Apple to Announce iPhone 5 on October 4

Tuesday October 4, that’s the day Apple is currently expected to hold its next big media event, according to sources close to the situation, where the tech giant will unveil the next iteration of its popular iPhone.

While Apple could certainly change its plans anytime, sources said that the October 4 date has been selected by the company to showcase the iPhone 5. Sources added that the plan is now to make the new device available for purchase within a few weeks after the announcement.

And while the iPhone 5 is a much anticipated handset, the event itself has a lot more importance for Apple than many previous ones.

That’s because it will be newly installed CEO Tim Cook’s first big product introduction and the place where the public will get a first lengthy impression of him that may well set the tone for Cook’s new role.

What will be interesting to see, of course, is if Jobs himself will also make an appearance, which is something that is likely to be determined by his health in a decision that will made very close to the event.

And while putting Jobs onstage with Cook could diminish the new leader’s first public effort, what better “one more thing” than Jobs himself making a cameo appearance?

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Apple loses another unreleased iPhone

In a bizarre repeat of a high-profile incident last year, an Apple employee once again appears to have lost an unreleased iPhone in a bar, CNET has learned.
The errant iPhone, which went missing in San Francisco's Mission district in late July, sparked a scramble by Apple security to recover the device over the next few days, according to a source familiar with the investigation.

Last year, an iPhone 4 prototype was bought by a gadget blog that paid $5,000 in cash. This year's lost phone seems to have taken a more mundane path: it was taken from a Mexican restaurant and bar and may have been sold on Craigslist for $200. Still unclear are details about the device, what version of the iOS operating system it was running, and what it looks like.

While Apple has not publicly announced any plans for future phones, unconfirmed reports in the last few weeks suggest the launch date for the iPhone 5 is likely to be in early October. Other reports from Taiwan have set the date at September or October.

Apple declined to comment after being contacted this morning. A spokesman for the San Francisco Police Department said the company did not file a police report based on the loss at the bar. Craigslist did not respond to requests for comment.

A day or two after the phone was lost at San Francisco's Cava 22, which describes itself as a "tequila lounge" that also serves lime-marinated shrimp ceviche, Apple representatives contacted San Francisco police, saying the device was priceless and the company was desperate to secure its safe return, the source said.


Read more: CNET

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iPhone 5 To Arrive in Early October, Says AT&T Exec

iPhone 5 release date rumors are swirling again as a new report says an AT&T vice president has confirmed plans to launch the phone in early October.

On Friday, a post from Boy Genius Report said one of its high-level AT&T sources had confirmed that a company vice president had told several employees the device would be out in early October. In addition, the executive told a group of managers to expect things to get busy during the next 35 to 50 days, asking them to prepare their teams accordingly.

Our own sources within Apple suggest the next two months are going to be extremely busy, but can’t be more specific.

The device’s release date has been the subject of much anticipation on the web lately, with alternate reports fluctuating between September and October as possible time frames for the launch. At the beginning of this month, All Things Digital said the next generation iPhone would come out in October. But just last week, a report from a Japanese website indicated the device would be released in September, during a rumored Apple media event. Meanwhile, during his company’s last earnings call, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam said he expected the phone out in the fall.

In the past, newer versions of the iPhone have typically been released during Apple’s summer Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). But that didn’t happen this year, following the release of the Verizon iPhone 4 in February.


more at Mashable

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Apple sees bumper final quarter, reportedly orders 20m iPhone 5 units

Apple appears to be positioning itself for a bumper final quarter, reportedly reducing its order volumes for its next-generation iPhone in the third quarter from 7 million units to around 5.5 million units whilst increasing orders by as much as six million units to 20 million as the company prepares for e fruitful holiday season, Digitimes reports.

The Cupertino-based company has boosted orders for the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4 CDMA and iPhone 5 by 13% for the second half of the year, increasing its total order volumes from around 50 million units to exceed more than 56 million units. Predicting that demand will be healthy for the iPhone 5, the device accounts for nearly half of the total orders for iPhone devices in the second half of the year.

iPhone 5 orders for the third quarter of 2011 have been lowered from seven million units to 5.5-6 million units, while fourth-quarter orders have been raised from 14 million units to more than 20 million units, the sources pointed out. Total orders for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4 CDMA for the third quarter exceed 20 million units, and fourth-quarter orders have been reduced to eight million units, the sources indicated.

