Smart Phones and Other Technology

[fyrOM]

Chrome and Firefox to unite

http://www.idividi.com.mk/Futurama/InternetIT/678444/index.html

Web browser Chrome and Firefox will offer better protection of web users from annoying advertisements carried the French media.

Although not function the same way, the technology that Mozilla and Google have developed is based on the use of "cookies", text content that allow retention of the tracks when a web user visits a web site.

This means that big rivals in the market for Internet browsers for the first time to merge their forces and to fight more often, ads that annoy users while surfing the Internet. Is this cooperation will develop a new friendship remains to be seen.

A chat over coffee to talk about features is one thing, but any further and it will be a sad day - Firefox is much better.

[Phoenix]

fyrOM, I think you're underestimating the force of market dynamics in setting consumer pricing...the Americans have long used incentive based sales promotions to move stock, some would argue that this strategy was one part which has caused decline in the US auto industry...some things never change...GM is up to it's old tricks...

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_17/b4225049218287.htm?chan=magazine+channel_11_17+-+focus+on+education_news+-+markets+%2B+finance

So at an average of $3000 cash back per vehicle, one starts to understand the shortfall between US costs and Australian costs for vehicles...not everything is conspiracy based.

[fyrOM]

When I was over in Macedonia, I also went to Germany and Sweden and found similar price discrepancy - does Europe also follow the discounting practices you mention about the USA? Most people like myself don't have the time/resources/inclination to do an in-depth study and those who can are in the industry keeping shush. A broad-stroke view will only show you wide discrepancies and is an indicator that 'something is up', much like I said to a whinging cousin who, while we were out at a cafe one day, was trying to convince me people are doing it tough in Macedonia, and I said to him just have a look at the cars parked in the street and if most are 'new-ish' and not low priced cars then the society in general cannot be doing to badly. Likewise 20-25% cheaper cars in 3 countries says something is going on, especially when the Aussie built Monnaro was being sold significantly cheaper in the USA than where it was being built.

Not everything is a conspiracy - just most things - like If one just watch Aussie main-stream news you'd thing everything was right in the world. $3000-00 cash-back on a $30-$40-$50000-00 car does not have the same meaning as a $4-5000-00 price difference on a $20-$23/24000-00 car. Like I said it doesn't prove anything but that 'something' isn't quite right.

[Phoenix]

When I was over in Macedonia, I also went to Germany and Sweden and found similar price discrepancy - does Europe also follow the discounting practices you mention about the USA? Most people like myself don't have the time/resources/inclination to do an in-depth study and those who can are in the industry keeping shush. A broad-stroke view will only show you wide discrepancies and is an indicator that 'something is up', much like I said to a whinging cousin who, while we were out at a cafe one day, was trying to convince me people are doing it tough in Macedonia, and I said to him just have a look at the cars parked in the street and if most are 'new-ish' and not low priced cars then the society in general cannot be doing to badly. Likewise 20-25% cheaper cars in 3 countries says something is going on, especially when the Aussie built Monnaro was being sold significantly cheaper in the USA than where it was being built.

Not everything is a conspiracy - just most things - like If one just watch Aussie main-stream news you'd thing everything was right in the world. $3000-00 cash-back on a $30-$40-$50000-00 car does not have the same meaning as a $4-5000-00 price difference on a $20-$23/24000-00 car. Like I said it doesn't prove anything but that 'something' isn't quite right.

There are many reasons for the pricing differences between different countries...one other factor is that manufacturers set prices for different countries based on currrency exchange rates, often up to a year in advance...various taxes, the willingness of consumers to absorb price increases and sales strategies are all variables in the equation.

[fyrOM]

Underground telescope could peer beyond the Big Bang

http://www.idividi.com.mk/English/Life_style/678379/index.html

London, 18 April 2011 (MIA) - A telescope buried up to half a mile underground could give scientists their first glimpse of the dawn of the universe.

The ambitious new device is designed to detect gravitational waves – an elusive phenomena created by some of the most violent events in the universe such as black holes, neutron stars and the Big Bang.

Although they have never been directly detected, these waves of gravity are thought to echo through the universe like ripples from a stone thrown into a pond and they could provide scientists with a new way of mapping the sky.

