via:cultofmac

By:Arik Hesseldahl 

Yesterday everyone seemed to freak out about the disclosure that Apple’s iPhone collects data on where it has been. Ooooh,scary. There were lots of references comparing Steve Jobs to Big Brother from 1984.

I wasn’t surprised that this data–which shows basically everywhere an iPhone owner has been with the phone in his or her possession since iOS 4 was released–is being collected. But it’s important to make one thing clear before we go any further: There’s no evidence that Apple is collecting any information about where you go. It does collect anonymized information on where iPhones go, and it has a number of legitimate business purposes for doing so.

Nor is any of what Apple is doing some kind of newly discovered secret. In fact, it has been documented for some time. (For more on this, read this excellent post by Alex Levinson, an expert on iOS security.) In fact, Apple has been very clear in its privacy policy about what data it collects, and even highlighted the part about location data in a letter to Congress last year.

Got all that? Okay, let’s proceed.

I found the revelation unsurprising because of stories I’ve written in recent years on the new field of academic research known as “reality mining.” I wrote about it for BusinessWeek in 2008 and interviewed two researchers from MIT, both of whom told me that there is a great deal of value–both commercial value and value to society at large–that can come from gathering data on where people go, and also when they go there and who they go with.

The value comes not in gathering that data about you personally, but in aggregating it, basically mixing it all together with the same data about everyone else, until you have huge databases on the comings and goings of millions of people. It’s helpful for a city to know, for instance, how many cars cross a bridge between the hours of 7 am and 8 am, and how the traffic varies by the day of the week. It’s helpful to see how many people drove to the last New York Yankees game and how many people took the subway, and also how bad the crowd congestion was both on the streets and on the trains.

Getting an accurate picture of exactly how many people are involved is tricky. You can try to do a labor-intensive count or you can estimate, but both are messy and subject to error. A wireless phone is a pretty good sensor because almost everyone will be carrying one and each phone identifies itself to the closest cell tower, so it’s easy to count. The value comes not from knowing who was where at any given time, but how many were there.

Wireless phones already play a big role in tracking traffic congestion. If you use a GPS receiver in your car that gives you live traffic information, those green and red lines that appear on the map are often generated by thousands of cars with wireless phones in them, all of them reporting their location, speed and direction of travel. The company that tracks that information, analyzes it and turns it into something useful is Inrix, and its name can be found stamped on the packaging of a number GPS receivers. When yours pipes up to say “traffic ahead” or says it is changing your route because of congestion, it’s because it is getting a live data feed that is generated in part by information gathered from wireless phones. Are you still so creeped out?

But let’s take it a step further and imagine a case where it actually might be useful and not anonymized. Let’s say you’ve caught a really bad flu but it’s in its early stages, so you’re feeling just a little sick and you go to work. The next day you find out you’ve got this year’s super-flu virus. Would there be a public health benefit in being able to look through a record of where you’ve been? Could there also be a benefit from cross-referencing that with data from other people’s phones to find out how many people–and who–has been within close enough proximity to you during the last 24 hours to maybe catch this flu from you? Data gathered from your phone and others could conceivably help arrest the spread of that super flu by giving authorities an accurate picture of how many people are connected in the branching chains of potential infection.

After a while you start seeing patterns, and these patterns can help solve other problems large and small. Does your town need a traffic light at that intersection based on the number of people who drive through it every day? Does your city need to build another subway line because the existing ones are overwhelmed? Reasonable minds can have different perceptions as to the scale of problems. Real, unimpeachable data can only add clarity to the debates.

MIT’s Sensable City Lab has done some fascinating work in this area. Its most recent project has taken the team to Singapore, and I’ve embedded a video below that shows samples of some of the data they’ve gathered and turned into visualizations. Another older video from a 2008 project, The New York Talk Exchange, showing calls made to and from New York, is just as interesting.

Is there a commercial use for this sort of data? You bet. Advertisers will always pay for the right and the ability to reach you in some new and incrementally intrusive way. But that’s just the way that things go, though more often than not, if you don’t like it, you have the ability to opt out or not participate. But people do choose to participate. Ask the eight million Foursquare users why they like voluntarily giving up their live location data day after day. They have clearly opted in because there’s something about that they like, and it isn’t just claiming the mayorship of the corner tavern. And there are probably scores of other commercial uses for the location data on our phones that I’m not imaginative enough to think of.

