The worm is the first malicious infestation to hit the iPhone, the first merely displaying a picture of 1980's crooner Rick Astley - although music lovers might claim that was pretty malicious as well.

"It's the second iPhone worm ever and the first that's clearly malicious - there's a clear financial motive behind it," says F-Secure research director Mikko Hyponen."It's fairly isolated and specific to Netherlands but it is capable of spreading."

"We've built a store for the most part that people can trust. You and your family and friends can download applications from the store, and for the most part they do what you'd expect, and they get onto your phone, and you get billed appropriately, and it all just works."

Most are approved and some are sent back to the developer. In about 90% of those cases, Apple requests technical fixes—usually for bugs in the software or because something doesn't work as expected, Schiller says. Developers are generally glad to have this safety net because usually Apple's review process finds problems they actually want to fix, he says.

"We had to go study state and international laws about what's legal and what isn't, and what legal exposure that creates for Apple or the customer," Schiller says. The verdict: Apps that help a user learn how to play are O.K.; those designed to help a person cheat don't make the cut.

UPDATE FROM DEVELOPER: HOLY CRAP!. I didn't realize so many people are interested in it. I will be submitting an update to modmyi repo shortly. I dont know who put it in iSpazio but that was not with my permission. Ok submitted an update to modmyi this should help people having issues with the refresh still happening even though the toggle is on. Also the icons have been updated to be more clear.

I think it’s conservative to say that in the miserable publishing business, there is no greater hope for salvation that the iThing. With visions of giant iPhones dancing in our heads, all of us are working on prototypes of magazines and newspapers that will work on 9.7-inch, multi-touch screens linked wirelessly to stores.

Despite facing stiff competition from veteran local players such as Samsung and LG, KT is still very optimistic about their newest offering, the iPhone, as they expect to sell around 100,000 to 500,000 units once its releases in Korea.

Given that the iPhone didn’t fare so well in Japan (only 200,000 units sold since 2008), a market somewhat similar to Korea, we’re not too sure where KT is drawing their optimism from.

According to reports from Mac owners seeking repairs under warranty, the company claimed evidence of cigarette smoke inside the machines in question constitutes a "biohazard."

As the company's Applecare warranty does not specifically exclude machines showing the presence of smoke or nicotine from repair, it's likely that Apple will fall back on its 'extreme environment' clause that lets it off the hook.

Warning: Apple has discovered that some of the unauthorized unlocking programs available on the Internet may cause irreparable damage to the iPhone's software. If you have modified your iPhone's software, applying this software update may result in your iPhone becoming permanently inoperable.

…existing remote GUIs are defined and controlled by the remote control device, and consequently, they may bear little resemblance to a GUI supplied by the portable media device itself Certain functions available on the portable media device (such as browsing or searching a database, adjusting playback settings, etc.) may be unavailable or difficult to find.

The show, a production of IDG World Expo, has been tweaked in a number of ways to compensate for the loss of Apple, including a date change to February, registration price cuts and an emphasis on more training.

"They did the same thing at (Macworld Boston) and it folded within two years," said Leander Kahney, author of "Cult of Mac" and "Inside Steve's Brain." "Without Apple it doesn't have the pull."

“The iPod touch 3G with camera will allegedly have the same camera as the updated iPod nano, which shoots video, but not still pictures. Although the video quality on the nano is good for a portable device, it can't compare with the video quality of the iPhone 3GS.”

The report proceeds to state that Apple had originally planned to introduce an iPod touch with a camera last September, but prototypes didn’t make it through quality control.

We think this particular slice of speculation has legs, it seems to fit what we were hearing both before and after Apple’s September iPod event, and we can’t imagine Apple would want to introduce an upgraded touch this side or soon after Christmas. So Spring seems the next hot moment for such a launch.

As a point of perspective, iSuppli has reported the bill of materials on the iPhone 3GS is $179. Backing out the phone functionality, we believe the bill of materials is about $160. Assuming the tablet is 3x the size of the iPod touch implies a bill of materials for the tablet of around $480.

From infrared radiation in the user's ear, sensors... can detect minute temperature variations due to the user's heart beats. Heart rate can be calculated based on time between beats and the user's temperature can be set as the 'DC Component' (or average or median value) of the detected temperature distribution. Other sensors can also be used for tracking the same physiological metrics or different physiological metrics.

