Apple's Location data-mining: My View

There has been a great deal of who-ha of late regarding the location data that the iPhone generates and backs up to iTunes whenever the iPhone is synchronised.
Many have commented on this issue, banging on about how Apple are collecting this information and the use of this data that they may have.

Well Apple have responded and in that response they claim that the data they collect cannot identify the users of iPhone's themselves and that the amount of data collected is just a bug.

Read Apples response in full here.

While many will disagree with my views on this, I will continue regardless.

I purchased an iPhone because I wanted the features it provides, the apps, the speed, the simplicity.
If Apple were not collecting the information it does based on both how and where I use my iPhone then how could they possibly develop the product further to increase the iPhones usefulness to me?

If (thats a BIG if) the data they collected said that "Daniel sat on the toilet for 25 minutes" while constantly reporting back to Apple what web pages I was reading, how much of that 25 minutes was spent playing whichever game, that Twitter updates I sent and snapped a few photo's for Steve Job's personal collection - then I would have an issue, but this is not the case.

The data is anonymous people, get over it!  How does Apple knowing that someone stood at (or near) a bus stop affect your personal privacy?  That's correct, it doesn't.

Apple have promised to fix this issue in a soon-to-be-released update; at what expense?
The currently collected data reaches back until time began, well at least for the iPhone.  Apple say that they will only collect the previous seven days worth of data after the next update.  While that is fair enough and should do a great deal to satiate those jumping up and down for a while, I personally believe that this could possibly do more harm than good.

That data, as I said earlier in this post, provides Apple the patterns of usage they require to continue to develop cutting edge products and software.  By collecting less information, the development of future products and services could well be hampered and I for one would prefer for Apple to continue collecting anonymous location information at the rate they currently are and have better products and services available to me because of it.

I invite readers to cast their own opinions on this matter in the comments, perhaps I have missed something important when developing my own views on this matter?

An Apple fan I have become, but...

I own a 2007 white Macbook 13" rocking OS X Snow Leopord, with an upgraded (now 500GB) hard disk drive and upgraded (now 4GB) RAM. I own an iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch and an iPod Mini (retro nowadays).
I crave an 11" Macbook Air, I lust for for iMac with a massive screen, I am seriously considering a purchase of Time Capsule for it's effortless backup and restoration functions.
I recently bought a Magic Mouse and could not imaging using any other mouse ever again - that is until Steve Jobs tells me that I need something else.

However, despite my recently inherited 'Apple fan-boy' designation there are still reasons to use Windows 7 where OS X fails.
Honestly, it's true and let me tell you when I return to Windows and gasp a sigh of relief...

• Email - I use Outlook for all my work related email and PIM (personal information management).  It works.  It works really well.  While I am aware, and have tried Outlook for Mac, it is not the same, nor does it work as well.
• Databases - Microsoft Access is not available for mMac.  I cannot manage my day to day work without Access as nearly all my customer records are held within an Access Database.  I have found nothing that will allow me to update Access database records, or to edit the database design on Mac.
• Blogging - Why oh why is there not a Windows Live! Writer equivalent (or true version) for OS X?  By equivalent I mean - same features / same price.  Sure there are blogging apps for OS X, Mars Edit for one, but most are paid-for products, or they fail miserably to even come close to the power and functionality of WLW.  Please MS, do me a favour, please.

So there you go, I must still use Microsoft Windows because my Mac does not handle my PIM, database updating or editing, or blogging needs.  Did you notice the trend though?  All three of those needs are met by Microsoft products!

Something you may not have noticed though is that for this blog post, I have not resorted to Windows Live! Writer, instead I am using Blogspot's own post editor  By the way Google, you have a lot of work to do too!

DieselTekk Giveaway-athon–2 more Spotify Invites!

I have another two invites to give out for the most excellent music streaming service ever, Spotify!

This is for the FULL FREE account, not the crappy 20 hours-a-month limited nonsense!

For more info, and to get your FREE Spotify invitation - follow the instructions on my previous article – 3 Spotify Invitation Codes Up For Grabs!

Spotify is available for Windows, Mac and even Linux, as well as mobile phones such as Nokia, iPhone and Android: so now its more useful than ever!

Yet Another THREE Spotify Invites To Giveaway!

That’s right, as is now my monthly giveaway, I have yet another three invites to give out for the most excellent music streaming service ever, Spotify!

Remember this is for the FULL FREE account, not the crappy 20 hours-a-month limited nonsense!

For more info, and to get your FREE Spotify invitation - follow the instructions on my previous article – 3 Spotify Invitation Codes Up For Grabs!

#Acronym Buster – HDD

HDD stands for Hard Disk Drive which is the main storage medium in most computers (some computers use flash memory, and others may run the operating system from a CD or DVD).

