Monday, June 6, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Facebook for Blackberry v2.0 Beta 3 Adds Wi-Fi and Deletion Options for Professionals
Blackberry just released the third beta update of version 2.0 of its Facebook for Blackberry Smartphones mobile app. It allows users to connect to Facebook over Wi-Fi, which will be especially handy for those without a data plan. Users can now also delete wall posts and comments, and have more options for deleting Messages.
The improvements cater to Blackberry’s business-minded customer base by allowing travelers to connect to Facebook while abroad without buying an expensive data plan, and preserve their reputation by deleting objectionable comments and posts.
Blackberry appears to have accelerated the update cycle for its Facebook app, though it still lags behind the more advanced Facebook for iPhone and Facebook for Android apps. The initial release of v2.0 in mid-March added a sleeker design, and the last beta update on May 5th strengthened the app’s integration with native Blackberry device apps including contacts, phone, and SMS. The app continues to grow, adding just under 1 million daily active users in May to reach 23.5 million DAU and 35.3 MAU according to AppData.
Beta 3 of Facebook for Blackberry v2.0 doesn’t add Groups, the last major feature it lacks that iPhone and Android users have — one also missing from the recently released Facebook for Blackberry Playbook tablet app which favored a flashy Chat interface over functionality. Instead, this update provides services that professionals need.
Users now have the option to delete wall posts and comments, and are shown a deletion confirmation prompt. This can assist users if they post something with typos, have second thoughts about a post, or want to scrub their profile of objectionable content posted by friends.
When users go to delete a Facebook Message from their inbox, they’ll be given the options to delete it from just the mobile app, their Facebook account, or both. Previously, any Message that was deleted was removed from both the mobile app and their account.
With devices that are in some ways less technically advanced and that have smaller screens, it might not be important to match the feature sets of the Facebook for iPhone and Android apps. Instead, Blackberry is making the wise choice to give its unique customer base the abilities that meet their use cases.
The improvements cater to Blackberry’s business-minded customer base by allowing travelers to connect to Facebook while abroad without buying an expensive data plan, and preserve their reputation by deleting objectionable comments and posts.
Blackberry appears to have accelerated the update cycle for its Facebook app, though it still lags behind the more advanced Facebook for iPhone and Facebook for Android apps. The initial release of v2.0 in mid-March added a sleeker design, and the last beta update on May 5th strengthened the app’s integration with native Blackberry device apps including contacts, phone, and SMS. The app continues to grow, adding just under 1 million daily active users in May to reach 23.5 million DAU and 35.3 MAU according to AppData.
Beta 3 of Facebook for Blackberry v2.0 doesn’t add Groups, the last major feature it lacks that iPhone and Android users have — one also missing from the recently released Facebook for Blackberry Playbook tablet app which favored a flashy Chat interface over functionality. Instead, this update provides services that professionals need.
New Options
Registered BlackBerry Beta Zone users who download Beta 3 can access all the features of the app through Wi-Fi. Helpful to domestic users who haven’t subscribed to a data plan, those who frequently travel abroad should be excited about the ability to access Facebook from hotels, airports, cafes or foreign offices. However, push notifications can only be received if users have a local web browsing data plan.Users now have the option to delete wall posts and comments, and are shown a deletion confirmation prompt. This can assist users if they post something with typos, have second thoughts about a post, or want to scrub their profile of objectionable content posted by friends.
When users go to delete a Facebook Message from their inbox, they’ll be given the options to delete it from just the mobile app, their Facebook account, or both. Previously, any Message that was deleted was removed from both the mobile app and their account.
With devices that are in some ways less technically advanced and that have smaller screens, it might not be important to match the feature sets of the Facebook for iPhone and Android apps. Instead, Blackberry is making the wise choice to give its unique customer base the abilities that meet their use cases.
Our Best Damn iOS 5 Wish List Ever
Apple’s WWDC 2011 kicks off next Monday and Steve Jobs and his colleagues are apparently all set to talk software, software, software at the Monday morning keynote address. Judging by the banners Apple Insider has spotted at the venue, the three major software topics will be Mac OS X Lion, iOS 5, and the much-heralded new iCloud service.
