Apple "news"...

With the recent launches of the iphone one would imagine that there would some sensational news coming from Apple's upcoming "Let's Rock" event.
Not really...
According to AppleInsider the biggest rumours are about: "a new version of the iPod shuffle will be made available in 5 colors, while an update to the iPod classic will arrive in just two colors -- black and silver as the options exist today. The iPod touch will not be offered with a color choice and look very similar to today's model."

But that's not all!!

"information passed on to MacRumors earlier this morning indicates the three new colors for the nano will include Purple, Yellow, and Orange. The nano is expected to be available in 8GB and 16GB models, while the iPod touch remains 8GB, 16GB and 32GB capacities"

So new colours and more space?! That's it?!
For a company which consistently has been at the forefront of innovative design this would be a lack-lustre show.
Are they suffering from the fiasco that is the iphone?
I hope not.
Let's see what the event will bring us....

Apple iPhone: The ultimate hacking device.

Forget about hacking your own iPhone, how about hacking someone elses?!
Apparently every process on the iPhone runs as root giving them full privileges. That means that a vunerability in an application could result in a fully compromised system.
H.D. Moore describes the whole issue very detailed on the Metasploit blog.
A few quotes: "Every process runs as root. MobileSafari, MobileMail, even the Calculator, all run with full root privileges. Any security flaw in any iPhone application can lead to a complete system compromise. A rootkit takes on a whole new meaning when the attacker has access to the camera, microphone, contact list, and phone hardware. Couple this with "always-on" internet access over EDGE and you have a perfect spying device."

Lisa Vaas on eWeek.com also discussed the issue:

"The shellcode combined with the number of bugs present in the iPhone finally make mobile attacks a real threat," wrote Errata Chief Technology Officer David Maynor in a blog posting."

Charlie Miller—a researcher with Baltimore-based Independent Security Evaluators, and one of a trio who were first to unveil security issues with the iPhone and release iPhone "vibrate" shellcode at Black Hat 2007—told eWEEK in an interview that he wishes he'd been able to use Metasploit when he was writing exploits for the gadget back in July.

Charlie Miller, Jake Honoroff and Joshua Mason created an exploit for the iPhone's Safari Web browser wherein they used an unmodified device to surf to a maliciously crafted drive-by download site. The site downloaded exploit code that forced the iPhone to make an outbound connection to a server controlled by the security firm. The researchers showed that a compromised device then could be forced to send out personal data, including SMS text messages, contact information, call history, voice mail information, passwords, e-mail messages and browsing history.

No news on whether Apple is aware of these issues and what their actions will be. Maybe they are too busy preventing people from unlocking their iPhones.....

iPhone does Germany.

T-Mobile announces expansion of EDGE network.

The iPhone will be available in Germany from November 9th according to this article.In order to overcome the iPhone's glaring lack of 3G/UMTS compatibility T-Mobile has announced that it will expand it EDGE network.I am quite honesty shocked bit this last announcement.
Why not insist that Apple get of their high horse and make the iPhone 3G/UMTS compatible?!

Locked iPhone caused huge roaming bills.

iPhone: $399, roaming: $800 - $3000

The iPhone Mark 1 will not be an international success, period.

Not only is it not compatible with 3G/UMTS networks, the fact that it's locked to one provider can lead to huge bills when roaming.

Consider yourself warned!