Going to the Apple World

I've made the decision to terminate my current contract with my Galaxy Nexus (keep it) and buy the iPhone 5. My experience with the Android device has not been blemished due to the actual device, but the App Store behind it. The apps are not only inconsistent, but they also lack a certain "genesayquoi". They aren't fluid, they aren't sleek (except for the special few) and I'm not going to wait for my favourite app to catch up to the latest and greatest technologies that are available to the developers. 

It's also unfeasible since more than half of Activated Android devices are still running gingerbread. Developers are more inclined to cater to the majority of Android users. This causes developers to be stuck with old API's and old UI's. Holo is absolutely beautiful and definitely up to par with iOS's UI. 

Unfortunately, the majority of developers are choosing to stick with the old and say too bad for the new.Not only are developers being outdated, but a lot of apps are too. For a lot of them, maybe even the majority, haven't been touched since Gingerbread was released! 

The Apple community is also a lot more vocal and conjoined. Whether it's Appadvice, 9to5Mac, or even AppleInsider, I can easily reach out to at least one of them, and get a savvy response without having to tell them which device I'm running or which version of firmware I'm running, or even worse, which ROM I'm running. 

Apple apps are just so much more qualitative than Android's. I can also reach out the developer, should I need to. If there's a problem with an App, the fix is out to the user as soon as Apple accepts it. I'm starting to be thankful for Apple's walled garden. It's what's gotten them their status. Now, there have been a few blunders I might admit, but what company hasn't had them. 

Not only are the apps of higher quality, but the devices work together much better than anything else I've seen. The iCloud montre of syncing everything back and forth is definitely worth the money. If I take a photo on my Phone, I want it to be on my desktop too. If I make a list in the reminders app on my Mac, I want to be able to get that list while I'm on the go as well. I could go on and on about all the syncing instances, but I think my point is clearly made. The ecosytem is "boss".

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Mac OS X Mountain Lion to Feat Social Networking

Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion will release this July for $19.99, $10 less than its predecessor, and narrow the gap between Apple’s mobile and desktop operating systems. Mountain Lion will also take a bite out of social media as it comes with the popular platforms integrated within its presence – something that has been notable in Windows 8.

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New Trojan "LuckyCat" Found in Microsoft Office for Mac

Mac users may think they're safe just because Mac is the Operating System of the Future. They are wrong. As Mac OS becomes more and more popular, so do the virus attacked.

Thanks to Securelist's Costin Raiu, a Kaspersky Lab expert, what has been found is a Mac-specific trojan called Backdoor.OSX.SabPub.a, also known as LuckyCat. The trojan is said to exploit a hole found in the Microsoft Office for Mac suite. As with most trojan attacks of this nature, it infects via vulnerabilities found in a Java exploit. Once infected, LuckyCat uses a vulnerability named CVE-2009-0563 to spread itself. This vulnerability is one found in Microsoft Office Documents. 

The purpose of the trojan at this point is unknown but Securelist had this to say:

We are pretty confident the operation of the bot was done manually -- which means a real attacker, who manually checks the infected machines and extracts data from them.

Securelist confirms that the trojan is currently active though at this point it is unclear what the intent of the attacker is.


How can I prevent myself from attaining these sort of viruses?


Turn off Safari's auto-open command
In Safari, go to the General section of the preferences and uncheck the option to "Open safe files after downloading." Safari may not open applications, but when checked it will open documents and media that may contain malicious executable code. It is recommended that this option is disabled/turned off.

Install an Antimalware/Antivirus Solution

Many Antivirus companies that provide solutions for PC also provide solutions for Mac. These solutions include Norton, McAfee and even AVG. It is always recommended that you have an Antivirus/Antimalware solution running at all times, not only for your safety, but also for the safety of others.

Never trust a program
If something asks you to install an item on your system, shut it down and confirm the source of the item. Only install programs on your system if you know exactly where they came from and what they do.

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