Apple suggests using iMessage to SMS vulnerability concerns

Apple on Saturday responded to reports of a vulnerability to SMS spoofing that can be done to users of the company’s iPhone.

“Apple takes security very seriously. When using iMessage instead of SMS, addresses are verified which protects against these kinds of spoofing attacks,” an Apple representative told The Loop. “One of the limitations of SMS is that it allows messages to be sent with spoofed addresses to any phone, so we urge customers to be extremely careful if they’re directed to an unknown website or address over SMS.”

There is a key point in what Apple told me. A lot has been written in the press about how the “iPhone” has this problem, but Apple isn’t alone.

The vulnerability is not with the iPhone, but rather with the SMS technology. The iPhone is not alone in being susceptible to this type of attack — all phones that use SMS can be tricked in the same way. That’s why the verification and security of using iMessage is so much better.

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iPhone Free Games Spellsword, Hambo

As we've stated many times before, prices in the App Store change frequently. Grab these freebies before you miss out on a top bargain.
Remember to let us and your fellow readers know about any other great free apps in our comments section below.

Spellsword

By Everplay - download for iPhone and iPad



Spellsword is an action-packed platformer in which you tackle multipleSuper Crate Box-esque stages - all of which are packed to the rafters with a wide variety of enemies and magical cards that allow you to unleash devastating attacks.

There are 90 challenging arenas for you to work your way through in the game's Campaign mode, and several unlockable endless arenas if you're craving an extra test.

Hambo

By Miniclip - download for iPhone and download for iPad



In Hambo, you work your way through more than 200 different physics-based levels, which task you with solving puzzles in order to rescue your best friend Bacon from the grubby mitts of your sworn enemy.

There are also 20 different costumes to unlock. We presume at least some of you are into that kind of thing.

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iPhone 5 Could be Released on September 12th

iPhone 5 Could be Released as Early as September 12th Throughout the year various reports have suggested that the iPhone 5 would be launched in July, August, September and October, with October being the preferred favourite of many commenters as it would be 12 months after the iPhone 4S launch. The latest reports, however, are suggesting that the iPhone 5 will be launched as early as mid-September.

The information comes via iMore which states that an unnamed source, who has "proven accurate in the past", states that the iPhone 5 will be launched alongside a new iPad at an event held on September 12th, and will be released in most markets 9 days later.

 Various sources have started to claim a September launch is likely, although more recent reports suggest that delays could be likely due to problems in developing state of the art 28 nanometre radio chips that are used in the phone. These chips are exceptionally slim and on the cutting edge of technology – only a few manufacturers possess the ability to manufacturer them. The problem seems to lie in trying to mass produce these chips on such a scale that will be necessary for the number of iPhone 5's that Apple will expect to sell upon launch.

 Apple will be able to counteract this delay by getting a number of other manufacturers to produce the chips, although this all remains hearsay at present. More and more images are appearing online of what is claimed to be the iPhone 5. It is unlikely that Apple has been this lax regarding its upcoming phone, especially considering its past track record regarding product secrecy, although the images do provide some information about what we can most likely expect from the phone and seem to confirm many earlier rumours.

For one thing, it seems almost certain now that the iPhone 5 will feature a taller 4 inch screen. The screen will be similar in width to earlier iPhone screens, and will result in a new 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. Overall, the physical design is very similar to the iPhone 4 and 4S, and why not? As the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, why fix it?" The current iPhone design has proved immensely popular so far.

However, one of the biggest complaints levelled against the iPhone 4S was the fact that it was virtually indistinguishable from the iPhone 4. Many people buying a new iPhone want other people to instantly recognise that they have the latest model, as for some people it can be somewhat of a status symbol. The decision to adopt a similar, albeit taller, design for the iPhone 5 may prove to be quite unpopular.

The iPhone 5 will also feature iOS 6, including in-car support for Siri, the new 3D Maps app and 3G support for FaceTime. There is no confirmation if the phone will come with NFC or LTE support just yet, although given the establishment of both of these technologies in many markets, their presence seems quite certain. The iPhone 5 is also thought to use a new 19 pin dock connector. We will have to wait until September to see if the current claim is true, although even if iMore's claims are valid there is always the possibility of a delay.

