Report: Verizon, Apple Working on an iPhone Deal

They're back: yes, rumors are once again swirling that Apple's iPhone is coming to Verizon Wireless. This time, the rumors are courtesy of the Wall Street Journal, which reports that Apple "is making a version of its iPhone that Verizon Wireless will sell early next year." The WSJ report cites "people familiar with the matter."

This certainly isn't the first time we've heard reports that Apple and Verizon are about to strike a deal to offer the iPhone; the rumors seem to surface every couple of months, if not more often. But the fact that the latest report comes from a venerable news institution like the WSJ, and not an unknown blog, does give it more credence.

The WSJ report says that one of the reasons behind Apple's decision to offer the iPhone through Verizon is because of increased competition from Android-based phones. Verizon, in particular, has been vocal in its support of the Android platform, and currently offers some of the best-regarded Android phones.

So, will Verizon be adding the iPhone to its smartphone lineup? I've said it before (and I have a feeling I'll be saying it again): we'll just have to wait and see.

Photo ? Apple

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Sony Ericsson's Truly Mini Android Phones Reviewed

Most of today's new Android phones are all about being bigger and better. All of Samsung's Galaxy S phones, for example, feature 4-inch screens. The Droid X and the HTC EVO 4G are even bigger than that, boasting 4.3-inch screens.

Sony Ericsson's latest Android phones buck this trend, however. The Xperia X10 Mini (pictured here) and Xperia X10 Mini Pro are downright tiny -- each phone in smaller than just the display on an iPhone 4. This small design makes for two attractive phones, and both the X10 Mini and the X10 Mini Pro pack in most of the features you'd expect to find on a full-featured Android smartphone.

So, what's not to like? Well, as cute as their small cases may be, they sure don't make either of the X10 Mini phones are very easy to use. Find out more in my full reviews of the Xperia X10 Mini and the Xperia X10 Mini Pro.

Image ? Sony Ericsson

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Windows Phone 7 Coming Soon, But When?

Microsoft is getting ready to launch Windows Phone 7, the drastically updated version of its smartphone operating system. The software giant has said that phones running the new OS would be available by the 2010 holiday shopping season, which is quickly approaching. And now, rumors about the release date of Microsoft's new software are picking up steam.

Microsoft is holding two events on October 11, one in New York and one in London. Most sources, including tech blog Engadget, expect that the London event will offer attendees hands-on time with new Windows Phone 7 devices. The event in New York, however, is being described as a Microsoft "open house," at which it is unlikely that the company will do more than mention Windows Phone 7 in passing.

Meanwhile, Neowin.net, another technology news site, says that Microsoft will launch "a wide range" of Windows Phone 7 devices on October 21. The report, which cites "sources familiar with the software giant's plans," says that Microsoft will hold several launch events around the world on that date.

But Paul Thurrot, who blogs about Microsoft at WindowsPhoneSecrets.com, claims to have different information. He says that he has been told by a "very reliable source" that Microsoft will launch Windows Phone 7 in the U.S. on November 8.

We'll just have to wait and see.

Image ? Microsoft

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Verizon Officially Launches the Samsung Fascinate

As had been rumored, Verizon this week announced availability of the Samsung Fascinate, its handset from Samsung's Galaxy S series of Android-based smartphones. The Fascinate will be available online as of September 8, with in-store availability beginning on September 9.

Verizon is charging $199.99 (after a $100 mail-in rebate) for the Fascinate; that price is the same as what AT&T and T-Mobile charge for their Galaxy S phones, the Captivate and Vibrant, respectively. Sprint, however, charges $249.99 for its Galaxy S phone, the Epic 4G, which is the only one of the bunch to offer both 4G support and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

Like all of its Galaxy S siblings, the Fascinate features version 2.1 of the Android OS, as well as a 4-inch Super AMOLED touch-screen. Stay tuned for a full review.

Image ? Verizon Wireless

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BlackBerry: Security Tips for New Users

You may think your new BlackBerry phone is secure, right out of the box. But, like any smartphone, your BlackBerry is only as secure as you make it. You need to make sure you have the right settings turned on in order to fully secure your device.

Don't worry: it's not hard. Read our beginner's guide to securing your BlackBerry for more information. If your device ever gets into the wrong hands, you'll be happy you did. To buy quality blackberry visit the link below

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15 Techniques For Obtaining and Exploiting Personal Information For Identity Theft

This is an upfront article that will specifically focus its discussion on the several methods utilized by identity theft criminals to obtain and exploit the personal information of their victims, and the many credentials that they utilize to validate themselves, so that they can perform various identity theft crimes. Here are some examples:
1. Searching garbage bins for any personal information that can be used to steal the identity of another person, also known as dumpster diving.
2. Retrieving personal data from different equipments and storage media like personal computers, servers, PDAs, mobile phones, memory sticks, hard drives and memory cards that have been discarded haphazardly at a public dump sites, given away or sold to entities without being appropriately cleaned from crucial data and information.
3. Stealing identities of individual citizens from public records like electoral rolls.
4. Obtaining access to credit cards and other identification cards like passports and social security cards through burglary, pick-pocketing, and snatching wallets or purses.
6. Obtaining personal information by using "contactless" credit card readers that acquire information wirelessly from RFID-enabled passports.
7. Shoulder surfing or observing other users when they key in their PIN numbers in ATM machines.
8. Thieving personal information from computers using malwares and spywares like Trojans, keyloggers and other programs.
9. Obtaining data in large quantities through hacking computer systems and online databases that contain personal information of company clients and customers.
10. Taking advantage of breaches that often concludes into the publication or restricted disclosure of personal information like names, addresses, social security numbers or credit card numbers.
11. Advertising fake job offers to amass personal information through resumes and applications that disclose the applicant's name, home address, telephone numbers and even social security numbers and banking details.
12. Accessing personal data using employer systems through exploitation of insider access and manipulating IT privileges.
13. Phishing or posing as representatives of reputable and legitimate organizations in emails, text messages and phone calls to lure victims into providing their personal information or login credentials by directing them to a bogus website.
14. Falsifying fingerprint identification by using castings of fingers or gummy bears for low quality fingerprint scanners.
15. Joining social networking site and acquiring personal information posted by users on their profiles and using these information to make themselves appear more credible in their next social engineering activities.
These are just some of the techniques that identity theft criminals use to gain access to another individual's identity. Some of the techniques here are conventional ones while others require the use of high-end sophisticated technology in order to perpetrate identity theft activities. Protecting ourselves from this crime requires that we be aware on how our personal data can be obtained without our consent so that each of us can take preventive measures that can deter and detect identity theft crimes when it comes crawling up our doors.

Hacking Mobile Phones For Identity Theft

History indicates that we are at the forefront of an era in which criminal hackers develop tools and techniques to steal your money using your own cell phone.
Fifteen years ago, cell phones were so bulky and cumbersome, they had to be carried in bags or briefcases. Then they became chunky, heavy bricks. Calls dropped every other minute. Clearly, cell phones have evolved since then. Today's cell phone is a lot more than a phone. It's a computer, one that rivals many desktops and laptops being manufactured today. A cell phone can pretty much do everything a PC can do, including online shopping, banking, and merchant credit card processing.