My point in all this is really simple. Phones have for about a decade had GPS chipsets in them that can keep track of the phone’s precise coordinates–latitude and longitude plus their position relative to a cellular tower. To anyone who is surprised that this data is being collected and even being used I have only this to say: Well, duh! You better get used to it. As long as there’s value in measuring where we go, the phones we take with us everywhere are going to be the device used to do the measuring.

Yes, there needs to be a clear set of rules of the road, and I think the discussion touched off by this round of coverage will help us get to setting those rules. But the data is so valuable, and the potential for benefits are so great, that no amount of consumer outrage is going to put an end to your phone keeping track of where it is.

Late last year, Craigslist bowed to public controversy and eliminated the erotic services of their website, which was a well-known place for prostitutes and escorts to advertise themselves online. Now that Craigslist is out of the prostitution game, what’s a poor working girl to do? Join Facebook, apparently.

In a recent study conducted sociology professor Sudhir Venkatesh discovered that the vast majority of New York City prostitutes not only have a Facebook page, but conduct much of their business through the world’s most popular social network.

“Even before the crackdown on [Craigslist's] adult-services section, sex workers were turning to Facebook: 83 per cent have a Facebook page, and I estimate that by the end of 2011, Facebook will be the leading on-line recruitment space,” Venkatesh writes.

Venkatesh, a Columbia University professor, followed 290 female sex workers, 170 of whom made more than $30,000, and discovered that technology was increasingly playing a role in allowing them to “control their image, set their prices, and sidestep some of the pimps, madams, and other intermediaries who once took a share of the revenue.”

In fact, Facebook and technology is such an asset to a prostitute that a smartphone is one of the best ways for her to increase her earnings, not just so they can keep track of Facebook hookups on the go, but because a smartphone sends a message about her status: that she’s not a street walker, but rather, a high-earning professional.

Another surprise? The vast majority of prostitutes favor Blackberries over iPhones. Something tells me RIM won’t be quoting that statistic in a press release.

Via:lifehacker

Apple's iOS updates are seeded to developers, often in beta form, before they're released to the general public. This may seem like an impenetrable barrier for some, but very little is preventing you from upgrading early. Here's how to do it.

Acquiring an iOS Beta

The Proper Method: Be a "Developer"

Whether you're actually a developer or not, Apple allows you to pay to be a registered developer for $99. You don't have to make (or even think about making) a single iOS application. All you're required to do is pay the $99 entrance fee. This gets you access to iOS betas for a year and you can download install them as you please.

$99 isn't exactly a great deal to have future access to iOS betas unless you're an iOS fanatic. If you'd still like official access to the beta, however, what we'd recommend doing is rounding up a few friends who would also like early access and splitting the fee. If you can find four other people, that's just $20 each. Because Apple lets you add up to 100 device UDID (the unique device identifier on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch) you can easily share a developer membership with others to save some money. With a large number of people, you can get your updates for just a few dollars per year.

If you want to register as a developer, you can do that at the Apple Developer Connection.

The Improper Method: Circumvent the System

It's not hard to locate iOS betas online by simple searching Google for a torrent file. That said, even though you'll be getting the iOS update for free later on in the month, Apple doesn't permit the free downloading of iOS betas. By downloading iOS without Apple's consent, well, you know you're breaking the rules.

If you're not a registered developer and you've somehow obtained a copy of an iOS beta, you may still have some issues. Apple requires that device UDIDs are registered on a developer account to activate the iOS beta. This means that if you install an iOS beta without registering your UDID you may end up with an unusable device. This can be especially problematic because once you upgrade, there's no going back. Well, technically there is but it takes some effort. If you decide to take the risk, be sure you DO NOT restore your iOS device using the beta image. That will pretty much ensure that your iOS device will be locked down. Instead, use the upgrade method (detailed below). If it succeeds, however, it's unlikely the device will need to register with Apple. If it doesn't succeed, don't restore using the update but try to restore using the last available stable release of iOS (as in not a beta, and probably what was on your device beforehand). Again, if you try to restore your device with an iOS beta it will refuse to boot until it is registered with an Apple developer account. You have to use the "Check for Upgrade" route instead.

