Σοβαρά προβλήματα αναφέρονται από χρήστες κάτα την αναβάθμιση των MacBook Pro στο νέο λειτουργικό macOS Big Sur.

Σύμφωνα με τις αναφορές κατά το update σε macOS Big Sur η διαδικασία κολλάει.

Βάσει των λεγομένων των χρηστών, κατά τη διάρκεια της αναβάθμισης ο υπολογιστής προβάλλει μια μαύρη οθόνη και σταματάει να αποκρίνεται.

Οι συνδυασμοί πλήκτρων δεν λειτουργούν οπότε καθίσταται αδύνατη η είσοδος σε safe mode, όπως και η επαναφορά NVRAM και SMC.

Πρακτικά, ο χρήστης δεν έχει τρόπο να προσπεράσει την μαύρη οθόνη ή να επιστρέψει σε μια προηγούμενη κατάσταση.

Το πρόβλημα δεν λύνεται ούτε με επαναφορά μέσω πλήκτρων, ούτε με internet recovery και μέχρι στιγμής δεν υπάρχει κανένας τρόπος για να προσπεράσει κάποιος τη στατική, μαύρη εικόνα.

Φαίνεται ότι το πρόβλημα εντοπίζεται στα MacBook Pro 13″, μοντέλα μεταξύ late 2013 και mid 2014, χωρίς να γνωρίζουμε τον ακριβή αριθμό των χρηστών που τελικά το έχουν.

Το θέμα είναι πως αν και αρκετά παλιά μοντέλα, η Apple τα αναφέρει κανονικά στην λίστα των Η/Υ που υποστηρίζουν το macOS Big Sur: https://support.apple.com/kb/sp833?locale=en_US

Σύμφωνα με την Apple το θέμα έχει ήδη δοθεί προς διερεύνηση στην ομάδα των τεχνικών της εταιρείας.

No fewer than seven serious Thunderbolt security flaws have been discovered, affecting machines with both standalone Thunderbolt ports and the Thunderbolt-compatible USB-C ports used on modern Macs.

The flaws allow an attacker to access data even when the machine is locked, and even when the drive is encrypted …

The vulnerabilities are present in all machines with Thunderbolt/Thunderbolt-compatible USB-C ports shipped between 2011 and 2020.

Security researcher Björn Ruytenberg found seven vulnerabilities in Intel’s Thunderbolt chips, and nine ways to exploit them.

1. Inadequate firmware verification schemes

2. Weak device authentication scheme

3. Use of unauthenticated device metadata

4. Downgrade attack using backwards compatibility

5. Use of unauthenticated controller configurations

6. SPI flash interface deficiencies

7. No Thunderbolt security on Boot Camp

There is no way to detect that a machine has been compromised.

Thunderspy is stealth, meaning that you cannot find any traces of the attack. It does not require your involvement, i.e., there is no phishing link or malicious piece of hardware that the attacker tricks you into using. Thunderspy works even if you follow best security practices by locking or suspending your computer when leaving briefly, and if your system administrator has set up the device with Secure Boot, strong BIOS and operating system account passwords, and enabled full disk encryption. All the attacker needs is 5 minutes alone with the computer, a screwdriver, and some easily portable hardware.

These vulnerabilities lead to nine practical exploitation scenarios. In an evil maid threat model and varying Security Levels, we demonstrate the ability to create arbitrary Thunderbolt device identities, clone user-authorized Thunderbolt devices, and finally obtain PCIe connectivity to perform DMA attacks. In addition, we show unauthenticated overriding of Security Level configurations, including the ability to disable Thunderbolt security entirely, and restoring Thunderbolt connectivity if the system is restricted to exclusively passing through USB and/or DisplayPort. We conclude with demonstrating the ability to permanently disable Thunderbolt security and block all future firmware updates.

Macs are fully vulnerable to all of the Thunderbolt security flaws when running Bootcamp, and ‘partly affected’ when running macOS.

MacOS employs (i) an Apple-curated whitelist in place of Security Levels, and (ii) IOMMU virtualization when hardware and driver support is available. Vulnerabilities 2–3 enable bypassing the first protection measure, and fully compromising authenticity of Thunderbolt device metadata in MacOS “System Information”. However, the second protection measure remains functioning and hence prevents any further impact on victim system security via DMA. The system becomes vulnerable to attacks similar to BadUSB. Therefore, MacOS is partially affected.

