iPhone cases

Melissa virus turns 10

2009-03-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

by Elinor Mills

A decade ago there was no Facebook, no iPhone, and no Conficker. There was dial-up and AOL and a nasty virus called Melissa that ended up being the fastest spreading virus at the time.

CNET News talked to Dmitry Graznov, a senior research architect at McAfee Avert Labs who was among the researchers who worked to fight the Melissa outbreak and track down the creator.

Q: How was Melissa discovered?
Graznov: Avert as a whole discovered it as did some of the competitors. It was submitted to us by customers as it started to spread around the world (on March 26, 1999).

What made Melissa different from previous viruses?
Graznov: It was the first mass-mailing virus, which used e-mail to spread on a large scale.

What harm did the virus do?
Graznov: In some cases the load on the e-mail servers in some organizations was so high that the servers were effectively shut down.

How many computers were affected and what did the virus do?
Graznov: Hundreds of thousands of computers were affected. That's a guess...Melissa infected other documents a user opened in Microsoft Word. It also connected to Outlook if it was running and selected 50 entries in the address book and e-mailed an infected document to those addresses...including mailing lists...As a result, the virus was sent not just to 50 people, but to thousands of people easily. We didn't have any firm numbers to go by, but we did have reports from customers saying their Exchange servers were overwhelmed.

How long did the outbreak last?
Graznov: Several days, but the infections continued to be registered for a long time after that. It was just a macro virus and we were well equipped to provide detection and removal for people's computers even then...The fact that it was so widespread in the world already meant it took a long time to remove the infections.
How did the virus writer get caught?
Graznov: I was running, actually still am, a project called Usenet Virus Patrol, which scans Usenet articles for viruses. The author of Melissa posted the virus to a newsgroup called "alt.sex." It was zipped up and sent as if it was a list of passwords to like 80-something different porno sites...It was just bait to entice people into downloading it and opening it. Once it was opened, it started e-mailing itself around. It was relatively easy to go back and find the exact Usenet posting that started all this. In the header of the posting it was possible to find out not only the e-mail address from which it was sent but also the IP address of the computer from which it was sent. That IP was linked to an AOL account and from that the FBI subpoenaed AOL and they provided the dial-in logs...and found out what computer was assigned that IP address and from what telephone number the call was made. The AOL account was a compromised one...The phone call that used that account came from New Jersey and the FBI linked the phone number to a particular address. That is how they found the guy's computer...The data we provided them was the clue that led straight to the criminal. (David L. Smith pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 months in prison and $5,000 in fines.)

What was the motivation behind Melissa?
Graznov: There was no material gain. Back then, people didn't do it for money. They did it for mischief, for fame...Today there is huge money in computer crime...Back then, we had 200 times fewer pieces of malware than we have today.

Any comments on Conficker and Melissa and how far we've come?
Graznov: Conficker is a completely different type of thing. It's not a macro virus. It's an executable and a botnet, and it downloads lots of stuff on your computer. It's basically a network for sale. It can be rented out. It can be used for password stealing. Back in 1999 there wasn't such a thing as a business model for malware...Today, big money is involved in computer malware. You cannot even compare them.
source
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O2 has Wigan-sized iPhone problem

2007-11-23T20:59:00.000-08:00

Exclusive Everyone wants a Wii or an Eee this Christmas. They're the hottest technology items in town, but there's none to be found for love nor money. If you want an iPhone, however, supplies remain plentiful.

Reliable channel sources tell us that Apple's exclusive UK operator has activated just 26,500 iPhones since its launch two weeks ago, below the company's expectations.

This doesn't reflect the true number sold - for reasons we elaborate on below - but the gross is unlikely to be significantly higher. It's far lower than first-weekend sales guesstimates of 100,000, a figure reprinted by tabloid and broadsheet alike. The UK market has around 25m households; 26,500 is around the capacity of Fulham's Craven Cottage, or Wigan's JJB Stadium.

O2 chief Peter Erskine sounded defensive on the Monday following the launch, justifying the company's decision.

"It's the old story in retail, if you can get them in you can sell them something," he told reporters, saying it was "early days" for the iPhone. It still is.

The impetus within O2 to take the exclusive iPhone deal came from Matthew Key - who personally came within range of the Reality Distortion Field.

"I played with it for two minutes and just thought, 'oh my God, this is leagues above anything I've ever seen before'," Key told the Telegraph. Key drove home the deal while other operators balked at Apple's terms.

He wasn't alone. Analysts urged O2 to make emergency investments in its network capacity to cope with anticipated data demand. Broadsheet newspapers and 24 hour news TV filled space by reporting on 'a cultural phenomenon'.

