Apple rolls out iOS 4.3 update

Apple has released the latest version of its iOS portable device operating system.

The iOS 4.3 release comes two days before Apple is due to release the iPad 2. Both products were unveiled last week at a special event hosted by Apple chief executive Steve Jobs.

Along with support for the iPad 2, the iOS 4.3 update will offer faster performance for the Safari browser and JavaScript code by way of the Nitro engine.

Additionally, the firmware update will allow iPhone 4 users to share 3G data connections over Wi-Fi, a technique referred to as 'tethering'.

Apple has also posted security updates for Safari and the Java components in Mac OS X.

The Safari update fixes flaws in the OS X and Windows versions of the browser and the WebKit engine. Among the issues fixed are multiple flaws which, if exploited, could allow an attacker to remotely execute code on  Windows and OS X systems.

For OS X 10.6 and 10.5 users, the Java update will address 16 security vulnerabilities. The patched flaws include vulnerabilities which could be targeted by an attacker for remote code execution.