Sources indicate that Apple’s total iPhone shipments will reach 95 million units, as the smartphone market continues to boom and Apple aligns itself with carriers and boosts its retail presence in Asia, a region it sees as a “massive opportunity”.


Source: TheNextWeb

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Rumored Apple iPhone 5 Pico Projector Patent Channels the SixthSense Concept Device

A rendering of an iPhone 6 concept that is
quite similar to the SixthSense device.

The tech community is raising its eyebrows over a recently filed Apple patent that shows detailed specs for a pico projector that could end up on the iPhone 5. But is Apple ripping off next-generation mobile device concepts like the SixthSense?

As the iPhone release inches ever-closer, and with the announcement month seemingly decided to be Septemeber, iPhone enthusiasts are shifting their attention once again to what to expect on the next iPhone in terms of new features. Much has been made about the name of the next iPhone — whether it will be the iPhone 5, iPhone 4s, iPhone 4Gs, or some other permutation — since the name of the next iPhone is likely to denote whether or not it is a simple refresh of the iPhone 4 or groundbreaking revamp worthy of the “iPhone 5″ moniker.

Another prevailing concern is that the iPhone 5 (or whatever name it is given), which will ostensibly be the flagship device for the iOS 5, will turn out to offer very few new, novel features that have not already found their way onto the Android OS.

It is for these reasons that the tech community has recently embraced hopes of a novel, new feature that has been virtually ignored until this week: the addition of a “pico projector” onto the iPhone 5. According to Patently Apple, Apple filed a detailed patent for an onboard pico projector for the iPhone and similar mobile-styled devices. MacRumors followed up on this story by noting Apple recently purchased the domain name applepico.com.

You can read more about this story here on the iPhone 5 News Ticker.

Pranav Mistry's SixthSense device

While we have observed that patents typically take a year ow more to find their way into production, Apple Patents believes that the level of detail in this patents suggests that Apple may be ready to roll out a pico projector for the iPhone 5. We are inclined to believe that it may be a more likely technology for the iPhone 6.

But before you get excited about this new feature as something completely unique and novel, it’s important to note that, once again, Android has already tested the waters with onboard pico projectors. The Independent notes that “Apple is not the first company to try integrating pico projectors into its smartphones. Samsung showed off an Android smartphone called the Galaxy Beam back in 2010, LG strapped a projector accessory to the back of its LG Expo smartphone in 2009, and camera maker Nikon started shipping its Coolpix S100pj digital camera with a built-in 10 lumen LED pico projector during the same year.” On top of that, other elements of the patent suggest that Apple may be looking to steal the groundbreaking concept of an even more audacious concept device — the SixthSense.

In case you are unfamiliar with the SixthSense device, it is quite possibly the next-generation mobile device concept that could easily replace the laptop, tablet, and smartphone in one fell swoop. developed by M.I.T. prodigy Pranav Mistry, SixthSense is essentially the conflation of a compact CPU, digital camera, and pico projector. Rather than relying on a fixed touch screen, the SixthSense uses a pico projector to project the display onto virtually any surface: the pal of your hand, a wall, a piece of paper, or a desk. The camera will interpret gestures that you make against the projection of the screen so that you can manipulate it in 3D. The camera will also allow the CPU to detect certain media types — such as a newspaper — and project hyperlinks and video onto the paper itself to augment the story. Here is Pranav Mistry’s presentation of the SixthSense at TED:




source: iPhone5NewsBlog

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This Could Be What Apple's iPhone 5 Looks Like

Last month, we saw a leak of the design specification which claimed to be for the iPhone 5. Chinese case manufacturers seem to be betting on that design as they've already started producing cases based on that design document. We'd even requested and received some early renders based on the case designs. 

Given how predictive the case designs have been in the past, we commissioned CiccareseDesign to create high quality renderings made as closely as possible to the original leaked case designs. Measurements were taken against the original case design leaks, and then imported into 3D modeling software.

The designs show manufacturers what areas need to be open or exposed for cases, but reveal little else. In the past, this has caused some misunderstandings about future features. iPad 2 cases seemed to suggest an extra port at the top of the device, but that turned out to be a space for a microphone hole. Similarly, there are a few areas on the iPhone 5 case designs that are open to interpretation. Click on the images for a larger view.

