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Cell Phones Reversing Alzheimer’s & Not Just Fighting It?
Jan 10th
Study Finds That Mice With Alzheimer’s Saw Reversed Effects After Exposure to Cell Phone Frequencies
What Does This Mean For The Rest of Us?
No one is really sure as of yet. Although these studies were conducted in a scientific manner at Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) by University of Florida researchers, and the study was published int the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, everyone must remember that the mice who showed the promising results didn’t actually have Alzheimer’s. Well, not really, anyway. The mice, according to E Science News, “…most of which were genetically altered to develop beta-amyloid plaques and memory problems mimicking Alzheimer’s disease as they aged.” They also stated some of the mice were “non-demented” so as to maintain a control group. Researchers claim they have isolated the effects of “…cell phone exposure on memory from other lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise.”
What ’s the Deal?
The study which took the genetically altered Alzheimer’s induced mice and exposed them to electromagnetic waves similar to the ones we are exposed to when we hold a cell phone up to our heads when we are talking. This was done to both young adult mice, who did not yet have the Alzheimer’s yet, but would have and will (or maybe not, if the study proves to be true and for real) when they grow old, and also to mice who already were displaying symptoms of memory loss, he main sign of Alzheimer’s disease. This was also conducted with the control group.
And the Verdict Was?
Apparently, the “unexpected results’ as they are calling it in the mice, have the researchers in a tizzy. They have “…concluded that electromagnetic field exposure could be an effective, non-invasive and drug-free way to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease in humans,” and are now working on more research including using different frequencies and strengths of these electromagnetic waves, all the while hoping for better effects on cognitive memory and faster result overall.
I must say, while I think research on mice has helped save millions of lives and will continue to do so, and I do agree that non-invasive experiments are much better than others, I think we all need to remember, befor taking what the researchers say at face value, they INDUCED Alzheimer’s in those mice. They injected them with the gene or chemical to make them develop Alzheimer’s and induced it in some mice who otherwise would have never had gotten it. They were all made to get the disease.
What then of the results of those mice who would have gotten it naturally? How do these researchers know the mice would react the same way if they had developed the disease in a natural way? How will they know if it will work in a natural environment if they have to tested it yet? And what then of the surely upcoming tests on humans? Will researchers induce Alzheimer’s in humans as well?
What if they take this experiment and use it on humans only to find out the injection somehow mixed with the electromagnetic frequencies to produce altered results? Why don’t they find mice with the disease, who have naturally gotten it, to test? Only then will they have true results and can claim a possible reversal and prevention…
So, it comes to this: Studies show reduced effects of Alzheimer’s in mice as well as reversal of memory loss… But are these studies for real, or do they exist because they induced the Alzheimer’s? We will surely never know. For now, they are just kidding themselves…
I must say it was nice getting to know the Youserbase.org team and I loved writing for Youserblog.com, and as this is my last post, please feel free to direct any future questions or comments to Youserbase.org. or to leave a comment below and the Youserbase.org staff will answer ASAP.
Microsoft Hinting at the Release of a WinMo Makeover?
Dec 31st
6.5.3 Announcement Imminent @ Upcoming CES Keynote?
They Need This One Not to Fail
With the past releases of the Windows Mobile operating systems for their branded smartphones, Microsoft really needs the future release of WinMo, no mater what it is, to be perfect. Otherwise, I fear it will be the end of anything remotely Microsoft. The past failures of Microsoft were so complete and so catastrophically total, and I am including desktop and smartphone operating systems in the mix, that if this one does not have anything special, it might just be the last we will want to hear from them.
WinMo was a legacy in its own right, being as it was the first OS to make it onto a smartphones and 6.1 made headlines, deservingly so, and went on to partially make up for the complete and total failure of Vista. Imagine that, a smartphone was the redeeming quality of Microsoft-how ironic. 6.1 had what they needed it to have-almost perfect user interface, even better features, and more than anyone anticipated it to have. So, it’s not surprising that WinMo relied heavily on the reputation of 6.1 to market the new version, 6.5, when its release neared. And everyone got hyped up for the new and improved WinMo 6.5 too. All the big smartphone manufacturers eagerly awaited WinMo’s release, they even held off on the release of some smartphones just so they could be the first with WinMo 6.5 on them…
The Unthinkable Happened
And then it happened. Smartphone OS Acute Death. The complete and utter failure of WInMo 6.5. Before it even materialized at all. Some even say it makes Windows Vista look angelic. Amazing. Apparently something went so completely wrong with the technical aspects of the update that it actually looks they forgot to update anything at all! According to some, who have hands on experience with 6.5, the only thing that look like it was changed was the name. Everything else stayed the same. Minor updates to the UI and a name change. Yup! That’s what you call a major half point release, uh-huh, for sure! Why didn’t they just wait for WinMo 7, instead of putting any energy into WInMo 6.5, they should have waited and actually done something right, like engineer an update worth something to the people.
