Apple Kills Hackintosh Netbooks with Snow Leopard Update

Apple is reportedly breaking Hackintoshes -- meaning netbooks illegimately installed with Mac Oapple osx hackintoshS X -- with its latest update to Leopard.

The current developer build of OS X -- 10.6.2 -- will not run on the Intel Atom processor commonly used in netbooks that ship with Windows or Linux, according to an account in Wired, attributing the report to a hacker named Stellarola.

"Apple appears to have changed around a lot of CPU-related information" in the build, says Stellarola. "One of the effects of this is Apple killing off Intel's Atom chip."

Stellarola suggests that while most Hackintosh users should stick with 10.6 for now, they might try upgrading to 10.6.2 if they're running an older or modified kernel, according to OS X Daily.

The software in question is only a developer build, and it still might change before Apple releases a real update.

But Apple has already drawn fire lately for actions such as blocking Palm Pre users from iTunes aapplend banning Google Voice users from its App Store.

With Apple refusing to release an affordable low-end mobile PC of its own, hacked netbooks from Dell and other manufacturers have been turning into an increasing popular alternative in the Macintosh community.

Apple Releases Mac Mini, SuperDrive Updates

Apple on Monday released firmware updates for the Mac mini and for certain SuperDrive-containing systems.

The company says that Mac mini EFI Firmware Update 1.2 improves compatibility with the latest Apple memory kits on Mac mini computers, although doesn't specific which Mac mini models it's intended for.

SuperDrive Firmware Update 3.0 is designed to eliminate the noise made by your Mac's optical drive during system startup and wake from sleep. It works with the mid 2009 20-inch iMac, early 2009 24-inch iMac, and early 2009 Mac mini. Apple explains how to determine whether your Mac needs the update in a support document. It requires a Mac mini with today's firmware update, or an iMac with iMac EFI Firmware Update 1.4 installed.

Both updates require OS X 10.5.7 or later.

Free Stuff for Your Phone

The only thing better than cool iPhone apps? Free iPhone apps. Of course, iTunes' App Store doesn't do a particularly good job highlighting the freebies. This week I've got a Web site that alerts you to newly free iPhone apps, a service that lets you exchange electronic business cards via phone, and a few ways to locate iTunes' weekly freebies.

Find Free Apps for Your iPhone

FreeAppAlert catalogs all newly free iPhone apps. The site (a must-bookmark for iPhone and iPod Touch owners) lists an updated-daily collection of each newly free app along with its former price tag and one or more thumbnail screenshots.

When you mouse over a thumbnail, the full-size version of the screenshot appears immediately--a nice alternative to clicking all the way through to the App Store just to see what an app looks like.

Likewise, you can show or hide an application's description by clicking View Description; no need to leave the page.

FreeAppAlert has a Twitter feed; you can also become a fan on Facebook and subscribe to an RSS feed.

Bottom line: If you like free apps, you'll like FreeAppAlert.