Google-Verizon Net Proposal Smells of Lobbyists Crafting It To Be Law For Congress - With Loopholes Included

Having read the net neutrality proposal from Google and Verizon, I can’t help but wonder who’s hands were behind this.

If I had to guess, I think it’s mostly lobbyists that Verizon typically use to convince the Federal government to do its bidding. Yeah, my words aren’t so nice and if you’ve read my posts in the past, I care very little about the interests of wireless providers (I like T-Mobile but only because it’s less evil today than all the rest).

Sophisticated Cars Soon Will Be Target For Hackers

Imagine driving and suddenly, you lose control of your car. Literally, you have control over your car. Gas break. Nada. Ignition. Forget about it. You can't roll down the window to cry for help. Someone has remotely hacked into your car. Well, that's not quite likely to happen at all, well, no for a while.

Nevertheless, a Texas man earlier this year did managed to remotely disable 100 cars. And this is the concern that we are likely to be faced with in the coming years as vehicles gain more wireless features - Bluerooth, RFID, WiFi, and cellular signals.

security researchers in the US have managed to hacked into tire-pressure monitoring systems. And that's just the beginning. The fear isn't that hackers can launch an attack in vehicles and take it over, though I have little doubt of that years down the line, hackers can listen in and monitor communications, track where vehicles went or are in transit to, and provide false information to the driver.

How far away are we from this? I honestly don't know but computers have been a part of motorized vehicles and, only recently, some models are gaining wireless access. So a remote hack is likely to cause very little damage if at all in the beginning. But it's likely to come a day when people will wake up and find that a whole fleet of vehicles will not start because of a hack, just like what this Texan man did, or find vehicles stolen because car thieves have managed to disable the security system.

Yeah, it's a very scary and soon to be real scenario. I don't know how careful manufacturers are in providing security but while computers in cars are a blessing, it can also be a nightmare.

Plus, imagine if there was a software patch and something goes wrong and the whole OS is corrupted. Just something to consider when you go to a car dealer and the mobile warrior in you is enticed by the latest and coolest computer-enhanced vehicle.

Am I worried?  Not at all.  But it is something we need to start thinking about.

More at Technology Review.

This About Sums Up Google And Verizon's Broadband Deal

A friend posted on his Facebook about the deal between Google and Verizon which originated from the New York Times.

I commented: this is not cool, right?

He commented: not cool

This is a friend who has been through a lot of startups and been with big name companies like Napster, Sony, and TRW. Just in case, I'll be check with Dave the Mobile Sage about this but I'm sure he'll say the same thing.

Google has denied such a deal happening but Verizon was more forthcoming. I think Google' motto about "Doing no evil" should have a "*". "* so long as it's good for us and convenient".

Of course, this isn't the end of it. I'm sure the White House, the FCC, and even Congress will have a few things to say about this. And we've yet to hear from either Google or Verizon's competitors yet.

More in this form other knowledgeable folks from the Internet:

• Huffington Post: Google-Verizon Deal: The End of The Internet as We Know It
• NewTeeVee: A Google-Verizon Deal Could Cripple Web Video Innovation
• Crunchgear: Google, Doing No Evil, Close To Deal With Verizon That Would Kill Net Neutrality Forever

Now, there is an update from Google on their Twitter page denying any deal and said that the NY Times is wrong.

Who to believe? I can't wait to find out. Given Google's 180 decision to get back into China and continue to censor its search results, I wouldn't be surprised if this turned out just the way the NYT said.

Wireless Carriers Cooperating On Mobile Payment But Others May Develop Competing Alternatives

A couple of weeks ago, I lost my wallet. I got it back almost immediately after I realized I lost it because someone was kind enough to turn it in to the supermarket's staff. Nothing was lost. What I didn't lose in the whole ordeal was my G1 and my keys. There was a ring around through which I looked my index finger through all the time I hold my keys in my finger.

And there was no way I was letting go of my G1. Nor wallet, anyway, it got lost.

So I was heartened yesterday to learn that ATT, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile USA were working on a payment system, specifically, a mobile payment system allowing users to use their phone or mobile device to pay for goods and services, replacing the current ways of how we make payments, credit/debit cards or cash.

Where are we on mobile payment?

Malware And Network Attacks Via Mobile Soon To Be Realized

Two disturbing mobile news this week should have security analysts and mobile warriors on a bit of an alert. No, I'm not talking about the Blackberry issue with the United Arab Emirates and the Saudis. That situation is looking more and more like RIM is backing away and capitulating.

I'm talking about vulnerabilities in mobile OS and systems that can allow hackers to break into mobile systems to wreck havoc or spread malicious codes.

Yesterday, a hole in the iOS so big that it allow users to jailbreak their iPhone via a Web browser. I'm not that well read when it comes to the inner workings of a mobile platform but it does sound pretty bad.

And it gets worse.

RIM's Torch Launch Over, Now Windows Phone 7 - Video Tour

Now that RIM has broken my heart by revealing it's been giving out copies of key to its kingdom, not even the news of the new Blackberry Torch is enough to make people happy and excited. Just ask the blogs and the market as investors priced down the stock.

Bottom-line: RIM is likely to hold serve and keep fans happy but its version of OS 6 doesn't have what it takes to attract new users.

Well, security issues aside, RIM will likely continue to grow at a nice pace. We'll see what the fallout of the United Arab Emirates shutdown is going to do.

Now, the focus will be on Windows Phone 7. Here a 4-part video on what we can expect. There's nothing new here that we haven't seen from Microsoft and even other mobile platforms. But the looks is a bit different. That's always good.

Enjoy.









Convincing?

More at WMpoweruser.

RIM: Security For Customers or Not

When Google said they were leaving China, I, for one, supported their decision. But now, they're back and censoring seemed to be back. "Do no evil", Google's motto, seemed to be "so long as the bottom-line isn't affected". However, RIM doesn't have this luxury as it is faced with a decision on working with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

UAE has anounced by will but Blackberry services by October and Saudi Arabia may take similar actions unless they have the ability to control access. The reason is control of information. Mostly censorship but, to be fair, a bit of crime fighting (terrorism).

So what should RIM do?