The app also allows users to enter an IP address to determine a website or server's internet "reputation" -- an estimate of risk based on a variety of factors including traffic volume and location.

The app is designed for professionals and security geeks, not the average consumer, said Michael Weir, Cisco security marketing director.

A Russian hacker was able to slap an old Atom-supporting OSX Kernel on the newer Mac OS 10.6.2 build and get it running on his little Atom netbook. Depending on how much Apple cares, we'll probably see this shut down in 10.6.3. Rinse. Repeat.

Yep, we knew this would happen. Apple, for whatever reason (they didn't test it and don't care or they are trying to prevent Hackintosh) killed support for Atom in their latest 10.6.2 build.

Despite sending a steady stream of emails to Apple requesting status updates, we continue to receive generic form letters in response -- frustrating, to say the least.

The TomTom app for iPhone is a priority for us and we are committed to both its long term development and everyday improvements. Current and future customers of our application for the iPhone can count on more great updates from TomTom for free.

Dynamic Controls has integrated an iPhone into its power wheelchair electronics, enabling powered wheelchair users to use them as normal while also gaining access to detailed information and control system access of their chair using the device.

The new technology operates with an iPhone 3G, 3GS, iPod touch V2.0 and 3.0. It can easily be fitted to any new or existing Dynamic Controls DX2, DX or Shark wheelchair control systems without reprogramming the wheelchair.

Benefits also include the on-chair charging for the iPhone and a ‘chair doctor’ wheelchair diagnostics feature that interprets problems with the wheelchair.

We received word this morning of what could be a brand new phishing attack that’s in circulation at present - an email which purports to relate to a recent Apple retail transaction and asks for details of any recent orders. The email (image above) also carries a stuffed file. This contains an ‘exe’ file which will only launch on a Windows machine, as with all such phishing trips, be advised not to click on any attachments from sources you don’t know/trust.

Smartphones are vulnerable to the same Web-based and e-mail attacks that have long hammered PCs. One in five smartphone owners has already encountered what's known as a phishing scam, where hackers pose as a bank or some other trusted institution in an attempt to collect personal user information, according to a survey of 1,016 U.S.smartphone users conducted by virus-scan vendor Trend Micro in May.

"The tablet will change the game, because Apple will throw down the gauntlet at the competitors, and force them to follow along."

"Apple will come out with the tablet and blow everyone away," said Ackerman. "Instead of taking along a Kindle and an iPod, that [tablet] could become the device you carry with you."

"The tablet is tipped to be a larger version of the iPhone. It is small enough to carry in a handbag but too big to fit in a pocket. It will have a touch screen and be targeted at users who mainly want to surf the web, read books and newspapers or watch movies."

"We need to figure out the right journalistic product to deliver to mobile platforms and devices,""I'm hoping we can get the newsroom more actively involved in the challenge of delivering our best journalism in the form of Times Reader, iPhone apps, WAP, or the impending Apple slate, or whatever comes after that."

"But then again, what I can't imagine, Steve Jobs often can. The tablet will be awesome, and my guess is that it will be an instant hit for people who loved Kindles and people who want netbooks," opined Wertheimer.

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Evidence has surfaced that Apple is already working on the next version of OS X, presumably to be designated Mac OS X 10.7. The information comes from an entry posted earlier today in a database of changes to the open source "launched" framework, which oversees booting of Mac OS X and administers processes running on the system.

While 10.6 incorporated many "under the hood" changes, however, some have speculated that we may see more radical end-user changes in 10.7.

Up to 30% off on all iPods (except iPhone and iPod shuffle) Up to 25% off Macs up to 15% off all accessories as well as Apple software and hardware.

The catch? The deals are only good on Friday, November 27. And that it’s a rumor, of course.

"By logging in directly to your Google Maps account, you can view the same maps that you or others have created, using the My Maps interface. Maybe you're on a trip and want to see where Tony Wheeler, the co-founder of Lonely Planet, most likes to travel. Or perhaps you're walking around looking for a restaurant and you want to see where world-famous chef Ferran Adrià likes to eat. All you have to do is click "Save to My Maps", open Earth on the iPhone, log in with the same account information, and voilà, you have your same collection of My Maps right in your pocket."

