On Thursday, Apple released version 3.2.4 of Aperture, its pro-grade image editing application. The new version, a 635 megabyte download, offers the following fixes and changes:

- Improves stability on Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

- Addresses an issue that could prevent the Viewer from updating correctly after editing a photo using an external editor.

Aperture 3.2.4 requires an Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.6.8 or Mac OS X 10.7.3 or later to install and run.

If you’ve tried the new version and have any feedback to offer, please let us know in the comments.

It never hurts to have different options for your user interface.

Per Engadget, an Apple patent application for an optical stylus has turned up on the United States Patent Trade Office website.

Although late Apple CEO Steve Jobs had derided the stylus as an input method for the iPhone and the iPad once famously saying that ‘If you need a stylus, you’ve already failed,’ Jobs was well known for throwing the opposition a curve ball from time to time speaking out against an idea, only to have been developing a concept behind the scenes. One example was when he said that consumers liked having a separate iPod while also carrying their phone, only to reveal the ultimate convergence device in the iPhone a couple of years later.

The Apple patent application describes a stylus that incorporates image capture along with an on-board image processor, while also capable of sensing pressure. It would include an accelerometer and an antenna to help relay the relative position of the stylus in relation to the device. Apple is also known to file patents for products, or technologies, that may never see the light of day. However, creative professionals, and other users would probably welcome an Apple stylus if it was released. The aftermarket stylus ecosystem the iPad and the iPhone, along with an interesting stylus project at Kickstarter and the forthcoming Adonit Jot Touch suggests that the demand is indeed there.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Some pretty decent stuff comes out in November (including Thanksgiving), so perhaps a long-awaited version of Microsoft Office for iOS is in order.

Per Boy Genius Report, a “reliable source” stated on Wednesday that Microsoft is planning to release the full Office suite for iPad later this year. The loading screen for the application reportedly says “Office for iOS,” which could suggest that it will also be compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch.

A version of Office for Android tablets will also reportedly debut in November alongside an iOS version. Other details on the software, such as pricing or features, remain unknown.

Word first surfaced last November that Microsoft was working on an iOS version of its Office suite. It was also said that the Redmond, Wash., software company planned to release an updated version of Office for Mac on Apple’s digital distribution Mac App Store.

Rumors of Office for iPad appeared again this February, when iPad news publication The Daily shared what was said to be a version of Office for iPad in action. However, Microsoft quickly responded to the report and accompanying picture, portraying them as “based on inaccurate rumors and speculation.”

February’s report suggested that a version of Office for iPad would “soon” be submitted to Apple for review, suggesting it would appear on the App Store relatively quickly. However, since then, no word of an Office for iPad has surfaced.

That report also claimed that Word, Excel and PowerPoint files could be created and edited both locally and online with the iPad version of Office. It was reported as “unclear” whether Microsoft would support other Office applications, such as Outlook or Communicator.

Microsoft already offers a number of software options for iOS, including OneNote, Bing, SkyDrive, My Xbox Live, and the game Kinectimals.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Sorry for the lack of updates yesterday, I was flying across the country and the plane lacked Wi-Fi. During the flight, “The Vow” with Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams happened to be the in-flight movie, should you choose to plug in headphones and listen to it. During this time, I desperately wanted there to be a director’s cut where the characters are slathered in salmon juice and attacked by irate grizzly bears in every scene…

Google Chrome, Google’s new web browser, just reached version 19.0.1084.52 for the Mac. The new version, a 38.6 megabyte download, offers the following changes:

- [117409] High CVE-2011-3103: Crashes in v8 garbage collection. Credit to the Chromium development community (Brett Wilson).

- [118018] Medium CVE-2011-3104: Out-of-bounds read in Skia. Credit to Google Chrome Security Team (Inferno).

- [$1000] [120912] High CVE-2011-3105: Use-after-free in first-letter handling. Credit to miaubiz.

- [122654] Critical CVE-2011-3106: Browser memory corruption with websockets over SSL. Credit to the Chromium development community (Dharani Govindan).

- [124625] High CVE-2011-3107: Crashes in the plug-in JavaScript bindings. Credit to the Chromium development community (Dharani Govindan).

- [$1337] [125159] Critical CVE-2011-3108: Use-after-free in browser cache. Credit to “efbiaiinzinz”.

- [Linux only] [$1000] [126296] High CVE-2011-3109: Bad cast in GTK UI. Credit to Micha Bartholomé.

