TUAW Poll: Will you buy the Verizon iPhone?

Now that the cat's out of the bag, here at TUAW we're wondering how AT&T will answer to Verizon's iPhone announcement -- specifically the part where the iPhone 4 will be a mobile hotspot that supports up to 5 devices. It's definitely an extra incentive to lure AT&T customers, already unhappy with tiered data plans and extra costs for tethering.

When the Verizon iPhone makes its debut on February 10, will you be among those in line to get it?

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TUAW Poll: Will you buy the Verizon iPhone? originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW Poll: Will you buy the Verizon iPhone? originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 4 will available through Verizon starting in February

iPhone 4 will available through Verizon starting in February originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone 4 will available through Verizon starting in February originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Verizon iPhone: A rumor roundup

As the minutes tick by to what looks like the imminent release of the iPhone on Verizon, here's a roundup of what could be expected during the next hour and what's happened during the past few months:

As soon as the iPad made its Verizon debut, every announcement out of Verizon began looking like it would be the iPhone's turn and that 2011 would be the year of the Verizon iPhone. A couple weeks before Christmas, the rumors began circulating that a 4G LTE Verizon iPhone would be introduced right after Christmas.

Apple put the freeze on employee vacations beginning the last week of this month until the third week of February while there were reports of Verizon snatching up iPhone-related domains.

Our friends over at the Wall Street Journal confirmed the rumor, and given their history on predicting such matters, we have little reason to doubt that Verizon is announcing the real deal here.

Meanwhile, AT&T is already lobbing shots at potential leapers, warning them that they too are destined for "life in the slow lane.". In what looks like a pre-emptive move, AT&T, Apple and other retailers like Target have slashed the official price of the iPhone 3GS to $49 -- plus two-year contract, of course.

All will be revealed in about 20 minutes (as of this writing). Stay tuned.

The Verizon iPhone: A rumor roundup originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Verizon iPhone: A rumor roundup originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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tap tap tap makes a million - in both sales and profit - from Camera+

With much glee, tap tap tap announced today that not only has it sold the millionth copy of Camera+ for the iPhone, but it's also made a million dollars in revenue from that app plus the effects pack that's an in-app purchase (after Apple's cut, of course).

Fellow blogger Steve Sande reviewed Camera+ a few months ago and found it a worthy addition to your iPhone photo-app arsenal. Camera+ is currently on sale for 99 cents.

taptaptap's John Casasanta also took the occasion to muse on the future of the mobile market, gnash his teeth at grubby venture capitalists and make the argument that there will always be a role for high-quality paid apps in the iOS world.

tap tap tap makes a million - in both sales and profit - from Camera+ originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

tap tap tap makes a million - in both sales and profit - from Camera+ originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype for iPhone updates to 3.0, adds video calling

In a move that's sure to make users stand up and say "Hallelujah," the latest update to the Skype app for iPhone finally adds video calling.

The newest version of the app will allow users to make video Skype to Skype calls from their iPhone via Wi-Fi and 3G, and also call Skype desktop users on both OS X and Windows (and we presume their sorely neglected Linux users), as well as those using Skype on their iPhones and iPads.

Naturally, if you're on an iPad, you won't get to send video back -- and you have to deal with the iPhone interface since there isn't a native Skype app for the iPad. But, iPad 2 could change that. If the new hardware is released with a camera, Skype will be ready for it, and hopefully with an iPad-optimized app as well.

So, have fun with video chatting via Skype and let us know what you think of it in the comments!

Thanks for the fast tip, Daniel!

Skype for iPhone updates to 3.0, adds video calling originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Skype for iPhone updates to 3.0, adds video calling originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Make your own iPhone/iPod dock from a tree branch

Anthropologie has developed a new way to destroy trees by offering a US$98 iPhone dock created from a round of hickory wood with branches attached ... and that's pretty much it. No speakers. No clock. It's enough to make you want to go out, scavenge a couple of dead tree limbs and make one for yourself.

That's exactly what Chris over at ManMade did. He turned a spare iPod/iPhone USB cable, a couple of sticks, a fallen tree limb and a branch into the exact same dock found at Anthropologie, then provided detailed instructions so you can make your own. It's not difficult to make, and should you happen to be lacking tree limbs, you can pick up similar wood materials at a craft store or nursery.

So, if you're looking for a cool last-minute gift, have the right tools and couple hours to spare, try making one of these docks.

[Via Cnet]

Make your own iPhone/iPod dock from a tree branch originally appeared on TUAW on Sun, 19 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Make your own iPhone/iPod dock from a tree branch originally appeared on TUAW on Sun, 19 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Want the Radio Shack discount? You’re probably out of luck

If you were waiting until today to take advantage of Radio Shack's deep, deep discount on an iPhone, you're most likely out of luck. The promotion caused a nationwide RS shortage of iPhone inventory, and AppleInsider contacted a number of the stores on Friday to find that all but one have run out of stock.

