Just a week after the PDF exploit was uncovered, Apple releases iOS 4.0.2 to patch the vulnerability.

The PDF security flaw was found on iOS 4.0 and 4.0.1, as well as, all versions of iPhone OS 3.1.x. The vulnerability allows hackers to complete control of iPhone by using a malicious PDF file. This iOS update is intended to fix the security bug.

Stay Away from the Upgrade if You need Jailbreaking

Unfortunately, the JailbreakMe, the browser-based jailbreak tool, also utilizes this security flaw to jailbreak iPhone running on iOS 4 and iPad running on iOS 3.2. That means, once you upgrade to the iOS for your iPhone or iPad, you can no longer jailbreak the device with JailbreakMe. So, if jailbreaking is imminent for you, DO NOT UPGRADE when iTunes prompts you.

Stay with iOS 4.0.1 for iPhone and 3.2.1 for iPad. But bare in mind that your device is exposed to an security hole and you need to take extra care when downloading PDF.

Upgrade the iOS if You think Security is more important

If you do not need jailbreaking, I highly recommend you to upgrade the iOS to the latest version for your iPhone or iPad. To upgrade, you can simply connect to your device to computer and upgrade it via iTunes.

As always, please leave us comment if you have any questions or anything you need further clarifications.

Update #1: Saurik, the creator of Cydia, will soon release a patch specially designed for jailbroken iPhone to patch the PDF security bug. Stay tuned.

Apple has sold three million iPads in the first 80 days and it’s still going strong as ever. While the initial euphoria over the iPad’s stunning looks has now settled amongst the critical mass users, the iPad is now being touted as the “next big thing” in the enterprise segment.

Many analysts had questioned whether Apple would be able to maintain the momentum of iPad’s brisk opening sales over a longer duration. For some, the iPad may just be a flashy gadget to flaunt but its growing adoption in the enterprise is a testimony that the iPad is not just about the looks. It is a fantastic gadget that serves the needs of one and all - be it as an entertainment device for personal needs or an enterprise device for corporate needs.

Many big guns are buying the iPad in bulk for enterprise use. Wells Fargo, Mercedes-Benz, and SAP are amongst the early enterprise adopters of the iPad and the list is growing with every passing day. Wells Fargo has been using the iPad to demonstrate some of its financial products at investor conferences. Mercedes-Benz has used the iPad on its showroom floors to educate customers about various financing options for its cars. The iPad is a huge hit at SAP, the world’s largest business software developer. Most of the company’s senior management is now using the iPad instead of a laptop as it works very well as a “virtual paperless office”.

While some companies have distanced them from the iPad as they claim that it’s not best-suited for their enterprise needs. Many others are concerned with security issues surrounding the iPad’s Wi-Fi connectivity, lack of keyboard and limited ability for multitasking. However, the iPad’s popularity has been a blessing in disguise for the tablet industry in general and many manufacturers including HP, Samsung, Dell and LG are planning to release tablets in order to woo the enterprise customer.

Barclays predicts that the iPad sales will see an even bigger surge in 2011. The iPad is a true game changer and it’s no surprise that people want to use it everywhere, be it home or at work. Do you believe that the iPad can be the next big game changer in the enterprise? Share your opinion by leaving a comment below this post.

This is a good news for those international customers who want to buy an iPad. Apple has announced that iPad will be available in Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore this Friday, July 23.

Both WiFi and 3G models of iPad will be available on the same day. You can purchase both models via Apple’s retail stores and its authorized resellers.

Apple does not mention about the official local pricing of iPad for each region in the press release. But base on my search, here are the local pricing of the respective countries for both iPad models:

Earlier, Apple has announced it sold over 3 million iPads in less than three months after its official launch in US. That means it is selling at a rate of roughly 1 million iPad per month. With the additional nine countries, Apple will soon hit the milestone of 5 million iPad sales.

The pricing information listed above is for your reference only. If you find anything incorrect and if you know the exact pricing for Mexico, please remember to leave me comment.

This is a good news for those international customers who want to buy an iPad. Apple has announced that iPad will be available in Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore this Friday, July 23.

Both WiFi and 3G models of iPad will be available on the same day. You can purchase both models via Apple’s retail stores and its authorized resellers.

Apple does not mention about the official local pricing of iPad for each region in the press release. But base on my search, here are the local pricing of the respective countries for both iPad models:

Earlier, Apple has announced it sold over 3 million iPads in less than three months after its official launch in US. That means it is selling at a rate of roughly 1 million iPad per month. With the additional nine countries, Apple will soon hit the milestone of 5 million iPad sales.

The pricing information listed above is for your reference only. If you find anything incorrect and if you know the exact pricing for Mexico, please remember to leave me comment.

