Want to install spyware on your spouse’s cell phone? According to HackerforhireUSA.com, the practice of  installing spyware on a spouse’s cell phone or computer is increasing. So much for trusting your spouse.

Spy on your spouse’s cell phone?

An online poll asks if you would install spyware. National Cyber Security (NCS) has announced the availability of a nationwide interactive poll question asking the company’s website visitors if they would install spyware on their spouse’s cell phones or computers. Apparently many are considering it, if they haven’t done so already.

Spyware for cell phones? Many apps you can download for your Smartphone have spyware built into them. Of course they don’t call it spyware. The idea is that in order for the app to run properly, the app needs access to GPS and other system files. Hmmm… I predict it won’t be long before there will be anti-spyware apps to counter these. I haven’t seen them yet, but with all the hype about cell phone spyware, I will be on the lookout for them.

Installing spyware is illegal. Legally, spyware can’t be installed on computers or cell phones except by the system or cell phone owner. Practically speaking, the legalities of this can get a little tricky.

“It is illegal to install any type of surveillance software/hardware on anyone’s cell phone or computer that they do not own,” comments Gregory Evans, founder of National Cyber Security. “The only reason why spouses can get away with do so is if their name is listed on the cell phone account, or the computer is a family computer. They cannot install spyware on their spouse’s business computer that is being paid for by the business, even if it is being used fulltime in the household.”

Don’t we have enough unwanted spyware already? Statistics from Aladdin.com report that 69% of computers in homes with children under age 18 had spyware on them. Not only is this an invasion of privacy, but it can slow down your system drastically. Personally, I run a clean up program several times a week just to unclog and maintain my computers, both at work and at home. Now it looks as if I will have to add this practice to my Droid X.

Fed up with Big Brother? I guess in this case, it isn’t just a matter of Big Brother watching. Apparently your spouse may be watching as well. This will give a whole new dimension to sexting…

Florida woman buys a stolen BlackBerry on eBay. Imagine this 45 year old woman’s surprise when she bought the used BlackBerry Smartphone on eBay, called Sprint to have it activated, only to have Sprint tell her the phone was reported stolen and not eligible to be activated.

Buyer Beware! Stolen Cell Phone Sold on eBay

Sprint refused to release information to law enforcement. Sprint told deputies that they had a policy not to release information without a court order. This does hamper the efforts law enforcement was making to apprehend the thief. However, Florida deputies were quick to point out that eBay is a legitimate site, and the purchase should be guaranteed.

“This woman did the right thing - used reputable sights like eBay and PayPal and she should be able to get her money back - but the moral of this story is ‘buyer beware’ because you can still become a victim, even when you are using reputable businesses,” said sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Steve Maynard “It’s possible the seller was a victim, too, and unknowingly sold this phone that had been reported stolen.

Don’t buy a used phone. That should be the first run of thumb. The phone may not come with a battery, or if it does, the battery will most certainly be used as well. Cell phone batteries only last an average of 18-24 months. Do you really want to spend the money for a cell phone that may not last, as well as have to buy a new battery? Of course if you have already bought a used cell phone and need a new battery, I recommend using batteries4less.com for your replacement batteries. With a 30 day money back guarantee, as well as a 1 year warranty, plus LIVE customer service, you can be assured you aren’t getting used batteries, or STOLEN property either!

Beware of Smartphone hackers! According to a recent report by CBS News reporter Rebecca Jarvis, if you use your cell phone for online banking, buying tickets at places like Ticketmaster, or any other online purchasing, you are at risk to have your ID stolen.

Cell Phones – An Easy Target for ID Theft

A recent survey reported 85% of American adults own cell phones. Many cell phone users also use their phones to access the Web, email, instant message, make online payments, and do online shopping. The cost of using your Smartphone for all these apps may be the loss of your privacy and ID. Your voicemail may even be at risk. So how do you know if your information is secure?

White Hackers to the rescue! Michael Gregg is what’s known as a “white hat” hacker. He helps companies and consumers keep the valuable information safe. When interviewed by Jarvis, Gregg explained that every phone operating system has been hacked.

“The real concern,” said Gregg, “is you start to have banking information, personal information, other sorts of data on the cell phone. … The hackers are always really one step ahead of everyone else, because they’re going where the money is. … Whatever you’re saying or doing may not be as private as you think.”

How do you prevent your Smartphone from being hacked? First, if you don’t have your voicemail password protected, do so immediately. If you are going to shop online, don’t do it through a free WiFi access point. They are not secure. And finally, don’t download apps for your phone that are from unknown sources. Some apps gather information much like spyware on your PC.

What do you do if you think you have been hacked? Call or contact the wireless carrier, bank or credit card company and let them know your info may have been compromised. Don’t contact them by e-mail or use the hacked phone to do that; use a different phone or visit in person. Remember your cell phone was the culprit in the first place.

