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Paul's Journal

paul
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11/20/2007 09:37 #42210

Apple sniffing your stocks?
Category: mobile
I was reading this article about apple sending back your IMEI (phone ID number) with info requests when using the stocks and weather application on the iphone.
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All I can say is wow. I can understand way they would want to track data but it seems like the stock data in particular could be a serious problem. Well, at least a seriously unfair advantage for apple when investing. If you combine that data somewhere you could easily mine important stock information. If you combined it with real name data, which they have, now that you are no longer allowed to buy an iphone with cash anyways and because ATT (spies) have all your data anyways, it seems like they could create a system that would help them identify hot stocks to buy and sell.

When you are using a wifi connection instead of the ATT connection there would normally be no identifying info for apple, except that they send the IMEI along.

<sarcasm>Luckily, it is not a business phone so the real wallstreet analyst types probably do not have one.</sarcasm> It's totally sketchy. Apple is really not what I once thought they were. Although I like the hardware, I am beginning to see that the company is essentially not much better than microosft.
jenks - 11/20/07 22:33
Gasp! Paul how dare you! Apple can do no wrong! Apple is god!

wouldn't apple have to disclose somewhere that they are doing that? somewhere in the fine print that no one reads of the contract or something?
jason - 11/20/07 20:59
Lol @ Paul. Stirring up the pot!
drew - 11/20/07 17:42
I know that Google tracks me, but here's the thing: They tell you that they are doing that, and they only use the info to sell non-intrusive ads.

I guess I feel better about google having my information (right now, at least) because I trust them. I don't trust the phone company (they've already collaborated with the governement in an illegal search) or the government (see above), but what has google done? It has shown me ads for TMBG tickets and Presbyterian books. It's advertising that I don't really mind.

Now, as soon as somebody gets arrested because google has given information, than I'll worry. But apparently AT&T has given the government access to the servers, to I don't have to worry about google giving it away.
paul - 11/20/07 17:28
Omg, I hope they don't give my data to the government and have me arrested as a dissident, oh wait, wrong company.
ajay - 11/20/07 13:23
Google just bought Doubleclick, the most obnoxious, spammy, privacy-infringing company around. The merger hasn't gone through yet because of concerns in EU and even in the FTC; but there you have it.

"Don't be Evil" is a great catchphrase.

Do you use GMail? Every link you click on GMail (even those inside email messages that someone sends to you) goes through Google's servers where they record that you clicked on it, when, etc.
And the ads on GMail? They are specifically targetted based on the contents of the message.
Somewhere, inside Google, there's a nice record of every email you've sent and received, every link you've clicked, etc.
drew - 11/20/07 11:00
:::link:::

My limited experience and analysis has led me to believe that they have lived up to this value of theirs. Now, I'm not saying they are perfect in the least bit, but they seem to be a corporation that makes the world better, in a world where too many make the world worse.
ajay - 11/20/07 10:18
"Is google the only good tech company?"

LOL ... that's funny.

Google's very good: but only at PR. They're great at acting like they are different, but they're not actually any different.
paul - 11/20/07 10:13
I am sure they will say it is a way of preventing other people from requesting data off their servers for free without an iphone.
paul - 11/20/07 09:57
Is google good?
drew - 11/20/07 09:52
Is google the only good and profitable tech company left?

Everybody is either one or the other, it seems.

11/19/2007 23:42 #42207

The amazon kindle
Category: mobile
The Amazon Kindle is seriously a revolutionary device. I hope that it takes off and changes the way people read. Imagine all the paper it could save and how many trees.

I am fascinated by the fact that Amazon chose to go with free EVDO cell phone network in order to deliver the data to the device instead of wifi. Could this signal the beginning of the end of wifi. No monthy fees. I still can't get over that. It also has constant access to wikipedia.org and battery life is a whopping 30 hours of reading time and only 2 hours to charge thanks to the energy saving e-ink technology.

Too bad it costs $400 and I already bought an OLPC ;( Well thankfully, the children in africa will get something for my purchase where as Amazon would only get richer if I bought a kindle.

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On another note I bought the AT&T tilt, so I have two more years of windows mobile 6 unless Android comes out before then and supports exchange server.
theecarey - 11/20/07 20:18
I want.
jim - 11/20/07 19:28
lame :)
paul - 11/20/07 19:24
No one has comments about kindle ;(

11/19/2007 08:59 #42193

My soon to be, new phone
Category: mobile
I think I found a replacement for my current phone. Finally, a 3G phne with gps. Too bad ATT doesn't have 3G here in Buffalo yet. At least the phone will be ready when it arrives and with ATT I can use multiple phones and just port my SIM card around. My nokia 7710 will once again have life.

It has a 500Mhz processor, tethers via bluetooth, has windows mobile 6 (for work stuff), 3G, GPS, 3MP camera, keyboard, video chat, instant messaging, push email with outlook sync. I also imagine it should be ready to run the new google OS android once it is officially out. My only complaints are flash player 7 (that's adobe's fault) and the fact that it does not have a standard headphone connector.

It is normally $599 but as a new ATT customer I can get it for $179 on amazon

You have to love cell phone subsidies. Poor iphone users who actually had to pay face value for their phones. Not only is it only $179 but you can choose two additional phones for 1 cent each on the family plan. The phones on that list are pretty good too, so (e:terry) and (e:matthew) will be happy.


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11/18/2007 18:32 #42189

Fairies In The Garden
Category: gifts
I was randomly searching for gay on ebay and then sorting by most expensive to try and find some crazy gift for (e:matthew) when I came across these fairies I kind of thought there would be more gay "antiques" of some sort.

It seems like this woman makes them by hand and can even do requests for likenesses. I admit, it is a little creepy but they are quite well crafted and totally original.

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They make girl ones too.

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metalpeter - 11/19/07 18:00
Yeah I was going to say the same thing as (e:imk2) they are limp and there penis is down to the half way point of there legs, well unless they are midgets, do they do porn movies as well as protecting people.
james - 11/18/07 19:44
Everyone knows than an anatomically correct faeries have two dongs.
imk2 - 11/18/07 19:41
wow, they have really big dongs.

11/17/2007 22:01 #42180

Gowanda Psychiatric Center Cemetery
Category: cemetaries
Last Monday, (e:matthew), (e:terry) and I went to Zoar valley to climb down and back up point peter. It is so fun climbing down it. I really miss climbing bigger things out west. On the way there we saw the sign for the Gowanda Psychiatric Center cemetery.

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All the graves are just labeled with numbers and according to the website (e:matthew) was reading they lost all the records associating the names with the numbers back when the hospital was taken over by the correctional facility.

Here are some random links for it
janelle - 11/17/07 22:48
I mean to mention too, that there are organizations who try to track down the records of these numerically marked graves and replace them with new grave markers with their names as a way of bringing respect to the individuals. Interesting...but I'm more concerned with the individuals with MR who are alive.....
janelle - 11/17/07 22:47
This is incredibly common for mental retardation/mental health/prison institutions. It's really sad and creepy.

I had a client who was born and raised in an institution by her mother. Her mother died and was buried in the institution cemetery. My client at some pointed had wanted to go back to her grave site, but it wasn't possible to locate the actual grave.