We started off here as an iPhone blog and we’re all still avid iPhoners and iOS device fanatics, so although all three topics are of huge interest for us, iOS 5 probably remains the very closest to our gadget fanboy hearts.
So … we have spent a little time compiling what we consider to be Our Best Damn iOS 5 Wish List Ever. It is also our only iOS 5 wish list, but that’s beside the point. With no new iPhone model to speculate endlessly about and save our pennies for, we’ve had plenty of time to see what our team of writers would really like to see in the next generation of iOS.
And here’s our iOS 5 Wish List, with items listed in order of how much support they received from all our team members. The more support an item had, the higher it is listed:
– Better Notifications (our runaway winner for most demanded)
– Better services toggling (easier ways to turn WiFi, Bluetooth etc on and off more easily)
– Gamecenter game save and data backup and portability between devices
– Screen mirroring via AirPlay
– LockInfo-like live lock and home screen features
– Better syncing / OTA sync
– Better rapid app switching
– More multitasking gestures
– Refresh of home screen UI
– Better memory management
– Alternate tones choices for emails and texts
– Voice integration throughout the OS
– Seamless keyboard integration throughout the OS
– Unified document storage area that all appropriate apps can access
– Integrated cloud app data backups
– A camera that doesn’t take 5 damned minutes to turn on
– Improvement to the native Apps
– When entering an email address in mail, choose the account most associated with
that recipient automatically.
– When using spotlight search, it tells you which folder the app your searching for is located in
– Data syncing across devices
– iPhone to be able to rotate Springboard like the iPad does
– More personalization options
– Improved Map integration
– Better input methods for the iPad that don’t have anything to do with a keyboard
– Tighter and better Spotlight integration so that Spotlight can be used to search specific apps
– Better hardware keyboard support
And there you have it. I have a feeling that despite our Best Damned efforts, we probably left some things out. We’d love to hear your best damned iOS wish list items. Please share them in the comments here or in
Facebook Recommends HTTPS Secure Browsing Via Home Page Prompts
Some users are seeing a prompt at the top of their Facebook home page that reads “Help Protect Your Account with Secure Browsing (https)”. Users can click a button in the prompt to switch to HTTPS and foil attempts by hackers to steal their data.
Following the recent exposure of several security threats, Facebook appears to be ramping up its preventative security measures. Developers should list an HTTPS address to make sure they don’t miss out on traffic from those who follow the prompt.
Facebook introduced HTTPS in January to allow users to browse the site over a secured connection. Though it causes pages to load a little slower, it can keep user data safe when they’re connecting over public networks, such as in coffee shops. Facebook says that as of May 10th, 9.6 million users had enabled secure browsing in their Account settings, showing demand for the option despite little promotion for it.
Alongside HTTPS, Facebook launched the ability for third-party application developers to list secure canvas and tab URLs. If they don’t provide them, users with HTTPS enabled are shown a roadblock that forces them to either switch to HTTP browsing or retreat to official Facebook content when approaching a canvas app, and users won’t see bookmarks of tab apps. Then in response to some data leaks by third-party apps, Facebook announced last month that by October 1st all apps must provide an SSL certificate to allow HTTP browsing.
Still, Facebook is combatting an image of flawed security, in part due to exaggerated risk assessments of leaks by the press. This new home page prompt should increase awareness of enhanced security options amongst those that might have heard of threats but not the protections against them that Facebook has released.
Displayed front and center above the news feed, the prompt explains that “To always view Facebook over a secure connection and help prevent hackers from accessing your info over public networks, turn on Secure Browsing now.” Users can click “Enable Secure Browsing” to reload the home page and continue browsing through HTTPS. They can also click to “Learn more” in the Help Center, and can always enable the option via Account Settings -> Settings -> Account Security. Oddly, the prompt is also being seen by users who have already enabled HTTPS.
The prompt will likely increase the percentage of users that do enable secure browsing, making it more important for apps to add secure canvas and tab URLs before the deadline. An increase in secure browsing should also discourage hackers, reduce the impact of security breaches, and improve Facebook’s public standing.
