Is it possible that every single one of those millions of iPhones out in the wild are vulnerable to hijacking via a SMS bug?  Two cybersecurity researchers would answer that question with a resounding “yes.” According to an article from Forbes , cybersecurity experts Charlie Miller and Collin Mulliner will be speaking at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas where they intend to reveal a bug that they have found in the iPhone’s way of handling SMS that exposes the device to remote control through the bug, including its camera, dialer, and Safari.  The worst part is that it is also able to send mass text messages to further propagate the hijacking.  No matter the hardware or software revision, every single iPhone is vulnerable. Miller and Mulliner have fully disclosed how the attack works: The attack developed by Miller and Mulliner works by exploiting a missing safeguard in the phones’ text messaging software that prevents code in the messages’ text from overflowing into other parts of the device’s memory where it can run as an executable program. The two researchers plan to demonstrate how a series of 512 SMS messages can exploit the bug, with only one of those messages actually appearing on the phone, showing a small square. (Someone could easily design the attack to show a different message or without any visible messages, Miller cautions.) The entire process of infecting an iPhone and then using the device to infect another phone on the user’s contact list would take only a few minutes, Miller says. The only way to keep your iPhone from being hijacked is by shutting it off. “This is serious. The only thing you can do to prevent it is turn off your phone,” Miller told Forbes. “Someone could pretty quickly take over every iPhone in the world with this.” Both experts have notified Apple of the bug about a month ago, but Apple has continuously ignored their warnings.  Being that it is Apple they are dealing with, it is possible they have been working on a solution, but we won’t know until one is released. Not so surprisingly, Apple isn’t the only one that can be affected by the bug.  Google’s Android in its current form is vulnerable to a similar bug that is able to knock a user offline for 10-seconds, while Windows Mobile devices are affected in the same way as Apple’s. Are you concerned about this bug, or do you think that Apple will release a fix in a timely manner, effectively making this news completely irrelevant?  I am truly hoping for the latter. Related Posts iPhone SMS Vulnerability Identified; Apple Working On A Fix AT&T Confirms MMS Won’t Cost Extra For Text Bundle Customers Apple.com Hacked, Buy iPhone 3G S Without AT&T Contract? The Onion’s Take On Apple’s New “iPhone 3GI” Apple’s Official MobileMe iDisk App Released, View And Share Files On Your iDisk From Your iPhone

Not every iPhone and iPod touch game has to be a graphical marvel.  Some games absolutely benefit from gorgeous graphics, but others can be just as good by offering entertaining and engaging gameplay.  That’s exactly what Bike Or Die 2 is capable of, except the price of the game has basically kept it out of the hands of many gamers.  Today and tomorrow, however, will be a different story since Bike Or Die 2 is on sale for 48 hours. Bike Or Die 2 isn’t about graphical appeal, it’s about physics and content. Bike Or Die 2 is a physics-based biking game in which you must complete courses in the fastest time possible.  You can see how your times compare to others’ via the leader boards, or you can watch and learn from videos posted from the best riders out there.  Videos can be combined with your own, so you can judge your riding against others.  The game also features customizable bike appearances, iPhone specific touch controls, and over 2,500 downloadable levels. For the longest time Bike Or Die 2 has been available in the App Store for $6.99, but for 48 hours it will be on sale for $.99.  A Lite version is available for free, which contains seven levels to test out, but it lacks all of the online functionality. Embedded below is a gameplay video for Bike Or Die 2 . Related Posts Knights Onrush On Sale For $.99 Wide Variety Of Games On Sale For $.99: Star Hogs, SlotZ Racer, And Radial 50 Chillingo’s Touch KO Released, Update Already In The Works Three Great $.99 Games Updated: ShapeShape, The Battle Of Pirate Bay, And Mummy’s Revenge Two Quality Games On Sale This Weekend: Clue And Defender Chronicles

It’s mid-week, and most of you are probably feeling a little down with only half of the work week gone and another half to push through.  To help perk everyone up a bit, I have decided to add a little humor to your day! If you constantly keep tabs on The Onion you may have already stumbled upon this one, but if you don’t, you are in for a treat. The Onion is widely known for their unique take on the news.  Sometimes it is humorous and sometimes it is downright ridiculous, it just depends upon what exactly they are mocking.  Just yesterday they posted a pleasant satirical article about the release of Apple’s iPhone and the kind of reception it receives from the die-hard fans.  Well, if I am not mistaken, those die-hard fans are you and I, so this one is extremely relevant. So head on over to The Onion and give this one a read from top to bottom when you have a moment, and hopefully it brightens up your day. For those of you that have more than a single moment, we have another hilarious treat for you, but this one has to do with the “MacBook Wheel” and not the iPhone.  It’s still required viewing for a good giggle. The video is Flash by the way, so we must apologize in advance to those of you on your iPhones. Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard [Image via The Onion ] Related Posts Apple’s Official MobileMe iDisk App Released, View And Share Files On Your iDisk From Your iPhone Apple Asks Developers For Keywords, Finally Find What You Are Searching For Developer Fights Back, GV Mobile Already Available Via Cydia Apple Pulls Google Voice-Enabled Apps, Rejects Official Google Voice App iPhone OS 3.1 Beta 3 Released To Developers

