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TfL thinks tracking passenger phones will improve the Tube
The London Underground welcomes 1.34 billion passengers each year, many of whom have their own unique routes of travel. Transport for London wants to know more about these movements to improve the safety, reliability and management of the Tube network, so it's conducting a four-week trial that will track people as they move between stations using their mobile phone.
Apple bought a company that tracks chronic health issues
Apple has purchased Gliimpse, a startup that helps users collect and personalize their health records, according to Fast Company. Apple confirmed the deal, which reportedly happened earlier this year, but was coy as usual. "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans," a spokesperson told Fast Co. However, it will likely be integrated into its HealthKit research app to help doctors improve treatment for chronic diseases.
Pornhub wants to help you get fit
If there's one thing that Pornhub is good at that doesn't involve a satisfying break from work, it's getting people to pay attention to its plans. The company's latest attempt to remind everyone where to get their action from comes in the form of Bang Fit, which purports to be a smartphone-based sexercise platform. The idea, as far as the site is concerned, is that getting down and dirty is a better way to workout than whatever your personal trainer can tell you to do. Plus, it has the added benefit of keeping you relaxed and connected with yourself and your significant other(s).
New phones let Japan's government secretly track its citizens
The Japan Times is reporting that local mobile network NTT DoCoMo is embracing government surveillance. The company launched five new smartphones on Tuesday that lets the authorities to track a user's location without their knowledge or consent. Existing handsets, however, currently alert a user when their position is being accessed by a third party. The move is in reaction to a change in the law back in June 2015 that withdrew the requirement to gain a subscriber's permission before sharing their GPS data.
FreshTeam is a messaging app that tracks employee locations
Traveling salespeople of yore could get away with plenty because, hey, who was ever gonna find out? These days, there's a smartphone in your pocket and a boss at the other end of the internet expecting an answer. That's where FreshTeam comes in, which is an Android and iOS app designed to let employers keep track of employees without needing to harass them. By harnessing the sensors in your smartphone with its own algorithmic secret-sauce, the app is capable of detecting your presence without your input. The service allows your boss to know where you are, what you're doing and how much battery you've got left on your device without ever having to ask. Yep, it does sound like a privacy nightmare, but the team's reasoning does make some sense, at least on paper.
SilverPush claims its TV monitoring app didn't snoop on you
SilverPush, an Indian firm that made software capable of silently tracking your TV viewing, claims it has no active partnerships with US-based apps. The company found itself under the spotlight last week after the FTC issued warnings to a number of developers apparently using its code. The concern was that if the apps are using this software to monitor TV viewing, and not telling users, the developers would be in violation of FTC regulations. Today, SilverPush issued a statement claiming it no longer uses the "Unique Audio Beacons" (UAB) technology in question, and has no active partnership with any US-based developers anyway. Adding that it considers it "a welcome move the the FTC is taking a stand on user privacy."
Christian college says mandatory Fitbits won't track sex
Can a Fitbit distinguish between cross-fit and carnal knowledge? It doesn't matter, says Oral Roberts University (ORU) officials, because they won't be scanning data for signs of student coitus anyway. The school now requires that all of its incoming students use (and pay for) Fitbit trackers during the spring semester. That caused some speculation that the devices could invade students' privacy, particularly since they can be used to monitor sexual activity. However, the school says it isn't using the devices to enforce its code of conduct forbidding pre-marital sex.
DokiWatch lets kids make video calls and share their location
A cellular watch that can make video calls? You won't find many of them because smartphones are so much better at doing that, but we've probably all longed for this seemingly futuristic concept when we were young (just as our own James Trew confessed in his Neptune Pine review). Thanks to the folks over at Doki Technologies, kids these days will get to realize this dream. The DokiWatch is a rugged Android smartwatch with a 1.22-inch touchscreen, and it packs all the essentials for keeping an eye on a child: It comes with 3G radio (1900/2100 MHz; works on AT&T and T-Mobile) plus a Micro SIM slot, as well as location tracking (using GPS, WiFi and cellular signal), an SOS button and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera -- the part which makes it stand out from the other kids smartwatches.
Facebook locks down Belgian site following tracking lawsuit
It's not altogether surprising that a website some use to scrapbook their entire lives be regularly held to account over its privacy policies. Facebook's ongoing legal predicament in Belgium isn't concerned with how it treats users, though, but how it tracks any visitor to its pages, logged-in or not. After the country's privacy watchdog concluded Facebook was violating European Union law by tracking non-users through persistent cookies without their consent, the social network found itself on the wrong end of a lawsuit. A Belgian court demanded Facebook stop the practice, and pre-empting the order coming through this week, the website has gone into lockdown. So for now, only visitors from Belgium that are logged-in to the platform can view Facebook pages.
Google Fit gets real-time stats and grabs data from more wearables
Just in time to outfit your holiday workout regimen, Google its updating its Fit app with a few new features. First, the activity-tracking software now provides real-time distance, steps, pace and calorie stats for your running, walking and riding workouts. When you come to a stop for some push-ups, sit-ups or squats, you can use your Android Wear device to keep a tally of your reps before adding the total to your daily activity log. Google Fit also pulls in sleep and nutrition info from other apps and fitness trackers. If you're using MyFitnessPal (and a host of others) to track meals or Sleep as Android, Xiaomi Mi Band, Mi Band 1S, Sony Smartband 2 or the Basis Peak to keep tabs on how well you're resting, you'll be able access those details for a more complete picture of your overall wellness. Looking to give it a shot? You can grab the latest version of the Android app from Google Play right here.
