Apple Files Patent For Password Recovering Charger

Apple has filed a patent for a charger which could act as a physical key to unlock a laptop if a user forgets a password. The patent application (US patent 2012/0005747) claims that it would protect users who have their devices stolen while they are “out and about” and that, in theory, the technology could be applied to any piece of equipment that is regularly used with the computer.
Positively charged
According to the patent, users who forget their password could plug in the cord and it would provide a unique ID number stored in the memory chip of the adapter that serves as a decryption key, unscrambling a backup copy of the password stored on the machine.

Two iOS5 Security Flaws Exploited By Apple Jailbreak Tool

                             A researcher has released a new jailbreak tool that would allow iPhone users to run code from sources other than Apple's iTunes App Store.The new jailbreak, dubbed Corona, takes advantage of two different bugs in iOS 5 to untether iPhones and other devices running iOS 5.01, a researcher, Pod2g, wrote on his iOS Research blog. One flaw exists in the iOS binary and the other was a heap overflow in the kernel, according to the post.

Alternate routes in Map

This is one update I really would have thought Apple would highlight, now that I know what it does. If you've ever used Google Maps to plot a course, you know that you can click on the colored path and drag it around the map for alternate routes. iOS Maps didn't allow anything that… until now.

When you look for directions in iOS 5, it will now give you up to three possible routes (Route 1, Route 2, or Route 3). Tap each route to view its path on the map or tap the bottom-right button to view the list of directions for that route. You can also choose "Show Traffic," a feature that has been there from the start, to see traffic along each route. Once you choose a route, hit "Start" to get directions.

Death-Grip Is Gone

Almost as soon as the iPhone 4 came out there were reports of dropped calls if the phone was held a certain way. The "death grip," as people called it, occurred most commonly when the phone was held in the left hand.

My phone has it, but I wasn't too bothered since my iPhone 4 went into a hard rubber Incipio case immediately and will stay in the thing for the life of the phone, only occasionally coming out for a cleaning. Every iPhone owner should protect their phone on all sides. But "Antennae-gate" as it was called became a royal headache for Apple.

Well, a number of sites have run tests and found that the problem is indeed gone. Gizmodo notes no death grip, Daily iPhone Blog, and AppAdvice all report the problem fixed.

Dig Deeper into iOS 5

While Apple is known for being uber secretive, iOS 5 has been no secret; we got a significant preview this past summer at the Worldwide Developer Conference and there have been multiple betas that were immediately picked apart for clues.

Apple has proclaimed more than 200 new features in iOS 5, from the over-the-air updates (about damn time) to the Newsstand app to iMessage allowing you to bypass the texting limits of carriers, there's a lot to like in this new OS.

Still, some great features manage to slip by that deserve special highlight, which we will do. Also, keep an eye on this thread on MacRumors, where people are accumulating all the little features they find.

iPad 2 cases that simplify typing

                                   

The iPad 2 is undoubtedly a great product and can be used for a variety of different things as consumers move away from a desktop PC. There are some people who do prefer a physical keyboard if they need to type quite a lot. So today we are looking at iPad 2 cases that simplify typing as well as protecting your device.
One such device is the Zaggfolio iPad 2 keyboard case that combines a removable keyboard with an iPad case, which then turns it into a one piece unit that promises to be easy to carry around and use. The keyboard is almost a full size unit that will help you to type at a quicker speed.

BreathalEYES uses iPhone camera to measure Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)

Talk about a useful app for the New Year’s Eve – BreathalEYES will use the iPhone’s built-in camera to measure your (or your buddies’) Blood Alcohol Content (BAC). The software looks for the presence of Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) in the eye to do its magic, returning accurate results between BAC 0.02%-0.17%.
As I don’t have an iPhone I haven’t tried this myself (hopefully an Android version will be released soon), but since it costs only a buck (99 cents) there’s only so much to lose and much more to gain. What’s more, this must-have application will work even in low-light conditions (like a bar), though for best results it is suggested there’s a ton of light in the room (or wherever you happen to be when testing BreathalEYES).
Internet connection isn’t needed and since the app doesn’t communicate with the developer’s servers, your privacy is guaranteed… Love the idea and I’m sure you’ll love it too. Check out a short video demoing BreathalEYES in action!

