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Behind the music: the backstory of Marimba 158, the iPhone text tone
In a fascinating post from Kelly Jacklin, the long time Apple software engineer details how he helped create the default text alert sound on the iPhone -- now known as the "Tri-tone" alert. The history of the the pleasant chime we've all come to know and love stretches all the way back to 1998, nearly 10 years before the iPhone ever hit store shelves. Back in 1998, Jeff Robbin, Bill Kincaid and Dave Heller began working on an MP3 player for the Mac called SoundJam MP. If the name sounds vaguely familiar, it's because Apple famously acquired SoundJam MP in 2000 and quickly repurposed it into the first version of iTunes. But in 1999, before an Apple acquisition was on the horizon, Jeff Robbin asked Jacklin if he could come up with a sound to alert a user when a CD burning session was complete. Being a hobbyist musician, Jacklin was up to the task, and he got to work experimenting with various sounds. I was looking for something "simple" that would grab the user's attention. I thought a simple sequence of notes, played with a clean-sounding instrument, would cut through the clutter of noise in a home or office. So I had two tasks: pick an instrument, and pick a sequence of notes. Simple, right? Yeah, says you; everyone's an armchair musician... I was really into the sound of marimbas and kalimbas at the time, so I thought I'd try both of those. I also went through bank (after bank) of sounds built into the SW1000XG, auditioning instrument sounds, and found three other instrument sounds that I liked: a harp, a koto (Japanese zither), and a pizzicato string sound (that's the sound a violinist makes when plucking the string, rather than bowing it). Jacklin recalls that he wanted a simple sound, which meant that many of the sounds he experimented with were just three of four notes long. For all you music buffs out there, Jacklin also mentions that he wanted the sound to have a happy vibe, so he particularly experimented with "notes from the major scale, focusing on I, III, IV, V, and VIII" octaves. If you'd like the full nitty-gritty as to how Jacklin came up with a plethora of note permutations to choose from, the full article is a must read. But suffice it to say, Jacklin ultimately settled upon a winner, a sound file he called 158-marimba.aiff. As initially intended, the sound did indeed become the default sound when a disc burning session in Soundjam MP concluded. When Apple transformed Soundjam MP into iTunes, the sound remained part of the app. Jumping ahead a few years to the iPhone's release in 2007, Jacklin was pleasantly surprised when he discovered that the sound he created many years earlier continued to live on, this time in the form of the default text alert. So imagine my surprise when the iPhone ships, and the default text message tone is... "158-marimba", now going by the clever (and not actually accurate, from a music theory perspective) name "Tri-Tone". Time goes by, and this sound becomes iconic, showing up in TV shows and movies, and becoming international short-hand for "you have a text message"... Wow! Who'd have thought? Indeed, I myself have noticed, while watching TV with friends, that when the "Tri-tone" sound happens to be played in a scene, a number of people reach for their pockets to see if they have a message. Again, Jacklin's full write-up is worth checking out. As an added and extremely interesting bonus, Jacklin's post includes an audio file comprised of sounds he experimented with that didn't quite make the cut. [Ed. note: It has come to our attention that blockquotes are not working on the mobile version of the site (m.tuaw.com) and may distort this story, particularly for those reading on the iPad via the Facebook app. We are working on a fix and apologize for the inconvenience.]
CyanogenMod tweak lets Google Voice SMS work through other apps
Many Android-based Google Voice users don't like having to use the official Google Voice app for text messaging, especially when its performance can be flaky. They now have some choice courtesy of experimental code from ClockworkMod's Koushik Dutta. His test release lets those running CyanogenMod nightlies send and receive Google Voice SMS through any suitable Android app as long as Google's software is present. The project should be helpful, although there's no question that there's some risk involved -- it's a beta that requires an unstable custom ROM, after all. If that's no deterrent, though, you can get Dutta's code and instructions from the source links.
