Professional Email Marketing Built Just for Mac Users
How the heck do you know if someone’s available to chat via FaceTime? Check it: FacePlant is command central for all your FaceTime leaves. Leave a voicemail, erm, FaceMail for that lovely barista you met last week, get notified when someone wants to FaceTime with you, and go undercover when you don’t want to be bothered. It’s this extra functionality that Apple should have implemented, but didn’t.
FacePlant is still in the review process, but you can totally catch a video after the break.
Geeking out on all things security, Jeremiah Grossman details an interesting attack that could steal information stored in a web browser for use in autofill.
These fields are AutoFill’ed using data from the users personal record in the local operating system address book. Again it is important to emphasize this feature works even though a user never entered this data on any website. Also this behavior should not be confused with normal auto-complete data a Web browser may remember after its typed into a form.
All a malicious website would have to do to surreptitiously extract Address Book card data from Safari is dynamically create form text fields with the aforementioned names, probably invisibly, and then simulate A-Z keystroke events using JavaScript. When data is populated, that is AutoFill’ed, it can be accessed and sent to the attacker.
I don’t know about you, but this keyboard should become the new default in all mobile devices. It’s mind boggling how well this works.
Like I said in my first coverage of Flipboard, I didn’t have enough time to test the application and come up with an opinion about the innovations of this new way to consume and, to a degree, produce news content on the iPad. When Flipboard launched two days ago, the servers were immediately hammered down by Robert Scoble’s highly hyped preview, people tried to add their own Twitter / Facebook feeds and the application servers crashed. I guess McCue wasn’t expecting such a huge and positive response, probably because he didn’t know that iPad users were looking for something like this.
A new, fresh, revolutionary app that could prove that the iPad is indeed magical. We’ve seen some great apps on the iPad, but as Scoble puts it: “you’ve never seen one like this”. Is Flipboard revolutionary? It’s the first seed for a revolution in how people find interesting content on the crowded web, and this revolution is happening now. The problem with this revolution is that many people don’t think it’s a revolution at all. Strange, isn’t it? A company comes out with a greatly innovative product and many people don’t see that product as great or innovative.
They’re not looking at the big picture. They don’t get the concept, they don’t see the potential because they’re too busy criticizing some developers that made the wrong choice of not choosing the right amount of servers for day-one.
I’ve been testing the app with full Twitter and Facebook support since yesterday. Indeed, I was able to add my Twitter and Facebook accounts, other people’s profiles and Twitter lists, both the ones curated by me and others. So, I’m enjoying the complete Filpboard experience right now. Here are my thoughts about it.
Occasionally there’s an article that’s just… weird. You know, the kind of stuff that’s instantly able to turn a sour day into something incredibly awesome. Leave it to the Japanese to provide me with the one iPad article that beats them all. In fact, I don’t think anything will be able to top this for a long time. If you’ve read the headline, I think you know where this is going.
We’ve read about various vulnerabilities and security issues related to Apple and the software they push out before, and yesterday Ars Technica reported that Apple has become the new world leader in software insecurity. While it’s mentioned that OS X itself isn’t the most insecure in practice, the various pieces of software you use like iTunes, Quicktime, and Safari, all display gaping security flaws that aren’t being addressed.
To illustrate this point, the report includes cumulative figures for the number of vulnerabilities found on a Windows PC with the 50 most widely-used programs. Five years ago, there were more first-party flaws (in Windows and Microsoft’s other software) than third-party. Since about 2007, the balance shifted towards third-party programs. This year, third-party flaws are predicted to outnumber first-party flaws by two-to-one.
There is a valid point to be made: yes, third party software can introduce vulnerabilities to the OS. But what bothers me about the article is two things. The first is that while Apple is known to have plentiful vulnerabilities in their software that should be fixed (quicktime vulnerabilities have been complained about for years now), it’s never addressed how these vulnerabilities affect OS X – Windows is mentioned as the only OS affected by Apple’s software. The second issue I have: it’s not mentioned specifically what vulnerabilities are being exposed and what ill-effects are had on the user. It seems unlike Ars Technica to throw out an article like this without further explaining potential risks for users. Instead, it’s mentioned that third party software is harder to update and Microsoft does a better job of applying patches.
[via Ars Technica]
Now joining Tim Cook (Chief Operating Officer), Jeff Williams has been promoted to join Apple’s executive team in order to oversee and ensure product quality. According to AppleInsider, Jeff Williams has previously been responsible managing the company’s supply chain and securing components for the production of the iPod. He also a big player in the success of the iPhone, and will continue to oversea world-wide operations and supply management.
AppleInsider writes,
It’s believed Apple is grooming Williams to take on Cook’s role as chief operation officer in the event that Cook takes over Steve Jobs’ role as the company’s chief executive. Cook has been profiled as the most likely successor to Jobs when Apple’s iconic chief chooses to step down.
[via AppleInsider]
The 2010 Fall semester is going to be huge if you’re a college or university student. Whether it’s for distribution in classrooms and dorms, research, e-reading, or as a collaboration tool, the iPad is going to be an interesting experiment among participating schools as they determine whether or not the iPad can be appropriately used for academic use.
The Twelvesouth guys are well-known for making awesome Apple-dedicated accessories.We reviewed the Bookarc for iPad months ago, and it’s still one of the best products available. A few days ago they launched a new stand for iPad, called “Compass Mobile Stand.” You can find all the details here.
“Compass is a stylish compact folding stand that lets you use your iPad in two different modes. First, as an easel, Compass displays iPad in both portrait and landscape modes. Second, flip open the secondary leg and Compass now holds your iPad at the perfect angle to let your fingers fly across iPad’s onscreen keyboard.
Forged from heavy gauge steel, this slim, travel friendly stand lets you enjoy both hands-free and hands-on use of your iPad anywhere your iPad goes. iPhoto slideshows to Keynote presentations, Compass lets you see and do more with iPad. Compass folds up to the size of candy bar, requiring very little space in your backpack, computer bag or purse. Store it in it soft travel sleeve, which matches the Apple iPad case, and you’re ready to go.”
In my opinion, it’s great, and looks very useful. Check out the images below.
