[CDM76]

Yup, only available on ShopBB and CrackBerry.com. Not even Amazon.

Where did you hear that ? Even BlackBerry's press release says is available in other spots, including Amazon.

"The BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition will be available through ShopBlackBerry.com in North America starting today for $549 USD. The BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition will be available through ShopBlackBerry.com in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands in the coming weeks. Amazon.com, Carphone Warehouse and Selfridges will be launching the BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition online in the next couple of weeks. Selfridges will also launch the BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition in the BlackBerry Shop at Selfridges London. Distributors in select regions will also carry the BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition in limited quantities."

Posted via CB10

[BanffMoose]

OT: More news on the Jeep hack. Chrysler and Harman International facing possible class action lawsuit:

Chrysler and Harman Hit With a Class Action Complaint After Jeep Hack

http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661...0C/story01.htm

Chrysler and Harman Hit With a Class Action Complaint After Jeep Hack

Last month�s Jeep hacking scandal has already been followed by a 1.4 million vehicle recall and a well-timed Senate bill. Now Chrysler faces that other inevitable punishment: a potentially massive lawsuit.

On Tuesday three Jeep Cherokee owners filed a complaint against both Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Harman International, the maker of the Uconnect dashboard computer in millions of Chrysler vehicles. A security flaw in that cellular-connected computer served as the entry point for security researchers Chris Valasek and Charlie Miller when they showed WIRED last month that they could wirelessly hack into a 2014 Jeep over the internet to hijack its steering, brakes and transmission. Now the small group of plaintiffs is hoping to invite anyone with those vulnerable Uconnect systems in their car or truck to join them in their litigation. If their complaint is certified by a court as a class action, the broad spectrum of affected Chrysler vehicles means it could snowball into a case with more than a million potential plaintiffs.

In their complaint against the two companies, plaintiffs Brian Flynn and George and Kelly Brown accuse Chrysler and Harman of fraud, negligence, unjust enrichment and breach of warranty. They point out that Valasek and Miller alerted Chrysler to their findings of architectural vulnerabilities in Jeep Cherokees in a paper in early 2014 that mentioned connections between the Jeep�s Internet-enabled entertainment system and its CAN Bus, the network that controls critical driving features like steering and brakes. Those connections, the plaintiffs argue, represent a serious defect in vehicles Chrysler and Harman knowingly sold to customers. �The [affected] Vehicles are defectively designed in that essential engine and safety functionality is connected to the unsecure uConnect system through the CAN bus,� their complaint reads. �uConnect should be segregated from these other critical systems. There is no good reason for this current design. The risks associated with coupling these systems far outweigh any conceivable benefit.�

In a followup email, the plaintiffs� attorney Michael Gras emphasized that the suit also seeks an injunction against the companies that would force Chrysler to stage another recall to address those architectural security claims. �There is no good reason for the same vehicle system that runs Pandora to have the capability to talk to the brakes,� Gras writes. �This is the real defect with these vehicles. Our goal with this lawsuit is to force Chrysler and Harman to conduct a proper recall where the actual issue is addressed.�

When Miller and Valasek demonstrated their full Jeep hack to WIRED last month, their attack began by exploiting a different, distinct security vulnerability in the Jeep�s Uconnect, one that also existed in 1.4 million other Chrysler vehicles ranging from Jeeps to Dodge Rams to Vipers to Chargers. Since early 2015, Miller and Valasek had worked with Chrysler to help it develop a software patch for that Uconnect issue, and the company quietly released it a week before WIRED�s story. Following the public revelation of their work, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration pressured Chrysler to stage an official recall, mailing a USB drive with a Uconnect security update to all affected vehicle owners.

But Tuesday�s filed lawsuit argues that neither Chrysler�s patch nor its recall solves the underlying problem: That Chrysler vehicles remain defective due to their more fundamental architectural vulnerabilities. �As long as the uConnect system is physically connected to the vehicles� CAN bus, the potential for vulnerability exists,� the complaint reads. �The overarching defect is a design and system architecture problem in that non-secured systems are coupled with essential engine and safety controls. This is not a software issue.�

