The latest security breach comes from Tumblr, whose iOS app was apparently transmitting passwords in clear text, such that they could be sniffed by attackers on the same Wi-Fi network. Be sure to download a new version of the app and change your password!

Read the full article at TidBITS, the oldest continuously published technology publication on the Internet. To get a full-text RSS feed, help support our work and become a TidBITS member! Members also enjoy an ad-free version of our Web site, email delivery of individual articles, the ability to make long comments with live links, and discounts on Take Control orders and other Apple-related products.

Social network and infrastructure service App.net has released a new tool called PourOver that enables you to publish RSS feeds on App.net. PourOver will be especially appreciated by bloggers who wish to send new post links to App.net automatically. The open-source syndication tool supports Pubsubhubbub for real-time publishing and flow control to space out posts.

Read the full article at TidBITS, the oldest continuously published technology publication on the Internet. To get a full-text RSS feed, help support our work and become a TidBITS member! Members also enjoy an ad-free version of our Web site, email delivery of individual articles, the ability to make long comments with live links, and discounts on Take Control orders and other Apple-related products.

Even if you're familiar with the "Open With" functionality for making files open in different programs, you may not be aware of the different ways you can do it. In this article, we're going to discuss using Finder's toolbar for opening files, including a special little Terminal trick that we think is just awesome.

As anticipated, Google today rolled out version 2.0 of Google Maps for iOS. The update is available now for download on the App Store and includes a number of compelling features that make it well worth checking out.

First, the update brings with it enhanced navigation features, including live traffic reports and the ability to tap on a road and view incident details. One navigation feature which is currently Android-only but will reportedly be coming to iOS soon is dynamic re-routing wherein Google alerts users en route to a particular destination if a new, speedier route becomes available.

Some other new navigation features include indoor maps with accompanying walking directions for malls, transit stations, airports and more.

Google Maps 2.0 also introduces an Explore feature which Google describes as "a new way to browse and discover popular local places to eat, drink. shop, play...

Need to point out visual errors in iOS, or just want to get a chance to play with iOS7? Josh Centers tells you why you want to check out Bugshot.

Read the full article at TidBITS, the oldest continuously published technology publication on the Internet. To get a full-text RSS feed, help support our work and become a TidBITS member! Members also enjoy an ad-free version of our Web site, email delivery of individual articles, the ability to make long comments with live links, and discounts on Take Control orders and other Apple-related products.

Logitech has rolled out its latest set of Bluetooth stereo speakers, the Z600. The speakers have been targeted at MacBook Air and Ultrabook users, although they will work with any Bluetooth A2DP-enabled device including smartphones and tablets. The new speakers utilize Logitechís easy-switching technology, allowing users to pair up to three devices at the same time ñ users just need to press pause on the device streaming music, and play on one of the other paired devices....  ...

Micro-blogging service Tumblr, owned by Yahoo, admitted on Tuesday that a bug in the iOS version of the app transmitted passwords in an unencrypted fashion, meaning they could have been compromised if anyone was "sniffing" Wi-Fi network traffic. The company recommended that users change their password "on Tumblr and anywhere els you may have been using the same password" and reminded users that a better practice is to use different passwords for different services through a strong password generator and management program like Keychain or 1Password. An update has been issued that fixes the pro... ...

Acer America today announced that its Acer Aspire Z3-605 Series all-in-one desktops are now available for consumers in the United States. The new 23-inch all-in-one includes two 3W front-facing Harman Kardon speakers, in addition to up to a Core i5 processor. The unit can be configured with as much as 8GB DDR3 dual-channel memory, and a 1TB hard drive....  ...

Apple's exclusive licensing agreement of the Liquidmetal fabrication process and engineering staff in 2010 briefly sent ripples through the tech industry, until a lead executive revealed that it would take years and hundreds of millions of dollars before the material was ready for large-scale production. A patent awarded to Crucible Intellectual Property -- seemingly a joint venture between the two companies -- appears to be at least a portion of the method to generate large quantities of Liquidmetal, expected to be used in future iOS and other devices. Apple holds the exclusive license for th... ...