Other than the update of iOS for iPhone, Apple also released an update for the iPad OS with a version number of 3.2.1. The update contains a number of bug fixes and improvement. Most notably, it fixes the WiFi connectivity issue that was reported by some iPad users.

Other than improving the WiFi connectivity, according to Apple’s release note, the iOS 3.2.1 for iPad also comes with the following bug fixes:

• Fixed an issue that could prevent copy and paste of single-page PDF attachments in Mail
• Addressed an issue that could cause video playback to freeze
• Improved reliability of video-out when using iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter

The update also adds Microsoft’s Bing search engine as a new option. So, you can now switch the default search engine of your mobile Safari from Google to Bing, if you like.

The iOS 3.2.1 is now available via iTunes. But for those using jailbroken iPad, please stay away from iOS 3.2.1. Presently, the Spirit jailbreak tool does not support this iOS version. You’ll lose the jailbreak once you upgrade to the latest version of iOS for your iPad.

YouTube has recently launched a revamped version of its YouTube Mobile website, designed especially for HTML5 compatible browsers such as Safari on the iPhone and iPad. The site is apparently much faster and displays videos far better than the native iPhone/ iPad YouTube app developed by Apple. Since the site does not use Flash, it can be used by iPhone and iPad users without any issues.

It is interesting to note that the YouTube app for Apple devices has a massive customer base of nearly 100 million users. However, since Apple hasn’t really updated its app regularly as per YouTube’s latest improvements, the latter decided to revamp its site in order to offer an enhanced customer experience.

Apart from a more intuitive UI and better video quality, the updated YouTube site offers other additional features such as auto-completing a search, Like & Dislike buttons etc. As per YouTube’s Product Manager Andrey Doronichev, the new HTML5 based website opens up a stream of new avenues including innovative content-based mobile ads. The challenge for YouTube is to change iPhone/ iPad user habits to move away from the native app and access the enhanced site using the Safari browser on their devices.

When you visit the YouTube mobile site, it prompts you to “install” it on your device. Once you approve, it installs a new logo on your home screen which makes it easier to access the site with just one click as opposed to opening Safari and then either typing the site address or choosing it from your bookmarks. Here’s a video of the new YouTube Mobile site in action.

Obviously, the site is not perfect and it has a few limitations. First, unlike the iPhone app, it is available only in English for now. It does not notify if you if there are new videos on channels which you’ve subscribed. Unlike the native app, it does not show your viewing history. It does not allow you to share videos with your contacts on leading social networks – Twitter, Facebook & Google Buzz.

None the less, the new YouTube Mobile site (m.youtube.com) is great from video quality perspective. And it’s a testimony of growing popularity of HTML5. Have you accessed the new YouTube Mobile site yet? What’s your feedback about this site? Is it better or worse than the native iOS app? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below this post.

If you have been holding back on buying an iPad just because it does not offer Flash support, there’s good news for you. Comex – a popular iPhone community hacker responsible for the iPad “Spirit” jailbreak, has developed an iPad port of Adobe’s Flash runtime for Android. The application is codenamed Frash and is capable of rendering Flash-based programs in Safari browser.

The port is currently available for the iPad and will be extended to the new iPhone running iOS 4 and other Apple devices over next several months. If the iPad jailbreak made Steve Jobs furious, I’m sure Frash is bound to annoy him even further.

The name ‘Frash’ is an abbreviation for Adobe Flash for Android Runtime. Comex developed a compatibility layer to port Frash to Apple’s iOS. Currently, it does not offer support for video and keyboard input. Comex plans to add keyboard support to Frash over the next few weeks. The app is expected to be released as soon as it is stable. Comex has however decided to make the source code available for fellow developers and hackers by publishing it on GitHub. Comex is encouraging developers to join the Frash project and help stabilize the app so that it can be released quickly.

A user named Xuzz149 has posted this video on YouTube video showing Frash in action. The video description states

“Frash uses a multi-process model similar to Chrome on the desktop, so a crash in the Frash/Flash plugin doesn’t take down the browser. You can see this while I’m playing Alien Hominid: the ad above crashed (probably a Frash bug), but Safari stays open just fine, and continues to play other Flash content on the page.”

For once, Adobe & Apple can stop fighting over the latter banning Flash on its devices. After all, it does not matter if Steve Jobs bans Flash on Apple devices. iPad owners will no longer need to learn to live without Flash. There’s Frash to the rescue! Check out the video to view the demo:

I’m eagerly awaiting the official release of Frash. What about you?

A popular modern age saying goes “Where there’s a will, there’s a way and there’s an iPhone app for that”. US President and word’s most powerful man, Barack Obama, is the latest celebrity to join the iPhone app bandwagon. With the launch of ‘Organizing for America’ app, Obama has become the first sitting president to release a presidential iPhone/iPad application.