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Sprint Posted a Huge Lose

Sprint (S) on Thursday reported its financial results for the second quarter of 2012. Despite the carrier’s multi-billion dollar bet on Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone, Sprint posted another big quarterly loss in the June quarter. The nation’s No.3 carrier lost $0.46 per share, or $1.4 billion, on $7.3 billion in sales compared to an $843 million loss in the same quarter one year earlier. Sprint sold 1.5 million iPhones, 40% of which were to new postpaid subscribers, and it added a net total of 442,000 postpaid subscribers. Postpaid churn sank to a record 1.69% however, and Sprint also managed its best-ever postpaid ARPU at $63.38.

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Siri-like voice control in BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha

After the great success of Apple's Siri now Blackberry also adds the Siri like voice commands system in its new alpha version of BlackBerry 10 to be clear, we (and countless other online sources) aren’t referring to it as a Siri-esque platform just because it’s a mobile voice recognition system. It functions almost identically, and in fact even the voice sounds like it came from the iPhone 4S. But will having a service that tries to rival Siri be enough to keep RIM afloat? We don’t really need to answer that, do we?

Obviously, the future doesn’t look good for BlackBerry. And even though RIM has finally, after years and years and years, realized that it needs to change its strategy, it’s still showing immense weakness. Case in point – BlackBerry 10 was supposed to launch in the first half of 2012. Guess what? We’re in the second half of the year, and there’s still no confirmed release date

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Apple adds Uniique Identifier to in-app purchase receipts

Apple has begun adding a new field to its in-app purchase receipts entitled ‘unique_identifier’. The addition of the field was reported by Macrumors, but contrary to its article, it does not appear to contain a Unique Device Identifier (UDID), something that Apple has been instructing developers to move away from.
Instead, the field contains a unique string of numbers that could be any number of things ranging from a randomly generated value that is unique to a device, to a cryptographic hash of the UDID that accomplishes the same thing.
Either way, it’s hard to say at this point whether this has anything to do with the recent in-app purchase bypass, which has allowed over 37,000 free purchases. It’s simply too early to say whether this is related to that, or to a particular new App Store feature for developers that Apple will launch with iOS 6.


Via - TheNextWeb

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iPhone 5 preorders start today

Apple’s mythical “iPhone 5” — which does not yet exist and probably won’t be called the “iPhone 5″ when it does become available this fall — is already available for preorder on Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao. As Reuters reports, Far Eastern vendors are looking to capitalize on the flurry of rumors that have swept the Web over the past few months. Independent sellers on the Alibaba-owned site are including mock-ups and rumored specs with their listings, and they’re asking for as much as $1,100 to secure a preorder for the world’s most eagerly anticipated smartphone. Apple’s next-generation iPhone, which is expected to look much like the mock-up pictured above, will reportedly feature a taller design, a larger 4-inch display, a slimmer profile, a new dock connector and 4G LTE connectivity when it launches this fall.

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Apple iWallet Delay is a Win For Rival Google [Rumors]

An ongoing rumor that Apple's new iPhone 5 would integrate near field communication (NFC) technology, allowing the smart phone to become a digital wallet, may be put to rest soon.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple said they’d postpone the NFC technology before jumping into the market. This is a rare move for a company known for taking the lead in innovation and presenting its users with unprecedented technologies that end up being life-changing for most.

Though last month Apple was granted an NFC-related patent called “iWallet” from the United States Trademark & Patent Office, the company has decided to postpone its release until users adopt the technology somewhere else.

iWallet would have permitted users of the upcoming iPhone 5 to keep track and control of financial transactions through their handheld devices. iWallet would also have allowed iPhone 5 users to gift iTunes products to fellow users through a NFC chip that can be integrated into iPhones and iPads for “digital interaction.”

However, in the increasingly competitive rivalry between Apple and Google the latter seems to be taking the lead as "Google Wallet" -- Google’s own NFC solution -- is already in negotiations with major credit card companies to provide the mobile commerce service through Android devices.

But in what seems like an acknowledgement of Google’s lead – at least in this particular technology – Apple has decided to hold off and opt instead for using its recently launched iOS app “Passbook” to offer its users the possibility of collecting coupons, gift cards and plane tickets. Only time will tell which will come out on top in the growing mobile commerce sector.

