Author: Rahsheen on Black Web 2.0

According to the WSJ, a number of Facebook applications have been sharing information about users that they should not have. Many apps on Facebook, some quite popular, have been “transmitting identifying information—in effect, providing access to people’s names and, in some cases, their friends’ names—to dozens of advertising and Internet tracking companies.” According to WSJ, “Tens of millions of Facebook app users” appear to be at risk, even those who have chosen the absolute strictest privacy settings.

Facebook has responded by saying that the problem is being blown out of proportion. What’s happening is that the UID’s of users accessing Facebook apps have been passed on to 3rd parties by some applications. This UID is just a number that uniquely identifies your profile on Facebook. Knowing the ID itself doesn’t actually get you access to anything special. As Facebook puts it:

Recently, it has come to our attention that several applications built on Facebook Platform were passing the User ID (UID), an identifier that we use within our APIs, in a manner that violated this policy. In most cases, developers did not intend to pass this information, but did so because of the technical details of how browsers work.

The main issue with passing around this UID is that it can later be combined with other data floating around the Internet about you. RapLeaf, a company that compiles data about web users and sells it, was able to connect these UID’s with data they already had. This allowed them to form a better picture of the individuals they were tracking. This data collection is really where the privacy issue lies.

Facebook already had policies in place against sharing UID’s and many of the apps in violation were disabled. LOLApps went offline briefly because of this issue, but has since been restored. According to their blog, they unintentionally shared information (which is pretty easy to do because of how browsers work). Apparently, when they found out what had happened, someone got fired:

When we were informed of the issue the relationship that put us into this category was immediately dissolved. Since Lolapps was founded in 2008, we have always been committed to Facebook’s platform policies and will continue to be as we grow.

While some of the most popular apps on Facebook (Farmville, Frontierville, Texas HoldEm Poker) were affected, it doesn’t appear that they were disabled. The 12 companies that did receive user information from RapLeaf say they did not use or store the information and RapLeaf says the data was shared unintentionally. So, as the privacy ball bounces out of bounds, it looks like everyone involved has thrown up their hands.

That’s to be expected, but this may not be the end for Facebook. This latest episode in the Facebook privacy saga will certainly be drug out as long as possible. Those aware of the breach will find ways to exploit it and frighten Facebook users. At this point, I’m not so sure it’s worth closing up the farm or shutting down the cafe over.

According to Clearwire, 4G is coming to 3 more cities by the end of this year. 4G Mobile broadband will be coming to New York City by November 1st through a joint effort between Clearwire, Sprint, and Time Warner Cable. Clearwire, Comcast, and Sprint will bring 4G connectivity to San Francisco in late December. 4G will come to Los Angeles via Clearwire and Sprint on December 1st.

WiMAX is the technology powering the new 4G networks, which boast speeds somewhere from 5 to 7Mbps download, with a 1.2Mbps upload (according to Engadget). To put that in perspective, 6Mbps is what you might get from a basic broadband connection from your local cable company. It’s not the fastest connection ever, but it’s quite capable of doing just about anything you’d ever want to do online. We already have 4G here in Atlanta and I can’t really tell the difference between 4G and my wireless connection at home. It’s very nice.

It’s not a surprise that 4G is launching in these cities, but it is definitely an important milestone in the development of the next generation of mobile connectivity. These are cities where there are a huge volume of professionals and tech enthusiasts sporting the fanciest mobile devices. Success in these cities will hinge on the experiences of these customers. Apple and AT&T have taken a lot of heat because of poor performance and data connectivity in these locations.

An interesting point about this launch is the internal conflict between Sprint and Clearwire. Sprint owns 55 percent of Clearwire and is launching 4G using space on Clearwire’s network. At the same time, Sprint and Clearwire are competing for the same customers as Clearwire works to expand its network. Three top Sprint executives recently resigned from Clearwire’s board because of this tension.

Another point to note is that Sprint+Clearwire is not the only game in town. Verizon is launching its own high-speed mobile network. It’s set to cover 38 cities and 110 million people by the end of the year. Clearwire has promised 120 million people in the same time frame. Verizon is the number one mobile provider in the US followed by Sprint at number four.

The more networks we have offering high-speed mobile connectivity, the easier it will be for the average person to get a decent Internet connection. People in the black community may not have computers or even cable TV, but probably have a mobile device. High-speed connectivity in combination with the latest crop of smartphones could be a game changer.

via Reuters, Clearwire

Antennagate is Over, but is Glassgate next?