REPORT: Facebook Ads Surge Despite Lag In ROI
Despite lagging return on investment, advertisers continue to pour an increasing amount of their advertising expenditures into Facebook.
According to the new report out from OTR Global which surveyed 15 U.S. sources (six online agency media buyers, fivesearch agency directors, and four social media analytics directors), advertising on Facebook has grown at a pace of 64 to 69 percent over the past 12 months with a similar increase expected over the next year.
While growth remains, it seems as though advertisers are cautiously optimistic. The report also explored the area of shopping on Facebook, which is just beginning to grow. There were a number of findings in the report, which we’ve summarized below.
ROI Still Lags Search
When it comes to the bottom line, the ROI for Facebook advertising appears mixed. While there are some individuals who are claiming that the company’s self serve platform continues to drive an extremely high ROI, others are suggesting that they have yet to see it.Despite that, brands are turning to the site to help build more awareness. Like an unnamed interactive director says in the report:
Brands are making a big push [on Facebook]. At an effective [cost per impression] that’s well under half as expensive of most TV or glossy magazine buys, brands are seeing that they can easily equal the reach at much more attractive frequency, so it’s becomign the awareness and interest builder of choice.Such positive remarks are not uncommon, but one of the most significant drivers of positive sentiment appears to be cost.
Advertising On Facebook Is Still Cheap
In contrast to more expensive advertising destinations like AOL and Yahoo! where CPMs can be $15 – $25 or even higher, Facebook is reportedly hovering at somewhere between $4 and $8.Self-serve is also still cheap, although increasing. The caveat to the cheap advertising was that performance was going to be relatively difficult to maintain for smaller advertisers, something that we’ve covered extensively as automated split testing platforms and other systems have grown. As the report states:
Sources also cautioned that in the absence of often expensive third-party expertise in planning and running campaigns, many advertisers — especially smaller companies — were in danger of quickly hitting a plateau in their performance curve without access to better tools and guidance from Facebook.
Facebook Users Not Shopping Yet
One of the more interesting segments of the report was the area on shopping. It was mentioned during a section of the report on ROI. As we’ve covered over the past few months, an increasing number of shopping services are emerging on Facebook.As one person quoted in the report states, “Facebook has not crossed the threshold to being a true shopping destination.”
Since online shopping comprises a large percentage of search advertising, it helps illustrate an area in which Facebook has a large opportunity for growth.
While it’s not clear whether or not Facebook will ever turn into a shopping destination, it appears as though those who do shop on the social network stick around for a longer period of time.
As one individual states, “We are finding that the typical Facebook shopper will visit 12 pages during their session, while with Google search results, the shopper will visit four pages.”
For the time being, Facebook is not a shopping destination, however that could very well change in the coming years. If successful, shopping would clearly have a dramatic impact on the company’s ad revenue.
Facebook Is Killing Newspapers
The last finding from this report that stood out was that newspaper advertising dollars appears to be the greatest source of Facebook’s growth.When the survey recipients were asked about increases in their Facebook advertising budgets, the two greatest sources were newspaper ad spend and incremental growth.
So while Facebook didn’t kill the newspaper on their own, it appears that their definitely contributing to its death.
iFaith: World's First Public SHSH Dumper
iFaith, originally codenamed Project iF, was released today by iH8sn0w (@iH8sn0w) after his first live demo of the application. An announcement this last Sunday gave information on where to watch for the release of iFaith but it was unknown about what the project consisted of and what its true name was. Today's live stream by iH8sn0w showcased the world's first public SHSH dumper.
A project that includes previous projects by iH8sn0w, iFaith is the first application to have the ability to dump SHSH blobs onto your physical device. iH8sn0w elaborated in his live stream on how iFaith works and reasons why it will be a useful tool:
- Because it dumps SHSH physically onto your device, it alleviates issues with having to upgrade to a firmware that is not currently jailbreakable.
- For example, if you buy another iDevice, it comes with a preloaded iOS version. Even if that version is currently jailbreakable, when Apple updates the firmware to a new version, they not longer need to sign signatures on SHSH blobs for lower versions.
