Pwn2Own: game over for Apple

As usual Apple was crushed in the Pwn2Own, a computer security contest.

This year Cupertino didn't had to suffer long before getting powned: it took the attackers just 5 minutes to defeat iPhone OS defenses and Mac OS X lasted even less, the attacker was able to gain access to a remote shell in under 1 minute.

In both the case the attack exploited Safari flaws. That's why I use Chrome to browse the internet on Mac OS X and why I'd like to see this this countdown stop as soon as possible.

Of course the attackers already came to the competition with the exploit ready to run, but it is a fact that the Apple's device and computer resulted the most vulnerable.

To know the latest updates follow the news live on twitter: https://twitter.com/#search?q=%23pwn2own

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Live coverage of Apple Keynote 2010

Click here to get live coverage of the event!

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January 27th, Apple Keynote 2010 live on Under the Wire!!!

Apple is preparing a event in San Francisco on January 27th at 10 AM Pacific Time(GMT-8).

Last rumors talk about iPhone OS 4.0 and iLife 2010, but all are attending the "latest creation". Probably, this last creation will be iSlate, the long-rumored Tablet.

Under the Wire going to commentate live on all event and in particular Steve Jobs keynote.

Click here to get live coverage of the event!

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Taskbar versus Dock, are they really the same thing?!

Today I won’t write anything about my experience using Windows 7 Beta 1 on my MacBook cause it goes to well and there are no problems to report.

Today I’m posting a link to a wonderful article I read in which the author talk about Windows’s taskbar, Windows 7’s “superbar” and Mac OS X’s dock. I couldn’t be that much clear to expose the exact same idea and to prove that the brand new Windows 7’s “superbar” isn’t a copy of Mac OS X’s dock.

Paradigms lost: The Windows 7 Taskbar versus the OS X Dock

See you!

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Windows 7 and Apple’s Boot Camp drivers

In my last post I talked about my experience natively installing the brand new Windows 7 Beta 1 32-bit on my MacBook and I promised I’d talk about Apple’s Boot Camp drivers installation in a later post.

So, here we are. Few minutes ago I inserted my Mac OS X 10.5 DVD into the DVD-RW drive and started the installation. The installation lasted only few minutes (less than it usually lasts on Windows Vista I think) and after the reboot the operating system works perfectly. The installation of these drivers allow me to change the screen brightness, audio volume (audio which now works correctly) using function keys and enable the full functionalities of the touchpad. 

Apple Software Update also retrieved some updates and then asked me to install QuickTime, iTunes and Bonjour (I know wisher is going to hate me since I answered yes to that question). I’m impressed from the speed of installation of QuickTime and iTunes, in the past they were a pain.

My MacBook with Windows 7 Beta 1 32-bit works now perfectly and I’m pretty happy about the actual operating system. I’ll make some other posts if I encounter problems or particular situations.

See you!

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Apple admits that OSX needs antivirus

Really bad news for the Apple maniacs that their beloved company is recommending to use antivirus. Yes you read right. At Cupertino are suggesting you to install an antivirus software on your Mac.

Even if in the commercial the subtle Mac was laughing at the poor PC that was ill.

Even if Mac OSX is a UNIX. I am a UNIX hater, I never hid that, and I’d like to know what the people that are theorizing the UNIX safety by design are going to say. I think it would be something fun.

Even if nobody cares to write a virus for a niche of the market. I think that that niche proved to be so dumb that will welcome any malware in his system. If Steve Jobs fooled you once why a good social engineer can’t make your machine working for him?

This is the official announcement. It is Apple.com, so I think that you are taking your credit card and doing an online order of the software suggested.

With the Apple fanatics desperate for that revelation and the users of other operating systems laughing so loud that they can’t read anymore why should I go on with this post?

Thanks to Feliciano for his post.

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The real story beyond iPod invention

Are you thinking that I’m writing an article explaining how Steve Jobs in a dream revealed himself how to design the most famous tech gadget? Actually you are a little wrong, it wasn’t a dream nor was Steve Jobs the brilliant inventor that first thought about the device as we know it.

Surfing on the web I found this really interesting site where Kane Kramer explains what he designed (not in California) 20 years before Apple iPod. Am I the only one that is finding more that one or two similarity between this concept and the Apple product? I feel like if I am in front of a couple of brothers!

The Apple fan you have inside is saying that Apple introduced the iTunes Music Store, that was really original. Sorry for that Mr. Kramer was presenting the music shop of the future in only few years after Apple’s foundation!

The only thing that Mr. Kramer was missing was the Internet. Without it such a business was simply unaffordable.

