Privacy flaw in Skype Android app exposed

Privacy flaw in Skype Android app exposed... The Contacts table holds similar information, but on friends, family and anyone else in your contact list (that is, more than Skype exposes on other users publicly). Moving further along, looking into the Chats table, we can see your instant messages – and that's just the tip of it. Scary

Skype "working to protect you" from vulnerability.

Skype has acknowledged a dangerous flaw in its Android app which leaves the private data of its users open to be exploided by malicious apps.

While the app itself hasn't been giving the data up to snoopers, the design of the app leaves a database file unencrypted, leaving things like your username and password, email address, address and phone number exposed.

If a user has a malicious app installed on their Android phone then those details can be pilfered and sent back to the shady individual in question.

In a brief blog post, Skype has said it is "working to protect you from this vulnerability."

The flaw was discovered by the super sleuths at AndroidPolice.com who posted the following information :

"The most interesting file one can gain access to is main.db. The accounts table in this database holds information such as account balance, full name, date of birth, city/state/country, home phone, office phones, cell phone, email addresses, your webpage, your bio, and more.

"The Contacts table holds similar information, but on friends, family and anyone else in your contact list (that is, more than Skype exposes on other users publicly). Moving further along, looking into the Chats table, we can see your instant messages – and that's just the tip of it. Scary.

"This means that a rogue developer could modify an existing application…, distribute that application on the Market, and just watch as all that private user information pours in. While the exploit can't steal your credit card info, the data it's harvesting is still clearly very private (chat logs linked back to your real name, address, and phone number)." 

Privacy flaw in Skype Android app exposed

White iPhone in stores by end of April

White iPhone in stores by end of April... With recent reports suggesting that the launch of the next-generation iPhone may be some way off, the release of a white iPhone may be enough to keep the popular product in the headlines, boosting sales at the same time

When we tell you that the long-awaited white iPhone will be in stores by the end of April, you may well ask, Yeah, but April what year?

A report from Bloomberg Businessweek says that according to three unnamed sources who are apparently familiar with Apple’s plans, the white iPhone will be lining up alongside its black counterpart by the end of this month – that’s within the next sixteen days.

AT&T and Verizon Wireless will be distributing the phones to patient customers who for the last 10 months have been hanging on and hanging on (possibly clinging on by this stage).

When Steve Jobs proudly announced the coming of the white iPhone last year, few expected to have to wait this long to see it in stores. Due to a number of manufacturing issues, which included paint peeling when the product became hot, the launch was delayed. It seems that now, however, these problems have been overcome.

With recent reports suggesting that the launch of the next-generation iPhone may be some way off, the release of a white iPhone may be enough to keep the popular product in the headlines, boosting sales at the same time.

But will the addition of merely a new color be enough for Apple to maintain the edge in an increasingly crowded smartphone market? Only time will tell.

And for anyone still doubting the coming of the white iPhone, further evidence pointing to an April launch came in the form of a tweet from Apple’s senior vice president of marketing, Phil Schiller. The March 14 message reads: The white iPhone will be available this spring (and it is a beauty!).

For those keen to get their mitts on a white iPhone, things are looking up – Phil even says which spring. 

 

White iPhone in stores by end of April

iPhone Putih Siap Diluncurkan

iPhone putih akan tersedia di IT&T Inc dan Verizon Communications Inc pada akhir April ini. Dan sebetulnya CEO Apple Steve Jobs pun pernah akan meluncurkan iPhone putih pada saat peluncuran iPhone 4, Juni tahun lalu. Namun peluncuran itu ditunda karena ada masalah dengan perusahaan manufaktur... 

Dua perusahaan Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd (Hong Kong) dan Taiwan Foxconn Technology Group  dikabarkan telah mendapat izin merakit iPhone putih.

Kedua perusahaan itu tutup mulut perihal rencana memproduksi iPhone putih. Demikian juga Apple tidak bersedia memberikan keterangan rinci. Namun sebulan lalu Vice Presiden Marketing Senior Phil Schiller melalui posting di Twitter Maret lalu, menyebutkan bahwa iPhone berwarna putih akan tersedia dalam waktu dekat atau musim semi tahun ini.

Bloomberg melaporkan iPhone putih akan tersedia di IT&T Inc dan Verizon Communications Inc pada akhir April ini. Dan sebetulnya CEO Apple Steve Jobs pun pernah akan meluncurkan iPhone putih pada saat peluncuran iPhone 4, Juni tahun lalu. Namun peluncuran itu ditunda karena ada masalah dengan perusahaan manufaktur.