The app is available as a free download from iTunes for the iPad, iPhone, iPhone 3G, 3GS, and iPod Touch. The app has several features including

• Alerts: An inbox for receiving AirMail messages from OFA that will alert you to breaking news, events in your area, and ways to get involved. AirMail allows you to take action, view video, or RSVP for events within the messages themselves.
• Up-to-the-Minute News: Keep up to date on the latest news about OFA, the 2010 elections, and President Obama. Choose between national and local information, and share your favorite stories via e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter.
• Find Events: Find local grassroots events near you. Can RSVP, gets maps and directions, and share event details with friends via e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter.
• Photos & Video: Browse photos and video from Organizing for America, including video messages from the President and scenes from grassroots events across the country.
• Discussion Points: Get the latest information on the issues of the day, so that you’ll have the facts when we’re talking to neighbors, friends and family, or voters in your community.
• Call Congress: Calling your member of Congress is one on the most effective ways to make your voice heard on the issues you care about. Easily find the phone number, call, and report the results of your conversation with your representatives.
• Donate: Help support the work that Organizing for America is engaged in.

The democrats have timed the release of the app perfectly in order to cash in on the mid-term elections which are due this fall in United States. It is believed that the app will play a crucial role in connecting with voters. Mashable reports that the recent launch of iPhone/iPad app is one of the several mobile initiatives that the Obama administration plans to pursue this year.

What’s next – iPhone apps for online voting? The world’s most popular phone – the iPhone looks set to change the political landscape of this world. What do you think?

So, you’ve done everything that you wanted to do on your iPad – watched movies, played games, read books and did loads of other activities. What next? Believe it or not, people are using the iPad in ways which are hard to believe. Some of them are innovative while others are simply ridiculous. For example, the picture on the right depicts two gentlemen using the iPad as a skateboard.

It all depends on your imagination and there are no limits on how and where you can use this fantastic gadget. Here are 4 of the wackiest ways to use your iPad (courtesy CBS News).

1) Surgery Assistant

Doctors in Japan are using the iPad as a virtual assistant to conduct complex surgeries. The iPad screen displays every minute detail of the surgery and can even be hooked up to CT scan devices.

2) Kitchen Cabinet

If cooking bores you, stick up an iPad on your kitchen cabinet. Listen to your favorite songs or watch your favorite videos as you cook meals or do the dishes. Watch the latest news or learn new recipes through a few gentle taps on your iPad touchscreen.

3) Magic Box

The iPad seems to be a bit hit with magicians. With smart moves and the iPad’s sleek display, you can do a number of tricks to impress people. There are plenty of interesting iPad apps to help you learn magic and deceive people as well.

4) iPad Skateboard

This definitely has to be the most out-of-the-box idea on how you can use (and screw) your iPad. Turn it into a skateboard. Definitely not recommended for users who love their iPad.

The iPad is a game changer and it is all set to rewrite the future of notebooks and computing. Using the iPad innovatively is appreciated; however users should stay away from derogatory means like using it as a skateboard. What do you think?

If good coffee isn’t a compelling enough reason for you to visit the nearby Starbucks store, this surely is – Starting July 1, the coffee giant will offer free Wi-Fi connectivity to all its customers in United States. Currently, AT&T iPhone customers can access Wi-Fi for free in Starbucks stores. Else if you have a registered Starbucks card, you can access Wi-Fi free of charge for two hours. If you’re not a registered Starbucks or AT&T customer, you need to pay $3.99 for Wi-Fi for two hours.

With the latest announcement, iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch owners have a reason to celebrate as they too will be able to access Wi-Fi in Starbucks outlets for free. It seems the days of iPhone exclusivity are coming to an end everywhere. No registration, No cards needed – just connect to the hotspot and start surfing the net while you sip your favorite coffee! Free Wi-Fi has often been used as a trump card by several food chains in order to lure more customers. McDonalds offers free Wi-Fi at all its restaurants across U.S since December last year.

In a related announcement, Starbucks has also announced that it will launch a news service called Starbucks Digital Network in partnership with Yahoo. The service will give users free access to various paid sites and services such as wsj.com, exclusive content and previews, free downloads, local community news and activities. This service will be available only in company-operated Starbucks stores in the US and its objective is to improve the overall customer experience.

Coffee and gossip to hand in hand and this announcement from Starbucks will let users use their iPad to catch up on local news and gossip, that too for free. IMO, free Wi-Fi on the iPad adds another feather in the cap of AT&T and Starbucks.

Great Coffee, free Wi-Fi at Starbucks – it surely doesn’t get any better than this!