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Adobe releases patch for 'critical' Flash vulnerability
As promised, Adobe has now released an update to Flash that fixes the critical vulnerability discovered earlier this month that could allow your computer to be remotely hijacked. The update naturally covers Windows, Mac and Linux users (and even Solaris, for that matter), and is recommended for anyone running Flash Player 10.0.45.2 or earlier -- the update will also, of course, bump you up to Flash 10.1 if you haven't made the jump already. Adobe AIR users are also advised to upgrade to the latest version released today but, as reported earlier, Adobe Acrobat and Reader users will still have to wait a bit for their fix -- while they're also affected by the vulnerability, they won't be getting an update until the end of the month. Update: Those not able (or willing) to upgrade to Flash 10.1 can also get a patched version of Flash Player 9 right here.
Adobe AIR getting native Android app compilation
Sound familiar? That's right: Adobe's looking to move some of the same technologies it developed for Flash-to-iPhone app compilation over to Android, where we imagine the company will be meeting a much more receptive audience. AIR -- part of the Flash portfolio of products -- now has a native Android app feature in beta, letting you pump out .apk files from code written in ActionScript 3. Adobe's targeting a release "by the second half" of the year, so this shouldn't take too long to go gold... not to say there aren't perfectly good ways of pumping out Android apps in the meantime, but this should make it a little less painful for seasoned Flash guys to port their stuff. [Thanks, bono]
Adobe's Digital Publishing Platform behind Wired app, uses CS5 tools and will be available to all
So, despite all that hubbub about Flash, Adobe managed to still deliver iPad magazine publishing tools to Wired after all... and it's not stopping there. Adobe's "digital viewer software" is the crux, which Adobe says it built in Apple's Objective C and will continue to maintain for the iPad while considering other platforms like the iPhone. Meanwhile, anything built matching this vaguely defined spec (Adobe's keeping a lot of details close to its chest right now) will be able to publish to this iPad reader software, along with any Flash 10.1 or AIR 2-compliant devices. HTML 5 will also come in to play somehow. Adobe will be releasing the publishing tech to Adobe Labs later this year, but you'll have to have Adobe InDesign CS5 to take advantage of it. Of course, none of this really solves the debate over 3rd party development tools for building iPad and iPhone apps, but it seems to sidestep it pretty handily.
iPad takes to the skies with Bluebox Ai this July
In-flight entertainment might not be high on everyone's list of priorities, but from this July, it might become a new point of differentiation between airlines. Bluebox Avionics has announced its new Ai IFE system, which seems to mostly involve just giving travelers an iPad to play around with while gliding through the atmosphere. It "leverages the power, flexibility and quality of the most advanced consumer device ever produced" (they have an Evo 4G? Zing!) and offers Bluebox's proprietary security solution and tailor-made apps for each airline. One international carrier has already signed up and more are expected to follow.
MacBook Air feeling the wind of change?
A tipster who apparently correctly predicted the recent MacBook Pro refresh has alerted Australian Macworld to a new SKU making its way through Apple's systems down under. According to said "well-placed" source, the MC516LL/A K87 BETTER BTR-USA code string identifies an incoming batch of all-new MacBook Air laptops. This makes all the sense in the world given the recent hubbub about Intel offering ULV versions of its 32nm Core 2010 processors and the Air's overdue need for an upgrade, but there is the proviso that this could also be referring to shipments of new 27-inch LCDs, to match the ones found on the latest iMac generation. Either way, we're looking at some unannounced hardware rapidly making its way to Australia. Hey, doesn't Apple make a habit of announcing new goodies on Tuesdays?
An eyeful of Adobe's Android / Tegra prototype tablet running Air
After getting a pretty great glimpse of Adobe's Tegra 2- and Android-powered prototype tablet yesterday, we decided to head over to the Web 2.0 Expo show floor ourselves to get some first-hand impressions. Unfortunately, the company couldn't get a single website to open (Flash-based or otherwise) given lackluster WiFi, leaving us with only a tease of its power via an Air-based slideshow. To drive home what we heard yesterday, this prototype isn't being prepped for release at any point in the future -- more so, this is to serve as a showcase for the future potential of Adobe on Tegra 2 tablets. We'll stop by again tomorrow morning and hope the show floor's connection will be better by then, but in the meantime, enjoy the smattering of pictures and video we managed to get this afternoon. %Gallery-92402%
Adobe shows off prototype Android tablet running Air and Flash 'flawlessly' (update: it's Tegra 2!)
