Does anyone use a Smartwatch for their mobile phone?

[Chuckt]

Does anyone use a Smartwatch for their mobile phone?

I was thinking of buying one.

Are they useful to be used for people who have fallen and can't get up?


Any suggestions?

 

[XPostFacto]

So does it tell the time orally, or is it like my watch? It's just a dumb old watch that indicates the time.

In fact, I have a stupid cell phone that only makes phone calls. I can't play games, or anything, and the pictures I take with it are low resolution.

 

[waltky]

China can track people's cellphones with dey's satellites...

China can track mobiles through satellite system
Thu, May 05, 2016 - NATIONAL SECURITY RISK: The Ministry of Science and Technology said government employees should avoid using phones that use Beidou to prevent ‘targeted attacks’

China’s Beidou Satellite System poses an information security risk to Taiwan in that the satellite is able to track smartphone users via embedded malware in devices with Chinese-manufactured chips directly tied into the system or phones manufactured in China, according to the latest mobile device security report that the Ministry of Science and Technology submitted to the Legislative Yuan. The ministry reported that China’s satellite system, despite claims of being commercial in nature, was primarily for military use, adding that over the past few years, many smartphone vehicle navigation products using Beidou Satellite System guidance chips have been imported to Taiwan. “[Government employees] should avoid purchasing related products to avoid being the target of attacks,” the report said.

China’s Shanghai Beiga Satellite Technology Co Co developed the first 40-nanometer satellite navigation chip in 2014 for use in tablets, smartphones and vehicle navigation systems specifically with the satellite system in mind. The satellite system claimed to be primarily developed for vehicle navigation, but the second generation of the system reportedly offers two separate services, one aimed at the public sector being the navigation system, and a restricted offering for China’s and Pakistan’s military communication and location data. The ministry said that Taiwanese using Chinese-manufactured phones, or other smartphones using related software or chips, might be providing the Chinese military with information.

The ministry said it would be asking all distributors in Taiwan to identify their products that support the Beidou Satellite System, adding that it was mulling a ban on smartphones or other devices that are capable of being linked to the Beidou Satellite system. A full list of applications using or related to the satellite system is being compiled and is to be run through a testing system, the ministry said, adding that it would announce the list of programs that might contain malware. The ministry is also calling on civil servants to avoid purchasing or using products that carry guidance chips for the satellite system or related software to minimize the chance of targeted attacks.

The ministry also suggested that national defense units should monitor the Beidou Satellite System’s transmitted signals and warn of any anomalies, adding that such monitoring would reduce the risk of hacking attacks from China via satellite-broadcast signals. The National Security Bureau said it was aware of the issue and had already told the National Communication Council and the Ministry of Economic Affairs to develop countermeasures. The issue was discussed at the legislature yesterday, and while a complete list of mobile devices that support the Beidou Satellite System has yet to be released, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Rosalia Wu said that several models of cellphones produced by Taiwan-based HTC Corp. use the Beidou Satellite System.

China can track mobiles through satellite system - Taipei Times

 

[waltky]

Gov't lookin' into security of cellphones...

U.S. investigates security of mobile devices
May 09 2016 | WASHINGTON - The Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission have asked mobile phone carriers and manufacturers to explain how they release security updates amid mounting concerns over security vulnerabilities, the U.S. agencies said on Monday.

The agencies have written to Apple Inc, AT&T Inc and Alphabet Inc, among others, in order "to better understand, and ultimately to improve, the security of mobile devices," the FCC said. The FCC sent letters to six mobile phone carriers on security issues, while the FTC ordered eight mobile device manufacturers including BlackBerry Ltd, Microsoft Corp, LG Electronics USA Inc and Samsung Electronics America Inc [SMELA.UL] to disclose "the factors that they consider in deciding whether to patch a vulnerability on a particular mobile device." The FTC also seeks "detailed data on the specific mobile devices they have offered for sale to consumers since August 2013" and "the vulnerabilities that have affected those devices; and whether and when the company patched such vulnerabilities."

The agencies are opening the inquiry about how mobile carriers and manufacturers handle security updates for mobile devices because consumers and businesses are conducting a growing amount of daily activities on mobile devices and new questions have been raised about how the security of mobile communications. The "safety of their communications and other personal information is directly related to the security of the devices they use," the FCC said. "There have recently been a growing number of vulnerabilities associated with mobile operating systems that threaten the security and integrity of a user’s device." The FCC said it sent letters to mobile carriers including AT&T, Verizon Communications Inc, Sprint Corp, U.S. Cellular Corp, Tracfone Wireless, which is owned by America Movil SAB, and T-Mobile US, which is owned by Deutsche Telekom, "asking questions about their processes for reviewing and releasing security updates for mobile devices."

A woman uses her mobile phone before a concert in Los Angeles, California​

The companies must respond to the FCC and FTC questions within 45 days. There were more than 355 million U.S. mobile wireless devices in use in 2014, the FCC said in a December report. The agency said that number had risen to 382 million by mid-2015, citing company disclosures. The FCC noted that a vulnerability called "Stagefright" in the Android operating system could affect almost 1 billion Android devices globally. Reuters reported in August that Google and Samsung planned to release monthly security fixes for Android phones.

The change came after security researcher Joshua Drake found a vulnerability that could allow attackers to send a special multimedia message to an Android phone and access sensitive content even if the message is unopened. Google did not immediately comment on Monday. Apple declined to comment. Consumers may be left unprotected, potentially indefinitely, by any delays in patching vulnerabilities, the FCC said. John Marinho, vice president for cybersecurity at CTIA, a wireless trade group, said in a statement that "customers’ security remains a top priority for wireless companies, and there is a very strong partnership among carriers."

U.S. investigates security of mobile devices