A design flaw in the new iPhone 4 could make it easy to crack the glass-backed devices. The cause? Slider cases. This is probably the reason why Apple gave out bumper cases to fix the antenna scandal. It also explains why these bumper cases not only cover the antenna, “fixing” the death-grip issue, but also make no contact with the back of the phone.

While we’ve had our own concerns over the iPhone 4’s glass back, what the iPhone engineering team discovered post-Antennagate, according to Block, is that non-bumper cases that slide onto the iPhone 4 can cause scratching when particles get between the case and the glass. Those scratches can lead to serious cracking in no time.

via Gizmodo

Google Researches Cars That Drive Themselves

The search giant, Google, is branching out in all types of directions in order to expand it’s ad revenue business. They’re on your computer, they’re on your phone, and now on your TV. These all seem to make a lot of sense from a business standpoint, but why are they trying to drive your car? This is the question many techies were asking themselves when Google announced their self-driving car. Apparently, this research has been going on for at least a year.

As ZDNet, Scoble, and Arrington point out: it really doesn’t matter why they’re doing it, we should just be happy that they are. Research and development is becoming a thing of the past as companies are pushed by investors to launch products instead of actually researching new things. No R&D means no innovation. No innovation means no artificial intelligence to eventually enslave humanity and we all know that is the ultimate goal.

MySpace Spaces Out on New Logo

Yes, the image above will be the new logo for MySpace when their redesign launches at the end of this year. According to MySpace VP of User Experience Mike Macadaan “MySpace is a platform for people to be whatever they want, so we’ve decided to give them the space to do it.” I’m assuming the “no pun intended” was cut from this quote. To be fair, the logo is supposed to be more like a Google Doodle, allowing the user to customize it to fit their personality. Looking at it from that perspective, it seems kind of cool. In any case, MySpace can do whatever they want at this point as it seems impossible for them to gather any more haters. via TechCrunch

Twitter Finally Serious About Monetizing

The running joke about Twitter is that they have the world’s attention and are not making much money from it. They don’t know how to monetize. Recent events are changing that perspective, though. They have been experimenting with promoted tweets and ads for a little while now. Apparently, these are going well. According to newly promoted CEO Dick Costolo, “We’re definitely beyond the experimentation stage. It’s working.” He later said, “We feel like we’ve cracked the code on a new form of advertising, and we feel like we’ve got a hit on our hands.” via NYT

Search advertising revenue is still Google’s dominant revenue stream. They did better than expected, with overall revenue climbing 23 percent and net income rising 32 percent. Smashing expectations from Wall Street analysts, Google’s stock price rose about 9 percent in after-hours trading. Their third-quarter results also contain some interesting numbers regarding mobile ads and display ads.

They’ve turned mobile ads into a $1 billion business worldwide (annualized based on the prior quarter.) This is only five months after Google started pushing AdMob, which it acquired late last year for $750 million. While AdMob was second in revenue last year, making less than $100 million, the acquisition puts Google at the number one spot with 21% market share.

“Clearly this is the future of search and the Internet.” — Jonathan Rosenberg, senior vice president of product management at Google

“Mobile is going to be an increasing part of the strategy in terms of sales.” — Google’s head of mobile advertising, Omar Hamoui

Display ads, ads with images and video, are set to generate more than $2.5 billion in revenue in the coming year. While $3.5 billion in revenue isn’t much compared to the $30 billion Google is expected to rake in, it still means they are having some success in new areas of business.

“What matters is how much longer can Google grow at 20 percent or more, which is considered rapid growth, double the rate of Internet advertising at this point,” Mr. Rohan said. If the company can continue to grow at that rate, he said, “it would suggest that they’ve extended gracefully into display and mobile.”

Part of Google’s success has been in mobile advertising and one major factor in that success is the Android platform. It’s the fastest growing mobile platform to date. They have multiple devices on every major carrier in all shapes and sizes. They are bringing smartphones to the masses while also make it easy for developers to market and monetize Apps in their Marketplace using, of course, Google’s own advertising platform.