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Apple released a standalone Podcasts app into the App Store

Apple released a standalone Podcasts app into the App Store for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad today for junkies who want to separate their listening experience from the rest of iTunes. Users will get full access to Apple’s already extensive library of thousands upon thousands of audio and video podcasts.
Rumors about a dedicated Podcasts app have been a bit of a roller coaster over the past few weeks. Shortly after the first beta of iOS 6 came out, we reported Apple was working on bringing a Podcasts app to a future version of the OS because they were suspiciously removed from iTunes. Then yesterday, Apple released iOS 6 beta 2 which brought podcasts back to iTunes. Just when everyone thought the standalone app wouldn’t see the light of day, here it is.
The Podcasts app that was made a reality today takes a similar UI to the new iTunes Store and App Store in iOS 6 with dark navigation bars and backgrounds. You can scroll through podcasts or top stations, which will nicely organize them into a carousel sorted by category. A sleep timer is available if you’re listening at night and the app will also sync playback progress across devices. Tap the Catalog to flip over and browse more podcasts to subscribe, favorite or share.
There might be some negative feedback about Apple choosing to let podcasts go solo in iOS, but I think it was a smart move. Most people either faithfully subscribe to podcasts (or make podcasts themselves) or just ignore them altogether. Making a separate Podcasts app is beneficial to people on either side.
You can get the Podcasts app for free in the App Store.

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iPhone 5 to feature 3.9-inch Retina Display

Apple is said to be testing two versions of the iPhone 5 ahead of the device’s official release date later in the year.
The new iPhone 5 test handsets, according to reports, both feature 3.9-inch Retina Displays. The new iPhone display resolution will be 640x1136 pixels, meaning the display features an additional 176 pixels when compared with the existing iPhone 4S.
Sources within Apple confirmed to 9to5Mac that two iPhone models are being tested extensively. Said handsets, however, are locked away in security blocks so as to conceal the actual design of the device.
‘We know of two next-generation iPhones in testing with a larger display: the iPhone 5,1 and iPhone 5,2. These phones are in the PreEVT stage of development and are codenamed N41AP (5,1) and N42AP (5,2). Because Apple reserves certain models for internal-only usage (such as the N96 phone we previously reported on),’ said 9to5Mac.
'We’re not sure which of the two devices will make its way into the world later this year,' it added.
Apple’s iOS 6 is also in testing and will feature some new tweaks designed to take advantage of the iPhone 5’s larger display. One such change is the inclusion of a fifth row of icons.
Another hotly tipped addition is extended application user-interfaces (UI) that will allow more content to be viewed with a single glance - looks like Apple’s looking to mimic Android’s widgets and Windows Phone’s Live Tiles.
More news as we get it.

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Upcoming iOS 5.1.1 Jailbreak Will Support iPhone 3GS, iPod touch 3rd-Gen

Earlier this month, iOS hacker Pod2g released an FAQ for his upcoming iOS 5.1.1 untethered jailbreak, which stated that the iPhone 3GS and the third-generation iPod touch would not be compatible. He did say, however, that this situation “may change,” and it has.

In a recent tweet, Pod2g confirmed that he has now discovered “a way through for iPod 3G and iPhone 3GS users.”


Good news. We’ve found a way through for iPod 3G and iPhone 3Gs users. Upcoming jailbreak will be compatible.

That means you can now update these devices to iOS 5.1.1 safe in the knowledge that the next jailbreak will support you. Unfortunately the same can’t be said for the third-generation Apple TV, however, which is still yet to be cracked.

iJailbreak has put together a handy list that makes compatibility a little clearer:

iPhone 4
iPhone 4S
iPad 1
iPad 2 Wifi
iPad 3 Wifi
iPad 3 CDMA
iPod 3G
iPod 4G

Here is the list of devices that won’t be supported :

AppleTV 3
Remains to test (but that should work) :


iPhone 3Gs
iPad 2 GSM
iPad 2 CDMA
iPad 2 Wifi, R2
iPad 3 Global
AppleTV 2

There’s still no release date for the jailbreak just yet, but it seems Pod2g is certainly making some progress.

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Russia:Windows Phone Devices Outselling iPhones

MTS, Russia’s leading mobile operator released its mobile phone sales report in Russia. We have got some interesting stats regarding Windows Phone platform from their sales estimate report. In the data on sales of smartphones by operating systems in Q1 2012 (in terms of units sold), Windows Phone devices outsold iPhone in Russia. Windows Phone had 8.2% of the smartphone market share whereas iOS had only 7.3%.

And in the list of top 5 selling smartphones in the price range of greater than 10000 RUB, there are three Windows Phone devices. Nokia Lumia 800, Nokia Lumia 710 and HTC Mozart. It seems that the earlier reports about HTC Mozart selling out in Russia seems to be true.

Source: MTS

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T-mobile will give full 3G speeds for iPhone very soon and will give 4G LTE network coming in 2013.

