Adobe Flash 10.3 adds auto-update notification for Apple's Mac OS X
Adobe this week updated its Flash Player to version 10.3, bringing security enhancements, including the support for auto-update notifications in Apple's Mac OS X operating system.
The latest update fixes vulnerabilities found in Adobe Flash Player 10.2.159.1 and earlier which can cause the software to crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. In addition to Mac OS X, Flash Player 10.3 is available for Windows, Android, and Linux.
"In the past, Mac users often had trouble keeping up with Flash Player updates since the Mac OS and Flash Player ship schedules are not in sync," Adobe employees Peleus Uhley and Lindsey Wegrzyn wrote in an official blog post. "With this new feature, Flash Player will automatically check each week for new updates and notify the user when new updates are available. This feature matches the auto-update notification capability previously implemented on Microsoft Windows."
In addition to automatic update notifications, users will also be able to more easily clear locally saved files, also known as "Flash cookies," within a browser's privacy settings. The latest version also adds the ability to natively access streamlined controls for privacy, security and storage settings in any platform's local control panel. On a Mac, this can be found in System Preferences.
Other features of the update, according to Adobe, include:
Media measurement (desktop only) ? Measuring video usage just got easier. Using Adobe SiteCatalyst with Flash Player 10.3, developers can implement video analytics for websites with as little as two lines of code for the first time. Media Measurement for Flash Player allows companies to get real-time, aggregated reporting of how their video content is distributed, what their audience reach is, and how much video is played. Mobile support will be available in an upcoming release.
Acoustic echo cancellation (desktop only) ? With Flash Player 10.3, developers can create real-time online collaboration experiences with high-quality audio for telephony, in-game voice chat, and group conferencing applications. Developers can take advantage of acoustic echo cancellation, noise suppression, voice activity detection, and automatic compensation for various microphone input levels. End users will be able to experience higher quality audio facilitating smoother conversation flow, without using a headset.
The security of Flash has been a sticking point for Apple in an ongoing feud with Adobe, as the Cupertino, Calif., company has refused to allow Flash onto its iOS-based devices like the iPhone. Last October, Apple took the issue one step further and began shipping its Macs without Flash preinstalled.
Apple justified the change by stating that the move ensures that users will install the most up to date version of Flash when they set up their Mac. The company also revealed that Flash was responsible for more than half of the security vulnerabilities in Mac OS X.
The latest update fixes vulnerabilities found in Adobe Flash Player 10.2.159.1 and earlier which can cause the software to crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. In addition to Mac OS X, Flash Player 10.3 is available for Windows, Android, and Linux.
"In the past, Mac users often had trouble keeping up with Flash Player updates since the Mac OS and Flash Player ship schedules are not in sync," Adobe employees Peleus Uhley and Lindsey Wegrzyn wrote in an official blog post. "With this new feature, Flash Player will automatically check each week for new updates and notify the user when new updates are available. This feature matches the auto-update notification capability previously implemented on Microsoft Windows."
In addition to automatic update notifications, users will also be able to more easily clear locally saved files, also known as "Flash cookies," within a browser's privacy settings. The latest version also adds the ability to natively access streamlined controls for privacy, security and storage settings in any platform's local control panel. On a Mac, this can be found in System Preferences.
Other features of the update, according to Adobe, include:
Media measurement (desktop only) ? Measuring video usage just got easier. Using Adobe SiteCatalyst with Flash Player 10.3, developers can implement video analytics for websites with as little as two lines of code for the first time. Media Measurement for Flash Player allows companies to get real-time, aggregated reporting of how their video content is distributed, what their audience reach is, and how much video is played. Mobile support will be available in an upcoming release.
Acoustic echo cancellation (desktop only) ? With Flash Player 10.3, developers can create real-time online collaboration experiences with high-quality audio for telephony, in-game voice chat, and group conferencing applications. Developers can take advantage of acoustic echo cancellation, noise suppression, voice activity detection, and automatic compensation for various microphone input levels. End users will be able to experience higher quality audio facilitating smoother conversation flow, without using a headset.
The security of Flash has been a sticking point for Apple in an ongoing feud with Adobe, as the Cupertino, Calif., company has refused to allow Flash onto its iOS-based devices like the iPhone. Last October, Apple took the issue one step further and began shipping its Macs without Flash preinstalled.