But what if I screw up?

As mentioned above, paying for a developer account with friends is an easy way to save money on getting these early upgrades. But what if nobody likes you (or just doesn't want to pay money for betas like you do)? A quick search will generally turn up a few ambitious individuals who have paid for developer accounts and are looking to make some money. Generally for around $5, they will add your UDID to their developer account so you can easily update without worry. If you happen to screw up the update and lock down your device or just want piece of mind, this is a good alternative to paying the $99 required by Apple. Of course, this is still breaking the rules.

Installing an iOS Beta

Installing an iOS beta is very easy. Connect your device to your computer and open iTunes (if it doesn't open automatically). Choose your device from the iTunes sidebar and you'll see a section called Version. There are two options in that section: Check for Update and Restore

Restoring will wipe everything off of your iOS device, so you want to avoid that whenever possible. Instead, hold down the option key if you're on a Mac or shift if you're on a Windows PC and click the Check for Updatebutton. You will be prompted to choose an IPSW (iPhone Software) file. Choose the beta you downloaded for your device and click Choose. From there, iTunes will take over and upload the IPSW to your device. The upgrade will start, and if it works you will have the beta up and running in no time*.

* This is not true at all—iTunes takes forever to update. You should go make yourself a sandwich while you wait.

The answer this time is yes you can - and there's no waiting to do so! However, iPhone users may want to hold off on this one. Here's why:

Although the 4.2.1 software can be jailbroken using the iPhone Dev Team's redsn0w hacking tool, this time around it's what's known as a "tethered" jailbreak, at least on newer Apple devices. What that means is that if your phone ever loses power or you need to reboot your device, you have to connect it to your computer (i.e. "tether" it) in order to keep the device jailbroken. Failure to do so will result in the device resetting to an un-jailbroken state. If, for some reason, you aren't able to reboot the device while tethered, you can still recover your jailbreak by connecting it again to your computer and then booting it using redsn0w.

Simply put, it's a huge pain.

So unless you really need 4.2.1's AirPlay or AirPrint features, we would suggest iPhone users hold off on this one, as an untethered (read: "normal") jailbreak is in the works now. Being "tethered" is less of a hassle on iPod Touch and iPad, however, as maintaining a jailbreak isn't as mission-critical on these devices. Nor are these devices as likely to be completely drained of battery juice like the iPhone is, especially if you make a lot of phone calls. In other words, it's up to you on this one - jailbreak if you must or wait to upgrade.

The good news is that you can still upgrade your iPad to iOS 4.2.1 to take advantage of all the new features but not have to install the same software on your iPhone. iTunes will prompt you when you connect an iPad to your computer to upgrade and you can proceed normally. When you connect your iPhone, you can just say "no" to the same prompt with no harm done. You can continue using your iPhone as usual, syncing files, etc., while still maintaining the jailbreak you already have.

However, if you're determined to proceed with the jailbreak, despite our warnings, here's how you do it:

1. Download the redsn0w software: Mac or Windows version (more mirrors are listed on the Dev Team blog)
2. Upgrade to iTunes 10.1 if you haven't already.
3. Install the iOS 4.2.1 firmware via iTunes as usual.
4. Run the redsn0w software executable.
5. Redsn0w will ask you to select your IPSW file for your current firmware. Point it to one of the following, depending on your OS:
   • Mac OS X: /~/Library/iTunes/iPad Software Updates (or iPhone/iPod Software Updates, as the case may be)
   • Windows 7 or Vista: C:\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPad Software Updates (or iPhone/iPod Software Updates)
   • Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPad Software Updates (or iPhone/iPod Software Updates)

   

6. Redsn0w should now say that the IPSW file was successfully identified. On the following screen, check "Install Cydia" then click "Next."
7. With the iOS device powered off and plugged into the computer, click "Next" again.
8. Redsn0w will now provide instructions on how to put your device into DFU mode. This is a combination of key presses, that are as follows: Hold the Power button for 1 second, then without releasing it, hold the Home button for 10 seconds. Finally, release Power but keep holding Home for 15 seconds.
9. One in DFU mode, the jailbreak will proceed automatically.

