watch out all you AT&T iphone tetherers!
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Interesting goings-on over in AT&T land today, with the US carrier seemingly going after jailbreaking iPhone users.
As ModMyi is reporting, AT&T customers who are using a jailbreak solution to obtain free tethering are beginning to receive SMS and email communications informing them they will need to pay a tethering fee if they wish to continue using the service.
Posted Image
What people are finding a little scary is the way AT&T knows that users are using tethering at all. It was assumed that bits were bits, and carriers wouldn???t have any real way to know a user was tethering using an app such as MiWi. Turns out we were all wrong.
AT&T also followed up with the following email to their customers:
Dear [Customer],
We???ve noticed your service plan may need updating.
Many AT&T customers use their smartphones as a broadband connection for other devices, like laptops, netbooks or other smartphones??? a practice commonly known as tethering. Tethering can be an efficient way for our customers to enjoy the benefits of AT&T???s mobile broadband network and use more than one device to stay in touch with important people and information. To take advantage of this feature, we require that in addition to a data plan, you also have a tethering plan.
Our records show that you use this capability, but are not subscribed to our tethering plan.
If you would like to continue tethering, please log into
your account online at Cell Phones and Cell Phone Plans ??? Wireless from AT&T, or call us
at 1-888-860-6789 Monday ??? Friday, 7 a.m. ??? 9 p.m. CST
or Saturday, 8 a.m. ??? 7 p.m. CST, by March 27, 2011
to sign up for DataPro 4GB for Smartphone Tethering.
Here are details on the plan:
DataPro 4GB for Smartphone Tethering
??? $45 per month
(this gives you 4GB in total, combining both your smartphone data plan for $25 and the tethering feature, $20)
??? $10 per each additional GB thereafter, added automatically as needed
??? Mobile Hotspot capabilities are included for compatible Smartphones
If we don???t hear from you, we???ll plan to automatically enroll you into DataPro 4GB afterMarch 27, 2011. The new plan ??? whether you sign up on your own or we automatically enroll you ??? will replace your current smartphone data plan, including if you are on an unlimited data plan.
If you discontinue tethering, no changes to your current plan will be required.
It???s easy to track your usage throughout the month so there are no bill surprises. For example, we send you free text messages when you reach 65, 90, and 100 percent of your plan???s threshold. If you would like to monitor your account more closely, go towww.att.com/dataplans to learn about other ways to track your data usage.
As a reminder, our smartphone data plans also include unlimited usage of Wi-Fi at no additional charge. AT&T smartphone customers can use Wi-Fi at home or on-the-go at any one of our more than 23,000 U.S. hotspots already included in your data plan.
Thank you for bringing your account up to date. We appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve your mobile broadband needs.
Sincerely,
AT&T
So, the gist of it is this ??? if you really have to tether, just pay for it. If you don???t, AT&T will make you anyway!
How about that latest commercial. I am not appreciating that tone in the slightest! "If you don't have an iPhone, you don't have an iPhone." How about this: Fuck you.
How about that latest commercial. I am not appreciating that tone in the slightest! "If you don't have an iPhone, you don't have an iPhone." How about this: Fuck you.
How about that latest commercial. I am not appreciating that tone in the slightest! "If you don't have an iPhone, you don't have an iPhone." How about this: Fuck you.
Ha... totally. I was anti Apple for the longest time because of those stupid I'm a Mac, I'm a PC commercials.
I'm a Mac.
Oh yeah? Well you're also a smug prick.
But then I caved and got an iPhone, and now... I have an iPhone (Apple fan boy rel)
I believe those commercials you're hating on are the work of AT&T or Verizon. I forget which one, but it's one of them saying if you don't have it on our network it's not the same. I believe it's ATT because they allow you to surf the web and use the phone. Apples commercials have a distinctly different feel.
Yes, Mac attitude has gotten a little smug, but they still make good shit. (paging pc dudes who will say it's overpriced)
The Michigan State Police have started using handheld machines called "extraction devices" to download personal information from motorists they pull over, even if they're not suspected of any crime. Naturally, the ACLU has a problem with this.
The devices, sold by a company called Cellebrite, can download text messages, photos, video, and even GPS data from most brands of cell phones. The handheld machines have various interfaces to work with different models and can even bypass security passwords and access some information.
