New Revelations About Carrier IQ
In late November, mobile
developer Trevor Eckhart released a YouTube video that proved hidden
Carrier IQ software was intentionally logging keytaps on his HTC EVO
handset. Carrier IQ software was revealed to be installed on millions of
mobile devices from multiple carriers and manufacturers, which sparked
intense speculation regarding exactly whose data, and how much, was at
risk. The Carrier IQ scandal is still ongoing, but there have been some
significant developments recently.
New Developments Regarding Carrier IQ, and Google’s Speedy Ice Cream Sandwich Update
December 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Uncle Sam’s New Focus on "Socialytics," Verizon Reaches A 4G Milestone, and Angry Birds Theme Parks
December 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment
2011: The Year Mobile Took Over the World
Check out this awesome video from MobileFuture.
It recaps the the major trends in the mobile sector over the past year
and features some predictions about what's coming. Some highlights from
the video: 1 billion apps are downloaded globally each month, and US
mobile data demand is predicted to rise a whopping 1,800% in the next
four years. Short, smart, worth watching.
US Government to Increase Emphasis on Connecting With Citizens Via Social Media
2011
has seen the emergence of mobile as a tech industry powerhouse, and
social media has played a huge role in this growth. According to a
report from IDC Government Insights (an IT consulting firm for the US
government), 2012 will feature a much greater focus on connecting the government to the American people,
including the mobilization (no pun intended) of social media analytics,
or "socialytics," as a way to help civilian governments improve
quality-of-life issues such as human services and economic growth.
Galaxy Nexus Finally Hits Verizon Stores
The wait is
finally over. Samsung's Galaxy Nexus, the flagship phone for Android 4.0
"Ice Cream Sandwich," is finally available from Verizon in the US. It
comes in at a pricey $299 with a contract update, but seeing as this
phone is the hottest Android device currently on the market, that may
just be worth it. Check out this report from Gigaom, which features a video detailing all the specs for the Galaxy Nexus and the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade.
Verizon’s Blocks Google Wallet, Releases New Devices, While Samsung Wins a Legal Victory over Apple, and More
December 6, 2011 by
Verizon To Release New Tablets, Smartphones in Time for Holiday Season
Verizon
is slated to release several new devices in the upcoming weeks,
including hotly anticipated smartphones and tablets from Samsung and
Motorola.
- Motorola's Droid 4 is set to be released on December 8. It is the latest in the popular line of Motorola Droid smartphones, following on the heels of the Droid RAZR. The Droid 4 comes equipped with 4G LTE capabilities as well as a sliding full-QWERTY keyboard.
- Samsung's Galaxy Nexus, which includes an NFC chip, is coming on December 9. The device has been one of the most sought-after releases of the season, after the phenomenal success of earlier Samsung devices like the Galaxy S II.
- Motorola's new 4G LTE tablet, the XYboard, will be released in Verizon stores sometime later this month. As the MobileDose team reported in November, the tablet has already been released in Europe as the Xoom 2. It is available as an 8.2 inch and a 10.1 inch tablet.
Samsung Wins Big Over Apple in Patent War
Last week a California judge denied Apple's request for a preliminary injunction against Samsung, which means that the Korean company will continue to be allowed to sell 3 of its popular Galaxy smartphones in the US. A similar legal victory is expected in a lawsuit Apple has brought against Samsung in France, and the handset maker has now announced that it has secured $200 million in funding for its legal battles against Apple (although the source doesn't mention from where). These victories are both only for preliminary injunctions, and the two companies are currently involved in over 20 legal disputes in 10 countries, so Samsung still has a long way to go before its out of the legal woods.
Security Concerns, eBook Growth, and the Future of Mobile Gaming
December 1, 2011 by
Serious Security Concerns Raised for Smartphones
- Researchers from the North Carolina State University have uncovered vulnerabilities in the standard configurations of popular smartphone models from Samsung, HTC, and Motorola, finding that they didn't "properly protect privileged permissions from untrusted applications." The findings outline how an untrusted application could exploit these vulnerabilities to send SMS messages, record phone conversations, and even wipe all user data without a user's permission.
- Yesterday, the MobileDose team reported on the Carrier IQ keylogger story, which alleges that up to 140 million smartphones have secret keylogging software installed on them, possibly one of the largest ever violations of US wiretapping law. Here is a Forbes.com article that addresses the legal ramifications of the allegations against Carrier IQ.
- Following in the wake of the initial Carrier IQ story, it has been discovered that Carrier IQ may also be compromising millions of iOS devices. It seems that Apple devices are not as vulnerable as Android devices have been found to be, but this newest finding is certain to add to the growing furor caused by the Carrier IQ security breach.
eBooks Still Going Strong, Expected to Reach $10 Billion by 2016
Amazon has added almost 40,000 new Spanish and Italian language eBooks to its Kindle Store, bringing the total number of eBooks available from the online book seller to almost 1 million and counting. Also, Juniper.com released a report today that projects the growth of eBook sales, driven by steady growth in the eReader market, to reach $10 billion in revenue by 2016.
Nokia slips from 1 to 3 in smartphone sales
July 29, 2011 by Leave a Comment
It’s no surprise that there is a lot of summer ice in Finland this year – and Nokia continues to slide. The slide itself, is not unexpected and is most likely already priced into the stock, but concerns of the duration and the depth continue to rise. [Read more...]