Spam-happy iOS trojan slips into App Store, gets pulled in rapid fashion

Spamhappy iOS trojan slips into App Store, gets pulled in rapid fashion

You could call it technological baptism of sorts… just not the kind Apple would want. A Russian scam app known as Find and Call managed to hit the App Store and create havoc for those who dared a download, making it the first non-experimental malware to hit iOS without first needing a jailbreak. As Kaspersky found out, it wasn’t just scamware, but a trojan: the title would swipe the contacts after asking permission, send them to a remote server behind the scenes and text spam the daylights out of any phone number in that list. Thankfully, Apple has already yanked the app quickly and explained to The Loop that the app was pulled for violating App Store policies. We’d still like to know just why the app got there in the first place, but we’d also caution against delighting in any schadenfreude if you’re of the Android persuasion. The app snuck through to Google Play as well, and Kaspersky is keen to remind us that Android trojans are “nothing new;” the real solution to malware is to watch out for fishy-looking apps, no matter what platform you’re using.

[Image credit: C Jones Photography (wallpaper)]

Spam-happy iOS trojan slips into App Store, gets pulled in rapid fashion originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 17:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple aware of corrupt apps issue, working on a fix (Update: Fixed!)

Apple aware of corrupt apps issue, working on a fix

Earlier this morning, reports started circulating that the App Store was pushing corrupt binaries to iOS and Mac users, resulting in constant crashes of the affected apps. Marco Arment, of Instapaper fame, was one of the first to notice and very vocal — bringing the issue to the attention of many in the media and at Apple. The list of affected apps is pretty staggering, including such high profile titles as Angry Birds Space, Yahoo! Search, Google Reader and, of course, Instapaper. The number of developers affected now tops 115, so we’d hold off on those updates. For the first several hours Apple was mum on the issue, but it has finally acknowledged the problem in the support forums and even reached out to developers via email. Suspicions seem to be that the FairPlay DRM is at the root, but until we have official word from Apple we’ll refrain from laying the blame at its feet. Cupertino is working (we assume tirelessly) on a fix, which will hopefully be delivered sooner, rather than later.

Update: Apple has confirmed to AllThingsD that the problem was due to a “server that generated DRM code” and has been fixed. Affected end users are advised to delete the corrupted apps and redownload them.

Apple aware of corrupt apps issue, working on a fix (Update: Fixed!) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 16:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Navigon boosts iPhone app to version 2.1, discounts purchases through July 16th

Navigon boosts iPhone app to version 21, discounts purchases through July 16th

Navigon’s hitting those holiday roads a day early, releasing version 2.1 of its iPhone app. The free update adds Google Street View, which pops up as you approach a destination, along with a Cockpit display, which includes G-force, speed and compass information for an additional $6. There’s also a new Manual Route Blocking feature, enabling you to force the app to offer an alternate path after identifying a section of road that you’d prefer to skip, along with improved start-up and map rendering performance, and Retina iPad compatibility. The USA version of the app is available for $30 (a $20 discount), while the North America version is also 20 bucks off, at $40, and regional flavors will be available for $20 ($10 off). In-app purchases are also discounted, including FreshMaps USA for $15 (normally $40), FreshMaps North America for $10 (down from $20), FreshMaps MyRegion for $20 (instead of $50) and the aforementioned Cockpit for $4 (regularly $6). All of the discounts run through July 16th, so hit up the App Store and get your download on now.

Continue reading Navigon boosts iPhone app to version 2.1, discounts purchases through July 16th

Navigon boosts iPhone app to version 2.1, discounts purchases through July 16th originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 08:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Play hits 600,000 apps, 20 billion total installs

Google Play hits 600,000 apps, 20 billion total installs

Google during its I/O keynote hit a symbolic milestone: it now has 600,000 apps in the Google Play Store. As well, the store is clearly hitting a brisk pace in adoption, with 1.5 billion downloads every month and 20 billion since Android began. Free apps are available in 190 countries, with paid apps in 132. The app and download counts stack up fairly well to Apple’s own claims, although not universally: it’s just short of the App Store’s 650,000 apps, but Apple can still point to 30 billion total downloads. Google also hasn’t said how many apps are explicitly tablet-friendly versus 225,000 iPad-oriented apps. Either way, Google can say that it has largely erased the app quantity deficit, and that’s no mean feat.

Google Play hits 600,000 apps, 20 billion total installs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 13:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Mac Store breaks the 100 million download barrier

At just under a year old, Apple’s Mac App Store is celebrating a fairly significant milestone, hitting the 100 million download mark, a fact the company celebrated with a customarily self-congratulatory press release. The desktop store hit the scene in January of this year, just ahead of CES — at present, it’s home to “thousands” of apps, according to Apple. Granted, these numbers pale in comparison to the some 18 billion app downloads for Apple’s other App Store, but still, not bad for a year’s work. Press release after the break.

Continue reading Apple Mac Store breaks the 100 million download barrier

Apple Mac Store breaks the 100 million download barrier originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple brings GarageBand to iPod touch and iPhone users, because rocking out shouldn’t require a tablet

Lookie here — an iPad app just got miniaturized. It’s not too often we see the progress work in reverse, but one of Apple’s flagship iPad programs has just been converted for use on the iPhone and iPod touch. It doesn’t seem as if too much is changing — outside of the shrunken display options, of course. You can still plug your electric guitar into either of Apple’s more bantam iOS devices in order to record through classic amps and stompbox effects, or record your voice or any acoustic sound using the built-in microphone. The app enables users to record and mix up to eight tracks and then share the finished product with friends or send it to your Mac to keep working on it in GarageBand (the “real one”) or Logic Pro. It’ll run new users $4.99, but if you already purchased the iPad build, it’s a free update to get the new ports. Oh, and if you’re curious, the app now runs on iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPod touch (third and fourth generation). Tap the iTunes link below to snag your own copy.

