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Apple releases iTunes 9.2.1 with bug fixes, better performing iBooks 1.1.1

Apple on Monday issued a new iTunes 9.2.1 update which fixes bugs and addresses security issues, and also updated its iBooks application for iOS, with version 1.1.1 bringing improved performance.

The free iTunes release, available through Software Update, fixes a slow sync problem with some devices, addresses an issue with encrypted backups after upgrading mobile devices to iOS 4, fixes problems with drag and drop, and squashes some other performance and stability bugs.

The new update also "disables older versions of some incompatible third-party plug-ins," without noting what plugins are involved. An Apple support note from 2007 states, "Third-party plug-ins and scripts add features to iTunes or modify its appearance and behavior.

"The use of these add-ons can interfere with the normal usage of iTunes. This can be particularly true if you have recently upgraded to a newer version of iTunes as some add-ons may not be compatible. There are many ways in which an add-on can cause iTunes to act erratically," Apple says, noting "loss of iTunes functionality, such as the Visualizer; distortion or irregularity in the iTunes interface; slow performance; and iTunes won't open or quits unexpectedly."

Active iTunes third party plugins are stored in the system or user's "Library/iTunes/iTunes Plug-ins" folder, or within the "documents and settings" or roaming profile "app data" folder of Windows users.

The update also addresses a security issue on Windows, listed as CVE-2010-1777. Users visiting a maliciously crafted website could result in an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution, related to a buffer overflow problem in the handling of "itpc:" URLs. The issue was addressed through improved bounds checking. Apple credited Clint Ruoho of Laconic Security for reporting the issue.

iBooks 1.1.1 was also released Monday for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. It has the following fixes, according to Apple:

  • Double tap an image within a book to view it in greater detail.
  • Experience books that include audio and video.
  • Enjoy substantial performance improvements when reading PDFs.
  • Look-up definitions to English words inside books without a specified language.
  • Addresses an issue that may have caused some book downloads to not complete.
  • Includes many stability and performance improvements.