Enter WinMo 6.5.3
Now, don’t get me wrong, I have always been one to give the benefit of the doubt-even where it doesn’t belong-but this time I can’t. It’s not that I am a Microsoft hater, or even that I don’t like Windows. It’s the fact that Microsoft is finished living off it’s reputation. Microsoft died when Bill Gates left and any humanity the company had left, well that left with him. Microsoft has to now actually do something interesting to win back the respect of the tech world. It has to actually update WinMo.
And apparently, as rumor has it, they have. WinMo 6.3.5 has been leaked in the MSDN Mobile Developer Center, with details of a touch tile instead of a soft key, and the rumors are starting to fly. And everyone is speculating the official announcement will be made at he CES Keynote, scheduled for January.
But just like with any good fairy tale, we are going to have to see where this one leads the people. I mean, what are we going to all get our hopes up for? WinMo has cried wolf too many times already and I honestly can’t even believe people still actually care about WinMo updates. Oh, that’s right… There are still people who use WinMo based phones. That’s a shame too, they are really nice phones…
For more great articles and user ratings and reviews, please visit the home page @ Youserbase.org
Check back tomorrow for more of the latest in the mobile phone industry. If any if our readers have any suggestions as what to review, or something you think needs to be talked about, feel free to leave a comment and I will see what I can do. Til then, happy phoning!
The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of Youserbase.org’s executive staff, and Youserbase.org as such hold no liability of any damages arising from any opinions expressed by the author.
Who needs a Cell Phone Anymore? Smartpones Took Over-But What About the Hybrids?
Dec 28th
Why Are the Hybrids Not More Popular & For That Matter, Who Will Even Need a Smartphone Anymore With Them Around?
The Evolution of the Little Talked About-But Much Wanted-Hybrid
With the rise of the smartphone, one thing is for sure, cell phones are almost coming to the phasing out stage. Maybe not within the next year, or even two years, but I would have to say that by the end of three years-at absolute most-the regular cell phone will be rendered useless, if not obsolete.
Think about this… The Smartphone has taken a little bit to catch on and was once a thing for corporate businessmen, such as is the Blackberry once was, the rich and/or upper class and the like, right? Well, these days, and especially over the course of 2009, the smartphone has become the most talked about and newly “needed” item and (almost) everyone has one. And those who do not, either have the cell pone/netbook/laptop combination or they have plans to get a smartphone. It was the tech talk of 2009 and it brings me to a really simple question. What then of the up and coming hybrids? The so called “XP Phone” gadget type thing that we hear so little about? And what about the newer one, the HDPC? Where are these little things going to come into play? Here’s a thought for you…
The “XP Phone” and Why We Heard Almost Nothing About IT
You would think a gadget that acts like a computer and makes calls like a cell phone would make the news a bit more. Oh yeah, that’s right-it did. The Smartphone, right? Wrong. There is this thing called the XP Phone that almost no one talked about in the beginning of December, but has actually been around for a while. The XP Phone has features just like a regular PC, or a netbook if you will and a cell phone together. And the XP Phone is not the only one around or available, either, but more on that in a bit.
The XP Phone is from China’s In Technology Group and is not available here in the US, of course just like any good phone anymore, but it is apparently, according to some sources on the internet, available for the AT&T, Vodafone and Orange carriers with optional 3G status on pre-order, still as yet unpriced. There is an order form on the newly minted English version of the site that takes your information and after you input your info, and any remarks you might have and the color and carrier of choice, click submit and it tells you to wait a few seconds to continue ordering. It then states that the “Booking Order is Confirmed” after it successfully processes your info and that’s it. The only personal info it asks for is your name address and phone number, no billing info or credit card to hold the order. I think it may be possible they are just testing the waters to see how many people might actually purchase it, as there is no price or release date… I entered my info the other day, and as of now all I haven’t even gotten an email saying my info was received. No harassing phone calls, no marketers-nothing at all. Very strange for a pre-order system. On most sites, they at least send you a confirmation email. I will keep you all posted on the situation and any new news (or no news).
