"San Francisco - Apple Inc is giving a whole new meaning to locking your phone with its new screws.
In line with its infamous philosophy of maintaining absolute control over its products, sources said US Apple stores are replacing screws on iPhone 4s brought for servicing with tamper-proof screws to prevent anyone else from opening the device.
Kyle Wiens, chief executive of iFixit, a prominent Apple repair and parts supplier, said the purpose of the new screws is to keep people out of the iPhone and prevent them from replacing the battery. He said he noticed in November that screws were being switched.
"If you took your car in for service and they welded your hood shut, you wouldn't be very happy"," he said, comparing it to shutting owners out of their iPhones.
iFixit, based in San Luis Obispo, California, has become famous in the technology world for performing "teardowns" of Apple devices, often within hours or minutes of a new product launch. The company promotes repair to cut down on electronic waste that goes to landfills.
Not told
According to two people with first-hand knowledge of the practice, when a customer brings an iPhone 4 into a US Apple store for repair, tech staff swap out commonly-used Phillips screws, with which the device is shipped, and replace them with so-called "Pentalobe" screws.
Customers are not told about the switch, these people said.
It was not clear how widely used the replacement screws are, but one of these people said the screw swap was begun recently and is now standard practice at US Apple stores. This person said the iPhone 4 shipped with Pentalobe screws in Japan.
Apple had no comment for this story, but it is well-known that Apple discourages individual modifications of its products.
The iPhone 4 went on sale in 2010 and became Apple's fastest-selling version of the iconic device, starting at $199 with a two-year wireless contract. More than 16 million iPhones sold in the quarter ending December.
Apple will replace iPhone batteries free if the device is under warranty, but otherwise charges $79.
Wiens said that with the old screws the iPhone 4 battery was easy to change although that was not known to many customers. "Apple wants to be in the business of selling you the new battery," Wiens said.
Not commercially available
The world's largest technology company acts swiftly to protect its secrets. When an iPhone prototype was found by an outsider in a bar last year and sold to tech blog Gizmodo, Apple kicked up a furore and investigators raided a journalist's home.
Pentalobe screws require a screwdriver that is not commercially available, Wiens said. The screw is similar to a commonly used Torx screw, but has five points instead of six.
Wiens said iFixit, which sells repair kits for iPhones and other Apple products, searched everywhere for a Pentalobe screwdriver before specially commissioning a supplier to make one for them - and even that is not a perfect match, he said.
The Pentalobe screw first appeared on the battery section of a Macbook Pro laptop in 2009, Wiens said. It also can be found on the exterior of Apple's new MacBook Air notebook."
from news24.com
a car stereo that finds speed traps?! and parking.
"Las Vegas - French mobile technology firm Parrot on Tuesday showed off a "smart" car radio that can find cheap fuel, free parking, and speed traps while taking music requests and placing phone calls.
The Asteroid in-dash receiver will be available in Europe by the end of March and the company is working to get it to the US by the middle of this year, according to project manager Hocine Belkhoudja.
Parrot is in Las Vegas to show off Asteroid at a major Consumer Electronics show that officially opens on Thursday.
Asteroid has USB ports for MP3 players, GPS devices, and the types of 3G network wireless internet service keys that people use for laptop computers.
The 3G keys link the radios to the web, enabling applications to access online services or data and allowing motorists to use the radio to make hands-free telephone calls, according to Belkhoudja.
Driving routes
"You can listen to all the radio in the world on the web," he said. "You can search for coffee or restaurants nearby, gas stations with the lowest prices or free parking."
The radios can also provide maps and driving routes. Parrot tailored a version of open-source Android mobile operating software for Asteroid to handle a host of software applications.
Music features on the radios include taking spoken requests for specific songs or artists, with the device scouring connected devices and the internet for tunes.
Parrot did not reveal the price it would charge, but Belkhoudja promised it would be "very impressive".
Parrot also demonstrated a touch screen, dash-mounted version of Asteroid that it is working on as a "next step" but would not discuss when it might come to market. "
from news 24
http://www.news24.com/SciTech/News/Parrot-makes-smart-car-radio-20110105
The Asteroid in-dash receiver will be available in Europe by the end of March and the company is working to get it to the US by the middle of this year, according to project manager Hocine Belkhoudja.