Banyak operator telelekomunikasi telah bersemangat menjual iPhone putih ini. Tahun lalu pun China Mobile Ltd, operator seluler terbesar di dunia, telah membicarakan dengan Apple, untuk mendapatkan hak distribusi bagi handset.

Lebih dari 16 juta iPhone terjual pada kuartal terakhir 2010. Dan terhitung lebih dari sepertiga dari penjualan Apple di tiga bulan.

 

iPhone Putih Siap Diluncurkan

Intel Launches Chip For Tablet Computers

Intel launches chip for tablet computers... As for smartphones, Intel says a processor for that market is scheduled for release later this year. Intel, based in Santa Clara, Calif., has not announced specifications for those chips

Intel Corp. has launched a new chip for tablet computers, as the world's most powerful semiconductor company aims to become a contender in the market for mobile chips.

Intel's chips are in 80 percent of laptops and desktop PCs, but it's had less success getting its chips into smaller devices such as cellphones and tablets. Known for pushing the processing speeds of its chips to the limit, energy efficiency has now become critical for Intel as gadgets and their batteries get smaller, testing the limits of engineering in a different way. And with more consumers starting to opt to buy tablets instead of upgrading their PCs, Intel is looking to diversify its revenue sources.

Intel's chips have been maligned as too power-hungry for the smallest of mobile devices, a criticism Intel is hoping its new chips address. Intel is trying to elbow in to a mobile market dominated by lower-power processors from companies such as Qualcomm Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. Apple Inc. designs its own chip for the iPad.

Intel also faces a challenge in that mobile chips are generally built around a different chip design, from a company called ARM Holdings Inc., than the so-called x86 design that Intel uses. Intel said Monday that more than 35 tablet and "hybrid" computers are being built on its newest chip, which is part of the Atom family of chips.

As for smartphones, Intel says a processor for that market is scheduled for release later this year. Intel, based in Santa Clara, Calif., has not announced specifications for those chips.

Intel has a history of dabbling in, and retreating from, the wireless business, so the company's success in this market is not a foregone conclusion.

It sold its mobile-chip business in 2006, then last year bought the wireless-chip division of Germany's Infineon Technologies AG for $1.4 billion. With that deal, Intel bought its way back in to a booming market, but only got a bit player. The Infineon division, while notching some high-profile wins such as Apple's iPhone, only owned about 5 percent of the total market for processors and other communications chips for mobile phones, according to Gartner Inc.

Analysts are split about Intel's prospects. Some say Intel is too late to the game to score any major market share. Others caution that Intel, with $11.7 billion in net income last year on $43.6 billion in revenue, has plenty of money to pour into making its mobile division a winner.

 Intel launches chip for tablet computers

Microsoft : not to jailbreak Windows Phone 7

Microsoft asks users not to jailbreak Windows Phone 7... Unofficial updates are not supported by Microsoft, which says that “you might not be getting the important device-specific software we would typically deliver in the official update...

Microsoft asks users not to jailbreak Windows Phone 7.. Users have been jailbreaking their Windows Phone 7 devices to get quick access to an official update Microsoft has used its Windows Phone 7 update blog to ask users not to jailbreak their handsets so that they can upgrade to a new operating system that includes copy and paste.

Eric Hautala, General Manager of Customer Experience Engineering, writes that the firm is “not going to be happy until everyone gets their update”. He says, however, that although “we’ve started delivering the March “copy and paste” update to customers of O2 and SFR in Europe…I’ve noticed that some of you are turning to homebrew solutions to update your phone immediately.”

Jailbreaking is the practice of giving an individual user more control over their phone than the manufacturers of the hardware or software intended.

Hautala says that “As an engineer and a gadget lover, I totally understand the impulse to tinker. You want the latest technology and you’re tired of waiting. Believe me, I get it. But my strong advice is: wait.”

Unofficial updates are not supported by Microsoft, which says that “you might not be getting the important device-specific software we would typically deliver in the official update. Or your phone might get misconfigured and not receive future updates. It’s even possible your phone might stop working properly.”

Hautala continues, “Bottom line: unsupported workarounds put you in uncharted territory that may void your phone warranty.”

Users, however, have been keen to point out that they’re only jailbreaking phones because Microsoft has been slow to roll-out the update. Google Android and Apple’s iOS rival operating systems both already offer copy and paste, among other features.

