15 Year Old Outsmarts Apple Store!

[McRat]

:D

In the US, Apple phone can now be tethered to gain 3G internet access for your computer, something that is new to the US with iOS4. But it costs you $20/month additional and chews up your data plan limit.

So a 15 year old submitted a Flashlight application to the iPhone store, that was quickly approved and sold for .99 cents.

Low and behold, under the covers, it was a Tethering application:

http://gizmodo.com/5592521/how-a-guy-tricked-apple-with-a-disguised-iphone-tethering-app

Apple removed it from the store, but it gives me hope for the new generation of Hackers...

[MasterNetra]

Nice...

[earthpigg]

i love it.

[Phrea]

Elegant.

[McRat]

Sidebar though.

This is really, really scary stuff for iPhone owners who download apps.

If a kid can get an app listed that accesses 3G and WiFi ports without detection, it pretty much means that any of the items on the Apple Store are potentially malware.

[chriswyatt]

I wouldn't say it was too scary, compared to other phones where you don't download from a centralised location it's less scary. At least Apple can quickly get rid of any malicious apps promptly.

Though I guess it's more scary in that people are more likely to trust an app store, so less likely to be cautious when downloading stuff.

[pwnst*r]

Sidebar though.

This is really, really scary stuff for iPhone owners who download apps.

If a kid can get an app listed that accesses 3G and WiFi ports without detection, it pretty much means that any of the items on the Apple Store are potentially malware.

^That.

[ubunterooster]

And apple is said to be overly restrictive in what apps they allow?

[Ric_NYC]

Superb!

[Austin25]

They don't have employees verifying code? Wow. They are stupid.

[earthpigg]

They don't have employees verifying code? Wow. They are stupid.

My assumption was always that, as a proprietary-friendly company, they run the software on test phones and have a daemon that monitors what aspects of the phone's hardware and software is accessed by a given app.

I suppose they don't consider it a flag for an app to be accessing the wireless modem.

[kevin11951]

My assumption was always that, as a proprietary-friendly company, they run the software on test phones and have a daemon that monitors what aspects of the phone's hardware and software is accessed by a given app.

I suppose they don't consider it a flag for an app to be accessing the wireless modem.

I'd be willing to bet that's changed now!

[NMFTM]

If the kid was smart he'd have made the app only allow access to the wifi ports if some sort of script was run (that wasn't included with the app). That way only a very limited numbre of users would have ever discovered it and he could have let his friends and family who had iPhones in on it while most people would have been obvlious.

EDIT: My friend tells me that you can install apps without using the app store. Nvm then.

[Excedio]

Forgive my ignorance...but I don't have an iPhone. When downloading an app from the store, does it give you a list of what the application has access to on the phone? Something like what the Android Market shows?

Example (http://www.taosoftware.co.jp/en/android/wakeupcallmaker/img/wakeupcallmaker_install.png).

If it does...then anyone would see that the app is using way more than it needed for a simple flashlight.

[Trinexx]

If the kid was smart he'd have made the app only allow access to the wifi ports if some sort of script was run (that wasn't included with the app). That way only a very limited numbre of users would have ever discovered it and he could have let his friends and family who had iPhones in on it while most people would have been obvlious.

EDIT: My friend tells me that you can install apps without using the app store. Nvm then.
They only found out about it because people were spreading instructions on how to activate tethering online. Doesn't matter how you go about it, someone will eventually discover it and post the method online.

[alexan]

"oh, I beg you.. let me buy that"


Somewhat funny. I can't believe people actually buy iPhones... well, their money, I do suppose.

[endotherm]

They only found out about it because people were spreading instructions on how to activate tethering online. Doesn't matter how you go about it, someone will eventually discover it and post the method online.
remember the first rule of fight club

[alexfish]

They only found out about it because people were spreading instructions on how to activate tethering online. Doesn't matter how you go about it, someone will eventually discover it and post the method online.

http://modmyi.com/cydia/search.php

[HappinessNow]

forget tethering can you set up a wifi hotspot yet? like you can with the Nexus One.

[aysiu]

forget tethering can you set up a wifi hotspot yet? like you can with the Nexus One.
Isn't that what tethering is (assuming it's not USB tethering)?

[McRat]

My 3Gs is jailbroke because Apple did not permit tethering at the time. I went to Cydia to get the goodies to do it.

I wasn't trying to "hack" Apple or get anything for free, it's just that our AT&T 3G USB modem would crash my MacBookPro. In order for me to get AT&T 3G, I had to jailbreak the iPhone. So I was paying for bandwidth anyways twice, I just needed access to it.

[Johnsie]

I much prefer my HTC Desire, it's more beautiful and can to alot more than those phones that are restrictive and need rubber bumpers to work properly.

[Austin25]

I pwn; you pwn; we all pwn the iPhone!

[CJ Master]

Can apps get ahold of your passwords? What about your web history?

If so, I can see Trojan Horses being a very large problem for the app store.

[Screwdriver0815]

did you all ever think about the following:

this company sells a phone to you which is not even cheap, isn't it? And then... you want to use something which is a matter of course for the users of other phones. And? Either you pay extra or you do something illegal... how stupid is that?