Compatibility notes: This jailbreak works on all devices. On iPhone 4, iPod Touch 3 and 4, iPad and iPod Touch 2 (MC model) it will be tethered. On iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS (older bootroom), and iPod Touch 2 (older model) it's not tethered. iPhone unlockers should NOT jailbreak!

As always, please proceed with jailbreaking at your own risk. Although relatively easy, it is a form of hacking and things can go wrong, break, crash or just not work at all. Back up your iOS device before jailbreaking in case you need to restore and make sure that critical data (contacts, notes, etc.) is also safely stored elsewhere than on your PC.

Apple's device tracking, locking, and wiping tool Find My iPhone is available for free with the iOS 4.2. By default it only works on the iPhone 4, fourth generation iPod touch, and iPad. Here's how to get free access from any device.

What Is Find My iPhone?

First, as a refresher, Find My iPhone is a tracking app that runs on your iOS device and tracks its location. If you lose your device, you can log into MobileMe, see the device on a map, and optionally display a message on your device ("Hey, did you find my lost iPhone? Call me at ..."), play a sound (handy if you just left it in the couch cushion), lock the device with a four-digit PIN, or completely wipe your device so no one can access your sensitive data.

It's now available for free on any of the latest generation of iOS devices. If you've got an older device, however, you're not out of luck. As commenters in our announcement post quickly discovered, all you need to get free Find My iPhone access from pre-2010 devices is access to one of the supported devices. From Apple (footnote 3):

You can create a free Find My iPhone account on any iPhone 4, iPad, or iPod touch (4th generation) running iOS 4.2. Once you create an account on a qualifying device, use your Apple ID and password to enable Find My iPhone on your other devices running iOS 4.2.

The TiPb blog confirms. So if you want to get Find My iPhone running on your pre-2010 iOS device, here's how it works:

Download Find My iPhone on a 2010 iOS Device and Register

1. Launch the App Store and download Find My iPhone.
2. While it's downloading, jump over to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > and add a MobileMe account. Log into MobileMe using your Apple ID and password, and when it's connected, turn on Find My iPhone.

1. Now launch the Find My iPhone app, again log in with your Apple ID, and you should be set up

Repeat Those Steps on Your Pre-2010 iOS Device

Once you've activated Find My iPhone on a newer iOS device, just repeat the steps above on a pre-2010 iOS device and it should work like a charm. I tested the process by turning on Find My iPhone on an iPad, then enabling it on an iPhone 3G.

To verify that everything's working, just point your browser to Find My iPhone and make sure both devices are in your device list.

It Continues to Work Even After You Kill the Connection on the New Device

Since some of you may be using someone else's latest generation iOS device to gain access to Find My iPhone, I then deleted my MobileMe account from the iPad and verified that my iPhone 3G continued to work with Find My iPhone.

So if you are borrowing someone else's iOS device to activate Find My iPhone on your older device, you should be able to safely delete your MobileMe account from their device but continue using Find My iPhone on yours. That means you can always log into MobileMe and the Find My iPhone dashboard, track your phone, display a message or play a sound, lock the phone with a PIN, or remotely wipe it, all for free. Handy.

Update: Reader Casey writes in and notes: "You can only make three MobileMe accounts per device. I tried setting up several people's in my office who have 3GS phones, and it cut me off after the third one. I removed the other MobileMe accounts after enabling their older devices, and the 3Gs continued to work. Even after doing so, it says I maxed out the number of accounts I could create on that phone.

Via:LifeHacker

Via:Mashable

Trevor Ginn runs the online baby and nursery shop Hello Baby. Hello Baby’s first iPhone app, Peek-a-boo Baby Rattle, cost the company $750 and receives 3,000 downloads a week.

Many leading major brands, including Audi, Zippo, Orange and Cadbury, are using branded iPhone apps as a way to reach their target audience. It’s not hard to see why when more than 3 billion apps have been downloaded, and iPhone users are generally young and affluent. A branded iPhone app is a combination of product and entertainment, but most importantly, it cannot be perceived as advertising. When done right, it’s a great way to not only increase brand awareness but drive direct traffic.

These days, branded apps are not just for big corporations with money to burn. They are well within the reach of every small business. A simple, but effective iPhone app can be launched for as little as $750. Here’s how.

