Sen. Al Franken gets answers from Carrier IQ, carriers -- 'still very troubled by what's going on'

Sen. Al Franken

U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., didn't like what he'd heard about the whole Carrier IQ saga. And after receiving answers from the analytics company, he still doesn't like what he hears. On Thursday,  Franken, chairman of the Senate Subcommitte on Privacy, Technology and the Law, issued a statement on the reponses he received.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/tbOUdr_15zo/story01.htm

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Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source'

Google, according to reports from "a dozen executives working at key companies in the Android ecosystem" is finally locking down the open source and easily-fragmented Android operating system.

As it currently stands, Google hands over the 'final' code for each version of Android, and OEMs and developers then spend some time customizing the OS to fit their hardware, and to create a unique and marketable flavor. That's all set to change, however.

Over the last few months, according to several people familiar with the matter, Android licensees such as HTC, Motorola and Facebook, have been asked to sign 'non-fragmentation clauses.' This new contract caveat will give Google the right to review and pass judgment on all changes to the Android OS. Two executives at Facebook say that they're unhappy that Google gets to review its changes to Android -- which is understandable, given Facebook and Google are direct competitors -- and there have also been allegations that Google is preventing some Verizon devices from shipping because they include Microsoft's Bing instead of Google search.

Continue reading Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source'

Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source' originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/google-demands-veto-on-android-changes-stretches-definition-of/

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Is This DIY Sculpture the Best We Can Do With Levitating Magnets? [Science]

Back to the Future II came out in 1989, and by 2011 I assumed that hoverboards would be cheap and plentiful. But here we are 22 years later and this tiny floating magnet sculpture is the closest thing we've got. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/dZ06kkevtds/is-this-diy-sculpture-the-best-we-can-do-with-levitating-magnets

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Sprint: 26 million devices with Carrier IQ, but we only ping a fraction at one time

Sprint

Update: Sprint says it's no longer using Carrier IQ

Sprint, in its reponse to U.S. Sen. Al Franken over its use of the Carrier IQ software, goes into great detail about how and why it needs and uses such analytic data, reiterating that "The Carrier IQ diagnostic tool can help Sprint engineers understand the functionality (or not) of handset appliations when connecting with the network and steps that Sprint might take to improve services ..."

Sprint also told Franken that it has Carrier IQ installed on some 26 million devices, but that the Carrier IQ software doesn't actually collect any data until Sprint itself tells it to. In fact, says Sprint, only 1.3 million devices -- that's 5 percent of the 26 million total -- may be "tasked" to collect data at a given time. And, Sprint says, that number often is much lower -- 30,000 -- when responding to specific research requests.

Sprint didn't spell out exactly which of its devices use Carrier IQ -- which has been in service of the carrier since 2006 -- but we've already seen answers from HTC and Samsung. (Motorola's are forthcoming.) The phones listed thus far include:

  • Samsung: Moment, Epic 4G, Intercept, Transform, Galaxy Tab (original 7-inch), Galaxy Prevail, Replenish, Conquer 4G, Transform Ultra (Boost Mobile), Epic 4G Touch
  • HTC: Snap (Windows Mobile), Touch Pro 2 (Windows Mobile), Hero, EVO 4G, EVO Shift 4G, EVO 3D, EVO Design 4G

Sprint also told Franken that it does not share any of the data it receives with third parties, that it "is used internally for Sprint's own use, for analysis by Sprint employees and contractors to assist wtih device certification and functionality on its own network, for network maintenance and improvement." But, Sprint added, "In the course of certifying device funcationality, prior to selling phones to customers, Sprint does share and receive certain testing results with handset manufacturers." The emphasis there is ours. Anything it shares with the manufacturer comes before it's in your pocket. Sprint also indicated that it does nto share any Carrier IQ data with law enforcement.

Sprint also explained how long Carrier IQ data is stored. Carrier IQ itself stores some of the data on its services for "approximately 30-45 days." Sprint keeps some data on its own servers for 6 months or so, and stores aggregated reports from Carrier IQ for 12 months (varies depending on the analysis being conducted, Sprint says). 

