Apple

Apple Has Already Developed A Fix for the PDF Exploit

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated March 18, 2019

An Apple spokeperson told CNET they are well aware of the security exploit found in iOS and they are apparently already working on it:

We're aware of this reported issue, we have already developed a fix and it will be available to customers in an upcoming software update.

This security glitch found in the way iOS handles PDF documents allowed the Dev Team to create JailbreakMe, which uses this exploit to inject the jailbreak code in your iPhone. Some security experts were quick to realize that this exploit could be used to inject malicious softwares in your iDevices and brought up this issue to the general public. The jailbreak community quickly developed a fix for it which can be downloaded directly from Cydia.

This morning I highlighted the irony of the situation. Apple has always claimed jailbreaking can put your iPhone at risk but it proved to be the other way around as so far, your iPhone is more secured once it is jailbroken and the exploit has been patched.

We don't know when Apple will release this software update, which will most likely come with 4.1. Apple usually isn't quick to fix things up so if I had a guess I'd say we won't see this update until the end of the month.

[9 to 5 Mac]

Woz Up?

Guest Author ∙ August 4, 2010

Our favorite Apple walrus, Steve Wozniak, gave a mini sized press conference in Valencia, Spain last week. It's hard to imagine the big, cheerful fuzz king doing anything in small proportions, however the entire YouTube clip lasts just over 3 minutes. Of the topics "The Woz" was asked about and answered were, Apple & Google, the iPhone 4 antenna, Steve Jobs, and a feel-good recollection of his success as a young-spirited Apple enthusiast.

While there is nothing earth shattering revealed, (except maybe that beard ), it's nice seeing the big guy continuing to take his jolly approach to whatever comes his way. My favorite part of the clip comes at 2:10 when Wozniak states "While I do receive a small salary from Apple, I do virtually no real work". Well damn, that must be hard to get out of bed for each day. /sarcasm. No wonder he is always smiling.

The Irony of JailbreakMe

Sébastien Page ∙ August 4, 2010

I was reading an article last night about how the vulnerability in iOS could be exploited by hackers to "enslave" the iPhone and how Apple is already looking into it. There sure is an exploit in iOS 4, which is used by JailbreakMe to inject the code to jailbreak your iPhone, but there is also a fix for that, once your iPhone is jailbroken.

Then the irony of the situation stroke me. Hard!

Apple has always been against jailbreaking, and even though it's now legal, they're certainly not going to help make the jailbreak process easier. In fact, here is an excerpt from a support document from Apple's website where they cite examples of issues caused by these unauthorized modifications to the iOS:

Compromised security: Security compromises have been introduced by these modifications that could allow hackers to steal personal information, damage the device, attack the wireless network, or introduce malware or viruses.

In this case the irony is that iOS is vulnerable out of the box and only jailbreaking and installing a patch makes your iPhone safer, at least until Apple updates iOS and fixes this issue.

So much for your safety net, Apple. It seems that unlike what you're telling me, my iPhone is actually safer once jailbroken.

What do you think?

Got an iPhone, Do I Need a Mac?

Guest Author ∙ August 4, 2010

The last few days I have seen this very question posed around the web. PC owners who love their iPhone, now wondering if they are missing something by not coinciding their device with a Mac computer. The short answer is no, you don't need a Mac to utilize the features on the iPhone itself. That being said, you are missing out on some pretty convenient tools without the combination. Allow me to shed some light.

We can start with the basics, iTunes, the iPhone home base of sorts. As you now know, to set up and add items to your favorite handheld, you must use iTunes at some point. Don't think this is a coincidence. Some will go as far as to say it was designed so much with this in mind, that its purpose was to get the PC owners to switch. iTunes was created on and for Mac computers. The platform itself runs noticeably smoother on a Mac than any PC you can provide, I will guarantee you that. Once you're in Tunes, the ability to sync within the application is absolutely effortless.