Apple justified the change by stating that the move ensures that users will install the most up to date version of Flash when they set up their Mac. The company also revealed that Flash was responsible for more than half of the security vulnerabilities in Mac OS X.
Comments
Apple, please buy Adobe and finally put a fatal bullet into this POS product. and throw out the bums running the company.
Apple, please don’t waste your money on Adobe.
Apple, please buy Adobe and finally put a fatal bullet into this POS product. and throw out the bums running the company.
It all ran fine before 10.1 with it's 'hardware acceleration'. Pathetic.
Add to that that BBC iPlayer (Adobe Air) can turn my MacBook Pro into a frying pan running HD content for a while. This is a laptop that runs Supreme Commander on full settings flawlessly...and then has to up it's game to play a Flash video!!
They’ve gotten better at using resources on Mac OS but it’s still not very good. Plus, I really hate the archaic 8-bit-looking setting option they have when you right-click on Flash.
Add to that list the fact that on my 17" MBP (2010), when I put a video in fullscreen mode, it becomes very choppy. Doesn't happen on any other Mac I've used (with the same version of the Flash plugin), but really, it shouldn't happen at all.
UPDATE: Looks like the 10.3 update fixes it (finally).
I have one application whose developer just "upgraded" to Adobe AIR for their user interface. It doesn't work as well as the previous version, and sucks the life out of my Mac, until Flash finally crashes. They are also making their files incompatible with the previous versions, so you can't backtrack.
I am looking for alternatives.
Acoustic echo cancellation (desktop only) – With Flash Player 10.3, developers can create real-time online collaboration experiences with high-quality audio for telephony, in-game voice chat, and group conferencing applications. Developers can take advantage of acoustic echo cancellation, noise suppression, voice activity detection, and automatic compensation for various microphone input levels. End users will be able to experience higher quality audio facilitating smoother conversation flow, without using a headset.
This the direction Flash should be going. Back to full featured applications that are far beyond the scope of HTML5. While Adobe has been the default video player for several years it has been mostly due to the fragmentation of browsers and video plugins. Unfortunately that baby sitting job must continue a while longer since Apple, Mozilla and Google are all headed in different directions regarding video playback.
I really want to see some wow factor applications built in Flash, stuff that can never be built in HTML so that it becomes clear what Flash should be used for. Too bad about mobile. Flash just needs too much juice for that platform.
Flash needs to die. The faster the better.
Apple should buy Adobe just to make them stop making Flash.
And while ClicktoFlash is a nice piece of software to block Flash content, it still leaves the websites you visit thinking that you ARE using Flash. So they have no incentive to stop using it themselves because they think you are still using it. Plus, most sites will simply serve you non-Flash versions of the content if you don't use ClicktoFlash. So you still get the full website content, while also informing them that you don't want Flash.
Flash crashes my Safari browser 5-10 time a day. I also love how Flash often takes 100% cpu time on a 2.7ghz I7. Worst program ever.
Flash needs to die. The faster the better.
Apple should buy Adobe just to make them stop making Flash.
Safari might crash once per month if not far less often than that for me - and I have Flash installed like most everyone else.. I doubt Flash is bringing your computer down all by itself.
The best Flash security update is to simply uninstall it.
And while ClicktoFlash is a nice piece of software to block Flash content, it still leaves the websites you visit thinking that you ARE using Flash. So they have no incentive to stop using it themselves because they think you are still using it. Plus, most sites will simply serve you non-Flash versions of the content if you don't use ClicktoFlash. So you still get the full website content, while also informing them that you don't want Flash.
If the developer gave a rat's ass whether or not you were blocking Flash they could easily do it.
In standard compliant browsers it’s pretty easy to check if a plug-in is installed. You use the navigator object and check the mimeTypes property.
Then just look for application/x-futuresplash which means you have Click2Flash
Not many sites will serve up HTML5 animations/applications as alternate content. As far as video is concerned the HTML5 <video> tag for Safari needs to be the first option in the list anyway (bug) so it has nothing to do with Click2Flash. If the video is properly coded you will get HTML5 version right off the bat.
The best Flash security update is to simply uninstall it.
