Apple’s strict approach to iOS software means that spyware very rarely makes its way onto our iPhones or iPads. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t at risk. A piece of mobile spyware called FinFisher, developed by U.K.-based Gamma Group, is capable of making its way onto your iPhone and recording your every move without you knowing it.

The software can secretly turn on your handset’s microphone to listen to your conversations, it can track your location, and even monitor your emails, text messages, and calls.

In a laughable post over at LawPundit, Andis Kaulins makes an argument that Apple’s landmark $1 billion win against Samsung for patent infringement is at least partially bogus.

Why? Because Apple’s patent for bounce-back scrolling isn’t an original idea, but was, in fact, stolen from Pong, a game first released back in 1972. There are just a few problems with this idea…

Sony has gotten on the connected, app-enabled camera bandwagon at last with the NEX-5R, an updated 5N which adds Wi-Fi, “apps,” an very sweet new AF system and a couple of extra buttons. Sony’s NEX series is already smoking hot, and these new features might just bring the fire brigade a-runnin'.

You may have noticed that in addition to all the things Mountain Lion adds to OS X, its also taken a few away. If you run a web server on your Mac, or develop websites on your local machine, you’ll also have noticed that the option to turn the local web server on or off is missing from System Preferences. Apache, the industry-standard web server that has come bundled with OS X since the first version, is still there, but there is no longer a way to enable the actual server.

Until now, that is, with a third party app called VirtualHostX.

We knew it wouldn’t be long before VMware’s Fusion 5 had a competitor. Today Parallels has announced the release of Parallels 8 for Mac, the latest edition of its flagship virtualization software, which includes support for Windows 8, and boasts Retina-ready visuals for the new MacBook Pro. Other improvements include support for Mountain Lion Dictation, Bluetooth sharing, and Launchpad integration.

Apple has seeded a new OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.2 build (12C35) to participants in its AppleSeed program, continuing its testing of Facebook integration. Though it states that there are no known issues with this update, the Cupertino company is also asking users to focus on Messages, Game Center, Safari, and Reminders.

The universal Kindle App for iOS was updated today with quite a few new features for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Included are adjustable margins when running on the iPad, allowing you to choose from three new layouts. Amazon has also added faster highlights to let you mark important stuff to reference later as well as an improved brightness control, highlighting for images, a notebook feature to gather all the bookmarks, notes, and highlights for studying, and better navigation for print replica textbooks.

Capcom announced today the upcoming release of three of its wacky courtroom games to the iPhone and iPad. Originally released on Nintendo’s dual screened handhelds, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy HD will include all three of the Phoenix Wright games, with Ace Attorney, Justice for All, and Trials and Tribulations stepping up to the courtroom bar.

CodeWeavers announced today the return of Quack: Flock the Vote, a program in which Codeweavers will offer their Windows compatibility software for free download over a 24-hour period and to use for 12 months if 100,000 American voters pledge to vote in the coming elections.

The company even has a thermometer graphic to measure the number of pledges.

Sony says they’re getting ready to ship two drool-inducing new toys. The first is a new addition to its compact NEX series, the NEX-5R, equipped with wifi, an ultra-quick (according to Sony), hybrid phase-detection/contrast detection autofocus system and — here’s where it gets really interesting — the ability to download specialized apps.

The second is Sony’s entry into the exploding action-cam market; the aptly named Action Cam is a really tiny, 3-ounce (with battery) video camera that comes with a variety of outdoor-enthusiast mounting options and the ability to use a smartphone’s screen as a viewfinder.

Looxcie today launched their own Facebook channel, along with an update to their free live-streaming app — called LooxcieLive that turns any Android or iOS device into a video broadcast camera that streams video straight to your Facebook feed.

Of course, Looxcie’s isn’t the first app to do this; Utsream did the same thing just a week or so ago with their own app, Broadcast for Friends (with the gag-me-cute acronym of BFF). The difference here is that Looxcie’s Facebook channel can also serve up live broadcasts from Looxcie’s own hardware — which may make first-person-perspective shooting easier than, say, duct-taping your smartphone to your forehead (snicker all you want, we’re sure it’s been done). And, of course, Looxcie is first out the gate — and the only  Ustream to the punch with an Android app.

The kids of the Hipster Generation will have it real easy, brother. They’re going to be taught by their parents about the health benefits of organic food, the sartorial qualities of plaid vests, and of course, product design. So the best way to innoculate the good qualities of the Hipster worldview might be by making them learn it through beautifully designed, old-school flash cards.

And guess what? Apple has a place in the cards.

One of the first thoughts I had when Apple announced AirPlay Mirroring as a feature in Mountain Lion was that it would make an excellent mobile presentation tool and one that would be far easier to bring to business meetings, trade shows, or client-site training events than hauling a projector. With just a MacBook Air and Apple TV, you can plug into any HDTV, display, or projector that supports HDMI and be ready to go. That’s a great combination for any business traveler.

