by Bob | Apr 21, 2011 | Life notes, Local Tech Notes
The headlines were rather alarming. The Apple IPhone is storing data both on the phone and on the computer where you connect with ITunes that reveals all the places where you’ve accessed a cell tower. Who knows why? Who knows if other phones are doing the same thing.
Even though Apple doesn’t seem to be sucking the data to their own servers, apparently people are really concerned that hackers, estranged spouses, marketers and law enforcement (should I include lawyers in that nefarious list? OK, lawyers) could get access to this unencrypted data somehow.
YIKES!
So I downloaded the application and ran it to see just what these folks (I don’t have any estranged spouses I hasten to add! Yet! Dear!) might lean about me. Below is a screenshot of the resulting file. I can zero in closer and get more detail, but I don’t want EVERYONE to know EVERYTHING about me.Of course, this data doesn’t include my Foursquare checkins, Tweets and Facebook posts which all reveal far more.
So what does this reveal about me? I need to get out more. Apparently I don’t like to go anywhere except California and the Pacific Northwest. But who can blame me?
by Bob | Jul 2, 2008 | Local Tech Notes
Just in time for Apple’s release of their new 3G IPhone on July 11, Edge Wireless was absorbed by AT&T, so apparently they will be selling and supporting the IPhone at the local Edge store. But if you’ve ever tried getting support or real information from AT&T you will recognize the customer service at the new AT&T/Edge. Try calling and pushing the buttons to get a sales person. Voice mail. Except you can’t leave them a message. Try going in to the store: When I was there the room was crowded with people waiting for service, and no sign that the line would change any time soon, except by people leaving out of frustration. One of them was me.
So here’s the big problem: The new IPhone is much cheaper than the old IPhone. But the data plan rates through AT&T are going up. So, over the life of the contract you have to sign, the net you pay is actually more. Of course, AT&T would say the increase is justified because of the 3G network. Unfortunately, that higher speed network is only available in certain urban areas. Eureka is certainly not one of them. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. And I couldn’t get anyone to tell me otherwise. And I would be very surprised if the higher speed network will be coming here any time soon.
So, you can now get an IPhone locally but you will have to pay for service you don’t get to use and you will have to put up with AT&T customer service. Man, they don’t make it easy.
