Carrier IQ Meets with FCC and FTC, Explaining Privacy Concerns

Carrier IQ, the embattled phone-monitoring software maker, sought meetings with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to educate the two agencies about the functionality of its software and answer any and all questions this week. Although Congressman Markey has asked the FTC to investigate the practices of Carrier IQ, we are not aware of an official investigation into Carrier IQ at this time.

The Federal Trade Commission is the US organization that protects consumer privacy and enforces privacy-related laws, and would be Carrier IQ’s primary foe if an investigation is undertaken. “Consumers and families need to understand who is siphoning off and storing their personal information every time they use their smart phone,” Markey said. “I am asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate this practice, and I will continue to monitor this important privacy issue.”

However, the FTC did not immediately respond to a request for information, the agency does not generally reveal the subjects of its investigations unless the company at issue makes it public. For those who need a refresher, Carrier IQ made headlines in recent weeks after a researcher, Trevor Eckhart, suggested that the technology is secretly embedded on many popular phones and can gather personal data about users. Carrier IQ said its technology is used for diagnostic purposes and denied logging keystrokes or being able to read the content of emails, text messages, or Web sites.

Lawsuits have been filed against Carrier IQ and some carriers, while lawmakers are peppering Carrier IQ with questions and asking the FTC to investigate - which looks like it just may be happening. The public backlash has been fast and furious, in part fueled by the company's reaction to the initial report - Carrier IQ served a cease-and-desist order on Eckhart. The company eventually backed down after the Electronic Frontier Foundation got involved on Eckhart's behalf, but the damage was done as the move made it seem like Carrier IQ was trying to censor a whistleblower and had something to hide.

More recently, there were reports that the FBI was using Carrier IQ software. A blogger filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request asking for details about the agency's use of the technology, but that request was denied because, the FBI said, it might interfere with law enforcement efforts. Someone speculates that "What is still unclear is whether the FBI used Carrier IQ's software in its own investigations, whether it is currently investigating Carrier IQ. The response would seem to indicate at least the former, since the request was specifically for documents related directly to accessing and analyzing Carrier IQ data."

Carrier IQ came out on the charm defensive, releasing a comprehensive FAQ detailing exactly what – and what not – was supposedly collected by its network monitoring tools. Nonetheless, many carriers themselves have been quick to put distance between them and the analytics firm.

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Is Apple iPad 3 coming out in early 2012?

According to a Citi analyst, Apple’s next-generation iPad -- likely called an iPad 3, is expected to come out in early 2012. If recent analysis about Apple's imminent tablet plans are true, the third-generation iPad will arrive sometime between February and April 2012. In a research note sent last Thursday, Richard Gardner said "several sources" indicated that Apple would launch its next-generation iOS tablet as much as a month earlier than it released the iPad 2 in 2011.

Such a device would be similar to the iPad 2, but include Apple's high-resolution retina display technology found on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S by doubling the iPad 3's screen resolution, said analyst Richard Gardner in a research note. The analyst also said that "there do not appear to be any significant technical hurdles remaining" to prevent the launch of a high-resolution iPad, which contradicts previous reports that fitting such a dense screen into an Apple tablet was one of the reasons Apple iPad 2 maintained the 1024 x 768 resolution of the first iPad. Both the first iPad and iPad 2 displays have a pixel density of 132 pixels per inch.

It’s reported that another feature of the next-generation iPad will have the same screen size but will be a bit thicker than the iPad 2, in order to support hardware that would increase the display resolution from 1,024-by-768 pixels to 2,048-by-1,536. iLounge's best source thinks that the iPad 3 will be 0.7 mm thicker, and trade magazine Digitimes has reported that Apple is at least considering a thicker unit in order to accommodate the sensors necessary for the better, so-called Retina Display (so dubbed because, according to Apple, the human eye cannot make out the individual pixels on the screen). If the iPad 3 does come out with a thicker body, it will join in on the great American tradition of emerging from the wintertime fatter than before.

Production of the new iPads is expected to reach 9.5-9.8 million units in the first quarter of 2012. Sales of iPad products totaled 25.06 million in the first three quarters of 2011 and are likely to reach 40 million units for all of 2011, the sources estimated. However, the new Android tablets like the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime look to be much better direct competition for the iOS-based iPad than the first generation of tablets based on Google's mobile operating system. Cheaper, smaller device like Amazon's Kindle Fire, Barnes & Noble's Nook Tablet, and even a sub-$100 tablet using a MIPS-based chip are starting to appear.

