Apple, along with Pandora Media and The Weather Channel, have been named in a lawsuit alleging that the companies did not disclose the fact that personal data–specifically location–was being shared with third-party advertising networks.

The suit, filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court in Puerto Rico by Lymaris Rivera Diaz and picked up by The Loop, closely resembles an existing suit from December. That one targeted the same companies as well as other app makers for being able to trace an iPhone or iPad using the unique device identifier, or UDID, which is akin to a serial number in that it cannot be changed.

“Because the UDID is unique to each iPhone and iPad, it is an attractive feature for third-party advertisers looking for a means of reliably tracking a mobile device users’ online activities,” the new suit says. “Because the UDID is not alterable or deletable by a iPhone or iPad user, some have referred to the UDID as a ‘supercookie.’ This description aptly summarizes the desirability of access to the UDID from an advertising perspective.”

The suit takes aim specifically at Apple–as the maker of the device and the mechanism for running and installing applications–for not letting users control access to this piece of user information.

“Unfortunately, however, unlike with browser cookies, Apple does not provide users any way to delete or restrict access to their devices’ UDIDs. Traditional efforts to prevent Internet tracking, such as deleting cookies, have no effect on Apps’ access to an iPhone’s or iPad’s UDID,” it says.

Along with basic user information, the suit also highlights location, specifically the database stored on the device that became a target of interest last month. Apple says this information is used as part of a crowd-sourced database of cell towers and Wi-Fi access points, which lets iOS devices determine their location in a more efficient manner.

Diaz’s complaint focuses on the fact that the location data is stored across backups and between device migrations in an unencrypted format. Apple has since addressed several of those claims as part of a software update that went out to users a week ago and before the suit was filed. Apple has also said that it intends to fully encrypt that database on the device itself in the next major system software update.

The lawsuit seeks class action, and names 10 yet-unnamed defendants the suit says will be “specifically identified and named as discovery progresses and their roles in the wrongdoing at issue is revealed.” It also seeks damages, restitution, and an injunction against Apple for collecting any data attached to UDIDs.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Representatives for Pandora and The Weather Channel declined to comment.

Congratulations to Larry J. Callais, President and Chief Executive Officer of MC Bank!

He is the WINNER of a new Apple iPod-Touch from the Percento Technologies drawing at the 2011 Louisiana Bankers Association Annual Meeting – Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana .

Thank you to everyone who joined our drawing.

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Percento Technologies is exibiting to the Louisiana Bankers Association 111th Annual Convention & Exposition, open to member and non-member bankers, associate members, exhibitors and sponsors, is being held this week at the The Ritz Carlton in downtown New Orleans.

Hundreds of bank CEOs, directors, executive vice presidents and senior management decision-makers will gather for educational programs, networking events, and an extensive exhibit hall.

Percento is giving away a iPod Touch by drawing, to be held at 5:00 PM Friday afternoon. Winner to be announced here on the Percento Blog.

Congratulations to Lisa Rowload, VP of Lending with Neches Federal Credit Union!

She is the WINNER of a new Apple iTouch from the Percento Technologies drawing at the 2011 TCUL 77th Annual Meeting – Conference in Austin Texas this week.

Thank you to everyone who joined our drawing.

Financial Technology Support

If you’ve ever purchased a Microsoft Points card then you’ve seen the long line of characters you have to input to add the points to your Xbox Live account. Those codes are generated by an algorithm Microsoft relies on to always create unique codes and associates them with a given number of points.

The problem is, the algorithm Microsoft uses has been figured out by a group of hackers to some extent.Rather than generating completely new codes the hackers figured out how to add to a used code and get a brand new working code. In so doing, they were able to generate new codes that worked with Microsoft’s redemption system leading to a lot of stolen points.

Each code manages to accrue 160 points which isn’t a lot, but if you can keep generating new codes the total amount soon adds up. In some cases those using it generated 10,000 points before the codes stopped working.

Further work on the system managed to produce codes offering 48-hour free Live trials or a Halo Reach Banshee avatar, but the points were the most desirable outcome for anyone using the generating executable.

Microsoft has now blocked any new codes produced with this tool, but not before losing what is thought to be in the region of $1.2 million worth of points. What’s also unclear is whether they have the records in place to track which Xbox Live accounts redeemed the fake codes. If they haven’t, then there’s no way to demand the money back or block those accounts.