Study suggests voice-to-text 'just as dangerous' as texting while driving
If you thought you were driving safe when activating your voice-to-text service or starting up Siri, a survey by the Texas Transportation Institute suggests it might dull your reactions just as much as finger-based typing. The study compared traditional text messaging with voice-to-text and found that drivers still took about twice as long to react compared to when they weren't trying to communicate. According to Christine Yager, who led the research, "eye contact to the roadway" also suffered, regardless of which texting method was used. In fact, voice-to-text often took longer than manual input, due to the need to correct typing discrepancies while using the software: "You're still using your mind to try to think of what you're trying to say, and that by proxy causes some driving impairment, and that decreases your response time." The bigger issue is that the drivers apparently felt safer when using voice-based entry, even though test results proved that response times were just as negatively affected. "It is important to educate the public that even these seemingly new distractions are still distractions, and it will help people be safer when they get into the vehicle," Yager added.
Zipwhip endows existing landlines with the ability to send and receive texts
You might remember Zipwhip from its SMS-enabled espresso machine, but the outfit's hoping a new feature added to its cloud-based text-messaging platform will catch your attention this time around. In case you're not familiar with Zipwhip's non-caffeinated affairs, it allows texts to be sent through a desktop app, the web and Android tablets with a user's existing mobile number. Now, it's giving landlines the ability to send and receive texts without the need for a new number, which the firm says is a first. Instead of converting written missives to voice messages like other text-to-landline services, the setup sends the actual text to the application. By wielding the feature, companies can communicate with customers regarding orders, reservations and the like. Though the service is aimed squarely at businesses -- and even offers them a 14-day free trial -- its $20 per month price tag might even make it reasonable for folks who just have an obsession with texting. To give your wired phone a taste of the late 20th century, hit the source link below.
Facebook Messenger allows sign-ups with just a name and phone number on Android devices
Facebook Messenger might as well be as ubiquitous as SMS text messaging for some, but there's a catch to getting everyone to agree: despite there being over a billion Facebook users, not everyone is able (or willing) to fire up a social networking profile to get started. Some of the Android users among us won't have to go through that trouble as of today. An imminent update to the Facebook Messenger app will let anyone sign up using just their name and a phone number; any initial friends will come directly from the newcomer's own mobile contact list. The rollout is currently focusing on Australia, India, Indonesia, South Africa and Venezuela, but should spread to the rest of the world in short order. iOS users are also in line to get the update, although the timetable is less definite. Whatever the platform, Facebook is clearly eager to give those seemingly few holdouts from its service an easy way to test the waters -- and possibly save on their messaging rates in the process.
Former Nokia Money crew kicks off iKaaz mobile payments, lets shops go with or without NFC
It's a big day for mobile payments. Multiple former Nokia Money veterans have formally launched iKaaz, a two-pronged strategy to phone commece where choice is the order of the day. The first components, M-POS and its accompanying Tap & Pay, are rough equivalents to familiar NFC-based services like Google Wallet that rely on an NFC tag and matching app for in-store sales. A Consumer Wallet for Enterprises occupies more familiar territory for the ex-Nokia crew: it provides a mobile account that doesn't require NFC or even an app, letting those in developing countries exchange funds through SMS or USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) if they're sporting basic handsets. Us end users will need to wait for actual implementations before we see iKaaz for ourselves, but the sheer flexibility could have us paying through our phones in some unexpected places.
McAfee shows how major Android scamware ticks, prevents us from learning first-hand
Most Android malware lives in the margins, away from Google Play and the more reliable app shops. It's nonetheless a good idea to be on the lookout for rogue code, and McAfee has stepped in with thorough explanations of how one of the most common scamware strains, Android.FakeInstaller, works its sinister ways. The bait is typically a search-optimized fake app market or website; the apps themselves not only present a legitimate-looking front but include dynamic code to stymie any reverse engineering. Woe be to anyone who's tricked long enough to finish the installation, as the malware often sends text messages to expensive premium phone numbers or links target devices to botnets. The safeguard? McAfee would like you to sign up for its antivirus suite, but you can also keep a good head on your shoulders -- stick to trustworthy shops and look for dodgy behavior before anything reaches your device.