The telescope, which is likely to cost between £500 million and £1 billion to build, will be built inside a network of tunnels 12 miles long and buried up to half a mile underground to dampen any interference from vibrations on the surface.

The project is expected to rival the Large Hadron Collider, the 17 mile particle smasher on the French Swiss Border that was switched on in 2008, in its scale and ambition.

Physicists claim the telescope will give them the first chance to see a black hole, which until now have only been detected indirectly because of the stars and debris orbiting them, and see into the centre of powerful stars known as neutron stars.

The telescope, called the Einstein Telescope, could also reveal for the first time whether there were universes in existence before our own by looking for the echoes of previous Big Bangs similar to the one that created our own universe 13.7 billion years ago.

Highly precise lasers will be beamed along two six mile long vacuum chambers to detect minute changes in the distance between targets at either end caused by gravitational waves passing through the Earth.

Professor B S Sathyaprakash, an astrophysicist at Cardiff University and chair of the science working party for the Einstein Telescope, said: "There is huge potential to see the universe in a completely new way with gravitational waves.

"They are very weak by the time they reach the Earth, but with a sensitive detector we will be able to get direct evidence for black holes, learn more about how the universe is expanding and pick up some of the gravitational waves from the big bang.

"If we are really lucky we get some signals from before the big bang that might help explain what existed before our own universe and whether we are living in just one of a continuous cycle of big bangs and rapid expansions."

Scientists behind the project, which is being led by the European Gravitational Observatory, are due to hold a meeting in Pisa, Italy next month to outline their plans for the new telescope.

Are they trying to see God?

You know what happened the last time men tried to build a structure (ie the tower before the floods) to reach God -anybody seen a calendar lately (2012/2015)?

[fyrOM]

ALERT!!!

Check your credit card if this involves you!!

Sony: Personal info compromised on PSN

http://au.news.yahoo.com/technology/games/article/-/9263285/sony-personal-info-compromised-on-psn/

April 27, 2011, 9:54 am
CNET Australia

Sony has acknowledged that the personal information of its PlayStation Network customers has been compromised.
Games and Gaming

The company posted an update on its blog warning its more than 70 million customers that their personal information, including customer names, addresses, email addresses, birthdays, PlayStation Network and Qriocity passwords and user names, as well as online user handles, was obtained illegally by an "unauthorised person." The data was accessed between April 17 and April 19, according to Sony.

With respect to credit card information, which many users have given to Sony in order to purchase or rent content via the service, Sony is less sure of what transpired.

"While there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility," a company spokesman wrote. "If you have provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity, out of an abundance of caution we are advising you that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may have been obtained."

And as a result, Sony has temporarily turned off PlayStation Network and Qriocity, its subscription music service, contracted with an outside security firm to investigate the intrusion on its network, and started to rebuild its system and security. Sony would not say whether the company had contacted the FBI or any law enforcement about the breach.

It took Sony five days to level with its customers about the consequences of what knocked its service offline. Midway through last week users noticed error messages when trying to sign into the service. While the company initially acknowledged the service was inaccessible on Friday, it offered no explanation of why and said PSN would be back up and running in a "day or two."

On Sunday Sony acknowledged an "external intrusion" on its network and said it was in the process of rebuilding PSN. It never hinted that personal data was compromised, and it's unclear what took Sony so long to come clean.

The company says it is currently in the process of emailing all of its customers about the intrusion.

What should you do?

Finding out whether credit card account information had been exposed is key to assessing the risks for Sony customers. With that information fraudsters can take over bank and credit card accounts and make purchases.

Without that financial information individuals run the risk of having their Sony PSN accounts hijacked and being targeted with phishing attacks. For instance, customers should be wary of emails that purport to come from Sony and which ask for credit card or other sensitive information, said Beth Givens, founder and director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.
People whose information was exposed in the breach should change their Sony account passwords and password security questions and ignore emails asking for sensitive information from anybody, Givens said. In addition, she suggested people affected by the breach monitor for fraudulent activity on their credit card that Sony had on file, just in case the accounts were exposed.

[fyrOM]

Charlie Sheen loses a goddess

http://au.movies.yahoo.com/news/article/-/9262123/charlie-sheen-loses-a-goddess/

April 27, 2011, 3:30 am

One of Charlie Sheen's girlfriends has dumped him by text message.

