Founder & Editor-in-Chief - Christian Computing Magazine

special feature
Mobile Computing Breakthroughs:
Good News or Raised Concerns?
By Steve Hewitt
Much is happening in the area of mobile computing. In just a few short
weeks, Apple has sold over 3 million iPhone 3G units. This week T-
Mobile has announced that they will be the first wireless provider to
market a phone with Google’s Android. What do these two phones have in common?
First, they have Google Mobile with the “My Location” feature. Having the
ability to search the Internet via your smart phone is nice, but adding the ability
for the search engine to know WHERE you are, opens many doors, some of them
fantastic, some of them a bit scary. What is important to note is that Yahoo has
realized the value of what Google pioneered, and has just announced they are adding
“Fire Eagle” as one of their latest features. Fire Eagle gives users of Yahoo the
ability to report their location. Why would a user of Yahoo want to opt to report
their location? First let’s go back and look at what Google Mobile with “My Location”
is presently doing on smart phones.
I just purchased an iPhone 3G for my wife and myself,
knew where I was located at that moment, and where
and have been enjoying many of the applications the library was located, I could touch a link to have a
that I can download (more on this in a bit). Recently I map display showing me driving directions from where
needed access to a book and drove approximately 20 I was at that moment, to the library. It also listed the
miles to my local Borders. However, I learned that the phone number, which I could simply touch, and my
book I needed was not for sale at that location. It occurred
iPhone placed the call. Very cool…unless…
to me that the book I needed has been published It should be obvious that privacy experts will be
for a while and it might be available at a library. I didn’t concerned with the ability for anyone to know your
need to keep the book, but wanted to check a reference. location. Of course, since I am a law abiding citizen, I
Grabbing my iPhone, I touched the Google Mobile icon really don’t expect law enforcement to get a subpoena
to do a search. However, the first thing that happened from a judge to force AT&T, Apple or Google to reveal
was a pop-up that asked me if I was willing to share my my location. But what if a hacker figures out how to
location with Google. I didn’t have any reason to hide infect my iPhone with a Trojan horse program that activates
where I was, so I pushed the “yes” button. When I typed
the “my location” feature and sends the informa-
in “library” to do a search, something cool happened. tion about my present location to someone that might
Google search results immediately listed libraries that not have my best interest at heart. For example, maybe
were closest to my location. Even better, the results someone would like to know that I am traveling and not
had two features that were very handy. Because Google at home. Of course, I am a firm believer that you should
Christian Computing® Magazine August 200815