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INTEREST: Google flips Android kill switch, destroys a batch of malicious apps
by billing 07 Mar '11

07 Mar '11

...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

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FYI: just purchased an iPad? Maybe get price protection...
by billing 05 Mar '11

05 Mar '11

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

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INTEREST: Tweeting without the Internet.....
by billing 01 Feb '11

01 Feb '11

...well, of limited use if you're not tweeting to the hashtag #egypt, but, even so..... ...from: http://gizmodo.com/5748203/those-with-limited-internet-access-can-call-thes… Those Without Internet Access Can Call These Numbers to Tweet #Egypt News Google, Twitter, and voice-messaging company SpeakNow have put their brightest minds together to provide a way for people with limited or no Internet access to tweet about the events occurring in Egypt: @speak2tweet. Here's how it works: [A]nyone can tweet by simply leaving a voicemail on one of these international phone numbers (+16504194196 or +390662207294 or +97316199855) and the service will instantly tweet the message using the hashtag #egypt. No Internet connection is required. People can listen to the messages by dialing the same phone numbers or going totwitter.com/speak2tweet. Not even a Twitter account is required to tweet using this service. All you or someone who wants to share news needs to do is pick up a phone, dial the number, and get the words out. [Speak to Tweet via Google]

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FYI: Canadian Government seeking your input...
by billing 24 Jan '11

24 Jan '11

...regarding amendments to the Canadian Copyright Act until the end of January 2011. Dr. Michael Geist, a law professor at the University of Ottawa where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law, has written about some of the issues surrounding the proposed changes to existing copyright law in Canada. He also did a presentation before the Bill C-32 legislative committee on December 1, 2010. His presentation can be viewed at: http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/5493/125/ ...and you can read his elaborations of his views on Bill C-32 at: http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/5577/125/ - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 ...from: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=4850539&Lan… OR http://preview.tinyurl.com/4tjrsqb Legislative Committee on Bill C-32 HOUSE OF COMMONS CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES OTTAWA, CANADA K1A 0A6 Comité législatif chargé du projet de loi C-32 For immediate release NEWS RELEASE STUDY OF BILL C-32, AN ACT TO AMEND THE COPYRIGHT ACT Ottawa, December 06, 2010 - On Friday, November 5, 2010, the House of Commons adopted a motion that Bill C-32, An Act to amend the Copyright Act, be read a second time and referred to a legislative committee. The Legislative Committee on Bill C-32 (CC32) started its study of the bill on November 23, 2010. Bill C-32 adds new rights and exceptions to the Copyright Act. As noted in the bill’s summary, its objectives are as follows: update the rights and protections of copyright owners to better address the challenges and opportunities of the Internet, so as to be in line with international standards; clarify Internet service providers’ liability and make the enabling of online copyright infringement itself an infringement of copyright; permit businesses, educators and libraries to make greater use of copyright material in digital form; allow educators and students to make greater use of copyright material; permit certain uses of copyright material by consumers; give photographers the same rights as other creators; ensure that the Copyright Act remains technologically neutral; and mandate a review of the Copyright Act by Parliament every five years. The Committee believes that it is important to hear from Canadians on this topic. The Committee will be meeting with various stakeholders affected by copyright reform, including authors, artists, musicians, record labels, book publishers, collective societies, libraries, museums, school associations, software developers, retailers and consumers. The Committee will also be accepting briefs on this topic from groups and individuals who will not have the opportunity to appear before the Committee. The Committee welcomes briefs on the objectives and subject matter of Bill C-32. If a brief proposes amendments to clauses in the bill, draft alternative language should be included if possible. In order for briefs on Bill C-32 to be considered by the Committee in a timely fashion, the document should be submitted to the Committee’s mailbox at CC32(a)parl.gc.ca by the end of January, 2011. A brief which is longer than 5 pages should be accompanied by a 1 page executive summary and in any event should not exceed 10 pages in length. The Legislative Committee on Bill C-32 (CC32) is composed of 12 parliamentarians representing four political parties. It is chaired by Gordon Brown, M.P. for Leeds-Grenville (Ontario). - 30 - For more information, please contact: Michelle Tittley, Clerk of the Legislative Committee on Bill C-32 Tel: 613-947-1971 E-mail: CC32(a)parl.gc.ca

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FYI: Apple Support profile for you devices
by billing 10 Jan '11