The elongated hole for the home button has suggested that the home button may itself also become more oval in shape. That is the direction our designer took as well. It's also possible, however, that the home button will retain its round shape and Apple has simply allowed extra space for swiping across the home button in a left to right or right to left manner. These's been some speculation that Apple could allow such a gesture for users to quickly switch between multitasking apps.

The exact screen size is another aspect that was hard to determine on the design drawings alone. Our renderings have enlarged the screen size to the space shown on the case designs. But, Apple has introduced a "swipe down" from the top of the screen notification system in iOS 5 that could benefit from some extra finger-space near the top of the screen in order to properly register. So, it may be that the screen isn't quite as large as depicted by the cases, and simply Apple allowing for extra space for these swipes. The representation here, however, does show a 4 inch screen which preserves Apple's current screen ratio. Rumors have suggested that Apple may be enlarging the screen size in the upcoming iPhone models.

The back of the device has tapered edges which makes it look much closer to the iPod touch. As well, there had been rumors that Apple would be abandoning the glass backing of the iPhone 4 and instead moving back to an aluminum design. 

The final dimensions of the new design are calculated to be: 4.33" x 2.36" and .27" thickness at the top and .21" at the bottom In comparison, the iPhone 4 dimensions are: 4.5" x 2.31" x .37". So the new design is actually shorter than the existing iPhone 4, but slightly wider and thinner. 

Assuming the leaked case designs are accurate, the iPhone 5 should be close in appearance to these renderings. The iPhone 5 is expected to be released in September or October of this year.


more at MacRumors

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The Not-So-United Android & iPhone States of America

The state you call home may indicate more than you realize about your mobile phone preferences.

In a July report, mobile advertising company Jumptap released a colorcoded map, entitled “United States of Android,” showing the geographical mobile makeup of the United States.

Yellow states are dominated by Android admirers and blue states by iOS fans. BlackBerry is prevalent in the handful of gray-shaded sates. As you can see, Android patriots are amassed in South and Southwest states, while iOS loyalists are pooled together in Northeast and Midwest states. In particular, California, Texas and Florida over-index for Android use and states in New England and the Midwest over-index for iOS use, according to the report.

With California skewing toward Android usage, the company decided to further breakout mobile predilections in the state city-by-city. iOS cities include San Francisco, San Jose, Modesto, Oxnard, Santa Barbara, Chico, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo and Napa. Sacramento, Visalia and Redding are Android cities. Meanwhile, San Diego, Los Angeles and Riverside are bubble cities that are too close to call.

We should note, as Jumptap does, that numbers do no represent market share or shipment numbers, but instead reflect the data of the 83 million users on the company’s network.

more on Mashable

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Face Recognition Coming to iOS 5

Apple is planning to include face detection capabilities in the next version of its smartphone/tablet platform, iOS 5, 9 to 5 Mac has discovered.

It is too early to tell exactly how the face recognition in iOS 5 will work, but it appears Apple plans to open it up to developers via several API controls, including a call for recognizing the position of the person’s eyes and mouth. This means that in the future we’ll be seeing iOS apps utilizing face detection from third-party developers and possibly from Apple itself.

The technology behind this feature probably comes from Polar Rose, a Swedish face recognition company, which Apple acquired in 2010.

Check out this video showcasing an augmented reality app called Recognizr, which Polar Rose co-developed.

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Android Now Owns 39% of Smartphone Market [STATS]

Android retains its crown as the top smartphone operating system in the U.S., while RIM continues to falter, according to the most recent data from Nielsen.

In assessing the latest data from June, Nielsen found that 39% of the smartphone market belongs to Google’s Android operating system. Apple has 28% of the market, while RIM and the BlackBerry OS are down to 20%.

When we compare those figures with the data Nielsen released for February through May, Android is up 3%, Apple is up 2% and RIM is down 3%.

When it comes to top phone manufacturers, however, Apple is the clear winner. Like RIM, Apple has the advantage of controlling the software and the hardware for its smartphone platform. Unlike RIM, Apple sells only three smartphones in the U.S.: the iPhone 4 (AT&T), the iPhone 4 (Verizon) and the iPhone 3GS (AT&T).

