VideoLAN Updates VLC, Improved Language Translation

One of the best video players forMac has to be VideoLAN's VLC Player, now updated to version 1.1.8. This update fixes a number of small bugs and adds more support for several features, including better language translation as well as updating security patches for known vulnerabilities.

Core Security Technologies recognized vulnerabilities in AMV and NSV files when handled by previous versions of VLC.

Two vulnerabilities have been found in VLC media player [1], when handling AMV and NSV file formats. These vulnerabilities can be exploited by a remote attacker to obtain arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running VLC.

Updating to version 1.1.8 solves those issues.

Other fixes included in the 1.1.8 update are:

• Security update regarding video width concerning some demuxers
• Support for a new Dirac encoder based on libschroedinger
• Package of the new VP8/Webm encoder 'Bali'
• Notable updates in MP4, OGG, and APE demuxers
• Major updates in most language translations
• Fixes in skins2 supports of Winamp2 skins
• Upgrade on the look of VLC for Mac OS X
• Auto-detection for TXT subtitles is fixed
• Fixes on Windows integration, notably regarding volume keys
• Codecs updates
• Many miscellaneous fixes

If you find that some of your videos, especially AVI files, aren't playing properly in QuickTime Player, try downloading the free VLC Player. What is your video player of choice for the Mac? Let me know in the comments!

Source: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-20047123-263.html#ixzz1HdSHOAIi

Still No Google Instant For Opera Browser Fans

In September, Google said it hoped to bring its then-new Google Instant search feature to users of the Opera browser "shortly." A half-year later, there's still no sign of it.

Google still is working on it, though.

"We've encountered some technical barriers that are temporarily preventing us from making Instant available for Opera," Google said in a statement yesterday. "It's difficult for us to estimate when we will overcome these barriers, but we want to bring Instant to as many browsers, platforms and regions as possible."

It's not clear exactly what those glitches are. Opera fans are able to use Google Instant by setting their browser to lie about its identity and tell Web servers it'sFirefox, so clearly the feature isn't totally impossible.

Opera, based in Oslo, Norway, long has had a loyal following of passionate users, and the browser maker has often been eager to embrace new Web technologies, so being stuck in a tech backwater clearly is frustrating to some users.

Opera is continuing to advance its browser. New features emerging in a beta of Opera 11.10, code-named Barracuda, include support for several new standards. You can download Opera 11.10 beta for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Among them:

• the Web Open Font Format, an attempt to bring better typography to the Web via downloadable fonts.

• CSS's linear gradients, which can create gradual color transitions and fades without requiring images to be downloaded.

• CSS's multi-column layouts to make it easier to provide newspaper- or magazine-like look to Web pages.

Separately, Opera is working on adding hardware acceleration and WebGL's 3D graphics to a future version of Opera. Also in the works is the HTML5 parser, which among other things defines a standard way for all browsers to handle the abundance of incorrectly coded Web pages.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20044576-264.html#ixzz1HFysBk12

WebM Components For IE9 Bring Further Video Compatibility To Windows, End To Codec Conflict?

We've been reporting on the drama over Google's WebM ever since Microsoft compared the video format to Esperanto earlier this year, but despite a war of words, Google and Microsoft seem to be playing nice as of late. What originally appeared to be a mere WebM plug-in for IE9, has turned out to be a full set of components for the Microsoft Media Foundation (MF) API, which means even more compatibility within Windows. Because the components are installed directly to the operating system, you'll be able to watch WebM videos in other programs that support MF, such as Windows Media Player 12 for Windows 7. We suppose this could be the signal for some sort of a truce over disputed video formats, but, really, what's the fun in that?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/18/webm-components-for-ie9-bring-further-video-compatibility-to-win/

Internet Explorer 9 Launches Tonight, We've Got Your Early Look (Update: It's Live)

Yes, we know it's PI day, but don't tell the guys and gals at Microsoft -- we hear they're celebrating something a little different. That's right, the long-awaited IE9 browser is finally coming out of its beta and RC stage, and will be hitting the global download airways this evening at 9PM PT, which is midnight here on the East Coast. Microsoft tells us the .exe file will be available for you to download at those times right from www.beautyoftheweb.com -- but should you? Obviously, the RC release has been out for awhile, but we've spent the last day or so using the final build and we have to say if you're a PC user it's definitely worth a test drive. Hit the break to find out why we think so.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/14/internet-explorer-9-launches-tonight-weve-got-your-early-look/

Opera Launches Mobile App Store

Opera announced today the opening of its own mobile app store.

(Credit: Opera)

The new online Opera Mobile store is offering both paid and free apps designed for a variety of phones, including those running Java, Symbian, BlackBerry, Android, and Microsoft's Windows Mobile OS. The company launched the new store with help from mobile app marketplace Appia, which provided the storefront e-commerce technology.

Opera is specifically looking to reach users of its own mobile browser by setting up the store's mobile Web site as a Speed Dial link. Opening the site on a mobile device prompts users to either select their specific device or platform or check out the store in general. But for ease of use, people will want to select their own device to more easily zero in on the right apps.

