You've heard of the Child Catcher? Meet the WiFi Snatcher

You've heard of the Child Catcher? Meet the WiFi Snatcher:

Remember the Olympic ban on WiFi hotspots to ensure the games' corporate sponsors could sell you back access at a premium? The threat to seize or eject anyone caught using such gear seemed hollow -- after all, how could you be found in a crowd of 90,000? It turns out, LOCOG have employed WiFi police, chasing down unauthorized signals with their big red detectors. Although we should give them some credit -- you'll certainly see them coming from a mile away.

[Image Credit: Sadao Turner, Twitter]

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs, Wireless

You've heard of the Child Catcher? Meet the WiFi Snatcher originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 08:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmodo, Reddit  |  Sadao Turner (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments

Microsoft: Windows 8 finalized, RTM version headed to manufacturers

Microsoft: Windows 8 finalized, RTM version headed to manufacturers:
Microsoft (MSFT) on Wednesday announced that Windows 8 is ready for primetime by shipping off the final Windows 8 code to its manufacturing partners for production. In an official company blog post, Microsoft communications manager Brandon LeBlanc wrote that the company’s original device manufacturer partners “can now begin preparing new Windows 8 PCs and devices they’ll introduce” starting on October 26th, when both Windows 8 and the Microsoft Surface tablet will become available. Microsoft has also set up a preview website for users who want to test out Windows 8 before upgrading later this year.
Read

Homeland Security reveals hundreds of words that could put you on their online watch list

Homeland Security reveals hundreds of words that could put you on their online watch list:

Social networks like Twitter and Facebook are among the thousands of sites monitored for suspicious activity by the Department of Homeland Security, and the government agency was recently forced to tip its hand. As part of a freedom of information request made by watchdog group Electronic Privacy Information Center, DOHS recently published a list of hundreds of words and terms it watches for on social media sites. Some are obvious, such as Al Qaeda, terrorism and domestic nuclear detection, while others are potentially a bit more innocent such as Mexico, social media and burst. Innocent or not, the wrong combination of the terms published in this list could result in a user’s online activity being monitored by DOHS — and if they don’t like what they see, users could end up being watched more closely. A spokesperson for the government agency called the list a starting point used to maintain situational awareness of natural and man-made threats, rather than an endgame.
[Via Daily Mail]
Read

Tablets now account for 20% of mobile ad impressions

Tablets now account for 20% of mobile ad impressions:

Millennial Media on Thursday released a new report outlining estimates first-quarter market share across mobile devices and operating systems. The mobile advertising company found that tablets — the top being Apple’s iPad, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab and Amazon’s Kindle Fire — accounted for 20% of all ad impressions during the first quarter of 2012, an increase from 15% in the first quarter of 2011. “Tablets and other non-phone connected devices have established a clear role in the growing mobile ecosystem,” said Jamie Fellows, SVP, Product, Millennial Media. “The substantial quarterly growth of impressions in this category is tied to both increased usage and adoption, and we expect this trend to continue in the foreseeable future.” The report also found that 14 of the top 20 mobile phones ran Google’s Android operating system, which was installed on 49% of all devices. Apple’s iPhone was the top handset, helping the Cupertino-based company to edge out Samsung, which had four of the top 20 mobile phones, as the top manufacturer. Millennial Media’s press release and two additional tables follow below.

Millennial Media Releases Q1 Mobile Mix Report
Report Shows Significant Growth in Ad Impressions Among Tablets and Non-Phone Connected Devices


BALTIMORE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Millennial Media, Inc. (NYSE: MM), the independent leader in mobile advertising, today released its Q1 Mobile Mix report, the latest edition of its reliable and widely-sourced report on trends in impressions for mobile devices and mobile operating systems.
The Q1 Mobile Mix report takes an in-depth look at the mobile device advertising landscape, including the top 20 mobile phones, top 10 mobile device manufacturers, leading mobile device operating systems and top mobile app categories ranked by impressions.
The report found that non-phone mobile devices, such as tablets, accounted for 20 percent of all impressions on the Millennial Media platform during the first quarter of 2012, compared to 15 percent in Q1 of 2011.
The report also found that Android remained the top overall operating system on the Millennial Media platform in Q1 2012, with a 49 percent share of impressions, and Apple remained the leading individual mobile device manufacturer.
Other highlights from the Q1 Mobile Mix report include (ranked by impressions on the Millennial Media platform during the quarter):

• The Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab and Amazon Kindle Fire were the top tablets in Q1, and all three were among the top 20 mobile devices.
• The Apple iPhone remained the leading individual mobile phone.
• Android made up 14 of the top 20 mobile phones.
• Samsung was the second leading manufacturer and had 4 of the top 20 mobile phones.
• Gaming was the top mobile app category and grew 10 percent compared to Q4 2011.
• Mobile video views increased 958 percent from Q2 2011 to Q1 2012.

“Tablets and other non-phone connected devices have established a clear role in the growing mobile ecosystem,” said Jamie Fellows, SVP, Product, Millennial Media. “The substantial quarterly growth of impressions in this category is tied to both increased usage and adoption, and we expect this trend to continue in the foreseeable future.”

GameFly to take on Google with new Android app store

GameFly to take on Google with new Android app store:

GameFly announced on Wednesday that it plans to begin publishing mobile games for Apple’s iOS platform and Google’s Android operating system. In addition, the video game rental service plans to further expand into mobile by launching its own Android app store to take on the Google Play store.  ”GameFly is dedicated to giving consumers the best user experience possible, and to be their single destination for console, PC and mobile gaming needs,” GameFly co-founder Sean Spector said in a statement. “We plan to be a leading player in mobile games by launching our retail GameStore for Android and helping to fund mobile developers of all sizes to publish, promote and sell their smartphone and tablet games.” The GameFly GameStore will launch this fall on Android tablets and smartphones. GameFly’s full press release follows below.

GameFly To Publish Mobile Games For iOS And Android Platforms And Launch GameFly GameStore For Android
LOS ANGELES, May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — GameFly, Inc., the leading video game service, announced today its plans to begin publishing mobile games for the iOS and Android platforms, as well as launching the independent GameFly GameStore for Android later this fall. Continuing its foray into digital initiatives, the company has set aside a game development fund to work with mobile developers that are in the process of making a great game, but need the extra resources to publish and promote their titles. GameFly will also expand its mission to be the top resource for all gaming needs, offering expertly curated Android games in the GameFly GameStore with thousands of the best games and daily deals. With its large social network for gamers, game discovery will also be made easier via friend recommendations, and ratings and reviews from fellow gamers.
“GameFly is dedicated to giving consumers the best user experience possible, and to be their single destination for console, PC and mobile gaming needs,” said Sean Spector, GameFly co-founder and SVP of Business Development and Content. “We plan to be a leading player in mobile games by launching our retail GameStore for Android and helping to fund mobile developers of all sizes to publish, promote and sell their smartphone and tablet games.”
GameFly is currently accepting submissions from mobile game developers at GameDev@GameFly.com, and expects to publish its first title this summer. The GameFly GameStore will be available for Android phones and tablets by this holiday season. GameFly’s Game of the Day feature was launched on the popular GameFly mobile App in April, enabling iOS users to discover high quality games or find great deals on titles they may have missed.