Matthew Dempsky has discovered a bug which will crash the Flash player on every supported platform. That might not seem like a huge deal, except that he discovered this bug in September of 2008 and has reported it to Adobe, which hasn't fixed it yet.

16 months later.

If you'd like to test it for yourself, make sure there's nothing important open in your browser window and head to http://flashcrash.dempsky.org/.

In Safari and Google Chrome, this crashes the plugin but not the browser. It took Firefox 3.6 down entirely.

Why would Matthew post such a page? Isn't that reckless? Well, he explains on that page:

"Regarding crashing, I can tell you that we don't ship Flash with any known crash bugs, and if there was such a widespread problem historically Flash could not have achieved its wide use today," Lynch wrote. "Addressing crash issues is a top priority in the engineering team, and currently there are open reports we are researching in Flash Player 10." (Source: PC Mag, "Adobe Defends Flash, Calls Apple Uncooperative")

He goes on to say:

This page exploits a bug that I reported to Adobe in September 2008, and has affected every release of Flash on every platform since then. Despite numerous email exchanges with the Flash product manager about the bug, the bug report being hidden from the public for "security" reasons, and [although] Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch's claims otherwise, it continues to be an issue.

...I'm not an Apple fan boy out to prove Steve Jobs right in Apple's decision not to support Flash on the iPhone / iPad. Instead, I'm just a software engineer who at one time had to deal with Adobe's sorry excuse for a development platform and made an earnest effort on several occasions at helping them improve it for everyone. (This issue is merely the tip of the iceberg of ridiculous bugs and random backwards and forwards incompatibilities known as Adobe's Flash Player plug-in.) After trying to work with them to fix this issue and experiencing nothing but frustration, I just don't give a damn anymore.

Adobe has been able to rest on its laurels with Flash, because it was a de facto standard. Now that the platform is being left behind by new mobile devices and computing metaphors, Adobe is making an appeal to the public that Flash isn't that bad.

Adobe's been able to do much the same with Photoshop and CS4. Even people who love the apps and use them every day have learned to live with the crashes and other problems. Adobe seemed not to be in too much of a rush to get Snow Leopard compatible versions out. Ditto for when Apple switched to Intel.

I'm amazed by people who continue to defend Flash, including those who believe that alternatives will have a chance if web developers weren't pushed to start using newer alternatives like H.264 and HTML 5. (No, I'm not saying H.264/HTML 5 is a drop-in replacement for Flash, and I'm not even going to mention SVG.)

If we all went with the "de facto standard" we'd be using Internet Explorer 6 on Windows. Actually, we'd probably be using Internet Explorer 4.

No doubt that Flash has done some great things. At one time, it was cutting edge stuff. Now it's a dull butter knife.

And I'd be remiss if I didn't remind you about ClickToFlash which I've reviewed previously.

(Hat tip to Craig Hockenberry and Mike Damm for bringing this story to our attention.)

As I sit by the light of the Christmas tree in my mother's house with the vestiges of presents all around, it occurs to me that no matter how good Santa might have been to you, both Apple and AT&T left us lumps of coal for the end of 2009.

You might remember this promise from Apple a few months ago:

"Apple will support Microsoft Windows 7 (Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate) with Boot Camp in Mac OS X Snow Leopard before the end of the year. This support will require a software update to Boot Camp."

It is possible to run Windows 7 under Boot Camp, but given the number of months Windows 7 was available as a beta, and now the length of time it has been released officially, it's disappointing not to have it officially supported, especially given Apple's simple and unequivocal promise.

Boot Camp runs a distant second, however, to the much larger missed deadline and broken promise from AT&T that tethering would be available for the iPhone in 2009. Despite being available all around the world, and on other smartphones on AT&T's network, tethering remains unavailable for iPhone users in the USA unless you have stayed behind on firmware or have taken the jailbreak route.

Rogers / Fido customers in Canada have been enjoying free tethering until 2010, and their deal has been extended until May 3rd. Given the way that I expect most people will use tethering, for occasional connections when traveling or out and about, free is exactly the price that tethering ought to cost. Given AT&T's existing costs for Blackberry tethering, though, I would not be surprised if AT&T expects another $30/month on top of the current $30/month data charges.