Apple could head off competition from similarly priced Android tablets at the pass by getting its latest, greatest tablet technology out a bit sooner than expected. That would also have the effect of reducing prices for older versions of the iPad, which would encourage consumers attracted to the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet to instead climb aboard the iOS platform at a discount.

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Back-glances of iOS Development, iOS 1、2、3、4、5

On January 10, 2007, Steve Jobs demonstrated a new intelligent mobile phone---iPhone, as well as the iOS system, which has changed history.
At that time Windows Mobile、Palm OS、Symbian and BlackBerry OS were all active on the mobile stage.
The first generation of iPhone did not support 3G, didn't support the third-app, didn't support copy and paste text, didn't support multiple tasks, didn't support email attachments, didn't support MMS, Exchange, Office Editor and so on.
Now let us together make a five-year-review of iOS from the 2007 when iOS 1 and iPhone were born...

iOS 1

June, 2007---iOS 1.0---First generation of iPhone

Although it was not perfect, it brought much profound impact later

- The core of iOS user interface
- Mobile Safari browser
- A new form of " widescreen" iPod
- Google Map
- Visual voice mail
- ITunes synchronization
- Virtual keyboard

September, 2007 -- iOS 1.1 -- iPhone 1 / iPod touch 1

- iTunes Wi-Fi music store

- iPod touch compatible

January, 2008 -- iOS 1.1.3

- better positioning

- Set webpage shortcut icon on main screen

- Re-layout icon

- Multi point touch keyboard

iOS 2


iOS 2, from July, 2008, created a new era, i'm not wrong, just App Store.
At the beginning it took use of iTunes music users, and now becomes most popular program store, App Store created value for Apple and developers, and brought a full range of intelligent mobile phone experience.


July, 2008 -- iOS 2 -- iPhone 1, 3G; iPod touch 1

- local third party programs

- App Store

- Support Microsoft Exchange

- MobileMe

- Search contacts

September, 2008 -- iOS 2.1 -- iPhone 1, 3G iPod touch1, 2;

- Improve battery life and speed

- iTunes Genius playlist

- line repair

2008 November -- iOS 2.2 -- iPhone 1, 3G iPod touch1, 2;

- Google Street View

- Podcast Download

iOS 3

IOS 3.0 is an era when functions outbroke, iPhone began to support the 3G network, its lack of functions got a full complement, and added many local features, leting iPhone play more intelligently in life.

June, 2009 -- iOS 3 -- iPhone1, 3G, 3GS; iPod touch 1, 2

- cut, paste, copy

- Voice control

- MMS information

- Spotlight search

- push notification

- USB and Bluetooth connection

Lateral keyboard

- Find My iPhone

September, 2009 -- iOS 3.1 -- iPhone1, 3G, 3GS; iPod touch, 1, 2, 3

- Genius function

- ringtones download

- Remote locking

- Control through blue tooth speech

iOS 4


In June, 2010, the arrival of the iOS 4 brought more functions, Apple will always add the needs point by point to surprise us, for example the multi task switching, if lack this function now, will you hold on?

June, 2010 -- iOS 4 -- iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4; iPod touch 2, 3

- Multi task

- Folder

- FaceTime Contact

- Unified mail inbox

- Multi - thread message

- Retina HD display technology

- Support iAd advertising

iOS 5


Now iOS 5 is in front of your eyes, iPhone 4S Siri voice assistant, iMessage, notify the center and other new features that we are beginning to experience and the time is not so long, and iCloud cloud storage.
Do you feel the release conference is visible?

October, 2011 -- iOS 5 -- iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S iPad 1, 2; 3, 4; iPod touch

- Siri voice

- Notification Center

- free PC

- iTunes Wi-Fi synchronization

- iMessage

- iCloud

This article is posted by iPad Video Converter Club.

Four Major Attractions of The Newly-Launched Aiseesoft DVD Creator.

Through continuous innovation and the day and night's hard work of Aiseesoft Studio's engineers, Aiseesoft Studio has released DVD Creator to welcome the coming Christmas.

Other thighs aside, this DVD Creator can burn videos to nearly all DVD+-R/RW, DVD-RAM, DVD-5(4.5G) and DVD-9(8.5GB) discs. And the created DVD-format disc could be played perfect on most portable and home DVD player.
This is a victory.

There are four major attractions in this program and after you have a try by yourself, maybe you will be astonished.

First Attraction, With it, you can easily preserve your favorite videos like AVI, MPEG, DivX, DV, VOB, WMV, MP4, M2TS, MTS, etc. to DVD-format disc, and also it allows users to burn video to DVD folder and ISO files, which can be stored in local disk.

