Apple iTunes flaw 'allowed government spying for 3 years'
An unpatched security flaw in Apple’s iTunes software allowed intelligence agencies and police to hack into users’ computers for more than three years, it’s claimed. Apple's iTunes software is installed on more than a quarter of a billion computers.
A British company called Gamma International marketed hacking software to governments that exploited the vulnerability via a bogus update to iTunes, Apple's media player, which is installed on more than 250 million machines worldwide.
The hacking software, FinFisher, is used to spy on intelligence targets’ computers. It is known to be used by British agencies and earlier this year records were discovered in abandoned offices of that showed it had been offered to Egypt’s feared secret police.
Apple was informed about the relevant flaw in iTunes in 2008, according to Brian Krebs, a security writer, but did not patch the software until earlier this month, a delay of more than three years.
“A prominent security researcher warned Apple about this dangerous vulnerability in mid-2008, yet the company waited more than 1,200 days to fix the flaw,” he said in a blog post.
"The disclosure raises questions about whether and when Apple knew about the Trojan offering, and its timing in choosing to sew up the security hole in this ubiquitous software title."
On average Apple takes just 91 days to fix security flaws after they are disclosed, Mr Krebs wrote.
Francisco Amato, the Argentinian security researcher who warned Apple about the problem suggested that "maybe they forgot about it, or it was just on the bottom of their to-do list".
In response to reports that FinFisher targeted iTunes, Apple has said that it works "to find and fix any issues that could compromise systems".
"The security and privacy of our users is extremely important,” a spokeswoman said.
This month's iTunes update 10.5.1 explained that "a man-in-the-middle attacker may offer software that appears to originate from Apple", adding that the "issue has been mitigated".
Gamma International has not commented on the matter. Registered in Winchester, the firm is one of several companies that sell computer hacking services to governments. They offer "zero day" security flaws, which have not been publicly disclosed, so attempts to exploit them are unlikely to be detected by anti-virus programs.
Carrier IQ watchdog says software is a rootkit, posts video evidence
Carrier IQ's data collection software is looking shadier than ever. Trevor Eckhart, the security researcher who accused the company's software of monitoring vast swathes of user personal data and phoning home to the likes of Verizon, Sprint, Samsung, HTC, Nokia, and more, has posted alleged video evidence of his claims on YouTube. Originally, Carrier IQ_sent Eckhart a cease-and-desist letter, then_withdrew and apologized_for the threat, all the while representing that the service it provides cell phone manufacturers and carriers did not "record your keystrokes" or "inspect or report on the content of your communications, such as the content of emails and SMSs."_
Now, we have a video of an HTC EVO 3D that seems to suggest otherwise, allegedly reading incoming SMS messages_even_before the phone displays them to you, querying supposedly encrypted HTTPS strings, and logging keypresses, all using an application that the user cannot_opt-out of,_stop, or remove. _Mind you, there's nothing here to suggest that Carrier IQ actually transmits this data back to a carrier, only that it's reading out loud, and perhaps the OEMs that install the service can be trusted to only transmit the minimum amount and shield against malicious software. Still, you could say the same about Sony BMG's CD DRM rootkit in 2005, and_look how that turned out. We'd love to hear from manufacturers, carrier partners and OS vendors like Google about the potential privacy and security issues here, and what steps are being taken to safeguard our data and reduce software bloat.
Carrier IQ references discovered in Apple's iOS
To date, the user tracking controversy surrounding Carrier IQ has focused primarily on Android, but today details are surfacing that the company also may have hooks into Apple's iOS. Well-known iPhone hacker Chpwn tweeted today that versions at least as recent as iPhone OS 3.1.3 contained references to Carrier IQ.
We were able to independently verify that at the very least, references to Carrier IQ's servers do exist within iPhoneOS 3.1.3 in a file located at /usr/bin/IQAgent. What exactly that binary is able to access or how it may communicate with either carriers or Carrier IQ is not yet known, though there are references to an IQAgent log on the device as well as references to collector.sky.carrieriq.com.