Microsoft asks users not to jailbreak Windows Phone 7

BlackBerry Produksi Ponsel Layar Sentuh

 

BlackBerry Produksi Ponsel Layar Sentuh... Sebagai produk layar sentuh pertama, BlackBerry menyediakan tampilan beresolusi tinggi yakni 480X800. RIM merencanakan peluncurkan produk BlackBerry Touch ini pada awal Mei

Sebuah bocoran video yang bersumber dari Research In Motion (RIM) memunculkan gambar model terbaru BlackBerry Touch 6.1, yang dijuluki Monaco.

RIM membenarkan bahwa akan segera meluncurkan produk terbarunya BlackBerry Touch Monaco versi CDMA, dengan layar lebih tinggi. Adapun spesifikasi dari produk tersebut, menunjukkan perangkat lunak mirip dengan BlackBerry Bold Touch.

Terdapat keyboard dengan sistem layar sentuh, dan kemampuan multi rouch untuk memperbesar, baik di web maupun foto. Dalam perangkat baru ini dilengkapi dengan prosesor 1.2GHz, dan grafis 3D. RIM juga menyediakan pembayaran nirkabel jarak pendek NFC.

Sebagai produk layar sentuh pertama, BlackBerry menyediakan tampilan beresolusi tinggi yakni 480X800. RIM merencanakan peluncurkan produk BlackBerry Touch ini pada awal Mei. 

BlackBerry Produksi Ponsel Layar Sentuh

 

iPhone Bantu Pasien Stroke Berbicara

Aplikasi gratis ini menggunakan suara ucapan alami laki-laki atau perempuan beraksen Amerika atau Inggris. Terdapat ekspresi non verbal seperti tertawa, agar pengguna bisa dengan cepat mengatakan dalam frase umum

Orang yang telah kehilangan kemampuan berbicara akibat serangan stroke, bisa berkomunikasi dengan MyVoice lewat iPhone.

Hasil riset ini dilakukan sekelompok mahasiswa Universitas Toronto, untuk membantu kelainan berbicara akibat stroke, autisme, dan cidera kepala. Merkea membawa aplikasi iOS pada iPhone untuk diujicobakan kepada pasien yang menderita tiga penyakit itu. Hasilnya, para pasien ini bisa bersosialisasi tanpa jeda. 

Aplikasi gratis ini menggunakan suara ucapan alami laki-laki atau perempuan beraksen Amerika atau Inggris. Terdapat ekspresi non verbal seperti tertawa, agar pengguna bisa dengan cepat mengatakan dalam frase umum. Contohnya, dimana kamar kecil? atau cuaca hari ini baik.

Pengguna atau kerabatnya berwenang menggunakan situs sederhana, untuk menginput dan menyimpan nama keluarga dan teman-teman. Istilah dan jargon yang sering digunakan untuk berkomunikasi, serta frase khusus untuk lingkungan atau situasi umum.

Sebagai contoh para pasien bisa memasukkan nama dokter keluarga dan alamat kantor dokter. MyVoice tersedia gratis di toko aplikasi iTunes selama enam bulan. Selanjutnya akan dikenakan harga US$30 per bulan.

Diharapkan minggu depan, aplikasi MyVoice sudah tersedia untuk perangkat Android.

 

iPhone Bantu Pasien Stroke Berbicara

Sony adding music to PSP video game gadgets

Sony adding music to PSP videogame gadgets... Sony charges a $3.99 monthly subscription fee for basic Music Unlimited service, which offers commercial free listening.

Sony revealed that it was adding a streaming music service to PlayStation Portable handheld gaming gadgets next week.

A Music Unlimited service powered by Qriocity will let PSP users with PlayStation Network accounts tap into a library of millions of songs stored on computers in the Internet "cloud" beginning April 14, according to Sony.

PSP devices will need to be connected wirelessly to the Internet at "hotspots" to access tunes, according to the Japanese consumer electronics titan.

The service already streams music to personal computers and an array of Sony devices including newer model Bravia televisions, Blu-ray disk players and PlayStation 3 videogame consoles.

"PSP owners can also enjoy a common and synchronized music experience on their PS3 systems as well as PCs and other network-enabled Sony devices without the need to manage or transfer music files," Sony said in a release.

Sony charges a $3.99 monthly subscription fee for basic Music Unlimited service, which offers commercial free listening.

