BlackBerry users, look alive: BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has ladled out a verbal foretaste of the next generation of App World, its storefront for downloading and buying software applications, the day before RIM's Wireless Enterprise Symposium (WES) BlackBerry conference officially kicks off.

RIM Co-CEO Jim Balsillie confirmed in a talk to investors and the press that BlackBerry's App World application, which users must currently download in order to access, will soon come preloaded on the home screen of all BlackBerry models shipping with version 5.0 of the operating system or higher.

The second version of the app will also be Wi-Fi capable--right now it only downloads over data networks--and the online catalog will soon be able to mirror on the desktop the on-phone app's capability to buy premium apps.

Taking a cue from Apple, RIM has announced that App World will adopt microtransactions, the breed of in-app payments that Apple employed months ago to let developers sell users additional and optional features and services on top of the app's base price. Examples include unlocking more levels in a game and purchasing premium video content.

We were relieved to hear that RIM is closer to offering carrier and credit card billing in addition to charging for apps through PayPal, for which you must also register in order to download a single App Store app. We ranted and railed about being locked into PayPal's ecosystem when App World first launched a year ago in April 2009, and breathed our first sigh of relief when RIM announced plans to broaden its payment plan last November.

In addition to enabling greater purchasing freedom for its application-hungry consumers, App World 2.0 will pack in more account management and search improvements, fit a greater number of enterprise apps in the catalog, and guarantee free and paid catalogs for the app in all countries App World currently supports.

Most of these new features will roll out later this year, with the notable exception of RIM's plan to support monthly recurring charges in 2011.

In light of the fact that BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is itching to drum up excitement about its forthcoming version 6.0 operating system at the Wireless Enterprise Symposium (WES) conference this week in Orlando, Fla., it's too bad the company was customarily tight-lipped last week when we asked if it could confirm leaked photos and details of the very same OS .

As we predicted, RIM will be previewing the next generation of its operating system at the conference beginning on Tuesday. RIM has confirmed very little else about the OS, other than a promised debut in the next calendar quarter.

We should also expect to see "better" integration with touch devices, trackpad support, and support for a QWERTY keyboard--essentially spelling out support for devices that already exist, such as the Storm, Bold, and Tour. Unlike Microsoft, which has no plans for adapting its upcoming Windows Phone 7 Series operating system to previous phones, RIM will make the OS upgrade backward-compatible. In other words, it will be available for some earlier smartphone models.

We also know that the next generation of BlackBerry's oft-maligned native browser will be based on WebKit, the same open-source browser building block at the foundation of iPhone's Safari and Google's Android browsers. In fact, we've been expecting the migration to a WebKit browser ever since RIM bought up browser maker Torch Mobile in August 2009.

Stay tuned for the rush of details that's sure to come as RIM begins previewing OS 6.0 at this event and in the coming months, and brush up in the meantime on the features and improvements purportedly uncovered in the leaked OS.

Originally posted at Crave

Scammers are distributing e-mails designed to trick iPad owners into downloading software that they think is an iTunes update, but which turns out to be malware that opens a back door on the computer, researchers warned on Monday.

The e-mails have a subject line that says "iPad Software Update" and offer a link to a Web page that looks like a legitimate iTunes download page, according to BitDefender. Instead, the link installs malware identified as Backdoor.Bifrose.AADY, according to the BitDefender blog.

The malware injects itself in to the "explorer.exe" process and opens up a back door that attackers can use to take control of the system whenever they want, the post said. It also attempts to read the keys and serial numbers of the various software programs installed on the computer and logs passwords to the victim's ICQ, Messenger, and POP3 mail accounts, and protected storage, BitDefender said.

Mac users are not affected by this piece of malware, according to the post.

Originally posted at InSecurity Complex

Last week, McAfee pushed out a virus definition file update the company now admits did not meet an acceptable level of quality assurance. Users found this out the hard way when the update crippled their computers. While the damage to individual computer systems has been repairable, I recommend that you look elsewhere for your computer's security.

My recommendation comes down to a harsh reality: corporations should be accountable for their actions, and users have choices. In the security realm, there are at least a dozen top-shelf paid and free security suites. Choose any one of them: you're not beholden to a company that will risk your data, time, and money--even accidentally.

Severe problems caused by buggy or false positive security updates are rare, but not unheard of, in the wide world of security software. Recent instances include an update from BitDefender that wreaked havoc on 64-bit Windows 7 computers last month, an Avast update that marked hundreds of legitimate files as threats in December 2009, one from Computer Associates that flagged a Windows system file as a virus in July 2009, a case of attacking the competition when freeware security giant AVG marked ZoneAlarm as malware in October 2008, and McAfee itself pushed program executables for Microsoft Excel and Adobe's update manager into quarantine in March 2006. So why is McAfee's latest error egregious enough to merit a switch?

For one thing, McAfee's faulty virus definition file flagged the Windows system-critical file SVCHOST.EXE as a threat and quarantined it. Among other problems, this had the effect of forcing the computer to shut down every 60 seconds, and preventing USB drives from connecting to the computer. For many users, replacement versions of SVCHOST.EXE had to be copied to CD before they could be used. The original fix was labor-intensive and complicated by the fact that the bad update prevented many affected people from accessing the Internet in the first place. McAfee finally announced a simple tool to apply the fix on Thursday night, but it still requires a second computer to download it, and it cannot be applied remotely.