BlackBerry PlayBook 2.1 update goes live with SMS, portrait email
RIM's attention around its QNX-based platforms might revolve around BlackBerry 10 as of late, but don't think that it's leaving BlackBerry PlayBook users behind. A PlayBook 2.1 update is rolling out today that fills in some of the gaps left by 2.0 earlier this year. Habitual messagers can now start SMS text messages directly from the tablet when tethered through BlackBerry Bridge; they also get overdue support for a portrait view in email, calendars and contacts. If communication isn't the cornerstone of your life, you'll still find a few niceties such as Android App Player support for the camera and in-app purchases, device encryption that extends to personal data and wireless printing beyond the local network. For now, you'll have to be an owner of the original, WiFi-only PlayBook to leap on the 2.1 train today -- those who sprang for the usually carrier-bound PlayBook 4G LTE should get their upgrade within a month.
11-year-old wins $20,000 at AT&T hackathon for creating app that discourages texting while driving
AT&T's already working on an app to keep folks from texting while driving, but earlier this month it gave folks at a Los Angeles hackathon the chance to develop their own solution. David Grau, a creative director and designer at an interactive agency, and 11-year-old Victoria Walker were awarded $20,000 by Big Blue to bring their smartphone application to the public. Dubbed Rode Dog, the prize-winning software allows friends and family to organize themselves into "packs" and monitor their text messaging habits. Watchful users can spot when a fellow group member is texting and initiate a barking noise on the offender's phone. Much like squawking seat belt systems, the app is designed to remind drivers of their wrongdoing and doesn't stop the ruckus until they acknowledge it. If you'd rather have a chicken or other animal grab your attention, the duo crafted an in-app shop that offers other wildlife sound sound effects. Rode Dog isn't expected to hit iOS, Android and Windows Phone until its fully polished, but you can sign up to receive word of its launch at the second source link below.
Facebook revamps Messenger for Android with friendlier chats, teases core app update soon (update 2: iOS refresh as well)
Facebook has already been making its mea culpas for the state of its main Android app, and it's showing further atonement through an Android-first update to its Facebook Messenger companion release. The new app is imbued with a "more conversational" (if fairly familiar-looking) bubble-driven layout for chats. Likewise, it's easier to see if a conversation is needed in the first place: a friend status list is always available with a swipe, while fresh support for texting directly from Messenger can keep the discussion flowing when SMS comes into play. Android users can get the Messenger upgrade today, with promise of an iOS equivalent soon. The regular Android app is getting an update as well, although we wouldn't cry with joy just yet: it's more of a parallel to the Messenger update than the speed-up that some of us crave. Update: The company's Christian Legnitto has posted a lengthy explanation that the Messenger rework and the core Facebook update (already available) are part of a new strategy that brings Android and iOS updates at regular intervals, rather than waiting solely for major features. If all goes well, the social network can provide speed upgrades and bug fixes at a much quicker pace. Update 2: And the hits just keep on coming -- although today is mostly about Android, Facebook has tweaked its main app's iOS version (App Store) for iPhone 5 and iOS 6 support.
Apple patent application has iPhones text when calls don't reach spotty coverage areas
If you're already using Android 4.0 or iOS 6, you're likely familiar with the option to send a pre-made text reply to incoming calls you can't take. But what if it's your own call that won't go through, at no fault of your own? Apple may have that covered through a patent application that could keep the accusations to a minimum. If flaky reception at the destination prevents your call from connecting, the proposed idea has your iPhone automatically send a text message indicating that you've at least tried to get in touch. Recipients with Apple's hardware contribute to their own solution in this world: the message code is a cue to measure the signal strength and flag the location as a weak point in the carrier's network. Whether or not Apple acts on its concept is as much of a mystery as with most other patents, although we're hoping it becomes real. If anything's going to strain a relationship, it shouldn't be dodgy coverage.