The new "static analysis tools" are designed to catch developers trying to use Apple's private APIs, which the iPhone SDK terms explicitly prohibits.

Apple is believed to restrict use of private APIs because of security concerns or compatibility issues if the features have yet to be finalized. The company has been known to leave the rule unenforced, however, as many apps have been approved even with private APIs.

The automated filtering process is expected to help the company quickly spot violators of the SDK. It remains unclear if the rules will be strictly enforced, or if a certain amount of flexibility will remain.

The App Store software will allow anyone to view memberships and make appointments for services at retail stores, like the Genius Bar or One to One. No release date for the alleged application was provided.

Apple has big plans for its retail stores in the coming year. Ron Johnson, the company's senior vice president of Retail, said last week that 50 new locations will debut in 2010.

There are five distinct cries that have common frequency patterns, regardless of culture or language. A mother learns these over time, but this can help speed up the learning curve, and also help dads and caregivers.

"What we've found in the past with these multi-function devices is that they're better for ad-hoc purposes, like quick and dirty tasks," said Zeus Kerravala, an analyst with Yankee Group. "They're not for any prolonged, high-performance use." For instance, smartphones have cameras for quick snapshots, but when you go on vacation, you're probably going to want your digital camera to come along with you for high-quality photos. Kerravala said the same logic applies to the tablet's other functions, including its e-reading capability: "If you want to sit and read a book, the ergonomics of a device that's specifically designed for reading are going to be better."

Not at all. There were times when we were having issues with the App Store, and I'd send emails to everybody I knew at Apple, from fellow engineers to managers to vice presidents. The few people that responded would say, "You know I can't talk about that."

The paranoia and secrecy was always frustrating but not as hard as I thought it would be. It was more my fear. For the most part, Apple's processes just work really well. Another frustration with a big company, not just Apple, is that if you have what you think is a great idea, there may just be nobody there to listen to it.

There have been moments where it's been frustrating because Apple's system are evolving painstakingly slow. For a big company, I think they're moving pretty quickly; but from a [startup's] point of view, a year is a lifetime. We've had frustrations from bugs in the App Store and inconsistent app reviews. However, the opportunities in this new marketplace far outweigh any of these frustrations.

Twitter was designed with cell phones in mind, but it's a whole other ballgame on the iPhone. Thanks to a host of tweet-smart applications, Apple's handheld is a micro-blogging marvel. iPhone software developers take note: Tweetie 2 is full of features every other app needs to steal.

The app does just about everything except make dull tweets seem witty; but, hey, maybe they'll solve that problem with Tweetie 3.

Indeed, while a ruling that a delivery of a copy of software is a sale of the copy would seriously injure the software industry, it would also eviscerate open-source software which, for many companies, involves delivery of copies subject to restrictions that allow its redistribution only under stated conditions.

The tale of Bobble Rep-app is submitted, app is rejected, controversy ensues, app is accepted-is a remarkably common one on the App Store. Yes, I know that the fast majority of programs submitted are quietly accepted without incident. But of the ones that are initially nixed, a high percentage seem to make it into the store eventually.

Intel plans to launch four 32nm dual-core Arrandale CPUs (Calpella platform), the Core i5-520M, Core i5-430M, Core i3-350M and Core i3-330M, in the first half of January 2010 for the mainstream notebook segment, according to sources from notebook players.

The new CPUs, together with the recently released Windows 7, are expected to help boost demand for notebooks in the first quarter of 2010, the sources predict.

Intel will launch six more CPUs in the third quarter of 2010 with some models under its Pentium brand for the same segment, the sources noted.

Storm8 has written the software for all its games in such a way that it automatically accesses, collects, and transmits the wireless telephone number of each iPhone user who downloads any Storm8 game... Storm8, though, has no reason whatsoever to access the wireless phone numbers of the iPhones on which its games are installed.

The grandeur and scope of Manhattan’s fourth Apple store may seem strange to some. Likewise for Apple’s new “significant stores” strategy, with it’s emphasis on flashy stores in major markets. In a time where many consumers are turning away from brick-and-mortar stores, and many companies are cutting costs, Apple appears to be moving in the opposite direction.

According to Gothamist.com It's also the first time an Apple store has had a roof made entirely of glass – one supported by 45-foot marble walls that reflect sunlight and enhance the customer experience.