So what are the numbers?

Carphone Warehouse, the main retail outlet for Apple's hot item, had taken stock of 50,000 iPhones, but had only managed to shift around 11,000 in the first weekend. O2 has over 400 stores and Apple just 12 in the UK. Phone industry sources estimated that 25,000 units might have shifted in that first weekend - but that now seems optimistic.

But does the number of activations actually represent the number of iPhones O2 has shipped? That's a hotly disputed issue in the channel this week.

The optimistic argument is that many more thousands of iPhones have been sold, but not yet activated. Some have been bought as Christmas presents, and the number activated represents the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Others have been bought, then "jailbroken" - removing the SIM lock and restrictions on running third-party software - and then immediately sold on for a profit.

Perhaps Jack Duckworth has bought one for Vera as a Christmas present in Corrie - and come December 25, that scene will be being played out across the land.
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iPhone Not Sending Out IMEI Numbers After All, Widespread Panic Subsided

2007-11-21T20:56:00.000-08:00

There was a huge uproar about Apple possibly collecting IMEI numbers from iPhone users whenever they used either the Weather or Stocks Widget but it seems like it was a false alarm. Heise publications has found it is instead a unique code identifier sent out by every iPhone and is not specific on a per user basis.

Heise, through some extended testing, found these two Widgets do not transfer any sort of personal information besides what the user has input and a unique identifier code. The code is used by the iPhone to either authenticate with Apple whether or not the device connecting to that service (which is powered by Yahoo!) is allowed or used to track how popular that service is amongst users.

However, the Calculator Application found on the iPod Touch and iPhone sends the same information.
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Verizon answers AT&T's iPhone

2007-11-21T20:54:00.000-08:00

By LEON STAFFORD

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Verizon Wireless, the nation's No. 2 carrier, is hoping the combination of mobile TV, touch-screen technology and removable memory in one sleek phone package will make consumers forget about that "other phone" this holiday season.

The telecom giant, which counts Atlanta as one of its five biggest markets, on Wednesday is releasing Voyager, its souped-up answer to the popular iPhone.
The new device, which will cost $299 after a $50 rebate and a two-year contract, comes with both a touch-screen keyboard and a traditional one under a flip-open hood. In addition to the obligatory camera, the LG-made phone can download music from Verizon's VCast store wirelessly, pull up YouTube videos and record voice memos.

"We were very deliberate in how we designed the phone," said Jeff Mango, president of the Georgia/Alabama region for Verizon Wireless. "The phone was in production for a year and a half."

Voyager's release is the latest line drawn in the sand of the ultra-competitive phone wars. Designed to dazzle the eye and combine your MP3 player, PDA and camera into one small, pocket-size device, feature-heavy cellphones are expected to again be one of the big sellers when Americans hit the stores beginning Friday.

NPD, a New York-based market research firm, estimated in findings released Tuesday that consumer phone sales for the third quarter were up 47 percent over the same period last year.

Verizon Wireless has to beat Apple's $399 iPhone, whose service is available only from the Atlanta-based wireless division of AT&T. The phone, released in June, raised the bar on what a phone could be and is going into its first holiday season.

Mango said the lower-priced Voyager will give Verizon an advantage.

"Price was a key factor," Mango said. "We wanted to make our products affordable. But more important than price, through listening to our customers we are able to offer a great value at an affordable price."

Voyager follows Monday's release of Verizon's Venus, which shares some of the same attributes of Voyager, including a vibrating effect when using its glossy touch-screen interface.

Though AT&T has a higher profile locally because of its acquisition of BellSouth last year, Verizon Wireless has a sizable presence in metro Atlanta. Its Georgia-Alabama region headquarters is off Windward Parkway in Alpharetta; it also has offices in Sanctuary Park in north Fulton County and in Dunwoody near Perimeter Mall.

The company has about 3,500 employees in Georgia and recently spent $150 million in the state on its high-speed broadband network. The company has 63.7 million customers nationwide.

Third-quarter revenue for Verizon Wireless overall was $11.3 billion, up 14.4 percent, the company said Tuesday. Data revenue — which includes money made from games and e-mail applications — was up 63.4 percent in the third quarter.

"Atlanta is definitely in our top five markets," Mango said. "And we have had continuous growth."

AT&T is not resting on its laurels. Dawn Benton, a spokeswoman for the company, said AT&T will promote a number of devices this holiday, including "smart devices featuring Windows Mobile 6 for consumers and business travelers." These include the Pantech Duo and the AT&T Tilt, and music-centric devices such as the new Samsung SLM with Napster Mobile, Benton said.