Parrot is in Las Vegas to show off Asteroid at a major Consumer Electronics show that officially opens on Thursday.
Asteroid has USB ports for MP3 players, GPS devices, and the types of 3G network wireless internet service keys that people use for laptop computers.
The 3G keys link the radios to the web, enabling applications to access online services or data and allowing motorists to use the radio to make hands-free telephone calls, according to Belkhoudja.
Driving routes
"You can listen to all the radio in the world on the web," he said. "You can search for coffee or restaurants nearby, gas stations with the lowest prices or free parking."
The radios can also provide maps and driving routes. Parrot tailored a version of open-source Android mobile operating software for Asteroid to handle a host of software applications.
Music features on the radios include taking spoken requests for specific songs or artists, with the device scouring connected devices and the internet for tunes.
Parrot did not reveal the price it would charge, but Belkhoudja promised it would be "very impressive".
Parrot also demonstrated a touch screen, dash-mounted version of Asteroid that it is working on as a "next step" but would not discuss when it might come to market. "
from news 24
http://www.news24.com/SciTech/News/Parrot-makes-smart-car-radio-20110105
iPhone alarm woes continue
"Hong Kong - Some iPhone users in Asia complained of malfunctioning alarms on the first working day of 2011, even after Apple reassured users that its phones' built-in clocks will work from Monday.
Bloggers, Facebook and Twitter users complained about missed flights and late arrival at work, as the alarm built into Apple's iPhone failed to go off for a third straight day for some users.
"My iPhone alarm didn't work again," user sueannlove tweeted on the social networking site. "Time to dig out (the) old school alarm clock."
The problem was not limited to the iPhone, with some owners of other Apple products, such as its iPod music players, also complaining of a similar problem with their alarms.
Apple was not immediately available for comment, but it said on January 2 that it was aware of the problem with non-recurring alarms and that the iPhone's alarm will begin functioning normally again on January 3. Publicity problems
The problem did not appear to be affecting recurring alarms.
The iPhone alarm system failed to recognise changes in daylight savings time in 2010, causing some users to sleep in an hour longer, according to media reports.
The last time Apple was embroiled in publicity problems was in July last year after the launch of the iPhone 4, when reports about bad reception snowballed and forced the company to call a news conference to address the issue, dubbed "antennagate".
Apple sold over 14 million iPhones in its last reporting quarter ending September 25, and is now the world's No 2 smartphone brand ranking behind global leader Nokia. "
from news 24
http://www.news24.com/SciTech/News/iPhone-alarm-woes-continue-20110103
Bloggers, Facebook and Twitter users complained about missed flights and late arrival at work, as the alarm built into Apple's iPhone failed to go off for a third straight day for some users.
"My iPhone alarm didn't work again," user sueannlove tweeted on the social networking site. "Time to dig out (the) old school alarm clock."
The problem was not limited to the iPhone, with some owners of other Apple products, such as its iPod music players, also complaining of a similar problem with their alarms.
Apple was not immediately available for comment, but it said on January 2 that it was aware of the problem with non-recurring alarms and that the iPhone's alarm will begin functioning normally again on January 3. Publicity problems
The problem did not appear to be affecting recurring alarms.
The iPhone alarm system failed to recognise changes in daylight savings time in 2010, causing some users to sleep in an hour longer, according to media reports.
The last time Apple was embroiled in publicity problems was in July last year after the launch of the iPhone 4, when reports about bad reception snowballed and forced the company to call a news conference to address the issue, dubbed "antennagate".
Apple sold over 14 million iPhones in its last reporting quarter ending September 25, and is now the world's No 2 smartphone brand ranking behind global leader Nokia. "
from news 24
http://www.news24.com/SciTech/News/iPhone-alarm-woes-continue-20110103
Be warned! Skype scam's!
Skype – SCAM, SPAM
Did you recently receive any mail about Skype in your email?