Well, here's something of a surprise. In addition to demonstrating Flash running on phones like the Nexus One and Palm Pre at the now-happening Web 2.0 Expo, Adobe also has a prototype Android tablet of some sort on hand that, according to Zedomax, runs Flash and Air apps "flawlessly." Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be any details at all on the tablet itself, and judging from the looks of things, it is a prototype in the truest sense of the word (check out the other shot after the break). It does seem to deliver the goods when it comes to Air and Flash, however, with it able to run Wired's Air-based magazine app and play YouTube videos without so much as a hiccup, although we'd definitely like to see it in a few more taxing situations. See for yourself in a pair of all too brief videos after the break. Update: looks like that "flawless" Flash performance is all thanks to Tegra 2, as we've been informed by NVIDIA just now. Here's the statement: "It is indeed Tegra 2. We worked closely with Adobe to show how next-gen Tegra can bring the complete web to tablets at Web 2.0. You can expect to start seeing Tegra 2 devices appearing this summer, with plenty on the way in the third and fourth quarters of the year."
15-inch MacBook Pros MIA on BestBuy.com, long-awaited refresh really, truly coming April 13th?
iPhone, iPhone, iPhone... wait, what's that? You're still pining for those refreshed, possibly Core i5- / i7-equipped MacBook Pros that have been long rumored? If a source close to Australian MacWorld has any merit, we'll finally be seeing updates to the laptop line -- Pro and Air, allegedly -- this Tuesday, April 13th. No word on what the new models would feature if true, but without an event all its own, the best we can expect is probably a spec boost. Best Buy seems to be adding some fuel to the fire, first by showing a proverbial mark of death in its database last month, and now by making the 15-inch model unavailable on BestBuy.com. Undoubtedly the retailer's waiting for a new shipment of potent portables, but the question remains, what will they run under the hood? [Thanks, Ryan] Update: UK retailer John Lewis is also showing its MacBook Pro and MacBook Air options as out of stock, though it suffers no such shortages with MacBooks. Draw your own conclusions [Thanks, Ben].
Adobe AIR developer demonstration: one game, five platforms, all the same code
We love the idea of Android apps running on iPhone and vice versa, and that's exactly what Adobe's selling with its multiplatform development solution AIR -- but though we've seen a demo here and there, conversations we've had with the company led us to believe that AIR was not yet up to the task. However, Adobe dev Christian Cantrell has the proof -- he created a game of Reversi that runs on five platforms without having to change a single line of code. In a video after the break, he demonstrates iReverse running on OS X, Windows 7, Ubuntu Linux, the iPhone, a Droid and the new iPad, explaining how it took only a series of seriously tiny platform-specific wrappers to make his program function on each. Since each platform has its own hardware strengths, this kind of convergence isn't always a good thing -- but if it provides extra incentive for developers to get cracking on hot new apps, we're all for it.
HP Slate makes an appearance to show off Flash, stays for a rock concert
It shouldn't be any surprise that the HP Slate supports Flash, since it runs Windows 7, but we've seen so little of the device since Steve Ballmer first waved it around at CES that we're still totally intrigued by this video from Adobe showing it in action. Yep, there it is, playing video, running casual Flash games, and using AIR applications. We also get a quick shot of the on-screen keyboard, which looks like a mildly tweaked version of the standard Windows 7 keyboard. We can't say until we use it, but it certainly doesn't look like it'll be fun to type on. Interestingly, Flash is said to be hardware-accelerated on the Slate, which suggests something other than a bone-stock Atom setup in there -- we'd guess it's an Atom plus a Broadcom Crystal HD Accelerator, but there's a chance it's something else entirely. HP's also posted up a new marketing video, which bears a striking resemblance to last night's iPad commercial -- until the end, which frankly makes no sense. Check 'em both after the break. [Thanks, Rick]
Wired's tablet app goes on show: developed on AIR, heading to the iPad (video)
Mmm, digital magazines. They are the little bites of paid-for content that all the publishers believe we should be deeply enthralled with. Hoping to show us why exactly it is that we should all care (and pay) for prepackaged digital content is Wired's latest and most comprehensive demo of its tablet app on an unspecified 16:9 device. Setting aside hopefuls like the Joojoo and Adam for a moment, it is clear that this is ultimately intended for Apple's iPad -- the device that stands by far the biggest chance of making the digimag concept a commercial success. Interesting choice of development partner, then, as Condé Nast has opted to use Adobe's AIR platform for the underlying mechanics. Adobe promises its Packager for iPhone, part of CS5, will allow devs to easily port AIR apps to run natively on the iPad, but until Apple gives its official assent to the final code, nothing is guaranteed -- and Packager hasn't even officially shipped yet. As far as the app goes, it'll come with Twitter and Facebook integration, and navigation is geared toward the touching and swiping model so prevalent today. See it on video after the break.
