Carrier IQ Keylogging Software Found on Many Mobile Phones

Over the last couple of days, there has been a significant amount of press over the findings of Trevor Eckhart who exposed the presence of extensive logging software found on many Android, BlackBerry and Nokia phones. A video showing the extent of the logging was posted and is summarized by PCWorld. The software is called "IQRD" by a company called Carrier IQ.:

After connecting his HTC device to his computer, Trevor found that IQRD is secretly logging every single button that he taps on the phone--even on the touchscreen number pad. IQRD is also shown to be logging text messages.

In the video, Eckhart shows that Carrier IQ is also logging Web searches. While this doesn't sound all that bad by itself, it suggests that Carrier IQ is logging what happens during an HTTPS connection which is supposed to be encrypted information. Additionally, it can do this over a Wi-Fi connection with no 3G, so even if your phone service is disconnected, IQRD still logs the information.

It doesn't seem entirely clear what information is transmitted and used, though the presence of the software itself has generated many privacy concerns. Eckhart noted in his original findings that on his Android HTC phone, there was no way to turn off logging. He also notes that the Carrier IQ application is embedded so deeply that it can't be fully removed without rebuilding the phone from source code. Forbes is suggesting that the company may have even violated wiretapping laws based on its actions. Carrier IQ maintains that its actions are aimed at device performance only.

Tonight iPhone developer @chpwn reported on Carrier IQ references in Apple's iOS as well, though its logging seems to be much more in line with Carrier IQ's official statements about device performance. (The references were first spotted by Intell on our own forums). Chpwn reports:

Importantly, it does not appear the daemon has any access or communication with the UI layer, where text entry is done. I am reasonably sure it has no access to typed text, web history, passwords, browsing history, or text messages, and as such is not sending any of this data remotely.

The information logged for iOS seems limited to phone call activity and location (if Location Services are enabled). Also unlike the implementation found on Eckhart's HTC, iOS users can opt out of these diagnostics by simply going to Settings -> General -> About -> Diagnostics & Usage -> Don't Send. The actually logged diagnostic data appears to be fully accessible for perusal in that same setting menu.

TUAW describes the iOS findings as "probably benign" and consistent with expected network performance diagnostics.


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Analyst Says Apple Television Set Is Coming Next Year; Provides Some Interesting Details

An analyst who specializes in all things Apple is certain that Apple branded Television sets are coming next year. He listed all of the details he thinks it’ll have, and is so sure that he urged people to not buy … Continue reading →

Another iPhone Explodes, This Time In Brazil

Another report has come in of a user’s iPhone exploding, this time in Brazil. In contrast to this week’s earlier episode, this one looks to be in worse condition. A Brazilian website, Blog Do iPhone, reports that a user – Ayla … Continue reading →

Regarding Carrier IQ and customer insight mining

Carrier IQ is software that manufacturers and/or carriers stealthily embed in mobile devices in order to collect everything from location to behavioral (usage) data. How much data they collect, and to what level of granularity, it’s hard to tell, as is what they do with it both locally on the device and transmitted back to their servers.

It’s in the news recently because it’s been discovered on Android and iOS devices, but Carrier IQ, and stuff like it, have been used for years. Knowledge is power, after all, and the moment a company can do something that they think gives them tactical advantage, they likely will.

They might use it to try and detect crashes, loss of signal or packets, or other technical information that could help them make better products or services. They might use it to see which OS features you use most and least often, how you typically enter or exit apps and features, how many apps you download and how often, and for how long, you use them. They might sell this information to to partners and third party developers so they can improve and adjust their products, or learn about their competitors’ users. (I explained how this works in more detail a while back in regards to Siri.)

They might anonymize it, aggregate it, and runs metrics or analytics off terabytes of the stuff. They might drill down to a single, known user, Person of Interest — or Big Brother — style. We don’t know, and that’s a big part of the problem. Lack of disclosure leads to uncertainty about the motives and that leads to feelings of violation.

Does that mean it’s wrong to feel violated? Certainly not, but right now a lot of the attention is being focused on Carrier IQ and that’s a lot like blaming a gun — what you really want is the shooter. It’s the carriers and the manufacturers who are implementing Carrier IQ.