In addition to getting the text and display ad game in check, they’ve also introduced features like Google Voice Actions to make it easier to search. Remember, every search means money for Google. Mobile won’t be enough to really make Google some cash. They’ll have to go after TV advertising as well, which is probably the reason behind Google TV. They haven’t said how they will monetize, but they aren’t bringing the web to your living room for nothing.

via NYT, AdAge

Apple, Verizon, and AT&T have announced that the iPad will be available at over 2,000 Verizon Wireless stores nationwide and 2,200 AT&T retail locations. They will go on sale next Thursday, October 28th. While both carriers will offer the iPad, the options will be slightly different. Verizon will offer a bundle including a WiFi-capable iPad and a Verizon MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot. AT&T will offer 3G pre-paid data plans for iPad, including Apple’s easy on-device activation and management. AT&T is offering all iPad data plans with no contract and including unlimited access to AT&T’s 23,000+ domestic Wi-Fi Hot Spots.

Verizon Chief Operating Officer John Stratton says this is “the perfect pairing for holiday travels” and says that “the nation’s largest and most reliable 3G data network” will make it easy for customers to “connect on the go wherever they are.”

Glenn Laurie, AT&T’s President of Emerging Devices, Resale and Partnerships, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, says that they “can’t wait to showcase the amazing features of iPad Wi-Fi + 3G in our stores across the country.” Glenn goes on to say that AT&T’s “breakthrough iPad data plans starting at just $14.99″ offer the best of both worlds combined with “access to AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots around the country at no extra cost.” Definitely a compelling argument.

Apple COO Tim Cook offers similar responses on both fronts, basically saying that Apple is happy to get the iPad into more stores in time for the holiday season. They “look forward to expanding the reach of the iPad” and “to get iPad into the hands of even more customers.” They are happy to offer iPad Wi-Fi +3G at AT&T Stores, while also offering Verizon Wireless customers an “easy way to stay connected wherever you go.”

One important point to note here is that, while AT&T is offering a 3G model, Verizon is only offering the iPad Wi-Fi. AT&T will offer iPads at the suggested retail price of $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB. The $14.99 per month data plans include 250MB and $25 per month plans offer 2GB with no term contract.

Verizon will also follow the suggested retail pricing, but is throwing in a MiFi Mobile Hotspot. iPad customers can get 1GB of data for just $20 a month. Verizon Wireless will also offer all three iPad Wi-Fi models on a stand-alone basis.

This comes just after the announcement that Walmart will begin selling the iPad this Friday. Target has sold iPads for a few weeks now. Other tablet makers are also rushing to get their devices into stores for the holidays, but it might be hard to compete when Apple’s iPad is so well-known and now available just about everywhere.

via Apple, Business Wire

Rumors have been circulating for about a week now that AOL and Yahoo could merge. More recently, the talk is that AOL Inc., along with several private equity firms, is looking to buy Yahoo Inc. and merge the two companies. This latest comes from a report by WSJ:

Silver Lake Partners and Blackstone Group LP are among the firms that have expressed interest in teaming up with AOL to buy Yahoo or trying to take it private on their own, these people said. They added that at least two or three other firms could be interested in participating if a formal buyout proposal is drawn up.

Keep in mind that “people familiar with the matter” are cautioning anyone jumping to conclusions. These are simply preliminary discussions involving AOL Inc., private equity firms, and financial advisors. Yahoo hasn’t even been contacted yet. The conversations may not even lead to an official proposal to Yahoo given the complexity involved.

There are a few scenarios out there, but the general idea would be for China’s Alibaba Group to buy back Yahoo’s 40% stake in the company. This would make Yahoo Inc. more maneuverable in merging with AOL as it would lower the bar of entry for private equity firms in getting financing.

Alibaba Chief Executive Jack Ma has expressed interest in repurchasing Yahoo’s stake in his company, which analysts value at about $10 billion. A big chunk of Yahoo’s current market value comes from its Alibaba stake.

Facebook and Microsoft have actually been working together since 2006. Duing their joint event today, they’ve announced some changes to the Bing search engine that will either make your search experience more useful, or slightly more annoying. With deep integration into your Facebook social network, Bing can now tailor your search results and make them more relevant to you.

Once again, the Likes feature rears its head and shows how powerful it is for a social network to have a lightweight method for users to indicate interest in something. Originally a feature of FriendFeed (which was later acquired by Facebook), Facebook implemented Likes earlier this year. Now, instead of making some type of commitment to joining a group or subscribing to a page, you just click Like. Using information about Likes among your Facebook friends, Bing can show you more detailed and specific information about your searches.