- This means that you no longer have SHSH retrieval for that particular firmware. If you run into an issue of restore or device corruption, you have to update to the latest firmware and have no way of downgrading. With iFaith, you're now able to place SHSH blobs directly onto your device thus removing an issue of unnecessary iOS upgrading.
- Programs like TinyUmbrella and Cydia are able to store SHSH blobs but are limited in capabilities. These programs do not allow physical retrieval of SHSH blobs and they only can retrieve SHSH blobs that are currently signed by Apple. For this reason, the SHSH blobs are on a time constraint.
iFaith is available for the PC (Mac coming soon) and is currently online for user use. The following link is a download link of iFaith for PC.
iFaith - PC
Project iF (iFaith) can be followed on Twitter for new developments and updates on the software. The creator, iH8sn0w, can also be followed on Twitter.
Facebook Recommends HTTPS Secure Browsing Via Home Page Prompts
Some users are seeing a prompt at the top of their Facebook home page that reads “Help Protect Your Account with Secure Browsing (https)”. Users can click a button in the prompt to switch to HTTPS and foil attempts by hackers to steal their data.
Following the recent exposure of several security threats, Facebook appears to be ramping up its preventative security measures. Developers should list an HTTPS address to make sure they don’t miss out on traffic from those who follow the prompt.
Facebook introduced HTTPS in January to allow users to browse the site over a secured connection. Though it causes pages to load a little slower, it can keep user data safe when they’re connecting over public networks, such as in coffee shops. Facebook says that as of May 10th, 9.6 million users had enabled secure browsing in their Account settings, showing demand for the option despite little promotion for it.
Alongside HTTPS, Facebook launched the ability for third-party application developers to list secure canvas and tab URLs. If they don’t provide them, users with HTTPS enabled are shown a roadblock that forces them to either switch to HTTP browsing or retreat to official Facebook content when approaching a canvas app, and users won’t see bookmarks of tab apps. Then in response to some data leaks by third-party apps, Facebook announced last month that by October 1st all apps must provide an SSL certificate to allow HTTP browsing.
Still, Facebook is combatting an image of flawed security, in part due to exaggerated risk assessments of leaks by the press. This new home page prompt should increase awareness of enhanced security options amongst those that might have heard of threats but not the protections against them that Facebook has released.
Displayed front and center above the news feed, the prompt explains that “To always view Facebook over a secure connection and help prevent hackers from accessing your info over public networks, turn on Secure Browsing now.” Users can click “Enable Secure Browsing” to reload the home page and continue browsing through HTTPS. They can also click to “Learn more” in the Help Center, and can always enable the option via Account Settings -> Settings -> Account Security. Oddly, the prompt is also being seen by users who have already enabled HTTPS.
The prompt will likely increase the percentage of users that do enable secure browsing, making it more important for apps to add secure canvas and tab URLs before the deadline. An increase in secure browsing should also discourage hackers, reduce the impact of security breaches, and improve Facebook’s public standing.
Government Orders Twitter User To Tweet 100 Apologies For Defamation
What is the appropriate punishment for someone who is found guilty of slandering on social media? The Malaysian court decided to sentence one defendant to apologizing on social media.
Fahmi Fadzil (@fahmi_fadzil), described as a respected commentator on social issues, got exactly that penalty after he wrote on Twitter about his pregnant friend who was allegedly ill-treated by her company, BluInc Media. Although Fadzil subsequently tweeted his apology a few hours later, BluInc still went on to press charges against Fadzil. After three months, the court decided to punish Fadzil as he was ordered to send 100 apology tweets to BluInc through Twitter over the next three days. Here’s number 26 from today:
26/100 I’ve DEFAMED Blu Inc Media & Female Magazine. My tweets on their HR Policies are untrue. I retract those words & hereby apologizeless than a minute ago via HootSuite 
Favorite 
Retweet 
Reply
fahmi_fadzil
fahmi_fadzil
Favorite Retweet Replyfahmi_fadzilfahmi_fadzil
Many of Fadzil’s 4,500 Twitter followers expressed support for him. This punishment may sound somewhat ridiculous to some, but others think it’s reasonable since the charges originate from a statement on Twitter.
