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Carrier-IQ Tries To Sue TrevE | xda-developers
02 months ago
Following up on the CarrierIQ story that was featured over at XDA the company has turned around and tried to sue the developer who posted the detailed writeup.
A few days ago, it seems that TrevE received a Cease and Desist letter from CIQ after the maelstrom that was caused by his findings which I spoke about in my previous article. Making a long story short, the article described how the CIQ software was installed on a large chunk of devices out in the market and that it was rather difficult to take out/turn off. Moreover, TrevE used the very accurate definition of rootkit for this software. The reason I say “very accurate” is because I have seen lots of comments from people saying that a rootkit by definition must be able to run code, which is not the case. A perfect example of a piece of software that was a rootkit was Sony’s software which came hidden in media like music CDs and movies and automatically installed itself in your computer if you played it. The only way to remove this thing (before Sony released the patch to uninstall it) was by formatting your computer. The software itself did not run any code but it installed itself silently in your computer and run hidden from sight. Again, the actual definition of rootkit can be found here, so if you are unsure of what it does or what it is, check the link. TrevE’s article went on to explain how the app works, what it collects, and most importantly, how to get rid of it.
The web exploded with comments and cross posts about this in a matter of a few days. After a few days, Carrier-IQ finally caught wind of this and decided to send the following letter to TrevE, where basically they are accusing him of using and redistributing copyrighted and confidential materials without authorization (aka piracy) and also they are demanding that he posts a public apology stating that all of his findings were essentially wrong and that he has nothing but good things to say about Carrier-IQ. The letter also goes on to say that he has about 24 hours to comply or else he would be sued by a large sum, which includes monetary damages, court fees, and other legal related costs. In case you are not sure why the short time frame, it is very clear… they wanted to ensure that TrevE did not have time to seek legal counsel. Luckily, TrevE had enough time to seek legal council from the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation), which immediately jumped to his aid.
Hats off to the EFF for coming to his aid! Head on over to XDA and show your support!
More on Carrier IQ
02 months ago
XDA Developers has posted a followup to yesterdays article covering Carrier IQ and what it means to you as a smart phone user.
The point–short, sweet, and at the beginning of the article–is that we do not get to choose whether this information is collected. Or who sees it. Authorized employees only? Marketing and polling firms? Law enforcement? All rhetorical questions, because we don’t know.
Head on over and read the full article:
CarrierIQ | Android Security Test
02 months ago
I found this article on XDA and it then links to the original, that I am sharing with you now. One of the developers over there has dug deep into the code and found this bit of software. A quote from the XDA article:
You may recall from a few articles back that we started talking about something called CIQ or Carrier iQ. This is, essentially, a piece of software that is embedded into most mobile devices, not just Android but Nokia, Blackberry, and likely many more. According to TrevE, the software is installed as a rootkit software in the RAM of devices where it resides. This software basically is completely hidden from view and in it virtually invisible, and worst of all, rather complicated to kill (some devices more so than others and you will see why in a few minutes). This is given root like rights over the device, which means that it can do everything it pleases and you will have nothing to say about it.
Scare stuff. Read the full writeup at the authors blog below.
Sprint’s Policies Updated – iPhone Owners Beware! | xda-developers
03 months ago
I will let the anonymous quote from Sprint speak for it’s self:
iPhone
Apple considers jail breaking an “Unauthorized Modification” which puts the device in the
Red Defect category.o If the jailbreaking and modification are so extensive that the device cannot be used or
triaged by the normal processes, then the device must be flagged as Red (Not
Repairable) and are therefore not eligible for exchange.
• In eTicket, select Non Repairable Damage as the complaint type, iPhone Jailbroken as the complaint detail and close the ticket.
• Ensure your eTicket notes contain thorough details on your findings and that rooting was suspected.
o If the jailbreaking modifications can’t be detected thru the normal processes, proceed as
normal and allow an exchange, classifying the device based on other damage noted.
Sprint’s Policies Updated – iPhone Owners Beware! | xda-developers.
No iPhone5…is anybody really surprised?
04 months ago
In what is apparently a very surprising move Apple announced the next iphone, but not the 5. As was expected by some they announced the 3G iPhone4S with some various other hardware improvements.
Personally this did not come as any surprise. Without 4G the iPhone5 would not be able to compete with the latest Android offerings. Plus there was reference in the code to the 4S, not the 5.
I would expect to see the 5 in 1st quarter 2012 once 3G coverage has expanded and they work out some of the battery issues.
Droid 3 ClockWorkMod Recovery!!
04 months ago
A HUGE thank you to Hashcode who has been working dilligently to get us ClockWorkMod, the most popular custom recovery, on the Droid 3.
