Tribal Mac

One of the things that tends to make a little skittish is surfing websites with my iPhone browser. Typically this isn’t as up to date as it should be. There is no protections of any kind really. Now, the folks at Trend Micro have announced a free security tool to protect iPhone/iPod Touch users.

From CBR Online:

Trend Micro has launched its Trend Smart Surfing, a free web browsing security application for iPhone and iPod touch that is reported to offer another layer of protection against web threats by blocking access to malicious websites.

According to Trend Micro, Trend Smart Surfing is an internet browsing tool, which uses its web reputation technology, a component of the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network, to block users of iPhone and iPod touch from unintentionally visiting websites that may contain malicious content designed to steal confidential information and personal data.

This might sound like a good idea but, I’m more concerned about perfectly legitimate sites that may have been compromised. Those are the sites that tend to be of a far greater concern. There isn’t really any indication that this tool will afford any protection in these instances.

The company said that key features of Smart Surfing include: in-depth browser security powered by the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network that blocks access to malicious web pages; color-coded search results that make it easy to identify harmful web pages; three protection strength levels that users can modify according to their needs; and able to support browsing of multiple web pages at the same time.

As near as I can tell this is little more than a list of bad sites. Not sure that this offers any real protection at all.

Thoughts?

Article Link

Tags: iPhone Browser, iPhone Security, Trend Micro

It has almost been a year, a whole blasted year since last I wrote on this site. Pretty sad. But, I plan (again) to try and get this one rolling as I have added this site to my list of New Years resolutions.

Hope springs.

OK, so where is it? There was a great deal of buzz generated yesterday by Mike Abramsky of RBC Capital Markets when he speculated that the launch in Canada would be made public as early as today. There is some credence to be given to Abramsky as he did predict the iPhone price drop several days before it in fact happened.

Sadly, nothing yet.

Article Link

Tags: iPhone Canada, Apple iPhone, iPhone

There is no other way to put it than, “OMFG I want that”. Still I will have to wait until the dust settles on this one. I was one of the first on board with the MacBook during the pain in the butt random shutdown fun. That was truly a pisser. But this really looks like something that I would be all over.

OK, so it has the same screen size as the current MacBook, it has the same hard drive size as my current MacBook but lighter? Oh, right, and environmentally friendly. Now the initial “hey, now that’s cool” has worn off I’m struck with a sober second thought.

Do I really want one?

Well, let me check the price.

Ex-squeeze me? $1349 CDN more for an SSD? Sweet merciful crap. I have to admit it. I’m having some trouble justifying this one to myself. Sure its sexy as all get out. But, is it worth it?

Site Link

Tags: MacBook Air, Air, Mac Air, MacWorldExpo

I feel like a kid at Christmas. And, if it turns out to be wrong, I will pout all day.

From National Post:

Consumers have been waiting for Apple Inc. to release the iPhone in Canada and they may get their wish at this week’s Macworld conference in San Francisco, which kicks off on Monday.

After being forced to buy the popular smartphone in the U.S. or over the internet, then have them unlocked for use at home ever since the iPhone was released on June 29, 2007, these gadget lovers may soon be able to go legit, according to RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky. In a note to clients, he said Apple may announce more carriers in places like Canada.

And while he does not expect a 3G iPhone announcement, which he said could come this summer, he did say a 16 gigabyte iPhone is possible.

I feel all tingly.

Article Link

Tags: MacWorld, MacWorld Expo. iPhone, Canadian iPhone

Well, damn. That certainly took me far longer to get back on this horse than it should have. In all fairness it was an email from a reader that alerted me to the fact that, well, I forgot about this channel. So, I sheepishly return to the Tribal Mac page. Funny thing when you consider that MacWorld starts this week. Sometimes timing is everything.

So, for those of you intrepid souls who still have their subscriptions, I humbly thank you. And for those of you who are interested in signing up you can click here for the RSS Feed.

OK, that being said this should be a helluva week ahead. The rumour mill is flying that Apple will announce that Rogers in Canada will be carrying the iPhone. Possibly as soon as tomorrow. Not much of a shock there as it is the only show in town for GSM.

OK, so. I have my newswires set up. I have my story board set. Now, I plan to update this site at least once per day (weekends will be hit and miss) from here on out.

Welcome back me.

Ha!

Tags: Apple, MacWorld, iPhone, Rogers iPhone, iPhone Canada

Here is an interesting piece that appeared in Network World:

Orbicule has announced the release of Undercover 2, a major upgrade to its theft recovery software for Mac OS X. The software is now Leopard-compatible, among other improvements. A single user license costs $49, and it’s a free upgrade for Version 1.0 users.

With Undercover installed, you can attempt to find out where your Mac is located if it’s stolen — the software will regularly ping servers to identify itself and its location. Undercover will also take screenshots and can activate newer Macs’ built-in iSight Webcams to help identify the thief.

Besides Leopard support, other changes in Version 2 include a “dead-Mac-timeout” feature that will automatically lock the host Mac if it’s disconnected from the Internet for more than two months.

Read on.

Article Link

Tags: Theft Recovery, Leopard Security, Stolen Mac

Where there’s smoke…

Google in talks with Verizon Wireless: sources

France Telecom denies Google talks about handset

Report: Google phone platform due out in mid 2008

Tags: Google, Google Phone, iPhone Challenger

Going to give this one a whirl tonight.

Hackers have released a tool that “jailbreaks” up-to-date iPhones and iPod touches, but unlike previous such software, doesn’t require a Mac or PC as a middleman.

As an added bonus, the software, dubbed AppSnapp 1.1.1, patches a vulnerability in the stripped-down Mac OS X both devices use that had been exploited previously to unlock iPhones.

Created by a group of nine developers, among them HD Moore of Metasploit fame, AppSnapp opens both the iPhone and iPod touch, then installs another program, Installer.app, which in turn can install unauthorized, non-Apple programs. The iPhone and iPod touch must be running the current firmware, version 1.1.1, the AppSnapp hackers said.

The jailbreak does not unlock the iPhone — open it so that calls can be made using a mobile carrier other than AT&T, the only company sanctioned thus far by Apple Inc. “AppSnapp does not unlock the phone. You will have to use anySIM to do so after you install AppSnapp,” according to an FAQ on the AppSnapp site.

Article Link

Tags: Jailbreak, iPhone Hack, Touch Hack, Installer.app

OK, this is cool. And wow, that didn’t take long at all.

From PC World:

The cat and mouse game between hackers and Apple takes another move, with news that Apple’s new Leopard operating system has already been successfully installed on Windows PCs.

The OSx86 Scene forum has released details of how Windows users can migrate to Apple’s new OS, without investing in new hardware — even though installing Leopard on an PC may be counter to Apple’s terms and conditions.

The forum is offering full instructions on how to install the system, including screenshots of the installation process.

Not all the features of Leopard function with the patch — Wi-Fi, support, for example, is reportedly inoperable. Historically, Apple’s likely next move will be to track down and act against those behind the hack.

Article Link

Tags: Leopard On PC, Mac OS X, Leopard