Fadzil’s defamation case is believed to be the first of its kind that involves the use of Twitter. “We’re in uncharted waters,” lawyer Syahredzan said, adding that the case could cause Malaysians to become more aware of the repercussions of their comments on social media.
We have reached out to Fadzil for comment but have yet to receive a reply from him.
MTV Tumbles Into Tumblr
MTV added Tumblr to its social media arsenal, launching a blog that initially offers original and repurposed content, with expansion plans including live-blogging the MTV Movie Awards June 5.
The cable network had dabbled in Tumblr before, including a site for its Online Music Awards, but the new site marks its “official” presence on Tumblr.
MTV and VH1 Digital general manager Kristin Frank told Mashable the cable network found that #MTV was one of the most used tags on Tumblr, and it wanted to reach new communities and showcase the talents of its staff members, from design to marketing to music blogging.
And social media manager Tom Fishman told Mashable:
We feel like MTV could be a really powerful curatorial force. The voice that MTV has is consistently approachable and human and creative, while still being edgy and boundary-pushing. Tumblr is defined by very specific features — creativity and reappropriation. We’ll be tastemakers in things that we create and also highlighters of culture.
In a sense, it’s probably our most collaborative social tool to date. We felt that we had something really unique to offer the space, and we wanted to get it right.
Daily Show and Colbert Nation Now on iPad
iPads are great for so many things. You can play games, watch movies or watch your favorite television shows. Now, you can watch “The Daily Show” and “Colbert Report” on you iPad. That’s right. All you need to do is download the app for each show from iTunes.
If you are fan of one or both shows, then you are in for a real treat. However, if you go to the iTunes store, you will discover some comments reporting the apps are not working properly. Alas!
For instance, a user commented about “The Daily Show” app, “Why can you not watch extended interviews on the iPad app? Your website says to download the iPad app to get more archive video. The iPad app only gives you a fraction more. An improvement would be to [be] able to watch any video on your full site on the iPad app.“
Regarding the “Colbert Report,” a user commented, “I bought it because reviews said it had been ‘fixed.’ It definitely has not been fixed. The ‘spread to zoom’ doesn’t work, it loads videos incredibly slow and then either doesn’t play the whole thing or crashes and quits 1-2 minutes into a video. Have not been able to watch a full clip yet.”
But never fear the kinks are being ironed out and fans with iPads will be happy and satisfied as ever getting their “The Daily Show” or “Colbert Report” fix anytime and anywhere. As a matter of fact, the last comment on the “Colbert Report” says the app is working.
Another cool feature, if you are really into the Apple thing, you don’t even need to download an app. All you have to do is point Safari toward thedailyshow.com or colbertnation.com and the technology does the rest for you.
Ubuntu 11.10 “Oneiric Ocelot” Alpha 1 Released
As scheduled, the first alpha of Ubuntu 11.10, codenamed “Oneiric Ocelot”, has been released today.
The biggest change in Ubuntu 11.10 Alpha 1 from Ubuntu 11.04 is GNOME 3.0. Ubuntu 11.04 has GNOME 2.32. In Ubuntu 11.10 Alpha 1, it has been upgraded to the new GNOME 3.0. The immediate effects of the upgrade will be visible with the theme – since Radiance and Ambiance themes have not been ported to GTK3, the applications look ugly like Windows 95 for now.
Other then GNOME3, there are not much changes except for version upgrades of applications – for example Firefox has been updated to Firefox 5 Beta.
The KDE derivative, Kubuntu 11.10 too has been released – but it does not have much changes. The most notable change is that Muon Software Center has replaced KPackage Kit. KDE SC 4.4 beta 1 has not been included and Kubuntu 11.10 still uses KDE 4.6.3.
Ubuntu 11.10 “Oneiric Ocelot” is not recommended for use, except for testing. In case you want to test it, you can either upgrade from Ubuntu 11.04 or do a clean install.
