by John on December 20, 2011
I’ve come across a lot of news and commentary the last few weeks regarding RIM. I think we can all agree they royally screwed up. BlackBerry, not too many years ago was it. It seemed like 5 years ago, for a smartphone you could have a Windows phone or a BlackBerry.
It was a market that RIM seemed to dominate. But there was trouble on the horizon, and just as Palm did. RIM did too. They failed to adapt to the changing technology. Smartphones were about to make a big shift. Put plainly, the mobile OS were just not ready for the technological changes on the horizon. Apple and Android were basically starting from scratch and had the big advantage.
Maybe RIM can turn the ship around, and recapture a portion of what they have lost. But, it’s looking like an impossible task more and more.
by John on December 20, 2011
There’s just a little over seven days left to order the latest Humble Indie Bundle of games.
Seven epic games. We’re ready to drop seven new cross-platform, DRM-free games down your digital chimney. Bandage your fingertips and prepare your mind for the challenges of Super Meat Boy, Shank, Jamestown, Bit.Trip Runner, and NightSky. If you pay more than the average price, you’ll also get two massive, well-loved indie favorites: Cave Story+ and Gratuitous Space Battles.
This is a great chance to help out indie developers and support charity. In return you get some great DRM-free games to enjoy over the holiday.
by John on December 13, 2011
Just when you thought things were dying down with the Carrier IQ ruckus.
FBI: Carrier IQ files used for “law enforcement purposes”
A recent FOIA request to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for “manuals, documents or other written guidance used to access or analyze data gathered by programs developed or deployed by Carrier IQ” was met with a telling denial. In it, the FBI stated it did have responsive documents – but they were exempt under a provision that covers materials that, if disclosed, might reasonably interfere with an ongoing investigation.
It’s unclear exactly what the FBI is trying to do.
What is still unclear is whether the FBI used Carrier IQ’s software in its own investigations, whether it is currently investigating Carrier IQ, or whether it is some combination of both – not unlikely given the recent uproar over the practice coupled with the U.S. intelligence communities reliance on third-party vendors. The response would seem to indicate at least the former, since the request was specifically for documents related directly to accessing and analyzing Carrier IQ data.
Here is a great article that sheds more light on exactly what’s going on with Carrier IQ.
by John on December 12, 2011
Bookmarks for December 6th through December 12th:
by John on December 6, 2011
The Kindle Fire
landed in my home about two weeks ago.
Since then I’ve been able to spend several hours on the device. I’ve let a 7 year old and a 4 year old use it. 
I am not going to recommend or not recommend the device. It really comes down to your needs and expectations of such a device. For me personally it does have some pros and cons. I’ll go ahead and get them out of the way.
Things I like about the Kindle Fire
- Deep Amazon integration
- Size and weight
- Price point
- Ease of use
Things I Dislike about the Kindle Fire
- Weight
- Location of On/Off switch
- Seems laggy at times
- Too easy to purchase media
- Not really a good reading device
Some of that seems redundant I realize. How can weight be a plus and minus? When I first took the device out of the box, I noticed its weight right away. It felt sturdy and tough. The device is small enough that it’s easy for me to hold it with one hand. It doesn’t take long for the weight of the device to become apparent when holding it with one hand. My biggest gripe with the device at this moment is the ease with which purchases can be made. With two kids in the house it becomes even more bothersome. At times the interface can seem to lag a little but nothing horrible.
The device has been put through the paces at my house. Books have been read on it, movies have been watched on Amazon Prime and Netflix, the Pandora app gets a lot of use, and the web browser has been put through its paces too.
For myself and my family this device is a good fit and serves nicely as a second tablet. I tried hard not to compare it to the iPad, as an iPad competitor I believe it fails miserably. But as a second tablet for consuming media and at $200 it’s a no brainer for me.
by John on December 6, 2011
Bookmarks for December 6th:
- Kindle Fire Usability Findings (Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox) – Mobile web sites work best on the 7-inch tablet. Users had great trouble touching the correct items on full sites, where UI elements are too small on the Fire screen.
- Integrating Amazon S3 With WordPress -
- CarrierIQ: The Real Story – Since the beginning of the media frenzy over CarrierIQ, I have repeatedly stated that based on my knowledge of the software, claims that keystrokes, SMS bodies, email bodies, and other data of this nature are being collected are erroneous. I have also stated that to satisfy users, it’s important that there be increased visibility into what data is actually being collected on these devices. This post represents my findings on how CarrierIQ works, and what data it is capable of collecting.
by John on December 5, 2011
There have been a lot of questions lately about whether or not Carrier IQ is installed on BlackBerry devices.
Unless your BlackBerry is on T-Mobile you are safe.
[click to continue…]
by John on December 2, 2011
by John on December 1, 2011
Links of interest for November 30th through December 1st:
by John on December 1, 2011
By now you have most likely heard about Carrier IQ. Carrier IQ is a basically a root kit installed on your phone that has the potential to track everything you do. Carrier IQ recently put up a media alert, you can read it here (PDF).
According to LifeHacker:
Last week, 25-year old Eckhart discovered a hidden application on some mobile phones that had the ability to log anything and everything on your device—from location to web searches to the content of your text messages. The program is called Carrier IQ, and unlike the Android malware that’s been causing such a stir, it actually comes preinstalled by the manufacturer of your phone. In fact, you can find it on a bunch of different devices, including Android, Nokia, and BlackBerry phones. It’s what’s known as a rootkit—a program with massive amounts of privileges that hides its presence from the user. It was originally designed to log things like dropped calls and bad data connections for troubleshooting purposes, but manufacturers like HTC and Samsung have modified it to run in the background, completely undetectable, with no option to opt out of its “services”. At best, it slows down your phone, and at worst, anyone on the other end of the application could, in theory, read your text messages, see what you search on the web, and much more.
Removing Carrier IQ?
Removing Carrier IQ is tough. 
It will require installing a custom ROM on your phone. You can remove it on your Android phone by downloading the Logging Test app and then going and purchasing the licensed pro version.
For More Information
Trevor Eckhart Part 1 and Part 2.
RIM RIP?
by John on December 20, 2011
I’ve come across a lot of news and commentary the last few weeks regarding RIM. I think we can all agree they royally screwed up. BlackBerry, not too many years ago was it. It seemed like 5 years ago, for a smartphone you could have a Windows phone or a BlackBerry.
Maybe RIM can turn the ship around, and recapture a portion of what they have lost. But, it’s looking like an impossible task more and more.
{ 0 comments }