Spire, an impressive legal and free Siri port, now available for Jailbroken iOS 5 devices

Whilst Siri, the voice-activated assistant on Apple’s iPhone 4S handset, has been ported to non-supported iOS devices in the past, Apple hacker Grant ‘Chpwn’ Paul has delivered what appears to be the most impressive implementation of Apple’s technology yet — and it’s completely legal.
Paul, with the help of Ryan Petrich and members of the jailbreak scene, today released Spire — a new tool that allows users to be able to install Siri on “previously unsupported, but jailbroken, devices”.
The iOS hacker uses a clever trick to ensure his Siri implementation remains legal and does not modify Apple’s files, by downloading a small file to an iOS-powered device and downloads the necessary Siri files directly from Apple. To download Spire and then connect to Apple’s servers to obtain the files, users simply need a Jailbroken iOS 5 device and then to install the Spire binary that is hosted on Cydia.
Be warned though, if you have used all of the space available on your iOS 5 device, it is a 100MB download and will require a Wi-Fi connection. And before you get too excited about running Siri on your iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, 1st-generation iPad or iPod Touch, Spire is “not a complete solution” and requires users to use their own proxy server address.
Chpwn explains:
Apple still requires authorization to use Siri, so information from an iPhone 4S is still required. To insert this information, Spire allows you to enter your own proxy server address. I’ve put up a list of my ideas on how you might get access to a proxy; hopefully you can figure something out.
Spire uses a new method to obtain the files necessary for Siri, so it doesn’t have the copyright issues encountered by previous attempts. Similarly, rather than directing all traffic through a specific proxy server (and the associated privacy issues), Spire allows you to specify your own proxy server.
However, there are a number of options available (with it expected that more will be added soon). Because Siri requires proxy data from an iPhone 4S in order to work and Apple has made it notoriously difficult to defeat its authorisation, you will be limited to these options:

• westbaer’s SiriProxy fork
  • Own an iPhone 4S too: Maybe you already own an iPhone 4S, and just want Siri on another device of yours. This is simple; you can just use the above proxy yourself.
  • Find a friend: Maybe your friend has an iPhone 4S and will let you use their authentication tokens (maybe in exchange for some cool SiriProxy plugins). Then, you can share the authentication. Or, maybe you gave your relative your old iPhone when you got your iPhone 4S: now you can share your token and give them Siri.
• Pay up: It’s very likely that soon we will see for-pay services online to rent you some space on a Siri proxy, attached to one of their iPhone 4S devices. I haven’t seen anything like this yet, but I’ll keep my eye out, and I would encourage anyone who is interested to set something like this up.
• And now for something completely different: As I suggested earlier, you might be able to replace Siri entirely. A simple method might be to use Google Chrome’s speech “API” hooked up to some code to decode the Siri requests and parse Google’s result. Or, someone could hook it up to some logic backends like many of the clones available on Android: the possibilities are endless.

Unfortunately, for those wanting to install Spire, they are going to need an iPhone 4S to do so — at least initially.
However, the beauty of Chpwn’s implementation is that it evades any copyright issues and it is completely open for other iOS hackers and developers to connect and develop their own processes to make it easier for users to get Siri on their Jailbroken iOS 5 devices.
With Spire now available to download, you can expect the development community to look into new ways of authorising Siri on devices, finally bringing Siri to non-supported Apple gadgets with the minimum of fuss.