Ok, so, now for the features… The biggest is that is has both solid state and standard hard disks built in, for the power saving features, a super CPU called the “AMD Super Mobile CPU,” and so much more. Here are the specific specs of this power gadget in a little package, VIA Pocketables.net:
- • CPU: AMD Super Mobile CPU
- • Memory: 512M/1G
- • SSD: 8G/16G/32G/64G
- • HDD: 30G/60G/80G/120G
- • LCD: 4.8′ TFT Touch-screen LCD 800*480
- • Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP
- • Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE/WCDMA (HSDPA/HSUPA)
- • CDMA/CDMA2000 1X/CDMA1X EVDO,TD-SCDMA，TD-HSDPA
- • Wireless: WiFi 802.11b/g,WiMax(optional),Buletooth,Stand-alone GPS
- • Camera Specifications:CMOS, 300k/1.3 Million
- • Ports: 1 x earphone jack, 1 x microphone jack,Docking Connector (includes VGA output signal ), 1 x USB 2.0, SIM Slot
- • Battery: Removable Lithium-ion
- • Talk time: about 5 hours,Stand by time: about 5 days
- • Real life: about 7 hours(Standard), about 12 hours(Large)
- • Talk time: Standby time，Operation time may vary depending different usage.
- • Weight: 400g (include battery)
So there you have it. A computer and a cell phone in one. So why is it then, if it has everything everyone could ever want or need all in one device, is it not more popular? And why is it that it has not yet caught on in other countries or made available for export anywhere? We’ll get to that in a minute, but first, I’ve got another one for you. Same concept, different name.
The Hybrid Portable Dual Computer
This hybrid is very much like the XP Phone. It is almost the same size and shape, color and what have you, but it has a different name. There is not really much to go on once you are on the site, unless of course you can read their language that is. I am assuming it is Korean, but please correct me if I am wrong, as the group, called Mobile Intelligent Ubiquitous Technologies, is based in Seoul, Korea. The only page in English, really is the product page for the hybrid and any other link I click on sends me to a 404 error page. The only info on the site about the actual device is this photo-describing what the device is:
I have, however managed to find some info about it on the Internet, of course, so here’s what I’ve got:It has all the normal functions of a PC and a cell phone plus a video camera, TV and radio-all digital of course and a 3 megapixel camera. But other than that, your guess is as good as mine.
The biggest attraction to the device I think will be the features available for the price and weight. Think about this, it weighs a little over 3/4 a pound, slightly more than 400 grams and has everything a PC and a cell phone and more. Who wouldn’t want one of these? And apparently, according to some sources, it is going to be priced around $500 USD, more or less, making it a bit less expensive than other regular smartphones on the market.
Which Brings Me To My Original Question…
Why the hell on Earth is no one talking about these devices? I just do not get it. The “XP Phone” is touted as a fully featured smartphone with laptop/PC capabilities and the HDPC is touted as a laptop/PC with fully featured Smartphone capabilities. What’s the difference and why are companies not taking more aggressive action to market it or make it their own? I will tell you why, at least the reason I think we don’t hear more of it. First of all, if something like these devices were to get out on the mainstream market, it would be the death of the smartphone, netbook, laptop all at once. A device that does all of the above-and more-in the palm of your hand, weighing less than one pound and costing less than a smartphone that is unsubsidized. All the other carriers and manufacturers would go out of business.
The other take is for whatever reason, no one wants to know about it. Think about this-why is the netbook not more popular? Because no one wants something so small when they can have a regular sized laptop or a PC even that does the same thing cheaper. For less cost than a netbook, they get the whole package of the laptop or PC and it is fully featured. Whereas some netbooks have a watered down OS because of the processing power involved-there is almost none on some models.
And the Verdict Is
Well, to be honest, I put in my “Pre-order” and I am hoping that something materializes from it. I sincerely hope the hybrids and the XP Phone will make it. They have everything anyone could ever want form a mobile device. It is mobile computing and a phone and everything else anyone could ever need in one package. Isn’t that what everyone has been waiting for all these years? Yet when we are finally hit with it, it gets ignored like no one ever thought about it. But it is here, and I am hoping it will be to stay. I will keep you all posted on the pre-order situation and let you know how that turns out.
For more great articles and user ratings and reviews, please visit the home page @ Youserbase.org
Check back tomorrow for more of the latest in the mobile phone industry. If any if our readers have any suggestions as what to review, or something you think needs to be talked about, feel free to leave a comment and I will see what I can do. Til then, happy phoning!
The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of Youserbase.org’s executive staff, and Youserbase.org as such hold no liability of any damages arising from any opinions expressed by the author.
Do You Believe the Cell Phone Cancer Scare? Now There’s A Phone Case To Save Your Life Too!
Dec 25th
For Those Who Believe in Fairy Tales
A Cell Phone Case Stands Between You and Cancer
Would you believe it?> Not a few days after claims that cell phones cause cancer come out into the public arena, a cell phone case claiming to protect you from teh radiation that causes the cancer come out right along side of it. Coincidence? I don’t know, but I will find out. But, here is the thing, this company has been researching the subject fro a very long time and they seem to be the only ones with hard evidence that their particular products actually Do reduce the radiation from the cell phones. So, here is the story.