For versions 4.0 and up, Intell on MacRumors' forums has found similar references to the http://collector.sky.carrieriq.com location within /usr/bin/awd_ice2, although we have not independently verified that yet. Again, no clear word on just what is or is not being tracked or collected.
The story is developing, with chpwn promising a post providing as many details as he's been able to uncover thus far, including the possibility that the code wasn't enabled by default in iOS. We should emphasize that all we can say for sure at the moment is that iOS definitely contained references to Carrier IQ — but given how the story has progressed thus far, we expect there will be more to report on soon.
Update: "Carrier IQ Android, Symbian and BlackBerry Spyware Records Everything Users Do, No Easy Way to Disable"
The Story has been updated to emphasize the fact the Carrier IQ software is not solely installed on Android. The article mentioned this, but needed to be more clearly stated. Also, this isn't just an Android, Symbian or BlackBerry issue, it is a carrier issue. Regardless of whether you use an iPhone, Android handset, BlackBerry or Nokia phone everyone subscribes to the same large carriers. Don't think for a second these same people didn't try to negotiate with Apple to get the Carrier IQ Spyware on your iPhone. To assume otherwise is naive.
This is an issue of consumer privacy and violation of trust and applicable law. It extends far beyond whatever fanboyish boundaries iOS, Android and others love to erect. At best this is a woefully negligant oversite by an enormous number of people and at worst its a conscious effort between carriers, handset manufacturers and Carrier IQ to deceive their consumers.
from chpwn:
However, from what I can tell /so far/, Carrier IQ /may/ only enabled on the iPhone when diagnostic logging is enabled.
Just turned it off and did a restore and no diagnostic data is recorded.
My IP4 diagnostic were turned on :( time to fix this. I turned it on to help Apple improve iOS 5 from June until today. Before that it was never on, since I was so into JB back then lol
E2EK1EL
Fragmented til Death
It's been said a million times but there certainly is something to it. The Fragmentation has gotten out of control. The latest gripe happens to be yet another port from iOS--tiny tower. Its now available on Android! Wait, its available for some Android Devices! And it doesn't seem to work properly on some of the devices it is available to download for... Same old song and I sound like a broken record of a song no one liked in the first place.
iOS doesn't have this problem for obvious reasons. Android is an Army with no General to lead it. The numbers keep growing because the OEMs can do what ever they want with it (almost) and the carriers can sell a lot of them for cheap. Even the high-end ones. The problem is developers have to keep up and that is proving to be a task. Though they cannot ignore the opportunity to have their product available for this large army, they can only do so much. The fact is, there will be fragmentation as long as you can throw Android on any piece of plastic and glass.
I think that developers will begin to only support certain devices exclusively. Can you imagine if Tiny Tower were only available for Samsung Devices? Or if EA did an exclusive deal with HTC? It would be in EA's interest to promote their devices. Would Google say something about it? Could they do anything about it? Would they even care? I mean there are TegraZone exclusives already right? What's to prevent a Developer to say, "Screw every phone that is under 1.2 GHZ and that is not Motorola or Samsung." Or if Samsung themselves approaches Rovio and asks them to make an exclusive version of Angry Birds that will be available only for the Gnex and GS2...
If they want to sell a lot of a certain phone, screen size and specs won't do it anymore. They all are starting to look the same. Ask HTC. They aren't doing terribly well right now. Why? They have nothing that really stands out. The Rezound? Come on! Its a great phone dont get me wrong. But it looks like it came from the same old HTC cookie cutter mold. On top of facing competition from devices that actually has unique physical looks and the Only ICS Phone, it won't be long before the carrier makes it a $99.99 Android.Ooooh yeah, the Rezound has Beats Audio! Is that exclusive right now to that phone? Oh no, but HTC has signed a deal with them to feature Beats Audio in their devices... So i guess it won't be long before software makers go crazy and then there will be even more fragmentation until the OEMs see no need to make 100 devices with the same crap on it. They can make maybe 2 or 3... Then I guess the Army will dwindle to a team of sharp shooters and then maybe Android will actually have an identity. Or it will die...