The 45-year-old actor has been sharing his home with two 'goddesses', porn star Bree Olson and part-time model Natalie Kenly, for the last two months, but has now revealed he has parted ways with Bree.

Ouch! Cold! What a use of technology. I didn't know the GSM technology reached gods (as he claims to be) - but who knew???

Taking to the stage for his 'Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option Show' in Florida over the weekend, Charlie told the crowd he had been dumped in a cell phone message by Bree.

Later in the show, he was asked how he copes with juggling two women at once, prompting the actor to quip: "Not well, because one left."

Despite his women woes, Charlie seemed unconcerned during the performance, even kissing an unnamed older lady who was on stage during his question and answer portion of the show.

He then gave the woman - who a member of his entourage described as a "cutie pie" - a hug before she left the stage.

The former 'Two and a Half Men' star also invited troubled actress Lindsay Lohan to spend 24 hours with him.

He said: "I would hug her and let her know it's gonna be OK."

The picture makes him look like he has a turd stuck in his mouth - kind of fitting.

[DirtyCodingHabitz]

One of Charlie Sheen's girlfriends has dumped him by text message.

He's still WINNING :P.

Despite his women woes, Charlie seemed unconcerned during the performance, even kissing an unnamed older lady who was on stage during his question and answer portion of the show.

He then gave the woman - who a member of his entourage described as a "cutie pie" - a hug before she left the stage.

The former 'Two and a Half Men' star also invited troubled actress Lindsay Lohan to spend 24 hours with him.

He said: "I would hug her and let her know it's gonna be OK."

That's my boy, he just keeps WINNING .

[fyrOM]

Sony unveils its first tablet computer to take on Apple

http://au.news.yahoo.com/tech-news/a/-/technology/9260264/sony-unveils-its-first-tablet-computer-to-take-on-apple/

April 26, 2011, 3:27 pm

Kunimasa Suzuki, Deputy President of Sony s consumer products and services group, holds Sony s first tablet PC S2 at its unveiling ceremony in Tokyo, April 26, 2011. Sony, a laggard in the booming tablet market, unveiled its first tablet computers in an ambitious attempt to grab second place in the market created and still dominated by Apple s iPad.

Sony, a laggard in the booming tablet market, launched its first tablet computers in an ambitious attempt to grab the second spot in the market created and dominated by Apple's iPad.

The gadgets will use an operating system based on Google's Android 3.0, said Kunimasa Suzuki, deputy president of the consumer products and services group, as he unveiled one of the devices from his jacket pocket during a media launch on Tuesday.

The tablets called S1 and S2, are WiFi and 3G/4G compatible. One of the models will have two screens, Suzuki added.

mmm..."It's a Soney!

Are they going to be as good as their PS3?

Sales of tablet devices are expected to quadruple to about 294 million units between 2011 and 2015, with almost half that Android-based, research firm Gartner has forecast.

Suzuki raised eyebrows in January when he told reporters at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that Sony was aiming for the No.2 spot in the tablet market within a year even though it had yet to put a product on the market.

The company has emphasized the need to differentiate its tablet from rivals, even if that takes time.

"Although it's a late comer in the market, it has potential as what you need is just one big uniqueness that can sell to customers be it design or whatever," said Lee Sun-tae, an analyst at Meritz Securities in Seoul.

"By the same token it can be just one of another Android phones flooding the market amid intensifying competition."

In a bid to tap that burgeoning demand, competitors including Samsung Electronics -- whose Galaxy Tab is Apple's strongest competitor in the tablet market -- and Motorola, LG Electronics and HTC are flooding the market with tablets running Android.

Shares in Sony, which unveils its quarterly results on May 26, fell 2.1 percent on Tuesday.

Going to have to see how this plays out - Apple, Samsung and now Sony - which one's best?

[fyrOM]

WOW!!! Take Note!!!

Who'd of thunk!!

NY case underscores Wi-Fi privacy dangers

http://au.news.yahoo.com/tech-news/a/-/technology/9259535/ny-case-underscores-wi-fi-privacy-dangers/

April 26, 2011, 1:39 pm

Lying on his family room floor with assault weapons trained on him, shouts of "pedophile!" and "pornographer!" stinging like his fresh cuts and bruises, the Buffalo homeowner didn't need long to figure out the reason for the early morning wake-up call from a swarm of federal agents.

