When BlackBerry users in the United Arab Emirates received a text message from their service provider on July 8 instructing them to install an upgrade on their handsets, they had no idea the application also contained software that, according to BlackBerry's maker, would enable third parties to peek at private information on their phones.

Etisalat, the Abu Dhabi-based mobile carrier that deployed the update, has reportedly denied the software was spyware. In a statement issued last month, Etisalat said the upgrade was necessary for "service enhancements'.

But Canadian BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd. said in a statement that "independent sources have concluded that it is possible that the installed software could enable unauthorized access to private or confidential information stored on the user's smartphone."

Etisalat did not respond to CNN's request for an interview.

The UAE incident unleashed a wave of outrage among BlackBerry users in the country as well as brought to light what experts say is growing concern that as mobile phones become more sophisticated, they are also becoming increasingly vulnerable to technological espionage.

"When no one was paying attention, their phones turned into a computer," cyber security expert Charlie Miller told CNN. "These phones have bugs in them and bad guys can take advantage of them and you have to be aware there is a risk here."

At the Black Hat information security conference held last month in Las Vegas, Miller and fellow computer security researcher Collin Mulliner shocked audiences when they revealed how a series of simple text messages can allow someone to hijack Apple's iPhone as well as several other smartphone models with neither the handset's owner or network provider ever knowing.

The virus allows outsiders to send text messages, access web sites, make phone calls as well as turn on a device's camera and microphone, he explained.

"Anything you could do with your phone I could do," said Miller. "And you could be staring at your phone the whole time and nothing happens. It is pretty dangerous."

Within 24 hours of the demonstration, Apple issued a patch to fix the vulnerability. The company also issued a statement noting, "contrary to what's been reported, no one has been able to take control of the iPhone to gain access to personal information using this exploit."

Miller warns that as smartphones and applications to run on them flood the marketplace, new and creative ways to hack into them could soon emerge.

"Who is going to find the next one?" asked Miller. "And are they going to report it? That is the question."

In July a mobile phone worm called "Sexy Space" com promised mobile phones using Symbian software, reportedly enabling hackers to steal phone and network information from devices by luring in victims through a web site that promised pornography.

Security experts have labeled the technology behind the breach as the first step towards a botnet, or group of infected machines, for mobile devices. Almost one out of every 63 smartphones running on Symbian are infected with some form of malware, according to a study from SMobile Systems, a mobile phone security solutions provider.

James Johns, founder of Arizona-based Retina-X Studios, says business has already been on the increase for the cell phone monitoring software his company makes.

The software, which can be purchased and downloaded to a handset directly from the Internet, allows individuals to remotely monitor the text messages, calls and location of the person using the device on which it has been installed.

"It is becoming very popular," Johns told CNN. "The main reason is that most people have smartphones that can be monitored unlike a regular cell phone, which can't really run programs."

Legitimate software open to abuse

While Johns says most of his customers are either parents who want to know more about their children's cell phone activities or spouses hoping to catch a cheating husband or wife, there is always a risk that it could be used for malicious purposes.

"It is up to the user of the software to make sure they follow all laws," said Johns.

"Any technology can be abused. We don't make our software for those intentions, and if we find out that someone is abusing our software, we will work with the police as we have in the past."

Yet despite the growing demand for consumer mobile phone surveillance technology and high profile examples of mobile security breaches via spyware installed by remote sources, other analysts say the there is no need to panic just yet.

"Mobile security threats are real, but they are rare," Jan Volkze, head of global marketing for McAfee Mobile Security, told CNN.

According to Volkze, the risk of handset hacking still remains relatively low mainly because when it comes to cracking mobile phones, the return on investment is simply not worth it.

"This is a huge barrier," said Volkze. "On the PC side it is very easy to extort money from people. It is a multi-billion dollar business. Hackers will only move to the mobile side if they can get more out of it compared to what they have done before."