This means that two different people searching on the same topic may not see the same results. One example used was the Toyota Prius. A search on Bing would recognize you’re looking for a car and show you more details about it in addition to your standard search results. With the new Facebook social layer, you will also see a section which shows which of your friends Liked links related to the Prius.

We’ve seen this type of social integration on Google already, with updates from your social circle (Twitter) showing up as part of your results. The difference here is that the information may be more relevant, coming from your Facebook network and being pulled only from items those in your circle actually indicate they like.

People search is another area where Facebook will come into play. Usually, a search on an individual will pull up exactly who you want, as long as you’re looking for someone popular. If you were trying to find that person you worked on that one project with back in college, you would be out of luck. Now, Bing recognizes the people you might be searching for, no matter how unknown, and will show you links to their profiles in your results.

Of course, Facebook partnering with a public search engine will probably ignite the privacy fires again. Microsoft will not be storing any persistent data about your social searches. Bing does not save any of the data it’s pulling from Facebook except to show it on your screen. For users afraid of their private lives showing up in their friends’ search results, keep in mind that they will still be restricted by your privacy settings. Still, I’d review my Facebook privacy settings if I were you. Just to be on the safe side.

via Bing

One of the biggest worries for parents in giving their young ones mobile devices is the lack of real parental controls. You can lock some phones down so that they can only contact certain numbers, but this is a far from ideal solution. Hence, Apple’s new patent for an anti-sexting system.

The official title of the patent states that it is a “text-based communication control for personal communication device.” That sounds pretty generic, but digging into the details of the patent, it’s easy to see what’s really going on here:

In one embodiment, the control application includes a parental control application. The parental control application evaluates whether or not the communication contains approved text based on, for example, objective ratings criteria or a user’s age or grade level, and, if unauthorized, prevents such text from being included in the text-based communication. If the control contains unauthorized text, the control application may alert the user, the administrator or other designated individuals of the presence of such text. The control application may require the user to replace the unauthorized text or may automatically delete the text or the entire communication.

In short, if Eric and Suzie start using colorful language in their text communications, their devices will may alert them to behave and possibly contact their parents. While this system might be useful for catching the most obvious cases, it probably won’t be able to tell what’s in that photo Eric just sent Suzie via MMS. However, it looks like the language of the patent is general enough to cover emails, IM’s, and any other text inputted into the device.

As TechCrunch points out, those interested in sexting can get pretty creative with their language to avoid detection. There is just really no way to accurately block these sentiments. A quick listen to popular music will give you an unlimited number of examples as to why.

On the flip side, it looks like this system could also be used to help people talk good:

In some embodiments, at least one of the message control conditions includes applying ratings to the message control conditions, at least one of which can correspond to the user’s designated language skill rating. The rated message control conditions can be applied to the entire message or a portion of the message according to the user’s designated language skill rating. In further embodiments, the designated language may include a required foreign language, vocabulary, spelling, grammar and/or punctuation based on the user’s designated skill level.

For those who believe texting and other short messaging services are destroying the way we communicate, this could be the solution.

According to WSJ, Walmart will get Apple’s iPad just in time for the holiday season. This Friday, Oct 15th, they will begin selling the iPad in “hundreds” of stores through the United States. Competitors like Best Buy have already been selling the iPad since it’s launch and Target began selling the Apple tablets just this month.

This is a good deal for Apple and Walmart. Because of the availability at Walmart, analysts now say Apple will sell 11 million to 12 million iPads this year, more than twice what was initially estimated. They should reach 20 million next year.

Walmart won’t be selling the devices at a discount, offering the cheapest version at $499 with 16GB storage and no 3G. Given Walmart’s reputation for having the lowest prices, I’m not sure this will make a difference for potential customers. The simple fact that the iPad’s will be physically available to play with and purchase will be enough to move units. While many people have heard of the iPad, seeing one in the flesh may be what pushes them to actually buy one.

The Root has pulled together another list of 100 individuals who are “impactful, creative, iconoclastic, innovative, committed to community and, in many instances, defiant of any restrictive definitions of what it means to be black in America in 2010.” While the entire list is definitely worth a look, there are a some who made it that specifically influence the technology space. Here, we list a few of them.

Mario Armstrong – Tech and digital lifestyle expert – @marioarmstrong

An award-winning commentator reporting on a range of business and technology issues, Armstrong is also a weekly guest on CNN. His syndicated radio talk and satellite shows have featured guests like Russell Simmons and then Sen. Barrack Obama. He is committed to “sparking the minds of the future” using sites like TechTechBoom.

