Hackers expose flaw in Apple iPad, iPhone software (Reuters)

BOSTON (Reuters) – Hackers have disclosed a bug in software from Apple Inc that security experts said could be exploited by criminals looking to gain remote control over iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch devices.

The security flaw in Apple's iOS operating system came to light on Wednesday as the website www.jailbreakme.com released code that Apple customers can use to modify the iOS operating system through a process known as "jail breaking."

Some Apple customers choose to jail break their devices so they can download and run applications that are not approved by Apple or use iPhone phones on networks of carriers that are not approved by Apple.

Security experts warned that criminal hackers could download that code, reverse engineer it to identify a hole in iOS security and build a piece of malicious software within a few days.

"If you are a malicious attacker, it is fairly doable," said Patrik Runald, a senior researcher with the Internet security firm Websense.

Apple has yet to release an update to iOS that protects customers against malicious software that exploits the flaw.

Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said the company was aware of the problem.

"We are developing a fix that will be available to customers in an upcoming software update," Muller said.

Apple has long been vocal against jail breaking, which if done voids the warranty on its devices.

Any security flaw in iOS software -- which runs Apple's iPhone, iPad tablet and iPod Touch -- has the potential to affect millions of devices that are at the core of Apple's business.

Apple has sold 25 million iPads since it launched last year. The company sold over 18 million of its popular iPhones in just the first three months of the year.

Hackers can exploit the iOS vulnerability by creating a malicious PDF document file. It would infect Apple devices when users attempt to open that document, according to Runald.

Once the device is infected, hackers could "do anything they want," Runald said. That includes stealing passwords, documents and emails.

Comex, a 19-year-old hacker from New York State who developed the jail-breaking tool, said that Apple might be able to patch the software before criminal hackers develop software that exploits the bug.

Last time he put out a version of his jailbreaking software, Apple was able to issue a patch before anybody exploited the bug for malicious purposes.

He said that Apple might not be able to move quickly enough this time.

"It's not that hard to reverse engineer," he said via telephone.

(Reporting by Jim Finkle, additional reporting by Poornima Gupta; Editing by Bernard Orr)

Fresh iPhone Apps for July 7: Magnetic Baby, Pixel Racer, Swords and Soldiers, Elusive Ninja (Appolicious)

Kick off the weekend a touch early with four new games from the iTunes App Store. Leading the charge is Magnetic Baby, a game that combines tilt controls with the skillful use of gravity to move a character around a small galaxy of planets to create a fresh physics puzzler. After that is Pixel Racer, an old-school racing game that’s all about quick reflexes. Swords and Soldiers is a mix between the real-time strategy, tower defense and role-playing genres, and Elusive Ninja challenges you to stay alive as long as possible by dodging ninja stars and bundles of dynamite.

Magnetic Baby (iPhone, iPad) $0.99

In a galaxy filled with tiny planets, you control a little orange ball guy who has been separated from his ball girlfriend. In order to reunite with her and finish each of Magnetic Baby’s stages, you have to throw yourself from planet to planet, using speed and gravity to your advantage. Along the way are stars you can retrieve that count toward your high score in each stage as you bounce from one planet to another, trying to get to the end as quickly as possible. To get all the stars, you’ll have to use precision movements and skill.

Magnetic Baby includes three ways to play, allowing you to switch between tilt controls, touch controls and a virtual pad to control your character. You get 63 levels for your buck, as well as Game Center support so you can see how you stack up against other players.

Pixel Racer (iPhone, iPad) $1.99

Simplicity is the key to Pixel Racer. In it, you pilot one of several race cars on an 8-bit course built entirely of right angles. Rather than test your skill at tilting to drive like more realistic racing games, Pixel Racer is all about reflexes, requiring you to make quick, one-button turns to avoid crashing and notch up the fastest time you can on each course.

You get access to 10 racers over 24 courses, and each racer goes faster than the last, earning you better times but requiring quicker reactions. Game Center support lets you see how your times stack up against other players around the world.

Swords and Soldiers (iPhone, iPad) $2.99

There seems to be no end to iPhone castle defense titles, but Swords and Soldiers works on the formula by mixing it with role-playing game elements. In each stage, you’ll gather resources by mining gold, upgrade your troops, summon soldiers and wage war against enemy forces who are marching against your base.

Swords and Soldiers takes you across three battle campaigns using soldiers from various lands and eras. There’s also a Skirmish mode, which lets you play battles outside of the campaign whenever you want, and Game Center support to supply the game with achievements and leaderboards.