The problem as the ACLU sees it, is that accessing a citizen's private phone information when there's no probable cause creates a violation of the Constitution's 4th Amendment, which protects us against unreasonable searches and seizures.
To that end, it's petitioning the MSP to turn over information about its use of the devices under the Freedom of Information Act. The MSP said it's happy to comply, that is, if the ACLU provides them with a processing fee in excess of $500,000.
"A US Department of Justice test of the CelleBrite UFED used by Michigan police found the device could grab all of the photos and video off of an iPhone within one-and-a-half minutes. The device works with 3000 different phone models and can even defeat password protections.
Complete extraction of existing, hidden, and deleted phone data, including call history, text messages, contacts, images, and geotags," a CelleBrite brochure explains regarding the device's capabilities. "The Physical Analyzer allows visualization of both existing and deleted locations on Google Earth. In addition, location information from GPS devices and image geotags can be mapped on Google Maps." http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/34/3458.asp
The Michigan State Police have started using handheld machines called "extraction devices" to download personal information from motorists they pull over, even if they're not suspected of any crime. Naturally, the ACLU has a problem with this.
The devices, sold by a company called Cellebrite, can download text messages, photos, video, and even GPS data from most brands of cell phones. The handheld machines have various interfaces to work with different models and can even bypass security passwords and access some information.
The problem as the ACLU sees it, is that accessing a citizen's private phone information when there's no probable cause creates a violation of the Constitution's 4th Amendment, which protects us against unreasonable searches and seizures.
To that end, it's petitioning the MSP to turn over information about its use of the devices under the Freedom of Information Act. The MSP said it's happy to comply, that is, if the ACLU provides them with a processing fee in excess of $500,000.
"A US Department of Justice test of the CelleBrite UFED used by Michigan police found the device could grab all of the photos and video off of an iPhone within one-and-a-half minutes. The device works with 3000 different phone models and can even defeat password protections.
Complete extraction of existing, hidden, and deleted phone data, including call history, text messages, contacts, images, and geotags," a CelleBrite brochure explains regarding the device's capabilities. "The Physical Analyzer allows visualization of both existing and deleted locations on Google Earth. In addition, location information from GPS devices and image geotags can be mapped on Google Maps." http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/34/3458.asp
Wait a minute...
the police can demand motorists to hand over their cellphones and then extract (all) data from them? How can this be legally possible? How can you be obliged to hand over your cellphone without a warrant?
Apple is going to be in very hot water about the location detector issue over in Germany. The krauts are extremely serious about privacy protection and they're going to make them pay. There's already talk about threatening them with seizing assets to force a mass re-call of iphones to disable automatic tracking.
I hate cellphones. The last business cards I had printed up don't even have a phone number on them, just an email address.
Mental note, when in Michigan, buy a cheap pre-paid cell phone with a bunch of made up contacts and a few innocuous calls/texts in it to hand over to cops as a decoy to hand over to police if you get pulled over.
Apple are control freaks. I got that vibe with ITunes.
They can't just sell handy appliances and software, they have to try to weave in some kind of outright dependancy on their schitt so you're locked in for life. Yeah, its a great business approach to sustainable profit, but all I see it as is greed and it puts me right off buying into any of it.
I'd like to see them get overtaken by a rival who actually allows cross-compatibility for their customers, as opposed to paranoid counter measures against free-will.
In response to a request by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the U.S. Copyright Office explicitly recognized an exemption to the DMCA to permit jailbreaking in order to allow iPhone owners to use their phones with applications that are not available from Apple's store, and to unlock their iPhones for use with unapproved carriers.
Apple had previously filed comments opposing this exemption and indicated that they did consider jailbreaking to be a violation of copyright (and by implication prosecutable under the DMCA). Apple's request to define copyright law to include jailbreaking as a violation was denied as part of the 2009 DMCA rulemaking. In their ruling, the Library of Congress affirmed on July, 26, 2010 that jailbreaking is exempt from DMCA rules with respect to circumventing digital locks.
This exemption must be reviewed and renewed every three years or else it will expire.
