Warning: App Store users receiving email spam pretending to be from Apple

The App Store has seen its fair share of drama since its creation, and while Apple never publicly acknowledged any of it, there have been ample amounts of evidence showing that iTunes accounts have previously been hacked to steal money from store credit, or to buy applications without the account’s owner’s consent. Last year, some hackers went as far as selling iTunes accounts login information on ToaBoa.com, a Chinese site similar to eBay.

Today we received tips from two independent sources claiming they had received a suspicious email from Apple, urging them to download an application from the App Store. The email happens to be a fake, but the application is real…
The email looks like it is coming directly from Apple. Of the two emails we saw, both had different senders (Rebecca Schumacher and Angelo Seals) but they both conveniently showed no_reply@apple.com.

The application in question is The Tribez HD, a free app with about 22,000 reviews, mostly positive. So is the developer of this application to blame for the email spam?

Strangely, the link to the app download sent in the email doesn’t directly take you to the app in the App Store. Instead, it goes to http://hastrk2.com/pub_c?adgroup_id=3513, then redirects to a subdomain of mobileapptracking.com, which finally redirects you to the app in the App Store.

After doing a quick research, I found out that the hastrk2.com domain belongs to a company called Adapp Solutions, which happens to run another business called mobileapptracking.com.

Adapp Solutions describes its offering as:

Even as the online advertising industry continues to grow, too many participants are forced to use software that doesn’t match up to the quality of their business. Adapp – made up of a core team of highly successful former affiliate marketers – was founded on the simple idea that giving ad network managers and affiliates themselves complete control over every aspect of their application was the best approach.

If you are interested in our product you can find it at http://www.hasoffers.com/

So I visited HasOffers.com, the site that Adapp Solutions presents as its store front. From what I understand, HasOffers is an affiliate tracking software that allows businesses to track and manage their own affiliate programs. A quick look on their other website mobileapptracking.com tells me that “Mobile App Tracking provides a simple, yet effective means of tracking mobile app installs back to marketing and advertising sources”.

At this point, I stopped digging more and tried to figure out who’s to blame in this spamming campaign. Is it the app developer of The Tribez HD, or is it Adapp Solutions which already has a shady past?

I see 2 possible scenarios:

1. The developer of The Tribez HD are the spammers and they are simply using Adapp Solutions as a tracking tool, or

2. Adapp Solutions has been commissioned by the developers of The Tribez HD to get more people to download the application.

In both cases, the main question that comes to mind is how did they get these email addresses from App Store users? Are these email addresses part of the accounts that were hacked into and sold on ToaBoa.com?

I have contacted both the developer and Adapp Solutions people to find out more and I will make sure to update this post with updated information as it becomes available. I also alerted Apple about the suspicious emails.

In the meantime, I doubt there is any risk in downloading The Tribez HD app, but you might still act with caution if you receive such an email.

Update from Adapp Solutions:

Ya. The application developer Game Insight uses our technology. We’re a third party software provider that provides advertising analytics so not sure why we’re the focus on your article.

You should be reaching out to Game Insight directly.

Some Apple Stores replacing iPhone 4 models with iPhone 4S

9to5Mac is reporting this weekend that Apple is experiencing “atypical inventory shortages” of white 16GB iPhone 4 replacement units. As a result, it seems like [at least] some iPhone 4 users seeking hardware replacements could be in for a nice surprise.

According to the report, Apple has instructed some of its Apple Store Genius Bars to start replacing problematic white 16GB iPhone 4 models with compatible iPhone 4S units…
“This iPhone 4S would be a refurbished white iphone 4S 16GB. This situation will not affect all customers and Apple Stores, but it seems like many white iPhone 4 16GB owners seeking hardware replacements may get Siri, an A5 chip, and an eight megapixel camera out of their next Genius Bar appointment.”

It’s worth noting that this exception only applies to white 16GB iPhone 4 models that are still under their AppleCare warranties. And at this point, only Apple Stores in Canada and the United States appear to be making the exchanges.

But if you meet the above-criteria, and your iPhone 4 has been acting up, it seems like there’s a fair chance that Apple will replace it with a 4S model. Cool.

Have you received a 4S replacement for your iPhone 4?

A bulletproof iPhone case, because you can never be too careful

We all like to protect our iPhones and iPads as much as possible, which explains why the case making business is such a lucrative one. If you look anywhere online, then you’ll be able to find an iPhone or iPad case to suit your mood and price range. Choice is clearly king.

Even with all that choice though, we are willing to say that it is a safe bet that you haven’t come across one of these cases before. For starters, it isn’t the best looking case around there, and it certainly isn’t the thinnest at one-inch thick. It ain’t the cheapest either, at $648 per unit.

It does have one thing going for it,though. Namely, this particular case is bulletproof…
Now this case may not be for everyone – the price alone will no doubt put most sane people off – but just to help seal the deal, the case makers are also throwing in a commemorative 12.7 millimeter dummy bullet just like the one they claim your new case is capable of withstanding.

If all this sounds like the kind of iPhone case you simply must have, then it can be ordered here. For everyone else, can we suggest a much more reasonable alternative?


Verizon rolls out LTE to San Francisco Bay area and Reno, Nevada

LTE coverage is becoming an increasingly hot topic for Apple users here in the US. After waiting more than a year to utilize the high-speed 4G technology, Apple made its latest iPad LTE-capable. And it’s likely that its next handset will be as well.

So which carrier has the best LTE coverage in the US? Verizon — by a long shot. And it’s not showing any signs of slowing down. PhoneArena is reporting that Verizon has just lit up LTE in several areas in California, and in Reno, Nevada…
According to the site, Stockton, Fresno, Monterey, and the San Francisco Bay areas are now all set to receive Verizon’s incredibly fast 4G data speeds. And Reno, Nevada — which is often referred to as a miniature Las Vegas, is also now covered with LTE.

Verizon’s LTE network now covers more than 200 million people, in well over 200 markets. Thanks to its one-year head start, it’s buildout is miles ahead of AT&T’s, which is currently only in about 30 markets. Yikes.