A problem appears to have arisen with the media browser at the core of the iLife suite for owners of the latest 13″ Apple MacBoook Pro laptop. The problem causes the infamous ‘spinning beach ball’ when using any application or system preference which interrogates the iLife media browser framework. A regular complaint appears to be the Desktop & Screen-Saver and Spotlight system preference panes not responding.

Users may receive error messages such as ‘Call to deprecated method ILiPhotoMediaManager::init. Please update your code to use ILiPhotoMediaManager::sharedManager:’ in the console.

Until the problem is addressed with an update from Apple, the following instructions will fix the problem (it is recommended that you have a complete backup of your system before completing the next steps) :

• Locate the folder named ‘iLifeMediaBrowser.framework’ which can be found in the /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks directory
• Move this folder to the Trash
• Locate and insert the Applications Installation DVD disk that came with your MacBook
• Use the shareware program Pacifist to browse the installation DVD
• Highlight the iLifeMediaBrowser.framework and choose Install (you will be prompted for an administrator password)
• Exit the Pacifist application and check if the problem is rectified using System Preferences
• Run Software Update and install the latest iLife update
• Restart your MacBook and check the System Preferences is responding correctly

In our tests, these steps restore the performance of the MacBook Pro 13″ to its correct state.
If you require any additional help with this problem please fell free to contact us.

Over time Windows gets cluttered with various files that are no longer required, such as temporary copies of web pages, cookies and temporary system files. Ideally these are removed by the system at regular intervals, however this is not always the case. CCleaner gives you a One-Click method of locating, deleting and refreshing your system.

Our recommendation is to install CCleaner and run every month. A useful way to do this is to right-click on the Recycle Bin and choose Run CCleaner. This will not only empty your rubbish bin but also clear out those unnecessary files.

CCleaner is available free and now includes support for Internet Explorer 8.

However many people have been wondering if they may already be infected with the Conficker worm  -  here is a simple test to run on any PC to check if it has been compromised.
As Conficker blocks access to over 100 security and anti-virus websites, the chart below attempts to load images from certain sites that would be blocked. If you can see the six images as shown here, then you are not infected. If any of the images fail to load, your machine may have become infected.

Run Test for Infection

If the test shows any sign of infection, please contact us for assistance with removal of the worm. There are a number of removal tools available from Microsoft, BitDefender, ESET, Symantec, Sophos, and Kaspersky Lab.
McAfee and AVG can remove Conficker via an on-demand scan only.

One of the most common complaints about the ‘Ribbon’ toolbar used by Microsoft’s Office 2007 suite is the lack of pull-down menus. Many users have long become accustomed to the traditional style of pull-down menus and have struggled to familiarise themselves with the new method.

A free utility from Ubit software now allows you to keep the ribbon interface but with the added benefit of the traditional pull-down option available as well. Available for Word, Excel and Powerpoint in all languages now from Ubit.

Web based Yousendit.com have launched the ideal desktop companion to your regular email program. Simply install their free program and right click to send large files. Enter the recipient’s email address and they will recieve a link from which they can download the file from you at any time convenient for them.

With built-in iSight cameras on most Apple machines now, Skype offers an easy way to chat and see friends and family anywhere in the world. Free from computer to computer and with low priced calls available to land lines and mobiles, Skype provides an all round communication tool.

Evernote allows you to easily capture information in any environment using whatever device or platform you find most convenient, and makes this information accessible and searchable at any time. Particularly useful in conjunction with a mobile device.

Install the Logmein program any of your Macs or PCs and access them anytime from anywhere. The free version provides basic remote control functions, with paid versions providing extra functions such as remote printing.

Use your voice, email, instant messaging or SMS to capture, retrieve and share ideas and reQall lists the things you need to do. The iPhone application makes your lists available at any time.

Growl is a notification program that allows applications that support Growl to send you updates. A choice of display options is available and allows you to follow updates in your system easily.

PTHPasteboard Pro Keeps a record of all the items you have copied or cut to your clipboard. So you can paste not just the last item, but any item in the history, be it text or image.

Skitch is the ideal tool for capturing images, saving, sending or uploading.

1Password is a password manager with many extra features. If you have the same password for all your website logons and don’t want to remember lots of different complex passwords, this is the program for you. It will allow you to generate secure passwords for each site and remember them for you. Identities can also be stored with credit card and bank details for secure storage and ease of form filling.

VirtualBox allows you to install other operating system within your Mac. So for instance if you run an accounts package on your PC and there’s no OS X version, install VirtualBox and choose a version of Windows to access at any time. You can even download the latest Microsoft operating system called ‘Windows 7′ for free, to try out until the end of August.

QuickSilver is a launcher that will create a catalogue of applications and some frequently used folders and documents. Activate it, and you can search for and open anything in its catalogue instantly. The search is adaptive, so Quicksilver will recognize which items you are searching for based on previous experience. It also supports abbreviations, so you can type entire words, or just fragments of each. When not in use, Quicksilver vanishes, waiting for the next time you summon it.

Your Mac may have come pre-loaded with the iWork or you may be wondering how to create a Word document. Well one free answer is to download and use the OpenOffice suite.

This is just a selection of the many free applications available to download for OS X on the Mac. Hopefully some or all of these programs will make your use of your Mac more productive and enjoyable.
You can also open the links to all the above-mentioned pages here.

An often requested feature is the ability to turn a PDF document back into editable text, in order to update, add or delete. Here is a simple solution from PDFUNdo.net – go to www.pdfundo.net/convert and simply select your PDF and click convert to Word.  It is a free service that does not require an email address or registration. Simply download your Word document when the conversion is complete.

You will get a huge 2GB of storage from Adobe with your account, but point to note – the connection speeds are not at 100% yet to countries outside the US, so a good Internet connection at your end is recommended. Also, you will have to choose USA as your country of origin to proceed with the account registration.