Bruce Simmons

smartphonesAs smartphones become more prolific, so too, does the security of the smartphone.  These buggers, the itty bitty laptop known as a smartphone, are starting to replace the desktop and laptop computer, and evil-doers are catching on and starting to catch up!  I love how the few make it miserable for the many.

I’m sure many of you are aware, but if you’re not, below are just a few instances of issues you might want to be aware of with your smartphones, like personal data being uploaded by some apps, scanning the wrong kind of QR code or apps like Google Wallet with tiny initial flaws in their processes.

(BTW:  Always update your apps.  Sure, most of the time it means more aggressive ad processes, but at times, it also means valid security patches for apps.)

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Personal Data Uploaded

I previously wrote about the Emergency Broadcast system test on smartphones and since I had this in my back pocket, I thought I’d pull it up and point out that, as the website ReadWriteWeb put it,

“your smartphone is either egregiously violating your privacy or just trying to improve your user experience in a not-so-transparent way. “

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Turns out that what RWW was reporting is that a Path (A social network) app was apparently uploading phone users entire collected address books from their smartphones, and that as this issue was looked  at for further exploration of the issue, it seems they discovered that Twitter also uploads your address books.

And THAT, is the cost of a free app, or so the article goes.

The rest of the article on RWW talks phones using Jailbreak or something like that.  But that’s outside my comfort zone or realm of experience.  So rather than talk about it, I’d suggest hitting up the link at the end of the article if you’re interested in getting more information.

In the meantime, I just thought it was interesting that a user’s data is leaked as commonly as it appears to be leaked, per this article!

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So you’ve heard it, right?  The Citibank Ad with the girl rock climbing, and there’s that cool set of song lyrics kicking it in, in the background?  And the lyrics go something like this: “Somebody left the gate open.”

Citibank Rock Climbing Ad

(This scene was shot with camera attached to climber's hat)

The ad features rock climber Katie Brown, and is filmed on the Ancient Arts rock formation outside of Moab, Utah.  (She says it’s not that hard of a climb!).  I think she’s totally awesome.

But what has viewers imaginations is the song in the background as Katie achieves that lofty looking goal of the top of Ancient Arts structure.

It’s called “Into the Wild” and as a whole, the song isn’t bad.  (Sometimes you hear a piece of a song that sounds cool, but then you find out the rest of it isn’t all that great.)

For more info on who sings it, where you can get that song and such, go check out Cinema Static’s new home, on the piece about the Citibank Rock Climbing ad!  There, I have collected a few videos and found out where you can get (for a limited time) the song for free.

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Motorala DROID X Smartphone

Today right after lunch, I had picked up my Motorola Droid-X phone, from Verizon, to catch a few paragraphs of a book I have in my Kindle.  (Yes, I read my Kindle books on my smartphone.)  But as I picked it up, I had 2 notices in my alert bar.  (Or message bar, or whatever it’s called these days.)

Turns out this big red square with a white X in it was calling itself an RMT Alert Monthly Test, or, something that looks funny and makes me wonder.

Turns out what you’ve just seen is the new National Alert system, much like your TV’s emergency broadcast system, but now for cell phones.  But not just all cell phones.  It’s apparently only going to badger smart phone owners and with AT&T, Sprint and Verizon.

Oh, lucky them.

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Global WarmingWhen Al Gore showed the world charts of mean global temperatures on the rise, no one believed in global warming.  When we’ve seen imagery of normally frozen territories that are now running rivers of melting ice water, no one believes.  It’s pretty interesting to watch the line divide amongst those who know global warming exists, and those who somehow manage to find proof it’s all piddly diddly.

Twitter is a venerable entertainment source when folks break out into global warming fights, as is Facebook.  Maybe Facebook is more so, since the folks in the wrong have more space to make fools of themselves.  But I digress…

The ever world-encompassing website, DVICE, put out a piece a while back saying that skeptics may no longer have any reason to quote excuses about government funded studies with agendas!  They found a study that has no agenda, is publicly funded and all their methods and numbers are open source, so skeptics can go look at the data themselves before making their arguments.

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The Berkely Earth Project

The Berkely Earth Project is an independent study source that is beholden to none because the private sector funds it.  The biggest donation to the org came from a man known to be a skeptic of global warming, Charles G. Koch.

They also present all their methodologies out there for the public to review.  Their numbers, programs and methods are open source, so the entire world can take a look for themselves.

Their findings of this study concluded that

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NASCAR News and opinion from NASCAR BITS & PIECES on Brusimm.comIf you haven’t caught the news, I’ve moved my NASCAR content out into its own space.  I wanted to focus the content and not force readers to have to weed through the content…

But enough of that…  since moving offsite, I’ve published a few articles that I thought you might be interested in!

