Soft launch:
Following up on the popular selling Anti-theft software for Mac; Windows OS users can now also keep track of your precious machine and with Skyhook Wireless capability!
When a laptop is stolen, it is not just the loss of the machine but also the sensitive and valuable information stored in it. This is especially so for corporate and individuals whom rely heavily on their laptops for work.
How it works?
Now with Phoenix, the stealth program can pinpoint the location* of the thief and collects vital details (see below) to assist in the recovery of a stolen laptop!
Upon connecting to an internet network, an authentication dialog will pop up requesting the user to enter a password. If the user fails to enter the correct password within the pre-defined timing, hidden alerts (email and SMS text alert) and location will be sent out immediately to alert the owner. http://www.bak2u.com
Saturday, January 31, 2009
[BAK2u] Phoenix for Windows OS (skyhook wireless)
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Apple iPhone 2.2.1
WHAT'S NEW
- Improves the general stability of Safari.
- Fixes an issue where some images saved from Mail do not display correctly in the Camera Roll.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
New Mac virus threatening internet pirates
Tens of thousands of users who’ve downloaded pirated versions of iWork ‘09 or Photoshop CS4 may have opened their Macs to remote attacks from malicious users. Mac security software maker Intego discovered last week what it calls “OSX.Trojan.iServices.A” in pirated copies of Apple’s iWork ‘09 making the rounds on BitTorrent file sharing networks. An additional package not found in retail copies of the iWork installer called “iWorkServices.pkg” is installed as a startup item with read/write/execute abilities with the pirated versions. According to Intego, the rogue software connects to a remote server to notify its creator that the trojan has been installed on different Macs, and he or she can “connect to them and perform various actions remotely”, including downloading additional components to the machine.
Intego considers the risk of infection to be serious, warning of “extremely serious consequences” if a user’s Mac is compromised by software. The security firm said 20,000 people had already downloaded the installer at the time of its alert. As of now, Intego counts 1,000 more since the initial warning. As part of its update, Intego also says it has discovered a new variant of the same Trojan horse called “OSX.Trojan.iServices.B”, which can be found in pirated versions of Adobe Photoshop CS4. This installer has already been downloaded by 5,000 people who are now at risk, the firm says. Once the administrator password is entered, a backdoor with root privileges is launched, copying the executable to /usr/bin/DivX and a startup item in /System/Library/StartupItems/DivX. It then makes repeated connections to two IP addresses, according to Intego. A malicious user can then connect to the affected Macs and perform various actions and downloads remotely. Intego predicts this Trojan horse may also be used to execute similar DDoS attacks.
Source: Appleinsider
Monday, January 26, 2009
[BAK2u] Local developer creates anti-theft app
'It's easy to have your iPhone stolen. You leave it on the table while you're having lunch and someone walks by and quietly slips it into their pocket. You look up from your plate of chicken rice and you realise you've been robbed.
Source: Theiphoneinsingapore.blogspot.com
Sunday, January 25, 2009
[BAK2u] PhoneSCREAM (iPhone & iTouch edition)
PhoneSCREAM is a nifty application that will play a loud siren when an unauthorized user tries to move or steal the iPhone! The siren will alert anyone nearby and vibrate when moved. Users can set an activation delay period before which the alarm goes off.
The iPhone and iTouch in-built accelerometer will detect any sudden movement and activate the siren to play continuously. Click here
The Story -
Previously we had another version of anti-theft software for iPhone that functions similarly to PhoneBAK BB (BlackBerry), that reads the thief's SIM card (to trace who he is), his location and to wipeoout confidential information when stolen. It didn't conform to the requirements, therefore we rewrote the original ones breaking it up into smaller apps to meet the same objective of protecting owner's iPhone.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
[BAK2u] Anti-theft software for iPhone
We just received the following news from Apple:
-----
Dear BAK2u Pte Ltd,
The status for the following application has changed to Ready for Sale.
Anti theft for iPhone
Application Version Number: 1.0
Application SKU: 4
To make changes to this application or any of its metadata, log in to iTunes Connect and click the Manage Your Applications module.
If you have any questions regarding your application, click Contact Us.
