BART Turns Off Mobile Phone Service At Station Because It Doesn't Want Protestors To Communicate

from the really-now? dept

With all the talk in the UK from politicians about shutting down mobile messaging services, it’s worth pointing out that it apparently takes much less to shut down mobile service in the US at times. Jacob Appelbaum points out that BART — the Bay Area Rapid Transit train system here in the California Bay Area — apparently shut down all cell service at a station under the (false, as it turns out) belief that protesters were going to show up there:

As an added precaution, the agency shut off cellphone service on the station’s platform. While Alkire said the tactic was an unusual measure, he said it was “a great tool to utilize for this specific purpose” given that the agency was expecting a potentially volatile situation.

That’s really quite incredible, and I’m at a loss to see how that could be allowed. Because BART feared people protesting it literally shut down mobile phone service at its station? Since this particular station is underground, it has special equipment as regular cell towers don’t reach the station. However, that shouldn’t give BART officials the right to just turn off the service because they’re unhappy that people might protest.

Filed Under: bart, free speech, mobile phones, protests, wireless
Companies: bart

Amazon Routes Around Apple With HTML 5 Kindle App

from the good-for-them dept

We’ve been pointing out for a while now how many app makers can easily route around Apple’s draconian app store rules by embracing HTML 5 and offering their apps through alternative means. While there are still some features that HTML 5 can’t do, it can handle an awful lot (and many “native” apps were really created in HTML 5 in the first place anyway. Still, it seems like Apple’s draconian gatekeeper-ism, and the ridiculously high 30% fee for in-app purchases, means that some big companies are finally discovering the HTML 5 opportunity. We already noted that the Financial Times’ app went HTML 5 to avoid Apple, and now Amazon has made a big splash by releasing its Kindle app as an HTML 5 web app rather than through Apple’s app store. Hopefully such high profile names help drive more companies to realize they have more than a single option. And maybe, just maybe, it’ll convince Apple to be just a smidge more open.

Filed Under: app store, html 5, ios, iphone, kindle, walled garden
Companies: amazon, apple

British MP Calls On RIM To Shut Down Messenger Services To Stop Riots; Because Pissing Off Rioters Calms Them Down?

from the umm... dept

After some have been blaming the Blackberry for facilitating the London riots, it seems that some politicians are hanging their hopes on that to the point that they actually think that shutting down Blackberry’s messaging feature will help. MP David Lammy apparently is asking RIM to shut off its Blackberry Messaging Service because nothing quells a bunch of angry, rioting young people like trying to cut off their ability to communicate.

Filed Under: blackberry, david lammy, london, riots
Companies: rim

Apple Wins Europe-Wide Blockade Of Samsung Tablets; Guess Which Tablet Apple Is Scared Of Most?

from the best-advertising-ever dept

Man, is Apple ever freaked out by the Samsung Galaxy Tablet. We already pointed out that Apple succeeded in getting it banned in Australia, and now it’s got an injunction blocking it in most of Europe as well. And, of course, the lawsuit in the US continues.

It’s really sad that Apple simply doesn’t want to compete in the marketplace. The thing is, I’ve used both the iPad and the Galaxy Tab, and the iPad is nicer. The Galaxy Tab is definitely the best Android tablet I’ve seen so far, but Apple has the ability to compete and win in the marketplace. So why is it going ballistic all over the world about the Galaxy? While it may be causing some pain for Samsung now, all it’s really doing is screaming out to the world: “hey, if you want a more open tablet that we think is as good, if not better than, the iPad, check out what Samsung is working on!” In the past, Apple mostly let its own products stand on their own, and they clearly dominated in the marketplace. The fact that Apple is switching from that stance to aggressive litigation should be a warning sign for Apple’s future.

Filed Under: europe, ipad, patents, tablets
Companies: apple, samsung

London Riots? Blame The Blackberry!

from the oh-come-on dept

The London riots sound a bit crazy, but perhaps even crazier is the fact that officials now seem to want to blame messaging via Blackberry devices for the riots:

Steve Kavanagh, the deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan police, said that “really inflamatory, inaccurate” messages on Twitter were mainly to blame for the disorder. “Social media and other methods have been used to organise these levels of greed and criminality,” he said at a press conference on Monday afternoon.

Ah, right, just like vocal cords, pamphlets, telephones and other communication tools “were mainly to blame” for previous riots. Hint to the Metropolitan police: if you’re going to always blame the tool, you’re not going to do a very good job dealing with riots. If people want to speak out, they’ll figure out a way to speak out. It’s not the technology that is to blame. The technology is just a tool, and if you block off one path, you can be damn sure that they’ll figure out another path instead.

Of course, the downside of officials misleadingly blaming the technology is that you get folks like this Dutch politician who took to Twitter about this to ask why police don’t just turn off Blackberry Messenger in London — perhaps not realizing that shutting that channel of communications down wouldn’t stop anything — but likely would anger people even more.

