The Apple moves to quell iPhone data collection fears

Apple denies tracking iPhones

Apple has denied claims it was tracking the location of iPhone users but said it planned to fix 'bugs'According to www.theaustralian.com.au/business/news ''The company also said it will fix what it called a software bug that led data to be stored on the device even when location services were turned off.
Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive, said the company has "never transmitted" the precise location of iPhones to itself.
Apple defended the process it uses to gather location information via the iPhone and unveiled a software update to scale back such practices.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Mr Jobs said Apple gathers information from the phone about nearby mobile-phone towers and local wireless, or Wi-Fi, networks.
Apple uses that information to build a database that it then uses to quickly locate phones for services like maps.

Mr Jobs, who is on medical leave, said software "bugs" that enabled the iPhone to store months of location data and collect it even when the location services feature was turned off had been discovered in the last few days.
Mr Jobs said Apple plans to testify before Congress to respond to questions about the collection and storage of mobile-phone location data.
"Of course Apple will testify," he said.
Apple and Google, which makes the key software for Android phones, are facing scrutiny from lawmakers and consumers for the way they gather and handle data about the location of smartphones.

Researchers last week said Apple's iPhones store unencrypted databases containing months of location information.
According to tests conducted by the Journal, these databases were updated even when the phone's location services were turned off.
Beyond the information stored on the phone, the Journal also has reported that iPhones, Android phones and personal computers in some cases regularly transmit their locations back to the respective companies.
Apple and Google have both previously said the location data collected via their phones is anonymous and not tied to a specific user.
Apple said Wednesday an individual can't be located using the Wi-Fi and mobile-phone data.
Both companies disclose the collection practices in privacy policies and other places.
Apple said it would release an iPhone software update in the next few weeks that will limit to seven days the amount of location data stored on the phone and delete it when location services are turned off.
In the next major release of the operating system, the information would also be encrypted, the company said.
Apple also disclosed it is using some of the location information to build a "traffic database" that within a few years will offer current traffic-congestion information to iPhone users.
Apple didn't specify how users would join or decline the service.
Google already uses location data, which Android phones collect every few seconds, to provide such a service.
In its statement, Apple acknowledged it was partly responsible for users' concerns.
"Users are confused, partly because the creators of this new technology (including Apple) have not provided enough education about these issues to date," Apple said.
The statement came alongside announcements that the white iPhone 4 will be available in the US later today, and that the second-generation iPad arrives in Japan, Hong Kong, and other new markets this week.

The Jerry Brown bans nonessential travel by state employees

According to www.latimes.com stated that ''Out-of-state trips must receive approval from the governor's office and travel deemed essential now must be approved by agency and department heads under Jerry Brown's executive order.

 Gov. Jerry Brown, center, with state Finance Director Ana Matosantos and Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca at William Hart High School in Santa Clarita, has issued an executive order forbidding all state employee travel that is not "mission critical" to the operation of California government. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times / April 21, 2011)

 Reporting from Sacramento—

Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday forbade all state employee travel that is not "mission critical" to the operation of California government.

"Our fiscal challenges demand that we take a much closer look at how taxpayer dollars are being spent within state government," Brown said in a written statement accompanying his executive order. "Now is not the time to attend conferences, travel to meetings or take out-of-state field trips."

Some inspectors, auditors, tax collectors and others will still be allowed to crisscross the state. But travel deemed essential now must be approved by agency and department heads, Brown's order states. Out-of-state trips must receive approval from the governor's office.

Administration officials said they did not have an estimate on how much money the order would save, but said hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent annually on travel. It is not clear how much of that will be deemed essential. The governor's proposed budget already counts on uncovering $250 million in general fund savings from improved efficiency in state operations.

The executive order is the latest in a series of moves Brown has made to cut costs and build public support for his budget package. He has curbed car and cellphone privileges for government workers, imposed a hiring freeze and is trying to recover unrepaid salary advances and travel advances that have gone unaccounted for in recent years.

California Republican Party spokesman Mark Standriff dismissed Tuesday's order as a "big-on-symbolism-but-short-on-substance edict."

"The simple truth is that Jerry Brown is no closer to a real budget solution than he was in January, and his vaunted political skills are consistently coming up short," Standriff said in a statement.

Brown is campaigning to close part of the state's deficit by restoring some expiring taxes, but his plan has met resistance among Republicans in the Legislature. In recent weeks, Brown has traveled the state himself, mostly to GOP districts, seeking support.

Such travel is critical and will continue, said Brown spokesman Gil Duran, who noted that the governor travels as frugally as possible, often without any staff.

"The governor flies Southwest on a senior discount," he said.

News-Gulf Shores grad completes National GNews-Gulf Shores grad completes National Guard training reportuard training report

Some munites ego Gulf Coast Newspapers News-Gulf Shores grad completes National Guard training reported that ''The trainee performed as a team member in support of battlefield operations, installation law and order operations and security of Army resources and installations. Additional training included providing peacetime support to the military community .....''

iTunes Movie Trailers - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2

This is all about "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2," is the final adventure in the Harry Potter film series. The much-anticipated motion picture event is the second of two full-length parts. In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.

 

Genre:

Family

Official Site:

http://www.harrypotter.com

Director:

David Yates

Cast:

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Jim Broadbent, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Ciarán Hinds, John Hurt, Jason Isaacs, Matthew Lewis, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, David Thewlis, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Bonnie Wright

Writers:

Steve Kloves

The Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Trailer Review

In  review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Trailer  In blog.onthebox.com admin said ''I have often thought that Professor Snape and Gollum had similar roles to play in the Potter and LOTR sagas respectively. Both become more important as the stories develop while forming a crucial bridge in an otherwise surgically defined good vs evil lay-out. So it’s almost fitting so see that just as Return of the King opened with a large dollop of Smeagol origins, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II will be taking us back to where it all began for Severus Snape. We’d be surprised if it came as a prologue however..
Another person who also seems to finally be getting some serious screen time after two films worth of cameos is ‘ol Snake Face. We’ve not seen much of him since that duel with Big D in The Order of the Pheonix so we’re all looking forward to seeing him “push the boundaries of magic” with that new wand of his. What also seems clear is that after sitting through a couple of hours of strops, tantrums and awkward silences, we’re finally going to be getting some serious carnage. The last two outings have essentially just served as one protracted warm-up for this crescendo (for my money The Half-Blood Prince was hormonal when it should have been horcruxal) but its already looking pretty epic. Saving Private Potter here we come.....

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Main Trailer

Have you Check out the explosive first trailer for ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2′ – does the film look like it will live up to your expectations?

 About two minutes ago,An insider on TV tonight at Theinsider.com announced that ''It's been nearly 10 years since the very first 'Harry Potter' film exploded into theaters, and from the looks of this epic trailer, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2' promises to deliver an exhilarating conclusion in Harry's quest to .......