The bottom line is if ICS doesn't change things... well lets face it won't. Most of Android won't be getting that update. Screw it, we all flashing ROMS anyway, right. And they are even more Fragmented than Android itself.
malek
I have watched this CIQ video, and I honestly don't see what's the big fuss about... is the data sent over to the carrier? a third party?
What he shows in the video is basic debug mode.
E2EK1EL
Phone 'Rootkit' Maker Carrier IQ May Have Violated Wiretap Law In Millions Of Cases
A piece of keystroke-sniffing software called Carrier IQ has been embedded so deeply in millions of Nokia, Android, and RIM devices that it’s tough to spot and nearly impossible to remove, as 25-year old Connecticut systems administrator Trevor Eckhart revealed in a video Tuesday.
That’s not just creepy, says Paul Ohm, a former Justice Department prosecutor and law professor at the University of Colorado Law School. He thinks it’s also likely grounds for a class action lawsuit based on a federal wiretapping law.
“If CarrierIQ has gotten the handset manufactures to install secret software that records keystrokes intended for text messaging and the Internet and are sending some of that information back somewhere, this is very likely a federal wiretap.” he says. “And that gives the people wiretapped the right to sue and provides for significant monetary damages.”
As Eckhart’s analysis of the company’s training videos and the debugging logs on his own HTC Evo handset have shown, Carrier IQ captures every keystroke on a device as well as location and other data, and potentially makes that data available to Carrier IQ’s customers. The video he’s created (below) shows every keystroke being sent to the highly-obscured application on the phone before a call, text message, or Internet data packet is ever communicated beyond the phone. Eckhart has found the application on Samsung, HTC, Nokia and RIM devices, and Carrier IQ claims on its website that it has installed the program on more than 140 million handsets.
Specifically, Ohm points to changes made to the Wiretap Act under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 that forbid acquiring the contents of communications without the users’ consent. “Because this happens with text messages as they’re being sent, a quintessentially streaming form of communication, it seems like exactly the kind of thing the wiretap act is meant to prevent,” he says. ”When I was at the Justice Department, we definitely prosecuted people for installing software with these kinds of capabilities on personal computers.”
Carrier IQ didn’t respond to my request for comment, but the firm has posted a response statement on its website, claiming that it collects only limited “operational information” on devices for its carrier customers:
“While we look at many aspects of a device’s performance, we are counting and summarizing performance, not recording keystrokes or providing tracking tools. The metrics and tools we derive are not designed to deliver such information, nor do we have any intention of developing such tools. The information gathered by Carrier IQ is done so for the exclusive use of that customer, and Carrier IQ does not sell personal subscriber information to 3rd parties. The information derived from devices is encrypted and secured within our customer’s network or in our audited and customer-approved facilities
Former Justice Department prosecutor and University of Colorado Law School professor Paul Ohm
But even if the data were somehow aggregated and anonymized before being communicated to a remote server, Ohm argues, Carrier IQ and possibly even Sprint and other carriers shown to have used the company’s services should still expect a costly class action lawsuit. “Even if they were collecting only anonymized usage metrics, it doesn’t mean they didn’t break the law,” says Ohm. “Then it becomes a hard, open question. And hard open questions take hundreds of thousands of dollars to make go away.”
“In the next days or weeks, someone will sue, and then this company is tangled up in very expensive litigation,” he adds. “It’s almost certain.”
Over the last month, Carrier IQ has attempted to quash Eckhart’s research with a cease-and-desist letter, apologizing only after the Electronic Frontier Foundation came to his defense. Eckhart’s legal representation at the EFF declined to comment on the legality of Carrier IQ’s business practices.
