Is the iPhone 4 becoming Apple's Windows Vista?

The latest word out of Apple HQ is that the iPhone 4 software update that’s on the way won’t do anything to solve that little antenna problem that’s been getting headlines in recent days.

Well, duh.

As Adrian Kingsley-Hughes pointed out in a post of his own this morning, the antenna problem on the iPhone 4 isn’t a software issue. It’s a design defect. And his advice is simple: either live with it or return it.

As the iPhone 4 bashing continues, I can’t help but wonder if the folks in Cupertino are getting a little taste of what Redmond must have been feeling when everyone was bashing Windows Vista - stuck between a rock and a hard place because there’s really no quick answer to give iPhone owners. Well, nothing beyond 1) scale down to a previous version, 2) buy from a competitor or 3) wait for the next update.

I understand the loyalty badge that Apple fans wear proudly. I’ve been wearing my “I’m a Mac” label for many years and would recommend Apple’s computer systems to anyone. I own an Apple TV unit and can’t wait to see what the company will do next with it. And I happily use Apple’s Airport wireless networking products to transmit the Internet wirelessly throughout my house.

But I won’t buy an iPhone - because I’m also a fan of spending my money wisely. Yes, it used to be an AT&T issue with me - why would I pay a monthly bill for phone service that’s hit or miss, at best? But now, my distaste for Apple’s iPhone has grown beyond that.

• The whole control-freakery over the App store was getting to be too much for me, despite the reassuring words that the control process was to maintain the integrity of Apple’s app marketplace - but now there’s the issue of iTunes accounts and the app store being hacked. So much for that control process.
• The death of AT&T’s unlimited data plan was also a turnoff. Frankly, I considered it a way of discouraging users from experimenting with any data-heavy applications, something that stifles innovation.
• Finally, the open letter from Apple - you know, the one where Apple admitted to miscalculating how it registered signal strength on the iPhone - was a game-changer for me. All this time, as AT&T advertised “More bars in more places,” there were actually fewer bars in those places. Anyone else feel like they’ve been deceived?

It’s unfortunate, really. The iPhone was the pioneer, a company that redefined smartphones and single-handedly changed the entire ecosystem of apps as a business - just like Microsoft did when it originally introduced the Windows operating system to personal computing.

Like Microsoft, Apple may have fallen into the trap of thinking that, as the market leader, it was untouchable. But just as Apple recognized Microsoft’s vulnerability as it tried to dig itself out of the Windows Vista fiasco, Google and others may be the ones who are watching as the iPhone 4 takes a public relations beating. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were busy behind the scenes putting together a switch campaign of their own.

With all of that said, I can’t help but wonder if we’ll see iPhone 5 sooner than expect

7 Simple Steps to Keeping Your Account From Being Hacked

By far the most common reason accounts get hacked is that they had easy to remember and simple – sometimes even trivial – passwords.

In other words, the accounts have easy to hack passwords. Passwords like a pet's name, a friend's name spelled backwards, a favorite movie catch phrase, a significant other's name (or "iheart" followed by that name), and so on.

Hackers are extremely resourceful at guessing and ferreting out those all-too-common password schemes. And sometimes it's not even the hackers that end up with your passwords.



Here are seven key steps to keeping an account from being hacked due to simple and common password theft.

1 – Pick A Good Password. "iHeartSue" is bad. "qicITcl}" is great! The problem's pretty obvious, though – if it's easy to remember, then it's probably a bad password. Instead, use a blended approach: never use full words or names; mix upper and lower case letters, use numbers. Use at least 8 characters. A password like "ILoveWindows" is bad, but a variation – "1luvwind00s" could be very good. "CorgiDog", not so good, but "Igroc7Pup" might be ok. Get creative, using a technique you can remember that no one else could possibly guess.

2 – Keep Your Password Safe. Tell no one. Even in a close and presumably trusting relationship – if anything ever happens consider the damage that the person could do knowing your password. Too many account theft scenarios begin with trusting someone just a little too much, and then having the relationship go bad. Your friends are your friends until one day they're not. Especially if someone is pressuring you or if there's the least little bit of doubt, don't share your password.

3 – Use a "Secret Answer." Most systems use the answer to a "secret question" as a way to recover or reset a password. Unfortunately many people choose answers that anyone can guess, or easily research on the internet. Answers like where you were born or your pet's name are frequently easy to find out with a little searching. The good news is that your secret answer doesn't actually have to make sense. Pick something unrelated or bizarre instead; choose answers like "Pickle" as your city of birth, "Confusion" as your mother's maiden name, or perhaps "Flat Tire" as your favorite pet. As long as you can remember, it doesn't matter.

4 – Maintain That Alternate Email Address. An "alternate email address" is used by many mail accounts as a place to send you a password reminder or reset. Be sure to set up an account on a different email system for your alternate email address (any other free email system will do), and then use that address as your alternate everywhere else. Of course, keep the alternate account active so as not to lose it, since without it you may be out of luck.

5 – Remember. Remembering sounds easy, but like we said earlier: if it's easy to remember, then it's probably a bad password. And yet remembering and being difficult to guess are both critical. You must remember your password, failing that your secret answer, and failing that your alternate email account. Forget or lose them all, and you're severely out of luck. If written down, be sure to keep it all in a secure place – not something like the almost cliche scenario of finding poorly hidden sticky notes containing passwords near your computer. It might be safe to keep something in your wallet, since you already treat that as secure. An encrypted file or password container on your computer might be another option.

6 – Don't Get Taken. There are shady services that will claim to be able to retrieve your passwords and account access. Many are simply scams to take advantage of you when you are vulnerable and only take your money or login information for another account that they can then breech. The only place trustworthy enough for password and account recovery help is the service you've lost access to itself. If they can't help, then neither can a reputable third party.

7 – Learn From Your Mistakes. Finally, if you now know that you have a weak password, if you've told it to someone you shouldn't have, or if you've not set up that secret question or alternate account, fix it. Now. Change your password to something stronger, set up the alternate recovery methods, and keep your information private. If you've been hacked and you don't have any of that set up, you're very likely out of luck. Make sure to take more secure care of your account password and information with your next one.

What You'll Need If Your Hard Drive Crashes

Are you prepared if your hard drive crashes? Your recovery disk has helped you recover from certain types of failures. However is it always enough, or do you need an installation disk as well?
To answer the question, it is important to first understand the difference between a recovery disk and installation disk.

• The recovery disk, typically included with your system, contains information to recover your system. However, the disk relies on information still stored on your hard drive to do so.


• The installation disk contains all the information necessary to install system software, such as Windows, or application software, such as Quickbooks, on your hard drive. It doesn't require additional information from the hard drive to work.


Can you see the problem? A recovery disk works great to restore your system if you delete an application or corrupt the system. For example, if you accidentally deleted Windows, the recovery disk could find a copy of Windows in a hidden partition on your drive and use that to re-install your system from scratch. However, if your hard drive crashes, your recovery disk has no information to draw from. Now, you need either an installation disk, or image type of back up that backs up everything on your hard drive.


Here's the complicated part: installation disks aren't always included with your computer. If you don't have an installation disk, insist on one from your computer vendor. It is worth the extra cost. When you receive the disk, make sure to save it, and its product keys, in a safe place.
Remember, every recovery disk is created differently. There is no standard for what recovery disks should contain or what information it needs from the hard drive to restore your system. Just because the disk worked for one failure does not mean it will work for all.


For ultimate security, it is essential to back up your information with a reliable image back up. Taken regularly, image back ups protect your computer and can replace the need for an installation disk.