Apple has released a security updates for OS X 10.4 Tiger and its Safari web browser.

Safari 3.1.2 addresses a memory corruption issues that could be exploited by a maliciously crafted website to cause unexpected application termination or enable arbitrary code execution.

Security Update 2008-04 is addressing several issues with the operating system. This update is only for Tiger users; Leopard users received this update as part of the 10.5.4 update released on Monday.

If a system requires a password to wake from sleep and Exposé hot corners are enabled, it was possible to access the system without the password.

The person would need physical access to the machine to bypass the screen lock – this issue has been fixed.

A problem has been fixed when visiting a maliciously crafted website with “Open Safe Files” enabled in Safari could lead to a file to be opened on the user’s system, resulting in arbitrary code execution.

A couple of issues running Ruby on Mac OS X leading to arbitrary code execution have also been fixed.

A memory corruption issue exists in WebKit’s handling of JavaScript arrays. Apple fixed this problem by improving bounds checking. WebKit is the basis for Apple’s Safari Web browser.

Issues have also been fixed with VPN, Tomcat, System Configuration and SMB File Server.

The are several versions of the update available — one for PowerPC, one for Intel, Server (PPC) and Server (Intel).

Both updates are available via Software Update or from apple.com/support/downloads.

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Apple on Monday released Mac OS X 10.5.4 fixing several issues with iCal, AirPort, Safari, and Spaces & Exposé.

AirPort has been updated addressing reliability issues with 5GHz networks and issues that may result in slower performance in Logic Studio or MainStage.

iCal received updates fixing seven issues with the application including reliability for meeting requests, cancellation notices, delegation, and syncing with iPhone. The update also fixed an issue that prevents deleting an iCal event without notifying the creator.

iCal now includes a checkbox that excludes information-only calendars from affecting availability and a problem with copying and pasting attendees from one event to another has been resolved.

Performance issues when loading secure web pages in Safari has been resolved. Another performance issue where client certificates are on a smart card has also been addressed.

Spaces & Exposé received a couple of updates, as well. An Exposé problem that may result in only a subset of windows being shown has been fixed. An issue has been fixed when switching from a space keeps the Finder as the active application and dragging an application from the list of application assignments does not assign the app to the Space have both been addressed.

Mac OS X 10.5.4 includes additional RAW image support for several cameras and an issue with saving and reopening Adobe Creative Suite 3 files on a remote server has been fixed.

Improvements for L2TP VPN client reliability have also been made.

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O2 briefly posted then removed pay-as-you-go pricing for the new 3G iPhone.
The UK carrier's Pay & Go page did say that £300 for the 8GB model and £360 for the 16GB model would get you six months of unlimited web access; text and phone call costs would be extra, covered by one of O2's Pay & Go plans. After six months, net acccess would cost £10 per month.



That page now says "iPhone is coming soon for Pay & Go" but all price information has been removed.

O2 has definitely announced the Pay Monthly tariffs for the iPhone, with the more expensive rates including a free handset.

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Adobe patched its free Reader and commercial Acrobat software this week to plug the latest in what one researcher called an “epidemic” of JavaScript vulnerabilities.

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Microsoft released updates for Office 2008 and Office 2004 improving stability and fixing issues caused by previous updates. The company also released its Open XML converter, allowing users to convert Office 2008 documents to older versions.

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T-Mobile has announced a cut of 80 percent in its European data-roaming charges, in time for the 1 July deadline imposed on operators by the European Commission.

Information society and media commissioner Viviane Reding told operators in February that they would have to make their data-roaming rates more reasonable by the start of July, otherwise the Commission would consider proposing strict new regulations on such charges. On Friday, T-Mobile said its data-roaming charges within Europe would, as of 1 July, drop from £7.50 per megabyte to £1.50 per megabyte.

The move will make T-Mobile the cheapest UK operator in terms of using a mobile phone or data modem for internet surfing while abroad on the continent. The operator also said on Friday that it would be cutting its rates for text messaging while in Europe — another bugbear for Reding — from 40 pence per message to 25 pence per message, bringing T-Mobile in line with its rival O2. Leaving opt-in bundles aside, O2 and 3 will, until 1 July, be the cheapest UK operators for data roaming, as they already charge just £3 per megabyte.

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Mozilla has released Firefox 3, the open source browser for the internet. Here at Stargate Computers we strongly urge you to update to the new version of this excellent program.

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Britons will pay exactly the same for the new iPhone 3G as buyers in the US, according to prices announced by O2.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced that the second-generation iPhone would start from "$199 worldwide" during his WWDC keynote last night. Click here for full details of the iPhone 3G launch.

But British buyers rarely see a straight dollar conversion of US prices, with Apple itself among the companies that routinely charge Brits more for its products than US buyers.

However, O2 has confirmed that the 8GB version of the iPhone 3G will cost £99 on a £30 or £35 monthly tariff, while those prepared to sign up for the £45 or £75 monthly tabs will get the hardware for free.

The 16GB version will cost £159 to those on the two cheapest tariffs, £59 to those who pay £45 per month and free on the £75 per month option.

O2 says it will also offer the new iPhones on a pay-as-you-go basis for the first time, but has yet to announce pricing for this model.

New pricing model

Apple has ripped up its business model for the launch of the iPhone 3G. The mobile networks will no longer pay Apple part of the subscription fees they get from iPhone users, but instead will subsidise the devices up front to make them cheaper.

"The vast majority of agreements we have reached do not have those follow-on payments, so you can conclude that the vast majority of carriers do provide subsidies for the phone," says Tim Cook, Apple's chief operating officer.

Analysts say the new pricing model won't hit Apple's profits. "It is still a very profitable business," says Shaw Wu, an analyst with American Technology Research. "Now the negative is it announced the elimination of some of the monthly fees, but I can't really imagine the economics really being too much different."

Jobs claims Apple has sold 6 million iPhones so far, and Cook says he is "still very comfortable" that the company will hit its goal of selling 10 million units by the end of 2008.

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Apple has released Quicktime 7.5, which improves Application Compatibility and addresses Security Issues.

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Apple has given Mac developers a first preview of Snow Leopard, the next version of OS X for the Mac.

Rather than focusing primarily on new features, Snow Leopard will enhance the performance of Apple's operating system and set a platform for future developments and features. It is optimised for multi-core processors, exploits the power of graphic processing units (GPUs), enables unprecedented amounts of RAM and has a new media platform with QuickTime X.

A new technology code-named Grand Central enhances support for multi-core processors making it easy for developers to create programme that take full advantagem while Apple's new Open Computing Language (OpenCL) lets any application tap into the gigaflops of GPU computing power previously available only to graphics applications. And with further improvement to OS X's 64-bit technology, Snow Leopard raises the software limit on system memory up to a theoretical 16TB of RAM.

Using media technology developed initially for the iPhone, QuickTime X is designed optimise support for modern audio and video formats to provide highly efficient media playback.

And, for the first time, OS X will provide native support for Microsoft Exchange 2007 in Mail, iCal and Address Book.

"We have delivered more than a thousand new features to OS X in just seven years and Snow Leopard lays the foundation for thousands more," said Bertrand Serlet, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering. "In our continued effort to deliver the best user experience, we hit the pause button on new features to focus on perfecting the world's most advanced operating system."

Snow Leopard will ship in about a year.

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