Monthly Archives: July 2009
Security researchers to unveil iPhone SMS vulnerability later today
Two security researchers, Charlie Miller and Collin Mulliner, have discovered a serious security vulnerability affecting SMS messaging on the iPhone that will be unveiled later today at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas. This flaw affects all iPhones and can allow an attacker to gain complete control of an iPhone, including the ability to make calls, browse the web and access the camera. This exploit is caused by corruption in the iPhone’s memory handling and is executed by sending a burst of text messages by using a uncommon text character or by sending a hidden message.
So far, Apple has been rumored to have a fix in the works, but there’s been no confirmation yet when it will be available. The researchers also say that there’s nothing you can do to protect your iPhone from this vulnerability, other than to turn off the phone. More details on this issue will be discussed later today at Black Hat, hopefully outlining a path to fix this issue.
Yeah, there’s an app for that. But for how long, and at what cost?
Filed under: iPod Family, Apple, iPhone, App Store
With the recent kerfuffle surrounding the removal and rejection of Google Voice apps from the App Store, many developers are beginning to question the trust they have placed in Apple to provide them with a reliable system for developing and distributing applications.
Generally, the major hurdle associated with iPhone development is getting approved by Apple. It’s no secret that this process is often quite frustrating, and sometimes downright arduous. Developers often wait several weeks without any response before they are suddenly rejected, and then they must make the requested changes (if possible), resubmit their application, and again wait for a response.
The Google Voice rejection: What’s needed now
Filed under: App Store
If you’ve been following coverage of Apple’s rejection of Google Voice for iPhone, you saw TUAW blogger Chris Rawson considering whether pressure from AT&T might have been behind the Google Voice rejection — an assumption first floated by TechCrunch and later substantiated by Daring Fireball. The absurd nature of the app removals is highlighted in the blog post from Riverturn, developers of VoiceCentral, which reports the conversation with an Apple representative.
Google Voice offers free call forwarding to your home, office, and cell, free Internet-accessible voice mail (with text transcription!), free SMS, and a single phone number for life. These free features compete against AT&T’s revenue streams.
When it comes to “duplicate functionality”, Apple doesn’t seem to have any problem allowing applications like AT&T co-branded Virtual Recptionist (iTunes link) in App Store. Virtual Receptionist provides custom call forwarding to three phone numbers, in a similar manner to Google Voice.
Apple wins fight in U.K. over iPhone v Android claims
Filed under: Apple, iPhone, App Store
The U.K. advertising watchdog, the Advertising Standards Authority, says Apple is correct when it claims it’s App Store is better than the Google store for the Android.
In a TV ad Apple claimed that the iPhone had apps for “just about anything”. Fans of the Google Android, or at least ten of them, complained that their phone offered a similar and equal function.
X-Power1 Rechargable iPhone/iPod charging cable: Everything you know is wrong
Filed under: Accessories, Cool tools, iPhone, iPod touch
Sometimes, when I see something new, I have to smack myself in the head and think: “Why didn’t I think of that?” Remember the old V8 Juice commercials? I just heard about one of these and It’s the X-Power1 USB Rechargeable Battery Backup Cable from Xmultiple.