Canada's Competition Bureau sues Bell, Rogers and Telus over alleged misleading advertising
Allegations of misleading advertising practices among Canada's big telecom companies has been a recurring subject for some time, and it's now been brought to the fore once again in the form of a multi-million dollar lawsuit. The country's Competition Bureau announced today that, after a five-month investigation, it has decided to sue all three carriers and the industry group that represents them over ads that promote so-called premium texting services. In addition to demanding that such ads stop, the government agency is seeking full customer refunds for any charges incurred and a $10 million penalty from each carrier, plus an additional $1 million from the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association. For its part, the CWTA has unsurprisingly taken issue with the lawsuit, saying in a statement that it reached out to the Bureau last year to discuss the issue, and that its actions today "could disrupt the text message services, such as severe weather alerts, charitable donations, flight status updates or sports scores, on which millions of Canadian consumers depend." You can find that full statement, and the Competition Bureau's announcement of the lawsuit, at the links below.
Apple responds to iPhone text message spoofing, reminds us how secure iMessage is
If you're a frequent texter, and the iPhone is your weapon of choice, there's a good chance you've been a wee bit concerned since yesterday's report that the device is vulnerable to a certain SMS spoofing attack. Basically, it's possible for a malicious individual to send a message and specify a reply-to number that is not their own, appearing as if they are someone else. We got in touch with an Apple representative and here's what we were told: Apple takes security very seriously. When using iMessage instead of SMS, addresses are verified which protects against these kinds of spoofing attacks. One of the limitations of SMS is that it allows messages to be sent with spoofed addresses to any phone, so we urge customers to be extremely careful if they're directed to an unknown website or address over SMS. Even if you aren't on an iPhone, we'd like to remind you to be careful when texting. There are numerous services out there that let you send a message that appears to be from anybody you like -- regardless of what model, OS or even carrier the recipient is using. All the more reason to think twice before filing that loan application over SMS.
iPhone reportedly vulnerable to text message spoofing flaw
If you're an iPhone owner, you may want to use good judgment before responding to any out-of-the-blue text messages in the near future. French jailbreak developer and security researcher pod2g finds that every iPhone firmware revision, even iOS 6 beta 4, is susceptible to a flaw that theoretically lets a ne'er-do-well spoof the reply address of outbound SMS messages. As Apple is using the reply-to address of a message's User Data Header to identify the origin rather than the raw source, receiving iPhone owners risk being fooled by a phishing attack (or just a dishonest acquaintance) that poses as a contact or a company. A proof of concept messaging tool is coming to the iPhone soon, but pod2g is pushing for an official solution before the next iOS version is out the door. We've asked Apple for commentary and will get back if there's an update. In the meantime, we wouldn't panic -- if the trickery hasn't been a significant issue since 2007, there isn't likely to be a sudden outbreak today.