When will we see Windows 7 Boot Camp support and tethering? I have no idea, but I fully expect Apple to come through before AT&T does.

Coal picture courtesy of Wikimedia.

Need a refresher on the Google Voice and Apple saga? Let's recap the story to date:

Apple pulled all Google Voice related apps from the App Store back in July, which led to an FCC inquiry, which led Apple to claim they had not rejected but were "studying" Google Voice, which Google contradicted. The biggest surprise in the whole scenario is that AT&T said that they had no problem with Google Voice on the iPhone.

Yet here we are, 4 months later, and still no decision (that we know of) has been made. I've previously referred to this as Apple's pocket veto of Google Voice where they are able to say they haven't rejected it when they have, in effect, rejected it. Put it all together, and this has led me to put up a website for your "Google Voice on iPhone" questions, which I narrowed down to IsGoogleVoiceAvailableForTheiPhone.com?

As it stands today, the answer is a qualified "No" in that there are no Google Voice apps available from the App Store, but I was curious to see what options are available. I found three tools that you can use today, and one more which is on the horizon.

Read more →

Read more →

If you read Twitter for laughs, you might be familiar with Favstar, a website which compiles the funniest Twitter posts each day, as determined by the number of 'stars' (which Twitter calls 'favorites').

The developer behind Favstar, Tim Haines, has released a new iPhone app called Favit [iTunes Link] which is now available in the App Store. I've talked with Tim about Favstar since shortly after it was released and I've been a beta tester for Favit.

If you are familiar with other Twitter clients like Tweetie or Twitterrific, I should tell you right away that Favit is nothing like them. Favit is part of a small group of "helper" apps for Twitter. For example, Birdhouse [iTunes link] is an app meant to help you write (and rewrite) your best/funniest Twitter posts (see previous coverage of Birdhouse). Likewise, Favit is meant to help you find the best/funniest Twitter posts from others.

Favstar, like Favrd, is open to everyone, but tends to cater to a specific group of Twitter users. Favit will appeal to that group, but also has the potential to help you find a host of new and enjoyable folks to follow on Twitter, especially if you're there for the funny.

How It Works

Favit has a very simple user interface. When you launch it, you will see one Twitter post, shown in the image here. If you want to add it to your favorites, tap the star and it will turn yellow. If you want to see another, simply swipe from right to left.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Oh, did you notice anything missing from the Twitter post? It's anonymous, with no indication who wrote it. As the saying goes, it's not a bug, it's a feature.

Those who are familiar with Favstar/Favrd know that sometimes it seems like some people get stars just for scratching their backsides. By reading in Favit, you can make sure that you are responding to what was said rather than who said it. In fact, it can be fun to try to guess who wrote what.

What do you do when you're ready to have the author revealed?

Read more →

Wolfram|Alpha has discontinued their iPhone-friendly formatted webpage.

The page, which was available at http://wolframalpha.com/iphone, now redirects visitors to http://products.wolframalpha.com/iphone/, which is an information page related to their $50 iPhone app [iTunes Link].

Another page, http://www.wolframalpha.com/addtoyouriphone.html, shows iPhone users how to add the website to their iPhone (hint: just like any other page). Visiting the website in Mobile Safari brings up the image shown here, also suggesting that you buy the iPhone app.

The app gained wide attention when it was first announced due to its price tag, which critics said was far too high. Others rebuffed the criticism by saying that if you didn't want to use the app you could use the iPhone-friendly webpage.

Perhaps too many people did just that.

Thanks to TUAW reader Anil Doshi for the tip.

Update: Since there seems to be some confusion: yes, the regular website can be used once you dismiss the pop-up ad by tapping the "X" shown on the top-right corner of the ad. That seemed obvious to me, but obviously I should not make such assumptions.

Super Monkey Ball 2 [iTunes Link] is now available for the iPhone. There is good news and bad news, and yes, some of it relates to App Store policies which are out of developers' hands.

