iPHONE 5: RUMORS ABOUT FEATURES & 10 IMPROVEMENTS

iPhone 5 Rumored to have Fingerprint Unlock

This rumor comes from speculation after Apple recently purchased AuthenTec which specializes in fingerprint technology. And while it would be a very nice iPhone 5 feature, it doesn’t seem that likely. The new phone is supposedly already in production. Unless Apple had earlier workings with AuthenTec before the purchase, it is more likely a feature to be found in iPhone 6 (or iPhone 5S).

iPhone 5 Leaked Photos

Next up were the supposedly leaked photos of the new iPhone from a production factory. To date these seem the most likely to be legit. They look like the real deal and also sport the rumored 19-pin connector dock. But their legitimacy can also be brought into question because of the next rumor.

iPhone 5 photos show the fully assembled next-generation iPhone 

iPhone 5 Will Feature 8-Pin Connector

This was probably the most surprising rumor this week. Tech blogs everywhere have basically confirmed that it would downsize to a 19-pin connector. Now an iPhone accessory manufacturer seems to claim otherwise. Not only do they claim the iPhone 5 will have a microUSB equivalent dock at just 8 pins, but that it would also work as a Magsafe connector. Magsafe is the technology currently used in Macs that utilize magnets to keep the charging cable in place. That could be a very interesting iPhone 5 feature.

iPhone 5 Release Will Be September 12th

There has been speculation of a September release date for the phone, but so far rumors have pointed towards the 21st. Now it seems that an earlier release date has been thrown around at the rumor mill. What may be more likely is that the 12th will act as the day of the press conference. The 21st on the other hand will be when consumers can first get their hands on the new devices.

iPad Mini Rumored Release and Production

The iPad mini has been rumored for a while, but nothing other than its existence has been speculated. Well now thanks to a source from Japanese site Mackotakara, it is being said that the iPad mini will launch alongside the iPhone 5. Should that hold true, it would certainly be a huge launch day for Apple.

The site also claimed the smaller tablet was being produced in Brazil by Foxconn. It even had some specs to report saying that the iPad mini will come in at the same thickness as the iPod Touch and won’t have a retina display in order to help keep the price competitive against devices like the Google Nexus tablet and the Kindle Fire.

iPad Mini Case Leaked

Accessory maker DeviceWear had posted pictures of leather cases on their site which suspiciously looked to fit a smaller Apple tablet. The pictures were later taken down (and luckily saved by some sites) only increasing the suspicions of Apple preparing to launch the iPad mini. The picture also shows off the smaller tablet sporting a 19-pin connector.

iPhone 5 Will Cost $800

You have probably seen this rumor trending on Twitter. It isn’t true. If anything it’s just meant for people to take a shot at their social media comedic skills at certain iPhone 5 features they’d expect. If this does hold true I will personally send Apple a bottle of medication, since they’d have to be pretty ill to make a pricing blunder of that caliber.

As you can see, plenty of rumors have surfaced since our last roundup. And you can bet that more will just keep popping up as we grow closer to the release date, regardless of if it actually is September 12.

10 IMPROVEMENTS:-

1. That bigger display
According to most reports surrounding Apple’s iPhone 5, the device will come with a 4-inch display. Apple’s current iPhones have 3.5-inch screens. Although Apple hasn’t confirmed it, the chances of the company delivering a 4-inch display in the iPhone 5 seem awfully high.
2. NFC
From this point on, consumers and enterprise users can expect to see near-field communication make its way to Android-based handsets. They can’t expect the same from Apple’s iPhones. In the iPhone 5, Apple can change that and finally offer near-field communication and all of the benefits that go with it.
3. Same price
Apple has historically kept its latest iPhones at the same price as its predecessors. The company must do the same with the iPhone 5. At $199 with a two-year contract, the iPhone is perfectly priced. And Apple should do everything it can to maintain that price level with carriers.
4. iOS 6, of course
It wouldn’t be the iPhone 5 unless Apple offers iOS 6 in the device. After all, iOS 6 is the latest mobile operating system from the company and should be bundled in its best mobile hardware, right?

