Category: Apple

Mostly Harmless

There’s a new variant of the Mac Defender Trojan Horse making the rounds. This one, called “Mac Guard,” is scarier in that it does not require a password to install, since it affects the user account, not the entire computer. Scarier, but still fairly benign since at worst, the installer can only open automatically — it still requires a user to click the install button to do any damage.

The best defense is to make sure that “Open ‘Safe’ files after downloading” is disabled in Safari’s preferences — which is the default. Apple released a Knowledge Base article which explains how to find and disable the malware and promises an update that will do just that automatically.

Some are using the existence of these Trojans as “proof” that Macs are no safer than PCs — that they’ve only enjoyed “security through obscurity,” which is nonsense. Mac Defender and its variants are programs that still require a user to actively install them — unlike viruses, which can embed and replicate themselves without any human assistance.

That’s not to say that Macs are inherently safe. As these programs demonstrate, a combination of malware and a little social engineering can be a dangerous combination — even on a Mac.

This is why people don’t trust marketers

More on Dell’s new laptop from The Guardian:

Noted in passing: advert for the Dell XPS-15, containing the phrase

Finally, the power you crave in the thinnest 15″ PC on the planet*.

Wow, the thinnest? But wait, what’s the asterisk?

Small print time: “Based on Dell internal analysis as at February 2011. Based on a thickness comparison (front and rear measurements) of other 15″ laptop PCs manufactured by HP, Acer, Toshiba, Asus, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony, MSI. No comparison made with Apple or other manufacturers not listed.”

In other words, “we’re going to lie in the big type, then explain that we’re lying in teeny tiny type that we hope no one will actually read.”

Appalling. (Charles Arthur via Glenn Fleishman.)

Shameless

Photo courtesy of Engadget. Click to view the full article.

The phenomenon of other brands’ products “coincidentally” beginning to look like Apple products is nothing new, (think about cellphones before and after the iPhone or tablets after the iPad, for instance) so it’s not surprising to see that Dell’s new XPS 15z laptop bears a striking resemblance to the MacBook Pro. They’ve even copied Apple’s packaging, which includes a downright Freudian admission in the arrangement of photos of the laptop in an arrangement that practically screams “Mac OS X.”

But what’s particularly embarrassing is the pretense that it’s not happening. Dell described their new laptop as having an “innovative new form factor” for crying out loud.

I wonder if the PR flack who wrote that was even able to keep a straight face.

Absolutely embarrassing. (via Engadget.)

On the Apple’s 10th anniversary in retail, a look back at NJ’s first store

With today marking the 10th anniversary of Apple’s first brick-and-mortar store, I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at how we covered the company’s first location in the Garden State, which opened in Tice’s Corner in 2001. Back then, of course, there were only five retail outlets, and the company had an ambitious goal of opening a total of 25 by the year’s end (there are over 300 now), and store openings were a big deal, not just among the Mac press, but the mainstream news outlets as well. Apple’s newest product, the “iPod,” wouldn’t even be available for another week after the opening.

RandomMaccess was given exclusive access to the store the night before the special pre-opening “press event.” Here’s how we reported our first look at Apple’s foray into retailing.

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Read the EULA; you told Apple (and others) they could track you.

I’m finding it hard to get riled up about the latest brouhaha regarding the discovery of a file on iPhones that contains time-stamped location information about places your phone (and presumably you) have been. First, there’s no evidence so far that this information is being sent anywhere. Second, if you use foursquare, Facebook Places, Gowalla or even Twitter for that matter, it’s highly likely you’re already sending much more detailed information to much more public places. Third, you agreed to let your phone gather information about where you’ve been.

Wait, what?

Really. Remember those End User License Agreements (EULAs)? You know, the pages and pages of text that open whenever you launch an application or device for the first time. The window that you scroll to the bottom of as quickly as possible to click “Agree” or “I Understand” or whatever so you can get on with using the device? The ones that no one ever actually reads?

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Well Andrew Munchbach at Boy Genius Reports has read them. Not just the iPhone’s, but Google’s, Motorola’s, RIM’s, Windows’, HTC’s and others. They all disclose that their devices:

…transmit, collect, maintain, process and use your location data, including the real-time geographic location of your iPhone, and location search queries. The location data and queries…are collected in a form that does not personally identify you and may be used…to provide and improve location-based products and services.

