The Four-eyed Journal » iPad

BitDefender Warns iPhone Jailbreakers About Security - Be careful about the apps you on your iPhone

jhay — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:00:09 +0000

Now that jailbreaking iPhones is completely legal, fans are raving about jailbreaking their devices. Who wouldn’t be? Even if I don’t own an iPhone, the prospect of seeing what other folks would and could do to their devices is enough to get me hyped up.

However, this would open the floodgates of potential security risks for iPhone and iPad users. I received an email from BitDefender warning against a new malware threat that has taken advantage of the jailbreaking craze:

BitDefender has identified a malware distribution campaign in which users receive an email where they find out they could receive a new application for iPhone jailbreaking. All the email recipient has to do is click a link that will take them to the webpage where the desired software awaits.

As the email recipient goes further into this labyrinth and clicks the link, an exe file attempts to download to their computer. But once saved and run, the executable opens the way for a Trojan.

Identified by BitDefender as Trojan.Generic.3010833, this piece of malware is a keylogger that transmits everything the user writes on the computer to a specific email address, in this particular case to directory[REMOVED]@hotmail.com.

This allows the malware creators to intercept the victim’s visited sites, usernames, passwords, and bank accounts information – such as pin number, bank account numbers, passwords, etc.

Common sense would be a good first line of defense. If you’re going to jailbreak your iPhone or iPad, be very careful about any third-party app you’re going to install because it might just be loaded with malware. Do some background check on it first, like asking the developer or users who have already used the app.

Stay safe and have fun with jailbreaking your iPhones and iPads!

Using the Internet on your iPad - Consider your connectivity options

jhay — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:53:18 +0000

So, you have an iPad and cannot wait to get it out of its packaging to explore its exciting features. Some of the device’s features may need you to connect to the Internet. Before you get started however, you need to be able to connect to the Internet on your iPad. You are able to use it with wired connectivity because it has a dock connector, but the simplest and most popular way to connect to the Internet on your iPad is to use a wireless connection.

If you have high speed internet at home this is ideal for browsing on your device. If you do not have high speed internet then it’s recommended to purchase a high speed internet deal, as this will allow you to get the most out of your iPad. After all, you do not want a slow and sometimes disconnecting iPad. Fortunately, modern technology allows you to get the best deals for your Internet.

The iPad is able to pick up a wireless connection and connect to that when a password has been inserted. This will then be saved for future uses so you don’t have to remember it every time. Broadband gives you this freedom, and is a lot easier than connecting to the Internet with wires or cables. Make sure you get the most out of your iPad.

Connecting to the internet on your iPad can be expensive depending on what type of broadband you decide to use. If you opt for home broadband you are likely to find the best broadband deals online and all you need to do is pay a monthly fee for a great service and fast broadband. Do be careful if you decide to use mobile broadband pay as you go or take out mobile broadband as a contract, as some providers offer unlimited browsing but with a fair usage policy. Fair usage means your provider reserves the right to manage your speeds at certain times of the day, or days of the month, to make sure everyone on the network enjoys the same quality of service.

Why is the Apple iPad banned in Israel?

jhay — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:32:04 +0000

While most of the world is going crazy over Apple’s mobile internet device called the iPad, the Israeli government has wen to the complete opposite and banned the device in their country.

Here’s an explanation as reported by Ha’aretz:

the decision follows the refusal of the ministry’s engineering staff to compromise on testing the device’s suitability and compliance with Israeli wireless networks… For now, the ministry has not given the device categorical approval required for wireless devices; and ministry officials say its wireless technology is not compatible with Israeli standards.

“The iPad device sold exclusively today in the United States operates at broadcast power levels [over its Wifi modem] compatible with American standards,” explained the officials. “As the Israeli regulations in the area of Wifi are similar to European standards, which are different from American standards, which permit broadcasting at lower power, therefore the broadcast levels of the device prevent approving its use in Israel,” said the officials.

So the iPad is banned because it follows American standards with regards to its WiFi specification in contrast to the “European standards” followed by Israel?

Then by the same logic, shouldn’t American-made laptops and netbooks be also banned in Israel? But so far, no such thing has happened yet. So what gives?

The Israel Tech blog goes deeper into this issue pointing out that the iPad’s BroadComm BCM4329 Low-Power 802.11n with Bluetooth® 2.1 + EDR and FM (Tx and Rx) chipset, which uses the relatively new 802.11n specification, could be the culprit. They also point out that this same chipset is used in Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch but these are not banned in Israel.

Talk about bizarre things that happen because of a new gadget. Hopefully, Apple and the Israeli government would soon resolve this issue before it gets any weirder.

iPad Lego

jhay — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:04:00 +0000

Nothing seems to be impossible with a pile of LEGO bricks and a creative fan to create some of the coolest iterations to date. Catching on the latest hype about Apple’s iPad, Flickr user brickjournal has made an iPad out of LEGO bricks.

LEGO iPad by brickjournal

It’s all bricks and look at how the screen was made. I so envy the maker for his talent of which he had this to say:

My decision to build this stud up made the graphics a real pain to do – had I gone SNOT, I could have had a little more to work with in terms of detail. But if I went that way, the front face would have been raised a tiny bit – less than a plate.

Wish I could build something like this with LEGO again. It sure does bring back fond memories of my childhood. I hope we’ll see creations from other builders to see how they approached the challenge.