Will security software be the solution? My guess is that cell phone service providers will have to step up to the plate and provide some sort of security for their users. It may be in the form of anti-spyware software, much like what we have for our PCs. In the meantime, beware!

HTC has leaked details about 2 new Smartphones. One will be a mid-priced Smartphone with a physical keyboard and the other will be an entry level Smartphone. Both phones will be offered by T-Mobile and will run on the Android 2.2 OS.

HTC Leaks 2 New Droid Phones

The HTC Lexikon is rumored to have a 3.8 inch screen with a slide out keyboard. According to the rumors, the Lexikon will run Android OS 2.2 (Froyo) on an 800 MHz processor and have a 5 megapixel camera. The HTC Sense 1.6 will overlay the standard user interface.

The second model, the HTC Bee, will be a low cost Smartphone. Reports leaked have the Bee sporting a 3.2-inch 320 x 240 (QVGA) display, but not much else is known about the Bee. It may look like the HTC Aria, which also has a 3.2 inch screen. The Bee will also use the HTC Sense interface and run on the Android 2.2 OS.

Smartphones are taking over the industry! With more and more Android models showing up in the market place, it is safe to say that the Droid is here to stay. I personally have the Droid X and love the easy to use interface with Google. With more and more apps available for download, it is really like having a computer in my pocket. Just last night I had to log into amazon.com via my Droid X to change the credit card info for my Amazon Kindle purchases. If I hadn’t had the Droid X, I would have had no book to read while I waited for my appointment. The convenience of having the web browsing on my phone made me appreciate all the new technology I have come to enjoy. What about you? Are you a Smartphone owner or just a bread and butter cell phone user?

RIM is doomed to fail regardless of the new BlackBerry Torch 9800 and the hopeful BlackPad. The newest electronic gadgets from BlackBerry will not be enough to keep the RIM ship afloat. The competition from the iPhone and the new Droids will spell failure for RIM.

Too Little—Too Late for RIM

Picture the BlackBerry Torch, the iPhone4 and the newest Droid side by side. Which one would you buy? It isn’t the hardware that is the problem. It’s the old feeling of the software on the BlackBerry. The iPhone and the Droid have super easy to access apps. The BlackBerry Torch is cumbersome. It feels like last year’s technology even though it has the new touch screen. It is awkward to get to the browser. Face it, BlackBerry OS 6 just isn’t as user friendly.

Competition with the iPhone4 and the new Droids will crush BlackBerry. Sure, some corporations will still buy the BlackBerry for their companies, but Apple and Android are growing in those markets too. There is really only room for 2 or 3 Smartphone players in the market. This will put RIM down towards the bottom of the heap. This is also where the lowest margins on sales will be, and not where RIM wants to be. This will surely be disastrous for RIM.

Would Microsoft buy BlackBerry? BlackBerry has proven it can manufacture good hardware, and the Windows Mobile 7 isn’t all that bad. This may be a good fit. But then again, can it compete with the iPhone or the Droid? Whatcha think?

Samsung is set to release its P1000 Galaxy Tab device at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin next month. This “phone” is really a 7 inch tablet PC in direct competition with Apple’s iPad. The tablet is said to feature a 7-inch touch screen and offer live video chat capabilities.

Samsung to Release its Tablet Phone

The Samsung Tab is based on Samsung’s Galaxy S line of phones. The Tab may run on a 1.2-GHz processor, although some reports say it will only run on the 1-GHz processor. Samsung declined to comment. With both front and rear facing cameras, which make it possible to engage in video chats, the Tab could have an advantage over the iPad.

“Basing the Tab on the Galaxy line of phones is not much of a stretch for Samsung,” said Jack Gold, principal analyst at J.Gold Associates, who has predicted that a number of Android tablets from several manufacturers will appear before the end of the year. “But the real question is how well an Android tablet will sell?” Gold asked. Gold said the Android tablet would have a significantly brighter future if sold by Best Buy.

Dell’s Streak, the 5 inch Android tablet, was released this week, with tepid reviews. If it was meant to compete with the iPad, which has sold over 3 million units so far, the Streak needs to step up to the plate. The Streak runs on the Android 1.6 OS, while the Samsung’s Tab will run on the Android 2.2 OS. Seems like the Streak can’t compare to the Samsung Tab either.

Will the tablet phone be the latest and greatest technology? It isn’t very comfortable as a hand held cell phone, but if you want to use it with a headset or a Bluetooth device, it seems like it may offer the best of all worlds. Do you think you will want one?

RIM will soon release its newest electronic gadget, the BlackPad. Meant to compete with Apple’s iPad, BlackBerry’s new BlackPad will have approximately the same dimensions as the iPad, a 9.7” diagonal screen, and will also include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technology that will allow people to connect to the Internet through their BlackBerrys.