And they’re not alone. Think some game companies don’t monitor your behavior while you’re playing, figure out when you leave them game, then try to adjust levels so you keep playing longer?

Apps provide accounts and online services so that you get online and use them, and they can compile data based on your usage. It’s called customer insight and it’s being done more and more often, in more and more sophisticated ways.

Carrier IQ is just making headlines, but it’s a much bigger, much more important issue than any one vendor.

You want the shooter, and you want to know why and at what they’re shooting.

Sources: Android Central, chpwn

Activision releasing Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies December 1

Activision's been relatively quiet on iOS, especially when compared to other big game publishers like EA. But the company has always had a hit with its original Call of Duty Zombies app, and now it's looking to replicate that success with a new version, based on the Zombies Mode in last year's Call of Duty: Black Ops. The new game is set to arrive on the App Store December 1, and just like the old version, it will bring Call of Duty's zombies mode to life in full 3D.

The game will be US$6.99 (the same price, it might be noted, as the also-releasing Infinity Blade 2), and will come with just one map (more on the way), as well as a whole other game in the form of Dead Ops Arcade, a dual stick shooter that was found as an easter egg in Call of Duty: Black Ops. The game also offers up multiplayer support and even voice chat for up to four players.

This app will undoubtedly be a hit this holiday season -- obviously the App Store is a very different place since the last CoD: Zombies app came around, but the name recognition alone will likely sell plenty of copies. We'll check the game out when it arrives.

Activision releasing Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies December 1 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Activision releasing Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies December 1 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carrier IQ references found in iOS 5, probably benign

The Interwebs have been abuzz over the last 24 hours about Carrier IQ on Android smart phones, allegedly logging user activity including keystrokes. TUAW can confirm that Carrier IQ appears to be included on iOS 5, but that its purpose is most likely benign.

iOS virtuoso chpwn discovered Carrier IQ support in firmware as recent as iOS 3.x on Apple's devices. TUAW confirmed Carrier IQ references in iOS 5 after reading this post on the MacRumors forum and evaluating the /usr/bin/awd_ic3 file found in the installed OS.

The firmware contains references to Carrier IQ such as this URL included in the binary. We have included a full set of matching strings at the end of this post.

http://collector.sky.carrieriq.com:7001/collector/c?cm_sl=5

In TUAW's look through the binary calls, we found references to collecting carrier telemetry such as local cell tower, signal strength, and your phone number. We found no references to key logging. We did find remote diagnostic calls like CTServerConnectionEnableRemoteDiagnostics.

What's more, the service may need to be specifically enabled. A property list in the "mobile" user library looks like it has to be overridden to allow diagnostic logging.

iPhone # plutil com.apple.iqagent.plist
{
DiagnosticsAllowed = 0;
}

Further, the binary seems to be somewhat poorly maintained. The primary reference to the /var/wireless/Library/Logs/IQAgent/ folder has now been replaced by /var/wireless/Library/Logs/awd in actual use.

Apple's inclusion of Carrier IQ does not, in our first estimation, appear to be a root kit or threaten privacy. We reserve the right to re-evaluate our judgement on that in the future, but for now we don't see much that bothers us. Given what it records, this sounds like the "help maintain network performance" claim made by Jason Gertzen of Sprint when he was asked about Carrier IQ on Android. But even this is cautiously implemented on iOS.

If you want to stay on top of this story, follow chpwn's blog as he continues to investigate.

Continue reading Carrier IQ references found in iOS 5, probably benign

Carrier IQ references found in iOS 5, probably benign originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Carrier IQ references found in iOS 5, probably benign originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Siri “pro-life bias” debunked

TUAW‘s Chris Rawson did the inconceivable — actually looking into claims that Apple’s virtual assistant, Siri might have been programmed with a “pro-life bias” before posting them. And surprise, surprise, he found them to not even be worth the link-bait pixels they were posted with.

Short version: Siri is a front end to internet search engines. It’ll return the results of those search engines however good or bad they may be. Now Apple can be blamed for side-stepping Google and using a search engine that returns poor results for these specific queries (and likely others), but they don’t run the search engine. So, sorry, if you’re looking for something to seethe about, turn your attention away from Apple and towards news outlets not doing their job.

