Last month, security researchers figured out there was a Trojan horse built into an iOS device: the charger. If a hacker wanted to, they could use a modified charger (which costs less than $45) that would install malware onto any device running iOS.

True, the hack required physical proximity — not to mention specialized hardware — to work. But it was a universal hack that worked on any device, and it could make a victim out of anyone doing something as simple as asking to borrow someone’s iPhone charger at the local Starbucks.

A bad hack indeed. But Apple’s on the case.

There’s one great feature of the Lightning cable that I didn’t notice until just now: Its thinness compared to the old 30-pin plug means that it’s a lot easier to squeeze through small holes. And that in turn makes custom docks a simple, Dremel-free experience.

Take a look around you and see if there’s anything that could be improved by running a little cable through a hole in the top. That’s just what the folks at Photojojo did, and — almost inevitably — their eyes rested on a vintage film camera.

Will it or won’t it have a Retina display?

That’s the big question everyone is asking about the second-generation iPad mini, and we’ve been seeing conflicting reports about it for several months. But according to sources “familiar with the matter,” who have been speaking to The Wall Street Journal, it’s “likely” the answer to that question is yes.

The very best part of the KEEO is the product video. And the very best part of that is KEEO’s creator Christopher Zenic. Just go and watch it right now and tell me you don’t keep expecting him to say “No, Mr. Bond – I expect you to die.”

Anyhow. The KEEO is a fancy key holder with some special iPhone-friendly extras.

EE has been the United Kingdom’s only 4G provider for around nine months now, but at the end of this month, it’ll finally see some competition. O2 has today announced that its own 4G network will launch on August 29, with prices starting at £26 per month. The service will reach three cities initially, with ten more scheduled to be added by the end of the year.

Zensorium’s Tinke is one of those gadgets that’s a little off the beaten path. Like many fitness gadgets, it can measure heart rate. What makes it different is that it’ll also measure blood oxygen levels and respiratory rate — and what it does with that data is even more unusual.

The HOT Watch, from Texas-based PH Technical Labs, is the latest project to join the ever-burgeoning smartwatch craze, and it busted out onto Kickstarter today with such a bang it’s already raised half its $150K goal.

There’s really a lot going on here — the device packs a near-endless list of features — but there’s really one trick that stands out above the rest.

The production company behind Ashton Kutcher’s JOBS has released a featurette this afternoon with a behind-the-scenes look on how the film was made.

The 2:50 video features Ashton, Josh Gad, Durmot Mulroney and the rest of the cast gushing about how much they love El Jobso, along with some scenes from the movie and what it was like making it.

Take a look:

This story-based science fiction game for the iPad comes from Giant Spacekat is looking really good, what with its Mass Effect-style choice-making, all female cast, and real-time combat system. The team is so excited, in fact, that they’ve started up a Kickstarter project to polish it up as well as bring it to Mac and PC. [UPDATE: The Revolution 60 folks emailed us to say that the initial funds will go to porting to PC, while a $10,000 will help ensure a Mac version. They apologize for any confusion.]

With 29 days left to go, the project has already raised over $2,700 toward the $5,000 goal, so chances are good for success.

The BoostTurbine 4000 sounds like something out of a surreal Bizarro world where technophiles are simultaneously Luddites.

It’s a battery brick that Eton stuck a hand crank onto; should the 4000 mAh battery ever run dry, a minute of cranking will bring an iPhone flickering back to life with enough juice for a a quick distress call or a few texts.

Let’s cut to the chase – this bundle offers a variety of tools you can use that will simply enhance your Mac. Whether you want to run Windows-based programs on it with CrossOver Mac 12, get better image management with Sparkbox, or clear out all of the little things uninstalled apps leave behind with CleanApp, these 8 apps will add something to your Mac that you may not already have.

The apps included in this offer are valued at $333 – but now you can get all the goods for only $39 with The Mac Variety Bundle 4.0!

Google Play has finally surpassed the App Store in the number of downloads in a quarter for the first time ever according to a report from App Annie.

Thanks to strong performances in India and Brazil, Google Play topped the App Store with 10% more app downloads in Q2 2013. Despite Google Play netting more downloads, when it comes down to what matters most – cash, money, revenue – Apple is still generating 2.3x more dead presidents than Google Play.

Cult of Mac reader, Josh K, asks:

If I download a podcast episode when I am out and about, then get home and sync my iPhone, I find when it is finished syncing, whatever episodes were downloaded have been removed. And I have to either download them again or manually sync them.

How can I make this process easier or stop the phone taking the recently downloaded episodes off every time I sync?