Second, McAfee wasn't forthcoming with answers, and even initially downplayed the fact that hospitals, police departments, and supermarket chains were affected along with individual consumers. In disastrous situations like this, it's important to communicate clearly with your customers, which McAfee didn't. Not only did Barry McPherson, executive vice president of support and customer service, not publish a blog addressing the problem until mid-afternoon Wednesday, but IT professionals also felt McAfee's attempts to help them were less than professional.

Computer support specialist for the College of Business at Illinois State University Pete Juvinall was directly involved with fixing around 40 computers crippled by the update. He told me that the fix that McAfee originally published "didn't really quite work as intended." He added, "it really surprised me that it was two or three hours before 5959 surfaced." Knowledge Base article 5959 was the first source from McAfee to fix the problem.

Another computer support specialist, Charles Winston at the University of Washington, only had to fix three computers but said that he had "never seen anything like it. It was unbelievable that something of this scale happened." The IT department at the University of Michigan Medical School, which was also affected, refused to talk to me because they were still fixing computers as of Monday morning.

Neither McPherson's original post nor a follow-up written at 11:14 p.m. on Wednesday and titled "A long day at McAfee" contained an apology; that didn't arrive until late on Thursday night. Angry comments in response to a post by McAfee President and CEO David DeWalt written on Friday take far greater issue with his tone and terminology than the incident itself.

To its credit, McAfee announced Monday a plan to reimburse home users and extend their antivirus subscriptions for two years free of charge. Details of the program are still developing, but that doesn't excuse the incredible spread of damage that the update caused in the first place, nor the tone-deaf handling of the situation.

I say all this in light of the fact that McAfee's consumer security suite has made some impressive improvements this year. However, more than any other third-party program, security vendors have unfettered access to your system. Combine the worst of bad updates with gross errors in communicating to their customers about how to fix a problem that they caused, and I feel that it is irresponsible to continue to recommend McAfee for now.

You can check out other free and paid security options at CNET Download.com's Security Center.

This is what wireless iPhone syncing looks like:

Too bad you probably won't get to enjoy it.

Earlier this month, just ahead of Apple's iPhone OS 4 announcement, I posted a poll asking what new feature you wanted the most. Though multitasking was the clear winner with 36 percent of the vote, nearly 10 percent of voters named "syncing over Wi-Fi" as their top pick.

Needless to say, those folks didn't get their wish.

Despite the fact that Microsoft's Zune player has offered Wi-Fi syncing since 2007, Apple is either unwilling or unable to bestow it upon iPad, iPod, and iPhone users. Well, probably not unable, but obviously unwilling--which is why the new Wi-Fi Sync app will likely get rejected by Apple's App Store overlords.

That's a shame, because as you can see in the video, the process appears to work quickly and flawlessly. (Note that although the video shows a Mac setup, U.K.-based developer Greg Hughes says he is working on a Windows version, as well.)

On the other hand, as Hughes wrote in the comments section of his video's YouTube page, "My app doesn't violate anything in the developer agreement, and doesn't use any private APIs." (Unfortunately, that has never stopped Apple from rejecting an app before.)

In an e-mail I received from Hughes, he says he plans to submit Wi-Fi Sync at the end of this week. Chances are we'll be waiting at least another week after that to find out if the application makes it through. If it does, it'll cost you $4.99--a perfectly reasonable price for such a desirable capability, IMHO.

In the meantime, what's your take on this? Think there's a chance Apple will be cool? Or is syncing over Wi-Fi something we'll just have to keep dreaming about? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Originally posted at iPhone Atlas

McAfee is promising to reimburse home customers hit by last Wednesday's faulty virus update, which hosed tens of thousands of computers.

Facing complaints and questions from people whose PCs crashed or kept rebooting as a result of the buggy update, McAfee formally apologized in an official blog last Friday. But now the company has gone a step further.

McAfee is committing to reimburse home and home office customers for any money they spent to fix their PCs as a result of the problem. Details are sketchy now, but the company is hoping people will sit tight for a few more days until more information is available.

"If you have already incurred costs to repair your PC as a result of this issue, we're committed to reimbursing reasonable expenses," promised McAfee in a special announcement for home and home office users. "Steps to process your reimbursement request will be posted in the next few days. Please check back here in a few days."

And for loyal customers whose PCs were impacted but plan to stick with McAfee, the company has promised to extend their antivirus subscriptions for another two years free of charge.

The problem started last Wednesday at 6 a.m. PDT when McAfee released a bad DAT update to its antivirus software that incorrectly targeted svchost.exe, a key Windows system file, as a virus. The update, which sneaked past the company's internal testing, clobbered PCs running Windows XP with Service Pack 3.

In response, McAfee released a patch called SuperDAT Remediation Tool early Thursday morning to fix the bad update and restore the svchost.exe file. Instructions for applying the fix are available for home and home office users and business customers.

In its latest announcement, McAfee also explained the steps to follow for customers who are still out of commission. Anyone who needs help can call a local toll free support number where a technician will try to get your PC up and running. If that fails, the company will send you the patch via a software download or on a CD through postal mail.

Home and home office users may be able to receive compensation for damages, but what of corporate customers? McAfee's announcement for companies explains the steps to fix the problem for those that use its VirusScan Enterprise or Total Protection Service product. But so far, no mention of reimbursement for the many businesses that were impacted.

The buggy update affected business customers around the world, including chipmaker Intel, the Kentucky police, and several Rhode Island hospitals that were forced to juggle surgeries and turn away non-trauma patients.

We'll provide more details and updates on McAfee's reimbursement policy as they become available.

Originally posted at News - Security