CARRIER IQ SOFTWARE TRACKING AND LOGGING CELL PHONE USERS ACTIVITIES

Carrier IQ provides telemetry to cellular carriers and manufacturers, and according to the company itself, its software is preinstalled on over 141 million phones. Now, a security researcher, Trevor Eckhart, claims that the same software is monitoring every single key you press on your smartphone, reading your SMS, and logging much of the personal data you transmit, too — all with an app that you can't remove.

Eckhart accused the company's software of monitoring vast swathes of user personal data and phoning home to the likes of Verizon, Sprint, Samsung, HTC, Nokia, and more, has posted alleged video evidence of his claims on YouTube. Originally, Carrier IQ sent Eckhart a cease-and-desist letter, then withdrew and apologized for the threat, all the while representing that the service it provides cell phone manufacturers and carriers did not "record your keystrokes" or "inspect or report on the content of your communications, such as the content of emails and SMSs."

Contrary to what Carrier IQ states, Eckhart has posted a video of the software doing just that on a HTC EVO 3D phone. Eckhart's video allegedly shows Carrier IQ's software reading incoming SMS messages even before the phone displays them to you, querying supposedly encrypted HTTPS strings, and logging keypresses, all using an application that the user cannot opt-out of, stop, or remove. The video does not show if the data is transmitted or not however.

So far Verizon and Nokia have denied the software exists on their phones and while the software can be found in Apple's iOS, it appears it is only active in debugging mode. [Verge]

RIM ANNOUNCES NEW BLACKBERRY SOFTWARE

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. unveiled a new operating system Tuesday in hopes of grabbing some attention away from the iPhone and Android phones. The new BBX system combines existing BlackBerry elements with RIM's previously announced QNX operating system for phones and tablet computers.

RIM said BBX will incorporate the reliability and security features of QNX -- which RIM snagged in 2010 by purchasing QNX Software Systems. It will also enable software developers to create more advanced, dynamic apps for the devices.

The Canadian company gave few details about the software and did not say when devices using it would be available. The company previously said that it would offer phones running QNX software in 2012.

AUGUST US GAME SALES PLUMMET 23%

Sales of video game hardware, software and accessories in the United States continued to slide in August according to new data from NPD Group, again dipping more than 20% compared to the same period last year. Overall industry sales slid 23% to $669.9 million last month from $873.8 million in August 2010. Hardware sales were down 12% from last year to $249.4 million, accessory sales were down just 1% to $134.7 million and software sales plummeted 34% to $264.8 million. ”August 2011 sales saw a decline versus August 2010 in all categories except for portable games hardware,” said NPD analyst Anita Frazier in a statement. “In software, the bulk of the decline can be attributed to the shift of the annual Madden release from August to September (8/30 release falls within NPD’s September 2011 reporting period).” Frazier continued, “Even though year to date performance of the new physical portion of the industry is down 5%, more than half of industry sales in this channel are still to be realized in the back four months of the year. Given the strong release schedule in the coming months, new physical retail sales could still be flat to slightly up once full year sales are tallied.” Microsoft’s Xbox 360 was the best-selling console for the seventh consecutive month in August with 308,000 units sold.

APPLE'S FINAL CUT PRO X FACES HARSH CRITICISM, POOR REVIEWS FROM USERS

During our call to discuss Final Cut Pro X earlier this week, an Apple product manager boasted about the product's low price, media management, and ground-up redesign. Unfortunately, when starting from scratch, developers seem to have overlooked a few features that professional users have come to depend on, prompting widespread backlash -- both on internet forums and even on Apple's own App Store, where the $300 download-only app currently has a rating of just 2.5 stars (out of five), including nearly 500 one-star ratings. (Note: you must purchase the app before submitting a rating or review.) The New York Times spoke to product managers about these issues, which include an inability to import old FCP files, no multicamera editing, no support for RED cameras, and no ability to specify QuickTime export settings, among many others. Apple says there are (pricey) workarounds available, or fixes on the way for all but the first issue

MOTOROLA DROPS MOTORBLUR

Motorola introduced its MOTOBLUR user interface and software service with the debut of the Motorola CLIQ back in 2009, but now it appears that moniker’s days are coming to an end. Just yesterday the company unveiled two new Android smartphones for Sprint and Virgin Mobile: the Photon 4G and the Motorola Triumph. The Motorola Photon 4G clearly sports Motorola’s custom user interface, but there was absolutely no mention of the name.

Sources confirmed that Motorola will phase out referring to its UI as MOTOBLUR. Perhaps the move is related to Motorola’s purchase of Three Laws Mobile (3LM) earlier this year, which suggests that an entirely new UI is in the works. Either way, it’s clear that customers didn’t care for the original service and UI, but the bits and pieces that Motorola continues to use seems to be working well for the company.

