Category: Technology

FTC warns app developers against using audio monitoring software

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has sent warning letters to 12 smartphone app developers for allegedly compromising users’ privacy by packaging audio monitoring software into their products.

The software, from an Indian company called SilverPush, allows apps to use the smartphone’s microphone to listen to nearby television audio in an effort to deliver more targeted advertisements. SilverPush allows the apps to surreptitiously monitor the television viewing habits of people who downloaded apps with the software included, the FTC said Thursday.

“This functionality is designed to run silently in the background, even while the user is not actively using the application,” the agency said in its letter to the app developers. “Using this technology, SilverPush could generate a detailed log of the television content viewed while a user’s mobile phone was turned on.”

If the app developers state or imply that their apps do not collect or transmit television viewing data when they actually do, that may be a violation of the section of the FTC Act barring deceptive and unfair business practices, the agency said.

The 12 developers appear to have included SilverPush code in apps available in the Google Play store, the FTC said.

SilverPush has said its service isn’t now operating in the U.S., but it encourages app developers that package its software to notify customers about its ability to monitor TV habits should the company move into the U.S. market, the FTC said. SilverPush representatives weren’t immediately available for comment on the FTC’s letter.

“These apps were capable of listening in the background and collecting information about consumers without notifying them,” Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. “Companies should tell people what information is collected, how it is collected, and who it’s shared with.”

Some app developers ask for permission to use a smartphone’s microphone, even tough the apps do not appear to have a need for that functionality, the FTC said. The apps apparently packaging SilverPush don’t provide users’ notice that they could monitor TV viewing habits, even if the app is not in use, the agency said.

The Center for Democracy and Technology, a digital rights and privacy group, raised concerns about SilverPush during an October FTC workshop on cross-device tracking.

via : InfoWorld Mobile

July 10, 2016
Finally, some Windows 8.1 phones are getting Windows 10 Mobile

With minimal fanfare, Microsoft began rolling out Windows 10 Mobile as a free upgrade for older phones on Thursday, fulfilling a promise the company began making more than a year ago.

The company’s original promise was that “broad availability of Windows 10 on other devices, including mobile phones, would begin rolling out in December” 2015 — and it’s now mid-March.

However, not every Lumia or third-party Windows phone will be eligible for the upgrade from Windows Phone 8.1 to Windows 10 Mobile. There are 18 smartphones on the list of supported phones, including the Nokia/Microsoft Lumia 1520, 930, 640, 640XL, 730, 735, 830, 532, 535, 540, 635 1GB, 636 1GB, 638 1GB, 430, and 435. Also getting the upgrade are the Blu Win HD w510u, Blu Win HD LTE x150q, and MCJ Madosma Q501 smartphones.

Last summer, Microsoft published a list of 10 Lumia phones that would be eligible for upgrades, all of which made the final cut.

Noteworthy omissions include the beloved Lumia 1020 as well as the HTC One M8, Microsoft’s failed attempt at convincing third-party hardware makers to sell their own smartphones powered by Windows Phone.

[Updated 3/21/16] Also missing from the Windows 10 Mobile support list are the Lumia 920 and 925, smartphones that, like the 1020, ran the Windows 10 Mobile betas. Microsoft said users experienced too many bugs for those models to make the final Windows Mobile 10 cut.

[Updated 3/21/16] Microsoft also said it doesn’t expect to make Windows 10 Mobile available for other Windows 8.1 smartphones, even those with sufficient memory and processing speed, with the possible exception of the Lumia Icon. Microsoft said that any Windows 8.1 smartphone with less than 1GB of memory would definitely not get Windows 10 Mobile.

“As Windows 10 delivers significant new innovations, many older devices are not able to successfully upgrade without an impact on the customer experience,” Michael Fortin, the corporate vice president responsible for Windows and Devices Group core quality, wrote in a blog post. “Our goal is to only offer the Windows 10 upgrade to devices that we are confident can continue to deliver a good customer experience.”