I think most of you already know all the features that came along with the program you can download it for free from there site - http://www.skype.com/intl/en/home
I have received an email telling me the following:
”Get More Out of Skype - Now Record All Your Calls
Talk to anyone in the world with Skype for free. Experience Skype on a whole new level with new add-ons. ”
Talk to anyone in the world with Skype for free. Experience Skype on a whole new level with new add-ons. ”
See that the quote is saying it is for free to talk to anyone. With the mail I have received an activation code. Here is the link from the mail I have received:
It got me on the spot happy to get the latest version, because I did not at the time have Skype on my computer and I used it a lot.
”The newest version of Skype is the best yet:
- No Cost: Talk to other Skype users for free
- Low Cost: Call landlines for less than a calling card
- Instant messaging & file-sharing, video calls
- Now available on PSP! ”
- No Cost: Talk to other Skype users for free
- Low Cost: Call landlines for less than a calling card
- Instant messaging & file-sharing, video calls
- Now available on PSP! ”
Why I am writing this article is to warn you about such emails you receive. Skype is free, when you click on the like provided in the mail you see all the good things this program gives you. Yes, that is true; Skype gives you many more than what they are telling you. One thing that you don’t tend to pick up is the spelling, YES, the spelling of that site is so bad that you may think twice about the site - is this really the right site?
Why in the world would a person that work for Skype or are the CEO of the product write so badly on their own site?
When you on the like that are provided with your activation, you see that there are special things that they tent to provide to you so that you want the full package of this program. They also put a time bar / widget on the left with time to manipulate you as a consumer!
When you want to leave before finishing the process, they ask if you really want to leave, when you say yes, a popup screen comes up, telling you that you can get 50% off if you finish now!
Think twice before you get yourself into things that are lies, It happens with Google earth as well - FREE PROGRAMS, they want you to pay for it. Look at your address bar to see if you at the main site of the program you want to download or buy.
Challenging Apple iPad?! what are you out off your mind?
"Tokyo - Japan's top carrier NTT DoCoMo is to launch a tablet computer running Google software to challenge Apple's hot-selling iPad, a report said on Saturday.
DoCoMo will marry the new Google-backed Android operating system with a device made by South Korea's LG Electronics to launch the product in Japan by the end of March, the Nikkei business daily said, without naming sources.
Users will be able to get on the internet via DoCoMo's cellular connections, it said, adding pricing and other details were yet to be decided.
Google is expected to release a tablet-friendly operating system worldwide in early this year. "
from news24
http://www.news24.com/SciTech/News/DoCoMo-aims-to-take-on-iPad-20110101
DoCoMo will marry the new Google-backed Android operating system with a device made by South Korea's LG Electronics to launch the product in Japan by the end of March, the Nikkei business daily said, without naming sources.
Users will be able to get on the internet via DoCoMo's cellular connections, it said, adding pricing and other details were yet to be decided.
Google is expected to release a tablet-friendly operating system worldwide in early this year. "
from news24
http://www.news24.com/SciTech/News/DoCoMo-aims-to-take-on-iPad-20110101
A safer web with no sexual sites :) !
"Beijing - China shut down more than 60 000 pornographic websites this year, netting almost 5 000 suspects in the process, a government spokesperson said on Thursday, vowing no let-up in its campaign against material deemed obscene.
Beijing has run a highly publicised drive against what officials said was smutty and lewd content overwhelming the country's internet and cellphones, threatening the emotional health of children.
Critics accuse the Chinese government of deepening the crackdown, launched last December, and tightening overall censorship, and say that the push has netted many sites with politically sensitive or even simply user-generated content.
But Wang Chen, head of the State Council Information Office, or cabinet spokesperson's office, said the offensive was vital.
"Our campaign has been a great success and this has not been achieved easily," he told a news conference. "We have made the internet environment much cleaner than before as there was a lot of pornography available," he said.
Jail time
"We have changed this situation and this has been well received by many sectors across society," Wang said. "But our campaign has not come to a stop. This will be a long battle.
"As long as there are people with bad motives who want to spread violent or pornographic information, we will have to continue our campaign to resolutely crack down on the spread of such information."
Of the 4 965 suspects, 1 332 people received "criminal punishment" with 58 jailed for five years or more, Wang said.