Further details of the Mac vulnerabilities can be found below.

Ruytenberg informed both Intel and Apple of his discoveries, but says that as the Thunderbolt security flaws are present in the controller chips, there is no way to fix the vulnerabilities via a software update.

Below is a description of how the vulnerabilities can be exploited on a Mac running macOS. This is essentially performed by fooling the Mac into thinking the attack kit is an Apple-approved Thunderbolt accessory.



3.4 Exploitation scenarios for vulnerabilities 2-3, 7 on Apple Mac systems

3.4.1 Cloning an Apple-whitelisted device identity to an attacker device (MacOS) 4

Threat model

We assume an “evil maid” threat model, in which the attacker exclusively has physical access to a victim system. The system is in a locked (S0) or sleep (S3) state, while running MacOS.

Preparation

1. Acquire a MacOS-certified Thunderbolt device.

2. Disassemble the MacOS-certified device enclosure. Obtain the firmware image from the Thunderbolt controller’s SPI flash of the MacOS-certified device.

3. Disassemble the attacker device enclosure. Obtain the firmware image from the Thunderbolt controller’s SPI flash of the attacker device.

4. Connect the MacOS-certified device to the attacker system. On the attacker system, using e.g. tbtadm on Linux, obtain the UUID of the MacOS-certified device.

5. Locate the DROM section by searching for the string DROM in the attacker device firmware image. Figure 6 depicts the DROM data structure. Using the figure as a reference, locate the appropriate offsets and replicate the MacOS-certified device UUID.

6. Compute uid crc8 and replicate the value at the appropriate offset.

7. Write the image to the attacker device SPI flash.

Procedure

1. Connect the attacker device to the victim system.

Verification

1. Observe that the victim system identifies the attacker device as being a MacOS-certified device. Figure 2 demonstrates an example scenario, showing a forged Thunderbolt device identity in the MacOS “System Information” application.



Intel commented:

In 2019, major operating systems implemented Kernel Direct Memory Access (DMA) protection to mitigate against attacks such as these. This includes Windows (Windows 10 1803 RS4 and later), Linux (kernel 5.x and later), and MacOS (MacOS 10.12.4 and later). The researchers did not demonstrate successful DMA attacks against systems with these mitigations enabled. Please check with your system manufacturer to determine if your system has these mitigations incorporated. For all systems, we recommend following standard security practices, including the use of only trusted peripherals and preventing unauthorized physical access to computers.

Η Apple προχώρησε στην αναβάθμιση των MacBook Pro 13 και 15 ιντσών, η οποία κρύβει μερικές εκπλήξεις.

Στο επίκεντρο των νέων μοντέλων βρίσκεται η 8η γενιά των τετραπύρηνων επεξεργαστών της Intel σε ότι αφορά το MacBook Pro 13 ιντσών με ενσωματωμένη Λωρίδα Αφής (Touch Bar).

Στο μοντέλο των 15 ιντσών υπάρχουν πολύ πιο σημαντικές διαφορές στις ταχύτητες, αφού η Apple παρουσιάζει για πρώτη φορά και MacBook με 8πύρηνο επεξεργαστή.

Στο συγκεκριμένο μοντέλο οι χρήστες θα πρέπει να περιμένουν διπλάσια ταχύτητα σε σχέση με το τετραπύρηνο μοντέλο, ενώ στο μοντέλο με εξαπύρηνο επεξεργαστή, η αύξηση στην ταχύτητα υπολογίζεται στο 40%.

Σε ότι αφορά το MacBook Pro 13 ιντσών με Λωρίδα Αφής (Touch Bar), υπάρχει αύξηση στο χρονισμό του τετραπύρηνου επεξεργαστή στα 2.4 GHz, με το Turbo Boost να φτάνει τα 4.7 GHz.

Με τα καινούρια MacBook Pro, η Apple προχωρά και σε μια νέα κίνηση που αφορά το πληκτρολόγιο και το μηχανισμό "πεταλούδας" που παρουσίασε πριν μερικά χρόνια, και αποτελεί κατά γενική ομολογία ένα από τα μειονεκτήματα των φορητών της εταιρείας, πηγή παράλληλα πολλών τεχνικών προβλημάτων.

