Computer Tips From A Computer Guy

Posted: 23 Apr 2011 04:35 AM PDT

The major news organizations are reporting that all iPhones and iPads running IOS 4, in all its incarnations, has been tracking the exact whereabouts of their users for nearly a year. Apple has not yet released an official press release explaining their motives for such an invasive move, but you can still view the data Apple is collecting.

If you use a Mac with Snow Leopard to sync your iPhone, you can easily see the places you have been in the past year on a nifty map. To do this, use your Mac to go to the iPhone Tracker Web site. Once there, click Download the Application.

Unzip and run the application. A map will appear showing your whereabouts.

According to Wired, and the gentlemen who discovered the tracking data (one of which is a former Apple employee), the data is not being transmitted anywhere—it just sits on your computer and in your iPhone and iPad. Installed Apps cannot access it, nor can someone hack into your iPhone and iPad from a distance and access this data.

However, we cannot help but wonder what the purpose is for collecting such data in the first place. Obviously, catching a cheating spouse would be easy with an exact map of their whereabouts.

The data could potentially serve as alibis in criminal cases, although it would be very easy to leave your phone at a friend's house, commit the crime, then retrieve the phone. Most likely, if Apple did use the data, it would be for advertising purposes.

There is no map-generating app for PC users yet, but we expect one will follow very soon. We also expect Apple to make a statement of some sort, likely denying the data collection is in any way malicious.

Copyright © 2007
Online Tech Tips.
Aseem Kishore (digitalfingerprint: a59a56dce36427d83e23b501579944fcakmk1980 (209.85.224.90) )

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View iPhone and iPad Tracking Data

Find Out when Facebook Friends Delete You

Posted: 22 Apr 2011 05:17 AM PDT

Many people pride themselves on the number of Facebook friends they collect, so when that number decreases without any warning, they obviously want to know why. Facebook does not notify its members when friends delete them, shielding the frienemy in infuriating anonymity.

Who.deleted.me seeks to change the anonymous nature of the Facebook friend delete.

Who.deleted.me tracks your friends list, and sends an email notifying you when any friend is added or removed. To start using the service, click the Login with Facebook button on the left side of the homepage.

You will be prompted to allow the app access to your Facebook account. Click Allow and Use.

You will now receive an email when friends delete or add you. Besides email notification, Who.deleted.me keeps a running list of new and deleted friends on their Web site. Use the labels in the top-right of the tab to view this list by day, week or month.

Click the Graph tab to view your friend activity in a more visual manner.

Who.deleted.me is a good idea—most of us want to know when we are deleted. The service is still relatively new at just 150 days old with just 33,000 members, but we expect this number will grow as word of the service spreads. So, deleters beware: your days of unfriending in silence are over!