That new wireless router. He'd gotten fed up trying to set a password. Someone must have used his Internet connection, he thought.

"We know who you are! You downloaded thousands of images at 11:30 last night," the man's lawyer, Barry Covert, recounted the agents saying. They referred to a screen name, "Doldrum."

"No, I didn't," he insisted. "Somebody else could have but I didn't do anything like that."

"You're a creep ... just admit it," they said.

Law enforcement officials say the case is a cautionary tale. Their advice: Password-protect your wireless router.

Plenty of others would agree. A Sarasota man, for example, who got a similar visit from the FBI last year after someone on a boat docked in a marina outside his building used a potato chip can as an antenna to boost his wireless signal and download an astounding 10 million images of child porn, or the North Syracuse man who in December 2009 opened his door to police who'd been following an electronic trail of illegal videos and images. The man's neighbour pleaded guilty April 12.

For two hours that March morning in Buffalo, agents tapped away at the homeowner's desktop computer, eventually taking it with them, along with his and his wife's iPads and iPhones.

Within three days, investigators determined the homeowner had been telling the truth: If someone was downloading child pornography through his wireless signal, it wasn't him. About a week later, agents arrested a 25-year-old neighbour and charged him with distribution of child pornography. The case is pending in federal court.

It's unknown how often unsecured routers have brought legal trouble for subscribers. Besides the criminal investigations, the Internet is full of anecdotal accounts of people who've had to fight accusations of illegally downloading music or movies.

Whether you're guilty or not, "you look like the suspect," said Orin Kerr, a professor at George Washington University Law School, who said that's just one of many reasons to secure home routers.

Experts say the more savvy hackers can go beyond just connecting to the Internet on the host's dollar and monitor Internet activity and steal passwords or other sensitive information.

A study released in February provides a sense of how often computer users rely on the generosity — or technological shortcomings — of their neighbours to gain Internet access.

The poll conducted for the Wi-Fi Alliance, the industry group that promotes wireless technology standards, found that among 1,054 Americans age 18 and older, 32 percent acknowledged trying to access a Wi-Fi network that wasn't theirs. An estimated 201 million households worldwide use Wi-Fi networks, according to the alliance.

The same study, conducted by Wakefield Research, found that 40 percent said they would be more likely to trust someone with their house key than with their Wi-Fi network password.

For some, though, leaving their wireless router open to outside use is a philosophical decision, a way of returning the favour for the times they've hopped on to someone else's network to check e-mail or download directions while away from home .

"I think it's convenient and polite to have an open Wi-Fi network," said Rebecca Jeschke, whose home signal is accessible to anyone within range.

"Public Wi-Fi is for the common good and I'm happy to participate in that — and lots of people are," said Jeschke, a spokeswoman for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that takes on cyberspace civil liberties issues.

Experts say wireless routers come with encryption software, but setting it up means a trip to the manual.

The government's Computer Emergency Readiness Team recommends home users make their networks invisible to others by disabling the identifier broadcasting function that allows wireless access points to announce their presence. It also advises users to replace any default network names or passwords, since those are widely known, and to keep an eye on the manufacturer's website for security patches or updates.

People who keep an open wireless router won't necessarily know when someone else is piggybacking on the signal, which usually reaches 300-400 feet, though a slower connection may be a clue.

For the Buffalo homeowner, who didn't want to be identified, the tip-off wasn't nearly as subtle.

It was 6:20 a.m. March 7 when he and his wife were awakened by the sound of someone breaking down their rear door. He threw a robe on and walked to the top of the stairs, looking down to see seven armed people with jackets bearing the initials I-C-E, which he didn't immediately know stood for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"They are screaming at him, 'Get down! Get down on the ground!' He's saying, 'Who are you? Who are you?'" Covert said.

"One of the agents runs up and basically throws him down the stairs, and he's got the cuts and bruises to show for it," said Covert, who said the homeowner plans no lawsuit. When he was allowed to get up, agents escorted him and watched as he used the bathroom and dressed.

The homeowner later got an apology from U.S. Attorney William Hochul and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Lev Kubiak.

But this wasn't a case of officers rushing into the wrong house. Court filings show exactly what led them there and why.

