The Download Blog

Google plans to release a Mac beta of Chrome in early December, judging by some chatter on a mailing list for the browser.

Chrome 4.0 is available today as a beta version for Windows but only as a rougher developer-preview version on Linux and Mac OS X. The standout feature of the new version is customization through extensions, a technology that long has been a core asset of another open-source browser, Firefox.

Google has been moving to a new extensions presentation technology called Browser Actions that let people interact with extensions through a small button toward the upper right of the browser window. "We've noticed that many of you have updated your extensions to take advantage of the new UI. We'd like to encourage the rest of you to do so as well," said Nick Baum, a Google Chrome product manager, in a mailing list posting.

But here's the hitch: Browser Actions only work on Windows and Linux right now. That means those building extensions will leave Mac Chrome users behind for a time. But in telling those developers they won't have long to wait, Baum mentioned the deadline for the beta version.

"The earlier you switch, the more time you will have to polish your experience for our Beta launch in early December," he said.

And Google is on the case for adding Browser Actions to the Mac version of Chrome.

"We realize this means dropping Mac support for a couple of weeks, but we already have people working on that," Baum said. "If you prioritize the Windows and Linux versions, we'll bring you cross-platform parity as soon as we can!"

If you run your own Web site or design your own blog, you need a good FTP client to keep your site updated and running smoothly. Fetch has been around for more than a decade as the go-to FTP client for Mac and is a solid and tested option for all your file transferring needs. This latest version fixes bugs and improves on its stability.

Also this week, we have the latest version of Vuze, one of the best BitTorent clients for Mac, featuring the capability to view full HD video from within the software. Our game this week is Sun Blast, a fast-paced 3D arcade shooter in which you'll battle waves of enemies to reach the mothership for the ultimate showdown.

Don't forget to check out our iPhone apps of the week!

Apple on Monday released a large security update for Mac OS X that fixes dozens of vulnerabilities and provides protection against potential attacks exploiting a weakness in the protocol used to verify that a domain is legitimate.

There are 43 specific issues addressed in the 2009-006 update, released the same day as Mac OS X v.10.6.2.

It plugs a variety of holes for the Mac OS X v10.5.8, 10.6, 10.6.1, and Mac OS X Server v10.6 and 10.6.1, many of which could lead to arbitrary code execution and allow an attacker to take control of a computer.

Several updates affect Apache and QuickTime. Others target AFP Client, Apple Type Services, Core Graphics, CoreMedia, Dictionary, Disk Images, Dovecot, Directory Service, fetch mail, FTP Server, Help Viewer, Kernel, PHP, QuickDraw Manager and Spotlight.

One update fixes a hole in Adaptive Firewall that could allow a brute force or dictionary attack to guess an SSH log-in password, and another update addresses a vulnerability in Login Window that could allow a user to log in to any account without supplying a password.

Several updates address holes that could allow domain spoofing or man-in-the-middle attacks involving SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) used for encrypting data in transit, including a significant weakness in the X.509 protocol for generating SSL connections.

One of the updates affects the libsecurity feature and is billed as a "proactive change to protect users in advance of improved attacks against the MD2 hash algorithm" that could expose users to spoofing and information disclosure.

"There are known cryptographic weaknesses in the MD2 hash algorithm. Further research could allow the creation of X.509 certificates with attacker controlled values that are trusted by the system," the update says. "This could expose X.509 based protocols to spoofing, man in the middle attacks, and information disclosure. While it is not yet considered computationally feasible to mount an attack using these weaknesses, this update disables support for an X.509 certificate with an MD2 hash for any use other than as trusted root certificate."

That major weakness was revealed by security researcher Dan Kaminsky at the Defcon hacker conference in July. Kaminsky was able to trick a Certificate Authority into providing a certificate verifying authenticity for a domain that belonged to someone else.

The updates can be downloaded from Apple's site.

Many of you are getting new PCs these days, either as a gift, or just because there's a shiny new operating system out there. But once you get it fired up and the operating system installed, it's time to populate it with good software. Don't just take all the dreck off your old machine people. Use this as an opportunity to start fresh. Let me give you the seven essential pieces of software for your new PC.

First, there's security. You need an antivirus app, and it's not something you need to pay for. CNET's Download.com gave AVG Free Antivirus edition five stars out of five. And if you're not a big company, it won't cost you a dime.

Now that you're protected, it's time to browse the Internet. Don't just go with the Web browser that came with your operating system. There's Opera, and Google Chrome, and Firefox, and so many other options. And you know what? I'm not going with any of them. I recommend Sea Monkey. Why? Because it has the Firefox Web browser, but it also bundles e-mail, an IRC client, and Web page editor as well. If IRC and Web editing doesn't matter to you, then maybe go with Firefox and Thunderbird for e-mail. However, to get the most bang for your byte, I say go Sea Monkey.

Next, you need to tell all your friends of your experience on your new computer. So get an IM client. On Windows, I recommend Pidgin. For Mac use Adium. They both are free, open-source multiservice clients that work great.

Next, it's time to save you a few hundred bucks. Don't go out and drop dough on Microsoft Office. Open Office from Openoffice.org is better than it's ever been. I use it daily for word processing, spreadsheet manipulation, presentations, and more. If you're an Excel superuser, you may have issues with it, but for the average Joe, it's going to do everything you need--for free!

Productivity is covered. Now for some entertainment. For that, you need VLC media player. It can handle almost anything you throw at it. Have DVDs won't play in that piece of crap software that came with your PC? VLC will handle it. Music? Any format you can think of. And it's got that magic price you love.