However as more people start to store more information from their lives on mobile devices, more measures need to be taken to make sure the data is kept secure.

"People should apply the same level of paranoia on their cell phone that they would on their personal computer," said Volkze. "

If there is a text message arriving from an anonymous number saying you just won two weeks free holidays in the London, you should react to this in the same what you would react to this if you got it in an email. Delete it."

Mobiles are now not just for receiving and making phone calls these days, they work as your ipod, computer, camera, gaming and tracking device. The use of mobiles is endless.

All Mobile phones are made with an operation system which supports the operation of software applications. For example, Blackberry runs on the Blackberry OS and iPhone from Apple on the iPhone OS. iTunes can also be used to download music, television shows, games and other applications from the Internet. Originally, Motorola Mobile Phones supported the synching of iTunes library with cell phones. Certain mobile phone applications have capabilities of converting YouTube videos to formats compatible with mobile phones. Moreover, most of these applications do not require technical expertise and can be easily installed on cell phones.

Here are some free applications that can be added to your Mobile Phones that will make it more than just a mobile. For browsing, messaging and checking emails Opera Mobile, Skyfire, Google app, Cell Spin are to name a few, browsers that let you do a variety of functions. These browsers not only let you check your emails, you can blog, search, use all Google functions like docs, maps, photos, readers and you can also access social networking sites giving you single window access to Skype, MSN messenger, Gtalk, twitter, yahoo and upload your photos on picassa.

For tracking your phone you can use MobiWee, it allows you remote access to your mobile phone in case you loose it. You can even delete and wirelessly access your data through a pc. Viigo and Pocket Express are modular applications that give you instant access to news, weather, business updates, etc.

Dashwire and Dotfred give you an instant access to your files, contacts, messages, photos, speed dials, appointments saved on your phone. You can access this data through a PC on the internet or even offline.

Attention! Recently bought an HTC Hero or HTC Magic? Jealous of the iPhone 3GS with its shiny new Tom Tom app? Well fear not, Tom Tom hasn’t forgotten about little old Android. Speaking to tech blog Pocket Lint, Tom Tom confirmed the fledgling Smartphone OS is very much in its plans. Senior VP for Tom Tom Onboard Mobile Benoit Simery stated “We cannot ignore such a successful platform as Android. HTC is an important partner of ours and Android is becoming increasingly important too.”

The partnership Mentioned refers to the Tom Tom 7 application for Windows Mobile which graced several HTC phones running on the Windows Mobile platform. It would appear that Tom Tom are keen to revive the partnership with HTC and see Android as the perfect operating system to do so. With a range of quality devices already on the market including the excellent HTC Hero plus with even more on the horizon from big name players such as Sony Ericsson and Samsung, it would seem Android is a good horse to back when planning new apps.

But, unfortunately the good news offered by Tom Tom was also accompanied by some bad. The olive branch offered to Android was unfortunately not extended to BlackBerry. “I do not question the opportunity that RIM might offer but we know that a satnav device needs to have a large touchscreen and voice commands to be able to work for turn-by-turn navigation. We come from a PDA background and we know what will work.” Has this closed the door on similar non touchscreen OS’s such as Symbian? We’ll have to wait and see but with Nokia’s newly reinvigorated Ovi store offering Symbian apps to the masses and an ever increasing range of touchscreen phones, Nokia and their fan base will certainly hope not.

What about the future for Tom Tom? Is there room in this world for stand alone navigation devices when smartphones are becoming ever more powerful and, more importantly, more mainstream. Tom Tom like to think so; “There is nothing better than a satnav. It’s still superior. No smartphone can compete with a satnav and the integrated services that we can offer on our devices such as local Google searches, fuel prices, traffic information - we are still ahead of the game. There is still a strong market for dedicated devices. Very strong.” So, for the near future Tom Tom are happy to co-exist with smartphones running their software. What the future holds for Tom Tom as a hardware manufacturer remains to be seen.
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