Elusive Ninja: The Shadowy Thief (iPhone, iPad) $1.99

Elusive Ninja employs a great, cartoonish art style to drive its simple gameplay. You control a ninja under attack, with flaming arrows, ninja stars and explosives flying your way. The goal of the game is to avoid getting killed by them for as long as possible, using touch controls to dodge different weapons as they come flying at you, while catching sushi to replenish your health. The longer you survive, the higher your score.

There’s not much else to Elusive Ninja – it’s simple but challenging, requiring some fast reflexes to rack-up a high score. It also features support from OpenFeint and Game Center, which tracks your scores and let you see how you stack up against other Elusive Ninjas all over the world.

Download the free Appolicious iPhone app

'Major iPhone revamp' in 2012, new charging system possible (Digital Trends)

Apple has a “major iPhone revamp” in the works, reports the Wall Street Journal. The redesigned device — let’s call it iPhone 6 — is slated for a 2012 release, according to “people briefed on Apple’s plans.”

The sources say that Apple “has been experimenting with features such as a new way of charging the phone.” This new charging system was first reported by former Engadget editor-in-chief Joshua Topolsky at This Is My Next back in April. According to his information, mock-ups of the rumored device showed “some form of inductive or touch charging.” Topolsky’s sources weren’t able to confirm whether “Apple’s working on its own version of cable-free juicing.” The This Is My Next report indicated that it would be the “iPhone 5? to receive the charging update.

As Mark Gurman at 9to5Mac points out, the “cable-free juicing” could be similar to HP’s Touchstone cable-free charging system for Palm devices

The Wall Street Journal article further confirms rumors that we’ve been hearing for months. Namely, that the next iPhone will launch by the “end of September.” That device is said to have a “similar” design to the iPhone 4, but will be “thinner and lighter” (gasp!), with an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera. Many

In addition, sources tell WSJ reporter Lorraine Luk that “Apple has also been working on a less-expensive phone with new features such as an edge-to-edge screen,” though there is no indication in Luk’s article that this device and the iPhone set for September release are the same handset, as some have speculated.

On top of all this hardware talk, market analyst Shing Yin of Citadel Securities tells Barron’s reporter Tiernan Ray that chances are good that Apple will release an iPhone for the Sprint-Nextel network sometime this year, most likely before Christmas.

Hmmm… September is before Christmas. How about then?

Even more iPhone rumors: Apple to introduce new charging tech in iPhone 6 (Appolicious)

There seems to be no end to fresh rumors about future iPhones flying across the Internet in the last few days. Only yesterday we told you about a Wall Street Journal report that claimed the iPhone 5 would be a thinner and lighter revamp of the device, and now it seems the WSJ has even more new information to report.

Today’s earlier rumors concerned the iPhone 5, but in a report issued later in the day on July 6, the newspaper claims to have found some dirt on the next next version of the iPhone, which we’ll refer to as the iPhone 6. This is the device we’re all presuming from past history that Apple will release in 2012.

Try to bear with this, as the somewhat random and barely-sourced information can get confusing: when it comes to the iPhone 5, the WSJ reports that “sources familiar with Apple’s plans” told it that the company is putting together a thinner and lighter iPhone, but with the fundamental design remaining similar to the iPhone 4, which falls in line with most of the rumors circulating at this point. Apple didn’t announce the phone in June during its Worldwide Developers Conference because the phone isn’t (or wasn’t) finished yet, but it expects it to launch it in September. It appears the iPhone 5 will be a fair step up from the iPhone 4, with the A5 dual-core processor Apple put in the iPad 2 and an 8-megapixel camera among other changes, but while the improvements will be noticeable, they may not yet be game-changing.

Enter the iPhone 6, which the WSJ reports its sources have said may include “a new way of charging the phone.” It’s one of the features Apple is reportedly experimenting with, which suggests that while the iPhone 5 may be less of a drastic revamp, the iPhone 6 will be the kind of device that CEO Steve Jobs will have fun showing off at the inevitable keynote.

The iPhone 5 may still be an incremental update, it appears, even though Apple expects it to sell exceedingly well. Reportedly, the company is expecting 25 million units to be sold in the last three months of 2011 when it’s released. That suggests Apple expects the market to accept the phone more than Wall Street reportedly is, which the WSJ says is keeping cool on the phone, at least for now, because it’s banking on users opting not to upgrade until a better model comes along. So maybe Apple is trying to push in more definable improvements to drive sales, and maybe not.