The government checked the content of 1.79 million websites and deleted 350 million pornographic and lewd articles, pictures and pieces of video footage, he said.
With an estimated 450 million internet users as of the end of November, China has a bigger online population than any other country. Yet the government worries the internet could become a dangerous conduit for threatening images and ideas.
China has blocked a number of popular websites and internet services, including Google's YouTube, Twitter, Flickr and Facebook, as well as Chinese content sharing sites.
The government accused them of carrying content harmful to China's security and in breach of Chinese laws, including images of protests in sensitive regions such as Tibet.
Search results
Wang said he had seen media reports that Facebook's chief Mark Zuckerberg had visited China recently, but said Zuckerberg had not met his department, which oversees the internet in China.
"We saw reports that he met with some well-known figures in China's internet industry. We are also still trying to learn more about his visit to China," he added.
Google Inc, the world's top internet search engine, closed its China-based search service in March, two months after it said it would stop censoring search results in response to what it said was a sophisticated cyber attack that it traced to China and increasing limits on freedom of expression.
The dispute was resolved in July after Google changed the way it directs users to an unfiltered search engine. The case prompted a diplomatic row between China and the US over web freedom."
Beijing has run a highly publicised drive against what officials said was smutty and lewd content overwhelming the country's internet and cellphones, threatening the emotional health of children.
Critics accuse the Chinese government of deepening the crackdown, launched last December, and tightening overall censorship, and say that the push has netted many sites with politically sensitive or even simply user-generated content.
But Wang Chen, head of the State Council Information Office, or cabinet spokesperson's office, said the offensive was vital.
"Our campaign has been a great success and this has not been achieved easily," he told a news conference. "We have made the internet environment much cleaner than before as there was a lot of pornography available," he said.
Jail time
"We have changed this situation and this has been well received by many sectors across society," Wang said. "But our campaign has not come to a stop. This will be a long battle.
"As long as there are people with bad motives who want to spread violent or pornographic information, we will have to continue our campaign to resolutely crack down on the spread of such information."
Of the 4 965 suspects, 1 332 people received "criminal punishment" with 58 jailed for five years or more, Wang said.
The government checked the content of 1.79 million websites and deleted 350 million pornographic and lewd articles, pictures and pieces of video footage, he said.
With an estimated 450 million internet users as of the end of November, China has a bigger online population than any other country. Yet the government worries the internet could become a dangerous conduit for threatening images and ideas.
China has blocked a number of popular websites and internet services, including Google's YouTube, Twitter, Flickr and Facebook, as well as Chinese content sharing sites.
The government accused them of carrying content harmful to China's security and in breach of Chinese laws, including images of protests in sensitive regions such as Tibet.
Search results
Wang said he had seen media reports that Facebook's chief Mark Zuckerberg had visited China recently, but said Zuckerberg had not met his department, which oversees the internet in China.
"We saw reports that he met with some well-known figures in China's internet industry. We are also still trying to learn more about his visit to China," he added.
Google Inc, the world's top internet search engine, closed its China-based search service in March, two months after it said it would stop censoring search results in response to what it said was a sophisticated cyber attack that it traced to China and increasing limits on freedom of expression.
The dispute was resolved in July after Google changed the way it directs users to an unfiltered search engine. The case prompted a diplomatic row between China and the US over web freedom."
From news 24
man hacks email, Wife press charges?!
"Detroit - A Michigan prosecutor defended her decision on Wednesday to file charges against a man accused of hacking into his estranged wife's e-mail after suspecting she was having an affair, saying the case is about invasion of privacy.
Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper said charging Leon Walker with felony computer misuse was appropriate because he broke state law. Walker, an information technology worker from suburban Detroit, has said he accessed the account only because he suspected infidelity, and critics say Cooper has better things to do than get involved in marital strife.
"I could care less who is messing with whom. This case is about hacking," Cooper said. "Somebody has violated a statute. My job is to enforce the statute. The hacking laws are there for a reason. You have to have... privacy."
Judges have twice denied requests to dismiss the charges, she added.
Walker, 33, and his attorney didn't return phone messages from the AP on Wednesday. Walker is fighting the charge, which carries up to five years in prison. His trial is scheduled to begin on February 11.