Upgrade
To upgrade from Ubuntu 11.04, open the Terminal and execute the command given below:
$ sudo do-release-upgrade –d
Download
To download the CD image of Ubuntu 11.10 Alpha 1 and its derivatives, follow the link given below:
Sony Pictures Website Hacked, 1 Million Accounts Exposed
Sony is not having a good year. As the company scrambles to get the PlayStation Network and Qriocity music service back online, it’s suffering from yet another security breach. This time it’s a hacker attack on various websites associated with Sony Pictures.
A team of individuals going by the name LulzSec, who recently managed to deface PBS.org’s homepage, announced that they have broken into SonyPictures.com and compromised more than 1 million user accounts. An additional 75,000 music codes and 3.5 million coupons were also uncovered.
The attack, part of a campaign known as Sownage, was announced on Twitter and on the LulzSec website. LulzSec said that it didn’t have enough resources to copy all the data that it was able to access. But the group did manage to grab a collection of databases that contain thousands of usernames.
The accounts, presumably associated with any sort of registered activity on SonyPictures.com (or its subsidiaries or partners), contain information like passwords, email addresses, dates of birth and other Sony opt-in data. This certainly isn’t as dangerous as the information that was exposed during the PSN hack, but it could still be used to gather access to more important accounts elsewhere.
The scariest part of this attack isn’t what was taken, but how easy it was for the LulzSec members to take it. According to the groups own press release, access to the main Sony Pictures website was gained using a very basic tactic called a SQL injection. We haven’t had a chance to examine the released files to see what this injection was, but it’s likely that an out-of-date software stack and relatively unprotected web server made passing the injection trivial.
LulzSec says that all of the information it took was unencrypted. “Sony stored over 1,000,000 passwords of its customers in plaintext,” says the hackers’ press release, “which means it’s just a matter of taking it. ”
Seeing as this is the second security breach of a major Sony-branded website in just outside of a week, we have to ask: Is anyone at Sony employed to handle web security?
Sure, managing a large number of brands and properties that are often connected in name only has to be a challenge, not to mention the logistical and administrative challenges of managing websites that can store millions of user profiles. Still, that doesn’t make up for what by all appearances is an abysmal security record.
LulzSec has been on a tear, infiltrating the websites and databases for the UK television program, The X Factor, parts of Fox.com, Sonymusic.co.jp and many parts of PBS.org in the past three weeks alone.
The attacks, while often juvenile in nature and execution (the Lulzsecurity.com website plays the theme from The Love Boat), underscore just how important it is for brandsto keep their web servers updated, hardened and monitored. In the age of simple publishing tools like WordPress, it’s easy for managers to underestimate the importance of having someone on contract or on staff to keep data encrypted and protected. We can only hope the most recent cyber attacks convince executives to think seriously about investing in online security.
Introducing TweakWeek, One Jailbreak Tweak a Day for 7 Days
by Sebastien on Jun 2, 2011
2 Comments
Even better, a few other jailbreak developers are already lined up for the next few weeks. While Petrich is going to develop one tweak a day this week, next week tweaks will be developed by Filippo Bigarella, the following week by Tyler Nettleton, etc…
The rules are pretty simple:
- One release a day for seven days
- All releases must be open source
- All work must be done on release day
Help: How to make a Lion Client into a Lion Server
Tim Cook says iPad will eventually outsell PCs
According to Goldman Sachs analyst Bill Shope, Apple COO Tim Cook suggested during a meeting that the tablet market — which is currently dominated by the iPad — could eclipse the PC market over the next several years.
Shope says, “the company appeared more overtly optimistic on the long-term prospects for the iOS platform than it has been in quite some time.” Cook said, “he sees no reason why the tablet market shouldn’t eclipse the PC market over the next several years,” according to Shope’s note.Analysts say a lot of things, and Cook’s words do seem a little far-fetched, but given Apple’s growth in the tablet market (which they essentially created) it’s not completely unheard of. Shope calculates Apple could sell 8.1 million iPads for the June quarter, which would represent a 72% increase year-over-year.
So how long before the iPad starts putting the stomp on PC sales? Sound off in the comments!
AT&T says it is "working on" shared data plans, no delivery date set
AT&T is still "working on" delivering a shared data plan that would allow users to pool minutes and data plans between their devices.
