Will we soon be able to buy Nintendo games for the Wii U on a Nintendo App Store? Sure looks like it. Check this out for more info: http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/12/29/122911-tech-gaming-wii-appstore/

If you have an Apple iPad and want a game controller this is super cool. http://www.60beat.com/category_s/73.htm It’s called the GamePad and it’s obviously pretty cool and only about $49.00 or something like that. There is still a need for games that utilize all this controller has to offer but if you want to play games on an iPad get one cause the games are on the way!

If you want to remove the Carrier IQ rootkit from your smartphone, Android, or iPhone here are some tips.

For the iPhone here are the instructions to remove the spyware: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/how-to-disable-the-carrier-iq-rootkit-on-your-iphone/16724

If you are on an Android Phone and would like to remove it check here: http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2011/12/how-to-remove-the-carrier-iq-rootkit/

Android is quite a pain. iPhone is pretty simple. If you’ve got a Blackberry that has the Carrier IQ rootkit on it you’ll have to wait. Blackberry said that carriers may have installed the rootkit on Blackberry but as of today there is no official word from RIM on how to remove the spyware.

There is also more information on this in a couple of other posts I’ve made as well as the links above. The topic is covered in depth.

http://www.wildpipe.com/news/is-your-smartphone-spying-on-you/

If you haven’t heard your phone possibly has a spyware rootkit on it. Carrier IQ is a company that claims to be collecting data about dropped calls however a developer found that it was in fact logging all your keystrokes and your GPS location… possibly more.

I got a little more information today and thought I’d share. From what I understand it is on over 150 million phones right now. It is on several major Android brand phones and also iPhones. The thing can collect data from your SMS texts and send it back to this company. I don’t like that much. I posted another article about it in more depth here: http://www.wildpipe.com/news/is-your-smartphone-spying-on-you/

Removal instructions: http://www.wildpipe.com/iphone/removing-carrier-iq-rootkit-on-iphone-and-android-phones/

Millions of us have Android phones and we’d like to set our privacy settings. I recently found this video of what looks surprisingly like a root kitted spying app built right into the systems. The video shows that even on a disabled phone with no service GPS location is still being logged. The narrator explains that plain text is being sent out when it should be encrypted. And that pretty much all your location data is getting passed on… not only that but every keystroke. It would be possible for someone with the output of this data to track your moments and activities better than freakin seal team six!

If you can remove it I’m not sure of the process. I’m guessing it would involve rooting your android phone since it’s made to be somewhat invisible to the average user. I also watched a video by the company in question here “Carrier IQ” in which they describe their purpose. They claim to want to make your experience better by learning as much as possible about things like crashes or dropped calls. So why do they need every keystroke I make in an SMS text? And why would they need my location?

Maybe we can draw a conclusion about your height above sea level to your quality of life or where a new cell tower needs to be from the location thing… but no option to opt-out? That seems shady to me. And why the SMS? That gets me even worse than the GPS.

CIQ could possibly have good intentions but to be so secretive about it is devious in my opinion. One of the biggest come backs privacy advocates get is “What are you afraid of? Do you have something to hide?” The answer is that I am afraid of poeple misusing the data that I have on my phone. I’m afraid that people think they can do this without asking my permission. I’m afraid of the people who want this information for criminal acts. To me it’s like having your diary stolen, your box of love letters read without permission, or someone rifling through my wallet. It’s wrong. And I have to hide what everyone has to hide. Their financial data, their personal private conversations with people, and the list goes on.

I can totally see why someone would want to make an app that spys on you via your android phone or whatever. When they do know your financial data and what your personal plans they can cater up ever more inventive ways to get money from you. I don’t know why they haven’t just taken it. I guess everyone must maintain appearances. To me it’s like some pervert who tells you that you need to bear your ass for him so he can smell your crack and help optimize your diet when he just wants to F you.

Thank God for the EFF getting behind this guy because if not this word may not have gotten out. Pass it along. Let them know that no matter what they promise, no matter how cool they can make the “user experience” we don’t want this spyware in our phones.

Watch the video in the link below…

Original source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/30/smartphone_spying_app/

Addendum: Today I found a couple of useful tips on how to remove the Carrier IQ rootkit/spyware from your Android or iPhone.. hopefully I’ll have some information on how to remove it from your Blackberry soon.

REMOVING CARRIER IQ ROOTKIT: http://www.wildpipe.com/iphone/removing-carrier-iq-rootkit-on-iphone-and-android-phones/

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 was probably just what you’d expect if you’ve played any other Call of Duty. If you’re a fan of COD.. then MW3 is going to rock your world. I’ve only played the campaign but it was hella fun. I’m the sort of guy who plays the campaigns pretty fast so it was only a few hours before I beat the game on medium but even for couch co-op Call of Duty MW3 has split screen missions which is great for my brother and I.

Just my 2 cents.. change for a dolla

I’m sure you’ll find out.. I know lots of people love Call of Duty… Get it!

