TabSense, a fast-moving Google Chrome extension, fights the distractions inherent to multiple tabs and windows. Similar to Mozilla Firefox's upcoming "Tab Candy," this Chromium extension efficiently declutters your work space by organizing your tabs all in one spot. While it has a few glitches that need hasty fixing, this new tool is handy for anyone who finds themselves navigating through multiple windows and tabs.

The TabSense icon at the right-hand side of the address bar opens a page filled with boxes that represent your open Chrome windows. Each box contains a list of the window's tabs. Here you have the capability to rename each box based on its function. Create a "work" box filled with serious tabs, a "research" box, or a "blog" box--patiently waiting for you to get side-tracked.

Open a tab in its respective window by clicking on it inside the TabSense box. The "star" feature is useful when you need to save important tabs. Starring the tab inside the box will send its respective icon to the space underneath the address bar; every time you open a new Chrome window followed by a new TabSense page, this list will appear.

Thanks to the message, "It is still a WORK IN PROGRESS. More features remain to be added," on the add-on's Web site, it is no surprise that the extension has some bugs. Its minor annoyances include the lack of "options" in its settings menu and the need to refresh the TabSense page anytime you exit or enter a new Chrome window or tab. The most frustrating feature includes a miniature suitcase icon; who knew that luggage could be so vexing. Clicking on it sends the box to the left-hand corner of the page, closing the respective window until it is needed again. The issue is that once the window is reopened, the TabSense page is illegible and smashed together. Thankfully, you can correct this by refreshing the TabSense page.

TabSense is an easy way to organize your browsing experience. It helps focus Web surfing into specific, personalized categories. Though it has some hiccups, the extension is great for notorious tab packers.

Our weekly utilities update report is a list of updates for Mac utilities that have been released in the past week. Though utilities can be any tool that helps you perform a routine task (including image manipulation and synchronization), our focus in this column is to bring you those tools that help in troubleshooting Mac hardware and software problems.

This week we have updates for fsevents-based file-system managing utilities, graphics and system managing hardware utilities, a few network diagnostics and information utilities, and one system maintenance program.

File-system utilities
Yesterday, I outlined some of the benefits of using fsevents utilities to locate and manage files that are frequently changed on the file system. Fseventer and DaemonFS are two of these utilities, and were updated this week. Fseventer (free) is a small release to fix problems with the utility not launching on G3 and G4-based Macs. Similarly, the update to DaemonFS (free) is a small bug fix release.

Hardware
One popular hardware utility for MacBook Pro users is gfxCardStatus (free) that gives you specific control over the dual GPU setup in modern MacBook models. The update fixes a crash that occurred when building dependency lists, specifically experienced by VMware Fusion users.

The system monitoring utility iStat Menus ($16) has also been updated to add fan speed control and improved sensor monitoring for the new 2010 iMacs. It also sports new features for the Magic Trackpad and has a few new interface tweaks.

Networking
In networking utilities, the in-depth network troubleshooting and monitoring utility VisualRoute ($49.95) has been updated to fix a bug with the "whois" routine, and likewise the Wi-Fi hot spot finder AirRadar ($19.95) has also been updated with a small bug fix for the signal status not updating.

The network administration and security testing utility NetScan (free) has also been updated and now has a revamped interface and new features for port scanning as well as fixes for icon appearance and update-checking problems.

Maintenance
Only one maintenance utility was updated this week. MacKeeper ($39.95) is now at version 0.9.8 and incorporates a number of fixes and enhancements, including a more accurate and higher-performing "Find Duplicates" algorithm, adding "Open" options to contextual menus when selecting files, and finer control over what items can be included in the data encryptor.

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Questions? Comments? Have a fix? Post them below or e-mail us!
Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.

Originally posted at MacFixIt

Security experts warned on Tuesday about what is believed to be the first Trojan targeting Android-based mobile devices that racks up charges by sending text messages to premium-rate numbers.

The Trojan-SMS malware, dubbed "Trojan-SMS.AndroidOS.FakePlayer.a," is being distributed via an unknown malicious Web site, said Denis Maslennikov, senior malware researcher at Kaspersky Lab.

Users are prompted to install a "media player application" that is a little bigger than 13 kilobytes, but which is hiding the Trojan inside, according to Kaspersky and mobile-phone security company Lookout, which analyzed the threat.

Like all Android apps, the program asks for permission to do certain things upon install. In this case it asks for permission to send SMS messages, with a prompt that identifies it as a "service that costs you money," as well as to read or delete data and collect data about the phone and the phone ID, Kaspersky and Lookout said.

Once installed, the Trojan starts sending SMS messages behind the scenes that cost several dollars per message, without the device owner knowing it.

It appears to be affecting Android smartphone users in Russia and to only work on Russian networks, Lookout said. "As far as we know, there is no indication that this app is in the Android Market," Lookout said in a blog post. It was also reported on a Russian smartphone news site.