HTC is the biggest Android manufacturer, according to Nielsen, with 14% of the Android market. Motorola and Samsung have 11% and 8% respectively.


more at Mashable

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iPhone 5 Set for Record Launch: 35% of Consumers to Buy New iPhone

Anticipation in the consumer electronics world is soaring for the launch of Apple's iPhone 5, which is rumored to be hitting store shelves this fall.  About 35 percent of consumers plan to purchase the latest iPhone upon its release, according to a survey by PriceGrabber, a part of online shopping site Experian.

The Cupertino, California-based firm typically unveils a new iPhone model at its annual developers' conference in June.  Thus hype on the iPhone 5 picked up after CEO Steve Jobs did not talk about the iPhone 5 at the conference.  Sales of iPhone 5 are expected to surpass the 1.7 million units sold for the iPhone 4 within 3 days of its release.

Last week, Apple launched its the new MacBook Air line of laptops together with the Mac OS X Lion, Apple's eighth major operating system update for Mac desktops and its laptops.  The iOS 5, Apple's operating system for the iPhone and iPad tablet, is due to launch this autumn. 

According to reports Apple did not confirm, Apple is releasing a thinner and lighter iPhone at the end of September, together with the iOS 5.  The new iPhone is said to be similar to the current iPhone 4, but slimmer with an improved eight-megapixel camera.  iPhone 5 will reportedly have a A5 processor, a more powerful chip that was added to the iPad 2, which was released in April.  Production problems have delayed the iPhone 5's launch, The Wall Street Journal reported weeks ago, citing sources it did not identify.

Of the PriceGrabber survey respondents, 51 percent indicated that they will buy the smartphone within the first year of release, 30 percent will purchase it before the end of 2011, 14 percent will buy it within the first month, and 7 percent will buy it within the first week.  Conducted from July 1-11, 2011, the survey includes responses from 2,852 U.S. online consumers.

Lower Price, More Battery Life
Consumers are hoping for an improved battery life and reduced costWhen it comes to the new features shoppers deem most important in their decision to purchase the iPhone 5, practicality seems to reign.  When respondents were asked to select new iPhone 5 features most important when considering a purchase, 59 percent indicated a better battery life, and 55 percent are looking for cost reduction.  Forty-six percent said that 4G network compatibility was important to them, 45 percent are hoping for a larger screen, and 42 percent would like an improved camera.

"Our survey data confirms the strong following Apple has built around its iPhone, with more than one-third of consumers planning to upgrade to the latest model only a little over a year following the release of the iPhone 4," stated Graham Jones, general manager of PriceGrabber. "Anticipation and brand loyalty are certainly high, but in today's 24-7 work culture and uncertain economic environment, consumers are cautious to look for a reasonably priced phone that will perform optimally over an extended time period."

Top Choice for Mobile OS
PriceGrabber said consumers' love for Apple products is clear. When asked which smartphone operating system they prefer, an overwhelming 48 percent of PriceGrabber survey respondents said Apple iOS. Nineteen percent of respondents indicated that they prefer Android OS, 7 percent said Microsoft Windows, and 6 percent chose RIM BlackBerry.

Respondents also were asked which smartphone they would prefer to receive as a gift.  An astonishing 69 percent of consumers indicated that they would most like to receive Apple's iPhone 5. Seven percent said they would like to receive Motorola's upcoming Droid Bionic, 4 percent would prefer to get the Samsung Galaxy S II, and 3 percent said the BlackBerry Curve.

Going Back to Basics
PriceGrabber noted that these days, smartphones' abilities are practically limitless, and app marketplaces are full of solutions to enhance everyday life.  However, according to PriceGrabber's survey data, smartphones' simplest features remain the most popular. When asked what they generally use their smartphone for, 88 percent of respondents said phone calls, 77 said email, 73 percent indicated texting, 69 percent use it to browse the Internet, 51 percent said searching, and 50 percent use the phone's Global Positioning System. 

Shopping Aid
According to PriceGrabber, even in our largely virtual world, the thrill of shopping in a real brick-and-mortar store has not died.  PriceGrabber's survey data found that 36 percent of consumers said they use their smartphone for shopping.  When these respondents were asked to select all the ways in which they use their smartphones for shopping, 48 percent said they compare prices online when shopping in a store; 35 percent use it to scan product bar codes to find the best price; 29 percent use localization features to find nearby products; and 28 percent like to receive coupons, deals and alerts while on the go.