Next I’ll review Skyrim… I think there is going to be a bit more than 3 hours involved in playing that campaign

Till next time!

Adobe issued a couple of press releases recently and there has been speculation about Flash going bye bye for mobile devices. Since many mobile devices have such issues with Flash it was probably only a matter of time. Adobe plans to on focus on Mobile App development now. [more info]

This news comes just after the announcement that Adobe may lay off 750 people. We can probably assume that they are the Flash department.

As coders and designers we wish you the best of luck

Read more about what this means for the future of Flash and apps on the internet in this article: http://www.wildpipe.com/news/adobe-to-lay-off-hundreds-will-no-longer-offer-mobile-flash-2/

The end of Flash mobile plugin support and the loss of 750 jobs from Adobe seems the news of the hour. Adobe issued two press releases recently. One stating that it would lay off around 750 employees. The other saying that Adobe Flash support would no longer be offered for mobile devices.

So what does this mean? I really think this means that there are going to be some profound changes on the web. First off I think the Flash sites on the internet will drop to near zero. With mobile devices being used so widely what would be the point of making  a site  that you can only really see on a browser on a desktop? I don’t think this will affect too many people with websites out there now unless they are currently Flash based.

So what is changing? Well there has already been pressure to start implementing apps for your business if you could somehow integrate that in order to help the customer. For instance Sherwin Williams Paint made apps to look up colors. That’s just one example. But these are the things that are starting to help business now. I think Adobe sees it, and I think we’ll see more apps for more of the things we love.

To the 750 laid off at Adobe, as coders and people in the biz, we wish you the best of luck.

Yours, The WildPipe Crew.

For more info check out these articles and press releases.

Adobe abandons Flash Plugin for mobile devices from cnet.

Adobe to lay off 750 people at engadget.

Battlefield 3 for XBOX 360 is both awesome and has some serious problems. First I tried to install it on my 4g Xbox Live Console Slim model. However the 4g drive is not “really” a drive from what they tell me. It’s more like Flash memory. So I couldn’t install the HD content. If you can’t install the high def content on Battlefield it’s kind of a let down. So of course wanting to play it with all the HD content I had to buy a hard drive. Cost me $140 or so. So Xbox live chat told me that it “might” be DRM. They are probably right. I mean after all they should know. Anyway, they wonder why people mod Xboxs.

Anyway, once I had the HD content installed the game was totally awesome but hung twice and I had to reboot my XBOX. I’m hoping that some updates will come up or (crossing fingers) that it’s not an issue with the hard drive I bought.

The biggest annoyance in the entire game is the dirt blotches on your HUD. I freakin hate that. Even in combat you’d clean your eyeware.. I mean come on!

Over all the game is sick though.. a LOT of fun to play. Though please guys get rid of the damn dirt on the screen on the next one.. I keep wanted to reach for Windex!

Read more about the Battlefield 3 “Device not allowed” error here

Sumo911

Battlefield 3 has an issue with XBox 360 4gb “Xbox 360 Live Console” which is in other words “the one with only 4 gigs”. What  you may not know is that those four gigs are basically “Flash” memory. So if you’re having problems installing Battlefield 3 on your XBox and you only have the 4gig model that says “Memory Unit” as the device you’re trying to install on you’re in for some bummer information. You’re going to need to buy an actual hard disk drive. Your Xbox has a panel on the side that is nearly invisible but in bright light you can see that the panel is removable. Just slip the drive in. Then choose that device to install your HD content.

I doubt you’re going to want to play battlefield 3 with no HD content so if you have install problems you probably need to go buy a hard drive and insert it. I’m just speculating but I think that since the 4 gig models are basically “Flash Memory” the DRM that EA used is what is causing the problem. I’ve heard reports of the PC version of the game giving issues with certain types of hard drives. That’s just a rumor.. haven’t experienced the PC version of the game. I can only speak for XBOX 360.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. DRM sucks.. unfortunately, for game developers this is actually one of the reasons people mod their boxes and play pirate games. Please give it up on the DRM.. We still buy games cause we want you to keep making them ffs. My 2 cents.. change for a dolla..

My Review of of the game here: Battlefield 3 XBOX Game Review

Sumo911

Control cameras in 3dsmax with an iPhone.

Resident 3ds MAX nut back in the hizouse with a new script from “You Can Do It VFX”. The project is called iDevCam for iPhone and Autodesk MAX. This combo iPhone app/max script lets you do motion control (or in this case really, camera control) with your iPhone. Simply use your iPhone like a steering wheel to control the angle and some on screen stuff to control the rest. Very cool.

http://www.youcandoitvfx.com/?page_id=24

As the resident Autodesk MAX fanatic here I try to keep up on fun stuff for 3dsmax. Sometimes the “labs” at Autodesk can be a bit to dig through and so a lot of people don’t hear about new stuff for MAX. Anyway thought i’d post this 3d crowd system. It creates characters, walk paths, idle animations, seemingly the works. Still playing!

http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/geppetto/