Second Attraction, Compared with other DVD Movie Creators or DVD Burners, Aiseesoft DVD Creator is more personalized. With it, you can first edit the video effect, such as brightness, saturation, contrast, hue and volume and also you can cut off any video segment and crop the video frame, etc. Thus, you can make your DVD as you wish not like the DVDs in the market that you can only watch them.

Third Attraction, In addition to Edit the video sources effect, you can Customize the DVD menu. There are many beautiful menu templates for users to choose, and certainly, you can prefer that there is no menu in your DVD, if you like the simple template.
After you have chosen the menu template, you can also select the menu frame and button style. Also you can edit the menu text content and define its font, size and color.
Moreover, this software enables you to attach your own background picture/music and opening film to the DVD menu.

Fourth Attraction, This DVD Creator allows users to choose the audio track for the DVD. Besides of the exciting audio track, you can also add your own audio track or background music to the DVD.

You can choose a language to sign the audio track you preferred, adjust the volume, and choose audio encoder/bitrate/channels. If the audio track and the video scenes do not match, you can adjust the audio latency to make the audio track sync with the image of video.

Certainly there are many other creative functions waiting for your discovery.
Please have a try by yourself: http://www.aiseesoft.com/dvd-creator/

How to convert DVD to iPod/iPhone/Sansa/PSP/Zune/iRiver/Google Phone/Cell Phone, etc. on Mac

Many people like enjoy movies at home and they have piles of DVDs. So do I. I like watch lastest movie on my new Mac and it is wonderful. However, I always break and lose my DVDs and I was really sad because they cost most of my money. Luckily, I find a way to store my DVD movies on my new Mac computer and evern put it on my iPod because I use a DVD Ripper for Mac and it can rip DVDs to so many video formats, such as AVI, MP4, MOV, MKV, WMV, DivX, XviD, MPEG-1/2, 3GP, 3G2, VOB and so on.

To do this you must have a nice dvd ripper for Mac. So I find Aiseesoft DVD Ripper for Mac

OK, let’s do it.
Step 1. Download and install Aisesoft DVD Ripper for Mac.

For Intel

For Power PC

Step 2. Load you DVD.
Click the “Load DVD” button(a), find the DVD folder of the movie you want to add from your DVD-ROM, and Click “Open”.



Tick the check boxes(b) before the titles and chapters that you want to rip.

Step 3. Chose output profile and settings.
Selecting output format is really easy, you can chose your output format according to your devices players and the default setting works great.

For a veteran of digital player, you could customize your own settings by clicking “Settings” button to chose your own video resolution, frame rate, bit rate, encoder, etc.

Tips: Sample rate (Hz) = any value up to 48000 (higher value = better sound quality = bigger file)
Bitrate (kbps) = any value up to 160 (higher value = better sound quality = bigger file)

After setting your own output and settings you can click “Start” button to start your conversion. (The time of the conversion depends on your DVD and the settings you chose.)

Do a few more clicks to make your movie more enjoyable.
1. Trim

If you want to rip only a part of the DVD movie, please click “Trim” button and drag the “Start trim slider” to set the start time and “End trim slider” to set the end time.(a). You can also do that by clicking the “Start trim button” and “End trim button”(b). The third way you do that is set the exact Start/End time at the right of the pop-up window and click “OK”.

2. Crop
If you want to remove the black edges or you want to rip a certain area of your video, please click the “Crop” button. You can do this either by drag the frame around the movie (a) or set the crop value: “Top, Left, Bottom, Right”.(b). Another way to do that is choose mode from “Crop Mode”(c).
Aiseesoft DVD Ripper for Mac also allows you to choose the output aspect ratio above the crop pane, “Keep Original, full screen, 16:9 and 4:3” are available.

3. Effect
If you want to adjust the effect of your movie, please click the “Effect” button and a pop-up effect window will appear. It allows you to edit your movie’s effect including “Brightness, Contrast, Hue, Saturation and Volume”.

4. Merge into one file/audio track/subtitles
If you would like to put several titles and chapters into one output file, please tick the check box of the “Merge into one file”.
You can choose audio track and subtitles you like according to what you prefer and the DVD supports.

Follow what I said above I hope you could enjoy your DVD movies on your Mac and also on your iPod and other portable players

Microsoft will open Windows store for Metro-style Windows 8 App in February

Microsoft on Tuesday brought its Windows 8 road show to San Francisco, where the company previewed its upcoming Windows Store for app developers and media. They will open the online marketplace for Metro-style Windows 8 application in late February 2012. The key ingredients of the Windows Store are easy app discovery from within and without the online marketplace, built-in app trials with quick upgrade paths, support for both x86 and ARM-based hardware, and a flexible business model, Microsoft's Antoine Leblond said.