I bought the original Super Monkey Ball [iTunes Link] for US$10 on the first day the App Store was available (July 10, 2008, for those who might some day want to win a trivia contest). I had seen the demo and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I also bought Bejeweled 2 [iTunes Link] for $10 on that same day.

Bejeweled 2 is now selling for $3 and the original Super Monkey Ball is selling for $4. If you ask me, Bejeweled is a steal at the price, and the original version of Super Monkey Ball isn't worth $0.99. It was far too "twitchy" for my taste. I tried everything to steady my hands, but I was never able to get enough precise control to be able to enjoy the game. In all the time I've had it, I bet I've played it less than an hour. Every time I tried, it ended quickly in frustration, usually with my shouting "Drown, stupid monkey! Drown!"

I wasn't alone in my frustration. Macworld's first look at Super Monkey Ball 2 begins with this look back:

"The original Super Monkey Ball was an App Store launch game and sold like gangbusters. Taking advantage of the iPhone's accelerometer controls and already possessing a huge following thanks to its console success, Super Monkey Ball was one of the most highly anticipated apps on the iPhone.

The only problem was: it wasn't very good."

Macworld went on to say that Sega had (at that point) not announced a cost. Part of me deeply hoped that they would release it as a free update. As I see it, there are two big remaining flaws in the App Store (ignoring, for the moment, the whole approval process): 1) the lack of demo versions (either timed or number of launches), and 2) no way for developers to provide for upgrade pricing. That means that there is no way for people who bought Super Monkey Ball to get a deal on Super Monkey Ball 2. That left Sega with two choices: 1) release it as an update, meaning anyone who bought Super Monkey Ball would get it for free; or 2) release it as a separate app, meaning that anyone who bought v. 1 has to pay full price for v. 2. The App Store does not give them any other choice.

Read more →

Socialite, the Mac social networking application formerly known as "Eventbox," has been released out of beta.

The application is intended as a "one stop" for Twitter, Facebook, Google Reader, Flickr, Digg, and any site that supports RSS.

I've used Eventbox for some time now, as well as Socialite betas, and I was impressed enough to buy a license before RealMacSoftware purchased the application and changed the name. So far, I am impressed.

Twitter support includes multiple accounts, and it makes it very easy to send Direct Messages as well as @replies. Socialite also includes support for Twitter's new "Lists" and "Re-tweet" features. As far as I know, Socialite is currently the only native Mac Twitter client that supports lists. The application is the only way that I ever bother to keep up with Facebook, and it can do so without all the "cruft" (ads, for instance) in the browser interface for Facebook. Socialite is also a great way to keep up with your Flickr contacts.

Socialite sells for US$20.00, and a demo is available. If you previously purchased an Eventbox license, you will be contacted with instructions on getting a Socialite license within 24 hours. Without a license, Socialite is limited to three services, which will probably be plenty for some people.

Download the 1.0 and check it out for yourself!

Update: RealMacSoftware's website seems to be taking a dirt nap. You can download the 1.0 version directly from Amazon's S3 servers here. (MD5SUM = f06c92ce51b7f9a3db96d5e9051adbdb)

It's no secret that Flash is a blight on the Internet and should be killed with fire. However, some sites insist on using it, and so you may be interested in having it around.

Towards that end you may have read about the pre-release of Flash player 10.1 and decided to install it for the possible improvements in performance.

If you then decide to uninstall it, ha ha! You can't! Sorry!

Update: there is a uninstaller available, it is not included in the installer package. Read on for manual un-installation instructions, but use of the uninstaller is recommended. My apologies for the confusion. I wrongly assumed that Adobe would package an uninstaller with the installer, as that is what most Mac developers do when they offer an uninstaller. I regret the error.

There is no uninstaller, and you can't re-install the older version over the pre-release version, because the installer sees it as a newer version and won't let you.

Fortunately it can be removed by what I like to call "brute force."

