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Mt. Gox CEO's blog hacked, database leak claims there should be a 951k Bitcoin balance (update)
The latest twist in the fall of Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox is here, as CEO Mark Karpeles, personal blog, MagicalTux.net (along with his Tumblr and Reddit accounts) has apparently been hacked. Whoever has control now used them to post a "MtGox2014Leak.zip" that claims to show "relevant database dumps, csv exports, specialized tools, and some highlighted summaries compiled from data." We wouldn't recommend downloading the file or running its included executable (pictured above, it claims to be from Mt. Gox parent company Tibanne Ltd.), but some already have. Several posters on Reddit and Twitter report they've verified their personal account balances with the data in it -- also available as an Excel spreadsheet -- tied to the user id included in their first Mt. Gox registration e-mail. Update: No one has commented on the database leak, but Mt. Gox has updated its website tonight with a spam warning (PDF) claiming that phishing emails are being sent to former users. Considering that personal details may be among data loosed from the exchange's servers, if you used the same password on MtGox.com and other sites, we'd recommend changing it right away. [Image credit: Reddit]
One million Forbes accounts reportedly stolen in Syrian Electronic Army hack
Having already targeted several big name news organizations, the Syrian Electronic Army has hit another, this time publishing a reported one million user credentials from business site Forbes.com. Re/code reports that the group posted various messages to its Twitter account claiming responsibility for the attack, sharing a screenshot of the site's publishing system and indicating it accessed a Forbes employee's accounts in order to do so. Forbes, meanwhile, has confirmed the compromise, prompting users to change their passwords and be on their guard for a potential increase in targeted phishing attacks. While passwords were hashed (not stored in plain text), they may not be safe from enterprising third parties. The site has since returned to normal, but the company says it's in contact with law enforcement to identify exactly what happened. Between this and the recent Kickstarter hack, it's been a lousy few days for database administrators.
Snapchat database leak claims to contain 4.6 million phone numbers and usernames
Last week security researchers published a way to skim Snapchat's full database, and it appears someone did it before the vulnerability -- which, according to those researchers had been known for months -- was addressed. A website called SnapchatDB! has appeared posting SQL/CSV files that it claims contain the username and associated phone number for a "vast majority" of the service's users, with the last two digits of the numbers obscured. Snapchat eventually admitted that such a hack was theoretically possible, but said additional countermeasures and safeguards it's implemented would make that harder to do. That amounts to 4.6 million pairs, although actually downloading the files to actually use them or verify the claim seems impossible, presumably due to an overload of traffic. We don't know who is behind the website (its WHOIS record is hidden by WHOISGuard), but the homepage claims this release is happening to "raise awareness" of the fact that companies should be more careful with the private information of their users. As the site mentions, even the info included could be enough to figure out someone's phone number from their username (if it's also used publicly on Twitter, for example), especially problematic for those with unlisted numbers. They also have not ruled out releasing the uncensored database "under certain circumstances," so if you've ever used the service this may be something to keep an eye out for. Update: Developers Robbie Trencheny and Will Smeindlein have worked up a searchable database to see if your info is among those captured. It's accessible here, and searches by username, apparently based on the SQL file uploaded. Our friends at TechCrunch apparently found at least one writer's info in the database, although a Reddit user who grabbed the file suggests only certain area codes are affected.
US carriers don't want to give smartphone users an anti-theft kill switch
Earlier this year, lawmakers in San Francisco and New York joined forces in an initiative called "Secure our Smartphones" that would encourage manufacturers to include a so-called "kill switch" in future phones to address the growing problem of handset theft. According to George Gascon, San Francisco's district attorney, carriers are determined to kill the kill switch initiative. The New York Times reports that Gascon was in talks with Samsung to pre-load software that would allow customers to deactivate stolen handsets, similar to iOS 7's Activation Lock. However, inclusion of the software would require approval from US carriers, and the likes of AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint weren't having it. According to Gascon, it appeared that the companies in question rejected the idea because it could cut into the revenue they make from cellphone insurance. In response, the CTIA, which represents the carriers, says it already has a solution in the stolen phone database that went live last year. However, some say that solution falls short, as it doesn't address those devices that end up overseas, out of the reach of the database. A Samsung spokeswoman had this to say in a statement to The New York Times: "We are working with the leaders of the Secure Our Smartphones (S.O.S.) Initiative to incorporate the perspective of law enforcement agencies. We will continue to work with them and our wireless carrier partners towards our common goal of stopping smartphone theft."