Sincerely,
The iTunes Store Team
-----
BAK2u.com/phonebak
Countdown to Conficker activation begins
Security watchers are bracing themselves to respond to the activitation of the huge botnet created by the Conficker superworm.
The malware has created a network of infected PCs under its control estimated at 9m or even more, according to the latest estimates — dwarfing the zombie army created by the infamous Storm worm, which reached a comparatively paltry 1m at its peak in September 2007.
Variants of Conficker (aka Downadup), which began circulating in late November, exploit the MS08-067 vulnerability in the Microsoft Windows server service addressed by Redmond with an out-of-sequence patch last October.
The malware also infects removable devices and network shares using a special autorun file. The worm uses social engineering trickery so that users on Windows machines looking to simply browse the contents of a memory stick may be tricked into selecting an option that actually runs a malware payload and infects their PC.
Some variants are programmed to spread across machines in the same local area network. Weak passwords in corporates have therefore aided the distribution of the worm.
The multiple infections techniques - none of which, incidentally, feature email — has fuelled the prolific spread of the worm. It’s been years since any worm has spread so widely. In many ways the Conficker worm epidemic represents a return to the bad old days of worms such as Nimda, Blaster and Sasser...more
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Will Apple Sue Palm Over the Pre?
During the waning minutes of a conference call announcing the company's record-setting quarter, Apple executives were asked about the likelihood of the company suing rivals over its multitouch technology, the backbone of the iPhone and the iPod touch.
Specifically, one analyst asked Apple chief operating officer Tim Cook about the possibility that Apple might sue Palm, which uses a similar multitouch system in its Palm Pre.
"As long as they don't rip off our IP," Cook said, discussing Apple's software-centric development strategy before the analyst asked his Palm-specific question. "If they do, we're going to go after any of them that does."
"I don't want to talk about any specific company," Cook said, when asked about Palm. "I'm just generally making a general statement. Competition is good, it makes us all better. We're really to suit up and go against anyone," in the market, except if a company steals Apple's IP, he said.
"We won't stand for any of them that rip off our IP," Cook said, adding that he couldn't state his position any more plainly.
Palm has yet to ship the Pre, which is expected to launch sometime this year after going through a final development stage. As PCMag noted in the Pre's preview the device uses Apple-like pinching gestures for zooming. Apple has already applied for gesture patents, both its own and through a company it acquired, FingerWorks.
Officials at both Apple and Palm could not be reached for further comment.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Google’s Gdrive arriving in 2009
The service has the potential to eclipse even Gmail, Google’s second best-known product after their google.com search engine. That said, it’s no wonder users have been ripe with anticipation for years - yes, that’s how long the rumors have persisted. Gdrive is basically online storage where Google servers have enough capacity to hold the entire contents of your hard drive. It will likely also come with enough brains to do cool tricks now with bigger things down the road - like booting your computer from online drive to load the Google operating system.
Gdrive is basically a cloud-based storage that should have two faces: A desktop client that keeps local and online files and folders in two-directional sync via a web interface for accessing your desktop files anywhere and anytime, using any network-enabled computer. In addition, it will come tightly integrated with other Google services to enable editing of supported document types, like spreadsheets and presentations via Google Docs, email via Gmail, images via Picasa Web Albums, etc.
This opens powerful possibilities. For instance, you could start working on a spreadsheet at home and continue via Gdrive web interface accessed in an Internet cafe. When you arrive back home, changes to the spreadsheet have already trickled down from the cloud to your desktop. The idea, of course, is all but revolutionary, but Google’s execution could set it apart.
Source: Rlslog.net
Sunday, January 18, 2009
[BAK2u] SPH Promotion 2008/09 (valid till 31 Jan 2008)
- Extend from Canteen Sales (Nov/Dev 2008)
| Anti-theft software for Windows OS (30% off)
With the use of captured information, Verey is able to pinpoint the location of the thief and other vital details to assist in the recovery of a stolen computer. Upon connecting to an internet network, an authentication dialog will pop up requesting the user to enter a password. If the user fails to enter the correct password within the pre-defined timing, hidden alerts (email and SMS text alert) and location will be sent out immediately to alert the owner. Details Original Price: S$50.00 Promo Price: S$35.00 | |
Anti-theft software for Mac OS (30% off)
Verey will record via the built-in iSight camera* and send out alerts together with other important information; IP addresses, machine serial number, MAC Hardware Address and even details of nearby wireless networks out immediately! Original Price: S$50.00 |
[BAK2u] Anti-theft software for Asus P552W
PhoneBAK PDA phone supports Asus P552w!