Step 1: Pin Down a Useful Idea

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that your app has to be groundbreaking or fiendishly clever. Develop a simple app that has a real use for your target audience. For example:

• A world clock that converts multiple time zones (for a watch manufacturer or retailer)
• A customized MMS message generator to celebrate special occasions (for a gift store)
• A baby rattle (baby product manufacturer or retailer)

The app need not be revolutionary or unique, but should be visually attractive, easy to use and serve a useful purpose. The iPhone is designed to be simple and intuitive to use, so your app should be too.

Step 2: Write Up a Spec

Writing a specification document will focus your ideas. It is also the blueprint for the app, which is to be given to the development team. The better the initial specification, the more likely it is that the app will be a success. Never assume that a developer is a psychic and will automatically know what you want. A good spec should have the following elements:

• A functional description. Draft a detailed explanation of the functionality of the product. You should detail, for example, the navigation, functions of each screen and what happens when buttons are pressed.
• Diagrams (or “wireframes”) of the screens. This can be done using Google Docs, Visio or even PowerPoint.
• Style guidelines. To help the designer determine the look and feel, describe the target audience for the app and give examples of designs you admire. Remember, to cut costs, stock images can be cheaply bought from sites like iStockPhoto.

Step 3: Find a Developer/Designer

You can usually hire freelancers at a lower cost than an agency. Building an app will require both design and coding skills. You may not be able to find someone who is good at both, so hiring two freelancers is not uncommon.

Sites such as Elance and oDesk allow freelancers to be sourced from all over the world. By posting the spec on one of these sites and asking for quotes, you will receive multiple offers. Create a shortlist and ask these people for examples of work and references before making a choice. Finally, before staring the project, you should agree on a deadline and specific milestones. The freelancers may require an upfront payment before starting, which is normal, but don’t pay more than 50% up front.

Step 4: Design, Build and Test

Once you have selected your team, the project is ready to start. Each project will have three basic stages.

1. Design. The designer will turn the wireframes into a visual design.
2. Build. The coder will build the app based on the spec using the visuals.
3. Test. Testing should ensure that the functionality detailed in the spec is present and also that the app is robust enough to deal with real users.

Once the work has started, monitor the progress carefully and ask for frequent updates. Always encourage your team to talk directly to each other during the build as this will speed up the development process.

Step 5: Launch It

Apps are published in the iTunes store through a service called iTunes Connect. Once submitted, an app can take several weeks to be approved and be available for download.

There are numerous press and blog outlets that may be interested in covering the release and features of your app, so use the launch as an opportunity to get some PR for your business. Write a press release and distribute it to:

• Press release distribution sites
• iPhone app directories, review sites and blogs
• Publications in your industry

Also, don’t forget to talk up your app on your company’s own blog, Facebook and Twitter pages.

Via:LifeHacker

If you've got an iPhone, are a little bored with iOS, and you're interested in moonlighting with Google's Android operating system, you can dual boot Android and iOS side-by-side on your iPhone in a few relatively simple steps.

What You'll Need:

All you'll need to get started is an iOS device; Right now, the iPhone 3G has the best support, and that's what we're using in this guide.

Step One: Jailbreak Your iPhone

You've got a number of jailbreaking options, including PwnageTool, Redsn0w, and Blackra1n. Pick one that works on your platform, download it, and walk through the jailbreak process. (I'm not going to detail the jailbreak here since the latest jailbreaking methods often change a little, but

Step Two: Install Bootlace in Cydia

In order to do this, you'll need to launch Cydia from the homescreen, tap on the Manage button, select Sources, then tap Edit, then Add. The repository you'll need to add is repo.neonkoala.co.uk. Tap Add Source, let Cydia work its magic, and then tap on your newly added repository and install Bootlace.

Step Three: Run Bootlace and Patch the Kernel

Leave Cydia, and launch Bootlace. If Bootlace isn't on your homescreen after you leave Cydia, restart your iPhone and it should be there. Then just launch Bootlace, and let it download and patch the kernel. When it's done, tap on Reboot and wait for your phone to reboot.

Step Four: Install OpeniBoot

Now launch Bootlace again, tap the OpeniBoot button, and tap Install, then Continue. OpeniBoot will download and install.