In return, the site presents all the available apps divided into different

categories, such as Featured, Free, Top 50, Top Picks, and New. Tapping on a specific category pops up a list of apps with brief descriptions, paid or free status, and the number of stars collectively awarded to the app by other users. From there, users can either browse the offerings or search for a specific title. Choosing an app lets people view more details and click on a download link to download the app directly to the device.

Launching the store across more than 200 countries, Opera said the settings are customized for each user's device and operating system and will display the local country, currency, and a list of downloaded apps. To help kick off the new app store, Opera has set up another site called the Opera Publisher Portal, which it says offers developers a way to get their apps directly into the Opera Mobile Store.

"The launch of the Opera Mobile Store supports Opera's core belief in an open, cross-platform mobile Internet experience by providing Opera users with an integrated storefront of mobile applications," Mahi de Silva, executive vice president for Opera's Consumer Mobile group, said in a statement. "Our partnership with Appia delivers to all Opera Mobile and Opera Mini users easy access to a wide variety of great content, on any device, all over the world."

Opera's new store faces an increasingly crowded field of mobile app stores, including Apple's App Store, Google's Android Market, RIM's BlackBerry App World, and Nokia's Ovi Store, as well as open app stores such as GetJar. Amazon also will soon offer some competition, at least in the Android arena, as it recently revealed that it will open its own store for Android apps.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20040577-93.html#ixzz1G9CFtIAi

Adobe Releases Tablet Publishing Tool

Outside magazine uses Adobe's publishing app to produce an iPad version of the magazine.

(Credit: screenshot by Stephen Shankland)

Adobe Systems today released the Enterprise Edition of its Digital Publishing Suite, a tool for creating interactive publications on tablets--and for making Adobe more relevant in an age of new computing devices.

The software integrates with Adobe's existing Creative Suite applications such as InDesign to let designers produce digital publications for Apple's iPad, RIM's PlayBook, Motorola's Xoom, and Samsung's Galaxy Tab lines of Android-based tablets. It also dovetails with digital distribution systems, including Apple's App Store Subscriptions and Google One Pass. And it comes with analytics services from Adobe's Omniture acquisition so that publishers can track details about how people use the digital publications.

Among 150 titles using Adobe's technology are National Geographic, Vogue, Consumer Reports, Marines Magazine, Backpacker, Autotrends, The New Yorker, Outside, and Wired. Publishers include Bonnier, Conde Nast, Globo Media Group, and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

Adobe is a major power when it comes to selling software for personal computers, but it's working to adapt to the new era of smaller, more-mobile devices. It has basic Photoshop versions for iPhone and Android phones and offers the Adobe Ideas app for sketching on iPads. The company is also working on more elaborate software for tablets, including an Adobe Journal technology demonstration app for drawing and sketching on Android devices.

Journal includes a variety of drawing devices, Photoshop-like features for adding graphical elements to a drawing, and tools for panning, zooming, and moving among different pages. It's based on Adobe's cross-platform AIR software foundation, meaning that Journal could likely be ported to other operating systems--even iPads, using an Adobe packaging system that turns AIR apps into native apps.

In contrast, the Digital Publishing Suite isn't for ordinary consumers with tablets, but rather for businesses trying to reach those consumers. The version released today is for large publishers; for smaller outfits, Adobe's Professional Edition is due to ship late in the second quarter, Adobe said.

Also at that time, Adobe plans to release the Folio Producer Service, which will let publishers directly upload content from InDesign, Adobe's software for design and layout.

Pricing of the Enterprise Edition depends on a custom quote from Adobe based on access to services for creating and distributing publications, Adobe said in a blog post.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20039968-264.html#ixzz1FxKD7Qn4

Skype To Expand Online Meetings Via GoToMeeting

Skype is expanding its video- and audio-conferencing options through a new deal that will let it tap into Citrix's popular GoToMeeting software.

Skype said yesterday that partnering with Citrix to integrate GoToMeeting technology will help it expand its business service by offering more robust and user-friendly collaboration and online meeting tools.

Specifically, the company plans to enhance its Skype for Business option with Web- and audio-conferencing features to add to the service's existing IM, video calling, and file-sharing tools. Business users will be able to more easily and quickly set up online audio conferences using either Skype or the regular phone network. Screen sharing will also be improved, according to Skype, allowing meeting hosts to demo and highlight anything on their screen. Finally, a new audio codec should boost the quality of the calls themselves.

"We are thrilled to partner with Citrix, which offers one of the most popular and easy to use Web-conferencing solutions on the market today," David Gurle, vice president and general manager of Skype Enterprise, said in a statement. "Web and audio conferencing has been among the top requested features by our business users. This represents a significant step toward broadening our enterprise offerings, while adding features that will enable business people to collaborate even more efficiently and effectively."

Skype expects to roll out the new GoToMeeting-enabled conferencing features toward the end of the year.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20038339-93.html#ixzz1FUFCGmeg