If the case went to court, Carrier IQ’s first line of defense might be that users have agreed to some form of tracking in their contract with one of Carrier IQ’s cellular carrier customers. But when I reached Eckhart by phone, he pointed out that in his tests, he turned on the phone’s airplane mode, shutting down its cellular connection and using only Wifi. Even then, the app seemed to record all his keystrokes and communications as they happened. “[Sprint] defines their service as their network,” he says, referring to his own tests on his Sprint-connected HTC Evo. “I don’t understand how my phone on my own wireless network is their service, and how they have the right to look at that.”
Ohm argues that even when the phone is connected to the cellular network, only carriers are protected by contracts they make with users, not an intermediate software company of which most users are unaware. And carriers themselves typically don’t spell out in their contracts the kind of surveillance that Eckhart has shown Carrier IQ to be performing. “This seems like really intrusive, comprehensive surveillance,” says Ohm. “If so, is there really a provision in the contract that’s so all-encompassing? They may say they’ll periodically monitor for quality assurance, or something to that effect. But that seems like a far cry from saving every keystroke.”
(In short; there shouldn't be any type of keystroke-sniffing software installed. Even if it's anonymous or not, users should have the right to know first and be able to option out before activation)
AT&T admits to using Carrier IQ, Samsung passes the buck, Microsoft and HP deny Windows Phone or webOS involvement
In case it wasn't obvious from our hands-on preview of the LG Nitro — see above — AT&T is also using the controversial Carrier IQ tracking software on its phones. For its part, AT&T doesn't deny that. "In line with our privacy policy, we solely use CIQ software data to improve wireless network and service performance," it told the Washington Post. Samsung also confirmed that Carrier IQ is present in "some Samsung mobile phones," but like HTC, claims that the inclusion of the software is not its fault. "It's very important to note that it's up to the carrier to request that Samsung include that software on devices. One other important point is that Samsung does not receive any consumer user information from the phones that are equipped with Carrier IQ," it said in a statement. Meanwhile, Microsoft and HP have both denied that their operating systems Windows Phone 7 and webOS included Carrier IQ at all. Follow our storystream to get the latest on the Carrier IQ story.
Rogers, Telus, Bell, Virgin, Fido and Videotron confirm that Carrier IQ is not present on their devices
We have waited a while to step into the fray of Carrier IQ in Canada. The reason? There is a lot of speculation, and a LOT of hyperbole, being thrown around, from “Android is insecure” to “This is the end of privacy!”
Carrier IQ seems to be a piece of software that, at the behest of the carrier, tracks certain information on a user’s phone. It can record keystrokes, app usage and even location, but at this point it is not known whether that info is ever sent back to the carrier. The upshot is that it is installed by the carrier, not by the manufacturer.
In the US, Carrier IQ has been found on Android, BlackBerry and Symbian devices from three of the top four carriers, and trace amounts have been uncovered in older iOS firmwares, though they don’t appear to be tracking anything. The discovery was made by a security researcher, Trevor Eckhart, who discovered the software on his Android device, calling the insidious inclusion a rootkit. Carrier IQ then sent him a cease-and-desist letter, which it then retracted as Eckhart was in his rights to pursue an investigation
Rogers has done an investigation and has confirmed that Carrier IQ is not present on any of its devices. On Twitter they stated that “Hi all. I’m happy to confirm that we have investigated and Carrier IQ is NOT on any of our devices”. TELUS also confirmed that they have not installed Carrier IQ on any of their devices. We are waiting to hear back from Bell.
Update: We’ve heard from Bell and Videotron. Both confirm that Carrier IQ is not on any of their devices. Bell stated in an email that “Bell doesn’t install or support Carrier IQ or similar programs. You may want to connect with the device manufacturers for the industry-wide perspective”. ^ IH
Update #2: Virgin also is included in the list of carriers now that Carrier IQ is not present on any of their devices. ^IH
Update #3: Fido has now come forth and followed the other carriers. On Twitter they noted that “Carrier IQ is not on any of our devices.” ^IH
E2EK1EL
Update On iPhone 4S Unlock: Baseband Bootrom Dumped
Here's a tiny snippet: http://twitpic.com/7mg5hp ...but we'll be digging into the rest of it too! :)
Earlier this week, it was announced that a very promising iPhone 4S unlock is in the works. Stay tuned to iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, or RSS for the latest updates.
