Hell Invasion Mac OS
Since Apple released Mac OS X, even the PC industry trade publications have raved about its quality, design, and features. PC Magazine even gave Mac OS X 'Panther' a 5-star rating in October 2003. Perhaps it was because Macs could now seamlessly fit into the Windows- dominated marketplace and satisfy Mac users refusing to relinquish their trusty systems and corporate IT staffs wanting to cut down on tech support calls. Whatever the reason, Mac OS X has proven itself as a worthy operating system for both consumers and business alike.
Of course, as with all operating systems, Mac OS X has had its share of technical problems and even a few major security vulnerabilities. Nearly all were quickly resolved by Apple via a downloaded patch or OS update. But in general, Mac OS X is solid, secure, and perhaps the most trustworthy mainstream computing environment available today. As a result, Mac users are generally immune to the incessant security problems plaguing their Windows counterparts, and that somehow bothers PC Magazine columnist Lance Ulanoff.
In a December 11 column [1] that epitomizes the concept of yellow journalism, he's 'happy' that Mac OS X is vulnerable to a new and quite significant security vulnerability. The article was based on a security advisory by researcher William Carrel regarding a DHCP vulnerability in Mac OS X. Carrel reported the vulnerability to Apple in mid-October and, through responsible disclosure practices, waited for a prolonged period before releasing the exploit information publicly since Apple was slow in responding to Carrel's report (a common problem with all big software vendors.) Accordingly, Lance took this as a green light to launch into a snide tirade about how 'Mac OS is just as vulnerable as Microsoft Windows' while penning paragraph after paragraph saying 'I told you so' and calling anyone who disagrees with him a 'Mac zealot.'
Oblivion's Edge Oblivion’s Edge is an arcade and bullet hell inspired twin stick shooter with multiple game modes and difficulty levels. You are the last pilot on Earth, tasked with slowing down the invasion and giving survivors enough time to escape. Doom II, also known as Doom II: Hell on Earth is a first-person shooter game by id Software. It was originally released for MS-DOS computers in 1994 and Macintosh computers in 1995. Unlike the original Doom, which was initially only available through shareware and mail order, Doom II was sold in stores. The only major change in Saints Row Gat Out of Hell Mac OS is the open-world environment. You can explore freely the game’s world, completing side quests or just killing everything in your way. The set of wings is also a new feature that gives you the power to fly anywhere you want. A tour de force of darkness, Encyclopaedia of Hell is a manual of Earth written by Lord Satan for his invading hordes of demons, complete with hundreds of unpleasant illustrations, diagrams, and a comprehensive and utterly repulsive dictionary of Earth terms. Since the customs and mores of humanity are alien and inconceivable to demons, Satan wrote this strangely poetic military handbook for.
In other words, you're either with him or with the 'zealots.' Where have we seen this narrow-minded extremist view before?
More to the point, his article is replete with factual errors. Had he done his homework instead of rushing to smear the Mac security community and fuel his Windows-based envy, he'd have known that not only did Apple tell Carrel on November 19 that a technical fix for the problem would be released in its December Mac OS X update, but that Apple released easy-to-read guidance (complete with screenshots) for users to mitigate this problem on November 26. Somehow he missed that.
Since he's obviously neither a technologist (despite writing for a technology magazine) nor a security expert, let's examine a few differences between Mac and Windows to see why Macintosh systems are, despite his crowing, whining, and wishing, inherently more secure than Windows systems.
The real security wisdom of Mac OS lies in its internal architecture and how the operating system works and interacts with applications. It’s also something Microsoft unfortunately can’t accomplish without a complete re-write of the Windows software -- starting with ripping out the bug-riddled Internet Explorer that serves as the Windows version of 'Finder.' (That alone would seriously improve Windows security, methinks.)
