I can tell you that, from an IT Professional’s perspective, I would purchase an iPhone just for this app. This app is my new best friend; and just in time for a well earned vacation next week.  To sum it up, this app does remote desktop better than any other app available today;  throw in VMware support, and you have an extraordinary tool for network support staff that can easily jusify the cost of an iPhone and data plan for yourself and your staff.  $29.99 is stiff, even for a tech-savvy person that wants to control his home or office PC, but not for an IT Pro that is working 24 hours a day already.  What this app means to me, is that I can quickly (as in as little as 90 seconds with good 3G) login to my Cisco IPSec VPN (that post is coming in two weeks) and access my Windows Servers and VMs.  The client connects flawlessly (and stays connected!), the screen scales effortlessly using the iphone multi-touch; it has the typical pop-up keyboard, and finite mouse control utility (easy right-clicks).  Scrolling is fast and smooth.  Mouse selection using your finger takes some practice, but that is understandable.  You can only connect to one session at a time.  WiFi is better of course, but access over 3G is damn good.  Considering the name, and the obvious investment from VMware, I expect more to come in later releases, although it is highly recommended at version 1.0 (repeat that to yourself a few times, you will not hear it often).  Actual usage is fast and reliable.  You can solve problems, get things done, and get back to what little life your job permits.  Can a geek make a higher endorsement?

If you don’t know who Wyse is, you’re wasting your time and do not need this app.  These apps will do nicely for you.

PocketCloud supports SSL and has limited support for RSA 2-factor authentication. PocketCloud fits into an established VMware View host environment and does not require any special setup or software installed.  The app will run on the Touch and the iPhone, and supports MS Server 2003 and later sever versions, as well as XP and later desktop operating systems (home versions are not supported).   Although I’ll primarily use this remotely, this is a tool that will prove to be indispensable to on-site support staff that roam about an office building or a factory (especially at $229 for a touch).

PocketCloud integrates with an available Windows (32-bit only) host-based agent that provides advanced capabilities such as Thin-Browser: an enhanced, server-side browser capability, enabling full access to websites for rich and interactive content such as Flash, Silverlight, and Java, and ActiveX content.  The Thin-Browser is available from the options screen when connected to a Windows host running the agent and provides a web browsing experience that is much more complete and robust than Safari; but despite the Wyse claim, is not noticeably faster.  Regardless, when you need to access Flash or ActiveX content, you can.  And that is definitely a pickup.

The PocketCloud App is available for $29.99 from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/. PocketCloud Windows agent can be downloaded for free from www.wyse.com/iphone.

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Making life easier and more convenient is what the iPhone is all about.  For all of you small business owners, or even vendors off the street, the latest rumor of yet another great use for this device is a godsend.  Just another reason the iPhone is what it is…the best hand held device ever made.

“A project codenamed “Square” is the brand new iPhone-based payment processing system that’s currently being alpha tested at the also brand new Self Edge NYC. In addition to keeping the process paperless, Square makes check-out clean and easy.

The innovation is in a small, plastic card reader that fits in to the headphone jack of an iPhone (or iPod Touch) and transfers the credit card’s swipe data to the app.  After the employee enters the amount to charge, the customer confirms by scrawling their signature with their finger and then either one enters the customer’s email address to send the receipt to.  The payment is processed by Square for a small percentage plus a fixed fee; the funds are transferred directly to the store’s bank account, cutting both time and complexity on the processing side.  The customer’s receipt includes a map showing the location of the transaction which is handy for those who record, sort and file such things.

While allowing anyone from a hot dog vendor to a bike messenger to process credit cards on-the-go, all we can say at the moment is that consumer to business transactions are just the beginning.”

[via CoolHunting]

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Responding to the dangerous SMS security exploit unveiled earleir this week, Apple releases it update to patch the security hole.

Firmware 3.0.1 is now available for the iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS through iTunes. The update is around 300MB. There is no indication that there are any new features or fixes other than the text message exploit patch.

Earlier Friday, it was reported that Apple would release a fix for the exploit Saturday, but the iPhone maker beat that deadline Friday afternoon.

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Developers who do not want their work to go to waste are embracing the world of iPhone hacks.  The latest is the much publicized rejection of Google’s GV Mobile application.

“Yes,  it’s a logical step for jailbreakers when facing this kind of case.  GV Mobile developer Sean Kovacs has ported the Voice client over to Cydia for free –although donations are gladly accepted– following Apple rejection on all Google Voice-enabled applications and Google’s official Google Voice application.  Please note that Google Voice is not a VOIP service.  Basically, it’s a service that lets you manage a free phone number that Google gives you.   Since the app relies on the Internet connection (3G, EDGE, Wifi, etc),  you still need an actual phone plan.”

The GV Mobile features including:

* Dial numbers (domestic for free and international at a variable rate) via the iPhone’s address book or typing in on the keypad
* Send SMS messages
* Retrieve and delete recent call history
* Playback and delete voicemails
* Take calls from different phones other than your iPhone
* Add, delete, enable, or disable the phones that Google Voice forwards calls to

Google Voice is currently in beta and invite only.