Galaxy Nexus OTA update
Google, as promised, has begun rolling out an OTA update for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, in response to a curious volume bug affecting many European users. According to Android Central, "several" Nexus users have reported receiving the update, bundled in a package that weighs a little less than 1MB. Early reports indicate that the refresh only addresses the volume issue, though it appears to be rolling out on a piecemeal basis. If you've already updated, let us know how it's treating you in the comments, below.
(PS: Galaxy Nexus and Xoom Tablet has no trace of Carrier IQ installed.)
Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket explodes in man’s pocket
Apple has accused Samsung of copying its designs on a number of occasions. While the foundation for Apple’s accusations is questionable, this is one area where Samsung clearly stole a page right out of Apple’s playbook. BGR reported earlier this week that a passenger aboard a flight in Australia was welcomed to his destination by a spontaneously combusting iPhone 4. Now, just three days later, a user on the xda-developers forum posted images of his friend’s Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket, which supposedly exploded in the man’s pocket. “He said he heard a sound, [felt] a burning sensation on his leg and as he pulled this piece of junk out of his pocket he smelled burning,” the forum user wrote. “There was smoke coming out of his pocket and out of the phone.” It does not appear that the man was injured by the smoldering smartphone. Additional images of the fried Galaxy S II Skyrocket follow below.
E2EK1EL
Android, iOS usage shares dip in November as BlackBerry gains
Apple’s iOS platform and Google’s Android operating system both lost usage share in November as BlackBerry and Symbian showed gains. Analytics firm Net Applications on Thursday published its operating system market share data for the month of November, and momentum has shifted quite a bit compared to October. IOS slid more than seven points to drop to a 54% share in November, and Android shed two points to fall to 17%. Android also slipped out of the No.2 spot it claimed from Java ME in October as the feature phone platform jumped seven points to a 20% share last month. RIM’s BlackBerry platform ticked up to 3% and Symbian usage gained a point and a half to hit 5%. Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform didn’t even register 1% on Net Applications’s radar. A graph outlining November’s smartphone and tablet platform market share by usage follows below.
E2EK1EL
iPhone 4S deemed best iPhone yet by owners
Any disappointment that might have been expressed by onlookers as Apple unveiled its latest iPhone has not carried over to owners of the new smartphone. Apple’s iPhone 4S became the fastest-selling iPhone yet when Apple managed to move more than 4 million units during the handset’s debut weekend, and millions more have purchased the phone since then. According to new data from market research firm ChangeWave, the iPhone 4S is not only the fastest-selling iPhone to date, it also carries the highest level of satisfaction an iPhone has ever achieved. Read on for more.
A recent study carried out by ChangeWave Research found that 96% of iPhone 4S owners are satisfied with their smartphone, with 77% of survey respondents having said they were very satisfied with the new iPhone and 19% claiming to be somewhat satisfied. About 1% said they were somewhat unsatisfied with the phone and another 1% said they were very unsatisfied.
A similar study conducted by ChangeWave following the release of the iPhone 4 found that 93% of owners were satisfied with the device, with 72% of those surveyed saying they were very satisfied with the phone and 21% saying they were somewhat satisfied.
The iPhone 4S satisfaction rate as determined by ChangeWave is clearly impressive, but it also may be a bit surprising. We called the phone an improvement on Apple’s already-great iPhone 4 when we reviewed it in October, and we were still enjoying the device quite a bit after spending a full month with the iPhone 4S. The new Apple smartphone is not without its issues however, and thousands of owners have taken to the internet to complain of a variety of bugs.
Battery life has been the most common complaint among iPhone 4S users, and Apple’s recent iOS update appears to have done nothing to help many users who report terrible battery life. Other common complaints include audio drops when using a wired headset and static sounds during voice calls that may in fact be related to a hardware issue. Apple has not addressed either bug publicly.