This isn't the first time "The Shack's" promos caused a run on the iPhone. The company offered a similar kickback program when the iPhone 4 was first launched. But so many took advantage of the offer that after the initial pre-orders, no new phones came in for the remainder of the program's run.

For those who missed out on Radio Shack's deal, maybe they had better luck at Best Buy's one-day sale.

Want the Radio Shack discount? You're probably out of luck originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Want the Radio Shack discount? You're probably out of luck originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Extra! Extra! app may be scraping news museum’s feed of front pages

TUAW came across the US$3.99 app Extra! Extra! when developer Finbarr Brady solicited a review. Extra! Extra! bills itself as an app that will supply you with the daily front pages of more than 800 newspapers from around the globe.

This sounded suspiciously similar to one of the features on the Newseum's website. The Newseum, located in Washington, D.C., is a museum that documents news media history. Each morning, more than 800 newspapers from around the world send their front pages as high-quality PDFs to the museum's gallery, which features these pages for educational purposes.

In Extra! Extra!, you can select a newspaper either from a list or a map view, and the app downloads the PDF to your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. You can then either mark it as a favorite, e-mail it to someone, or visit the paper's site -- though several of the links I checked were incorrect.

I scanned the list of papers provided by Extra! Extra! and found that it closely mirrored the Newseum's list. The FAQ section on the app site claims that it is up to the individual newspaper to decide whether or not it is included with the Extra! Extra! app.

Full disclosure: I'm a designer with The Patriot-News just outside of Harrisburg, PA. Part of my duties when I, or my co-workers, design the front page is to send a high-quality PDF to the Newseum. I checked with our executive editor this morning, who confirmed that we only send those PDFs to Newseum and not any other organization. The Patriot-News is one of the newspapers made available through Extra! Extra!

Read on for more...

Continue reading Extra! Extra! app may be scraping news museum's feed of front pages

Extra! Extra! app may be scraping news museum's feed of front pages originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Extra! Extra! app may be scraping news museum's feed of front pages originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple introduces online Chinese store, App Store now in Simplified Chinese

Apple launched a Chinese-language version of its online store today with all of Apple's product lineup in place, including the online-only (PRODUCT) RED iPod nano, and a selection of third-party products.

In addition to this, a Simplified Chinese version of the App Store was rolled out with localized apps and the most popular paid and free apps in China.

The top paid iPhone app in the Chinese app store is Cartoon Wars 2: Heroes. You'll find your Angry Birds fix all the way down at #7.

[Via MacRumors]

Apple introduces online Chinese store, App Store now in Simplified Chinese originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple introduces online Chinese store, App Store now in Simplified Chinese originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple introduces online Chinese store, App Store now in Simplified Chinese

Apple launched a Chinese-language version of its online store today with all of Apple's product lineup in place, including the online-only (PRODUCT) RED iPod nano, and a selection of third-party products.

In addition to this, a Simplified Chinese version of the App Store was rolled out with localized apps and the most popular paid and free apps in China.

The top paid iPhone app in the Chinese app store is Cartoon Wars 2: Heroes. You'll find your Angry Birds fix all the way down at #7.

[Via MacRumors]

Apple introduces online Chinese store, App Store now in Simplified Chinese originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple introduces online Chinese store, App Store now in Simplified Chinese originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are higher iPhone 4 accident rates really something to worry about?

A report that surfaced from SquareTrade a couple days ago claims that accident rates are higher on the iPhone 4 than its 3GS sibling.

SquareTrade says that in the first four months of the iPhone 4 being out in the wild, there is an 82 6 percent increase in reported broken screens over the rate on the 3GS. Thing is, SquareTrade counts the back of the iPhone as a screen, not just the front display, and reports that broken glass on the back of the iPhone accounts for 25 percent of the issues they've run into.

One thing to take with a large grain of salt -- SquareTrade makes its living by selling warranties. It culled its numbers not from AppleCare, but the company's own warranties that it sells. Far more iPhone 4 users most likely have AppleCare or no extended warranty at all on their iPhone and this study, which has grabbed a good bit of media coverage, seems to have been created to sell more of SquareTrade's warranties.

There was also a pent-up demand for the iPhone 4 as evidenced by the numbers sold compared to those for the 3GS. Many people, myself included, waited to upgrade from the original iPhone or iPhone 3G and never got a 3GS. The phones are also constructed differently. So, take double the amount of glass in a phone, add the fact that there are more phones out there, and you're going to have more accidents. Read through the report and make your own decision. If you're still worried, slap a good case on your iPhone and don't use it as a hockey puck or bottle opener.