5. 4G LTE
With the sheer number of smartphones launching nowadays with 4G LTE networking, it would only make sense for Apple to deliver the same connectivity option. In mobile wireless, 4G LTE is the future. And everyone knows it.
6. A new look and feel
The iPhone design is getting a little old. It made its debut a couple of years ago with the launch of the iPhone 4 and persisted until now through the iPhone 4S. Apple should launch a new design with the iPhone 5 and show that it’s not content to simply maintain status quo and collect its profits each quarter.
7. That smaller Dock connector port
According to several reports, Apple will be launching a smaller Dock connector port in the next iPhone. The port would deliver 19 pins, as compared to the 30-pin variety Apple is using now. That might annoy some accessories owners, but that smaller port should offer more functionality over time. Better yet, it’ll save Apple precious space in its mobile devices. It’s a win-win.
8. A continued desire to deliver mobility
One of the key aspects of Apple’s iPhone success over the years has been its willingness to make its device as mobile as possible. The iPhone is thin, not too long, and fits perfectly in a pocket. As Apple finalizes its latest design, it should be sure to continue to offer the high-quality mobility everyone has come to expect from the firm.
9. Bring on the A6 processor
When Apple announced the new iPad, many hoped that it would unveil the A6 processor. Instead, it delivered the A5X processor in the device. Speculation abounds that the next iPhone will come with the quad-core A6 processor. One can only hope.
10. Wireless charging
Apple has slowly but surely started the process of going entirely wireless with its many products. Rather than hook up the iPhone to a computer to update it, for example, wireless updates are available. However, Apple has yet to cut the cord in one very important place: wireless charging. It’s about time Apple delivers wireless charging to the iPhone ecosystem. And the best way to do that is to deliver it in the iPhone 5.

DNS CHANGER MALWARE

DNS (Domain Name System) is an Internet service that converts user-friendly domain names into the numerical Internet protocol (IP) addresses that computers use to talk to each other. When you enter a domain name, such as www.fbi.gov, in your web browser address bar, your computer contacts DNS servers to determine the IP address for the website. Your computer then uses this IP address to locate and connect to the website. DNS servers are operated by your Internet service provider (ISP) and are included in your computer’s network configuration. DNS and DNS Servers are a critical component of your computer’s operating environment—without them, you would not be able to access websites, send e-mail, or use any other Internet services.
Criminals have learned that if they can control a user’s DNS servers, they can control what sites the user connects to on the Internet. By controlling DNS, a criminal can get an unsuspecting user to connect to a fraudulent website or to interfere with that user’s online web browsing. One way criminals do this is by infecting computers with a class of malicious software (malware) called DNSChanger. In this scenario, the criminal uses the malware to change the user’s DNS server settings to replace the ISP’s good DNS servers with bad DNS servers operated by the criminal. A bad DNS server operated by a criminal is referred to as a rogue DNS server.
The FBI has uncovered a network of rogue DNS servers and has taken steps to disable it. The FBI is also undertaking an effort to identify and notify victims who have been impacted by the DNSChanger malware. One consequence of disabling the rogue DNS network is that victims who rely on the rogue DNS network for DNS service could lose access to DNS services. To address this, the FBI has worked with private sector technical experts to develop a plan for a private-sector, non-government entity to operate and maintain clean DNS servers for the infected victims. The FBI has also provided information to ISPs that can be used to redirect their users from the rogue DNS servers to the ISPs’ own legitimate servers. The FBI will support the operation of the clean DNS servers for four months, allowing time for users, businesses, and other entities to identify and fix infected computers. At no time will the FBI have access to any data concerning the Internet activity of the victims.
It is quite possible that computers infected with this malware may also be infected with other malware. The establishment of these clean DNS servers does not guarantee that the computers are safe from other malware. The main intent is to ensure users do not lose DNS services.
What Does DNSChanger Do to My Computer?
DNSChanger malware causes a computer to use rogue DNS servers in one of two ways. First, it changes the computer’s DNS server settings to replace the ISP’s good DNS servers with rogue DNS servers operated by the criminal. Second, it attempts to access devices on the victim’s small office/home office (SOHO) network that run a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server (eg. a router or home gateway). The malware attempts to access these devices using common default usernames and passwords and, if successful, changes the DNS servers these devices use from the ISP’s good DNS servers to rogue DNS servers operated by the criminals. This is a change that may impact all computers on the SOHO network, even if those computers are not infected with the malware.
Am I Infected?
The best way to determine if your computer or SOHO router has been affected by DNSChanger is to have them evaluated by a computer professional. However, the following steps can help you gather information before consulting a computer professional.
To determine if a computer is using rogue DNS servers, it is necessary to check the DNS server settings on the computer. If the computer is connected to a wireless access point or router, the settings on those devices should be checked as well.
Checking the Computer:
If you are using a Windows computer, open a command prompt. This can be done by selecting Run from the Start Menu and entering cmd.exe or starting the command prompt application, typically located in the Accessories folder within Programs on your Start Menu, as shown below:

