MapQuest iPhone gets free voice navigation; TomTom lifetime map and traffic PNDs now available

Chalk up another two wins for cheap consumer GPS. Like Google Maps Navigation before it, the MapQuest 4 Mobile iPhone app has just now added gratis turn-by-turn voice directions... and ahead of schedule, TomTom has begun bundling its new 2010 Personal Navigation Devices, including the XL 340S and the XXL 540S -- with lifetime traffic and maps subscriptions. The latter are now available on Amazon for a $30-per-lifetime-subscription premium in a variety of increasingly feature-filled flavors, with helpful T (traffic), M (maps) and TM (traffic and maps) suffixes so you know which TomTom is which. If you prefer buying from brick and mortar, TomTom expects retail availability beginning in April. Full list of supported TomTom models and expected MSRP after the break.

• TomTom XL 335T (Lifetime Traffic Edition) - $190
• TomTom XL 335M (Lifetime Maps Edition) - $190
• TomTom XL 335TM (Lifetime Traffic & Maps Edition) - $220
• TomTom XL 340T (Lifetime Traffic Edition) - $200
• TomTom XL 340M (Lifetime Maps Edition) - $200
• TomTom XL 340TM (Lifetime Traffic & Maps Edition) - $230
• TomTom XL 340TM LIVE (Lifetime Traffic & Maps Edition) - $260
• TomTom XXL 540T (Lifetime Traffic Edition) - $230
• TomTom XXL 540M (Lifetime Maps Edition) - $230
• TomTom XXL 540TM (Lifetime Traffic & Maps Edition) - $260
• TomTom XXL 540TM World Traveler (Lifetime Traffic & Maps Edition) - $300
• TomTom Go 740TM LIVE (Lifetime Traffic & Maps Edition) - $320

Aircell tempts HTC HD2 owners with six months free in-flight WiFi

Now that Aircell has finished roping every major US airline into providing inexpensive WiFi on most every flight, the company's dealmakers have had to fall back on, shall we say, less integral partnerships to advance their strategy. First up? If you're the owner of a shiny new HTC HD2 on T-Mobile, you get six months of Gogo in-flight WiFi, free of charge. Simply register with the company anytime before June 2011 and it's clear skies for your connection. You can consider the expiration date a bonus alarm clock -- by that time, you'll be ready for a phone with enough buttons for Windows Phone 7 Series.

Kaspersky issues 2010 cyberthreat predictions

Kaspersky has released its "2010 Cyberthreat Forecast," making six predictions about the nature of the security landscape next year.

>>First, Kaspersky predicts "a rise in attacks originating from file sharing networks" accompanied by a shift away from attacks via websites and applications.

>>Second, the company sees "an increase in mass malware epidemics via P2P networks."

>>Third is the growth of semi-legal and gray-market programs set up by botnet owners. "These so-called 'partner programs,'" reads the report, "enable botnet owners to make a profit from activities such as sending spam, performing denial of service (DoS) attacks or distributing malware without committing an explicit crime."

>>Kaspersky's fourth prediction is a decline in fake anti-virus programs, such as the Conficker worm. "The fake anti-virus market has now been saturated and the profits for cybercriminals have fallen,"

>>Fifth, the company sees attempts to use Google Wave as an attack vector, starting with spam and proceeding through phishing and spreading malward.

>>And sixth, the company forecasts "an increase in attacks on iPhone and Android mobile platforms." Android is especially vulnerable, the report says: "The increasing popularity of mobile phones running the Android OS combined with a lack of effective checks to ensure third-party software applications are secure, will lead to a number of high-profile malware outbreaks."