It's just restricting... you can not organize music WITHOUT iTunes... no wifi hotspot... what else does not work? of course people show up with "workarounds" to get what you want.

I need three clicks on the Nexus to set up a wifi hotspot. I pay the internet flatrate anyway, so why should I pay extra?

all this jailbraking, illegal copies of software and so on... grown on the ground of resriction...

poor apple customers

[witeshark17]

Sidebar though.

This is really, really scary stuff for iPhone owners who download apps.

If a kid can get an app listed that accesses 3G and WiFi ports without detection, it pretty much means that any of the items on the Apple Store are potentially malware. +1 :popcorn:

[gnomeuser]

Now what this should be reminding us of is not that Apple and AT&T are bastards who wish to squeeze ever dime out of you but that Apple's security is horrid.

This application clearly did not do what it said it did, how many other applications in the AppStore do something far less useful and far more nefarious such as stealing passwords without telling anyone.. we don't know and as is evident, neither does Apple.

I believe it is about time to shame Apple for their lack of security on their platform, they spent so much time making sure they control it and in reality all they are, is gatekeepers for people of lesser morality to access our personal lives. They have done nothing to secure their users of any note.

[3rdalbum]

After the first "flashlight" program, Apple should have just said "Ok, no more flashlights". Does a mobile phone platform really need 100 different applications that just set the screen colour to white?

[gnomeuser]

After the first "flashlight" program, Apple should have just said "Ok, no more flashlights". Does a mobile phone platform really need 100 different applications that just set the screen colour to white?

So Apple should be the ones to decide which is the one flashlight app in the store? It may be an idiotic app type that has very few real uses but everyone starts somewhere and the guy who writes one might one day create the new iFart or whatever apps are on the iPhone.

[amitabhishek]

So what next? A fart application providing tethering.

[chiliman]

I think most data plans for phones are a rip off anyways.
Im with at&t and i think i would have to pay 20-30 USD for just 2gb of bandwidth........rip off....and its not like you can have a family policy and share the bandwidth...you will have to pay the data fee for each phone.... If i had an i-phone i would fully support this app, its as if your just giving your money to apple for really nothing. Shoot this app. is worth more than 99 cents to me lol.

[j7%<RmUg]

hehe, smart little kid.

I would normally give a damn about something so funny but i really hate the iphone.

[HappinessNow]

Isn't that what tethering is (assuming it's not USB tethering)?Usually tethering refers to USB tethering, setting up a wifi hotspot that you can connect up to 6 computers is different.

at least on my Nexus One I have 2 options:

1. Tethering (USB) - 0ne computer

2. Portable hotspot (Wifi) - up to six computers

[WitchCraft]

What do I care.
They charge for a review process, but they never actually do any review.
Just proves that they are only after your money.
Apple will take down that application if they haven't already done so.


I use Android, and it has a Wireless accesspoint right integrated into the operating system.
That is, I needed to install a custom ROM, because HTC won't update HTC Hero from 2.1 to 2.2 for another year or so
(after all, when the new ones hardwarewise aren't any better than the old ones, there needs to be a reason for customers to buy the new more expensive ones...)

[pwnst*r]

What do I care.

You cared enough to dig up a two month old thread.

[MasterNetra]

remember the first rule of fight club

Which you broke.

[chris200x9]

You cared enough to dig up a two month old thread.

*facepalm*

[corrytonapple]

They don't have employees verifying code? Wow. They are stupid.
No, they are just being Apple. When I came up with this username I did not know about this!

[3rdalbum]

So Apple should be the ones to decide which is the one flashlight app in the store?

Why not, they decide everything else in their app store.

Apple should really build their own flashlight program to ship with the iPhones. Dedicate an engineer toward it for the ten minutes or so that it takes to write one.

[WitchCraft]

You cared enough to dig up a two month old thread.

Better late then never ;-)))

[speedwell68]

The best thing Apple could do now is offer that lad a job.

[Johnsie]

Apple is so last year

[pwnst*r]

*facepalm*

It's okay that you don't get it. One day you will.

[WitchCraft]

It's okay that you don't get it. One day you will.


The iPhone is already dead anyway.
I'm betting by 2012, Android will have the majority of the market share already.
:lolflag:

[pwnst*r]

The iPhone is already dead anyway.
I'm betting by 2012, Android will have the majority of the market share already.
:goofballemoticon:

Market share doesn't mean everything if things are fragmented beyond recognition.

[v1ad]

Smart kid, thanks for digging up the article or i would of never found it.

[aysiu]

Market share doesn't mean everything if things are fragmented beyond recognition.
I keep hearing about Android "fragmentation," but I haven't heard any meaningful and truthful specifics about how that affects the end user.

If you mean there are different releases of Android (1.6, 2.1, 2.2), does that mean you also consider Windows to be fragmented (Windows XP, Vista, 7)? Funny how I read articles every week about how Android is fragmented but I have never read a single article or blog post claiming Windows to be fragmented.

I've heard some people insinuating that apps have to be custom-made for every different type of phone (different screen sizes, different specs). Again, couldn't the same case be made for Windows (or any computer operating system)? There are 10" screens, 13" screens, 15" screens, 22" screens. There are 1 GHz processors and 2.6 GHz processors.

