The 10.4.6 update has been released.

According to the release notes , the only improvement for Mail.app “resolves an issue in which Mail could unexpectedly quit when lowering the quote level within a reply message”, something I’ve never noticed.

A user in the Apple Discussions reports that the update breaks GPGMail, so that Mail crashes when an encrypted message is selected.

On my PowerBook, it also overwrote the Panther Mail icons inserted by Mail Stamps, which gave me a fright.

Fortunately, running Mail Stamps after the update has removed the lozenge-shaped buttons again.mac osx, apple, mail.app, apple mail, mail stamps, GPGMail, update, 10.4.6

The recent security flaws in Mac OS X have produced a range of responses. But in a lengthy article, IT columnist and Unix administrator John Welch sets a new high point.

It’s not enough to be (extra) careful about opening attachments in emails that you are unsure about. More drastic action is required:

If you are using Apple’s Mail, I’d consider switching to another mail program, at least temporarily. The problem with Mail is that it allows you to open a file with a single click, and there’s no warning from the application to give you a second chance to cancel that action. Neither Thunderbird nor Microsoft Entourage allow for this, so you might want to think about switching until Apple fixes that.

Oddly, later in the article he suggests: “Just take the common-sense steps that we all should be taking anyway, and you’ll be fine.”Mac osx, security, vulnerability, mail.app, apple mail, thunderbird, entourage, attachments, scripts

Symantec has announced what may be the first virus written to target Mac OS X.

Called OSX.Leap.A, the worm-like virus spreads itself as an iChat file attachment.

But is it a real worm or just a clever script, a genuine threat or a false alarm like others in the past?

Leander Kahney on Cult of Mac considers the options , offering the conclusion that “it may be mostly harmless now, but will likely lead to much nastier versions in the future.”Symantec, ichat, worm, virus, mac osx, OSX.leap.A, false alarm, Leander Kahney