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iPad In South Korea: Still Pending Approval

The iPad is a mainstream success but Apple still hasn’t managed to sell it in South Korea. In fact, as the AFP agency reports, Apple has requested permission again and the Korea Communications Commission confirmed in a statement that the decision will be made in five days since Apple’s request. Local distributors of Apple’s products (namely the iPhone) seem to hope in a November release date. Read more

Bug Discovered in Condè Nast iPad Apps Lets You Download Issues for Free

Huge story reported by The Huffington Post: there’s a security flaw in the Condè Nast iPad applications (Wired, The New Yorker, etc) that will let you download paid issues of the magazines for free. The bug was apparently discovered by Italian “hacking research group” Dark Apples, which tested the “method” on Italian newspaper apps such Corriere della Sera and Gazzetta della Sport (published by RCS) as well. Read more

Ars Technica Is Blocked In Iran→

Ars Technica Is Blocked In Iran

The block began following our second piece of coverage about the Stuxnet malware that allegedly targeted an Iranian power plant. That was published on September 27, the last day in which Iranian readers could access the site.

The point of the ban isn’t clear, but it definitely highlights how easy it is for governments to start cracking down on whatever sites they like once they have the proper tools in place and have centralized all Internet links leaving/entering the country.

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DeNA Acquires Ngmoco For $400 Million, Expands to Android Devices

The rumor was going around since a few weeks, now it’s official: popular “iFunded” iPhone game developer ngmoco has been acquired by Japanese mobile giant DeNA. The deal was closed at around $400 million which, if I’m not mistaken, should be the biggest deal ever involving an iPhone developer. DeNA is Japan’s biggest and most successful “mobile social games” company, and from now on it’ll lead (e.g. pay for) the efforts of ngmoco in the western market. Read more

Apple Posts Ping Guidelines for Artists

Remember Ping? Apple sure does: it’s the “social network” for music discovery and sharing they embedded right into iTunes 10, together with a new icon (the one you love) and a refined UI. I’m not a big fan of Ping (I think it’s useless and far from being a “social network”) but Apple surely believes in it. After all, it’s a way to drive more downloaded to the iTunes Store, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ping extending to movies, TV shows and apps in the near future. Read more

Lighty, Simple Flashlight App for iPhone. 10 Codes Up for Grabs

Sometimes you don’t need a full-featured app to accomplish a simple purpose. Hell, you just need a simple app that does one thing and does it exceptionally well. You don’t want to pay for stuff you don’t need. That’s a very basic App Store rule.

Lighty does just that. Amongst the crowded panorama of flashlight apps for iPhone, Lighty is a well designed, minimal app that lets you turn the iPhone’s light on and off. It’s clean and it’s got a huge button in the middle of the screen. What else can I say? It comes at $0.99 in the App Store. If you’re looking for a minimal flashlight for your iPhone, we have 10 codes to give away. Just leave a comment below, and that’s it.

Winners will be announced tomorrow. Good luck! Read more