Leak: third-party iPhone apps to be issued through iTunes Store

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  • Reply 41 of 52
    amoryaamorya Posts: 1,103member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TenoBell View Post


    Thats because Symbian isn't 100% open either only approved and signed application have access to the most sensitive parts of the phone. The same way that Apple is doing. Other wise their would be trojens and spyware on Symbian phones.



    What can be done to get around this. Crack approved Symbian applications and distribute them for free with trojens and spyware hidden inside.



    Wrong. For Symbian, only signed apps get access to the most sensitive parts by default. The user can switch a preference to allow all apps, in the knowledge that security will be weaker that way.



    Amorya
  • Reply 42 of 52
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Amorya View Post


    For Symbian, only signed apps get access to the most sensitive parts by default. The user can switch a preference to allow all apps, in the knowledge that security will be weaker that way.



    I don't think Apple will go this route. Since they seem to create consumer software for the "lowest common denominator" I don't think this will be an GUI-accessible option. Perhaps it will be achievable with a little Unix/BASH knowledge and some rigor morale, but not out of the box.
  • Reply 43 of 52
    pmjoepmjoe Posts: 565member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by freeny View Post


    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    "While this makes such a phone less than 'totally open,' we believe it is a step in the right direction,"



    Translation:

    We wanted a totally open iphone but instead we sold out once apple showed us the money



    I think this quote is actually attributable to Steve Jobs and not Tiny Code, though the article left it less than clear (I believe the quote was actually posted in another article months ago).



    I keep trying to be optimistic and open minded about what Apple is going to do, but I fear the worst (severe limits on how, what types and who can publish apps that are installable, and Apple insisting on a cut/piece of everything). The fact of the matter is that any device with a good security and memory protection model is "safe" (to the degree of bugs and weakly-thought-through design in place), and don't install anything from a source you don't trust. If OS X is that bad, we shouldn't be using our Macs either.
  • Reply 44 of 52
    tenobelltenobell Posts: 7,014member
    Quote:

    Wrong. For Symbian, only signed apps get access to the most sensitive parts by default. The user can switch a preference to allow all apps, in the knowledge that security will be weaker that way.



    I looked up about this. Not all Symbian phones allow for turning off signed applications. Only certain lines of phones allow this. Then on top of that some certain carriers don't allow for turning off signed applications. Some carriers disable the turn off option.



    Quote:

    I don't think Apple will go this route. Since they seem to create consumer software for the "lowest common denominator" I don't think this will be an GUI-accessible option.



    I wouldn't call this playing to the lowest common denominator. I would call it consistency. Apple is unlikely to set up a application signing program. Then allow unsigned application to circumvent the program.
  • Reply 45 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TenoBell View Post


    I looked up about this. Not all Symbian phones allow for turning off signed applications. Only certain lines of phones allow this. Then on top of that some certain carriers don't allow for turning off signed applications. Some carriers disable the turn off option.







    I wouldn't call this playing to the lowest common denominator. I would call it consistency. Apple is unlikely to set up a application signing program. Then allow unsigned application to circumvent the program.



    Which phones are these? I have yet to see one phone that does not allow you to install whatever you want and I have 3 SYmbian OS phones right now, N81, N82, E61, and I just sold an E90 (all Nokia's), and none of them prevented me from allowing all applications.
  • Reply 46 of 52
    tenobelltenobell Posts: 7,014member
    Quote:

    Which phones are these? I have yet to see one phone that does not allow you to install whatever you want and I have 3 SYmbian OS phones right now, N81, N82, E61, and I just sold an E90 (all Nokia's), and none of them prevented me from allowing all applications.



    Its what I've read. From your account the Nokia N and E line allow this. But can you account for every Symbian phone on the market?
  • Reply 47 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TenoBell View Post


    Its what I've read. From your account the Nokia N and E line allow this. But can you account for every Symbian phone on the market?



    I never said I could account for every phone on the market. I said what my phones, and the previous phones that I have owned have allowed.. Once again, I ask, which phones are these that you read about?
  • Reply 48 of 52
    tenobelltenobell Posts: 7,014member
    Quote:

    which phones are these that you read about?



    I read it in an article talking about the Sony/Ericsson P1i.



    "I've been downloading software for the p1i for quite a few days now and find that the p1i has stringent security checks upon installing 3rd party software. Therefore you must find programs that are signed (you dont have the option like S60 V3 - nokia n series, to turn off signing)"
  • Reply 49 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TenoBell View Post


    I read it in an article talking about the Sony/Ericsson P1i.



    "I've been downloading software for the p1i for quite a few days now and find that the p1i has stringent security checks upon installing 3rd party software. Therefore you must find programs that are signed (you dont have the option like S60 V3 - nokia n series, to turn off signing)"



    Do you mind elaborating a bit more about what it says, as I have a very good friend with a P1, and he installs whatever he wants on it. I will grant you that UIQ is different than S60, or S80, or S40 but this is the first time I have heard this.
  • Reply 50 of 52
    tenobelltenobell Posts: 7,014member
    Quote:

    Do you mind elaborating a bit more about what it says..



    They don't really elaborate. That's basically all it says. Here is something else I found.



    "It turns out that some operator branded phones cannot accept self-signed applications - they can only accept those that have gone through the Symbian Signed (tested by 3rd party) process."
  • Reply 51 of 52
    Quote:



    I read the article and got this:



    Quote:

    It turns out that some operator branded phones cannot accept self-signed applications - they can only accept those that have gone through the Symbian Signed (tested by 3rd party) process.



    To recap, all unbranded phones allow running of limited capability applications and just warn the user at install time or run time when a particular phone feature is accessed by the program. This type of application is still signed by the developer but hasn’t undergone Symbian Signed testing.



    So it would seem that if anyone were to purchase an unbranded phone, all of these issues go away. Makes sense and further in the article it would seem that Vodafone Japan, as an example, removes the allowance of installing apps so that you can probably purchase them through Vodafone Japan.



    Moral of the story. Buy an unbranded phone. Further moral of the story, buy an iPhone and unlock it and put whatever card you want inside.



    P.S. Thanks for the info.
  • Reply 52 of 52
    amoryaamorya Posts: 1,103member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    I don't think Apple will go this route. Since they seem to create consumer software for the "lowest common denominator" I don't think this will be an GUI-accessible option. Perhaps it will be achievable with a little Unix/BASH knowledge and some rigor morale, but not out of the box.



    I think the same. Which sucks.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TenoBell View Post


    I wouldn't call this playing to the lowest common denominator. I would call it consistency. Apple is unlikely to set up a application signing program. Then allow unsigned application to circumvent the program.



    The whole point of signing, in my opinion, is so that the user knows exactly what is running on their machine, and who wrote it.



    If Apple allow anyone to sign their app, no matter what it does, for free, then I don't care if there's no way to turn off the feature. It would still be secure enough, because when an app is installed it would tell you who wrote it. Only install things from sites you trust!



    But if Apple starts playing security watchdog and vetting applications before allowing them to be signed, then that's gone too far. If that happens, I may stick with jailbroken 1.1.2, and hope a significant number of developers also do.



    Amorya
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