Linked List: July 29, 2010

Thursday, 29 July 2010

Ballmer Concedes the Obvious to Analysts Regarding the iPad ★

It’s cute how he still calls them “slates”. It’s sad that their answer is still Windows 7.

Nice bit of open source iPhone code from Leah Culver, implementing Tweetie-style refreshing by pulling at the end of a list.

Update: Here’s another one, recommended by a developer friend: EGOTableViewPullRefresh.

Lookout Posts Details of Their Black Hat Conference Presentation on Those Suspicious Android Wallpaper Apps ★

Nice technical write-up of what’s going on. It doesn’t appear that any particularly sensitive data is getting transmitted, but it sure is curious why they’re transmitting anything at all.

10K Apart ★

Web app contest from An Event Apart:

It’s time to get back to basics — back to optimizing every little byte like your life depends on it. Your challenge? Build a web app in less than 10 kilobytes.

Urbanized ★

Now in production: the final film in Gary Hustwit’s documentary trilogy on design, following Helvetica and Objectified:

Urbanized looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design, featuring some of the world’s foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders, and thinkers. Over half the world’s population now lives in an urban area, and 75% will call a city home by 2050.

Apple Now Uses Its Own Location Service ★

Interesting, but not surprising.

The Talk Show ★

The comeback episode of Dan Benjamin’s and my podcast, talking about this week’s new Macs, the Magic Trackpad, Antennagate, and more. Sponsored by MailChimp.

Lookout, a Mobile Security Firm, Claims Android App Downloaded by ‘Millions’ Sends Personal Data to Server in China ★

Dean Takahashi, reporting for MobileBeat:

The app in question came from Jackeey Wallpaper, and it was uploaded to the Android Market, where users can download it and use it to decorate their phones that run the Google Android operating system. It includes branded wallpapers from My Little Pony and Star Wars, to name just a couple.

It collects your browsing history, text messages, your phone’s SIM card number, subscriber identification, and even your voicemail password. It sends the data to a web site, www.imnet.us. That site is evidently owned by someone in Shenzhen, China. The app has been downloaded anywhere from 1.1 million to 4.6 million times. The exact number isn’t known because the Android Market doesn’t offer precise data.

I’m sure this story will get just as much attention as if it had been an iPhone app that did this. I’d like to see more proof from Lookout, though. Up to 4 million downloads?

Update: The article has been updated regarding what information the app captures: “Update: Lookout notes it does not capture browsing history and text messages.”

Update 2: Lookout has posted details on their weblog.