Archive for the ‘cell phone’ Category

So, You Think Your iPhone Connection is Secure!

Friday, August 20th, 2010

Recently, a researcher demonstrated how he could impersonate a GSM cell tower at the Def Con Convention in Las Vegas.  Chris Paget, a security professional created a device which impersonates GSM cell phone towers for about $1,500.00.  Note: cell phone snooping is illegal and Chris took many precautions not to break the law.

The device impersonates AT&T cell phone towers, making Android and iPhones think they are connecting to a legitimate phone tower.  The system can be configured enabling the call to be listened to.  The device could also be configured to intercept calls.

As Verizon Wireless and Sprint use CDMA technology, their systems would not be affected by this vulnerability.  While the hack will not work with 3G, it is possible to knock the 3G offline and then the hacking device would take over.  The cost to build the equipment to knock 3G offline would be less than $1,000.00.

Even if a phone has the voice mode set for encryption, the hacking device could just turn it off.  And depending on the phone, there may be no notice that encryption has been disabled.

Information provided by: HITman Services, a computer and IT services company located in Clifton Park, New York.

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The Problem With Technology

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

Recently we had a client come into our computer and IT repair facility in Clifton Park.  He was having an issue with his BlackBerry from Sprint/Nextel.  The problem was centered on connecting to his Microsoft Exchange Server.

We followed our advanced diagnostic procedures for this type of issue.  When this didn’t lead to a solution, we had to contact the vendors of the product.  When all was told, we spoke with six people from three different companies.  With the exception of one person, the others weren’t even able to grasp an understanding of what the issue was.

Fortunately for our client, he didn’t have to deal with the frustration as our motto is “Eliminating HI-Tech Frustration” and we took the brunt of it.  These days there are so many variable and so many products from different vendors involved, determining exactly where the issue originates is no longer as simple as 1, 2, 3.

The problem with technology is too many large companies cut corners by providing inadequate technical support staff to properly resolve their customer’s issues.  One of our advantages is with the example of the person who brought in their BlackBerry: we are all power users and run a variety of smartphones with different operating systems such as: BlackBerry, Palm WebOS, Android and Windows Mobile.

Information provided by: HITman Services, a computer and IT services company located in Clifton Park, New York.

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Who Is Reading Your SMS Text Messages?

Monday, August 9th, 2010

How many people download software such as tip calculators? How many of these people are aware that simply by downloading that program, they may have been compromised?

With the proliferation of texting as a primary method of communication, software writers have developed programs which can look like harmless games or utilities such as tip calculators, yet are devious.  Once loaded, these programs send out copies of all SMS text messages to another person.

Many are offered as a means to track a spouse or significant other who may not be faithful.  Some are promoted to track what children are doing.  One partner or the other involved in a divorce could load the software on their unsuspecting soon-to-be ex-partner.

One of the safest preventative measures is to create a password and always keep your phone locked when it is not in your possession.  While some may see this as an inconvenience, what would the cost be if the wrong person or people had access to your personal information?

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Microsoft Windows Mobile Devices – Samsung Omnia II

Friday, July 16th, 2010

The latest Windows Mobile device tested on Verizon Wireless, is the Samsung Omnia II, running Windows Professional 6.5.3.

The Samsung Omnia II uses an AMOLED display.  AMOLED stands for Active-matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode.  A benefit to using an AMOLED display is that the screen can be seen without having the backlight on.  This saves quite a bit of battery life for other functions.  The backlight does need to be turned on in order to see the screen in bright sunlight.  The display size is 3.7″ with a resolution of 800 x 480.  Images, photos and videos are all very clear and vivid.

The Omnia II measures 4.75″ high by 2.38″ wide and .53″ deep, and weighs 5.08 ounces with the standard battery installed.

Input is done via a resistive touch screen.  While many resistive displays do not work very well, the one used in the Samsung Omnia II is exceptional.  The options include landscape and portrait qwerty keyboards and swipe.  Swipe is an extremely fast method of entering text.  It can be done via a finger or the built-in stylus.  Getting use to swipe is easy.

Call quality with the Omnia II is very good regardless of the number of bars displayed.  Bluetooth integration works well.  One consistent hiccup has been the first time a call is attempted via Bluetooth, it is lost.  Once the second attempt is make all further connections work flawlessly.  The Omnia II features a proximity sensor which turns the display off as it nears the face.  Sound level is decent for hands free, speaker and headset.  The Airplane mode is quick to activate.

Based upon recent calls made, the estimated batter life with consistent phone use is about 240 minutes.  A nice feature of the Omnia II is the ability to swap in spare batteries when recharging is not an option.

Key for our business use is integration with Microsoft Exchange Server and here the Omnia II performs extremely well.  Calendar entries, tasks, email and contacts are all synchronized wirelessly.  Connecting the device to a notebook with Microsoft OneNote also allows synchronization of OneNote files, once configured.

Browsing on the Omnia II using either Microsoft Internet Explorer or Opera Mobile is just fair.  The speed is good but the viewing experience is not the greatest.

Overall, the Omnia II by Samsung is a very good smartphone for people who need integration with Microsoft Exchange and are looking for an alternative to a BlackBerry.

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Microsoft Windows Mobile Devices – LG Fathom

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

The second Microsoft Windows Mobile phone I tested was the Fathom by LG.  This is powered by Windows Mobile Professional 6.5.3 and has a slide-out keyboard.

The Fathom lacks Verizon’s V Cast Mobile TV of the HTC Imagio but does have access to Verizon’s VZ Navigator.

The qwerty style slide-out keyboard works well.  One design flaw is the keyboard requires pressing a function key in order to get a period.  This is a major oversight in my opinion.  LG does include a stylus for input, but it is too short to be of much use.

The LG Fathom uses a resistive display , which does not work very well.  When scrolling, programs start to run because the display interprets the users intent incorrectly.  A benefit of a resistive screen is that they do allow for use of a stylus.

The size of the Fathom is pretty good and it has a nice display.  The display size is 3.2″ with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels.

Call quality was good. We tested the Fathom throughout the Clifton Park area up to Saratoga Springs and down to Latham.  We experienced no dropped calls during the test.

The LG Fathom also has a proximity sensor which locks the screen when the phone is near your face.  Likewise, Bluetooth connections were good in the different vehicles we tested it in.

During the short time of our test, we found battery use to be below what we expected.  But since the battery is removable it is possible to carry a spare.

Overall the poor screen sensitivity made the LG Fathom not a good choice.

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Microsoft Windows Mobile Devices – HTC Imagio Real-World Review

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

During the past several months I have been testing Verizon Wireless’ smartphone offerings for Windows Mobile phones.  The units tested have all had version 6.5 of the Windows Mobile operating system installed.

The first smartphone I tested was the HTC Imagio.  This phone had the additional feature of being able to view TV broadcasts such as Fox News, although at an additional cost of $15.00 per month.  The video quality is very good.

The HTC Imagio offers options for either Microsoft Sync or Microsoft Windows Mobile Device Center in that the user is able to select the time period for look back of calendar entries.  For those who have been using smartphones or PDAs for a while, this is a very nice feature.

Syncing with Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft Outlook works very well as one would expect from a Windows device.

The device has sufficient memory to hold close to 20,000 calendar entries along with a couple thousand contacts, hundreds of notes and over a thousand tasks.

The main issue with this phone is the display sensitivity is very poor.  It is too easy for applications to run while simply trying to scroll through the options.

As a business class device, this is definitely not my first choice.

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