2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video (QVGA@24fps)
- Built-in GPS receiver with SiRF StarIII chipset
- Windows Media Player
- Java MIDP 2.0
- Organizer
- World Clock
- Calculator
- Pocket Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, PDF viewer)
- Built-in handsfree
More details
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Sony Ericsson Posts $245 Million Loss
Sony Ericsson continues to struggle as the global economic slowdown is hurting its sales in mature markets.
The company posted a loss of about $245 million for the fourth quarter of 2008, a dramatic drop from the $495 million profit for the same period last year. The loss comes despite the release of the high-profile Xperia X1 and an 8.1-megapixel camera phone.
Sony Ericsson shipped 24.2 million phones for the quarter, a 21% drop from a year ago. The company is being especially hard hit by the faltering global economy, as many customers are holding off upgrading their handsets to save money. Unlike rivals Nokia, Samsung, and Motorola, Sony Ericsson does not have a large portfolio of entry-level phones to sell in emerging markets like China.
"In economic terms, 2008 has been a tumultuous year with world markets experiencing a serious downturn," Sony Ericsson president Dick Komiyama said in a statement. "We foresee a continued deterioration in the marketplace in 2009, particularly in the first half."
With nearly every analyst and mobile phone company expecting a contraction in the cell phone market in 2009, Sony Ericsson said it's undergoing massive restructuring in order to achieve about $398 million in cost savings. The company has already announced 2,000 layoffs, and Komiyama said that number may grow.
While the situation appears bleak for the short term, the company is working on some long-range projects that may help it garner market share. The company recently joined the Open Handset Alliance, and an Android-powered smartphone is expected in the second half of this year. Sony Ericsson is also a founding member of the Symbian Foundation, and it's expected to have an open source Symbian handset ready in 2010.Source: http://www.informationweek.com
8 iPhone apps that could save your life
Everyone raves about how great the iPhone is, but did you know the Apple device could actually save your life? I don’t mean you should use it as a buoyancy aid or some kind of makeshift splint, but rather install one of the many life-saving apps available for the iPhone. Install these on your device and you’ll be prepared for many emergency situations where someone’s life, or indeed your own, is in danger (you’ll need iTunes running to install them via your computer). Don’t forget too that the iPhone also doubles up as a telephone, which you can use to call the emergency services.
Diabetes Log - Helps diabetics track their glucose, food and medicine readings
PhoneAid - Get animated, step-by-step instructions on how to perform basic first aid
iMergency - Set up a single-tap ‘quick dial’ to your local emergency services
NoPeanut - Helps peanut allergy sufferers warn others about their condition
Meds - Simple way to manage all of your medications in one place
Close Call - Shows your emergency contact details in the event of something happening to you
BP Buddy - Keep a close check on your blood pressure
Contractions - Contraction timer for women in labour
Thursday, January 15, 2009
[BAK2u] BAK2u supports Mito 9000 Power Duo!
PhoneBAK PDA Phone now supports Mito 9000 Power Duo!
Together with our Indonesia partners, Animasoft Sejahtera, Whiz IT, we are pleased to share that PhoneBAK anti-theft software supports Dual Sim card PDA Phone Mito 9000!
Fitur dual GSM pada ponsel sudah tidak aneh lagi. Namun, dual GSM yang keduanya aktif pada PDAphone adalah sesuatu yang belum biasa, dan inilah yang ditawarkan Mito pada produk barunya, Mito 9000 Power Duo...more
Translated:
Dual GSM features on mobile phone is quite common nowadays. But, active dual GSM on PDAphone is something new and unusual, which is what Mito is currently offering in their latest product series of Mito 9000 Power Duo.