There are other features that the Mac can sync that your PC just doesn't have. iCal, the calendar on your iPhone, has an identical twin that rests on the desktop of every Mac computer. Syncing your oh-so-important life events couldn't be any easier than if you designed it yourself. MobileMe, which is available for $99 a year, will also add much appreciated benefits with the combination of an Apple handheld and a Mac computer.

Mail, Contacts and your photo Gallery are all worthy features you will enjoy. The iPhoto application on a Mac is one of the biggest enhancements I have enjoyed after switching from PC to Mac. Again here, syncing is painless, and once the photos are moved on to your Mac, you can sync the iPhoto app with your MobileMe Gallery. Like I previously said, the coinciding of the devices is not a coincidence, it's designed to be like this to reward current owners, and lure those who aren't.

For the ambitious iPhone owners who are interested in contributing (and collecting) from the App Store mania, for you it's a must. XCode, which is the format used to develop apps for the iPhone, only works on a Mac machine. I don't suspect this will ever change, so if you're thinking of writing an app, stop waiting and make the purchase.

At the end of the day I've only given you a few of the compatibility enhancements of using your iPhone with a Mac. The neat part is the hands on workmanship and productivity that seems to come almost too easy. What you will like best will ultimately come down to the functions you most desire. So, do you need to buy a Mac to enjoy your iPhone? No, but Apple would sure appreciate it if you bought one, and so will you.

Fanboys Headed to Jail(break)…

Guest Author ∙ August 3, 2010

Let me preface this with saying that I'm as much of an Apple junkie as the next fanboy. After all, I do find time to write, tweet, & discuss all things Apple, all for the satisfaction of it.

However, it has come to my attention through various forums, tweets, and other internet media, that many iPhone owners (and some not), plan to march into their nearest Apple store and jailbreak the displayed iPhones, iPads, etc. This of course is in lieu of the recently released jailbreak via Safari at Jailbreakme.com. Didn't we learn at age 5 not to disturb other people's property?

Slow iPhone 3G? Apple is Looking Into it

Sébastien Page ∙ July 29, 2010

Is your iPhone 3G slow after upgrading to iOS 4? You're not the only one. Apple's forums and tech blogs are filled with reports from 3G owners who are desperate for fixing the issues iOS 4 brought.

The most common criticism is that the phone is slow after an upgrade. There are also many complaints that the phone drains the battery quickly and becomes excessively hot. Concern about general problems such as slowness and battery life on gadgets isn’t unusual, but using iOS 4 on the iPhone 3G seems to make the problems so bad that the phone is nearly unusable for some people.

The WSJ was told by Apple they are looking into this matter and they might be already working on a possible fix.

In the meantime, if your iPhone 3G is running slow after installing iOS 4, here is a tip to make it faster.

Apple’s Free Bumpers Shipping

Sébastien Page ∙ July 27, 2010

I ordered my free black Bumper last week and it initially said the item wouldn't ship until late August. I received an email from Apple yesterday night telling me my order had shipped. I suppose I will receive it by tomorrow.

If you have an iPhone 4, you're entitled to receive a free case from Apple so make sure you check out these instructions on how to get it. If you've already ordered your free case from Apple, you should start receiving a shipment notice soon as well.

Is Apple Becoming Sloppy?

Sébastien Page ∙ July 24, 2010

As the holder of a Masters in Advertising, I've always appreciated Apple's marketing machine. No matter what you think about the firm from Cupertino, you have to admit their PR and marketing machine is perfectly oiled. Every word, every product have been thought through to deliver the exact message Steve Jobs & Friends want you to receive.

Lately though, I think Apple kinda lost control of their PR/Marketing machine showing the oh-so-perfect company can be sloppy at times. Here is what I think Apple screwed up in the last couple months.

1. Apple announces the iPhone 4, which will supposedly come in black and white.

2. Rumors going around say the iPhone won't be available in white at launch. Strangely, Apple doesn't even deem it necessary to communicate on this.