When asked how often they make shopping-related purchases on their phone, 22 percent of respondents said a couple of times a month, 16 percent said a few times a year, and 12 percent said one or more times per week.

"Mobile shopping has truly emerged as a trend among savvy consumers, and what positions it for long-term success is the fact that consumers can use their smartphones as an enhancement to the shopping they already do in brick-and-mortar stores," said Jones. "Analysis of our survey data shows that shoppers are not just sitting behind a computer doing their shopping from home; they are engaging with and leveraging the technology of their smartphones to take advantage of what their local retailers have to offer, which is certainly a promising prospect for the Main Street economy."


more at IBTimes

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Exclusive First Look: The Smurfs Movie Storybook App for iOS

The popular children’s cartoon The Smurfs has been adapted for the big screen in the 3D flick The Smurfs Movie, starring Neil Patrick Harris and Hank Azaria. Now showing on iPhone and iPad, in advance of the film’s July 29 debut, is the companion iOS application — The Smurfs Movie Storybook.

The application, developed by mobile children’s book application publisher iStoryTime, is targeted at junior Smurfs fans and follows the storyline of the upcoming feature film.

The $2.99 storybook for iOS, released Tuesday, features images from the film and celebrity character voiceovers. It offers young readers narrated read-alongs with manual flip or auto-play options, and includes a “Spot-The-Mistakes” game.

Movie companion applications are becoming must-offer appetizers and desserts by an entertainment industry hungry to drive audiences to theaters. The Smurfs Movie already has its own Farmville-knockoff in the “The Smurfs Village” game for iOS, and app maker iStoryTime has a long-standing relationship with Sony Pictures to create storybook applications for select films.

iStoryTime is also the publishing platform behind the Kung Fu Panda 2, The Penguins of Madagascar, Shrek Forever After and Transformers Mix & Match storybook applications.





more at Mashable

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Jailbreak iOS 5 Beta 4 On iPhone 4, 3GS, iPad, iPod touch Using Redsn0w 0.9.8

Shortly ago, iOS 5 Beta 4 was released to Apple developers. Those who have installed it are probably wondering how easy it will be to jailbreak the new system. It turns out you can do it the same way you’d do with all previous builds of iOS 5, using the just released version of Redsn0w.

Redsn0w for iOS 5 has received a minor update to make it compatible with iOS 5 Beta 4. The iPhone Dev Team, which authored this tweak, points out that this build, much like iOS 5 itself, is in beta form and should only be used by developers to test apps in the new iOS.

It should also be noted that if you jailbreak your device on iOS 5, you wont get OTA updates from Apple, as explained by MuscleNerd of iPhone Dev-Team:

The 5.0b4 OTA update won’t work on JB devices due to an explicit check of /Applications..almost like a present from Apple

NOTE: It appears that by design, the OTA update that became available starting with iOS 5 beta4 will *not* be automatically applied to jailbroken devices.  That’s a relief to those who don’t want to lose their jailbreak via OTA pushes.  If you’re jailbroken, you’ll need to use the standard iTunes method to get to iOS 5 beta4.

More details on it can be found here.

Redsn0w is fairly easy to install and use, since the program itself provides concise instructions on all the manual steps that need to be followed. While that may be true, it’s recommended that you have basic knowledge on basic iOS maintenance tasks, including restoring and entering DFU mode, in order to proceed. Also, remember that jailbreaking your device will void your warranty. You can follow the full tutorial here.

This is a tethered jailbreak, which means that the device will have to be plugged into the computer whenever it’s powered on, in order to be booted into a jailbroken state. It wouldn’t be worth for developers to work on an untethered method at this point, definitely not anytime before the final version of iOS finally ships.

iOS 5 is the major release of Apple’s mobile operating system that runs on iPhones, iPod touches and iPads. The new iOS includes many features, some of them long-awaited by the iOS community, including a revamped and less intrusive notification system, enhancements to Mobile Safari, especially on the iPad, and system-wide Twitter integration. It was first unveiled at this year’s WWDC, which stands for Worldwide Developer Conference, with the first beta coming out on the same day, followed by several other builds over the last few weeks.

In order to get iOS 5 legally, users should be registered Apple developers. Anyone is eligible to get a developer registration for $99 per year, which will give members access to all future beta builds of iOS, along with developer-oriented documentation and tools. Registrations can be purchased from Apple’s developer website.

