Opening the first PDF with Preview does not cause Safari to launch, and appears to show a static Google web page. No outbound traffic was observed when opening the PDF in Preview. Opening the PDF using Acrobat 5.0, 6.0 , and 7.0 appears to cause Safari to launch and open "http://www.google.com/owned.html". It looks like Preview is not vulnerable to this particular attack, while at least some Adobe Acrobat readers for OSX are vulnerable.
I really think the point here is that if flaws exist and can be exploited as the researchers claim, then in locations with a large concentration of wireless enabled devices, those flaws could be present and if present, exploited. I don't think the point of the demo was to show a new way of breaking into OSX. As you point out, there are simpler ways of taking control of something you physically posses.
I used to listen to FM radio while driving, but public radio had one too many pledge drives and turned me off. I now mostly listen to audiobook content, and haven't listened to FM in many months.
I remember using that trick on floppy disks, when I ran out of disk space on an Apple. It didn't work so well when I tried it on an IBM PC, and had to redo my term paper. The computer guy kindly informed that IBM disks were able to store twice as much data as Apple disks because IBM already used both sides.
"There is no way to officially pull music you put on your own iPod off"...and once I open a can of beer, there is no way for me to unopen it. Should I be upset with the good people at Sprecher about this?
"You have to use their software to work with the iPod."
"Can't use iTunes to browse and listen to music on my iPod. Ok I admit, I don't have a big enough hard drive to hold all the music CDs I own and ripped."...and if you just picked up your shiny new iPod and were surprised by this, you can take it back for a refund. Maybe Apple should have personally consulted with you about what features to put in iPod/iTunes and developed an "AC" version for you. In the real world, that just isn't likely I like to play Grand Theft Auto, but it doesn't work on my hardware. If GTA was really the most important requirement for me, I would have bought a PC instead of a Powerbook.
"Yep, so if it wasn't for the solution on the Apple website,"...So you are using the iPod as an expensive external drive, you had a problem, the Apple web site provided a solution. I don't see the iPod really being marketed as a external hard drive, and at $300 for 30 GB, it's easily 4 times the cost for 1/3 the storage of storage solutions built for that purpose.
It really sounds like the iPod isn't right for you. Fortunately you have a lot of choices other than iPod, or perhaps ipodlinux.org if you really must have the iPod hardware. Instead of whining about Apple's DRM and your puny hard drive, return that iPod and spend $50 on a larger drive. Outside your return period? Right now on Ebay bidding is up to $44 for a broken iPod. Surely a working iPod will fetch enough to get a decent hard drive and maybe an audio player more aligned with your needs. As far as I know, there isn't a law that requires you to buy an iPod. Next time you are in the market to purchase something, do a little more work researching the capabilities before you make your purchase.
In the last three years, I have bought 8 Apples PC's, half of them Powerbooks. Out of these 8, one (an iBook I bought for my niece) lost video after 2 years. The iBook machine was out of the warranty and no Applecare had been purchased, but Apple's web site acknowledged a logic board flaw which could cause display problems. A short call to Apple and the next day a prepaid shipping carton shows up. After about a week, the iBook is shipped back (overnight delivery). I didn't pay a dime, didn't wait in line, and got excellent service. While this has been my only experience with Apple support, I was very pleased at how little effort it took on my part to get the problem resolved.
Better yet, call the Qwest opt out number from non Qwest owned pay phones. Unless the law was changed, pay phone providers are able to recover a surcharge of something like 28.4 cents from the 800/8XX provider for each call originating from their pay phones.
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Opening the first PDF with Preview does not cause Safari to launch, and appears to show a static Google web page. No outbound traffic was observed when opening the PDF in Preview. Opening the PDF using Acrobat 5.0, 6.0 , and 7.0 appears to cause Safari to launch and open "http://www.google.com/owned.html". It looks like Preview is not vulnerable to this particular attack, while at least some Adobe Acrobat readers for OSX are vulnerable.
I really think the point here is that if flaws exist and can be exploited as the researchers claim, then in locations with a large concentration of wireless enabled devices, those flaws could be present and if present, exploited. I don't think the point of the demo was to show a new way of breaking into OSX. As you point out, there are simpler ways of taking control of something you physically posses.
I used to listen to FM radio while driving, but public radio had one too many pledge drives and turned me off. I now mostly listen to audiobook content, and haven't listened to FM in many months.
I remember using that trick on floppy disks, when I ran out of disk space on an Apple. It didn't work so well when I tried it on an IBM PC, and had to redo my term paper. The computer guy kindly informed that IBM disks were able to store twice as much data as Apple disks because IBM already used both sides.
"There is no way to officially pull music you put on your own iPod off" ...and once I open a can of beer, there is no way for me to unopen it. Should I be upset with the good people at Sprecher about this?
"You have to use their software to work with the iPod."
"Can't use iTunes to browse and listen to music on my iPod. Ok I admit, I don't have a big enough hard drive to hold all the music CDs I own and ripped." ...and if you just picked up your shiny new iPod and were surprised by this, you can take it back for a refund. Maybe Apple should have personally consulted with you about what features to put in iPod/iTunes and developed an "AC" version for you. In the real world, that just isn't likely I like to play Grand Theft Auto, but it doesn't work on my hardware. If GTA was really the most important requirement for me, I would have bought a PC instead of a Powerbook.
"Yep, so if it wasn't for the solution on the Apple website," ...So you are using the iPod as an expensive external drive, you had a problem, the Apple web site provided a solution. I don't see the iPod really being marketed as a external hard drive, and at $300 for 30 GB, it's easily 4 times the cost for 1/3 the storage of storage solutions built for that purpose.
It really sounds like the iPod isn't right for you. Fortunately you have a lot of choices other than iPod, or perhaps ipodlinux.org if you really must have the iPod hardware. Instead of whining about Apple's DRM and your puny hard drive, return that iPod and spend $50 on a larger drive. Outside your return period? Right now on Ebay bidding is up to $44 for a broken iPod. Surely a working iPod will fetch enough to get a decent hard drive and maybe an audio player more aligned with your needs. As far as I know, there isn't a law that requires you to buy an iPod. Next time you are in the market to purchase something, do a little more work researching the capabilities before you make your purchase.
In the last three years, I have bought 8 Apples PC's, half of them Powerbooks. Out of these 8, one (an iBook I bought for my niece) lost video after 2 years. The iBook machine was out of the warranty and no Applecare had been purchased, but Apple's web site acknowledged a logic board flaw which could cause display problems. A short call to Apple and the next day a prepaid shipping carton shows up. After about a week, the iBook is shipped back (overnight delivery). I didn't pay a dime, didn't wait in line, and got excellent service. While this has been my only experience with Apple support, I was very pleased at how little effort it took on my part to get the problem resolved.
Better yet, call the Qwest opt out number from non Qwest owned pay phones. Unless the law was changed, pay phone providers are able to recover a surcharge of something like 28.4 cents from the 800/8XX provider for each call originating from their pay phones.