Chair Entertainment's Infinity Blade II, a 3D hack-and-slash quest game for the iPad with bleeding-edge graphics, saw its downloads more than triple and added nearly six million new users to its base after it was temporarily made free as part of Apple's promotional celebration of the App Store's fifth anniversary. The company says it saw 1.7 million new downloads in just the first day of the promotion, during which Apple offered five games and five non-game apps for free, with prices normally set between $1 and $20. Infinity Blade II normally costs $7.... ...

Google has opened up the beta for the new Google Maps service to everyone. The company announced the new version of its Maps service at Google I/O but limited access to it on an invitation-only basis—now anyone can check it out. The new Google Maps is currently limited to browsers, with some features being open to Chrome only. It includes a 3D view, a new interface, the ability to zoom out to space (you know, because you need that), photo tours of famous locations, and other features, some of which were found in Google Earth. The beta service is being hosted at google.com/maps/about/explore/, and it's open now.

Apple’s iPhone 5S will ramp up production later this month, according to a report from AllThingsD. “Sources familiar with the company’s plans” have confirmed reports about increased iPhone 5S production, including a mention from analyst Peter Misek. Notably, Misek previously claimed the 5S would enter preliminary production in March…

The Apple IIGS was an amazingly powerful computer for its time. Technically the 5th evolutionary step in the Apple ][ product line, the Apple IIGS had a 16-bit processor and a color graphical user interface (that was not the Mac interface, which was still grayscale in 1986 when the IIGS was released. All of which made it cool, and Apple advertised it with the very cool ad below. Called "Dual Minds," the commercial was intended to show that the IIGS was good for both right-brain tasks like math and left-brain tasks like art. In this video posted to YouTube by EverAppleAd, you'll see the ad and a presentation on how the ad was made. Very cool stuff.

Apple's support for business and government goes deeper than one might think. That's because Apple's business webpage is very hard to find. Scouring Apple's home page and site map won't reveal what you need. One might think of it as extraordinary stealth marketing. Once found, however, it's a gem.

The Duracell SnapBattery for iPhone 5 combined with the Duracell Powermat with wireless charging make for a powerful duo and are easy to use on several levels.

Apple and Samsung are scheduled to appear in U.S. Federal Appeals Court on August 9 over a product ban Apple wants to see enforced. The ban includes 13 Samsung Android-based devices that were included in a sales injunction that Judge Lucy Koh denied.

The Mac Observer Spin:
Apple may have won its patent infringement case, but so far Samsung has done a great job of keeping anything else from happening. Apple needs to get the remedy portion of its case moving again, and that makes August 9 an important date for the company.

Not all comic books are about spandex-wearing super heros punching villains and throwing cars, and Neil Gaiman makes that point very clear with his epic Sandman series. The story follows Morpheus, the god of dreams, on a journey to recover his powers and find how he fits into the universe. It's a beautifully written and drawn horror and fantasy story, and right now it's free for Amazon's Kindle ebook reader and the iPad Kindle app. Other issues in the series are US$1.99, so this is your chance to get a taste of Sandman for free.

Apple is reportedly negotiating to buy PrimeSense, the company behind Microsoft's Xbox Kinect motion sensor system. The deal, according to sources, could cost Apple upwards of US$300 million.

The Mac Observer Spin:
First we get news that Apple may have bought a chip fabrication company, and now we have word about negotiations to buy PrimeSense. Apple has the cash to swing the deals, so maybe Tim Cook and company are looking to take control over even more of their production system.

Apple has been shopping networks and studios a service that would allow users to skip commercials for a fee. The negotiations represent a new spearhead from Apple to bring a premium TV platform to market, with the company seeing revenue-for-ad-skipping as an opportunity to get its corporate foot in the door.

These have been around for a while in one form or another, but a post over at reddit reminded us how cool lamps made from an iMac G4 can be. The image below was posted by BennyP83 after he used the base of an old iMac G4 as a lamp shade. Another one was sold on Etsy in 2010 that also used the iMac G4's insanely cool levitating arm as the neck in the lamp. Earlier this year, another reddit member posted a similar project. Lamps have become the Mac/iMac G3 aquariums of the iMac G4. Our hats go off to the tinkers that have the skills to make cool projects like this.

