bluebox
Latest
Hawaiian Airlines to offer iPad minis for in-flight entertainment on 14 planes
Starting September 1st, people flying Hawaiian Airlines will get the chance to spend some R&R time with an iPad mini thousands of feet in the air. It's all thanks to the company contracting Blue Avionics to switch its existing in-flight entertainment systems (IES) with 1,500 miniature iPads on 14 Boeing 767-300 planes. Business class passengers can stream movies and shows for free, but unlike American Airlines' Galaxy Tab program available only to premium seats, anyone onboard can rent a teensy tablet. Sure, it'll cost them $15 for the perk -- $17, if they decided to do so on a whim while already on the plane -- but the existing system will cost them the same amount anyway. iPads on planes aren't anything new -- AA and Alaska Airlines have both ditched flight manuals for their digital counterparts, while Qantas and Jetstar Airways have been renting them out for years. However, HA is the first U.S. airline to offer iPads for in-flight entertainment, and some patrons might see that as a welcome change.
First real world 'master key' exploit discovered sneaking malware into Android apps
Two apps have been discovered on unofficial marketplaces in China that might just be the first in-the-wild exploits of the massive bug found by Bluebox two weeks ago. The so-called "master key" vulnerability, or a least an extremely close relative of it, was the point of entry for malware in these two apps, which now carry code that allows an attacker to remotely hijack a device, harvest sensitive data and even disable a number of mobile security suites. The concern here, is that this particular security hole allowed these alterations to be made without invalidating the apps' digital signatures. So, the malware was able to sneak through filters, hidden as a Trojan Horse inside pieces of legitimate software. Google has already patched the vulnerability, preventing compromised apps from slipping in to the official Play store. Additional updates addressing the flaw have been issued to carriers and manufacturers, but we all know it could be quite sometime before everyone applies the patches to their products.
Check if your Android phone is patched against the 'Master Key' exploit with this app
After discovering a longstanding exploit in Android firmware dating back to version 1.6 that allowed malicious developers to circumvent software security measures, Bluebox Security released an Android app this week for users to check whether their phone is still vulnerable to the exploit. Since Bluebox's report last week, Google acknowledged the issue and released a patch that it says is in the hands of OEMs and already being pushed out by certain manufacturers (Samsung, for one). The app is thankfully free, and should provide some much-needed reassurance to most Android users. Head to the source link below to snag it for yourself.
The Daily Roundup for 07.04.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Jetstar Airways first to rent out iPads, only $8.40 a flight
The world's first iPad inflight entertainment system definitely came sooner than we thought; though Bluebox just announced the idea two weeks ago, it's slated to hit Australia at the end of the month. Qantas budget carrier Jetstar Airways will hold a trial of the service in the last two weeks of June, doling out iPads to passengers on flights 90 minutes or greater for AUD $10 (approximately $8.40) a pop, and will extend the service to their entire network if the business... well, you know. Since Jetstar CIO Stephen Tame famously predicted the iPad would kill the inflight movie business earlier this year, it seems we're looking at a classic case of if-you-can't-beat-em syndrome. Call us biased, but that sounds a good sight better than what Microsoft's up to.
iPad takes to the skies with Bluebox Ai this July
In-flight entertainment might not be high on everyone's list of priorities, but from this July, it might become a new point of differentiation between airlines. Bluebox Avionics has announced its new Ai IFE system, which seems to mostly involve just giving travelers an iPad to play around with while gliding through the atmosphere. It "leverages the power, flexibility and quality of the most advanced consumer device ever produced" (they have an Evo 4G? Zing!) and offers Bluebox's proprietary security solution and tailor-made apps for each airline. One international carrier has already signed up and more are expected to follow.
mi VDO FX DV Cam: crappy flash-based video making for the children
YouTube auteurs aren't exactly short on options for capturing those sub-10 minute masterpieces, but the b2 folks that brought us the miJam have decided to give this crowded market a shot with the new mi VDO FX DV Cam. The shooter sports a 1.5-inch screen, 4x digital zoom (that must look real pretty with this kind of resolution to work with), 18 built-in in-camera special effects, on-the-go editing, SD card slot and USB / AV ports. There's also apparently a mini-jack input for recording music from your MP3 player while you're shooting video. No word on price or availability.[Via Chip Chick]
Steve Jobs: Smooth Criminal
Steve's a smooth guy, we know this. Witness his near-flawless execution of the keynotes. Marvel at how he keeps a straight face when asked about secret projects. Not that he always keeps his cool, but I certainly wouldn't want to play poker with the guy. The criminal part? Well, I'm not talking about stock options, I'm talking about crimes Steve has committed in front of us all, or admitted to publicly.So remember the prank call to Starbucks during the keynote? Word on the street back in my school daze: prank calling is illegal! Of course, there's a right way and a wrong way to prank call (ask the Jerky Boys). Steve was wise to end that call before someone started pouring the coffee...Now think back to November 2006, when Universal Music Group's CEO made the bold statement that iPod users are thieves, or, at least, their iPods are full of stolen music (I was just holding it for a friend, officer, honest!). Well hey, maybe he's right. I still don't see the Beatles on iTunes, and yet, somehow Steve had them on his iPhone... So Steve, do we get a copy of Limewire on our iPhones or what? You sneaky devil!Lastly, don't forget Jobsy's hacker roots. OK, Woz was the real hacker, or prankster in this case. Steve's clicker failing provided everyone in the room with a trip down memory lane. Back when the FCC didn't really worry about a couple of college kids jamming the airwaves and wreaking havoc on nerds in the common room... And then there's the association with a certain Captain Crunch, aka John Draper, and tinkering with Woz's Blue box. That was certainly a crime, although one that was apparently never pursued (despite Draper's arrest and conviction). Boy Steve, what other criminals do you hang with today? Are they as smooth as you? I forgive ya, as long as I can call for free on the iPhone by emitting a 2600 Hz tone...[Asbestos claim: this is tagged as humor, please make a note of it]
mi Lite iPod skins
Have you ever wondered if your iPod could serve double duty as both a digital audio device and a funky portable strobe light? Me neither. But someone made it happen anyway.mi Lite, from Blue Box is a protective graphic skin that features tiny sensor switches that make your iPod light up and go blinky-blinky like a Christmas tree when you hold it in just the right spot. There's a nice selection of graphics, although the lights themselves appear to only come in blue. They'll set you back less than $20 and are available for all iPods except the iPod mini and iPod shuffle. The lights are powered by a "replaceable power source," so as not to drain power from your iPod.What ever will they think of next in the land of gratuitous iPod accessories?[via popgadget]
BlueBox intros miJam iPod toys
If it wasn't yet clear to you that the age of the DIY mashup is upon us, a new set of toys from a company called BlueBox -- which let even iPod-toting tweens "enhance" their tunes by dropping beats and sound effects -- should remove any lingering doubts. The three members of the new miJam series, which all attach to standard headpone jacks - a guitar, mixing board, and electronic drumsticks -- bear little resemblance to their non-toy counterparts, as all of the effects are triggered by buttons instead of real drumming or thrashing. Even the mixer sounds like it would be a letdown for budding DJ's, delivering canned scratches that will in no way prepare them for the beat-matching they'll being doing in a few years on their Numarks. Still, kids are pretty easily entertained, so the flashing lights and loud noises should probably hold their interest for a few minutes longer than your average gimmicky accessory. Like so many other pre-release products we bring you, we have no idea when these are coming out nor how much they'll sell for.
