Apple's 'Mac Defender' update allows users to run known malware

Apple has just released a security update for Mac OS X that is designed to detect and remove Mac Defender malware. But unless you’re running the latest ‘Snow Leopard’ version, you’re outta luck.

Apple has released an advisory that describes how to both avoid and remove Mac Defender malware from affected systems.

Today Apple releases iOS 4.3.3 to fix the ‘Locationgate’ bug. While this update is offered to a whole raft of devices, users running the iPhone 3G, released under three years ago, won’t be getting an update. Is it time for Apple to publish an ‘End of Life’ roadmap for iOS devices?

It’s clear that Apple really doesn’t want users to think about security that much. So much so that the Cupertino giant is resorting to stealthy security updates.

Over on Apple’s support forum some owners of the new 2011 MacBook Pro have been complaining that their notebooks are locking up or ‘hard freezing’ under heavy load. Yesterday Apple released a Mac OS X update 10.6.7 which, amongst other things, improves graphics stability. But does the update fix the problem?

With Lion set to debut next month, Apple has released updates for Snow Leopard and Leopard. Mac OS X 10.6.8 could be a prerequisite for Lion.

Around the beginning of May, malware targeting the Mac OS X platform hit the web. By the end of June, the bad guys behind the attack seemingly called it a day and the Mac Defender malware (and variants on the original) vanished from the web.

Today, Sony began rolling out an update to Ice Cream Sandwich for the Xperia P, Xperia U, Xperia go and Xperia sola devices that’ll come packed with ‘bug fixes’ and ‘performance tweaks.’ It’s unclear what exactly those tweaks are, but who among us doesn’t like a little tweaking?  The update to the firmware includes improvements to:

Stability WiFi Tetheri

Android fans keep bringing up how much they love the platform because it is ‘open.’ The ‘openness’ of Android is seen by many as the advantage it holds over say Apple’s iOS or Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform. Android’s open source heritage means that you, the user, are free (nay, encouraged) to do whatever you want with it …