BlackPad vs. iPad

BlackPad will be BlackBerry’s first tablet PC. With plans to release the BlackPad in November, RIM is hoping to capture some of the tablet PC market share. Apple reported that there were over 3 million iPads sold in the first 80 days after release. RIM shares had fallen 18% earlier this year, but with the release of the new BlackBerry Torch 9800 and the announcement of the BlackPad, stocks rose 3.3% in the last week. This may be a close save for RIM, but it’s still an uphill battle.

RIM has yet to prove itself in the touch screen market. The new BlackBerry Torch 9800 is the first BlackBerry with a touch screen, and runs on the new BlackBerry OS. A lot depends on the reception of the Torch. If it is a hit, then the BlackPad may stand a chance.

BlackPad or iPad? What’s your take? Will the BlackPad really be compatible with the rest of the world? The iPad is seamless with the whole Apple system. Want to take a chance on spending $500 for the BlackPad and have it be exclusively interactive with the BlackBerry? Hmmm…

The new Dell Streak tablet computer may ship with Android 2.2 OS. While only sporting a 5” screen, the Streak is made to compete with Apple’s iPad. Being only roughly half as big, I am not sure how Dell thinks it will compete with the iPad.

Dell Streak Competes with Apple’s iPad

Dell Streak is a full-function 3G phone. In addition to phone calling capabilities, it has options that include peripherals such as Bluetooth headsets, microSD memory cards, docks for homes or cars and cases. The Google based Android based OS gives the Streak the ability to sync with business messaging systems such as Microsoft Exchange and is another big plus.

Video calling is a snap with the Streak. With the dual cameras, one from the front and one from the back, it is easy to do video conferencing. The 5 megapixel camera not only captures photos, but records video, eliminating the need to carry multiple devices.

Will it steal away Apple’s thunder? Not likely. The iPad is 9 inches. For any real work, the 5 inch screen is too tiny. Yes, the Streak is bigger than my Droid X’s 4.3” screen, but still not big enough to really work efficiently on documents. Let’s see what else the market brings this fall.

UAE’s Telecommunication Regulatory Authority announcement to limit BlackBerry usage is turning the mobile phone market on its ear. The limitation applies to foreign visitors as well as UAE residents. The BlackBerry ban begins October 11th.

Mobile Phone Market in the Middle East Turned on its Ear

The ban is a temporary inconvenience for travelers, but likely a permanent way of life for residents. For many travelers, especially business travelers who are on a short lay-over in Dubai, not being able to access their email on their BlackBerry is a major inconvenience. According to MSNBC, “… puts the federation’s reputation as a business-friendly commercial and tourism hub at risk.” But apparently the ban on data, email and messaging is targeted only on the BlackBerry. Other Smartphones are not restricted. Hmmm…

This is not the first time BlackBerry has been targeted by the UAE. Last year a “software upgrade” was announced that turned out to be spyware so the UAE could monitor data being sent by BlackBerry users. RIM BlackBerry responded by giving users instructions on how to remove the spyware.

Is there an economic motivation behind the BlackBerry Ban? Some cell phone merchants believe it is. With the ban on BlackBerry, other cell phone manufacturers may benefit. Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson had been forced to drop prices due to lost market share. Now perhaps they stand a chance in the UAE market place.

Just a ban on BlackBerry? Seems like something political to me. Yes, perhaps it is motivated by economics. What isn’t? It just makes one wonder what is the really story behind the ban? Got any ideas?

RIM (Research in Motion) has announced the new BlackBerry Torch 9800 Smartphone is being released August 12th. Partnered exclusively with AT&T (yes another one of THOSE), the new Torch 9800 is a Qwerty slider with a touch screen. Much like the original Android, this Smartphone can be used with a slide out Qwerty keyboard, as well as utilizing the touch screen that is so popular.

New BlackBerry Torch – Will its Flame Heat Up the Market?

The Torch 9800 runs on the new BlackBerry OS 6. One of the big advantages to the new BlackBerry OS 6 is that it has the ability run legacy BlackBerry apps. The BlackBerry platform still has 40% of the market share, but Apple and Android are rapidly closing the gap. For those die-hard BlackBerry users, this is a dream come true (unless you are traveling to the UAE).

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 has features new to BlackBerry users. The new features include a 5 megapixel camera with a flash and auto-focus; 4 GB of internal storage plus a micro-SD memory expansion slot; GPS; Wi-Fi; Bluetooth; a 3.5mm headset jack; and a removable battery with (according to RIM) about six hours of talk time. (Why are they bragging about removable batteries? BlackBerry phones have always had removable batteries. The only phones that don’t have removable batteries are the iPhones.)

Will the new BlackBerry Torch revive RIM’s failing market? I think for the loyal BlackBerry users, this is a well deserved reward. For the rest of the market I think it is a bit too late in the game. I have already bought and fallen in love with the new Droid X. I doubt they will pull users away from either the Droid or iPhone market. Still, this new BlackBerry Torch will help keep the BlackBerry Loyalists in the fold and keep RIM in the market, even if not at the top.