T-mobile will give full 3G speeds for iPhone very soon and will give 4G LTE network coming in 2013.
While earlier T-Mobile USA doesn't sell the iPhone itself, last summer it claimed to have more than one million subscribers wielding unlocked iPhones on its network. But those subscribers have been limited to sluggish 2G speeds, a problem the company's CTO Neville Ray says it is working on; the company plans to shift some of its spectrum, allowing iPhones to run at full 3G speeds.

T-Mobile's network improvements will allow it to offer HSPA+ service in the 1900 MHz band compatible with current iPhone hardware "by the end of the year".

As part of the company’s network modernization effort, T-Mobile also plans to launch 4G HSPA+ service in the 1900 MHz band in a large number of markets by the end of the year. Network modernization trials have shown up to a 33 percent increase in HSPA+ data speeds as well as improved in-building coverage. Rolling out 4G HSPA+ services in the 1900 MHz band will also provide customers with the ability to use a broader range of devices, including the iPhone, on T-Mobile’s 4G network.

T-Mobile USA Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray acknowledged that the spectrum refarming will allow the carrier to aggressively target current AT&T customers whose contracts have lapsed by the end of the year.

Ray declined to comment on whether the company would directly target iPhone users in a big marketing push planned for later this year. 
“It would make sense,” Ray agreed, but added, “We’re not there yet.”

via-macrumors

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Home screen need to updating in iOS 6?

There are many articles about the udation of Home Screen in iOS 6. There are both some major positives as well as major drawbacks of changing the so well known homescreen. Hundreds of millions of users already know how to use the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad Home screen, and that’s a huge barrier to change.
It has the fast app switcher, it has folders, it has notification center, it has Siri, but at its core it’s still an app switcher, same as it’s been since 2007 and the same as my Handspring was over a decade ago. It’s a classic, but as much as everyone loves the classics, sometimes we want something new.

So what shall it be, iMore nation? Does the Home screen need a complete redesign to compete with the likes of Windows Phone, webOS, and BlackBerry 10? Does it simply need some widgets to keep pace with Android? Or does it really need nothing at all?

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Skype 4.0 is released for Apple Products

New version of Skype 4.0 is released for iPhone and iPad which contains the features Like improved stability and accessibility, as well as updated contacts and messages for iPad users in particular.
Company says The new Skype works on iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad and iPod touch, according to the developers. Skype 4.0 requires iOS version 4.3 or above
The auto-restart function promises that the app will automatically restart after an unexpected shutdown. That’s an interesting and unique feature that I haven’t seen in any other iOS apps, but would definitely come in handy so you can hop back on a voice or video call as fast as possible.

Skype 4.0 is a universal app for both the iPhone and iPad. The app is free and available in the App Store.

Dowmload here Skype 4.0  

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Rumors of an iPhone nano surface again, points at 2012 release

There have been plenty of rumors suggesting that Apple could put out an iPad mini to compete against the Amazon Kindle Fire and possibly Google’s upcoming Nexus tablet, both of which are priced extremely competitively (with the latter reportedly cheaper than the Kindle Fire). There has also been rumblings in the past suggesting that Apple could launch a cheaper iPhone dubbed the “iPhone nano”. At the moment the company’s iPhone 3GS is the cheapest and is currently being offered at $375. While it does seem a lot cheaper compared to the iPhone 4S, it’s still a lot more expensive than some budget Android phones. This is apparently the reason why (according to China Times) Apple is looking to introduce the rumored iPhone nano, a low-cost iOS device that will compete against budget Android phones and will apparently be launched later this year. Plausible? It’s a bit tricky when it comes to predicting Apple’s moves, even more so when it’s rumors about the Cupertino company’s future products so until we actually see proof that such a device exists, we’ll be taking all of this with a grain of salt for now and suggest that you do the same.

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Microsoft Wants To Manage Your iPhone like It’s 2008

Microsoft plans to expand Intune to manage iOS devices

Microsoft has decided to jump into the mobile management marketplace. The company has announced plans to retool its Intune cloud-based desktop management service to manage iPhones, iPads, and some Android devices. The news follows RIM’s similar decision to include iOS and Android management in the new BlackBerry Mobile Fusion console that it designed for its PlayBook tablet.
Microsoft’s Brad Anderson, corporate vice president of the company’s management and security division division showed off the new version of Intune at Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) in Las Vegas. Anderson’s presentation, however, wasn’t able to illustrate Intune’s upcoming iOS management capabilities because the iPhone used in his demo failed to perform properly with the Intune release being used – an event that The Register reported as seeming “as though the spirit of Steve Jobs was in the room.”
Although Microsoft has noted mobile device management features will be added to Intune, the company hasn’t offered a lot of details yet. However, a Microsoft blog post written by Eric Main, director of product marketing for Intune, implies that the capabilities will largely be centered around Microsoft Exchange and its ActiveSync protocol.

