Adobe Flash Goes Milestone and Fixes Critical Flaw
Most have seen this, if not, you better update or most sites you visit force the update on you.
“What iPhone??” asks Adobe as they took more steps to solidify their position as the number one source of video for the mobile web (except for Apple users, of course). First and foremost Adobe announced that Flash v10.1, a version which most all of us have been using in beta for ages, has finally been official released for Windows PCs and netbooks.
The reason why this release has been so eagerly awaited is that it contains full support for mobile devices, which includes hardware acceleration (including using next-gen mobile graphics chips like the ION and Tegra) and smooth streaming. I have been using 10.1 on netbooks for a couple months now in beta and I am very impressed with the overall video quality and the HD support it brings. Get the official release HERE.
But wait…there’s MUCH MORE after the jump if you can bear the battery sucking evil of Flash…
The excitement goes way past the final release of 10.1 for netbooks. Flash 10.1 beta 2 for Android is also available for download, now running on Android 2.2’s new hotness. Give Google a hand sticking another thumb in Steve’s eye by downloading the Android version HERE and give it a spin.
Really want to piss Apple off? Try out the new “preview” (which could also be translated as “provocation”) of the Flash player “Gala”, designed just for Mac OS X. Read more about it and download it HERE.
Also exciting, and hidden deep inside Adobe’s release information on their website is the fact that Microsoft may have been playing a “three graphics card monte” with us in regards to support for Flash. Redmond has said several times that the first release of Windows Phone 7 will NOT include Flash, no way no how.
However, the Adobe website has this to say…
Flash Player 10.1 adds support for a broad range of mobile devices, including smartphones, netbooks and other Internet-connected devices, allowing your content to reach your customers wherever they are. Target mobile operating systems for Flash Player include: Android, Microsoft Windows Phone 7, Palm webOS, and Symbian S60 V5.
Hmmm….OK, so it may not be ready on release, but looks like we will be seeing Flash on Windows Mobile 7 sooner rather than later. In fact, I would not be surprised if Steve Ballmer does his Steve Jobs impression at the WP7 roll out and stops on his way off the stage…”Oh…just one more thing. Flash 10.1 out of the box. Boom.”
I just hope he doesn’t wear a turtleneck. Really, just….No.
FROM BBC
Adobe has fixed a "critical" security flaw that had the potential to allow hackers to take control of affected computer systems.
The bug was first spotted in early June week following a small number of targeted attacks.
The security update is one in a bumper update package that fixes a total of 32 documented vulnerabilities.
Adobe's Flash and Reader software have emerged as prime targets for hi-tech criminals in the past year.
Users running Windows, Macintosh or Linux were all thought to be vulnerable to attack.
Security firm Websense said the flaw was being exploited via e-mails that prompted recipients to open booby-trapped websites seeded with malware.
Users visiting the websites would have their computers infected with trojans and other malicious programs that opened a backdoor into the machine.
Adobe urged users to apply the update as soon as possible.
Adobe said it would release an update at the end of June for its Reader and Acrobat programs which addresses a similar bug that makes it possible to booby-trap PDFs.
Adobe is reportedly considering patching its applications more frequently after a quarterly update cycle for its Acrobat and Reader programmes last year.
In 2009, Adobe announced an aggressive programme to beef up security after hackers increasingly focused on finding holes in its products.
'Huge release'
The security update came in the release of version 10.1 of the Flash player.
"Don't let the version number fool you! Flash Player 10.1 is more than a 'dot upgrade'," said Paul Betlem of Adobe's Flash Player engineering team.
Mr Betlem said the update was a "monumental undertaking" that made significant changes to the architecture of the software.
Adobe estimates that more than 95% of computers worldwide have Flash Player installed. Many sites use it to show off multimedia content such as videos and games.
Wired called the latest release "significant" and said the underlying code has been largely re-written to address the platform's key shortcomings, most notably battery problems and security issues.
"This is obviously a huge release for Adobe, as it comes at a time when the company is under attack for its platform's pitfalls," said Michael Calore at Wired.
Chief among Flash's critics is Apple boss Steve Jobs who wrote an open letter explaining why he refused to have Flash on products such as the iPhone and iPad.
He claimed that it was "the number one reason why Macs crash."
Source: Mobilesite | BBC.co.uk
Homepage: Adobe Flash
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Originally Posted by SonsOfLiberty
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