You've Been 'Rick Rolled': '80s Pop Singer Rick Astley Becomes World's First IPhone Virus!

Who would have suspected it? Rick Astley, a once forgotten 1980s pop icon has seen something of a renaissance in recent years as an internet meme. If you have used the internet between 2007 and now, you probably been the victim of 'Rickrolling' at least once. At times it can be amusing, but in some cases when clicking on a link to a serious topic and being surprised with a video of Astley's 1987 hit 'Never Gonna Give You Up' instead, it can be quite aggravating. Now it seems Mr. Astley has found noteriety once more, this time as the world's first iphone virus.

According to Fox News, a young Australian web designer named Ashley Towns has created a worm called 'Ikee' which changes the wallpaper on an iphone to a picture of Rick Astley, cleverly stating that 'Ikee is never going to give you up'. Yep, you have literally been rick rolled on your phone. No need to worry though, this virus can only infect unlocked or 'jailbroken' iphones, but regular iphones with authorized cards are not at risk. Ashley Towns motivation for creating the virus was not rooted in anything malicious, but simply as a reason to 'give people awareness of securitty glitches on iphones'. The virus itself is not destructive nor does it pose any serious threat to iphone users, however you may suddenly feel an urge to don some parachute pants and acid wash and take a bad trip back to the 80s.

For an artist who hasn't had a hit on the charts in over two decades, Rick Astley has cleverly found a way to make his way back into the mainstream consciousness and the subject of countless parodies and late night fodder. It makes one wonder, whether maybe or not Mr. Astley himself may have a hand in this internet phenomenon but according to Wikipedia, he is merely 'amused' by it all and as the very first iphone virus, the 80s icon has once again found a place in 2000s popular culture. One certainly can't help but get the feeling that Rick Astley is never going to give any of us up.

Sources:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,573620,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Astley