hutchinj

The United States Senate has already passed a bill that would require data-recording “black boxes” to be equipped on every vehicle for the 2015 model year, and the House is also expected to approve the bill. The primary function of the black boxes, which are known as Electronic Data Recorders (EDRs), would be to “capture and store data related to motor vehicle safety,” and access to the EDR’s information is only through an “interoperable data access port.” Interestingly enough, EDRs are already found in almost 80% of all vehicles, including models from GM, Ford, Kia, Hyundai, and many others.

Black boxes can record the date and time, along with engine speed, steering angle, throttle position, braking status, force of impact, seatbelt status and air bag deployment, and are meant to help automakers make vehicles safer. It is unclear who actually owns the data, though.

“The owner of the vehicle should be in control of the data,” Paul Stephens, director or policy and advocacy for the Privacy Rights Clearing House said to Wired. “And [law enforcement] would need a subpoena, just as you can’t go into someone’s house and grab evidence. But everything is subject to judicial procedure and it’s always possible to get a subpoena to get that information.”

The bill does allow first responders such as police, paramedics and firefighters to access the data without a court order, however, if it aids them in an emergency situation. According to Jim Harris, owner of Harris Technical Services, a firm that accesses and analyzes EDR data, the information can quickly change hands in certain situations. “If a car is in a crash and deemed a total loss by an

Article source: http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/17/big-brother-congress-cars-black-boxes-privacy/

HTC is in a tough spot as two of its new flagship smartphones — smartphones it desperately needs to make available in the United States as it attempts to mount a comeback — are currently held up in Customs due to a patent spat with Apple. The Taiwan-based vendor issued a statement earlier this week claiming that its devices comply with an order issued by the International Trade Commission, thus suggesting the ITC will release the shipments soon. According to a report from The Verge, this is indeed the case and HTC used custom Android builds to dodge the Apple patents in question. The report claims HTC circumvented the use of Apple’s protected ”data tapping” functionality by implementing a new settings menu that allows the user to adjust default app associations. HTC and Sprint will still miss the scheduled launch of the EVO 4G LTE but if the report is accurate, HTC’s new flagship phones should clear Customs soon.

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Tags: Apple, EVO 4G LTE, HTC, One X

Zach Epstein

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• Article source: http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/17/htc-custom-android-one-x-evo-4g-lte-apple-patents/

Apple’s sixth-generation iPhone may be one of the last products unveiled by the Cupertino, California-based technology giant that was designed by Steve Jobs. The company’s late co-founder and chief executive worked very closely on the retooled iPhone before his untimely passing last October, Bloomberg reports. The news organization also reiterates earlier claims that the next-generation iPhone will feature a larger display than the 3.5-inch panel utilized by its predecessors. BGR exclusively reported last year that Apple plans to launch a completely redesigned iPhone this fall that features a new antenna system and a new case, likely comprised of glass and aluminum. Apple’s sixth iPhone is also expected to include a larger 4-inch display and 4G LTE connectivity.

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Tags: Apple, iPhone

Zach Epstein

Article source: http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/18/apple-iphone-5-design-steve-jobs/

While I may recommend the iPhone to the majority of people who ask, Android is still my mobile operating system of choice. Google has created a truly amazing and innovative platform, and because it is open-source anyone can tweak it and customize it. Even devices that weren’t meant for Android, such as my HP TouchPad, can run the mobile OS beautifully thanks to dedicated third-party developers. As I spend more and more time with an iPhone, however, I realize that my love for open-source is slowly beginning to fade. While I used to believe open-source would play a huge role in pushing Android ahead of the competition, which it did, I now believe it may end up being the thing that kills it.

With the release of Ice Cream Sandwich, Google revamped Android, making it prettier and more user-friendly. If you were to ask me what the best Android smartphone is, I would confidently state “the Galaxy Nexus.” While the handset has its flaws — for example, the camera is dreadful compared to the iPhone 4S and HTC One X — it is one of the very few smartphones that runs an unskinned version of Android, not to mention the latest version of Google’s Android software. Skins are the reason 90% of Android devices aren’t running Ice Cream Sandwich.

I understand that vendors need to distinguish their devices from the competition, but forcing customers to use a clunky, battery-wasting skin is not the answer. I wouldn’t be so against Android skins if the manufacturers allowed the average user to remove them completely, and I mean without the need to root a device. I

Article source: http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/18/android-open-source-close-door-criticism/

Facebook is officially a public company as of Friday morning shortly after 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, and what better way to celebrate the milestone than with a fresh privacy lawsuit? Led by Stewarts Law and Bartimus, Frickleton, Robertson Gorny, a class action lawsuit has been filed in San Jose, California alleging that Facebook unlawfully continued to track users’ Web browsing after they logged out of the service. The suit seeks more than $15 billion in damages. “This is not just a damages action, but a groundbreaking digital privacy rights case that could have wide and significant legal and business implications,” said Stewarts Law partner David Straite. The firm’s press release follows below.

Stewarts Law acts for facebook users who have filed a Consolidated Digital Privacy Class Action

18 May 2012 (San Jose, Calif.)

Facebook users today filed an amended consolidated class action complaint in federal court in San Jose, California in the case In re: Facebook Internet Tracking Litigation, No. 5:12-md-02314-EJD. The class action asserts federal statutory and California State causes of action related to the revelation in September 2011 that Facebook was improperly tracking the internet use of its members even after they logged out of their accounts. The action consolidates 21 related cases filed in more than a dozen states in 2011 and early 2012.

The plaintiffs assert claims under the federal Wiretap Act, which provides statutory damages per user of US$100 per day per violation, up to a maximum per user of US$10,000. Even if Facebook’s alleged actions constitute a single violation of the Wiretap Act per class member, that implies more than US$15 billion in damages across the class. The complaint also asserts claims under the

Article source: http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/18/facebook-privacy-lawsuit-15b-ipo/