...from:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/30/softbank-to-offer-free-phones-to-earthqu…
Softbank to offer free phones to earthquake orphans, free replacement for lost iPhones
By Richard Lai posted Mar 30th 2011 at 9:14AM
Following the catastrophic earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, surviving victims from the affected region are going to face a tough time over the coming months, if not years. Many of those who are more fortunate have been actively contributing in one way or another, regardless of distance, to help put Japan on its road to recovery. Back in the country, one such generous person is non other than Softbankfounder and CEO Masayoshi Son, who's recently visited Tamura, one of the cities most affected by theFukushima nuclear disaster. During that trip, Son announced that Softbank will cover a year's worth of living costs (commute and food) and provide job positions for the 1,200 people to be relocated to Takeo in Saga, the prefecture where Son originated.
Additionally, Son is using Softbank's "Let's Do It" campaign site -- a tracker for his "Let's Do It" tasks posted on Twitter, each accompanied by a completion status indicator -- to crowdsource requests for supporting earthquake victims. So far, these requests are mainly about ways to increase efficiency for donation efforts (like publishing a live list of item shortages for each shelter, and setting up new mobile networks at the shelters), but there were two that caught our attention. Last week, one of Son's followers suggested that Softbank should provide orphaned children free phone credit for a limited time, so that they could contact their friends and other family members. Son then retweeted this idea and announced that all earthquake orphans will receive free phones, along with call costs waived until they reach the age of 18. Another gadget-related initiative came in earlier today with Son promising free replacement for all lost or damaged iPhones due to the earthquake, with details to follow later.
Obviously, anyone providing aid to Japan in any way, shape, or form deserves just as much credit, but Softbank's extra mileage and cunning use of social networking is certainly praiseworthy in its own right. Here's hoping that Son's actions will inspire others for even greater causes.
...from:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/06/google-flips-android-kill-switch-destroy…
Google flips Android kill switch, destroys a batch of malicious apps
By Sean Hollister posted Mar 6th 2011 1:19PM
When 21 rogue apps started siphoning off identifying information from Android phones and installing security holes, Google yanked the lot from Android Market, and called the authorities to boot. But what of the 50,000 copies already downloaded by unwitting users? That's what Google's dealing with this week, by utilizing Android's remote kill switch to delete them over the air. But that's not all, because this time the company isn't just removing offending packages, but also installing new code. The "Android Market Security Tool March 2011" will be remotely added to affected handsets to undo the exploit and keep it from sending your data out, as well as make you wonder just how much remote control Google has over our phones. Yes, we welcome our new Search Engine overlords and all that, so long as they've got our best interests at heart, but there's a certain irony in Google removing a backdoor exploit by using a backdoor of its own -- even one that (in this case) will email you to report what it's done.
...and the full blog entry from:
http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2011/03/update-on-android-market-security.…
An Update on Android Market Security
Saturday, March 5, 2011 | 10:08 PM
On Tuesday evening, the Android team was made aware of a number of malicious applications published to Android Market. Within minutes of becoming aware, we identified and removed the malicious applications. The applications took advantage of known vulnerabilities which don’t affect Android versions 2.2.2 or higher. For affected devices, we believe that the only information the attacker(s) were able to gather was device-specific (IMEI/IMSI, unique codes which are used to identify mobile devices, and the version of Android running on your device). But given the nature of the exploits, the attacker(s) could access other data, which is why we’ve taken a number of steps to protect those who downloaded a malicious application:
We removed the malicious applications from Android Market, suspended the associated developer accounts, and contacted law enforcement about the attack.
We are remotely removing the malicious applications from affected devices. Thisremote application removal feature is one of many security controls the Android team can use to help protect users from malicious applications.
We are pushing an Android Market security update to all affected devices that undoes the exploits to prevent the attacker(s) from accessing any more information from affected devices. If your device has been affected, you will receive an email from android-market-support(a)google.com over the next 72 hours. You will also receive a notification on your device that “Android Market Security Tool March 2011” has been installed. You may also receive notification(s) on your device that an application has been removed. You are not required to take any action from there; the update will automatically undo the exploit. Within 24 hours of the exploit being undone, you will receive a second email.
We are adding a number of measures to help prevent additional malicious applications using similar exploits from being distributed through Android Market and are working with our partners to provide the fix for the underlying security issues.
For more details, please visit the Android Market Help Center. We always encourage you to check the list of permissions when installing an application from Android Market. Security is a priority for the Android team, and we’re committed to building new safeguards to help prevent these kinds of attacks from happening in the future.
Posted by Rich Cannings, Android Security Lead
Turns out that, even though the iPad 2 is not shipping in Canada until March 25, the prices of the current iPads have already dropped..... AND Apple is giving price protection to some who have recently purchased one of the first generation iPads. To find out if you qualify, quickly call Apple Sales Support at 1-800-676-2775 and talk with a representative. (there's no voice menu option for "Give me a rebate" .... ::-)
If you haven't yet purchased an iPad but have been thinking about it, now is the time to get this new, reduced pricing on the current remaining stock of iPads...... prices for a "new" iPad now start at $419 for the 16 GB, WiFi only model.
If you don't mind a "previously owned" option, Apple also has limited stock on "refurbished" iPads. Refubs of the WiFi-only models begin at $369 for the 16 GB model. Apple also stands by their refurbished products with the following:
We test and certify all Apple refurbished products and include a 1-year warranty.
All refurbished iPad models also include a brand new battery and outer shell.
Refurbed iPads can be found in the Canadian Apple store at: http://store.apple.com/ca/browse/home/specialdeals/ipad?mco=OTY2ODY4NQ