Here’s the Deal on the Cell Phone Case
According to reports, Pong Research is claiming that a cell phone case they make for the iPhone can deflect, a least partially, some of the radiation coming from a cell phone and being absorbed by a human head. They claim that the case can “redirect” up to 60% of the Standard Absorption Rate of radiation from the phone into the air, or at least away from our heads, anyway.
According to Pong’s research website they claim they are the first to scientifically prove their cases can reduce radiation, saying :
Pong is the first product to meet international testing standards for SAR reduction and has been verified by industry leading laboratory Cetecom to reduce SAR for the iPhone 3GS in the WCDMA 1900 by over 60%.
And while, yes, their research may show these things, it it even needed? Or is the product just a response to a scare tactic trying to be made ito law my a Legislator in Maine? Or maybe, call me a conspiracy theorist, I know, but just maybe, the Law got wind of the report and got scared. Either way, the report remains true so far. That, YES these cases reduce radiation and YES it is scientifically proven.
So Tell Us About the Case Then
Here are some facts direct form the Pong Research Webpage:
- Radiation is a form of energy. Your cell phone antenna emits powerful radiation in order to send and receive signals to and from the wireless network. The hazard is that the antenna also radiates its energy into your headspace.
- Pong uses a patented physics-based solution to redirect the flow of this energy.
- Through the proven science of passive antenna coupling, Pong channels the radiation through its laddered ‘chimney’ up and away from your head. Full signal strength is maintained, so your phone’s function and battery life are not compromised.
- Once redirected, the harmful radiation quickly dissipates and poses no threat to you or those around you.
And here is what they say the Pong Case does:
- Antenna – the Source of Radiation-Without Pong, your cell phone antenna emits radiation in all directions, both to the outside and toward your head.
- Transfer of Energy-The Pong technology module, optimally aligned with the phone’s internal antenna, attracts the radiative energy. The Pong Effect occurs as a pure energy transfer with no distortion due to the properties of the module material and microwave-tuned antenna design.
- Chimney Effect-The unique “ladder” configuration of the Pong module moves the signal and its hazardous radiation through the Pong case like a chimney, and away from the user.
- Full Signal Strength-The Pong module redirects cell phone radiation while maintaining full signal strength. You may find that your communication efficiency actually improves with the use of the Pong case.
And The Verdict Is?
I guess if you believe what they are saying, as many people do, buying a Pong iPhone case might just be the best hing you ever did. And if you believe the recent hype over cell phones causing cancer, then this is going to be your new best friend. And if you are going to buy this case at almost $60, then you better be a big believer and just as scared as the Law Lady up in Maine. But I will say this…
Although I do not personally believe in the “cell phones cause cancer” scare, I do believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and if they want to buy a case that scientifically proves it can help stop radiation, than so be it. Merry Christmas and all that. But here is what I want to know, ha came first? The Chicken or the Egg? The Cell phone case, or the scare of Cell Phone cancer? Any takers?
And while I do not buy into the hype as quick as others, if someone can show me proof of a strong connection between the two, then I might just want to protect myself, but for now I must say no to a new $60 case.
And while I do not apologize for my attitude towards the subject of cell phone fairy tales, I do apologize to those who take it in a mean-spirited way as it is not meant to be as such. I am just asking the logical questions that I can’t find already answered, is all.
For more great articles and user ratings and reviews, please visit the home page @ Youserbase.org
Check back tomorrow for more of the latest in the mobile phone industry. If any if our readers have any suggestions as what to review, or something you think needs to be talked about, feel free to leave a comment and I will see what I can do. Til then, happy phoning!
The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of Youserbase.org’s executive staff, and Youserbase.org as such hold no liability of any damages arising from any opinions expressed by the author.
Operation Chokehold Looms Near-Will It Actually Happen?
Dec 18th
With the Satirical Blog Gaining Momentum “Fake Jobs” Dan Lyons Backing Down
Lyons’ Fake Jobs Character Telling Readers Plan is “Just Plain Stupid?”
Come on, really? you are going to start a blog such as the one Dan Lyons has started and write a post such as the post “Operation Chokehold” and NOT expect it to gain as much momentum as it has? You’ve got to be kidding me! Especially with all the customer service problems (They come in last according to all reports) and network problems, (They actually made an app for that!)plus all the crappy iPhone rules and regs and rejections, the app problems and such…
And now AT&T wants to cap the data usage? They want to initiate tiered pricing because apparently too many people are actually using their unlimited data plans. How’s that for a load of BS. What did AT&T think? That because they (he customers) actually pay the money, there were just going to let all that paid-for data usage go to waste because they (AT&T) are making money off it? And now, it looks like AT&T is starting to get the message from the way the customers are reacting to the blog because it looks as if they are going to start offering incentives to those who limit their data usage.