Gliph launches new Cloaked Email service that'll hide your real email address from prying eyes
Gliph, an online and mobile service that lets you send text messages anonymously, has expanded its offerings to include a new Cloaked Email service. As its name implies, Cloaked Email lets you hide your real email address when you send and receive email from someone that you don't know. It's a terrific way to protect your email from marketers and other ne'er-do-wells who want to add your address to spam email lists. The Cloaked Email service uses aliases for your real email address and acts as a relay between your real email account and the recipient of your email. This architecture lets you cloak your email, but still keep the convenience of using your normal inbox to send and receive emails. It's perfect for those situations when you are forced to enter an email address on a website or when you need to communicate with strangers via a service like Craigslist. How it works First, you need to sign up for the Gliph service and download the app to your iPhone. If you want to send a cloaked email, you must login to the web app or launch the mobile app and select "Send New Cloaked Email" to get started. The email interface includes your standard email fields so you can add in your recipient, a subject and a message body. There is no support for attachments at first, but you can earn the ability to use attachments by inviting others to join Gliph. Once you're done composing your email, you can hit send, and the email will be sent using your cloaked alias. When the recipient responds to your email, the message will go to the Cloaked Email address, which will then forward it to the inbox of your real email account. What happens next is the feature that sets Gliph apart from a service like Craigslist which hides your email when someone contacts you about a post, but doesn't hide it in subsequent emails. When you respond back using your normal email client and your real email account, Gliph takes that email, strips out the header information with your real email address and sends it using your Cloaked Email alias. Even though you are sending and receiving emails using your real email account, the recipient never sees your actual email address thanks to Gliph. First Impressions I've been testing the service for a short time and can confirm it hides your email as advertised. I was able to send and receive Cloaked Emails using my gmail account, and the recipient couldn't find a trace of my real email address anywhere in the conversation. We even checked the email header information and it contained only the cloaked email account information. The relaying of emails through Gliph's cloaked email service was also speedy. I sent an email, and it arrived in the recipient's inbox in less than a minute. Of course, I was likely only one of a handful of people using the service, so this fast transmission may slow down as more and more people start using a Cloaked Email address. One of the strengths of Gliph's Cloaked Email is its convenience. Once you sign up for Gliph, it is extremely easy to send and receive Cloaked Emails because the service uses your regular email inbox. You don't have to check another account or log into to another service to keep track of a conversation. It's all there in your inbox for you to view and archive. This ease of use means that I will likely to continue to use the service. The biggest drawback I encountered involved sending the initial email. To send someone an email using your Cloaked account, you have to use the Gliph web app or mobile app to send the first email. You can't setup your Cloaked Email address as an alias in your email client, so you must launch the app if you want to start a conversation. You can, however, provide your cloaked email address to others, who can use it to send an email to you via Gliph's service. Conclusion Overall, I was impressed with the Cloaked Email service. It was very effective at hiding my email address from others. I also appreciated the convenience of being able to use my regular email inbox to send and receive cloaked emails. The Gliph text messaging service and Cloaked Email are both free. All Gliph users get one free Cloaked Email address and can earn more cloaks by inviting users to join the service. If you are interested in checking out Cloaked Email, you will need to claim a Gliph as shown in this video and then download the iPhone app from the iOS App Store. Show full PR text Gliph's Cutting-Edge Cloaked EmailTM Protects Email Privacy PORTLAND, August 14th, 2012 – Gliph, a one-of-a-kind mobile and web app, today announced the availability of Cloaked Email, a new and innovative method for protecting the privacy of users' email addresses. Cloaked Email allows users to both send and receive email using their normal email client, while keeping their real email address a secret. Email sent to the forwarded to users' real email addresses. When the user replies, their real email address is automatically replaced with the cloak address. This design is perfect for situations like Craigslist communications and transactions, where users often prefer to keep their real-time identity under wraps. "We're excited about how Cloaked Email provides Craigslist users in particular with a new tool to protect their anonymity," said Rob Banagale, co-founder and CEO of Gliph. "We all have situations where we'd prefer to keep our actual email address private. Cloaked Email makes this convenient for everyone." In addition to general privacy protection, Cloaked Email offers Gliph users a new layer of protection against potential data breaches. By registering for a website or newsletter using a Cloaked Email address instead of a real one, Gliph users can limit their exposure to breach or attack. "As we've seen with the recent attacks against Blizzard, Yahoo and Stratfor, unfortunately, data breaches are becoming a problem for everyone," said Nicholas Asch, co-founder and CTO of Gliph. "From major gaming companies to global intelligence service providers, it just doesn't pay to use your real email address if you can avoid it." Each Gliph user is given one free cloak when they sign up for Gliph. Additional cloaks can be earned by inviting new users to the service. After five successful invites, email attachments are automatically enabled on all past and future cloaks. About Gliph Gliph is an award-winning digital identity platform featuring mobile and web applications that provide a secure way to send messages and protect personal information. Protecting private data and messages using AES-256 encryption, Gliph sets a new standard for consumer privacy and information management. Gliph is available for free on the App Store (https://gli.ph/iphone); the Android Marketplace (https://gli.ph/android); and as a mobile web app (https://gli.ph/m). For more information, visit https://gli.ph.