According to report by Engadget AT&T's chief executive Ralph de la Vega confirmed at the D9 conference that his company has shared data plan in the works but could not commit to a time frame of when such a plan would be available.
The company has no ballpark on pricing to announce yet either. AT&T has consistently remained behind Verizon Wireless and other carriers in offering options such as tethering and even MMS for Apple's iPhone, which until recently the carrier was the exclusive provider for in the US.
The Verizon iPhone initiated WiFi tethering first, pushing AT&T to follow suit later. Verizon recently announced intentions to push toward shared data plans, with its chief financial officer Fran Shammo saying at a Reuters Global Technology Summit conference last month:
"We had individual minutes for individual users. Then we eventually got to what we call family share where everyone in the family shares the same minutes. I think it's safe to assume that at some point you are going to have mega-plans (for data) and people are going to share that mega-plan based on the number of devices within their family. That's just a logical progression."
According to report by Engadget AT&T's chief executive Ralph de la Vega confirmed at the D9 conference that his company has shared data plan in the works but could not commit to a time frame of when such a plan would be available.
The company has no ballpark on pricing to announce yet either. AT&T has consistently remained behind Verizon Wireless and other carriers in offering options such as tethering and even MMS for Apple's iPhone, which until recently the carrier was the exclusive provider for in the US.
The Verizon iPhone initiated WiFi tethering first, pushing AT&T to follow suit later. Verizon recently announced intentions to push toward shared data plans, with its chief financial officer Fran Shammo saying at a Reuters Global Technology Summit conference last month:
"We had individual minutes for individual users. Then we eventually got to what we call family share where everyone in the family shares the same minutes. I think it's safe to assume that at some point you are going to have mega-plans (for data) and people are going to share that mega-plan based on the number of devices within their family. That's just a logical progression."
iFaith Save SHSH Blobs Dumper - iPhone / iPod Touch / iPad
Well guys, iH8sn0w has just unvieled his new project, he just announced iFaith tool, iFaith is an SHSH dumper that allows you to dump SHSH of your current iOS firmware on the device even if Apple closed signing.
Here's what iFaith can do:
If you are running iOS 4.0 now on your iDevice, you won't be able to save SHSH blobs as Apple closed siging for this old firmware, but here's the value of iFaith comes, iFaith allows you to save SHSH blobs for any iOS version. It's also importatnt to know that this only works if your device is susceptible to Limera1n-exploit-based jailbreak tools.How iFaith Works and Why iFaith will be a usful tool :
- Because it dumps SHSH physically onto your device, it alleviates issues with having to upgrade to a firmware that is not currently jailbreakable.
- For example, if you buy another iDevice, it comes with a preloaded iOS version. Even if that version is currently jailbreakable, when Apple updates the firmware to a new version, they not longer need to sign signatures on SHSH blobs for lower versions.
- This means that you no longer have SHSH retrieval for that particular firmware. If you run into an issue of restore or device corruption, you have to update to the latest firmware and have no way of downgrading. With iFaith, you're now able to place SHSH blobs directly onto your device thus removing an issue of unnecessary iOS upgrading.
- Programs like TinyUmbrella and Cydia are able to store SHSH blobs but are limited in capabilities. These programs do not allow physical retrieval of SHSH blobs and they only can retrieve SHSH blobs that are currently signed by Apple. For this reason, the SHSH blobs are on a time constraint.
iFaith Supported devices:
- iPhone 4, 3GS
- iPod touch 4G, 3G
- iPad
Download iFaith for Windows
Protest over Saudi woman arrested for challenging driving ban
Women in Saudi Arabia are prohibited by law from driving cars. This means virtual imprisonment for every Saudi woman who must ask a man to drive her anywhere she needs to go. There is no basis for this ban in the Koran so it is not a religious issue but one of domination and power by men.
Recently, a woman, Manal al-Sherif chose to get into a car, made a video of herself driving around the streets of Alkhobar in Eastern Saudia Arabia and post it on YouTube, daring the religious police to arrest her. Which they did. And when they released her after five days rearrested her for another ten.
Click here to read the full article.
