Apple updates QuickTime; MobileMe improvements coming next year
Apple issued a routine security update to its QuickTime media player for Windows and Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.8 Tuesday. Meanwhile, Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs has reportedly promised significant improvements to MobileMe in 2011 in an email to a customer.
QuickTime
On Tuesday, Apple updated its QuickTime media software to version 7.6.9, patching 15 vulnerabilities. The security update is intended for Windows and Mac OS X Leopard 10.5 users, as Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.5 already includes fixes to the vulnerabilities.
QuickTime 7.6.9 for Windows is a 32.86MB download. Mac OS X 10.5 users can obtain the update through Software Update or the QuickTime website.
The update addresses several issues with JP2, GIF, PICT and FlashPix images, as well as AVI, MPEG, QTVR, Sorenson and other movie files. Most of the issues resolved could have resulted in unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution if exploited.
MobileMe
MobileMe will "get a lot better in 2011," according to an email ostensibly from Jobs obtained by MacRumors. The email was sent in response to a customer complaint that MobileMe is "almost unusable."
MobileMe subscribers have questioned the service's $99 a year price tag as of late, especially after Apple made the Find My iPhone service free to use for devices running iOS 4.2.
Some experts speculate that MobileMe could see an overhaul of its iDisk or Gallery services when Apple begins to utilize its new 500,000-square-foot data center in Maiden, N.C., which is schedule to begin operation "by the end of this year."
Emails purportedly from Jobs should, of course, be taken with a grain of salt, as these recirculated emails have become increasingly common, with many of the emails unverified or blatantly falsified. This summer, a top Apple spokesperson "emphatically denied" that Jobs authored statements attributed to him in a supposed email exchange over the iPhone 4 antenna issue.
QuickTime
On Tuesday, Apple updated its QuickTime media software to version 7.6.9, patching 15 vulnerabilities. The security update is intended for Windows and Mac OS X Leopard 10.5 users, as Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.5 already includes fixes to the vulnerabilities.
QuickTime 7.6.9 for Windows is a 32.86MB download. Mac OS X 10.5 users can obtain the update through Software Update or the QuickTime website.
The update addresses several issues with JP2, GIF, PICT and FlashPix images, as well as AVI, MPEG, QTVR, Sorenson and other movie files. Most of the issues resolved could have resulted in unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution if exploited.
MobileMe
MobileMe will "get a lot better in 2011," according to an email ostensibly from Jobs obtained by MacRumors. The email was sent in response to a customer complaint that MobileMe is "almost unusable."
MobileMe subscribers have questioned the service's $99 a year price tag as of late, especially after Apple made the Find My iPhone service free to use for devices running iOS 4.2.
Some experts speculate that MobileMe could see an overhaul of its iDisk or Gallery services when Apple begins to utilize its new 500,000-square-foot data center in Maiden, N.C., which is schedule to begin operation "by the end of this year."
Emails purportedly from Jobs should, of course, be taken with a grain of salt, as these recirculated emails have become increasingly common, with many of the emails unverified or blatantly falsified. This summer, a top Apple spokesperson "emphatically denied" that Jobs authored statements attributed to him in a supposed email exchange over the iPhone 4 antenna issue.
Comments
I don't mind most of Apple's eccentricities, but this one really makes Apple seem like the plaything of one man.
I do hope this data center is for a lot more services, including a revamped iDisk that mimics Dropbox’s functionality.
I still say that Apple making what public roadmap as may be contingent on random emails to individuals from the CEO is completely insane.
I don't mind most of Apple's eccentricities, but this one really makes Apple seem like the plaything of one man.
I wish they would stop, too. I thought they had finally stopped after the debacle earlier this year. Guess not.
MobileMe needs updated and made a free service that becomes the center of the Apple user experience. I think Apple has known this for a while and will move in this direction very soon.
I don?t see the whole of MobileMe being free, and I don?t want this to be a free service like Google offers.
MobileMe needs updated and made a free service that becomes the center of the Apple user experience. I think Apple has known this for a while and will move in this direction very soon.
I hope so because I'm beginning to wonder if paying apple this money is worth it. \
I don?t see the whole of MobileMe being free, and I don?t want this to be a free service like Google offers.
Being a free service "like Google offers" would definitely be taking a step backward. The current version of MobileMe is already much better than stringing together various free services in an attempt to match what you get with MobileMe for a very fair price... that is if your an Apple user I guess.