A Google spokesman provided this statement when asked for comment: "Our application permissions model protects against this type of threat. When installing an application, users see a screen that explains clearly what information and system resources the application has permission to access, such as a user's phone number or sending an SMS. Users must explicitly approve this access in order to continue with the installation, and they may uninstall applications at any time. We consistently advise users to only install apps they trust. In particular, users should exercise caution when installing applications outside of Android Market."

Android users must change a default setting to accept apps from outside the Android marketplace.

To tell if you are affected, review your bills for any premium SMS messages. Lookout also suggests that if you have recently downloaded a media player, check the permission to make sure the app is not sending SMS messages.

The company recommends that smartphone users only download apps from trusted sources, and avoid downloading media player files that request permission to access your text messages, particularly if they want to send messages from the phone.

Updated at 12:40 p.m. PDT with Google comment.

Originally posted at InSecurity Complex

Microsoft issued a record number of monthly patches on Tuesday, including fixes for eight critical holes affecting Windows, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Word, and other programs that could be exploited to take control of a computer.

Of the 14 patches addressing a total of 34 vulnerabilities, four of them should be given priority, Microsoft said in a Microsoft Security Response Center blog post:

• MS10-052, which resolves a vulnerability in Microsoft's MPEG Layer-3 audio codecs that could allow remote code execution if a specially crafted media file were opened or a Windows user received specially crafted streaming content from a Web site.

• MS10-055, which fixes a hole in Windows Media Player's Cinepak Codec that could allow remote code execution if a computer opens a specially crafted media file, or receives specially crafted streaming content from a Web site.

• MS10-056, which resolves four flaws in Microsoft Office, including one that could allow remote code execution if a computer user opens or previews a specially crafted rich text format e-mail.

• MS10-060, which plugs two holes that could allow remote code execution, in Microsoft .Net Framework and Microsoft Silverlight.

None of those vulnerabilities has been seen exploited in the wild yet, Microsoft said. The six other bulletins are rated "Important," and two of them, MS10-047 and MS10-048, are Windows Kernel updates.

A chart-based breakdown of the vulnerabilities, their severity and other information is on the Microsoft TechNet blog. Additional details on all the fixes are in the August Security Bulletin Summary.

Affected software includes: Windows 7; Windows XP; Vista; Windows Server 2003 and 2008; Windows Server 2008 release 2; IE 6, 7 and 8; Office XP Service Pack 3; Office 2003 Service Pack 3; 2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 2; Office 2004 and 2008 for Mac; Office Word Viewer; Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel and PowerPoint; 2007 File Formats Service Pack 2; Microsoft Works 9; and Silverlight 2 and 3.

As part of Patch Tuesday, Microsoft also released Security Advisory 2264072, which warns of a problem affecting Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Server 2003 and 2008 that could be used to leverage the Windows Service Isolation feature to gain elevation of privilege on the machine. Windows Service Isolation feature is an optional configuration. The advisory also includes information about a non-security update addressing an attack vector through Windows Telephony Application Programming Interfaces.

Meanwhile, the August bulletins close Security Advisory 977377, which described a spoofing vulnerability. Microsoft worked with the Industry Consortium for Advancement of Security on the Internet to develop a new standard to address the issue.

Last week, Microsoft released an emergency patch for a critical Windows vulnerability that was being exploited by a fast-spreading virus and other malware. The so-called "shortcut" vulnerability could be used by attackers to take control of a computer.

On Tuesday, Microsoft added Stuxnet and related Windows viruses Sality and Vobfus to its Malicious Software Removal Tool.

"It's another movies-to-malware month for Microsoft," said Andrew Storms, director of security operations at nCircle. "Four of the 14 bulletins this month fix bugs in media applications. Already this year Microsoft has fixed bugs in media applications or media file formats in February, March, April, and June, so this month continues an obvious and growing trend. So much of what people do on the Internet these days includes videos or music and malware writers continue to take advantage of the fact that people are less aware of malware embedded in these files."

Adobe also released security updates for 10 critical holes in Flash Player and Flash Media Server, as well as an important hole in ColdFusion on Tuesday.

Updated 1:18 p.m. PDT with Adobe releases.

Originally posted at InSecurity Complex

The iPad may work wonders as a mobile video player, but it's rather hamstrung by the limited number of video file formats it supports.

Indeed, unless you convert all your videos to MP4 format (a lengthy and sometimes fruitless process) or stream them via an app like Air Video (not an option when you're offline), you're sorta outta luck.

Enter CineXPlayer, an iPad video player with native support for the popular Xvid (AVI) format. It's free, and it's fantastic.

Start by copying videos to your iPad by way of iTunes' File Sharing feature (which is accessible in the Apps tab once your device is connected). It's fast and easy--I loaded a couple gigabytes' worth of files in just a few minutes.

The CineXPlayer app is about as bare-bones as can be, with little more than an alphabetical list of videos and a rudimentary set of playback controls: play/pause, volume, full-screen toggle, and a scrubber. Thankfully, it's clever enough to resume from where you left off.

Not sure how to use the aforementioned File Sharing tool? Tap CineXPlayer's Add More Movies button for a video tutorial.