Sony adding music to PSP videogame gadgets

 

Apple iOS 4.3.2 to launch within two weeks

Apple iOS 4.3.2 to launch within two weeks.. Apple’s hugely popular range of portable devices run the company’s propriety iOS operating system with the full array of iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch products set to benefit from any upcoming patch.

Bug fix and security patch expected in iOS 4.3.2.

Following hot on the heels of the latest software update, Apple is to launch iOS version 4.3.2 within the next two weeks, new reports suggest.

With claimed insider sources at Apple confirming the existence and imminent release of iOS 4.3.2 the operating system update is expected to touch down by the end of the month in order to address a number of bugs and security flaws within the current offering.

Whilst it remains unclear exactly what bugs and security issues the mooted iOS release will attend, many iPhone users will no doubt be hoping for a correction to the device’s alarm bug that reared its head once again recently when British clocks moved to BST causing preset alarms to fail to activate.

Apple’s hugely popular range of portable devices run the company’s propriety iOS operating system with the full array of iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch products set to benefit from any upcoming patch.

Apple iOS 4.3.2 to launch within two weeks

Root Android App Shows Coverage Maps

Root Android App Shows Coverage Maps. However, now that tens of thousands of iPhone users have the app, that's changed. "Ironically, the most common request on the iPhone app is 'can you enable persistent data collection,'" he said. Users want to be able to turn on data collection for a specific period, for example, during their commute

Root Metrics on Wednesday will start offering an Android app that lets users compare coverage of the various mobile operators and contribute to Root's network measurement service. "

Root collects data about wireless network performance, sharing some with consumers and selling more detailed reports to operators. It collects the data in two ways, including hiring people who drive around cities in cars equipped with phones from all the large carriers running Root's data collection software. 

In addition, Root lets iPhone and now Android users download software to their phones that collects and sends Root data about network coverage and performance and also shares with users some of the same data.

Root had offered a bare-bones beta app for Android and BlackBerry users more than a year ago, but it didn't have much of a user interface, said Paul Griff, co-founder and CEO of Root. 

With the new Android app, like the iPhone app, users can view a map of their location that shows the coverage of their operator, using a color-coded scheme where green is the best coverage and black is the worst. Users also get a basic comparison of coverage of the other operators in their area. Anyone can view the maps on Root's website http://www.rootmetrics.com/. 

The apps also let users test the speed of their data connections. On the Android app, that test uses an updated method. On the iPhone client, the app tests data rates by downloading a relatively small 64K bit file to the phone. 

"The way people use their phones and what they do with the data network has changed dramatically," Griff explained. "It used to be you'd grab a Google search page or get directions or e-mail." The 64K bit test was designed to mimic the most common use of data on phones. 

Now, however, people are downloading movies and music to their phones and uploading photos. Using the small packet size doesn't give a fair measure of the higher-speed data networks, he said. 

So the new Android app measures speed over a period of time and by opening multiple concurrent sessions, which is the way that the Android browser works by default, he said. In addition to download speed, the app measures performance by collecting data about whether the connection gets broken, how quickly the session opens and what are the minimum and maximum speeds during the test period. 

For now, only the basic download speed data will be displayed to phone users. Root expects to soon update the iPhone client to test data downloads in a similar way. 

Also, in the second quarter, Root expects to update the maps to display additional network measurement information. That could help in instances where the map may show excellent coverage while a user is unable to make a call because the network is overloaded. "We are developing and will start introducing in the public maps some new ways of filtering data that will give you a look at congestion and other dimensions of performance," he said. 

In both apps, the only time it collects data is when the user interacts with the application. The original beta applications collected data in the background without user involvement. "The feedback was people didn't want anybody collecting anything without overt involvement," Griff said. 

However, now that tens of thousands of iPhone users have the app, that's changed. "Ironically, the most common request on the iPhone app is 'can you enable persistent data collection,'" he said. Users want to be able to turn on data collection for a specific period, for example, during their commute. Griff said Root plans to add a feature like that in the future. 

Next week, Root expects to release its first full-scale market profile, starting with Seattle. The report, some of which Root will release publicly, will rank carriers by voice and data network performance. The company hopes to release such reports, which it will sell to operators and other interested companies, for more than 130 markets this year. 

Targeting operators with such products has kept Root busy enough that it has put off one of the initial goals of the company: offering a service for enterprises. "We will get there," Griff said. "It was the original genesis of the company. But frankly I don't foresee us focusing on that enterprise market in the coming couple of quarters."

Root Android App Shows Coverage Maps