Angela Benton – Founder and CEO Black Web – @abenton

Benton founded Black Web Media in 2007, which includes BlackWeb 2.0, Young Black Professional Guide, the career-oriented Vocay, and the political site Politic365. She was named one of Fast Company Magazine’s Most Influential Women in Technology for 2010 and Ebony’s Power 150.

Jam Donaldson – Creator of HotGhettoMess.com – @jamdonaldson

In addition to HotGhettoMess.com, Donaldson caught attention with her “We Got To Do Better” BET series and radio segment, and her book Conversate Is Not A Word: Getting Away from Ghetto. With a fearlessness sparked by her father’s death, Donaldson pull no punches when dispensing her ghetto-tough love. She says, “Telling it like I see it may be dirty work, but somebody (other than Bill Cosby) has to do it.”

Marve Frazier – CCO of Moguldom Media Group, CEO of Bossip

Frazier is CCO (chief creative officer) of Moguldom Media Group, parent company of Bossip.com, MadameNoire.com, BossipTwitter.com, HipHopWired.com and The Atlanta Post. Frazier also serves as CEO at Bossip.com. Under her lead, the network generates 20 million to 50 million page views per month.

Carlton Hargro – Editor-in-chief, Creative Loafing – @carltonhargro

Hargro is the leader of the award-winning publication, Creative Loafing (CL). One of the few African-American editors of alternative publications, he is in charge of editorial strategy for print and online versions of CL, which publishes editions in Charlotte, Chicago, Tampa and Sarasota, Fla; Atlanta and Washington, D.C. He hosts CL’s weekly urban culture and music podcast.

Gina McCauley – Founder of Blogging While Brown

With a passion for connecting and educating bloggers, McCauley organizes the annual Blogging While Brown conference. She is also the founder of the blogs Michelle Obama Watch and What About Our Daughters, which bluntly and unapologetically addresses issues affecting women of color.

Isaiah Mustafa – The Old Spice Guy – @isaiahmustafa

“He stole the show during the Superbowl. He’s loved by women and respected by men. Heck, he’s even been on Oprah! You might not know know the name, but you definitely know his work.” Mustafa was the center of one of the best viral ad campaigns ever, run by Old Spice. He is now heading towards a serious acting career.

Malika Saada Saar – Founder, The Rebecca Project for Human Rights

As head of The Rebecca Project for Human Rights, an organization that advocates for vulnerable women and families, she played an instrumental role in the controversial shuttering of the Craigslist adult-services section. The Ford Foundation presented the Rebecca Project with a Leadership for Changing World award. Saar is the founder of Crossing the River, a creative workshop for mothers recovering from substance abuse. She is also founder and former director of Family Rights and Dignity, which helps low-income and homeless families in San Francisco.

Window Snyder – Must-have network security expert – @window

Tech-industry watchers credit Snyder, who started coding at age 5, with forcing Microsoft and Apple to constantly rethink their security applications. She went from creating game-changing security solutions for Firefox, to working for Apple. She is also co-author of Threat Modeling, a guide to application security.

David Sutphen – Internet guru and broadband advocate – @DavidASutphen

After serving as a senior executive at Viacom, among other things, Sutphen became co-chairman of the Internet Innovation Alliance, a coalition of media businesses, nonprofits and other stakeholders committed to establishing America’s rules of the road regarding the Web.

Regina Townsend – Founder and CEO of the Broken Brown Egg, Inc.

Regina is on a mission to improve reproductive health in the black community. Her blog, the Broken Brown Egg, is a 2010 Black Weblog Award finalist. She uses language as a weapon to spark discussion in the silence that surrounds an infertility crisis that disproportionately affects black women, even as stereotypes like the mythological African American single mother who breeds to collect welfare threaten to stifle conversation and strip black women of their dignity.

Tristan Walker – Vice President of Business Development at Foursquare – @tristanwalker

It’s well-known that Foursquare has been largely successful not only because of the technology behind the service, but because of the strategic partnerships they’ve been able to forge with major brands like MTV, Bravo, CNN, The New York Times and Louis Vuitton. Walker began helping to build those partnerships while still working on his MBA at Stanford University.

Windows Phone 7 has a number of features not currently matched on any other platform. These make it a target for customers interested in gaming and entertainment, areas where Android is somewhat lacking and iPhone is just getting started.