Filed Under: blackberry, blame, london, riots

Google Being More Aggressive About Bad Patents; But Should It Go Even Further?

from the the-evil-of-patents dept

A lot of people are pointing us to Google’s latest blog post on patents, in which it very aggressively talks about the danger of bad patents, specifically when it comes to hindering future innovations around Android. Most of the article focuses on theNortel patent purchase, and notes the oddity of Apple and Microsoft actually working together on something (an issue that is raising some Justice Department interest). This follows on Google recently becoming more vocal about problems with the patent system:

A smartphone might involve as many as 250,000 (largely questionable) patent claims, and our competitors want to impose a ?tax? for these dubious patents that makes Android devices more expensive for consumers. They want to make it harder for manufacturers to sell Android devices. Instead of competing by building new features or devices, they are fighting through litigation.

This anti-competitive strategy is also escalating the cost of patents way beyond what they?re really worth. Microsoft and Apple?s winning $4.5 billion for Nortel?s patent portfolio was nearly five times larger than the pre-auction estimate of $1 billion. Fortunately, the law frowns on the accumulation of dubious patents for anti-competitive means ? which means these deals are likely to draw regulatory scrutiny, and this patent bubble will pop.

A few years back, there were some stories about how Google’s legal department was willing to take on big important issues, not just because they would help Google, but because it would strengthen the overall internet and innovation. That obviously would help Google too, but there was a sense that the company would fight for issues beyond just those that impacted Google. In recent years the company seemed to shy away from some of those fights, so it would be interesting to see if fighting against bad patents brings Google back around.

Of course, as some are noting, even as Google is getting vocal, it appears to be pulling some punches — focusing on the specific patent problems it faces, rather than speaking out against the fundamental problems of the patent system itself. In fact, nearly a month ago, Glyn Moody wrote an excellent piece explaining how Google’s best line of attack here would be to go after the very concept of software patents, something the company hasn’t shown a willingness to do just yet.

My guess is that the company would certainly be behind an effort to do away with software patents, but that it recognizes that it’s a massive uphill battle at this point. Tim Lee, in the Forbes link above, argues that it actually makes a lot of sense for Google to “stick its neck out” on software patents being a problem. Not only would an awful lot of developers (both inside and outside the company) support Google if it came out against software patents, it would also help to establish Google’s overall position in its legal battles. Many patent lawsuits are about just getting companies like Google to pay up. If Google takes a public stand that it doesn’t believe any software patents are valid, then it also sends a signal that it will fight such shakedown attempts in court as far as it can go. That can help scare off the trolls, who are just hoping for a quick payout.

In the end, I don’t think Google will take such a step, but I think it would be a welcome addition to the discussion. In the last few weeks, with the This American Life patent episode and the Economist’s recent worries about patents, it seems this issue is finally getting some mainstream recognition. A push from Google might help it go even further, and finally breakthrough the clutter.

Filed Under: android, patents, software patents
Companies: apple, google, microsoft, nortel

Irony: FBI Says Apple Letting You Remotely Kill iPhones They've Taken Is 'Big Brother-ish'

from the look-in-the-mirror dept

specialized points us to a report at Wired concerning a released (via the Freedom of Information Act) report from the FBI as it prepares for dealing with smartphones and faster 4G and beyond mobile data networks. Not surprisingly, the FBI is concerned about what this will mean for law enforcement. Not too long ago, we noted that the feds had been sending documents to local police forces, warning them of the ability of iPhone owners to remotely wipe the devices, using a tool designed to deal with thieves. But the FBI instead describes a future possible addition to this — using voice or facial recognition characteristics to activate this — as “Big Brotherish” (you can see it on page 79 of the embedded document below):

In a move that seems Big Brother-ish, Apple has a patent in the works that could use voice and facial recognition technology to activate a “kill switch” on its popular iPhone, shutting it down when hackers “jailbreak” or unlock the phone to install unauthorized programs on it, or try to steal information from an unsuspecting iPhone user.

Apparently the FBI doesn’t quite recognize that “Big Brother” is the government.

And, speaking of “Big Brotherish,” it seems quite concerning that the feds main issue with LTE 4G networks is that since they can send more data through, it means a bigger “firehose” of data to deal with.

One notable impact is that Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) will need to deal with significantly higher data rates than in current wireless network intercepts.

I recognize that they’re just describing the problem, but isn’t this effectively admitting that they get way too much info. If you’re getting a “firehose” of data, you’re doing it wrong (and potentially illegally).

Filed Under: 4g, big brother, fbi, justice department, remote wipe

Apple Continues To Scream To The World How Competitive Samsung's Tablet Is By Getting It Banned In Australia

from the what-are-they-missing dept

Honestly, I’m at a loss to explain Apple’s patent lawsuits against Samsung, which seem mainly targeted at the company’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 product, which competes directly with the iPad. Having spent time with both devices, I can say that they’re certainly competitive. The hardware is pretty similar, but Apple’s software is still miles ahead on the tablet form-factor, though I’m sure Android will at least start to get better now that more tablets are on the market. But, really, all Apple has done with this lawsuit is to signal to the world (loudly) that hey, we’re really freaking scared that Samsung has built a better product than we have.

