Google And Others Should Face Criminal Prosecution Hacking Safari Privacy Violations

Before I start, I am both an Apple and Google fan.  I love Apple’s seamless integration and I purposefully live within its walled garden.  At the same time, I love the everywhereness of Google’s Android OS and apps.  And I think Google has done great things to liberate information and made our lives so much better.

Now, I get to the subject matter.

Today, we learn that Google is facing additional attention from the US and EU regulatory bodies over their hacking of the Safari privacy issue.  Essentially, Google hacked into a vulnerability that Apple failed to plug.  Yes, yes, Apple screwed up and allowed this vulnerability to exist in the first place.  Shame on them.  I’ve always been annoyed with Apple’s slowness to get these things done.  However, Google did use this security hole and essentially hacked into Safari that allows them to install tracking cookies.

Now, Google isn’t the only one.  Other ad companies have been known to have done the same thing.  And that, the EU as well as the US government should bring criminal charges against them.

Consider this.  If you or I did this, we’d be in a lot of trouble and we likely would have to lawyer up by now.  Civil suits would the be least of our problems.  I can see New York’s attorney general bring the hammer down on us.  Just because it’s Google or other corporate entities, not individuals like you or me, should not mean they get treated differently under the law.  As individuals, we’d be known as hackers, and not in a glorified manner.

There are individuals that operate these companies and made the conscious decision to use a known vulnerability to hack into web browsers and violate user privacy and their wishes that they not be tracked.

Google is already facing a whole host of privacy probes.  So, I don’t get their stupidity in this instance.  And I do wish that Google and others are bought in front of a court and made to answer.

As I said at the top of the post, I’m both an Apple and Google fan.  As an Android user, I’ve got no issues with Google knowing what they know about me.  As an iOS user, what I don’t want to share with Google, I don’t.  And they forced open that door that I wanted closed.

So, that’s why I think Google should not eventually face civil judgments on this but criminal ones as well.  And yes, if Apple or anyone else pull this type of shenanigan, they should face the same prosecution as well.

Can a 4” or Greater Display On the iPhone With The Same Resolution Still Be Called Retina Display?

Speculation time on the next “new” iPhone (AKA iPhone 5). Can a 4” or slightly greater display on the 2012 iPhone slated for later this fall still be called a Retina Display if it has the same 960x640 resolution as that of the iPhone 4S?

Sure, but only if you hold it further away from you.  At least that is what Apple told us about the Retina display on new 2012 iPad with its 2048x1536 resolution.  See, the pixel density for the iPad 2’s 9.7” screen is only at 264ppi to the iPhone 4 and 4S’ 326ppi at 3.5”, it’s still considered a Retina Display because a typical iPad user operate the tablet at a distance further away than he or she would with an iPhone.

So, a 4” or slighter larger than 4” display for a potential new iPhone could still be called a Retina Display without increasing the resolution or maintaining the pixel density  if it’s is held sufficiently further way than users would now with the 3.5” Retina Display.  And it could happen because everything on the screen would appear larger.

Of course, I like Apple to find a way to increase the resolution or maintain the 326ppi of the current iPhone 4S display.  Trust me, it’s that good and being able to read without being distracted by pixilated text as on the displays of other mobile devices is nothing short of magical.

Apple Shareholders, One In Particular, Needs A Reality Check, Apple Needs To Be More Green Like Google

First, let me say that I am a conservative on many issues, most fiscal.  Some issues more important to me than others.  And that my conservatism doesn’t extend to trying to get others to go along with me.  I have my values, I try to live by them.  So, it befuddles me when these self-proclaimed conservatives attack others in very arrogant manners.  So yeah, I can see just how conservatives as just as arrogant as liberals.  

What got me going on this topic is this post from a likely conservative Apple shareholder pissed off about Apple’s green plans for the company and attacked the seemingly liberal policies.  Here’s the thing, the liberals in charge over at Cupertino has made Apple the most valuable company in the world.  As a conservative, you want Apple to succeed and to keep on doing what they are doing.  It’s capitalism, right?   So, when I read this article attacking the liberals over at Apple for making decisions that is good for the company, I just don’t get why.

The claim in the article that $60 million in green effort by Apple, which may be a PR effort, it does lead the way that an American company should.  Energy independence.  And if the $44 million leads to another $10 billion in sales for Apple because of the good PR, how is that bad?

And what of Google?  Google actually has a green fund that helps with green tech development.  As far as I’m concerned, it’s Google that has been leading the green corporate effort. Do you hear any of their shareholders bitching about it?

If anything, American companies needs to look at what Google is doing when it comes to green and conservation tech and follow their example.  It’s good for the country and it’s good for the companies.  If anything, I would say that Apple hasn’t done enough.

Maybe it’s not the liberals over at Apple that are arrogant but it’s a minority of Apple shareholders need to check their egos.

Source:  MacDailyNews.