Long version: See the source link below.

Source: TUAW

AppventCalendar brings free apps for the 2011 holidays!

The guys at BlackSmithGames have announced that their AppventCalendar will be returning for 2011. If you go to AppventCalendar.com everyday in December, you will be able to pick up a free game, and a free app. Thats 2 free downloads a day!

Something new for 2011 — an iPhone app, meaning that you don’t even have to visit the website to download your gift. You can check the app, and download the free gift, directly on your iPhone.

Don’t forget, like any advent calendar, if you miss a day you can’t go back and get it later!

• AppventCalendar website
• iTunes Link

Debunked: Ridiculous claims of ‘pro-life’ bias in Siri

Think Progress, Slate, and a whole lot of other outlets are piling it on thick and claiming that Siri's search parameters have a "pro-life" bias because the service has difficulty locating abortion clinics or birth control services in many areas. "Siri's unhelpful and sometimes misleading answers to pressing health questions stand in stark contrast to her prompt and accurate responses to inquiries about nearby escort services," says Think Progress, while Slate goes even farther off the deep end and says, "many around the Web [are] wondering if Siri is pro-life and whether Apple is attempting to impose its morals upon the rest of us."

This is a textbook example of sensationalistic media making something from absolutely nothing. If Siri's search parameters function the same way as other services (and I'm almost certain they do), it's likely that in addition to the business name itself, a business will have a cluster of tagged metadata associated with it. Siri's association with Yelp in the U.S. makes this sort of tagging extremely easy for restaurants and other retail services -- searching for something as simple as "hamburgers" or "Target" will return dozens of results in major cities.

For other services -- birth control and abortion clinics being two examples -- Siri apparently relies on a much less extensive database than Yelp, with far less comprehensive tagging. All that Think Progress and Slate's "research" shows is that Apple isn't relying upon Google's database for such searches, either; a Google Maps search for "abortion clinic in Washington, D.C." turns up 10 results in the Maps app, while Siri returns only two (apparently invalid) results.

If you're the type to leap to your keyboard and pound out a linkbaiting headline before warming up your logic circuits first, then sure, this might look like Apple once again being the "evil Big Brother" that the media's been trying to paint it as for years, this time passive-aggressively shoving a pro-life stance on people searching for women's health services.

If you instead insert a couple minutes of logical thought between your fingers and the keyboard, it looks more like Apple's tagging services for Siri are incomplete when it has to source its searches from sources other than Yelp -- which is exactly what you'd expect from a BETA service that's been in widespread public use for less than two months as of this writing.

At any rate, the central premise of this handwringing claim that Siri is "pro-life" is easy enough to debunk. Searches for "abortion clinic" or "birth control clinic" return few if any results in most areas, but I found results for "abortion clinic" in Denver, Milwaukee, New York City, and several other cities across the US.

A Siri search for "Planned Parenthood" almost always returns results no matter where you search in the States -- because that search is powered by Yelp rather than whatever comparatively limited database Siri is using for more specific searches like "abortion clinic" or "birth control." If Siri is really supposed to be "pro-life" and "imposing morals" on its users, then searches for the politically charged Planned Parenthood clinics would also turn up no results, wouldn't they?

Why searches for "abortion clinic" or "birth control" aren't also Yelp-powered is easy enough to discern; searching for "abortion clinic" in Washington, D.C. on yelp.com returns an array of ridiculous results such as "New York New York Salon" (the top result), McDonald's (not kidding), Ebenezers Coffeehouse, and Georgetown University Law Center. That's the downside of a crowdsourced search service.

"Why not just source results from Google Maps?" you might ask. That's easy enough to answer: it's probably because Siri is designed to lessen Apple's dependence on its biggest competitor for search services. Does that do users any sort of disservice, especially to the extent that Think Progress and Slate claim? Not particularly, since either the Google-powered Maps app or a Google search within Safari are at most one or two taps away.