Of course something like what Dan Lyons is doing is going to pick up speed and get out of control real quick. Why wouldn’t it? Customers are pissed off and they have something to say to the people who claim to run AT&T and who claim to care about the customers. And the Fake Steve Jobs’ blog has now given them a way to do it. Whether it was a joke or not, did Lyons and AT&T really think the people who read this blog wouldn’t take it seriously? I mean, come on! They read your blog for a reason! They are sick of AT&T’s crap, but can’t just walk away for fear of their wallets being emptied with the early termination fees. Or they are afraid of being fired by the big bosses. That’s right folks, even the employees don’t like AT&T
While they say it takes a village to raise a child, it takes massive protest from the people to go up a company like AT&T-And this time it might actually happen! So just like it said in the Operation Chokehold “memo” from AT&T, they are going to “Send the message to AT&T that we are sick of their substandard network and sick of their abusive comments.” And from the looks of things, it just might work.
Operation Choke Hold-The Customer’s Scream For Better Service
And better service the customer probably will not get. Here’s why:
Why should AT&T change anything if they are doing so well already? You see, things have gone on like they are for quite some time now. And AT&T has seemingly brainwashed their iPhone users-and other cell phone and plan customers-into thinking there was nothing they could do for better service. They (AT&T) are pretty much telling their customers that “Yes, we know wee have crappy service, but if you want your iPhone, deal with it!”
But now the problem is that AT&T’s contract is almost up with Apple, and the service looks as if it is headed to it’s arch rival-Verizon. And the customers who were promised the best service in all the land, well they are not going to have to take it anymore. And they know it. So why would they care if AT&T is mad about the protest supposed to take place to day 12 PST (3PM EST)?
And the Verdict Is?
Well, a spokesperson from AT&T pretty much made their position known to the Fake Steve Jobs’ readers by stating “…there is nothing amusing about advocating that customers attempt to deliberately downgrade service on a network that provides critical communications services for more than 80 million customers.” AT&T also called the planned protest “irresponsible and pointless.”
What do all of you think? Is it pointless? Maybe, but it certainly is not illegal as they would have you think and as is posted as a question on the Fake Steve Jobs’ blog that’s for sure. SO will it happen” Who knows. Personally I hope it does. I hope the AT&T customers take a stand and let AT&T know just how mad they have made them. If not now, then AT&T will know they can do whatever they want to the customers and get away. As a mater of fact, I predict this… I think that if the customers do not go through with Operation Chokehold today, AT&T will cap data usage, just because they now know the customers won’t do anything about the way AT&T treats them.
SO Get out there if you have an iPhone or any other AT&T device with 3G data service and participate in Operation Chokehold. Let A&T know you don’t want to put up with their crap anymore. And while you are at it, why don’t you just go ahead and but a Droid? That’ll really make them mad. Besides it’s probably cheaper than the early termination fees…
For more great articles and user ratings and reviews, please visit the home page @ Youserbase.org
Check back tomorrow for more of the latest in the mobile phone industry. If any if our readers have any suggestions as what to review, or something you think needs to be talked about, feel free to leave a comment and I will see what I can do. Til then, happy phoning!
The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of Youserbase.org’s executive staff, and Youserbase.org as such hold no liability of any damages arising from any opinions expressed by the author.
Sprint Responds To Alleged GPS Privacy Issue
Dec 7th
Claims Original Figures Were Taken Out of Context
A Bit of History
This is a story hat begs to be told. Problem is all sides of the story have not been accurately represented as of yet. So here is a recap of what was reported on December 1 2009 by the EFF:
Christopher Soghoian, a Graduate student from Indiana University, reported on his blog his findings of a recording he made of the ISS (Intelligence Support System for Lawful Interceptions) conference, held in October of this year, which he had attended. Apparently, included in the recorded comments, which are shocking to say the least, are comments by Sprint/Nextel Corp’s Manager of Electronic Surveillance.
The focus of the recent uprising was the admission of his complaint, which he lodged with the ISS, of the sheer volume of requests he has received by law enforcement over the last 13 months, from September 2008 until October 2009, when the conference was held. The subject of the requests from law enforcement? The GPS information and exact location coordinates and movements of Sprint/Nextel Customers. 8 Million of those requests to be exact.
The most shocking part of this is Sprint/Nextel supplied the law enforcement involved with the information requested every time. This was made possible by a new system put into place by Sprint/Nextel the law enforcement officers would use to make it easier to field these types of requests.
Mr. Soghoian goes on to say, in the blog, the documentation of the Sprint GPS Surveillance program was included in the MP3 recordings embedded in the blog and posted on YouTube and the recordings were made at a conference held in Washington DC in October 2009.