In the posting for a "game/media software engineer," Apple said it is looking for a skilled software engineer looking to work with a small team on "interactive multimedia experiences on the iPhone and iPod Touch." The potential employee has to be flexible and creative.

Apple is looking to hire a game developer for its iPhone and iTouch team, but such a move carries the possibility of alienating some of its huge ecosystem of independent game developers.

The concept allows for chemical agent detectors to ultimately be everywhere where there are cellular telephones. At the option of the cell phone owner, the GPS in the phone could provide sensor location information to emergency operation centers.

My decision to stop iPhone development has had everything to do with Apple’s policies. I respect their right to manage their platform however they want, however I am philosophically opposed to the existence of their review process. I am very concerned that they are setting a horrible precedent for other software platforms, and soon gatekeepers will start infesting the lives of every software developer. The web is still unrestricted and free, and so I am returning to my roots as a web developer. In the long term, I would like to be able to say that I helped to make the web the best mobile platform available, rather than being part of the transition to a world where every developer must go through a middleman to get their software in the hands of users.

Apple does not have the means to perform thorough quality assurance on any app. This is up to the developer. We have our own product managers and quality assurance testers, and we are liable to our users and the courts if we do anything evil or stupid. Apple may catch a few shallow bugs in the review process, but let's face it, the real things they are looking for are not bugs, but violations of the terms of service.

While the patent application, which was filed on July 19th, 2009, is broadly written to apply to computers in general with pen-based input-only "tablets", the inventors also make reference to tablets with integrated display screens for both input and output, such as the company's much-rumored tablet device.

Apple has placed a great deal of emphasis on its multi-touch technology used in the iPhone and iPod touch as a differentiator from what it has perceived as inferior stylus-based input methods. But the patent application published today indicates that the company has not completely abandoned such technologies and is in fact seeking to continue improving their functionality.

The $100 app has received its share of bad comments and has the worst rating compared to two of its competitors, the $35 CoPilot Live and the $90 MobileNavigator. The current TomTom version averages just 2.5 stars, and has more one-star than five-star reviews. Both CoPilot and MobileNavigator have been offering text-to-speech for several weeks.

Other features that TomTom will add with this version include advanced lane guidance in both landscape and portrait mode, direct access to emergency numbers, a database update to its map and safety camera database update

Technically I think it will be a stretch to have both UMTS and CDMA, because not only do you have hardware issues in terms of the baseband, but also software issues. Eventually they will probably get there [with the iPhone], but that's probably a 2011 story, not a 2010 story.

One of the things that people say an awful lot about the Apple Mac is that the OS is fantastic, that it’s very graphical and easy to use. What we’ve tried to do with Windows 7 – whether it’s traditional format or in a touch format – is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics

While this update to the Dev Center website may not seem like a major change, it is a step in the right direction towards greater transparency and disclosure about the Application review process.

Earlier this year Apple Insider was told, "Many developers are pulling their hair out by the roots" over the approval process. Approvals that once took days were taking months and Apple's response to inquiry about the process was a stock answer or no received answer at all.

The security fixes address a wide range of problem points. On both Windows and Mac, parsing maliciously written XML content could have led to a browser crash, using shortcut menu options within a maliciously created Web site could have led to the disclosure of local information, and visiting a maliciously built Web site could have resulted in unexpected actions on other opened Web sites.

For Windows only, viewing a maliciously made image with an embedded color profile that could lead to a browser crash or running arbitrary code is no longer a threat, nor is accessing a maliciously crafted FTP server, which could have led to an unexpected crash, information disclosure, or arbitrary code execution. For Mac only, an exploit that could have allowed e-mail to remotely load audio and video content when loading a remote image has been disabled.

This hacker tool could easily be installed, for example, on a computer on display in a retail store, which could then scan all iPhones that pass within the reach of its network. Or, a hacker could sit in an Internet café and let his computer scan all iPhones that come within the range of the wifi network in search of data. Hackers could even install this tool on their own iPhones, and use it to scan for jailbroken phones as they go about their daily business.

With strong volumes, high wholesale prices and tight cost controls, the PC vendor has successfully broken into the mobile phone market in just two years.