Windows, programs (such as Office, iTunes etc) and files and documents (music, video, pictures and so forth) are all stored and retrieved from the HDD.

#Acronym Buster - RAM

The acronym RAM stands for Random Access Memory which is the most common computer memory which can be used by programs to perform necessary tasks while the computer is on; an integrated circuit memory chip allows information to be stored or accessed in any order and all storage locations are equally accessible.

Running programs (what you see on screen) are run from within RAM enabling them to perform faster.  Having more RAM is always highly beneficial and directly relates to the overall performance of the computer.

#Acronym Buster - VGA

The acronym VGA means Video Graphics Array and is a display system developed and introduced by IBM in 1987.

VGA has become a standard for graphical output to monitors from computer systems.

The VGA port on a computer can be identified my it’s rough ‘D’ shape and its 15 pin holes.  This is the ‘female’ part of the VGA connection into which plugs the ‘male’ cable, the plug of which carries the same ‘D’ shape and 15 pins.

Additionally the VGA port and plug are often coloured blue for easy identification.

#Acronym Buster – CPU

The CPU means Central Processing Unit is the part of a computer that interprets & carries out instructions provided by the software.  It tests & manipulates data & transfers information to & from other components, such as the RAM, HDD, monitor & keyboard.

The central processing units of personal computers are generally implemented on a single chip called a microprocessor.

The most common modern CPU’s are manufactured by Intel & AMD.

In reply to OllieColeshill.co.uk – E Safety

I spotted an article at OllieColeshill.co.uk today entitles E Safety and it got me thinking.

A few years ago, my son who had his own (shared with his younger brother) email address had signed up to a few of the children's internet gaming networks, such as Club Penguin et al.

His Mother and I would occasionally check his email inbox for any nastiest such as ad’s for Viagra and explicit XXX websites, however one day his Mother came across a conversation thread B had been involved in which was obviously not suitable for him.

It was quite scary, since he was being ‘groomed’ by somebody who obviously intended to harm him, either physically or mentally – it really frightened us as parents, and since then he no longer has access to an email address and only accesses websites that have been vetted by us beforehand.  B is 10 now, he was just 8 years old then.

Recently I have been considering creating on his behalf a Facebook account, since his family is spread far and wide, with some living in Essex, others as far as Scotland.  Since he is almost 11 years old I considered that he is at a point of maturity that would allow him the common sense to act responsibly within the confines of a community such as Facebook, since pretty much every step he could make on FB is open for all his ‘friends’ to see, especially the people he adds as a friend.

However, OllieColeshill’s article got me thinking when he writes

“On Facebook and Twitter you can protect your information or statuses/tweets so that people your not friends with or who you have giving permission to follow you can see your information or what you have been writing.”

This is true; as his parent I can lock down aspects of Facebook so that only those I consider acceptable can see his activities on Facebook, however have you noticed what king of a minefield Mark Zuckerberg has created with the Facebook Privacy Options?  They are a nightmare.

There are many places that try to simplify the Privacy Options, and explain there different aspects:

• Facebook Blog – New Privacy Controls for your Applications
• New York Times – Facebook Privacy: A Bewildering Tangle of Options
• All Facebook – 10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know

The simple fact that there are so many articles online about all the different (and ever changing) security settings, and attempts to make them easier to understand just goes to show how much of a tangled web these settings are.

With that in mind I have come to the conclusion that B is not old, wise or mature enough to hold a Facebook account… not until he can comprehend the dangers – and the controls available to protect him from the dangers – of using a website that is supposed to bring friends and family closer together.

To that end, I don’t think anybody is old, wise or mature enough for Facebook because frankly, nobody understands how to play with the privacy controls effectively!

As a footnote I would like to say one last thing, B is 10 years old and just a little over one month from his eleventh birthday.  I know he is technically not old enough to hold a Facebook account until he is 13 due to the other minefield that is the Facebook Terms & Conditions of Use, but then again, who understand that 3759 word-load if legalese?

2 more Spotify invites up for grabs!

That's right, I have two more Spotify invites to give away to the first couple of people who sign up for and activate a new Dropbox account.

I am running this giveaway exactly the same was as I did when I gave away 3 Spotify Invites, so follow the instructions below.

• Click this ‘Dropbox.com’ link & sign up for a FREE account.
• Download the Dropbox client and install.
• Drop a file in your Dropbox, any file will do.

Once you have completed these three, easy steps drop a comment below this post, with your email address so that I can verify that you have downloaded, installed and activated your Dropbox and I will send you an invite via email.

However, remember this; if you already have a Spotify account, the invite I send out must be to an email address not currently associated with a Spotify account!  This only works for NEW accounts – Spotify’s rules, not mine, sorry!

Once again, I am expecting a quick take up on this giveaway, so be quick!

Click here for some great ways to use your new, free Dropbox.