Interestingly, this PDAphone is using Windows Mobile v6.0 Professional as it operating system. “This is the first local PDAphone that comes with Windows Mobile v6.0,” according to Deddy Kristiadi from Microsoft Indonesia. This dual GSM PDAphone comes with wide 2.8” inch touch screen with 320x240 resolution that supports up to 260.000 colors.
We can have two GSM SIMCard on this Mito 9000 Power duo. Both SIMCard are active. The first SIM (A) will operate on four frequencies (quad band: 850/900.1800/1900, GPRS Class 10), whereas the second SIM (B) will only support two frequencies (900/1800). In other words, SIM A could be used to send multimedia messages (MMS), conference call, call waiting, and 3-way call. But, SIM B can only be used to make calls and SMS.
This limitation, according to Hansen Lie, Managing Director of Mito mobile, due to software dan hardware. This PDAphone comes with two processors (ARM9 RISC 400MHz) and two chipset.
As using Win Mobile, this PDAphone comes with lof of software such as Windows Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) Mobile, IE Mobile, Office Outlook, Media Player 10.x, ActiveSync. File synchronization can also be done over wireless connection.
On top of this, there is Bak2U AntiTheft software which can be used to send the phone number that is used by the ‘thief’ to pre-registered numbers that the owner have defined earlier. Additional features such as Remote Wipe will be useful to erase information inside the phone remotely when it is lost or stolen. The phone also supports mobile, direct push mail to Mito, regardless the location of the owner.
“Mito is not just ordinary phone as it offers lot more. For example, watching movie with codec DivX, Real Video, WMV and multimedia. You can install browser in it as well. There are more than 19,000 applications which have beem certified by Microsoft so user can add them at any time even those that are not coming out of the Mito box. “The possibilities is endless” according Deddy.
Apple could face lawsuits over Jobs' health
Apple Inc probably will be sued by investors unhappy with the company's about-face on the health of its visionary chief executive, but the law is not clear on what duty the company has to disclose personal medical information, legal experts said on Wednesday.
Apple said CEO Steve Jobs, 53, will take a medical leave of absence until June. The announcement that comes just nine days after the pancreatic cancer survivor downplayed investor concerns about his dramatic weight loss in recent months, saying it was caused by an easily treatable hormone imbalance.
Analysts and investors complained that Apple was slow to disclose Jobs' true medical status and to form a succession plan after his 2004 cancer treatment because of his crucial role in vetting the company's forward-looking designs.
"It is a gray area because what is personal and what's a fiduciary responsibility?" Ashok Kumar, an analyst with investment banking firm Collins Stewart LLC, said. "Steve's presence at Apple probably carries significantly more weight than ... Michael Dell's presence at Dell."
The company's share price dropped as much as 10 percent on the announcement despite some analysts' belief that a potential Jobs health crisis was "baked in" to the price.
Although securities lawsuits usually arise from companies' false statements about material aspects of their businesses, Apple could run into trouble by falsely allaying investors concerns about whether Jobs would remain at its helm.
Plaintiffs and defense attorneys said this type of fraud allegation would be hard to prove and a first of its kind.
'THE MOST PRIVATE PART OF HIS LIFE'
"It is extremely difficult because it is the most private part of his life," Steve Williams, a plaintiffs attorney for Cotchett Pitre & McCarthy, said. "At the same time, Apple is Steve Jobs."
Former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissioner Joseph Grundfest said Apple crossed no line if it failed to provide thorough disclosures about Jobs' health unless company insiders traded on the knowledge before it was disclosed publicly.
No securities rules and no legal precedents directly address CEO health but Grundfest acknowledged that investors could argue that Jobs' status as CEO was critical to their decision to invest in Apple.
"I never underestimate the cleverness of plaintiffs attorneys but I personally am aware of no theory that would support a filing of a case," Grundfest said.
Williams said, however, that Apple may have "minimized" Jobs' illness in the same way that pharmaceutical companies sometimes fail to promptly and thoroughly disclose how drugs are faring in government trials -- a frequent lawsuit target...more
Monday, January 12, 2009
[BAK2u] Crazypricing.com.sg
We are pleased to partner with Crazypricing.com.sg to offer a suite of anti-theft software at its site.
