that Tiger's Sync Services
generates during a first sync. With the update to Mac OS X 10.4.9,
Sync Services no longer generates as many first-time-sync-related
dialogs as it did in earlier versions of Tiger (nor does 10.4.9
allow you to delete a node's data on the first sync), but giving
yourself easy access to the syncing nodes so that you can watch for,
and respond to, dialogs popping up on one node or another is still
good advice.
Easiest of all is monitoring a first sync between user accounts on
the same Mac: just use Tiger's fast user-switching capability. Only
slightly more difficult is monitoring each node on a local network,
such as the small AirPort network I have at home: it's just a matter
of walking from one room to another. Monitoring a first sync among
remote nodes, or nodes on more geographically dispersed LANs,
however, means that you may also need to install remote access
software, such as a VNC client, on the nodes so that you can respond
to the Sync Services dialogs.
After all the set-up work, running an actual sync is almost
anticlimactic. With SyncTogether running on the nodes you want to
sync, you just click the Sync button on the SyncTogether toolbar on
any of the nodes, and (if the network gods are smiling) the nodes
sync. As a sync takes place, prominent progress messages appear in a
new, blue pane that opens in the main SyncTogether application
window on each node. When the sync ends, the progress pane vanishes.
If you want a detailed view of what is going on during a sync, the
toolbar's Sync History button brings up a log of syncing activity.
You can also view this log, by the way, with Tiger's Console
utility. It's in ~/Library/Logs/SyncTogether/, and, if you're hungry
for syncing details, you can also use Console to check both the
SyncTogether.log file in that directory and the main console.log,
which also receives some Sync Services-related messages.
Clicking the SyncTogether toolbar's Info button produces a drawer
that shows detailed information about the selected plugin or node
(the button is disabled in Shop view). In the Node view you can use
the Info drawer's controls to set the sync schedule, IP address, and
port number for a selected node, and to reset that node's sync
history.
<http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2007-04/SyncTogether-info-drawer.jpg>
Other tools on the SyncTogether toolbar include a Downloads button
(used when you download an update or for purchases when you buy
something in the Shop view), a Cancel sync button, and a Preferences
button.
SyncTogether's Preferences window offers just a few settings and
most users can probably ignore them, since the defaults are
sensible. If you need to tweak detailed network or security
settings, you can access an Advanced preferences sheet by holding
down the Option key when choosing Preferences; most users won't ever
need (or desire) to see this sheet.
**Different Syncers, Different Song** -- Even though both .Mac and
SyncTogether use Tiger's underlying Sync Services, the two have some
different features.
I've already mentioned that SyncTogether lets you separately sync
iCal events and iCal tasks. In addition, SyncTogether provides three
sync modes for each plugin: Normal, Publish Only, and Subscribe
Only. You could create, for example, a master event calendar by
syncing a Publish Only event calendar on one node: this calendar
would send new events to other nodes but would not receive any from
them. You could use a Subscribe Only tasks calendar on a home
machine so that you could see tasks from your synced work machine
when at home, but keep your personal home tasks private.
One feature .Mac has that SyncTogether lacks is the advanced Reset
Sync Data command. With .Mac you can reset the contents of your
Mac's data items with those from .Mac - or vice versa - instead of
merging them. SyncTogether offers only a Reset Sync History feature,
and relies on Sync Services to offer you the choice of resetting the
data the next time you sync - which it doesn't always do, in my
experience. While I can understand the necessity of not allowing one
SyncTogether node to reset the data on another SyncTogether node
(for example, I don't think my wife would like me to replace all of
her holiday contacts with mine without her say-so), I would like to
be able to reset the data on my local client node if I think it
needs a complete refresh drawn from the syncing group's shared
wisdom.
**Incidents and Accidents** -- I did have some problems with
SyncTogether. Although the first sync between my iMac and my MacBook
went well, attempting to sync my old and unsupported iBook did not:
syncs failed, processes stalled, and my synced data got rather
confused on the other nodes. Fortunately, I did have backups of the
data and was able to set things right, and although this was
undoubtedly my fault, I would have been happier if SyncTogether had
been smart enough to detect the unworthiness of my old iBook and
simply refused to install or launch.
As I dealt with the iBook fiasco, I attempted to uninstall and
reinstall SyncTogether and discovered that the uninstaller does not
do a complete job. Several folders that SyncTogether creates in
~/Library are not removed by the uninstaller. This is both
intentional and common practice, according to Mark/Space, so the
user's data and preferences are in place in case the application is
reinstalled, but on the downside, if there is corrupt data in those
folders, a fresh install of SyncTogether will pick them right up.
