iOS 8 Jailbreak Good to Go, Patches Need Minor Adjustments

Well-known hacker Stefan Esser has announced plans to jailbreak Apple’s iOS 8 using existing exploits that he developed on iOS 7.1.1. Not wanting to burn the vulnerabilities, the security expert will likely refrain from releasing the jailbreak until iOS 8 Final debuts this fall.

A series of tweets from the renowned security expert indicate that the iOS 8 jailbreak is pretty much a go. Esser says all he needs is to spend a few hours with the beta and find some relocated codeto apply existing vulnerabilities.

“Download finished. Initial tests show that iOS 8 beta does not fix anything. Dumped kernel fine, but code changed and patches are not found. [...] I guess tomorrow I need a few hours in the office to fix the code and then the JB should be iOS 8 beta compatible. [...] Only question is if Cydia runs at all in iOS 8,” he said.

Esser recently discovered new holes in Apple’s mobile softwareallowing him to compromise the latest firmware, iOS 7.1.1. He showed off the feat on YouTube but refrained from releasing the actual jailbreak to the public. As avid jailbreakers will remember, Apple patched existing exploits with the release of iOS 7.1, making the newly-discovered bugs very precious indeed.

The good news is that these newly-found vulnerabilities also seem applicable to iOS 8, meaning Esser and his hacking buds know about them while Apple doesn’t. When iOS 8 is released this fall, it will basically be vulnerable-on-arrival (VOA). We’re coining the term right here, right now.

Jokes aside, iOS 8 seems poised to receive its much deserved jailbreak, as the firmware versions before it. The popularity of these hacks has diminished substantially in recent times, but the hackers are still at it and many people out there still use jailbreaking as a way to download unapproved software, such as icon sets and themes.

With iOS 8 slated to launch this fall, it could well be at least three to four months before jailbreak fans can get their hands on Esser’s work.

Fingers Crossed: Sony Rumored to Have a $1,000 Full-Frame Camera in the Works

In a rumor that is either wishful thinking at its best, or a preview of a VERY exciting Photokina announcement from Sony, an anonymous source told sonyalpharumors that the massive electronics company — which, by the way, has made a name for itself as an innovator in the world of photography — is working on a $1,000 NEX-sized full-frame camera.

The source is anonymous, and not one of SAR‘s ‘trusted sources’ that are so often spot on, but if this pans out it will shake up the market to the same or greater degree than the release of the full-frame A7 and A7r did.

The source told SAR that the camera would be similar to the NEX-5, viewfinder-less, and cost right around $1,000. This, we probably don’t need to tell you, would make it both the smallest AND the cheapest full-frame camera on the market… period.

There are a lot of reasons why this might not make sense for 

Sony  for example, at the rumored price point, this camera would 

likely eat into its APS-C mirrorless sales — but the company did 

patent a design just like this last year, so there is some

 indication that this is at least  on Sony’s mind.

As to whether we’ll be seeing this at Photokina? Well, we’ll keep

 our fingers crossed and our ears open for more info, so keep a 

close eye on the site over the next few months.

(via sonyalpharumors via The Phoblographer)

MOTA SmartWatch G2 Has Siri and Google Now Support, Sells for $80 / €59

If you’re browsing tech headlines these days, you’ll surely stumble at least upon one related to smartwatches. And even if customers continue to remain skittish about picking such a device, most of us are familiar with the Samsung Gear or Sony’s SmartView. 

Not to mention that Android Wear devices will soon be upon us, further expanding the allure of the smartwatch, with Motorola and LG taking the forefront of this course of action. Anyway, the world of wearables is certainly not limited to the offerings coming from brand vendors.

There’s a lot of more obscure wearables, so to say. One of the them is MOTA and the company behind it already released the first-generation smartwatch. But now, an updated version of the original product is being rolled out under the MOTA SmartWatch G2 name.

Visually nothing has changed much, compared to the first product and the producing entity has maintained the same super affordable price-tag of $80 / €59. 

For this super-low price tag, customers jumping on board with the MOTA will receive a sleek-looking device, which is more reminiscent of a fitness band than of a smartwatch, judging by its curved display.

But that’s not all the new intelligent time-piece brings to the table. Bizarrely enough, the Smartwatch G2 has a built-in mic and support for Siri and Google Now. This integration is what truly sets the watch apart from the flock.

Basically, you’ll be able to deliver vocal commands and queries without taking out the smartphone from your pocket.Imagine being able to check the weather forecast or look for the next train to Boston by virtue of just talking to your wrist.

Surely, there’s a oddness factor here, but you don’t have to scream at your watch in public, do you?

The new MOTA can be paired with Android and iOS smartphones via Bluetooth 3.0, so it does not limit compatibility to a certain pool of devices. 

Like most smartwatches out there, the MOTA can be used to relay notifications and, when doing so, it will make your wearable vibrate, while displaying the appropriate information on the OLED screen. 

Microsoft Office for Windows 8 Delayed, Could Launch with Windows 9 – Report

We already know that Microsoft is working on a touch-optimized version of Office that would be specifically aimed at the Modern environment included in Windows 8, but there are still no details as to when this new build of the productivity suite could reach the market.

The software giant has already teased the new version with several occasions, including at BUILD 2014 in San Francisco when it presented the touch-optimized PowerPoint in action, and hinted that the public launch could take place as soon as this year.

But according to Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley, Office Touch is very likely to be delayed as the company is now working to bring the Android SKU to the market before the one aimed at Windows 8.

The reason is pretty much the same as for Office for iPad. Asked why the company intends to launch the iPad version before the Windows 8 one, Microsoft's new CEO Satya Nadella explained at the Code Conference last month that it's all because of the market share.

There are millions of iPad users out there, so the company needs to expand its productivity suite in such a way that it would be capable of reaching a wider audience. Both the iPad and Android are part of this project, while Windows 8 clearly comes in third place.

“The intent here is to make sure our services are available on all devices. There are going to be Windows devices and there are going to be other devices and we have to make sure our services run on all of them,” Satya explained at the Code Conference.

“That said, iPad has the most share. We are definitely going to have touch-first Office on Windows, and it is coming.”

As for the release date of the touch-based Office for Windows, nothing is sure so far, but the same report hints that Microsoft might launch it in spring 2015. Unsurprisingly, the same timing is believed to be prepared for Windows 9 as well, Microsoft's next full Windows operating system which could see daylight in April 2015.

In other words, Microsoft might launch Windows 9 and Office Touch at the same time, a plan that would actually make sense given the fact that people close to the matter suggested that Microsoft was planning to remove the desktop in a future Windows 9 SKU. As a result, Office Touch would give users the chance to create and edit documents on their tablets even without a desktop.