Tech News Today 353

Tech News Today Episode 353

Tech News Today 353: Generally Satisfied

Ice Cream Sandwich, Andy Rubin and Steve Ballmer quotes galore, why Silk is safe, and more.

Submit and vote on story coverage at technewstoday.reddit.com

Hosts

• Tom Merritt (@acedtect)
  • TomMerritt.com
• Sarah Lane (@sarahlane)
  • SarahLane.com
• Iyaz Akhtar (@Iyaz)
  • thisoldnerd.finitecomedy.com
• Jason Howell (@raygun01)
  • JasonHowell.net
• Kevin Purdy
  • Google+: The Missing Manual. The book that should have come with the site.

Topics

• Samsung's Galaxy Nexus gets official: Android 4.0, 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED display
• Galaxy Nexus designed to bypass Apple patents: Samsung mobile chief
• Google and Samsung unveil Galaxy Nexus, Android 4 at event
  • 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED display (1,280 x 720), a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 5 megapixel rear camera (with LED flash), a 1.3 megapixel front-facing cam, 1080p video recording and playback, NFC
  • 1GB of RAM, 16 or 32GB of internal storage space and a 1,750mAh battery, HSPA+ and LTE
  • Shin Jong-kyun, Samsung's mobile president said Galaxy Nexus is designed around Apple patents
  • Samsung said on Facebook: "Verizon will be offering the Galaxy Nexus with the initial release. Other carriers may support this device in the near future."

• ICS
• Android 4.0 highlights
• Galaxy Nexus: 5 Features That Are Ice Cream Cool
• Ice Cream Sandwich update to start rolling out ‘a couple of weeks’ after Galaxy Nexus release
• Motorola RAZR to get updated to Ice Cream Sandwich in early 2012
• HTC: We're reviewing Ice Cream Sandwich and determining our plans
  • Face Unlock. Steal someone's face, unlock their phone
  • Android Beam - Wirelessly between NFC phones, just like Beaming in a Palm Pilot!
  • Voice Typing - Type texts without using keyboard - Zero shutter lag camera
  • Rubin told D that ICS would roll out to other phones "a couple weeks" after Galaxy Nexus
  • HTC "reviewing" ICS and deciding its plan
  • Alain Mutricy, SVP Portfolio and Product Managemen said Droid RAZR will get ICS in early 2012
  • People app - enables users to browse friends, family and coworkers' photos whilst peeking their status updates from Google+
  • Disable ANY app (including bloatware).
  • Browser/Chrome bookmark sync/offline reading
  • Native screenshot functionality
  • Lockscreen includes quick camera launch and quick response on incoming calls
  • Data management tools

• Google Mobile Boss Andy Rubin on Apple, Microsoft and Tablets
• Google Will Operate Motorola “At Arm’s Length,” Says Andy Rubin
• Google Music Store — With a “Twist” — Coming Soon, Says Android Boss
• Andy Rubin: ‘I don’t think there should be apps specific to a tablet’
• Android Chief Says Your Phone Should Not Be Your Assistant
• Andy Rubin: Video Highlights From AsiaD (Video)
• Vic Gundotra speaking at Web 2.0 Summit
• Google+ Will Allow Pseudonyms, Support Google Apps Users, Launch Platform. When? Soon.
• Google SVP of Mobile Andy Rubin at the AsiaD conference did a lot of talking
  • On apps: “I don’t think there should be apps specific to a tablet,” he said. He also added that “if someone makes an ICS app it’s going to run on phones and it’s going to run on tablets.”
  • On Music: “I feel we are close,” Rubin said of being able to offer some sort of music acquisition service — sales or subscription. “It will have a little twist … it won’t be just selling 99-cent songs.”
  • On Kindle Fire: “I think it is fine for Google. It is Android. It adheres to the APIs of Android.”
  • On RIM: “I think they’re very smart. They’re Canadian.” said their completely vertical approach limits agility
  • As for when Ice Cream Sandwich will show up on other Android devices, Rubin said it will be a matter of weeks after the Samsung device. -- ICS Face to Unlock worked on stage: The Android phone is actually using the graphics chip on the phone rather than the main processor to do the facial recognition, Rubin notes.
  • “I don’t believe that your phone should be an assistant,” the Android chief said in an interview on Wednesday just after appearing on stage at AsiaD. “Your phone is a tool for communicating. You shouldn’t be communicating with the phone; you should be communicating with somebody on the other side of the phone.”
  • As for the hardware business, Rubin reiterated that a Google-owned Motorola would operate “at arm’s length” from the Android unit. He implied they just wanted Motorola's patents.
  • Google+ will soon support pseudonyms, moving away from strict real name ID policy, says +Vic Gundotra at #w2s
  • Vic Gundotra talking at the Web 2.0 summit said that Google Apps users will get "Google+ access in days."