Jux: Beautiful, cross-platform blogging comes to the iPhone

Jux, one of the most beautiful blogging platforms yet, is now available on your iPhone. TNW has previously written about Jux and its iPad release, and today it’s available in your pocket.
As TNW’s Features Editor, Courtney Boyd Myers explains, Jux is a “New York City new media startup that’s perched at the crux of Tumblr and About.me and Flavors.me. It’s creation. It’s sharing. But it’s also permanent and personal. Jux isn’t about one off creations a la Tumblr.”
The concept behind Jux moves beyond the realm of traditional blogging, which is why Jux CEO, Ted Metcalfe, is so averse to the term. On arrival, you’re presented with the gallery; an organically formed layout of all your posts. Tapping on a post brings you right inside it, and from there you can flick between posts and tap to hide text.
Jux’s mobile experience was painstakingly created. It doesn’t force a generic presentation on it’s mobile or tablet users, as Metcalfe explains:
The iPhone experience itself is bold and playful. Not the miniaturized world that the phone once stood for. Nor the cleaned-up, mono-culture rendered, however elegantly, by most phone readers — from Flipboard and Google Currents to Tumblr and WordPress. A lot of personal publishing platforms have a longer history and a deeper feature-set but we’re hoping to serve creators and curators better by celebrating their content more.
Jux has tons of potential as an a newcommer, and has more surprises on the way. There really isn’t anything else as immersive out there for individuals, but you’ll have to see for yourself. Go to Jux.com on your iPhone to check out a constant stream of featured posts from all Juxers, or take a peak at a these featured blogs: Walk With Cheys and SplitSecond.

Got a new iPad? These are the first apps you should install on it

We can imagine that a fair share of iPads got unwrapped this morning, and the first thing you’re going to want to do is switch it on and get a few awesome apps on there. Last year, we gave you a long list of apps that will help you get started with all of the popular essentials.
This year, we’ve decided to do the same thing, adding a ton of great apps to the list that you’ll want to get on to your iPad straight away. The list includes apps to handle your photos and videos, music apps, productivity apps, a few essentials to meet all of your social media needs, and of course a few games to keep you entertained.
Media Snapseed - If you’re a photography buff and are finally going to get that iPad you always wanted, we’d recommend getting yourself an iPad SD Card Reader from Photojojo. This makes it easier than ever to get your photos straight from your camera onto your iPad, and it’s half the price of Apple’s iPad Camera Connection Kit. Once the photos are transferred, you’re going to want to be able to edit, process and share your photos. The best app we’ve come across that does this is Snapseed, which we’ve previously reviewed here. The $4.99 app is worth every cent. It comes with easy-to-use autocorrect features which will adjust your images at the click of a button, or if you want more control over your image’s final look, you can manually adjust basics like sharpness, brightness and contrast, and use some pretty cool looking filters to give your photos a grunge or vintage look. Snapseed is controlled entirely by swiping your image either right to left or up and down.

