QuarkXPress 8.1 from Quark is a maintenance update to the professional desktop publishing software. The latest version adds a Native Transparency mode that increases PDF output support and enables greater control over PDF workflow. Changes also include a refreshed spell checker, the capability to paste text without formatting, added Scale functionality, compatibility with the forthcoming Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, and enhancement of the Usability and Item Styles features. The update is available via Quark's Web site. ($799 new, free update, 662 MB)

Firefox 3.5.2 from Mozilla is a security and stability update to the popular Web browser. The latest version addresses several security issues that could lead to attackers executing arbitrary JavaScript with elevated privileges, executing arbitrary code, and intercepting and spoofing what could appear to be encrypted communications. The update's security notes also identify a crashing bug that could lead to memory corruption, but Mozilla has no fix at the moment and recommends that concerned users disable JavaScript until a version that does address this issue is released. (Our take is that you're probably fine unless you frequent dubious sites.) Finally, the update ensures images with ICC profiles render correctly on all displays. (Free update, 17.6 MB)