Sometimes it’s not always convenient to provide a real mobile phone number to someone. Say I’m going out on a first date with someone. What if it goes so badly that I want nothing to do with them ever again? I don’t mean in a cruel way but what if the date is a little creepy and clingy? It’d be a little unnerving to know that they can always get in touch and potentially pester me via SMS or phone call. A similar problem can occur when providing phone numbers to eBay sellers or buyers or people on Craigslist. Sometimes it’s just not convenient to provide a regular phone number. This is where RingShuffle can help.
It’s an app that provides temporary phone numbers that redirect to any mobile number. It’s then easy to delete this temporary number or ‘shuffle’ along to get a new one. Launched in beta this week to the first 10,000 users who register, there’s a lot of potential here.
Each RingShuffle number lasts for seven days with the option to manually extend this to 14 days. Calls are forwarded without the caller knowing what’s gone, thus narrowing the odds of causing offense. It’s an app that’s tailored to those looking for a short term solution for brief uses just like the first date or online transaction.
As the video below shows, RingShuffle is very easy to use with it taking mere seconds to register and choose a number. Area codes can be selected before a choice of Shuffle numbers appear for selection. Then all the user has to do is hand it out to the relevant person and no one need know that it’s not a permanent number.
For short term transactions, RingShuffle is an ideal app to sign up for in order to protect the user’s privacy.
Thanks to the internet, everything is very public nowadays. Privacy to an extent is dead for anyone who uses one of countless social networks. Tweet regularly and your life is out there. Even have a Facebook account that’s heavily restricted and there’s still the chance of it all coming out. Throw in a plethora of location aware social networks such as Foursquare and any random member of the public can have their life opened up as much as a major celebrity.
Not everyone wants that though. Sure it’s nice to be able to have a corner of the web to share with close friends, family or work colleagues but how to make sure that only the selected people can see anything? How about an app like Glassboard?
It’s an app that allows users to share things privately with groups of people, or boards as the app prefers to call them. Users can message a group of people quickly and easily in a format that looks like an SMS text message but it isn’t. Text isn’t the only restriction either with the ability to share photos and videos amongst this elite group. Even locations can be shared, potentially making it useful to arrange family gatherings. Suddenly, everyone can keep track of how far away people are from the meeting place. A notification system keeps everyone up to date on any situation whether it be a team meeting, social gathering or simply a work issue being discussed.
Security is tight here with only the board chairman or group leader able to invite people to the group. Users can’t even search for different boards ensuring there’s absolutely no chance of anyone stumbling across anything.
For the privacy conscious user, Glassboard is the ideal solution ensuring that they get a taste of social networking without the potential security issues.
Apple released iOS 4.3.5 today, purportedly to fix a potential security hole in the just released iOS 4.3.4. Called the man-in-the-middle bug by security site, threatpost, the exploit might have allowed attackers to intercept SSL information – that’s the system for encrypting users’ confidential and identifying information.
“Description: A certificate chain validation issue existed in the handling of X.509 certificates. An attacker with a privileged network position may capture or modify data in sessions protected by SSL/TLS. Other attacks involving X.509 certificate validation may also be possible. This issue is addressed through improved validation of X.509 certificate chains.”
Notice the wording, “privileged network position.” This means that any potential hacker would need to already be in a position to interact with network traffic and data, further narrowing the potential for actual attack. Still, it’s nice to see Apple responding to such discoveries as they come to light, and that they take the security of our devices seriously, even this close to the planned release of iOS 5.
Being able to protect data is an increasingly important issue for iOS device owners. With a device that encourages its users to store photos, contact details and other useful notes, it’s just as important to be able to hide them away from unwanted eyes. While a passcode will protect the device on the whole, it’s useful to have an extra layer of protection. Something that MyLocker from Inspike can provide.
It’s an app that works much like a safe, requiring three number combinations to unlock the information within it. Users can store various contact details behind this lock, as well as photos and notes such as credit card information or anything else that’s considered important to the user.