Pandora - For streaming random music or personalized radio stations, Pandora is a great option for those of you who are lucky enough to live in the right country. The iPad app makes it easy to access all of your Pandora radio stations when you log in, and you can rate, skip and pause the music.
MusicTandem - For those of you who don’t have access to Pandora, check out the $0.99 app MusicTandem, which we reviewed here. With the app, you can create personalized radio stations based on artist, genre or tag. When selecting music based on a specific artist, you can choose to play music only by that singer or band, or to play a variety of music similar to that one artist. Our one complaint when it comes to MusicTandem is that it doesn’t play in the background which is a much-needed feature. Another music app which certainly deserves an honourable mention for discovering new music is MusicHunter, which we’ve reviewed in-depth here, but it’s worth noting that the app is now completely free.
Shazam - Another essential app for music buffs is Shazam. The free app comes with unlimited tagging, so if you hear a song on the radio or TV and want to know what it is, just whip out your new iPad, hit tag, and let the magic of Shazam do the rest for you.
Showyou - If you want to watch online videos on your iPad, a great way to do that is with the the free app Showyou. You can connect the app to your YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr accounts, making it easy to find interesting videos, and instantly share them with your friends and followers. Showyou is not only fully searchable if you’re looking for a specific video to watch, but it also comes pre-loaded with grids featuring videos on various topics and from various sources, with everything from Al Jazeera to Reddit TV. If you want to save a video to watch later, all you have to do is sign up for a free account.
FlexPlayer – Since VLC was pulled from the iTunes App Store, the best free alternative available now is FlexPlayer. You don’t have to convert your videos before transferring them to your iPad. Just hook your iPad up to your computer, fire up iTunes and copy your movie files to your iPad. FlexPlayer is a slick video player, and add to that the fact that it’s ad-free, there’s really nothing else that you need to watch your movies and TV shows on your iPad.
Social Media Zite - We’re big fans of Zite here at The Next Web, and reviewed it when it first launched here. Zite is one of the best ways to get your daily news fix with minimal effort on your part. All you have to do is plug in your preferred topics and the app will do the rest for you. And the more you use it, the better it becomes at making recommendations based on your personal preferences. Zite’s UI is best bar none. It’s sleek and minimal, showcases the articles you’re reading beautifully, and makes it easy to share posts on your favourite social networks or save them for reading later.
Blogsy - You might not get as much writing as you’d expect using the iPad, but if you’re really serious about it, investing in a bluetooth keyboard to go alongside your iPad will make life much easier. So which apps should you download if you’re serious about your writing? The first app a blogger will probably want to download is Blogsy. The $4.99 app supports WordPress, Blogger and Posterous, while also allowing you to access your Flickr, Picasa and YouTube accounts. Blogsy makes it easy to write up and share media-rich posts straight from your iPad, allowing you to upload images and drag-and-drop videos, and also comes with text formatting.
Verbs - Verbs is a pretty slick chat app for the iPad with Google Talk, AIM, Facebook and MobileMe support, and allows you to add multiple accounts. For easy photo-sharing you can also connect your Cloud or Droplr accounts. Normally a paid app, you can get it free for now, but the free version does have its limits. The paid upgrade at $4.99 will get you push notifications, whereas the free version will only notify you of messages for the first 10 minutes that the app runs in the background.
StumbleUpon - When StumbleUpon finally launched an updated iPad app this year, one of our observations when reviewing it was that the iPad was made for this kind of site. And the app certainly lives up to that. We should warn you though, if you’re a fan of StumbleUpon, installing this app on your new iPad will suck you right in and make it hard to put your iPad down.
PhotoSync - For all of your photo uploading needs, rather than download a different app for each account, PhotoSync supports Dropbox, Picasa, Facebook, SmugMug and Flickr. Select multiple photos to upload simultaneously to all of your accounts. You have extensive control over how each account is configured – from privacy settings, folders and more.
500px - Want to browse gorgeous photos on your brand new iPad? Then the first app you need to download is the official 500px iPad app, which we reviewed here. The quality of photography on 500px is pretty impressive, and where better to check it out than on the iPad. If you have a 500px account, you can log in to follow other users and add their photos to your favourites, but unfortunately, you can’t actually upload any images to the site from your iPad using this free app. If you want that capability, you’re going to have to opt for the $0.99 app, PhotoStackr for 500px.
Productivity Polkast - If you prefer not to have to upload files to the cloud, Polkast is a great alternative. The only drawback is that you’ll have to stay logged in to your computer in order to access your files. On the other hand, there are no complicated settings to fiddle with in order to get the connection to work. Simply install the app on your Mac or Windows computer, install the app on your iPad, and you’re good to go. You can play videos and music straight from the app, or download the files to your iPad. If you modify files on your iPad, you can save the new file back to your computer right from your iPad.