As of July 26, 2010, The U.S. Copyright Office has approved exemptions to the DMCA that allow iDevice users to Jailbreak their devices legally. These exemptions also allow phone users to unlock their phone in order to switch carriers.
It is still possible Apple may employ technical countermeasures to prevent jailbreaking or prevent jailbroken phones from functioning, but they will not be able to sue users who jailbreak.
$5.99 billion in net profit last quarter... they're certainly doing something right
Well, following your logic I guess Mexican drug cartels must be some extremely righteous enterprises then?
I have never owned a non-apple computer but these fuckers are behaving like Scientology. I'm going to go PC with the upcoming purchase of a new computer, which has been long overdue because I was so indecisive about this. If only I wouldn't hate windows so much with all those useless applications automatically opening up and shit but damn... fuck you, steve jobs!
$5.99 billion in net profit last quarter... they're certainly doing something right
Well, following your logic I guess Mexican drug cartels must be some extremely righteous enterprises then?
I have never owned a non-apple computer but these fuckers are behaving like Scientology. I'm going to go PC with the upcoming purchase of a new computer, which has been long overdue because I was so indecisive about this. If only I wouldn't hate windows so much with all those useless applications automatically opening up and shit but damn... fuck you, steve jobs!
Oh yeah, I forgot what website I was on there for a second... My comment was solely out of amazement that they are able to continue that level of business success quarter over quarter, year over year... nothing to do with their practices or ethics. I don't involve myself in those conversations on Sensitive Smug Strut because they go nowhere. Continue basking in the smell of your own farts.
I have never owned a non-apple computer but these fuckers are behaving like Scientology. I'm going to go PC with the upcoming purchase of a new computer, which has been long overdue because I was so indecisive about this. If only I wouldn't hate windows so much with all those useless applications automatically opening up and shit but damn... fuck you, steve jobs!
The dude is seriously the face of Big Brother. It blows my mind that all of these slack-jawed techno-geeks hang all over him like he's a prophet.
As someone at work pointed out earlier when discussing this, do you REALLY think that all of those GOOGLE ANDROID -run smartphones dont do the exact same thing too?
As someone at work pointed out earlier when discussing this, do you REALLY think that all of those GOOGLE ANDROID -run smartphones dont do the exact same thing too?
Android caches the last 50 location spots as opposed to apple caching them all.
Mental note, when in Michigan, buy a cheap pre-paid cell phone with a bunch of made up contacts and a few innocuous calls/texts in it to hand over to cops as a decoy to hand over to police if you get pulled over.
I have never owned a cell phone.....and I really don't think my life is any worse off for it.....maybe actually better off.
how is life living off of the grid?
I'll tell you...
I'm not that jack-ass who is weaving from lane to lane while checking his fantasy football stats on his I-Phone.
I'm not that douchebag who is conversing at 300 decibels at the Post Office talking about the hot chick I wanna bang.
I'm not the self centered idiot who interrupts dinner by taking meaningless phone calls 5 times during a meal.
I'm not so important that people have to be able to reach me on the phone 24/7
I'm not so self-important that I think people have to be able to reach me on the phone 24/7
I have an answering machine at my office and another at my home.
I know how to change a flat tire
I know how to read a map.
What am I missing out on?
here are just a few...
1. any type of emergency situation that you get into where you are not either at your office or at your home. calling 911, a tow truck, your wife, lawyer, etc. there are a million emergency scenarios where having a cell phone helps, don't kid yourself.
2. any type of emergency situation that your loved ones get into where they attempt to call you but you are not at your desk or at your home.
3. anytime you want to make a call when you are not at your home or your office. have you not had to deal with this yet? do you carry buckets of quarters in your car to use whatever payphones still exist? do you not travel?
yes, people got along without cell phones for thousands of years, but the same could be said for indoor plumbing, electricity and modern medicine. why do i need to use light bulbs? there is plenty of light during the day.
i have never owned a cellphone but am looking to start a family and it seems inevitable
but i think i could continue living perfectly well (actually better even)
everytime i need to call someone or set up a meeting it is anoying,
but everytime no one can annoy me and i am not constantly texting is also good
i personally believe not having a cell hurts your chances at getting a job now a days
I was at a Trade Show recently and there was a company who had a product that their marketing literature stated "Every Driver Should Own One"........it was a tool that you keep in your glovebox and the retail cost was $29.95.