On February 11, an investigator with the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees cybersecurity enforcement, signed in to a peer-to-peer file sharing program from his office. After connecting with someone by the name of "Doldrum," the agent browsed through his shared files for videos and images and found images and videos depicting children engaged in sexual acts.

The agent identified the IP address, or unique identification number, of the router, then got the service provider to identify the subscriber.

Investigators could have taken an extra step before going inside the house and used a laptop or other device outside the home to see whether there was an unsecured signal. That alone wouldn't have exonerated the homeowner, but it would have raised the possibility that someone else was responsible for the downloads.

After a search of his devices proved the homeowner's innocence, investigators went back to the peer-to-peer software and looked at logs that showed what other IP addresses Doldrum had connected from. Two were associated with the State University of New York at Buffalo and accessed using a secure token that UB said was assigned to a student living in an apartment adjacent to the homeowner. Agents arrested John Luchetti March 17. He has pleaded not guilty to distribution of child pornography.

Luchetti is not charged with using his neighbour's Wi-Fi without permission. Whether it was illegal is up for debate.

"The question," said Kerr, "is whether it's unauthorised access and so you have to say, 'Is an open wireless point implicitly authorising users or not?'

"We don't know," Kerr said. "The law prohibits unauthorised access and it's just not clear what's authorised with an open unsecured wireless."

In Germany, the country's top criminal court ruled last year that Internet users must secure their wireless connections to prevent others from illegally downloading data. The court said Internet users could be fined up to $126 if a third party takes advantage of their unprotected line, though it stopped short of holding the users responsible for illegal content downloaded by the third party.
The ruling came after a musician sued an Internet user whose wireless connection was used to download a song, which was then offered on an online file sharing network. The user was on vacation when the song was downloaded.

WOW!! This article really underscores the need for internet security.

Maybe any of you with a bit more than basic knowledge in this are could throw your 2c worth on how best to set up a router for the benefit of the forum.

[fyrOM]

Five ways to protect your Wi-Fi network from hackers

http://www.appolicious.com/tech/articles/7737-five-ways-to-protect-your-wi-fi-network-from-hackers

Posted April 26, 2011 9:22am

For the less tech savvy among us, protecting an Internet router can be a daunting task, requiring technical know-how that gets confusing. But with just a few seconds, the router’s manual, and some understanding of what you’re looking for, setting up at least some router security can be pretty easy, and can save Internet users from issues like identity theft and an unfortunate visit from the U.S. government. Here are a few tips for keeping your network, and your data, away from those who would hijack it.

1. Set up a password - or even better - an encryption key
...
...
2. Turn on MAC address filtering and router firewalls
...
...
3. Change your network’s SSID and make it invisible
...
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4. Assign IP addresses to your devices
...
...
5. Avoid open, unprotected Wi-Fi networks
...
...

What was really interesting were the comments left on this article by people.

such as...

raygarstasio

There is some really, really bad advice in this article that should be pointed out to the readers. Part of #2 and all of #3 should be completely disregarded. MAC address filtering is a totally useless form of security as it is trivial to clone MAC addresses. Also, do NOT, I repeat, do NOT "hide" your SSID. First of all, there is no way to completely hide your SSID. The SSID is broadcast by other means anyway, which means it is trivial to discover a "hidden" SSID. Second, "hiding" your SSID is known to cause random connection issues. The first half of #2 and all of #3 are old wives tales and were debunked as useless measures ages ago.

Also, #4 is a laughable security measure. It is no better than MAC address filtering and hiding your SSID, plus, it makes adding computers to a network more difficult for your average user.


jcrowe

You have managed to enumerate why most of the efforts listed in the article are worthless yet you have provided no alternative to MAC filtering, changing/broadcasting the SSID or static IP assignment.

Agreeably each of these on there own merits can be overcome relativity easy however, using all methods mentioned in the article will increase security and take less than 10 minutes to implement all in a Small Office/Home Office environment.

I would liken your comments/advice to telling readers to leave their doors unlocked because if a thief wants in they will get in, so just make it easy for them.

If the advice in this article was implemented it would be the equivalent of placing 4 medium security locks on the doors. Much better than no security.

Lets face it, most "hackers" want an easy target and few of them will stick around to work through more than 1 security measure.

Where as the article discusses WEP and WPA, the newest standard, WPA2 is the most secure.