At the very least, from the all-important network perspective, unlike Windows, Mac OS X ships with nearly all internet services turned off by default. Place an out-of-the-box Mac OS X installation on a network, and an attacker doesn’t have much to target in trying to compromise your system. A default installation of Windows, on the other hand, shows up like a big red bulls-eye on a network with numerous network services enabled and running.* And, unlike Windows, with Mac OS X, there’s no hard-to-disable (for average users afraid to tweak things unfamiliar to them, that is) 'Messaging Services' that results in spam-like advertisements coming into the system by way of Windows-based pop-up message boxes. And, the Unix-based Mac OS X system firewall – simple enough protection for most users -- is enabled by default (in Mac OSX Server) and easy to find and configure in Mac OS X Client software (not that there's much that users need to worry about out-of-the-box anyway) -- something that Microsoft only recently realized was a good idea and acknowledged should be done in Windows clients as well. I guess Lance didn't hear about that, either.
Then there's the stuff contributing to what I call 'truly trustworthy computing.'
When I install an application, such as a word processor, I want to know with certainty that it will not modify my system internals. Similarly, when I remove the application, I want to know that when I remove it (by either the uninstaller or manually) it’s gone, and nothing of it remains on or has modified my system. Applications installed on Mac OS X don’t modify the system internals – the Mac version of the Windows/System directory stays pretty intact. However, install nearly any program in Windows, and chances are it will (for example) place a different .DLL file in the Windows/System directory or even replace existing ones with its own version in what system administrators of earlier Windows versions grudgingly called 'DLL Hell.' Want to remove the application? You’ve got two choices: completely remove the application (going beyond the software uninstaller to manually remove things like a power user) and risk breaking Windows or remove the application (via the software uninstaller) and let whatever it added or modified in Windows/System to remain, thus presenting you a newly-but-unofficially patched version of your operating system that may cause problems down the road. To make matters worse, Windows patches or updates often re-enable something you’ve previously turned off or deleted (such as VBScript or Internet Explorer) or reconfigures parts of your system (such as network shares) without your knowledge and potentially places you at risk of other security problems or future downtime. Apparently, Lance doesn't see this as a major security concern.
Further, as seen in recent years, Microsoft used the guise of a critical security fix for its Media Player to forcibly inject controversial Digital Rights Management (DRM) into customer systems.[2] Users were free to not run the patch and avoid DRM on their systems, but if they wanted to be secure, they had to accept monopoly-enforcing DRM technologies and allow Microsoft to update such systems at any time in the future. How can we trust that our systems are secure and configured the way we expect them to be (enterprise change management comes to mind) with such subtle vendor trickery being forced upon us? Sounds like blackmail to me. (Incidentally, Lance believes the ability of a user to 'hack' their own system to circumvent the Apple iTunes DRM makes the Macintosh a bigger 'hack target' for the purposes of his article.... apparently, he's not familiar with the many nuances of the terms 'hack' and 'hackers' or knows that power-users often 'hack' their own systems for fun.) Were Apple to do such a thing, Mac users would likely revolt, and Apple's credibility would be seriously damaged.
What does that say about trusting an operating system's ability to perform in a stable and secure manner? Windows users should wonder who’s really in control of their systems these days. But Lance is oblivious to this, and happy to exist in such an untrustworthy computing environment.
On the matter of malicious code, Lance reports being 'driven crazy' when Mac users grin at not falling victim to another Windows virus or malicious code attack. He's free to rebuild his machine after each new attack if he wants, and needs to know that Mac users are grinning at not having to worry about such things getting in the way of being productive. You see, because of how Mac OS X was originally designed, the chance of a user suffering from a malicious code attack - such as those nasty e-mail worms - is extremely low. Granted, Mac users may transmit copies of a Word Macro Virus if they receive an infected file (and use Microsoft Word) but it’s not likely that – again, due to Mac OS X's internal design – a piece of malicious code could wreak the same kind of havoc that it does repeatedly on Windows. Applications and the operating system just don’t have the same level of trusted interdependencies in Mac OS X that they do on Windows, making it much more difficult for most forms of malicious code to work against a Macintosh.