I'm an end-user, and I haven't had any problems running apps when I've used 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, or 2.2 on my Android phone. I haven't seen any apps I use appear funny because of my phone's screen size. And performance seems to be about normal for my phones modest specs, regardless of what app I use.

Can someone (you or someone else) cite some specifics about this supposed Android "fragmentation"?

[WitchCraft]

Market share doesn't mean everything if things are fragmented beyond recognition.



In the software business, volume is everything. - Bill Gates



It's not that fragemented.
The distro is Android everywhere, just different versions.
And you can update. For example, by now, pretty much everything is 2.1 or >.

http://cdn.cbsi.com.au/story_media/339305864/android-market-projection.png


http://static.businessinsider.com/image/4b991f367f8b9a9c65010400/chart-of-the-day-us-share-of-smartphone-platforms.gif




http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Technology/Pix/pictures/2010/7/21/1279727443667/Screen_shot_2010-07-21_at_13.34.50-460.png


http://www.eurodroid.com/pics/google_android_os_market_share.jpg


http://androidandme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/android_version_share_8_3.jpg


http://edtake.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/android-os-marketshare2.jpg




http://gigaom.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/android-os-share-admob.jpg

[Paqman]

I keep hearing about Android "fragmentation," but I haven't heard any meaningful and truthful specifics about how that affects the end user.


The main effects for the end user is the lack of OS updates. A big part of the reason it's fragmented is that carriers have been rubbish about pushing out updates.

What version of Android you're running (and therefore what apps you have available) is dependent on what handset you use on what carrier, which is pretty much the definition of fragmentation.

Another issue is that performance apps like games need to get as close to the metal as possible. That's why the Iphone has so many more games available. Iphone devs know what (very small subset of) hardware their game will be running on, so it's easier to optimise. Designing a high performing game for Android is a headache, because you're dealing with four versions over dozens of handsets, plus UI variations on top. So you're looking at higher development costs and worse performance, which the end user definitely sees the effect of.

I love Android, but fragmentation is a real issue, and could really hold it back from achieving it's potential. Google are trying to sort it out though.

[NCLI]

The main effects for the end user is the lack of OS updates. A big part of the reason it's fragmented is that carriers have been rubbish about pushing out updates.

What version of Android you're running (and therefore what apps you have available) is dependent on what handset you use on what carrier, which is pretty much the definition of fragmentation.

Another issue is that performance apps like games need to get as close to the metal as possible. That's why the Iphone has so many more games available. Iphone devs know what (very small subset of) hardware their game will be running on, so it's easier to optimise. Designing a high performing game for Android is a headache, because you're dealing with four versions over dozens of handsets, plus UI variations on top. So you're looking at higher development costs and worse performance, which the end user definitely sees the effect of.

I love Android, but fragmentation is a real issue, and could really hold it back from achieving it's potential. Google are trying to sort it out though.

Pray tell, why are there more games available for Windows than Mac if hardware diversity is a major issue?

[Paqman]

Pray tell, why are there more games available for Windows than Mac if hardware diversity is a major issue?

Presumably because handsets aren't as powerful as computers. Games developers for phones need to squeeze their code hard to get performance.

Or at least, this is what I heard from a games dev talking about phones on the Guardian Tech Weekly recently.

[WitchCraft]

Presumably because handsets aren't as powerful as computers. Games developers for phones need to squeeze their code hard to get performance.

Or at least, this is what I heard from a games dev talking about phones on the Guardian Tech Weekly recently.

That is assuming you want to play Quake3 on Android.
Never mind that it doesn't make any sense, but the point is you already can.

As for the rest of the games: if they have performance problems writing 'Worms' for Android, then perhaps they should write bug-free code.

[Paqman]

As for the rest of the games: if they have performance problems writing 'Worms' for Android, then perhaps they should write bug-free code.

I couldn't tell you whether it's the technical or the commercial issues that mean games are getting developed mostly for the Iphone instead of Android. I suspect it's a bit of both. I'd be really interested in hearing from anyone who'd been in that position.

Some of the commercial reasons to go for the Iphone(eg: number of users and mindshare) are arguably getting less compelling as Android adoption grows. Google should be doing everything it can to tackle any potential technical turnoffs (eg: fragmentation) too. Sticking their collective head in the sand and pretending there's no room for improvement would be a great way to squander the huge success Android has already had. Android is going to have to work twice as hard to pick up half as much market share from now on.

[aysiu]

I don't see what's so difficult about just having system requirements, if it's a graphics-intensive fast-paced game you're writing. Just say your phone has to have at least a 1 GHz processor and 512 MB of RAM or a certain screen resolution in order to run the game.

I have an older phone. If I wanted to play a graphics-intensive game, and I was told my system requirements weren't good enough to play the game, I'd understand perfectly. I have an underclocked-to-384 MHz processor with 192 MB of RAM.

[pwnst*r]

The phone also needs a decent GPU. The Evo's sucks, the Galaxy S's does not.

[Roasted]

LOL. I like.