I tested the app with a variety of Xvid-formatted videos, and every one of them played perfectly. Keep in mind, however, that owing to the numerous variables that go into Xvid encoding, you may encounter files that don't work. And the developer specifically notes that CineXPlayer doesn't yet support MKV video or AC3 audio.

We hope it will soon. In the meantime, CineXPlayer is a must-have app for iPad owners who want a free and easy way to watch their Xvid vids on the go.

Originally posted at iPad Atlas

A new, free little Windows app by Matthew Allen called PhoneAble does exactly one thing for iPhone owners: it enables them to manage the music on their device from any Windows computer with iTunes installed.

It does this by changing the computer's iTunes key--which is unique to each installation of iTunes--to match the key of your iPhone. This tricks iTunes into thinking that the phone plugged in via USB is one it's allowed to edit. It's simple, and that's why it's good.

Above is a screenshot showing how easy it is to use: back up the iPhone using iTunes, set the keys to match, and check to see if its working.

Sadly, there's no Mac version, and we're not sure whether there is going to be one, so don't hold your breath. But Windows users might want to keep a copy on a thumb drive in their pocket for when they're on the go.

Originally posted at Crave

Adobe Systems issued a release candidate for Lightroom 3.2 on Tuesday that fixes dozens of bugs, lets users publish photos to Facebook, adds automated optical corrections for dozens of lenses, and supports Pentax's new medium-format digital camera among other models.

Accompanying the software is a corresponding release candidate for Camera Raw 6.2, the Photoshop module that uses the same engine as Lightroom for converting raw files into more broadly supported, compact formats such as JPEG. Adobe skipped the Lightroom 3.1 number to synchronize the two related packages' release numbers.

If you want to fetch the software, try the Lightroom 3.2 download site or Camera Raw 6.2 download site on Adobe Labs.

One of Lightroom 3's significant new features is publishing, the ability not only to export photos to a Web site but to keep those exported photos in sync with those on a personal computer. That means changes to a photo--a tighter crop, brighter exposure, a new title--can be easily sent to the online version as well. It's a convenient option in today's world where photo libraries on PCs are mirrored online for easy viewing.

But there's a caveat for the Facebook publishing tool: an update doesn't slip seamlessly into place. Lightroom offers this warning when you try to republish a photo after an update in Lightroom: "All comments and likes will be lost on updated photos. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Despite the caveat, though, it's still worth using, especially if you are as put off as I am by Facebook's obtuse photo interface.

Lightroom is designed to catalog, edit, and export photos--particularly raw photos from higher-end cameras. Raw photos--the image sensor data without any in-camera processing into a JPEG--offer more flexibility and quality but require processing work on the photographer's part. And for software companies such as Adobe and Apple, raw support means keeping up with a constant flow of new cameras, most with a new proprietary raw format.

Sometimes Adobe sneaks more camera support in between betas or release candidates and final releases, and that might happen again. "The final releases of Lightroom 3.2 and Camera Raw 6.2 may have additional corrections or camera support," said Lightroom product manager Tom Hogarty in a blog post Tuesday.

The new Lightroom and Camera Raw software supports raw imagery from a host of new cameras, including several compact models with interchangeable lenses: the Sony NEX-3 and NEX-5 and the Samsung NX10. Also on the list are new compacts from Panasonic, the DMZ FZ100, FZ40 (aka FZ45), and LX5, and from Samsung, the TL500 (aka EX1). Casio's Exilim higher-end EX-FH100 compact and Leica's top-end S2 also get improved support when people use them to shoot with Adobe's Digital Negative (DNG) raw format.

In the core SLR market where photographers are inclined to shoot raw, the Adobe software adds support for Sony's newer Alpha A290 and A390 models.

Finally, Adobe built in support for Pentax's new high-end 645D camera, a high-end medium-format model aimed at landscape and studio photographers who want top image quality. That support includes lens profiles for 15 medium-format Pentax lenses, but somewhat perversely, there still aren't lens profiles for Pentax's years-old line of mainstream, less expensive SLRs.

The lens profile support lets Lightroom and Photoshop automatically correct chromatic aberration, distortion, and vignetting. That's a convenience for those who don't enjoy manual labor such as figuring out just how much red and cyan color fringes mar high-contrast edges.

Several Canon, Nikon, and Sigma lenses were supported already. The new release candidates add support for ten more Canon SLR lenses, for the compact PowerShot S90's lens, and for three more Nikon lenses. It also tweaks the profiles for a few Canon and Nikon lenses that already had been supported.

New to the lens profiles are support for some new Sigma and Samsung lenses and a sizeable list of Zeiss lenses for both Canon and Nikon SLRs.

Also, although Adobe hoped that Lightroom 3.0 would arrive a mature product, it had a number of bugs and other issues. Adobe fixes 70 of them, by my count, in the new release candidate.

That includes some that particularly annoyed me: "1:1 preview generation could appear to repeat itself for DNG files," "Scrolling or louping through many photos can cause Lightroom to start paging aggressively," "Copy as DNG selection not remembered for subsequent imports," and "Flickr Publish Collection publishes to a Photostream in the reverse of the expected order."

For the full list, check Hogarty's post.

Originally posted at Deep Tech