Google has updated version 12 of its browser. You can find the full changelog for this release of Chrome over at build.chromium.org.

The update addresses seven security vulnerabilities in the WebKit-based browser: one rated as six rated as High and one rated as Medium. Google spent $6,000.00 in bug bounties for the flaws fixed in this release. The new release also includes an updated version of Adobe Flash Player: version 10.3.181.34.

Microsoft has released Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Microsoft Office 2010. You can download it now directly for Office 2010 32-bit and Office 2010 64-bit. The software giant will also push it out via Microsoft Update, and eventually as a required update.

Office 2010 SP1 consists of cumulative and public updates to date for the various point products that are part of Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010. These include the Office 2010 suites, Project 2010, Visio 2010, Office 2010 servers, Office Web Apps, Search Server 2010, SharePoint 2010 Products, and FAST Search Server 2010 for SharePoint.

SP1 contains two types of fixes:

• Previously unreleased fixes that were made specifically for this service pack. In addition to general product fixes, these fixes include improvements in stability, performance, and in security.
• All the public updates that were released through June 2011, and all the cumulative updates that were released through April 2011.

Moments ago, Microsoft released Platform Preview 2 of Internet Explorer 10. The most notable additions are the inclusion of a number of HTML5-related features: drag-and-drop, web workers, and sandbox. On the CSS3 side of things, positioned floats and gradients have now joined the fray.

While these are huge additions that bring IE10 close to HTML5 parity with Firefox and Chrome, remember that this is just a developer preview. Preview 2 isn’t suitable for everyday use — but you can use it to try out the huge number of new showcase tests and benchmarks on the IE Test Drive site.

In her column yesterday, Foley cited a "trusted source," who says that Microsoft is currently on track for Windows 8 to be released to manufacturing by April. RTM, or release to manufacturing, is the final version of a product just before it reaches consumers. For example, Windows 7 was released to manufacturing in July 2009 and then officially launched a few months later in October.

According to Foley's source, Microsoft is looking to unveil an actual beta of Windows 8--not a pre-beta or preview version--at the company's Build developers conference in the middle of September. That will be the only beta for the operating system, added the contact, and will be followed by a release candidate in January or so, with the RTM edition to debut a few months later.