Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

JailbreakMe using PDF exploit to hack your iPhone, so could the baddies; Apple looking into reports

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/03/jailbreakme-using-pdf-exploit-to-hack-your-iphone-so-could-the/

As with any jailbreak or rooting of a handset, "hacking" a phone OS is usually exactly that: exploiting a weakness to get unsigned code onto a device. That means that any other hacker, be they sufficiently nefarious, could use that same exploit to mess with your phone in the bad, not-installing-emulators-off-of-Cydia sense. Early iPhone jailbreaks (back when installing your own ringtones was a wild idea) took advantage of a TIFF exploit, the recent EVO 4G root found a hole in Flash Lite, and the JailbreakMe exploit is stuffing its code in a PDF font. Until Apple patches this exploit (when asked, Apple told us it was "aware of the reports and looking into them") we'd be extra careful about which PDFs we open -- there aren't any reports of malicious use so far, but with Safari's seamless handling of PDFs, it wouldn't be hard for some hacker to hide a potentially phone-invading PDF behind some harmless looking hyperlink. The iPhone devteam points out that this isn't the only known exploit for Safari on iOS, so there's no need to start hyperventilating about this particular one... unless it's a slow day at your mainstream media publication and you're looking for something to hyperventilate about.

Oh, and are you looking for a surefire way to steer clear of PDFs? Cydia has a PDF loading warner that lets you skip PDFs your browser is trying to load on a case by case basis. Of course, you'll need to jailbreak your phone to use it. Ironic, right?

JailbreakMe using PDF exploit to hack your iPhone, so could the baddies; Apple looking into reports originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP Envy 14 review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/03/hp-envy-14-review/

The HP Envy 14 is like the final revision of a C+ term paper that always had potential, but just needed an bit of extra information and refinement to get an A. In fact, when HP introduced the Envy 14, the company was rather blunt about the fact that many of the issues that plagued the original Envy systems had been addressed, including the lack of an optical drive and backlight keyboard, the frustrating touchpad and the heat caused by the Core i7 processor. On paper, the 14.5-inch Envy 14 has everything we wanted to see in those first models while still maintaining its beautiful yet tough etched aluminum chassis. It's also got a new lower $999 starting price, though our review unit rang up at $1,290. So, has the Envy 14 finally make its way to the head of the class? We've spent some quality time with the rig to find out.

Gallery: HP Envy 14 review

Continue reading HP Envy 14 review

HP Envy 14 review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola-Verizon tablet will have FiOS TV, ten-inch screen?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/03/motorola-verizon-tablet-will-have-fios-tv-ten-inch-screen/

Sure, we've heard Verizon discuss Android tablets once or twice, but it's just now that we're getting our first real juice about Motorola's companion device. The Financial Times reports that Verizon and Motorola are teaming up on an Android tablet with dual cameras, Adobe Flash support and a ten-inch screen, plus mobile hotspot functionality (which implies Verizon cellular data) and -- get this -- access to pay TV. As it so happens, Moto makes a Verizon FiOS set-top box, and sources tell the Times that the television tablet may get grandfathered in to the very same technology. No word on processing power or price, but the rumor mill says we could see it as early as fall of this year. And given the timing, here's hoping the Android inside will have some Google TV mojo, too.

Motorola-Verizon tablet will have FiOS TV, ten-inch screen? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pantech drops AMOLED completely due to shortage, may resume use in 2H 2011

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/03/pantech-drops-amoled-completely-due-to-shortage-may-resume-use/

The Pantech Vega that just hit Korea may boast a sizable 3.7-inch AMOLED screen, but don't expect future phones from the Helio manufacturer to follow suit -- after suffering the same shortages that drove HTC to Sony's SLCD-illuminated doorstep, Pantech's also temporarily giving active-matrix organic technology the boot. Now, you may not give two nickels about the technologies in Pantech's next handset, but the firm's got a finger on the industry's pulse. So when an unnamed executive says "phones to be rolled out in the first half of next year" won't use AMOLED, that hints at when the shortage for US-bound devices might also let up. In case you're curious, 2H 2011 is when Samsung's next AMOLED facility is slated to open, though by that point AU Optronics and TPO Display should be shipping the screens as well.

Pantech drops AMOLED completely due to shortage, may resume use in 2H 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Kindle comes with microphone, seeds of possibility

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/02/new-kindle-comes-with-microphone-seeds-of-possibility/

Amazon's new Kindle has plenty of desirable features -- like a month-long battery, double the storage and a more responsive screen -- but some exciting new additions weren't highlighted on the press release. Diving through the official User's Guide for just such unheralded items, the Kindle World Blog discovered the unit will come with a second English dictionary, a PDF contrast adjustment and... a microphone. As you can see immediately above, that last won't be accessible out of the box -- and may just lead to audio annotations down the road -- but the hacker community (or more legitimately, Kindle developers) could do very interesting things with the discovery. We hesitate to even mention for fear the feature will get pulled, but we're dreaming of Skyping across that free 3G connection already.

New Kindle comes with microphone, seeds of possibility originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wired, TeleRead | source