The free iPhone app, one of a growing number from Chinese state-owned news outlets, has gained 500,000 users in the month or so since it went online and is adding 2,000 new users each day, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television said in a statement on its Web site.

China is investing heavily to expand the overseas reach of its state-owned news outlets, which often air official Chinese political views strongly at odds with mainstream Western views.

Unlike Symbian or Android, Samsung appears to be developing its new mobile platform and software market solely for the benefit of its own phones, much like RIM, Apple, and Palm.

HMC investment securities analyst Greg Noh outlined Samsung's expected smartphone mix showing Symbian completely phased out by 2011, and Samsung's own Bada making up half of its portfolio by 2012, with the remainder being about 30% Android and 20% Windows Mobile.

I’m using a 3G iPhone, and upgraded to 3.0 yesterday. Since then I’ve been unable to join any wifi network at all.

The wifi dropping has been driving me nuts. It’s only started since 3.0. Before, it has always stayed connected, never had conflicts on the network, and was never an issue. But since 3.0, like a lot of others, it can’t hold the connection for more than 20 seconds without releasing.

I have exactly the same problem. Wifi drops when the phone sleeps, and needs to be reset by toggling the wifi on-off switch. Scanning for the network is also flaky. It worked perfectly prior to installing the update. We need a fix, Apple!

Before updating, Wifi worked flawlessly; at times even better than my macbook’s. After the updating, my iPhone does not discover my networks anymore. I have made it recognize my home network, however, by getting closer to the router. But since distance has never been a problem, it definitely shouldn’t be now.

“Yeah, I suppose,’’ Passafaro said. “I could see that someone might think that I was asking for something, and I was not.’’

Try this one on for size: Apple on [day] rejected an iPhone app devoted to [phrase] for [ridiculous reason]. This time, the answers are "Monday," "contacting your Congressional representatives," and "including caricatures of all 540 members of both houses of Congress, which Apple has deemed offensive."

It's those caricatures that Apple apparently considers "content that ridicules public figures," a violation of Section 3.3.14 of the iPhone developer agreement, and a reason that Apple's previously cited for rejecting apps that poke fun at politicians.

Sounds cathartic, right? Maybe they can make a sequel to the app that features the heads of App Store reviewers.

The 10.6.2 update resolves a bug that could lead to the deletion of files in a user's home directory following a Guest account login. It also repairs an unexpected logout issue, a problem with Spotlight search that prevented Exchange contacts from being seen, and numerous other stability and usability issues, as explained on Apple's Web site.

"If an account on the system has no password, such as the Guest account, a user may log in to any account without supplying a password. This update addresses the issue through improved access checks."

We were so excited by the promise the iPhone represented that we shifted a significant portion of our attention to that device in its very early days. We launched the first iPhone ad units focused on the web and quickly added the capability to run ads in applications. Now with the addition of excellent devices from Palm, Nokia, RIM, and plethora of Android powered smartphones, we have all the preconditions necessary for what will be a tidal wave of mobile browsing and app usage. But let there be no mistake. Our business, and the mobile industry in general, owes Apple a debt of gratitude.

Once the iPhone becomes available on other UK networks, we will allow O2 customers to unlock their iPhones, although of course they will still need to honor any outstanding contract period they have. At the end of their contract period, they are entirely free to move to another operator

[The ads] prominently feature the coverage maps first introduced in the "There's a Map for That" commercial. These maps were a point of contention between Verizon and AT&T, causing AT&T to bring a lawsuit against Verizon for misrepresenting AT&T's 3G coverage areas.

In the ads, it is clear Verizon has tried to separate their criticism of AT&T from the iPhone itself, going so far as to call the phone "A great 3G phone without great 3G coverage." This may be an indication that the rumors of Verizon offering the iPhone sometime in 2010 have some truth behind them.

Bloggers were shocked that Mein Kampf made it through Apple's selection process and many reacted angrily. EdibleApple, a site dedicated to Apple news, rumors and analysis, wrote, "It's naturally filled with a plethora of racist content and it's pretty mind boggling that Apple's app store censors let this one slide through."

Despite the overwhelming number of applicants, Apple should not have these slips, TechCrunch argues. "This version of Mein Kampf is in Spanish, so maybe that's what allowed it to slip by the App Store guardians. But that's no excuse. If the Nazi logo didn't raise a red flag, I'm not sure what will."