James Banogon

Microsoft is afraid of Linux

Posted on August 5, 2009 in Technology

Microsoft has long taken too lightly Linux as a desktop challenger. But the latest filing with the Security and Exchange Commission has the company acknowledging for the first time that Linux signifies a major threat to Windows.

News indicate that in Microsoft’s latest yearly filing with the SEC, it listed for the first time Ubuntu’s producer Canonical, and Linux distributor Red Hat as competitors to its Client division, which makes most of Windows. In the past, Red Hat was listed but merely as a competitor to its Business and Server & Tools divisions. Read the rest of this entry »

iPhone update reveals next iPod Touch + iProd?

Posted on August 5, 2009 in Technology

Apple’s impending iPhone OS 3.1 firmware update will give a few new features like increased application programming interface support and a number of bug fixes. After the 3rd beta of iPhone OS 3.1 SDK was out, a software developer tipped Ars Technica with information that the updated USBConfiguration.plist contained particulars about Apple’s upcoming unidentified device dubbed as iProd and also the next generation iPod Touch. The proof of the unknown Apple product dubbed iProd originally came up in March this year when Apple seeded the iPhone OS 3.0 beta software development kits to developers. Read the rest of this entry »

Why end users would not pay money for tablet PCs

Posted on August 2, 2009 in Technology

Word is that Apple is a month away from advertising a new tablet PC. One more tablet, the Crunchpad, is also due for impending release. These and other keyboardless PCs get vast coverage on gadget websites, but in reality, I consider this entire category a hopeless case. Why we continue waiting for the killer tablet PC is beyond me. Only a small number of people really want one, particularly at the prices that they will have to put up for sale.

Tablet computers – pleasing to the eye slates that you operate with a touch screen – are nice-looking if you are a sci-fi buff. There is a bit functionally attractive about a computer that is all screen and nothing else, and where your interaction is straight through that screen, not a go-between like a keyboard or mouse. And the notion works well on smart phones. Read the rest of this entry »

Hackers find new iPhone vulnerability

Posted on July 30, 2009 in Technology

A join up of security experts has found vulnerability in the iPhone that permits a hacker to take control of an iPhone through an SMS attack.

Researchers Charlie Miller and Collin Mulliner gave details about the security hole at the Black Hat cyber security conference in Las Vegas. They said they have already informed Apple about the bug a month ago but the problem has not been patched, according to Forbes, which said Apple has refused to comment on the issue.

The iPhone, they said, can be controlled by a remote hacker through a string of mostly invisible text messages bursts. That would give someone control over the phone, text messaging, browsing, mic and camera functions. There is also a comparable fault in Windows Mobile phones.

The attack exploits the lack of protection in the phone that would thwart code in the SMS from inserting in an executable file in the phone’s memory. Users who were under attack would only get a text message with a square in it.

A 2nd vulnerability would also let a hacker take the phone off the network through a type of denial of service attack through SMS. Android phones were also vulnerable to this, but it seems that Google has already patched the hole.

So what iPhone users ought to do? MyMobiSafe founder Eric Everson said it’s very implausible that they will be targeted. He said the attack would need hundreds of text messages sent to the targeted phone. He said if any of the text messages are erased before the attack is done, then the hack won’t be effective.

Just to be safe, if you happen to obtain an SMS with a square in it, turn off your phone or switch it into airplane mode.