Έτσι μετά την αθόρυβη προσθήκη μιας μεμβράνης στα πλήκτρα που θεωρητικά θα εξαφάνιζε το διπλό πάτημα πλήκτρων και θα τα προστάτευε από τη σκόνη -δύο από τα σημαντικότερα προβλήματα-, η Apple προχωρά στα νέα MacBook σε τρεις σημαντικές αλλαγές:


1. Η πρώτη αφορά το μηχανισμό του πληκτρολογίου και τη χρήση των υλικών που έχουν χρησιμοποιηθεί για την κατασκευή του, με τις αλλαγές στο συγκεκριμένο κομμάτι να προορίζονται στο να εξαφανίσουν το λανθασμένο διπλό πάτημα των πλήκτρων.


2. Αν και η παραπάνω αλλαγή αναμένεται να λύσει οριστικά το πρόβλημα, η Apple περιλαμβάνει όλα τα MacBook που διαθέτουν πληκτρολόγιο με μηχανισμό "πεταλούδας" σε πρόγραμμα επισκευής, με την εταιρεία να προχωρά σε δωρεάν αντικατάστασή του, είτε ο υπολογιστής βρίσκεται σε εγγύηση είτε όχι.

Τα μοντέλα MacBook, MacBook Air και MacBook Pro που περιλαμβάνονται στο πρόγραμμα αντικατάστασης πληκτρολογίου είναι τα εξής:

MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015)

MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2016)

MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, 2017)

MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017)

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018)

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)

Εντυπωσιακό είναι το γεγονός ότι στη λίστα περιλαμβάνονται και τα νέα MacBook που μόλις ανακοινώθηκαν, κάτι που σίγουρα προκαλεί απορίες... Σύμφωνα με την ιστοσελίδα της Apple, οι ενδιαφερόμενοι θα πρέπει να επισκεφθούν είτε ένα Apple Store αν υπάρχει στη χώρα τους είτε ένα επίσημο εξουσιοδοτημένο κέντρο service.


3. Οι χρόνοι επισκευής και αντικατάστασης ενός τέτοιου πληκτρολογίου δεν ήταν οι καλύτεροι, με την εταιρεία να προχωρά σε σημαντικές αλλαγές προκειμένου να επιταχύνει την όλη διαδικασία.

Πρόγραμμα Ανακλήσεως και Αντικαταστάσεως Πληκτρολογίων στα νέα MacBook και Macbook Pro από την Apple

https://www.apple.com/support/keyboard-service-program-for-macbook-and-macbook-pro/



BAD TECHNOLOGY - BETA CULTURE: A Call for Revolution Against Beta Culture



I'm tired of this. This sense of permanent discomfort with the technology around me. The bugs. The compromises. The firmware upgrades. The "This will work in the next version." The "It's in our roadmap." The "Buy now and upgrade later." The patches. The new low development standards that make technology fail because it wasn't tested enough before reaching our hands. The feeling now extends to hardware: Everything is built to end up in the trash a year later, still half-baked, to make room for the next hardware revision. I'm tired of this beta culture that has spread like metastatic cancer in the last few years, starting with software from Google and others and ending up in almost every gadget and computer system around. We need a change.

Take the iPhone, for example, one of the most successful products in the history of consumer electronics. We like it, I love mine, but the fact is that the first generation was rushed out, lacking basic features that were added in later releases or are not here yet. Worse: The iPhone 3G was really broken. For real. Bad signal, dropped calls, frozen apps. This would have been unthinkable in cellphones just five years ago. They were simpler, for sure, but they were failure proof. Today's engineering and testing is a lot more sophisticated. In theory, products can't go out into distribution with such glaring problems undetected.

Another recent example is my iMac 24, which had the infamous video card problem out of the box. How can a machine with such an obvious problem—instantly detected by the user base—be sold like that? The same happened recently with Nvidia video boards. In fact, graphic cards—being always in the cutting edge of technology—are perfect examples of beta hardware being sold as final hardware, with many released with beta-quality drivers and requiring firmware patches.