If a user was to implement WPA2 enabled router and the methods listed in the article they would have a secure wireless network.

I would bet the man in Buffalo, NY, accused of distributing kiddie porn only to find out it was his neighbor who picked up his unsecured wireless network (SSID), I just bet he wishes he would have implemented only 1 of the measures listed in this article. ( http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110424/..._wi_fi_warning)


raygarstasio

The only security necessary on a wireless network is WPA2 & a firewall. Anything else listed here is waste of time. Period.


jcrowe

At the end of the day wireless security (or wired) is about mitigating the risk without reducing the users availability and access.

Again, NONE of the methods recommended in the article will prevent intrusion from a seasoned hacker.

Implementing some or all of them on WPA2 network will provide MORE security than simply doing nothing. Thereby mitigating risk and maintaining the users availability and access.

Of course, the best security method for wireless is to shut it off and eliminate risk and the users availability and access.

For those interested in the pro's/cons of these methods;
MAC Filtering - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAC_filtering
SSID - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSID
Static IP - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Static_IP#Static_IP

Heck, I've got 3 routers going and don't do hardly any of this stuff - makes me think, next time I get a knock on the door should I brace for the Police SWAT team to storm in or has RTG finally figured out what my IP address is and sent the MTO SWAT team.Hahahaha

[fyrOM]

Making your Wi-Fi reception better

http://au.news.yahoo.com/technology/...eption-better/

I guess, after the preceding posts on router safety problems, you can click on the above link only if you dare!

[George S.]

Part of the problem with broadband is that its uses are so wide, and our perception of its speed are often flawed. Just like waiting for the kettle to boil, waiting for a file to download, mail to finish processing or video to stream always seems to take absolutely ages, even if "absolutely ages" can vary from micro-seconds to minutes. The best way to get an actual handle on your real speeds is to monitor them from time to time. Our broadband speed test will give you a real-world speedometer reading for your current connection, and running it over a period of time will give you a good gut feel for how fast your connection actually is.
Sep 10, 2010http://au.news.yahoo.com/technology/games/

[fyrOM]

I'm often accused of being in the 'dark ages' for not having the latest touch phone. Apart from the cost (which really isn't that much), the real biggest issue is, do you need a mini-computer on the run with all the virus issues computers have instead of just a phone and camera, but I thought I'd drop in any virus alerts that come along for those forum readers that may find it of interest.

Voltron Post114...

Touch phones arent bad. I have a HTC Desire Android, its kind of buggy in comparison to the Iphone. Id like to see how a Windows phone is in comparison.

I dont think there is a way to avoid touchphones nowadays. Almost every phone that comes out is like this.

Guess I was right all along NOT to have a touch phone and spoke too soon about thinking of getting one...

Law enforcement already using iPhone location data in investigations

http://www.appolicious.com/articles/7686

also you can see...

http://www.news.com.au/technology/iphones-ipads-have-been-tracking-their-users-movements-and-storing-them-for-a-year/story-e6frfro0-1226042649844

Posted April 21, 2011 12:43pm by Phil Hornshaw Tags: iPhone, Apple, Security, location

A presentation at the Where 2.0 conference in San Francisco about the iPhone tracking cellular tower location data has turned into a full-blown scandal, but the “discovery” by two researchers that the iPhone logs and stores everywhere its owner goes has been known for some time.

That’s according to Alex Levinson, a forensic researcher who wrote extensively about the phone’s location tracking a year ago, when apparently, most everyone in the media missed it.

The story goes like this: Two UK researchers gave a presentation about a not-so-hidden file they discovered in the iOS 4.0 software that was recently released for the iPhone (it apparently just moved locations between older software and these later updates). That file nabs and stores location data all the time, logging what cell phone towers the phone links up to. It seems to be an intentional storage of data, even though, as Levinson points out in his blog, there’s no evidence that the information is being sent anyplace or that Apple is aggregating it. It’s just sitting on the iPhone, waiting to be used.

Partially, it has been stated by various people, this information is necessary for running all those crazy location-snagging apps that track deals and help you navigate and do any number of other location-specific things. Levinson says part of the reason the iPhone works so well is that it has all this data readily available for all apps to use, and they can all access it from the same point at the same time.

