Simultaneous Mac, Windows updates

Included with OS X 10.7.2 and also available for Windows is Safari 5.1.1, an update of Apple's signature web browser. The release adds iCloud support and is said to increase JavaScript performance by as much as 13 percent over Safari 5.1. Much of the upgrade, though, is dedicated to patching up bugs, such as ones causing hangs, excessive memory use, instability and opening links in windows instead of tabs.

Efforts to smooth out the app have resulted in better handling of PDFs and printing, and more consistency when performing a pinch-to-zoom gesture. A Show Downloads option has been added to the View menu, and compatibility has been improved for embedded Flash video from sites like Vimeo. Similarly, East Asian characters should work more reliably in pages with Flash.

Fixed security holes include ones linked to Safari Extensions, file:// URLs, and Snow Leopard's treatment of SSL certificates. The bulk of the targeted vulnerabilities, however, were located in WebKit, the rendering engine underlying Safari and other web browsers like Google Chrome. In any case the fixes are directed at either both OS X and Windows, or OS X exclusively.

by MacNN Staff