[Via MacObserver]

Are higher iPhone 4 accident rates really something to worry about? originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Are higher iPhone 4 accident rates really something to worry about? originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WordPress app now includes video recording

WordPress for iOS has updated to version 2.6, which adds the ability to record video from within the app and upload it to a blog.

Other improvements include an overhaul of locally saved drafts, which brings it more in line with the web version -- including the ability to autosave while the post is being written. Also, version 2.6 implements a full media library within the app.

WordPress for iOS 2.6 is a free download from the App Store and available now.

[Via Macworld]

WordPress app now includes video recording originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

WordPress app now includes video recording originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HDR photo hands-on with iPhone 4 and iOS 4.1

I've never used one of the HDR apps, so I was eager to try out this new feature using iOS 4.1 on my iPhone 4.

Launching the camera now gives you an HDR option at the top of your screen. It's automatically set to off. When you toggle the option on, it will automatically switch the camera flash to off.

Using HDR will provide you with two shots -- one normal shot and one with HDR utilized. For my test subjects I used:

• A shot of a window from a few feet away.
• A shot of a window standing at the window.
• A dark shot using the cat lounging next to the iMac as a model
• A well-lit shot using one of the other cats, who happened to claim a kitchen cabinet as his own, as a model.

The most noticeable difference came from the window shot taken a few feet away. As seen above, the normal shot has the outside areas overexposed while you can clearly see the apartment building across from mine -- including some detailed areas -- in the HDR shot. This shot was taken about eight feet from the window.

Continue reading HDR photo hands-on with iPhone 4 and iOS 4.1

HDR photo hands-on with iPhone 4 and iOS 4.1 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

HDR photo hands-on with iPhone 4 and iOS 4.1 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 101: Using Ping on your iPhone

Along with the desktop version of Ping, you can also utilize Apple's new social network on your iPhone. It's actually proven to be my favorite method of using the service.

However, Apple does make it a bit difficult. At this time, you can't activate a Ping account from your phone -- it must be done through iTunes 10. Otherwise, you'll get the lovely message as seen in our screenshot gallery. Once you get Ping activated, it integrates nicely with the existing mobile iTunes.

Read on to see Ping in action on the iPhone, or check out the gallery.

Continue reading iPhone 101: Using Ping on your iPhone

iPhone 101: Using Ping on your iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone 101: Using Ping on your iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Facebook iPhone app has 105m users?

Facebook has posted some pretty impressive numbers regarding its mobile users recently, including a developer saying there are more than 150 million active mobile Facebook users. The site itself has more than 500 million members.

- 12 million are using the Android client
- Nearly 59 million are using the Blackberry client
- 105 million are using the iPhone client*
- The rest are using clients built for Palm, T-Mobile's Sidekick and more.

*Note these numbers were pulled at 11:20 a.m. EST and are updated frequently.

Wait a minute ... 105 million? Steve Jobs indicated at WWDC in June that the 100 millionth iOS device (spanning iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch) would be sold that month. With the flurry of iPhone 4 sales since then, it's no surprise that there's more than 100 million iOS devices out there in the wild. But are all of them really running Facebook?

You can log into multiple Facebook accounts from a single iOS device, and those probably count. The number provided by Facebook isn't the number of downloads the app has had, but the number of people actually using it. The client itself is still ranked among the top 10 free App Store apps. Even so, a penetration rate hovering somewhere around 90 percent -- if you take into account the number of iOS devices sold since June and the fact that there's not a Facebook app for the iPad -- is a little hard to swallow.

[via Mobile Entertainment]

Facebook iPhone app has 105m users? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Facebook iPhone app has 105m users? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Photojojo has real camera lenses available for your iPhone

I love the camera on the iPhone 4, but I've always disliked digital zoom and do whatever I can to avoid using it. Photojojo has responded to my inner camera snob with two glass lenses that can be attached to the phone via a magnetic ring.

You can always rig an existing camera lens to your phone, and the progress on the iPhone DSLR project is amazing, but this looks to be a more portable solution. A fisheye lens is available for $25 and a wide angle/macro lens is $20. You can get both together for $40.

Be warned that the lens does cover the flash on the iPhone 4. The lens can be used with a case as long as the case is tight against the phone. The ring itself is attached to your phone with adhesive and some will be reluctant to mar the surface of their phone with it, but using a case may offer a solution if you're willing to take the risk of possible light leaks.