Two more and we're done.

Now you need a graphics editor. How else will you put your friends heads on celebrity bodies. For Windows there's nothing better than Paint.NET. It's free and powerful. For Mac? It's tough. I like Acorn, which is free to download but $50 to keep. For free that stays free, try Seashore, which is based on the GIMP engine, or Skitch.

Finally, one last security piece of software. Antispyware. You can go with a cocktail of Ad-Aware, Spybot Search and Destory, Windows Defender, and so on. That's not a bad idea, but if I was backed up against a wall and forced to pick just one, I'd pick Hijack This. Trend Micro has given us one of the most powerful malware removal tolls you can find, and it's freeware.

Now there's certainly many other apps you need, such as registry cleaners, torrent downloaders, FTP clients, and so on, but they start to stray into niches that vary for different types of users. I can say without a doubt that these seven programs are essential for you to install on every PC, no matter who you are.

Tom and Rafe discuss the apps they put on first thing when they get a new computer.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

The Dock in Mac OS X acts as a launcher, program switcher, and much more. But if you want more space and flexibility with your main program and file launcher, you might want to try DragThing. This popular and well-tested shareware GUI-enhancer has become an indispensable addition to OS X for many users. If you want a new way to organize your apps and files, this feature-rich utility is the perfect tool.

Also this week we have the latest version of AppDelete, the uninstall utility that helps you get all the files associated with an unwanted app off of your Mac for good. Our game this week is Mad Skills Motocross, a simple side-scrolling motocross game with unique challenges and entertaining gameplay.

Don't forget to check out our iPhone apps of the week!

Want to see what's in store next for Firefox on the Mac? If you consider yourself a tech-savvy Mac user, check out the latest 3.6 beta release of Mozilla Firefox. New enhancements, like the capability to change the browser's appearance with a single click, improved JavaScript performance, and numerous other tweaks, were designed to make your overall Web-surfing experience better. Like any beta software, make sure to save your important data before you install and run this program. Warning: there may be bugs.

Not an early adopter? Then check out Xupport, the Swiss Army knife of utilities that helps you safely optimize your Mac using several system tools. Our game this week is Solavant, the hardcore Solitaire game with 240 game types and absolutely no hints or cheats--it's just you against the cards.

Don't forget to check out our iPhone apps of the week!

Here's a little Friday fun for all you game fans: From now until Oct. 25, the insanely popular puzzle game World of Goo is on sale--and you get to name the price.

It normally sells for $20, but in honor of its first birthday, developer 2D Boy decided to run a little experiment. (Check out the results on the company's blog. Very interesting stuff.)

Basically, when you click the Get It button, you're whisked to a PayPal page where you specify your "donation" amount. (No PayPal account? Click the "continue" link on the left side to use a credit card.)

So, what'll it be? A penny? A five-spot? A sawbuck? If you're honestly not sure what the game is worth, download the demo before you pick a number. World of Goo is available for Windows, Mac, and even Linux systems.

I'll admit I wasn't familiar with the game when I heard about this promotion, but it's without a doubt one of the cutest, weirdest, and most inventive puzzles I've ever played. You don't have to take my word: GameSpot awarded it a 9.0, as did several thousand readers.

I'm not going to reveal what I paid for it, as I don't want to influence anyone one way or the other. But I did pay for it--and definitely more than a penny.

How about you? Are you going to get your Goo on? If so, what's a fair price? (And how much did you actually pay?) Let's hear from you in the comments.

Amazon already has a free Kindle iPhone app. And soon it will have a free Kindle app for Windows PCs.

While the new app won't be available for download until next month, Microsoft demonstrated it at the Windows 7 launch event in New York City on Thursday. Like the iPhone app, Kindle for PC turns your PC into another reading device that can be linked to a Kindle account (you don't have to own a Kindle to set up a Kindle account). You can then choose to send Kindle e-books and periodicals to your PC via a wired or wireless network connection. Also, you can read an e-book on your PC while at home (or elsewhere), then send that same e-book to your iPhone or Kindle and pick up reading where you left off.

"Customers have told us that they want access to a wider variety of content and an increasingly diverse set of form factors," said Mike Nash, corporate vice president of Windows Platform Strategy at Microsoft. "With the announcement of Kindle for PC, Amazon is making its massive selection of Kindle books available on the world's most widely used platform."

Both Amazon and Microsoft are quick to note that Kindle for PC takes advantage of capabilities in the new Windows 7 OS, including Windows Touch technology. Also, the app isn't compatible with Windows 7 machines only, but will also work with Windows XP and Windows Vista computers.

Here's a list of features:

• Purchase, download, and read hundreds of thousands of books available in the Kindle Store
• Access your entire library of previously purchased Kindle books stored on Amazon's servers for free
• Choose from over 10 different font sizes and adjust words per line
• View notes and highlights marked on Kindle and Kindle DX
• Zoom in and out of text with a pinch of the fingers (Windows 7 users only)
• Turn pages with a finger swipe (available in a future release for Windows 7 users)

And what about a Kindle app for Macs? Well, Drew Herdener, Amazon.com's Director of Communications, tells us, "We will be coming out with Kindle for Mac in the next few months." Herdener also confirms that Kindle for Blackberry will debut soon.

To receive an e-mail when Kindle for PC is available for download, sign-up at amazon.com/KindleforPC.

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