**The Recordings have been since taken down as on December 3, there si an update on the blog stating the ISS had contacted Mr. Soghoian
asking him to remove the recordings because they violated some kind of copyright law. He did so as a good faith gesture, as it is unclear whether or not is was legal to ask him to do so, and videos have been made private. **
Sprint’s Side of the Story
Sprint has since offered up an official statement by way of the Community Sprint News Page and Richard Pesce stated that the information was not only inaccurate but taken out of context. Here is a portion of that statement by Sprint:
The comments made by a Sprint corporate security officer during a recent conference have been taken out of context by this blogger. Specifically, the “8 million” figure, which the blogger highlights in his email and blog post, has been grossly misrepresented. The figure does not represent the number of customers whose location information was provided to law enforcement, as this blogger suggests.
Instead, the figure represents the number of individual “pings” for specific location information, made to the Sprint network as part of a series of law enforcement investigations and public safety assistance requests during the past year. It’s critical to note that a single case or investigation may generate thousands of individual pings to the network as the law enforcement or public safety agency attempts to track or locate an individual.
Instances where law enforcement agencies seek customer location information include exigent or emergency circumstances such as Amber Alert events, criminal investigations, or cases where a Sprint customer consents to sharing location information.
Sprint takes our customers’ privacy extremely seriously and all law enforcement and public safety requests for customer location information are processed in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.
So basically what they are saying is the number of requests was taken way out of context and they originated from only a few separate public safety cases. But, as the EFF points out, the main point was never touched by Sprint. How many customer’s information was affected by the requests? The Eff also states that with numbers such as those, Congress should be concerned and looking into the matter.
EFF also asks “…exactly what legal process is being used to authorize the multiple-ping surveillance over time that Sprint is cooperating in?” And if they (Sprint) are asking for search warrants and other legal papers before handing over private information. Now, the story on the Eff site ends pretty much there. The blog on the other hand goes on to tell a story of how this goes on with many other companies. Big ones too, like Verizon.
And the Verdict Is?
I am asking you to read the rest of the blog. It comments on the over 200,000 requests that Verizon receives for teh very same information. It also goes on to include some other very interesting information from Verizon that I honestly wonder why no one has mentioned before (maybe I will…)
There is also Mr. Soghoian’s requests for “price lists” from Verizon and Yahoo concerning the information given to the law enforcement officials and the rejection letters addressed to him. It makes for some good reading. So if you do get around to it, read it and let me know what you think. I will be reviewing a recording I found and osting on my findings of the blog in the near future. Till then…
For more great articles and user ratings and reviews, please visit the home page @ Youserbase.org
Check back tomorrow for more of the latest in the mobile phone industry. If any if our readers have any suggestions as what to review, or something you think needs to be talked about, feel free to leave a comment and I will see what I can do. Til then, happy phoning!
The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of Youserbase.org’s executive staff, and Youserbase.org as such hold no liability of any damages arising from any opinions expressed by the author.
Samsung’s Omnia II to Be Scooped Up By Verizon
Nov 21st
PLUS-Kyocera’s Incognito Launch Date with Sprint Announced
What’s the Deal With The Omnia II?
The Omnia II originally released in Canada with Bell, the official wireless provider for the up and coming 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, last month. But now, Verizon has decided to scoop it up for an official US release and a hopeful date of December 2nd. The handsets will be available everywhere, online and in stores.
What’s Under the Hood of the Omnia II?
To start, it sports the largest of the MVGA AMOLED touchscreens, at 3.7″ and the video quality is said to be of DVD standards at 480p. The camera is 5 megapixel and the handset also sports most of the usual culprits like Bluetooth 2.0, GPS, a-GPS, accelerators, and can run apps such as Office and Excel. As for internal memory, it has built in 8GB and an microSD slot for expandable storage up to 32GB. It was rumored the Omnia II would be running the WinMo 6.1, but that’s been tabled since the release of 6.5, and the Omnia II will be running the WinMo 6.5 Professional platform and it also has TouchWiz 2.0. As usual, there is a 2 year contract and a $100 mail-in rebate making the price(after rebate and contract) $199.99Bell’s Omnia has an extra built right into it. Because it is an official sponsor of the Winter Games 2010, it includes WOW, or Winter Olympics Works, a communication and news system geared solely towards the Olympics, at no extra charge.
What’s the Deal With the Incognito?
Sprint has decided to pick up Kyocera’s Incognito, just in time for the holiday’s and will be launching it officially on November 30, online only. In-Outlet sales are expected to begin on December 6th. This cute little clamshell of a phone has a 2.6″ OLED display with 320×240 resolution, a 2 megapixel camera, and the revealing full QWERTY keypad is haptic, letting you know when you have pressed a button correctly, and it glows, for emailing and messaging in dark or badly lit areas. The phone is 3G ready running on a EVDO network and comes complete with the major social networking site applications built in and ready to go. New service for this phone will cost just $50 after a $50 mail in rebate ad, of course, the required 2 year contract. 