It was an amazing tool....it had a hammer head at one end to break out the glass of your window so you could escape in case you drove into a waterway and your car was sinking....it had a knife so you could cut your seatbelt off in case you were in a wreck and had to escape but couldn't unhook the seatbelt......and it had a laser pointer in case you drove off the road, were stuck in your car and had to try to get the attention of passer-bys or helicopters.
Yeah, I'm not buying one of those either....
But if it had a way for me to contact my lawyer, then I might consider it.
i have never owned a cellphone but am looking to start a family and it seems inevitable
but i think i could continue living perfectly well (actually better even)
everytime i need to call someone or set up a meeting it is anoying,
but everytime no one can annoy me and i am not constantly texting is also good
i personally believe not having a cell hurts your chances at getting a job now a days
My wife and kids all have cell phones.....I have used them on occasion.....convenient, yes....necessary, hardly.
barjesus
872 Posts
Comments
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Interesting goings-on over in AT&T land today, with the US carrier seemingly going after jailbreaking iPhone users.
As ModMyi is reporting, AT&T customers who are using a jailbreak solution to obtain free tethering are beginning to receive SMS and email communications informing them they will need to pay a tethering fee if they wish to continue using the service.
Posted Image
What people are finding a little scary is the way AT&T knows that users are using tethering at all. It was assumed that bits were bits, and carriers wouldn???t have any real way to know a user was tethering using an app such as MiWi. Turns out we were all wrong.
AT&T also followed up with the following email to their customers:
Dear [Customer],
We???ve noticed your service plan may need updating.
Many AT&T customers use their smartphones as a broadband connection for other devices, like laptops, netbooks or other smartphones??? a practice commonly known as tethering. Tethering can be an efficient way for our customers to enjoy the benefits of AT&T???s mobile broadband network and use more than one device to stay in touch with important people and information. To take advantage of this feature, we require that in addition to a data plan, you also have a tethering plan.
Our records show that you use this capability, but are not subscribed to our tethering plan.
If you would like to continue tethering, please log into
your account online at Cell Phones and Cell Phone Plans ??? Wireless from AT&T, or call us
at 1-888-860-6789 Monday ??? Friday, 7 a.m. ??? 9 p.m. CST
or Saturday, 8 a.m. ??? 7 p.m. CST, by March 27, 2011
to sign up for DataPro 4GB for Smartphone Tethering.
Here are details on the plan:
DataPro 4GB for Smartphone Tethering
??? $45 per month
(this gives you 4GB in total, combining both your smartphone data plan for $25 and the tethering feature, $20)
??? $10 per each additional GB thereafter, added automatically as needed
??? Mobile Hotspot capabilities are included for compatible Smartphones
If we don???t hear from you, we???ll plan to automatically enroll you into DataPro 4GB afterMarch 27, 2011. The new plan ??? whether you sign up on your own or we automatically enroll you ??? will replace your current smartphone data plan, including if you are on an unlimited data plan.
If you discontinue tethering, no changes to your current plan will be required.
It???s easy to track your usage throughout the month so there are no bill surprises. For example, we send you free text messages when you reach 65, 90, and 100 percent of your plan???s threshold. If you would like to monitor your account more closely, go towww.att.com/dataplans to learn about other ways to track your data usage.
As a reminder, our smartphone data plans also include unlimited usage of Wi-Fi at no additional charge. AT&T smartphone customers can use Wi-Fi at home or on-the-go at any one of our more than 23,000 U.S. hotspots already included in your data plan.
Thank you for bringing your account up to date. We appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve your mobile broadband needs.
Sincerely,
AT&T
So, the gist of it is this ??? if you really have to tether, just pay for it. If you don???t, AT&T will make you anyway!
:comedy_gold:
Ha... totally. I was anti Apple for the longest time because of those stupid I'm a Mac, I'm a PC commercials.
I'm a Mac.
Oh yeah? Well you're also a smug prick.
But then I caved and got an iPhone, and now... I have an iPhone (Apple fan boy rel)
Yes, Mac attitude has gotten a little smug, but they still make good shit. (paging pc dudes who will say it's overpriced)
Wait a minute...
the police can demand motorists to hand over their cellphones and then extract (all) data from them? How can this be legally possible? How can you be obliged to hand over your cellphone without a warrant?
