Iron Ink Media: Inked Up

There seems to be a solution to the iPhone virus. We learned from Wired today that Apple has released iPhone OS 3.0.1. on iTunes. The update “fixes SMS vulnerability.”

“We appreciate the information provided to us about SMS vulnerabilities which affect several mobile phone platforms,” an Apple spokeswoman said in a phone interview with Wired.com. “This morning, less than 24 hours after a demonstration of this exploit, we’ve issued a free software update that eliminates the vulnerability from the iPhone. Contrary to what’s been reported, no one has been able to take control of the iPhone to gain access to personal information using this exploit.”

In a nutshell, security researchers Charlie Miller and Collin Mulliner discovered a small flaw in the iPhone. They then decided to scare the crap out of people by telling everyone about it during the Black Hat cybersecurity conference. There was no iPhone attack actually planned. Convenient timing.

We’ve been hearing assorted rumors all day about an iPhone virus that is set to hit this afternoon. At first, we thought it was bunk. But now it seems this is the real deal.

There are no virus protection apps available yet, and no Apple patch or update that will solve the problem. The best advice we’ve heard is from Mashable.

How do you know if you’ve been infected? Reportedly, you’ll receive an SMS message with a single square character, at which point your phone will become inoperable. As we mentioned earlier, the exploit is supposedly so severe that your entire phone can be taken over remotely, as such, the “turn your phone off immediately” if you receive the message seems to be the only sound advice at this point.

More details are supposed to come out as the day goes on. Your best bet? Turn your phone off if you can live without it, and keep checking back for more info.

Macworld reports that Apple has released the MobileMe IDisk app.

MobileMe iDisk enables iPhone and iPod touch users with MobileMe accounts to access the contents of their iDisk — the online storage component of Apple’s subscription-based online service.

The application lets you view and share files stored in your iDisk; you log in with your MobileMe user name and password, then tap the Share icon to share files with others; they’re sent a link by e-mail. You can assign a password to keep files secure, and limit the number of days the download will be available.

Viewing files is limited to iPhone-supported file types, including iWork, Office, PDF, QuickTime and others. Apple cautions that files larger than 20MB may not be viewable.

You can download the free app HERE. (*link will take you to the app store)

I don’t think Apple is in the business of making waterproof electronics, but so far they’ve done pretty well. Awhile back we told you about a guy who dropped his iPhone in a pool and the thing actually survived. Today, we did a little experiment of our own. And by experiment I mean something happened that was a complete accident, but the end result wasn’t too shabby.

While folding laundry this afternoon, I found a wadded up ball of wire buried among the shirts. Turns out it was iPhone earbuds. They made a complete trip through the washer and right into the dryer. Although the wire now looks a lot like a Ramen noodle, they remarkably still work!

Apple has announced that it has dropped the price of the refurbished iPhone 3G to just $49. Considering I paid $600 for my original iPhone, that’s a damn good deal.

You can still get a brand new iPhone 3G for $99 and an iPhone 3G S for $199.

AT&T’s profits were down for the second quarter in 2009 despite strong iPhone sales. It seems that customers are saying “screw it” with the land lines and going exclusively to cellphones.

“That shows the massive shift away from voice-centric phones to data-centric integrated devices,” said Roger Entner, head of telecom research at Nielson Co. “People want to have more than just voice, and they want to do it with AT&T.”

The company posted income of $3.2 billion, which is down from $3.77 billion.

Oh cry us a river.

Net-A-Porter.com, which launched in June of 2000, is an online retailer of luxury fashion. And now the site’s new free app brings buying to the iPhone.

Looking for a $3,795 Calvin Klein dress? (Yeah, us too. Blogging pays a ton these days.) Well, with Net-App you can purchase it and other high-end items from the comfort of your phone. Other benefits of the app include browsing high-res photos and descriptions of items for sale, the ability to make a wishlist, and original articles.

I think it may take awhile before people are comfortable purchasing such expensive items from their phones. People still seem uneasy about buying apps for more than $5. But, we hear that some items on Net-A-Porter sell out within an hour of being listed. So if you simply must have a $4490 Oscar De La Renta tweed jacket, you’re in luck.

Net-App from Net-A-Porter

Apple has been battling with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information on selling the country WiFi-enabled iPhones. China says no way. Apple says way.

Well, it seems that Apple may have conceded as they have applied for a Network Access License that would allow them to begin selling iPhones in China sans WiFi.

Appleinsider.com estimates the approval process taking four to six months, meaning that a launch date would be no later than January 2010.

Many people are complaining in Apple’s forums that they are having slugging WiFi transfers. Many say the original 3G is much faster. This just adds to the myriad of complaints about the 3G S’s poor battery issues.

“I’ve also got a 3G and now a 3GS and on Wi-FI the 3GS is much slower,” writes forum member Andy Worthington. “The 3GS and my Touch (all version 3) are at least twice the download speed and the signal strength [and] the 3GS fluctuates quite extremely. I’ve tried three different Wi-Fi networks (all with different routers) and the results are consistent each time. Clearly something is wrong.”

This dude even went so far as to make a YouTube video highlighting the disparity:

Go ahead. Order the super-sized jumbo root beer slushy. Just make sure you’ve downloaded the new RunPee iPhone app.

Based on the website RunPee.com, the new app tells moviegoers the best time to hit the loo. Most major movies are listed, and you can read a short synopsis of what you’re missing while you’re in the bathroom. Creator Dan Florio is working on the next upgrade which will make the phone vibrate when it’s safe to go.

As a bonus, the app will let you know if there is any special footage, like outtakes or cast photos, worth staying for during the credits. You can get the app for $.99 from iTunes.