And The Verdict Is
I personally can’t wait for the Omnia II to hit. It’s about time the US gets another really good phone released here that is actually worth the price (and is not an iPhone). As for teh Kyocera, I think the incognito, with a price like that should have been picked up by Metro PCS, or Cricket maybe…
But then again, you don’t really hear about Kyocera as being a great phone BECAUSE it is linked with those carriers. No one wants to talk about them because they are not high end. I just wish these dealers would give up the contract thing, I mean are the phones really worth that much with out a contract? I don’t think so. As they are being released within a few days from each other I think the Omnia II will win this race out. It is a Smartphone, after all and Kyocera doesn’t really get too much attention because this particular model is a clamshell, not a Smartphone like the Omnia II.
What do you all think? Comment and let us know and why…
For more great articles and user ratings and reviews, please visit the home page @ Youserbase.org
Check back tomorrow for more of the latest in the mobile phone industry. If any if our readers have any suggestions as what to review, or something you think needs to be talked about, feel free to leave a comment and I will see what I can do. Til then, happy phoning!
The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of Youserbase.org’s executive staff, and Youserbase.org as such hold no liability of any damages arising from any opinions expressed by the author.
Is Smartphone Security Not So Secure Anymore?
Nov 19th
First the Worm, Now WiFi Breach Found-
What’s the Deal?
It started in early November when the first iPhone worm hit. Then
a few days later, according to CIO Today, “…a related worm, iPhone/Privacy.A, began gaining access to users’ e-mail and SMS messages, calendar appointments, contacts, and photos.” Meaning hackers could get in and steal personal and private information and use it to their advantage. Next it was the removal of all Storm* games form the iPhone’s App Store because the games were collecting the phone numbers form th users. Storm8 claimed they weren’t doing anything with the information, but Apple removed them all the same. Storm* says it will remove the code from the games that allow them to collect the data, in response to Apple’s decision.
And Now a WiFi Breach Is Recorded
Just when things were getting back to normal for iPhone, now Smartphone users everywhere need to worry about something else entirely. A breach, or hole, in the Wi-Fi system that all Smartphone users need to connect to the internet. The attacks that can come from this are called Man In The Middle Attacks, or MIIM. They consist of hackers intercepting a communication between two points. For instance, if you are sending an email to someone, the hacker can intercept that email, corrupt it in some way, add a virus, or change the message or add an attachment, and it is received by the recipient as if nothing had happened in the first place.
According to Computer World, the researchers who discovered the attack, Smobile, “…tested the Nokia N95, HTC Tilt running Windows Mobile, HTC G1 running Android, and the iPhone 3GS with the latest firmware. In each case, the user would have had no idea that their information had been compromised”
And the Verdict Is
I wonder just how long Smartphone users thought they could get away with not having any forms of security on the phone? Yes, for a time there was no need, but with the fact that the phones use browsers and operating systems just like a PC, it’s surprising it hasn’t happened before.
That was probably because most didn’t think there was any real reason to want to crack a Smartphone. In the past most people still hadn’t embraced the idea of a PDA or Smartphone as a way to expand business and the amount of users didn’t actually jump until about two years ago. Now that almost all businesses are conducting all of their business transactions through the smartphones, there is more potential of an impending attack.
For more great articles and user ratings and reviews, please visit the home page @ Youserbase.org
Check back tomorrow for more of the latest in the mobile phone industry. If any if our readers have any suggestions as what to review, or something you think needs to be talked about, feel free to leave a comment and I will see what I can do. Til then, happy phoning!
The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of Youserbase.org’s executive staff, and Youserbase.org as such hold no liability of any damages arising from any opinions expressed by the author.
ICO: T-Mobile Employees Selling Customer Information
Nov 18th
For Huge Amounts of Money!
What’s the Deal?
Well, this would certainly explain why many customers have been reporting excessive phone calls from people they know they never gave their number to…
According to the Information Commission’s Office and in a statement form the Commissioner himself, in a press release on November 17 2009, investigators
…have been working with a mobile telephone company after the firm suggested employees allegedly sold details relating to customers’ mobile phone contracts, including their contract expiry dates. It is alleged that the information was being sold on to the service provider’s competitors whose agents were using the material to cold call customers prior to contract expiry dates to offer them an alternative contract. The service provider has alleged that many thousands of customer account details have been unlawfully obtained.*Emphasis added.
According to an official statement on the T-Mobile website, and to their credit, T-Mobile states they alerted the ICO the minute they heard the reliable information. And apparently some statements were made to the BBC in regards to T-Mobile’s handling of the situation, prompting this response form T-Mobile’s Official Forum :
Working together, we identified the source of the breach which led to the ICO conducting an extensive investigation which we believe will lead to a prosecution. Whilst it is deeply regrettable that customer information has been misappropriated in this way, we have proactively supported the ICO to help stamp out what is a problem for the whole industry.