Wunderlist - If you’re looking for a multiplatform productivity app to keep track of your task list, look no further than Wunderlist. The app is completely free regardless of which OS you use, and also syncs to the cloud, so you’ll be sure never to lose your task list, and have access to it on all of your mobile devices and on your computer as well. It’s no surprise the app has over 1 million users now.
iA Writer – While Blogsy has you covered for most of your online writing needs, if you need something to save notes locally on your iPad, we’ll tell you right now, the native notes app that the iPad ships with simply isn’t going to cut it. The $1.99 app iA Writer is a great option because it comes packed with some pretty decent features without locking your content on your iPad. You can sync all of your content on the distraction-free iPad writing app with its Mac counterpart, using Dropbox or iCloud. For those of you who don’t use Macs, you can simply take advantage of the Dropbox backup to get your documents from your iPad to your computer.
Switch - If you know for a fact that your new iPad is going to become a form of entertainment for the whole family, you’ll be disappointed to find that you can’t password protect your apps or create user accounts. The closest you’ll come is to use the $4.99 app Switch which allows you to create browser-related accounts. With Switch, each user can password protect their browsing, bookmarks and logged-in accounts. Of course this applies only to the browser app and doesn’t affect any other apps on your iPad.
Utilities Flip Clock HD - Your new iPad is going to look great sitting on your bedside table so you might as well put it to good use. With Flip Clock HD you can turn your iPad into a stylish clock which not only lets you keep track of the time and date, but you can also check out your local weather at a glance. Using the app as an alarm clock will give you the option of waking up to tracks on your iPad. When using the app as an alarm clock you will have to keep it open, since it doesn’t work in the background, but the screen does dim if you leave it running without touching the screen.
Skitch - If you’ve been using Skitch on your Mac, you’ll be happy to know that it’s available on the iPad as well. The free app is the best option available for annotating your images and screenshots and instantly save them to your Evernote account.
Games The Sims 3 - If you’re looking for a game to keep you busy for endless hours, Sims might be the right game for you. The best part is that EA has made a really decent free version available so you can try it out first. Although right now the full version is available for just $0.99 so get it on sale while you can.
Temple Run - Before downloading Temple Run, be warned. It’s extremely addictive. The current version of the free iPad game has been rated over 55,000 times and is standing strong on a 5 star rating. And for good reason. The 3D adventure will have you making your way through a maze, collecting coins, and swiping left and right in the high speed game.
Machinarium - You might be surprised to find that the $4.99 app Machinarium, which only works on the iPad 2, was created using Adobe Flash. The game has received rave reviews, and with the amazing graphics and music, you’ll understand why. The game is a gorgeous experience of puzzles slipped into a point-and-click adventure, and makes for a fun and challenging experience if you have a bit of time to kill.

Log Me In Free: turns your iPhone and iPad into your computer

Just need the Internet


Fancy using your computer on your iPad? LogMeIn has released a new app for the iPhone and the iPad that allow you to do just that as long as your computer is on, connected to the Internet, and of course running its new software.
The new app lets any iOS owner remotely view, access and control their PCs or Macs from their iPad or iPhone.
It works with LogMeIn's flagship free remote access offering, LogMeIn Free, giving iOS users unlimited free mobile access to their remote computers, anywhere with an internet connection.
All iPad and iPhone owners have to do is download the free app from the Apple App Store and then installing LogMeIn Free on any PC or Mac which they wish to access.?
Users also have the option of upgrading to an all new version of LogMeIn Pro, LogMeIn's premium remote access software, and enjoy additional remote access capabilities.
LogMeIn Free users will be able to access an unlimited number of PCs and Macs from their iOS devices and then remotely view and control their PCs and Macs as if the device were in their hands. The software also allows you to run their computer-based business applications like Salesforce, Microsoft Office, Quickbooks, etc. on their iOS device.
Those who upgrade to the fee paying service LogMeIn Pro will get the ability to stream video and audio from their PC as well as view, copy, transfer and save files between iOS devices, personal or work computers, and popular cloud services (e.g. Dropbox, Google Docs).
A version of the new LogMeIn app for Android smartphones and tablets is planned for 2012.

New smartphone or tablet owner? Here are 3 things you should hold off doing.

