Iphone can't cope with 64 bits. And it's hackable

APPLE HAS moved to suppress comments on its bulletin boards that point out that its new iPhone cannot handle 64-bit Windows Vista or XP.

That comes as others say the shiny bling phone is hackable.

According to Engadget, punters had been complaining that when ever they tried this they kept getting an error message: "The software required for iPhone is not installed. Run the iTunes installer to remove iTunes, then install iTunes again."

However, this does not work, and if iTune users had looked carefully at Apple's support article 301301 they would have seen that "iTunes is currently not supported in Windows XP Professional x64 Edition or any 64-bit edition of Windows Vista." Now you know.

Also Apple's official minimum system requirements document does say that "64-bit editions of Windows are not supported."

What is a little more surprising is that a thread discussing this topic was pulled from the Apple web site.

One bloke moaned on Slashdot that an Apple support rep told him to downgrade his computer system so he could run his new iPod. He added that a thread he posted on the matter had been taken down by Apple.

Meanwhile, a hole in AT&T/Cingular’s Voicemail system could be set to smash all those bright shiny iPhones which we believe are still sitting in some shops, despite the hype. The vulnerability was first pointed out in February and has been ignored ever since. According to Nitesh Dhanjani who discovered the flaw, the AT&T/Cingular voicemail system is configured by default not to ask for a password when you check your voicemail from the handset.

Part of the problem is that the AT&T/Cingular voicemail system trusts Caller ID to determine if the handset is calling. All it takes is for the Caller ID can be spoofed and anyone can gain access into your voicemail.

To check if you are vulnerable, get a mate to leave you a message on your voice mail. Go you your voice mail box and if it does not ask you for a password you are toast.

Dhanjani gives instructions on how to make your iPhone secure. But it does seem odd that AT&T/Cingular has been unable to get its voicemail act together