Unlike Windows, Mac OS X requires an administrator password to change certain configurations, run the system updater, and when installing new software. From a security perspective, this is another example of how Apple takes a proactive approach to system-level security. If a virus, remote hacker, or co-worker tries to install or reconfigure something on the system, they’re stymied without knowing the administrator’s password stored in the hardened System Keychain. (Incidentally, this password is not the same as the Unix 'root' account password of the system's FreeBSD foundation, something that further enhances security.) In some ways, this can be seen as Mac OS X protecting a careless user from themself as well as others.
Lance also fails to recognize that Windows and Mac OS are different not just by vendor and market share, but by the fundamental way that they're designed, developed, tested, and supported. By integrating Internet Explorer, Media Player, and any number of other 'extras' (such as VB Script and ActiveX) into the operating system to lock out competitors, Microsoft knowingly inflicts many of its security vulnerabilities onto itself. As a result, its desire to achieve marketplace dominance over all facets of a user's system has created a situation that's anything but trustworthy or conducive to stable, secure computing. Mac users are free to use whatever browser, e-mail client, or media player they want, and the system accepts (and more importantly, remembers!) their choice.
Contrary to his article, the small market segment held by Apple doesn't automatically make the Mac OS less vulnerable to attack or exploitation. Any competent security professional will tell you that 'security through obscurity' - what Lance is referring to toward the end of his article - doesn't work. In other words, if, as he suggests, Mac OS was the dominant operating system, its users would still enjoy an inherently more secure and trustworthy computing environment even if the number of attacks against it increased. That's because unlike Windows, Mac OS was designed from the ground up with security in mind. Is it totally secure? Nothing will ever be totally secure. But when compared to Windows, Mac OS is proving to be a significantly more reliable and (exponentially) more secure computing environment for today's users, including this security professional.
If Lance is sleeping well believing that he's on an equal level with the Mac regarding system security, he can crow about not being overly embarrassed while working on the only mainstream operating system that, among other high-profile incidents over the years, facilitated remote system exploitation through a word processor's clip art function! [3]
Trustworthy computing must be more than a catchy marketing phrase. Ironically, despite a few hiccups along the way, it's becoming clear that Mac OS, not Windows, epitomizes Microsoft's new mantra of 'secure by design, default, and deployment.'
Who's crowing now?
[1] Eureka! Macs Are Not Invulnerable
[2] Microsoft Makes An Offer You Can't Refuse
[3] Buffer Overflow in Clipart Gallery (MS00-015)
© 2003 by Author. All Rights Reserved. Permission granted to redistribute this article in its entirety with credit to author.
Richard Forno is a security technologist, author, and the former Chief Security Officer at Network Solutions (now owned by VeriSign.) His home in cyberspace is infowarrior.org.
* Shortly after Richard Forno wrote this piece, Microsoft issued a bulletin warning consumers what they should do before connecting their new PC to the Internet. So there - Reg editors
Hell Invasion Mac Os Download
It used to be that Mac users were a relatively small group, mostly composed of A/V nerds and graphic designers. And while these disciplines still account for a large portion of Mac people, Apple has gained quite a good deal more of the personal computer market share in recent years. Despite that, the world of non-console gaming doesn't quite reflect this change yet, as evidenced by the fact that the term 'PC gaming' is still generally the preferred nomenclature without actually applying to the OS X.
This is slowly changing. The days of attempting to play PC-only titles in a virtual machine are (thankfully) starting to be a thing of the past. Quite a few titles have been ported over to OS X in the past year or so, and it looks as though more and more developers are starting to realize that PC gamer should also include the Mac users. Heck, Steam got the right idea with porting over to the Mac, so have others. Here's a roundup of some of the most popular titles that are now available for OS X.
Torchlight
Like a prettier, smaller version of 'Diablo II', this action RPG manages to take most of the good aspects of overhead hack and slash games and add a few original touches which make it fairly addictive. Play as a member of one of three character classes who is tasked by Syl, a sage who has lost her mentor, Alric somewhere in a mine beneath the city of Torchlight. The mine is filled with Ember, a substance which is known to imbue both objects and people with magical abilities, but also corrupts the minds of any living creatures with whom it comes into contact for prolonged periods.