Going by the hilariously flawed logic in Think Progress and Slate's reporting, I could just as easily say that Apple has a jingoistic pro-American bias because Siri's business and navigational searches only work in the U.S. "OH NOES, Siri can't find places in New Zealand, that must mean Apple hates Kiwis! Quickly Robin, to the Boycottmobile!"

About an hour or so after I finished writing the above diatribe against the massive overreaction to this non-event, Apple confirmed to the New York Times that Siri's responses to queries for abortion clinics were a glitch. "These are not intentional omissions meant to offend anyone," an Apple spokesperson confirmed to the Times. "It simply means that as we bring Siri from beta to a final product, we find places where we can do better, and we will in the coming weeks."

Critical thinking, ladies and gentlemen. It's not difficult.

Note: Due to the inevitable storm in a teacup that results anytime anyone mentions the A-word, comments on this post will be heavily moderated. We will not approve comments from either side of the endless debate.

Debunked: Ridiculous claims of 'pro-life' bias in Siri originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Debunked: Ridiculous claims of 'pro-life' bias in Siri originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Too lazy to grab your TV remote? Use Siri instead

Siri hasn't been caught cooking dinner yet, but hackers worldwide have boldly taken Apple's personal assistant to a whole new level by incorporating its functionality with a plethora of different devices. We've seen Siri use custom commands, change the temperature in your house, and even allow select car owners to utilize their automobile's Bluetooth integration. Nifty, no doubt, but this assistant's evolution towards greater heights isn't over yet. Vimeo user toddtreece has whipped up a slick demo of the iPhone 4S' right hand gal (or guy) taking command of his television set. From changing channels to turning off devices, with the help of a proxy and a few parts, you can get your own home setup running on voice activation. Feeling a bit guilty for your sudden interest in slothfulness? Fret not -- Siri's apparently quite good at calling you out. Have a look just after the break.

[Thanks, Jesse]

Continue reading Too lazy to grab your TV remote? Use Siri instead

Too lazy to grab your TV remote? Use Siri instead originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daily iPad App: eHarmony

When eHarmony first brought its iPad app to us a couple of months ago, I had the great idea (I thought) to put together a feature for TUAW around the idea of only the iPad app to access the very popular Internet dating service, find a date, and then review both the app and the date itself. So eHarmony kindly provided me with a couple months of membership, and I set to work using the iPad app to craft my profile, find some nice women to date in Los Angeles, and eventually go out with one of them.

Unfortunately for eHarmony, my lack of appeal outlasted their service, and despite chatting with a few nice women, none of them wanted to meet me over dinner or drinks. But I can't fault the iPad app itself. The whole experience is really impressive, featuring an interface that I actually enjoyed using more than the official web site. If you're a real loser like me, eHarmony still won't guarantee you a girlfriend or boyfriend. But if you're already using the service and have an iPad, the app is definitely worth a look.

The whole process is surprisingly quick and clean on the iPad -- the app's interface is modeled around a big circular table of sorts, with the view zooming and rotating around to look at various physical items portrayed on the screen. Your sign-in page is a notebook, for example, where you can write your name and password, and then the view zooms to another book where you can enter your information and fill out your profile with the usual dating site information (likes, dislikes, personal information and questionnaires). After it's filled out, you can browse around the rest of the site, checking out a "Book of You" that has information about your personality and who you're compatible with, and your "matches" which are laid out like a series of Polaroid photos on the wooden desktop. The physical metaphor is really effective, and the iPad is an excellent medium for browsing through photos and information.

The app works smoothly (though my iPad is only WiFi, so I'm not sure how it loads over 3G), and there are lots of really fun touches, which surprised me a bit. When you first log in, there's a coffee cup on top of the screen, and you can actually play with it, causing ripples and splashes on the surface of the java. When you touch a match's picture, you don't just get transferred to their profile, their picture actually zooms over to another section of the table and then gets inserted into their profile page. This is all with sound effects, too. The app shows a surprising amount of design thought and consideration. I'd guess that's because eHarmony probably hired an experienced Mac and iOS development house to make it, but I don't know who that is (and the companies in those kinds of work-for-hire agreements don't usually talk about that anyway).

