Apple tests Safari, QuickTime, Pro App updates
updated 03:05 pm EST, Fri March 5, 2010
Safari fix may boost plugin reliability
Apple is currently testing updates to three pieces of software, sources note. The first is Safari 4.0.5, which is being tested in separate builds for Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard and Windows. The emphasis of the patch is said to be a regression in the browser's JavaScript engine, one which arose with the release of Safari 4.0.4. Some sections of code are also being transitioned from a Safari-native base to WebKit, for the sake of cross-platform compatibility.
Some other major changes, according to AppleInsider, include a new plugin manager, meant to reduce crashes while simultaneously improving load times. Safari should likewise see lower memory use, better performance with YouTube and HTML5 video, and faster loading of Top Sites panels and JavaScript. Depending on the target platform, current builds measure between 26 and 38MB in size.
QuickTime 7.66 is by comparison a minor update, only fixing unspecified security, maintenance and performance problems. It may allegedly be one of the last releases for QuickTime 7, which is now used only by Tiger, Leopard and Windows. Snow Leopard Macs come with QuickTime X, a more advanced player with a minimalist aesthetic.
Testing is lastly said to be finishing on a maintenance patch for Final Cut Studio and Pro, simply called the Pro Applications Update. The software might have been released last week, sources say, except that Apple decided to hold it back for extra work. On Wednesday Apple posted a related update, ProKit 5.1.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jul 2002
QuickTime X needs improvement
Apple, please move QT-X's controls off the video content. One should be able to pause the video and read text or see content detail at the bottom of the video frame without the QT-X controls blocking the video frame while it's paused (it also blocks the content briefly while playing).
This is just poor interface design, plain and simple.