About Crazypricing.com.sg
CrazyPricing.com.sg, one of the largest technology and digital lifestyle superstores on the online space, is a unique business-to-consumer (B2C) portal initiative by CrazyPricing Pte Ltd.
Be it a rewritable pendrive or a home entertainment system, CrazyPricing.com.sg facilitates you to compare and evaluate hundreds of products spec-by-spec and compare all at one place. It presents extensive information on products available as well as reviews from users. Assorted products from different brands are housed under various categories for your convenience. Besides this, the homepage has an eclectic selection of deals that you can avail at the click of the mouse. The portal intends to keep adding more products with time such that it has an exhaustive range on offer for you.
CrazyPricing.com.sg
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Fortinet Top 9 in ’09: Security/Threat Trend Predictions
The economy will be driving many things in 2009, and IT security will be no exception. Securing corporate networks will continue as a high priority, but companies will be looking for ways to economize and will base technology purchasing decisions on a need-to-have vs. nice-to-have basis. But this doesn’t mean they will want to sacrifice performance or feature richness, especially in security.
In addition, the digital ne’er-do-wells will be undeterred by the failing economy and may prove to be more active and organized than ever, which means the definition for security needs-to-have will change as perimeter security will no longer be enough. With growing numbers of applications to exploit, a plethora of online avenues and revenues to pilfer, and many more corporate networks to hack, cybercriminals will have no shortage of targets to pursue. The heightened interest and response from law enforcement worldwide in bringing cybercriminals to justice will force them to be even more aggressive and creative in their efforts to sidestep the law.
An active criminal element means companies can’t afford to let their guard down, so IT departments will have to be even more proactive and expeditious in their defense. Fortinet has provided these “Top 9 in ’09” security trend predictions to help companies safeguard their networks by mounting a multi-layered, multi-vectored and comprehensive defense strategy.
1. More bang for the buck — security consolidation and then some: Integrated security appliances will happen in greater numbers than ever before as IT departments are pressured in a down economy to trim cost yet maintain network integrity – essentially, doing more with less. In addition to integrating two or more security functionalities into a single device for capital and operational savings, companies can look for “superset” security solutions that may encompass other network functionalities such as WAN optimization and SSL inspection. In a nutshell, efficiency will be the new technology must-have for 2009.
2. Information security lockdown: With recent high-profile information theft (AKA database attacks) on TJMax and others, more companies are realizing that it’s not enough to padlock the front door to their networks but they also have to put a watchdog on their databases – to detect and prevent both internal and external breaches. In addition, recent PCI-DSS regulations have been updated to require application firewall as a toughened measure for protecting consumers’ credit information. As a result, greater emphasis will be placed on database security and regulation compliance, forcing companies to incorporate information security measures as part of their overall network security strategy.
3. Web 2.0 vulnerabilities multiply: The popularity of social networking sites and in-the-cloud computing (such as SaaS) means the definition of the “network” is now greatly expanded and cyber criminals have many more chinks in the network armor to target as employees traverse in and out of the network proper. As a result, companies will find a greater need to employ web application firewalls and data leakage prevention mechanisms to avoid having employees bring back tainted data into the corporate network and from the inadvertent release of proprietary information.
4. Bigger pipes, faster speed – letting in the good, bad & ugly: 10 GbE throughput is not a pipe dream but a welcomed reality, with adoption expected to surge in 2009. But opening up the network spigot means there’s also a lot more bad stuff getting in with the good. Enabling 10GbE security protocols that work at the speed of the network is crucial and should be the next area of focus for maintaining the integrity of high-speed networks.
5. 3G — the next biggest threat to mobile security: Malicious activity on smart mobile devices like smart phones has been low to date, but the anticipated consumer adoption of 3G and the new and business models it enables opens up a new and enormous market for cybercriminal activity. For example, we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg with Google’s recent Android OS vulnerability. 3G enables network operators to offer a wider range of more advanced mobile services, such as real-time access to high-quality audio/video transmission, and greater network capacity. This all adds up to greater opportunity for virus infections and attacks and requires a focused approach to securing the millions of handheld mobile devices in operation today.