Netflix on Phone 7 gives you much more than simple queue management. As we found out early on, Netflix instant play is fully supported. While iPhone has Instant Play as well, Netflix is still looking to hire people to develop the feature on Android.

AT&T U-verse is another area where Windows Phone 7 shines. U-verse customers can manage their DVR recordings from their mobile device in addition to downloading shows via Wi-Fi to watch on the phone. Even those who are not U-verse customers can get the service for $9.99/month, which is comparable to both Netflix and Hulu Plus. While streaming video would be nicer, U-verse still provides another outlet for entertainment.

iPhone supports U-verse, but only for AT&T U-verse customers. It’s still unknown whether these changes in the Windows Phone 7 app will migrate there. At this time, I’m unaware of any such app for Android. Not even to control your DVR, although there me be a mobile (WAP) page that supports it.

One of the more interesting and unique features of Windows Phone 7 is the integration with Xbox Live. As you play titles like Tetris, Monopoly, The Sims, and Need for Speed Undercover on your phone, you can share your achievements via Xbox Live. While mobile gaming has skyrocketed and iPhone is battling it out with Nintendo (even though Nintendo refuses to admit it), Windows Phone 7 could kick things up a notch by making multi-player easier on mobile and integrated with the existing Xbox network.

AT&T is offering Windows Phone 7 customers an entertainment pack, which includes some free goodies to get people hooked on the subscription services:

• The 3-D puzzle game ilomilo
• 30-day free trial of AT&T U-verse
• 30-day free trial of Zune Pass, Microsoft’s music subscription service, with 10 free downloads

Windows Phone 7 is not playing any games here. It seems like they’ve covered all the bases and anticipated where the mobile scene was moving. Xbox live support will be big and probably exclusive to Windows phones. We already see iPhone and Android trying to duplicate Xbox Live on the mobile side. While Netflix is at least working on streaming on Android, I suspect AT&T has other reasons why they’ve ignore the platform entirely.

via CNET, Engadget

Windows Phone 7 is finally here. At an event this morning in New York, NY, Microsoft went into details about the Windows Phone 7 interface and features. As an Android fan to the heart, I must admit it’s pretty slick. As Ballmer puts it:

“Microsoft and its partners are delivering a different kind of mobile phone and experience – one that makes everyday tasks faster by getting more done in fewer steps and providing timely information in a ‘glance and go’ format.”

This “Glance and Go” concept is very powerful in action. It’s not necessarily new, but is implemented extremely well on the Windows Phone. Instead of taking a desktop experience and cramming it onto a phone, as we’ve seen from Microsoft in the past, they’ve put thought into making the OS work well on a mobile device.

The main component of the user interface are live tiles and hubs. For iPhone and Android users, you can think of these live tiles as advanced widgets. One in particular that caught my eye shows you updates about a particular person, rotating through their latest activities. This type of thing is definitely possible on other mobile OS’s, but I’ve yet to see an app that does it as smooth as Windows Phone 7.

Most of the standard features you would expect to find in a smartphone OS are there (except cut+paste). The different hubs offer social networking integration. In your contacts, for example, you see contact information alongside that person’s latest status updates and photos. Again, things that are possible with the current breed of phones, but not really implemented this well.

Microsoft is, once again, stepping their game way up. Windows 7 took the desktop OS to a whole different level, making up for Vista. IE9, which got 2 million downloads in 2 days, embraces the latest web technologies and is actually fast. Now, with Windows Phone 7, Microsoft gives us a viable mobile platform that may have Apple and Google taking notice.

While I’m not sure Windows Phone 7 will blow iOS or Android out of the water, they have developed an experience that will definitely wow some customers. Integration with AT&T U-verse and XBox live is bound to turn some heads. Microsoft also has Android in a tough spot via patent lawsuits. These new devices will reach over 60 cellphone operators in more than 30 countries this year with more handsets coming in 2011, including the first for Sprint and Verizon.

Are you waiting to get your hands on Windows Phone 7?

via Engadget

iPhone Apps Put User Privacy at Risk

Using a custom software program called Taintdroid, researchers at Duke, Penn State, and Intel Labs found Android apps sharing private user data without explicit authorization. According to research from Bucknell University, it seems that iPhone owners have the same problem. A majority of iOS apps transmit user data back to their own servers. While most of this information isn’t useful by itself, it’s simple for a hacker to put the pieces together.