- [126337] [126343] [126378] [127349] [127819] [127868] High CVE-2011-3110: Out of bounds writes in PDF. Credit to Mateusz Jurczyk of the Google Security Team, with contributions by Gynvael Coldwind of the Google Security Team.

- [$500] [126414] Medium CVE-2011-3111: Invalid read in v8. Credit to Christian Holler.

- [127331] High CVE-2011-3112: Use-after-free with invalid encrypted PDF. Credit to Mateusz Jurczyk of the Google Security Team, with contributions by Gynvael Coldwind of the Google Security Team.

- [127883] High CVE-2011-3113: Invalid cast with colorspace handling in PDF. Credit to Mateusz Jurczyk of the Google Security Team, with contributions by Gynvael Coldwind of the Google Security Team.

- [128014] High CVE-2011-3114: Buffer overflows with PDF functions. Credit to Google Chrome Security Team (scarybeasts).

- [$1000] [128018] High CVE-2011-3115: Type corruption in v8. Credit to Christian Holler.

Google Chrome 19.0.1084.52 requires an Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.5 or later to install and run.

If you’ve tried the new version and have any feedback to offer, please let us know in the comments.

On Tuesday, Apple posted its Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 3.13, an update designed to extend RAW image compatibility for the Aperture 3 and iPhoto ’11 applications.

The update, an 8 megabyte download, adds support for the following cameras:

- Canon EOS-1D X

- Nikon D800E

- Nikon D3200

- Olympus OM-D E-M5

- Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5

- Sony Alpha SLT-A57

The update requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later to install and run and is also available via Mac OS X’s built-in Software Update feature.

If you’ve tried the new Digital Camera RAW update and noticed any changes, please let us know how it went.

CrossOver, the popular emulation program from CodeWeavers, has been updated to version 11.0.3. The new version, which is available as a demo, offers the following fixes and changes:

New Game Support:
- Support for Diablo III.

Application Enhancements:
- Smoother installation process for some versions of Microsoft Office.

- Printing fix for Project 2007.

- Fixed an error saving certain documents in Excel 2010.

CrossOver Enhancements:
- Printing how honours duplex settings.

- Printing fixes to non-letter sized paper.

- Improvements to Spanish-language translations.

- Fixed an error where IE6 in a Win98 bottle would complain it was not registered.

- Fixed an error which would cause CrossOver’s ‘Welcome’ screen not to appear in some situations on Mac OS X Lion.

- Fixed a problem which caused Windows applications to have slightly (four) fewer graphics shaders available than they could have, which could produce graphics glitches in games.

CrossOver 11.1.0 retails for US$59.95 and requires Mac OS X 10.5 and or later and an Intel-based Mac to install and run.

If you’ve tried the new version and have any feedback to offer, please let us know in the comments.

Never mock a good software update.

Per The Unofficial Apple Weblog, Hulu released version 2.5 of its iPad app that adds support for the Retina Display of the third generation iPad. The latest version has a new look and feel as well as an enhanced video playback engine. Hulu also has improved AirPlay mirroring and HDMI support, so you can watch your content on your HDTV.

In addition to the software update, Hulu launched ten new original series that’ll help you make it throughout the summer doldrums. These new shows include basketball comedy We Got Next and Spoilers, a movie “revue” series from Kevin Smith. The ten new shows are listed in the press release below. You can download the Hulu app for free from the iOS App Store. It requires a US$7.99 monthly subscription to Hulu Plus.

Hulu 2.5 for iOS requires iOS 4.0 or later to install and run.

If you’ve tried the new version and have any feedback to offer, please let us know in the comments.

Apple is going to make sure you’re up to date, no matter what.

Per a tweet by the mighty Zach Kahn, Apple’s previously announced Automatic Downloads feature is slowly coming together in the latest developer preview of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, which features a new Notification Center alert for Mac App Store purchases.

Automatic app installs were touted earlier this year as one of the many new features coming to Mountain Lion. Like on iOS devices, it allows users to have App Store software automatically installed on iCloud-registered Macs.

Automatic Downloads are not yet fully functional in OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, but when users purchase content from the Mac App Store, the OS X Notification Center posts an alert to “Turn on Automatic Downloads to always install new purchases.”

The alert features an “Enable” button, which will allow users to quickly turn on the Automatic Downloads feature of Mountain Lion. However, in the current pre-release build, the feature is not yet operating properly, as software does not automatically install.