ngmoco released Star Defense , their highly anticipated take on the tower defense genre, sometime in early June at the price of $5.99.  Unlike many other game publishers, ngmoco decided to stick with the initial release price for the entire life of the game, or at least they had until today. Star Defense is a unique take on the tower defense genre.  It features seven 3D worlds, each with their own unique path layout, enemy types and immunities, and weapon choices.  You can manipulate the worlds with multi-touch controls to place your towers in the most strategic way possible in an attempt to stop the incoming S’rath horde.  The game features a campaign mode where you can collect over 20 medals and 30 commendations, which allows you to earn points in ngmoco’s Plus+ network for every one you unlock. Star Defense also features quite a few different ways to interact with friends.  The game features four different challenge planets in which you can go for the best score possible and then post your scores on Twitter and Facebook, or you can send direct challenges via email and push notifications. Star Defense is normally priced at $5.99, but it is now available for only $2.99. Related Posts Rolando Will Stay Put, Topple Makes A Comeback WordFu And Dr. Awesome On Sale To Celebrate Release Of Rolando 2 Topple 2 Now On Sale For $.99 New Rolando 2 Walkthrough Video Sega Of America President Simon Jeffrey Leaves For Ngmoco

We are well aware that our first annual AppAwards officially concluded about a week ago, but we have had quite a few difficulties choosing and contacting the winner of the grand prize package.  Sometimes these things just don’t go as smoothly as hoped.  So without further ado, here is your AppAwards grand prize winner: Michael - ( Rizzo893 ) Congratulations!  Michael’s grand prize package consists of about $150 worth of various download codes and gift cards. We would like to thank everyone who participated in the AppAwards one last time, because without all of you, it wouldn’t have been so successful! Next year should be even better than this year’s showing, and hopefully by than we will have a better system implemented to choose and reveal a grand prize winner. So guess what?  We still have some download codes left over from AppAwards week!  Since they are on the verge of expiring, we are going to unload as many of them as we can on our Facebook fanpage and right here on this post. To win a download code from this post, just leave a relevant comment about the AppAwards.  It can be anything at all, even a nice congratulatory message for Michael, just make sure it is pleasant!  Our winners will be chosen randomly at the end of the day today (11:59 PM ET July 29). US iTunes accounts are only eligible to redeem codes.  Please remember to include a valid email address so we can contact the winners. Since we can’t be sure how many codes are still valid, we can’t give an exact number as to how many winners will be chosen.  But rest assured, there will be a decent amount, so you have a pretty good chance at winning something.  We also can’t promise any specific apps, so you are going to have to take what you can get.  Good luck! Related Posts AppAwards Giveaway Winners List, Check To See If You Won AppAwards Winner Of Best Instant Messaging App: Giveaway AppAwards Winner Of Best Document Creation App: Giveaway AppAwards Winner Of Best Twitter Client (Paid): Giveaway AppAwards Winner Of Most Innovative User Interface: Giveaway