At any rate, the eHarmony app is terrific, and I actually did come to prefer it to using the main web page, mostly because the web itself doesn't offer up pictures of matches before you actually go and see their profiles. There were a few settings that I had to go in and change that I couldn't on the iPad version (specifically where my matches were supposed to come from. Being in Los Angeles, I obviously wanted to meet someone who lived close to me), but when actually browsing the service and reading and responding to messages, I found being on the iPad was the ideal.

The app is free, but to use it, you'll need an eHarmony membership, which comes with a few different prices. You'll have to decide for yourself whether or not that's something you're interested in. Some folks have found a lot of good relationships with apps like this, while some have a better time just going to a bar. As for me, my search continues. Ladies, if any of you are looking for a smart and funny professional blogger who knows a lot about iPhone games and enjoys running around Santa Monica, I'll be here!

Daily iPad App: eHarmony originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Daily iPad App: eHarmony originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Apple Board Member Bob Iger Buys $1M In AAPL Shares

Newly appointed Apple board member and Disney president and CEO Bob Iger purchased 2,670 shares of Apple stock on the open market, according to a filing with the SEC. The average purchase price of the shares was roughly $375, valuing the purchase at $1,001,250.

The large open-market purchase shows Iger's faith in the future of Apple. When he was appointed director, Iger was awarded 142 restricted stock units, or RSU's, which vest into AAPL shares in February of 2012. His wife holds 75 shares of Apple from before he was appointed director.

Non-employee Apple board members are typically paid $50,000 per year in compensation for their time, plus an annual stock award in the form of RSU's.

While a nice perk, Iger's pay as an Apple director is small change. His compensation package from Disney totaled more than $29.5 million dollars in 2010.


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Get diagnosed by spitting on an iPhone, social graces terminal

Korean scientists reckon that the capacitive touchscreens on our phones and tablets could help diagnose diseases from what's floating around in your mouth. It works through the screen's ability to detect minute capacitive differences in disease-carrying liquids placed on its surface. Experiments by Hyun Gyu Park and Byoung Yeon Won at the Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology in Daejeon managed to detect chlamydia microbes in three different concentrations. Once again, the iPhone acted as medical chief, although the setup isn't yet able to distinguish between different bugs. There are also teething troubles with the touchscreen, as capacitive read-outs can be affected by moisture and sweat that are on the screen alongside your 'sample.' One solution to this would be to create a disposable film that attaches to the iPhone surface. There's a second reason for this, as Park diplomatically puts it: "Nobody wants direct application of bio-samples onto their phone." Let's hope Siri doesn't take it personally.

[Sneezing photo via Shutterstock]

Get diagnosed by spitting on an iPhone, social graces terminal originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amidio’s Laugh Synth makes you cry — with laughter?

Amidio is known for their mobile music creation apps for iOS devices. They've brought us fully featured apps like the recent Songineer, Seline HD and Touch DJ. But the focus of their newest app, Laugh Synth, is a little more, well... light-hearted.

Laugh Synth does what it says on the tin, it synthesizes laughs. As detailed on Amidio's YouTube page, Laugh Synth "...takes a sample of a laugh as an input, then divides it into phases and intelligently loops the most notable part, enriching it with the pitch modifications, subtle vowel alterations and crazy effects." I couldn't have said it better myself!

With 25 built-in laugh samples (some of them quite ominous), including Dracula and T-Rex, simply drag your finger around the input panel to mold, manipulate and morph the laugh samples. Take it even further with delay, chorus, bitcrush and reverb effects. And when you eventually stop laughing from all of that, sample some of your own laughs and share them with your friends on Twitter and Facebook.

Honestly, Laugh Synth will either have you chuckling away or (more likely) crying in desperation. But don't take my word for it, check out the video below and get the app for a laughable $US0.99 from the iOS App Store.

Amidio's Laugh Synth makes you cry -- with laughter? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Amidio's Laugh Synth makes you cry -- with laughter? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Get Where’s my Water free from Apple’s Facebook page

Apple is apparently giving yet another popular game away using its Facebook page -- this time, it's Disney's Where's my Water up for grabs. To grab your free copy of the great water-guiding physics puzzler, just head over to Apple's App Store Facebook page, become a fan, and you'll get a free promo code to download the game on an iOS device of your choice. It's a great title (put together, as we've previously reported, by a former game tester at the House of Mouse), and obviously much better at the low price of completely free.