Final Fantasy XIV launches Libra Eorzea for Android
Imagine, for a moment, that you've brought your Android smartphone to a restaurant while your date has brought her iPhone. You both play Final Fantasy XIV, and she suggests you both pull up your character page on the Libra Eorzea app. Yesterday, you would have had to say no, hanging your head in shame before beginning your new life in the dumpster outside the restaurant for some reason. But now, you'd be able to just pull up the app, flash a confident smile, and ruin the date some other way. Yes, Libra Eorzea is now available on Android, offering a searchable database of items, quests, and achievements along with a wealth of knowledge about your character and friends. It's all available for one low payment of absolutely nothing. If you already have the app on an iOS device, it's the exact same thing, but for everyone else it's a chance to enjoy a little on-the-road database functionality. [Thanks to Wolfyseyes for the tip!]
FCC approves Google's white space wireless database
Google may have been on pins and needles while the FCC scrutinized its white space wireless database over the spring, but it can relax this summer -- the FCC has given the database the all-clear. The approval lets Google serve as one of ten go-to sources for white space devices needing safe frequencies in the US. It also lets those with interference-prone devices, such as wireless microphone users, register the airwaves they consider off-limits to white space technology. The clearance won't have much immediate effect when very few Americans are using the spectrum, but it's a step forward for rural broadband rollouts and other situations where long-range, unlicensed wireless comes in handy.
Twin Galaxies accepting record score submissions, now at a cost
Legendary arcade scoring organization Twin Galaxies had to take a break from tracking scores for about six months as the company went through a transition last year, but as of last week it's back in business and ready for score submissions.There is one catch, however. The company charge to report your scores: $25 for one submission, $60 for three submissions, or $75 for five submissions. Each score submission requires video proof – you may include more than one score in the video – but each video can only cover one game. If you want to submit both Donkey Kong and Rampage scores, for example, you'll need to pay twice.The new ownership says the old database was "damaged yet not completely irretrievable," and the fees will go towards smoothing out the verification process and evolving the website "beyond its status as the premier competitive scoring service, and into an interactive gaming platform."So, think you can do better than Hank Chien?
FileMaker offers demo solutions for FileMaker Go 12 on iOS
If you're a user of FileMaker Go 12 on the iPhone or iPad, its creators want to give you a better idea of the sorts of things the mobile database software can do. To that end, FileMaker has launched a lineup of demo solutions that you can download and try out right from within FileMaker Go 12. The demo solutions cover a range of applications, from customer relationship management to mapping to invoicing and point of sale. The solutions were created by companies that use FileMaker Go 12 in order to better show what the app is capable of. FileMaker points out that the demos are either limited in features or by a timer, but they should give you a good idea of what the free app is capable of when paired with FileMaker Pro for Mac.
NBA gives casual fans and armchair GMs access to the league's entire statistical history
The odds of rising from NBA stat junkie / forum poster to Houston Rockets GM like Daryl Morey did are slim, but thanks to the new NBA.com/Stats page fans have access to more data than ever before. Until now, only league and team personnel have had access to the NBA's complete official stats -- media got access last spring -- with box scores that go as far back as its start in 1946-47, individual stats for anyone who has ever played in the league plus advanced statistical breakdowns and rankings of best lineup combinations. Fan sites like Basketball Reference have filled in the gaps in the past, but this should bring a new level of accuracy and analysis to bear. Access to these stats means we can evaluate games at a much deeper level to know precisely why the Lakers are so bad this season, or which combinations of players are giving the Knicks their best advantage. SAP announced the project back in July as a part of its marketing deal with the league, as it gets to show off its database chops building a system that can handle such a large number of requests on so much info. Hopefully other leagues follow suit and encourage this level for interaction with fans, although we suspect it would take more than a few Moneyball-esque calculations to fix squads like the Bobcats. Hit the source link below to satisfy a jones for numerics or find the perfect angle for your LeBron vs. Kobe argument, although last night's All-Star Game may have given all the ammo necessary.
Comixology sends out call for comic creator info
As we've said before, Comixology has essentially conquered the App Store for comics on the iPad. There are a few companies and options out there for buying digital comic books, but Comixology (with its Comics app) has secured a huge collection for sale, and offers up great prices in conjunction with huge comics publishers almost every week. Now it sounds like the company is trying something completely new. It's sent out "a call for creator info," which is a 26 week initiative (starting at the Baltimore Comic-Con) to put together photos and information about 6,000 different comic book creators, from artists and writers to inkers, letterers and editors. They're hoping to collect all of this information via the company's Twitter account, and then presumably it'll all be included in the app eventually, creating a huge database of comic book creators to browse through. Comixology is hoping to do one letter a week, so by midway through next year, they should have a pretty substantial amount of information. They've already put together a great resource for us comic book readers on the iPad and a database like this would also be much appreciated.