[Via Top iPhone News]

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Thankfully, I still had a fully functional iPhone; I immediately set out to learn my options: Option #1 was the Apple Store; $250 flat rate, about a week turn-around. Not bad. Not good either.  Option #2 was DIY; I found plenty of sites offering just the glass ($30+) or Glass and a Digitizer ($65+); DIY could be good; not by me, but I have an associate who is quite good at such repairs.  and finally, Option #3: use a repair service, most with two-day service ($120+).

But first, what is a Digitizer?  It is the touch interface or sensor, connected to the inside of the glass that detects the electrical differences between the glass and our fingers.  The digitizer tells the iPhone exactly where on the screen you are touching.  I have read that the Digitizer and the glass can not be separated, although there are vendors selling the glass only.  My research told me that I should replace the digitizer and the glass.

Option #1 was out; $250 and 5 days to repair was too much and too long.  I read stories on the interwebs that many customers were able to get their iphones fixed for free at either the AT&T retail shops or at the Apple stores (after some aggressive complaining); however my 3G is 7 months old, and I put my chances at a free repair at slim to none, and didn’t want to burn a day trying.

Option #2 seemed risky. Only $65, but what if the case doesn’t snap back on, or gets scratched up; or a ribbon cable is torn.  There are quite a few DIY videos available, and I must say, the process is serious.  I decided to leave this as a last resort.

And so I went with option #3 using a Repair Service.  Double the cost of #2, but half the cost of #1, and only two days without.  But what service?  There are quite a few, to be sure.  In this type of situation I will typically downplay the internet research (what? from a tech geek), and rely on the experience of a few trusted friends.  Actual human interfacing; via GoogleTalk of course.  Unfortunately, only one friend  had a recommendation.  She had used a site called iResQ to repair her cracked glass in Jan.  She said their service was fantastic.  Not much to go on, but it was Monday and I was running out of time, and had to ship by 3PM for next day, so I quickly visited their site and ordered (through an easy to use and understand process) their “iPhone 3G Digitizer Replacement 2-Way Prepaid With Overnight Shipping” for $120.  I added it to my Shoppping Cart, checked-out and shortly after (7 minutes to be exact), I received a UPS Overnight label via email (link to the UPS site).  I used my own packaging (the original iPhone box, and some foam peanuts in a slightly larger box) and my iPhone was on its way.  As a note, I did a factory restore before sending; this is a must.  Always protect your data, be it corporate or personal (like adding bacon, just sound strategy for every day life).

I secured a Blackberry Curve as a loaner, and well, that’s another story.  Later that evening I received a tracking number from iResQ and received another tracking number for the return trip the following afternoon.  I did not receive a confirmation or status report that the iPhone was received and was being repaired.  This was not a problem, but may be a nice feature to consider.  And as promised, I received my iPhone via UPS Next Day Air Saver before noon on Wed, less than 48 hours.

The phone looked perfect; the new glass was exactly the same (i checked with a 3G and a brand new 3GS); the case was not nicked or scratched, and was on correctly, and the input sensor worked as well as before.  The reload was a drag, but there were so many Jailbroken apps that had multiple updates after 3.0, that a fresh start was warranted any way.

SUCCESS!!! Thanks to iResQ and their amazing service, I was without my iPhone for less that 2 days, and my phone is as good as new..  Put them on my list of recommended vendors.  Not much more I can say.

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If you receive a text message with a single square character, you are advised to immediately turn off your iPhone, as they warn it means that someone has utilized a bug to take over your iPhone.  At least this is what they are talking about at the Black Hat Security Conference in Las Vegas.

“This is serious. The only thing you can do to prevent it is turn off your phone,” said cybersecurity researcher Charles Miller. “Someone could pretty quickly take over every iPhone in the world with this.”

Experts Charlie Miller and Collin Mulliner say they’ve discovered a bug in the iPhone’s approach to SMS that exposes it completely to remote control through a subsequent hack, including the camera, dialer, messaging and Safari. It could compromise every iPhone released to date!  Regardless of hardware revision or which version of the iPhone OS is running.

The technique involves sending only one unusual text character or else a series of “invisible” messages that confuse the phone and open the door to attack. Because users won’t know whose messages to block in advance, there’s little iPhone owners can do but to shut off the phone immediately if they suspect they’re at risk — a real problem as the trick could also be used to make an iPhone send more messages of its own.

Why would they do that? Simply to show Apple how vulnerable this iPhone bug really is. Apparently, the hackers notified Apple about a month ago, but Apple didn’t bother responding to them.  They plan to reveal the still unpatched iPhone bug this Thursday at the conference.

Chances you receive such a SMS are pretty slim, but you never know…

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Apple made the claim, along with other allegations, in a response to the digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation’s (EFF) request to legalize jailbreaking. The EFF contend the jailbreaking of the iPhone’s software does not violate the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act.  Apple’s full response can be reviewed here.  The DMCA, a law that forbids the circumvention of copy control mechanisms, is reviewed every three years by the Copyright Office.

Apple alleges that through jailbreaking, the phone’s baseband processor (BBP) is exposed and can be used by hackers to disrupt carrier networks, as well as change the phones Exclusive Chip Idetnification (ECID) to hide or clone the phones idenitiy.  Changing the EICD would enable anonymous calls (think terrorists or drug dealers) or even worse, free calls, although most GSM carriers rely on the SIM for identity and billing considerations.

Regardless, Apple is making a play to lock out competition and impose (ever changing) limits on products that have been lawfully purchased. Let’s hope the iPhone community continues to fight back.

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