Consumer Reports Ranks AT&T Worst U.S. Cell Carrier

Consumer Reports: AT&T has meh customer satisfactionAccording to the survey, Verizon left customers more satisfied with texting and data plans compared to other U.S. carriers. CR electronics editor Paul Reynolds added, “Our survey indicates that subscribers to prepaid and smaller standard-service providers are happiest overall with their cell-phone service.”Despite AT&T’s low customer satisfaction rating, the…

Senator Franken Asks Cell Companies How they Use Carrier IQ

The Senator asked the companies to explain what information they’re gathering from customer’s phones, and whether or not that data is being shared, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. CNET received confirmation of the letters from Sprint on Tuesday.Carrier IQ came under fire when Trevor Eckhart showed that the software was logging all of the…

Court Redaction Error Shows Apple Licensed Scroll Patent to Nokia

Most of Apple’s and Samsung’s legal filings and briefings have been filed under seal, but Judge Lucy Koh has released some of those documents with small and large passages redacted. What happened over the weekend is that a PDF of a document was released that contained a major flaw: Though the document appears redacted, viewers…

Carrier IQ VP: Blame Carriers for Data Logging

The problem, Mr. Coward said, is that carriers are collecting the sensitive data in a log file and passing it on.“When a piece of information is sent to us from the operation system, we do not need it to go through that log file,” Mr. Coward told The Verge. “There is no value to us…

Congressman Calls FTC to Investigate Carrier IQ Data Logging

Congressman Markey stated in a letter to the FTC:This software raises a number of privacy concerns for Android, Blackberry, and Nokia users. Consumers neither have knowledge of this data collection, nor what Carier IQ intends to do with this information. As a co-Chair of the Congressional Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus, I am a concerned that this…

Mophie, Rocketfish Battery Packs Recalled Over Fire Hazard

mophie’s juice pack airThe Mophie website states “mophie has determined that in a small number of juice pack air™ units (JPAT…) for the iPod touch 4th generation may short-circuit causing the unit to potentially over heat. In extreme conditions, it is possible for the plastic to deform and damage the iPod touch. You should stop…

Pages ’09: The Wonders of Master Objects

So if you want to play along at home, open a blank document in Pages. First, insert an object that you’d like to repeat on subsequent pages—this can be your company logo, a chart, or even a text box. To pull in an image, either drag it in from the Finder or select the Media…

U.S. Senator Fires Open Letter to Carrier IQ

Artist Rendering of Al Franken’s Inquiry of CarrierIQ Senator Franken has been an outspoken advocate on privacy issues during his first term, and is the chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law. Earlier this year, he held a hearing (see TMO’s live coverage of that hearing for more) involving Apple and…

Check Your Comcast Data Usage

As a result, one of the new blights of our Internet life is the process of keeping track of our monthly data usage. Here’s how to do it with Comcast. (Note, Comcast has a complex site and there are lots of different ways to do things. I’ve picked a simple approach for beginners.) 1. First,…

Infinity Blade II Slices Onto the App Store

Infinity Blade II for iOSInfinity Blade II takes players on a quest to discover the secrets behind the Infinity Blade with new 3D environments, new combat styles with weapons, armor and spells, dynamically changing locations, and more.The game is optimized for the iPhone 4S and iPad 2, although it is compatible with the iPhone 3GS…

New HP CEO: Apple Could Lead PCs in 2012

HP CEO Meg WhitmanPhoto by Max Morse HP might be second only to Netflix for corporate upheavals in the last six months. In August, the previous CEO, Leo Apothekar, announced that HP would be getting out of the PC business, discontinuing the recently released TouchPad, and dropping WebOS. Mr. Apothekar was dismissed from HP short…

Carrier IQ Collects Everything on Android Phones [Update]

A piece of software called Carrier IQ has apparently been installed on more than 141 million phones from Samsung, HTC. While the same is true of a lot of software, CarrierIQ is loaded without the permission of users, always runs, doesn’t show up in the list of running apps on those devices, and—this is the…

UBS Dismisses iPad Concerns on Corning Glass Warning

At issue was a warning from Corning on Tuesday that the company was cutting its estimates for its Gorilla Glass business. The company said that rather than seeing a 15% decline quarter over quarter, it was now expecting a 25% decline. The firm blamed less-than-expected demand for tablet glass, a comment that lead many to…

iTether Gone From App Store Hours After Launch [Updated]

iTether didn’t last long at the App StoreTethering shares the 3G wireless data connection from a cell phone with your computer for Internet access when Wi-Fi and Ethernet networks aren’t available. Many iPhone owners that want to take advantage of tethering without paying for the feature resort to jailbreaking and installing unauthorized third-party apps.The quick…

Crowd Source-Funding for New MacBook Air Docking Station

infiniWing has put together a nice video presentation, highlighting the LandingZone’s features. While the product looks perfect for 2010 MacBook Air owners, the noticeable lack of Thunderbolt makes this less than ideal for 2011 Air owners. The product still works with 2011 MacBook Airs, but it draws video from that port without passing it through…

Tankbot by DeskPets is a Hoot

DeskPets has released several desk-type toys and the Tankbot is their latest creation.  It works on its own or remotely controlled with an iPhone, iPod, or iPad. The MSRP is US$25.00 and is available in orange, lime green, blue, and gray.   Tankbot color choicesTo take advantage of the remote control aspects of the Tankbot…

A Brief Moment of Thanks for How Things Aren’t

In this particular program which followed soon after Steve Jobs’s death, they focused not so much on Mr. Jobs’s contribution to our lives, great as that has been, but on the contribution of the company as a whole.  Right in the middle of it I was suddenly struck with a memory that had not surfaced…

HTC to “Reevaluate” S3 Purchase, Will Appeal ITC Ruling

An Artist’s Rendering of HTC’s Reevaluation Process The company made the announcement via a statement, that said: HTC is disappointed at the outcome of the recent ITC ruling that stated Apple did not infringe S3 Graphics’ patents. S3 Graphics will continue to appeal. HTC has made significant effort in preparing for these complicated legal proceedings,…

Apple Hiring More Cloud Execs, Report

Apple in the Cloud These efforts have included turning to headhunting firms and recruiters, something Apple has been known to do only recently. For instance, Apple tapped Egon Zehnder International, an international recruiter, to help find a replacement for retail star Ron Johnson, who left Apple to take over as CEO of retail stalwart J.C.…

Music CDs Near Dead; iPods Fade

“The major labels plan to abandon the CD-format by the end of 2012 (or even earlier) and replace it with download/stream only releases via iTunes and related music services.” Before you jump out of your seat to jeer or cheer, bear in mind that this remains unconfirmed: “EMI, Universal and Sony…all declined to comment.” Still,…

Apple Adjusts Aussie Attorneys for April Adjudication

In the back and forth patent infringement battle between Apple and Samsung, both companies have sought injunctions against the other’s products. Apple successfully won a temporary injunction against Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 Android tablet in Australia in October (retailers have found ways to get around the ban), and in a counter claim, Samsung is seeking…

Snowboard Combines iPad, Steve Jobs Tribute

The iShred is a one-off board with a built-in iPad, and an illuminated logo on the bottom of the board. The logo lights up when a rider steps into the board’s bindings, and the iPad is fully functional. The aluminum base is a first for the snowboard industry, and is a tip of the hat…