Apple

The venerable iPhone Dev Team released their new Pwnage Tool 2.0.1 jailbreak solution for all iPhone and iPhone 3G (iPod Touch, as well) handsets. First generation iPhones were fully supported with jailbreak, activation, and unlock software. Unfortunately, The Team wanted to hold off on releasing an iPhone 3G unlock solution until they were able to work out a fool-proof, software-based unlocking process. Much to the disappointment of many an iPhone 3G user, the Pwnage Tool 2.0.1 and subsequent WinPwn 2.0 tools lacked any iPhone 3g unlock support.

I've criticised Apple before for being slow to deliver patched versions of open source and other third-party software, but the latest example involving BIND, the software that provides DNS services, is hard to fathom.

Other vendors, including Microsoft and Cisco, released DNS patches earlier this month to protect their customers from the risk of Internet traffic being diverted to malicious servers. Apple's delay means users at sites running Mac OS X Server are still vulnerable to this attack.

A security expert is claiming that using the iPhone Mail and Safari browser application could leave owners vulnerable to phishing attacks. Security researcher Aviv Raff has revealed the problem in his blog.

He explains that by creating a specially crafted URL, and sending it via an email, an attacker can convince the user that the spoofed URL, shown in the mail application, is from a trusted domain, such as a bank, PayPal or even a social network.

Apple may already be laying the groundwork for several important updates in the next major iteration of iPhone firmware, according to multiple sources. One notes that in exploring the Localizable.strings entry under English.lproj in the current iPhone WebKit framework, there are entries for several commands the firmware does not currently support, including cutting, copying and pasting. Apple has expressed interest in adding the feature, but has not set a timeframe.

It is a sad reflection on our society that all it takes to distract Wall Street's attention from economic Armageddon is the barest whisper of a new gadget from Apple. We don't even really know if Steve Jobs, he of the black polo neck and the nice phones, actually has a new product up his skin-tight pima cotton sleeve or not. We just think he might.

Synchronization is hard. It may sound simple: copy personal information, such as contacts and events, between computers and keep them all up to date. But over the years we’ve seen sync programs that don’t quite work. I not-so-fondly remember manually deleting hundreds of duplicate contacts from my Palm handheld years ago, and even now I run into records in which separate companies and individuals were long ago squished together into the same contact.

For those who wish to subsidize the cost of a new iPhone 3G can rejoice in the fact that the first generation iPhone is still a hot item on both eBay and Craigslist. With an average price of $375 to over $600, you could more than make up the cost for that shiny new device you want so badly, by selling your old one.

Apple wants an iPhone security engineer - to beat hackers at their own game. Applicants should develop "proof of concept" attacks and undertake risk analysis on potential security threats affecting Apple's embedded operating system products.

The role, one of 35 security-related posts open at Apple, was first advertised in September 2007 but is still available. Jobseekers should have a degree in computer studies, Mac OS X exposure and experience in reverse engineering* and security. They must work at Apple's Silicon Valley headquarters.

While Mac OS X is a top-notch operating system, there always are things it can't do, or could do a bit better. This applies to every operating system, because if they were all perfect, then no one would make money writing third-party software! I know the Internet abounds with various lists of "Mac Software You Can't Live Without"; if you can stand one more, I've compiled what I've found to be some cool and useful tools. No, I don't think you can't live without any of them, but they've all made my Mac experience more complete, and a little more fun, too.

Apple is already providing developers with a new iPhone firmware beta with enhanced location-finding that could lead to true navigation as well as the roots for background push services.

Those with hands-on access to the beta 2.1 code at Gear Live note that Core Location can now recognize the cardinal direction of an iPhone with GPS as well as its velocity, both of which are ingredients necessary to providing turn-by-turn directions.