“For example, Amazon’s application communicates the logged-in user’s real name in plain text, along with the UDID, permitting both Amazon.com and network eavesdroppers to easily match a phone’s UDID with the name of the phone’s owner. The CBS News application transmits both the UDID and the iPhone device’s user-assigned name, which frequently contains the owner’s real name.”

Verizon Makes it Rain to The Tune of 90 Million

For some reason, Verizon charged about 15 million of its cellular customers for data plans when they hadn’t even signed up for Internet use. Under pressure from the FCC, Verizon has decided to refund this 15 million customers an amount totaling around 90 million. To each customer, this means a credit between $2 and $6. Former customers will get the credit as a check. Does Starbucks take checks?

As we reviewed customer accounts, we discovered that over the past several years approximately 15 million customers who did not have data plans were billed for data sessions on their phones that they did not initiate. These customers would normally have been billed at the standard rate of $1.99 per megabyte for any data they chose to access from their phones. The majority of the data sessions involved minor data exchanges caused by software built into their phones; others involved accessing the web, which should not have incurred charges. We have addressed these issues to avoid unintended data charges in the future.

via Engadget

The End of a 12second Era

When 12seconds first came on the scene, most people couldn’t figure out just what you’d do with it. Why would you want to make a 12second video? A group of passionate users took to the daily challenges and 12seconds grew in popularity, adding features along the way. They “launched an innovative micro-vlogging system, built crazy mobile apps, created revenue with legit sponsors, we were nominated for awards and had the best users on the Internet – our beloved 12ers.” They even got Bill Cosby on board. Still, the team feels that “12seconds is in its twilight” and ” it’s time to call it. It is time to end 12seconds.”

Nearly 3 years ago, David Beach and I decided to grab a beer at a local pub and talk about startup ideas. I told him a dumb idea and he told me about one called 10seconds. I said, “we should do that one.” He said, “okay.” And that was it. That is until we figured out that 10seconds.tv was already taken. 12seconds sounded pretty good to us too.

We set out on a journey that would take on a wild ride of ups and downs. We experienced birth, death and (Beach) even battled cancer.

Today we are announcing the end of 12seconds.

Check out the Thank You messages, posted 12seconds style, from Jacob and Beach. I guess I’ll have to find another place to post vids of Kanye tweets.

via 12seconds

Google TV Coming Soon

Five months ago, Google announced Google TV at Google I/O. To refresh your memory: “it’s a platform that combines your current TV programming and the open web into a single, seamless entertainment experience.” We talked about how Google TV could change the game for black media. Since then, we’ve seen the launch of the Apple TV, which is a similar offering. The primary difference being the Apple TV is a set-top box, while Google TV is more focused on becoming a physical part of your TV.

Now, we find that Google has been making some strategic partnerships to make sure your Google TV is packed with content.

• Turner Broadcasting has been hard at work optimizing some of their most popular websites for viewing on Google TV, including TBS, TNT, CNN, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, available anytime through Google TV.
• NBC Universal has collaborated with Google TV to bring CNBC Real-Time, an application that allows you to track your favorite stocks and access news feeds while enjoying the best financial news from CNBC directly on the TV screen.
• HBO will bring access to hundreds of hours of programming to Google TV with HBO GO. Authenticated subscribers will soon be able to access all of their favorite HBO content on-demand in an enhanced website for Google TV.
• NBA has built NBA Game Time, an application that lets you follow game scores in real-time and catch up on the latest highlights from your favorite team in HD.

They are also working with the likes of Amazon Video on Demand, Netflix, The New York Times, USA Today, Vevo, Pandora, Napster, Twitter, and Blip.tv. Most online video sites and services aimed at revolutionizing your television experience have one common failing: lack of the content you want to watch. It seems that Google is doing everything they can to avoid this, including some slick hardware from Logitech and Sony.

Still, there are some who don’t see what’s so great about Google TV. For most tech types, this might be common. For the average person, they don’t know anything about torrents and would rather shove pins into their eyeballs than watch movies on their computer or smartphone.

via Logitech, CrunchGear, Google TV Blog, Sony Insider

A new phishing scam is on the rise and is targeting well-meaning people just trying to get right with the IRS. According to McAfee, the scam targets individuals using the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) to pay their taxes. This system has been in place since 1996 and was established by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to allow people to easily pay their taxes online.

