Hasta La Gadget!

Hacking group AntiSec (connected to Anonymous and LulzSec) made some bold claims Tuesday that it had obtained the unique device identifiers (UDIDs) of 12 million iOS devices from an FBI laptop, setting more than a few people on edge. The FBI has already denied that anything was stolen, but Apple has gone one step further to argue that it had no involvement. Spokeswoman Natalie Kerris tells AllThingsD that Apple hasn’t given UDIDs to the FBI “or any organization” — suggesting that either AntiSec or the FBI isn’t telling the whole story of what data emerged and where. Even if there are real UDIDs floating around, Kerris adds that they don’t necessarily pose much danger. She notes that programming hooks in iOS 6 will provide an alternative to UDID for device-specific data, and that apps will eventually be forbidden from using the older identifiers altogether. While the truth in the situation is hard to pin down, the technical reality doesn’t leave much risk that our iPads and iPhones will be compromised. At least, not after this month.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Internet, Mobile

Apple denies giving FBI any iOS device UDIDs, raises questions over AntiSec claims originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 14:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  AllThingsD  | Email this | Comments

When the iPhone and the iPod touch were first introduced to the masses half a decade ago, many people figured out that the iPod touch was the iPhone – sans the phone part, of course. Well, the iPhone went on to be a huge success around the globe since then, and the iPod touch, well, it continued to reign as the top portable media player in the market, but over time, you could be sure that smartphones took over the portable media player’s mantle as a to-go entertainment device of choice for the masses. Well, if you happen to own an iPod touch, how about giving it a new lease of life with Dexterity’s MorphCase? This unique case is capable of transforming the humble iPod touch into a Wi-Fi mobile phone – and you do not even need a headset or a Bluetooth device to boot. Let us see how this is achieved in the extended post.

For starters, the MorphCase will play nice with the second, third and fourth generations of the iPod touch, where it will make good use of the audio jack input with any voice over IP (VoIP) app, hence eliminating the need for pesky external wiring or a headset. In fact, it will also come with a built-in speaker that is located at the top complete with a microphone at the bottom, similar to how a traditional phone works.

I guess you can say that the composition of “smart” in this “smartphone” is far more than that of a “phone”, but at least you are still able to make a call with a data connection. After all, many people have fallen on economically difficult times, hence it makes perfect sense to examine one’s spending habits and cutting down on paying for multiple cell phones, data plans, usage fees and monthly cellular bills.

The MorphCase will take advantage of any Wi-Fi hotspots around, and once connected, you can use an app like Skype (make sure you have credits inside if you want to call a mobile or landline number!) to keep in touch with the rest of the world. Color choices for the MorphCase include Black Fury, White Lightning and Limited Edition Chromax, retailing for $49.99 a pop although pre-orders are slightly cheaper at $35.

Press Release

[ MorphCase turns iPod touch into a smartphone copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Dustin, who wants to turn the humble iPod Touch into a cash register for live events. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“We currently have 10 credit card terminals we purchased three years ago, and we’re looking to replace them thanks to their horrific failure rate and replacement cost. We only use them for special events, but they account for $24 million of our credit card revenue. Ideally I’d like to replace them with iPod touches and a wireless printer, but I can’t seem to find a solution that offers printing — but it’s essential to what we do. Thanks for your help!”

We found that Square lets you connect to a Star Micronics receipt printer, and Intuit GoPayment accepts Bluetooth-enabled P25 Blue Bamboo printers — so those could work for you. Of course, Ask Engadget is about sourcing the opinion of our hive-mind, so if your business has already conquered this problem, why not share what you know?

Filed under: Cellphones, Misc, Portable Audio/Video

Ask Engadget: is iPod Touch and Wireless Printer-based credit card processing possible? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Sep 2012 23:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

A bit of early access for pre-orders blew the surprise, but TiVo has officially announced that its Stream transcoder device will hit stores on September 6th. Priced at $130 the feature set should be familiar by now: plug it into a home network that also has a TiVo Premiere series DVR connected to it, and it takes in live or recorded programming and reformats it for viewing on a mobile device. Currently those mobile devices are limited to the iOS family, but TiVo says Android access is coming. According to the company, the Stream is the first device to allow streaming and recording to as many as four devices without interrupting what’s currently being viewed on the TV.

Comparing it to the others, live streaming or VOD in and out of the home on mobile devices is a feature several cable / satellite companies offer, Dish Network has tight Sling integration for streaming in multiple locations, and both DirecTV’s Nomad and the Monsoon Vulkano boxes do place-shifting, the a combination of features plus a familiar TiVo UI puts the Stream in the lead, at least on paper. We’re testing one now and should have a better handle on its strengths and weaknesses soon — we’ll have a comprehensive review for you soon.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

TiVo Stream transcoder officially set to go on sale September 6th for $129 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Last year, probably to the disappointment of some, Apple did not refresh the iPod touch, unless you count giving it a new coat of paint a “refresh”. Well if you’re hoping that Apple has not forgotten about the iPod touch and you’re also hoping that the device will see a refresh this year, you might not be too far from the truth. Thanks to the folks at GizChina, they have managed to get their hands on some photos of alleged iPod touch casings. These casings have been manufactured by Shenzhen Gekai Technology and they are claiming that these will fit the 5^th gen iPod touch.

Assuming the manufacturer has got their specs and dimensions right, we could be looking at a brand new design. It appears to be less tapered compared to the previous generation, and thanks to its elongated hole at the top left corner, it has been suggested that perhaps the 5^th gen iPod touch will sport a LED flash to accompany its camera. A mystery hole has also appeared on the bottom left of the casing and it has been speculated that it might have something to do with a larger speaker/microphone arrangement. We suggest you take this with a grain of salt for now, but hypothetically speaking, what sort of features would you guys like to see in the next-gen iPod touch?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: iPad Mini to look like bigger iPod Touch with thin bezels?, Next-gen iPod touch rumored to feature 4″ display and A5 processor,