Further still beneath the mines are ruined palaces, hanging gardens and other stranger labyrinths filled with monsters and loot. The player is accompanied by a pet in the form of a cat or dog who can carry extra items, aid in fights, heal, and sell off unwanted treasure without the player having to port back into town. While it's not the most nuanced plot of all time, this game is more than an adequate substitute for those who can no longer hold their breath waiting for Blizzard to release 'Diablo III'.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Few games can reduce a grown man to whimpers and tears. This game is one of them.
At the start of the game, the main character awakens in what appears to be the entryway of a castle with no clue as to his identity. He soon finds a note from himself, which reveals that his name is Daniel and that he has forced himself to forget the circumstances under which he arrived at the castle. The note also warns him that he is being hunted by a 'shadow'. Thus begins Daniel's descent into the castle (and- dun dun DUN- The Darkness), where he must discover, via a series of flashbacks, just what the hell is going on, and how to stop it. 'Amnesia' is all from the first person perspective, though to call it a 'shooter' would be misleading, since Daniel cannot actually fight anything. He must stay within areas of light in order to remain sane, and can collect tinderboxes and oil for his lantern. However, he can't stay in the light all the time, or else he will be seen. And if he is seen, he will be attacked. Even if he can't see what's attacking him.
Diablo 3
Whether you love it or hate it, Diablo 3 is arguably one of the best action RPGs ever made. Superior to any of its predecessors, Diablo 3 offers a host of new features, gameplay changes, and, of course, another adventure in the dark world of Sanctuary.
Additions like the new crafting and skill rune systems should expand the experience without straying too far from franchise roots, while alterations to the core gameplay should help to streamline things considerably.
Instead, they've helped eliminate the minor nuisances you had to deal with in the prior games. No more manually picking up each last pile of gold. No more tedious inventory management. This is a smarter, faster version of the Diablo we all know and love, and that's definitely something to be excited about.
Unfortunately, the inclusion of the in-game auction house may hamper some of the enjoyment players may have with the game, but it isn't a deal breaker. Beneath its problems, the game is still a solid action RPG.
Machinarium
Diminutive robot protagonist Josef finds himself in what appears to be a junkyard. After a brief tutorial in which actions and abilities are demonstrated, it is made clear through a few cartoonish flashbacks that some bad robots wearing black hats kidnapped Josef's girlfriend, and strong-armed the little robot himself out of the robot city. Josef then proceeds to re-enter the robot city in pursuit of his lost girlfriend, only to discover that the Black Cap Brotherhood has planted a bomb in the robot city. Josef must then solve a series of extremely creative visual puzzles in order to free his lady, disarm the bomb, and save the city. The soundtrack is particularly amazing, the artwork is charming, but 'Machinarium' is the sort of experience that cannot really be described in any way that will do it proper justice. Just play the game.
Bioshock
Filled with dieselpunk eye candy and tough moral decisions, this eponymous first chapter of the 'Bioshock' series is basically a big middle finger in the collective face of Ayn Rand enthusiasts, proving to many doubters outside the gaming subculture that videogames could be more than just mindless gore-fests.
The player assumes the role of Jack, who has come upon the fallen underwater city of Rapture, built by uber-capitalist businessman Andrew Ryan. Due to an increasing discrepancy between the rich and the poor, and human dependence upon a substance known as ADAM, Rapture has suffered a catastrophic revolt. Jack has survived a plane crash over the Atlantic Ocean only to find his way under the surface to Rapture, guided by a man named Atlas. Jack must then make his way through the city, encountering Little Sisters, the carriers of the ADAM, and Big Daddies, the guardians of the Little Sisters. Throughout a series of quests, the truth is slowly revealed to be even stranger than the initial setup.