AT&T is looking buy Leap Wireless in a move to grow its own cell service network even more and add new radio frequencies to its own spectrum lineup. The deal will add 5 million new customers to AT&T's user base, and also gives AT&T Leap's 700 MHz radio spectrum.

The Mac Observer Spin:
AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile have pretty much locked up the top four cell service provider slots in the United States. At this point it feels more like a game where the big four are circling around to snap up what's left of the small carriers.

Rovio today announced that Angry Birds Star Wars II will be released on Sept. 19, notably paired with a line of “Telepods” toys that will interact with the game. According to Rovio, “Placing these figures onto your phone or tablet camera will scan your character of choice directly into the…

Despite striking deals with TSMC and Samsung for custom chip manufacturing, Apple has reportedly bought its own fabrication company. Assuming the rumors are true, Apple's deals with other companies -- including TSMC and Samsung -- for iPhone and iPad chips may be short term.

Apple is apparently hiring more employees for its wearable technology efforts to address issues that will likely push the rumored iWatch launch out to the end of 2014. Sources said Apple has been aggressively hiring new employees for its smartwatch project over the past few weeks, adding to its already growing pool of wearable tech engineers.

The Mac Observer Spin:
Remember, if a product that's only a rumor doesn't ship by a date analysts and the media set, it isn't delayed. Apple releases new product categories when it thinks it can disrupt a market -- and when they're good and ready. Translation: If you need a new watch now, go buy it. There isn't any guarantee we'll see the iWatch any time soon.

A lawsuit has been filed against Apple asking for damages because Apple didn't protect an idiot from porn. AboveTheLaw reported that a Nashville man named Chris Sevier is suing Apple for not installing filters on the company's Macs that would prevent him from accessing porn.

So get this: there's a ceramic developed from a rare mineral that makes our smartphones and tablets touch-sensitive. The mineral used to make that substance is rare, and known sources could run out in the next ten years. According to GigaOM, the search for a replacement involves new nanomaterials developments.

The latest edition of iLounge Weekly, our weekly newsletter covering all things iLounge, will be arriving in subscribers’ inboxes early next week. iLounge Weekly is a summary of the week’s best news, reviews, and feature articles we’ve published, and it also features giveaways and accessory discount offers from various companies.…

Apple’s new Retina-equipped iPad mini may not ship until next year, according to a Taiwanese report. A shortage of Retina displays may cause Apple to push back the device’s shipping date. The report also seems to indicate there may be a non-Retina version of the next-generation iPad mini, though any…

Apple has launched a “fact-finding visit” to Bangka Island, Indonesia, to see if it is using illegally mined tin in its products, according to an update on the company’s Supplier Responsibility webpage. The move may have been prompted by a Friends of the Earth campaign that calls for…

The latest victim in Google's ongoing app and service killing spree is Alfred, the local business recommendation service the Internet search giant acquired when it bought Clever Sense.

The Mac Observer Spin:
It's almost like watching a B-list horror movie where the victims are picked off one by one. Google's other services need to get out of the house right now -- and whatever you do, don't look in the closet.

Apple released AirPort Utility 6.3.1 for the Mac and AirPort Utility 1.3.1 for the iPhone and iPad on Thursday. The updates fixed an issue where Base Stations may not appear in the utility app.

A burglar broke into a wireless store called DMW Wireless in Fairfax, VA, stole a bunch of iPhones, and left his own Samsung Galaxy (specific model unknown) behind. Bryan Chaffin basks in the comedy potential of this event.

Verizon may end up owing Apple billions of dollars in 2013 due to a purchase commitment for iPhones, according to a report. Telecommunications analyst Craig Moffett estimates the carrier could have a shortfall of $12 billion to $14 billion, with Verizon obligated to buy $23.5 billion in iPhones this year;…

You may have been accustomed to going to Apple.com/support to check the AppleCare status of your Macintosh. This how-to shows you how, amazingly, with three clicks on your Mac, Mountain Lion will display the AppleCare expiration date and even schedule a repair.