The next release of Windows Intune will integrate with Windows Server Active Directory and Microsoft Exchange Server, allowing IT to manage the many devices brought into the workplace, even if they’re not owned by the organization. IT will also be able to use Windows Intune to set security policies for mobile devices and enforce password protection, encryption and even kick off a remote wipe if a device is compromised. Windows Intune’s mobile device management will support any device with Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync capabilities, including Windows Phone, iOS and Android.

Apple added Exchange ActiveSync support to the iOS with the 2008 release of iOS 2 and the iPhone 3G. While ActiveSync does provide the ability to set passcode policies and trigger the remote wipe of an iOS device, it doesn’t provide significant device or data management policies. Whether Microsoft intends to build on Apple’s mobile management framework, which offers significantly better management and security capabilities, is unclear at this time.
In addition to ActiveSync and/or mobile device management features, Microsoft is aiming to include some enterprise app store capabilities. These include pointing users to apps in Apple’s iOS App Store and distributing internal apps. Intune will offer similar features for Windows PCs and Android devices. The company hasn’t indicated if Intune will integrate with Apple’s volume purchase program.
It’s too early to say if Intune will provide much value as a mobile management solution, but based on the available information, its iOS management capabilities seem well below those offered by almost every other mobile management vendor at this point.

Via-Clut of Mac

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The Avengers assemble on iPhone and iPad!

Save the best for last as some folks say. If you’re looking for the full Avengers package then Avengers Origins: Assemble is ready and waiting. Like the Avengers Origins: Hulk, it’s a reading book once again narrated by Stan Lee. It features all the same reading modes and interactivity options but is jammed full of Avengers goodness.

In a way, it picks up where the Captain America movie itself left off (and the classic Avengers series started!) with Captain America being thawed out of a frozen slumber to find himself a man out of time. Now Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man, and The Wasp need his help to defend Earth against all evil. The real question is, will he be willing to help? With hidden items throughout and again those mini-game like sequences built in, if you’re looking for a full on Avengers experience — this is the one to grab.

$1.99 – Download Now

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Apple Stores replacing white 16GB iPhone 4′s with 4S’ due to supply shortage

9to5Mac has received word from two sources inside the Apple Store that confirm, depending on inventory, some Canadian Genius Bars will be replacing white 16GB iPhone 4′s with the equivalent-sized iPhone 4S. This is due to a significant shortage of inventory of the former, and a need to have sufficient replacements on hand for the many users who come in every day with legitimate warranty-related issues.
While it’s not known which stores in the US or Canada are doing this, and Apple certainly isn’t promoting the fact, there is a very good chance at the moment for you to walk out of an Apple Store with a refurbished white 16GB iPhone 4S.
Have you, or anyone you know, been treated to a iPhone 4S after taking in your iPhone 4 for replacement? Let us know.
Source: 9to5Mac

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Joe Danger to bring high-flying stunts to the iPhone and iPad

Joe Danger, an Xbox Live Arcade game, is making the leap to iOS with fully optimized swipe and tap controls. The lighthearted romp takes a motorcycle-riding daredevil through a series of obstacles in colorful locales where you openly defy danger by doing backflips off big jumps and poppin’ sweet wheelies. While driving through a course, you’ve got split-seconds to tap on letters as they pass by. If you can spell out “Danger”, you earn one of the win criteria, while you earn another for collecting all of the stars on the course. That should offer plenty of replay value. Best of all, we’ll be able to expect multiplayer support whereby both players trying to cut one another off and compete for stars and letters.

Joe Danger’s gameplay on the iPad looked extremely smooth, and it looks like they’ve done a solid job of recreating the appeal of the top-ranked XBLA game of 2011 for mobile. There are way too many apps, like Soul Calibur, that simply drag and drop a virtual controller layer onto the game UI and expect everything to play the same, but it’s good to see folks like Hello Games are taking the time to properly make the transition to mobile. It’s also really nice to see a game that’s not about killing people for a change, but is still lots of fun to play.
The developers were specific about release dates or pricing for Joe Danger on iPhone or iPad, particularly since this is a very early look, but they mentioned that it should be available “in a few weeks time”.

Via-iMORE

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