3. On the iPhone 4 pre-order day, Apple just let us find out by ourselves the white iPhone wasn't available. Lame.

4. Apple finally decides to speak up and admits the white iPhone won't be available until mid-July.

5. In the meantime many people start reporting having problems with the iPhone 4 antenna.

6. Steve Jobs sends a cocky reply to the iPhone 4 antenna complainers telling them they don't know how to hold their phones and they should buy a case.

7. Apple admits the problem comes from the formula used to display bars. They say they will release a software update that will fix this.

8. Apple holds a special event where they pretty much confirm there is no problem with the iPhone 4 antenna. Because there is no problem, they will give away free cases. Wait, what?

9. On the same day, Steve Jobs says the white iPhone will start shipping at the end of July.

10. A few days later, Apple says in a 2-sentence statement that the white iPhone 4 will not be available until later this year.

I think there were communication mistakes on Apple's part. These antenna and white iPhone episodes could have been killed since day one if they had sent the appropriate information instead of staying silent and closed out.

But hey, at the end of the day, I've got my black iPhone 4 which I love, and I also get a free Bumper. So no, I'm not complaining, I'm just laying down facts from the last few weeks.

What do you think?

White iPhone Release Date: Still TBA

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 27, 2018

Looks like those of us (myself included) who were holding out for a white iPhone 4 might as well throw in the towel. In a disappointing yet unsurprising statement earlier today, Cupertino admitted that

White models of Apple's new iPhone® 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected.

The journey of the fabled white iPhone 4 started as a slight delay in pre ordering, then went on to an irritating one month push back, and after promises of an end of July release date has been completely shelved for the time being. Several reports from paint color and opacity problems to inability to meet high demand for the glass panels needed for the front and back casing of the iPhone 4 have been circling the web since the iPhone 4 launched back in mid June.

Are iPhone 4’s Antenna Problems Effecting iPhone 4 Sales?

Cody Lee ∙ July 22, 2010

During their quarterly earnings conference call on Monday, Tim Cook was asked specifically if all of the bad press about the iPhone 4's antenna problems was effecting iPhone sales. According to Apple's Chief Operating Officer, it's the exact opposite. "We are selling them way faster than we can make them! My phone is ringing off the hook with people that want more supply."

Maybe even more interesting are the actual sales numbers Apple spouted off for the period that ended June 26, sales gained 61% to a record $15.7 billion, topping analysts’ $14.7 billion estimate. Over 3 million iPhones sold so far and in most places they are still in short supply. (Yeah so goobers like me thinking they'd hold out a few weeks for the white one, but are tired of waiting so said screw it I'll get the black one, but now there's no black ones available either).

When asked directly if Apple purposely shortens supply to create a "buzz" around their products Cook replied, "We want to sell as my iPhone 4s as possible, I don't know where that comes from." And hopefully relief is on the way as the white version of the iPhone 4 is slated to become available within the next week or so.

Free iPhone Cases Will Cost Apple $175 Million

Sébastien Page ∙ July 21, 2010

Since the antenna debacle is kind of calming down, I thought I would revive it by throwing some big numbers at you.

During today’s Q3 earnings conference call, Apple revealed that it predicts that the free iPhone 4 cases and bumpers will result in $175 million in deferred revenue. It hits Apple’s books as a liability — essentially a debt or a negative balance on the bottom line. Apple says that it will expense the cost of the cases, which will help mitigate the overall cost on the bottom line.

In other words, Apple is accounting for $175 million in lost revenue on its Q4 balance sheet, all due to free bumpers and cases.

It sure sounds like a lot of money but when you think about it, it's actually not much compared to what the antenna issue could have really cost Apple if they had kept being silent about it.

[Mashable]

Apple Sold 8,400,000 iPhones in the Last 3 Months

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated February 6, 2016

Apple just released its financial results for its fiscal 2010 third quarter ended June 26, 2010, and the numbers are pretty impressive... Here are some interesting data for you:

8.4 million iPhones sold, 61% increase year-on-year 3.27 million iPads sold 9.41 million iPods sold 3.47 million Macs sold - a record

Want to talk $$$? Here you go...

revenue of $15.7 billion net quarterly profit of $3.25 billion