Adobe brings AIR to Android, promises Flash 10.1 in the first half of the year
Convergence has always been a big theme in tech, and its focus at MWC this year seems to have landed firmly on procuring an application platform that is OS-agnostic. Earlier today, we heard of the big carrier cabal intent on slaying the beast that is multi-platform development through cooperation, but if you ask Adobe the answer is much simpler: just slap AIR on your phone. The company's grand vision of the future sees AIR as the facilitator of a "feature-rich environment for delivering rich applications outside the mobile browser and across multiple operating systems." If that sounds like your cup of tea, it's now available on Android and there are a number of cool demo videos at the DevNet link below. As to Flash Player 10.1, that's also heading to Android, to be completed within the first half of this year, while also including support for WebOS, Symbian, Windows Mobile and BlackBerry devices. We all know who's missing from that party, but Reuters reports Adobe has expressed confidence that Apple will "eventually bow to market pressure" and join in on the fun as well. We shall see. Video of AIR apps running on the Droid awaits after the break.
Korean Air subsidiary renting out PSP Go consoles for in-flight gaming
Korean Air subsidiary Jin Air has a new trick up its sleeve for entertaining passengers going to and fro South Korea. The airline is now offering a 16GB PSP Go to rent for in-flight gaming. No clue what games are on the device, but it's probably the best 4,000 won (about $3.50) you can spend -- assuming, that is, there's more than a sudoku app.
WoW Insider Show tomorrow at 3:30pm Eastern
My last episode of the WoW Insider Show is on the air tomorrow afternoon -- it'll be sad (I really love doing this show for you all), but hopefully it won't be too maudlin. Fortunately both Matthew Rossi and Chase Christian have agreed to join us, and of course Turpster will be on with us as well -- whenever the T is around, you know it'll be a good time. We'll be talking about the most popular stories in Warcraft for the past week, including the arrival of Winter Veil, patch 3.3.0a and all of the other hotfixes this week, and just because I think it's interesting, we'll talk about the Battered Hilt as well. And as usual, we'll answer your emails and chat live with all of the folks in the chatroom. You can email us any time of night or day at theshow@wow.com, and you'll be able to listen in to the show on the feed over on Ustream itself, or right after the break below. Please do join us, should be fun.
Samsung Go netbook gets $100 cheaper with one-year Times Reader 2.0 subscription
Publicly, at least, The New York Times has seemed perfectly kosher with the way things are moving in the newspaper industry. Rather than freaking out and wondering why they didn't make the move to digital earlier, it's apparently looking to push the digital distribution of its content via discounts and partnerships with hardware providers. In a rather unique and unprecedented move, the paper has today announced that prospective readers can receive $100 off of a Samsung Go netbook if they subscribe to Times Reader 2.0 for a year. The machine will come pre-loaded with the Adobe AIR-based application -- which pushes published content to one's machine on the double -- and will be sold exclusively through J&R Music and Computer World. Of course, NYT wants $179.40 for a one-year sub, so the deal's not exactly awesome or anything, but the offer stands for first-time subscribers until March 2010 if you're interested.