Users can manually request the update from their Windows 8.1 smartphone by downloading the Upgrade Advisor app from the Microsoft Store.

This story, “Finally, some Windows 8.1 phones are getting Windows 10 Mobile” was originally published by PCWorld.

via : InfoWorld Mobile

July 10, 2016
5G follies: The network that doesn't exist

You’re forgiven if you think you need to prepare fifth-generation (5G) cellular networks, which have been getting increasing buzz, fed mostly by the carriers and the equipment makers who sell to them. They’re dangling promises of cellular networks that match gigabit Ethernet wired networks — wherever you may be.

Too bad 5G is a fiction. It doesn’t actually exist — there’s not even a standard for 5G technology, much less anything real. Maybe in a decade there’ll be something actually called 5G that you will be able to make decisions around — but not for years. Don’t waste your time.

Carriers are notorious for making network promises a decade or more before they deliver them. Partly, that deflects from the poor state of many carrier deployments. Partly, that’s the usual tech market interest on new and shiny baubles.

But given the huge infrastructure changes that must be made for a network technology like cellular to get deployed (and all the cell towers that must be installed in communities that don’t want them), the gap between promise and delivery in mobile telecom is like the gap between earth and Mars. No matter the claims, you won’t get there for years.

Remember the 3G was promised in the late 1990s but didn’t get wide deployment until 2008. Similarly, 4G was promised in the late 2000s, and we still don’t have it — what we call 4G (LTE) is a pre-4G technology that the standards committee finally grandfathered because of the slow progress in deploying true 4G (now known as LTE-Advanced). LTE-Advanced today is in a few trial network deployments, but in no equipment you actually use.

In the case of 5G, there’s not even a “there” yet. A variety of vendors and industry groups have been proposing ideas for 5G networks for several years, but there is no agreement on what 5G is. That means there are no technical standards and, thus, nothing to build.

Some groups want 5G to be the cellular equivalent of 10-gig Ethernet, a cellular network that is indistinguishable from a wired or even Wi-Fi network when it comes to video streaming, downloads, and futuristic uses like virtual reality.

Some groups want 5G to be a mesh network for machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, in what is now labeled the Internet of things. These folks say broadband for computerlike clients isn’t the most compelling need, instead arguing for a ubiquitous network for all sorts of devices to interact autonomously.

Some groups say that efficiency should be the goal of 5G, to squeeze more out of the wireless spectrum that is available now. They also argue that speed-oriented 5G proposals are unworkable because the wide-spectrum swaths aren’t available to deliver them. But some 5G-for-speed proposals focus not on more bandwidth but denser networks, which means more cell towers and access points must be installed everywhere.

These are knotty issues to resolve, especially because their goals differ. It’ll take years to work out the goals and years more to work out the technology. Did I say 5G is a decade out? I bet it’ll won’t actually happen until the 2030s. Maybe we’ll get a standard in the 2020s.

In the meantime, it’s fine to dream about 5G possibilities. But if someone tells you to start planning for 5G, show them the door. There’s nothing to plan for, and there’s plenty of other useful work to be done in the meantime.

via : InfoWorld Mobile

July 10, 2016
How To Clean Your Android Phone

Do you have any idea how gross your phone is? Back in 2011, it was discovered that 92 percent of phones have residual bacteria living on them. It sounds frightening, but it’s reality. And frankly, I’m embarrassed to admit that my phone is usually covered in nasty finger grease.

So, I set out find a way to keep my phone clean and pristine—or as much as I could, anyway. Here’s a few tips on how to clean your smartphone when it starts looking a little grimy.

Make a habit of wiping it down

This is such an obvious thing to do but it bears repeating: you should wipe down your phone as often as you can. I love the individually wrapped pre-moistened anti-bacterial wipes that I can carry around in my purse, though any lens wiping solution will do.

