the buzz log

Most people couldn't function without their cell phones. But mobile-addicts should beware—according to a popular article within the Buzz, it's becoming alarmingly easy for strangers to hack your phone and monitor your every move.

The blog "Geeks are Sexy" breaks down the myriad methods. First off, nefarious types can install software on a victim's phone. This mobile spyware allows the monitoring of conversations and text messages. But wait, that's not all.

More and more phones have GPS functions. Is that good or bad? According to Geeks are Sexy, the suspicious and unscrupulous could follow a person's movements with just a simple text message. After the victim opens the message, his or her cell phone is then tracked via an online map. Guaranteed to make you think twice before you play hookie.

Geeks are Sexy goes on to explain that there are also "dozens of programs" that turn a cell phone into a long-range listening device. Fortunately, searches on these devices are low indicating only a few folks are bothering to take advantage. For now.

Is all this scary? Absolutely. Legal? Heck if we know. But keep in mind that there are ways to monitor your own cell phone for suspicious spyware. If you hear clicking noises or see the phone light up at strange times, take it in to your provider for a check-up. Big brother (or ex-boyfriend) may be listening.

Filed under: Privacy, Cell Phones

The Buzz puts stock in the opinions of others, especially when it comes to gadgets. A good assessment, whether from a user or a professional, helps protect against hucksterism and hype. With the hysteria of holiday shopping behind us, look-ups on low-downs have concentrated primarily on cell phones, smart or otherwise.

However, two infomercial products have infiltrated the top 20 "review" searches: putty on steroids (No. 8) and more notably Kinoki Detox Foot Pads (No. 3), a white gauze that adheres to the soles of your feet and allegedly yanks everything from toxins to repressed playground memories from your system. Kinoki has hotfooted into the top 10,000 searches overall, its prestigious rise thanks to dubious queries such as "kinoki foot pads scam." Lucky for consumers, objects as seen on TV can be scrutinized on the Web. Then again, if it works, someone should send Amy Winehouse a bushel.

Give a once-over on what else people have been investigating in the past week:

Filed under: Electronics, Cell Phones, Gadgets, Reviews

If there's one man who knows how to kick up buzz, it's Steve Jobs. The turtle-necked daddy of design stepped onto the stage at MacWorld yesterday, flashed his company's first foray into "smart" phones, and sparked a wave of fascination in Search.

Buzz for the "iphone," "apple iphone," "apple phone," and "ipod phone" rang up massive spikes, all landing in our top daily movers. In off-the-chart numbers, searchers wanted to know what the magic gadget looked like (oh so sleek), how much it cost (oh so costly), and when they could get their paws on it (June in the U.S.).

Steve and the rest of the gang basked in a surge of interest, too. Searches on the maharishi of Macs dialed up 1,153%. Buzz on "apple," "apple computers," "macworld," and "mac rumors" flooded the Search waves. And though it must feel a tad overlooked, "apple itv" did grab a 279% spike.

Will the iPhone follow the iPod, its hyper-successful older sibling, into the consumer electronics hall of fame? That remains to be seen. But judging by the company's Jobs performance up to now, we're pretty confident the buzz will continue to call.

Filed under: Apple Computer, Cell Phones