Apple issued a QuickTime update today that addresses a number of security vulnerabilities in the media player and its Web plug-in. This update is only for Windows-based machines that have QuickTime installed, since Mac systems have had this update applied in recent security updates for OS X.

Apple's QuickTime media player and plug-in are used by about half of all Windows PCs and all of Apple's systems since OS X includes QuickTime as a core component of the OS. Because of its popularity, attackers may use vulnerabilities in it as a vector for compromising the system on which it is installed.

The vulnerabilities in the QuickTime software that called for this update were ones in which a maliciously crafted QuickTime file could take control of a machine, in ways similar to exploits for other software packages like Java, Flash, Word, and Adobe Reader. The malicious file would cause a buffer overflow or other memory corruption that would return a corrupted memory pointer, which could then execute code stored at that memory address. Apple has outlined the details of the issues in a recent knowledge-base article.

If you have QuickTime installed on your system, be sure to update it to the latest version using Apple's Software Update utility or by downloading the latest QuickTime installer from Apple's QuickTime Web site. Even if you do not use the Q... [Read more]

Chrome for Android will graduate from beta soon. Could Chrome for iOS be next?

Apple's iOS will see a version of Google Chrome before the year's out, and possibly before the end of Q2 -- at least according to research firm Macquarie Group.

The equity research group claims that Chrome for iOS is due for several reasons, all of which can be summed up as part of the current "browser wars." These include Google's interest in reducing costs. It currently pays Apple for, among other things, each person using Google services in Apple's default Safari browser; getting people to use the services through its own browser would potentially offset those costs.

When asked to comment on whether an iOS version of Chrome was in the works, a Google representative said, "We do not comment on rumor or speculation."

However, other points made by Macquarie's analysts are harder to take at face value. While it's true that Chrome for PCs has been an enormous success, as the firm notes, and that early reviews of ... [Read more]

Avira's Web site provides information about how to address the faulty software update.

Antivirus firm Avira said it has fixed a problem that led several of its products to mistakenly block legitimate Windows applications during an Avira software update.

"This issue has been resolved. Your Avira products should now be functioning normally," the German company said in a note on its Web site. "We deeply regret any difficulties this has caused you. Thank you for your patience and understanding."

Shortly after the company began releasing Service Pack 0 for Avira Version 2012 yesterday, customers began complaining about problems running Windows, Office and Works, as well as a host of third-party applications including Google Talk and Documents to Go, according to ZDNet.

"We contacted all of our users to let them know about our fix to the ProActiv situation this morning," Travis Witteveen, chief operating officer of Avira, said in a statement to CNET. "The issue only arose on 32-bit Wi... [Read more]

How many times have you gone to take a picture and realized your iPhone was still in video mode after hitting the shutter button? How many videos have you taken and wished you could've taken a photo as well? By using a new app called StillShot, you can dissect a video, frame-by-frame, and save a single frame to your Camera Roll.

Once you have loaded up a video in StillShot, you'll see the first frame of the video loaded. The time of the clip, along with the frame number for that second of video is displayed on each photo.

You can skip ahead by moving the slider along the bottom, or by pressing the Play button and watching the video until it gets to the segment you want the photo from.

By swiping the frame from right-to-left, you advance one frame forward in the video. Once you're ready to turn a frame from video into a photo, tap Save. The frame will then be saved to your Camera Roll.

StillShot is an app you probably won't use every day, but an app that just may end up saving the day, and that perfect shot, from being ruined.

StillShot is available in the App Store for $0.99.

Chrome now offers Other Devices for tab syncing.

As a warm-up for next month's Google I/O conference, the company has released an update to Chrome this morning that allows you to sync tabs across PCs and Android devices.

The option Other Devices is now available in the new Google Chrome 19 stable version for Windows (download), Mac (download), Linux (download).

The option is available at the bottom of your New Tab page, alongside the Recently Closed menu. When it synchronizes a tab, it includes that tab's browsing history. You'll be able to navigate forward and back when you open it on a new device. While Google wrote in a blog post announcing the update that the multiple-device tab syncing will be rolled out "over the next few weeks," I found the feature available available as soon as I updated the browser.

Chrome 19 includes bug and security fixes, as well, including eight security fixes marked high-priority. Google awarded more than $16,500... [Read more]

After months of development, the new native interface for Firefox for Android is now in beta.