BioShock Infinite will also soon be hitting the MAC Store in Summer 2013
Left 4 Dead series
Though both of these titles have been out for a few years now, they were only ported to OS X and made available through Steam just last fall, to the enjoyment of all. There are obviously a plethora of zombie-related games out there, and no one would blame a person for being sick and tired of all the lurching and shambling. However, both of the Left 4 Dead games are particularly intriguing in that the co-op mode doesn't just involve playing together, or helping each other out. In certain instances, a player actually needs his or her co-players, like when the player respawns in a locked closet, or needs healing but is not carrying any form of medicine. Teammates can bring one another back from the brink of death with a defibrillator or lure the infected away from other teammates with a pipe bomb. So basically, short of a space virus that actually causes the zombocalypse to happen, this is probably the most realistic simulations available in terms of the need for teamwork. Even though the likelihood of magically finding guns and defibrillators lying around in real life is kinda dubious.
Portal Series
Originally bundled in Valve's 2007 Orange Box for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3, this first person puzzle-platformer was intended to be a small bonus game. However, it ended up being so wildly popular that it was ported to OS X and released in May of 2010 via Steam. In a series of jump, gravity and timing puzzles with teleportation as the main mechanic of gameplay, the player (who we eventually learn is a woman named Chell) must overcome increasingly difficult test chamber scenarios at an Aperture Science research facility. Chell is at first guided and then taunted by an AI named GLaDOS, who promises 'cake and grief counseling' should Chell complete the experiment satisfactorily.
Like its predecessor, Portal 2 is also very much worth playing. Set hundreds of years after the events of the first game, the Aperture Science labs are in a dilapidated state, and allow for you to discover what happened at the laboratory once and for all.
The clever gameplay mechanics from the first game return, and are bolstered by a host of all new puzzles involving various forms of liquid paint, lasers, and other physics-bending materials.
Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty
This sequel was a long time coming. Thankfully, it shipped for PC and OS X at the same time. The story picks up four years after the events of the original Starcraft, and follows an insurgent group attempting to make its way across the Terran Dominion. Non-linear gameplay with regard to the campaigns keeps the game interesting, and is a minor departure from the original. However, the order in which the campaigns are done will not interrupt the narrative.
Units remain largely the same, with some additional specialized units available only for campaign play and not in regular multi-player, such as the Terran Wraith, Vulture, and Diamondback. There is also a map editor, similar to the original StarEdit, which allows for customization of terrain and campaigns.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Firaxis's XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a true successor to the turn-based strategy game series by Microprose. XCOM: Enemy Unknown sees the invasion of our cities by an extraterrestrial force that seeks, it seems, to purge mankind from the face of the planet.
Players are tasked with controlling a squad of earth's finest soldiers to take on the alien menace head-on in turn-based combat in locations ranging from dense urban environments to labyrinthine alien structures.
Revived by the makers of Civilization, the new XCOM streamlines everything that made the original title a little annoying to play through and improves upon all of its best qualities for a modern, turn-based strategy game that's like no other.
Hell Invasion Mac Os X
In addition to being released on the console, the game is quite thankfully playable on both the PC and Mac.
Minecraft
Mac Os Mojave
Minecraft began as a PC-only game, but it's since been ported over to the Mac and Linux, where it has enjoyed regular updates consistent with the PC version of the game.
The game's popularity can be attributed to the fact that it plays like a sort of multiplayer game of Lego, in which players can craft castles and kingdoms to their hearts content, or explore the procedurally generated wilderness for adventures that are unlike anything they've ever encountered.
Played both offline and online, the game is fully compatible with its PC and Linux counterparts so friends and family can play the game with each other on servers regardless of whether they're running the game on Windows or the Mac's OS X.
Other awesome games on Mac OS X
Borderlands 2: The framerate may not be the best for the Mac version of Borderlands 2, which is why we haven't thought to include it on this list. When Aspyr (they're handling the port) sharpens up the game' well consider it.
Braid
World of Goo