1. Quit all browsers
2. Go to /Library/Internet Plug-Ins in Finder and delete the "Flash Player.plugin" and "flashplayer.xpt"
3. Download the latest stable version of Flash player (which will download a file called "install_flash_player_osx_ub.dmg")
4. Double-click "install_flash_player_osx_ub.dmg" which should open "/Volumes/Install Flash Player 10 UB" where you will find a file called "Adobe Flash Player.pkg"
5. Control (right) click on "Adobe Flash Player.pkg" and choose "Show Package Contents".
6. Open the "Contents" folder
7. Drag the "Archive.pax.gz" file to your Desktop
8. Double click on the "Archive.pax.gz" file to unarchive it, which will create a folder called "Archive"
9. Open the "Archive" folder and locate the "Flash Player.plugin" and "flashplayer.xpt" files.
10. Copy the "Flash Player.plugin" and "flashplayer.xpt" files to /Library/Internet Plug-Ins (you can then throw away the Archive folder on your Desktop, as well as Archive.pax.gz if it is still there.)
11. Launch Safari and check your Flash version here. As of this writing, the current stable version is "10,0,32,18"
12. (Optional) Install ClickToFlash so that Flash will only load when you want it to.

It is utterly baffling to me that a company as large as Adobe would ship a pre-release version of their plugin without an uninstaller [that you don't have to download separately, see above]. Then again, given Adobe's reputation, perhaps it shouldn't surprise me.

Some of you may be wondering why I didn't just delete the files from /Library/Internet Plug-ins/ and then run the installer for the stable version. I tried that, but the installer still insisted that there was a newer version installed, even after a reboot.

My advice is to keep using the stable version (with ClickToFlash) for now.

1Password 3.0 is available today for Leopard and Snow Leopard users, with a bunch of new features. Top of the list is 1PasswordAnywhere, which allows you to view 1Password data from any other computer --Windows, Mac, Linux, whatever -- with a modern browser like Safari or Firefox. (It should also allow you to use 1Password passwords on Mac browsers where the tool is not fully supported, such as Opera or Google Chrome.)

I've been using the 3.0 betas since Snow Leopard was released, and they have been completely stable. It is also possible to sync your 1Password keychain data over Dropbox so that all of your password information is available on all of your Macs. (Dropbox users: you may want to read this article about slimming 1Password backups if you store your 1Password backups on Dropbox. It dropped my backups from 21MB to 1MB.)

For those who aren't familiar with 1Password, let me tell you, it does more than just store passwords. It will generate them for you so you don't end up using the same lame password on a whole bunch of sites because it is the only one you can remember. All you have to remember is the password for 1Password (hence the name!). It will also manage multiple logins on the same page. My favorite feature? It will store credit card information and autofill forms for you with your billing/shipping address. I use this all the time, and whenever a website asks me if I want it to save my credit card information, I can say "No" and not have to worry about their security being compromised and my credit card information being exposed.

Another new feature is the Vault for storing software licenses, as well as file attachments. iPhone sync has been redesigned, and 1Password items can now be edited in the browser. (See all new features here.) This is a very worthy "new version" release packed with a lot of bang for your buck.

Which brings us to the "How much does it cost?" information. Agile is having a sale on upgrade licenses as part of the release:

• If you purchased 1Password 2 on or after February 1, 2009 you get a free upgrade to 1Password 3. For bonus points: your current license should "just work" in the new version.
• If you bought a license for any previous version of 1Password before February 1 (even if you got it through a bundle deal like MacHeist) single user license upgrades are $19.95, and Family 5-Pack licenses are $29.95. Note that this price is only good through November 30, 2009.
• For new users can try a fully-functioning 1Password 3 demo for 30 days. New single licenses are $39.95, and Family 5-Packs are $69.95. A 30-day money back guarantee is offered.

1Password is an essential addition to my life on the web. I bought my upgrade as soon as it was available. 1PasswordAnywhere is going to solve the biggest hurdle to using secure passwords everywhere (since I sometimes have to use Windows). The folks at Agile are very responsive to support requests, both via email and on Twitter, so your money is going to support active Mac and iPhone developers.

If you haven't tried 1Password before, now is a good time to check it out.