Image via Engadget
iPhone owners who have been living in fear of a malicious attack via SMS can now breathe a sigh of relief: Apple has released a new firmware update via iTunes to patch up the vulnerability.
Discovered by security expert Charlie Miller, the exploit supposedly gave hackers control of some iPhone features by running code sent via SMS. Using the vulnerability, a hacker could access the GPS, turn on the phone’s microphone or even turn the iPhone into a DDoS bot. Miller clued Apple in on the exploit about a month ago and Cupertino has finally responded with this patch.
The iPhone has been, to this point, pretty safe as far as hacks like this go. Were the phone more vulnerable to worms, viruses and other dangers, the enterprise crowd would have to give serious thoughts to using the phone, period. Companies that rely on a safe, secure mobile platform probably wouldn’t like the potential for their conversations to be tapped or their private data to be accessed. We’re glad to see that 3.0.1 patches the issue and hope there aren’t more worms in the future.
July 31st, 2009 by Shawn Farner | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)
I stated in yesterday’s post on the rumored Nokia netbook that “the netbook market is a bit crowded at the moment and more companies seem to be diving in every day”. On cue, Gateway has announced their latest netbook - the LT3100.
The LT3100 will come packed with an 11.6-inch screen - on the larger side for netbooks - and will weigh in at a heavier-than-the-norm 3.14 lbs. As far as specs go, Gateway’s newest creation will be powered by an AMD processor, which is a departure from most of the netbooks on the market that use the Intel Atom chipset. You’ll find support for WiFi (just 802.11B/G, no N), three USB ports, a multi-in-one digital media reader, VGA-out, a built-in webcam and - get this - a full-sized keyboard. This will surely please those who plan to do a lot of typing.
You’ll be able to get the LT3100 with as much as 2GB of RAM and 250GB of hard disk storage. Gateway plans to price the LT3100 at $399.99, which places it near a lot of other similarly-featured netbooks. The larger screen might persuade buyers to buy Gateway, though it has to be said that for a bit more dough, a full-featured laptop can be purchased. We’ll see what kind of impact the LT3100 has on the netbook market in the coming weeks.
[via Coolest Gadgets]
June 25th, 2009 by Shawn Farner | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)
Image credit: Engadget
In what could be the worst kept secret since Amazon’s Kindle DX, Intel and Nokia may be planning to introduce a new netbook as early as Q3 of this year. The two companies entered into what is being called a “technical collaboration” yesterday, and one day later a product of that collaboration already seems to have leaked out.
The netbook is reportedly Atom-based (thanks to Intel) and will likely use the N270 or N280 chips that are currently present in the netbooks already on the market. You have to wonder what kind of tricks Nokia has up its sleeve - the netbook market is a bit crowded at the moment and more companies seem to be diving in every day. What will Nokia do to differentiate itself with this particular netbook?
We aren’t sure about other specs on the device at this time, or what OS it will be running, for that matter. Perhaps Nokia will cook up an OS of its own? That could help it drive down costs a bit, which would help immensly. If Nokia could put out a super-cheap netbook that works well, it could possibly put a dent in the market. If Nokia opts to go with Windows XP and prices themselves right in the middle of the pack, we’re not sure how they’re going to stand out.
More on the Nokia netbook as we get it.
[via Engadget]
June 24th, 2009 by Shawn Farner | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (1)
According to an anonymous tip sent to gadget blog Gizmodo, Microsoft’s latest entry into the portable media player field, the Zune HD, could be arriving as early as September.
The Zune HD aims to take a major step up from Microsoft’s previous Zune attempt, adding a host of new features and a more sleek design. The look is more in line with the type of product a certain company with a fruit-inspired name would put out. Apparently, Microsoft has learned its lesson - no one wants to be seen carrying around an MP3 player that looks like that hideous brown sweater your grandmother bought you for Christmas.
The biggest flaw of Microsoft’s new toy might not be the device itself, but instead the store Microsoft will push customers to use - the Zune Store. It’s no secret that Microsoft is pushing its Zune Pass as a more cost-effective alternative to buying songs through iTunes, and many prefer that choice, but the fact remains: when you stop using Zune Pass, your music goes away forever. If you’re intent on owning a Zune HD when it ships, I suggest you buy your music through Amazon - it comes in MP3 format, it’s $0.99 tops and there’s no DRM to be found.
We’ll keep you up to speed on the latest news regarding the Zune HD, so stay tuned!
[via Ubergizmo]
June 24th, 2009 by Shawn Farner | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)
One of the most anticipated features of the iPhone 3.0 firmware has certainly been push notifcations. These alerts allow for information to be pushed to the iPhone and received by certain applications even though these apps cannot run in the background. The feature has been a long time coming and, now that it’s here, it will start making many applications much more useful.