Photojojo has real camera lenses available for your iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Photojojo has real camera lenses available for your iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Streaming app Grooveshark pulled from App Store

Grooveshark, the music-streaming app that's had a home on Cydia for the past year, was kicked out of the App Store after Apple notified the company that they received a complaint from Universal Music Group UK.

While Apple has approved streaming music apps (such as Rhapsody) in the past, Grooveshark's woes appear to be related to a lawsuit between the company and Universal Music Group. The lawsuit, reported by CNET in January, alleges that Grooveshark is distributing illegal copies of the company's music. A similar suit with EMG was resolved in 2009.

Grooveshark is still available for other mobile devices, so if you're a fan of the service, you may want to stick with your Cydia copy if your iPhone is jailbroken or download it to one of those. I don't think we'll be seeing this app back in the App Store until this lawsuit is resolved.

[Via ReadWriteWeb]

Streaming app Grooveshark pulled from App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Streaming app Grooveshark pulled from App Store originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jailbreakme site utilizes PDF exploit in iOS

Filed under: iPhone, iOS

We reported on the return of browser-based jailbreakme.com yesterday. Today IT security guru F-Secure revealed just how the site is able to work.

The jailbreak method utilizes a PDF exploit found in the iOS software. Charlie Miller with Independent Security Evaluators, tweeted, " Starting to get a handle on jailbreakme.com exploit. Very beautiful work. Scary how it totally defeats Apple's security architecture."

What the exploit does is take a PDF sitting in a subdirectory of jailbreakme.com, shown on the right, and brings it into your device. PDF browsing is done through Safari, and the jailbreak exploits that weakness by using a corrupted font placed inside the PDF file to crash the Compact Font Format handler and allows access to the iOS.

iPhone devteam member chpwn told us today, "There are other (public) exploits in Safari, including some on Apple's website that are fixed in desktop Safari but not iOS. Therefore, the JailbreakMe exploit isn't really a big deal for security."

And even if it is, apparently there are other ways into the system. Comex, author of the exploit, sent a tweet yesterday saying, "M aybe I'll rely on USB based stuff for the next jailbreak so that Apple won't patch it so fast."

Jailbreakme site utilizes PDF exploit in iOS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Jailbreakme site utilizes PDF exploit in iOS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jailbreakme site utilizes PDF exploit in iOS

Filed under: iPhone, iOS

We reported on the return of browser-based jailbreakme.com yesterday. Today IT security guru F-Secure revealed just how the site is able to work.

The jailbreak method utilizes a PDF exploit found in the iOS software. Charlie Miller with Independent Security Evaluators, tweeted, " Starting to get a handle on jailbreakme.com exploit. Very beautiful work. Scary how it totally defeats Apple's security architecture."

What the exploit does is take a PDF sitting in a subdirectory of jailbreakme.com, shown on the right, and brings it into your device. PDF browsing is done through Safari, and the jailbreak exploits that weakness by using a corrupted font placed inside the PDF file to crash the Compact Font Format handler and allows access to the iOS.

iPhone devteam member chpwn told us today, "There are other (public) exploits in Safari, including some on Apple's website that are fixed in desktop Safari but not iOS. Therefore, the JailbreakMe exploit isn't really a big deal for security."

And even if it is, apparently there are other ways into the system. Comex, author of the exploit, sent a tweet yesterday saying, "M aybe I'll rely on USB based stuff for the next jailbreak so that Apple won't patch it so fast."

Jailbreakme site utilizes PDF exploit in iOS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Jailbreakme site utilizes PDF exploit in iOS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jailbreakme site utilizes PDF exploit in iOS

Filed under: iPhone, iOS

We reported on the return of browser-based jailbreakme.com yesterday. Today IT security guru F-Secure revealed just how the site is able to work.

The jailbreak method utilizes a PDF exploit found in the iOS software. Charlie Miller with Independent Security Evaluators, tweeted, " Starting to get a handle on jailbreakme.com exploit. Very beautiful work. Scary how it totally defeats Apple's security architecture."

What the exploit does is take a PDF sitting in a subdirectory of jailbreakme.com, shown on the right, and brings it into your device. PDF browsing is done through Safari, and the jailbreak exploits that weakness by using a corrupted font placed inside the PDF file to crash the Compact Font Format handler and allows access to the iOS.

iPhone devteam member chpwn told us today, "There are other (public) exploits in Safari, including some on Apple's website that are fixed in desktop Safari but not iOS. Therefore, the JailbreakMe exploit isn't really a big deal for security."

And even if it is, apparently there are other ways into the system. Comex, author of the exploit, sent a tweet yesterday saying, "M aybe I'll rely on USB based stuff for the next jailbreak so that Apple won't patch it so fast."

Jailbreakme site utilizes PDF exploit in iOS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Jailbreakme site utilizes PDF exploit in iOS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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