Millions of children, adults and people somewhere in-between will have received new gadgets from their friends and loved ones, allowing some to finally enter the digital age and discover the world of mobile computing.
As you may have already discovered, technology blogs (including ourselves) are using their collective expertise to mine the hundreds of thousands of applications available and pick out a small selection to help you get started.
Others have gone to the trouble of taking you through the setup process and holding your hand until you are finally ready to handle that iPad or that Android phone without help from the resident 14-year old gadget expert in your family. That’s great, but as ZDNet’s James Kendrick points out, mobile devices are becoming increasingly personal and some people should be left to themselves to identify what works for them.
Having said that, this article is another recommendation piece, but this has the intention of helping you avoid making common mistakes with your new mobile phone or tablet device and getting off to a bad start. Consider it a bit of friendly advice that you can use before you let The Next Web or the Internet’s finest tech websites suggest how to get the most of out it.

Rethink purchasing a screen protector.
That glass-fronted iPhone or Android tablet looks like it has been deliberately designed to collect scratches the minute that you remove it from its packaging, but they are a lot more durable that you think.
Whilst the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S might be susceptible to damage when you drop them, the screen on these devices (and most modern handsets and tablets) is made from a variant of Corning’s Gorilla Glass — a chemically reinforced glass material that is revered for its strength, scratch resistance and thinness. It is estimated that Gorilla Glass was used in 20% of the world’s 200 million mobile phone handsets in 2010 and has increased its share since then.
That means your mobile device is likely to feature that all-important toughened glass.
It doesn’t matter which screen protector you buy, there will always be that tiny layer between you and your device’s touchscreen. When all you want to do is pinch-to-zoom, scroll down the screen or draw a quick doodle, the screen protector is just another barrier to the already smooth and responsive glass on your smartphone or tablet.
If you’ve ever tried to put on of the damned things on, you’ll know the pain that everyone feels when they want to ensure the alignment is just perfect, without getting the rage-inducing air bubble.
This isn’t to say you shouldn’t get a case or grab a protector if you are so inclined – cases can be invaluable. With a decent case, you can reduce the chances of your device ever meeting a surface that can scratch or impact your device — reducing the need for a protector.

Use common sense, not virus checkers. Given millions of Windows users are still opening dodgy file attachments in their emails and infecting their PCs, this is easy to say but the chances of it resonating are slim.
Mobile viruses and malware are still in their infancy but that isn’t to say that they can’t capture some of your personal information or rack up an insanely large monthly phone bill. However, the vast majority of malware developers are unable to circumvent both Apple’s and Android’s built-in security protections — unless you let them.
If you received a new Android phone or tablet for Christmas and you are interested in downloading the very latest apps, always ensure you download from the Android Market and stay away from those enticing downloads on third-party websites that claim free downloads of the same paid apps — they are destined to cause trouble.
Even if you do install these apps, Android will still prompt you to provide the application with permission. This prompt will list the services that app requires, requesting access to services including your phonebook, messages, system tools and your personal information, allowing you to determine whether that racing game really is a racing game (especially when it needs unfettered access to a large number of services on your device).
The same goes for Apple, but due to the tight control the company has over its devices, you are unlikely to be able to infect your new iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch with an erroneous download, as Apple will not typically allow you to install it.
The problem with Android virus checkers is that their effectiveness is relatively unknown and if they are run on a slower device, they can take up important resources that could be better appropriated elsewhere. They have also been known to interfere with the Android platform itself and caused users to restore their operating system to get their device back to a usable state.
Always remember, you will not be the first or the last to be presented with a difficult choice to make when it comes to downloading a file or application on your mobile device. A quick Google search will almost certainly be able to provide some insight and help you from doing any damage to your device or your mobile phone bill.
Don’t rush to Jailbreak or Root your device. Devices powered by Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS platforms are the hostellers in the smartphone and tablet markets. Both have been embraced by the mobile developer community to remove restrictions that have been put into place by both Apple and Google and in some cases the vendors that build Android devices.
On iOS, users can ‘Jailbreak’ their iOS device and on Android, users can Root their smartphone or tablet. Whilst they sound pretty different, they involve escalating the user’s privileges on their device and allowing them to perform actions not usually permitted by Apple, Google or smartphone/tablet vendors.
This may enable you to install custom software (or ROMs) and modify your device but if you have just received it as a gift or bought one as a Christmas present to yourself, it does come with some potentially annoying drawbacks.
You are running the risk of voiding your warranty and reducing the chances of vendor assistance should you need to return it if you encounter issues. Modifying or ‘flashing’ your device also increases the chances of ‘bricking’ your device, meaning it could be unusable if something goes wrong.
Think of it this way, if you can’t afford to replace your new smartphone or tablet out of your own pocket, you shouldn’t be modifying your handset. Or, if you are a power user – go nuts.
Conclusion It’s always wise not to throw your new mobile gadget, jam a CD-ROM into it or use it as a doorstop but we’d hope that you wouldn’t want to do that with such a useful piece of technology anyway.
The points above may be common knowledge and simple for many but there are ever increasing numbers of technophobes and older people picking up smartphones and tablets for the first time and will be eager to check out all of the opportunities available to them, especially if they act upon recommendations from friends and family.
Whatever you choose to do with your smartphone or tablet, it is your device and you should do whatever you feel comfortable with. We hope that these three tips help identify certain things you shouldn’t necessarily rush into doing, allowing you to learn how to operate your tablet or new mobile phone at your own pace.
If it’s a little basic for you but you believe it would be of worth to a friend or family member, do be sure to pass it on!