One of those applications is AIM - AOL Instant Messenger. If you’re like me, you have a buddy list full of friends that you chat with on a regular basis and, sometimes, you want to use AIM while you aren’t at your desk. The iPhone app has been around for awhile but was utterly useless for one reason - if AIM wasn’t running, you couldn’t receive messages. I don’t know about you, but I like to do other things on my phone besides run AIM. This is where push notifications have improved the app.
Thanks to an upgrade available today, AIM now supports push, and the app has become a million times better. Once you’re signed into AIM on your iPhone, you can feel free to back out of the app and do other things - check email, play music, browse the web and so on. If a friend sends you an instant message over AIM, an alert is pushed to your iPhone and a small box pops up on your device. This box can be customized to include as much as the screen name and message, or it can simply tell you that you have a new IM. Because AIM is not running in the background and you only receive these alerts when new IMs come in, you won’t notice much of a difference in battery life - a key factor in Apple’s decision to use push instead of multitasking.
If you haven’t already downloaded the new AIM application, head into the App Store (either in iTunes or on your iPhone) and download the latest update. The change definitely takes the app out of the “neat but useless” category and makes it a must have for anyone who uses AIM.
June 23rd, 2009 by Shawn Farner | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)
Android fans, rejoice! T-Mobile has announced a new smartphone powered by Google’s mobile operating system - the myTouch 3G. This particular phone will do away with a physical keyboard in favor of a touchscreen (hence the ‘Touch’ in myTouch) and, well, I’m sure you know what the 3G stands for. Users of the myTouch will be able to take advantage of T-Mobile’s 3G network for faster data transmission.
The myTouch 3G will ship with Android 1.5 (the famed ‘Cupcake’), 3G speed, WiFi capability, a 3.2 megapixel camera and some decent battery time: 600 hours of standby time and 6 hours of talk time. Though the phone will debut more than a month after the iPhone 3G S’s launch, T-Mobile will still likely feel the effects of Apple’s smartphone sales. The iPhone 3G S managed to sell a million units - in THREE DAYS. That’s right: Since the iPhone 3G S launched this past Friday, a million have been sold. Talk about some stiff competition.
T-Mobile’s new toy will ship on July 29 for current customers who decide to pre-order. For everyone else? You’ll have to wait til August for retail. How much is the myTouch 3G going to run you? $199 with a new two-year agreement.
[via SF Gate]
June 22nd, 2009 by Shawn Farner | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)
There’s a lot of buzz flying around the tech world today about a new smartphone being launched. I must admit, I haven’t read much about it myself and I’m not too familiar with the company behind the product, so just bear with me. I’m going to do my best to fill you in on this exciting new device.
A Cupertino, CA-based company called Apple is releasing what appears to be a touchscreen smartphone called the iPhone 3G S. Priced at $199 for 16 GB and $299 for 32 GB, this newfangled iPhone device appears poised to change the smartphone world forever. The Apple website lists some of the iPhone 3G S’s features:
- 3-megapixel autofocus camera
- Video recording
- Voice Control
- Digital compass
- Cut, Copy & Paste
- MMS
- Spotlight Search
- Landscape keyboard
- Voice Memos
While the phone is undoubtedly cool, I’m a little surprised at what Apple considers to be a big feature. Cut, Copy & Paste? Almost every other smartphone can do that - other phones barely even advertise this feature. MMS? Apparently MMS deserves to be given attention even though a $10 Nokia phone can do MMS. Video recording? My Motorola E815 was doing that four years ago. But hey, at least these features are included. It would be really embarrassing if Apple had released one or two previous phones that lacked these very basic features. I don’t see anything about running background applications, which troubles me a little bit, but I’m sure the support is in there.
All in all, the new iPhone 3G S from Apple looks like it could very well change the smartphone game. I’m looking forward to picking one up later today at the AT&T store and sending my friends a bunch of MMS messages as soon as I get home.
June 19th, 2009 by Shawn Farner | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)
Those who want the Xbox 360 for casual gaming but don’t want to throw down the $300 needed for the Pro package are now in luck. Microsoft has decided to equip all future Xbox 360 Arcade systems with 512 MB of internal storage space. The price will remain the same: $199.99.
While 512 MB certainly won’t cut it if you try to rent movies or download demos or map packs, it is certainly enough space for some game saves and perhaps some Arcade downloads. For casual gamers, it should be sufficient, especially if coupled with one or two external memory cards. Of course, the beauty of this system is that you can upgrade by purchasing a hard drive separately if you’re feeling limited by the system’s internal memory.
For hardcore gamers (those who download a lot of map packs, demos and other content) and those who consume a lot of media (movie rentals, TV show downloads, music videos, etc.), the Arcade and its 512 MB might not be the route you want to go - instead, you should go Pro. But if you’re just an every-once-in-awhile gamer who longs to play some older Arcade titles and perhaps a game or two of Madden, the Arcade should fit your needs.
