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Mass Effect 3 conquers the universe

It's tempting to say that there hasn't been as fully realized a science fiction universe in a generation as the one presented in the Mass Effect games, which include the just-released Mass Effect 3 (read GameSpot's review here). The game's impressive reach is supported by novels, comic books, apps, and a fanatically loyal fan base (that recently forced a tie-in novel back to the editing desk for corrections to continuity). Sci-fi blog io9 makes much the same argument, calling it, "one of the most important pieces of science fiction narrative of our generation."

Does the trilogy's end deliver? We step back into the shoes of Commander Shepard for one last trip through the galaxy.… Read more

App enables iPad 2 jailbreak from your browser

Methods for jailbreaking the iPad 2 have been out there almost since the device's release in the spring. Now, with the official release of JailbreakMe 3.0, jailbreaking the Apple tablet can be done in minutes from a Safari browser window via the JailbreakMe Web site. Other methods have typically required connecting the iPad to a computer, which then does the heavy lifting to gain root access to the tablet.

Once jailbroken via JailbreakMe, the Cydia app store is installed on the device and adventurous users can install a variety of apps not screened by Apple, as well as use a few other features. The whole process takes just a few minutes and can be done from the iPad 2--or most other iOS devices--without any other hardware.

Comex, the Apple hacker behind the jailbreak, initially broke into the iPad 2 in March, and has apparently been working to polish the JailbreakMe Web app ever since. The key is a vulnerability in iOS 4.3 tied to how the system displays PDF files. The folks at Cydia, having a healthy sense of irony and service to Apple, offer a fix for the vulnerability in their app store.

JailbreakMe's developers swear it won't damage your device or make it more vulnerable to intruders, but as always, jailbreak at your own risk.… Read more

iPhone OS 3.0 beta testers get Find My iPhone

MobileMe's Find My iPhone service is alive and ready for anyone using iPhone OS 3.0. Using it allows you to locate your iPhone or iPod Touch on a map, send a message along with a sound to the device, or wipe your device remotely if its been misplaced, lost, or, stolen.

Here is the location screen for an iPhone (iPod Touch is similar in all cases below) in the Account settings section at me.com.

The location screen supports the following actions:

Press the Update Location button and MobileMe will attempt to query your iPhone and display an updated map showing its location.

Press the Display a Message... button, and MobileMe will send a text message to your phone that displays with an optional sound playing for up to 2 minutes. You'll be prompted to enter your message and check the box to include the sound.

The message then appears on your iPhone like this:

Next, you get a confirmation e-mail that your message was sent, received, and displayed on your missing iPhone.

Press the Remote Wipe... button and MobileMe will remotely erase your iPhone. According to Apple:

This will permanently delete all media and data on your iPhone, restoring it to factory settings. This will not suspend your wireless service. Once wiped, your iPhone will no longer be able to display messages or be located. Learn more.

You'll be prompted to erase your device with a warning that you cannot undo this process once it has started.

If the iPhone is eventually recovered, users can restore their data by enabling their MobileMe account on the iPhone or syncing with their computer. It's unfortunate that the iPhone cannot be completely disabled, but at least you have a chance of destroying your personal data if it lands in the wrong hands.

The system isn't foolproof, however. One problem with Find My iPhone, according to Jonathan Zdziarski in a Twitter post, is that, "There's a magic button on every iPhone a thief can use to disable remote wipe and LocateMe; it's called the SIM eject button."… Read more