iOS 5.1 could have Facebook integration

Rumors of iOS 5.1 including native Facebook integration first surfaced in January when iMore found a contact field for your Facebook ID within the contacts app in iOS 5.1 beta 3. Now, we have come across some more evidence that should confirm this rumor.

Thanks to some super sleuthing by the guys at Techie Buzz, they have noticed that updates being sent from the native iOS Facebook app once again show up as sent via 'Facebook for iPhone' or ''Facebook for iPad', depending upon your device. If you remember, Facebook stopped showing this message a while back and would only show sent via 'Mobile', which is also what you see when you post an update through the Android app. This happened around the same time when Apple dropped Facebook sharing option from Ping.

But now it seems in preparation for the Facebook integration within iOS, Facebook has changed the way updates sent from the iOS app are being reported. And this is happening just a few hours before the iPad 3 event, where Apple is likely to also announce iOS 5.1. Meanwhile, updates sent from the Android app continue to be shown as sent via 'Mobile'.

So it seems Apple and Facebook have finally put aside their differences and decided to work together. The Facebook integration should come as a welcome addition and will benefit everyone involved, the user, Apple as well as Facebook.

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iOS 5.1 could have Facebook integration

Rumors of iOS 5.1 including native Facebook integration first surfaced in January when iMore found a contact field for your Facebook ID within the contacts app in iOS 5.1 beta 3. Now, we have come across some more evidence that should confirm this rumor.

Thanks to some super sleuthing by the guys at Techie Buzz, they have noticed that updates being sent from the native iOS Facebook app once again show up as sent via 'Facebook for iPhone' or ''Facebook for iPad', depending upon your device. If you remember, Facebook stopped showing this message a while back and would only show sent via 'Mobile', which is also what you see when you post an update through the Android app. This happened around the same time when Apple dropped Facebook sharing option from Ping.

But now it seems in preparation for the Facebook integration within iOS, Facebook has changed the way updates sent from the iOS app are being reported. And this is happening just a few hours before the iPad 3 event, where Apple is likely to also announce iOS 5.1. Meanwhile, updates sent from the Android app continue to be shown as sent via 'Mobile'.

So it seems Apple and Facebook have finally put aside their differences and decided to work together. The Facebook integration should come as a welcome addition and will benefit everyone involved, the user, Apple as well as Facebook.

Source

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Could Democrats sabotage Michigan's primary?

(Carlos Osorio/AP)

DEARBORN, Mich.-- As the state of Michigan prepares for Tuesday's presidential primary, questions remain about whether Democrats could skew the results via crossover voting. The state of Michigan has no party registration requirement, so any registered voter can participate in Tuesday's Republican presidential primary, including Democrats and independents.

But select party leaders surveyed by Yahoo News say they're not concerned about the potential impact of crossover votes.

"The Michigan Republican party believes that voters who vote in a primary do so because they're encouraged and inspired to participate in the process… not to create some type of mischief," state party spokesman Matt Frendewey told Yahoo News.

In the past, Democrats and independents have been credited with some major vote outcomes in Michigan: surveys from the 1996 reportedly indicated that 16 percent of voters in that year's Republican primary were Democrats and 17 percent were independents; many believe John McCain won Michigan's 2000 presidential primary with the help of Democrats and Independents; and others suggest Republican Gov. Rick Snyder won the 2010 primary with a boost from those same voting groups.

Frendewey said that the state GOP has been focused solely on Republican turnout for this primary and has made no efforts to appeal to independents or "soft Democrats."

For their part, Democrats say they have made no effort to encourage their fellow party members to vote on Tuesday.

United Auto Workers' President Bob King when asked last week at an anti-Mitt Romney rally in Detroit if he's encouraging auto union members (who typically vote Democratic) to participate Tuesday, he rejected the suggestion. "No, we're not," King told reporters. "I'm urging my members to work hard, to rebuild the right to organize, the right to collective bargaining, to support President Obama, and really we want to build a broader movement…" he said.

The state Democratic party chairman also flatly denied any efforts to promote Democratic participation.

"We do not encourage crossover voting," chairman Mark Brewer told Yahoo News.

Brewer made that comment in a phone interview this weekend even though he put out a statement last week highlighting a video of two Republican state Senators encouraging Democrats to vote in the primary:

Democrats who accept this invitation will still be able to vote in our May 5th caucuses. If Democratic crossover votes affect the results on February 28th, Republicans will have no one but themselves to blame.

Statements such as this combined with the state's history have kept questions about crossover voters in the news. And other outlets have helped stoke interest in the subject.

Liberal Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas launched a call for Democratic voters to participate in open Republican primaries in Michigan, North Dakota, Vermont and Tennessee in an effort he dubbed "Operation Hilarity." (He made the same plea in Michigan in 2008.)

