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ExtraBITS for 20 September 2010

Did Google pressure handset makers to use its own geolocation features? A lawsuit by Skyhook Wireless claims the Android platform isn’t as open as Google says it is. If you’re headed to the MacTech Conference in November, check out new sessions on virtualization and Apple Certification Exams. While there, you can carry your iPad (and everything else) in a Scottevest, and dream up clever effects like the 3D light painting achieved by Dentsu London. And take heart, our friends at the Joy of Tech have identified the 12 most annoying types of Twitter users. Lastly, an in-the-wild security exploit in Adobe Acrobat 9.3.4 can lead to arbitrary code execution in Windows, but the vulnerability is present in all platforms. If you’re worried about
malware and see this in time, you can get MacScan for free on 20 September 2010.

MacScan Available for Free Today — In honor of yesterday’s Talk Like a Pirate Day, SecureMac is offering their $29.99 MacScan security software for free today, 20 September 2010 (through midnight, Pacific time, and apologies in advance if you see this too late – there was nothing we could do to alert you sooner). MacScan detects, isolates, and removes malware like keystroke loggers and Trojan horses, and also helps clean up Web tracking cookies. Though avoiding seedy Web sites and dubious software is the best prevention, if you’re worried about what’s running on your Mac, it wouldn’t hurt to give MacScan a try.

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Google Sued for Pressuring Android Phone Makers — Google makes Android out to be an open platform, in contrast to Apple’s closed one. But a lawsuit filed by Skyhook Wireless, a firm that turns Wi-Fi signals into geographic coordinates for mobile devices, alleges that Google pressures handset makers by threatening to withhold access to the Android app marketplace, use of the phrase “Android-compatible,” and full access to Google apps on the phone. Skyhook says Google forced Motorola and another phone maker to break deals or risk those losses.

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Wear Your iPad Around Town — If you find yourself carrying your iPad around town a lot, there are plenty of cases that will hold it. But what if you just want to drop it in your pocket and go, as you would an iPhone? For that you’ll need a jacket or vest from Scottevest. They look pretty normal, but you’ll still rack up a lot of geek points.

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MacTech Adds Virtualization Panel, Apple Certification — The organizers of the MacTech Conference, coming up in early November, have announced the addition of a panel on trends in virtualization, to be moderated by Macworld VP and Editorial Director Jason Snell, along with a study hour and exam session for all current Apple Certification Exams that will take place at the close of the conference.

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How Not to Use Twitter, by the Joy of Tech — Thanks to Snaggy and Nitrozac for this Joy of Tech comic identifying 12 of the most annoying types of Twitter users – we promise to think before we tweet!

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3D Light Painting with an iPad — Marketing firm Dentsu London uses stop-motion photography and custom 3D software to create a movie that features animations in light, projected using iPads (you know, that limited entertainment device that can’t be used for anything creative).

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Adobe Acrobat/Reader 9.3.4 Vulnerable to Malicious TTF Font — Opening a PDF containing a maliciously crafted TrueType font in either Adobe Acrobat or Reader 9.3.4 could result in arbitrary code execution or a crash. Although the vulnerability affects all the platforms on which Adobe Acrobat and Reader run, the current exploits in the wild target only Windows. To be safe, rely on Apple’s Preview, Smile’s PDFpen, or another PDF application until Adobe closes the vulnerability with a 4 October 2010 release.

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