This is still such a weird promotion, though -- Apple has traditionally not had the best relationship with Facebook, but they have given away apps using Facebook before. Cupertino has a perfectly good Twitter account that could also be used to give away free games, but the Facebook freebies appear to use a slightly different method than posting promo codes. Don't forget Apple also has the Ping social network that could probably use a little traffic (and, you know, already happens to be connected up in iTunes).

Get Where's my Water free from Apple's Facebook page originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Get Where's my Water free from Apple's Facebook page originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone Live, tonight at 9pm ET. Be there!

iPhone Live, the best darn iPhone podcast in the ‘verse, is coming your way tonight, so clear your schedule and get your snacks ready, because we want to chat with you!

Time: 9pm ET, 6pm PT, 2am BST.

Place: http://www.tipb.com/live

If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to discuss, just leave them in the comments then come be part of the show!

(And yes, you can watch from iPhone via Ustream Viewer app (here’s how) — just search for “mobilenations” and iPad (we recommend Duet Browser.)

The week in iPhone for November 30, 2011

Missed a compelling piece of iPhone news, a great review, or a killer how-to? We’re not collecting absolutely everything in iPhone here — you can hit up TiPb.com/iPhone for that! — but we’re carefully picking what we think is the best of the last 7 days and presenting it here for your review.

And hey! — these double as show notes for our iPhone Live! podcast tonight at 6pm PT/9pm ET. So join us at TiPb.com/live and follow along!

Meta

• Mobile Nations 12: 2011 mobile gift guide
• ZENandTECH 25: Stress-free shopping

iOS 5.1

• Apple releases iOS 5.1 beta and XCode 4.3 to developers
• iPhone 5, iPad 3, Apple TV 3 references found in iOS 5.1 beta
• iOS 5.1 beta removes access to system settings shortcuts from your home screen

2011 Holiday Gift Guides

• 2011 Holiday Guides: iPad and iPhone gifts for students

iPhone 5

• Rumor: iPad 3 and iPhone 5 both on track for LTE
• Rumor: Hitachi and Sony shipping 4-inch displays to Apple for next gen iPhone
• Regarding the use of the name “iPhone 5″

Siri

• Siri show and TellMe redux
• Siri can now control third party apps and even start your car via SiriProxy
• Siri can now control Plex media playback using the Siri Proxy

News

• iPhone 4 attempts self combustion on a passenger flight in Australia
• iPhone 4S vs Galaxy Nexus: Which one should you get?
• RIM cuddles up to iPhone, iPad IT admins, announces BlackBerry Mobile Fusion

Apps

• Infinity Blade II goes live in AU, NZ App Stores, arrives in U.S. at midnight
• iTether now unavailable in App Store [Updated]
• Poll: Should Apple allow tethering apps in the App Store?
• TouchPad for iPhone, iPad goes 4.0

Accessories

• Review: DracoDesign DRACO IV for iPhone 4S

Tips

• Daily Tip: How to tethered jailbreak iOS 5.0.1 with RedSn0w
• Daily Tip: How to set up safe iPad or iPod touch email for your child

Forums

• Forums: Apple TV 3 release pool (win an ATV3 for free!), waiting for iPhone 5, iOS 5.1 changes, how to shoot HDR photos, SwitcherPlush for iOS 5 Jailbreak?

Infinity Blade 2 launches tonight, into world of Deathless tyrants and legion of Titans (video)

In the realm of brutal hand-to-hand combat, Infinity Blade 2 promises to be without peer. The game will launch tonight on the App Store, and while its said to run just fine on the original iPad, iPhone 3GS / 4, it packs special optimizations for the A5 chip found in every iPad 2 and iPhone 4S, which allows the enhanced lighting and shading effects to fully shine. A follow-up to the original Infinity Blade, battle-hardened warriors will discover 40 new locations, along with added weapons, spells and fighting styles. Priced at $9.99, the 941MB download is expected to hit around 11PM Eastern time. A full preview video follows the break, and for those unfamiliar with Infinity Blade, the original game will soon be available for a limited-time promotional price of $2.99. Game on, everyone.