From that to the now-universally-accepted Blue Screen of Death, from buggy Blu-ray players to the Xbox 360's red ring of death and PS3's bugs, even from kitchen ovens to faulty DSLR cameras, the list of troubled products is endless. Just this week, the eagerly anticipated BlackBerry Storm launched to mixed reviews, in part because of its crashy, apparently unfinished software.

On the other side, my parents have a Telefunken CRT TV and a Braun radio from the '70s which are still in working condition. They were first generation. They never failed. Compare that to my first plasma TV from Philips, which broke after less than a year of use. Mine wasn't the only one. The technology was too young to be released; it was still in beta state. Philips wanted to be the first in the world with a flat TV and beat the competition, so they released it. This probably wasn't a good move: Today, Philips' TV business is struggling, and is nonexistent in the US. Meanwhile, my Sinclair ZX Spectrum and Apple IIe from the 1980s still work like they did from day one, perfectly.

For sure, today's products are far more complex than those of 20 or 30 years ago. But back then, the manufacturing was also a lot worse. It was less automated, often purely manual, and imperfect. Today, in a world where automated factories run 24/7, there's less chance of error. Yet still, there are countless problems in the final products, and those problems affect every unit in an entire model line. In the age of manufacturing perfection, there are still major recalls concerning products that burn or break.

Clearly, the problem is the development process and the time to market, with product cycles shortened and corners cut to keep a continuous stream of cash flowing in. The rush to feed these cycles with increasingly more complex engineering seems to be at odds with shortened development and quality assurance processes, resulting in beta-state first-generation products. This beta culture, the same one that already plagues the web, breeds people who are willing to accept bugs in the name of cutting-edge gear.

Who's to blame? Google and their web apps? Apple and their iPhone 3G problems? Microsoft and their countless buggy versions of operating systems and the Xbox 360's RROD? Philips? Sony? Samsung? LG? We all are. The manufacturers, who are driven by a thirst to expand and satisfy their shareholders at all costs. The consumers, who are so thirsty to drink in the shiniest, newest technology that they are willing to sacrifice stability. And the press too, who pours more gasoline onto the consumerism bonfire by writing glowing reviews and often minimizing things that are simply not acceptable.

Personally, I'm tired of all this. But I'm mostly tired about the fact that it seems that we all have given up. Tired because now we see "upgrades" as an opportunity to protect our investment, but in reality, it's laziness and a poor job on the manufacturer part that we have accepted without questioning. Instead of calling foul play and refusing to participate, we keep buying.

That's the key: We have surrendered in the name of progress and marketing and product cycles and consumerism. Maybe those are good reasons, I don't know, but looking at the past, it feels like we are being conned. Deceived because the manufacturers of electronic products have taken our desire to progress faster and even embrace the web beta culture as an excuse to rush things to market, to blatantly admit bugs and the rushed features sets and sell the patches as upgrades.

Maybe the recession will put some order in this thirst of new stuff and change the product cycles. As the economy slows down, people will think twice before buying the latest and greatest; they'll keep older hardware for longer. Then, manufacturers will have to rethink their product lines, and lift their feet from the accelerator, which will result on slower cycles and better products. Maybe that's our ticket for better electronics that actually make sense.

Or maybe... maybe that will be another excuse for the manufacturer to cut even more corners and keep lowering prices so that consumers keep spending and ending up with worse products than we have now.


Πηγή: http://gizmodo.com/5083371/a-call-for-revolution-against-beta-culture

With the CHUGPLUG external battery, you won’t have to worry about running out of power while you’re traveling.

The CHUGPLUG is designed to work with 45W or 60W newer MacBooks.

You can expect up to 4 extra hours of power for an 11″ MacBook Air or 3 extra hours for the 13″ MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.

It measures 9″ X 2.9″ X 1.1″ and weighs 1.1 pounds.

It accepts 100-240VAC 1.2A / 50-60Hz AC power and outputs 120-250V DC power.

You just fit it between your MacBook’s MagSafe power adapter and its power cord to charge its internal lithium-polymer battery (takes about 2 hours) or to power the laptop.

It’s coming soon from Lenmar Enterprises for $159.99.

http://www.lenmar.com/chugplug

I installed Mavericks on my MBP Early 2011 15" on top of ML latest version. Things went smooth but when using it for work it started to first show strange images in a two screen setup. I restarted an switched off graphics accelerator switch (between integrated and separate graphics card). This worked fine then.
 