Apple is going to be in very hot water about the location detector issue over in Germany. The krauts are extremely serious about privacy protection and they're going to make them pay. There's already talk about threatening them with seizing assets to force a mass re-call of iphones to disable automatic tracking.
I hate cellphones. The last business cards I had printed up don't even have a phone number on them, just an email address.
They can't just sell handy appliances and software, they have to try to weave in some kind of outright dependancy on their schitt so you're locked in for life. Yeah, its a great business approach to sustainable profit, but all I see it as is greed and it puts me right off buying into any of it.
I'd like to see them get overtaken by a rival who actually allows cross-compatibility for their customers, as opposed to paranoid counter measures against free-will.
I have a hard time believing most apple enthusiasts understand the definition of "right."
Well, following your logic I guess Mexican drug cartels must be some extremely righteous enterprises then?
I have never owned a non-apple computer but these fuckers are behaving like Scientology. I'm going to go PC with the upcoming purchase of a new computer, which has been long overdue because I was so indecisive about this. If only I wouldn't hate windows so much with all those useless applications automatically opening up and shit but damn... fuck you, steve jobs!
Oh yeah, I forgot what website I was on there for a second... My comment was solely out of amazement that they are able to continue that level of business success quarter over quarter, year over year... nothing to do with their practices or ethics. I don't involve myself in those conversations on Sensitive Smug Strut because they go nowhere. Continue basking in the smell of your own farts.
how is life living off of the grid?
The dude is seriously the face of Big Brother. It blows my mind that all of these slack-jawed techno-geeks hang all over him like he's a prophet.
If he is a prophet, our future is pretty bleak.
b/w
Al Franken Wants Answers!!!!
Android caches the last 50 location spots as opposed to apple caching them all.
I'll tell you...
I'm not that jack-ass who is weaving from lane to lane while checking his fantasy football stats on his I-Phone.
I'm not that douchebag who is conversing at 300 decibels at the Post Office talking about the hot chick I wanna bang.
I'm not the self centered idiot who interrupts dinner by taking meaningless phone calls 5 times during a meal.
I'm not so important that people have to be able to reach me on the phone 24/7
I'm not so self-important that I think people have to be able to reach me on the phone 24/7
I have an answering machine at my office and another at my home.
I know how to change a flat tire
I know how to read a map.
What am I missing out on?
yes. new burners weekly.
here are just a few...
1. any type of emergency situation that you get into where you are not either at your office or at your home. calling 911, a tow truck, your wife, lawyer, etc. there are a million emergency scenarios where having a cell phone helps, don't kid yourself.
2. any type of emergency situation that your loved ones get into where they attempt to call you but you are not at your desk or at your home.
3. anytime you want to make a call when you are not at your home or your office. have you not had to deal with this yet? do you carry buckets of quarters in your car to use whatever payphones still exist? do you not travel?
yes, people got along without cell phones for thousands of years, but the same could be said for indoor plumbing, electricity and modern medicine. why do i need to use light bulbs? there is plenty of light during the day.
^^^Soulstrut Comedy Platinum^^^
but i think i could continue living perfectly well (actually better even)
everytime i need to call someone or set up a meeting it is anoying,
but everytime no one can annoy me and i am not constantly texting is also good
i personally believe not having a cell hurts your chances at getting a job now a days
I was at a Trade Show recently and there was a company who had a product that their marketing literature stated "Every Driver Should Own One"........it was a tool that you keep in your glovebox and the retail cost was $29.95.
It was an amazing tool....it had a hammer head at one end to break out the glass of your window so you could escape in case you drove into a waterway and your car was sinking....it had a knife so you could cut your seatbelt off in case you were in a wreck and had to escape but couldn't unhook the seatbelt......and it had a laser pointer in case you drove off the road, were stuck in your car and had to try to get the attention of passer-bys or helicopters.
Yeah, I'm not buying one of those either....
But if it had a way for me to contact my lawyer, then I might consider it.
My wife and kids all have cell phones.....I have used them on occasion.....convenient, yes....necessary, hardly.
My friend just got a job offer via text message. We are doomed.