The recent fraudulent format uses an email message that claims to be a rejected tax payment and directs users to a fake website for additional information.

This scam follows the standard format of emailing potential victims, claiming something needs to be updated. In this case, it’s especially heinous because the attackers are using the IRS to scare people. Many people are using the EFTPS system to pay taxes they owe on a payment plan.

These plans are set up by the IRS and can sometimes be very reasonable depending on your situation. The flip-side of that is that the IRS will quickly terminate your agreement if you miss even a single payment. This means you could be subject to wage garnishment, liens, and maybe even jail time. There is no negotiating. Most EFTPS users who receive this fraudulent email are probably breaking their index finger trying to click the link for more info.

The scam message:
Subject:
Your EFTPS Tax Payment ID has been rejected.

Body:
Report ID: ***. Your Federal Tax Payment ID: *** has been rejected. Return Reason Code R## – The identification number used in the Company Identification Field is not valid. Please, check the information and refer to Code R## to get details about your company payment in transaction contacts section: http://www.eftps*******7.com/contacts

These types of scams can only work with your cooperation. They will try the dirties tricks to get you to click some random, unsolicited link in order to get your information and/or your money. We saw this recently when scammers used Haiti disaster as a tool. If you have any suspicion whatsoever about whether an email is a scam or not, it probably is.

Most importantly, remember this bit of information: The IRS does not initiate contact with a taxpayer via email. Not a “call me”, not a “you’re overdue” and especially not a “you owe us some more money.”

Most of the important institutions in your life, like the IRS and your bank, will rarely contact you about anything important via email. Don’t blindly trust the information your email interface shows you. View the headers (“show details” or “view original” in Gmail) and look at the actual email addresses and Reply-To address.

If you’re suspicious of a link in your email, IM’s, Twitter, Facebook, or anywhere, one simple check you can do is hover over it and look at your browser’s status bar to verify where it goes. The best thing you can do is just leave it alone and find another way to contact the alleged source.

via McAfee Labs Blog, TaxGirl

According to WSJ, Apple is still working on a CDMA version of the iPhone for the Verizon network. This isn’t a new rumor. We talked about a potential January launch for a Verizon iPhone back in June. In August, it seemed that Apple had tipped their hand by ordering millions of Qualcomm CDMA chipsets, which indicated they would be developing a CDMA device. Now, official reports from “people familiar with the matter” have the Verizon iPhone back in the spotlight.

Apple Inc. is making a version of its iPhone that Verizon Wireless will sell early next year, according to people familiar with the matter, ending an exclusive deal with AT&T and sharpening the competition with Google Inc.-based phones.

While we know that this is just rumor, it seems very likely to be truth. Apple’s disappointment with AT&T is well known among customers and we’ve even heard Jobs comment on the matter. Not only has the AT&T network failed to keep up with heavy data use from iPhone customers, but AT&T was instrumental in the iPhone 4 pre-order debacle. Verizon, with the largest subscriber network in the US, could create millions of new iPhone customers. Consumer Reports and others have already concluded that Verizon has a better network than AT&T.

Verizon Wireless has been meeting with Apple, adding capacity and testing its networks to prepare for the heavy data load by iPhone users, according to one person familiar with the matter. The carrier is seeking to avoid the kind of public-relations hit that AT&T took when the boom in data-hungry iPhones overtaxed its network, especially in New York and San Francisco.

Android sales have surged this year and it seems to be the platform of choice for consumers and developers. It doesn’t really matter if Android is actually a threat to the iPhone or not, Apple has to do something to stay competitive in the smartphone market. Verizon is one of the biggest pushers of Android devices, being the home for the original Droid, Droid X, and now the Droid Pro.

While Apple won’t comment on a Verizon iPhone, Verizon President Lowell McAdam said at a press conference “At some point our business interests are going to align. I fully expect it, but I don’t have anything to say.” Not necessarily a denial, but Verizon and Apple still have some things to iron out. Getting the technology together is one thing, but the companies also have to agree about things on the software side.

At this point, Verizon is in a power position over Apple. They don’t need Apple like AT&T does, but Apple needs Verizon to grow and expand. It looks like one major stumbling block is in Apple wanting to keep things like V-Cast off of the iPhone. Depending on how badly they want it, Apple could be pressured into adding V-Cast and other bloatware to a Verizon offering, something that I’m sure many potential customers would be concerned about.

via WSJ, TechCrunch