Tonight I had a FaceTime call and after a while the system got stuck completely with a black screen. When turning off and restarting the system booted, after showing the Apple logo, and got stuck right a afterwards just showing a white screen.
 
When booting into safe mode, the screen shows blue vertical stripes after a while, stuck too.
Booting into recovery mode does not work either.
 
I am really upset how Apple can create such a poor free upgrade bricking my whole system.

Any ideas?


ΠΗΓΗ: https://discussions.apple.com/message/23482811#23482811

Bought a good used MBP mid 2010, MC374LL/A, and performed a Mavericks upgrade.  Installation went well and finished sucessfully.  This is the second install of this type I've done with this Mavericks download, so I know its good.  There was one update for iBooks and I let that finish then turned off the machine. 
 
Later when re-starting, I get 9 beeps - 3 short, 3 long, 3 short which is the code for firmware corruption.  I've made a firmware restoration cd following instructions at http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2213 but I can't get it to work. 
 
What should I do?


ΠΗΓΗ: https://discussions.apple.com/message/25246231#25246231

DOWNLOAD

System Requirements for 5.1.5621 (non LynxPoint):
MacBook Air (11-inch & 13-inch, Mid 2011)
MacBook Air (11-inch & 13-inch, Mid 2012)
MacBook Pro (15-inch & 17-inch, Mid 2010)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, & 15-inch, Early 2011)
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011)
MacBook Pro (13-inch,15-inch & 17-inch  Late 2011)
MacBook Pro (13-inch & 15-inch, Mid 2012)
MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)
MacBook Pro (Retina, Early 2013)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2013)
Mac Pro (Early 2009)
Mac Pro (Mid 2010)
Mac Pro (Mid 2012)
Mac Pro (Late 2013)
Mac mini (Mid 2011)
Mac mini (Late 2012)
iMac (27-inch, Quad Core, Late 2009)
iMac (21.5-inch & 27-inch, Mid 2010)
iMac (21.5-inch & 27-inch, Mid 2011)
iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2011)
iMac (21.5-inch & 27-inch, Late 2012)

This download contains the Windows Support Software (Windows Drivers) you need to support 64 bit versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8 on your Mac.

For more information on which operating systems are supported on different Mac systems, click here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5634

• The download file is a .zip file. Double click it to uncompress it,  if it is not automatically uncompressed.
• Double-click the Boot Camp5 folder.
• Copy the entire contents of the .zip file to the root level of a USB flash drive or hard drive that is formatted with the FAT file system
• When running Windows, locate the Boot Camp folder on the USB media you created in Step 3 and double click to open it.
• Double click on setup to start installing the Boot Camp Support Software.
• When prompted to allow changes, click on Yes and follow the onscreen instructions.
• Installation can take a few minutes. Don't interrupt the installation process. When installation is complete, click Finish in the dialog that appears.
• A system restart dialog box appears.  Click Yes to complete the installation. 

For more information on Boot Camp, click here: www.apple.com/support/bootcamp
Note: If you are using one of the Macs listed below, you should download Boot Camp Support Software 5.1.5640 instead.
MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2013)
MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2013)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013)
iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013)
iMac (27-inch, Late 2013)
iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013)

DOWNLOAD

System Requirements for 5.1.5640 (LynxPoint):
MacBook Air (11-inch & 13-inch, Mid 2013)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch & 15-inch, Late 2013)
iMac (21.5-inch & 27-inch, Late 2013)

This download contains the Windows Support Software (Windows Drivers) you need to support 64 bit versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8 on your Mac.

For more information on which operating systems are supported on different Mac systems, click here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5634

• The download file is a .zip file. Double click it to uncompress it,  if it is not automatically uncompressed.
• Double-click the Boot Camp5 folder.
• Copy the entire contents of the .zip file to the root level of a USB flash drive or hard drive that is formatted with the FAT file system
• When running Windows, locate the Boot Camp folder on the USB media you created in Step 3 and double click to open it.
• Double click on setup to start installing the Boot Camp Support Software.
• When prompted to allow changes, click on Yes and follow the onscreen instructions.
• Installation can take a few minutes. Don't interrupt the installation process. When installation is complete, click Finish in the dialog that appears.
• A system restart dialog box appears.  Click Yes to complete the installation. 