Step Five: Install iDroid

Once OpeniBoot is installed, tap the iDroid button, tap Install, OK, and then wait. iDroid—which is essentially the Android OS customized for your iPhone—will download and install. This will take a while, so be patient, and if your battery is low, you may want to plug in your phone you start.

Step Six: Reboot and Play Around with Android

Now you've officially installed Android on your iPhone. Time to play around with it. Just tap on the QuickBoot button from inside Bootlace, tap the Android icon (the one of the little Android proudly holding an Apple), and confirm that you want to reboot into Android.

How Does It Work?

The first thing worth mentioning is that Android on iPhone isn't close to ready to use as your full-time mobile operating system. That doesn't mean it never will be, but at the moment, this is more something you'd want to do to fulfill your curiosity, wear as a geek badge, or just have a little fun and (maybe) support a really great project.

You can see how far they've come along with each phone on the iDroid status wiki. As I mentioned above, the iPhone 3G is the best supported iOS device (and currently only it and the 2G work with the method above, I believe). The biggest issue right now with the 3G is power management (PMU on the wiki), which isn't fully functional. Most importantly, suspend isn't yet working, so your battery won't likely last long. It's still come a long way from where it's been in the past, though, and having followed this project excitedly for a while, the progress they've made in recent weeks has been really impressive.

Regarding a few nuts and bolts: Your iPhone's lock button acts as the Android back button; the iPhone home button acts as the Android menu button; the iPhone's volume down button acts as the Android home button; and the iPhone's volume up button acts as... I'm not really sure what. To lock the screen, press the iPhone's home and and lock buttons at the same time. To power off, hold the lock and home buttons for a couple of seconds until the Power Off prompt appears. You can see a few other operating quirks by watching the video above.

As you can see in the video, performance isn't perfect (it's occasionally a little laggy), but again, with time, that could change significantly. Either way, the iDroid project—along with OpeniBoot and Bootlace—is something I remain extremely excited about. As a long-time iPhone user and recent Android switcher, the main thing that sets the two apart for me is the iPhone hardware, which always feels a head and shoulders above whatever Android device I put my hands on. I know a lot of people (including myself) who'd kill to dual boot and iPhone 4 with iOS and Android. (In fact, if you really want to help out, you can donate to the iDroid Project by clicking the Donate button on the top right of the iDroid Project's main page and maybe speed things along.)

Making usage consistent and legal

There is a move to ensure that iPhones are immune from unauthorized access. The understanding is that the phones are so climactic in their provision that it is necessary to ensure that people that have not taken the time to out and buy a unit are not using other people’s phones. To this end there has been a program of developing anti spyware for cell phones. It follows patterns that are very similar to the ones that are seen in the modern computers. They repel the intruders and refuse them access upon request. Of course they have not yet reached a stage where they can confidently remove the threat of the intruders. However they still have a pretty good chance of making something out of it and ensuring that the projects that are underway do not fall into the wrong hands. The development of the different models is therefore something that is seen to hold merit in the different circumstances.

The individual users have been able to benefit from these developments. For example the practice of hacking mobile numbers has been tackled with some gusto. People are not prepared to give up their privacy without a fight. It might mean that they have to memorize many entry codes and protection protocols. However the benefits that come from the program are worth the wait. They ensure that the users are really at the top of their game in terms of the provisions that are made in case intruders attempt to gain access to the phone or gadget.

The branded security measures for the iPhone

1. There is the jail break facility that works with most of the versions. Following the exploits of Charlie Miller, there was alarm that the phones might continue to be vulnerable. The security features have to be constantly upgraded in order to deal with the persistent efforts of different users to get round the rules and protocols. It can be very frustrating for the people that are managing the program as well as a serious danger to the general success of the outreach technological programs. If people are worried about security then it is unlikely that they will invest a lot of money in the phones.
2. People have built some bespoke hardware that purports to provide either security or access depending on the requirements of the consumer. The Independent Security Evaluators always release reports on their opinions concerning the arrangements that the manufacturers have made. In some instances they are rather scathing about the provision while on occasions they become rather complimentary about the efforts that are made to ensure that people get the very best services in terms of the security of the technological gadgets under their control.

The need for practical measures on the part of the users is never forgotten. If the user leaves their phone open to hackers then they only have themselves to blame. It is important that people do not forget the practical solutions to security instead of just going for the latest enhancements.