Apple debuted the “Apps in the Cloud” feature on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch with the release of iOS 5 late last year. It allows users to shop for apps on one machine and have the same titles automatically download on the rest of their devices with the same iCloud account.

Similar functionality is already available in OS X 10.7 Lion with the latest version of iTunes. Apple’s “iTunes in the Cloud” gives users the ability to automatically download iTunes Store content to their machine when it is purchased through their account on another device.

Previously, the option to turn on “Auto Download Purchases from Other Macs” was available in developer preview builds of Mountain Lion. But with last week’s release of a new version of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Developer Preview 3, users are now prompted with a notification when App Store content has been purchased through their account.

The latest pre-release build of the Mac operating system update hit the Mac App Store last Wednesday, identified as build “12A206J.” The final release of Mountain Lion is scheduled to go on sale to the public this summer.

Apple has promised to offer a closer look at Mountain Lion at its annual Worldwide Developer Conference, which kicks off June 11 in San Francisco, Calif. WWDC 2012 is also expected to feature the introduction of iOS 6, Apple’s next-generation mobile operating system for iPhone and iPad.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Onyx, Titanium Software’s popular freeware multifunction utility for Mac OS X, has been updated to version 2.4.6 beta 3. The new beta, an 18.2 megabyte download adds the following fixes and changes:

- New version integrates 3.7.12 of sqlite3.

- Changes the background image of login window and also works with OS X 10.7.4.

- Changes the logo of login window.

- Modifies the automatic display delay of the Dock.

- Deleting the kernel cache improved.

- Deleting the applications cache improved.

- Deleting the logs improved.

- Deleting the diagnostic reports improved.

- Emptying the Trash improved.

- Trash tab moved in the Cleaning pane.

- Clean Trash option added in the Automation pane.

- Show/hide the warning when changing the file extension.

- Hide the logo in the login window.

- Add Recent/Favorite items Stack in the Dock.

- Deleting the Apple Double files added (Utilities pane.)

- Brazilian Portuguese translation added.

- Some modifications and improvements.

- Help improved, updated, and reindexed.

Onyx 2.4.6b3 requires Mac OS X 10.7 or later to install and run.

If you’ve tried the new version and have any feedback to offer, let us know in the comments.

It may not be the fastest, most recent or snazziest iPhone, but Apple will keep the 3GS around for a bit longer.

Per AppleInsider, analyst Peter Misek with Jefferies has received word that Apple has inked an agreement with “a leading distribution and logistics company.” That new partnership is intended to push the iPhone 3GS in prepaid markets around the world, and expand channels for the iPhone 3GS in developing countries.

Accordingly, Misek believes that Apple is in the process of repricing the iPhone 3GS, which currently costs US$375 without a contract. He expects that the third-generation iPhone will be priced between US$250 and US$300, which would allow someone to buy it with no subsidy for around the cost of an on-contract iPhone 4S.

The iPhone 3GS can currently be had for free with a new two-year service contract in major markets like the U.S. It serves as Apple’s entry-level smartphone, while the iPhone 4, first released in 2010, is available for US$99 with a carrier subsidy.

Apple is expected to launch its new sixth-generation iPhone this fall. If the company were to continue its current strategy of discounting previous-generation hardware, the iPhone 4S lineup would be reduced to one capacity for US$99, while the iPhone 4 would become free with a two-year contract.

With the iPhone 4 replacing the iPhone 3GS as Apple’s entry-level smartphone, some might expect that the iPhone 3GS would be an end-of-life product. But based on what Misek has heard, Apple may have other plans to expand iPhone sales in markets where Apple has yet made a significant impact.

“Emerging markets” have been identified as a potential source of a huge number of untapped customers that present a long-term upside for Apple. One analysis conducted earlier this year found that emerging markets have 14 times as many people between the smartphone friendly ages of 25 and 34 than Western Europe and North America.

One report published earlier this year by The Wall Street Journal declared that cheap Android-based smartphones were “crushing the iPhone” in European countries that have been hit hardest by the debt crisis. In those markets, most consumers don’t sign contracts and pay the full, unsubsidized price for smartphones.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said last October that the prepaid market is “very, very important” to his company. He said that was one of the reasons the company continues to sell its entry-level iPhone 3GS, to reach lower price points in both prepaid and postpaid markets.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.