“If you don’t have an iPhone, well…” they can’t track you

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It turns out that Apple is tracking iPhone users. And not just Apple. Google too.

Apple Inc.’s iPhones and Google Inc.’s Android smartphones regularly transmit their locations back to Apple and Google, respectively, according to data and documents analyzed by The Wall Street Journal—intensifying concerns over privacy and the widening trade in personal data.

Google and Apple are gathering location information as part of their race to build massive databases capable of pinpointing people’s locations via their cellphones. These databases could help them tap the $2.9 billion market for location-based services—expected to rise to $8.3 billion in 2014, according to research firm Gartner Inc.

In the case of Google, according to new research by security analyst Samy Kamkar, an HTC Android phone collected its location every few seconds and transmitted the data to Google at least several times an hour. It also transmitted the name, location and signal strength of any nearby Wi-Fi networks, as well as a unique phone identifier.

Google declined to comment on the findings.

Now it all makes sense

Apple’s Steve Jobs photographed at dinner with Obama, tech leaders

“This evening, the President joined twelve leaders from technology companies to discuss ways to work together to closely monitor the opposition invest in American innovation and promote private sector job growth.”

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Oh crap, both my wife and myself have iPhones.