Quality and affordable computer support
My Rants
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!
The Cloud is bigger and Jesus and other exaggeration that people need to stop
05 months ago
I am going to warn you right now that this is listed under “My Rants” for a reason.
So I am reading a post over at Forbes today that just made my head spin. For reference here is the full article:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2011/09/07/will-cloud-computing-really-be-as-big-as-the-internet/
Oh god…where do I begin??
Lets start with the title and the simple fact that the Cloud can never be bigger than the Internet because it is the Internet. Therefor the best you can get is “The Could is Equal to the Internet”.
Then on to some content
Let’s not forget that cloud computing is already off to an impressive start, having revolutionized communication via web-based Gmail, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. These applications require neither data storage nor installation on a PC, because they are all hosted in the cloud. Consumers access these popular social media apps, and thousands of others, via smart phones and tablets anytime, anywhere. Thanks to cloud computing, Internet apps scale to accommodate nearly a nearly infinite number of users to enable “all information, all the time, for all people.”
What?!?! Those things are not Cloud computing. There barely even computing. That is called…well..THE WEB! It is the basic function of the internet. It is not Cloud computing and to call it such is an insult to what the Cloud is, and what it could be. If Facebook is Cloud, then so is this Blog, and the restaurant website you visited, and IRC.
COME ON PEOPLE!!
Everything on the Internet is not Cloud computing. Cloud computing is the decentralization and disconnection of normal computing functions, leveraging remote resources to provide portability, scaling, and ease of deployment over an entire network including the Internet.
It is not checking your email on your phone!!
What Cloud Computing “Should” be.
16 months ago
Buzz word alert!!! Everybody is getting into the business of the “Cloud”. It is the future, where all technology is going. Yet why is each companies definition of Cloud computing different? Why does Apple and Amazon sell it as storage and web app while VMWare sells it as virtual computing?
Because there is no Cloud yet.
Hate to say it but it is the truth. The Cloud is still a vision of centralized, yet decentralized computing. It is both the disconnecting of your data from your devices and the distribution of content.
It is….well…confused about what it wants to be.
Here is my hopes and dreams for the Cloud. Disconnection from personal devices. Your phone, computer, car, tv, and any other device that you interact with become access points and completely interchangeable. Everything that can be stored as data becomes your digital avatar. Applications, settings, documents, everything is now stored on the “Always On” Cloud of the future.
Sounds familiar? Well let me rant more and that will change 
. Up to this point we are still talking of a “Client/Server” relationship. This is where the Cloud needs to step away. The greatest promise of Cloud Computing is that any client can be a server. Your TV is part of the cloud, both as a client for you or whoever else, and storing data or running applications. Think of Grid computing but on a universal scale. Devices share their resources when you are not using them.
Infinite storage, infinite processing power only limited by the consumers willingness to invest in the devices. That would be a very interesting worlds if you ask me.
British Hackers Take Down Al-Qaeda Websites | PCWorld
0I stumbled on this today and just had to share it. I really do not have much to add so I will quote a section:
This week’s hackers were believed to be government sponsored, which would explain the high-level expertise these white hats showed. The U.K. government allegedly was also behind this month’s cupcake recipe hacks, and it is generally believed that it sponsored those hackers as well, encouraging them to mess with al-Qaeda.
Replacing bomb making instructions with cupcake recipes….priceless.
Cisco AnyConnect for Samsung – Android Market
07 months ago
I love Android!
It should be no secret by now that I regard the mobile operating system as on of the best on the market. It is portable, easily developed for, and open source not counting Honeycomb.
However I have issues with Google. They have a great operating system and a wonderful market position yet they are continuously dropping the ball or corporate support.
Simple things that we often overlook but are critical for corporate living are all but missing in Android. Exchange server support is there but patheticly implemented to the point that some security settings end up crashing the device. Proxy server is all but non-existent unless you ether hack or know the secret code, and even then the code does not work well. Sharepoint is useless on the mobile browser thanks to lack of NTLM authentication.
Worst of all the VPN support is… well…there is no good VPN support. Until now that is. Cisco has taken up the challenge and is working with individual device manufacturers to provide robust VPN support. So far this is only available for Samsung galaxy tablets but in a Facebook post they said work with other manufacturers is not out of the question.
Thank you Cisco for the work put into what should be a default part of any corporate mobile operating system!!
