iPhone news round-up

Whether it’s child porn, GPS or hot casings, the iPhone continues to make news. Here’s our round-up of the latest stories about Apple’s flagship portable device:

* Despite some reports, Apple is yet to officially acknowledge any specific problems with the recently-released iPhone 3G S overheating. While it has published some heat-related tips about the phone (which pretty much boil down to “don’t leave it in direct sunlight in a hot car”), this is simply updating existing advice pages to incorporate the new model.

* After pulling the controversial Hottest Girls application from the App Store (because it introduced topless images after getting approval in a tamer version), Apple has quickly removed an app named Beauty Meter, which was pretty much a Hot or Not clone. The app appears to have been altered after approval to incorporate images from third-party sites, including some nudity. The app quickly attracted attention when it emerged one of the women pictured topless was 15.

* Apple has now launched a service for visitors to its stores to have cracked screens repaired on all three versions of the iPhone. Previously, owners either had to send it off for repair, but the new service, which uses a large suction cup to remove the screen, is a while-you-wait scheme. The service is free for phones under warranty where the crack is a design fault; in other situations it costs a hefty $199.

* AT&T has launched a voice-operated GPS in-car navigation app. However, while free to download and install, it costs $9.99 a month to use, with the charge automatically added to the monthly phone bill. Customers must formally cancel the service as simply uninstalling the app will not stop the charges.

* A security researcher has warned that a vulnerability in the way the iPhone handles text messages is “about as bad as it gets”. Charlie Miller says the loophole could allow remote code execution, effectively giving a hacker complete control over the phone without needing physical access. He’s discussing the problem with Apple and will reveal more details at an upcoming security conference.

[Picture source: Flickr]