CrossOver, the popular virtualization program from CodeWeavers, has been updated to version 12.1. The new version, a 75.7 megabyte download, is available as a demo, offers the following fixes and changes:

WHAT’S NEW:
- We have fixed a bug where certain users who chose “Register for all users of this computer” during CrossOver’s registration would receive an error claiming their bottle had “expired” and could not be used, despite the user having a valid CrossOver license.

- We have added a preference setting allowing the user to control what CrossOver does with an unknown Windows .exe file when it is launched. Using this preference, the user can tell CrossOver either to treat the unknown .exe file as an application installer, or to simply run it.

- CrossOver will now auto-update CrossTie files if the user has permitted auto-updates of CrossOver itself via Sparkle.

- Fixed a bug where automatic updates via Sparkle would fail for some users on Mac OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard.

- Fixed a bug which caused several games to fail when running in fullscreen mode.

- Games which should be improved include StarCraft, Fallout, and, we hope, many others.

- Fixed a bug which prevented some users from logging into World of Tanks servers.

- CrossOver no longer ships Wine-Mono, an open-source replacement for .Net, by default. We had started doing this for CrossOver 12 but the large increase in download size and disk space usage proved too much. CrossOver can still download and install Wine-Mono as-needed.

- We have fixed a bug which caused CrossOver to print unnecessary error messages when launching Windows applications, complaining that certain icon files could not be found.

- New translations for Polish & Chinese (China), and a partial translation for Italian.

Application Support:
- Fixed connection errors with Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2010 when connecting to hosted Exchange servers.

- Fixed a bug which caused adding a table of contents to a Microsoft Word document to fail.

- Fixed an issue where Quicken failed to download WebConnect and QFX files.

- Fixed an issue where Quicken crashed viewing investment details.

- Fixed an issue where Quicken crashed when expanding columns in reports.

- Fixed a bug which caused clicking on a promotional offer in Quicken to crash.

- Fixed some connection failures with Quicken 2011.

- Fixed an issue where rotated text was garbled in PowerPoint 2010.

- Fixed a bug selecting shapes in Visio 2010.

- Fixed a crash on launch in HCFA-1500.

CrossOver 12.1 retails for US$59.95 and requires Mac OS X 10.6 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.

You can’t knock a decent web browser update.

Late Tuesday, Google released version 24.0.1312.56 of its Chrome web browser. The update, a 46.8 megabyte download, adds the following fixes and changes:
- Fixed performance of mouse wheel scrolling. [Issue: 160122]

- Fixed visited links regression. [Issue: 160025]

Google Chrome 24.0.1312.56 requires an Intel-based Mac with Mac OS X 10.6 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.

Never knock a decent update on a web browser you’re fond of.

On Tuesday, Mozilla.org released version 18.0.1 of its Firefox web browser. The new version, a 36.6 megabyte download and adds the following fixes and changes:

Bugs Fixed:
- Problems involving HTTP Proxy Transactions.

- Unity player crashes on Mac OS X (bug 828954).

- Disabled HIDPI support on external monitors to avoid rendering glitches (bug 814434).

New:
- Faster JavaScript performance via IonMonkey compiler.

- Support for Retina Display on OS X 10.7 Lion and up.

- Preliminary support for WebRTC.

Changed:
- Experience better image quality with our new HTML scaling algorithm.

- Performance improvements around tab switching.

Developer:
- Support for new DOM property window.devicePixelRatio.

- Improvement in startup time through smart handling of signed extension certificates.

HTML5:
- Support for W3C touch events implemented, taking the place of MozTouch events.

Fixed:
- Disable insecure content loading on HTTPS pages (62178).

- Improved responsiveness for users on proxies (769764).

Firefox 18.0.1 requires an Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.6 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.

You can’t knock an update with a solid fix to it.

On Tuesday, Dropbox released version 1.6.16 of its cloud-based storage client for Mac OS X. The new version, a 21.9 megabyte download, which adds the following fixes and changes:

- Fixed Finder crashing.

Dropbox 1.6.16 requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later to install and run.

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

If you’re buying Apple equipment in China, there’s a payment plan for you.

Per Bloomberg, Apple on Thursday introduced a new option for Chinese buyers of iPhones and MacBooks, allowing them to spread the cost of purchases ranging from from 300 yuan (US$48) to 30,000 yuan (US$4,800) over as long as two years.

The new installment payment plans require a China Merchants Bank Co. credit card, with fees ranging from zero percent for a three-month installment plan to 8.5 percent for a 24-month plan. The payment structure likely represents Apple’s attempt at making its products, typically priced at a premium, more affordable for urban Chinese workers.

