Hole in my Safari

Yesterday Apple released a patch for the security hole in Safari. This was the same hole which was used for the "Jailbreak Me" Jailbreak which was so easy to use.
The security hole had to do with the way PDF files were handled, and was quite serious. The Jailbreak community released a "PDF patch" of sorts - basically a warning every time a PDF was opened on iPhone a dialog pops up with a warning and an OK and Cancel button. This patch made reading valid PDFs in various applications, including iBooks, unusable. It also made using the Zinio reader - which is a reader for digital magazines like PC Magazine, unusable (four popups for one page). So the patch was updated to allow iBooks to work, but it was a kludge and I wondered if the developer would get round to the Zinio reader.

I was beginning to wonder about either uninstalling the PDF patch - and opening up my iPhone to hacking, or updating the firmware, which would fix the PDF security hole but then I wouldn't be able to Jailbreak my iPhone probably until after iOS firmware 4.1 is released.

Anyway, today Saurik released a patch which basically does what the Apple iOS 4.02 firmware update does - patches the PDF security hole properly, and the Jailbreak stays intact. Thank you Saurik (and whoever else helped to code this patch)!

Apple - we'll be back

This morning at about 7 Eastern Time, I tried to pre-order an iPhone 4 online on the Apple store. The website was a bit slow, and everything went fine until I tried to add the iPhone to the Shopping cart. Then I got an error message "Oops we have a problem, please retry", or something to that effect. Apple's website must have been getting hammered, because I tried a few more times and got the same error message.

Later, after 8 am I could not even get to the Apple store at all, and got the message "We'll be back soon", which also gives an 800 number. I tried the 800 number, and got a "Due to extremely high call volume we are unable to answer your call now, please try again later".

Pre-ordering the iPhone 4 is going to take persistence.

Posted from Blogium for iPhone

Counting down to Monday

It is not often that I look forward to a Monday. Like most people I look forward to Friday or Saturday or the weekend in general.

However, this coming Monday, June 8, is when Steve Jobs is expected to announce the next generation iPhone during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

It will be interesting to see what changes have been made since the pictures of the "Lost iPhone prototype" were published.

On a personal note, I'm hoping to finally upgrade my iPhone 3G. The date on which the next generation iPhone is to go on sale is also expected to be announced. Then it will be a waiting period until the crowds of eager buyers thin enough for me to get one without having to stand in line.

iPhone killed the MP3 Insider

My favorite podcast, MP3 Insider, has been killed off by the iPhone.
The writing seemed on the wall when Jasmine was reviewing iPhone Apps (ack!) elsewhere on CNET.

I've listened to this podcast since the days of James Kim and Veronica Belmont (every geek's dream girl). I can't say that I've followed the "Buzz Out Load" podcast as closely. MP3 Insider will be sorely missed.

I wish Jasmin France and Donald Bell all the best in their future roles at CNET.

iPhone multitasking

So multitasking is coming in iPhone OS 4. I must admit being disappointed that it is not coming to the iPhone 3G. After doing some research, I found out the simple reason why - the iPhone 3GS (and iPod Touch 3rd gen) have double the RAM of earlier models, as well as faster processors.

Multitasking has been available on jailbroken iPhones for a while now, with some really sophisticated Apps, a lot of them of them free. Unfortunately for iPhone 3G owners, although these run on the iPhone 3G, they don't run particularly well.

Don't Want an iPad

In the last few weeks I've seen a number of polls asking whether I was going to get an iPad, or wait for the next iteration. It just doesn't grab me though. My wife saw it's potential, but I didn't. I guess in my mind it is just an oversized iPod Touch, and I'm quite happy with my iPhone thank you.

No App Store for my Touch

I'm delaying upgrading my iPod Touch to use the Apple App store. Instead, several weeks back I ran a "jailbreak" on the Touch, and I've been loading it up with applications including an eBook Reader, File Manager, Unit Converter and Dictionary with thesaurus among many others, and all free.

Missed the List

Well, I seem to have missed the opportunity to give my Top 5+ List of 2007, since 2008 is well on its way, but here are a couple of the tech gadgets I'll hopefully be using throughout 2008:

The Asus Eee PC Notebook - a micro-notebook the size of a paperback novel running Linux. It has one of the easiest Desktop User Interfaces I've ever seen on Linux. Three USB ports allow attaching everything from external DVD drives and hard drives to printers and USB flash drives. The 4GB Solid State Drive makes for fast and silent start up, running and shutdowns. It comes with driver to install Windows XP, but that would really be a waste.