Coinciding with Apple's App Store fifth anniversary, Rovio is offering Angry Birds Star Wars for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch for free. The Star Wars version of Angry Birds uses the same space physics as Angry Birds Space, and adds in locations like Tatooine and the Death Star, plus weapons like light sabers and blasters. The iPhone and iPod touch version is regularly priced at US$0.99 and the iPad version costs $2.99, so grab your copy now before the free offer ends.

If This Then That is a popular service for automating actions through the Internet, and now IFTTT fans can control their recipes on their iPhone. The IFTTT team's new iPhone app lets users create automated actions, or recipes, on their iPhone, and activate recipe channels. The iPhone app also supports creating recipes for Reminders, Contacts, and photos. IFTTT supports recipes that work with Dropbox, Evernote, Facebook, Weather, Boxcar, Instagram, Phillips hue lights, and more. It's a really cool service that lets you automate actions through different Web services and Internet connected devices. The iPhone app, just like the IFTTT service, is free.

Gartner has released a report showing worldwide and U.S. shipments of PCs for the second quarter of 2013. There was a 10.9 percent decrease in total shipments worldwide and 1.4 percent decrease in the U.S. compared to a year ago.  The data suggests a reduction in the rate of decrease and an explanation is provided. Data for Apple is incomplete.

Maclocks has introduced the Apple TV Security Mount ($45). Made from aluminum and colored black to match the Apple TV, the security mount includes a bracket and lock to keep an Apple TV secure. The design allows for proper ventilation to prevent overheating, and protecting against Wi-Fi signal loss.…

Apple doesn't plan on accepting Judge Denise Cote's ruling that it conspired to artificially raise ebook prices and plans to appeal. Judge Cote issued her ruling Wednesday morning in favor of the Department of Justice and their claims that Apple was the ring leader in a conspiracy with publishers to force retailers into higher book prices.

The Mac Observer Spin:
The DOJ's real message, whether it intends it or not, is that it's OK for Amazon to use its monopoly power to control the book market, but it isn't OK for Apple and other companies to actively try to change that.

The latest iOS 7 beta makes two significant changes to non-Retina iPads’ handling of apps with iPhone/iPod-specific interfaces. Previously, non-Retina iPads displayed iPhone/iPod apps at a classic 480x320 resolution, upscaling them with a “2X” button to a larger, chunky-looking 960x640 window. On a non-Retina iPad 2 or iPad mini running…

Google Latitude, the location-based social network most of you may not have realized still existed, has been given its death notice. Google is shutting down Latitude on August 9 and is dropping support in its apps as well as third-party apps on all platforms.

The Mac Observer Spin:
Latitude may not have been a popular service, but its demise drives home the point once again: Don't get too attached to any of the Google services you use. At some point they may go away, and there isn't any guarantee you'll have an easy way to transition into a replacement.

Aspyr announced on Tuesday that Civilization 5: Brave New World, the newest expansion for the strategy game, is now available for the Mac.  The expansion adds nine new civilizations—Assyria, Brazil, Indonesia, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Shoshone, Venice and Zulu—to the game, as well as, "international trade and a focus on culture and diplomacy." There are new units and buildings, a new Culture Victory, a World Congress, international trade routes, new Wonders, and new scenarios. That sounds pretty cool, and if I'm not around as much, you'll know why. The expansion is priced at US$29.99.

A developer claims that a previously-announced new iOS 7 feature — higher frame rate video recording — will actually be more powerful than expected. During WWDC, Apple announced that iOS 7 would add support for 60 frame per second video recording. According to Hamza Sood, hidden references inside the latest…

Expedia has updated its Expedia Hotels & Flights (free) app to version 3.2. Previously capable of helping users compare hotel and flight prices, the app now features local experts that can help users book reservations and find activities in Orlando, Las Vegas, and Hawaii, as well as synchronized FlightTrack…