10 Jan '11

...from: https://supportprofile.apple.com/ http://www.macworld.com/article/156866/2011/01/apple_support_profile.html?l… Apple launches Support Profile site Posted on Jan 5, 2011 10:30 am by Jeff Porten, Macworld.com Getting technical support for your Apple products has become a bit easier with the introduction of the new Apple Support Profile Website. This site provides one-stop shopping for you to check the registration and warranty status of all of your Apple products. If you have a repair or support issue in progress, you can review Apple’s records about the issue right from your Web browser. Log into the site using your Apple ID (the same username and password you use in the iTunes stores), and Apple will display all of the computers they already know about. Oddly, although I’ve been using the same Apple ID for years and I’ve owned fifteen Macs (no, really), my profile page only displayed my old PowerBook G4 and an anonymous serial number next to an Apple logo. If your profile is similarly lacking, below these entries you’ll find a link to manually register more equipment. The site can auto-detect the serial number of the Mac you’re using to reach the site, although it can’t do the same for iOS devices. (You can find your iPod touch or iPhone’s serial number in Settings > General > About. There are similar entries in the Settings menu of most other iPods.) Apple also has an option called VoicePass for US and Canadian customers, which promises to match your profile to your phone numbers so they’ll have your computer information at their fingertips when you call from that number. Presumably they could have done this without asking permission, but it’s a nice touch allowing you to update which numbers they keep for you. American customers also have the option of receiving text messages with status updates. Even if you’re not currently troubleshooting a Mac or iOS device, this is information that is useful to have in one place, both for you and for Apple, when it comes time to call the Support line.

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Apple Education Seminars Invitation - Tech Series: iPad and iPhone Deployment
by Doug Hamilton 23 Nov '10

23 Nov '10

Tech Series: iPad and iPhone Deployment Monday, December 6 2010 10:00AM to 2:00PMAdd to iCal You've been invited to an event Join Apple for free seminar to introduce IT leaders to the capabilities of Apple mobile technology in education. Discover how to integrate with standards-based networks, build collaboration services in an Active Directory-integrated environment, and learn best practices for deploying iPads, iPhones and iPods on your campus. Please use the address in this e-mail to register for the event. Holiday Inn - Winnipeg South 1330 Pembina Highway Conference Theatre Room Winnipeg, MB R3T 2B4 Get Directions Copyright © 2010 Apple Inc. 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014.

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INTEREST: the game of "telephone"s... Android and iPhone
by billing 19 Nov '10

19 Nov '10

Yesterday, Steve Wozniak (one of the co-founders of Apple Inc.), when asked about comparing the features and futures of Android cell phones and Apple's iPhone was widely quoted as saying to a reporter from the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf (in an article filed under "Operating system Google wins race for smartphones"): http://gizmodo.com/5693169/steve-wozniak-androids-more-features-will-beat-i… ... Android phones, with their "more features," will do better. What he actually says is: http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/18/exclusive-woz-misquoted-almost-every-app… - "I saw a lot of headlines all over that are not something that I say." - "Almost every app I have is better on the iPhone." - "If it concerns quality, the iPhone is leading." - "I pointed out one thing that [Android] does that I would like to have on my iPhone...." - ...Android would become more popular "based on what I've read" - "Android will be probably a lot like Windows and we got a lot of junk from Windows. At least the iPhone is good." - "...but [Android] can get greater marketshare and still be crappy." This article also publishes part of the audio of their conversation with Mr. Wozniak for your listening pleasure. The original De Telegraaf article can be seen at: http://www.telegraaf.nl/digitaal/8250271/__Besturingssysteem_Google_wint_ra…

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FYI: roadmap for JAVA on OS X
by billing 12 Nov '10