Why the New iPad Has No Siri and Why Older iOS Hardware Have No Dictation

I am using DragonDictate on the iPhone right now. That new iPad, introduce on March 7, will have its own needed dictation function. There are a couple issues we want to examine. One is why does the new iPad not have Siri. The other issue is why dictation function not extended to other iPhones and iOS devices.

My iPhone is the CDMA iPhone for Verizon. Using Dragon dictate, it works perfectly well. As a matter of DragonDictate seems to work the same way Siri's dictation works by sending information to Apple's servers to process the voice information. From what I can see, both Siri dictation and Dragon Dictate work in the same manner.

Therefore I cannot understand why the new iPad does not have full Siri, and why older iOS devices like the iPhone 4 cannot have needed dictation.

One possible explanation is that Siri simply is not ready yet. Siri was a beta function when it was first introduced during the iPhone 4S event last October. The status of Siri has not changed. I am sure by now that Apple has enough information to further improve Siri without the addition of new devices like the iPad. The addition of dictation on the iPad could only further improve the functionality of voice recognition.

However, adding Siri to the new iPad at this time will not help increase Siri's intelligence. iPhone users and iPad users may use Siri in different manners. For the most part, Siri is used to request information, which many iPhone users already do. Such improvements will eventually trickle down to the iPad when Apple is ready to put Siri on other iOS devices or even the Mac.

As for why the iPhone 4, the original iPad, and the iPad 2 do not have the ability to dictate is something I do not understand. As I said, DragonDictate works fine on both iPhone 4 and the iPad. The logical side of me believes that Apple simply do not have to capacity at this time. The more cynical part of me believes that Apple simply wants to sell more hardware.

For the moment, I am going to go with the cynical side of me. Consider this. The new iPad has the Retina display, LTE, and faster chip. Got a long enough to get the current tablet buyers to buy a new iPad. And when next year's iPad comes out with Siri, it will spark another wave of upgrades and attract new buyers.

So there you have it. Those are my speculations on Siri and dictation.


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Today"s $399 iPad 2 May Be Next Year's $299 iPad 2

The iPad 2 coming in at $399 after the introduction of this year's new iPad with it's Retina Display and awesome new features came as no surprise.  At this point, the $399 iPad 2 is going to have a huge impact on the sales of tablets priced between $299 and $399.  Unless you're stuck in time, $100 isn't that big of a deal as it was even when the original iPad came out in 2010 or even ten years ago.  

Now, consider this.  Suppose Apple keeps the iPad 2 around for another year next year's 2013 iPad comes out and the current iPad goes down to the $399 price now occupy by the iPad 2.  that could mean the iPad 2 could potentially drop as to as low as $299.  

Don't think it'll happen. The iPhone 3GS has been around since 2009 and continues to be a hot seller, this is a full two years after two new iPhones has been on the market.  So, there is precedent for Apple to keep products around just to capture lost sales while still maintaining its profit margin.

The iPhone 3GS has been around since 2009, even after two iPhone update cycles.  And it remains a popular device that allowed Apple's iPhones to rout other devices on AT&T in terms of smartphone sales.  

Even compared to the 2012 iPad, the iPad 2 is no slouch.  Seriously, dominated the last Christmas quarter even with Amazon's Kindle Fire trying to put a dent in Apple's tablet dominance to no avail.  On top of that, there is evidence that the iPad 2 is routing the Fire this quarter as  companies like Texas Instruments that sell components that goes into the Fire warned on their finances.  

Another thing.  Apple may keep the iPad 2 around for just the schools and dominate education.  Wouldn't that be something.  Apple's margins for a $299 could be protected by profits from textbook and accessory sales.  

What do you think? Makes a lot of sense, me thinks.

eBay iPad Trade-In Offer

For those of you who are still on the first-gen iPad like I am and are looking to upgrade, a quick note here.  eBay is offer a trade-in for cash. Not a bad deal if you're looking to upgrade to the 2012 iPad.

As you can see, for my 32 GB iPad, I'm able to get $215.  Not a bad value.  Not great either.  At the end of the day, I'm still very fond of my iPad so I think I'll be keeping it.  I don't know if I'll be upgrading to the 2012 iPad yet.  I might after I've seen the awesome Retina Display and feel the speed of Apple's latest magical tablet.

But if you're up for it, eBay is willing to pay you for your older gear.

Note:  Even if I decide to get the new iPad, I'm not letting this one go.  It's like the original Mac, an antique.

Proof AT&T Sucks - VZW To Provide Free Wireless Tethering While Ma Bell Is Silent

This proves it. AT&T sucks big time while VZW is using this opportunity to stick it to them.



When Apple unveiled the latest iPad on Wednesday, there was a scramble for info on the LTE data plan. As things began to be sorted out, we learned that AT$T is unsure about wireless data tethering while Verizon is stepping up and offering it for free as a part of your data plan.

I am sure VZW will extend this offer to other tablet users like those with Android in the coming weeks as well.

It doesn't make my issues with the evil wireless providers any batter as far as VZW goes but it does make them less evil for now than AT$T.


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