"AT&T is geared up for an active holiday shopping season for wireless," she said. "We're ready for this Friday — and we're ready with dozens of cutting-edge devices — including the game-changing iPhone, which we expect to be a very popular gift item this year."
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Zune chief has praise and criticism for iPhone

2007-11-21T20:50:00.000-08:00

Microsoft's J Allard was recently speaking about Apple Inc.'s first mobile phone offered on the market, the iPhone, and had both criticism and praise for the gadget. As Microsoft prepares to compete more effectively with its own software, Allard argues that it's Apple's attention to the design of the cellphone as a whole rather than its connection to the iPod that is pushing sales.

"It's a lousy iPod," Allard explains. "You can’t skip a track without looking at it. You can't go running with the thing." In the same interview however, Allard described the phone as both "beautiful" and "simple" compared to most other phones. It also benefits Windows Mobile as it will make carriers give more control to the manufacturers over the final output rather than limiting hardware and software.

As a response to the iPhone, Microsoft will add Zune features to the Windows Mobile OS, but a Zune phone is apparently unlikely. "If we can put the customer first, we prefer to do it with partners. We didn't create the Zune because we were dying to get into the hardware business and take inventory risk. We felt we had to do it," he says. "Windows was incredible. We got to create most of the magic and take none of the financial risk. History isn’t going to repeat that with consumer goods."
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Kindle Versus The iPhone

2007-11-21T20:48:00.000-08:00

Bernie Campbell writes
"Forbes takes a look at the recently announced Kindle ebook from Amazon, and considers the possibility that Apple may have beaten them to the punch. 'Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs has a not-so-secret weapon when it comes time to load up the iPhone with content: Google ... Google's Book Search project has already pumped much of the world's printed matter into Google's servers. Downloads of classic titles, such as Bleak House, can already be had for free. Mix Apple's iTunes content distribution smarts with Google's vast storehouse of content, and you'll have an instant competitor to Kindle -- one with a touch interface and the ability to play movies and music, too.'
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How to convert Video to iPhone

2007-11-21T20:47:00.000-08:00

Avex iPhone Video Converter

Avex iPhone Video Converter is an all-around formats converter. With it, you almost can convert all Video formats to your favorite iPhone.

Avex iPhone Video Converter converts AVI, DivX/Xvid, WMV, MPEG videos (and many more) to iPhone MP4 video format in one simple click. The software features superb video & audio quality and fast conversion speed. And it is very easy to use.

How to convert Video to iPhone

Step 1: Download the fastest Video to iPhone converter software Avex iPhone Video Converter from here and install it.
Step 2: Launch Avex iPhone Video Converter. You will see the interface of Avex iPhone Video Converter as following.

Step 3: Click "Choose Video " button and you'll see a menu. Then click "Open File " button and you'll see a dialog. Choose the disk of your Video.

Before conversion, you can make yourself settings. Avex iPhone Video Converter provide six file quality, they are "iPhone - Excellent quality(h264)", "iPhone - Excellent quality(mpeg4)", "iPhone - Good quality(h264)", "iPhone - Good quality(mpeg4)","iPhone - Medium quality(h264)", "iPhone - Medium quality(mpeg4)". You can choose one of them.

Click "Browse" button at bottom choose the output folder.

You also can make more settings by "More options" button.

Step 4: Then click the "Convert" button.
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T-Mobile hacker to pay $10,000 fine

2007-11-21T20:44:00.000-08:00

The hacker who made the headlines several months ago due to his now infamous hacking of the T-Mobile network will not be sentenced to prison. Instead, he'll be forced to shell out $10,000 to T-Mobile as compensation and face a year of home detention. He is lucky in that the Secret Service concluded he didn't expose any of their private work, which would have surely been a jail sentence:

Even though Jacobsen was left able to access personal data held by Special Agent Peter Cavicchia on a sidekick mobile device, the Secret Service is ruling out the possibility that any investigations might have been compromised.

Aside from the fine, the detention, and an apology, he will be more or less free. While that surely doesn't make the victims feel any better, at least something is being done.
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T-Mobile offers iPhone without contract, charges €999

2007-11-21T20:41:00.000-08:00

Germany announced this morning that it would begin selling iPhones without a contract to comply with a court injunction issued after Vodafone challenged its exclusive tie-up with the device.

The catch? An unlocked iPhone in Germany will set you back a whopping €999 (almost $1,500) – a ridiculous amount of money to pay for a phone in my opinion. Still, that’s less than the cost of ownership of the iPhone with a 2-year contract, which is around €1575 after hardware and monthly airtime costs.

The company will continue to offer the iPhone at €399 when purchased with a two-year commitment. In addition, those who have bought an iPhone can also request an unlock code for a fee.
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