(Note, by the way, that you must deauthorize your computer before
uninstalling since you need the software to issue the Deauthorize
Computer command.)
**Hints and Allegations** -- SyncTogether also has some deficiencies
in its Help contents, and some confusing idiosyncrasies in its user
interface.
Although SyncTogether's built-in Help provides detailed explanations
on how to set up and run the first sync, it maintains almost
complete silence about subsequent syncs. For example, I couldn't
find any Help topic that mentioned that you must have the
SyncTogether application constantly running on the server node for
scheduled syncing to work - that information appears only, and then
by implication, on the last screen of the Setup Assistant.
Another question on which Help is silent is whether or not
SyncTogether is compatible with .Mac syncing. For example, I would
like to sync my iMac using both .Mac (so I can access bookmarks and
contents from any Web browser on any machine) and SyncTogether (to
keep my MacBook current), but the Help doesn't give a clue as to
whether syncing both ways would be clever or daft. (In fact, Tiger's
Sync Services are designed to allow just such multi-way syncing; of
course, if a sync messes up through one sync - say, an iSync sync
with a flaky mobile phone's contact list - that mess will happily
propagate through other syncs, such as a subsequent SyncTogether
sync between Macs. So it goes.)
On the user-interface side, SyncTogether makes it difficult
sometimes for you to figure out which node a command affects. For
example, the Reset Sync History dialog first says that the feature
"will not affect any other sync clients" but later says that the
history "will automatically be reset on the corresponding Server or
Client as well." In fact, SyncTogether uses "Servers" and "Clients"
to refer to the nodes in a SyncTogether group; a "sync client," on
the other hand, is Sync Services terminology for an application that
makes use of Sync Services (such as iSync or SyncTogether).
SyncTogether also enhances confusion by employing a
"[EMAIL PROTECTED]" convention to label each node, a convention
which, though familiar to programmers and network administrators,
probably looks an awful lot like an email address to the vast
majority of users. (.Mac, by comparison, uses a somewhat less
confusing convention: for example, in my syncing setup, the node
labeled "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" in SyncTogether appears as "Nimloth -
Michael Cohen" in the Advanced view of the .Mac System Preference
pane.) Maybe I'm picky, but when programming conventions and
terminology needlessly bubble up into the user interface of a
consumer software product, it puts me off.
**Unsynchronized Emotions** -- So, was I delighted with SyncTogether?
Not completely. Some of my lack of complete delight, to be sure, is
not altogether SyncTogether's fault: after all, the program can only
be as good as Tiger's Sync Services allows it to be, and Sync
Services still has a few rough edges of its own. Plus, some of the
problems I experienced were a result of coloring outside the lines
by running SyncTogether on an unsupported machine, although I
wouldn't have encountered those problems if the installer had been
slightly more strict in its pre-flight analysis.
Bottom line: I can and do recommend SyncTogether to any reasonably
Mac-savvy person who doesn't want to pay for .Mac and who doesn't
find the initial setup complexity daunting. I also recommend it to
small groups of Mac users (families, work groups) who want to share
some common, Sync Services-friendly information like calendars and
contacts with a flexibility that .Mac currently doesn't provide.
And, despite the flaws I found, I am confident that Mark/Space will
do a good job of maintaining and improving SyncTogether over time.
It wasn't quite love at first sight for SyncTogether and me, but I
can honestly say I did like it a lot. In fact, next week we're going
out again for lunch, and then maybe we'll catch a movie: I hear
"Yojimbo" is playing at a revival theater nearby.
SyncTogether costs $50 and is a 16 MB download; a 14-day demo is
available.
[Michael E. Cohen has worked as a teacher, a programmer, a Web
designer, a multimedia producer, and a certified usability analyst.
He's the author or co-author of several books, including "The Xcode
2 Book," "AirPort and Mac Wireless Networks for Dummies," and of
course, "Take Control of Syncing in Tiger."]
<http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/tiger-syncing.html?14@@!pt=TB876>
Take Control News/23-Apr-07
---------------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/8961>
**.Mac Ebook Update Covers Latest in .Mac Webmail Access** -- We just
released version 1.2 of our comprehensive guide to Apple's .Mac
service, "Take Control of .Mac." Written by Joe Kissell, the
204-page ebook provides everything .Mac users need to know to get
the most of their $100-per-year subscriptions. Along with a
smattering of general changes, this new version provides up-to-date
advice and steps for using .Mac's webmail features. The update is
free to current owners of the ebook (click the Check for Updates
button on the cover to access it); new copies cost $15.