At the command prompt, enter:
ipconfig /all
Look for the entry that reads “DNS Servers……….”
The numbers on this line and the line(s) below it are the IP addresses for your DNS servers. These numbers are in the format of nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn, where nnn is a number in the range of 0 to 255. Make note of the IP addresses for the DNS servers and compare them to the table of known rogue DNS servers listed later in this document. If the IP addresses of your DNS server appear in the table below, then the computer is using rogue DNS.
You can also look for your DNS servers without using the command prompt.
For windows XP machines, click on Start and select My Network Places. Then select Network Connections. In this example, the wireless connection is used.

Click on the connection that is active. This will bring up the Network Connection Status screen. Click on Support and then Details. Check for the values that correspond to the DNS servers.

If you are using an Apple computer, click on the Apple in the top left corner and choose System Preferences. Then, from the Apple System Preferences window, choose Network.

The Apple Network pane will show a number of possible connections on the left side. Choose the one that is active for you and click on the Advanced button in the right lower corner. Then choose DNS from the options to show the DNS servers you are using.

Compare whether your computer has DNS servers listed in the number ranges listed below.
Rogue DNS Servers

If your computer is configured to use one or more of the rogue DNS servers, it may be infected with DNSChanger malware.
Home computers with high-speed Internet connections and office computers typically obtain their IP settings via DHCP from a device on the network. In these cases, the computers are provided with an IP address, default gateway, and DNS server settings. The IP addresses usually fall into one of three ranges of private addresses—192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255; 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255; and 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255. In most homes, computers are assigned an IP address in the range 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.254, and the default gateway and DNS servers are set to 192.168.1.1. To determine if your computer is utilizing the rogue DNS servers, read the next section, Checking the Router.
If you are unable to locate your DNS server settings, obtain assistance from the Help program bundled with your operating system, reputable online sources, or a trusted professional.
Checking the Router
Small office/home office routers connect your network of computers and devices to your Internet service provider. The SOHO router may have been purchased and installed by you or installed by your ISP. Linksys, D-Link, Netgear, and Cisco are common SOHO router brands, but there are many others.
The DNSChanger malware is capable of changing the DNS server settings within SOHO routers that have the default username and password provided by the manufacturer. If you did not change the default password at the time the SOHO router was installed, you must check the SOHO router settings.
The procedure to access your SOHO router setting varies by manufacturer, so consult your product documentation. Once you have access to the SOHO router configuration, compare the DNS servers listed to those in the rogue DNS servers table above. If your SOHO router is configured to use one or more of the rogue DNS servers, a computer on your network may be infected with DNSChanger malware.
What Should I Do?
In addition to directing your computer to utilize rogue DNS servers, the DNSChanger malware may have prevented your computer from obtaining operating system and anti-malware updates, both critical to protecting your computer from online threats. This behavior increases the likelihood of your computer being infected by additional malware. The criminals who conspired to infect computers with this malware utilized various methods to spread the infections. At this time, there is no single patch or fix that can be downloaded and installed to remove this malware. Individuals who believe their computer may be infected should consult a computer professional.
Individuals who do not have a recent back-up of their important documents, photos, music, and other files should complete a back-up before attempting to clean the malware or utilize the restore procedures that may have been packaged with your computer.
Information regarding malicious software removal can be found at the website of the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team: https://www.uscert.gov/reading_room/trojan-recovery.pdf