12 Nov '10

...from: http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/11/12openjdk.html http://blogs.oracle.com/henrik/2010/11/oracle_and_apple_announce_openjdk_pr… Oracle and Apple Announce OpenJDK Project for Mac OS X REDWOOD SHORES and CUPERTINO, California—November 12, 2010—Oracle and Apple® today announced the OpenJDK project for Mac OS® X. Apple will contribute most of the key components, tools and technology required for a Java SE 7 implementation on Mac OS X, including a 32-bit and 64-bit HotSpot-based Java virtual machine, class libraries, a networking stack and the foundation for a new graphical client. OpenJDK will make Apple’s Java technology available to open source developers so they can access and contribute to the effort. “We are excited to welcome Apple as a significant contributor in the growing OpenJDK community,” said Hasan Rizvi, Oracle’s senior vice president of Development. “The availability of Java on Mac OS X plays a key role in the cross-platform promise of the Java platform. The Java developer community can rest assured that the leading edge Java environment will continue to be available on Mac OS X in the future. Combined with last month’s announcement of IBM joining the OpenJDK, the project now has the backing of three of the biggest names in software.” “We’re delighted to be working with Oracle to insure that there continues to be a great version of Java on the Mac,” said Bertrand Serlet, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “The best way for our users to always have the most up to date and secure version of Java will be to get it directly from Oracle.” Apple also confirmed that Java SE 6 will continue to be available from Apple for Mac OS X Snow Leopard® and the upcoming release of Mac OS X Lion. Java SE 7 and future versions of Java for Mac OS X will be available from Oracle. Java is a general purpose software development platform that is specifically designed to be open and enable application developers to “write once, run anywhere.” The Java platform is most widely used in business software, web and mobile applications. For more information on Java, visit: Java Platform, Standard Edition OpenJDK JDK 7 Feature Roadmap Oracle is the world’s most complete, open and integrated business software and hardware systems company. For more information about Oracle, please visit our Web site at www.oracle.com. Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple is reinventing the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices. Press Contacts: Letty Ledbetter Oracle letty.ledbetter(a)oracle.com (650) 506-8071 Bill Evans Apple bevans(a)apple.com (408) 974-0610 NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple’s PR website, or call Apple's Media Helpline at (408) 974-2042. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh and Snow Leopard are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. = - = - = - = - = Oracle and Apple Announce OpenJDK Project for OSX By Henrik Ståhl on November 12, 2010 12:40 PM Oracle and Apple just issued the following press release: REDWOOD SHORES and CUPERTINO, California--November 12, 2010--Oracle and Apple® today announced the OpenJDK project for Mac OS® X. Apple will contribute most of the key components, tools and technology required for a Java SE 7 implementation on Mac OS X, including a 32-bit and 64-bit HotSpot-based Java virtual machine, class libraries, a networking stack and the foundation for a new graphical client. OpenJDK will make Apple's Java technology available to open source developers so they can access and contribute to the effort. "We are excited to welcome Apple as a significant contributor in the growing OpenJDK community," said Hasan Rizvi, Oracle's senior vice president of Development. "The availability of Java on Mac OS X plays a key role in the cross-platform promise of the Java platform. The Java developer community can rest assured that the leading edge Java environment will continue to be available on Mac OS X in the future. Combined with last month's announcement of IBM joining the OpenJDK, the project now has the backing of three of the biggest names in software." "We're delighted to be working with Oracle to insure that there continues to be a great version of Java on the Mac," said Bertrand Serlet, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering. "The best way for our users to always have the most up to date and secure version of Java will be to get it directly from Oracle." Apple also confirmed that Java SE 6 will continue to be available from Apple for Mac OS X Snow Leopard® and the upcoming release of Mac OS X Lion. Java SE 7 and future versions of Java for Mac OS X will be available from Oracle. ... This announcement is the result of a discussion between Oracle and Apple that has been going on for some time. I understand that the uncertainty since Apple's widely circulated "deprecation" of Java has been frustrating, but due to the nature of these things we have neither wanted to or been able to communicate before. That is as it is, I'm afraid. For the sake of all Java developers out there, I am very happy that the future of Java on OSX is now assured. I'm sure you have tons of questions, so let me start with a few: Q: When will JDK 7 be available for OSX? A: My expectation is that we will release on current supported platforms first, and that OSX support will follow later. The JDK 7 schedule can not easily accomodate large changes like the addition of a new platform. Q: How much later? What about subsequent releases, will they be simultaneuous with other platforms? A: Too early to say, sorry. Q: I love Java and OSX! How can I be part of this? A: Join OpenJDK as a contributor. Or apply for a position with Oracle (examples, more examples), we're hiring! More information will follow over the coming weeks and months. Until then, safe coding!

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Apple to Discontinue Xserve
by Tom Dubinski 05 Nov '10

05 Nov '10

"Apple this week announced the discontinuation of Xserve, revealing it will support but no longer offer its rackmounted servers after Jan. 31, 2011." http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/11/05/apple_to_discontinue_xserve_a… http://www.apple.com/xserve/resources.html -- Tom Dubinski Phone: +1.204.474-8841 Fax: 474-7609 Computer Science, E2-596 EITC CompSci General Office: E2-445 EITC University of Manitoba E-Mail: tom_dubinski(a)umanitoba.ca Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada http://www.cs.umanitoba.ca/~tdubins/

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INTEREST: iPad took 95% of the global tablet sales in Q3.
by Doug Hamilton 03 Nov '10

03 Nov '10

For those interested in sales figures and market placement, here is a link to a brief Bloomberg article. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-02/apple-increases-tablet-share-to-95… Cheers. ------------- Doug Hamilton, BA, MA, ASP Senior Apple Computer Consultant Computers-on-Campus; Univ. of Manitoba 204-474-6196 (Ph.) 204-474-7556 (Fax) http://www.umanitoba.ca/bookstore/

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