Operation Pawn Storm appears to be the latest in a type of attack that uses jailbreak or enterprise distribution certificates to transfer spyware onto iOS devices. That means, in order to be infected, you have to first remove Apple’s built-in security protection by jailbreaking, or tapping to agree to the installation of an app from outside the App Store. In other words, for most people, most of the time, it’s something to be informed about but absolutely nothing to be stressed or scared by. Operation Pawn Storm was first reported by TrendLabs:

We found two malicious iOS applications in Operation Pawn Storm. One is called XAgent (detected as IOS_XAGENT.A) and the other one uses the name of a legitimate iOS game, MadCap (detected as IOS_ XAGENT.B). After analysis, we concluded that both are applications related to SEDNIT.

Ars Technica explains:

Researchers believe that the targeted devices may have already been compromised before these malware agents were installed—perhaps by being connected to Windows PCs that had been targeted by the other components of Pawn Storm.

Operation Pawn Storm is reportedly targeted at European governments and journalists, if you think you’re at higher risk, make sure you don’t engage in activities that are risky: Avoid jailbreaking. If you jailbreak, don’t download from untrusted repositories. Don’t download pirated apps, or any apps at all from outside the App Store or your own, trusted, enterprise resources. Don’t click on untrusted download links that come in via email or the web. If iOS warns you an untrusted app is attempting to transfer or install itself, deny it permission to do so.

Security professionals continue to investigate it and we’ll update when and as they discover more. Apple has built excellent protection into iOS, however. So, absent direct user-intervention, either intentional like jailbreak or socially engineered through phishing, the vast majority of iPhone and iPad customers don’t seem to have anything to worry about right now.

With a game title like 94 degrees (94-degrees.com), you’d think we’re talking about another weather app. Instead, we are playing a hot new game for Windows Phone that has been popular on iOS and Android devices.

94 degrees is an addicting game that’s very easy to learn. You are tasked to find a certain item or area within an image. The closer you get, the hotter you get. Want to see it in action? Watch our gameplay video with the Lumia 1520.

Since Dell’s brand new, incredibly gorgeous, XPS 13 launched at CES, we’ve been slowly watching it roll out in various locations. Previously British buyers – like the person writing this article – only had the top spec, Intel Core i7 versions to choose from, commanding a top end price, too. Now, though, there’s at least a slightly lower priced option to choose from, with the addition of an Intel Core i5 model to the UK store.

The FreePrints Windows Phone app, which allowed users to order and ship prints of images from their phone and other online sources, is no longer available to download from the Windows Phone Store. The app will shut down for anyone that still has it installed on their device on March 1.

Still coping with persistent rumors about Apple prototyping ARM-based Mac, Intel’s chief financial officer, Stacy Smith reaffirmed the company’s position that Apple would take a big performance hit if they moved away from Intel’s chips. According to Business Insider:

“Our leadership over the rest of the industry is extending,” Smith said. “We’re not delayed relative to the industry. We’re actually ahead of the industry.”

“For a customer like Apple you’d have to take a big step off performance to step off our architecture,” Smith said. “That is what in essence enables us to win across different customers.”

Apple prototypes everything that’s sensible for a company like Apple to prototype. Going into production with alternate chipsets, however, would be something else entirely. Broadwell delays notwithstanding, there would have to be significant gain or opportunity for Apple to move any part of the Mac lineup to ARM.

If nothing else, however, the rumors no doubt help encourage Intel to keep moving in a direction that fits with Apple’s needs.