Loss of flight MH370 prompts UN satellite tracking agreement
Following the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 last year, the United Nations agreed to use global satellite tracking for passenger airliners. Under the terms of the deal, nations can use specific radio frequencies to monitor planes via satellite rather than solely relying on radar-driven technology on the ground. With a target of 2017, aircraft capable of sending Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) signals to the ground will also communicate with satellites to track their movements. Shortly after the MH370 tragedy, Inmarsat offered airlines free satellite tracking for more accurate location info. With this week's agreement, the UN aims to keep an eye on the 70 percent of the world's surface than the ground-based systems can't cover. In theory, the use of satellite tracking would reduce the chance of another flight disappearing without a trace. [Image credit: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images]
Facebook must stop tracking non-users in Belgium, or else
If you thought Facebook was already in hot water for its web tracking, you haven't seen anything yet. A Belgian court has given Facebook 48 hours to stop violating the country's privacy law by following non-users with a web cookie. If it doesn't, it risks fines of up to €250,000 ($269,000) per day -- it can't exactly afford to take its time. Facebook is appealing the decision and tells the BBC the cookie is needed to "keep Facebook secure," but we wouldn't count on Belgium's sympathy when it's worried about safeguarding its residents. [Image credit: AP Photo/Ezequiel Scagnetti]
FAA tests tech to spot illegal drone operators near airports
As the number of privately-owned UAVs have exploded here in the US, so too have incidents of hobbyist drones being flown too closely to airports. More than 100 incidents have been reported every month this year, up from a handful of occurrences in 2015, according to FAA deputy administrator, Michael Whitaker. To combat this trend, the Federal Aviation Administration is looking into technology that zeros in on scofflaw drone pilots by tracking their radio signals.
Verizon's customer-tracking 'supercookies' connect to AOL ads
In the last year it's become known that Verizon uses "supercookies" (aka UIDH or Relevant Mobile Advertising) to track what its mobile customers are doing, but now it's taking a step further by quietly linking that information to ads from AOL (the parent company of Engadget, which is also now owned by Verizon). According to ProPublica, the AOL ad network reaches across 40 percent of the internet, and by working with Verizon's UIDH (Unique Identifying Device Header) it can track in great detail what apps people on Verizon Wireless use and what websites they visit. Unfortunately, beyond just serving up targeted ads, the information is also unencrypted and could possibly be used by others to track you. The only good news? Verizon subscribers can opt out, which you can do by following this link or calling 1-866—211—0874.
Oceanographers invent device that tracks even the tiniest jellyfish
With barely two percent of the seafloor explored, we know a whole lot less than we'd like to about the Earth's oceans and its myriad of residents. Among the more numerous but less studied oceanic animals are soft-bodied like squid, octopi and jellyfish. However thanks to a new tracking tag technology developed at the Woods Hole Oceanic Institute, marine biologists will be able to observe these delicate denizens of the deep as they never have before.
Firefox's anti-tracking private browsing is now in beta
Last month, Mozilla released a pre-beta version of its Firefox browser featuring an overhauled Private Browsing mode, designed to block certain web elements (such as analytic tools) that track your online behavior. This experimental build, however, was mostly intended for developers. But now Mozilla is bringing these anti-tracking, privacy-focused features to more users, as it's making them available through the Firefox Beta browser on the desktop and Android. The company says it also used feedback from pre-beta testers to try a new feature within Private Browsing dubbed Tracking Protection, which will block sites from creating profiles about you across the web based on your data -- other mainstream browser's private modes don't protect that deep, according to Mozilla.
Wilson's connected basketball helps hone your skills on the court
Connected sporting goods are nothing new, and Wilson's a smart basketball that tracks every shot you take on the court is adding to the fray. The Wilson X, which was first announced last year, uses an embedded sensor to tally makes and misses in real time alongside a companion app for iOS devices While it'll only play nice with Apple gadget right now, it'll be available for Android this fall. The mobile software also offers four modes for shooting drills. There's a Buzzer Beater mode that offers the challenge of making the game-winning shot as the clock winds down, for example. Wilson says that this high-tech ball and app combo is made for shooters as it isn't designed to track shots within seven feet of the basket.
Samsung's S Health app now supports all Android phones
With an endless stream of fitness wearables hitting the market, it's easy to forget that your smartphone comes packed with sensors that can do exactly the same job. Samsung makes smartphones and smartwatches, so building a dedicated wellbeing app, known as S Health, to collate everything made complete sense. While the app hit the Play Store back in April, the company only made it available to select Galaxy handsets. Luckily, that changes today, meaning anyone with an Android device to see what it's all about.
New York City wants to track your car to save you time and money
Insurance outfits have been eager to track cars in the name of lower costs and driver safety, but it looks like even major urban centers are getting in on the action. New York City is launching a Drive Smart test program that will have 400 drivers install an OBD-II tracking device in return for a range of perks. If you get in, you'll get tips on fuel efficiency, route planning and safety based on your driving habits. You'll also receive up to a 30 percent discount on Allstate insurance if you're sufficiently cautious. Ideally, this will save both you and NYC some money, not to mention a lot of frustration -- you won't add to the city's notorious traffic congestion.
DOJ's new Stingray rules: feds need a warrant to track phones
Over the last few years, we've learned that US law enforcement agencies not only regularly use "Stingray" devices to locate suspects by their cellphones, but go to great lengths to hide this activity. After extensive reporting on the subject, the Department of Justice has established an "Enhanced Policy for Cell-Site Simulators" (PDF) detailing when they can be used by federal agencies, and how. A big part of that is the requirement that agents obtain a warrant first, except in certain cases that can include ongoing hacking attempts and people in danger of death or bodily harm. Also, they can't be used to collect communications like emails or texts at all.
