Nerd News: "Google to launch wireless service this year?"

Rumors, via Ars http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/01/report-google-to-launch-wireless-service-this-year/, that Google is going to be operating a pilot MVNO (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_virtual_network_operator) combining Sprint & T Mobile networks.

Also Ting, a Sprint MVNO, is adding GSM to it's offerings https://ting.com/blog/ting-to-offer-service-on-a-gsm-network/.

[Wikipedia on GSM & CDMA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_mobile_phone_standards]

Suspect there is some connection here, not necessarily that they are working together, perhaps T Mobile & Sprint are partnering at some level?

Ting has a very interesting pricing structure, you pay for what you use, see https://ting.com/rates for details.

I'm planning on giving Ting a try around March/April 2015, to see how good it is with GSM.

I'll post my thoughts on Ting's GSM here on my Blog.

Lee Hutchinson fed up with AT&T unlock policies

Personal frustration with AT&T from staff member of Ars Technica, Lee Hutchinson arstechnica.com/staff/2014/11/atts-outdated-unlock-policies-cost-it-a-loyal-customer-me/

Doesn't surprise me, AT&T was first carrier I used many years ago, won't ever use them again.

There are things Verizon & T Mobile do that frustrate me, but they at least have some things they do well than balance the negatives much better than AT&T IMO.

Devil's Advocate:  I can think of a single reason for AT&T to do this, though one would still have contract, enforcing that on someone who has unlocked device and isn't happy with AT&T is more expensive than using leverage of not unlocking phone.

That could be significant for AT&T's cash flow if many others share my opinion that AT&T is the worst carrier in USA after they become a customer.

Hope? Federal Appeals Court ruled Police need Warrant for cell phone location history

"For the first time, a federal appeals court has ruled that law enforcement must obtain a warrant to get people’s phone location histories from their cell service companies."

Source & full article at https://www.aclu.org/technology-and-liberty/first-time-appeals-court-rules-warrant-required-cell-phone-location-tracking

PDF of the ruling itself at https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/assets/q_davis_opinion_0.pdf

A little hope, my understanding is that this ruling would only apply to jurisdiction of the court that made the ruling, and I suspect governments (local/state/federal?) will appeal.

Security & Hacking: DEFCON 20 "Can You Track Me Now?"

DEFCON 20: Can You Track Me Now? Government And Corporate Surveillance Of Mobile Geo-Location Data

This was posted on Youtube November 22, 2012, so was well before Snowden release of information in May of 2013.

Main emphasis of this talk was tracking of cell phones.

But Christopher Soghoian briefly covers, at 31:05, that both Android (Google) & iOS (Apple) device encryption can be defeated by Google & Apple respectively.

This is a service they provide for Law Enforcement & other Government agencies.

Google can force a password reset for Android device, they don't require physical access.

Apple appears to use what Soghoian calls a "Master Skeleton key," they require departments to provide actual device (ie physical access).  They then provide unencrypted data on a CD, while device remains encrypted.

I wonder if they might actually need device to decrypt data with way devices since iPhone 4S & iPad 2 have been designed (they have hardware based encryption).

Entire video is worth watching, though it is rather long, they joke about having 3 different audience during the course of the talk.
 

Where to sell old cell phone?

Article here http://osxdaily.com/2012/09/05/3-best-places-to-sell-iphone/ suggests Amazon followed by Apple as best places to get rid of iPhone, if your okay with getting credit from the respective companies instead of cash.

That article is focused on iPhones, wondering if any of you have suggestions for Android phones?

Either for selling or for repurposing/reusing when you upgrade?


I use Amazon a lot, so I would probably go that route myself, but I usually hang on to my old smart phones.

Only cell phone I don't still have was my very first one, with AT&T, was so mad at them that I spent few weeks tearing it apart and trashing it after I got a Verizon phone.

Still have  my first Verizon flip LG phone, play the games on it occasionally, and use it as a timer for cooking and laundry.

I also took it with me when I went to Mayo Clinic for some procedures, any cell phone will work to call 911 in the USA even if it isn't under contract, it has couple of games on it, so I had something to occupy me if I needed it, and emergency phone (with some phone numbers in address book).

Plus it was old, didn't care if it got lost, stolen, or damaged.

Using T mobile Blackberry now, Bold 9780, but will be switching from Blackberry with next upgrade, because  Blackberry is clearly in a death spiral.

Bums me out, I really like the security features and BBM (Blackberry messenger) of the Blackberry.

I also really like the keyboard & shortcuts the physical buttons provide, Steve Gibson loves his Blackberry as well, so I am not the only Nerd that <3 Blackberry.

I think lot of people never really learn all the shortcuts available with the physical buttons on Blackberry, I don't think I know more than a third or so the shortcuts, I do know for lot of the blog related things I do with Twitter and RSS feeds, the shortcuts are about 3 times faster for me than touchscreen.

We are getting gf iPhone for Xmas, & I was planning on getting iPod Touch before I lost hope in Blackberry.

Now I'm thinking I will probably get iPhone after gf does, maybe iPhone 4S for cheap, then get Galaxy Note II with a prepay plan, the Note 1 & 2 fit my larger than normal smart phone needs better than tablets.

If I go iPhone 4S with pre pay plan like Straight Talk, I could switch SIM card between phones as needed/wanted, would be paying about half what I do now for my monthly phone bill.

Nerd Gear: NSA builds Android phone for top secret calls & so can you?

I saw this article from SC Magazine,  about the US Government building secure phones with off the shelf Android components.

The NSA page about the secure phones with Secure VoIP is here http://www.nsa.gov/ia/programs/mobility_program/index.shtml

While this PDF spells out the requirements http://www.nsa.gov/ia/_files/Mobility_Capability_Pkg_%28Version_1.1U%29.pdf

Supposedly anyone could build something similar from these specifications, though I think it would take a bit of work, a certain minimum skill level, not to mention some specific knowledge and funds.

Also a key part to this working with Android phones is a clean vetted app store, not sure how many people would have one of those in their basement.

But I am sure some computer, Ham, & cryptography geeks will try their hands at this.