Hasta La Gadget!

By now you’ve no doubt heard about a certain iOS database file called consolidated.db. It made quite a splash yesterday when a pair of researchers, Alasdair Allan and Pete Warden, from O’Reilly Media announced the “iPhone tracking software” the duo had “discovered hidden on the phones.” Here’s the problem: they didn’t discover it, at least not originally. The file, known to hold large amounts of geolocation data collected from WiFi access points and cell-towers, has been probed by forensic experts ever since the retail launch of the iPhone 4 back in June of 2010. Hell, Sean Morrissey and Alex Levinson published a physical book on the topic back in December 2010, entire excerpts of which can easily be found on Google. So either the team from O’Reilly is being disingenuous with its claims or it’s being lazy.

Regardless, the story laid dormant for months until the O’Reilly team was able to visualize the data in a very personal way. Running the team’s open-source iPhoneTracker software to see the detailed locations of our worldly travels is absolutely fascinating. Imagining the same data file in the hands of a stalker, misguided detective, or a jealous lover is downright creepy.

But how is it possible that an issue like this has avoided the tech community at large for more than a year? And more importantly, what can you do about it? Read on to find out.

Update: A timely discovery from Vishal — here’s a note from Apple General Counsel Bruce Sewell [PDF] to Congressmen Edward Markey and Joe Barton, providing a detailed look at its privacy policy, presumably regarding this issue.

Continue reading The iPhone tracking fiasco and what you can do about it

The iPhone tracking fiasco and what you can do about it originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple is suing Samsung for “copying” the iPod, and the iPad. However, Android users are saying that Apple copied the Android devices first. The fans claim that Apple stole the design from a Samsung Android-based phone called F700. The touch screen phone was a boxier looking model that some say started this whole craze.

Lets look at the facts, the Samsung F700 debuted back in 2006, then came out in February 2007. The Apple iPhone was first shown in January 2007 and then came out that following June. The product by Samsung was older than the famous iPhone, which makes Apple appear to have copied the design concept.

Thus far, neither Apple or Samsung have released a public statement about the lawsuit. Nor has Samsung filed one back at Apple.

 Via Apple Insider

Apple is shifting the iPad/iPhone focus to gaming. Ever since the devices came out, Apple has seen a huge increase in games played on those devices. However, gaming has been put on the back burner until now.

While Apple is switching the focus for now, some argue that this was Apple’s plans from the start. Many game developers have designed games for the iOS, which has help set Apple apart as a competitor to the big boys like Sony, and, Nintendo.

No word on what Apple will do next, but we can expect more games to come out. Apple has made it clear that the iPhone game is here to stay.

Via Business Insider

This article was written on October 23, 2007 by CyberNet.

Six years ago today on October 23, 2001, the very first iPod was brought to life. At the time of the announcement, Steve Jobs (who looks nearly the same today as he did back then, minus a few hairs on the top of his head) talked up music and how there was a large target market around the World for it.  He said, “Music knows no boundaries,” and at the time, there was no market leader for a digital music device. Jobs said that while there were some companies that offered devices, no one had found the perfect recipe but he was confident that Apple had concocted it. It turns out they did!

Lets take a look back at the very first iPod (pictured above) and some of its features:

• 5GB hard drive (compared to the recently launched iPod classic with a 160GB hard drive and can hold 40,000 songs or 200 hours of video)
• Capable of holding 1000 songs in 160-Kbps MP3 format
• Firewire port only – no USB
• Original iPod compatible only with MacOS 9.2.1 and MacOS X 10.1 (or later)
• Featured mechanical scroll wheel (touch-sensitive came in 2002)

In case you’d like to relive the moment when Steve Jobs introduced the iPod to the “i” family, view the YouTube video below:

After the original launch in late 2001, Apple launched a 10GB and 20GB version in 2002 which was finally compatible with Windows using Musicmatch.  iTunes for Windows hadn’t yet been released. It also featured the very first touch-sensitive wheel and was priced at $399 for 10GB and $499 for 20GB. What a difference those prices and models are compared to what’s available today!

Apple truly changed the world of digital music devices and has done a great job of dominating the market. It’s certainly been a great 6 years for the iPod, and here’s to many more!

Source: TechBuzz

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Back in February, General Motors debuted its MyLink smartphone integration for the Chevy Volt and Equinox on the Engadget Show, letting drivers control their iOS, Android, and BlackBerry smartphone apps via voice or touchscreen. The company announced today that it will be offering the same technology — albeit rebranded as the tongue-twisting IntelliLink — on several 2012 Buick and GMC models, including the Buick LaCrosse, Regal, Verano, and the GMC Terrain. IntelliLink offers up a fairly similar feature set as its Chevy counterpart — connecting to iPhones and Android handsets via Bluetooth or USB, and leveraging Nuance voice recognition and Gracenote databases to control the likes of Pandora and Stitcher Radio. Autoblog reports that IntelliLink will hit the Buick Verano first, followed by the LaCrosse and Regal, though you might be more interested in the Terrain — owners will also be able to control their vehicle’s rear-view camera with IntelliLink, and who doesn’t like manipulating megapixels in the name of pedestrian safety?

Continue reading Buick, GMC getting IntelliLink smartphone connectivity

Buick, GMC getting IntelliLink smartphone connectivity originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 01:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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