Oliver Haslam

Warning: MobileMe Phishing Scam Poses Security Risk Via Email

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 20, 2011

It may be nearly Christmas, but that isn't stopping the bad guys from trying to rip us all off, and the latest victim is Apple's MobileMe service.

The phishing method is a familiar one – send an email to a few thousand people, ask them for their login credentials and hope that some fall for it. It's low-tech, but it unfortunately works more often than you would think.

As The Mac Observer writes, customers of Apple's MobileMe service are the latest to receive such phishing emails, with recipients being warned that their iDisks have been found to contain a virus. The way to get rid? Email off your login details, obviously...

iOS 3.1.3 Users Blocked From the App Store

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 20, 2011

Users of older versions of iOS may be left out in the app-less wilderness according to reports, with the App Store seemingly not impressed with users who have not updated their iPhones or iPod touches past iOS 3.1.3.

Apple has always been a strong proponent of users installing the latest version of an operating system, whether that be the latest and greatest release of OS X on a Mac, or the newest version of iOS available. It's a great way of squashing potential bugs and security holes while making sure developers have less OS fragmentation to deal with.

Some people don't want to update, though. Whether it be through a need to have a specific jailbreak work, or their iOS device simply doesn't have the chops to run the latest iOS release, some just do not want to upgrade. Reports have surfaced that devices running iOS 3.1.3 or earlier are unable to download apps from Apple's App Store...

Nuance to Buy Natural Speech Competitor Vlingo to Take on Siri

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 20, 2011

It seems Apple's introduction of Siri to the world of smartphones has had an unexpected affect – it has stopped the ongoing legal wrangle between two competing natural language software development companies. So much so that the pair are now in cahoots.

Both Nuance and Vlingo have been at each other's throats over perceived patent infringement, but the pair are now best buds after Nuance announced that it was to buy Vlingo, the same firm it took to court not that long ago.

The reason for the sudden turnaround? The pair seem to think that they need to join forces against a common enemy, namely, Apple...

Apple Begins Replacing Old iPod Nanos with New Models

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 20, 2011

Apple's iPod nano replacement program is in full swing now, with the company replacing original iPod nanos due to a potential fire risk from overheating. Up to this point, Apple has been replacing the iPods with same-generation models, with new versions of old iPod nanos being shipped out to the customers that are taking advantage of the program.

Now it seems that Apple may have begun to offer new, recent-generation models of the iPod nano in exchange for the faulty first-generation units, if reports on the MacRumors forums are to be believed.

AT&T Pulls Out of T-Mobile Buyout

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 19, 2011

And there we have it, folks. The love affair between AT&T and T-Mobile is finally over, with the former confirming today that it has pulled out of a proposed deal to buy the latter from its parent company, Deutsche Telekom.

The news comes as both the FCC and DOJ voiced concerns over the potential buyout, with many industry insiders believing there was no way AT&T was going to be able to force a deal through with so much opposition.

Today AT&T finally gave up on the deal that would have given it a considerable leg-up with regards to increased spectrum. The real kicker? AT&T will have to pay T-Mobile $4 billion as part of the breakup, though questions will still remain as to whether T-Mobile will be able to continue in the long term.

Many Naughty New York City Merchants Caught Buying Stolen iOS Devices

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 19, 2011

It's pretty clear that Apple's iPhone and iPad line is a popular one amongst shoppers, but while most will pick up their new gadgets the legitimate way, it is an unfortunate fact that some will seek to procure their Apple devices by less scrupulous means.

New York City is one place where iPhone thefts in particular are almost commonplace, and iPads are fast becoming one of the most sought after devices as well. That's why the New York City Police set about trying to track down the places where stolen iPhones and iPads go once they have been lifted, and as a result have made 141 arrests.

Checking out over 600 locations believed participate in the sales of stolen Apple hardware, the NYPD made the arrests after offering to sell devices for between $50 and $200, all the while clearly identifying that the goods were stolen.

Improve Your 3G iPad’s Battery Life With This New Case

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated September 17, 2017

Interesting news from Ars Technica tells us that the iPad has a proximity sensor, just like the iPhone. The 36-equipped iPad's sensor is there to tell the tablet when to dial back its cellular radio. Why, you ask? According to the report, Apple doesn't want the radio running full tilt when it is close to a human.

This sensor is also triggered by some iPad cases, meaning that 3G iPads may spend most of their time with their 3G radios running for no good reason. That's where a new iPad case comes into play...

iOS Developers Have Only 24 Hours to Get Their Apps Ready for Christmas

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 19, 2011

Christmas is always a busy time of year, but if you are the developer of an iOS app, then Christmas can be the busiest time of the year.

As everyone knows, Apple is very strict about testing out each app before it is given the green light to enter the App Store. Add into the equation all the new iOS device owners that are added each Christmas, and the holidays can either make or break a company's yearly profits.

To make the season even more stressful on developers, Apple is getting ready to stop taking app submissions, with tomorrow being the cut-off date for the holidays. Submit a new app after Tuesday, and it will not be accepted in time to hit the App Store before the lucrative Christmas timeframe.

Steve Jobs Biography Author Says His Book Was Only “First Draft,” More Content to Come

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated April 3, 2018

Steve Jobs' biographer Walter Isaacson is considering adding more content to his already-released book on Apple's late co-founder and former CEO.

The book originally went on sale not long after the iconic Jobs' death, but with so many questions left unanswered and some pundits suggesting that the book misses important events from the man's life, Isaacson has admitted that he may well need to add more content to his already-lengthy book.

In fact, during an interview with Fortune, Isaacson went so far as to call the best-seller a "first draft," which we are sure will no doubt not please everyone who spent their hard-earned money on it.

Apple’s A5 Processors Now Being Made in Texas

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 16, 2011

Some interesting news today if you like chips (and who doesn't?), especially those that go into the beating hearts of our iPads and iPhones. Samsung's Texan facility has historically been the source of NAND flash memory, but according to a new report by Reuters, it is also now responsible for the A5 chip used by Apple.

The A5 chip is what powers Apple's iPhone 4S and iPad 2, and bringing production of the part to the United States hasn't been cheap for Samsung.

Microsoft Joins the iPad Accessory Game With a $50 Keyboard

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 16, 2011

Microsoft is on something of an Apple jaunt at the moment. The Windows and Office king has already been releasing iOS apps quicker than anyone else over the last few days, and it has now decided to join the lucrative iOS device accessory market with the Mobile Keyboard 5000.

Despite pushing its upcoming Windows 8 as the true tablet operating system, Microsoft has announced a new Bluetooth mobile keyboard for use with the iPad. It will also in theory worth with Android tablets and presumably future Windows 8 devices (it will not work with the Kindle Fire, by the way).

As far as hardware keyboards go, this offering from Microsoft doesn't look bad at all, assuming you can overlook those Windows keys.