Unfortunately, there’s no simple fix for this one, so you’re going to have to choose, Josh: either sync via iTunes or manage podcasts on your iPhone. I’m not able to find a solution which lets you do both. Here’s what I recommend.

https://youtu.be/kn-8J2zZiRo

Back in 1986, Apple asked Roger Ebert & Gene Siskel to host an event in which they gave At The Movies style reviews to all of Apple’s latest TV commercials. I’m not sure this is riveting, hard-hitting criticism — even by the standards which saw Ebert give Garfield: A Tail Of Two Kitties three out of four stars, this is clearly more of an endorsement deal — but gosh, do I wish that Siskel & Ebert were around these days to rake Apple’s Siri or Designed in California ads over the critical fire. Two thumbs up!

Video: YouTube

Scarcely a day goes by that Martin Hajek does not open up AutoCAD and feverishly model something he thinks Apple might be working on, and today, it’s the colorful box of Apple’s so-called “budget” iPhone, the equally so-called iPhone 5C.

Pretty snazzy, although I’m not sure I think much of the Lomo filter! These are renders, Martin, not 1970s-era porn movies.

Source: Flickr

The iProp is so basic in its design that it’s obvious the designers worked very hard at it. When I first opened the bag it came in, I wondered what the big deal was. So what? It’s a beanbag with an iPad stand on it. Big deal.

Then I tried it out for a few days. I used it on my coffee table, on the arm of my recliner, and in my lap. I took it to the coffee shop and to a friend’s house. I started to get used to it. I started to like it. I wondered where it was when I didn’t take it with me.

Now that’s a well-designed product.

Despite the cornucopia of different smartphones available to consumers, the battle for global smartphone domination comes down to just two companies: Samsung and Apple.

Samsung posted record results in Q2 and even though a new iPhone hasn’t been announced, Apple still managed to beat Wall Street’s iPhone sales estimates last quarter, leaving Nokia, HTC, LG, and all the other major OEMs with nothing but table scraps to feast on.

Source: Benedict Evans

Via: BGR

With competition around the iPhone at an all-time high, Apple could use a huge boost in sales numbers, so Tim Cook made another visit to Beijing this week to recruit the world’s biggest mobile carrier, China Mobile, to bring the iPhone to its network.

China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua was on hand Tuesday to meet with Cook, and according to the Chinese firm, the two discussed ‘matters of cooperation’ between the two companies, which means they were probably talking about how much money they’d both make if China Mobile sold the iPhone 5C.

Arguably one of the best things about Google Glass is the ability to view maps and get directions while you’re driving without ever having to take your eyes off the road ahead. But that’s not the case for those in the U.K., where using Google Glass behind the wheel is banned by the government.

Your Mac is a finely tuned, intricate machine. Just like a car, every aspect of your Mac plays a crucial role in your computer’s overall performance. But you need to have something that will help you get your Mac running at optimum levels. That’s where this offer from Cult of Mac Deals comes in.

xScan has been specifically designed to help you monitor the behavior and health of your Mac in a simple and straightforward manner. This is the same software many professionals use to diagnose technical issues with Mac operating systems and now you can get xScan for a third of its original price – just $9.99 – during this limited time offer.

The Adobe Ideas app for iOS has today been updated to add support for stroke smoothing, and the pressure sensitive Pogo Connect stylus. The release also adds new sharing options, including the ability to send your artwork to other iOS apps, such as Photoshop Touch.

FileMaker has announced it will discontinue Bento, its database client for Mac and iOS, on September 30. The company will increase focus on the FileMaker product line going forward, with the aim of creating “an even better experience for these customers.”

Starbucks has always been a last-ditch sanctuary for the connected in a largely-still-wireless world, but the free WiFi you can get there is often bloated with dozens of slackers, choking up the pipe with inappropriate Netflix streaming and large downloads.

But WiFi at Starbucks is about to get orders of magnitude better. Google has just announced that they are taking over WiFi at Starbucks, and will be the new exclusive provider of sweet, sweet Internet at over 7,000 Starbucks locations in the United States.

Do you get frustrating iMessage spam from people you’ve never met, or companies you’ve never heard of? You’re not the only one. Until now, you could either make friends with them and save yourself from loneliness on those cold winter nights, or you could ignore them and hope that they don’t text again.

But now you can report them to Apple, too.

Do you like to Bang With Friends? The Facebook app, I mean, which lets you arrange hookups with your Facebook friends if both of you are anonymously up for banging. One rarely bangs with enemies, and even then, only under a “keep your enemies closer” mantra.

Well, if you do, bad news, chum. Zynga — the avatar of all that is unholy about mobile gaming — is suing Bang With Friends. Why? Because the “With Friends” part is similar to many of their game app titles, like Chess With Friends and Words With Friends.