Password changed
Walker's now ex-wife, Clara, realised her computer had been hacked when personal e-mails showed up in child custody pleadings involving her first husband. She filed a complaint with police in March, Cooper said.
The Walkers, who lived in Rochester Hills, were going through a contentious divorce at the time. They have a 3-year-old daughter. Leon Walker, her third husband, has said he suspected his wife was having an affair with her second husband.
Leon Walker has said he purchased the laptop, but Clara Walker claimed that she changed her password six times and he didn't have permission to use it. She told investigators he downloaded e-mails concerning her first husband about a custody battle.
"My e-mail password was a secret and not kept around the house for anybody to find," Clara Walker wrote in an e-mail on Wednesday. "When I learned that he was sneaking around and invading my privacy, I felt violated. Anybody in my position would go to the police."
"Obviously he was fishing in my e-mails for something to use against me in court," she added.
Support for Leon Walker has been popping up online in blogs and among some legal professionals, mostly questioning why Cooper is pursuing the case. A paralegal in Tennessee said he plans to raise money to help Walker's legal defence.
Florida lawyer David Allen worked on a similar divorce proceeding that involved his client's wife installing spyware on her husband's computer. His client declined to press charges, though a judge ruled that communications captured by the spyware was inadmissible.
"A lot of these prosecutors, they just want publicity (but) you are supposed to enforce the law," Allen said.
Cooper also came under fire in September when she charged a woman with murdering her husband, then dropped charges and admitted her error when a coroner ruled the death accidental. The wife had been jailed at the time of her husband's funeral and wasn't allowed to attend. "
from news 24
http://www.news24.com/SciTech/News/Man-charged-with-hacking-wifes-e-mail-20101230
Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper said charging Leon Walker with felony computer misuse was appropriate because he broke state law. Walker, an information technology worker from suburban Detroit, has said he accessed the account only because he suspected infidelity, and critics say Cooper has better things to do than get involved in marital strife.
"I could care less who is messing with whom. This case is about hacking," Cooper said. "Somebody has violated a statute. My job is to enforce the statute. The hacking laws are there for a reason. You have to have... privacy."
Judges have twice denied requests to dismiss the charges, she added.
Walker, 33, and his attorney didn't return phone messages from the AP on Wednesday. Walker is fighting the charge, which carries up to five years in prison. His trial is scheduled to begin on February 11.
Password changed
Walker's now ex-wife, Clara, realised her computer had been hacked when personal e-mails showed up in child custody pleadings involving her first husband. She filed a complaint with police in March, Cooper said.
The Walkers, who lived in Rochester Hills, were going through a contentious divorce at the time. They have a 3-year-old daughter. Leon Walker, her third husband, has said he suspected his wife was having an affair with her second husband.
Leon Walker has said he purchased the laptop, but Clara Walker claimed that she changed her password six times and he didn't have permission to use it. She told investigators he downloaded e-mails concerning her first husband about a custody battle.
"My e-mail password was a secret and not kept around the house for anybody to find," Clara Walker wrote in an e-mail on Wednesday. "When I learned that he was sneaking around and invading my privacy, I felt violated. Anybody in my position would go to the police."
"Obviously he was fishing in my e-mails for something to use against me in court," she added.
Support for Leon Walker has been popping up online in blogs and among some legal professionals, mostly questioning why Cooper is pursuing the case. A paralegal in Tennessee said he plans to raise money to help Walker's legal defence.
Florida lawyer David Allen worked on a similar divorce proceeding that involved his client's wife installing spyware on her husband's computer. His client declined to press charges, though a judge ruled that communications captured by the spyware was inadmissible.
"A lot of these prosecutors, they just want publicity (but) you are supposed to enforce the law," Allen said.
Cooper also came under fire in September when she charged a woman with murdering her husband, then dropped charges and admitted her error when a coroner ruled the death accidental. The wife had been jailed at the time of her husband's funeral and wasn't allowed to attend. "
from news 24
http://www.news24.com/SciTech/News/Man-charged-with-hacking-wifes-e-mail-20101230
3D movies and games = Bad for eyes?