For more information on Boot Camp, click here: www.apple.com/support/bootcamp
 
Note: If you are using one of the Macs listed below, you should download Boot Camp Support Software 5.1.5621 instead
▪ MacBook Air (11-inch & 13-inch, Mid 2011)
▪ MacBook Air (11-inch & 13-inch, Mid 2012)
▪ MacBook Pro (15-inch & 17-inch, Mid 2010)
▪ MacBook Pro (13-inch, & 15-inch, Early 2011)
▪ MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011)
▪ MacBook Pro (13-inch,15-inch & 17-inch  Late 2011)
▪ MacBook Pro (13-inch & 15-inch, Mid 2012)
▪ MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012)
▪ MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)
▪ MacBook Pro (Retina, Early 2013)
▪ MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2013)
▪ Mac Pro (Early 2009)
▪ Mac Pro (Mid 2010)
▪ Mac Pro (Mid 2012)
▪ Mac Pro (Late 2013)
▪ Mac mini (Mid 2011)
▪ Mac mini (Late 2012)
▪ iMac (27-inch, Quad Core, Late 2009)
▪ iMac (21.5-inch & 27-inch, Mid 2010)
▪ iMac (21.5-inch & 27-inch, Mid 2011)
▪ iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2011)
▪ iMac (21.5-inch & 27-inch, Late 2012)

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File Size: 4.64 MB
System Requirements: Mac OS X 10.9 

This update is recommended for MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, late 2013) models.  

This update addresses an issue where the built-in keyboard and Multi-Touch trackpad may become unresponsive.

DOWNLOAD

File Size: 5.22 MB
System Requirements: Mac OS X 10.9 

This update is recommended for MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, late 2013) models with NVIDIA graphics.  

This update addresses an issue which, in rare cases, may limit the performance of the discrete graphics processor after a system wake or boot.

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Version: 1.7
Post Date: Feb 12, 2013
Download ID: DL1633
File Size: 1 MB
System Requirements
OS X 10.6.8
OS X 10.7.5
OS X 10.8.2

About MacBook Pro SMC Firmware Update 1.7

This update addresses a rare issue on some Apple notebooks where a battery that has accumulated more than 1000 charge cycles may unexpectedly shut down or stop functioning.

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Version: 1.6
Post Date: Jan 30, 2013
Download ID: DL1626
File Size: 666 KB
System Requirements
OS X 10.6.8
OS X  10.7.5
OS X 10.8.2 or later

About MacBook Pro SMC Firmware Update 1.6

This update addresses a rare issue on some Apple notebooks where a battery that has accumulated more than 1000 charge cycles may unexpectedly shut down or stop functioning.

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Version: 1.1
Post Date: Dec 17, 2012
Download ID: DL1619
License: Update
File Size: 4.76 MB
System Requirements
Mac OS X 10.8.1 and greater, EFI version 0106.01 

About MacBook Pro Retina EFI Update v1.1

This update is recommended for all 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display (late 2012) models. This update improves sleep performance, enhances Thunderbolt router support, fixes an HDMI display issue, and improves compatibility when using the 5GHz band in Wi-Fi.

Boot ROM or SMC Version Information: After Update is complete:

Build version: 0106.03  

ROM version: MBP102.88Z.0106.B03.1211161133

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Version: 1.1
Post Date: Nov 27, 2012
Download ID: DL1612
File Size: 442 KB
System Requirements
▪ OS X Lion 10.7.4 or later

About Thunderbolt Firmware Update v1.1

This update addresses an issue with MacBook Pro (mid 2012) and some Thunderbolt cables that may prevent bus-powered Thunderbolt devices from functioning properly.

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Version: 2.0
Post Date: Nov 8, 2012
Download ID: DL1609
License: Update
File Size: 127.07 MB
System Requirements:
OS X 10.8.2

About MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Update 2.0

This update includes graphics performance and reliability enhancements and improves compatibility with some USB devices.

This update is recommended for all Mac notebooks introduced in June 2012.

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Version: 10.8.2
Post Date: Oct 24, 2012
Download ID: DL1603
License: Update
File Size: 654.49 MB
System Requirements:
OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.1

About OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.2 Update for 13" Macbook Pro with Retina Display, 21.5" iMac (Late 2012), Mac mini (Late 2012)

This update is recommended for all 13” MacBook Pro with Retina Display, 21.5" iMac (Late 2012) and Mac mini (Late 2012) systems.