In order to track the fake codes Microsoft would need to have a list of which ones were fake, a list they probably don’t have. They’d also then have to spend time going through the transaction records locating the codes and the Live account they were redeemed for. That is going to take time and employees will have to be paid to do it. Then action would have to be taken against the account holder and any repercussions from that.

For $1.2 million it’s worth doing the work, but I don’t know if Microsoft is willing to spare the resources to carry it out, especially if there’s a chance they can’t get the points and content back. I’d be more concerned about fixing the problem that allowed used codes to be re-used in this way so as to stop it ever happening again.

LONDON–A day might be coming when the power of Facebook means that major companies no longer bother with their own Web sites.

That was the startling if self-promotional possibility sketched out by Stephen Haines, commercial director of Facebook’s U.K. operation, while speaking today at the Technology for Marketing and Advertising conference here. Essentially, Haines argued, companies’ interactions with their customers could take place so often on Facebook that company Web sites would fall by the wayside.

To bolster his argument, Haines showed statistics comparing how many times Facebook users have clicked a company’s “like” button with how many times per month people visited that company’s Web site. For Starbucks, a top Facebook advertiser, the ratio was 21.1 million likes to 1.8 million site visitors. For Coca-Cola, it’s 20.5 million compared with 270,000; for Oreo, 10.1 million compared with 290,000; and for Dr. Pepper, it’s 4.1 million compared with 325,000.

It’s no surprise to hear that Facebook, trying to convert its social-networking dominance into corresponding popularity with advertisers, likes a future in which it’s the hub of commercial activity. In a sign that bodes well for that ambition, Haines’ talk drew an overflowing crowd of marketers eager for any tips on how they, too, can capitalize on Facebook usage. In the U.K., millions of Facebook users spend an average of 28 minutes per day on the site, Haines said.

His idea isn’t totally outrageous. After all, plenty of individuals and companies rely on existing online services rather than building everything from scratch. At the individual level, tools such as Google’s Blogger or Yahoo’s Flickr are easier to set up than a custom-built blog or photo-sharing site. Facebook interactions let companies tap into a wealth of customer information and a communication channel, and there’s no need to coax a user to set up yet another username and password.

But the prospect of Facebook becoming powerful enough to make a sort of parallel Web inside its own walled garden is also no doubt fearful in some ways. Sure, the social-networking site is embedded increasingly deeply into people’s lives, but relying on it for customer communications means subordinating a key part of a businesses’ operations to a middleman that has shown no shortage of ambition. Many companies are happy to use Microsoft products and Google services, but companies and antitrust regulators get antsy when too much power is concentrated in one corporation’s hands.

Apple’s iPad 2 won’t have two key features that some folks have been hoping for, a new report claims.

Citing unnamed sources, Engadget reported late yesterday that the iPad 2 won’t launch with a high-resolution display or with an SD card slot. Apple initially planned on delivering those two features in the updated tablet, Engadget said, but apparently “engineering issues” caused the company to modify its plans at the last minute.

Earlier reports suggested that the iPad 2 could feature the Retina Display, Apple’s high-resolution screen found in the iPhone 4.

As with any Apple-related rumor, it’s important to take Engadget’s claims with a grain of salt. Apple is one of the more secretive companies in the tech industry, and rumors surrounding its products run rampant for months prior to a big announcement.

In fact, Engadget’s report follows several others claiming the tablet will come with a more-powerful processor and a thinner body. Yet other rumors claim the device will feature both front- and rear-facing cameras and won’t be available until June.

For its part, Apple isn’t talking. The company did not immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment. But we should find out everything we want to know about the iPad 2 at an Apple event on Wednesday.

Source

Congratulations to Ms. Cindy Mucala of  Yoakum National Bank of Yoakum, Texas. 

She is the WINNER of a new Apple iTouch from the Percento Technologies drawing at the 2011 Texas Bankers Association Technology and Operations Conference in Horseshoe Bay, Texas this week.

Thank you to everyone who joined our drawing.

February 16-18, 2011 | Horseshoe Bay Resort Marriott, Horseshoe Bay. 

Percento Technologies is sponsoring and will have a booth at the Texas Bankers Association Technology & Operations Conference.

 The event will offer IT and Operations officers the latest review of best practices, state-of-the-art technology solutions and a look into the future.  If you plan to attend, feel free to stop by to talk and visit with us.  And don’t forget to throw your buisness card into the bowl for a chance to win an Apple iTouch.

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