But then again, why the long-term storage? The UK researchers, Alasdair Allan and Pete Warden, say that data can be stored for a year or more, and that seems a little excessive, especially without any clear indication from Apple or anyone else as to why the information is being stored.

According to a story from GigaOM, Levinson says the location information is already being used by law enforcement agencies (he wouldn’t say which ones) in their investigations. All they need is to impound an iPhone as evidence and they have access to everywhere you’ve been for who knows how long. That’s a huge amount of information and probably a boon to law enforcement agencies everywhere, but it also raises concerns about protecting Americans from invasions of their privacy.

At least two lawmakers, Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota and Rep. Jay Inslee of Washington, are putting pressure on Apple to fully disclose all the details about the information, according to a story from Fierce Mobile Content. Here’s what Inslee had to say in a statement:

"I have been concerned that current law fails to ensure consumers are protected from privacy violations. Consumers are often left to learn of these breaches of privacy from hackers and security experts because companies fail to disclose what data they are collecting and for what purpose."

Franken has reportedly already sent a two-page letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs:

"There are numerous ways in which this information could be abused by criminals and bad actors," Franken writes. "Furthermore, there is no indication that this file is any different for underage iPhone or iPad users, meaning that the millions of children and teenagers who use iPhone or iPad devices also risk having their location collected and compromised."

Warden and Allan may not have really been the first to make this iPhone discovery, but they’ve sure kicked a hornets’ nest with their presentation. The echo of the ball bouncing in Apple’s court is becoming deafening, and it’s likely we’ll be hearing from Jobs about just how not-a-big-deal this location issue is very soon.

It sucks that Apple and Google are tracking everyone via their smart phones!!!

BIG-BROTHER is here!

In today's MX Newspaper there was an article about both Apple and Google intending to use 'data-mining' by 3rd parties to extract information about smart-phone users movements, photos, transactions, and anything else you do on your phone. Your privacy is gone!

mmm...could one of those 3rd parties be the government New World Order??? and users are joyfully supplying the key ingredient - information - while being lured with offers of turn-by-turn GPS and apps to tell you about great restaurants nearest to where you are!

Also, have you wondered why people would give Facebook hundreds of millions of dollars each (Facebook is valued at over a Billion dollars) when Facebook claims to have NO revenue streams (ie advertising or subscription)??? Maybe the answer has to do with Facebook's other claim that NO non-Facebook parties get to see your information, as a form of security for users.

Like most things, the 'Devil is in the detail'!!! Those companies who have paid Facebook $500 Million dollars (and more) become SHARE HOLDERS of Facebook and hence own the data - every company's data is open to staff back-room view of the data, otherwise how can Customer Service help you with an account inquiry? - and so technically Facebook does NOT give your data to external parties, but it doesn't mean marketers (and whoever else...NWO?) don't have access to your data.

If your privacy doesn't really concern you too much, Facebook away.

Is this one of those "Ta-Da!!!" moments???

[George S.]

Xbox 360 help: FAQ
June 1, 2010, 5:00 pmCNET Australia

Here you'll find some technical support in the form of some frequently-asked questions about Xbox 360 hardware and common issues.
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If you can't find your problem here, visit Microsoft's Xbox support page for more information.

My Xbox 360 stopped working and there are three red lights around my power button!

The RROD, or "Red Ring of Death", refers to the dreaded ring of three red lights that encircle your Xbox 360's power button when the console malfunctions, usually due to a faulty power supply. If you're seeing orange lights when the console is powered on, you might try switching to a different power outlet, but generally speaking, when you see the red ring, it's time for you to physically ship your console out to Microsoft for repairs.

Why do I see red lights near the power switch?

Having one, two or three red lights may mean different things. A fully functional console will have no red lights. One red light means a hardware failure has occurred — typically you will see an additional error code on-screen that may indicate a hard drive issue. In this case, try turning off your console, removing the hard drive, and turning the console back on. If your console is functioning normally, the issue might be your hard drive. If that doesn't work, you may have other problems.

Two red lights means the console is overheating, at this point the fans will kick in at their highest speeds to cool down the system. Three red lights, or the red ring of death, results in no on-screen error code. Four red lights means there is an issue with the AV cable, most likely meaning that it needs to be re-seate

http://au.news.yahoo.com/technology/games/article/-/7328091/xbox-360-help-faq/