The WSJ also came close to confirming another somewhat-weird rumor that Apple is working on a second, less-expensive iPhone. We heard this from an analyst last week without any facts to back it up. The WSJ reports that the person who let slip about the charging upgrade also said Apple was working on the cheaper phone that could also include an edge-to-edge screen.

I know, I know – it’s getting ridiculous with all these rumors. Still, at least some are starting to corroborate one another, but it’s getting hard to know what to believe or even to draw some decent conclusions about it all. The real bummer of all this speculation and secret, unsourced information is that while some of it will inevitably end up being true, Apple always finds a way to surprise us just when we think we know what’s going to happen.

Check back here for the next time someone decides to leak some iPhone information; I give it about 20 minutes.

Apple iPhone 4 awarded ‘Best Mobile Device’ of 2011 at Mobile World Congress

Apple may have skipped Mobile World Congress 2011, but its iPhone 4 still reigns supreme after winning this year's "Best Mobile Device" award.

Apple didn’t even show up at Mobile World Congress 2011, which took place in Barcelona, Spain, this week. But that didn’t stop the company’s iPhone 4 from taking home the show’s top prize for a mobile device.

Amidst an onslaught of newly unveiled smartphones — many of which run Google’s Android operating system — GSMA Global Mobile Awards judges have named the iPhone 4 the “Best Mobile Device” of 2011 for its “great screen, sharp design, fantastic materials, and phenomenal ecosystem for app developers.” This, despite the device’s widely-reported reception problems. (Antennagate, anyone?)

Apple has long avoided the technology industry’s premier events, such as Mobile World Congress (MWC) the annual Consumer Electronics Show, instead opting to hold its own highly-publicized press events. Not only that, but the Cupertino, CA-based company seems to leak news of upcoming products during these events, presumably to steal some of the thunder of its competitors who often use the shows as an opportunity to launch new products. During this year’s MWC, for instance, multiple reports have surfaced about a line of three new iPhones, which unnamed sources say could be announced this year. Big news, indeed.

Notable releases at MWC 2011 include the LG Optimus 3D, the first-ever smartphone to allow users to watch and record 3D video; the 4.8-inch Acer Iconia Smart; and the Samsung Galaxy S II, as well as a slew of new tablet PCs that will compete with the Apple iPad.

Apple aside, judges at MWC awarded HTC the honor of “Device Manufacturer of the Year” for its line of Android-based smartphones.

“This company has built its market presence from nowhere, with fresh branding and marketing and a strong portfolio of devices across many platforms,” the judges said in their official comment. “In particular, it has proven an exceptionally popular and enduring phone manufacturer. With great communication and good customer service, this is a well-deserved award.”

The judges also “highly commended” HTC for the HTC Desire, which “set the bar for Android phones across much of the world in 2010.”

To view the full list of 2011 GSMA awards and winner, click here.

Man files class action lawsuit over broken iPhone 4 glass

Just days before Verizon will roll out its iPhone 4 model, a new lawsuit is claims that phone's glass casing isn't as "ultradurable" as Apple would have us believe.

A man in California hadn’t owned his iPhone 4 a month before his daughter dropped it while trying to send a text message. The phone’s glass casing shattered in the fall. Now Donald LeBuhn is leveling a class action lawsuit at Apple charging the company with knowingly selling a defective product.

“Months after selling millions of iPhone 4s, Apple has failed to warn and continues to sell this product with no warning to customers that the glass housing is defective,” LeBuhn says in the complaint. LeBuhn claims that he previously dropped an iPhone 3GS from the same height — about 3 feet — without the device suffering any harm.

It’s not the first time the iPhone 4′s glass has been scrutinized. In October, a study by warranty provider SquareTrade revealed that iPhone 4 owners were reporting damage 68 percent more frequently than iPhone 3GS owners did four months after both devices had been on the market for four months.

Broken screens were the most frequently reported damage for the iPhone 4, according to the study. However, it’s important to remember that the iPhone 4 has two sides of glass housing — the 3GS only has one side of glass.

SquareTrade issued a followup report a month later that found the iPhone 4 to be the most reliable smartphone on the market, but also on track to become the most accident prone, thanks to breaking screens.

LeBuhn’s lawsuit alleges that Apple makes false claims about the iPhone 4′s durability. Apple’s website says the iPhone 4′s screen is “chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic” and “ultradurable” and made from the “same type of glass used in the windshields of helicopters and high-speed trains.”

