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A new blog post by JM Hipolito (Technical Communications) of trendmicro.com

http://blog.trendmicro.com/3-truths-about-mobile-applications/

This morning the FTC released a report

Last summer, Apple stopped allowing app makers to use a unique identifier embedded in iPhones and iPads to track users as they move from app to app, which is an important way for advertisers to position their ads for appropriate audiences. A recent Wall Street Journal article explains that the “two high-profile methods now being used by advertisers are the open-source OpenUDID, which uses the phone’s copy-and-paste function to track, and Open Device Identification Number (ODIN), which piggybacks off a device’s Media Access Control address (MAC) to track users.” While advertisers claim that such practices are anonymous, but others disagree, stating that even anonymous data can lead to uncovering a user’s identification.

Healthcare application company Happtique is seeking public comments on draft guidelines that will be used to certify health apps under Happtique’s App Certification Program. Happtique’s guidelines focus on reliability, privacy and how well the app safeguards user information. According to the certification guidelines, apps must provide data collection notification in lay terms, specifying which parties receive patient information, the number of emails and messages that will be sent each month, and which Bluetooth profiles will be used, prior to download. Read more about the certification guidelines and program here (link directly to their announcement/press release).

In tandem with Apple officially discontinuing the UDID, Google’s  newest version of its AdMob SDK for iOS retires the UDID. The updated AdMob SDK should help developers who are in the process of transitioning their apps that make use of the identifier.

Google on Monday released the AdMob SDK v6.4.0 for iOS , which completed its move away from UDIDs that began last September with the release of the AdMob SDK v6.2 for iOS.

Apple had been warning for over a year that it would end support for UDIDs, and it finallyset a concrete deadline last month when it announced that it would begin rejecting apps and app updates that made use of the identifier starting May 1st.

Developers who put off the transition now have just weeks to revise their apps. The arrival of a revised AdMob SDK should help some, as UDIDs had been a popular feature to help advertisers track users.

AdMob began preparing for the move away from UDID’s last year with the release of version 6.2 of its SDK, but it didn’t finalize the switch until the latest version.

http://thenextweb.com/google/2013/04/09/google-drops-udid-support-from-admob-ios-sdk-ahead-of-apples-may-1-deprecation-deadline/

http://googleadsdeveloper.blogspot.com/2013/04/admob-sdk-for-ios-v640.html

http://googleadsdeveloper.blogspot.com/2013/04/admob-sdk-for-ios-v640.html

At yesterday’s workshop titled “Future of Privacy + Innovation” that was held at U.C. Hastings, participants heard from thought leaders on the evolving privacy space for app developers. California Attorney General Kamela Harris spoke to the audience about the need to balance consumer privacy and innovation while finding new ways to innovate on privacy: “Let’s not stop the innovation. I don’t want to shut it down…But what we do have to do is give the user information, and let the user, not anyone else, make the choice about the trade off.”  The AG urged developers to give consumers the appropriate “tools” to let them make choices regarding uses their information.

The International Medical Passport app allows users to access their medical records via an iOS device from any location around the world. The app is touted by the company as being “cloud-based, secure and compliant,” as well as meeting “HIPAA requirements.”

The International Medical Passport puts the complete record on a smartphone together with a host of other features – instant access to pre-approved doctors/clinics/hospitals around the world; pre-travel information such as vaccines and political situations on 300+ destinations; medication reminders; drug interactions and international equivalents.

EasyMed has released an app, International Medical Passport, which allows users to access their medical records via smartphone from any location around the world. Not only will travelers be able to access their health records instantly, but they will also be able to use the app to find preapproved medical professionals and facilities. Before their trip, they will be able to obtain information about vaccines (and even political situations that they might want to be concerned about). Since it is easy to forget medications while travelling, the app even provides medication reminders.

The app, which is available from over 300 mobile providers in over 80 countrie,s is touted by the company as not only being “cloud-based, secure, and compliant,” but it also “meets HIPAA requirements,” is “IBM-certified,” and “supports HL-7.” Tejinder Sahota, EasyMed’s CEO, sees this app as a way to “help make healthcare costs more manageable” and give users “far greater ownership of and control over their own health.”

http://www.healthtechzone.com/topics/healthcare/articles/2013/02/25/328210-new-app-from-easymed-makes-accessing-health-records.htm