Probably our favorite part of Sprint's repsonse, though, comes from a footnote in its introductary statement, wherein Sprint reminds us all that it already knows the cell site you're using, the people your calling and texting, and the websites you're visiting. It has to to be a carrier, and you're paying it to do so. Here's the full passage:

"Similarly, we know the cell site on which a phone is registering its location, which is necessary for the delivery of voice and data services. We also know the telephone numbers to which our customers initiated a call or sent a text. Such data is necessary to deliver communications services. In many cases the data collection is required by law and regulations."

More: Sprint's response (pdf)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/e29f7GYdE2Y/story01.htm

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Windows 8 getting a built-in PDF reader, Metro-style

For what seems like an eternity, Download Squad readers have reacted to news of security exploits targeting Adobe Reader with a common sentiment: why doesn't Microsoft build its own secure PDF reader into Windows? Apparently the Windows 8 team agrees, and they're working away at an application called Modern Reader which is exactly that.

From the handful of screenshots Paul Thurrott has shared, it's clear that Modern Reader has been built with Metro in mind. You can see the Reader back button in the top-left corner of the yellow image and the minimal page navigation bar on the right. We've posted some larger images we managed to scrape from Google's cache after the break.

Thurrott also mentions that Modern Reader is the first program spotted which is built using AppX -- a packaging technology that may allow developers to roll a single build to both Windows 8 desktops and Windows Phone 8 mobile devices.

Continue reading Windows 8 getting a built-in PDF reader, Metro-style

Windows 8 getting a built-in PDF reader, Metro-style originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/04/windows-8-getting-a-built-in-pdf-reader-finally/

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Kicksend Goes Mobile With A New iPhone App For Instant, Asynchronous Sharing Of Big Files

127344v9-max-250x250Last we covered Kicksend in November, the Y Combinator-incubated web file-sharing tool for the non-technical crowd, had just raised $1.8 million in funding from True Ventures, with participation from Digital Garage, SV Angel, Start Fund, and Milo Founder and CEO Jack Abraham. The team was heads-down fixing, tweaking, and developing some new features for their file-sharing service. But, today, the startup is going mobile with a new iPhone app to let users take all of their photos videos they have stored on their phone and instantly send them to any friend, list of colleagues, or email address, instantly -- across platforms.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/6u6_7TFSQnQ/

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Nintendo 3DS tour guides might make the Mona Lisa less underwhelming

Other than wine, cheese and overwhelming apathy, the Louvre stands alone as France's most prized national treasure. It's enormous, it's teeming with art, and it's really old. Starting in March, though, the museum will get an infusion of comparatively new technology, thanks to the Nintendo 3DS. As the AFP reports, Nintendo has agreed to provide the Louvre with some 5,000 pocket consoles, to be offered as digital tour guides for museum patrons. With these devices tucked securely inside their fanny packs, wandering tourists will be able to pinpoint their location within the museum, select themed itineraries, and listen to audio commentary available in seven different languages. The consoles will eventually replace the museum's more traditional audio guides, as part of a wider campaign to bring 21st century technology to the Louvre's 12th century confines. "We are the first museum in the world to do this," Agnes Alfandari, the Louvre's head of multimedia, told the AFP, adding that a slate of dedicated smartphone and tablet apps is also in the works.

[Image courtesy of TrendHunter]

Nintendo 3DS tour guides might make the Mona Lisa less underwhelming originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 08:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/16/nintendo-3ds-tour-guides-might-make-the-mona-lisa-less-underwhel/

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A Fond Farewell to Gizmodo Gallery: Virtual Tours, Pancake Records, and More [Video]

Wh-wh-who-whoa! What just happened? A couple of us at Giz just woke up from some Inception-like mind warp this week. Did we just overrun a Lower East Side gallery, fill it with the best, most coveted gear and exclusive exhibitions before clearing everything out, painting over the walls, and sweeping up mountains of broken glass, wire clippings, assorted lego pieces, and BLOOD? In just seven days? Madness. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/vVMQC5jCNj4/a-fond-farewell-to-gizmodo-gallery-virtual-tours-pancake-records-and-more

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Hacking the Google TV Box Without Rooting It, Part 3

Last month, I succumbed to a peculiar urge to go out to my local, friendly big-box consumer electronics retailer and drop almost a hundred dollars on a product that had been panned by the critics on launch, had a dubious life expectancy because of that, and had been almost universally rejected by the TV networks and their agents -- Hulu, for one.

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/73992.html

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