As of right now flashing is disabled but nandroid backups do work. I had no progress bar when I ran it on mine but it worked well. This means we have a good backup option.
Remember, this is a 2nd init recovery. The startup script has to be able to at least partly run (I believe it has to hit line 127) for this to work, so it is still possible to brick your phone.
DROID BIONIC by Motorola is in the wild!!
05 months ago
Just a quick note about the latest Motorola smart phone to hit the market. Sporting dual cores and 4G LTE capabilities it is a powerhouse.
Early reports indicate that the same rooting method that worked on the Droid 3 works here.
DROID BIONIC by Motorola – Android Social Smartphone – - Experience – Motorola Mobility, Inc. USA.
Droid 3 has been rooted??
05 months ago
After several month of hunting and searching for exploits, including some work by myself, one of the developers over at XDA has claimed to finally have cracked Gingerbread 2.3.4 and gotten Root for the Droid 3
We are still waiting on instructions and proof pictures but based on his other posts and some conversations with other devs the chances seem high that we may be looking at root!
Stay tuned for updates as I get them.
Update #1: It is real. The IRC channel is buzzing right now. I showed up a bit late and miss the directions but I hope to have a better idea shortly.
Update #2: The developer has released the instructions :
http://vulnfactory.org/blog/2011/08/25/rooting-the-droid-3/
All credit goes to him for finding this.
Hands on with the Droid 3
06 months ago
Congratulations...It's a DROID!!
As expected from the numerous leaks on the internet the third generation of the Motorola Droid series hit the market. The Droid 3 is the latest in what was once the flagship product of the Motorola family. Sporting a new keyboard, larger screen, and dual core processors this beast is poised to take the market. Lets take a look at the specifications from Verizon.com
Network
- All–Digital, 800/1900, CDMA EVDO rev A and GSM 850/900/1800/1900 UMTS
Dimensions
- Dimensions: 2.5(w) x 4.9(h) x 0.5 (d) inches
- Weight: 5.9oz
Operating System
- Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS with Motorola Application Platform
Display
- 4” qHD 960 x 540 Touch Screen Display
Keyboard
- 5–row QWERTY Keyboard with Ergonomic design
- Physical slide out QWERTY Keyboard
Battery
- Battery: 1540 mAH Li–Ion
- Usage Time – Up to approx. (min.): 550 Minutes
- Standby Time – Up to approx. (hrs.): 300 Hours
- SAR: Head: .77 W/kg; Body: 1.46 W/kg
Memory / Processor
- 16GB Internal memory for emails, texts, and apps
- Dual Core 1Ghz processor
I am on my 2 week mark with my new Droid 3 and so far I love it. Coming from the Droid 1 the keyboard is stunning and does not feel stiff as my last phone. It reminds me more of a Blackberry keypad where you get a nice click but almost no resistance. Typing is fluid and quick once you get use to the slightly shifted keys.
The screen is equally stunning. I had my worries due to the screen being a Pentile design however I see almost no fuzziness in even high contrast views. As full brightness it is readable outside in everything but direct sunlight, a huge plus for me when I have to check emails on the walk into the building. Some people do see slight pixilation so i would suggest checking the device out in a story before ordering.
The phone is fast, very fast. Animation is quite smooth and games play flawlessly. That speed does come at a bit of a price as the battery life does suffer. Dropping the brightness and disabling the GSM radio (or removing the SIM card) help a lot with the battery. There is an extended battery that also helps and adds very little to the width of the phone.
In hand the phone feels solid and about the same weight as the Droid 1. It has similar size and weight to the Droid x. The battery cover bothers me as it is the only plastic feeling part of the phone. Removing the battery cover is easier with a screwdriver or some other leverage but can be done by hand.
As far as the software there is a ton of bloatware on the phone. Blur seems to be much better than previous versions but I found msyelf quickly moving to ADW EX again. The social apps are fairly well done but lack some customization. They also seem to have some issues with networks like LinkedIn. The gallery app needs some serious work to allow for folders as albums, however the link to the social media services along with DLNA capabilites makes up for the current shortcomings.
The remaining apps are bloat and I will be very happy once Root is unlocked and they can be removed.
On the note of Root this phone has a locked Bootloader, so custom roms are going to be a pain for now. This may change as it is ether unlocked by developers or Motorola unlocks it (they promised the Atrix will be unlocked so it is not out of the question).
Another negative is the lack of 4G. For a phone that was once the flagship of the Android movement this is a oversight that should not happen. Rumors are that the Bionic will have 4G and will end up being the flagship product in the future.
Overall I love the new phone. If you are looking for a good upgrade and can live without 4G for a few years this is a great path to take.