6. More cash to flow in the digital underground: Over the last couple of years, organized cybercriminal operations have been building their base and will now look to extend trade with others. More services will be offered, such as botnets or harvested account networks (e.g., social networking). Affiliate programs will increase as organizations will seek to fuel their existing framework; if it works, they will offer more programs/incentives to “script kiddies.” A new generation of users are plugging into cyber space. This generation will be more exposed to underground channels, and framework such as phishing/exploit kits. This will in turn tempt more of this generation into joining the dark side
7. Let the games begin: Online gaming has gained much momentum, particularly in Asia, over the past year. This will continue to grow with the next generation of users. As a result, more interactivity will occur in these virtual worlds. We have seen a sharp increase in Trojans targeting account information, and this will be something to look out for in 2009 as this market grows.
8. Premeditated, targeted attacks on the rise: Throughout 2008, we saw a steady drop in monthly distributed malware — with the exception of the scareware attack, which drove much of the malware volume in the latter half of the year. As we enter an age of information warfare, targeted attacks using custom malware become much more of a presence. We will see more on this front in 2009: premeditated attacks after specific goals, with most of these attacks targeted toward enterprise and governments.
9. Law enforcement unite online: Law enforcement mounted an aggressive effort in 2008 in bringing malware authors and criminal organizations to justice. We will no doubt see more of this welcomed activity in 2009. However, it will take more than just one year in 2009 to fully get up to the required pace and infrastructure to adequately deal with cyber crime. This will be a slow process, which will require an unprecedented effort between various bodies from law enforcement to effectively address issues in cyber security.
Source: http://www.globalsecuritymag.fr
Friday, January 9, 2009
CES: Palm unveils Pre, new smartphone
Handheld computing veteran Palm has unveiled its Pre smartphone at CES. The touchscreen handset runs a web-centric operating system that aims to help people organise and manage their many online contacts and identities. The device is widely seen as a competitor to rival smartphones such as the iPhone, BlackBerry, N97 and G1. The gadget will be available on the Sprint network in the US before June 2009. Palm has not said when it will debut in other nations. Palm showed off the Pre at a lavish news conference at the Venetian hotel and casino in Las Vegas. Introducing the Pre, Jon Rubinstein, executive chairman of Palm, said the rise of the smartphone signalled a significant “transition” in what people expected from their handset.
Rather than just take and make calls, he said, people wanted their phones to act as a co-ordinating centre for their online lives. As well as a touchscreen that lets owners scroll through lists, zoom in on pictures or control media with a finger touch, the Pre also has a “gesture area” below the screen on the lower part of the phone. Performing gestures, such as a thumb swipe, on this area owners perform other tasks, such as bringing up a main menu, without having to obscure what is on screen. The device also has a slide out Qwerty keyboard, removable battery, three megapixel camera and 8GB of memory on board. The Pre also comes with a “touchstone” so it can be recharged wirelessly. Palm CEO Ed Colligan scoffs at critics who think the Pre arrives too late to compete against BlackBerry, iPhone and other competitors. “I don’t even remotely feel like it’s too little too late. It’s a big, big space.”
Source: USA Today, BBC
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
[BAK2u] Testimonial - Roderick Tom-Ying, Canada
'As a customer of BAK2u Anti-theft software, I loved it so much, I bought it for three of my Macs! It provides me peace of mind especially with the video recording feedback. 100% recommended.'
Roderick Tom-Ying, Canada
Testimonials
HDTV and Mobile Gear to Steal CES 2009 Spotlight
The tech-world's epicenter shifts to Las Vegas this week as the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show kicks off. Over the next week expect a parade of shiny, tiny, and wireless gadgets from CES exhibitors--including a 3G watch-phone from LG Electronics, a wafer-thin TV from Samsung that's 6.5-millimeters thick, and an emphasis on emerging technology such as environmentally friendly green technologies and Wi-Tricity, a technology that allows wire-free power charging of small devices.
Despite the slumping economy, CES is forecast to have 2700 exhibitors, that's the same number as last year, according to Gary Shapiro, executive director of the Consumer Electronics Association. Attendance is forecast to be down 8 percent (130,000 attendees) compared to 2008 and the show floor is 5 percent smaller with 1.7 million square feet to wander between the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Sands Expo Center, according to Shapiro. That's still enough to tire our feet just as much as last year.