And while ClicktoFlash is a nice piece of software to block Flash content, it still leaves the websites you visit thinking that you ARE using Flash. So they have no incentive to stop using it themselves because they think you are still using it. Plus, most sites will simply serve you non-Flash versions of the content if you don't use ClicktoFlash. So you still get the full website content, while also informing them that you don't want Flash.
I find the best way is to disable Flash altogether and then specifically uninstall it. Most sites will then give you HTML 5 content.
Then enable Safari's Develop menu, and install a copy of Chrome (I know, but it won't burn your eyes to use it for the occasional webpage).
When you find the odd page that has inescapable Flash elements, simply go Develop > Open Page with ... and pick Chrome. The page opens instantly in Chrome and you can see the content, click off the window when you are done and go back to a proper browser.
Best of both worlds.
I find the best way is to disable Flash altogether and then specifically uninstall it. Most sites will then give you HTML 5 content.
Then enable Safari's Develop menu, and install a copy of Chrome (I know, but it won't burn your eyes to use it for the occasional webpage).
When you find the odd page that has inescapable Flash elements, simply go Develop > Open Page with ... and pick Chrome. The page opens instantly in Chrome and you can see the content, click off the window when you are done and go back to a proper browser.
Best of both worlds.
You can also drag and drop the favicon next to the URL in Safari to Chrome if it?s in your Dock to launch that site.
Apple, please buy Adobe and finally put a fatal bullet into this POS product. and throw out the bums running the company.
However, I guess the previous posters method of uninstalling Flash wouldn't work using Firefox because Firefox relies on the same plugin as Safari uses, and Chrome has Flash built in.
You can also drag and drop the favicon next to the URL in Safari to Chrome if it?s in your Dock to launch that site.
I find the best way is to disable Flash altogether and then specifically uninstall it. Most sites will then give you HTML 5 content.
Then enable Safari's Develop menu, and install a copy of Chrome (I know, but it won't burn your eyes to use it for the occasional webpage).
When you find the odd page that has inescapable Flash elements, simply go Develop > Open Page with ... and pick Chrome. The page opens instantly in Chrome and you can see the content, click off the window when you are done and go back to a proper browser.
Best of both worlds.
This method is probably the best way of dealing with Flash. Flash blockers don't let the Flash using website know you don't want to use Flash.
It doesn't matter because any website using Flash for glitter is too stupid to even know or care how to detect what you are using and they certainly aren't going to take any specific action in response. Professional Flash application programmers are already well aware of every little detail. Whether you use a Flash blocker or not has no effect on how or why websites use Flash. If they are competent developers they are already way ahead you on that front.
Hi guys,
We are still using our wonderful old Apple PowerBook laptop computers. These are the old ones from before the day when Apple starting using processors built by Intel. Intel processors have always been used in some Windows PCs, but Apple did NOT use them until about 2006. I have purposely enjoyed using the NON Intel processors because it might make us less vulnerable to any computer virus.
Unfortunately Adobe and Apple do not get along. Steve Jobs thinks Adobe's video player called Flash is slow, inefficient, wastes battery life, and opens newer Macs to virus problems. Adobe is releasing Flash 10.3 this week. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DOWNLOAD Adobe Flash 10.3.
The problem as I understand it is that Flash 10.1 was the last edition that will support our old Apple Mac products without the Intel processors. The rule for software companies is that they will support the current version of their software, and one version back. So as long as 10.2 was current, Adobe also supported 10.1. But now that 10.3 is available, 10.1 is no longer supported. But to make matters worse, if you try to download 10.3, Adobe will DELETE their version 10.1 from your system and you will have nothing from Adobe to play videos. I shall write that again...IF YOU TRY TO DOWNLOAD FLASH 10.3, ADOBE WILL DELETE THEIR VERSION 10.1 FROM YOUR SYSTEM AND YOU WILL HAVE NOTHING FROM ADOBE TO PLAY VIDEOS!
I am told that Flash version 10.2 was nice and polite and simply refused to load on our old NON Intel machines, but it allowed version 10.1 to remain. But because Adobe wants to support only the current version 10.3 and one version back (10.2), Adobe has made this 'planned obsolesce' decision to delete 10.1 and make it impossible for our old computers to play videos.
Okay, that should explain the problem as I understand it. I may be wrong, but the above scenario is what I have been led to believe...
Love,
Dad