Libra Weight Tracking App

May 26th, 2011
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Gadgets don’t have to be real accessories, they can also be apps on stores such as the iOS store and Android store. The problem with apps on the Android store is that you need to find out whether a particular app will run well on your system or whether it’s either too powerful for it or doesn’t support your version of Android. Keep that in mind with any of our future Android app reviews.

A recent app that I’ve downloaded is called Libra which keeps track of your weight. You put in the weight on the current date along with a target weight and it keeps track of your weight over time, how fast you’re losing it and the date that you’ll reach your goal if you carry on at the current pace. I’m not much of a fitness fan but it’s good to be able to see how things are changing over time and what I need to do to reach a goal.

It’s also great to have a weight app that doesn’t come with a load of extras that increase the size of the app when you don’t really need them. It’s a very simple design and works well. If you’re looking for a straightforward app and don’t need a lot of options of examples of exercises then Libra is definitely a good choice.

Android | Posted by admin

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Android Also Tracks Movement!

April 26th, 2011
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Followoing on from my last post about Apple tracking movements, its also worth pointing out that Google do the same!

When you install some apps from the Android Market you get a warning about this, asking whether you want to allow Google to anonymously mine this data. What is not clear though is whether this prevents the installation of the application, which is a bit poor.

You are a lot more likely to opt out of this data if you know you can run the app anyway. By being ambiguous at install it encourages the user to accept sharing of this data. The install routines do not make it clear whether the opt in / out is a dependancy of the application or not.

The most controversial app on android in terms of tracking is the “Latitude” app, which allows you to share your location with friends.

This is, its has to be said a really cool app, and looks a lot of fun. You share your location with your friends and you can all see each others location overlain onto a Google map. So, you can see what everyone is up to, Great! Or not as the case may be.

Whilst fun, this is perhaps the most dangerous app I have ever seen and would never install it myself.

I am sure this app will be popular with parents wanting to serrupticiously install it on their childs new birthday present!

Privacy is an increasingly complex, and interesting field with regard mobile apps. Its hard to see which way things will go, one thing is certain though, we have not even scratched the surface in terms of what is possible with these apps from a data mining perspective.

Expect to see a lot more contraversy and debate over the next five years!

Android, Privacy | Posted by admin

iPhones tracking user movement

April 21st, 2011
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A news story broke yesterday about how all Apple iPhones are tracking where their owners go at all times and storing it in a hidden – but unencrypted – file on the handset. When the owner links the phone to a computer the file is also transferred there, although it’s never seen by the user.

Apparently it’s in the iPhone terms and conditions that they are allowed to do this, but I still think it’s an incredible invasion of privacy. I don’t know what Apple planned on doing with the data, but if they’re going to track the movements of someone at all times then I think they should explicitly ask for permission. It shouldn’t be hidden in a terms and conditions.

Some people would say that its iPhone users own fault for not reading the T&S closely enough. In reality, no one reads these things, and would a small section that said something along the lines of “we may track your position” have really affected anyone buying the phone? Google have been heavily criticised for privacy issues, but I think keeping a log of wherever anyone with an iPhone (or 3G iPad) goes is worse.

Luckily, I don’t have an iPhone so this isn’t something I need to worry about. I’d be very interested to hear from people who do have an iPhone or iPad though – are you’re worried about this? Are you going to try and find and delete the file? I’m sure there will be guides on the internet for stopping the tracking soon, but it’ll be interesting to see what Apple say about this.

Apple, Privacy | Posted by admin

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