Apple Retina Display Heading To MacBook Pros

The Apple rumour mill continues to churn with a new report saying it will extend its high-resolution Retina Display to MacBook Pros.“Apple is likely to launch its new MacBook Pro lineup with a display resolution of 2880 by 1800 in the second quarter of 2012,” read the 14 December piece in the Taiwanese publication DigiTimes, which quoted unnamed sources in the supply chain for its information.“While the prevailing MacBook models have displays with resolutions ranging from 1680 by 1050 to 1280 by 800, the ultra-high resolution for the MacBook Pro will further differentiate Apple’s products.”Retina Display Apple’s Retina Display first appeared as part of the iPhone 4, then spread to the iPod Touch. Current rumours suggest that the next version of the iPad could feature a Retina Display-caliber screen, although Apple will almost certainly decline to confirm this before an official unveiling.Apple’s innovations in its mobile products have a habit of finding their way into the company’s Macs. Apple recently launched the Mac App Store, an apps storefront modelled after the highly successful one for iOS. Its laptops have become progressively thinner and lighter, their software more reliant on the cloud, to the point where they feel more like offshoots of Apple’s mobile efforts.In that spirit, a higher resolution screen leaping from iPhones to MacBooks would seem totally reasonable. As with the iPad 3, though, Apple will surely keep a feature like that under wraps until it wants it revealed.MacBook Pro Apple’s last MacBook Pro refresh offered Intel’s 2nd Generation “Sandy Bridge” processors, including the option of the quad-core Core i7 for certain models.In benchmark testing, eWEEK found the current version of the Pro notably faster than its predecessors. It also included Thunderbolt technology, for data-transfer rates between peripherals of up to 10 Gbps.Mac OS X continues to hold a relatively small portion of the overall operating system market, which is overwhelmingly dominated by Microsoft’s Windows. In mobility, though, Apple continues to maintain a sizable presence: its iOS is currently battling Google Android for the lion’s share of the smartphone market, and the iPad thoroughly dominates tablets.

Small Apple iPad Rumoured For 2012 Arrival

                           

 A smaller version of the Apple iPad will make an appearance next year, if the latest news from the Apple rumour mill is to be believed.According to a report in Taiwanese tech site DigiTimes, fans of Apple's tablet device can look forward to a smaller screen size version - 7.85 inches, to be exact - in the fourth quarter of 2012, along with a new version of the popular tablet in the first quarter of the year.According to unnamed sources “in the supply chain,” Apple will buy panels for the iPad from AU Optronics (AUO), as well as 7.85-inch panels from LG Display, the online website reported.Spring Arrival The next iPad will launch in March or April 2012, DigiTimes reported. That 12 December article again cited unnamed sources in the supply chain for the information. The article said: “The next-generation iPads are expected to be available in the next 3-4 months as makers in the supply chain have started delivering parts and components for the new tablets to OEM contractors while reducing those prepared for iPad 2.”Apple continues to drive worldwide media-tablet shipments, according to a recent report from IT research firm IDC. The company shipped 11.1 million units in the third quarter, up from 9.3 million units in the second quarter, representing a 61.5 percent worldwide market share.