If Apple does announce AirPlay Direct, a new version of AirPlay that doesn’t require a Wi-Fi network, the company will have made the lives of business travelers, trainers, and educators even easier. It will probably also make network administrators in both business and education a bit happier as well.

If you’ve been watching Twitter, you know that U.S. President Barack Obama is participating in Ask Me Anything (AMA) on Reddit. While celebrities and tech personalities will often opt to use Reddit as a tool for fan engagement, this is the first time anyone as high up as the big ‘O’ himself has jumped on board.

You can find Obama’s AMA thread here, but Reddit seems to be buckling under the weight of traffic. If you can’t get through, try hitting refresh.

Obama has been spotted using Apple products multiple times in the past, and is a self-admitted fan. During one interview he noted that Steve Jobs had personally given him an iPad “early.”

Via: @BarackObama

A California court recently ruled in favor of Apple in a high-profile patent case against Samsung, and the immediate fallout means that Samsung is forced to pay Apple over $1 billion in damages. Federal Judge Lucy Koh will hold an injunction hearing in December to see if Apple is permitted to ban several Samsung phones from being sold in the United States.

The court’s decision was by no means a simple one, as this Apple vs. Samsung case is considered the most important tech patent lawsuit in history. That’s why every bit of the ruling process is being put under the microscope, including Jury Foreman Vel Hogan, the man who led the jury to rule against Samsung last Friday.

A new report reveals that a possible conflict of interest could have affected the case’s ruling.

Subatomic Studios has released its first update to Fieldrunners 2, the popular sequel to the original tower defense game for the iPhone. Version 1.1 of Fieldrunners 2 is now available in the App Store, and the update brings an easier Causal mode, new map updates, Game Center integration, Endless mode, and more.

One of the first secure business solutions for the iPhone and iPad was Good for Enterprise, a secure collaboration tool that allows companies to separate business email, calendar, and contact systems from Apple’s standard Mail, Calendar, and Contacts apps. Going beyond simply separating work accounts and data from a user’s personal accounts, Good’s alternatives securely encrypt all data and must be unlocked using credentials other than the passcode used to unlock an iOS device.

Good released a significant update to Good for Enterprise this week, one that makes the solution more streamlined, user-friendly, and offers powerful new features – some of which are worth considering for their business functionality as well as their innate security.

I’m not that fickle in the rest of my life, honest. When it comes to news reading apps on the iPad, however, I’ve had many loves. First came Flipboard, which grabbed my attention with its well-designed layouts of web links and images shared by people in my social network circles.

Then I found Trapit, which added both AI and editorial curation to my newsreader, though it is a bit lacking in the design department.

Now, there’s News360 for iPad, and I think I’ve fallen in love. Again.

iOS is the gaming platform of the future. Just ask Nintendo, who this year posted its first annual loss (nearly half a billion dollars). And while Game Boy-esque portable playing is good enough most of the time, you only need to add a few accessories to turn the iPhone into a full-on be-buttoned handheld, and the iPad into the center of a big-screen home gaming system. Read on to find out our picks for the best iOS gaming accessories.

The Apple I was the first computer built by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs back in 1976. They only made 200 units, and sold them for $666.66, but if you happen to own one, you’re sitting on a small fortune.

An Apple I computer is set to be auctioned off at Christie’s on October 9th, and even though it’s inoperable, because it’s missing the required DRAM, the owner of the machine might get $126,000 for it.

The cellhelmet case for iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S is a one of a kind. It’s the only case that comes with a 12-month accidental damage warranty that covers the device itself. Drop your iPhone while it’s in a Cellhelmet and if it breaks, makers cellpig will have it repaired or replaced for free — all you have to pay is a $50 handling fee.

There’s no monthly fee — you just pay the $44.99 for the case and you’re covered for a year, negating the need for a dedicated insurance plan.

Just in time to track Hurricane Isaac’s warpath and the ensuing intensity in the South, Intellicast has updated its iPad weather application with a combo feature set focusing on specific datelines and local weather event tracking.

The good news is that HTC’s next 10-inch tablet won’t look like an iPad. Instead, it will look nearly identical to a unibody iMac instead, right down to its OS X style dock and lopsided, 16:9 aspect ratio design.

What would happen if you took a beautiful, brand new iMac and “accidentally” dropped it in front of a bunch of strangers? Would they weep with you, or would they just laugh on by while calling you a bumbling idiot?

One guy thought it’d be a great prank to walk around the mall with an iMac box, and drop it in front of crowds, just to see what the reaction would be. He didn’t just drop it, though. He flung it down escalators. Tossed it into the trunk of his car. And knocked it off the top of a roof, and then tried to take the iMac box back to the Apple Store.

Check out the video below to see people’s reactions when the most beautiful computer in the universe gets clumsily destroyed.

Facebook’s on a roll lately. Just a week after they released their hyper fast speed update to the native Facebook app, the world’s biggest social network has also given some improvements to the lesser-used Facebook Camera, adding notifications, likes, improved photo management, comments and other UI improvements. It’s actually a pretty usable app now!