Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Hackers hit Blackberry over riots

A hacker group has attacked Blackberry's website after the company said it would assist police investigating riots in the UK.

Team Poison defaced the official Blackberry blog, posting a message that threatened the firm with retaliation if it handed user data to authorities.

Blackberry's instant messaging service is believed to have been used by some looters to plan their movements.

The firm has promised to co-operate with police and the Home Office.

In its statement, Team Poison said that it did not condone innocent people or small businesses being attacked in the riots.

However, it added: "We are all for the rioters that are engaging in attacks on the police and government."

The group argued that if Blackberry gave subscriber information to police, it could lead to the wrong people being targeted.

"Innocent members of the public who were at the wrong place at the wrong time and owned a Blackberry will get charged for no reason at all," said Team Poison's statement.

It threatened to release employee information, including names, addresses and phone numbers of Blackberry staff.

UK laws mean police can request data from individuals' mobile phones when that information relates to criminal activity.

The procedure is governed by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.



Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Settlement Statement | WordPress Tutorials

Facebook aims to replace texting

Facebook has launched an instant messaging service for mobile phones, similar to BlackBerry Messenger.

The dedicated app, for iPhones and Android devices, allows users to contact individual friends or groups of people.

Its release comes a month before Apple is due to unveil a similar product.

Attention has been focused on mobile messaging recently because some of the London rioters were known to have used it to co-ordinate their movements.

So far Facebook's mobile messenger is only available in the United States, but it is expected to eventually roll out in other countries.

The social network's 750 million users already have the ability to send messages through the website, and on Facebook's original smartphone app.

Its new application adds the option to send directly to a mobile phone via SMS, and also to include location information.

Bad timing?

Facebook's timing has raised a few eyebrows within the industry, given the debate around BlackBerry Messenger's role in the recent UK rioting.

"Start Quote

The big question you have to ask is how long will it be before Google+ has a messaging service built in"

End Quote Stuart Miles Pocket-lint.com

However, it is likely that its decision to launch in the US now was influenced by the impending Arrival of Apple's iOS 5 and its integrated messenger.

Stuart Miles, the founder of Pocket-lint.com, told BBC News that Facebook might be able to make mileage out of its compatibility with more than one phone system.

"Apple will be iPhone to iPhone, like Facetime. The same as BBM which is Blackberry to Blackberry. [Facebook] will be Android to iPhone, so theoretically it can only benefit from the platform," said Mr Miles.

"The big question you have to ask is how long will it be before Google+ has a messaging service built-in."



Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Settlement Statement | WordPress Tutorials

Apple prevents Galaxy sales in EU

Apple has been granted a temporary injunction preventing Samsung Electronics from selling iPad tablet computer rival Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the European Union, except the Netherlands.

An Apple spokeswoman confirmed the ruling had been made by a court in Germany, after Apple argued the Korean firm had infringed its patents.

It is the latest setback for Samsung's launch of the Galaxy.

The Galaxy's Australian release has been delayed due to a similar lawsuit.

Apple is also seeking a court order to temporarily block sales of the tablet computer in the US until patent claims are resolved.

Legal dispute

Apple argues that Samsung has "slavishly" copied the technology of both the iPad and the iPhone.

Samsung has countersued Apple in South Korea, Japan, the US and Germany.

In a statement, Samsung spokesman Kim Titus said the German court had made its order "without any hearing or presentation of evidence from Samsung."

The company would "act immediately to defend our intellectual property rights," he added.



Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Settlement Statement | WordPress Tutorials