ADOBE CEO ENDS FEUD WITH APPLE, SIDESTEPS POOR ANDROID FLASH PERFORMANCE ISSUE

Speaking at yesterday's D9 conference in Palos Verdes, California, Adobe head Shantanu Narayen confirmed that he and Steve Jobs have reached an unofficial armistice, bringing an end to their prolonged war of words. According to the CEO, Apple's Flash issues stemmed from the company's "business model," rather than any legitimate concerns over quality. "It's control over the app store that's at issue here," Narayen said, implying that Flash's wide-ranging platform compatibility may not have jibed with the Cupertino ethos. He went on to remind moderator Walt Mossberg that developers can still use Adobe's AIR software to get their products to the App Store, adding that his company is looking forward to the rise of HTML5 and "actively contributing" to its development.

Mossberg, meanwhile, seemed to blindside Narayen when he brought up Flash's poor performance on Android devices. "I have yet to test a single one where Flash tests really well," the columnist claimed. "I'm sorry, but it's true." Narayen sputtered a bit, before pointing to the BlackBerry PlayBook as an example of the progress that Flash has made. When Mossberg reminded him that the PlayBook doesn't run on Android, the CEO not-so-subtly sidestepped the question by emptily declaring that Adobe's mission is simply to provide people with the best tools to create content. Apparently satisfied with this non-answer, Mossberg changed the subject back to Apple, allowing Narayen to wax poetic about their new truce.

NEW iMACS LOCK OWNERS INTO APPLE'S HARDWARE EVEN MORE

Letting Apple control most facets of your computing experience is just a fact of life for the Mac faithful, but the company may have gone too far for some with the most recent iMac refresh. Want to swap out that hard drive for a bigger one or replace a dead disk? You've got no option but to go straight to Apple thanks to a new proprietary cable and special firmware. The standard 4-pin SATA connector has been replaced with a 7-pin configuration that keeps you from hooking up just any old hard drive, and without that magical firmware the iMac won't even boot.

ANDROID MARKET IN-APP BILLING NOW AVAILABLE

Google said they were coming this week, and here they are -- Android apps can now have their own miniature storefronts for in-app purchases galore. You'll find Tap Tap Revenge, Comics, Gun Bros, Deer Hunter Challenge HD, WSOP3 and Dungeon Defenders: FW Deluxe accept your credit card for microtransactions starting this very instant, and Android developers can start building similar functionality into their own creations right now. Head on over to our source link for instructions on how to shake those extra coins out

US DEVELOPING 'PANIC BUTTON' SOFTWARE FOR ACTIVISTS

According to a fresh Reuters report, the US State Department is currently developing a software-based "panic button" that would wipe a phone's address book and beam out emergency alerts to fellow protesters if they were apprehended. The goal here is to protect the privacy of those captured while promoting their best interests, and to let others know that trouble is brewing.

RUMOR: NO iPHONE, iPAD OR MAC HARDWARE ANNOUNCEMENTS AT WWDC 2011

Apple released the invitation for WWDC 2011 this morning and it only mentions software, specifically OS X Lion and iOS 5 previews. Nowhere on the invitation does it mention any hardware. Rumors are running rampant that this confirms earlier rumors that the iPhone 5 would be delayed into the fall or even until 2012.

Apple’s apparent focus on software in its WWDC announcement backs up what "sources" are saying about the annual conference. That is, expect a software show in 2011, not a hardware event.

At past WWDCs, Apple might show off a new piece of hardware, but Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg warns about getting too caught up in the past.

“You get caught up in patterns, and it holds true, until it doesn’t,” Gartenberg stated. “There is no reason for Apple to follow a predictable yearly pattern, and it keeps their competition off guard a little bit.”

APPLE'S OS X LION FEATURES UNCOVERED

The next iteration of Apple's desktop OS X, Lion, is scheduled for release sometime this summer. A just released developers preview gives a good idea of what Apple has been working on for this version.

On Apple's website, the company detailed Lion's improved support for multi-touch gestures using a trackpad. In addition to more ways to swipe, pinch, zoom, and more, one notable change is that scrolling now works as it does on iOS devices—drag down on the trackpad to scroll down, drag up to scroll up—complete with "rubber-band" effects at the end of scrollable areas. This is in contrast to all previous versions of Mac OS X, where dragging down scrolls up and vice versa.

Apple also previously mentioned auto-save and auto-resume features last fall, but didn't go into much detail about them. Now we know that apps updated for Lion will gain the ability to autosave all documents as changes are made. Documents can be locked to prevent inadvertent changes, and Apple said that documents will be "auto-locked" after two weeks. Lion also includes automatic file versioning, saving the state of a document every hour it is open and allowing you to step back to any previous state in a graphical Time Machine-like experience. You can go back through previous versions to revert to a previous state or copy and paste data from an older version into the current one.