CES officially gets started Jan. 8 and runs through the Jan. 11. But companies will be announcing products all this week and with major announcements expected from Cisco, Toshiba, Sony and other which are holding press conferences Wednesday. Still others, such as Asus, are holding its press conferences on Tuesday...more
Monday, January 5, 2009
New Palm Handset and OS Coming on Thursday?
Palm is set to preview this week its latest incarnation of mobile operating system - Nova - in a bid to re-ignite the company as a smartphone leader. Latest developments say that Palm will also release a new device that runs Nova as well. The unveiling is expected during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2009, which starts on Thursday, January 8 in Las Vegas.
In anticipation of this week's event, Jon Rubinstein, Palm's executive chairman revealed last month in a BusinessWeek interview a few details on the Nova OS. However, CrunchGear found out last night - from a "trusted source" - that Palm will release a new device as well on Thursday.
The new Palm smartphone is said to feature a full QWERTY keyboard, but unlike previous models, the keyboard will slide down under a large touchscreen. CrunchGear also speculates that the device will be sourced by HTC, same as the Treo Pro. Taiwan-based HTC also manufactured the T-Mobile G1 (Google Phone) and many other Windows Mobile based devices for wireless carriers in the U.S. and Europe.
It is still unclear whether the new Palm device will focus on the consumer or on the corporate market. Palm is expected to put in the new phone a plethora of apps, ranging from media playback to the usual PIM such as email, calendar and contacts, probably to show off the capabilities of its long-expected OS.
Palm has struggled in 2008 and reported a loss of over $500 million for the second quarter of this fiscal year together with a 13 percent drop in sales. After a $100 million cash infusion in December, the Nova OS and the along-coming handset are probably Palm's last hope to gain some share in the smartphone market dominated by innovators such as Apple and Research In Motion.
Source: http://www.pcworld.com
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Top 10 Macworld rumors for 2009
10. Snow Leopard release date. We know a lot about Mac OS X 10.6, thanks to Jobs’ June 2008 announcement that it was coming, Apple’s official description of the product and a steady stream of leaks from the developer community. What we don’t know is when it will ship.
9. Unibody 17-inch MacBook Pro. By several accounts, this machine was supposed to be released in October, along with the new unibody 13-inch MacBook and 15-inch MacBook Pro. But display issues and problems with the optical drive reportedly pushed its release back “several months” — which brings us to next week’s Expo. UPDATE: Seth Weintraub at 9to5Mac adds this twist: the new 17-inch Pro will sport a superslim longer-lasting nonremovable battery pack.
8. Revamped iWork. The big news on New Year’s Eve was the “truckload” of information dumped on various rumor sites about iWork — Apple’s homegrown answer to Microsoft (MSFT) Office. The thrust of it was that what’s now a suite of desktop applications — Pages, Numbers and Keynote — is about to be transformed into a collection of Web-based apps like the .Mac Web Gallery, suitable for cloud computing.
7. 32 GB iPhone. Whispers that Apple was set to double the memory of the top-end iPhone have been floating around since September, but AT&T’s (T) post-Christmas $99 iPhone sale and word that Apple had sewed up the lion’s share Samsung’s flash memory production all point to a January release.
6. 64 GB iPod touch. Rumors of this memory upgrade go back even further. It was supposed to happen in August, then in September, and then before Christmas. With memory prices falling, time is more than ripe.
5. New Mac mini. Rumors of the most affordable Mac’s imminent demise have given way to a flood of new specs, among them 2.0 or 2.3 GHz Core 2 Duo processors, NVIDIA graphics platform, dual display outputs and dual drives that can be configured every which way.
4. New iMac. Some inspired sleuthing in the extension files that shipped with the new MacBooks found references to NVIDIA chipsets for both a Mac mini and a new iMac — along with hints that the reconfigured all-in-one desktop was supposed to ship in November but got pushed into 2009 by unexpected delays. DigiTimes now reports that Apple has ordered shipments of 800,000 per month.