Discussion Stories

• Microsoft’s Ballmer: ‘Lucky’ To Not Own Yahoo; Nokia WP7 Devices Next Week
  • Steve Ballmer spoke to John Batelle at the closing event of the second day of Web 2.0
  • Ballmer also told attendees that Nokia plans to launch “new devices running Windows Phone” next week at Nokia World
  • Social strategy is through core products like Xbox and Skype
  • “You don’t need to be a computer scientist to use a Windows Phone, but I think you do to use Android,”
  • “You ask any CEO who might have bought something before the market crashed in 2008, ‘would you be glad that you didn’t buy something?’‘Hallelujah. Sometimes, you get lucky.”

• Variation on Mac trojan disables built-in OS X malware protections
  • Trojan-Downloader:OSX/Flashback.C, was discovered by researchers at F-Secure
  • variation on the Mac trojan discovered in September that poses as a Flash Player installer, OSX/Flashback.A.
  • disables Apple's automatic updating mechanism, Xprotect
  • Apple added basic malware protections into Mac OS X in 2009 as part of 10.6 Snow Leopard,
  • Ars Technica "Flashback.C decrypts the paths within XProtectUpdater and proceeds to unload the XProtectUpdater daemon. After that, the malware overwrites the files with an empty space, decimating key files that XProtect needs in order to receive regular updates from Apple."
  • Two ways to remove Flashback.C

• EFF: "We are generally satisfied with the privacy design of Silk"
• EFF Gets Straight Privacy Answers From Amazon About New "Silk" Tablet Browser
  • EFF "generally satisfied" with Amazon's privacy policies for Silk
  • First and best is you can turn off cloud acceleration mode
  • According to Jon Jenkins, director of Silk development, “secure web page requests (SSL) are routed directly from the Kindle Fire to the origin server and do not pass through Amazon’s EC2 servers.”
  • Only logs 3 pieces of info per request, URL, timestamp, token (session only) expires in 30 days
  • the persistent SPDY connection between the user’s tablet and Amazon’s servers is always encrypted. Accordingly, if you are using your tablet on an open Wifi network, other users on that network will not be able to spy on your browsing behavior.
  • Some incidental info might be stored in URLs, data might attract law enforcement

News Fuse

• The Lytro camera is now up for pre-order. It's the light field camera that you don't need to focus because you can change the focus using software later. There are two versions, an 8GB $399 model and a 16GB $499 model. The design is unusual - it looks like a rectangular bar and has very few controls - just a shutter and a zoom.

• According to a study by Kleiner Perkins partner Mary Meeker, 81% of users of top websites are outside of the United States. Those top websites include Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon. China has added more Internet users in three years than exist in the United States. Those stats is part of a larger study on Internet trends.

• The iPhone 4S is coming to a fourth U.S. carrier, but it's not T-Mobile. C Spire, previously known as Cellular South, has confirmed with Engadget that the regional carrier will carry the iPhone 4S. On the front page of the C Spire site is a picture of an iPhone 4S with the words "Coming Soon." There's also a sign up page if you'd like to be notified when there's more info.