ChangeWave also found battery life to be the biggest pain point among iPhone 4S owners, with 38% of survey respondents listing it as their top complaint. The phone’s lack of 4G, the size of the display and excessive dropped calls were also among the top complaints. Among the features users liked the most were Siri, the phone’s ease of use and Apple’s new 8-megapixel camera.
E2EK1EL
Senate gives Carrier IQ until December 14th to address privacy concerns
Senator Al Franken, chairman of the Senate subcommittee on privacy, technology and law, sent a letter to Carrier IQ on Thursday asking the company to address a number of concerns that have arisen after security expert Trevor Eckhart revealed the software might allow wireless carriers to spy on customers. “I am very concerned by recent reports that your company’s software — preinstalled on smartphones used by millions of Americans — is logging and may be transmitting extraordinarily sensitive information from consumers’ phones,” Senator Franken wrote in his letter. Read on for more.
Franken noted that Carrier IQ has been accused of be keeping track of when users turn their phones on and off, what numbers users dial, message contents and more. He said he understands that carriers need to collect data to run diagnostics but that “it appears Carrier IQ’s software captures a broad swath of extremely sensitive information from users that would appear to have nothing to do with diagnostics.”
Sprint admitted to The Verge_on Thursday that it, and other carriers, “use the data to understand device performance so [it] can figure out when issues are occurring,” and that it doesn’t sell the data and can not look at messages, personal photos or other private information. These sentiments mirror earlier comments the carrier gave to BGR several months ago._Sprint’s full statement follows below.
Carrier IQ provides information that allows Sprint, and other carriers that use it, to analyze our network performance and identify where we should be improving service. We also use the data to understand device performance so we can figure out when issues are occurring. We collect enough information to understand the customer experience with devices on our network and how to address any connection problems, but we do not and cannot look at the contents of messages, photos, videos, etc., using this tool. The information collected is not sold and we don’t provide a direct feed of this data to anyone outside of Sprint.
Sprint is well known for our serious commitment to respecting and protecting the privacy and security of each customer’s personally identifiable information and other customer data. A key element of this involves communicating with our customers about our information privacy practices. The Sprint privacy policy makes it clear we collect information that includes how a device is functioning and how it is being used. Carrier IQ is an integral part of the Sprint service. Sprint uses Carrier IQ to help maintain our network performance.
E2EK1EL
Apple confirms Carrier IQ in older iOS, plans to remove it in future update
Apple has confirmed in a statement (via All Things D) that they stopped supporting Carrier IQ in iOS 5 and plan to “remove it completely in a future software update”. Earlier we reported that carrier IQ was indeed running on the iPhone. Full statement below:
We stopped supporting CarrierIQ with iOS 5 in most of our products and will remove it completely in a future software update. With any diagnostic data sent to Apple, customers must actively opt-in to share this information, and if they do, the data is sent in an anonymous and encrypted form and does not include any personal information. We never recorded keystrokes, messages or any other personal information for diagnostic data and have no plans to ever do so.
E2EK1EL
Two drunk RIM employees get booted from an Air Canada flight, each fined $35,878
Doing PR for RIM must be a tough gig these days. Some new spectacle happens everyday – radical employee open letters, low stock prices, investors seeking a shift in management, products, OS delays, layoffs… and now you can add a couple drunk RIM employees who were each charged $35,878 for disrupting an Air Canada flight. George Campbell and Paul Alexander Wilson were charged with mischief for downing “too much alcohol” and “disobeyed” the flight crew.
Campbell and Wilson, according to Cpl. Sherrdean Turley, “they weren’t necessarily fighting. They were just simply being unruly in their drunken state. And in that state, they just simply weren’t listening to any direction that the flight crew was giving them.” The flight was en route to Beijing and the pilots decided to turn the plane around and make and unscheduled stop in Vancouver, impacting 314 passengers.
RIM has issued a statement about the event, saying that “based on the limited information available at this time, RIM has suspended the individuals involved pending further investigation”.