It includes all features and updates from OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.2 plus system-specific enhancements and fixes for Late 2012 systems.
 
New features include:
▪ Facebook
▪ Single sign on for Facebook
▪ Facebook as an option when sharing links and photos
▪ Facebook friends' contact information and profile pictures in Contacts
▪ Facebook notifications in Notification Center
 
Game Center
▪ Share scores to Facebook, Twitter, Mail, or Messages
▪ Facebook friends are included in Game Center friend recommendations
▪ Facebook Like button for games
▪ Challenge friends to beat your score or achievement
Other new features
▪ Power Nap support for MacBook Air (Late 2010)
▪ iMessages sent to your phone number now appear in Messages on your Mac
▪ From Safari and Mail on your Mac you can add passes to Passbook on your iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 6
▪ New shared Reminders lists
▪ FaceTime now receives calls sent to your phone number
▪ New sort options allow you to sort notes by title, the date you edited them, and when you created them
▪ Dictation now supports Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, Korean, Canadian English, Canadian French, and Italian
▪ The Dictionary application now includes a French definition dictionary
▪ Sina Weibo profile photos can now be added to Contacts
 
This update also includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac, including the following fixes:
▪ An option to discard the changes in the original document when choosing Save As
▪ Unsent drafts are opened automatically when launching Mail
▪ Receive Twitter notifications for mentions and replies from anyone
▪ URLs are shortened when sending tweets from Notification Center
▪ Notifications are disabled when AirPlay Mirroring is being used
▪ SSL support for Google searches from the Smart Search Field in Safari
▪ New preference to have Safari launch with previously open webpages
▪ Graphics performance and reliability enhancements
▪ USB 3 reliability enhancements

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Version: 2.9
Post Date: September 19, 2012
Download ID: DL1593
File Size: 4.29 MB
System Requirements
Mac OS X 10.7.4 or later: OS X 10.8.2 and later

About MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 2.9

This update is recommended for MacBook Pro (mid 2012) models. This update resolves an issue which can cause the system to hang during heavy processor loads.

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Version: 1.0
Post Date: September 19, 2012
Download ID: DL1591
License: Update
File Size: 4.97 MB
System Requirements: OS X 10.7.4 or later, OS X 10.8 or later

About MacBook Pro Retina EFI Update v1.0

This update is recommended for MacBook Pro with Retina display (mid 2012) models.

This update resolves an issue which can cause the system to hang during heavy processor loads, and resolves an issue where NetBoot does not function properly when using an Ethernet adapter.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377

Products Affected:
MacBook Pro, models with NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processors

Symptoms

In July 2008, NVIDIA publicly acknowledged a higher than normal failure rate for some of their graphics processors due to a packaging defect. At that same time, NVIDIA assured Apple that Mac computers with these graphics processors were not affected. However, after an Apple-led investigation, Apple has determined that some MacBook Pro computers with the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor may be affected. If the NVIDIA graphics processor in your MacBook Pro has failed, or fails within four years of the original date of purchase, a repair will be done free of charge, even if your MacBook Pro is out of warranty.

What to look for:

▪ Distorted or scrambled video on the computer screen
▪ No video on the computer screen (or external display) even though the computer is on

Specific products affected:

▪ MacBook Pro 15-inch and 17-inch models with NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processors
▪ MacBook Pro (17-Inch, 2.4GHz)
▪ MacBook Pro (15-Inch, 2.4/2.2GHz)
▪ MacBook Pro (Early 2008)

▪ These computers were manufactured between approximately May 2007 and September 2008

Resolution

If your MacBook Pro is exhibiting any of the symptoms listed above, please take it to an Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) for evaluation, or call your nearest Apple Contact Center. Before visiting the Genius Bar at the Apple Retail Store, please make a reservation (available in some countries only).

Apple is issuing refunds to customers who may have paid for repairs related to this issue. Please contact Apple for details on the refund process.

Note: If your MacBook Pro is not experiencing any of these symptoms, you do not need to contact Apple.

Apple will continue to evaluate the repair data and will provide further repair extensions as needed.