Apps updated for Lion also gain the ability to automatically save state whenever they quit. When reopened, the application appears as it did when quit, including any open documents and windows. Lion can also automatically resume any open applications whenever you need to log out or reboot. This is especially useful for getting back up and running after performing an OS update, for instance, lessening the pain of lost productivity and increasing the likelihood that important updates get installed instead of ignored.

Apple also disclosed three major new feature additions for Lion on Thursday. One is that Lion will include a new version of Mail that uses a vertical list of e-mails on the left and a full message view on the right, à la iPad. Apple says this new layout works better for widescreen displays and many users of plug-ins for previous versions of Mail that re-arrange the panes in this way would likely agree.

Lion will also include a new file-sharing feature called "AirDrop." AirDrop allows you to view a list of logged-in users of compatible Macs connected to the same network. To transfer a file to any user, you can just drag-and-drop a file to their name in the list, transferring it directly to that user's Downloads folder. If a logged in user is in your address book, you'll see their contact photo, making it easier to identify the right target on a crowded network.

However, the most surprising revelation from Apple is that Mac OS X Server will no longer be a separate product. Mac OS X Lion will include all the necessary serversbits and easy configuration to set up any Mac as a server. It includes all the usual server services, such as user and group management, push notifications, file sharing, calendaring, mail, contacts, chat, Time Machine, VPN, web, and wiki services. A new "Profile Manager" will enable easier set up and management of Mac OS X and iOS devices, integrating with existing directory services. Lion's WebDAV services will automatically allow iPad users to share files remotely, and Lion will also include an updated version of Wiki Server.

MICROSOFT ON VERGE OF WINDOWS 8 MILESTONE 2 BUILD

Microsoft is on the verge of finishing its second Milestone build of Windows 8, WinRumorshas learned. The software giant has compiled a number of Milestone 2 builds recently ready for the final M2 build that will be distributed internally and externally to the company’s closest partners for testing.

The software giant finalized the M1 build in early December after four months of development. M2 builds began in early December and are expected to be finalized in the next two weeks. Milestone 3 development is expected to last until early June. The current schedule could mean we’ll see a Windows 8 beta in the Summer.

Microsoft has so far been extremely quiet on the Windows 8 front. Windows Chief, Steven Sinofsky, took to the stage at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January to introduce a technology preview of Microsoft’s Windows ARM support and show off an early build of Windows 8. Microsoft is partnering with ARM-based manufactures NVIDIA, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments to produce new Tablet devices. Rumors suggest that Microsoft will create a dual-UI for Windows 8. A tile-based user interface codenamed “Mosh” will reportedly be included.

Steve Ballmer has described the next release of Windows as the company’s “riskiest product bet”. It is understood that Microsoft will feature deep cloud integration into the future OS to realise its vision of “three screens and a cloud”.

VIDEO GAME HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE SALES DECLINING

There was a time when you couldn't go three years without having to shell out $300 for the latest and greatest videogame console, something with mind-blowing graphics and slight refreshes of the games you'd already bought twice before. Those days are past, with the Xbox 360 over five years old and the PlayStation 3 four, yet neither having any replacements in the wings. Perhaps this is partly why videogame hardware sales are declining, down eight percent in January compared to this time last year according to NPD. Software sales are meanwhile down five percent

KINDLE SOFTWARE UPDATE GETS PAGE NUMBERS AND PUBLIC NOTES

It'll still be at least a few more days before it's automatically pushed out to Kindles around the world, but those looking to get a jump on things can now download an "early preview" of software update version 3.1 for the latest generation Kindle. That update adds a new public notes feature that lets you share your notes with others and view the notes of those you follow, as well as real page numbers that match the page numbers in the print version of a book -- those have already been added to "tens of thousands of Kindle books," and will also be hitting the various Kindle apps in the "coming months." You'll also get a new layout for magazines and newspapers that gives you a quick snapshot of the latest edition, and a new "before you go" feature that lets you rate a book as soon as you've finished it and share a brief note about it on your social networks. [Engadget]

DEBIAN 6 "SQUEEZE" RELEASED

Debian, after 24 months of development, has released version 6.0 codenamed "Squeeze". Debian 6.0 includes the KDE Plasma Desktop and Applications, the GNOME, Xfce, and LXDE desktop environments as well as all kinds of server applications. It also features compatibility with the FHS v2.3 and software developed for version 3.2 of the LSB.

Debian can be run on nine architectures including Intel 32 and 64 bit PCs, PowerPC and Sun/Oracle SPARC.

Debian is a free operating system, developed by thousands of volunteers from all over the world who collaborate via the Internet. To download Debian 6, click here.

