TotalPDA PDA & GPS News

Possible virus infections on TomTom GO 910

Posted on29. Jan, 2007 by Andrea.

A post on Daniweb warns that some TomTom GO 910 devices (manufactured between September and November 2006 and using software version 6.51) may be infected with two Trojan Horse viruses. TomTom advises users that the risk of these viruses is low, but to keep their computer virus scanners updated and take the necessary action if the viruses are identified when connecting their GO to their computer.

Update (30 January 2007): TomTom have issued a press release regarding this infection.

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Mobile security and malware prediction

Posted on24. Jan, 2007 by Andrea.

TowerGroup predict that cyber-criminals and identity thieves will be focusing on mobile phone banking this year. According to them,

“Over 200 mobile viruses have already been identified, a number that is doubling nearly every six months.”

They note that the current mobile commerce options offered by the financial services industry are not robust enough when it comes to security. More people are using their handhelds for financial services and other mobile commerce functions, and so “… the mobile commerce industry beyond financial services players must step up to take more aggressive and immediate action to circumvent the potential of fraud and theft.”

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Your TomTom ONE can work even better now

Posted on19. Jan, 2007 by Andrea.

TomTom’s QuickGPSFix is now free for all TomTom ONE users. Connect your TomTom ONE to your TomTom HOME software via your computer, and you will be able to set it up on your device.

QuickGPSFix does what it says, giving you a quicker connection to GPS satellites. How they do this is attributable to their prediction of future satellite locations, so TomTom advises users to connect to TomTom HOME weekly for updates.

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Run Palm OS apps on your Windows Mobile phone

Posted on19. Jan, 2007 by Andrea.

There have been relatively few applications written for Windows Mobile (Pocket PC or 5.0) smartphones, especially when compared with the well-established Palm OS. StyleTap could change all that. Their application claims to run Palm OS third-party applications on your Windows Mobile device. All you have to do is download their application (a 14-day free trial or buy it for US$49.95), install it on your phone, load your chosen Palm application (they have a page listing all compatible applications), and, in theory, you should be good to go.

The catch is StyleTap is still pretty new, and an official release is still in the future. It sure sounds like a useful utility, though. If anyone has installed it and is now running Palm apps on their WM phone, let me know what your experience has been so far.

TotalPDA does not vouch for this software in any way.

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Mobile applications and security

Posted on18. Jan, 2007 by Andrea.

It’s a bit worrying when a Microsoft engineer starts an article about mobile security with

“Security” and “mobile application development” rarely appear in the same sentence.

Never fear, it’s just his way of getting your attention. The convenience factor of handhelds makes the application of robust security procedures more than a little difficult. However, it should always be noted that a handheld is a computer, just like your desktop or laptop, and we all know what chaos ensues when an employee loses a laptop!

As author Marcus Perryman notes,

User interface design is very tricky for the restricted screen real-estate and the limited input of a numeric keypad. It’s important to get the balance right between the amount of information displayed and the number of key presses needed to access data. Passwords are an integral part of this challenge. Making users enter a 10 digit alpha numeric password every 30 seconds might mean the corporate security officer gets a good night of sleep, but it’s likely to make users simply switch the device off and use pen and paper. Plus there is always the risk of users taping the password to the back of the device (I’ve seen it happen!).

In these circumstances, the trade off might consist of removing some restricted data from the mobile application in order to allow for a shorter password. Or, consider a two stage lock in which the user is required to enter the full password at less frequent intervals and a short PIN number to confirm the user identity at more frequent intervals. Biometrics are available for some devices, and other two factor solutions such as a smart card or card swipe can also simplify user input.

Windows Mobile does provide applications for developers to write secure mobile applications — Cryptography Application Programming Interface (CAPI) and Data Protection Application Programming Interface (DPAPI). So, if you’re a business user, make sure that the applications you download contain the necessary security precautions!

One range of PDAs that uses biometric security is the HP iPAQ 2700 series.

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