Guild Wars 2 brings trading post online, handles hacked accounts
It's a good day for Tyria's Wall Street and its many denizens, as ArenaNet has brought Guild Wars 2's trading post fully online. The trading post, which works as an advanced version of an auction house for the game's players, has only been sporadically available since launch. The defense and counter-attack against the legion of GW2 hackers continues, however. The devs report that "a Guild Wars-related fan site" was recently hacked for its account information, and say that the reset password feature for the game will remain disabled for the time being as to not allow hackers another avenue of attack. ArenaNet said that during the past 24 hours, the team has dealt with over 2,500 hacked accounts and over 2,800 login issues.
New Bento 4 for iPad adds design tools for customizing database solutions
It's a bit hard to believe that Apple software subsidiary FileMaker has been marketing Bento for more than four years now. The Mac version of the personal database debuted in early 2008, and separate iPhone and iPad versions can be had on the iOS App Store. Today the company is jumping the iPad build from version 1.15 all the way to version 4, with new features to let users customize their libraries entirely on the iPad. Bento 4 for iPad is a completely new app, so it's an additional purchase for existing customers rather than a free update -- but it's only $4.99 through the end of July. Bento 4 for iPad still syncs with Bento for Mac (version 4.1, also out today) for loading libraries and collections, but the enhanced library design tools in the iPad version mean that plenty of users will be able to execute their projects, start to finish, on the iPad alone. Bento's Template Exchange is now directly accessible in the iPad app, so it's easy to download and work with a pre-configured solution that someone else has uploaded to the exchange. The exchange lists almost 600 templates in English and that many more in several other languages, covering organizational tasks from Action Figures to Wine. %Gallery-158590% Whether you start with a basic template or a fully customized one, the onboard design tools now allow you to create fields, reformat views and generally do all the setup tasks you'd have to do on the desktop with previous versions. In the prerelease demo I saw, the editing tools were fairly intuitive -- drag fields to locate them, tap to rename, etc. I expect there'll be a how-to video showing up on FileMaker's site in short order. You can also retheme your library from Bento's collection of color schemes, backgrounds and so on. Bento 4 also adds new views (Table, Split & Full Screen) and new field types including an encrypted field for sensitive information like account numbers, patient notes or passwords. Bento 4 for iPad is available today in the App Store for $4.99, going up to $9.99 in August. Bento 4.1 for Mac is a free update for existing users of 4.0 and is available at a special price of $29.99 through August.
PicPlz shutting down permanently on July 3rd, all photos to be deleted pre-fireworks
Already prepping to share oodles of horribly blurry and underexposed Independence Day photos via PicPlz? Go ahead and burst your own bubble, bub. The aforesaid photo sharing app / site has decided to throw in the towel, with a brief blurb posted on its site today describing that July 3rd will be its final day of operation. To quote: "On July 3, 2012, picplz will shut down permanently and all photos and data will be deleted. We have provided download links for existing users to save their photos. Thank you for your support of picplz and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you." Users are encouraged to login prior to that day in order to download their photos, including those ones of you shooting Instagram and Facebook Camera in the face. Violence isn't cool, but who are we judge how your grieve?
TERA Tome database unleashes the mysteries of Arborea
TERA players, have you been spending weeks trying to find that one perfect weapon? Or maybe you just want to know which mob drops the crafting mats you need to pimp out your gear. Either way, the ZAM Network is here to help. En Masse Entertainment has announced on the official TERA site that ZAM's TERA database, alliteratively named TERA Tome, is live and kickin'. The current version of the site includes all of the nifty features that players have come to expect from ZAM's MMO databases, such as information on quests, items, and abilities as well as helpful forums and comments. Players trying to get a handle on their character's build should also find the site handy thanks to its useful glyph calculator that allows players to survey all currently available glyphs without the need to set foot in the game. Just head on over to the recently launched site to crack open the tome.