Apple iPod Touch - an amazing device - listen to music, watch videos on its widescreen, browse the Internet or watch clips on the YouTube channel via Wi-Fi. Now with the addition of Google Maps, and email client and a Notebook app this is on its way to becoming a useful handheld as well.

Touch not really phone-less iPhone

The iPod Touch - not really an iPhone without the phone.
I was quite excited when the iPod Touch was announced. Now it is being released this week and the big tech sites have had time to play with pre-release models and write their reviews (see the CNET review here)

As well as being slightly smaller and lighter than the iPhone, the iPod Touch is also missing features like Google Maps, the email client and the Notes application, along with built-in speakers, microphone, camera and other mini applications. It is kind of understandable not to include Google Maps - if you really need to use it you may not be near a wireless hotspot. To leave out email and Notes just sucks. Sure you can use web-based email, as the Safari browser is included, but the email client would have been useful. Even more so, leaving out the Notes application on the first iPod (excluding the iPhone) to have a virtual keyboard is just reducing functionality.

Somehow I suspect these omissions are not accidental, but carefully selected. An iPod Touch which had all the functionality of an iPhone except the phone could very well hurt iPhone sales, something Apple wouldn't want.

Early Adopter Blues and iPod Touch!

Last night I was having a look at The Unofficial Mac Weblog and reading the comments on "Apple lowers price of 8 gig iPhone to $399". These comments were posted before Steve Jobs decided to give early iPhone buyers a $100 credit. There seemed to be two distinct responses - the positive "That's the price you pay for being an early adopter" and the "Apple did me wrong" (in rather angry and sometimes unrepeatable language).

This must be one of the highest profile examples of the fact that all technology drops in price over time. Unfortunately Apple had to do damage control because it happened so soon.

To think of it, the second generation 8GB iPod Nano I bought late last year for almost $250 has been replaced by a a third generation iPod Nano with more features at a lower price (the new 8GB Nano goes for $199). However, this was only a $50 price drop after a year as well as a new generation.

After the iPhone price drop I was eventually convinced by my wife that I really don't want an iPhone. It took me a while to agree after I realized that a newer generation of the iPhone is very likely to be released while I would be still tied to a two year contract to AT&T.

The iPod Touch is another matter entirely. Basically an iPhone without the phone (and without the contract) I've long thought that it would be pretty cool if it was ever released. Of course an MP3 player with built-in Wi-Fi is nothing new. CNET's Crave blog's First Look at the iPod Touch mentions the Archos 605 WiFi. However, even the smallest capacity Archos 605 weighs 9.2 oz, in comparison to the iPod Touch's 4.2 oz. Admittedly, the Archos 605 series features a 4.3 inch screen instead of a 3.5 inch screen, and the capacity starts at 4GB and goes all the way up to 160GB. For less than the price of an 8GB iPod Touch (why do I struggle not to call it the iTouch?) you can get a 30GB Archos 605.

A quick comparison:
iPod Touch dimensions: 4.3 x 2.4 x 0.3 inches.
Archos 605 dimensions: 4.8 x 3.2 x 0.8 inches.
The Archos 605 has a whole slew of accessories which can turn it into a DVR.
The iPod Touch is almost as revolutionary as the iPhone, and just as cool...

Zunes and iPods

The price of the Zune is beginning to drop below $200 at some online stores. I'm slightly tempted by this because of the 3 inch color screen and that the Zune is supposed to work well together with the Xbox 360 (see "Use Zune with Xbox 360" on xbox.com). Then I remembered that this Microsoft player does not support Microsoft’s PlaysForSure, or Podcasts, and has half-baked Wi-Fi. So even at this price it is not worth it. This is especially so since new Zunes are due out soon which may fix one or more of these problems - see "Microsoft comments support reports of new Zunes" at InfoWorld


Zune in original colors (light black, chocolate brown, and pearl white)

The real interesting thing to watch out for is the next generation of iPods. The iPhone gives hope for a fullscreen touchscreen iPod (see "6th Generation iPod - What We Know" at MP3Buzz.net) , now that would be really cool.