<http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/dot-mac.html?14@@!pt=TRK-0030-TB876-TCNEWS>
To give you a taste of what's in the book, here are a few tips you
might find useful:
* Email aliases behave a bit differently from member names. If you
create an email alias and later delete it (as opposed to merely
turning it off), that email address is reserved permanently, but you
cannot reactivate it - and neither can anyone else.
* To make it even easier for others to access files in your Public
folder, tell them to visit http://idisk.mac.com/membername-Public.
That URL displays a Web page that provides download links for each
item in your Public folder.
* Even if you use only a single Mac all the time, .Mac bookmarks can
be very helpful if you use a variety of browsers. Instead of storing
bookmarks separately in Firefox, OmniWeb, Opera, and iCab (or
whatever browsers you use), you can simply open your .Mac bookmarks
Web page in each of those browsers. You'll get access to your Safari
bookmarks, and any new bookmarks you add using the .Mac Bookmarks
window will also appear in Safari (after they've been synchronized,
of course).
If you're in need of up-to-date documentation of how to use .Mac's
features, look no further.
Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk/23-Apr-07
------------------------------------
by TidBITS Staff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
article link: <http://db.tidbits.com/article/8962>
**iRemote** -- An Apple patent filing indicates that the iPhone (or
other mobile phone) can be used to control software such as iTunes.
Hmmm... (1 message)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1242/>
**Apple Store Traffic** -- If you're still undecided about Apple's
retail store experiment, go hang out at an Apple Store for a while;
boxes seem to exit at a brisk clip, according to readers. (1
message)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1243/>
**Disabling "talking heads" in Flash?** If Flash-based ads and other
automatic multimedia on the Web are driving you crazy, learn how to
turn them off. (13 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1244/>
**Little Snitch** -- This utility warns you when an application is
attempting to "phone home" over the Internet. (2 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1245/>
**Using Verizon Treo 650 as Modem from MacBook Pro** -- Alas, this
capability doesn't appear to work on the Mac; some hacks exist, but
they aren't reliable. (2 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1246/>
**Battery drain during sleep** -- Is it normal for a MacBook lose 40
percent of its charge while asleep during the weekend? (14 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1248/>
**Hackers upgrading Apple TV's capabilities** -- The Apple TV has been
the focus of intense hacker interest since its release: upgrading
the hard drive, booting via the USB port, and more. (9 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1249/>
**TidBITS Turns 17** -- A throwaway comment about getting hold of car
keys turns into an interesting discussion of automobiles and the
decreasing need for keys. Oh, and Happy Birthday, TidBITS! (25
messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1250/>
**AirPort Extreme N Firmware 7.1 Update** -- Readers run into issues
when updating the latest AirPort Extreme base station. (7 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1251/>
**Current Apple Market Share** -- Where can you find current
information on Mac market share? And will it increase? (3 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1252/>
**Police attempt to emerge from the 19th century** -- Prosecuting
computer crime is made more difficult by the fact that few police
officers understand the technology. (1 message)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1253/>
**When to cut ties to the past** -- Sure, it would be nice if every
program ever written for the Mac could run under Mac OS X, but
that's not realistic. What's a reasonable cutoff point? (18
messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1254/>
**Finding rogue invisible files** -- Mac OS X uses lots of invisible
files for temporary storage, which can sometimes get out of hand.
Several methods for tracking them down are offered. (17 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1255/>
**What if Apple designed a car?** The talk of cars in another thread
prompts the question of what an Apple-designed car would look like,
and which features it would have compared to other cars on the
market today. (8 messages)
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/1256/>
$$
This is TidBITS, a free weekly technology newsletter providing timely
news, insightful analysis, and in-depth reviews to the Macintosh and
Internet communities. Feel free to forward to friends; better still,
please ask them to subscribe!
Non-profit, non-commercial publications and Web sites may reprint or
link to articles if full credit is given. Others please contact us. We
do not guarantee accuracy of articles. Caveat lector. Publication,
product, and company names may be registered trademarks of their
companies. TidBITS ISSN 1090-7017.
Copyright 2007 TidBITS: Reuse governed by Creative Commons license.
Contact us at: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
TidBITS Web site: <http://www.tidbits.com/>
License terms: <http://www.tidbits.com/terms/>
Full text search: <http://www.tidbits.com/search/>
Subscriptions: <http://www.tidbits.com/about/list.html>
Account help: <http://www.tidbits.com/about/account-help.html>
--
If you want to unsubscribe or change your address, use this link
http://emperor.tidbits.com/webx?unsub@@.3c557dc4!u=306a67f9