The latest in the worldwide legal fight is that Apple has convinced Australia to block the sale of the device in that country, while it reviews some of Apple’s more ridiculous patent claims — such as for “slide to unlock,” “pinch-to-zoom,” and… for the “edge bounce” feature that happens when you hit the “bottom” or “top” of a document. Seriously, Apple? Get over it. People copy design elements all the time. Apple has done it as well. And the end result is everyone works hard to make a great new product. Going after Samsung for making a quality competitor just looks petty. Go compete in the marketplace.

Filed Under: australia, galaxy tab, ipad, patents, tablets
Companies: apple, samsung

China Monitors WiFi, US Takes Notes?

from the but-but-THEY-are-doing-it dept

In a move that perhaps surprises no one, China is now requiring all providers of free WiFi to install expensive monitoring software that tracks their users, or face heavy fines. According to the officials in the Dongcheng Public Security Bureau, the rules are in place to catch people who “conduct blackmail, traffic goods, gamble, propagate damaging information and spread computer viruses.” And I’m sure if they just happen to catch a political dissident here and there, well, that would just be a fortuitous turn of events.

I think even the least cynical among us can see what the real aim is here. What concerns me, however, is how the US will respond.

If history is any indication, US officials will denounce this as a restriction on free speech, while at the same time making sure to vigorously support such restrictions at home. They’ll probably decry the new Chinese efforts as privacy invasive while doing their best to make ISPs retain data on customers for law enforcement use. No doubt they will have strong words to say about internet censorship around the globe while they craft bills to take down websites with little or no due process. In fact, the very notion of open WiFi itself has been under siege for quite some time. Operating an open connection can already get your internet disconnected, or have your house raided by a swat team. With all that hypocrisy in mind, the next step for the US with regard to open WiFi seems pretty clear.

Lest you think I am engaging in hyperbole, perhaps an exercise is in order. All we need to do is to adjust the stated goals of the Chinese to match current US culture and politics:

1. “Blackmail” is not a hot button issue here, so they might want to claim the needed data retention policies are to stop child porn instead. That always sells well.
2. “Traffic Goods” sounds an awful lot like trading in counterfeit goods. And of course we know that selling fake medicine is just like copyright infringement.
3. “Gambling” is easy enough. We already seize poker sites. We even set up our own fake payment sites so we can steal money from gamblers too!
4. “Propagate damaging information?” What could be more damaging than <a href=””https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110609/11090814639/white-house-ramps-up-efforts-to-criminalize-wikileaks-as-witnesses-refuse-to-cooperate.shtml”>wikileaks, which we’re trying desperately to charge with something (anything!).
5. “Spread computer viruses” fits nicely into the current cybercrime fear-mongering.

Can anyone honestly say that they can’t see a US politician standing up tomorrow to announce that we need to start monitoring our own open WiFi connections to stop “child pornography, copyright infringement, online gambling, disclosure of national secrets, and cybercrime?” That’s practically the holy grail of political grandstanding, and what politician is going to speak out against that?

Filed Under: china, monitoring, wifi

Acacia Buys Up More Smartphone Apps Patents: Watch The Patent Thicket Get Worse

from the putting-the-brakes-on-innovation dept

Last year, I put together a graphic highlighting the ridiculous nature of the smartphone patent thicket:

That graphic is both incomplete and out of date. It’s incomplete in that it doesn’t even show all of the lawsuits. It also leaves out the licensing deals, which many companies feel pressured to enter into to avoid lawsuits. On top of that, since I made that graphic there have actually been a lot more lawsuits filed. This graphic has received plenty of attention. I get about one request per week these days from some group somewhere in the world asking if they can use that graphic for a report (you don’t need to ask permission: feel free). It also showed up in the very high profile Hargreaves Review of intellectual property rules in the UK.

Honestly, I have little interest in updating the graphic, because it was already a lot of work to put together, but it seems likely that rather than getting any better, the situation is only getting worse. We’re still waiting to see the fallout from the Nortel patent purchase, but it almost certainly will lead to more lawsuits. Separately, while the actual federal court patent trials have been moving slowly, the parallel track (with different rules!) known as the ITC loophole has been issuing new decisions every few weeks, including a big ruling for Apple saying that HTC infringed on Apple patents.

And it seems like even more patents are about to get tossed into the fray as well. Glyn Moody points us to the news that Acacia just bought “a valuable patent portfolio” relating to mobile applications for use in smartphones and other wireless computing devices. Oddly, Acacia provides no additional details. It doesn’t name who the patents came from. It says that the patents are now owned by an Acacia subsidiary, but doesn’t name the subsidiary. They’re being deliberately slimy.

But, you can rest assured that these patents will show up in litigation pretty damn quickly. There’s been a lot of concern about mobile app patents in the last few months thanks to Lodsys and Kootol… and assuming that Acacia didn’t buy out one of those two, it seems like there could be even more reasons to fear.

It’s incredibly difficult to see how anyone can claim with a straight face that the actions described here help innovation in any way. If you’re just an app developer, creating something cool for a smartphone… and you suddenly find yourself smack dab in the middle of this disaster, it’s a massive hindrance to innovation and development of useful apps. This isn’t just a “mess,” it’s a disaster for innovation.

Filed Under: apps, patent thicket, patents, smartphones
Companies: acacia