Redsn0w 0.9.8b4 for Windows
Redsn0w 0.9.8b4 for Mac

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iPhone 5 Release Date and Features

iPhone 5 Release Date might be most buzzing topic among tech geeks.  Each day is rising with a new rumor or a speculative guess about iPhone 5 launch date. CNET UK, a top internet review site for electronics, has grabbed attention of the techies posting update on iPhone 5 release date.

According to CNET UK, iPhone 5 release date is likely to be September 7th 2011. We guess this is the first exact date prediction about launch of the next generation iPhone.

What is the reason behind releasing iPhone 5 in September?

Apple recently announced iOS 5 at WWDC 2011 which is packed with new cool features, including Android’s drop-down menu style notification.  iOS 5 will be released in the autumn, more specifically in  September. Furthermore, Apple brings new generation iPods and iPod Touches in September. However, according to CNET UK, iPods are not enough glamorous to bring iOS 5 into the world. iOS 5 and iPhone 5 both will be the perfect platforms for each other.

That is the reason why we are expecting to see iPhone 5 release with iOS 5, in the autumn.  We already assumed that Apple doesn’t want to release iPhone 5 until iOS 5 is completely ready which is somewhat similar to CNET UK’s prediction. Here is what we predicted.

Why CNET UK has assumed Wednesday 7 September 2011 as the iPhone 5 launch date? Since 2005, Apple has been launching iPods in September on the first Wednesday after Labor Day. There were some exceptions in the past, though the Wednesday has proven Apple’s a regular favorite day.

Well, what do you think about this prediction? Do you believe iPhone 5 will be released on 7th September 2011?

more at iPhone Stuffs

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iPhone 4 Video Gives a Fresh Perspective on Guitar Playing

What happens when you drop an iPhone 4 into the sound hole of a guitar, position it just so, and then pluck the strings? Take a look at this video to find out.

Reminding us of that Les Paul Google doodle we showed you last month, this is not what guitar strings are really doing when you’re strumming away.

The strings look wavy because the iPhone‘s rolling shutter isn’t exposing the entire string all at once, but in a slightly different rate from their vibration. It’s an effect similar to the way spinning wheels look when shot on film — as if they’re spinning backwards.

Want to shoot a video like this yourself? Here are some tips from “justkylevids,” the talented guitarist who shot this video:

more at Mashable

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34% of iPhone Users Think They Have 4G

“How many bloody Gs are there?,” asked a bewildered Ozzy Osbourne in one of the funniest Super Bowl commercials this year. You laugh, but he’s not the only one who’s confused about 4G technology.
In fact, as you can see in the graphic above, when consumer electronics shopping site Retrevo conducted a “Gadgetology” study of the state of 4G in the United States, 34% of iPhone owners thought they already owned a 4G smartphone. Of course, there is no such thing. Yet.

Okay all you Android and BlackBerry users, before you get too smug, notice that owners of your phone didn’t do much better, with 29% and 24% mistakenly thinking they already owned a 4G phone, too. Well, at least it’s possible to possess a 4G Android or 4G BlackBerry smartphone.

Retrievo’s conclusion? Adoption of 4G is not going to happen quickly. Take a look at the gallery for even more surprising facts about the reluctance of consumers to jump to the next level of faster smartphone connectivity.
more at Mashable

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Mobile Hacking: How Safe Is Your Smartphone?

New instances of phone hacking seem to emerge from Rupert Murdoch’s empire on a daily basis. But are the reports of interest beyond Murdoch and his detractors? Should you, as a consumer, fear that your phone will be hacked?

Not yet. Experts say that it’s still fairly easy to hack into your phone, but unless you’re a celebrity, you’re unlikely to be a target. Don’t get too comfortable, though. The era of safe mobile computing may be coming to an end as smartphones and other mobile devices become more popular than PCs.

For the moment, however, phone hacking is the farm team version of big league PC hacking. Methods — particularly in the case of the Murdoch charges which stretch back a decade in some cases — are pretty old school. Robert Siciliano, a McAfee consultant and identity theft expert, says probably the most prevalent way people hack phones is via “social engineering,” a.k.a. lying. For instance, a would-be hacker might call you and pose as the phone company saying they need to update your account and need your password. Or the hacker might get enough of your information to call the phone company and pose as you.

