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TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 7 December 2009

Dialectic 1.5 — JNSoftware has released a significant maintenance update to the phone dialing utility Dialectic. The latest version adds incoming call detection for the iPhone, a Services workflow item to enable contextual menu dialing for Snow Leopard users, a Google Quick Search plug-in, preferences for the Call Timer, and a separate Call Timer status window. The update also improves formatting of Address Book phone numbers, detection of different call types, accuracy of the caller ID feature, and reliability of Internet-based calling methods such as Google Voice and Vonage. For more info, see “Dialectic Simplifies
Dialing Any Type of Phone
,” 10 April 2008. ($25 new, free update, 7 MB)

HandBrake 0.9.4 — A year after its last significant update, version 0.9.4 of the open-source video conversion program HandBrake has been released. The update incorporates the latest version of the x264 video encoder, offers 64-bit builds with 10 percent greater performance for most Intel-based Macs, adds soft subtitles which users can turn on or off, and includes a new live preview window. Also, input support has been improved for DVD and non-DVD sources, encoding now shifts to maintain a set quality rather than maintaining a constant bit rate, and unnecessary encoding presets have been eliminated. (Free, 4.9 MB)

Labels and Addresses 1.5 — Just in time for the holidays, BeLight Software has released the latest version of Labels and Addresses, their tool for printing labels and envelopes. In addition to adding 22 new holiday design sets and 30 new templates, version 1.5 brings support for Aperture, the capability to design and print double-sided envelopes and postcards, and Spanish and French localizations. Also new is integration with Google Maps, enabling users to indicate their location on a card or envelope (perfect for hosts of holiday parties). Finally, several minor bugs have been fixed, including one that would lead to an application
freeze when working with certain printers in the Print dialog. Full release notes are available on BeLight Software’s Web site. ($49.95 new, free update, 34.5/14.8 MB application/update)

Electric Sheep 2.7b21 — If you use the Electric Sheep screensaver, please download this important update, which fixes a bug that caused the previous version to hammer the sheep download server. The update also adds a count of how many times a particular sheep has appeared when you press F4, timestamps log entries, and makes it possible for you to tweak how many sheep are shown based on how often they are played. To learn more about Electric Sheep, see “Top 10 Screensavers for the 21st Century,” 23 February 2009. (Free, 16.5 MB)

Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 1 — Apple has released the latest version of Java SE 6 (1.6.0_17) for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, improving its reliability and security. The update supersedes all prior Java for Mac OS X updates.

The update addresses multiple security vulnerabilities that could enable an untrusted Java applet on a maliciously crafted Web site to obtain elevated user privileges and execute arbitrary code. A vulnerability that caused expired Java applet certificates to be treated as valid has also been addressed. Details regarding the security aspects of this update are available on Apple’s Web site.

The update requires Mac OS X 10.6.2 and is available via Software Update or the Apple Support Downloads page. (Free, 78 MB)

Java for Mac OS X 10.5 Update 6 — Apple has released the latest versions of J2SE 5.0 (1.5.0_22) and Java SE 6 (1.6.0_17) for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, improving their reliability and security. The update supersedes all prior Java for Mac OS X updates.

The update addresses multiple security vulnerabilities that could enable an untrusted Java applet on a maliciously crafted Web site to obtain elevated user privileges and execute arbitrary code. A vulnerability that caused expired Java applet certificates to be treated as valid has also been addressed. Details regarding the security aspects of this update are available on Apple’s Web site.

Java 1.4.2_22, which is no longer being updated, is also vulnerable to these issues and has thus been disabled by default in this update.

The update requires Mac OS X 10.5.8, supports both Intel-based and PowerPC-based Macs (though Java SE 6 is available only on 64-bit Intel-based Macs), and is available via Software Update or the Apple Support Downloads page. (Free, 122 MB)

Rumpus 6.2 — For those who want to control their own file transfer servers, Maxum Development has released the latest version of its FTP and Web file transfer server Rumpus. The update adds support for Growl, the capability to search files by name and content, an optimized interface for viewing files on the iPhone, a new set of Web interface options, and automatic drop shipping for transferring large files securely. Also, email encryption is now supported, restrictions on file types specified for Web File Manager (WFM) settings now apply to FTP transfers, FileWatch now enables users to send outbound messages via Apple Mail, and Chinese WFM translations have been
added. ($269 new, free update for purchases after 1 January 2008, paid upgrade otherwise, 10.7 MB)

TweetDeck v0.32.0 — Iain Dodsworth has released the latest version of his Adobe AIR-based Twitter client, TweetDeck. Changes included integration with LinkedIn accounts, the capability to geotag tweets with your location, the option to choose between Twitter’s new style for retweets and the old style, and an improved interface featuring a new Add Column screen. Also, support for Twitter’s new list feature (see “Twitter Adds Lists, Finally,” 30 October 2009) has been added, ensuring full compatibility with Twitter while maintaining the functionality of TweetDeck groups. Old groups will still be available to you, but
you won’t be able to add any more new ones. A full list of changes and bug fixes is available on Dodsworth’s Web site. (Free, 2.4 MB)

MarsEdit 2.4 — Red Sweater Software has released several updates to its popular blog posting software MarsEdit since we last checked in, the most recent being version 2.4 (for more info, see “MarsEdit 2.0 Blasts Off,” 10 September 2007). Changes since MarsEdit 2.0 include the capability to search drafts and entries, the capability to save drafts to a server, support for native tags, and an improved Web preview. Also, AtomPub support has been added, MarsEdit’s markup macros can now be used in the media window, and performance speeds of the program launch, weblog entry sort, and the Media Manager have been
enhanced. Finally, support has been added for Tumblr and Squarespace, and Technorati Tags are now easier to edit. ($29.95 new, free update from 2.x or $9.95 from 1.0, 3.7 MB)

Mailplane 2.1.1 — Uncomplex has released a minor maintenance update to Mailplane, its WebKit wrapper for Gmail that maintains Gmail’s interface while adding standard Mac OS X features like drag-and-drop attachments, Growl notifications, and screenshot capabilities. The latest version adds support for Flash 10.1 beta, further improves offline capabilities, and enhances the Auto-BCC feature. Also, several bugs have been fixed, including one that prevented Auto-BCC from working when replying, one that led to notification problems when spaces were included in an email address, one that prevented Mailplane from starting if it was housed in a folder that contained a forward
slash in its name, and one that caused the program to crash on first launch. ($24.95 new, free update, 6.5 MB)

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