Adobe Flash Player 10.1 and AIR 2 betas are out, multi-touch and video acceleration are in (video)
Here we go: Adobe just made its Flash 10.1 prerelease packages available for download in fulfillment of its Open Screen promise. The download is available for Windows, Intel-based Mac, and Linux systems with a smartphone version coming later; notably, while no other mobile OS is specifically mentioned, Adobe says that a beta for Palm webOS is slated for "later this year" on its Flash Player 10.1 page. At the moment, however, only the Windows release includes hardware-based video acceleration for H.264 video. And this is beta-ware kids, so there's more than the usual level of hazard with installing. Then again, for those of you with Atom-based netbooks brought to their knees by full-screen HD video, well, the benefits likely outweigh the risk for you. Adobe also announced an AIR 2 beta which allows developers to build more feature-rich applications including multi-touch capabilities -- see the unholy union demonstrated on an HP TouchSmart in the video after the break. Update: As noted by reader ZeroK2 in the comments, the release notes [warning: PDF] specify which GPUs will benefit from the hardware acceleration. These include ATI Radeon HD 3xxx and 4xxx series, Mobile Radeon HD 4xxx series, select FirePro products, Intel 4 series chipsets, the Broadcom Crystal HD decoder, and most NVIDIA ION and GeForce 8/9/1xx/2xx powered PCs. In other words, the vast majority of netbook owners with integrated GMA950 graphics need not apply. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
iiView A2 borrows Apple's panache for a Win 7 netbook
Manufacturers the world over have given this one some serious thought, and they've decided that you want something that feels like a MacBook Air, looks (vaguely) like a MacBook Air, and doesn't run OS X. Available come October 22, the iiView A2 features an Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz CPU, 2GB DDR2 RAM, 320GB HDD, a 12.1-inch display, and 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless. Shipping for $399 with Windows 7, this guy will look right at home next to your award-winning collection of Air KIRFs -- and won't break the bank in the process. Hit that read link for more info. [Via ChipChick]
Airis Praxis Slim Air is one-inch thick, KIRFtastic
Airis is no stranger to the fine art of imitating without getting sued out of existence, and its latest effort -- the shamelessly titled Praxis Slim Air -- is no exception. It sports a 12-inch display spanning 1366 x 768 pixels, a gig of memory and a 160GB hard drive, and if you think this is the usual prelude to a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, well, you'd be spot on. To be fair, with two USB ports, WiFi, HDMI, a 1.3 megapixel webcam and a choice of Windows XP, Vista, 7 or Linux, this isn't a terrible proposition in its own right. The big downfall comes with a rated battery runtime of just three hours, but if you're unfazed by the tethered life, you can grab one in Europe for €399 ($586) this October. Full frontal picture after the break.
Gyration Air Mouse Elite gets your hands in the air, like you just don't care
Look out, y'all -- Movea's back. Almost a year to the day after the outfit introduced its air-lovin' Gyration Air Mouse, the Air Mouse Elite is stepping in to take its rightful place atop the range. As with the prior iteration, this one also responds to natural hand movements and enables presenters (or FPS players) to get far, far away from the mousepad. Put simply, the built-in motion sensors enable it to receive commands via "slight wrist movements performed in the air," and it can do so up to 100 feet away from the PC that it's wirelessly attached to. The 3.3-ounce device also ships with a suite of tools for customizing gestures, and if the $99.99 critter just isn't enough, you can spring for a $149.99 bundle that throws in a low-profile wireless keyboard.%Gallery-73329%
Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXXIII: MacBook Air loses two inches, adds a Windows key
If we've learned one thing 'round here, it's that the KIRFsters love taking on Apple. And you know, at first glance this KIRFacious take on the MacBook Air doesn't seem half bad. Of course, check it out in profile and it looks a lot more like your average netbook than it does Cupertino's ultraportable -- but at least the shanzai manufacturer in question as thrown in a few things that were neglected in the original, including: two USB ports, a removable battery, and a PCIe slot for a 3G module. That said, they also went with an 11.1-inch display (as opposed to the Air's 13-incher), which could be a good thing or not, depending on your POV. Of course, with a 1.6GH Atom processor and 1GB RAM, this thing isn't exactly a workhorse, though it's safe to assume that the price point will fall far below that of the "real deal." But don't take our word for it -- check out a couple more views of the thing after the break.
