---

Wednesday was a busy day for Apple’s software simians with the release of iOS 4.3 for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, as well as Apple TV 4.2. And, then there’s the passel of tweaks, fixes and patches for Safari, which hackers will be putting under the microscope at this year’s CanSecWest — can Charlie Miller repeat, once again taking the cash and MacBook Air?

Apple has released Safari 5.0.4 (download). If you just visit this dot-update’s placeholder page, these are the changes the mothership says they’ve baked in:

• Improved stability for webpages with multiple instances of plug-in content
• Improved compatibility with webpages with image reflections and transition effects
• A fix for an issue that could cause some webpages to print w/ incorrect layouts
• A fix for an issue that could cause content to display incorrectly on webpages with plug-ins
• A fix for an issue that could cause a Screen Saver to appear while video is playing in Safari
• Improved compatibility w/ VoiceOver on webpages w/ text input areas and lists w/ selectable items
• Improved stability when using VoiceOver
• Leopard, Tiger and Windows versions available

See also:
— HTML5 Audio Safari extension: It’s cool
— Top 10 Safari extensions [and their friends]
— Safari Extension spotlight: JavaScript Blacklist
— Open Safari tabs seven ways to Sunday

With the CanSecWest Pwn2Own hacking contest upon us, this release is all about security. Safari 5.0.4 includes fixes for seven vulnerabilities worth talking about.

Now before you go thinking Apple’s alone in its pre-pwn preparations, know that Firefox has been updated twice in the last week or so.

So, will Charlie Miller repeat? Interestingly, his Twitter feed says that he’s working on an iPhone hack and looking for victims people to help him test it.

[u] Safari fell on the first day in just five seconds, but Charlie didn’t do it — the first time it wasn’t him in four years.

Hackers gotta hack. Is Apple gonna play the vic again?