If you don’t like to carry a bunch of stuff on you, you can always make your own screen cleaning solution from scratch. All you need is a small misting spray bottle, 8 ounces rubbing alcohol, and 8 ounces of distilled water.

Now, you want to make sure that it’s distilled water. Unpurified waters, like tap water, can leave behind a residue on your display.

Alternatively—and, more organically—a trick I learned from my Orthodontist is to use a 50-50 mixture of white vinegar and distilled water. I use it to clean my retainers, and I dab a bit on a microfiber cloth to clean around the edges of my phone.

2. Bust out the Q-tips and toothpicks

I used to think this was really weird, but it makes sense: my Dad taught me to take a toothpick and run through the cracks and crevices on your smartphone. It’s disgusting what you’ll unearth, but it gets the job done. When you’re finished, you’ll want to run over those spots with a dry cotton swab, or even dip that into rubbing alcohol to sanitize in between the lines.

3. Consider investing in a UV sanitizer

If you’re really a germaphobe and you want to go the extra mile, you can invest in an device that kills off germs with a UV light like the easycare® Portable Multiuse UV Sterilizer (http://www.amazon.com/Easycare%C2%AE-Sterilizer-Smartphone-Sanitizer-House/dp/B00XJGQRQ8/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_sims?ie=UTF8).

You place your phone inside this little contraption and it kills the germs with light. Neat!

4. Don’t forget your headphones

If you’re planning on buying a UV blaster like the one I just mentioned, you can simply drop your earbuds in and take care of business that way. If not, you can wipe each bud down with a soft cloth dampened with a bit of dish soap and water.

Headphones are a bit trickier, but you’ll want to use the same mild dish soap and water solution to wipe them down in their entirety. If the headphones include silicon covers, you can remove those and clean them separately with a toothbrush. Anything more serious, and you’ll want to dip a cotton swap in rubbing alcohol and give it a thorough once-over. Then allow the headphones to dry completely before using them again.

via : InfoWorld Mobile

July 10, 2016
Valentine’s Day Gift Idea: Amazon Has Discounted Devices Through Feb 13
The definition of “last minute shopping” has changed. Thanks to services like Amazon Prime, you can order a gift with as little as 2 days notice with no financial or marital consequence whatsoever. (wink wink: 30-day Prime trial located here)

Amazon has discounted several devices and device bundles through February 13th, hoping to create an attractive option for all of you last-minute shopping fans.

[If you’re new to e-readers, take a minute to read: How to Choose the Right Amazon e-reader]
- Amazon’s Kindle Essentials Bundle includes a Kindle 6″ E-Reader, Amazon Protective Cover and Power Adapter, as well as additional special offers listed on their site: List Price: $129.97 $94.97 (-35%)
- The best-seller 8 GB Fire with 7″ Display and Wi-Fi is currently discounted by 20%, with additional Special Offers: List Price: $49.99 $39.99 (-20%)
- The Fire HD 10 Productivity Bundle is discounted, and gives you an edge over buying each item separately. It includes a Fire HD 10, 10.1″ HD Display, Wi-Fi, 16 GB, Amazon Keyboard Case, Amazon Stylus and Screen Protector. List Price: $359.96 $279.96
- Kindle Paperwhite, the e-reader that reads like a book, even in sunlight, sports a 6″ High-Resolution Display (300 ppi) with Built-in Light and Wi-Fi. List Price: $119.99 $99.99 (-17%)
If you’ve completely run out of time, try Amazon Prime as your gift this year (hint: no shipping time required). It’s not currently discounted — but a year of free 2-day shipping, music and streaming movies (compliments of you, big spender) should hit the spot this Valentine’s Day. And if you live under the same roof, you’ll be able to use it too. It’s probably best if you don’t mention that part until later, though.

This story, “Valentine’s Day Gift Idea: Amazon Has Discounted Devices Through Feb 13” was originally published by ITworld.

via : InfoWorld Mobile
February 10, 2016