First is where I explain about how qualifying for the Daytona 500 works.  Once it’s spelled out, it doesn’t seem too complicated.  That is, well, as long as you have a cheat-sheet around to keep tabs with!

The other aspect is some of the Daytona coverage on TV… I’ve put out the Speed Channel Daytona Coverage Schedule, if you’re interested.

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Movies & TV Shows New on DVD and Blu-ray

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New Movies at the Box Office from Cinema Static 2011 logo 475w lq-

Oh what can be up here we ask?  Change is afoot!  I’ve moved my entertainment content, my Cinema Static column on Brusimm off to its own little site.  I’ve done with this with both my Cinema Static and NASCAR Bits & Pieces content.

BUT, first, you’re probably wondering where my content for this week’s new DVD’s has gone.

This week, new DVD’s include Johnny Depp starring movie, The Rum Diary leads the pack of new DVDs this week.  You can check out the list of new DVD’s  over on Cinema Static.org!

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As far as new movies in theaters this Friday, This Means War and the Ghost Rider sequel is coming out this Friday.  So follow this link to see my article on new movies coming out this Friday at Cinema Static.org.

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I think you’ll really like what I’ve done… giving each subject content it’s own spot.

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So are they or aren’t they in The Avengers?

MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS, Scarlett Jhansson and Jeremy Renner

The Joss Whedon directed movie, The Avengers, which is coming to movie theaters on May 4th, 2012, has everyone playing guessing games on who the bad guy is. Don’t all movies get fans going about one thing or another?  For all the speculation, it will be over when the movie comes out… or when early reviews hit the web.  But hence, so far, folks have been speculating that the primary forces of evil (Not the real bad guy I’m thinking) will be the Skrulls.  That rumor popped up a long time ago and isn’t going away.

But even though it’s a persistent rumor, just a few weeks ago Marvel producer Kevin Feige was even saying, in his best adamant mode, that the Skrulls are not the bad guy.  In fact he’s said that the Skrulls aren’t even in the movie.

“It’s not Skrulls, I’ve been clear about that. Beyond that, we want to hide it. The identity of the alien race is not impactful. It exists in the comic books, but we’re not setting up the Kree-Skrull war or anything like that.”

He also says there will be no Red Skull.

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Night of the Templar

-Night of the Templar, is from the mind of Paul Sampson (Pictured below ladies!).  In his words about the movie:

“A Medieval Knight resurrects to fulfill his vow and bestow a blood-thirst vengeance upon the kindred spirits of those who betrayed him long ago. In the course of one night, identities will be revealed, destinies met, and a poetic justice of the macabre maniacally served.”

Paul Sampson (Abelar: Tales of an Ancient Empire) plays Lord Gregoire aka Jake McCallister and is also the director, writer and producer of Night of the Templar.

Paul Sampson - Night of the Templar

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The cast of Night of the Templar includes David Carradine, in his last role prior to his passing away, Udo Kier (Melancholia), Billy Drago (Balls to the Wall, The Hills Have Eyes) and everyone’s favorite zombie killer from The Walking Dead, Norman Reedus.

If you follow Norman Reedus, you know he’s been in projects such as the The Boondock Saints franchise, The Conspirator, Pandorum, Blade 2 and many more projects.

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Mcdonalds-Chicken-McBites

Today I thought I’d try the new McDonald’s Chicken McBites.  This is a product review of that new product.

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I’m always looking for something like their McBites.  I love KFC’s Popcorn Chicken product.  That’s yummy.  So I hit up McD’s with some expectations.  And my expectations were dashed pretty bad.

Normally when a fast food chain puts out a new product, they put their best foot forward at first.  Usually.  In this case, if this is McDonald’s best foot forward, for these Chicken Bites, they need to stick to everything else that’s on the menu and move on.

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DC Entertainment announced that they’re taking Smallville beyond the confines of a TV show and moving forward with a comic book franchise, continuing the saga of young Clark Kent. The digital comic will be titled Smallville Season 11.

'Smallville' - The Superman Symbol in Clark's Eye

Smallville Season 11 takes place six months after the events in the series finale of The CW’s Smallville and will include characters Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, Chloe Sullivan-Queen, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and General Lane.

Behind the digital series will be former Smallville screenwriter Bryan Q. Miller.

The title will have new digital chapters released weekly after it’s premiere week of April 13, 2012.  And keep an eye out for the online chapters coming out in print, starting May 16th, 2012.  The print editions will also have an episode guide to the show.

[SuperHero Hype:  Smallville Continues in Comic Book]

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