I am having nearly the exact same issue with my mid-2012 macbook. My mac does a kernel panic randomly when I unplug the Arduino. This is incredibly frustrating for development as it seems the only way I can reliably stop the code/serial monitor and upload a new version is to unplug the usb cable from the Arduino. The Kernel Panic happens randomly somewhere between the 2nd and 10th unplugging of the Arduino. Always on the unplugging.
Here is my environment:
macbook 2.7Ghz Core i7
OS X 10.7.5
Arduino 1.0.2
Boards: Happens when working with both UNO and MEGA boards
This is a serious bummer and I would appreciate any recommendations if anyone has solved this problem.
Thanks,
Dave