Your iPhone Can Be Hacked With a Modified Charger, Asus unveils Transformer Book Trio and more

By Ryan Kamauff

Here are the top mobile news and stories of the day.

• Your iPhone Can Be Hacked With a Modified Charger – This scary news from the Georgia Institute of Technology is that a team of researchers have created a prototype iPhone charger which can inject malware onto devices. It apparently works on all current-generation iOS devices running the latest version of iOS. They will be announcing their findings at the Black Hat conference. While they currently need a 3″ power block, miniaturization is sure to be on the horizon. Via Gizmodo, more here.
• Asus unveils Transformer Book Trio — a Windows 8 and Android hybrid – Asus’ latest offering is a mix of Windows 8 and Android. The tablet itself is an Android device running on Intel silicon, in addition to a Core i7 processor for the Windows 8 side. The Transformer Book Trio is likely to be released in Q3, and will offer a novel portable computing experience. Via BetaNews, more here.
• Cisco CEO predicts that mobile data prices will ‘come down rapidly’ – Cisco’s CEO is predicting that mobile data costs will finally start to come down (instead of rising as they are now). He believes that among other things, their Service Provider Wi-Fi technology will aid in cutting costs by offloading mobile data onto unassigned spectrum. I’m not sold that anything short of intense competition will cause providers to drop prices, but we shall see. Via Boy Genius Report, more here.
• Acer officially announces new Iconia W3 Windows 8 tablet, Aspire S7 and S5 ultrabooks – The only thing interesting about this news is that the Iconia W3 will be the first 8″ tablet running Windows RT. I think the 7-8″ range is optimal for tablets, and we’ll see how Windows looks and feels at that size (it might not work that well). Via BetaNews, more here.
• The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8 and 10.1 Are Truly Dull – This Gizmodo UK headline may seem a little harsh, but may be generous in actuality. I am not sure why Samsung is releasing these devices with barely the capabilities or polish of their Galaxy S3 devices, let alone their Galaxy S4. Both the 8″ and 10″ only have dual-core processors with 1GB of RAM and 1280×800 pixel resolution. These devices are truly entry level, but don’t even really compare well against last year’s Nexus 7. Via Gizmodo UK, more here.
• Feds put Apple on trial over e-books, starting Monday – The e-book pricing lawsuit filed by the US Government was levied against six publishers and Apple, alleging Apple was the ringleader. All of the other publishers have settled, but Apple is pushing it to court, which is starting today. Apple was apparently pushing prices well above the $9.99 that Amazon was using at the time. Via Ars Technica, more here.
• Apple seen withstanding Galaxy S4 onslaught as iPhone sales ‘remain resilient’ – The Galaxy S4 is selling 15% better than the S3 did last year. However, it looks like the iPhone isn’t taking much of a hit due to the S4. Via Boy Genius Report, more here.
  

Original post