Security researches are found that Apple iphone keeps track of where you go and saves every detail of it to a file that hidden to the device and is copied to the owner?s pc when the two are synched. It appears that these files have the latitude and longitude of the phone?s coordinates along with a timestamp, which means if anyone simple your phone or the computer the computer could discover the details about the owner?s movements using a simple program.
“Apple has made it possible for almost anybody ? a jealous spouse, a private detective ? with access to your phone or computer to get detailed information about where you’ve been,” said Pete Warden, one of the researchers.
Only the iPhone records the user’s location in this way, say Warden and Alasdair Allan, the data scientists who discovered the file and are presenting their findings at the Where 2.0 conference in San Francisco on Wednesday. “Alasdair has looked for similar tracking code in [Google’s] Android phones and couldn’t find any,” said Warden. “We haven’t come across any instances of other phone manufacturers doing this.”
Simon Davies, director of the pressure group Privacy International, said: “This is a worrying discovery. Location is one of the most sensitive elements in anyone’s life ? just think where people go in the evening. The existence of that data creates a real threat to privacy. The absence of notice to users or any control option can only stem from ignorance about privacy at the design stage.”
Warden and Allan have set up a web page which answers questions about the file, and created a simple downloadable application to let Apple users check for themselves what location data the phone is retaining. The Guardian has confirmed that 3G-enabled devices including the iPad also retain the data and copy it to the owner’s computer.
HBO Go is an online streaming service that lets subscribers catch up on HBO’s award-winning and ass-kicking TV content? It’s about to hit smartphones and tablets early next month. Android and iOS HBO Go Apps have been teased by a new video on HBO’s YouTube channel, with promises of “instant and unlimited access” to “every episode of every season” of your favorite shows, garnished with a selection of hit movies. The apps and streaming will be free to HBO subscribers, who’ll be able to get their Sopranos nostalgia on over 3G as well as WiFi. May 2nd is the date on which the teaser video ends, though it doesn’t explicitly say that the service will be enlivened then. We’ll just have to wait and see.
In the next few weeks it is said that Apple is finally ready to sell white versions of the iPhone 4. It?s been delayed for about 10 months says people close to the plan of launching a white iPhone. By the end of April it is said this will be available for both Verizon and AT&T. The biggest issue and why it was taking so much time to get his phone out in white is said to be issues with paint that peeled off under heat and some other manufacture challenges. After releasing the iPhone 4 in June, Apple announced the delay of the white version, citing unspecified manufacturing troubles. Complications with a sensor used in the device were one difficulty, one of the people said. Until now, it?s only been available in black. Phil Schiller, Apple?s senior vice president of marketing, indicated last month that a white model would be available soon, writing on Twitter that it would be on sale by spring. The iPhone accounted for 39 percent of Apple?s sales in the fiscal first quarter, which ended in December. The Cupertino, California-based company is due to report second-quarter financial results on April 20.
As a big gamer I am always on the lookout for stories involving gaming but this one is a sad note as Sony Online Entertainment is closing down game studios in Bellevue, Denver and Tucson, Arizona which will eliminate 205 jobs. Also it is discontinuing the development on an online spy game called The Agency. It is unclear how many jobs will truly be eliminated but from the reports I read 205 is about the right total. It is unclear on why Sony is actually this cut back and has decided to scrape this online game The Agency. Here is the full statement from Sony Online:
As part of a strategic decision to reduce costs and streamline its global workforce, SOE announced today that it will eliminate 205 positions and close its Denver, Seattle and Tucson studios. As part of this restructuring, SOE is discontinuing production of The Agency so it can focus development resources on delivering two new MMOs based on its renowned PlanetSide and EverQuest properties, while also maintaining its current portfolio of online games. All possible steps are being taken to ensure team members affected by the transition are treated with appropriate concern.
This strategic decision will have no impact on SOE?s current portfolio of live games; additionally SOE will transition development efforts for the Denver and Tucson studios? suite of products to its San Diego headquarters. This strategic alignment of development resources better positions SOE to remain a global leader in online gaming and deliver on its promise of creating entertaining games for players of all ages, and servicing the 20 million players that visited SOE servers in just the past year.
Before I tell you about this amazing idea of $30 movie rentals, happy April fool?s day and this is not a prank, this story is for real and is very interesting. So a $30 movie rental, what is this all about? Four big studios are rolling out a premium VOD offering, in which renters at home can pay to see films that were just in theaters but aren?t yet out on DVD. The companies involved are Time Warner, Sony, Comcast and New Corp.?s movie studios. These studios are working on deals currently with DirectTV and in some Comcast markets soon. This type of move shows why the movie business is fairing much better against the digital disruption that has blown up apart the music and newspaper industry. With the type of flexibility the movie industry has with this, who knows how far it can go. Soon will we be able to rent movies while in the theater? It?s hard to say that a day like that will ever come but right now I think the movie industry has a winner, but one has to question whether or not this will lead to bigger issues, such as more private access to movies can cause piracy to go up. This is something that I will be keeping an eye on as the launch becomes a reality and try and see if there is any correlations with the introduction of this new rental VOD and movie piracy numbers.
Pwn2Own 2011 is here and for those who are unaware of what this is, basically some of the greatest minds in the in technology come together to try and hack devices and software to prove and show vulnerabilities in some of the technology out there. I wanted to share some highlights I found so far. First Research in Motion has a new webkit browser for the Blackberry. A three man team was able to hack this browser and able to hack the device and steal the contact list and image database. IE8 on Windows 7 was found to have three vulnerabilities on a 64-bit SP1 version of Windows 7. Believe or not thought the first product to be hacked was a Macbook. The firm VUPEN was the company who was able to find the vulnerabilities in the Safari browser which they were able to than hijack the machine.
Now don?t freak out about this. The reason this happens is so they can all make their products better. Anyone was able to hack a product won a prize and shared the information of the vulnerabilities so the companies could fix the issues. Most of these are already being fixed as speak they have not already been placed in updates already. So there you go sometimes hacking can be positive.