BLACKBERRY DESKTOP SOFTWARE 2.0 RELEASED FOR MAC

Wintel users have been enjoying the spoils of WiFi music sync on their BlackBerry handsets for the past few months now, but if you're still stickin' with RIM (through the thick and thin), and you just so happen to roll primarily on OS X, there's a new piece of software that you should consider. BlackBerry Desktop Software 2.0 for Mac OS has just been let loose, and it's a pretty substantial update. Aside from supporting WiFi music sync in official fashion, there's also a new device switch wizard and the ability to import and sync photos and videos with iPhoto and iTunes. [Engadget]

SAP EMBRACES RIM'S PLAYBOOK

SAP, the world's leading maker of enterprise resource management, or ERP, software that many companies use to run basic functions such as finance, human resources and manufacturing is readying its software to run on RIM's Playbook tablet. According to Oliver Bussmann, CIO of SAP, "SAP is definitely supporting the RIM Playbook," and "All of the ERP apps will come out on the Playbook,".

RIM lags well behind Apple and Android in the number of apps available on its operating system. But the company is betting a more modest but high quality menu of business apps could help it catch up in the tablet market, the next big battleground in mobile computing. Although RIM once dominated the smartphone market, the Waterloo, Ontario, firm is coming late to the tablet game.
Apple's iPad leads the tablet market. As of the end of September, six months after launching the device, Apple had sold 7.5 million iPads. In addition, Apple said that over 65% of the Fortune 100 is already deploying or piloting its tablet. This fall, the first Android-based tablet, Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy Tab, began rolling out.
"The penetration of the RIM Playbook will depend upon the apps," said Mr. Bussmann. "Apple has more enterprise apps ready. That is an advantage."

A 7-inch tablet computer, the Playbook will run on software built by QNX Software Systems, a Research in Motion unit that makes software used to run everything from cars to nuclear reactors. Research in Motion bought QNX earlier this year, and has been working to adapt the software for mobile phones.

Although it won't be available in North America until the first quarter of 2010, the PlayBook is starting to attract interest from some big companies. Executives at TD Bank Financial Group and Sun Life Financial Inc. said they plan to place orders for the tablet computer. Others, including the operator of Denver's airport and a school district in Austin, Texas, say they are evaluating uses for the tablet. [WSJ]

MACBOOK AIR BUGS ADDRESSED IN OS X 10.6.5

Earlier this month, BGR reported Apple was working on fixes for a string of troublesome MacBook Air bugs. The issues were widespread, and they involved a variety of problems with display flickering, fading and discoloration when affected notebooks woke from sleep. Internal documents revealed by BGR suggested that the problems would be addressed by an upcoming software update and as expected, OS X 10.6.5 appears to have resolved the bugs described in those documents. Apple also issued a new support document on the matter. While Apple’s description of the issues does not appear to encompass all of the problems reported earlier this month, we have confirmed with several affected users that these bugs no longer occur on their devices. [BGR]

TiVo GETTING OUT OF HARDWARE?

TiVo marketing VP Joe Miller suggested to PC Magazine their hardware business won't be the companies focus for long.  Miller also stated software is the "core competence," said it was "in our blood" and "the thing we do well," and even added that "the software is what we're all about."  With the plethora of DVR devices on the market, it is no surprise TiVo would move to focus on their outstanding software and license it to the hardware manufacturers. [Engadget]

FIRST-SALE DOCTRINE THROWN OUT

In a stunning unanimous 3-0 ruling the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals has thrown out the first-sale doctrine.  The first-sale doctrine stated that once you purchase an item, you have the right to resell that item.  Software manufacturers have stated the first-sale doctrine does not apply to them since users are not purchasing the software, but only licensing it.  They state the licensing agreement in legal terms in EULAs and shrink wrap agreements (this is an agreement that says as soon as you open the shrink wrap you have agreed to the agreement, which the terms are often found inside the packaging).

"The terms of the software license in the case are not very different from the terms of most software licensing. So I think it's safe to say that most people don't own their software," said Greg Beck, the defense attorney in the case who represented an eBay seller sued by Autodesk. "The other ramification, there is no reason a similar license could not be put into the cover of a book. It wouldn't be difficult for everybody to implement this."  Beck will ask the full 11 members of the Appeals Court to rehear the case.

The appeals court reversed a lower court judge that said the first-sale doctrine applied whenever the consumer is entitled to keep the copy of the work, entitling consumers to resell their purchased software at will.
The case concerns Autodesk's AutoCAD Release 14, which was for sale on eBay. Autodesk, invoking the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, demanded eBay remove the item from the site, and it promptly did in 2007.

Timothy Vernor, the seller, who purchased at least four copies of the software from a company that was required to dispose of the software under a licensing agreement, re-posted the sale and his eBay account was terminated after Autodesk complained. Litigation ensued.

Autodesk, of San Rafael, California, imposed a significant number of transfer restrictions: it stated that the software could not be transferred or leased without Autodesk's written consent, and the software could not be transferred outside the Western Hemisphere. [Gizmodo]