The lawsuit doesn�t go so far as claiming that anyone has actually suffered bodily or property harm as a result of Chrysler�s and Harman�s alleged defect. Rather it argues that the plaintiffs suffered from fraud based because their defective vehicles are worth less than they believed. �A vehicle purchased, leased, or retained under the reasonable assumption that it is safe is worth more than a vehicle known to be subject to the unreasonable risk of catastrophic accident because of defects,� the complaint states, adding that �plaintiffs and Class members are subjected to a continuing increased risk of severe injury or death but for the Defendants� failure to disclose or remedy the defect.�

The plaintiffs� attorney Gras declined to estimate the total damages the lawsuit might seek against the two corporate defendants. �It�s way too early to have any idea what kind of damages the class has suffered,� he wrote to WIRED in an email. �Right now we�re just focusing on trying to make these vehicles safe.�

Harman didn�t respond to WIRED�s request for comment either, and a Chrysler spokesperson declined to comment on the complaint.

The three Jeep owners in the Illinois lawsuit appear to be the first to sue Chrysler and Harman over its Uconnect cybersecurity scandal. But with so many potentially affected Chrysler customers, there may yet be other, separate class actions launched against the automaker.

Chrysler isn�t the first car company to face such a class action over alleged cybersecurity defects. GM, Ford, and Toyota were all hit with a similar lawsuit in March of this year, based in part on earlier car hacking research by Valasek and Miller. As more revelations of connected cars� vulnerabilities appear, this car hacking class action likely won�t be the last, either.

Read the full complaint against Chrysler and Harman below.

FCA Harman Complaint

Now, question for all of you. When we wonder why/when BlackBerry will start to ask auto makers to add direct BB10 support to their cars, are we asking the wrong question? Seems we should be asking if BlackBerry is wooing companies like Harman that actually supply the infotainment systems to add BB10 support. QNX may be the underlying tech, but are they just a lower level supplier? The real work may be done by the automakers and higher level OEM suppliers like Harman. QNX may be involved directly too, but that may be through their relationship with integrators/suppliers like Harman.

Asked another way, are we incorrect in assuming BlackBerry/QNX has the direct access to auto makers to actually influence their decisions and their support of BlackBerry and BlackBerry initiatives/products? If so, BlackBerry's turnaround may take longer than 12-18 months since they have even more companies to win over and those companies are seeking solutions from other suppliers, not BlackBerry. (See my earlier post of Harman acquiring Red Bend.)

Posted via CB10

[Superfly_FR]

Where did you hear that ? Even BlackBerry's press release says is available in other spots, including Amazon.

"The BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition will be available through ShopBlackBerry.com in North America starting today for $549 USD. The BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition will be available through ShopBlackBerry.com in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands in the coming weeks. Amazon.com, Carphone Warehouse and Selfridges will be launching the BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition online in the next couple of weeks. Selfridges will also launch the BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition in the BlackBerry Shop at Selfridges London. Distributors in select regions will also carry the BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition in limited quantities."

Posted via CB10

In the next couple of weeks. Not at launch.
Evil is in details.

Posted via CB10

[bspence87]

Where did you hear that ? Even BlackBerry's press release says is available in other spots, including Amazon.

"The BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition will be available through ShopBlackBerry.com in North America starting today for $549 USD. The BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition will be available through ShopBlackBerry.com in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands in the coming weeks. Amazon.com, Carphone Warehouse and Selfridges will be launching the BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition online in the next couple of weeks. Selfridges will also launch the BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition in the BlackBerry Shop at Selfridges London. Distributors in select regions will also carry the BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition in limited quantities."

Posted via CB10

From the front page:

http://crackberry.com/order-new-blac...ee-accessories

"The BlackBerry Passport SILVER Edition here and CrackBerry is happy to be one of BlackBerry's official launch partners. In fact, CrackBerry is the only launch partner right now for the Silver Edition outside of ShopBlackBerry's own store for a limited time. "

[bungaboy]

OT: Apple Canada tells Ingram to stop selling used iPhones to Wind

Apple Canada tells Ingram to stop selling used iPhones to Wind - The Globe and Mail

"Apple Canada Inc. has demanded that Ingram Micro Inc. stop selling used iPhones in Canada after the distributor struck a deal to supply the devices to Wind Mobile Corp., according to sources.

Wind has been selling refurbished iPhone 5c and 5s models directly to its wireless customers since June. . . . "

[BACK-2-BLACK]

.

iOS, Windows Phone and BlackBerry see UK smartphone growth- The Inquirer

iOS, Windows Phone and BlackBerry see UK smartphone growth

At expense of Google's Android operating system

By Carly Page
Wed Aug 05 2015, 11:55


THE POPULARITY OF the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus has seen Apple boost its market share across Europe at the expense of Google's Android operating system.