We had been asked before today to keep all information on this case strictly confidential so as to avoid prejudice to the investigation and prosecution. We were therefore surprised at the way in which these statements were made to the BBC today.’ *Emphasis added*
The statement was later updated to reflect newer information concerning the type of information sold and T-Mobile, in that statement, confirmed there was no financial information of any customer compromised in any way, stating:
information passed on to third parties was restricted to the customer name, address and contractual renewal information. We continue to work with the IC to help stamp out what is a problem for the whole industry.
ICO’s Commissioner Christopher Graham further stated in the report the fact that businesses, public authorities and government authorities collect personal information and that in the future the collection of this information will become easier and therefore worse as time goes by, with the invention and utilization of more and more sophisticated equipment to do so. The risks will become greater for unlawful use of that information to take place.
In the end of the report, there is a list of 8 principles all should live by when collecting information, stating:
“Anyone who processes personal information must comply with eight principles, which make sure that personal information is:
• Fairly and lawfully processed
• Processed for limited purposes
• Adequate, relevant and not excessive
• Accurate and up to date
• Not kept for longer than is necessary
• Processed in line with your rights
• Secure
• Not transferred to other countries without adequate protection
And the Verdict Is?
Anyone who has the guts to criticize T-Mobile for doing not only the right thing, but what they were told to do by the ICO, has got to be out of their mind. Think about this. When they found what was going on, they could have easily blackmailed the person selling the info and therefore getting a cut of the monies this person was collecting. He didn’t. Instead he reports it to the authorities and cooperates with them in order to prosecute the person responsible. Now if you ask me, that was the best thing to do and T-mobile has gained my respect 100% for this one. I hope they keep up the good work and that those who criticize, knock it off! they did what anyone should do. The right thing.
For more great articles and user ratings and reviews, please visit the home page @ Youserbase.org
Check back tomorrow for more of the latest in the mobile phone industry. If any if our readers have any suggestions as what to review, or something you think needs to be talked about, feel free to leave a comment and I will see what I can do. Til then, happy phoning!
The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of Youserbase.org’s executive staff, and Youserbase.org as such hold no liability of any damages arising from any opinions expressed by the author.
Fujitsu’s Keitai F-O4B- The Splitting Phone
Nov 13th
But Don’t Get Your Hopes Up…
Yet Another Japan Only release
That’s right. This phone will most likely only be seen in Japan. The prototype was released last year at “DoCoMo’s booth during the last CEATEC 2008,” according to Akihabura News in Japan, and now, at a press conference in Roppongi. It is the infamous splitting phone called the Keitai F-o4b and is made by Fujitsu.
Fujitsu Keitai F-o4b-compliments of Akihabura
What’s Under the Hood?
This Smartphone is just about the same as any other Smartphone on the market. It has a 12 Megapixel camera, QWERTY keyboard, 3.4″ LCD Touchscreen, can send email, play music, watch TV and also does just about anything else a Smartphone does. The difference here is that the phone splits into two halves. On the one half, with the touchscreen, you can listen to music, watch TV, send email and so on. Ont eh other, the QWERTY, it has a microphone, acts as a speaker device, and a gaming pad.
What makes this phone unique is, not only does it split in two, but it also has a projector. What happens is in pace of the QWERTY keyboard, you attach the optional projector and it can project the movies and such onto anything. It is 6 Lumens at its brightest and uses an 800 mAh battery which has a life span of two hours at it’s brightest, and much longer if you choose to set it a bit dimmer.
Also under the hood is a Texas Instruments second generation DLP Pico chipset and provides for a resolution of 854×480. The most awesome part of the projector process? the QWERTY keyboard is turned into a remote to control it! Go ahead all you remote control freaks-Go get you one of these phones! But wait! Only if you live i Japan.
And the Verdict Is?
Is the rest of the world not cool enough? I don’t know about all of you, but I am starting to get really offended at all the phones being released that aren’t available in the US… Why should the rest of the world have so may cool toys to play with and not us?
Anyway, I think this is the best freaky phone ever to hit the market. Talk about multi tasking. Not only can you email and such, but for all you power users, you can now show your presentations right on any wall. I think this phone needs to be adapted into all the other countries. Maybe Verizon should jump on it now they have the Android OS to work with…
For more great articles and user ratings and reviews, please visit the home page @ Youserbase.org
Check back tomorrow for more of the latest in the mobile phone industry. If any if our readers have any suggestions as what to review, or something you think needs to be talked about, feel free to leave a comment and I will see what I can do. Til then, happy phoning!
The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of Youserbase.org’s executive staff, and Youserbase.org as such holds no liability of any damages arising from any opinions expressed by the author.