Continue reading Apple brings GarageBand to iPod touch and iPhone users, because rocking out shouldn’t require a tablet

Apple brings GarageBand to iPod touch and iPhone users, because rocking out shouldn’t require a tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Voice pulled from App Store following iOS 5 crash

What once was there now is gone. Earlier today, Google Voice was just two clicks away in the iOS App Store. Now, all that remains is a page cache (at the source link below) and versions of the app that were already installed on iPhones and iPod touches. Vincent Paquet, Senior Product Manager for Google Voice confirmed that the app had been pulled, explaining “our last update of this week had a bug that caused the app to crash at sign in. We removed it so it did not affect additional users until the fix gets published.” We’ve been using the most recent version — 1.3.0.1771 — on an iPhone 4 running iOS 5 without issue, but recent reviews cite the reported crashing, so it’s definitely affecting at least some users. We don’t have an ETA for when you can expect the app to return, so if you don’t already have it installed, you’ll need to hang tight for the time being. The service should function normally otherwise, assuming your phone number has already been registered, though you won’t be able to begin new text threads or make outgoing calls using your Google Voice number.

Google Voice pulled from App Store following iOS 5 crash originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Oct 2011 18:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget Distro Issue 7 is ready for download!

Come and get it! The very first, fully fresh issue of Engadget Distro is ready for you to consume, and it’s not just for the iPad anymore — a PDF version is available for download below. So what’s on the menu this week? We’ve got a very thorough review of iOS 5 by Dante Cesa, a look at Nikon’s first mirrorless camera by Zach Honig, Brian Heater’s thoughts on the fourth generation Kindle, Ben Heck’s journey to geekdom, Tim Stevens’ take on T-Mo’s Galaxy S II, and so much more. So if you haven’t had a chance to gobble up absolutely every last word that’s crossed your monitor this week, let us do the honors of bringing you the very best of what Engadget had to offer, bundled in a beautiful package and absolutely free of charge. Either hit the appropriate link below or check your app for the download — we promise it’s yummy. After all, we baked it ourselves.

Distro Issue 7 PDF
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Engadget Distro Issue 7 is ready for download! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 09:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Box rides on iCloud’s coattails, offers 50GB of free cloud storage to iOS users

No, your eyes don’t deceive you — Box is offering 50GBs of free storage inside its cloud for iOS users — just like it did for TouchPad owners back in June. Anyone who downloads the latest version of Box’s app for iPad and iPhone will receive their massive lot for data storage after registering a personal account (existing accounts can join in on the fun as well). To make better use of that extra space, Box will also be bumping upload capacity from 25MB to 100MB per file and baking in AirPlay support. Look, Box is obviously skitching on iCloud’s tail, but it sure seems like a crazy good deal considering that space is yours “forever.” The promotion will last for 50 days, officially starting at 12AM on October 14th — although, we’re already seeing the update on our end. Full details in the source link.

Box rides on iCloud’s coattails, offers 50GB of free cloud storage to iOS users originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget Distro is ready for download!

You’ve been waiting patiently, we’ve been waiting impatiently, but now all that waiting is over. Engadget Distro is live and we can’t wait another moment for you to download and give it a try. If you missed our introduction a few weeks back, Distro is a distilled version of the best feature content each week at Engadget. We know your life is crazy. We know you don’t always have time to read everything good that comes through our feed. That’s why we’ve created this. Now, every Friday morning, you can download a new issue to your device and then kick back, take your time and enjoy the best reviews, previews and other long-form content that slipped through your fingers during the week, all reformatted and redesigned in beautiful, magazine-like layout that we think you’re going to love, and it works completely offline.

We’re also mixing in some exclusive content found only in Distro, like an editor’s letter from yours truly to get you up to speed on the week’s news. Don’t miss the weekly comic, hand-crafted by a selection of some of the most talented artists in the industry. And, every now and again, we’ll be surprising you with a special edition issue just to keep you on your toes.

Now, this first release is iPad only, but trust me when I say we’re already working to get this out on other platforms. That doesn’t mean you sweet Honeycomb users, playful PlayBook owners and bargain-hunting TouchPad touchers can’t get in on the fun sooner. We’ll be offering PDF downloads on Friday with each new issue, meaning you can read along on just about any platform you like.

So, we’re hugely excited to be offering up Distro. It’s a beautiful new way to read Engadget and it’s been a massive project, the culmination of many late nights by a team of talented designers, developers and editors, all of whom I personally owe a great deal of gratitude. Their names are listed in the masthead after the break so, before you go download, take a moment and check that out. Then, get your d/l on and enjoy the selection of back-issues (six!) we’ve provided for you. On Friday, get ready for a fresh edition. They’re all free and they all come with love, from Engadget.

p.s. If you’re wondering why Distro is not in Newsstand, during development we were told that you can’t include free downloads in there, and we definitely want this to be free! It seems like that may be changing, so we’ll look to add support there when we can.

p.p.s. We’re told the app is crashing for some of you on some of the pre-release betas of iOS 5. We’re also told iPads set to the German language could be crashing as well. We’re working on a fix for this. If you have a bug to report, please hit us up at support at engadget dot com with your iOS version.

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Continue reading Engadget Distro is ready for download!

Engadget Distro is ready for download! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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