This is the latest from analyst firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, which has revealed that iOS saw its market share in Europe grow in the second quarter.

The figures show that 34.1 percent of UK smartphone users have an Apple device, up from 28.5 percent this time last year. However, this does show a drop compared with the first quarter, when iOS had 38.1 percent of the market.

Carolina Milanesi, chief of research at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, said: "Apple iOS returned to growth across all of Europe�s 'big five' markets, recording its first year-on-year gain in France since February 2015."

This growth came largely at the expense of Android. Google's OS claimed 60.6 percent of all smartphone sales in the UK in Q2 2014, compared with 53.2 percent in 2015.

Dominic Sunnebo, business unit director at Kantar, noted: "In Europe, Android's performance was mixed, posting its strongest year-on-year share drop in Germany since the beginning of 2015.

"The size of the screen was the main purchase driver for Android buyers across all of Europe�s big five countries.

"Although screen size has grown in importance as a purchase driver since the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, iOS buyers are generally driven by a wider list of factors, such as phone reliability and durability, as well as the quality of the materials."

Microsoft has had a good year when it comes to smartphone sales in the UK, despite its multi-billion dollar Nokia write-off. Windows Phone claimed 11.3 percent of smartphone sales in the second quarter, according to Kantar, up from 9.6 percent the previous year.

In a weird twist of fate, BlackBerry also saw its share of the market increase, albeit marginally, claiming 1.2 percent of sales in Q2 2015 compared with 1.1 percent the previous year.

iOS or Android. Which do you think is the better operating system?

[rarsen]

OT from the Related Technologies and Security files:

Hackers Can Seize Control of Electric Skateboards and Toss Riders | WIRED
Researchers Create First Firmware Worm That Attacks Macs | WIRED
"It�s really hard to detect, it�s really hard to get rid of, and it�s really hard to protect against something that�s running inside the firmware. It�s the kind of attack intelligence agencies like the NSA covet."

[BACK-2-BLACK]

.

OT

New mobile wallet apps prepare for Apple Pay?s Canadian launch - The Globe and Mail

New mobile wallet apps prepare for Apple Pay�s Canadian launch

GERRIT DE VYNCK
Bloomberg News
Published Tuesday, Aug. 04, 2015 5:53PM EDT


UGO Mobile Solutions LP�s UGO, a mobile-wallet smartphone app backed by two Canadian banks, has signed up 50,000 users since December as Apple Pay becomes available in countries outside of the United States.

With UGO, consumers with credit cards from both Toronto-Dominion Bank and President�s Choice Financial can pay for things by tapping their smartphone on a wireless terminal at retail stores. The app also stores loyalty cards.

UGO and Suretap, a mobile-wallet service with backing from the country�s largest wireless carriers, including Rogers Communications Inc., are working to sign up customers as the prospect of Apple Pay coming to Canada looms over the market. Apple Inc. has already expanded the mobile-payments service to the U.K., and is expected to introduce it in Canada this year, Meny Grauman, an analyst with Cormark Securities Inc., said in a July 9 note to clients.

UGO chief executive officer Alec Morley said the company is on track to serve 100,000 unique users with 250,000 cards by the end of the year.

�We in fact just passed the halfway mark on both accounts,� Mr. Morley said in an interview.

The UGO app is available on any smartphone, but only users with the Android operating system or BlackBerry Ltd. devices can use it for payments. Canadian consumers with Apple�s iPhones can only use the UGO app for storing loyalty cards. UGO plans to add more credit cards and loyalty programs to the app in the coming months, Morley said.

UGO doesn�t charge users, card issuers or merchants for processing payments through the app. The focus right now is to increase the number of users, Mr. Morley said.

�You earn the right over time to be able to charge for services, and I think there are so many different possibilities there,� Mr. Morley said.

Those could include anything from on-screen advertisements to taking a cut of the revenue that merchants get from offers and promotions they send to users on the app.

Toronto-Dominion, Canada�s largest credit-card issuer according to the industry newsletter Nilson Report, started UGO to keep up with and learn about the move to using mobile phones for banking and payments, Morley said.

�You need to get your hands a bit dirty and figure out how that�s playing out,� he said. �There�s a whole lot of opportunity in this space.� Mr. Morley declined to say how much Toronto-Dominion and President�s Choice invested in UGO.

Apple Pay debuted in the United States last September and in the U.K. last month. The Wall Street Journal reported in April that Apple is planning to bring the service to Canada in November.

�We see a world, in Canada at least, where there will be a number of wallets,� Mr. Morley said. Canadians already trust banks to keep their money safe, so the connection to Toronto-Dominion and President�s Choice is an advantage for UGO, he said. �We welcome the competition.�

[Shanerredflag]

OT: More news on the Jeep hack. Chrysler and Harman International facing possible class action lawsuit:

Chrysler and Harman Hit With a Class Action Complaint After Jeep Hack

http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661...0C/story01.htm



Now, question for all of you. When we wonder why/when BlackBerry will start to ask auto makers to add direct BB10 support to their cars, are we asking the wrong question? Seems we should be asking if BlackBerry is wooing companies like Harman that actually supply the infotainment systems to add BB10 support. QNX may be the underlying tech, but are they just a lower level supplier? The real work may be done by the automakers and higher level OEM suppliers like Harman. QNX may be involved directly too, but that may be through their relationship with integrators/suppliers like Harman.

Asked another way, are we incorrect in assuming BlackBerry/QNX has the direct access to auto makers to actually influence their decisions and their support of BlackBerry and BlackBerry initiatives/products? If so, BlackBerry's turnaround may take longer than 12-18 months since they have even more companies to win over and those companies are seeking solutions from other suppliers, not BlackBerry. (See my earlier post of Harman acquiring Red Bend.)

Posted via CB10

Great posts sir...I am not certain QNX/BB is wooing Harmon...appears Harmon needs the QNX nutrino in their system and hence his comment of having secured access to the source code for 20 years.
I think it's great news QNX was not included in the Class Action...to me the real question should be: "If QNX isn't included in fiduciary responsibilities concerning lawsuits, has QNX just become more valuable?"

Classically Posted.

[BACK-2-BLACK]

DOTmed.com - Hackable infusion pumps, a closer look

Hackable infusion pumps, a closer look

August 04, 2015
by Thomas Dworetzky , Contributing Reporter


Like something out of Mission Impossible, hackers can a alter drug pump's programming, potentially killing patients by overdosing them at a distance � from anywhere in the hospital, or even beyond.

"Hospira and an independent researcher confirmed that Hospira�s Symbiq Infusion System could be accessed remotely through a hospital�s network. This could allow an unauthorized user to control the device and change the dosage the pump delivers, which could lead to over- or under-infusion of critical patient therapies," The FDA stated in its safety alert July 31.
At present, no adverse events or actual unauthorized access to the infusion system has been reported, according to the agency. Hospira has discontinued making and distributing the system.

At present, no adverse events or actual unauthorized access to the infusion system has been reported, according to the agency. Hospira has discontinued making and distributing the system.

At issue is the so-called "Internet of things," according to BlackBerry Chief Security Officer David Kleidermacher and Security Expert Graham Murphy. In a YouTube video of their presentation at the BlackBerry Security Summit 2015, they showed just how simple it was to hack an infusion pump � using the built in Ethernet hack at the back of the pump, with the help of the device's manual, which provided the fixed IP address that let Murphy break into it. To make matters worse, Murphy was even able to hack into the WiFi on the pump, so that he could control it remotely.

Worse yet, having succeeded in breaking into the pump, Murphy showed how a hacker would also have been able to access, explore and possibly take over other parts of the no-longer-so-secure hospital's care network, to which the device was attached.

Cybersecurity expert Billy Rios first spotted the flaw in 2014. On June 8, he described the sequence of events leading up to the FDA alert on his website:

"In May of 2014, I reported to the Department of Homeland Security (and eventually the FDA) a series of vulnerabilities affecting the PCA 3 Lifecare infusion pump made by Hospira. Over 400 days later, we have yet to see a single fix for the issues affecting the PCA 3. On April 28th of this year, a researcher named Jeremy Richards of Hextech Security publicly disclosed many of the same vulnerabilities I reported in May of 2014."

The public disclosure caused a chain of events including the publishing of a cybersecurity safety advisory from the FDA.

Hospira reported to the BBC that it had been investigating the problem with the Department of Homeland Security and FDA "for some time," adding, "we will continue to investigate any feedback we receive on our devices. We will also continue to communicate with customers regarding cybersecurity, and software and infusion pump updates and/or enhancements."

A new version of its LifeCare Infusion System has also been submitted to the FDA for approval, which according to Homeland Security would "mitigate" flaws in the software that allowed the hacking, according to the news organization.

Rios added that this single pump may not be the only Hospira product with hacking problems. "What I found was very interesting, many of Hospira�s infusion pumps utilize identical software on their infusion pumps' communications module, making them vulnerable to the exact same security issues associated with the PCA 3.

Rios provided a list of Hospira infusion pumps that he states he has "verified to be affected by the issues in the DHS and FDA advisory," the same ones disclosed by researcher Jeremy Richards in April. They are:

PCA 3 Lifecare (mentioned in the FDA advisory)
PCA 5 Lifecare (mentioned in the FDA advisory)
Plum A+ Infusion Pumps
PCA Lifecare
Symbiq (no longer sold by Hospira, but affected)

Additionally, Rios also suspects but hasn't verified, that other pumps may have the same problems. These include:

Plum A+3; Plum 360; Sapphire; Sapphire Plus

[bspence87]

Found this on StockTwits. Maybe the result of them obtaining those Android domains?

http://el.blackberry.com/androidsecured#/android

[rarsen]

OT from the Related Technologies files:

Apple (AAPL) Gets a Downgrade For These 6 Reasons - TheStreet
"For the past 11 days, shares of Apple (AAPL - Get Report) have fallen more than 13%, sparking concerns"
"The world's largest company by market capitalization, have fallen to their lowest price in six months, a drop of more than 14% since the company reported earnings last month."

[BACK-2-BLACK]

.
OT


Silent Circle chief scientist talks up Blackphone's credentials

Silent Circle chief scientist talks up Blackphone�s credentials
5 Aug 2015


VIDEO INTERVIEW: When it comes to enterprise mobility, �it�s not only the product itself, but it�s the name and the confidence of who is building it� that is key to success, claims Javier Aguera, chief scientist with Blackphone maker Silent Circle.

With the second-generation Blackphone set for launch later this year � no specific details of a timeline have been given beyond �the second half of 2015,� although a source close to the firm told Mobile World Live it could be September � the company finds itself up against some tough and established competitors.

But former Geeksphone founder Aguera said that the presence among its ranks of Phil Zimmermann, creator of PGP email encryption and the Zfone/ZRTP secure VoIP technology, and Jon Callas, who has co-authored a number of security systems, sets it apart.

�When you are going to government, you are going to enterprises, that matters as much as the product itself, because they need to be confident that the people that build it build it with the right purpose,� he said.

As with enterprise-oriented rivals such as BlackBerry, Silent Circle also supports devices powered by other platforms. �If you are a big enterprise you have a hundred thousand employees that already have iPhones and other Android devices. We cannot expect them to change their whole infrastructure in one day,� he said.

To this end, it offers its Silent Suite applications, which deliver secure calls, video chats, texts, file transfers and contact storage.

[zyben]

MobileIron Wins Jury Verdict in Clean Sweep

"MobileIron (MOBL), the leader in mobile enterprise security, today announced a very favorable jury verdict in its patent case with Good Technology."

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/mobile...113000415.html

[Bilaal]

"There was also a marginal increase for BlackBerry which had 1.2 per cent of sales in Q2 2015, compared with 1.1 per cent the previous year."



Read more: http://www.itproportal.com/2015/08/0...#ixzz3hxMpJvmW

Posted via CB10

[zyben]

How this Smart Hospital is Working Secure with BlackBerry [Pictures, Video]



How this Smart Hospital is Working Secure with BlackBerry [Pictures, Video] | Inside BlackBerry for Business Blog

[BACK-2-BLACK]

.


PlayBooks still around !!


Youths arrested following crime spree - Longford Leader

Youths arrested following crime spree

Two youths were arrested in Longford town during the early hours of Saturday morning last in connection with a number of incidents in the locality over recent days.


The pair are believed to be connected to an aggravated burglary in the Harbour Point area shortly after 10pm on Wednesday, July 29.

Two people entered a residence and threatened the occupant before escaping with an Xbox 360 gaming console.

Garda� also questioned the same two suspects in relation to a break-in at St Michael�s National School on St Mel�s Road the following night, as well as �1,000-worth of criminal damage to a parking meter near the Camlin Court apartment complex sometime between 6pm and 9am on the night of July 29-30.

The two juveniles were arrested shortly after 12am on Saturday following an incident which occurred at approximatley 8.50pm the previous evening where two teenagers had a mobile phone taken from them along the Canal Walk, while one of the victims was also assaulted.

One of the suspects was later released, while the other appeared before a special sitting of Longford District Court on Sunday and was remanded in custody before appearing again before a sitting of Mullingar District Court yesterday (Tuesday). A file has been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosections.

Separately, garda� are appealing for witnesses after a house was broken into and ransacked sometime between 9am and 4pm on Friday, July 31.

Garda� are also investigating the theft of an Ifor Williams beavertail trailer from a house at Knockmartin sometime between 1am and 8am on Wednesday, July 29.

Officers are also appealing for the public�s help after a vehicle was broken into on Earl Street in Longford town sometime between 12am and 10am on Saturday, August 1. A Blackberry tablet was stolen during the incident.

�We�d like to remind members of the public not to leave valuable items in their cars overnight,� a Garda spokesperson said.

Anyone with information regarding any of these crimes is asked to contact Longford Garda Station on 043 33 50570 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.

[BACK-2-BLACK]

.

Wonder what BB special software they are referring to ???

Magyar Telekom introduces e-signature in its shops - Telecompaper

Magyar Telekom introduces e-signature in its shops

Wednesday 5 August 2015 | 11:48 CET | News


Hungarian operator Magyar Telekom is innovating personal customer service by introducing e-signature in its shops. The e-signature terminals equipped with tablets are already operating in selected branches and the company will gradually implement electronic administration by placing these devices in its entire chain by the end of the year. The electronically recorded signatures make customer service simpler, quicker and smoother, and considerably reduce the amount of printed documents, the work time and costs of printing, filing and storing them.

Documents are created electronically and displayed on a tablet powered by special software. Customers may review and then sign them with a special stylus pen recording biometric identifiers, too. The MobilSign application was developed by Profitrade and Samsungdelivered the special tablets, operated by BlackBerry software

[W Hoa]

BlackBerry's Next Move: Securing IoT

A day spent at BlackBerry's security summit reveals BlackBerry's future may lie in a pivot to securing the Internet of Things.

So BlackBerry's acquisition plan appears to have gelled. It now has perhaps the best secure real time OS for smart devices, a hardened device-independent Mobile Device Management backbone, new data-centric privacy and rights management technology, remote certificate management, and multilayered emergency communications services that can be diffused into mission critical rules based M2M messaging. It's a powerful portfolio that makes strong sense in the Internet of Things.

BlackBerry's Next Move: Securing IoT | ZDNet

[BACK-2-BLACK]

The BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition:
A Deep Dive with BlackBerry Product Expert, Sarah Jacobs

[rarsen]

OT from the Related Technologies files. Another among several regularly identified hacking experiences, far too many where the implications of being hacked hasn't gelled yet -- should wake up eventually from the pain to the need for secure smartphones and systems!

OwnStar: Unlock and track any GM OnStar connected car for $100 | ZDNet

[zyben]

Some good news from South Africa via UTB:

BlackBerry Classic Sales Triple At South African Carrier

"Although BlackBerry is still very popular in South Africa, the numbers are small internationally. That said, the BlackBerry Classic has done very well � shipping triple the amount this quarter compared to the last quarter of 2014 when it launched."

UTB Blogs - BlackBerry Classic Sales Triple At South African Carrier

The original release from Vodacom:

World's top operating systems - Vodacom now!

[BanffMoose]

Great posts sir...I am not certain QNX/BB is wooing Harmon...appears Harmon needs the QNX nutrino in their system and hence his comment of having secured access to the source code for 20 years.

I think it's great news QNX was not included in the Class Action...to me the real question should be: "If QNX isn't included in fiduciary responsibilities concerning lawsuits, has QNX just become more valuable?"

But Harman's CEO specifically stated that Harman was moving to be OS agnostic and beginning to work with Linux (most likely the GENIVI automotive platform or Tesla's Linux system), Android and Windows. They have access to QNX's source code for the next 20 years (as of 2012) so they aren't dependent on BlackBerry's survival or their ability to innovate.

As far as we know, BlackBerry/QNX hasn't been named as culpable or partially culpable in any of the hacks (Jeep or OnStar). Knock on wood and cross your fingers. But I don't think that makes them more valuable. If QNX somehow prevents or limits intrusions despite the most egregious attempts to write really unsecure code, that might prove valuable.

To use a house analogy (because a car analogy involving car hacking wouldn't be appropriate), QNX is like the cement company supplying the foundation. It works, and it works great. It enables Harman and other Tier 1 suppliers to provide doors, wood, plumbing, etc. to help the home builder (in this case Fiat/Chrysler) to build a state-of-the-art home. But let's say a Tier 1 supplier used balsa wood for the frame and then someone intentionally drove a car through the living room and the house collapses. The home builder and the Tier1 supplier would be culpable for the house collapsing because using balsa wood for the frame was down right negligent. This wouldn't make the cement company's cement more valuable just because the foundation didn't crack.

Now, if the cement company's could show the Tier1 supplier and home builder how to use the cement to prevent cars from crashing into a house (like using the cement for spikes or barriers), then that might prove to be more valuable in the future. But not if there are other cement companies that can offer the same thing.

Circling back to my concern, if Harman uses Red Bend Software to do Firmware Over the Air updates, when BlackBerry/QNX/Project Ion can do the same. That is a big problem. If car companies rely more on Harman than they do QNX/BlackBerry, then QNX/BlackBerry aren't in a strong position to push other QNX/BlackBerry products/services. QNX/BlackBerry have to convince both the Harman and the car company to use QNX/BlackBerry. Otherwise, Harman will use whatever they feel like.

Based on the QNX blogs over the years, it seems QNX focuses on providing a highly reliable foundation and BlackBerry seems to be focusing on making that foundation secure. What BlackBerry needs to demonstrate is how they can make everything built on top of their foundation not only reliable, but also secure. All these hacks will hopefully make BlackBerry/QNX a more valuable player, but only if BlackBerry have the tools to help secure the stuff built on top of the foundation they provide.

[rarsen]

OT -- My apologies if this was already posted, regarding another Critical Vulnerability in Apple App Store

Critical vulnerability in Apple App Store, iTunes revealed | ZDNet

[Glenn Biddle]

But Harman's CEO specifically stated that Harman was moving to be OS agnostic and beginning to work with Linux (most likely the GENIVI automotive platform or Tesla's Linux system), Android and Windows. They have access to QNX's source code for the next 20 years (as of 2012) so they aren't dependent on BlackBerry's survival or their ability to innovate.

As far as we know, BlackBerry/QNX hasn't been named as culpable or partially culpable in any of the hacks (Jeep or OnStar). Knock on wood and cross your fingers. But I don't think that makes them more valuable. If QNX somehow prevents or limits intrusions despite the most egregious attempts to write really unsecure code, that might prove valuable.

To use a house analogy (because a car analogy involving car hacking wouldn't be appropriate), QNX is like the cement company supplying the foundation. It works, and it works great. It enables Harman and other Tier 1 suppliers to provide doors, wood, plumbing, etc. to help the home builder (in this case Fiat/Chrysler) to build a state-of-the-art home. But let's say a Tier 1 supplier used balsa wood for the frame and then someone intentionally drove a car through the living room and the house collapses. The home builder and the Tier1 supplier would be culpable for the house collapsing because using balsa wood for the frame was down right negligent. This wouldn't make the cement company's cement more valuable just because the foundation didn't crack.

Now, if the cement company's could show the Tier1 supplier and home builder how to use the cement to prevent cars from crashing into a house (like using the cement for spikes or barriers), then that might prove to be more valuable in the future. But not if there are other cement companies that can offer the same thing.

Circling back to my concern, if Harman uses Red Bend Software to do Firmware Over the Air updates, when BlackBerry/QNX/Project Ion can do the same. That is a big problem. If car companies rely more on Harman than they do QNX/BlackBerry, then QNX/BlackBerry aren't in a strong position to push other QNX/BlackBerry products/services. QNX/BlackBerry have to convince both the Harman and the car company to use QNX/BlackBerry. Otherwise, Harman will use whatever they feel like.

Based on the QNX blogs over the years, it seems QNX focuses on providing a highly reliable foundation and BlackBerry seems to be focusing on making that foundation secure. What BlackBerry needs to demonstrate is how they can make everything built on top of their foundation not only reliable, but also secure. All these hacks will hopefully make BlackBerry/QNX a more valuable player, but only if BlackBerry have the tools to help secure the stuff built on top of the foundation they provide.

Or you could just build the house out of cement.

Posted via CB10