Steve Santorelli, director of global outreach at the Internet security research group Team Cymru, and former Scotland Yard police officer, says that the Murdoch phone hacks probably didn’t even take that much effort. It’s likely, he says, that the victims left a default password provided by the carrier on their phone and the hackers merely guessed correctly. Santorelli says that some carriers still use default passwords. Lesson: Change your passwords often.

There are, of course, more technologically savvy ways to hack your phone as well. A would-be hacker, for instance, might get a bit of information about your account and send a phishing email purportedly from your carrier asking you to log in. At that point they will have your password and other sensitive information. Smartphones also provide an opportunity to install monitoring software. iPhone owners are probably the safest in that regard, unless they jailbreak their phones, Siciliano says. Android users are less secure since publishers can upload their apps directly to Android Market. In March, hackers added malicious code to 58 Android apps, infecting 250,000 phones. “Android is more vulnerable because it’s a more open system,” says Siciliano. “While Google does vet its apps, some do slip by that are malicious.”

Once an app is installed, it can record all your calls and texts and, depending on what kind of apps you have and what you do with your phone, possibly get personal data related to banking and credit cards. There are other possibilities as well. A hacker could commandeer your phone into sending thousands of texts or making calls beyond your monthly minutes, causing you to rack up huge bills.

Such attacks are still pretty rare.”The low hanging fruit is still the PC,” says Siciliano. “If you are a criminal hacker, Microsoft’s OS is the most hacked software on the planet.” Yet that could be changing quickly. A recent survey by Flurry showed that consumers are now spending more time on mobile apps than on the web. Another by Mary Meeker of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers estimated that combined tablet and smartphone shipments eclipsed those of desktops and laptops this year for the first time.

Security firms have taken notice. Market research firm Infonetics predicts sales of mobile security software will grow 50% each year through 2014, when it will hit $2 billion. AT&T also plans to start selling a security offering to customers next year.

In short, sometime soon phone hacks may not just be Hugh Grant’s problem. Says Santorelli: “If I had money right now, I’d bet on the Russian mafia. Mobile hacking is going to be huge.”

more at Mashable

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Bowers & Wilkins C5 iPhone headset oozes luxury into your ear canals for $180

Maybe you've wanted to step up your iPhone listening-game with Bowers & Wilkins P5 headphones Maybe its $300 price tag or supra-aural fit just weren't appealing. Well then, maybe you'll be pleased hear about the company's new and extra-mobile $180 C5 noise-isolating in-ear headset. Crafted mostly from aluminum, its bullet-shaped earbuds look like a posh blend of the Zeppelin Air and Mini geared for mobile. The 'buds come equipped with an iDevice compatible inline remote / mic to get a handle on phone calls or swap though playlists, and have a few unique features to boot. To ensure a proper fit on-the-move, you'll find Secure Loops that can be adjusted to hug the inner cartilage of your ear, along with added heft (Tungsten Weighting) near the inner-ear side for a tight seal. Internally, there's a Micro Porous Filter to widen the perceived soundstage, while also preventing any leakage to folks around you. We'll be checking these out in due time, but for now, audio lovers will find full specs at B&W's website linked below. more at Engadget

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4G LTE implementation is expensive: Will the iPhone 5 have it?

Thanks to its 4G LTE chipset, the HTC ThunderBolt is the most expensive smartphone on the market. Will Apple choose to bear the price of 4G LTE in its next iPhone?

From a cost-to-build perspective, the HTC ThunderBolt may be the most expensive phone on the market thanks to its pricey 4G LTE chipset, reports IHS. The cost of the 4G amplifiers, power management, chipsets, etc come out to $39.75, boosting the total cost of the ThunderBolt to $262–a new record.

While we can understand why HTC might bear the bill to have the first 4G LTE handset, we must note that it didn’t come without a price hike for consumers. The ThunderBolt costs $249 with a two-year contract, about $50 higher than smartphones a year ago, meaning consumers are paying for the price of 4G before a single 4G data bill comes in the mail.

With that said, will Apple take a hit and implement 4G in its upcoming iPhone 5? The price of the Verizon iPhone 4 is $171.35, meaning that if Apple chooses to add a similar chipset to the ThunderBolt, it could drive up the cost of the phone to $211.10, and that’s assuming the Cuppertino manufacturer hasn’t made any other expensive design or functionality decisions. more at DigitalTrends

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