The article noted that Apple fell from fourth to sixth place in China’s smartphone market in the third quarter and now trails firms such as ZTE, Samsung, and Lenovo, whose smartphone offerings are more affordable than Apple’s iPhone.

Industry observers have long held that a cheaper iPhone would give Apple control over the growing Chinese market, and the financing move may allow Apple to retain its typical profit margins and brand image while widening its base of potential buyers in what will soon become the world’s largest market.

The iPhone 5, which hit the Chinese market last month, costs 5,288 yuan on Apple’s site, or about six weeks’ pay for the average urban worker. By comparison, handsets from competitors often cost less than 1,000 yuan.

Sales of other Apple products have demonstrated demand for the Cupertino company’s devices, as the iPad mini debuted to “insatiable demand” in China last December. Apple has increased its focus on the country accordingly, with chief executive Tim Cook visiting China twice in the past 10 months, most recently meeting with China Mobile, the world’s largest wireless carrier.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Even though it’s a rumor, there’s got to be a nugget of truth in there somewhere.

Per AppleInsider, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities has made his Apple hardware predictions for the upcoming year, and expects a bevy of new iOS and Mac product releases will help the iPhone maker address a wider swath of the market

Kuo, who has seen previous success in predicting future Apple products, says the company will introduce a number of new iOS devices in 2013, including an inexpensive iPhone 5, upgraded iPhone 5S, Retina display-toting second-gen iPad mini and a redesigned fifth-generation iPad, among others. He goes on to say that Apple will retire the non-Retina MacBook Pro line and replace it with an all-Retina lineup at a lower price.

Kuo is quick to note that none of the product forecasts are expected in the first quarter of 2013 and says “many” will be introduced in the second half of the year.

According to the analyst, Apple will release both an iPhone 5S with updated internals as well as an inexpensive version of the current iPhone 5 design with a thicker plastic chassis available in six colors. The iPhone 5S, which Kuo believes will launch sometime in June or July, will have largely the same aesthetic as the existing model, but will boast a built-in fingerprint sensor, improved camera and more powerful A7 SoC. A slightly revamped “new design” iPhone 5 is expected to go on sale as a less-expensive alternative to Apple’s flagship handset at around the same time, with the affordable price tag attributed to a plastic exterior that will be available in multiple colorways.

Kuo believes a new fifth-generation 9.7-inch iPad will launch with lighter frame and a more refined look, borrowing the narrow bezels seen on the iPad mini. In turn, the smaller tablet will move to generation two and get a Retina display that sports the same 2,048-by-1,536 pixel screen resolution as the existing full-size iPad. By using an identical resolution, app makers won’t have to make software changes to fit a new native format. The same thinking was used when the iPad mini was released with a resolution identical to the iPad 2.

As for Apple’s MacBook, the analyst sees an end of life for non-Retina MacBook Pros, which will be replaced by an all-Retina lineup that eschews optical drives. Pricing should be reduced to help move units. The MacBook Air will see little change besides a bump in internal specs as sizing down the high-resolution Retina display is seen as too steep a challenge at this time. Because the Air will not see a significant design change, the tweaked models are expected to arrive earlier in the year, with the all-Retina MacBook Pro line coming in quarter three.

In respect to the iPod product line, Kuo isn’t expecting much in the way of revolutionary changes. With the fifth-gen iPod touch released, Apple will likely introduce a cheaper variant of the current design without a camera and less built-in memory to reach a target price of US$199.

Finally, 2013 is expected to be the last year in which the Apple TV is considered a “hobby,” but Kuo doesn’t believe the company will introduce a full-fledged television set in the next 12 months. The existing media streamer is likely to morph into a serious business — possibly a full-fledged HDTV — in 2014, as Apple already has the infrastructure to support such a device with iTunes, the App Store and iCloud services. What the company lacks, however, is experience in the industry, especially concerning the establishment of a reliable supply chain. Kuo looks to the much-rumored “iTV” as a source of growth in the coming years.

An update’s an update.

On Tuesday, Dropbox released version 1.6.14 of its cloud-based storage client for Mac OS X. The new version, a 21.9 megabyte download, which adds the following fixes and changes:
- Fix Icon overlays not updating in OS X.

- Fix not using Growl on Snow Leopard.

- Fix hang on startup on Leopard.

- Upgraded to Growl SDK 1.2.3.

Dropbox 1.6.14 requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later to install and run.

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

On Thursday, version 6.1.59.2295 of the Skype VoIP application was released. The new version, a 38.9 megabyte download, offers the following fixes and changes:

- Click to Call: Allows Skype users to dial numbers from Safari on Mac.

