Posts tagged Blackberry
Have an Android, BlackBerry or Nokia phone? Everything you do on it is being logged.
David Kravets of Wired:
Though the software is installed on most modern Android, BlackBerry and Nokia phones, Carrier IQ was virtually unknown until 25-year-old Trevor Eckhart of Connecticut analyzed its workings, revealing that the software secretly chronicles a user’s phone experience — ostensibly so carriers and phone manufacturers can do quality control.
But now he’s released a video actually showing the logging of text messages, encrypted web searches and, well, you name it.
Wow. This is pretty crazy stuff. Nobody is going to like the thought of all their calls, emails, texts, et cetera all being logged and recorded.
For the sake of clarity, it’s worth stressing a few things:
1) The issue is confirmed in the US; it’s not yet know what the situation is here in the UK.
2) It isn’t Google (in the case of Android) behind this, it’s something added by phone carriers.
3) There are some traces of Carrier IQ software on iPhones but a) they don’t grab the same sensitive information and b) there is full opt out.
It is also worth emphasising that if this was something that was happening on Apple products, there would be WAY more coverage of the issue. When you think of the amount of coverage there was when a bug was tracking the location of WiFi towers near where you went with you iPhone, it says a lot about how the media loves stories that are down on Apple and don’t give balanced coverage of negatives with other companies.
UPDATE
John Gruber has been following the story closely and has a string of posts with links to further information that are worth looking at if you’re interested in this story:
Amazon tablet to launch this summer?
Amazon is said to be prepping a new tablet device that may launch as early as this summer.
Summer would be earlier than expected. Pleased to see Amazon not doing a Blackberry though with a meaningless running commentary on future products.
Blackberry Playbook review
Joshua Topolsky:
The OS is still buggy and somewhat touchy. Third-party apps are a desert right now, if not in number, then certainly in quality. The lack of native email and calendar support hurts. The worst part, however, is that I can’t think of a single reason to recommend this tablet over the iPad 2, or for that matter… the Xoom. And that’s what it really boils down to here; what is the compelling feature that will make buyers choose the PlayBook over something else? I don’t have that answer, but that’s not what’s troubling me — what troubles me is that I don’t think RIM has the answer either… and they should by now.
So we have another tablet released that you shouldn’t waste your money on.
Blackberry Playbook available on April 19th starting at $499
Boy Genius Report:
Well, we finally have a confirmed release date and price, ladies and gentlemen. RIM just announced that their first tablet will be available for purchase on April 19th and start at $499 for the 16GB version with the 32GB and 64GB models retailing for $599 and $699 respectively. The BlackBerry PlayBook is “scheduled” to be available on April 19th from all Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores in the U.S., and for our Canadian friends, at Best Buy and Future Shop stores up north. Preorders start around 8:00 a.m. this morning — let us know if you’ll be preordering one, picking one up on launch day, or skipping it altogether.
I have a sneaking suspicion that the Playbook will offer more competition for the Apple iPad than any of the Android offerings.