If you are not trusting what I’m saying just ask Kane Kramer, Burst.com or Apple.

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More evidences of Apple troubles

Earlier this week I wrote a post saying that Apple products just worked. I don’t know what happened to my RSS but seems that the heresy is spreading faster and faster: maybe I just subscribed the right blogs, but you can’t hide the evidence of the problems.

In the last days I found other interesting articles and blog post that I’m going to share with you.

You can read an article by the New York Times titled Apple Imperfect: maybe Mr. David Pogue is on vacation, or maybe he is preparing a new fun video of what Windows 7  copied form Mac OS X. The fact is that he is too busy to check what his mates are publishing.

I’m sorry for Steve Jobs: yesterday he had to think to some little things a bit more important than Pouge’s silence: iPhone Ad has been banned (I’m still waiting the ban of the get a mac campaign, but this is another story), the mobile device is experiencing security hole and last but not least App store showed the world what does censorship means. I think it is a good score, isn’t it?

At the beginning of this post I mentioned about bloggers complaining: here we have one unlucky user. I guess that in the next days I’m going to find other sad posts.

Please Steve, turn on again the reality distortion field, I’m missing it.

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It just worked

In the past there was a company that had the it just works mantra. Now they are getting bigger and should at least change the tense of their motto as I did in the title of this post.

Our readers (and also at least on of my co-authors) should remember when I unveiled what someone wanted to keep secret. Now it seems that other bloggers decided to tell the world their problems.

But this is not the worst thing for the company that has to pay actors to have someone lining out of their shops to make some photos just to tell the world that there is actually somebody interested in what they’re doing.

Once reality come out also the reality-distortion-filed seems to need some fix: on the Internet the heresy is spreading.

What do you think? Are blogger suddenly become victims of collective madness? Or do you feel like somebody who wake up after a nightmare where you were forced to think different?

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Apple is still using Internet Explorer 5

Today I was surfing through Apple's web site to get some information about the new products shown at the WWDC 2008. Reading about MobileMe (a wonderful piece of software) I noticed they have started using Windows Vista. In fact, till the WWDC 2008, Apple web site used to show Windows XP's screens instead of Windows Vista's screens. In my mind I said "That's a great piece of news! After one year and a half they have finally discovered Vista (WOW!)".

Although Apple engineers have started using Windows Vista instead of Windows XP it's unclear the cause they are still using an "old hag" like Firefox 2 to surf the web instead of Internet Explorer 7 which is more secure (under Windows Vista thanks to the Protected Mode) or Safari 3 for Windows which is certainly faster and in addition to this it's also one of theirs products (they say "The World's best browser").

If these are the facts I've finally understood why Internet Explorer is always the worse browser or even not considered in Apple's comparatives. Although Apple engineers have discovered Windows Vista, it's clear Apple hasn't discovered Internet Explorer 7 yet. They are probably still using Internet Explorer 5 (the last version for Mac OS X) or even a previous version if it's possible. That's the truth!

See you...

News of the day: Opera 9.5 has just been released, few days before Firefox 3. Opera's guys have won the race!

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Apple reinvents Windows Me

Looking at the picture seems that at Cupertino the photocopier has been started again :-)

My friends are saying that mobile me is a great thing, with such a brother I can’t tell them they’re wrong!

Thanks to Paul Thurrott

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iPhone now 99€ in Germany

Am I dreaming? iPhone is now sold at 99€ (154 USD circa) in Germany.

Is T-Mobile trying to push sales? Or does it know something about iPhone 3G?

I personally think that a new iPhone release is on the way: even if iPhone is still a revolutionary device (no one has reached such a great usability), Apple must keep the technology gap among itself and its competitors.

This is the link to the T-Mobile page.

German users, enjoy!

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Happy Birthday, Apple!

32 years ago Apple was born.

Some might say "on Fools' Day?!" but Apple has always loved playing with dates and number.

Just to give you a clue, the first Apple computer (Apple I) was priced 666.66$.

Happy birthday, ;-)

(I want to read what wisher is going to comment)

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iTrojan horse

Do you remember that your iPod exposes your pc to security risks installing crappy software? Unfortunately the worst isn't over, at Cupertino decided that Safari (The browser designed with bugs in mind) is an iTunes update.

If you want to save your Windows PC from the iBugs invasion you should take care of this:

• don't buy an iPod if you don't have a Mac. The PC designed in California not only contains QuickTime, Safari and iTunes but also comes with the Reality distortion field that hides you every problem.
• say no when Apple Updater asks for the insecurity update.
• uninstall any product of the iBugs suite you already have on your pc
• don't use iTunes, try instead one of this software and Apple Updater will fade away.

