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Android researcher: Carrier IQ 'diagnostic' tool really a rootkit spy

Android developer Trevor Eckhart recently noticed something odd on several EVO HTC devices: hidden software that phoned home to the carrier with details about how the phone was being used and where it was.

The software, Carrier IQ, tracked the location of the phone, what keys were pressed, which Web pages were visited, when calls were placed, and other information on how the device is used and when.

Eckhart discovered that Carrier IQ can be shown as present on the phone to users or configured as hidden, which was the case on the HTC phones he analyzed. And he found … Read more

Are you a moron?

The Moron Test is a smart and snarky game that taunts you with trick questions, memory tests, Simon Says-type instructions, and other brain teasers. The Moron Test doesn't require any specialized knowledge--just patience, attention to detail, and a little bit of creative thinking. A timer tracks your progress through successive levels (from "Bonehead" and "Average Mammal" on up to "Genius"), and any incorrect answer triggers a hearty "FAIL!" and sends you either back to the beginning or to the game's halfway checkpoint.

Overall, this is a fun (if somewhat limited) … Read more

TomTom bringing HD Traffic to iPhone, building Android app

TomTom's app for iPhone has been around for some time now and has been keeping pace with the feature set offered by TomTom's standalone navigation devices. TomTom's newest feature--HD Traffic, which debuted on the latest generation of TomTom devices--is now making its way to the TomTom app for iOS devices. We learned about TomTom's HD Traffic service back at CES 2011, but here's a quick refresher.

TomTom's traffic data service, HD Traffic, is already available in 18 countries for TomTom's portable navigation devices, or PNDs. The service uses data collected from third-party fleets, … Read more

World's Ultimate Brain tests your intellectual agility

Save for the cheesy name, World's Ultimate Brain is quite a well-put-together puzzle game for Android. It tests your brain's speed and agility across four different categories: Calculation, Memory, Visual Recognition, and Logic. Your simple job is to race the clock and answer as many questions correctly as possible. Once you finish, the app will calculate your score, and submit it to the worldwide leaderboard. If you're extra proud of your intellectual skills, you can even have it post your score to Facebook, Twitter, or (inexplicably) MySpace.

While World's Ultimate Brain is indeed fun, easy to … Read more

TomTom debuts Go 2505 M Live with HD Traffic service

LAS VEGAS--TomTom has just expanded its flagship Go series of portable navigation devices with the addition of the new Go 2505 M Live, which adds TomTom's Live connectivity suite and is the first unit in TomTom's lineup to feature the HD Traffic service.

As a Go series device, the Go 2505 M Live features the same hardware as the previously reviewed (and quite similarly named) Go 2505 TM, including a 5-inch, glass, capacitive touch screen with multitouch capabilities, Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free calling, and a metal-backed chassis that attaches to its windshield mount with magnets. The unit also … Read more

Study: NASA, White House are social-media savvy

NASA and the White House are tops at using social media and the Web compared with a wide range of other public sector groups in the U.S., according to a study out today from the George Washington University School of Business and digital think tank L2.

Authored by George Washington University School of Business dean Doug Guthrie, New York University professor and L2 founder Scott Galloway, and experts from L2, the first annual Digital IQ Index for the Public Sector (PDF) measured the effectiveness of Web sites, digital marketing, social media, and mobile platform support among 100 different public … Read more

Vote IQ: Social networking for politics (podcast)

Vote iQ bills itself as "the nation's first major nonpartisan social-networking site built expressly for politics." The site allows voters to find candidates whose views mostly align with their own and to engage in a dialog with other political activists. Working with a variety of data sources, the site provides information on how politicians have voted and also offers a dating service-like matching feature to help voters find candidates they might consider supporting or voting for.

When asked how it's different from all the other sources of political information, Vote IQ Vice President Rick Shenkman said, &… Read more