Apple buttons and fake Steve

(Or: Apple, buttons and Fake Steve Jobs)
Now I think I know why there are so few buttons on iPods and the iPhone. According to a number of sources (Slashdot and Free Mac Blog to name a few), Steve Jobs hates buttons. Even fake Steve Jobs ranted about a Washington Post Article about Steve and buttons.

Ah, that explains why iPods don't have FM radios, voice recording or line-in recording. Adding these features would require more buttons, as the click wheel is totally maxed out for the functions it performs. And more buttons would be a no-no.

Yet in some ways this minimalist design works. Sure I like the additional functionality of the Creative Zen V Plus - the ability to delete tracks on the devices as well as create and name playlists. But I can operate my iPod Nano with acupuncture needles protruding from my my hands and arms without causing myself a major injury.

Treo versus iPhone

I know the iPhone has been out for a while now, but I have hesitated mentioning the following article since there was a huge reaction to it - almost 400 comments, mainly from iPhone fans telling the writer he was crazy (among other things).

Editorial: 10 Rounds with the iPhone

Anyway if you feel you must comment, do it at the Palm Infocenter editorial here

iPhone Overhyped?

Of course it is.

Well, here's some facts and more hype.

Engadget's iPhone facts from the first reviews

Should You Buy an IPhone? from the Houston Chronicle.

Smart Money Daily: 6 Major Flaws in iPhone That Could Cost You a Bundle

And the iPhone guided tour from Apple.

Apple iPhone?

After Apple advertised on TV that the iPhone is coming out on June 29, I got asked whether I intended to get an iPhone. I guess a lot of technophiles got asked the same question.



I won't be getting an Apple iPhone.

The reasons:
1. Price - $499 for a phone with a two year contract is ridiculous. Accessories will also increase that price - you can't just buy the iPhone, you'll need a holster or case of some sort, plus a screen protector and of course a cool Bluetooth headset to go with the cool phone.
2. A cellphone with an MP3 Player, already got one (the Treo 650). I don't use
the MP3 Player part of it since I have an iPod Nano.
3. Switching carriers. I’m not overly found of Cingular, er, AT & T
4. The "unknown" factor. This is an unknown, untried cellphone – what bugs lurk there?

iPhone will fail?

This week the Apple iPhone was announced. Some may be sick of hearing about it already, but others want to know what the hype is about. The videos on the iphone.org site showing the functionality of the iPhone are really impressive. Just a pity about the cellular provider Apple has chosen...(Cingular sucks).

Late last year, while the Apple phone was still a rumor, an article on CNET said that the iPhone would fail (Apple phone flop), basically because of stiff competition in the cellphone market. I disagree, as the iPhone blows away the competition.

A more recent article on Crave.net, "Thirteen reasons to doubt the iPhone hype" poses some legitimate questions, like the question whether the iPhone will have a user-replaceable battery. It would be a first for Apple if this iPod-like product has a removable battery, and a potential deal-breaker if it does not.

A Nano bit

My research turned to the iPod Nano. Interestingly enough, this is no longer the smallest MP3 Player out there, although it may be the thinnest. Ever since it first came out I wanted a Nano, but the first generation was just too expensive. At $199 for a 2GB Nano and $249 for a 4GB it was just too much. You could get a non-Apple 6-10GB hard drive player in the same price range. There was also the widely reported problem with the Nano scratching easily.

The 2nd Generation Nano spectrum

The second generation Nano fixed that by being coated in Anodized aluminum, like the iPod Mini was. The prices are a bit more competitive - especially since there are now a number of different Flash-memory based players on the market. Starting at $149 for the 2GB Nano (available in gray only), $199 for a 4GB Nano (available in multiple colors, excluding black), and the 8GB Nano for $199. The 8GB only comes in black or red (the latter color is only available online).



Like other iPods the Nano doesn't have a FM Radio built-in, but unlike most other flash-memory based players it cannot play videos. Even lacking these features it is one of the most popular MP3 Players.

It definitely rates high on my wish list. I just can't decide whether it is worth shelling out an extra $50 for a black 8GB Nano instead of going with the $199 silver 4GB Nano.