US Sen. Schumer writes letter to Apple CEO over iPhone 4 antenna |
| Democratic New York Senator Charles Schumer on Thursday issued an open letter to Steve Jobs regarding the iPhone 4 antenna issues, calling Apple's current solutions "insufficient" and asking the company to provide a free fix for consumers. |
Adding this eFuse "feature" seems like a great idea right ? Whats next? Bricking my refrigerator when I try to change the water filter ? | Well, I might have recommended a Droid X for big-phone-lovin’ fandroids out there… but now that I’ve read about Motorola’s insane eFuse security system, I’m going to have to give this one a big fat DON’T BUY on principle. I won’t restate all my reasons for supporting the modding, hacking, jailbreaking, and so on of your legally-owned products here — if you’re interested in a user’s manifesto, read this — but suffice it to say that deliberately bricking a phone if the user fiddles with it does not fall under the “reasonable” category of precautions taken by manufacturers |
Really. If you want to make it difficult to hack, that’s fine. You think your software should be enough, that’s fine. But once I pay money for the item, it’s mine, and disabling my device because you don’t like what I’m doing with it falls under the category of sabotage.
Here’s what eFuse does. This information is a couple days old but it’s worth reading if you’re interested in Android, development, or open standards in general. Besides, I just found out about it, so you have to read my words whether you like it or not. or you could just stop reading. Either way. Anyway: |
If the eFuse failes to verify this information then the eFuse receives a command to “blow the fuse” or “trip the fuse”. This results in the booting process becoming corrupted and resulting in a permanent bricking of the Phone. This FailSafe is activated anytime the bootloader is tampered with or any of the above three parts of the phone has been tampered with.
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It requires a hardware fix, apparently, only available through Motorola, of course. This is the equivalent of a MacBook detonating some core component if you try to install an OS to dual boot. Read more at www.mobilecrunch.com |
This looks very interesting. I cant wait to do a little app creation ;)
| Google is following in Nokia's footsteps today by offering its users a simple-to-use DIY app maker. Employing a design scheme that relies on visual blocks rather than oodles of arcane code, the App Inventor -- still in Beta, of course -- has functions for "just about anything" you can do with an Android handset, including access to GPS and phone functionality. All that's really missing is the raw creative talent, which we're sure you'll be happy to provide. Hit the source link to get involved or skip past the break for an educational video. Read more at www.engadget.com |
Seriously, when will Microsoft learn ... Just give up already.
This is an interesting take, but I tend to disagree. I think that in all actuality, the iphone would have been bigger and better if it was not tied to one carrier. Apple didnt need AT&T to launch the iPhone, they should have done what Google did with the Nexus One and sold it them selves unlocked and people would have jumped at chance. AT&T is what has held the iphone and Apple back. Net neutrality: would it have killed the iPhone? |
Now here's an interesting claim: had net neutrality been the law of the land several years back, we might not have the iPhone. |
"The Apple iPhone may never have emerged if we had blocked or discouraged the type of 'exclusive,' 'discriminatory' deals like the one Apple (a new entrant to the mobile market) struck with AT&T," writes Swanson. "Apple’s entry was a move fraught with uncertainty, and the partnership with AT&T allowed both sides to make the investments of time and money necessary to execute a monumental project. The iPhone unleashed wave after wave of innovation in the mobile arena—like 'app stores'—thus pushing all competitors at many layers of the wireless value chain towards more dynamism and openness than ever before." Read more at arstechnica.com |
I think this is a pretty big hit, but not to Google. I really feel a lot of folks were waiting for the Nexus One to pop up on Verizon and then grab it up. But not now and I think Verizon made a bad move here Google loses Verizon, changes Nexus One plans |
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc said it no longer plans to offer a version of its Nexus One smartphone for the Verizon Wireless network and will change its distribution plans in Britain, underscoring the challenges facing the Internet search company as it expands into the mobile phone market.
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Google also broke with traditional mobile industry business practices by selling the Nexus One exclusively on its website, bypassing the wireless carrier retail stores that serve as a key distribution channel for cell phones.
Read more at www.washingtonpost.com |
A little while back I dropped my iPhone for the DROID and have not looked back. Sure the app store isnt as plentiful, but it has all the apps I need and more.
It seems that I am not the only one, as Google announced recently that there Android platform has moved into the black and become profitable. not only that but they are activating over 60,000 phones a day closing the market share gap on Apple and the iPhone. This is good for competition and the expansion of better platforms for us consumers. | and on its earnings call today, the company claimed for the first time that its superphone is indeed in the black. Speaking both of the Nexus One specifically and of the platform as a whole, the company said that "it is a profitable business for us... we are driving the business to be a profitable business," |
a related note, the company also boasted on the call that it's "seeing more than 60 thousand devices sold and activations daily," which -- by our rough math, anyhow -- would work out to close to 22 million Android activations annually, and they're now up to some 38,000 apps in the Market. Certainly seem like these guys have cemented their position as a mobile powerhouse, doesn't it?
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I wanted to attend this panel when I was out in Las Vegas. However, I had a prior appointment... In any case, augmented reality was all of the buzz in the fall and it continued this show. I'm not sure whether or not it will be the "big" thing or not. I do believe that some folks who try it will have success. Yelp, has been one of the early pioneers and their iPhone reality app has had some early positive reviews. Augmented reality is next big thing in mobile advertising: CTIA panel |
LAS VEGAS - Augmented reality technologies are blending virtual imaging into real-time video captured via mobile phones, resulting in an enhanced reality in which information and entertainment elements are merged with a user’s actual surroundings. |
Google Denied Nexus One Trademark |
Google may have to find another name for its flagship Android device, the Nexus One. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has reportedly rejected Google's application for the name Nexus One. |
Timing for the rejection was less than ideal. In the past 48 hours, both Sprint and AT&T announced availability of the Nexus One, which means the device is now available on every major carrier in the United States, as well as with Rogers in Canada. Read more at www.wirelessweek.com |
AT&T makes the most sense. However, I really love T-mobile and how they have been very creative to stay competitive... T-Mobile’s perfect merger partner? Try AT&T |
| The perfect partner for T-Mobile would be none other that AT&T (NYSE:T). They use the same technologies, GSM and HSPA, and while they may be running 3G on different bands, that might actually work out to their advantage. I can envision AT&T using T-Mobile’s AWS HSPA network as a sort of super-3G overlay strictly for data cards and other high-bandwidth devices. It’s easier to procure USB dongles at T-Mobile’s weird frequencies than it is smartphones. T-Mobile’s HSPA networks are newer than AT&T’s and can be upgraded to faster versions of 3G more cheaply and more easily.Read more at blog.connectedplanetonline.com |
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Senator Schumer wants Jobs to answer antenna issue - via @gadgetboy