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Two drunken Research In Motion employees forced an Air Canada flight from Toronto to Beijing to make an unscheduled stop in Vancouver, disrupting travel plans of more than 300 people.
George Campbell, 45, of Conestogo, Ont., and Paul Alexander Wilson, 38, of Kitchener, pleaded guilty to one charge of mischief in Richmond Provincial Court on Wednesday.
They were each given suspended sentences and one year’s probation, and ordered to pay restitution to Air Canada of $35,878 each, and barred from having any contact with Air Canada crews or flying that carrier during the probation period.
RIM issued a statement saying: “Based on the limited information available at this time, RIM has suspended the individuals involved pending further investigation.”
The incident began Monday night aboard Air Canada Flight 31, a non-stop flight from Toronto to Beijing, where the unruly passengers consumed “too much alcohol” and “disobeyed” the flight crew, according to Richmond RCMP.
The Boeing 777 aircraft, carrying 314 passengers and 17 crew members was already north of Alaska, when the pilots decided to turn the plane around to unload the passengers.
After forcibly restraining the two men, the crew notified the RCMP of the decision at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, and the plane landed at about 10:21 p.m. in Vancouver
Richmond RCMP officers were waiting at the airport to arrest the men: “They weren’t necessarily fighting. They were just simply being unruly in their drunken state,’ said Cpl. Sherrdean Turley in an interview. “And in that state, they just simply weren’t listening to any direction that the flight crew was giving them.”
Because the daily direct flight between Toronto and Beijing extends for 13 hours, any unscheduled stop would put the flight crew — four pilots and 13 flight attendants — beyond the number of hours they are allowed to fly for health and safety reasons.
But the airline could not immediately get a flight crew to the Vancouver airport, so passengers were put up in a hotel overnight and then flew on to Beijing on Tuesday, arriving 18 hours late.
The RCMP’s Turley praised the restitution order. “It’s really good. I can’t begin to imagine what this cost the company,” she said.
Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick added the crew followed standard procedures to maintain the safety and security of passengers and the flight.
“Safety and security are always paramount, so when the pilot feels that is compromised they will act,” he said.
Another passenger aboard the plane says Campbell and Wilson were fighting with the flight attendants, prompting the crew to subdue them.
E2EK1EL
RIM 2012 BBX roadmap leaks with codenames galore?
RIM has just come out with a sobering statement ahead of its December 15th earnings report to tell the world that it'll be "recording a pre-tax provision" of $485 million in relation to unsold inventory of its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. In simpler terms, that means the company is wiping nearly half a billion dollars off the value of its inventory, simply because it doesn't believe it can recoup it in sales. RIM reiterates that it has "a high level" of unsold PlayBooks in its warehouses and that it intends to continue an aggressive promotional push to get them out and returning at least some sort of revenue.
150,000 PlayBooks were shipped to retailers in the third quarter, but RIM has seen very positive feedback to the deep discounts it...
RIM 2012 BBX roadmap leaks with codenames galore?
If a big set of codenames leaked by CrackBerry yesterday can be believed, RIM's 2012 roadmap for BBX devices is looking pretty full. In addition to the BlackBerry London, which we've already seen, apparently RIM has at least four more BBX-based devices on tap for 2012. Supposedly coming in March, the BlackBerry Milan looks to be a variant of the BlackBerry London, perhaps slated for GSM networks. There's also the BlackBerry Nevada rumored to hit in November, which may be a BBX phone in the traditional portrait-QWERTY form factor. The BlackBerry Lisbon is more of a mystery than the rest, but it bears noting that none of the other rumored devices account for the slider form factor. Finally, CrackBerry has pegged a 10-inch BBX tablet as the Black Forest, which is purported to leave the bland PlayBook looks behind in favor of the angular lines we saw on the London.
That is a lot of names to keep track of, so it will be interesting to see if RIM will to keep to the schedule laid out here. Given how poorly the PlayBook appears to be doing, the company is going to need more than one of these BBX devices to be a hit.