Some Saudi women have now decided to hold a day of protest at this ban on Friday June 17th and they will do this by driving themselves around in their cars.
It is important for women's rights throughout the world that these women be supported. To that end a picket will be placed on the Saudi embassy in Dublin at 6-7 Fitzwilliam Square East on Friday June 17th from 3 to 4 p.m. to coincide with the protest in Saudi.
All who feel strongly in women's rights to dignity and equality are welcome to attend - men and women.
Further details will be released closer to the date.
How to set up Hootsuite as your Mac Twitter desktop app
Over the past 2 years or so, I think I’ve tested and used just about every possible desktop application you can get your hands on for free for Macs. From the aesthetically pleasing Tweetie, to the power user’s best friends in Seesmic Desktop and Tweetdeck, I’ve given them all a decent run and none have really provided me with ALL the specs and features I desire:
- Multiple accounts
- Multiple social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Foursquare etc)
- Scheduled Tweets
- Built in link shortening
- Customisable interface (easily change column orders)
- Tabbed layout to maximise usable columns
- Analytics & link stats tracking
- Ability to view user info in a neat way
- Message Drafts
- Visual and audible update notifications
Why Hootsuite as opposed to the various alternatives?
I’ll give you a couple of examples of why I’m sold on using Hootsuite as my primary Twitter application, but first make sure you check out a great blog post titled, “10 Reasons I’m Switching from Tweetdeck to Hootsuite” from the guys over at “Web App Storm”.
For me, two of the best features of the Hootsuite service are the ability to track statistical information regarding your Tweets and the specific links that you post within (using Hootsuite’s default URL shortening service options), and also the user profile information panels that appear (shown below) each time you click on a user name.
Setting up Hootsuite as a Mac Twitter desktop application
You’re probably wondering how you can make a web-based service into a desktop application without some kind of installer or application environment like Adobe AIR (used by applications like Tweetdeck)? Well it’s actually quite simple using a neat, free program for the Mac called “Fluid”. The following is a quick step-by-step look at how you can be up and running with Hootsuite as your primary Mac desktop accessed by a neat customised dock icon, in no time.Step 1 – Find a suitable dock icon for your application
It’s hard to go past a more suitable icon than that adorable little Hootsuite Owl we see all around the place these days.
Finding suitable dock icons for all the applications I have set up in the past using Fluid has been a cinch when using “Deviantart” as my search engine. Simply navigate to the “Dock Icons” category section of the site and search for the web application in question – in this case “Hootsuite”. The icon I found for this project you can download from here.Unzip the icon resource file and place it somewhere where Fluid will be able to find it every time you open your new “Hootsuite” application.
Step 2 – Download and install Fluid for Mac
As long as you are running OSX 10.5 or greater, jump over to http://fluidapp.com/ and download the free Fluid installer.
Note: A similar program called Mozilla Prism is available for those of you on a Windows PC or Linux that will help you achieve a similar result.
Install the application on your Mac and crank it up.
Step 3 – Create your application
Once Fluid starts up, you’ll be presented with a window prompting you to “Create a Site Specific Browser”. Simply fill out the requested details as shown below. When it comes to the “Icon” field, select “Other…” (as shown) and navigate to wherever you ended up placing your Hootsuite Owl icon.
Once you have your icon selected, hit the create button to create your new Hootsuite desktop application.
Step 4 – Add the new Hootsuite application to the dock
You will now be presented with a success message and a few options for progressing. We want to add the new application to the dock, so select the “Reveal in Finder” option.
Find the Hootsuite application you just created by looking for the distinctive Owl icon, and drag the icon to your dock. Drop it in the appropriate spot on your dock and click the icon to open Hootsuite!
If you are asked to log in to your Hootsuite account the first time you start up the application, and when you do you get kicked out to your default browser (Firefox etc):- Close the Hootsuite application
- Open Safari
- Log into Hootsuite selecting the “Remember Me” option
- Close Safari
- Open your Hootsuite application from your dock once again.
From there it’s just a matter of setting up your accounts and columns the way you want them and exploring the Hootsuite service to find all the amazing features and options that you have for managing your Twitter account(s).
Good luck!
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