TamsPPC - the PocketPC Blog

The PocketPC news and opinion source

March 2nd, 2008

Daylight-saving time update

In case anyone of you lives in one of the time zones mentioned below, please head over to the Microsoft web site and download a small RAM patch for your Smartphone:

Arabic Standard Time
Adjusts DST start dates and end dates for the Baghdad time zone to reflect changes that have occurred since the earlier cumulative time zone update was created in August 2007.
Australia: Central Australia Standard Time, Australia Eastern Standard Time, Tasmania Standard Time
Adjusts DST start times and end times for these time zones so that DST starts and ends on the same day. This adjustment was made after the earlier cumulative time zone update was created in August 2007.

Further information on the update is available in the Microsoft Knowledge base.

March 2nd, 2008

i-mate kills US outpost

Engadget has just reported that the US division of i-mate has been closed down except for a few folks around a sales manager who was promoted to become the new division’s General Manager.

The folks claim that the company is closing down its US branch because of lack of carrier support - no further information is given.

Get the full scoop(actually, there is none) here:
http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/01/i-mates-us-outpost-implodes-most-laid-off/

March 2nd, 2008

WinCE/InfoJack - the first trojan for Windows Mobile

When WinCE4/Dust hit the road back in 2004, its author decorateds thjis proof-of-coincept virus with the following words(before sending it out to a few AntiVirus vendors):

This code arose from the dust of Permutation City
This is proof of concept code. Also, i wanted to make avers happy.
The situation when Pocket PC antiviruses detect only EICAR file had to end …

However, McAfee now reports about a new “virus” called InfoJack. It has been distributed in a bundle of (probably pirated) applications. McAfee claims that this self-updating application currently has the following features:

  • installing as an autorun program on the memory card
  • installing itself to the phone when an infected memory card is inserted
  • protecting itself from deletion, copying itself back to disk
  • replaces the browser’s home page
  • allows unsigned applications to install without warning

Additonally, it sends some data about the phone back to its “owner”.

While this tiny-teeny virus is harmless, it nevertheless shows that Windows Mobile is perfectly vulnerable to virii. This will not only generate loads of revenue from AV vendors, but also clearly shows that piracy is dangerous.

Please don’t get me wrong - I am not supporting the criminal works of virus writers in any way. However, more virii definitely leads to more wannabe pirates burning their hands and stopping to do pirated apps - something that developers will definitely appreciate!

|