Security problems don’t just impact operating systems and Web browsers: any software that has a broad user base is going to be targeted by cybercriminals and attacks. Now Adobe has released a large patch to deal with security problems in Flash Player designed to mitigate attacks already being used “in the wild” on the Internet, and is urging all users to update their software as soon as possible. However, Adobe Reader and Acrobat updates won’t be available until the end of the month—if they want protection, they’ll have to manually remove a DLL from their software installations.
The problems addressed by the updates impact Adobe Flash Player 10.0.45.2 and earlier for Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, and Solaris; Adobe AIR 1.5.3.9130 and earlier for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux; and Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat 9.x for Windows, Mac OS X, and Unux. (Adobe Reader and Acrobat 8.x aren’t impacted.) The update fixes some 32 vulnerabilities in Flash.
Adobe recommends users of Flash 10.0 update to Flash 10.1.53.64 from Adobe’s Flash Download Center; folks who can’t update to Flash 10.1 can also get a patched version of Flash Player 9.0.227.0.
Adobe expects to patch Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x by the end of June; in the meantime, users can mitigate the vulnerability by removing the AuthPlayLib.dll from the application; Adobe provides instructions for Mac OS X, WIndows, and Unix in a security bulletin. However, it must be noted that the Reader/Acrobat problem is already being exploited on the Internet, and folks who use the application would be well-advised not to wait until late June for an update from Adobe.
Mozilla is giving Firefox’s Smart Window two new tricks. If you haven’t tried it yet, Smart Window is an optional AI mode in Firefox with a built-in chat that helps you get things done while you browse. With this update, it can fill out online forms using details from your tabs and keep an eye on websites for you.
Tired of typing the same details into every form?
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.