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Carrier IQ is a spyware program for mobile phones that has been in the news a fair amount in recent weeks. It is able to record many things including the list of installed apps, the location of the device, buttons pressed including keystrokes on the soft keyboard, and the content of messages. This data is sent to the Carrier IQ servers and then onto the mobile service provider which can be used for generating statistics or further relayed onto third parties such as advertisers, and law enforcement. This program cannot be uninstalled without rooting the phone.

While service providers and Carrier IQ claim that they do not store the content of messages, it has been found that they are infact doing this. They claim that this is a bug, and they are working on a fix.

Currently in the US, AT&T and T-Mobile include this program in their phones, while Verizon has made clear that they do not use it.

From an alleged T-Mobile document it appars that the following phones contain Carrier IQ:

• HTC Amaze 4G
• Samsung Galaxy S II
• Samsung Exhibit II 4G
• T-Mobile myTouch by LG
• T-Mobile myTouch Q by LG
• LG DoublePlay
• BlackBerry 9900
• BlackBerry 9360
• BlackBerry 9810

So, I’d steer clear of any of those phones on AT&T or T-Mobile if I were you. (In fact I’d steer clear of those networks alltogether! :p)

Mobile operators in the UK do not use Carrier IQ.

via: The Verge

Wow! Apple has suggested a few workarounds to Samsung to help them work around Apple’s design patents. They had to do this as part of their July request to ban imports of Samsung products. Redacted documents related to this request, including an expert declaration with workaround suggestions, are becoming available online. Here’s a few of the suggestions:

• Front surface that isn’t black.
• Overall shape that isn’t rectangular, or doesn’t have rounded corners.
• Display screens that aren’t centered on the front face and have substantial lateral borders.
• Front surfaces with substantial adornment.
• Thick frames rather than a thin rim around the front surface.
• Front surface that isn’t entirely flat.
• Profiles that aren’t thin.
• Cluttered appearance.

There’s only one reaction to this … WOW!