Enterprise Applications Briefs

Macromedia announced last week a new version of its Director MX multimedia authoring software, which makes it easier for customers to create kiosk and training applications that are accessible to end users with disabilities. The upgraded software, which is scheduled to ship this month, meets the U.S. federal government's Section 508 requirements for Web application accessibility. The new version of Director MX can be used to create kiosks in museums, airports or government offices that have speech capabilities similar to screen readers for visually and physically impaired users. One possible application of the software is creating emergency response kiosks that can help citizens find shelter and family members in the case of a catastrophe such as an earthquake or terrorist attack. The software also can be used to create CD and DVDs, online courseware and Web-based applications with built-in speech capabilities. Director MX costs $1,200 per copy, with discounts for users upgrading from older versions. It is available for Windows and Macintosh platforms.

Security flaws in RealNetworks' media player software could let attackers run arbitrary code on a user's computer, the company warned last week. Three vulnerabilities exist in the Windows versions of the RealOne Player and RealPlayer, according to a statement on RealNetworks' Web site. By encouraging a RealOne or RealPlayer user to download a malformed file, an attacker could run code on a user's system. RealNetworks recommends users install a patch to fix the software, although there are no reports so far of attacks using the exploit. The RealNetworks statement can be found here.

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Macromedia announced last week a new version of its Director MX multimedia authoring software, which makes it easier for customers to create kiosk and training applications that are accessible to end users with disabilities. The upgraded software, which is scheduled to ship this month, meets the U.S. federal government's Section 508 requirements for Web application accessibility. The new version of Director MX can be used to create kiosks in museums, airports or government offices that have speech capabilities similar to screen readers for visually and physically impaired users. One possible application of the software is creating emergency response kiosks that can help citizens find shelter and family members in the case of a catastrophe such as an earthquake or terrorist attack. The software also can be used to create CD and DVDs, online courseware and Web-based applications with built-in speech capabilities. Director MX costs $1,200 per copy, with discounts for users upgrading from older versions. It is available for Windows and Macintosh platforms.

Security flaws in RealNetworks' media player software could let attackers run arbitrary code on a user's computer, the company warned last week. Three vulnerabilities exist in the Windows versions of the RealOne Player and RealPlayer, according to a statement on RealNetworks' Web site. By encouraging a RealOne or RealPlayer user to download a malformed file, an attacker could run code on a user's system. RealNetworks recommends users install a patch to fix the software, although there are no reports so far of attacks using the exploit. The RealNetworks statement can be found here.

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