"Tokyo - Nintendo Co says 3D games on its highly anticipated new handheld console could harm the eyesight of children aged 6 or younger, warning of possible ill effects from a technology on which many companies are betting big.
Nintendo said some specialists believe that "there is a possibility that 3D images which send different images to the left and right eye could affect the development of vision in small children".
The undated statement appeared on a section of the company's Japanese website devoted to its upcoming 3DS handheld.
Nintendo joins peers like Sony Corp and Toshiba Corp in warning consumers about ill effects from watching video or playing games in three dimensions.
Sony recommends that a doctor should be consulted before kids are allowed use the 3D functionality on its PlayStation game console, while Toshiba says children should be closely monitored while watching its new 3D TVs that don't require glasses.
Boom
All the companies say that the technology can also cause adult viewers to tire and feel sick.
Most 3D devices on the market today rely on technology that rapidly flashes separate images to each eye, which creates a sense of depth. Electronics and entertainment companies around the world are banking on 3D to fuel a new boom in TV, movies and games.
Nintendo's new 3DS, the latest in its wildly successful DS line of handheld consoles, will go on sale in February in Japan, then March in Europe and the US.
It looks much like the DS machines now on sale, with two screens that fold open. The top screen shows images in 3D without glasses, but can also be switched into standard mode. "
From news 24
http://www.news24.com/SciTech/News/3D-games-may-harm-eyes-Nintendo-20101231
Nintendo said some specialists believe that "there is a possibility that 3D images which send different images to the left and right eye could affect the development of vision in small children".
The undated statement appeared on a section of the company's Japanese website devoted to its upcoming 3DS handheld.
Nintendo joins peers like Sony Corp and Toshiba Corp in warning consumers about ill effects from watching video or playing games in three dimensions.
Sony recommends that a doctor should be consulted before kids are allowed use the 3D functionality on its PlayStation game console, while Toshiba says children should be closely monitored while watching its new 3D TVs that don't require glasses.
Boom
All the companies say that the technology can also cause adult viewers to tire and feel sick.
Most 3D devices on the market today rely on technology that rapidly flashes separate images to each eye, which creates a sense of depth. Electronics and entertainment companies around the world are banking on 3D to fuel a new boom in TV, movies and games.
Nintendo's new 3DS, the latest in its wildly successful DS line of handheld consoles, will go on sale in February in Japan, then March in Europe and the US.
It looks much like the DS machines now on sale, with two screens that fold open. The top screen shows images in 3D without glasses, but can also be switched into standard mode. "
From news 24
http://www.news24.com/SciTech/News/3D-games-may-harm-eyes-Nintendo-20101231
Skype illegal for ...?
"Beijing - China will crack down on what it called illegal internet telephone providers, according to a circular from the Chinese government seen on Friday that could potentially affect internet calling service Skype.
The statement, from the powerful ministry of information and industry technology, did not mention any carriers by name.
It called for a crackdown "on illegal VoIP (voice over internet protocol) telephone services" and said it was collecting evidence for legal cases against them.
Skype, partly owned by web retailer eBay, has been growing in popularity among Chinese individuals and businesses to make cheap or free international phone calls.
The circular, dated December 10, did not say what amounted to illegal services and did not name any VoIP providers it considered to be breaking the law.
Spokespeople for the ministry and the ministry's office gathering information for the campaign did not answer telephone calls on Friday.
Skype could not immediately be reached for comment.
The move appeared to be aimed at protecting three government-controlled Chinese phone carriers - China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile - which provide the bulk of China's telephone services.
The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post on Thursday quoted an unidentified ministry official as saying VoIP services could only be provided by the big three Chinese operators.
Spokespeople for China Telecom and China Unicom did not answer phone calls on Friday. A spokesperson for China Mobile, reached in Beijing, referred calls to the firm's Hong Kong office. Attempts to reach the Hong Kong office were not successful.
VoIP calls allow users to make international calls for much less than commercial providers, or even for free if both parties are using VoIP. Many businesses that use VoIP services to cut down on their international telephone costs could lose access to the cheaper alternative.
Skype, which has about 124 million users worldwide, hopes to raise about $1bn in an initial public offering expected next year."
From news 24
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