At the recent National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention in Las Vegas, Apple announced the availability of QuickTime 5, our industry-leading software for creating, playing and streaming high-quality audio and video over the Internet. The latest version of QuickTime 5 includes:

In its first week of availability, over 1.5 million multimedia enthusiasts downloaded QuickTime 5, and you can, too.

Last June, two fiercely competitive teams of scientists jointly announced that their labs had secured one of the greatest prizes in history: the decoding of the human genome. NOVA tells the story of the genome triumph and its profound implications for the future of medicine in “Cracking the Code of Life,” a two-hour program presented in 16 fascinating QuickTime chapters on the WGBH website.

In typical WGBH-style user friendliness, the entire show is offered with optional captions, and available in a line-doubled large format version for broadband users.

It’s a love story.

Set in the summer of 1961, the new Billie Crystal film on HBO tells the tale of the pursuit of Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record by Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. You can catch “61*” on HBO—it’s playing now—but don’t miss the chance to see Billie Crystal, Yogi Berra, and the film’s stars at bat as they share moments from the filming of “61*”

Kick some Virtual Tires
Springtime in New York City brings the annual New York International Auto Show. Watch Motor Trend’s video recaps of the show’s hottest new cars and concept vehicles, including the Chrysler PT Cruiser convertible, the Hummer H2 Sport Utility Truck, and many more.

Enjoy a Relaxing Day at Camp
‘Ten...HUT!

FOX ups the ante for reality TV shows with Boot Camp, a show pitting sixteen civilians against Marine drill instructors, the elements, and one another. At the end of each episode, the squad rejects one of its own, but in an interesting twist on the standard reality fare, the rejected person gets to boot someone else, as well. The one still shod at the end wins $500,000—not to mention a body and mind whipped into shape by the U.S. Marines. Check out the video library for scenes from the series, already in progress on network TV.

An Indiana Jones-style movie, but with a sexy female heroine instead.

That’s the buzz on the street about “Tomb Raider,” starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, a beautiful heiress who travels to dangerous and mysterious lands searching for lost crypts from ancient civilizations—and fights off scads of bad guys along the way.

“Tomb Raider” is a feast for the eyes, as much for the athletic Ms. Jolie as for the outrageous special effects and the lavish sets filmed in exotic locales, including Iceland and the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia.

Look for Paramount’s “Tomb Raider” in U.S. theaters on June 15.

Don’t Go Ape on Me Now
Check out the new trailer for “Planet of the Apes,” one of this summer’s mega-budget extravaganzas. Learn what life is like on a planet where humans are subservient and apes rule with a hairy fist — that is, until a mysterious man from space (Mark Wahlberg) dares to challenge the simian status quo.

Directed by Tim Burton, one of the masters of visual storytelling, “Planet of the Apes” opens in U.S. theaters on July 27.

Imagine you’re trapped in a burning building and can’t find your way out. Now imagine that the fire department has a QuickTime VR floorplan of the building and can advise their firefighters exactly how to get you out the safest way.

A Boston-area security firm is creating virtual floorplans of area buildings and other facilities for police, fire, and medical personnel to use in emergency situations. These QuickTime VR panoramas help authorities learn their way around a structure faster and easier, understand its possible hazards, get aid to victims, and help apprehend any criminals. Read the full story about Boston’s Interactive Tactical Group and learn how they use QuickTime VR technology to help in times of crisis.