• It's earnings season and eBay announced its Q3 results. eBay beat estimates with revenue up 32% year over year and net income was up by 18% for the same time period. PayPal helped drive eBay's revenue by gaining 14% more active users compared to Q3 of 2010. eBay was expected to earn $2.91 billion by analysts, but wound up making $2.97 billion.

• Georgia Tech computer scientists say that accelerometers in phones can be used to capture keystrokes. A phone with an accelerometer placed on a desk with a keyboard can translate the vibrations with as much as 80% accuracy. Experiments with an iPhone 3GS were not as accurate as the iPhone 4 - the gyroscope in the iPhone 4 is credited for the better results. If you're freaking out - put your phone on another surface.

• Kevin Rose announced details of Oink at the Web 2.0 Summit, a new service that will be for checking in and rating things. So, if you go to a stadium, you could rate a particular seat. If you were at a bar, you could rate a beer. You'll be assigned a level to show your expertise. Right now Oink is in closed beta with a launch coming in a few weeks.

• Certain blogs are saying Twitter user @Jackoplane has found a way to make Siri work on all iOS 5 devices and it works with Apple's servers. Jackoplane's twitter account says for a video, check with @JoshMTucker. Joshua hasn't posted any videos on twitter, but he says that blog are getting it wrong - Siri has only been "working" on an iPhone 4 with working in quotes.

• Siri lets anyone send text messages and make calls even if an iPhone is locked, something the old iOS voice control settings also allowed. So it's not a new thing, but since a lot more people are using Siri than were using the old voice control features, it's got some folks in a tizzy because they'd rather complain than get to know their settings option. I'll do you a favor- Passcode Lock settings and switch Siri to off. Tizzy, out!

• At BlackBerry DevCon, RIM showed off Android apps running on the Playbook. Apps don't need to be recompiled, but repackaged. The Verge has a video showing off a 3D pool app that uses OpenGL and it looked very smooth. Less intensive apps like Pulse and IMDB worked fine as well.

Randomizer

• Back to the Future: DeLorean Plans an Electric Car

Calendar

• PlayStation Vita is coming to the US, Canada, Latin America and Europe on February 22nd. The 3G version will go for $299 and the wifi only for $249
• Sprint has officially released info on the HTC EVO Design 4G, available October 23rd for $100 - WiMAX-capable device with GSM roaming, Gingerbread with HTC sense UI, mobile hotspot, front and rear cameras.. basically the Hero S with international roaming
• Nintendo launching "Misty Pink" 3DS handheld tomorrow October 20th in Japan - targeted at the ladiezz and guys who like pink. Ice white is coming on November 3rd.

INCOMING

Email

"Hi there Tom, Sarah, Iyaz, Jason and <insert guest name here>

About the $100 in free Apps that Blackberry will be giving everyone affected by the blackout, I think it is quite a good deal.

Here is why: Our BIS service costs 69 Rands (about $8) here in South Africa, which equates to about 2 Rands (about 25 US cents) per day. So getting $100 (about 800 Rands) in apps sounds like a good deal to me, much better than giving us a months free service.

Also, the operators here in South Africa compensated us with free airtime and free SMSes, which makes it even more appealing.

Just my 2 cents (South African cents).

Love the show!

Regards

Samuel Kock -- Pretoria, South Africa"

"Hello TNT crew,

In a recent show you guys discussed the Forbes article regarding Apple wanting to buy Dropbox and Dropbox refusing to sell. After hearing that I remember thinking that I heard this same story over a month ago but I couldn't figure out where,and then it hit me. Over a month a TNT reddit subscriber posted this same story, well ahead of Forbes i might add.

So I want to give kudos this person and all TNT reddit people for scooping Forbes and posting great articles on a daily basis.

Thanks for an awesome show

Tracy in New Orleans"

• http://www.reddit.com/r/TechNewsToday/comments/kcebz/apple_tries_to_acquire_dropbox_for_800_million/

Sponsors

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Gazelle

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Production Information

• Edited by: Jason
• Notes:

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