Image via Engadget

Looks like the days of happy go lucky Jailbreaking may be short lived. Apple has filed a patent that would effectively kill jailbroken devices should certain activities be detected. The patent is being presented as a means to increase user security and protect against lost or stolen devices. The security enhancements are detailed in this report.

Beyond basic jailbreak detection and termination, this patent strives to identify unauthorized users via heartbeat and “phone home” if an unauthorized user is detected. When security is breached the phone could take pictures of its surroundings and log GPS and then send them to the owner. The phone would also start keeping a log of any activity by the unauthorized user.

Adding these features to “i” devices will greatly increase security and protect users from theft, but they seem extreme. What if you want to Jailbreak a device you own? It’s not illegal. And do you feel comfortable with a device that can broadcast so much real time user data at the flip of the switch?

via mashable

Today brought yet another story about the iPhone 4 antenna. An independent consulting firm has taken the time to do a full analysis of the antenna problem after the issue had finally dropped (see what I did there?).

This time around, PA Consulting Group concluded that the iPhone 4’s issue is in fact more substantial than other smart phones. Turns out, all phones suffer from a degradation of signal due to “death grip” but the death grip is particularly deathful on the iPhone 4. Here is the elaborate and conclusive testing documentation:

So what now? Apple is already offering free, “super cool” cases to be sent out at some point in the future. Does this kind of rigorous testing impact your decision to jump on the iPhone 4 bandwagon in the slightest? I haven’t had any more issues with the iPhone 4 than I’ve come to expect from previous models coupled with AT&T’s service. The screen is remarkable, but more than anything I’m pleased with the battery life. I don’t have to worry about burning through the battery with daily use. It’s definitely not perfect, but if it were we’d have nothing new, and shiny to get excited about next June.

For everyone who has been holding off  jailbreaking their iPhone for fear of legal ramifications from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), your day has come.  New exemptions were presented by the U.S. Copyright Office this morning allowing for the circumvention of copyright protection in six areas. The six exemptions are:

1. Defeating a lawfully obtained DVD’s encryption for the sole purpose of short, fair use in an educational setting or for criticism

2. Computer programs that allow you to run lawfully obtained software on your phone that you otherwise would not be able to run aka “Jailbreaking” to use Google Voice on your iPhone

3. Computer programs that allow you to use your phone on a different network aka “Jailbreaking” to use your iPhone on T-Mobile

4. Circumventing video game encryption (DRM) for the purposes of legitimate security testing or investigation

5. Cracking computer programs protected by dongles when the dongles become obsolete or are no longer being manufactured

6. Having an ebook be read aloud (i.e for the blind) even if that book has controls built into it to prevent that sort of thing.

[via CrunchGear]

The complete original text can be found here

The big ones for iPhone users are numbers 2 and 3.  If you want to see the big scary world outside of Apple’s beautiful walled garden, you can.  And, if you’re frustrated with a certain proprietary carrier, you can try T-Mobile. Don’t expect either of these goals to be anywhere near as easy as downloading an app though. The revisions released today simply make these actions exempt from prosecution under the DMCA.

The first exemption allows for a wide use of content from lawfully obtained DVDs to be used in non-commercial ways, with a particular impact in education.

The DMCA is reviewed every three years for revisions and because the review took so long the next review is only two years away. Hopefully this will become a trend, and the Librarian of Congress will continue to listen to digital freedom advocacy groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).

Will you be jailbreaking your iPhone now that it’s legal? Are you ready to try out a different network? Do these exemptions mean anything to you?

According to InformationWeek, the Department of Homeland Security’s Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) is funding a project for cell phone producers to create a phones that has sensors to detect carbon monoxide and fire. This “Cell-All” project was initiated  by S & T. The goal of this initiative “is to equip your cell phone with a sensor capable of detecting deadly chemicals at minimal cost to the manufacturer (a buck a sensor) and to your phone’s battery life.”

[via OnOrbit.com]

Thanks to the Department of Homeland Security, here is a “clear” picture that explains how this type of cell phone works the best:

[via DHS.gov]

The red region is where the toxic gases are being emitted from. The yellow section is the trendy pocket cell phone sending out a green transmission to the nearest cell phone tower alerting either the users home or an emergency operations center.

Essentially this smell sensitive phone “sniffs the surrounding air for certain volatile chemical compounds. When a threat is sensed, a virtual ah-choo! ensues in one of two ways. For personal safety issues such as a chlorine gas leak, a warning is sounded; the user can choose a vibration, noise, text message, or phone call. For catastrophes such as a sarin gas attack, details—including time, location, and the compound—are phoned home to an emergency operations center. [via DHS.gov]”

Here are some other benefits of this technology,

-You could set your phone to pick up the scent of a loved one alerting you when he/she is approaching.

-Alerts when new deodorant application is necessary.

-Eliminates the need for drug sniffing police dogs. Officers could simply walk around with their iPhones out scoping for drugs.

-No need for GPS, you could smell your way to your favorite restaurant! Even if you have a cold…

The possibilities are limitless!

Now if only they could make an odor emitting element to the iPhone for scratch and sniff sticker app.  In actuality though, when are they going to make the iPad have an extra smell sensory?

[Image via OutofMyGord]

The iPhone does everything.  You can order your groceries, find the nearest restaurant, find out the name of the mysterious song that is playing in a store, and finally catch your significant or not so significant other trying to snoop into your business or allow you to cheat better.

It was bound to happen, but there is a new iPhone app called the iTrust that can track if a person is trying to hack into your iPhone.  The app “takes a screenshot of your homescreen (which you can take by pressing Sleep+Home at any time) and sets it as a full-screen background. If someone tries to use your phone while it’s running, they’ll see what looks like a regular homescreen, but won’t be able to do anything with it—it’s a dead image, after all. Whatever they try to do, though, is saved in an excruciating, slo-mo simulated screen recording” [via Gizmodo].

Take a look at this video that shows the iTrust in action: