On February 26th the Federal Communications Commission voted in favor of stronger net neutrality rules. The vote reclassifies both wired and wireless broadband internet service providers (ISPs) as utilities under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934. Most of the media attention has focused on the ruling barring ISPs from blocking or prioritizing… Read More »
How Can You Fight Big Wireless Carrier Cramming?
Today, Sprint and Verizon announced that they will collectively pay out $158 million to settle customer cramming complaints. AT&T recently paid out too. But what is “cramming” and how can you be sure you are safe from it? Cramming is the term for adding an unauthorized charge on your phone bill. It’s most common on… Read More »
Safeguarding Digital Evidence on Wireless Devices
On June 25th, the US Supreme Court struck a blow for digital privacy rights by ruling that in most cases police must get a search warrant before searching a suspect’s cell phone. The court ruled unanimously on two separate cases, one involving a feature phone and the other a smartphone. There’s no question any cell… Read More »
Park And Charge Your Car In NYC
On thursday, NYC Mayor Bloomberg unveiled several city initiatives to improve the environment and health of New Yorkers. Among a proposed ban on styrofoam packaging and citywide food waste recycling plan, Bloomberg also called for the creation of 10,000 parking spaces for electric cars. The administration is quoted as saying they will “work with the… Read More »
Coffee, Tea or 3G: Cell Phone Detection Takes to the Friendly Skies
We all know the drill…”Please power off and stow away all electronic devices…”. And while most of us readily comply, that doesn’t stop some inconsiderate passengers and also many of us from accidentally leaving on our cell phones and tablets during take-off. But just what are the chances of wireless interference and is there a way to… Read More »
When The Lines of Communication Are Down
Facing yet another storm this week, we here in New Jersey are just beginning to dig ourselves out from the superstorm that was Sandy last week. Our BVS headquarters are located in Metuchen which is about the center of NJ so we were hit hard by downed trees, flying shingles and of course, no… Read More »
Amazon’s 4G Portable Shopping Portal
Amidst a slew of new hardware announcements this past Thursday, Amazon managed to slip in an interesting clue as to the ultimate destination for 4G broadband. As part of their new $499 Kindle Fire HD’s data plan, Amazon partnered with AT&T to offer an annual 4G plan for budget-minded consumers. Only $50 for a full… Read More »
A Few Rotten Apples Spoil the Bunch
Accusations are flying around regarding the supposed compromise of 12 million Apple iOS Unique Device ID’s (UDID’s) along with personal information stored on an FBI agent’s computer. Some say it was a hacked Dell notebook while other insiders speculate that cyber criminals actually gained access to a hacked iPhone. The Bureau has denied the breach… Read More »