Continue reading Infinity Blade 2 launches tonight, into world of Deathless tyrants and legion of Titans (video)

Infinity Blade 2 launches tonight, into world of Deathless tyrants and legion of Titans (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TED launches iPhone app, brings spread-worthy ideas to the small screen

Looking for wisdom on your iPhone? Well, you're in luck, because TED's celebrated iOS app is now available on the iPhone and iPod Touch. The app, much like its iPad-specific predecessor, allows users to access a wealth of TED Talks via streaming video or audio. The revamped tool also features a new bookmarks tab, where listeners can save talks for later listening, as well as the new TED Radio -- a station chock full of TED Talk audio streams, running all day. It's available as a free download now, so hit up the source link, and enjoy learning.

Continue reading TED launches iPhone app, brings spread-worthy ideas to the small screen

TED launches iPhone app, brings spread-worthy ideas to the small screen originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Holiday Guides: iPad and iPhone gifts for students

With full, fast internet access and apps aplenty, the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad are pretty much perfect for students of all ages. If you’re looking for a gift for the student (or students) in your life, from elementary to high school to university, there are a ton of accessories and apps to choose from. Here are some of our favorites!

Don’t need anything for a student? Check out the recommendations anyway, something great might still catch your eye. If not, no worries, check out one of our other 2011 holiday gift guides!

Awesome hardware and accessory gifts for students

There’s nothing like something real to unwrap, not just for the little ones in elementary school, but even the big ones home for the holidays. No matter how old, their faces light up just the same.

iOS devices

Does you special student not have an iPod touch or iPad yet? Maybe even an iPhone if they’re going off to college and need to stay connected? Not sure which one you should get? Not a problem! Start here:

• iOS device gift guide

OtterBox Case

Students are busy and active, so a protective case is a must. Over the past several years that I’ve spent as both a student and an instructor, I have seen a countless number of iPhones and iPads fall to the floor. I’ve also seen my share of skateboard wrecks that send iPhones on a tumble and flimsy backpacks (that carry iPads) take hard falls to the concrete. The devices protected with OtterBox have always survived these tragedies. OtterBox makes 4 different series that offer different levels of protection.

• Defender Series is the mother of all cases. Its multiple layers of protection will protect your student’s iPhone and iPad from just about everything. It does add a significant amount of bulk, however.

• Reflex Series offers iPhone and iPad protection from falls and is inspired the crumble zone of a car. It’s much less bulky than the Defender Series, but will still protect against the inevitable tumbles to the ground. (This series is my personal favorite).

• Commuter Series is the slimmest option from OtterBox. But despite it’s thin and stylish look, the Commuter Series will protect your student’s iPhone from scratches, bumps and shocks.

• Impact Series is the most affordable option from OtterBox. This compression molded silicone skin will protect your student’s iPhone from scratches and bumps.

Just figure out the best blend of protection and cost, and then let them head back to school in safety!

• Get OtterBox from the TiPb Accessory Store
• Get OtterBox from Amazon.com

Bamboo Stylus

Once you student has a great school app like CaptureNotes2 (see below), she’s going to want a better note-taking method than her finger. The Bamboo Stylus will rock her world.

There a many styli out there to choose from, but we recommend the Bamboo Stylus because it’s design is both functional and beautiful. It’s weighted just right and is the perfect thickness. The length is also perfect – shorter than an average pen, but long enough to be comfortable to hold.

Any serious notetaker needs a Bamboo Stylus.

• Get the Bamboo Stylus from Amazon

Jawbone JAMBOX

Did you know that students love music but have very little space for good speakers? Of course you do, which is why you understand why the Jawbone JAMBOX will be an amazing gift for your student. This tiny package delivers huge sound at up to 85 decibels. It’s completely wireless, making it simple for your student to play music over Bluetooth and even bring along to the party study session at his friend’s place.

