The JK Buzz 6.15.2010, in this edition...

Creative Applications: Photoshop CS5 instability caused by some MultiMaster fonts, Photoshop CS5 crashes when using Type tool caused by TrueType fonts, Adobe CS5 applications crash when quitting fix, Grayed out Photoshop CS5 menu items

Macintosh Miscellaneous: Last of the G5 product lines retired to vintage/obsolete status, HDMI audio out now supported with new MacBooks & MacBook Pros

Mac OS X: OSX/OpinionSpy spyware flash in the pan

Windows Miscellaneous: Boot Camp update for 13" MacBooks

Creative Applications

Photoshop CS5 instability caused by some MultiMaster fonts

Adobe has disclosed in a recent TechNote that Photoshop CS5 can crash when doing a variety of tasks if you have certain MultiMaster fonts installed/activated.  Unexpected quits can occur when clicking the mouse, using type, pressing tab, launching Photoshop, or just working on a file.

Adobe’s fix for these MultiMaster related crashes to either deselect “Font Preview Size” in Photoshop’s Preferences->Type, or remove the conflicting fonts.  They have posted a FontTest script here, that claims to scan for fonts that can cause these crashing issues: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/846/cpsid_84633.html

Some people have found that giving a conflicting MultiMaster font wide open permissions will prevent it from crashing Photoshop CS5 (and old school trick Techcare has been using for years), and rumor is Adobe is working on a fix.

Photoshop CS5 crashes when using Type tool caused by TrueType fonts

Adobe has also disclosed in another TechNote that Photoshop CS5 can crash or hang when using the Type tool if any of these fonts are installed/activated:

21kannmbn_ttf
GURAKH_S.TTF
JH_TITLES.TTF
SCREEN__.TTF
SEVESBRG.TTF
SF Tattle Tales Condensed.ttF
ZEROGEBI.TTF
Zippy.ttf

Read more at: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/846/cpsid_84672.html

Adobe CS5 applications crash when quitting fix

If you are experiencing crashing upon quitting your Adobe CS5 applications, particularly Photoshop CS5, make sure the user account you are logged in with has wide open permissions to the following directories:

~/Library/Preferences
~/Library/Application Support
~/Library/Adobe
/Library/Application Support
/Library/Adobe

Grayed out Photoshop CS5 menu items

Many people have reported to the Adobe Support Forums that some/all of the menu items in Photoshop CS5 may intermittently become grayed out or inactive.  When the occurs, the prevalent workaround is saving work, then quitting and relaunching Photoshop CS5.  Adobe has posted that they have tracked down a way to reproduce this problem reliably, and they are working on a fix.

Macintosh Miscellaneous

Last of the G5 product lines retired to vintage/obsolete status

In June, Apple added the last of the G5 models (late 2004 towers and 17/20” iMac G5s) to their Macintosh “vintage” list for the U.S.  Apple also changed the status of the remaining G5 model lineup to “obsolete” for all other areas of the world.

If you purchased a G5 outside of the state of California, there is no difference between vintage or obsolete.  In either case Apple is no longer providing service, nor can service providers order parts.

If you purchased a G5 in the state of California, a statute forces Apple to offer service and parts until the product has been discontinued more than seven years. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1752

HDMI audio out now supported with new MacBooks & MacBook Pros

One feature you may have overlooked with Apple’s revised mid 2010  MacBooks and MacBook Pros is that if you connect an HDMI adapter to the Mini DisplayPort, the HDMI signal now carries both video and audio.  To use this new feature, you must select HDMI in the Sound System Preference pane.

Previous models of MacBooks and MacBook Pros only support video out when using a Mini DisplayPort DHMI converter.  According to Apple, this new feature requires a “VESA-compliant adapter for full HDMI capabilities”, which includes all Apple adapters, and adapters from Griffin and Dr. Bott.

Mac OS X

OSX/OpinionSpy spyware flash in the pan

Intego posted to their “Mac Security Blog” on 6/1/10 that they have identified a new Mac spyware named OSX/OpinionSpy.  They go on further to say this new spyware is “installed by freely distributed Mac applications and screen savers found on a variety of websites”.

As with all of Intego’s description of the-sky-is-falling Mac threats, this spyware sounded serious.  I did some research and learned that this is only limited to screensavers downloaded from http://7art-screensavers.com, or an application named “MishInc FLV to Mp3”.

Because of the obscurity of these sources, I’m not recommend any action unless you have actually installed a screensaver from 7art or have installed MishInc FLV to Mp3.  If you have, running up to date ClamXav or the free iAntiVirus will clean this spyware off your Mac.

Windows Miscellaneous

Boot Camp update for 13" MacBook Pros

Apple has released a Boot Camp update specifically to address issues on 13” MacBook Pros, where warning would be erroranously displayed when changing display brightness, and headphones would not play audio.