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Well its an interesting story but not one that has been a true surprise.  I found it interesting since there is so much controversy over the Apple App Store that this seems to be a catch-22 for Apple.  What Do I mean?  Let me outline.

1. Continue reading 'Apple Boots Molinker For Gaming Apps Store Rating System'»

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Well Apple has released another update but it appears that they didn’t bother to announce the update.  I was just pushed out and supposedly resolves a bunch of little issues, with things like ‘connectivity’ according to the notes I read.  But the real news is the fact that new iPhone 3GS shipping as we speak to a vendor near you will be using the new Bootrom, the iBoot 359.3.2 which protects the iPhone from jailbreaking using the 24kpwn exploit.

The iPhone Dev-Team is currently working on a possible solution, but are making several suggestions to anyone thinking of getting a new 3GS and what to do to prepare for any chance of jailbreaking it.  I’d like to say I didn’t see this coming but honestly I’m surprised it took this long.  How long it lasts?  Well, stay tuned.

For the rest of the public, PwanageTool 3.1.4 has been released and works with the new update.  Feel free to comment about how you feel about jailbreaking, and this development and whether this will sway your decision to purchase an iPhone.

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Finally, a “critical” Java runtime update from Apple by ZDNet‘s Ryan Naraine — Apple has shipped a long-overdue Java runtime update to plug at least 30 vulnerabilities that expose Mac OS X users to remote code execution attacks.

This article really only highlights the issue. Quicktime has (and still has) many bugs so many that I’d simply deem it the ‘Buggiest and Most Insecure Application of ALL TIME’. Anyone who uses Quicktime should REMOVE IT immediately, and then clean there system. I’d even recommend cleaning the registry of any APPLE or QUICKTIME entries, something I’m typically loathe to do under any circumstances. Apple simply seems to not understand the security climate in todays world, or doesn’t care about it’s users. Either way it’s reprehensible that they are doing so well in the technology markets without putting security first.

Apple could learn a lot from Microsoft on this, but I’m not saying Microsoft’s approach is superior, I’m just saying it’s actually far more committed to keeping it’s user base informed. Apple seems to prefer just keeping us in the dark, or to use an alliteration, they prefer to keep the apples on the tree so they don’t bonk someone on the head and perhaps wake them up to reality. Apple’s products and OS is really insecure! This is like many ignorant companies that seem to think if ‘we have a security breach, we keep it secret’, and this is the approach I find criminal. I for one am lobbying governments to change this, and FORCE ANYONE with sensitive data or source code to proprietary OS’s to FULLY DISCLOSE vulnerabilities to reduce ones exposure to 0-day attacks.

It took Apple 6 months (!!!!) to come up with the latest patch, and it didn’t fix all of them, actually of the 30 it claimed, only 18 are TRULY fixed. I’d call it lying…I don’t mix my fruit up.’

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I know some avid mac users are going to try to flame fest me with this comment, but I really hate stupid support people.  You know the type.  Don’t have a clue, reading the flowchart like it’s a bible.

Yes, sometimes it’s important to follow procedures and ensure all bases are covered, but I welcome anyone’s comments regarding my personal experience of recent. Frankly, even Apple is not immune to this!

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I was a lucky person who received a Ipod Nano for Christmas.  I really didn’t see myself as a Ipod user, and never would have bought one myself, personally I was more interested in the RCA Lyra (sp?) or a PSP. But I still welcomed this lovely black beauty in my gadget collection.  So I set it up, and discover that it’s using a custom proprietary driver to copy files via another software tool called “Itunes”. I really don’t want Itunes as it behaves very poorly with Avast Anti-Virus, and since AV solution are more important than another media player, I can well do without Itunes.  Not any more.

Yes, in order to transfer my content I much use Itunes driver.  Ok.  I can handle this if that’s all I’m going to be doing with it.

So last week a couple advisories were posted, one involving Quicktime, the other involving Ipod Software. I had JUST installed the latest version of Itunes and really didn’t want to upgrade again, or thinking I didn’t need a upgrade but I confirm my version of Quicktime is old.  I decide to see if the programs themselves are competent at finding the newer version and upgrading automatically. Wrong.  Quicktime offers no facility for “check for updates” so I check Itunes since the downloads are combined these days.  Itunes quickly tells me I’m running the most current version of the software.  A quick audit, shows that I am running the latest Itunes, but not Quicktime.

So I gave up on this facility, and do it the old fashioned way.  Search out the download directory and download the file.

Get the download no problem, and install fine.  Now I’m patched.  But WAIT!  I still have to get the latest Ipod software yet. 

So back to apple.com searching for this, I find the slew of versions for various Ipods in existence, and locate my version and click on the download link.

It wants to know if I’m the registered user, if I registered then login, if not fill out this form.  I never register hardware I don’t trust anyone with this information, and in this case they also elect to put you on spam mailing list from undisclosed third parties. 

Anyways I fill out the form, and click on the submit button, and I get greeting with a white page.

No file, no download, no link, just a blank page.

I try this a few times to the same results.  I try another PC same results.  I decide that I am eligible for support so I call the number on the web page.

I get a nice fellow who discovers I’m Canadian, not American and directs me to Apple Canada Support.  I explain I only need to download the software off the .com site, and really don’t need ‘official’ support., but I get directed anyways.

This is one of my pet peeves.  The site does NOT disclose the various support numbers nor assist the user in self-directing themselves to the proper support line.  Instead they inconvenience and waste everyone’s time with this ‘I cannot help you, let me transfer you to the department that does’. syndrome.  I usually take ineffective companies like this and flush them in the toilet.  I could still get a refund on my Ipod and I’m thinking very seriously about it.

My partner says I should give it a try as there is probably some stupid easy solution to this (you’ll be amazed at the solution), and to be patient and try the Canadian Support.  Well I’ve heard good things, and investor solutions (yes we used to own Apple Stock years ago) was fabulous to deal with.  So I’m really expecting good things even though this upgrading is annoying me to no end.

I get this lady on the phone who asks how they can help, I explain my Ipod is working fine, I just need to figure out why I cannot download the Ipod software from their web site.  She asks me what I’m installing the Ipod on, I explain it’s on a Windows XP box.  She asks if it is SP2, and I state no, it’s only SP1.  She then tells me to go to microsofts website and install SP2, and try again.

Ok, I’m stunned.  I’ve been downloading files off of networks for over 20 years, and never told my OS was insufficient to download a file.  I try very hard to explain this to the lady to no avail.  She gets very rude, and tells me that I do not meet the minimum requirements for the Ipod.  I explain that it WORKS FINE!!!!  I just want the latest version of the software due to the security vulnerability.

I may as well have asked my dog to fetch me a new car. I stated that I’ve NEVER had to meet minimum requirements to download software EVER in my life, and I have no intention of installing XP SP2 on these boxes.  Yes, I own two copies, but I regressed to SP1 since I did not require any of the features of SP2.  Did not matter, she would not help me.

So now I’m off the phone very dismayed with the nonsense I was told.  My partner is even getting upset over this nonsense (yes she does tech support for a large ISP) and can’t believe it, so she tries to download the file for me.  When the form loads, she tries it fails.  I get really annoyed and debating about causing a short but heavy load on the server submitting 1024 charater data strings into each of the forms, but then I decided to fill it with vulger comments instead.  Email address youassholes@apple.com   Name ‘Whatdoyou *censored*ingcare’, I think you get the point.  After filling out the form I then click submit, and I’m then presented with a download.

 

I guess unless you tell them off in the rudest fashion your not allowed to download software.  Perhaps someone else may have registered this email address and it recognized this and allowed me to download the software.

Now I have to install it.