It's difficult to gauge exactly how many Democrats and Independents will head to the polls to vote Republican on Tuesday. Public Policy Polling-- which conducted robo-calls in Michigan-- on Sunday estimated that just 5 percent of likely primary voters in Michigan are Democrats and that their impact may not be felt at all. "They're splitting their votes 28-28 between Romney and Santorum," the survey outfit stated in its report.

More popular Yahoo! News stories:

• Obama welcomes construction of southern part of Keystone Pipeline

• As gas prices rise, Republican candidates step up the attacks on Obama's energy policy

• Show us your primary: Yahoo! News wants your photos

Want more of our best political stories? Visit The Ticket or connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or add us on Tumblr. Handy with a camera? Join our Election 2012 Flickr group to submit your photos of the campaign in action.

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Could Governments Track Citizens After Google's Privacy Change?

By Kate Knibbs | Thu Mar 01, 2012 2:17 pm

Google's privacy policy changes may allow governments unprecedented access to user data, potentially monitoring of citizen activity despite regulators' scrutiny.

Google's new privacy policy, in effect March 1, consolidates all its services, including Gmail, Google+, YouTube, and Google Shopping, under a single privacy umbrella. The search giant will track all searches across every platform, so if governments request information about a single service, they will have access to the user's entire activity.

Google's privacy changes come at a time when law enforcement officials are requesting more data, particularly to locate and sniff out criminals, and they make it easier for governments to expand their access.

Official requests for Google data have increased significantly in the past six months, with requests up 29 percent in the U.S. and as much as 39 percent in Germany, demonstrating intensified interest in people's online actions.

The condensed privacy policy means the search giant would give up user information for all its services at a government request, rather than offering the specific data relevant to the investigation. The Protecting Children from Internet Pornography Act, recently introduced in the House, for example, would require companies like Google to hand over compiled data under the auspices of protecting children. The act is meant to target potential child pornographers, but Google's privacy may operate in concert with the proposed law, turning over all Google-related user information, not just potentially suspicious postings.

"Let's say you have subpoena of records for someone who might have posted something to YouTube," said Marc Rotenberg, director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. "Traditionally, you might limit that subpoena to YouTube activity, because that's what is relevant to the investigation. What Google has done by combining user data is basically make all of their activity on Google potentially relevant to an investigation."

"As a practical matter it makes it easier for Google to disclose a lot of information it wouldn't have disclosed before," he added.

Despite the privacy policy's potential function as a tool for increased surveillance, U.S. and global regulators raised concerns about the new policy's implications. In the U.S., Congress grilled Google over its policy terms, accusing the company of exploiting users' personal information to increase ad revenue. The E.U.'s justice commissioner characterized the privacy changes as breaching European law and is calling for a thorough investigation.

The debate over online privacy is unlikely to lose momentum as more users gain awareness of how detailed and systematic online tracking has become. The scope of Google's services makes it difficult to avoid using its products. Governments' information requests may raise concerns about Google's new privacy policy, but the new plan may also help them gather more evidence for law enforcement agencies.

Wed Feb 29, 2012 12:51 pm | By
Google's Eric Schmidt sees a world where technology can change the plight of the poor, where information is power and where the modern marvel of the digital world is commonplace.



Wed Feb 29, 2012 11:55 am | By
Google's new privacy policy starts tomorrow, prompting users to wipe their search histories and clamp down on personal data.

Mon Feb 27, 2012 1:25 pm | By
Google will focus on Android tablet sales this year, as the company strives to make them a cornerstone of its brand and compete against Apple's iPad.

Mon Feb 27, 2012 9:44 am | By
Google is counting on hardware to revive Google Music, hinting it will integrate the service into its own branded devices to compete against Apple.

Fri Feb 24, 2012 1:37 pm | By
Google hired former Congresswoman Susan Molinari to run its Washington lobbying efforts, ramping up efforts to influence tech-oriented legislation.


Editorials & Opinion By Kate Knibbs
Tech leaders gathered at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, while Google's controversial privacy policy went into effect.

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HTC One V and XL could see the spotlight at MWC 2012

Sources close to HTC have reportedly informed Pocketlint.com that HTC will be launching a third HTC One device, named V. The One V will be rocking Rhyme-like specs, namely a single-core 1 GHz processor with 1 gig of RAM, a 5 MP snapper with 720p video capture and Beats Audio branding and possibly goodies in the box. Powering the phone will be Android's latest version - ICS.

The One V is rumored to launch at the MWC in Barcelona this year alongside the One X (previously known as Endeavor) and the One S (possibly the Ville). The One X being a quad-core droid and the One S a dual-core one.

There's also a possibility of HTC launching a fourth device, dubbed the One XL, and while there are no details of any kind, we could venture a guess that it could be a device along the lines of the Sensation XL - sporting a massive screen.

While those are some juicy rumors we can't really confirm any of them yet so stay tuned until MWC 2012 kicks off. We'll be there to cover the story as it unfolds.

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