[via Gizmodo]
June 18th, 2009 by Shawn Farner | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)
The iPhone 3.0 firmware will officially be released today, adding many user-requested features as well as a few new ideas. The update, which was announced in March, is free for iPhone users but will cost $9.99 for those upgrading their iPod touches.
The biggest, most-requested addition has to be MMS. And, unfortunately, this will also come as the first disappointment to those on the AT&T network. A multitude of carriers worldwide will officially support MMS on the iPhone today but the sole provider of the iPhone in the U.S. won’t be one of them. Instead, AT&T users will have to wait until “later in the summer” for MMS capabilities. That said, those who will be able to start sending and receiving MMS messages today will be able to send and receive picture messages as well as receive video messages. Those who pick up the new iPhone 3G S later this week will be able to send video messages, as well. Finally, the iPhone will now have the one feature that most free phones have had for years.
Cut, copy and paste was another heavily requested feature ever since the iPhone first dropped in 2007. Why this wasn’t included in the first place, no one is sure. With the addition of this feature, copying and pasting things like contact information, URLs and directions will now be possible. This should make the lives of a lot of people much easier.
One feature I’ve been wishing for ever since I got my iPhone? A landscape keyboard for every application. Thanks to the 3.0 upgrade, this is now a reality. No longer will the landscape keyboard be reserved for the Safari browser - now every Apple application on the iPhone will support it. That means landscape in email, SMS, MMS and so on.
Push notifications will also debut after a confusing absence. This feature was supposed to be unleashed months ago but, for some reason, Apple decided to hold back and wait for the next major OS release to include it. Applications will now be able to receive push notifications in the background, meaning apps like AIM will no longer be totally useless on the iPhone.
Spotlight Search now comes to the iPhone in the 3.0 release. For those unfamiliar with Macs, this is basically a system-wide search program. It will allow iPhone users to search across multiple applications and databases, such as their song database, contacts, calendar entries and more. For those with a LOT of info on their iPhones, this feature will probably be a savior.
There are a few other features making their way onto the iPhone in 3.0, such as over-the-air media downloads (tv shows, movies, audiobooks, etc.), Find My iPhone (which uses MobileMe to track the exact location of your lost or stolen iPhone) and other improvements made to existing OS features (a better Safari, for example). With all these new features, iPhone users should have a lot of new stuff to play with over the next few days.
June 17th, 2009 by Shawn Farner | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)
Research In Motion recently unveiled its latest BlackBerry model, the CDMA-compatible BlackBerry Tour. Since the announcement, the Tour has already been confirmed for both Sprint and Verizon Wireless at a price of around $200 (with a two-year contract and after rebates, of course). The major upgrade over previous BlackBerry models seems to be in the camera, begging the question - is a better camera really worth an upgrade to a new BlackBerry?
Here are the specs from the official Research In Motion press release:
- 3.2 MP camera with flash, variable zoom, image stabilization, autofocus and video recording*
- Full HTML web browser, including support for streaming audio and video (RTSP)
- Advanced media player for videos, pictures and music, a 3.5 mm stereo headset jack and support for the Bluetooth® Stereo Audio Profile (A2DP/AVCRP)
- 256MB Flash memory
- Expandable memory via hot swappable microSD/SDHC memory card slot, supporting cards of up to 16 GB today and expected to support next generation 32GB cards when available
- Built-in GPS with support for geotagging, BlackBerry® Maps and other location based applications and services
- BlackBerry® Media Sync allows customers to quickly and easily synch music from iTunes® and Windows Media Player with the smartphone**
- Premium phone features including voice activated dialing, enhanced background noise cancellation, a low-distortion speakerphone, and Bluetooth (2.0) support for hands-free use with headsets, car kits, stereo headsets and other Bluetooth peripherals
- Preloaded DataViz® Documents to Go®, allowing users to edit Microsoft® Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly on the handset
- Easy mobile access to Facebook®, MySpace and Flickr®, as well as popular instant messaging services including BlackBerry® Messenger, Yahoo!® IM, AIM®, Google Talk and Windows Live Messenger™
- Support for BlackBerry App World™, featuring a broad and growing catalog of third-party mobile applications developed specifically for BlackBerry smartphones. Categories include travel, productivity, entertainment, games, social networking & sharing, news & weather, and more
- BlackBerry® Internet Service allows access to up to 10 supported personal and corporate email accounts, including most popular ISP email accounts
- BlackBerry® Enterprise Server provides advanced security and IT administration features within IBM® Lotus® Domino®, Microsoft® Exchange and Novell® GroupWise® environments
- Removable and rechargeable 1400 mAhr battery for 5 hours of talk time and 14 days of standby time
I really wish there was something here that jumped out at me but, the fact is, this has all been done in previous BlackBerry models. At least Apple added a couple new features and bumped up the speed and RAM of the new iPhone 3G S! Research In Motion seems to be content pumping out similarly-featured smartphones - what it really needs to do is work harder on a serious challenger to the iPhone.
June 16th, 2009 by Shawn Farner | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)
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