The death of Optical install media?
07 months ago
Several months back I was replying to a post on the Ubuntu Forums concerning an article title Five Tech Products that will be Dead in Five Years. It is an interesting read overall but I found many of the points to be false. Most notable the section about CD/DVD media
Computer DVD/CD-ROM
Why they’re going extinct: Ultra-fast broadband connections are becoming much more common in the home. According to Speedtest.net, average download speeds in the U.S. are now over 11Mpbs. That means most programs can be downloaded in a matter of minutes, or even seconds. So why would you want to pay the extra cost of having a DVD printed, boxed and shipped to your home? You wouldn’t. And in five years it won’t even be an option.
To that point I gave the following reply:
2 – Someday it is possible but not in the next 5 or 10 years. I still have clients using floppy disks on Windows 2000. Unless the turnover rate of hardware is increased (Microsoft would say it is 3-5 years, it is actually closer to 10) the legacy media will remain.
I mean really, who is going to give up CD/DVDs for a slow download?
Well….me for one.
A few months since I have spent some time thinking about that statement and my reply. There is some accuracy in her statement that I missed during my first pass.
For example the last three games I purchased were downloaded. Sure they were older games but many of the manufacturers are embracing digital download media. Why not? It is a cost savings to them overall. You also see an increase in purchasing when the buyer does not have to leave their chair.
Let us also not forget the wonders of Cloud Computing that promise this very feature. Media as a service delivered to you no matter where you are. The removal of install media is at the very core of what the cloud is trying to be.
Is it too hard to imagine that we could see the end of CD/DVD installs in 5 years after looking at all the more recent changes?
Personally I think 5 years is a bit too fast. Even with the ever increasing adaptation of newer operating systems in the client space we are still looking at a good 3-5 years before the majority of end-users are in a position to take full advantage of digital media delivery. I think it will be another 2-3 years after that point before we see a decline, though I would product a very sharp decline at that point.
Adobe issues warning for “critical” security flaw in Flash for Android
01 year ago
Ah Adobe, how you hurt us so. First we had vulnerabiliteis in the x64 version of Flash, some that will not be fixed for a long time. Now you give Android users the same worry.
Why do you hate non-Microsoft Adobe? Did Steve Jobs kick your kitten when you were young? Bad memories of installing Linux?
Adobe promises a fix starting September 27, 2010. Until then take care where you surf with your Android Device. While the security on the devices “should” prevent serious damage you will want to be as safe as possible.
Adobe issues warning for “critical” security flaw in Flash for Android | andrew | Androinica.
“Shrimp and Crab” data charge for $10, according to Sprint.
01 year ago
Our good friends over at explainthefee.com have been fighting the good fight to get Sprint to come clean about the $10 fee associated with the HTC Evo.
If you have not been following along here is the basics. Sprint has a $10 “premium data” fee that you have to pay for the privilege of owning the HTC Evo. This does not take into account if you are using 4G, or if you already have unlimited data. For the privilege of owning the Evo you must pay an extra $10 a month.
Sprint has been very evasive on this topic, so the website was formed to put pressure on them to state the exact reason for the fee.
In a recent chat with a Sprint representative responding to a BBB complaint there were several highlight, most notable the one about shrimp and crab.
Me: Your reply to me is that the $10, the $10 premium data add-on is for unlimited data usage, my plan already has unlimited data, what would be the difference between this and I went to say, an all you can eat buffet, that was basically all you can eat, and this term, this is all you can use, what is, why would the $10 premium data fee ensure that I have unlimited data?
Sprint: it would be for shrimp and crab.
Me: OK um..
Sprint: The shrimp and crab is not included in the regular buffet.
Me: OK, what is shrimp and crab, what is the comparison to shrimp and crab on the HTC EVO?
Sprint: the high quality video, like I said, the YouTube application, it’s the other phones have, they do have the YouTube applications, they do have the ESPN and things like that,the ESPN that you’d be able to stream on the EVO is different , it’s higher quality, like I said, it requires more data, when you’re using that actual feature.
Yes, that is an actual except from the conversation. For more quotes and the entire recorded conversation you can visit them at the link below.
Sprint says “Premium Data” is for “Shrimp and Crab”. | Explain the Fee!.
On a side note, there is a buffet down the street from where I work and Shrimp and Crab are part of the price. I guess it is a location thing…..