However, imagine if MobileMe were enabled to be even more than it is currently. Imagine if it could replace your iTunes account, allow an even higher level of integration between your desktop, laptop, iPhone, iPad, etc. Don't laugh... Some people do have and fully utilize all these overlapping devices (myself included). What if MobileMe accounts could be associated together in some manner to allow small companies to forgoe having to buy and manage their own server? A lot of small companies need contact, calendar, file, and email sharing... But don't necessarily need a whole lot more. A company could pay for each employee to have a MobileMe account and if they could all be associated together, with some of the current limitations of MobileMe removed, you'd have a very turn-key and viable solution for small companies...
Just my thoughts
I don?t see the whole of MobileMe being free, and I don?t want this to be a free service like Google offers.
I don't see what MobileMe does to justify the price.
Free - Find my iPhone, Contacts, Calendar and Safari Bookmarks sync.
$49 annually - All the above plus email, iDisk 10GB streaming, Photo Gallery, 3rd party app sync
$99 annually - All the above with 30GB iDisk and iTunes streaming from cloud and web hosting
$199 - Small Business. 10 email accounts, sharing features in Calendar and iWork.com Biz document sharing. Shared 60GB iDisk and more.
Software as a service (SAAS) isn't supposed to be free just because Google scrapes and sells your data. It needs to be a viable (read profitable) market. I'm ok with tossing out freebies like Find My iPhone but in the end I need to ensure that my ecosystem of mobile devices are connected to the web and my Macs and PC so that everything works in concert. I also need much better 3rd party support so when I install an iOS app i'm not recreating the wheel to get my data in sync across my Mac, iPhone and Web.
I don't see what MobileMe does to justify the price.
Like all products and services, if the features doesnÂ?t suit oneÂ?s needs then itÂ?s not the right the right product for them. For me, their value are worth more the $5/month I pay for them and IÂ?d rather pay that and have Apple be accountable for the service than to have some half-assed, ad-supported solution Ã* la Google that does less than it does now or simply stagnates with no real incentive from Apple to improve its services.
I don’t see the whole of MobileMe being free, and I don’t want this to be a free service like Google offers.
Just curious, you don't want it free or don't want it how google has it set up or both... and why?
For me personally, just some basic stuff like find my phone is all I might use... I think, but that's just me, not a big fan of cloud storage services, bit of a luddite I suppose, but it does seem to be the future, sigh.
I know servers can and do a lot more than what I'm suggesting MobilMe could provide. But for smaller companies and startups, setting up and maintaining a server is a daunting challenge... I know, I've had to do it!
If MobileMe could allow me to provide my employees with a company email account, contacts, calendar, file sharing, iChat, cross-device synchronization, etc., etc. and it was all as simple, affordable, and almost zero configuration, as MobileMe is now, then I think Apple would have one hell of an offering that would fill a very real need.
They have the server farm to support it now. Sure would be cool if Apple spun a version of MobilMe in this general direction!
What do you guys think? \
In fact the only thing MobileMe does that I don't like, is that the Windows version resorts all my bookmarks in alphabetical order. I've already used find my iPhone twice this week. And I like having access to my iDisk through my iPhone.
That being said, I certainly wouldn't object if Apple wanted to lower the price!
It eventually got to the point where I just gave up trying to get my iPhone to sync because MobileMe would always screw up my Calendar events and Contacts. I haven't been able to use the feature I like most about MobileMe because it just doesn't work. I really hope there's some truth to this rumor and Apple makes MoblieMe reliable.
To me it seems as if there should be a multi level strategy with MobileMe.
Free - Find my iPhone, Contacts, Calendar and Safari Bookmarks sync.
$49 annually - All the above plus email, iDisk 10GB streaming, Photo Gallery, 3rd party app sync
$99 annually - All the above with 30GB iDisk and iTunes streaming from cloud and web hosting
$199 - Small Business. 10 email accounts, sharing features in Calendar and iWork.com Biz document sharing. Shared 60GB iDisk and more.
Software as a service (SAAS) isn't supposed to be free just because Google scrapes and sells your data. It needs to be a viable (read profitable) market. I'm ok with tossing out freebies like Find My iPhone but in the end I need to ensure that my ecosystem of mobile devices are connected to the web and my Macs and PC so that everything works in concert. I also need much better 3rd party support so when I install an iOS app i'm not recreating the wheel to get my data in sync across my Mac, iPhone and Web.
I like the idea of a tiered approach like this but I am not sure it will happen. It will depend on what value it will have for Apple strategically. The small business package may be too niche. It may not be a good idea to limit iWork.com only to business users.
I personally think mobile me is worth it just for the sync services alone.
When the iPhone first came out I'd agree but these days gmail syncs contacts, calendar and email. Apple now offers find my phone is now free. I cannot see what MobileMe currently offers to justify its price.