Hasta La Gadget!

If you happen to ever get your cell phone stolen in New York City, the New York Police Department will be on the case. They’ve been quietly building a collection of phone call records from victims who report their mobile phone stolen. They subpoena all call records from the day that the phone was swiped and onward. Then, they add the call records to a searchable database.

The New York Times reports that the NYPD routinely subpoena the call records of theft victims, and that police documents suggest that thousands of subpoenas have been issued every year. However, while it seems fine that the police would check phone records to investigate criminal activity, some privacy groups question the practice of authorities storing personal data that’s not related to an active criminal investigation.

The database stores the calls that you made before your phone was stolen on that day, and all this data is put into what’s called the Enterprise Case Management System. All the records are hyperlinked so that they can be cross referenced to other cases as well. However, these call records are obtained without your knowledge, and carriers are complying with authorities without telling their customers in advance.

The NYPD isn’t commenting on the situation, but the Times says that T-Mobile cooperated with 297 subpoenas in January 2012 alone, and since T-Mobile is one of the smaller carriers, Verizon and AT&T are probably seeing larger numbers. While the police haven’t said whether or not they’ve actually used victim call records, the scary aspect about this is that they simply have access to the data. It’s not really clear what the NYPD plans on doing with the database in the future, and it doesn’t seem useful in helping solve phone theft crimes, since the Times reports that phone records seldom lead to an arrest.

[via The New York Times]

NYPD building database of call records from stolen phones is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

AT&T and T-Mobile are offering waived late fees and extended service for users in states affected by Hurricane Sandy. The storm has caused widespread outages in both electricity and mobile phone service along the east coast. In addition, both companies are offering customers ways to charge their mobile devices.

First up is AT&T, which is extending its late payment terms for customers in the storm’s path, as well as waiving late fees. In addition, the company is offering in-store charging via its retail stores, of which there are 400 locations in the northeast, as well as charging at charging stations and RVs powered by generators. It didn’t specify how long the extension and waived late fees will be applied.

T-Mobile is offering a similar program, providing service to both contract and prepaid customers whether or not they’ve paid their bill in New York City, Long Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. In addition, users can charge their phones in any T-Mobile retail store; the company says that customers should call before showing up to ensure that the store has power. This offer is in place up to November 8.

Said AT&T’s northeast regional president Steve Hodges, “Our goal here is to help people stay connected to family and loved ones in the aftermath of this terrible storm.” AT&T customers can donate $10 to relief efforts by texting REDCROSS to 90999, STORM to 80888 to donate to the Salvation Army, and HUMANE to 80888 to donate to the Humane Society. T-Mobile customers can make a $10 donation by texting REDCROSS to 90999, or can make a $25 donation by texting DONATE to 90999. AT&T customers can donate up to $50.

[via PCMag]

AT&T and T-Mobile waive late fees for customers affected by Hurricane Sandy is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Product 3 LLC, the company behind the original iControlPad, has successfully funded a successor: folks, meet the iControlPad 2. While there isn’t much to its name, the sequel boasts a handy QWERTY keypad along with an optional swivel-mount that you can attach to any smartphone. It works over either microUSB or Bluetooth, and true to its open-source roots, is said to support the Ouya, the Raspberry Pi and pretty much any other device you can throw at it. What’s more, it can be programmed to control almost any app via its support for touchscreen mapping. There’s still room for additional backers, so you could try to get a raw version for $69 or a boxed edition for $75 if you manage to pre-order in time. Let’s just hope the sequel doesn’t experience the same delays as its older sibling, especially given the $150,000-plus the company earned in its Kickstarter campaign.

[Thanks, Craig]

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Peripherals

iControlPad 2 gets funded, adds QWERTY keypad and smartphone mount originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 02:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia’s Lumia 920 packs the industry’s best image stabilization — there’s no questioning that — thanks to a camera module that pairs both sensor and lens-based optical IS. The iPhone 5 also offers a notable improvement over its Apple-made predecessor on the video front, but considering that its stabilization is of the digital variety, we wouldn’t expect it to top Nokia’s new flagship. We had an opportunity to test both smartphones in a head-to-head demo at Nokia’s research and development facility in Tampere, Finland, about two hours north of the company’s Espoo headquarters. In fact, we’re told that this is the very first such comparison shoot in the world, considering that the iPhone made it to market just last week and the only opportunity to shoot with a Lumia 920 is currently in the European country where the device was born.

As expected, the Nokia phone was able to capture far smoother video than what we snapped with the iPhone, with both devices secured side-by-side in a homemade foam holster. Unlike our handheld interview shoot earlier today, we pushed the limits a bit further this time, running through Nokia’s parking lot and turning every which way as well. It’s important to note that the Lumia 920 we used was a prototype, but its performance was still quite solid. You’ll find the side-by-side video just past the break — the Lumia 920 is on the left, with the iPhone clip on the right.

Continue reading iPhone 5 and Nokia Lumia 920 face off with image stabilization test (hands-on video, updated with Galaxy S III and HTC One X)

Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Mobile

iPhone 5 and Nokia Lumia 920 face off with image stabilization test (hands-on video, updated with Galaxy S III and HTC One X) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I was only a wee pup in 1989 so I totally don’t remember this ridiculously awesome Radio Shack “transportable” cellular phone. My first memory of cell phones were brick-sized, not car battery-sized like this one. But still! It was portable! You could use it in your car! I wonder if we’ll look back on the iPhone 5 in 20 years and laugh at how silly we once were for wanting a phone with a 4-inch touchscreen and aluminum case. [YouTube via BuzzFeed] More »