Apple trying to fix iPhone flaw

Apple said on Thursday it is trying to fix a security flaw in the iPhone that reportedly lets unauthorized users gain access.

The flaw was disclosed by the popular technology blog Gizmodo and an online forum run by the Mac Rumors site.

According to the report, the flaw
allows unauthorized users gain easy access to private contacts and
e-mails even when the device is locked. Apple spokeswoman Jennifer
Bowcock acknowledged the problem in an e-mail.

"We are aware of this bug and plan to
deliver a fix in the next software update," she said. "For now, users
can avoid the problem by changing their setting so that double-clicking
the Home Button goes to 'Home' or 'iPod.' She didn't say when the
software update would be made available.

Apple rolled out its next-generation
iPhone 3G across 22 countries on July 11, with the aim of positioning
itself as a leading maker of pocket PCs at a pivotal moment in the
worldwide smart-phone market.

Apple, still a relatively small player
in the smart-phone industry, is hoping to innovate its way into the
pockets of consumers around the world with a lower-priced iPhone that
for the first time is engineered to run on a faster 3G network.

Apple has said it expected to sell 10 million iPhones by the end of 2008.