Quicktime App
Last week, news broke of security woes in the Windows version of QuickTime that Apple had no intention of patching. Apple has now confirmed that it has ceased developing QuickTime for Windows and will not offer security patches for the issues. The impact on PC users will depend on which software packages you use, but one major vendor, Adobe, has noted that there are certain file formats it can’t support yet without relying on Apple’s QuickTime.
The Adobe Creative Cloud team describes the situation as follows:
The Quicktime application is a multimedia (audio/video) application that can open and run videos in the MOV file format. QuickTime came out compatible for both Windows and Macintosh operating systems, which was released on December 2, 1991. – wikipedia.org. QuickTime is so popular that a number of apps have been developed for Android, as well as for the iPad and iPhone (X/8/8 Plus/7/7 Plus/6s), specifically to play QuickTime multimedia content. What’s more, simple video conversion applications are available which change your QuickTime videos into other file formats, like.mp4 or.avi, which have.
Adobe has worked extensively on removing dependencies on QuickTime in its professional video, audio and digital imaging applications and native decoding of many .mov formats is available today (including uncompressed, DV, IMX, MPEG2, XDCAM, h264, JPEG, DNxHD, DNxHR, ProRes, AVCI and Cineform). Native export support is also possible for DV and Cineform in .mov wrappers.
Unfortunately, there are some codecs which remain dependent on QuickTime being installed on Windows, most notably Apple ProRes. We know how common this format is in many worfklows, and we continue to work hard to improve this situation, but have no estimated timeframe for native decode currently.
Other commonly used QuickTime formats which would be affected by the uninstallation of QuickTime include Animation (import and export), DNxHD/HR (export) as would workflows where growing QuickTime files are being used (although we strongly advise using MXF for this wherever possible).
Products like iTunes, which once relied on QuickTime, no longer require the Apple software and it can be uninstalled from your PC if iTunes is the only software you use it with.
Apple (still) hasn’t gotten the message
Apple has formally ceased all development of QuickTime 7 for Windows, The Wall Street Journalreports. But the Cupertino company still hasn’t taken any actions that would inform users that QuickTime has been deprecated. As of this writing, QuickTime 7 Pro is still available for purchase, the free version is still available for download, and the Apple Software Updater still wants to install QT 7.7.9 on my system.
The fact that QuickTime 7.7.9 still bills itself as “improves security and is recommended for all QuickTime 7 users on Windows” is part of the problem here.
When we first covered this topic, many of you noted that you still depended on QuickTime software for integration into various software suites, and Adobe’s own messaging confirms that it can be difficult to remove QT support from all products, even if you want to. Nonetheless, Apple needs to make some effort to inform its users that QT is no longer supported and that they should shift to other products. They could start by no longer offering it as an unsolicited download and by updating their own landing page to reflect the fact that the software is no longer in development.
Note that all of this only applies to QuickTime 7 on Windows. Mac users and QuickTime X are not affected.
Quicktime Login
Quicktime Login — requires username and password
Quicktime Links
- Quicktime Online Help and Manuals
- Note: Please do not call or email any of the NBC phone numbers or email addresses listed on the NBC Quicktime Web sites.
- Quicktime support is being provided for USGS employees by USGS Quicktime administrators.
- Attendance and Leave Handbook (DOI PDF)
Privacy Act Information
The system contains Privacy information such as employee name and social security number and is subject to provisions of the Privacy Act. SSN is needed to uniquely identify individuals and is required by FPPS to pay USGS employees. Timekeepers and Certifiers have access to SSN within the system and need to ensure that appropriate behaviors and safeguards are in place to protect the Privacy and Identity of current and former USGS employees by: logging out of the system when leaving your workstation, never disclosing your user id and password to other individuals, properly securing any printed materials which contain SSN, properly disposing of by shredding any printed materials that include SSN, and only sharing Privacy information with other authorized employees where there is a specific need and/or justification for access to such information.
Accountability and Separation of Duties
Based on Government Accounting Office guidelines, Certifiers (usually Supervisors) are accountable and legally responsible for ensuring employees are reporting their timesheets accurately, not Timekeepers. Supervisors may have Timekeepers monitor the arrival and departure times of employees under them, but it is the Supervisors who are ultimately responsible for certifying the accuracy of the timesheets of employees under them.