Overview Real Racing is an authentic racing sim built for the iPhone. This game seems very similar to Gran Turismo in a lot of different ways. This is deluxe championship racing on the iPhone with 8 different championship events. Get behind the wheel of nearly 50 different cars, and experience racing like you never have before on the iPhone. Race through beautiful landscapes for the gold either against the computer, your friends, or anyone around the world. Features A boat load of features are included in Real Racing. Firemint has done a great job in listing all the features in the item description . The main highlights are five gameplay modes: career, wifi multiplayer, online leagues, quick race, and time trial. In career mode you advance through four classes of cars: Hatch, Sedan, Muscle, and Exotic. Each class has a time trial and two events, and each event has three divisions: A, B, and C. So in total there are 76 events to completely immerse yourself in. With the 1.10 update there are now 48 cars with 12 brand new exotic ones. One of the best features is the control method with five different types allowing everyone to find one that fits their racing style. Also with the 1.10 update you can now use the OS 3.0 feature of incorporating your own playlist in the game. Maybe the neatest feature is the ability to play six cars in wifi multiplayer. Another feature is break-assist which can be cranked up to feel like arcade racing, or turned off completely for a truly real racing experience. The Good There is a lot to like with real racing beginning with the outstanding racing experience. You actually feel like you’re driving in a realistic competitive race. In turns you need to apply the breaks, you speed changes based on the type of terrain you’re on, and the AI doesn’t make mistakes. The visuals are absolutely stunning, and even more so for the iPhone. I haven’t seen a better looking game to date. The cars are designed nicely and the tracks and backgrounds are amazingly detailed. The best aspect is the racing graphics as the six cars speed along the track grazing each other, skid around curves, and their tires smokin’. In every single race, every aspect of racing sounds authentic. When you take off, your tires are squealing, and depending on the sharpness of the curve your tires also squeal appropriately. The car accelerates in perfect harmony, with each gear shift having the appropriate sound. Not only are there real racing sounds, but a ten track library is included that play nicely in the background. The game is also made to fit any person that plays it. There are five control modes, a calibration feature, tilt sensitivity adjustment, and two camera modes: in-car and external. I found that playing with Control B, and in car camera mode made a perfect racing experience. There is plenty to do in this game, and you’ll find yourself playing it for a long time. Just simply going into career mode provides hours of entertainment, with four classes, two circuits per class, and three divisions per circuit. The game saves your career progress, but not in race progress. Then there is the outstanding wifi multiplayer allowing you and five friends to burn rubber. The Bad It was tough to find some bad things with Real Racing. I guess the biggest problem is the price of $9.99 which may seem like a lot currently in the App Store. You could buy ten $0.99 games that are really good instead, so it’s up to you. The game works perfectly at what it sets out to do: provide a realistic racing experience on the iPhone. Some people might be arcade racing fans though, and this game could be a turn-off. Granted you can crank up break-assist, and it feels like an arcade racing game. Also there was occasionally slight choppiness (though I’m using a 1st gen iPhone). The Verdict Firemint truly has created ‘Real’ Racing on the iPhone. This is absolutely the best racing game on the iPhone, and rivals Gran Turismo for the PSP. The visuals and sounds may be the best on the iPhone, and there are hours of fun to be had. The price is the biggest concern with this title, but if you’re even remotely interested in racing on the iPhone $9.99 will feel like a bargain. The championship races are as fun and intense as can be. Real Racing is an amazing game for the iPhone that is an absolute must not only for realistic racing fans, but anyone who owns an idevice. Related Posts Real Racing Has Finally Been Submitted To The App Store Time To Fire Up Those Engines, Real Racing v1.1 Update Released Real Racing v1.01 Update Now Available iPhone 3GS Real Racing Tech Demo Video - 40 Cars On-Screen Flight Control v1.3 Adds Peer-To-Peer Multiplayer

Want to see if there are any sex offenders in your area. The new Offender Locator iPhone app will show you exactly where to go (or where not to go). The app uses GPS to show you where all the registered sex offenders are near you at any given time. You can also use addresses from

Soon after Apple admitted that improvements were needed in helping users locate App Store software, developers have been asked to add a list of keywords for their submitted applications to improve discovery. In a change revealed to several reporters and blogs, developers are now asked to enter up to 255 characters worth of keywords, separated by

A Shanghai newspaper reports Apple has reached a three year exclusive agreement with China Unicom to market the iPhone, though company officials say a deal is not yet official. Shanghai Securities News cited unnamed sources in announcing the alleged deal. But after the news broke, Dow Jones Newswires reported that China Unicom spokesperson Sophia Tso has

Apple has finally released their official MobileMe iDisk app in the App Store.  The app is the perfect companion to any and all of you trying to make use of your MobileMe iDisk while on-the-go. The app is extremely simple and straightforward.  Just launch the app and you will be prompted to enter your username and password.  Once logged in you will see a list of all of the folders and files on your iDisk.  You can then view those files or share them with others. To share files, simply tap the large share button on the right-hand side and choose your recipients.  The app will then send an email with a link to download the file directly from your iDisk.  If you so choose, you can assign a password and limit the number of days the download is available to keep your files safe. MobileMe iDisk supports all kinds of file types, including iWork, Office, PDF, Quicktime, and more.  Files larger than 20MB may not be viewable.  The app also requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later. MobileMe iDisk is now available for free in the App Store. Related Posts Apple Asks Developers For Keywords, Finally Find What You Are Searching For Apple Reports Q3 Results, Biggest Non-Holiday Quarter Ever Over 1.5 Billion Apps Downloaded From App Store Postman v2.0 Released With New Interface Popular iPhone App Updates for July 3rd 2009