Apple in code search profanity outrage & free virus with IPOD

[CrONoS]

http://www.theregister.com/2006/10/13/code_outrage/

Apple in code search profanity outrage

'Register the f**king window class'
By Lester Haines → More by this author
Published Friday 13th October 2006 09:39 GMT
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NSFW Our chums down at SecurityFocus recently warned that Google's new Code Search facility could allow developers' open source repositories to be "easily mined, allowing attackers to target programs that are likely to be flawed".

A chilling warning, to be sure. However, we have just been made aware that code search engines could be used in a far more sinister way, viz: to expose the sort of stealth corporate profanity which would have the American Family Association reaching for its bible and demanding the immediate casting down into hell of all open source material. Take this example, gleaned from Koders.com:

Register the f**king window class

For the record, the above shocker comes to you courtesy of the Apple Corporation, which really ought to know better than to expose innocent kiddies to this kind of filth.

It gets worse. Further in-depth investigation revealed this Javascript obscenity:

F**king IE

Hmmm. While we may agree with the sentiment, there really is no excuse for this kind of language.

And just in case you were thinking this malaise is restricted to the occassional bit of effing, look what happened to one poor chap who, at line 1,373 of this particular slog, finally lost the will to live:

I really give up on this bollocks

We're sure the public-spirited among you will immediately trawl the world's entire open source repository and make any further outrages against public decency know to the relevant authorities. To help you on your way, here's a final example of how the Sun Corporation is undermining traditional family values:

The user is a ****er

Enough said. Go to it. ®
Bootnote

Thanks to concerned reader Charlie Wallace for bringing this degeneracy to our attention.

[CrONoS]

http://www.theregister.com/2006/10/18/apple_ipod_virus_infection/

Apple today apologised for selling a "small number" of video iPods infected with the RavMone.exe virus. Pox-ridden ipods accounted for less than one per cent of the video iPods hitting the streets after September 12.

The company says it has seen "less than 25 reports" concerning this problem. Well, we've had one from Reg reader Richard, who by Apple's calculation represents slightly more at four per cent of victims. He bought his 30gig vPod from Argos, the UK mass market retailer, on 7 October.


Then there is 'dctrjons', another four per center, who shared his RavMone.exe problems with Apple's own forums on 22 September.

JUST bought a 30Gig video Ipod. I connected it, downloaded the Itunes software and then sync'd my music and Podcasts. After which I changed the settings to use the Ipod as a drive. Instructed I would have to manually eject the drive.

Well I told ITunes to do so - "Cannot drive is still in use" Closed ITunes and tried to eject it from Windows explorer and was given the same error. Closed all programs, taskbar, disconnected from the internet, still no luck.

Finally opened task manager and being very familiar with all processes that are legal on my machine I found 3 RavMonE.exe's running. Googled it and I have found several references but 99% of them are in foreign language and many relate to IPods...but did not bother to translate myself.

So my question is, anyone else JUST get an Ipod and see encounter this. I see someone else stating there computer was locked up...I noticed severe slowdown when I went through trouble-shooting. I forcibly closed the RavMonE.exe processes and my IPod started working fine.

Of course, as Apple notes, only Windows PCs are affected by RavMone - so Apple computer owners will neither know nor care if their iPods are infected. Apple also aims at boot at the unnamed contract manufacturer which supplied the dodgy iPods.

But let's face it, the company has messed up a little and has to show some contrition, not an act that comes naturally to this secretive, paranoid company. Here's its mea culpa: "As you might imagine, we are upset at Windows for not being more hardy against such viruses, and even more upset with ourselves for not catching it."

And here, for vPod owner Richard and the other four per centers, is a link to the Apple advisory, complete with disinfection routines. ®

[thesilentone]

"As you might imagine, we are upset at Windows for not being more hardy against such viruses, and even more upset with ourselves for not catching it."

I couldn't believe apple had actually said that in a public release for one of their own screw ups, maybe it was just theregister.com embellishing... but no they actually said that, wow. I suspect asher is a little tired of being typecast for pointing out this kind of BS but gah.. apple has been supplying lots of "teh stupid" lately. Little paranoid over vista? It's got "teh pretties" which is most of the advantage apple has (that most people care about).

Check out the debate at http://www.neowin.net/index.php?act=view&id=35649#add for some good examples of Apple bots defending the hive over this gob ****e press release.

[Verto]

Judging by your high level of whine, I'd wager you weren't allowed to play dodgeball as a child?

[thesilentone]

Coming from someone with an OSX avatar, your post is hardly surprising. DEFEND THE HIVE!!

[Asher]

Ah, how we love mindless bickering between two mega corporations. In Apple's case, its beloved iPod seems to be a globe-sized target for attacks (and lawsuits), and just a day after the company laid blame to Windows for "not being hardy enough against viruses" found on recently shipped 5.5G 'Pods, Microsoft is firing back with its own harsh criticisms. James Abrams, Microsoft's former head of quality control, pronounced that "Apple didn't know what they were shipping," and suggested that fault should be redirected to Apple's lackluster "quality and content checks." Abrams even stated that McDonald's handling of its own virus-infected DAP problem was far superior to "a lesser company's blame game." Johnathan Poon, Microsoft's current quality assurance guru, finished off the tongue-lashings by prompting Steve Jobs to "contact Poon if he needed someone to advise on how to improve quality checks." Regardless of which party is truly culpable, it looks like we've got ourselves another full-fledged Mac vs PC battle royale on our hands here, and we're certainly not stepping in to break this one up.

[Verto]