News Symbian signs malware app by mistake

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/bits/2009/07/20/symbian-signs-malware-app-by-mistake/1

The Symbian Foundation has admitted to a failure of its digital signing process which lead to a botnet-creating malware package being signed as safe for install.

 

Worst OS ever (change record? ).

 

I prefer to use phones that don't even have "operating systems".

 

Ok, operating sytems that don't do anything other then very basic tasks. I swore off assembler years ago. I wouldn't use the kinda phone that does email or im or browse the web if you call it that because I have yet to see a phone that does it decently. Screen is just too small to make use of it, I really don't see how people can use such a tiny thing, it's slow and frustrating as can be. Not to mention the costs locked to metered times/data are laughable to me. You have to pay for the right to pay, that is hilarious. Also I won't pay more then my rent per month for a damn phone lol.

 

$99 for my Nokia e71x and with the wifi, I dont even need to use their network except for calls and text. IT is just an additional $50 a month and I don't use a landline. I use it more than I use my netbook since it is always with me. It also doubles as my mp3 player, and a way to remotely admin my Garrys Mod server.

 

$50 a month for internet, my cable internet costs less then that, is way faster, has no caps (or at least are silly high). That phone does seem reasonable in cost though I will admit that. Still though once you add up all the mobile charges at the bottle line in the monthly bill it comes out to be way too much to justify for a damn phone.

 

I didn't mean $50 a month for internet. I meant my plan is $50. That includes unlimited texting, member to member and nighttime minutes, and 1200 regular minutes.
Well I have free wifi and cable, so I don't really factor that in. I don't get/use cable due to most of my favorite shows being online or I that i never watched that much television in the first place.
Yes I do agree that you pay a shitton of money through cellular contracts, mine is $600 a year and the cost of the phone. But that includes all of the above, and a nifty device that I can play the Sims on if I get bored at some conference.

 

So in an atempt to get this topic back on track, I'll add my 2 cents/shillings/ruples/whatever.

Q: did Symbian screw up?

A: Yes.

Q: was it any different from the mistakes that any other big OS company/programmer made (or will make)?

A: not so much

Human error is what it all boils down to, the programmers missed the flaw in the OS before they went live with it, and the "automatic scanning" was another human programed mistake (if ya didn't see the flaw in the OS, why would you program the scanner to find it?)

Net result: OS programmers: -1, smart boys and girls hacking said OSes: +1

My verdict is that yes, Symbian messed up, but it wasn't exactly massive... just human error.

there is no such thing as a secure OS, just ones that nobody bothers to hack

 

Why not just rely on payphones then? You complain about a phone that should do its job but it having a too small screen, surely you want it to fit in your pocket?