Musings of Old Man Joe

There and back again!

samsung

2012 & a new tv

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So I bought a new television recently. To be honest the upgrade was more upgrading the tv in the spare bedroom than the main one. But upgrades every few years can be very therapeutic!
So I ended up getting a 46 inch Samsung HD LCD TV. All I can say is WOW! What a difference a few years makes in tv land. My Sony Bravia is a fine tv, but the difference in the picture is outstanding.
This started me thinking about how much has changed in such a few years. I’m typing this on my iPhone. Which is also my main news source, communication device, and entertainment. I own a computer, a lovely MacBook, but I’m not on it much. I only use it when a have a major computing task to perform. How much has changed. I only buy DVDs to collect now. If I want to see a movie I rent or use a streaming service.
Of course I love tech, not a fanboy going out to be the first in line. But I like to think I keep up to date! What I find is it’s hard to let go of the past tech completely. There is still a VCR in a cupboard next to the video movies I loved in the 90’s.
When I was young the phone had a special table in the hallway. Now that everybody carries their own phone I don’t see a home phone that much. It’s been said that as tech becomes commonplace it disappears into the furniture. Can’t see this TV vanishing any time soon!
Have a great day!

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Carrier IQ, who are you watching?

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Early on this in the Carrier IQ disclosure, being an iphone person I checked to see if I was being spied upon during my text & phone sessions. Apple says the only phone still using the software is the iphone 4 and it never recorded key strokes or personal messages link.

So this intrusion seems mostly with the Android market, being open in the software means control is given to the phone networks! When asked about Carrier IQ AT&T says it provides disclosure in the fine print, sprint says it’s not collecting the data any more.

Carrier IQ says it was just collecting network info, and the rest of it was a bug in the software. Sprint says that although it’s not collecting data from carrier IQ any more, about 26 million phones have the software installed. That’s some bug in the system??

So here is my read of this situation! I understand to use a network I must give information to the network for it to function. I understand the phone company will know where I am calling so I can be billed, along with my texting. The phone company doesn’t need to listen in on my calls or see the substance of my texting because it’s not necessary for billing purposes.

Network towers can chat to each other to say how they are and let the company know how the network is functioning. Also employees all around the country using company phones during work can have software on them to help diagnose the network status. I am not a privacy freak, if I was I wouldn’t be posting a blog! I am concerned when the disclosure is by accident and the reply is in fine print!

In future Network software disclosure, there should be an outline of the agreement in bullet points so the average person knows whats going on, then if you want to go to the section and read it in legal language you have the option. Also educate the public in the data that truly needs to be collected to run a network. We are in the mobile future, can people be shown what that means and not discover it on YouTube please!