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• Adobe Warns (Again) of "Critical Vulnerability" in Reader and Acrobat

  We know it's hard to believe, but your Adobe Reader and/or Acrobat software is in need of some patching. That's according to Adobe, which is warning users of a critical vulnerability affecting Reader and Acrobat versions 9.3.4 and earlier.

  That's the bad news. The even even worse news is that the vulnerability, when exploited, could crash your machine and potentially allow an attacker to seize control, Adobe says. And the really bad news is that this vulnerability is being actively exploited in the wild.

  Ready for the good news? Not so fast, we haven't covered the no-good terrible news. This nasty security hole -- the one the bad guys know about and are currently exploiting -- can't yet be plugged, though if it's any consolation, Adobe promises it's "in the process of evaluating the schedule for an update to resolve this vulnerability." Comforting, isn't it?

  Alright, we're finally ready for some good news, and here it is. You don't have to use Adobe products to read those PDF files. One of our favorite free alternatives is Foxit's free Reader program available here.

  What do you use to read PDF documents? Let us know in the comments section below.

• Qualcomm 1.5GHz Snapdragon Slips into Late 2011

  Oh no Qualcomm, say it isn't so! That mighty 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon chip we've been so anxiously looking forward to isn't slated to ship until July 2011, and maybe later.

  This is the same part that we were previously told would show up in the first quarter of 2011, but apparently someone at Qualcomm misspoke. Qualcomm's PR dudes were quick to clarify that it's the 1.2GHz Snapdragon part that we'll see in early 2011, with the faster 1.5GHz silicon hopefully making it in time for the holiday shopping season next year.

  On the bright side, a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor should make for a nice upgrade over today's single-core 1GHz parts. And with Samsung hard at work developing a 2GHz dual-core mobile chip, we're still stoked about both the short- and long-term outlook of smartphones.

  

• E-Ink not Just Good for eBook Readers, Good for Watches Too!

  Seiko is trying to bring digital watches back in style, and to help do that, the company is equipping new models with e-ink displays.

  This isn't the first time Seiko has gone this route, having used e-ink in a handful of limited edition watches for the ladies a few years back. They never really took off, which Seiko hopes is only because it was an idea slightly ahead of its time.

  These second-gen e-ink watches sport an active matrix display that allows the screen to "actively" refresh itself whenever needed. The battery is only used when changing the display, so in theory, these suckers should run for long, long periods of time.

  It's also equipped with a solar cell, and the movement is radio controlled so that it receives its time from an atomic clock. It all looks pretty promising (and geeky), and if the recent ebook price war is any indication, these things might actually end up being affordable too.

  More specs and info here.

  

  Image Credit: Seiko