First signs of Google's new 'semantic search' spotted, put to good use
So, Google wasn't merry-dancing when it promised to update its search engine with new "semantic" algorithms. One of our readers sent in the screen grab above, which shows what happens when they search for "Howard Carter." In addition to all the regular links, there's a box on the right that seems to be distinctly aware of who that poor fellow was (er, happy birthday old bean). We haven't been able to replicate these results, which probably means it's a limited roll-out at this time. Nevertheless, if we're right, then this archaeologist's name will have wormed its way through Mountain View's constantly updated knowledge database, which we're told can link facts together rather than just match keywords. Carter's cause of death? Hmm, clearly the system still as a few things to learn about mummies and curses. [Thanks, Joseph]
US carriers agree to build stolen phone database, blacklist hot handsets
What's the best way to deter a thief? Ruin the spoils, of course. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint have agreed to a broad outline that will culminate in the creation of a central database for stolen cellphones. The goal? To block lifted units from functioning on US shores. Over the next six months, each firm will build out its own stolen device database for integration into a larger, central database, said a Wall Street Journal source, with regional carriers joining the effort over the following two years."We are working toward an industry wide solution to address the complexity of blocking stolen devices from being activated on ours or another network with a new SIM card," said a T-Mobile spokesperson, "This is not a simple problem to solve." The quartet of wireless providers hope to imitate the success UK carriers have seen with similar efforts. With any luck, the program will put an end to massive phone-heists and the awkward public relations stunts that imitate them.
Google to switch on 'semantic search' within months, emphasize things as well as words
A search engine should be about more than just keywords. MC Hammer believes that passionately and Google must do too, because over the next few months and years it'll gradually adjust its own algorithms to put greater emphasis on "semantic search". Under this system, search queries are run through a vast knowledge database that discovers relationships with other words and facts. A Mountain View exec explained it thus: If you search for "Lake Tahoe", you won't just get ranked websites containing those two words but also key attributes about the lake, such as its location, altitude, average temperature and Bigfoot population. If a piece of knowledge isn't the in the ever-expanding database, the search engine will still use semantic search to help it recognize and evaluate information held on websites. In doing this, Big G hopes to compete with social networks that are amassing their own valuable (and sometimes intrusive) databases full of personal information, while also encouraging people to stay longer on its site and see more targeted ads. Google, who is Viviane Reding?
Trion Worlds customer database hacked, 'no evidence' credit card info stolen
Trion Worlds has become the latest in a long string of MMO studio security breaches this year, as the company reported an intrusion into its customer database. At risk of compromise were customers' user names, passwords, birthdates, email and billing addresses, and partial credit card info. However, the company states that "there is no evidence" that full credit card numbers were stolen at this time. In a message posted on the Trion Worlds website, the company promises that it is both researching the intrusion and taking steps to increase security. As part of this, all RIFT players will be asked to change passwords and security questions, and their mobile authenticators will need to be reconnected. The company urges customers to watch their bank statements for questionable activity, and provides customers with resources to get a free credit report and putting a freeze on credit reports. To compensate customers for the issue, Trion is providing all RIFT players with three extra days of gaming time and a Moneybags' Purse that increases all money looted by 10% in-game. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
New contest celebrates the launch of Torhead
If you've been following Star Wars: The Old Republic for long enough, you're probably tired of hearing it compared to World of Warcraft. Unfortunately, the launch of the beta version of Torhead isn't going to ameliorate those comparisons, as it's clearly meant to function in the same fashion as Wowhead (and is designed by the same team, no less). Even if you're not lucky enough to be in the beta yet, you can scour through the database and play with the skill calculators already. To celebrate the launch, the site staff is kicking off a contest, and appropriately enough, the more helpful content you upload to the site, the more contest entries you get. The grand prize winner gets a new Razer Naga and an Astro A40 Gaming Headset, both of which should be quite useful once the game launches. But even if you're not in the beta, you can still browse and comment to enter, something that might help assuage the waiting.
Escort's SmartCord Live brings radar detection, KRS-One to your smartphone (video)
Evading the long arm of the law, as we all know, is infinitely easier with a radar detector onboard -- and even easier if said detector is hooked up to a cloud. That's the idea behind the SmartCord Live, a new power cord from the eagle-eyed folks at Escort. Once connected to your car's radar detector and lighter socket, this Bluetooth-enabled bundle will communicate with your iPhone or Android handset through a specialized app. Once that's taken care of, you'll be hooked up to Escort Live -- a so-called "social network for the road." There, you'll find access to Escort's Defender database, full of real-time geographic information on verified speed traps, red light cameras and other roadway surveillance systems. Once your detector picks up a threat, you can press a "report" button on the cord or app to instantly send out a big "five-oh" to all other Escort users in the area, while boosting your Karma quotient, in the process. Find out more about the cord and its corollary system, after the break.