With Apple's Mac App Store and iTunes Store already operational and selling both computer and tablet applications, Microsoft is keen to highlight the differences and promises to make an application store that was more flexible, more transparent, and ultimately more lucrative for developers than Apple's. The Windows Store will make it easy for Windows customers to find, try and buy useful, high-quality apps from practically anywhere in the world. With code-named "Windows 8" and the Windows Store, developers can enjoy a built-in distribution and update mechanism for their apps. Built using HTML5 and JavaScript, the Windows Store is a fast, fluid, full-screen Metro-style app taking advantage of the Metro-style design principles inspired in Windows 8. Easy to build for, submit to and sell through, the Windows Store is designed with app discoverability and visibility in mind. The Windows Store will open its virtual doors to consumers and begin allowing for submission of free apps for Windows 8 Beta in late February next year.

The Windows Store will support both free and paid applications, with paid applications ranging from $1.49 to $999. As with Microsoft's Windows Phone Marketplace, developers can offer free trials, with integrated support for converting trials to full versions. Microsoft will provide its own advertising and in-app purchase infrastructure, but these will be strictly optional, if a developer wants to use a different ad network, or its own subscription and billing system, that's not a problem. With a standard validation process that developers can use even before they make their submission and an online tracker that tells them which phase their application is in and how long they can expect the process to take. But money is, for many developers, the most important feature of any online store. The Windows Store will take a 30 percent cut of application sales, just like Apple's store.

The Windows Store follows the path of Apple's Mac App Store, a software marketplace that's built into Mac OS X. That's provided a way for customers to quickly download both free and paid applications for their computers. Microsoft will offer the app marketplace around the world. Leblond said it will support more than 100 languages in 231 different markets. With the dominant operating system software as a lure, the Windows Store could evolve into a meaningful revenue generator for the company, which rang up just shy of $70 billion in the last fiscal year.

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Carrier IQ was found in New Android Applications

The company behind the now-notorious Carrier IQ software that has been found to log every keystroke pressed, website visited and text message sent by 150 million mobile phone users. Carrier IQ, of course, professes its innocence, but the company has also received some public support from security researchers who say Carrier IQ software is only tracking diagnostic information and likely is not violating user privacy. Now, Carrier IQ has elaborated upon many arguments with a more detailed breakdown of how its software functions, and a more substantive defense of its practices.

During a recent interview with the Register, Carrier IQ VP of marketing Andrew Coward acknowledged that his company's mobile software logs keystrokes, intercepts text messages and gathers geographic data, but insisted that the overwhelming majority of this information is discarded almost as soon as it comes in, thereby posing virtually no threat to user privacy.

Carrier IQ only retains text messages or keystroke patterns that carry proprietary tags. These tags identify all transmissions that could be used to populate analytic data, including some that may be considered sensitive. If a user drops a call, for instance, the system will note his or her location, and the numbers of each party. In other cases, the company may receive a special SMS, which provides Carrier IQ with important diagnostic information.

Now, Carrier IQ has legal and publicity problems to handle. One new class-action lawsuit names both Carrier IQ and HTC, accusing the companies of violations under the Federal Wiretap Act. Another lawsuit was filed against Carrier IQ as well as HTC and Samsung, both of which have confirmed installing Carrier IQ software on their Smartphone, saying they do so at the request of wireless carriers.

Why Android only? Carrier IQ is no longer supported as of iOS 5 (Apple insists its customers have to opt-in before any information about their Smartphone is shipped off to Apple HQ), and blocking its effects on your iOS 5-based iPhone is super-easy: Click on your Settings button, then General, About, Diagnostics & Usage, and select " Don't Send."

However, Carrier IQ is a bit more integrated within the Android OS – so much so, that you'll need to root your device prior to attempting any removal efforts. But the first step in the process is finding out whether your Smartphone has Carrier IQ installed to begin with. And Lookout's new application makes this a one-touch affair.

Carrier IQ boasts that its software is deployed on more than 141 million handsets, and has operated for several years without any major level of controversy. Clearly, Smartphone would be capable of tracking much of our activity even if Carrier IQ never existed. But the lawsuits filed against Carrier IQ and its customers, and forthcoming responses to Franken's letters, should shed more light on exactly what information is collected and how it is used.

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