Timekeepers and Certifiers need to ensure that they assign an adequate number of authorized alternates who can operate in their absence. Sharing your own User Id and password with someone else to operate on your behalf or in your absence is a fundamental IT security violation. Alternate certifiers should be peers supervisors, higher-level supervisors and/or selected lower level supervisors and senior staff members.
In an examination of the 'Separation of Duties' within USGS Financial systems during the financial audit, the auditors have ruled that it is inappropriate for an individual to be both a Timekeeper and Certifier for the same employee or group of employees. The NBC has made the necessary program changes to Quicktime to prevent any timecard from being certified and validated by the same person.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. When are timecards due?
Timecards are to be completed (completed means verified, validated, and certified) by 12:00 noon EST on the Monday after the end of the payperiod for all payperiods unless notified by the Bureau Quicktime Administrator about early submissions.
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2. What are the system requirements?
Access to the USGS Intranet using a recent version of Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape, or the Mozilla browser is all that is required.
The National Business Center policy on browser access to the system is that: 'Microsoft Internet Explorer is the officially supported and recommended browser for using the system under Windows 2000/XP.' We have tested using the system with recent versions of Netscape and Mozilla and it runs on those browsers without any problems. The only menu item that does not work is the 'Exit' function. You can just close your browser as an alternative to this menu function.
For Mac users, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Safari do not work. Recent versions of Netscape 7 and Mozilla work on Mac OS X. Quicktime does not run using any browser under Mac OS 9.
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3. What are the hours of system operation?
Monday to Saturday (with the exception below)
6:15 AM to 2:00 AM Eastern Time
4:15 AM to 12:00 AM Mountain Time
3:15 AM to 11:00 PM Pacific Time
Every Thursday (for updating of accounts, and bi-weekly for leave and profile information)
6:15 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern Time
4:15 AM to 6:00 PM Mountain Time
3:15 AM to 4:00 PM Pacific Time
Sunday:
Unavailable
4. Quicktime has new 'Leave request' and 'Extra Hours Request' modules. It is a mandatory requirement that these be used?
No, they are provided as a convenience and are to be used at your supervisor's discretion. If you use leave but have not put a leave request into the system, you will receive several warning messages when you verify your timesheet. These warning messages can simply be ignored.
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5. How do I access Quicktime from home, while I am on travel with a Notebook computer, or from a work location that is not on the USGS Intranet?
Quicktime Time and Attendance can be accessed on any Personally Owned Equipment (POE) with an internet connection, such as your home computer, tablet device, or mobile phone. I hope that this new feature will be particularly useful for those employees who spend many work hours in the field, traveling, or teleworking, who will no longer need to make unnecessary trips to the office just to input time and attendance.
To access Quicktime Time and Attendance remotely, just follow these steps:
- Update your browser’s security settings (enable TLS)
- Connect to Quicktime Time and Attendance through the new DOI Apps Store (https://apps.doi.gov) – your username is what you use to login to your computer with, plus @usgs.gov at the end
6. I am a Timekeeper or Certifier, logged in and have selected a role. Why are the menu items inactive and I am not able to do anything in the system?
You are assigned as an alternate for another Timekeeper or Certifier. Be sure to select the appropriate role, click 'OK' and than click your own name marked with the [self] tag from the pick list of 'Available Alternates'.
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7. What is the difference between an 'Error' message and a 'Warning' message when I verify or validate a timesheet?
An Error message begins with an 'E' and the situation that caused the error must be corrected before the timesheet can pass the edits and be verified or validated. A Warning message begins with a 'W' and provides information that might indicate a potential problem, but allows for the timesheet to be verified or validated.
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8. How do I get a password for Quicktime?
Contact your timekeeper.
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9. Who is the administrator for Quicktime?
Quicktime App For Iphone
Kathy Takacs is the Administrator for the entire Bureau and has the sole responsibility of transmitting the Quicktime payroll file to the NBC.
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Quicktime App Download
Contact Information
Quicktime App For Ipad
If you have any questions regarding the Time and Attendance system, please contact the helpdesk at Quicktime@usgs.gov.