3. New iPod shuffle. FBR Capital Markets’ Craig Berger, whose track record AppleInsider describes as “questionable,” expects Apple to release a new and smaller version of the iPod shuffle sometime in the first calendar quarter — which started on Thursday. AppleInsider adds that it has picked up chatter of a new shuffle that would be flat as a credit card but thick enough at one end to fit a headphone jack.
2. New Apple TV/Time Capsule. This one also comes from an analyst. Shaw Wu, a veteran Apple watcher newly ensconsed at Kaufman Bros., wrote last week about the possibility that Apple will introduce a new consumer device — “an enhanced version of Apple TV and/or Time Capsule” — that would give users access to their media content, SlingBox style, from anywhere on the Internet.
1. Steve Jobs. Show or no-show, Apple’s CEO is both Macworld 2009’s No. 1 rumor and No. 1 source of rumors — whether it be that he’s stepping down, that his health is failing, that he doesn’t feel there’s enough news in Nos. 1-9 to justify a Steve Jobs keynote, or that he just doesn’t feel like playing in Macworld’s sandbox anymore. We favor the theory that he’s set the stage brilliantly for a surprise cameo appearance.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
10 useful Singapore iPhone Apps
Developer : BAK2u Pte Ltd
Category : Travel
Price : Free 
Need to hail a cab but do not have the cab company’s contact numbers on hand? With this app, you can just tap on icon of the cab company and it will immediately dial for a taxi.
Source: http://www.allthingsappleblog.com
How to Unlock your iPhone 3G
The iPhone world has been clamoring for this one for awhile. And what better way to start the new year then by playing around with the Dev Team's newest creation--an official unlock for the iPhone 3G. We'll run through the basics of this wonderful little tool and show you exactly how you can jailbreak and unlock your phone. You'll be able to run as many third-party applications as you want on your device. And more importantly, you'll be able to use your iPhone on any cell phone carrier you want.
Unlocking your phone allows you to use it on any carrier you want, not just AT&T. You'll pop out your AT&T SIM card and insert the SIM card of a different carrier. The iPhone doesn't allow you to do this normally, so a little bit of hacking is involved.
Possibly. There's always the worry that the unlocking process will royally screw up your phone--but the only way to deal with that is to read the situations of others who have attempted the procedure before you. As long as you follow the instructions closely, you will greatly reduce your chances of bricking (screwing up) your iPhone. Beyond that, once you've unlocked your iPhone, you'll want to approach new iPhone updates with suspicion. Don't just click "update" in iTunes--wait for the various iPhone hackers to release (and safely test) new tools that will allow you to redo the same procedure on the new firmware.
It is. It used to be difficult, but a number of one-button (or two-button) programs have emerged that greatly simplify the process of doing evil things to your iPhone. Don't worry. Even a cat could unlock an iPhone at this point...more
Friday, January 2, 2009
CrackBerry.com - BlackBerry Software Roundup for January 2nd, 2009!
I hope everyone out there had a very happy holiday season, and that New Years' was fantastic for all. 2009 is here, and to start off the new year I've got some great new titles to tell you about in this weeks' roundup. They are:
New BlackBerry Software: PhoneBAK for BlackBerry
PhoneBAK for BlackBerry
PhoneBAK for BlackBerry is the ultimate security tool for your Berry. Use it to wipe your device of sensitive or confidential information if your device is lost or stolen... You can also use it to track down a lost or stolen device via SMS text alert, email, IMEI, IMSI and pinpoint the exact location of the device. There are simply too many features packed into this app. It's one powerful application that is a must have, especially if you've ever lost or had your Berry stolen... or simply want to protect data from getting into the wrong hands.
Get PhoneBAK for BlackBerry for $29.90 at ShopCrackBerry.com >
How to fix Zune 2009 freeze bug
To Fix Your Zune Follow These Steps:
1. Disconnect your Zune from USB and AC power sources.
2. Because the player is frozen, its battery will drain-this is good. Wait until the battery is empty and the screen goes black. If the battery was fully charged, this might take a couple of hours.
3. Wait until after noon GMT on January 1, 2009 (that’s 7 a.m. Eastern or 4 a.m. Pacific time).
4. Connect your Zune to either a USB port on the back or your computer or to AC power using the Zune AC Adapter and let it charge.