• Get the Jawbone JAMBOX from the TiPb Accessory Store
• Get the Jawbone JAMBOX from Amazon.com

AirPrint Printer: Epson Artisan 730 Color Inkjet All-in-One

Every student needs a printer, but since your student is an iPhone or iPad wielding student, she needs an AirPrint compatible printer. For printing out everything from an elementary school book report to a high school project to a college term papers, not to mention scanning things for said activities, and printing photos to decorate her room at home or at the dorm, the The Epson Artisan 730 Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer has got her covered. Since the printer is AirPrint compatible, she’ll be able to write her papers from her iPad and print it directly from her iPad. If she takes a great picture with her friends on her iPhone or iPod touch, she can immediately make a couple prints to give to them. It’s low profile is also perfect for small, already crammed student rooms.

Don’t get your student just any printer, get her an Epson Artisan 730 Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer.

• Get an Epson Artisan 730 Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer from Amazon

Perfect software gifts for students

While wrapping paper is nice, nothing is faster to buy or easier to ship than software. Whether you load it up for them on their brand new device, or send it half way across the world, it’ll always get there on time and ready to use.

• How to gift iPhone and iPad apps

Note taking apps: CaptureNotes2

A huge part of a student’s life is spent taking notes. After taking notes in class, some students head back to their dorm and take more notes on their notes! Simplify your student’s life with CaptureNotes 2 for iPad.

This gem allows users to type, write and record – at the same time. It’s easy to miss important things that an instructor says while frantically taking as many notes as possible, so CaptureNotes makes it easy to flag parts of your notes that make it easy to pick up and listen to that exact part of the lecture at a later time. A disadvantage to typing notes has always been the inability to draw diagrams, but with CatpureNotes you can quickly draw a diagram right there with your typed notes. You can also import PDFs and share to Dropbox.

Really, every student needs this app.

• $4.99 – App Store link

Also check out:

• Noteshelf is a powerhouse note taking app for iPad that keeps you organized and more. $4.99 – App Store link
• Elements is a text editor that syncs with Dropbox and has Markdown support. ‘Nuff said. $4.99 – App Store link
• Evernote stores text, images, and audio for easy reference later. Free – App Store link

Productivity apps: Numbers, Pages, and Keynote

Apple’s iWork suite, which consists of Keynote for presentations, Numbers for spreadsheets, and Pages for word processing has recently been updated to work with iCloud, so all your documents get stored and synced between your devices (including, eventually, iWork for Mac when Apple updates it). Keynote was built for Steve Jobs so it’s absolutely best in class, while Numbers and Pages are easy to use and produce great looking docs.

• $9.99 – Keynote in App Store link
• $9.99 – Numbers in App Store link
• $9.99 – Pages in App Store link

Also check out:

• Documents to Go for a more Microsoft Office feel and all-in one solution $16.99 – App Store link
• Good Reader is a powerhouse for PDF annotating and file management. $2.99 – App Store link
• OmniOutliner helps you collect, compose, and organize your ideas. $19.99 – App Store link
• Todo takes task management to the next level, with sync to Dropbox or iCloud among others. $4.99 – App Store link

Educational apps: WolframAlpha

WolframAlpha isn’t a traditional search engine, it’s a computational knowledge base with a continually growing set of data and algorithms. Math, statistics, physics, chemistry, engineering, astronomy, earth, computational, and life sciences, units and measures, dates and times, places and geography, people and history, culture and media, music, linguistics, sports and games, money and finance, socioeconomics, health and medicine… and on, and on, and on… It’s the full power of the website nicely packaged for your student’s iPhone or iPad.

• $2.99 – App Store link

Also check out:

• Starwalk for iPad puts the universe in your lap. Literally. $4.99 – App Store link
• MathBoard for iPad lets you solve problems, and build skills, on a chalk board. $4.99 – App Store link
• Lola’s Alphabet Train is perfect for the little one learning to read. $0.99 – App Store link
• Wikipanion Plus for iPad makes it easy to search, queue, and download entries for offline viewing. $4.99 – App Store link

Your picks?

Remember, you’re part of Team TiPb too, so if you’ve already picked the perfect gift for your iPhone or iPad student, or have the perfect idea for one, let us know in comments!