The wording varies, but the message is the same.

It remains to be seen if anything nefarious is being done with this information by any of these companies, or if it’s merely used, as they say, to enhance the quality of location-based services. It also remains to be seen how binding any of these EULAs actually are.

But before you become outraged at the “theft” of your personal data, realize that no one is stealing anything. You’re giving it all away.

Read more of the things you’ve agreed to in Munchbach’s article. (via Ian Betteridge.)

Reuters: iPhone 5 coming in September

The next-generation iPhone will sport the same design as its predecessor, but will have a faster processor, according to a Reuters article. Nothing earth-shattering in that, but the story’s sources say the iPhone 5 will come in September, not July, which has become the traditional month for new iPhones.

Makes sense. Apple has already said its Worldwide Developers Conference would focus on software. What really sells it for me, though, is the idea that the September timeframe has usually been reserved for iPod announcements, and there hasn’t been much to say about them on their own lately. It’s not a stretch to see why Apple would want to roll iPod and iPhone announcements into one event. (via The Loop.)

Navigon MobileNavigator gets 1.8 update, new features

I’ve long thought Navigon’s MobileNavigator is the best turn-by-turn GPS app available, (far) surpassing even standalone units. Now Navigon has released MobileNavigator 1.8 with updated maps, new features and new options available via in-app purchase. Try getting enhancements like that for free from your standalone unit.

Here’s what the press release has to say about what’s new:

  • Reality Scanner is a navigation industry first augmented reality feature for the iOS platform, providing an instant and effortless way of identifying destinations close-by. Users simply point the iPhone in any direction from where they are and instantly points of interest icons appear directly onto a live camera view, indicating the exact position of the location. Pedestrians won’t miss a beat while they are on foot, in a couple of taps destination such as restaurants, bars, hotels, and more are at their fingertips. Reality Scanner provides this information immediately, providing a quick overview of the immediate surroundings.
  • Safety Cameras alert drivers of upcoming static speed and red light cameras along the route, helping to potentially avoid costly tickets. The feature integrates the database from the industry’s number one safety camera detection company, RoadTraps. This database provides access to over 3900 speed and red light cameras in the US and is regularly updated to ensure the latest cameras are detected. NAVIGON Safety Cameras is available as a single In App Purchase of $4.99.
  • Traffic Check is an easy to read, at-a-glance gage graphic that appears after route calculation and inform drivers of current traffic conditions. The Traffic gage pop-up informs with a green, yellow, and red meter and disappears within a few seconds, indicating how the traffic situation is on the route ahead. If more detailed traffic coverage and alternate routes are needed for users who are not already using the built-in Traffic Live feature, a direct link to the In App Purchase is provided within the graphic. By tapping the “i”, the meter will flip directly to the apps extra menu where the In App Purchase can be made.
  • The Latest Maps by the leading map provider NAVTEQ.

I’m very interested in seeing whether the Reality Scanner is as cool as it sounds, and the Traffic Check feature looks very useful — particularly for users like me with long daily commutes. I also love the fact that MobileNavigator is universal app, optimized for both the iPhone and iPad.

The 1.8 update is free and available now for all versions (regions) of MobileNavigator via the App Store. (iTunes link to MobileNavigator USA Edition.)

Take Control of Media on Your iPad now available

Jeff Carlson is a smart guy and a very good writer. If you want to know more about your iPad 2, you should buy his book.

Before you say “It’s an iPad — I already know everything I need to,” see if you can answer these questions:

  • How do I move my media to my iPad?
  • How do I highlight reading material in iBooks?
  • What app should I use to check out ebooks from my public library?
  • How do I read magazines on the iPad?
  • How do I play my music from my iPad to my home stereo system?
  • How can I make music playlists right on the iPad?
  • What are six ways of adding a video file to the iPad’s memory?
  • How do I set up a slideshow of my photos on the iPad?
  • What tricks can I use to take better photos with my iPad 2 camera?
  • How do RAW images work with the iPad?
  • How can I integrate my iPad and my Apple TV?
  • How can I use my iPad as a remote control for consumer electronics?

That’s a lot of pretty advanced stuff for 15 bucks.