- Improved user profile view.

Skype 6.1.59.2295 is available for free and requires an Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.5.8 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.

The Software Update feature is your friend.

On Thursday, Apple released its HP Printers Drivers 2.13 package. The update, a 450.57 megabyte download, adds updated drivers for assorted HP printers, scanners and multifunction devices.

The update requires an Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.6 or later and can also be located, snagged and installed via Mac OS X’s Software Update feature.

Also on Thursday, Apple released its Brother Printer Drivers 2.10 package. The update, a 150.56 megabyte download, adds updated drivers for assorted HP printers, scanners and multifunction devices.

The update requires an Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.6.1 or later and can also be located, snagged and installed via Mac OS X’s Software Update feature.

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

If you love Google Chrome, it’s your lucky day.

Late Thursday, Google released version 24.0.1312.52 of its Chrome web browser. The update, a 46.8 megabyte download, adds the following fixes and changes:

- [$1000] [162494] High CVE-2012-5145: Use-after-free in SVG layout. Credit to Atte Kettunen of OUSPG.

- [$4000] [165622] High CVE-2012-5146: Same origin policy bypass with malformed URL. Credit to Erling A Ellingsen and Subodh Iyenger, both of Facebook.

- [$1000] [165864] High CVE-2012-5147: Use-after-free in DOM handling. Credit to José A. Vázquez.

- [167122] Medium CVE-2012-5148: Missing filename sanitization in hyphenation support. Credit to Google Chrome Security Team (Justin Schuh).

- [166795] High CVE-2012-5149: Integer overflow in audio IPC handling. Credit to Google Chrome Security Team (Chris Evans).

- [165601] High CVE-2012-5150: Use-after-free when seeking video. Credit to Google Chrome Security Team (Inferno).

- [165538] High CVE-2012-5151: Integer overflow in PDF JavaScript. Credit to Mateusz Jurczyk, with contribution from Gynvael Coldwind, both of Google Security Team.

- [165430] Medium CVE-2012-5152: Out-of-bounds read when seeking video. Credit to Google Chrome Security Team (Inferno).

- [164565] High CVE-2012-5153: Out-of-bounds stack access in v8. Credit to Andreas Rossberg of the Chromium development community.

- [Windows only] [164490] Low CVE-2012-5154: Integer overflow in shared memory allocation. Credit to Google Chrome Security Team (Chris Evans).

- [Mac only] [163208] Medium CVE-2012-5155: Missing Mac sandbox for worker processes. Credit to Google Chrome Security Team (Julien Tinnes).

- [162778] High CVE-2012-5156: Use-after-free in PDF fields. Credit to Mateusz Jurczyk, with contribution from Gynvael Coldwind, both of Google Security Team.

- [162776] [162156] Medium CVE-2012-5157: Out-of-bounds reads in PDF image handling. Credit to Mateusz Jurczyk, with contribution from Gynvael Coldwind, both of Google Security Team.

- [162153] High CVE-2013-0828: Bad cast in PDF root handling. Credit to Mateusz Jurczyk, with contribution from Gynvael Coldwind, both of Google Security Team.

- [162114] High CVE-2013-0829: Corruption of database metadata leading to incorrect file access. Credit to Google Chrome Security Team (Jüri Aedla).

- [Windows only] [162066] Low CVE-2013-0830: Missing NUL termination in IPC. Credit to Google Chrome Security Team (Justin Schuh).

- [161836] Low CVE-2013-0831: Possible path traversal from extension process. Credit to Google Chrome Security Team (Tom Sepez).

- [160380] Medium CVE-2013-0832: Use-after-free with printing. Credit to Google Chrome Security Team (Cris Neckar).

- [154485] Medium CVE-2013-0833: Out-of-bounds read with printing. Credit to Google Chrome Security Team (Cris Neckar).

- [154283] Medium CVE-2013-0834: Out-of-bounds read with glyph handling. Credit to Google Chrome Security Team (Cris Neckar).

- [152921] Low CVE-2013-0835: Browser crash with geolocation. Credit to Arthur Gerkis.

- [150545] High CVE-2013-0836: Crash in v8 garbage collection. Credit to Google Chrome Security Team (Cris Neckar).

- [145363] Medium CVE-2013-0837: Crash in extension tab handling. Credit to Tom Nielsen.

- [Linux only] [143859] Low CVE-2013-0838: Tighten permissions on shared memory segments. Credit to Google Chrome Security Team (Chris Palmer).

Google Chrome 24.0.1312.52 requires an Intel-based Mac with Mac OS X 10.6 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.