Data-hungry crowds spoil Olympic TV coverage, archers alerted
With an opening ceremony celebrating social media and a guest appearance by the father of the world wide web, you would think the games are pretty Twitter-friendly. Well, not so much, as the hordes of London have been told to keep non-urgent texts and tweets to themselves to avoid disrupting TV coverage for those who weren't lucky enough to score beach volleyball tickets. The recommendation comes after broadcasters bumbled through the men's cycling road race due to a lack of available data from the cyclists' GPS. The information bottleneck appears to be related to one specific network and sharing the data burden has been discussed, although probably not via Twitter. The IOC knows that telling the masses not to log on likely won't have any impact -- so, what's next for the data haters.
DARPA-backed Power Pwn is power strip by day, superhero hack machine by night
Call the Power Pwn the champion of white hat hacking. Underneath that Clark Kent power strip exterior, there's a Superman of full-scale breach testing that can push the limits of just about any company network, whether it takes 3G, Ethernet or WiFi to get there. Pwnie Express' stealthy sequel to the Pwn Plug ships with a Debian 6 instance of Linux whose handy hacking tools are as easy to launch as they are tough to detect. There's just one step needed to create a snoop-friendly Evil AP WiFi hotspot, and the box dodges around low-level NAC/802.1x/RADIUS network authentication without any help; in the same breath, it can easily leap into stealth mode and keeps an ongoing encrypted link to give do-gooders a real challenge. The hacker doesn't even need to be in the same ZIP code to crack a firewall or VPN -- the 3G link lets the Power Pwn take bash command-line instructions through SMS messages and doles out some of its feedback the same way. While the $1,295 device can theoretically be used for nefarious purposes, DARPA's blessing (and funding) should help keep the Power Pwn safely in the hands of security pros and thwart more than a few dastardly villains looking for weak networks.
RIM applies for patent on detecting emotion in messaging, wants you chilled while you BBM
Ever get the shakes sending out an angry text message? You'd better be careful if you buy a BlackBerry in the future, as RIM is trying for a patent that would telegraph all that wrath to the recipient on the other end. The technique uses a myriad of sensors, like an accelerometer, front camera or pressure sensor, to gauge just how emotional a smartphone owner might be and convey that through livelier messaging styles. Get flustered and that BlackBerry Messenger font gets big, bold and red; mellow out with a smile, and the conversation text becomes almost cuddly. Whether or not the patent is granted, let alone used, is very much an unknown. We have a hunch that RIM would rather not make BlackBerry users keep a poker face.
Skype confirms fix rolling out for instant messaging bug
When one of your main services throws up a pretty embarrassing bug, you're going to want to squash that quick. Skype has stepped up and done just that, according to its blog. The hotfix will be rolling out for version 5.10 for Windows, 5.8 for Mac, 4.0 for Linux and 1.2 for Windows Phone. Skype was also quick to point out that not all clients (and therefore users) were affected. If you were on 5.9 for Windows, version 2.8 for Android or Skype 4.0 for iOS, then the firm assures you that you won't be affected. The official line is that the fix should start arriving in the next couple of days, so still best to keep a lid on those office gossip chats for now. Let us know if you start getting the update in the comments below.
Skype confirms 'rare' bug that sends messages to unintended contacts, promises fix soon
Only a handful of Skype users have reported this problem over at the support forum, but what they're complaining about is pretty hair-raising. They say that, following an update in June, instant messages have repeatedly and unintentionally been forwarded to random people in their contact lists. In other words, third-parties are seeing stuff they were never meant to see, which constitutes a serious breach of privacy. Skype now tells us it's aware of the issue and is working on a fix. Here's the official response in full: "We are aware that in rare circumstances IM's between two contacts could be sent to an unintended third contact. We are rolling out a fix for this issue in the next few days and will notify our users to download an updated version of Skype." [Thanks, Kuldar]