LeBuhn’s lawsuit asks for the $252 that he paid for the phone to be refunded, and that all iPhone 4 owners who’ve had similar experiences receive a refund or be reimbursed for the cost of repairs.

Starbucks lets you pay for that Trenta with the iPhone in your shaking, overcaffeinated hands

Expanding a trial that had already been underway in a few markets, Starbucks is now rolling out its Starbucks Card mobile app nationally with payment capability built-in, meaning you needn’t reach into your wallet, pocketbook, or purse just because you’re jonesing for that midday caffeine fix. Instead, you can fire up the app — which supports the iPhone, iPod touch, and a number of BlackBerry models — and hold up a barcode on the screen to a scanner in the store, at which point monies will be automagically deducted from your Starbucks Card account and transferred back to the mothership in exchange for high-octane brew. The circle of life, as it were. Follow the break for the full press release.

Show full PR text

Mobile Payment Debuts Nationally at Starbucks

The Starbucks Card Mobile App offers customers with BlackBerry smartphones, iPhone and iPod touch the fastest way to pay at nearly 6,800 U.S. company-operated Starbucks stores

SEATTLE, January 19, 2011 – Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) today announced the launch of mobile payment in all U.S. company-operated stores, allowing customers to pay for in-store purchases with select smartphones. Building on the earlier introduction of Starbucks Card Mobile App for select BlackBerry® smartphones, iPhone® and iPod® touch and a successful mobile payment test program, customers now have access to the largest mobile payment program in the U.S and the fastest way to pay at Starbucks. This national program now includes nearly 6,800 company-operated stores and more than 1,000 Starbucks in U.S. Target locations.

In addition to engaging a loyal base of several million cardholders with the offering, Starbucks anticipates mobile payment will be a draw for customers looking to experience the speed, ease and convenience of paying with their mobile phone. “Today, one in five Starbucks transactions is made using a Starbucks Card and mobile payment will extend the way our customers experience and use their Starbucks Card,” said Brady Brewer, vice president Starbucks Card and Brand Loyalty. “With mobile payment, the Starbucks Card platform further elevates the customer experience by delivering convenience, rewarding loyalty and continuing to build an emotional connection with our customers.”

To experience mobile payment at Starbucks, customers just need to download the free Starbucks Card Mobile App for select BlackBerry smartphones, iPhone or iPod touch mobile devices. More than one-third of U.S. Starbucks customers use smartphones, of which nearly three quarters use BlackBerry smartphone or iPhone mobile devices. In addition to the mobile payment capability, the app allows customers to manage their Starbucks Card account, check their card balance, reload their card with any major credit card (iPhone users can also use the PayPal feature), check their My Starbucks Rewards status and find a nearby Starbucks store with the store locator feature.

Customers can pay with their smartphone by holding their mobile device in front of a scanner on the countertop and scan the Starbucks Card Mobile App’s on-screen barcode to make a purchase. Customers have successfully adopted this technology in test markets in Seattle, Northern California, New York and more than 1,000 Starbucks in U.S. Target stores.

Mobile payment is built on the Starbucks Card platform, which continues to experience significant customer adoption. Customers loaded more than $1.5 billion on Starbucks Cards in 2010, an increase of 21 percent over 2009, driven in part by the My Starbucks Rewards program which provides benefits to customers who pay with a registered Starbucks Card at participating stores. With the introduction of the quick and easy Starbucks Card Mobile App and the mobile payment feature, customer will find yet another reason to use their Starbucks Card for payment.

“Mobile payment is just one example of how we’re continually innovating on behalf of our customers to enhance the Starbucks Experience,” said Brewer. “A growing segment of our customers use smartphones, and through the Starbucks Card Mobile App, we’re providing them with the fastest way to pay.”

To download the Starbucks Card Mobile App and check out mobile payment, BlackBerry smartphone users can text the word “GO” to 70845 or visit http://www.starbucks.com/coffeehouse/mobile-apps/starbucks-card-mobile-bb from their device (Standard message and data rates apply.). It’s available for a variety of BlackBerry smartphones including BlackBerry® 8800 series; BlackBerry® Bold series; BlackBerry® Curve™ series; BlackBerry® Storm™; BlackBerry® Storm2™ and BlackBerry® Tour™.

iPhone and iPod touch users can download the app from the App Store at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

Visit www.starbucks.com/coffeehouse/mobile-apps for more information about the Starbucks Card Mobile app and payment system for select BlackBerry smartphones and Apple® iPhone®, iPod® touch.