EFF Demands Legal Protection For Jailbreaks

The Electronic Frontier Foundation believes jailbreaking and circumventing digital rights management on mobile devices and video game consoles should be legal.

The formal application to the US Copyright Office requests an exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that would allow users to "jailbreak" smart phones, tablets and video game consoles, the EFF wrote on 2 December.

The exemptions would dispel "any legal clouds" that may prevent users from running applications and operating systems not approved by the manufacturer, according to the EFF.

Modification

Jailbreaking refers to the process of removing the stock firmware on a hardware device and replacing it with a different operating system. The team behind Jailbreak Me has released tools for the iPhone and iPad for users interested in running unauthorised applications.

Steve Kondik developed Cyanogen Mod, a home-brew Android that users can install on their rooted devices. George Hotz, also known as Geohot, released a tool on how to jailbreak the Playstation 3 to run Linux earlier this year.

There is a thriving jailbreak community around Microsoft's Xbox game system, and there is a service, ChevronWP7 Labs, which allows users to install homebrew and jailbreak applications on the Windows Phone OS. Microsoft even works with the Labs team to support the service.

"Rather than hurting companies like Apple, the jailbreaking community often ends up helping them, as Apple and other manufacturers later adopt many features they rejected at first," Trevor Timm, an activist at the EFF, wrote on the EFF blog.

The EFF won an exemption in 2009 to protect users who want to jailbreak iPhones and other smartphones. The "vibrant jailbreaking community" has "immeasurably improved innovation, security and privacy in these devices", Timm wrote.

The EFF wants devices such as the iPad, e-readers and video game consoles to have the "same benefits" those smartphone users have enjoyed for the past three years, he said.

Patches

Fixes developed by the jailbreaking community correct device and operating system security flaws before the manufacturer gets around to fixing them. The Jailbreak Me team identified a security flaw earlier this year in how the iPhone's web browser opened PDF files.

Until Apple got around to fixing the issue, the protected users were the ones who had jailbroken iPhones and were able to install the "unauthorised" patch released by the team.

The DigiNotar compromise was another example of the jailbroken devices being protected first, according to Timm. After reports emerged that DigiNotar certificate authority was compromised, major web browser vendors updated the desktop versions to revoke the root certificate.

It took a while for the vendors to revoke the certificates on mobile browsers, but users with jailbroken devices were able to update the web browsers manually to protect themselves, Timm wrote.

The jailbreaking community has "also been vital in securing users' privacy", Timm wrote. He gave examples such as an iPhone application that hid text messages from appearing on the front screen or a patch that prevented Apple from logging location data.

An unauthorised application called LBE Privacy Guard allows users to research and monitor sensitive data that may be accessible to third-party applications. These "protective applications" are only available to users who jailbreak their devices, according to Timm.

Security threats

"Going against the wishes of your vendor can turn out to be quite the double-edged sword," Chester Wisniewski, senior security advisor at Sophos, wrote on the Naked Security blog, noting that users with jailbroken devices would have an easier time removing the Carrier IQ monitoring tool from their phones.

However, the jailbreak could also expose users to malware and other security threats since the same security flaw that allowed the jailbreak could be maliciously used to compromise the device.

The Ikee worm for the iOS was one such example since the jailbreak exploit also enabled the Secure Shell (SSH) daemon on the phone to give potential attackers remote access, Wisniewski said.

"Hack the world! Just remember that you are on your own if you thumb your nose at the manufacturer of your device," Wisniewski wrote.