Now you're safe, so I can tell you more about the reason of this update: Steve Jobs noticed that the Windows version of iTunes is hugely downloaded and tried to use it as a trojan horse to install in a  betraying way its unlucky browser.

The claim of a faster, more secure and, of course, cool browser failed to bring Safari on Windows, I hope that also this subtle try  will fail. Windows users don't live into the Reality distortion field, this is the right chance to demonstrate it, even if Neelie won't help us.

Technorati Tags: Apple, Safari, Windows

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iPod rocks the Space Shuttle

While it might not be big news that Space Shuttle Endeavour is circling the planet at this moment, it is really really cool to know that it has an iPod aboard.

This is not the first time that an iPod is spotted in space and, while you might think that it's easy to bring your favourite MP3 player on the Shuttle, you should know that standard battery has been replaced for safety reasons and that the iPod Touch accelerometer sensor would not work (no gravity!)... now you know how to prepare your iPod for your next travel in space!

Source: TUAW

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Another Safari problem

The unlucky browser (designed with security in mind) has another problem.

It is vulnerable to phishers because Apple is doing nothing to protect their costumers. Their high security development cycle not only ignores (Apple isn't the only) the basic standards of security but also doesn't give to their users tools to effectively protect themselves.

I hope you didn't installed the crappy Windows version of Safari. If you did that first uninstall it, then use IE7 or Opera.

If you are a Mac User you have to switch, it's the only way out. At least to a more secure browser, Opera should be a good idea. Of course using bootcamp to install a copy of Windows Vista is a better choice (And in the next days would also be cheap).

Elsewhere don't cry if someone phish your secrets, I'm telling you what to do to avoid that.

Technorati Tags: Apple, Safari, Security

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Recycle your old phone NOW!

Want to change phone? Don't know what to do with the old one?

Well, while you buy a new iPod, iPhone or any Mac, simply give it to Apple, which will recycle it for free.

"In addition to products like iPods, people can now also recycle cellphones, produced by any manufacturer. There are two main options for sending devices to Apple: they can either be delivered in person at an Apple Store, or else mailed to a central location.

If a person chooses mail, they can specify any quantity of phones or iPods. They must then decide whether to use either a print-out label on packaging of their own, or else a custom package shipped from Apple, which requires seven to 10 days for delivery. Both options are free to the customer.

The program supplements efforts at recycling computers and monitors, which can be accepted under any brand name so long as a person has also purchased a qualifying Apple system."

Cool? Oh yeah!

Think different, think green.

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Composition made only of Mac OS sounds (much better than the Windows version)

If you like me were waiting for a response to this, well... here it is!

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Is the MacBook Air killing CDs?

Well, I must admit it: I hate CDs and I hate DVDs; I have always hated them because they're so big (12-cm diameter!) and so easily damageable. In a word made of iPod nanos they just look old and oversized.But... can one live without CDs and DVDs? I guess this is what Steve Jobs must have asked himself when the MacBook Air project started.
Why do computers have an optical drive?
1.  The first reason is to play and rip music CDs: but we have been having the cheap and cool iTunes Store for quite a long time now and well... it is a great alternative (even if I'd prefer lossless songs); moreover, thanks to the iPod (and MP3 players in general), we won't miss the bulky CD players.
2. Then we play DVDs: will we really do that anymore with Digital Copy and the iTunes Rental service?
3. We also use CDs and DVDs to backup our documents: but simply this is so unnatural! Taking a CD/DVD, initializing it (if it's "RW") and burning it is just a tedious operation: my last "optical" backup is now three years old. Luckly we have Time Machine (and Time Capsule): everything is much easier (and sometimes even fun!).
4.  Last but not least: we use our optical drive to install software; whether it is called Leopard or Microsoft Office we use a CD/DVD to install it. I think this is the only point where CDs and DVDs win: inserting a disc and double-clicking the installer is idiot-proof, everything feels natural; on the other side Remote Disc requires so much setup, certainly too much for a novice (think about your mum!).

So... is Remote Disc the solution to software installation?
I guess not; but I strongly believe that Apple is conscious of this fact and won't leave things as they are.
I think that the next step will be the disappearance of software sold on CD/DVD: Apple already has the technology to deliver stuff via the Internet and I don't think it will miss the chance to innovate once again.

When that happens, CD will be definitely killed. 

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Safari is a virus, Google says

Technorati Tags: Safari, Google

The next person who says that viruses for OSX don't exist I'll tell him that Google (not the evil empire) thinks he has one installed on his mac.

Enjoy this screenshot!

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