Mozilla updated Firefox for Android beta (download) today with an interface and underlying code that have been in development since the end of 2011.

The new beta features are nearly the same as those in the current stable build of Firefox for Android, except that the browser now supports Adobe Flash. That's a notable difference from Chrome for Android beta and the default Android browser, although Firefox isn't the only Android browser to play Flash content on Web sites.

Download

• Get the Firefox beta for Android

However, the changes in this beta go beyond a new interface and Flash support. The browser loads pages significantly faster than before, the landing screen when you launch the browser is new, and text zooming is smoother. Searches via Google are now performed in the safer HTTPS, and developers can begin using the Pointer Lock API and a new API that prevents the screen from sleeping.

As befits a beta, the browser does have some noticeable flaws. These include problems with sync for people who have more than one Fire... [Read more]

Adobe's Photoshop Touch is available for Android and iOS tablets

When Adobe Systems launched its Creative Cloud subscription last week, it turned out not to be as comprehensive a package of software and services as the company first planned.

The company initially pitched the $50-per-month subscription plan as an all-you-can-eat offering, but limits on app store sales meant that Adobe had to strip its Touch apps for Android and iOS tablets out of the Creative Cloud.

"Our intention is to have Touch Apps included in the annual membership. However, we use iOS App Store and Google Play to deliver this software and unfortunately, the infrastructure of the app marketplaces were not built to deliver subscription-based software suites that work across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices," spokeswoman Vanessa Rios said today.

As an alternative, Adobe instead offers a free month of the Creative Cloud subscription to those who buy three of the $10 Touch apps.

Related stories

• Adobe launches Creative Cloud subscription service
• ... [Read more]

LinkedIn's new Windows Phone app.

LinkedIn added a new mobile app to its repertoire today: the Windows Phone 7.5 application.

"We know professionals rely on their mobile devices every day to conduct business and to stay prepared for their work day," a mobile product manager at LinkedIn, Tomer Cohen, wrote in a blog post. "We've been working hard to make this new LinkedIn app best-in-class in the Windows Phone marketplace."

The job-based social network already has apps for iPhone and Android, but the company is saying that the Windows Phone app is the most sophisticated app it's developed yet. "You'll find that in some cases (hint: companies and jobs), the Windows Phone app offers even more functionality than its iOS and Android siblings," Cohen wrote.

Related stories

• LinkedIn buys presentation-sharing site SlideShare
• LinkedIn iPad app wants to have coffee with you
• ... [Read more]

Currently, HBO Go for Android is optimized for smartphones, not tablets. That's about to change.

HBO Go, the service that provides unlimited on-demand access to everything in HBO's catalog, past and present, rocks.

Unfortunately, it's had something of a rocky start. The service is available only from select cable/satellite providers, and only on certain devices.

For example, HBO recently updated the HBO Go Android app to support devices running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). But tablet users? Outta luck.

Not for long. As PC Magazine reported last week, HBO Go for Android tablets is in the works and "coming early this summer," according to an HBO spokesperson. The updated app will be "optimized for most Android tablets, including Kindle Fire."

The bad news? Same as always: You can't just buy HBO Go a-la-carte. If you want this awesomeness for Android, your Xbox, your Roku box, or the like, you must subscribe to HBO via your cable/satellite provider. And although most of the major ones are now carrying it, there are still some holdouts.

In fact, Comcast subscribers still can't get HBO Go via... [Read more]

Checking in on Foursquare to unlock points, badges, or create a virtual map of a trip can sometimes feel like a chore. With Checkie (iOS download) or Simple Check-in (Android download) the check-in process takes just a few seconds and two taps on your screen. The first tap launches the app; the second completes the check-in.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET)
• After installing Checkie on your iPhone and granting the app permission to access your Foursquare account, you will see a list of nearby venues. To check in, tap on the venue name. You won't be able to add a shout, a photo, or even send the check-in to a social network (if you are setup to opt-in to sharing on each check-in).
(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET)
• Simple Check-in works in a similar manor. With one exception: a map. When you launch the app, you'll see a list of venues as you did with Checkie, but there'll be a map at the top of the screen allowing you to confirm the app has your correct location. You won't be able to push the check-in to a social network or include a shout/photo.

That's all there is to it. The next time you're going to a business lunch, or in a situation where you don't want to feel ru... [Read more]