MyLocker is a simple app to get to grips with and only takes a matter of seconds to set up. Multiple users can also be set up for devices used by more than one person. It’s just as easy to log into as well to retrieve the information.
MyLocker is a free app, although an in-app purchase of $0.99 is needed in order to be able to store photos behind the virtual safe.
When it comes to areas of our personal life that are sacred, I would consider my top three to be religion, relationship status and browser history. While I have never been one for perusing sites of ill repute, occasionally a twitter link may send me awry, not to mention a not-so-well thought out Google search for girls and teacups. These indiscretions aside, I have always been one for protecting myself against the prying eye of “big brother.” I swear, I’m not paranoid, but what if I told you that your iPhone may be revealing more about you than many thought possible?
If a new report authored by Bucknell University Assistant Director of Information Security and Networking, Eric Smith, is to be believed, you may be revealing far more about yourself than you realize.
“…Amazon’s application communicates the logged-in user’s real name in plain text, along with the UDID, permitting both Amazon.com and network eavesdroppers to easily match a phone’s UDID with the name of the phone’s owner. The CBS News application transmits both the UDID and the iPhone device’s user-assigned name, which frequently contains the owner’s real name” — VIA Smith’s Report
Sure, these may be isolated examples of only two different applications that are passing back your personal information, but when a poll was conducted of fifty-seven free applications on the App Store, sixty-eight percent passed along your UDID to their servers. When you combine that with cookies that have a twenty year expiration cycle, as noted by ArsTechnica’s formal report, this could be a serious cause for concern.
All it would take is a bit of social engineering for an industrious person to connect the dots and suddenly your secrets would be no more. This information isn’t typically shared amongst other sites, but this information is being logged and you better assume that some day these companies plan to cash in. I am calling it now, Skynet is coming — so be careful where you are surfing.
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Posted March 7th, 2010 by Jason Fanguy Our Rating: :: BASIC SECURITY
LockBox Pro is a basic, “no-frills” data storage application that I’ve found to be adequate, reliable and easy to use. Its simplicity is what makes it attractive, but at the same time prevents it from performing those advanced features found in similar applications.
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Posted July 7th, 2009 by Kyle Flanigan Our Rating: :: OUTSTANDING
1Password securely stores all of your sensitive data in an interface that's easy to navigate. It stores information through a hardware accelerated AES encryption that guarantees your protection. You can sync with the 1Password desktop application too, and never a lose a password.
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Posted April 7th, 2009 by Billy Miller Our Rating: :: RECOMMENDED
If you're on the Mac and perform lots of online financial transactions or manage websites with secure data, I believe 1Password can simplify your life while enhancing your security. Grab the free iphone app, the free desktop trial and give it a try.
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Posted January 28th, 2009 by Gary Lucero Our Rating: :: RECOMMENDED
With Jetset: A Game For Airports, the author's intention was to create a game that air travelers could pick up and play while waiting at the airport for their flights. It makes good on its intentions by using location services that allow you to unlock location specific souvenirs, which can then be shared with friends via Facebook. The game definitely has broader appeal than just for travelers though, with fast paced game play that is humorous and interesting.
It’s an app that provides temporary phone numbers that redirect to any mobile number. It’s then easy to delete this temporary number or ‘shuffle’ along to get a new one. Launched in beta this week to the first 10,000 users who register, there’s a lot of potential here.
Not everyone wants that though. Sure it’s nice to be able to have a corner of the web to share with close friends, family or work colleagues but how to make sure that only the selected people can see anything? How about an app like Glassboard? 
:: SECURE
Being able to protect data is an increasingly important issue for iOS device owners. With a device that encourages its users to store photos, contact details and other useful notes, it’s just as important to be able to hide them away from unwanted eyes. While a passcode will protect the device on the whole, it’s useful to have an extra layer of protection. Something that MyLocker from Inspike can provide.
:: OUTSTANDING
